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Severus stared after Lily, watching her go into the streets of Hogsmead and be swallowed by the mass of people.
"She'll never love you, you know." Lucius said, swirling the whiskey in his glass. Severus redirected his gaze to Lucius and quirked an eyebrow to hide the pang of hurt he felt. "Not for who you are." Lucius took a sip off his drink, slightly grimaced and and then looked at the bottle on the table next to him.
"We're just friends." Severus said, rolling his eyes.
"And you'll never be more." It was the truth, even though it hurt to admit it. "Who knows when she won't be even that." He was getting irritated.
"So what? Just because she's a mudblood, doesn't mean I can't be friends with her." The insult felt strange on his tongue, like hot ashes someone planted there. He didn't think he will ever get used to saying it. Lucius took another sip of the firewhyskey he had wasted so many galleons on that Severus couldn't bring himself to think of it. He just looked down, turning his own glass in his palm.
"This is exactly what it means." The Malfoy said in a tone he usually used to speak with people he thought lower of himself. But Severus didn't feel insulted. He never did with Lucius. It was like the aristocrat never really meant it.
The blonde leaned in, lowering his voice, though no one could hear them from their booth anyway. "You're going to be a Death Eater once you graduate. It's like being her sworn enemy, even if you don't think of her as such." Lucius smiled one of his fake little smiles that were just a little bit too strained on the corners of his mouth. Severus knew he was hiding his disdain for his sake. Or maybe he was only hiding it to cease his doubts about joining the Death Eaters.
"Look, Severus, what has the light side ever given to you? A father you can do nothing about, bullies who won't get punished just because it's you, an incompetent headmaster who won't even listen." Finally setting down the firewhyskey he didn't like anyway, Lucius straightened up, crossing one leg over the other. "The people are prejudiced against Slytherins. No one other will help you. So we have to stick together. You're one of us now."
Severus looked out of the window to the spot he had last seen Lily. He didn't fit in her world. People loved to shove that in his face. He was nothing but a looming shadow darkening even the brightest of days. But he fit into Lucius world. He was accepted there. That was his place in life. He turned back to Lucius who was still watching, always supporting. They were Slytherins and Slytherins stick together.
"You're right." He said and took a sip of the liquid. "What was I thinking?" Lucius smirked, that awful smirk that meant his interest and his desires were one and the same for once. Severus couldn't help but return it.
"I don't have the slightest clue, Severus."