Chapter 1

Best Friends

In the center of the meadow, a redheaded girl was sitting against the lighthouse that was currently shining out across the field and over the ocean beyond. She was plucking small sunflowers and tying them together to create a sun flowered-crown.

"Lily!" A voice called from her right. She didn't need to look up to know who was calling for her. Severus Snape walked up to her and plopped beside her onto the grass. He smoothed back the thick black hair that was currently matted against his face. Lily looked up to observe her friend. He had large yet sunken black eyes, a large narrow nose and thin lips. He wasn't the most attractive boy around but he was beautiful to her. Severus was her champion, but she never thought twice to tell him.

" Found you." He said out-of-breath. She looked at him expectantly with her large green eyes, silently attempting to read him.

"Why were you looking for me?" She asked. He grinned. She looked down to notice the thin yellow envelope in his hand. "Oh-My-Gosh Sev!" She exclaimed instantly recognizing the lion, snake, badger, and eagle emblem on the corner of the envelope.

"You got in!" She said.

"Of coarse I did!" He said highly amused by her surprise. "You did too of coarse." The smile slowly subsided from Lily's beautifully well-formed lips. She shook her head.

"I…I don't know Sev…"

"You don't know?" He asked alarmed by what he was hearing.

"I mean I don't know yet. I didn't get a letter. Petunia and I have been waiting for weeks…"

"Petunia?" He asked, his voice full of snide humor.

"Yes. My sister."

" I know. I mean…she's hardly magical Lily."

"What? Of coarse she is! She's my sister…my blood. I obviously can do all this stuff; she should be able to as well." Lily said defensively.

"No. You obviously don't understand. She hasn't shown any sign of magical abilities yet. That's saying enough by itself." Severus said remembering that day in the park; the first time he and Lily met. She was with Petunia and she was showing her how she was able to allow a flower to wilt then grow instantaneously in front of their very eyes. Petunia seemed embarrassed that someone would glimpse the miracle, but also very envious of her sister. I bet she even tries to perform that little trick when no one's looking. Severus thought to himself; inwardly smiling at the idea. He was never fond of Lily's sister. He liked her as much as she liked him-which wasn't a lot.

"Well…you also said so yourself. That sometimes they're late bloomers. She could show it at the last minute."

"Doubt it Lil." He said. "But don't you worry. You'll get yours soon. You have to. You're too talented." Lily smiled despite how she felt. She wanted Petunia to be get into Hogwarts, but she was a little worried that that dream may never happen.

Severus sat back against the brick wall of the lighthouse.

"So whatcha thinking 'bout?" He asked curiously.

"Nothing." She said secretively. He eyed her. "What?"

"Liar."

"Huh?" She asked appalled.

"I know you way too well Lil." Severus said laughing slightly. "Nothing? Please…what's really on your mind?" He waited patiently observing her every move. Which he didn't mind doing in the least bit. Lily was, to him, too pretty for her own good. He watched her look down and gently place her deep red heir behind her ear, so that he could see the right side of her slightly freckled face. She had a straight nose that curved up at the tip, full lips, deep brown eyebrows that matched the roots of her hair, and big emerald-green eyes that seemed to sparkle in the sun light. They were a beautiful contrast against her olive skin.

"Well…I guess I was sorta thinking which house I'd be in." She said. Severus raised his eyebrows.

"Oh is that all?" He asked in disbelief. She frowned at him and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled softly. "Well I'm sure you'd house with me in Slytherin. It's obvious you're a Slytherin." He said proudly.

"Why is that obvious?" She asked.

" Because I'm going to be a Slytherin. And we get along too well. Slytherins hardly get along with other houses. Hufflepuffs are too nice, and Ravenclaws are too…too…infuriating. And well…Gryffindors…they're just…Gryffindors." He said making a face at the thought.

"What's wrong with Gryffindors?" She asked. He laughed humorlessly.

"They're cowards." He stated knowingly. "And you? You're definitely not a coward." He smiled.

"Why don't Gryffindors and Slytherins like each other though?" She asked. He rolled his eyes playfully.

"I've already told you Lily. Salazaar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor hated each other."

"Yes but why?"

"Because Gryffindor wanted anyone who was 'brave'…" He put up quotations with his fingers. "…To be in his house. And he didn't agree with Slytherin only wanting Purebloods in his house."

"Well what's wrong with that?" Lily asked thoughtfully.

"You're soo naïve sometimes." He said smiling. Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Severus Snape I am no more naïve than you are…" She said. He thought about it.

"Well…they just had their own opinions about who should go where, ya know? It's natural they'd fight about it."

"Weren't they like…really close friends though?" She asked.

"Yea. Lily it's no big deal…it's natural to argue…"

"And it's natural to apologize to each other. If they were 'close' friends they should have cared enough about each other to apologized after they spent sometime thinking some stuff through. I think they were acting a bit like children if you ask me." She sniffed. "If you're gonna fight with your best friend over something as small as that, and then hate each other afterwards; never to be friends again…well it's stupid and immature. I'd never do that to you, and I know you'd never do that to me." She said. Severus looked down, realizing that he'd never thought of it that way.

"Well I mean I guess each had a strong view…"

" No. Again, caring about each other as they claimed they did, they should've accepted each other's views and not let it get personal. So with that, I hope I'm in either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff…they didn't seem to act like two, over-grown, narrow-minded gits." He smiled at her in spite of it all. He couldn't help it really…She was just too cute when she was worked up.

"You're funny Lil." He announced.

"Glad you enjoyed that." She answered- smiling with him. "I think I'd better get going." She said.

"Yea…me too." He added. He stood up and pulled her up with him.

"Can I come over tomorrow?" she asked him as she began to turn down the lane leading to her house.

"Uh…maybe not. My mum is pretty upset at the moment." Yea if you call hating muggle-borns with a passion 'upset'. He thought to himself.

"Okay." She said. "Well, you come over."

"But…"

"Severus Snape. I will not take 'no' for an answer! Especially not from you, my best friend ever. Besides, Mum says she misses your company." Severus's pale skin lit up as he blushed from the compliment.

"W-Well…"

"Good! I'll be expecting you at two o'clock." She said hugging him. Lily was very touchy-feely with the ones she cared most about. However, that was still something Severus would have to get used to.

"See you!" She yelled now running off.

"Yea!…see you." He said to himself. He turned away and made his way down Spinner's End, dreading entering the place he called home.