A/N: Thank you so much to my beta (Charlotte) and my lovely friends (Chloe, Linds, Vikki, Cindy, Grace and Becca) for the much needed motivation and support. I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: Not that you thought that I was, but I am definitely not JKR and thus do not own anything.

Prologue

or

Fix my pride

Mudblood.

That tiny, two-syllable word resounded in Lily's head over and over again. At first, she simply could not believe what had just happened. Surely, it must have been some kind of mistake. Maybe she had imagined it or hadn't heard him correctly. After all, Severus was her best friend. Or, at any rate, he was supposed to be. But quite soon, the truth settled in; he had said it. And it hurt. Merlin, it hurt. More than Lily cared to admit.

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" He shouted, a look of absolute terror flashing through his eyes.

"Fine. I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus." Lily responded coolly, somewhat amazed by how steady her voice sounded. She did not believe it was possible to sound so composed at a moment like that but, then again, Lily often surprised herself.

"Apologise to Evans!" James Potter demanded, tearing Lily's eyes away from the boy with the greasy hair.

"I don't want you to make him apologise!" She shouted, "You're just as bad as he is!"

"What? I'd NEVER call you a — you-know-what!"

Mudblood.

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."

On that unfathomly embarrassing note, Lily turned around and swept away, angry tears prickling at her eyes. For a while, she held them in. She would not, could not, let them fall, at least not immediately, in everyone's plain sight.

She heard Potter calling after her and defending her in the background, but that meant next to nothing to Lily. After all, stupid Potter, with his stupid snitch and his stupid messy hair, was just as bad as Snape was, exactly like she had told him.

Mudblood.

Once Lily reached the safety of the deserted Hogwarts corridors, she finally let the tears fall in an unrestrained stream. As she leaned against the cold stone wall, she couldn't stifle the strangled sobs that left her throat.

Lily was so preoccupied, she didn't even have the energy to fight off the lanky, dark haired boy that settled next to her. "Leave me alone, Potter," she said in a croaky voice. Her usually vivid green eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were tear-streaked, as was expected of someone who had cried as violently as Lily had.

Mudblood.

"I'm sorry," Potter blurted out, his eyes staring emptily at the wall in front of them. He looked as though he was lost, or didn't know why he was there in the first place which, for Potter, was unusual. Then again, her whole afternoon had been far from ordinary, so why should this be any different? Lily bit back the snarky retort. She was tired, exceptionally so, and for once, she didn't have it in her to battle wits with the bespectacled boy. Instead, she settled on a different approach.

"You don't have to apologise," she started, which earned her a surprised look from Potter, "Especially because I know for a fact you don't mean it."

"Of course, I mean it-"

"You hate Sev- Snape." She looked at him doubtfully.

Potter attempted to smirk but it came out as more of a grimace. It was only then Lily noticed the gash on his cheek – which did look quite painful. "Yeah, I do."

"Then don't apologise." After a while, she added "What happened to your face?"

Deep down, Lily knew the answer. After all, only one time before had she seen a wound like that – it was Snape's pride and joy, his own creation. Lily was positive Potter would use the opportunity to complain about Snivellus. "It doesn't matter." He brushed it off, leaving Lily stunned. Silence filled the corridor. They were the only two people there, after all. It was hot outside and most people had chosen to go out and enjoy the sun. Most people were down by the lake. Most people had seen exactly what happened.

Filled with embarassment to the brim, Lily started to cry once more. It didn't matter that James Potter was there to see it.

"This is why I'm sorry. I am not sorry about what happened, but I am apologising for hurting you." His face looked solemn and his voice was deeper. Not the usual seductive tone he tried to put on when Lily was around. It sounded… genuine, much to Lily's chagrin. "Come here."

Lily wasn't supposed to climb into James Potter's arms. After all, he was a pig-headed idiot, but his arms were so warm, and she was so, so tired.

Thus, Lily sat there, and she let herself be held, even though she knew it was not the most intelligent course of action to take.

James Potter was arrogant and deceitful and Lily knew getting attached to a troublemaker was just death in the long run. "Though I hope you know, Potter... This doesn't change anything." At least that's what she said to herself.

A/N: Thank you for reading! The next chapter should be up in a few days. Don't forget to tell me what you thought of it. x