Disclaimer: One can dream they own Harry and his extended universe, right?

"Tuney! Can we go play at the park? You said you would take me yesterday, and I'm tired of being stuck inside…Please?"

The small, redheaded girl looked adoringly at her older sister, widening her emerald eyes in hope. The taller blonde girl - Tuney - sighed, already in the process of yanking on worn and dirty sandals. "Yes, we can go." A grudging smile appeared on her thin face. "I was going to go anyway, and Mummy would have made me let you tag along even if you hadn't asked."

Lily pinned up her flaming locks, then rushed to find her own shoes. With a call of "Mum, we're going to the park," she skipped out the door and nearly tripped on the bottom step. Regaining her balance, she took her sister's hand and pulled her, giggling, along the sidewalk.

Lily wished that there could be more days like this. But with a month of extended summer school still left, her sister still wrapped up in studying for ages for her dreaded final exams, there were minimal chances of being able to have a day of freedom. Not to mention her own tests that teachers kept springing on her and her classmates… but she was nearly always well-prepared for those. She had heard her teachers discussing an advanced course for her secondary education, but didn't think much of it, as this was the norm - she was far more interested in studying the things only she could do, that were her special secret when nobody but Tuney was watching her. Lily knew that her sister didn't approve; however, it was too much fun to not investigate her skills.

When they arrived at their favorite playground, Petunia took the best swing for herself - "After all, I am the oldest" - and dared Lily to see who could swing higher. With a moment's hesitation and a suspicious glance at a shadowy bush that seemed to have moved, she agreed. Pumping her legs to their fullest power, she heaved and strained to reach the heights her sister was at, then faltered as she felt a tapping in her hands. Curiosity prompted her to delve into the bright glow in her mind, and she swung higher than the top of the structure itself. It was easy; it was as natural as laughing, which is what she did, completely exhilarated with the prospect of flying through the air. Tuney's eyes widened and she yelled something, but Lily didn't hear. She let go of the chains, pushing herself up to the beautiful blue sky before landing on her tiptoes, arms extended like wings for balance. Petunia, her mouth in an angry pout, slowed her swing and hopped off to confront her.

"Mummy told you not to!" Her hands went automatically to her hips. "Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lily!"

Lily, still flushed from her success, giggled. "But I'm fine." She noticed a pretty white blossom that had fallen to the ground, and picked it up to examine it. Under her scrutiny, it began to move its petals. "Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do." She motioned closer, and her sister reluctantly drew nearer, eyes glancing around nervously. Lily held out her hand, and with it, the animated flower. Petunia immediately leapt backward, horror evident on her face.*

"Stop it!"

Lily blanched. She had only thought that Tuney had wanted to see it, but she seemed to hate it. Lily began to get defensive. "It's not hurting you." But her sister's eyes still shone with fear, and so she dropped the blossom, watching it drift gently to the ground. Tuney's next words brought her attention back to her situation.

"It's not right." But Petunia's eyes still watched the flower on the ground. Lily noticed something she had never seen before - awe and longing, and possibly curiosity. "How do you do it?"

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but she wasn't sure what she would have said. She was saved - and startled - when a scrawny, pale boy in an overlarge cape and raggedy clothes rose from behind the nearest bush.

"It's obvious, isn't it?"

Petunia shrieked and ran to the playground. Lily jumped in spite of herself. His long black hair looked dirty, and his thin stature was unnatural. A faint memory of who it was came to mind, and her heart stirred in pity. Embarrassed, the boy's cheeks pinkened, and he looked earnestly at her, pleading wordlessly for her not to run away. She picked up on it.

"What's obvious?"

The awkward boy looked dismissively over at her sister, then turned black eyes back to her own hazel ones. He looked excited and somewhat anxious. Lily wanted to ask him what was wrong, until a whisper -

"I know what you are."

Lily's eyebrows contracted, thinking. How could he know when she didn't? She had to know, or she would go crazy. "What do you mean?"

Quieter still; "You're… you're a witch."

Lily recoiled in shock and anger. How dare he say that; how dare he call her names when she was worth three times his pathetic self! How could he call her that and consider himself just as kind as anyone else? "That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!" She scowled at him, repressing the want to hit him. When the urge became too great she turned her back and ran off to Petunia, trying not to cry.

"No!"

Her feet slowed, but her anger was still just as hot. She reached her sister and turned to face the boy, noticing with some satisfaction that his face was flushed as he stumbled towards the pair, tripping over his clunky black boots. His clothes and movements reminded Lily of the bats that they would see after dark sometimes, and she was forced to stifle a giggle as he turned to her, beseeching.

"You are. You are a witch! I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's a witch, and I'm a wizard!"

With every word, Lily could feel her ears burning. Her mouth set in a disapproving line, and her eyes turned cold. She opened her mouth determinedly, but was interrupted by Tuney, whose shrill laugh grated on her ears.

"Wizard!" Lily could hear the scorn radiating off of her sister, see her seething furiously. "I know who you are. You're that Snape boy!" Turning to her, Petunia added contemptuously, "They live down Spinner's End by the river." She turned back to the boy. "Why have you been spying on us?" Lily turned to Snape and raised her eyebrow, a trick that her father had just taught her.

Snape fidgeted. "Haven't been spying. Wouldn't spy on you, anyway, you're a muggle."

Confusion flashed across Petunia's face, then raw fury. Lily's own temper rose as well, as it often did when someone made fun of her sister or her. She glared at him.

"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" Her sister, close to tears, grabbed her arm and yanked her down the street after her, back towards their house and the safety of knowing what will happen next. Lily glanced back once and was surprised to see shock and disappointment so obviously scrawled across his face.

Back at home, she bit her lip worriedly. Though he had been rude, and called her names, he had been trying to be kind. Maybe she should go back to talk to him; that couldn't hurt, could it?

Several hours later, when Petunia had gone up to her room to fix her hair, Lily crept back downstairs. She brushed the dirt off her sandals, shoved them back on her feet, and took off sprinting for the park, hoping desperately that he was there.

She wasn't disappointed. A small, bedraggled figure still sat, head in hands, on the half-broken swing-set, rocking back and forth. He looked up when she reached him.

"I - I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way, I promise. I just - "

He was staring at her face a bit to eagerly. She felt herself turn pink. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean to be mean to me. I was wondering, though… How did you know I was magic? How did you know that when I didn't? When Mummy or Daddy or Tuney didn't know it?"

The boy gave her a half-smile and said quietly, "They're muggles. They don't get it. They aren't the same as you and me."

"What are muggles?"

"Non-magic people. Ordinary people. Generally more boring than you." He pressed his lips together and lowered his eyes, seeming to think he had said something he hadn't meant to. She narrowed her own in defense of her sister and he attempted to rephrase his words. "I only meant that you are interesting, and you have powerful magic, and you're quite pretty…" His voice trailed off and he flushed a deep red. Lily looked at him quickly, sure that he was joking. His eyes were dead serious.

"You think I'm pretty?"

Snape pressed his lips together, but words still escaped. "Who doesn't?"

Lily giggled, thinking that surely he was pulling her leg. But his face remained earnest. She smiled, slightly hesitant. "Well, thank you, I guess."

A few moments of awkwardness passed, then Lily sneezed. Not a quiet, calm sneeze, but an explosive sneeze that shocked her to her core and startled birds from nearby trees. It reverberated around the playground, and her companion jumped in fright and fell out of his swing, getting woodchips in his dark hair. A moment passed where the two didn't move, then she sneezed again and he started laughing. She started laughing too, enjoying it too much to stop. When the two grew quiet again, Snape held out his hand and looked her in the eye.

"You - you can call me Severus. It's what I've always wanted my friends to know me as, instead of Snape, but I've never had a friend before. Will you be mine?"

Without a second of hesitation, Lily smiled into his dark eyes. "Of course, Severus. I'm Lily. Nice to meet you."

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Lily went to her summer school as normal, but after school she ran to the little park to talk to Severus. She asked him question after question to learn about the Wizarding world, and he replied thoughtfully. She got to know about Hogwarts and all the magic they would learn there ("You mean we get wands? And teachers to show us how to use them? And we can choose our classes in third year?"), the Wizarding prison Azkaban ("Don't worry, you'll never end up there. Only people who do really bad things do.") and all the crazy, strange creatures that would soon present themselves to her newly unveiled eyes ("You mean to say that dragons are real? Can I see one?"). This information fascinated her more than school itself, and she thrived on the knowledge of her new school. This is what kept her going through the last month; otherwise, she would have gone insane with boredom because her teachers were all talking only about what secondary schools they wanted all of the children to go to, and how Lily should go to only the very best, as she was the smartest. She nodded and smiled and said thank you, you're very kind, but not a word was remembered of these conversations - only those of the conversations at the park with her new friend Severus.

Soon enough, a formal-looking wizard came to her doorstep to sit her and her family down and tell them all about Hogwarts and magic and how it was all real, and how Lily would have the opportunity to be a part of it all. Not knowing if what he told her would get him in trouble, Lily didn't tell the wizard that Severus had already explained everything.

Not long after, they went shopping for school supplies. Lily had never seen anything like Diagon Alley in her wildest dreams; she ran through the streets in a trance, with only Severus's hand in hers to stop her from getting lost. There were cauldrons and quills and potion ingredients and books, almost too many to count. There was an ice cream shop that sold color-changing ice cream, and a sweets shop that sold almost anything imaginable. But best of all, Lily found her way to a little store called Magical Menagerie, and found her very first pet - an owl, whom she named Arynn. Overwhelmed with everything, Lily and Severus made their way back to his mother, who looked tired but nearly overjoyed to see the two running about.

The Saturday morning after their trip, the two lay in the grass, talking. A question had been burning at Lily's mind for several days now; she had to ask it.

"Tuney's mad at me because she doesn't want me to leave. Can muggles come to Hogwarts too? She said that she so wanted to, then got all quiet and made me swear to forget it. But I can't."

She looked hopefully at him beneath her eyelashes, waiting for an answer. His face grew solemn.

"I'm sorry, Lily. Hogwarts is only for wizards and witches. Muggles are useless there. They can't do magic, so they can't even help with cleaning without making everything a mess."

She felt her shoulders drop. "Oh. Okay. Only, she's out with her friends right now, and I saw something a bit suspicious… Will you come with me to investigate?"

After a moment's hesitation, Severus looked up at her and grinned. "What are friends for, after all? Let's go!"

The two began planning at once. If her parents asked, she would tell them it was for her new school, and she didn't want to start off behind everyone else; they would believe almost anything she told them. For a moment she felt bad. But as Severus and her sneaked upstairs to discover a mysterious letter, she forgot all consequences and blame.

Lily felt put out when she realized her sister had been writing to the Headmaster without telling her; however, she didn't confront Petunia. She figured that she had her secrets with Severus, and her sister had hers. However, as the end of the summer and the beginning of a new school year loomed nearer, everything began to become just a bit scarier, and just a bit more conspicuous looming on the horizon.