Chapter Text
"You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."
Those words cut Severus like a dagger. He knew it was a mistake to call Lily that word. He tried to apologize, but it was too late.
Lily was equally hurt that her former best friend would think of her in such an awful way. Their friendship had officially come to an end.
As much as it pained him, Severus respected Lily's wishes and kept his distance.
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Lily began dating James Potter, the Qudditch hero of Hogwarts, at the beginning of 7th year. James was very persistent, and just like with Qudditch, he didn't stop until he reached his goal.
Lily decided to give James a chance after he asked her to date him for the hundredth time. James was athletic, popular, and wealthy. Everyone in Gryffindor thought that they were the perfect couple. Many students began to pair up as the class approached graduation. Some couples already knew that they would soon marry after leaving Hogwarts.
Lily thought that she would be secure with James. He had plenty to offer her, or so she thought.
James introduced Lily to his parents and they welcomed her into their home and their lives. The Potters did not hold a blood prejudice. James was an only child, and his parents were eager for their son to marry and carry on the family name.
After graduating from Hogwarts, James and Lily were wed during early September in a grand celebration. The Potters announced their son’s marriage to the lovely Lily Evans in the Daily Prophet. The announcement took up a full page of the paper, complete with the wedding guest list and a magical moving photo.
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Meanwhile…
As graduation approached for Severus, he realized that his Slytherin housemates were not really his friends. They too often used him for “homework help”, refused to sit with him during meals in the Great Hall, and did not bother to keep in touch with him during school breaks.
He was wrong to risk his friendship with Lily in order to gain the acceptance of his housemates. Up until graduation, Severus was in a difficult position within his House and he wished that Lily had understood that somewhat. He had to maintain a minimum degree of comradery with the other students to survive as a closeted half-blood in Slytherin House. Truthfully, he could never blame Lily for ending their friendship. To Severus, it was entirely his fault. He berated himself internally daily for ruining the only true friendship he ever had.
Severus had always excelled at Potions, and prior to graduation he decided to continue his training in the field by accepting an apprenticeship. He wanted to take this opportunity to start over fresh after leaving Hogwarts and focus on his passion for Potions. His goal was to become a Potions Master.
However, thoughts of Lily were with him every day. He only saw her in passing at Hogwarts. Whenever he caught a glimpse of her beautiful red hair, a moment of joy leapt in his heart. That joy was very short lived as he reminded himself that he was the cause of their friendship’s demise, and after graduation he would likely never see her again.
One fall morning, as he was readying himself to begin his apprenticeship, an owl landed on Severus’ kitchen table to deliver a new copy of the Daily Prophet. Severus sat down to eat a light breakfast of buttered toast and black coffee. He picked up the newspaper, glanced at the front page headlines, and turned to the next page. He felt his heart drop into his stomach as his face twisted into a scowl. He suddenly lost his appetite entirely. He received the worst news of his young life when he read that his beloved Lily had married his arch nemesis, James Potter. It was over. Lily would be gone from Severus forever.
After a moment of letting the news sink in, Severus admired the photo of Lily in her wedding dress. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her smile was radiant and her green eyes glowed like emeralds. He tore the photo out of the Daily Prophet, making sure to leave Potter out, and tucked Lily’s picture into his robes. He threw the rest of newspaper into the lit fireplace in his small living room. As he watched the paper dissolve into the flames, his eyes held a deep sadness. As devastating as the news was, Severus had to accept that Lily had made her choice.