Serendipity (S. Black)

FORTY-SIX

"it will never rain roses. not for us."

*

To say the least, Severus Snape was surprised when he woke in the middle of the night to find an enchanted note on his bedside table begging him to come to the Room of Requirement as soon as possible.

To say the least, Lily Evans was surprised when he did.

And he was even more surprised to find her kneeling over an unconscious James Potter, whose chest was bare and covered in blood.

"Lily."

Her head snapped up and words began to tumble out of her mouth unfiltered. She tended to ramble when she worried. That was the kind of thing he learned as her best friend and never forgot when they parted ways. Little things like that.

She sent Kriss back to Ravenclaw Tower a few minutes prior to his arrival, thinking that the silence would make it easier to focus and their absence would be less noticeable if only she and James were missing. Never did she consider that she didn't have the skill set to do the job.

"I need your help. Please. I don't know what I'm doing. He's losing too much blood. I'm freaking out! My spells aren't working. This is terrible! It's a really bad cut. Merlin, it's so deep! What was I thinking? I can't be a healer! He's going to die because he thought I could save him and I can't! I can't, Severus, I can't!"

Severus hadn't moved from his place by the door, just listened as her voice became higher and higher. He hated seeing her so distraught, but the cause was James Potter of all people, which limited his sympathy.

"You're telling me," he said slowly, "that you got me out of bed at three in the morning, risking detention, to clean up that bleeding arsehole's mess while you play pathetic girlfriend on the sidelines?"

"I'm not his girlfriend," she retorted heatedly. "And I'm asking for help! I don't think you need to be insulting!"

"Really? You don't think so? After we haven't spoken a single word for two years? Two years! You were mad at me, remember that? Even though I apologized time and time again? You just shut me out! Do you know how hard that was?"

"I'm sorry, okay!" Lily cried, still trying to staunch the blood seeping from the long, deep cut that extended down James' torso. "I'm sorry! I was angry, I was stupid!"

His black eyes glittered in the dark. "Rubbish. If this had never happened and I walked up to you at breakfast tomorrow, you'd turn your perfect little nose up at me!"

"What do you want me to tell you?" Lily yelled, her voice cracking. "The truth? I don't forgive you! What you called me was terrible! I don't take back anything that I said! James came to me for help and I can't help him! Do you know how terrible that feels? Do you know how terrible it feels that I have to beg you for help because you're the only person I have left who I can ask? That I have to ask you because I failed?"