The flickering candlelight in the Slytherin common room cast long shadows over the worn pages of Severus' Potions textbook. He sat hunched over a table near the corner, pretending to study, though his mind was elsewhere, lost in thoughts of a certain girl.

You, who slouched across from him, tapped your quill against your palm, watching him with thinly veiled amusement. "You've been acting weird lately, Severus."

Severus didn't look up. "I don't know what you're talking about."

You smirked. "Is this about the red-haired girl whose picture you keep in your wallet?"

Severus froze. His fingers, which had been idly turning a page, stiffened. Slowly, his dark eyes snapped to you. "Wait… you snooped through my wallet??" His voice was sharp, defensive.

"Stop deflecting." You leaned forward, lowering your voice just enough to keep the conversation private. "The girl with the red hair. What's the deal with you two?"

For a moment, Severus said nothing. His lips pressed into a thin line as he weighed his options. Denying it was pointless. Lying felt even worse. But talking about Lily, about what she meant to him, felt like peeling back armor he wasn’t ready to shed.

"...It's none of your business," he muttered, turning his eyes back to his book.