A few days later, classes had started and everyone was settled, for the most part. It was Friday and everyone was eager to head outside, ready to start their first weekend back. The sky was blue, the grass was green and the giant squid was splashing around contentedly.
After meeting up after their last class�Potions for Lily, Arithmancy for Nikeia, and Herbology for Josey�Nikeia and Josey insisted on stopping and saying hi to �the cutest boys in the school�, less affectionately known to Lily as �Potter, Black, and Remus�. (Peter didn�t really count as �cute�.) These men had just crossed their path, and were now walking before them.
Lily stayed back as her two friends said their greetings.
�Good afternoon, Evans,� said Potter, leaving Remus and Black to the other girls. Peter was reading some book for a class none of the others were taking. Lily mumbled a greeting, which was more of an acknowledgement than an actual greeting.
�What did you think of Potions?� asked Potter.
Lily assumed he was just trying to be nice. He and Black were in her Potions class, as it was NEWT level, but they had left to find their other friends as soon as classed was called, so this was Potter�s first chance to talk.
�Though, as Slughorn just loves you, I guess it doesn�t matter. You are a genius when it comes to Potions.�
Lily smiled a rather forced smile. She couldn�t necessarily deny it. She enjoyed Potions, and considered herself adept. Before she could respond further (perhaps with some quip about Potter�s own aptitude), a greasy voice said, �Well, well, well.�
Lily tensed: Severus Snape. Though his voice had deepened and changed since she first met him in that park so long ago, she would recognize it anywhere.
�The Marauder Four lowering themselves to converse with a-� he scoffed, �a Mudblood.� Lily stiffened further and noticed James Potter clenching his fists; he was known to hate it when anyone dared to call Lily Evans a �Mudblood.�
�And what�s this? Potter getting ready to defend her? How... noble,� said Snape again in his greasy voice. Potter moved forward, pulling his wand as he went.
Seeing what he was about to do, Lily pulled her own wand. Snape had been her friend for a good number of years; she wasn�t going to let anyone fight her fight. Softly, but loudly enough for Potter to hear, she said, �Incarcerous�. He was surprised, but managed to block the spell, sending it back towards Lily. She ducked, and turned around quickly to watch as Snape was bound in thick ropes. She was surprised that he had managed to stay on his feet.
Then, all of a sudden, Snape was hanging upside down by his ankles; Lily assumed Potter had used his favorite hex, Levicorpus, which was actually created by Snape, though perhaps Potter didn�t know that. Snape cursed and lost no time in being as rude as he could to both Lily and James.
�YOU MISERABLE, PATHETIC, LITTLE, MUDB-� He didn�t finish his sentence for in a half-a-heartbeat, Lily had spun around and swiftly punched him soundly in the face�no matter that he was upside down. She had finally gotten tired of his disrespect. One second she was remembering their early friendship and then their falling-out. In the next split second, she had hit him.
Everyone had stopped to watch; everyone being everyone in the corridor, in fact. They all stood frozen in place.
No one noticed the silent figure standing at the back of the astonished crowd, her hair pulled up in a tight black bun.
Whispers spread over the crowd. Had Lily Evans�good, rule abiding Lily Evans�just punched someone? And had she not only punched someone, but broken a rule (or two) and used defensive magic in the corridors?
As the figure moved forwards, the people it passed moved not, noticed not.
People looked at each other either silent in amazement or whispering violently.
Lily stood facing Snape, face murderous. �I am telling you now: never, ever call me that again!� She raised her hand and slapped him.
�Miss Evans!� said the fierce, shocked voice of Professor McGonagall.
Lily took a deep breath�if there was someone standing right next to her, they would have heard it shake�and turned to face the Professor. She noticed the surprised look on everyone�s face, and the hint of appreciation, and even jealousy, in Potter�s eyes.
�I cannot, and would not believe, had I not just seen it with my own eyes, that you had just hit a fellow student! I am ashamed and shocked! Detention, I fear, is in order.�
Lily�s eyes widened but she said nothing. Her first detention�
�And for you, as well, Mr Potter...�
James opened his mouth but McGonagall cut him off, guessing at what he was going to say.
�Yes, Potter, Snape is going to receive detention as well, but only one. You and Miss Evans will serve three. Now everyone; back on your way! You are no doubt late for enjoying the outdoors!� McGonagall turned away and, over her shoulder, added: �Thirty points from Gryffindor and ten from Slytherin!�
Lily watched the Professor walk away, and then she turned back to Snape. Her brow furrowed and Snape�s eyebrow rose slightly; Lily hoped it was in fear. She pointed her wand at Snape and uttered a curse. She was thoroughly shocked when another curse flew over her shoulder and hit Snape at the same times hers did. Snape uttered a quickly cut-off shriek and was out cold as he fell from the air.
�Evans! Potter!� screeched McGonagall.
Lily had the bravery to smirk at Snape�s form before turning to McGonagall again.
�Another three detentions and twenty points,� shouted McGonagall before she turned and walked away, her face angry. Lily picked up her bag and turned; head held high she walked back to the Gryffindor common room, careful to kick Snape on the way past him. No one there would forget the way she walked away and the coolness with which she took out Snape.
Lily sat in her common room later that night, contemplating the day�s events. She couldn�t believe she had done such a stupid and disobedient thing. She had hexed a student and then punched him�no matter that she dearly wanted to.
And it wasn�t just any student, it was the man that had first told her about magic and Hogwarts. It felt like a betrayal of some sort, despite their falling out a few years back. Their friendship had been close, companionable and nice, regardless that he ended up a Slytherin and she a Gryffindor. Once James Potter began taking a liking to her, and a hatred to Snape, their friendship had frayed. Snape�s love of the Dark Arts was the final Bertie Bott�s bean that overflowed the box.
And, as if hexing Severus wasn�t enough, she had received a detention; her first. Which would be followed by five others. And she had gotten fifty points taken away from her House. She shuddered to think that the Marauders would be proud.
She drew her knees up and a tear fell.
Little did Lily know, that no one in Gryffindor mourned the loss of so many points, if it meant Snape would be out of the hallways for a few days. In fact, many people had fallen asleep with smiles on their faces as they remembered Snape being lifted up into the air and then punched in the nose by Lily Evans.