I do NOT own any of the characters or places in this story - that privilege belongs to the glorious Ms. J.K. Rowling.

I apologize for any mistakes I have made.

Enjoy!

It was a beautiful Hallows Eve night, and all was well in the great school of Hogwarts. Everyone was feasting in the Great Hall; the pumpkins floating in mid-air above them, the feast full of sweets for the occasion.

Severus Snape was peeking over other students' heads just enough to see Lily Evans studying for her OWLs while she ate. Sadly, he and Lily were in different houses with Lily in Gryffindor and Severus in Slytherin. He was just about to get up and talk to her when he saw someone walking over to her. It just so happened to be the infamous James Potter. Oh, how he hated James so. Severus thought James was an arrogant, over confident, stuck up wizard who didn't know his place. However, Lily Evans apparently thought otherwise.

Lily was a beautiful, intelligent witch and James had seemed to take notice. Lily was just about to get up to head back to the Gryffindor common room when James tapped her on the shoulder. Lily was startled at first, but was then calmed by the look in James' beautiful hazel eyes.

"Hello, James," Lily said eagerly, "How are you?"

"I'm just fine now that I'm with you." James swooned.

Lily giggled and brushed the hair from her face, "Oh, really? And why might that be?"

James was grinning wide now and couldn't seem to stop, "Because I have never met a witch as beautiful, as kind, or as bright as you are, Lily Evans. And I am delighted to be in the presence of such beauty – inside and out." James was shaking and couldn't believe that he had finally said what he had been waiting to say for months. "When I first laid my eyes on you, I thought I was under the effects of a very powerful love potion. But, as I came to know you, I came to realize that you really were the kind of girl that everyone says you are."

By this time, Lily was blushing furiously, and her cheeks were bright red. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. James likes me – he ACTUALLY likes me, she thought. "Well, James, I was just about to go back to the common room, but, if you don't have somewhere to be, would you like to sit down and join me?"

"It would be my pleasure." James smiled.

They both sat down and started to talk and laugh at the other's antics.

Severus watched and waited, but by now he was already burning with anger and jealousy, and all he could think about was how he could get her away from James. He started to head back to the dungeons to the Slytherin common room when he saw something that upset him even more; Lily started to look at James the same way James looked at her – with love and compassion. Severus clenched his fists and relentlessly went on his way to the common room. When he reached his room, he closed the curtains that surrounded his bed and slipped under the bed sheets.

"Bloody Potter." Muttered Severus. As he said this, tears of frustration drops streamed down his face. He swiped at them angrily, laid down on his bed, and began to cry in earnest.

The next day, Lily and James walked to Potions class together while Severus trailed a way's behind them. He watched them in disgust as they walked into the classroom. Unfortunately, Severus had the same Potions class as the both of them and walked in after them. Lily and James sat together in the back of the class; Severus followed in their lead and sat a few seats away from them. All during class, Severus watched the couple. He couldn't help but think of the time that Lily and he used to be good friends. Before they had even gone to Hogwarts, or even got their letters, Lily Evans and Severus Snape used to talk all day and sit by this big beautiful tree in a huge field. They would do what magic they knew of and just be together.

Lily was hated by her older sister, Petunia. Petunia thought that she was the only one who saw Lily for "what she really was" - a freak. One day, Lily had told her sister that she could make wonderful things happen just by using her hands. Severus was watching them through the bushes, and saw Lily make a flower appear and fall right into her hand. When Petunia saw this happen, she ran home to tell their mother about her freak sister. Severus came out of the bushes and told Lily that she wasn't the only one who could do such magic. And, from that point on, Lily and Severus became the only ones who really understood each other for what they really were - special. Until the days they started Hogwarts, Lily and Severus were the best of friends. Then, Lily started gaining new friends and grew further and further apart from Severus.

The Potions professor shouting at Severus was the only thing that could get him back to the light of day and out of his daze. The professor had asked Severus a question multiple times without an answer and finally got impatient. He looked over at Lily and she looked back at him with a worried look on her face. Is it just me? Or is Lily actually taking concern in me again? Severus thought.

On one lovely spring afternoon, Severus could think of nothing but what had happened between himself and Lily. He couldn't help but wonder if things could possibly go back to the way they were before their Hogwarts days.

He finally got to his last class, Transfiguration, in which he shared with Lily. Not James and Lily, not James; just Lily. He was finally happy to see her without that brute. Severus made a bee line to Lily's seat at the back of the class and asked her, "May I?" and he pointed at the seat next to her.

"Oh, not at all, Severus! How have you been? We haven't really talked much lately." Lily said.

"I've been better. I just was wondering… oh, never mind. It's stupid." Severus was suddenly scared to ask Lily the question that had been eating him up. He turned away, hoping she wouldn't ask what was wrong.

"Oh, come on, Severus. What's wrong? You can tell me anything; surely you know that?"

Oh, no…

"Well, I just wanted to know… why you're spending time with me so little these days." Questioned Severus.

"Oh, that. I guess I've just been around James so much lately, add that to homework, and I guess that I just haven't had the time. I'm sorry, Severus. I didn't realize." Lily felt bad for what had been happening right under her nose.

"Oh. Well, it's just that James is so rude and arrogant. And he's always making fun of me and using trick spells on me. I don't know how you can be near someone like him all the time. He's a prat, Lils."

"Severus! How rude of you! If you were half the wizard James was, you wouldn't be telling such lies!" Lily was red with anger.

"I'm not lying, I promise! He's always so rude, and I don't think…" Severus was cut off by the voice of the professor.

"Do we have a problem back there?" Shouted the professor.

Oh, nothing, Lily thought. Just lies. She was beyond angry by now, and felt like running to James and falling into his arms and forgetting what had just happened. She faded away into memories of her and Severus back before the Hogwarts days. She thought of the magic they did together, the laughs, the talking by that big, beautiful tree. He was so kind back then. What happened? Reminiscing about the past, Lily could concentrate no more in the studies of Transfiguration. She felt her throat closing up and the tears coming out. She stopped them, telling herself that no one can see her cry; it would be too embarrassing.

Severus, however, could not help but tear up right in the middle of class. He lowered his head, hoping no one would notice. This can't be happening. This can't be happening, Severus thought. This is really happening. If the class were to go completely silent, one could hear the wood creak underneath Severus' fingertips.

From that day on, Severus Snape had the biggest hatred for James Potter and how he had deceived Lily so. He wanted to hate Lily, he really did; but he couldn't. How could he? She was the girl that was there for him when no one else was. She was his forever friend; his forever love. However, little did Severus know, his love for Lily Evans would remain with him forever.

Only on the evening of her and James' tragic deaths would Severus finally realize that his feelings for Lily ran deeper than he had ever anticipated. Only then would he realize that he had lost the only one he would ever love. Only then would he realize that he could never make things right with her. Only then would he realize that he could never love another.

For his love for Lily Evans would always remain.

FINIS

Author's Note: This is the first fic I've ever written, and I wrote it when I was a Freshman in high school, so go easy. I swear, my writing abilities are quite advanced nowadays.

Anyways, thank you for reading and review if you'd like!

Enjoy the rest of your day (or night) and here's a virtual cookie for all of you beautiful potatoes out there!

Much Love,

-MSS