Twisted Love

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Kiss

"Are you OK?" Severus asked grimly. When it looked like Lily was too shaken up to answer, his piercing black eyes studied her for a moment then flickered away. "I guess you are."

"Th-thanks," Lily stammered. She surveyed the two unconscious men in front of her. The painful memory not long ago sprang up and her green eyes widened with horror and disgust. If it hadn't been for Snape who came through at the last minute, she would have been... The mere thought rushed through her head like a powerful wind and her body shook more vigorously. "I-I really m-mean it."

Severus barely nodded. Lily noticed with a sinking heart that the warmth of concern had mysteriously disappeared from his eyes. Face hard and set, he was also studying the two men with cold eyes. His pale, long fingers were fingering his wand. Lily couldn't help remembering he was now back to his original self, the harsh-tempered boy who had gripped her throat threateningly not too long ago.

"They'll wake up anytime soon," Severus observed. "Look, that man's hand is twitching."

"Th-that's the same h-hand that touched me," Lily choked out angrily. She stomped over and kicked the twitching hand. "Go to h-hell." Lily thought she saw a faint grin flicker on Snape's face but she must have imagined it because as soon as she looked at him directly, his face was colder than ever.

"Easy, Evans," Severus snapped. "You don't want them waking up and creating the whole scene once more, do you?"

Lily shivered. "No."

"Then let me take care of them," said Severus. He paused. "What were you doing in this part of town, anyway?" he asked in a gruff voice.

Lily shook her head.

"And that means?"

"It means, I d-don't want to talk about it." Lily shook her head firmly again, hoping he would get the message.

Luckily, Severus wasn't in the mood for asking questions just then. In fact, he was never in the mood. Lily felt like she was witnessing a miracle or something. The sullen Slytherin wasn't known for communicating with other House students and that conversation, no matter how short it was, was probably the longest anyone's ever had with him. Not even his family. No, definitely not his family.

Unaware that Lily's head was swarming with thoughts about him, Severus pointed his wand at the unconscious men lying on the floor and said, "Wingardium Leviosa." His thin mouth curled in disgust as he gazed at the two bodies that instantly floated up and stayed there in midair. His mouth set in a grim, straight line, Severus began leading them out the door and down the hallway with his wand. Once he had led them outside, he flicked his wand away furiously and right on cue, the bodies tumbled onto the ground. Wakening from the hard crash, they groggily blinked their eyes and started to stand up. The look on Severus' face was deadly as he cast a spell that swept them out of his sight. He sneered as he watched them scream in horror in the distance. Judging from the fact that the thick shouts were getting tinier, the furious whirlwind that they were caught in must be carrying them far away.

Severus suddenly realized how much he was enjoying the revenge. It was almost as if it had been...personal. But that was ridiculous. Sure, he had been angry enough to tear them apart, only he'd been carefully hiding his rage all the time, for fear it would upset Evans more. And yes, he did feel good about blasting them off to the other side of the Earth (hopefully). But that was merely because he liked helping damsels in distress. Like, knight in shining armor? It had nothing personal to do with it.

God, "knight in shining armor"? Where did I come up with that shit? Snape thought suddenly, thoroughly horrified. I've gone mental, he decided as he slowly licked the snowflakes off his bottom lip. It must be Evans. Those good-for-nothing Gryffindors!

His vision was clouded and he began to feel drowsy. No matter where he looked, the air was thick with blinding white snow... His eyes flew open. Oh, no. Blizzard. It was a grim realization. Thick snow was falling quite hard by now and he could barely make out the old house that Lily was in. Cursing under his breath, he ran into the open door and shut it. It was a relief to be inside. It wasn't super-warm or anything, but at least his body was turning less numb. He ran down the hallway and into the room he was previously in. Lily was shivering more than ever and her eyes lifted expectantly.

"D-Did you t-take care of - ?"

"Oh, shit!" Severus breathed heavily. His breath visualized in front of him. "You're blue!" Indeed, she was. Lily's lips were pale blue and trembling. Her body shook vigorously, from top to bottom. And no wonder - all she was wearing was a long skirt and a button-up shirt.

"Where's your cloak?" Severus inquired incredulously.

Lily was wrapping her slim arms around herself. She glanced meekly around the room. "I-I think they t-t-tore it up," she said, pointing to a crumpled shadow in a corner.

Severus groaned. "And may I ask why?"

"Well, th-they were p-p-pretty mad when I threw the ch-chair." Lily shrugged. "God, I'm cold." She couldn't talk normally; her lips were trembling too much. Not that she could feel it trembling. It was absolutely numb with cold. She realized that she had been trembling all this time because she only had that feeble shirt on and not because her body was shaking with rage. She rolled her eyes, embarrassed with herself. Suddenly, something warm covered her shoulders. She looked up in surprise to see Snape muttering darkly and looking out the window (which was thankfully closed). He was cloakless. She felt the warm, black cloak around her body and immediately felt guilty.

"You don't have to - " she started, trying to shrug it off.

Severus twisted around and gave her a menacing look. "Keep it on. I don't think I can stand any m-more of your sta-sta-stammering," he mimicked. Lily glared. "You'll get pneumonia," he said in a softer tone.

Lily was quiet as she pulled the cloak tighter around her. It felt good not to be numb with cold anymore. "Thanks...Severus." It was the first time she'd call him that. It felt strange, yet there was something very satisfying about being the first Gryffindor to call him by his first name.

Although he had noticed the change, he didn't acknowledge it. Severus continued to stare out the window. It was funny; suddenly he wasn't that cold anymore.

*

Their lips broke up softly. "You're really sweet," Sirius whispered. He fingered Olivia's dark hair lovingly. They had just gotten into the Gryffindor common room like everyone else and had snuck into an unknown little corner to share a last kiss.

"You are too," Olivia said with a little smile. "It's funny. I always thought you were this stuck-up, handsome boy who treated girls like dirt." She let out an embarrassed laugh. She couldn't believe she just said that out loud! But it felt so comfortable being around Sirius that it was amazing. Like she could really be herself. Normally she considered herself as a pretty shy girl around boys.

To her relief, Sirius just smiled. "I just didn't meet the right girl." He bent down and gave her another kiss. It was a sweet one, like everything about her. He had such an incredible time with her on their date. Not only was she very patient and understanding, but also she didn't gawk at him and treat him like a minor celebrity like other girls did.

Olivia stared up at him, smiling playfully. "So, I'll meet you at the Astronomy Tower tomorrow, then."

"Eight o'clock," he reminded her.

Olivia sighed happily. Everything was working out so wonderfully; she felt so happy she could burst...until she remembered her two friends. "Are Lily and Crystal here?" She craned her neck to peek into the common room. "Nope," she said, instantly getting worried. Why weren't they here? Everyone else was already in by now.

"I don't see my friends either," Sirius observed. He frowned. "I hope they're not caught in that awful blizzard."

"I hope not," Olivia echoed nervously.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Speaking of Evans, how does she, you know, feel about James?" Feeling like a total idiot, he looked away. The things I do for my friends! He groaned inwardly. "He's, er, crazy about her."

Olivia bit her lip. "Well, let me put it this way. She isn't crazy about him." She and Sirius exchanged awkward glances then looked away. "And there's that deal about Snape, too..." she muttered thoughtfully.

"What?" Sirius shrieked.

*

"Hell, it's getting cold." Peter shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around his short, fat body. "Let's head back, Moony."

Remus agreed with a nod. "Well, I think it's safe to say that this day totally sucked," he said brightly. "I wonder how Prongs and Padfoot are doing?"

Peter gazed at him as if he was a bit slow, which Remus certainly wasn't. "Moony, they're with girls." He nodded as if that explained everything.

"So?"

"At least they're having more fun than us," Peter said firmly. "They're with girls."

"Remind me to change your outlook on life once we get back," Remus muttered, slightly disgusted.

Meanwhile, Peter was busily pondering about something that mystified him. "I don't get it," he announced exasperatedly after a few moments.

"What?"

"I mean, you're not bad looking. And you're smart. Nice, too. Face it, you could've gotten a date easily," Peter accused him.

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Again, I must ask the question...so?"

"So why didn't you? Get a date, I mean. Come to think of it, I've never seen you really with a girl before. Interesting." Peter started listing possible reasons. "Hmm, maybe you're afraid of women? Or maybe you have freakishly high standards. Or maybe it's a werewolf thing." He grinned. Remus snorted in disbelief. "Or maybe you're gay."

Remus' heart thudded in his chest. Reality had suddenly crept into Peter's careless, offhand chatter. Forcing the image of Sirius out of his mind, he punched Peter lightly around the shoulder. "Knock it off, Wormtail. Leave me and my love life alone."

"Like you have one," Peter shot back, grinning. Remus attempted a feeble smile. "Hey, I think someone's coming this way!" Peter said excitedly.

It was hard to make out who it was at first, but they soon found out that it was James. "Hey," he said wearily. "Have you seen Evans?"

"No," said Remus. He craned his neck. "Where's your date?"

"I don't know, she kind of lost me along the way," James said flatly. Remus detected a hint of delight in his eyes when he said that. "I am never, ever planning anything with Crystal Westwood in it. This whole day just bombed in my face," he spat out bitterly. Remus nodded approvingly.

"Thank you for not saying 'I told you so,'" James said wearily. His black hair was flattened on his forehead because of all the melted snow. He brushed it away irritably and started to walk in another direction. "See you guys later."

Peter and Remus exchanged horrified looks. Remus quickly grabbed James by his shoulders and spun him around. "What are you, crazy? Hello, we're about to get stranded in a blizzard here! You have to come back to the school with us." His voice was firm. Peter nodded along seriously.

James' clear hazel eyes were troubled. "But I've got to find Evans," he whispered. "She could be - she could be in danger - I've got to find Evans." His voice was strained with worry.

Remus opened his mouth to argue with him, but something about James' eyes stopped him. They were so strong and determined that they almost made him look half-crazed. "You are crazy," Remus said out loud. Crazy with love. "Did it ever occur to you that she might already be safely back?" he questioned softly.

"I - I don't care. I've got to find her," whispered James. "I have to tell her everything and get her to forgive me."

Remus' heart lurched and he swallowed hard. "Good luck, buddy." He felt so sorry for James that it almost hurt him to look at his black-haired friend. He looked away. "Come on, Wormtail. Let's go." He started to walk away.

"I hope you find her," Peter encouraged before turning to catch up with Remus. Soon they disappeared out of sight. No wonder, for the snow was coming down pretty thickly now.

James rubbed his hands together. He had never been so cold and lost in his life. Just then two unfamiliar men crashed into him, making him swear out loud. The three tumbled down in a tangled heap on the cold, hard ground. James rubbed his head and stared dumbfounded at the wizards who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Ow, my back..." A guy with an extremely pointy face groaned. "What a way to travel, eh Ross?" He tried to lift himself up.

Ross cursed loudly. "I knew that fucking redhead was trouble ever since she threw that chair at me." Sure enough, there was an ugly bruise on his left cheek.

James, who had already straightened up and were looking at them strangely, turned his sharply towards Ross. "Redhead?" he spat out. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Ross noticed him for the first time. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Who cares?" Pointy Face sneered, brushing snow off his clothes. He leered down at James, who was a little shorter than he was. "Hey, kid, thanks for stopping us." He laughed nastily for about two seconds, and then stopped short. James had whipped out his wand and was shooting them a look so deadly that they huddled together, looking afraid.

"Show me where she is. Now."

*

"Are you hungry? I am," Lily said, breaking the silence that was looming over them. She was standing beside Severus, her eyes fixed to the window. She didn't how long they had stood in front of the window looking out, but she figured this was a good time to mention how hungry she was since her stomach was practically rumbling with hunger.

"Maybe," Severus muttered.

Lily smiled. She had suddenly thought of the cookies Crystal had shoved into her pocket. As much as she hated them, she had to admit that they had come in handy. "Here, I have some food." She fished out the tissue-paper-wrapped cookies and opened them clumsily. Severus stared at the pretty cookies as though they might have poison inside them.

"Come on. I didn't bake them, if that's why you're worried," Lily joked. She paused. "They have Cheering Charm inside them. It should make you feel better." She handed a cookie to Severus who took it cautiously.

You're actually going to eat something that the mudblood touched. Yeah, right, an annoying little voice sprang out snottily. Severus stared at the cookie in his hand. But you're damn hungry, aren't you? It wouldn't hurt to eat a bite, a second voice encouraged him. And Evans isn't that bad, a third voice piped up. Severus couldn't believe he was agreeing with the third voice as he popped it into his mouth. His father would kill him if he knew... Severus raised his eyes to meet Lily's green ones. And that's where his heart almost stopped. Lily suddenly seemed...even prettier than she usually was. There was something irresistible about her that he had failed to notice before...

"Sn - Severus, are you OK?" Lily seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'm - fine," Severus managed to say. God, her lips! It was suddenly so red and...and...luring... He even forgot about the fact that she was a Gryffindor, and more important, she was a mudblood... All those thoughts had flown out of his mind, and all that was left was her beautiful, clean image standing a few feet away from him...

"You don't seem fine." Lily frowned and stepped closer to him to inspect him more closely.

Don't closer...please don't come closer...

"You look all hot and bothered." A step closer.

Severus stared into her green eyes as if he'd never seen them before. He felt strangely feverish and dizzy... He felt he was plunged into those deep, clear green eyes of hers and couldn't get out... Before he knew it, he had bent down and was kissing her furiously.

And at that moment, a snow-covered, frantic-looking James burst into the room.

*

Long time no see, guys! *nervous laugh* Sorry it took me so long to write this damn thing. I made it up to you by making it longer, though. God, it was like taking blood out of a stone. It was that hard.

I kind of enjoyed describing Severus' experience with love potion. Though I'm through with love potions. Shame. I keep making poor James more and more miserable. Yes, I'm kind of enjoying that too. *grin*

Thanks for all the reviewers and readers. I know you've been very, very frustrated with me. Or you've given up on me already. Either way, I'm so sorry. And I'll try to reply individually to each replies next chapter. Sorry for that, too.

*

Sneak Preview of Chapter 8: James wants to tear Snape apart, of course. Snape is totally clueless. Why had he kissed Lily again? The poor guy doesn't know about the love potion. But it wasn't just because of the love potion, as you can tell. I guess a love triangle starts to crystallize. *bored sigh* Oh, yes! The holidays are over and *drumroll please* Lucius Malfoy starts to get into the scene.