DISCLAIMER: The characters in the Harry Potter universe along with its plot do not belong to me…unfortunately.

A/N: This story was submitted for Round Three of the International Wizarding Schools Championship Forum.

Words: 1740

School: Ilvermorny

Theme: Draught Of The Living Death (Love)

Prompt: Caudron [Object] / Dungeons [Setting]

Year: 2

The dungeons of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are always cold, no matter what's going on inside the room. And for some reason, it seems truer for the dungeons that house the Potions classroom. The robes the students wear and the fires that are lit under their cauldrons while class is in progress do little to provide warmth. And while the students might not notice the cold while they're preparing their ingredients or stirring their potion, it still remains.

No one likes to be down in the dungeons more than they have to. Even the Potions professor, Horace Slughorn, who has his own personal quarters down in the dungeons, spends as much time as he can away from them.

Even students who have a favorite subject in Potions don't like remaining in the dungeons. The Slytherins, whose common rooms are in the dungeons, claim to grow used to being underground. But the tension that is almost unnoticeable will fade from their shoulders as soon as they're above ground.

No one likes spending more time than they have to in Hogwarts' dungeons. Which is why it is completely baffling as to why a solitary student remains in the Potions classroom well after all the other students and the Professor have left.

He is hovering close to the cauldron in front of him, his potions book open beside it, and ingredients on the other side upon the table. His attention is focused soley on his potion-in-progress, occasional glancing away to consult his book or to add ingredients.

"Now I'm supposed to add the sloth's brain," the student mutters distractedly to himself. "And then the Sopophorus bean's juice."

As he adds the ingredients to the brewing potion, he frowns to himself in thought. "Doesn't seem like a lot," he says thoughtfully. "But..what if I crush the beans next time?" he says with sudden excitement. "That'll give me more juice wouldn't it?"

Now filled with excitement at the possible breakthrough for the potion he's brewing, he finishes it as quickly as he could without causing it to explode in his face.

When it is finally complete, he takes three vials and quickly fills them to the brim before banishing the contents inside his cauldron. Setting the vials aside, he quickly gets up to go over to gather more ingredients, determined to see how the potion would change if he changes just one thing.

It is after he had sat down again and began brewing the potion once more when he hears the door to the classroom open behind him. Thinking that it is merely Professor Slughorn coming back to check on him, the student pays the sound no further attention, quickly focusing on the bubbling cauldron in front of him once more.

There's a gasp behind him, that sounds decidedly feminine, and then the person speaks.

"Severus?"

Severus Snape's eyes widen in shock and his body starts to tense at the sound of his one-time friend, Lily Evans.

'That's not Professor Slughorn,' he thinks to himself weakly.

Ever since he was embarrassed in front of the school by James bloody Potter and accidentally called Lily a mudblood, not to mention their argument in front of the Gryffindor common room, Severus has not spoken one word to her and she didn't talk to him again either. If they passed one another in the corridors, they each pretended the other wasn't there.

To make matters even worse, Lily has been dating James Potter, the very person who has been making Severus' life hell.

Not having Lily as a friend anymore has really pushed Severus to a dark place. He doesn't get along with the other Slytherins except for Regulus Black and, being Slytherin himself, none of the other houses bother to befriend him either.

At least he has his potions to fall back on. He had his cauldron before he met Lily and he'll have it afterward too.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

"Lily," he hears himself say. He's pretty sure he hid the tremble in his voice pretty well. "Did you need something?"

He still hasn't turned around to face her, preferring to keep his attention on the potion in front of him.

"Uh," her voice says. "I was looking for Professor Slughorn."

"Well," Severus says blandly as he adds the powdered root of asphodel, "he isn't here. Try looking in the teacher's lounge."

After a moment of quiet, he hears the door shut again and breathes an inward sigh of relief. Severus prefers being alone, and there is no better place for that than the dungeons of Hogwarts. Its dark and cold nature keep people out and that's exactly what he wants. And even though it's cold enough for him to sometimes see his own breath and that there is barely any sunlight, he doesn't mind one bit.

"Severus? Can we talk?"

Severus jolts in shock. 'I thought she left,' he thinks to himself, surprise filling his body rapidly.

"Talk?" he says quietly. "What could you possibly want to talk to me about?"

"About...about our fight."

Severus couldn't help the derisive snort that left his mouth. "Our fight?" he asks sardonically as he stirs the potion twice clockwise. "The one we had two years ago? A little late for a talk, don't you think?"

"Will you please look at me?" Her voice says, a not of pleading in it.

"No."

Severus refuses to speak to her. Because no matter how much he wants their friendship back, no matter how much he may regret his actions; no matter how much he regrets saying that one word that destroyed the friendship with the girl he loves, he knows better. Nothing goes right for him. He learned that a long time ago, and he refuses to have hope. Hope, in his opinion, is a dirty four letter word.

He heard footsteps sound against the floor and the next thing he knows, Lily Evans is standing in front of him. Her red hair is flowing down her back and her green eyes are staring down at him in determination, even as he keeps his own eyes focused on his cauldron.

"What do you want from me Lily," Severus asks, the tone of his voice tired.

She shakes her head. "I want your forgiveness," she said softly. "I want to say I'm sorry."

Severus' head snaps up to look at her in shock. "What?" he asks, his voice hoarse.

"I want to say I'm sorry," she repeats. "I...I should've heard you out. I shouldn't have jumped down your throat. Can you forgive me?"

Severus cannot tear his gaze from her face, his features frozen in shock. It is only when his potion lets out a hiss in warning does he drop his gaze.

"Sev?" Lily says tentatively. "Can you say something?"

"Why are you now apologizing?" he says after a moment of pause. "It's been two years since our fight and you never said anything to me. For Merlin's sake Lily, you never even looked at me! What, is this a joke? Did your friends dare you to do this? Is Potter waiting for you out in the corridor?!"

"No!" Lily says loudly, her eyes wide. "Of course I mean it Sev! I've always wanted to apologize to you!"

"Then why has it taken you two years just to say sorry?! If you actually mean it, why has it taken you so long?!"

Lily's green eyes were glistening in tears. "Because I thought you hated me!"

Once again, Severus is shocked into silence. His wide eyes are staring at her and, even if he doesn't realize it, his mouth is agape.

"I thought you hated me," she says, quieter than she was before. "I thought that even if I did apologize to you that it wouldn't matter because you hate me so much. You never looked at me whenever we passed in the corridors, you don't try to talk to me anymore. It's like you pretend I don't even exist!"

"I was doing to you what you were doing," Severus interrupts. "You were the one ignoring me. I thought you were the one to hate me."

"I don't," she says tearfully. "You were my first friend. You introduced me to the Wizarding world and taught me about magic. I don't hate you."

The silence stretched out between them as they both came to term with their own thoughts and realizations.

"Can I...can I help you with your potion?" Lily asks hopefully. "I...I know we can't be friends instantly like we used to be...but can we try to be nice to each other at least? Please?"

Severus looks at her, sees the optimism in her eyes and couldn't help but sigh. He wasn't able to say no to her when she looked like that when they were close and he doubts he can now. "I suppose," he answers, hesitation still in his voice.

Lily grins and pulls up a stool to sit near his own, although not as close as they used to sit.

Severus knows that this won't last, this new comradery between them. She doesn't know that he's considering taking the mark or that Regulus, his best friend, already has the mark. She doesn't know about the spell he created that's meant to kill or seriously injure someone, or that he actually has killed someone - that someone being his disgusting excuse of a father.

But he can except this for now. To be near the girl he loves again, even if she doesn't feel the same way. Just to have her as close as he can for as long as he can is enough for him.

He still thinks hope is a dirty four letter word. But this is isn't hope; it's just him being realistic.

"By the way Sev," Lily says as he begins to crush the Sopophorus beans instead of cutting it. "What potion are you brewing? I don't recall any that says you have to crush the beans."

Severus looks at her and smiles for the first time since she came into the room.

"The Draught of Living Death."

~The End~