A/N: This is a one-shot I wrote as a sort of cute Halloween story and surprise for anyone who reads my fanfics.

Asphodel and Nightshade

~Many years ago~

It was on a cool, breezy autumn afternoon that ten year-old Severus Snape sat waiting for his best friend, Lily Evans to finish supper with her family so she could come out to play. The wooden park bench he was perched on had peeling green and blue paint, like most of the other structures on the small, public playground. The pale young boy picked at said paint idly and hummed a tune under his breath. HHe wished Lily would hurry up a bit; he`d made her a present and was anxious to see how she liked it. It had taken Severus nearly two weeks to craft what he thought was an impressive keepsake box for her. He`d gotten the idea to make the vessel when Lily was showing him some of the pictures and souvenirs she had from going on trips with her family over the years. She`d been keeping them in an old cigar box her dad had given her, which had looked fairly beat up after years of use, and too small for many more memories to be squeezed inside of it. Severus had wanted to give her something special to keep all of those happy memories and trinkets safe. Being terribly poor though, he hadn`t been able to buy her anything, so he`d opted to make her something instead and surprise her with it. What had started out as a scarred wooden box once used to hold Christmas candles; had been transformed in to a pretty rectangular container. He`d painted it a verdant green (Lily`s favorite color) and decorated it by gluing on a gold bit of ribbon around the edge of the lid. On the top the words "Lily`s Memories" were done in careful, bronze painted letters. On each corner he`d glued a different bauble: there was a small turquoise bead shaped like a heart, a pearly white spiral sea shell, a postage stamp depicting a red and orange sunset, and a tiny silver skeleton key. Severus had lined the inside of the 8" long by 5" wide memoir chest with soft, gray velvet fabric he`d cut from a pillowcase. He`d scavenged it from the old scrap bin his mum had kept in the attic for her sewing hobby. Also inside the box, he`d added a colorful scarlet cardinal feather. It was the one he`d found while playing outside on the day he and Lily had first met. He had been collecting bird feathers at the time, and Lily had come to the park with her sister Petunia and their mother for a picnic. Lily had see Severus wandering around by himself and come over to admire his collection. Mrs. Evans had insisted Severus join her and her daughters for their picnic, seeing them playing together and Severus all alone (where on earth were his parents?). Thus had begun his and Lily`s friendship, which had only grown when both children found out they could use accidental magic.

The gift itself had taken considerable scrounging and resourcefulness on Severus`s part to make. Unlike Lily, Severus couldn`t have just asked his parents for help. His mother, whom he loved dearly, had passed away a few years ago. She had been creative and quick-witted, both traits that Severus had inherited. His father Tobias however, was neither creative nor clever. He was a Muggle; which the junior Snape`s mother had explained was what people with magic called people who weren`t magic. His maternal parent had been a witch; and Severus thought he was very lucky indeed that he had also gotten his gift of magic from her. Tobias on the other hand was a plain-Jane, run of the mill Muggle, with not an ounce of magic in his veins. He was terrified of magic and blamed his wife`s early passing entirely on some form of divine punishment for her being a witch. Suffice to say, he hadn`t known she was a witch until after they had married. They had been a fairly happy pair in spite of this, until about eleven years later when Eileen Snape (née Prince) had fallen ill and no treatment nor enchantment could seem to cure her mysterious ailment. After that and Eileen`s death, Tobias had lost all sense of wonder at the glimpse of the wizarding world he had seen, and turned to drowning his pain and anger in alcohol. It seemed he had drowned his love there too, for afterwards, when Severus had performed accidental magic Tobias had seen only a freakish display of devilry. The younger Snape couldn`t help it if he`d suddenly and inexplicably lit the sofa on fire in a fit of fear. But Tobias had vowed in a drunken stupor to beat the evil out of his son. Now Severus spent as little time as he could at the house he`d been raised in. Lily`s friendship and company were the only salve he had to his emotional wounds, and she was the only one left to comfort him when he was really hurting. He`d done his best in the times since they`d known each other to return that favor.

Presently, Lily was skipping down the street towards the park. Severus couldn`t help but smile a bit impishly when he spotted the red-headed young girl. Lily Evans was the same age as he was, although technically she was a few months younger. She also happened to be a witch-to-be in the same way the Severus was a wizard-to-be. Her family was all Muggles; but she had been born with magic, as had the young Snape. The skinny, black-haired boy got to his feet and checked the bench next to him, making sure his surprise was still there. He picked up the gift (which he`d wrapped in a bit of pretty fabric and tied closed with a piece of yarn) and waved with one arm to his friend.

"Over here, Lily!" He called excitedly as she came nearer.

"Hey, Sev! Whatcha got there?" She replied, walking over with a mischievous grin.

He told her; "Hay is for horses, silly. And what I have here," he corrected her grammar out of habit, which was something he`d learned from his mum, "is a surprise present for you."

"A present? But my birthday is ages away!" Lily`s grin went from mischievous to surprised and delighted. "What is it?"

"I know that, that`s why it`s a surprise. And you`ll have to unwrap it to find out." The boy held out the oddly wrapped package and presented it with a clumsy flourish.

Lily took the parcel and undid the bow-tied yarn with a roll of her bright green eyes. Gazing at the contents within she exclaimed "Oh, Sev this is the coolest surprise present ever! You made me a keepsake box! And you even put that cardinal feather in it! Are you sure you want me to have that?" She gushed and questioned, running her fingertips over the crimson trinket.

"You keep it. I want you to have it for your memories, so you don`t ever forget that we`re friends. Okay?" He flushed slightly, a bit embarrassed at how cheesy that must have sounded. His blush went from pale pink to deep scarlet when Lily hugged him in thanks ('you`re so thoughtful') and he muttered "Don`t mention it."

The pair played together in the park after that, collecting feathers and shiny rocks, and seeing who could swing higher on the swing set, until it started to get dark outside. Lily`s mother came to fetch her oldest daughter after a time, and spotted Lily and Severus sitting on the bench. The children were sharing a sandwich bag full of peanut butter cookies Lily had undoubtedly smuggled out of the house. Mrs. Evans smiled to herself. They`re so cute together, She thought dotingly. She listened in on their conversation as she approached;

"What are you going to be for Halloween, Lily?" Severus asked, his dark eyes were large and curious as he swallowed a bite of cookie.

"I was a vampire last year, remember? I scared Tuney so bad she almost wet herself." There was a shared snicker here as both children recalled how Lily had pranked her younger sister. The redheaded witch continued; "Dad said none of that this year, so I was thinking something a bit less scary. You`re going to think it`s girly though!" She half-huffed, embarrassed herself.

"I promise I won`t laugh, just tell me before your mum takes you home for the night." Severus cajoled and half pleaded, waving as he spotted Mrs. Evans coming towards them. The middle aged woman gave a little wave back and waited by the front gate of the park. Lily was quick to brush the evidence of cookie crumbs off her jumper before tugging Severus to his feet so he could walk home with her and her mother. It was a sort of tradition now that whenever Mrs. Evans came `round to bring Lily home, they would walk Severus home first (she was afraid he`d get kidnapped).

"Argg. Okay. I was thinking I`d be a princess. But only `cause Daddy suggested I should be a fairy as the alternative!" Lily added hastily to her reply.

Severus made a funny face and the corner of his mouth twitched as he tried (and barely succeeded) to not laugh. "That`s not so bad. I bet you`d look great in pink ribbons and bows." He couldn`t help but tease her a little. Lily was well, the most tom-boyish girl he`d ever met.

"I am not going to wear pink! I wouldn`t even if you paid me to! And what`s your brilliant plan then? What are you going to go as?" She glared at her best friend, daring him to reply.

"Well, if you`re going as a pretty, pretty princess…" (She stuck her tongue out at him.) He thought about it for a moment and an idea took shape in his head. Severus grinned and informed the surly girl "I`ll just have to go as a knight then."

"What? Why would you want to do that?" Lily cocked her head to one side and asked him with a puzzled expression. Mrs. Evans spoke up with warm humor then;

"Every princess needs a knight in shining armor, dear. What a wonderful idea, Severus." Her green-gray eyes twinkled with merriment as both children blushed, and Lily giggled as her friend`s scarlet countenance. He couldn`t help but laugh at her strawberry colored face as the trio left the park and began walking up the street.

~End~