That's one of the sticking points for me with Lily's character. I agree with aasaylva that Sev's use of the slur could be a reasonable reason to end the friendship - even if she does believe he's sorry, and used it as a word that can be used as an insult against people like her (rather than meaning that he thought it described people like her accurately) to take Oryx's distinction - that combined with the fact that his friends are supposedly known to be anti-Muggleborn generally would make it harder to trust him as a friend. Depending on the exact circumstances (just how bad have Sev's friends been? would he be in danger if he stood up to them?), maybe they could work it out, maybe not, but I wouldn't particularly hold it against her, even if she didn't handle it especially well, because that is something I'll cut immature, emotional teenagers a break for.
But. She sees her friend - even if they're on the rocks, he's still been her best friend for years - being tormented, and her response is not to give James a warning and then try to disarm him and/or call for backup if she needs it, but to stand there and flirt-fight with him? At best, it looks like she doesn't value Sev's well-being that highly. And after watching James attack Sev and others unprovoked - starting him being a snob and jackass on the train - for years, she finds James at all attractive? Most people I know would have an instinctively aversive reaction toward someone like that, even if they believed he had done one single good thing once. I think this would be a valid reason for Sev to want to stop being friends with Lily.
So given that, it seems a lot more like Lily isn't especially bothered by bullying and cruelty as such, unless it's directed at her or someone she values that day. Or is committed by someone she doesn't like. Or it looks like she supports arbitrary bullying of people who don't "deserve" it, because I don't think that fits with her image of herself as one of the good people who doesn't do that sort of thing. And that puts her dumping Sev and hooking up with James a year later in a worse light.
I doubt that her friends would be particularly bothered if she did talk about turning Petunia's teacup into a rat etc., because that doesn't seem like something most witches and wizards would see as anything but a hilarious prank. And they probably thought Sev deserved whatever he got. But if she had a habit of abandoning friends who had offended her to unpleasant situations, or just dropping them, they might clue in that it wasn't just about leaving one slimy Slytherin to a richly-deserved fate, but something about Lily's character which made being friends with her more difficult. Especially if it were out of proportion to the offenses. That might have led to a cooling of friendships, during or after their school years.
It's also entirely possible that while James wasn't still hexing everyone into oblivion, he was still an ass, and Lily wouldn't listen if her friends complained about this and came up with all sorts of reasons why they were wrong or oversensitive or started it. That would get old, fast.
Another possibility is that Lily and James were a really annoying couple, one of the kind who suddenly never, ever have time for you after they get together. It would be easy enough for her friends go go, "Fine, you're too busy to hang out now that you're with Jamesie-pooh? We'll just have girls' night without you, then."
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2012-08-16 08:20 pm (UTC)But. She sees her friend - even if they're on the rocks, he's still been her best friend for years - being tormented, and her response is not to give James a warning and then try to disarm him and/or call for backup if she needs it, but to stand there and flirt-fight with him? At best, it looks like she doesn't value Sev's well-being that highly. And after watching James attack Sev and others unprovoked - starting him being a snob and jackass on the train - for years, she finds James at all attractive? Most people I know would have an instinctively aversive reaction toward someone like that, even if they believed he had done one single good thing once. I think this would be a valid reason for Sev to want to stop being friends with Lily.
So given that, it seems a lot more like Lily isn't especially bothered by bullying and cruelty as such, unless it's directed at her or someone she values that day. Or is committed by someone she doesn't like. Or it looks like she supports arbitrary bullying of people who don't "deserve" it, because I don't think that fits with her image of herself as one of the good people who doesn't do that sort of thing. And that puts her dumping Sev and hooking up with James a year later in a worse light.
I doubt that her friends would be particularly bothered if she did talk about turning Petunia's teacup into a rat etc., because that doesn't seem like something most witches and wizards would see as anything but a hilarious prank. And they probably thought Sev deserved whatever he got. But if she had a habit of abandoning friends who had offended her to unpleasant situations, or just dropping them, they might clue in that it wasn't just about leaving one slimy Slytherin to a richly-deserved fate, but something about Lily's character which made being friends with her more difficult. Especially if it were out of proportion to the offenses. That might have led to a cooling of friendships, during or after their school years.
It's also entirely possible that while James wasn't still hexing everyone into oblivion, he was still an ass, and Lily wouldn't listen if her friends complained about this and came up with all sorts of reasons why they were wrong or oversensitive or started it. That would get old, fast.
Another possibility is that Lily and James were a really annoying couple, one of the kind who suddenly never, ever have time for you after they get together. It would be easy enough for her friends go go, "Fine, you're too busy to hang out now that you're with Jamesie-pooh? We'll just have girls' night without you, then."