Chapter 48: Who is Lily Evans?

Tuesday, August 14, 1976.

Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Mount Greylock, Massachusetts, United States of America.

"Wow, it's a huge castle!" exclaimed Freyja in astonishment upon seeing Ilvermorny for the first time.

"Well, it's not that big if you compare it to Hogwarts but it's still quite impressive" commented Severus.

"It is impressive and very beautiful, I didn't expect Ilvermorny to be so different from SWI, Hogwarts is even more amazing Sev?" spoke Freyja again.

"Yes Freyja, indeed, many say that Ilvermorny is just a copy of Hogwarts."

"The truth actually is, Severus, Ilvermorny was practically created based on how Hogwarts was, they even have four houses just like Hogwarts only the names are not of their founders but of the magical creature that represents the house" explained Hermione.

"Then Hogwarts must be fascinating," said Freyja with stars in her eyes.

"It is, Hogwarts is the best magical school in the world, while Ilvermorny is like the Hogwarts of the USA," said Hermione proudly.

"Don't be so quick to judge Hermione. There are other parts of the school that stand out and have nothing to do with Hogwarts, Prince surely you must already know that from Sparky, right?" said Gwen smiling as she pressed herself to Severus, making Hermione look at them lost in her thoughts.

"Yes, well, from what he told me there are several interesting things and very different from Hogwarts, but what Hermione says is also true," Severus nodded quietly without bothering to say anything to Gwen who was pressed against him.

"Too bad we can't get into the castle," said Freyja frustrated.

The dueling competition was one of the huge separate structures of the castle.

And unless they were authorized, they could not enter Ilvermorny Castle.

Severus understood.

He said, "We may not be able to now, but someday we'll certainly know the castle inside."

That seemed to animate Freyja who nodded happily, while Gwen just smiled amused and Hermione was still lost in deep thought.

"Hey you guys, you finally arrive, you don't know what it's like to be alone with Sasaki, I feel like I talk to myself being with him," Ethan said as he approached the group along with Sasaki who nodded to them by way of greeting.

"Sasaki!!!, I didn't know you were coming" said Freyja to her new friend.

"Yeah, I thought it might be interesting" Sasaki replied to her.

"And again I'm ignored" Ethan sighed in frustration as he saw that Freyja didn't pay him a bit of attention.

"Yeah, well, don't feel bad, you know it's a normal thing," Severus told him with a smile.

"Maybe if you were more polite you wouldn't be ignored, don't you think Sparky?" teased Gwen.

"Look blondie, I have no interest in arguing with you today," Ethan told her calmly.

"It's not because you always lose?" smiled Gwen.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll see who's laughing today when I beat your dear boyfriend" Ethan smiled defiantly at her.

"Oh, I get it, you need to beat Prince because you know you can't beat me, relax I'll ask him not to be too mean to you today" Gwen answered him amused Gwen, making Ethan lose his smile along with his calmness and start arguing angrily with her.

"This..., they always fight like this?" asked Hermione confused and nervous with the situation.

She knew that Gwen and Ethan didn't get along very well, but she didn't expect them to be like fire and water when they meet.

She also knew that Ethan used to treat Gwen and Severus like boyfriend and girlfriend even though they weren't.

"Well, did you hear the phrase {opposites attract}?" asked Severus.

Hermione nodded.

"They are the exceptions," Severus said again.

"I see, they certainly are" agreed Hermione as she looked at Gwen and Ethan who were still arguing, well, Ethan was at least trying, because Gwen seemed to manage to easily beat him at everything he said, making him even angrier.

While Freyja and Sasaki were talking quietly ignoring the two discussions.

"Well enough already you two, Gwen, stop teasing Sparky for today, he needs to be calm for the competition and you, stop arguing with her if you know it always ends badly" Severus calmed them both down, making them stop arguing.

"Fine, fine, it's no fun anyway when the opponent has no chance of winning" smiled Gwen as she approached Severus again.

"You...!" Ethan was about to start another discussion, but Severus glared at him to let it go.

"Fine, you're saved blondie for today only because Grimprince asks me to and I have more important things to worry about right now," Ethan said turning around as if he had won.

"Oh come on, don't tell me..." Gwen was about to continue teasing but Severus also glared at her making her look at him before saying anything.

"Come on Gwen, for today I'm just asking you," Severus told her calmly.

"Okay, but you owe me one, how about if..." Gwen said and whisper in his ear causing Severus to widen his eyes a little and Hermione to look at them again with confusion.

"Do we have a deal?" asked Gwen again with a smile.

"Very well, as you wish" Severus agreed, making Hermione wonder what Gwen asked him.

"Perfect, looks like Sparky is useful after all" Gwen said with a smile, making Severus look at her again.

"You planned it all out didn't you, you weren't even interested in further discussion," Severus told her.

"No idea what you're talking about Prince, for that I might as well say that you knew all along didn't you?" Gwen looked back at him.

"Well, sounds fair to me," Severus said smiling along with Gwen as they looked at each other.

"Cough Cough" coughed Hermione purposely looking to get their attention.

Severus and Gwen looked at her.

"This..., sorry to interrupt you, but the competition is about to start, we should probably start going in," Hermione told them not really bothered that she had interrupted them in their little moment.

"So it seems, very well, with Sparky we have to go get ready, see you later girls, Sasaki I trust you to keep an eye out for me on Freyja" Severus greeted everyone as he prepared to leave along with Ethan.

"You can count on me for that Severus" Sasaki answered him calmly, making Severus smile gratefully at him.

"Good luck guys," Hermione said to the two of them.

"Come on Sev, beat them all" encouraged Freyja.

"Give Sparky a good kicking for me," said Gwen.

When Severus and Ethan left, the group went to find seats in the bleachers of the building where the dueling competition would be held.

As Freyja continued to tell Sasaki many things, Gwen sat down next to Hermione.

"Hey Hermione, can I ask you something?" said Gwen as she approached her.

"Hmmm, yeah Gwen what is it?" asked Hermione a little nervous about how close Gwen was.

"Well I always had this question, do you know who Lily Evans is?" asked Gwen once she was well and truly clinging to Hermione.

The question made Hermione's eyes open wide in surprise.

"This..., I, you, what do you know about her?" asked Hermione surprised that Gwen even knew about Lily, because she doubted Severus would have told anyone, even if it was Gwen and Freyja she didn't think he would have mentioned her to Lily by name at least.

To her, he never mentioned anything about Lily, though the odd time or two he did mention situations involving her, he never said her name.

"Little, that's why I'm asking if you know about her" Gwen said with a sly smile that told him that unless she answered him she wouldn't say anything.

Hermione sighed.

'Severus isn't wrong when he said she was a total Slytherin' Hermione said to herself.

"Yes, I know who she is, but it's not something I can talk about, sorry, and I hope you won't tell Severus that I know" Hermione replied Hermione knowing that Gwen had already realized that she knew something.

"Oh, come on Hermione, you don't have to worry so much about that, you know our conversations always stay between us, aren't we friends?" said Gwen with a smile and hugging Hermione warmly, making her relax noticeably.

"Yes, that's true, sorry about that, it's just that it's a complex issue" replied Hermione more relaxed.

"I imagine it is because it's not normal for Prince to go blank in a class or at any time, he's usually very focused on everything" nodded Gwen.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione confused.

"It happened in one of our SCoP classes, one of the teachers knew the potions professor at Hogwarts and he mentioned this girl Evans and the instant she said her name Prince froze, I must say it was very weird to see him like that, an ex-girlfriend maybe?" explained and asked Gwen as she looked closely at Hermione's reaction.

"I see, it makes sense now, the only thing I can tell you is that she was close friends with him and things ended quite badly, the rest is up to him whether to say it" Hermione replied Hermione more relaxed as she understood that Severus never mentioned Lily's name to them, that's something she couldn't imagine would happen any time soon.

"Oh, a friend, I understand, and do you know if he had anything girlfriend?" asked Gwen making Hermione look at her again, the two of them clinging and staring at each other.

"I have understood he didn't, why?" asked Hermione with several thoughts as to why she was asking the question.

"Hmm?, not for nothing, you know, now Prince is someone quite desired by a lot of witches and I thought maybe he had already been with someone" Gwen explained lost in her own thoughts now.

"I see, no, not that I know of at least, but I don't think he is interested in being in a relationship either."

"Interesting...that means Prince is actually virgin!" said Gwen amused, making Hermione turn red with embarrassment.

"Gwen!"

"Hmmm, no, he doesn't seem to be a virgin, he doesn't act like one, maybe he already did it with someone without being in a relationship, yeah that must be it" Gwen analyzed as she thought about the many times she made advances on him and despite him being interested he didn't seem that surprised, it was as if he already knew about such things.

"Severus didn't do such a thing!" said Hermione quickly without thinking, catching Gwen's attention and causing her to move even closer to Hermione.

"And tell me, Hermione, how do you know he didn't, did he tell you?"

"I... well, no, but I know," Hermione said not knowing what else to say.

She actually knew he hadn't done it due to knowing Severus' past, unless he did it at SWI, but knowing Gwen, she would have found out if something like that had happened at SWI.

"Mmmm, you can never be sure Hermione, I'm convinced Prince isn't a virgin."

"And I'm convinced he did no such thing, let's not jump to conclusions if we don't know, maybe he doesn't like to be thought of like that."

"Oh come on Hermione, Prince doesn't care about those things, what's more, if I asked him I'm sure he would have no problem answering me" affirmed Gwen.

"That's right!" said out of nowhere Gwen, making Hermione wonder what she meant by that.

"How about making a little bet, Hermione?"

"Bet? On what ?" asked Hermione confused at the sudden change of subject.

"Well, I decided I was going to ask Prince if he had sex if he didn't you win and if he did I win, how about it?"

"What?!" shouted Hermione surprised at Gwen's impudence.

"What is it now Hermione?"

"You, you don't ask those questions, they're private things."

"Yes they are, that's why whether or not he wants to tell me is up to him, although I'm sure he doesn't mind answering those things," said Gwen calmly.

Hermione was about to refuse again, but in fact, it was true that it was up to Severus whether to talk about it or not, it's not like Gwen was going to force him to say anything.

"So what do you say, you up for a little bet since you're so sure?" asked Gwen again amused.

"I'm not going to bet on something like that Gwen."

"Came on, don't be like that, I promise if Prince gets mad I took full responsibility, but you know as well as I do that's not going to happen."

After several more insistences from Gwen, Hermione finally accepted the bet.

A few hours later, the competition was finally about to begin.