Severus ran. Going faster than he ever thought possible. His breath forming large billowing clouds in the bitter December air, and he quickened his pace even more.

“God, I hope she’s still there!” He whispered to himself, holding his expression in one of worried urgency. Severus tried to hurry, while trying as hard-if not harder-to not break his neck by sliping on the massive amounts of black ice, that had recently formed around the outside walkways of Hogwarts. Suddenly Severus came to a halt, in front of the stone bench, that resided just outside the entrance to Hogsmeade.

“S-sorry!” His breath came out in great wheezes now, and as he bent over-clutching a stitch in his side-Severus looked up, and gave a weak smile, hoping that she might return it, with one of the many that he adored so much.

“I-it’ss s-s'ok.” She answered through chattering teeth, trying best to smile, but failing miserably, due to the harsh, icy frost. Her whole body appeared to be undergoing an earthquake, which Lily attempted to ward off by rubbing her hands furiously against her arms.

Severus stood aghast, “What in the Wizarding World were you thinking??” He asked, now waving a hand at her ludicrous attire. Which roughly consisted of her school uniform, Gryffindor scarf, and trainers.

“You didn’t even bother to pull on your robes over your uniform! Did you believe you had invented a spell to ward off the winter frost? What’s wrong with you??” By this time, Lily had crossed both her arms, and legs, and was glaring up reproachfully at him. Severus wasn’t even the slightest bit moved by this action, and feeling that he still had not berated her enough for her lack of concern in dress, glared back.

“If looks could kill…”

“Ok Sev! Enough, jeez!” She practically shouted, finally rising to stand. ”It was barely even frosty this morning! I didn’t think it would turn this fridged by the afternoon. Are you happy now, Severus?”

“...Hardly!” It had taken him a second to get over the change in name, but unfortunately his temper was still rising. “You’re supposed to be the best in our year! Why don’t you use common sense, and try to think ahead?!” Severus hadn’t meant to shout, but he knew by the hurt expression on Lily’s face, that he had, and that the camel’s back definitely had been broken with that particular straw.

Lily bit her lip, but her anger soon resurfaced with a vengeance. “Well fine then!” She was shouting this time, and Severus stepped back, quick to realize that he had gone too far. “I was looking foreword to spending the day with you, but I guess my friends were right! I’d be better off just changing my plans instead!”

Her words felt like they had sliced his heart to shreads. Severus stood there shocked still, and watched her turn away, disappearing into the crowd that was students, and villagers. “Lily…” His voice was faint, and as it trailed off, he began to run after her, knowing in his heart of hearts that he was too late, but still running anyway. Before long, he realized that his plight was hopeless, and leaning breathless against the apothecary, cursed himself for being so stupid.

“Dammit!” Severus sighed, and ran his fingers through his-for once, not so greasy-hair. They had been planning this day for months, and he knew that he had totally and utterly blown away his chances of having the perfect day, all alone, with Lily. Suddenly he heard footsteps coming behind him, and Severus whiped around, only to be shot down by the portley form of Avery, smirking down at him.

“Oy! Sev'rus! Where’ve ya been all day? ‘Ey! Boys ‘e’s over ‘ere!” Severus could barely hold in his contempt, and rolled his eyes, muttering, “Great!” While his fellow Slytherin coaxed their other friends over.

“What is it?” He sneered, letting his anger take more and more control of him.

“’Ey mate, wha’s up with you all of a sudden?” Avery, who angered quickly, and quite easily, suddenly became fierce and sneered back at his shorter friend. “Ya know what? I’ve been real concerned ‘bout you lately, yeh’ve started acting like a...”

Severus was faster than him though, and quickly comprehending the situation, cut across Avery before it could get any farther. “Look, I’m sorry, alright? I was just in the middle of hexing a filthy little mudblood, when he ran off into the crowd. It was probably due to the fact that you lot were coming up behind me, and he decided to run now, before he’d wind up in St. Mungos, cursed half to death.” It was astonishing, how easily they took to this obvious falsehood, and Severus wanting to waste no more time, made his escape.

Sprinting now, he made one more circle around the village, before his mind finally clicked, and he remembered where they had gone on all their previous Hogsmeade visits. Turning swiftly around, Severus headed for a quite little rock patch, that lied just near the outskirts of the lake. There to his great relief, he found her, huddled between two medium sized rocks, shaking more than ever.

“Lily?” He asked gently, coming up behind her. She turned around timidly, and Severus barely saw her anguished, and tear streaked face, before she turned her back on him.

“G-g-go-go away!” Lily stuttered miserably, hiding her face deep within the red and gold scarf. His heart melted, at the despondent tone in her voice, and slowly kneeling down next to her; Severus laid a shivering hand upon his friend's shoulder.

“Lily, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to go that far, honest! You know how worried I get about you. I can’t usually handle those kind of situations when I’m feeling that way, you know that!” Gradually, he took off his over coat, and placed it around her shoulders, hoping that she might calm down at least enough to look at him.

Feeling suddenly better, and much, much warmer, Lily lifted her head, and immediately whipped back around, realizing what he had just done. “Wait!” She cried, “What about you? You’ll freeze without this on!” Lily held up his jacket, looking both alarmed and worried at the same time.

Severus' lips quivered dangerously. Her expression, along with the oversized coat made Lily, look absolutely ridiculous. He tried desperately not to laugh, and turned his head away, just as she finally recognized what had happened.

“You jerk! How could you be so awful?!” Lily hollered, throwing the overcoat at him. Severus toppled over, and unable to hold back his delight anymore, burst into a peal of laughter.

Lily’s face contorted into an expression of rage, until she glanced down at her own expression in the mirror like surface of the frozen lake. She took one look at herself, and couldn’t help but join him. “You…are…SO…MEAN!” She shouted in-between ruptures of laughter. Severus didn’t mind though, her voice was finally light and friendly, and he smiled because of it.

Rolling over onto his stomach, Severus watched her, now spread like an eagle, on top of the pristine snow. “I’m sorry, but you just looked so absurd, I couldn’t help it.”

Lily turned her head and smiled, rolling over as well. “I’m sorry too. I never meant to say those things to you, especially what I said about my other friends. It was completely untrue, and you know what?”

“Hmm?”

She looked down at the snow below her, “You were totally right. I wasn’t using any common sense at all! C-can you forgive me?” She looked up at him hopefully.

Severus stood up and shook his head in amusement, looking down at her. Tentatively, he helped Lily to her feet, and placed the overcoat back around her shoulders. Lily stared up at him, watching Severus brush clumps of dirt and snow, off the jacket that he had, evidently, worn under his coat, and wondered if he was ever going to answer her. “Sev?”

He looked up, and gave a small smile, “I already have forgiven you Lily, you should know that about me by now.”

She gazed up at him, caught between surprise, and something else she couldn’t exactly place. Lily turned her head slightly, trying to think what it was. ’It couldn’t be lo..? No! Thats impossible! I couldn't be falling in-’ But Severus-noticing a change in her demeanor-broke off her train of thought by ruffling her hair. An act, Lily loathed by all who even tried to attempt it. The look she gave him, would’ve chilled any normal person to the bone, but Severus hoping to get that exact reaction out of her, only smirked, and ran a few steps ahead.

“Just try and do that again!” She shouted, pulling out her wand in order to hex him. Severus just beamed, and ran further away as she came chasing after him.

“Maybe I will!”

“Why you!” Lily's wand spouted an orange jet of light, but Severus just deflected her curse, as he pulled out his own wand.

“C’mon! We’ve already wasted most of the afternoon!”

“Well, wait up!” She called after him, “This thing is huge! Jeez!”