Beginning of an Endless Night (Sev)

[SEVERUS SNAPE]

His expression soured at the mention of Potter. Why did she have to bring him up now, even if it was only to insult him. If there was one thing that could take him out of the moment it was James Potter. He was here somewhere wasn't he? Severus cast a subtle swooping gaze around the Great Hall looking for that head of messy black hair that never failed to ignite anger in him.

He didn't find him, which was both relieving and frustrating at the same time. He was the kind of person that it would be prudent to know the whereabouts of at all times, Severus did not trust him to keep to himself. The dark haired Slytherin found it odd that he hadn't seen him yet, afterall Potter was the type who loved attention, thrived off of it. It only served to make him wary that he hadn't spotted the boy yet.

"Or perhaps you are just too fickle for you own good." He teased, his expression a perfect poker-face. "Perhaps slightly difficult, but really that much isn't so new." He watched her study him with that playfully analytical smile and he leaned into the touch, albeit subconsciously.

"Living up to your house's ideals I suppose." he said with only a touch of sarcasm. Severus wished that the people around them would disappear, that the stuffy music wafting in the background would cease and leave them alone. He wasn't a very social person to begin with, he found ordeals such as these taxing and tedious, but he could grit his teeth and suffer through it as long as she was with him. "What do you mean I'm different?" He asked, eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.

The dark haired boy gave her a baleful look when she warned him about her skirt, "Dueling in formal attire seems quite counterproductive..." He wasn't sure he should be thinking about that mental image right now, he was feeling warmer and it wasn't just the fact that they had been dancing for some time.

There was a lull in the music and Severus came to a pause, inclining his head, "Do you want to go outside?" He could see a few students milling in and out of the doors leading to what had been turned into a garden, glittering with fairy lights.

[lily]

She wasn't sure when her friend became so good at it, but looking up at Sev as he called her fickle she found herself unable for a brief moment to see past the sobering look. Still she'd known him long enough that she didn't have to wait for him to tell her he was kidding as she gave a playful little huff, acting along with him as she looked away, "Cheeky little bugger." She shot back, "I can show you fickle and difficult if you really want. Show you the real ideal Gryffindor. You'd like that I bet." She stuck out her tongue a little before shaking her head chuckling, giving him a gentle squeeze with her arms.

She knew people teased him, she knew what Potter and his friends did and so often she held back from saying or doing anything that could even look like what others had done, but still just being with Sev there was a shift in Lily that almost made her feel nine again with him, teasing and playing. Still, even this was new for her, this was not a quiet night in the library, or a lazy afternoon back home at the park. This was a dance, them dressed up like adults, holding close to one another as they moved with the rest of the people on the floor.

"Different is not bad Sev. Honestly, believe me when I say you are, and that it's not a bad thing. I just sometimes forget that we aren't children anymore." It was almost sad the tone that laced itself into her words now as she met the narrowed eyes, her own steps stopping at the last notes of a song faded. At the mention of outside she nodded, "A little fresh air might be best." She replied, turning a bit as she started off towards the balcony off of the dance hall.

The air was quite a bit cooler outside, a few clouds cutting across the night sky as soft fluttering snowflakes fell much like they were inside. Still the stars were mostly visible, the waxing moon shining down as Lily made her way to the balcony edge overlooking the school grounds. Even after six years the place had lost none of its beauty and wonder to the Gryffindor Prefect. After so long every time she saw it she could feel her chest tighten in excitement.

"Are you having fun Sev?" Glancing over her shoulder a moment before she slowly turned to leaned against the rail and face him, giving just a small little shiver as a cool breeze brushed across near bare shoulders.

[SEVERUS SNAPE]

She spoke of change and there was a slight twist of nostalgia to her voice. He was not looking at her but in his minds eye he could practically see the expression that would be on her face. It was slightly difficult for him to share that with her. Severus had always been so eager to move forward, to leave the past behind.

The only bright spot of his childhood had been his friendship with Lily, but after taking her from the equation what had he been? Weak, powerless to his circumstances, deprived of magic, of which comprised his very being. At least through these years if there was one thing he had gained it was a certain sense of power and belonging that he had been denied before as a child.

But he could feel it now, here with Lily like this, the sense of loss. Things would never be simple between them and now that they were older, now with the political climate of the world it was destined to come to crest and he did not know which way it would settle. The loss of their simple friendship would be the price of all of this, the consequence of their differences and their age.

"Not children anymore." He echoed, his voice practically magnified in the hushed winter air. The chill wrapped around him with sharp, cool fingers, but it didn't seem to quite sink through. The core of him felt warm and lighter than he had in weeks.

An eyebrow cocked when she turned to him and he smirked slightly, "It isn't quite as monotonous as I feared." He despised events such as these, but he couldn't lie to himself and say that he didn't enjoy the fact that he and Lily were there together. His perceptive eyes noticed the slight shiver that ran through her and he slipped off his jacket and offered it to her without a second thought, "It's cold." He said by way of offering it to her.

"Honestly though, the majority of the people here I could do without and I am still wondering when they are planning on beginning that duel as I've seen a good amount of alcohol being passed around...but it's not bad." He tilted his head, "At least when you have good company."

[lily]

It seemed the cold outside was too much for some people as other students were quick to hurry in after the sweat and the heat of the dance and liquor were cooled by the jolt of air, however Lily wasn't ready to go back in just yet even as another shiver ran down her form. She had not thought about bringing her robes or any shawl with her, but before she could laugh at herself for her thoughtlessness she felt something warm settle over her shoulders.

"Oh..." She looked up at Severus as he also addressed how cold it was at that moment for them. She sighed and didn't protest as he put the jacket around her shoulders. No, if she did she imagined it would take at least a good hour for them to finish arguing about who would get the jacket, the thought of that making her giggle a little as she brought her hand up over her mouth, "Thank you Sev. You really didn't have to, but thank you." She moved a little closer to him now, her own hand reaching out to run down his arm.

"Don't catch a chill on my account now. You may have gotten taller, but you're still, as mum puts it, 'skinny as a rail'." She teased gently, keeping her hand on his arm for a little while longer as if trying to give some of her warmth to him now, "Then I'd be all alone dealing with everyone. Merlin forbid."

Lily prodded him a little bit as he made mention of his indifference to the other guests, "Tsk, tsk Sev. I hope I'm not one of the undesirables on that list of people." She leaned against the railing once more, "Well if the duel is going to happen I guess it'll just be amusing watching some of the best wizards in this school go after each other stumbling and slurring." She joked, her laugh ringing out in the night air like a bell.

"Duel or not I like this. No one is on us about Houses or exams. We get time to ourselves like we did at Spinner's End on the holidays." She sighed, "Maybe I'm just being silly about a dance, I guess most girls turn into twittering idiots about them, dont' they?"

[SEVERUS SNAPE]

He was thankful that she did not protest (for once) and slipped his hands into the pockets of the well tailored pants. Despite the quality appearance of the clothes and the obvious fact that they were purchased from a Wizarding shop (charming muggle clothes to fit better always seemed to stretch and fray them), he felt awkward in such nice things. It was obvious they weren't his, but the feeling was eased by the knowledge that the clothes seemed to fit the dress-code and the confidence he had learned to feign after so many years in Slytherin.

Severus was not very effected by the weather, especially the cold. Growing up his house had rarely had heat, only If Tobias had remembered or managed to pay the bills, or when his mother would use magic when he was not at home.At school he spent the majority of his time in the dungeons which were chilly and damp on principle so he hardly felt the drop in temperature, so when she touched him the shiver that ran up his spine was not from the cold.

He smirked, irritated amusement sparking in his eyes when she mentioned her mother. Mrs. Evans was always worrying over him and admittedly he found this very disconcerting and always had the strong instinct to balk at the attention. It was uncomfortable for him in a way, as unused to such maternal scrutiny as he was, but he knew that she was a good woman, if not slightly more affectionate than he could understand. "I could show up 5 stone heavier and she'd still say I was too thin." He said lightly, slipping his arm into hers. "You would be fine Lily, you are good at these kind of..." He gesticulated absently to the lights in the Great Hall behind them, "events."

Lily was too friendly, intelligent and good-looking not to have a large group of friends in which she could pick through to spend time with. She was good at socializing, knew how to talk to people, unlike him who really only understood obscure, complicated formulas and words scrawled in ancient, dusty tomes.

"Thank merlin that you aren't that sort." He said with distaste at her comment on twittering girls, but he was grinning, if only slightly. Generally girls only annoyed him. They were too loud, too frilly, too obsessed with meaningless things to be of any real use to him, but Lily had never been that way and he felt at ease around her, soothed by her presence even if she frustrated him to no end at times.

[lily]

"Five stones you say? Well that certainly would be funny...if you want I can drag you up from your studies to make sure you eat. We can try that theory of yours and you can come home with me during the winter holiday. I want to see if she does do it now." Another laugh ringing out in the cold as she pushed a few softer red strands back, "Really if she saw you now though I think she might leave you along, you're still thin...but it suits you now, that and you'd tower over her."

Letting her head fall back a bit green eyes started up at the stars that peeked through the clouds. Like shining snowflakes frozen in the air, they always seemed brightest in the winter, maybe it was the crisper air, maybe the darkness that settled in so snugly around the school at night. It was just as beautiful out here as it was inside.

She felt a warmth against her as her attentions slowly turned to the young man beside her, their arms intertwined. She was a little surprised by the contact, but didn't pull away from it as she let her other hand come to settle on the top of his arm, "I may be good at them...still doesn't stop it from making my insides feel like jam on a biscuit. Thank you though. Maybe if everyone has too much drink we win for simply abstaining and enjoying the view. Though we still might have to battle each other. Should I just bow out now?" Another laugh as she leaned in closer to him, greedily enjoying the warmth that came with the company.

"I'm glad you think that...though then again that could be your type and then that might be an insult." She teased, her laughter fading into a soft sigh, "This isn't so bad. I should make you escort me places more often I think. If you didn't mind that is." She gave his arm a gentle squeeze as she turned to look up at him, smiling gently, "Drag you away from the books and go enjoy Hogsmeade one weekend. Less formal attire perhaps. I can buy you a butterbeer for helping me."

Looking back out at the Great Hall she gave a tiny sigh, "We should almost go back now shouldn't we?" It was strange to her, but the thought of going back in was a little disappointed as she found that even with the cold she was enjoying the night with Severus.