The Road Not Taken

by kellydofc

Summary:

What could have happened between Lily and Severus if he had said the right thing outside the Gryffindor Common Room. This story is AU. Everything you recognize belongs to JKR everything else is me. Rating is for violence, language and adult content.

Notes:

The Harry Potter Universe, all its characters and places are owned by J.K. Rowling. I am merely borrowing them for this story. No copyright infringement is intended nor am I making any profit from this story.
All original characters belong to me.

This is a work of fiction. Characters, names and incidents are a product of my imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.

This story does contain adult situations, language, violence, and sexual situations. If any of these offend you please do not read.

Chapter 1: Prologue: The Fight

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not interested.”

“I’m sorry!”

“Save your breath.”

It was nighttime. Lily, who was wearing a dressing gown, stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

“I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here.”

“I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just-”

“Slipped out?” There was no pity in Lily’s voice. “It’s too late. I’ve made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends – you see, you don’t even deny it! You don’t even deny that’s what you’re all aiming to be! You can’t wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?” ^[1]

“I never said that. You’re just assuming that’s what I want!”

“So enlighten me, what do you want? You know what, never mind. I don’t care!” Lily turned her back on Severus and started to walk back through the portrait.

“I saw you laugh at me! Don’t think that didn’t hurt.” The boy’s voice caught and he mentally kicked himself. He hadn’t wanted her to know how much that hint of a smile had wounded him.

Lily paused. In seven years she had never once heard Severus come close to crying, no matter how bad things were at his home or how much he had been bullied; somehow he had always remained stoic. Now it sounded as if he was barely holding it together.

“Never mind, I should have known you would be just like everyone else.” The defeat was heavy in his voice as he shuffled off down the corridor.