Five O’clock

The following morning, Rowan woke up with dark eyebags underneath her eyes. Her entire night had been filled with nightmares of Severus dying repeatedly, and the memory of the dream conversation that she had, had with James. Uneasy about the entire situation, she decided to do something rather uncharacteristic for her, something rather rash and Gryffindorish even.

In the past, Rowan had vowed to never aid Severus with Lily beyond a bit of prodding here or there on Severus's side of things. However, the dream that she had, had with James had constantly been weighing on the back of her mind like an irritating sore. If something really had changed with James, maybe, just maybe, Severus would lose his only opportunity of ever confessing to Lily. And that hurt even more than to break her word, because she truly did wish for Severus to find happiness in this lifetime.

Having made her decision and knowing full well that Lily was due to meet James and Sirius in Diagon Alley in a few days' time, Rowan convinced her grandfather to remove the ban on Severus. It did not take much. All she had to do is look tragically sad and say, "Severus at least deserves one summer outing with me."

After some tactfully placed sighs from Severus and gloomy looks from Rowan, Reginald finally crumbled under their combined tag-team effort. He ultimately did agree, and Severus would be allowed a single day's outing to go to Cokeworth with Rowan. Severus happily hugged his twin sister upon learning the news, before running off to write to Lily, who had also been made the Gryffindor Prefect along with Lupin.

It was not even the crack of dawn when Rowan startled awake to her bedroom door being slammed open. Through a blurry, sleepy gaze, she pointed her wand at the side of her pillow at the intruder, and almost blasted the intruder until Severus hastily shouted, "Wait, it's me, Rowan!"

Slightly lowering her wand, Rowan rubs the sleep out of her eye with her free hand, and confirms the statement, before turning to glance at the ticking clock in the corner of her bedroom. Furrowing her brows at the time, Rowan helplessly yawns. "It's only five o'clock, Severus. We will not be leaving until eight. That is bloody three hours from now!"

"I know," Severus flushed in embarrassment. "But I just wanted to talk."

"Fine, talk," Rowan grumbled as she fluffed up her pillows behind her and settled back on them. Severus scurried over and sat down at the edge of her bed.

"I'm going-," Severus took a deep breath. "I'm going to tell, Lily, how I feel about her."

Rowan almost opens her mouth to automatically say no, but she had been having the distinct feeling this might be the only chance Severus might ever get. Pausing for a moment, she finally says, "I would rather you wait until Lily starts seeing the new you, Severus. But I also know that if you lose your courage, you may never actually confess your feelings for her. So, going against all my Slytherin instincts, I'm going to listen to our cheerful Hufflepuff and optimist Gryffindor side of things and say go for it."

"You're really fine with me doing so?" Severus quietly asked with an excited gleam in his eyes.

"You've always loved her since we were children, Sev," Rowan softly said as she honestly gazed back into her twin brother's onyx eyes. "I am not blind, nor have I ever forbidden you from having feelings for her." Not that she would have liked it too, but it would have been useless in the end.

Rowan paused as she sincerely conveyed her heartfelt sentiments. "I just want you to be happy, Sev. And if Lily is that for you then I want you to be with her."

Severus shyly grins at Rowan and says, "Thanks."

"Now let me get back to sleep," Rowan grumbled as she tried to pull the covers up to her chin to no avail.

Severus firmly held the covers down and said, "You have to help me pick out the perfect outfit!"

"You have a magical mirror for that," Rowan huffed as she in vain tried to pry the blanket out from under him.

"But you're a girl!" Severus protested. "You've got an eye for these sorts of things!"

Rowan tries to curl up on her side, but Severus keeps loudly begging until she finally gives in. "Fine, but this better be the last time!"

"Of course," Severus instantly replied as he kept his fingers crossed behind his back.

Sleepily Rowan only paused to put on her slippers and wandering over to Severus's room. Yawning and blinking the tears out of her eyes, she watched Severus point at several outfits he'd spent all night putting together. With a sigh of resignation, she merely shoved him aside and proceeded to pick out an outfit for him.

Though greens looked good on Severus, Rowan was trying to avoid the traditional Slytherin color scheme of things. Instead, she went for a cobalt blue tight-fitting sweater that would show off Severus's body. Slender, yes, but Severus was muscularly lean. Helping Tadbey all summer long had gone a long way to make Severus that much more attractive.

Sadly, their pale skin didn't tan, but Severus didn't look quite as pale as before. With that in mind, she matched him with a crisp white cotton shirt. The white color would neatly contrast with the dark color of the sweater. Grabbing a charcoal gray pair of silk slacks, she handed him the pants. "Make sure to wear a pair of your silk briefs, not drawers," Rowan ordered causing Severus to turn a lovely shade of pink.

"I mostly wear silk briefs," Severus admitted in an embarrassed fashion.

"Good," Rowan muttered as she picked out a nice pair of black loafers and a pair of nice black silk socks to match.

While Severus dressed in front of her without any shame, she curled up on his bed and began to doze off. She was almost asleep too, when Severus loudly said, "Rowan!"

"I'm up, I'm up," Rowan groggily groaned as she opened her tired eyes and turned to study him.

The dark sweater color did wonders for his complexion and his body. Severus not only looked rather handsome but suave at that. His raven hair was parted exactly like Rowan had shown him and was all sleek and shiny. He would be that much more popular when they got back to Hogwarts.

"You look good," Rowan yawned glancing at the time. "Now let me sleep. Wake up at seven."

"Er, I thought we could talk a bit more," Severus hastily said causing Rowan to let out a desperate moan.

"We've had all summer to talk," Rowan tiredly reminded him but remained sitting up on Severus's bed.

Severus awkwardly sat down on the edge of his bed and said, "I know that James is in love with Lily."

Rowan doesn't reply as Severus continues, "I've seen the way he looks at Lily, Rowan. I'm not blind you know. And I know you have always thought that I am rather thick when it comes to relationships. And for the most part, I am except when it comes to Lily."

Rowan rolls her eyes contracting the prior spoken statement of her twin brother. Ignoring his twin sister's reaction, Severus runs a hand through his hair, and says, "I've always thought that if Lily didn't choose me, she'd chose James. At first, I was angry and jealous, but then I realized that I did not want to lose her. Even if we are only friends at the end of things, I cannot bear the idea of never having Lily in my life again. So, even if in the end, she does choose James-."

Severus's voice breaks for a moment as he swallows and gruffly finishes his sentence. "In the end, I would be happy for her-, for them both."

Rowan wordlessly reaches over and tightly squeezes Severus's hand in comfort. "I know."

Severus offers her a quiet, emotional filled smile. "You know, I always thought it'd be you and James."

Rowan blinks in clear surprise and draws her hand back. "Why?" Rowan asked in utter bafflement. "I've never shown any romantic interest in James nor much less has he."

"It's just the way that the two of you are at ease with each other," Severus admitted. "I always thought that your relationship had the potential to be that much more."

Rolling her eyes, Rowan flatly says, "The next thing, you're going to suggest is that because Terry and I are so alike that we should try dating!"

"Merlin, NO! The two of you would probably destroy the whole school, if you ever broke up," Severus shuddered in terror.

"What about Xeno or Andrew?"

"Ug, no. Xeno likes Pandora and Andrew is too nice for you. You'd walk all over him."

"What about Sirius, Remus, or Peter?"

"Are you seriously just naming all our male friends?"

"Just answer the question."

Severus rolls his eyes and sighs. "You'd never date Peter as he is already in another relationship, plus he's short. Lupin for the same reason as previously mentioned for Peter. And Sirius...."

Severus makes a wary face and says, "He's one of my best friends, but even I'll admit he's just plain awful to girls. I don't even know why he is he's still popular to be perfectly honest."

"He's good looking, rich, and a pureblood," Rowan instantly replied. "But no, you're right, I'd never date any of them."

Glancing at the clock, Severus says, "If you'd like, you can sleep now."

"Too late, I'm already awake," Rowan yawned. "Might as well go and shower."

Severus does not reply as he watches Rowan shuffle out of his bedroom. Turning back to stare at the window, he drily gulps. It was now or never.