The summer air hung lightly, the cool breezes carrying sweet scents of flowers. The park was quiet except for the rustling of the buzzing of the bees and the chirping of the birds. The sun was bright and the sky was clear, cloudless.

My hand was held warmly in hers as we walked between the trees, the very same that we first met by. Her smile lit up her face far more than the sun shined on the earth. She was beautiful. As we talked, I noticed how delicate her body was, how outlined each curve of her body was. Her eyes were perfectly shaped like almonds, wonderfully green and shining. Her lips curved in her ever-present smile. Her shoulders, which shook as she laughed out loud, were soft and small. Her nice chest, which showed off her flat stomach, and the curve of her back were all extraordinarily fine tuned. Her waist flowed like the glass of an hourglass. Her thin thighs, her calves, everything about her was amazing in my eyes.

I nodded and laughed along with her as she told me a story. Merlin, she was beautiful. I didn't deserve her. How could I, Severus Snape, be worthy of her, Lily Evans, goddess of everything good? How could I have ever deceived myself into thinking that maybe one day we might be together? How could we?

She pulled me over to a patch of grass in the shade and we sat down. I leaned against the tree, watching her as she sat down next to me. Very closely, she sat. My heart pounded as she leaned her head against my chest. Could she hear my heart? The thumping beat? I could hear hers, a wonderful melody, perfectly in line with the beat of my heart. I relaxed and breathed in the flowery aroma of her red hair.

For a while longer, we sat like that, taking in the summery light. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger as I played with a flower petal. I felt a bubble rising in my chest. It wasn't painful, but it made it hard to breathe properly. It was anticipation building as I prepared myself for what I wanted to say.

"Lily," I whispered, quieter than I hoped for. She turned her head around to face me, that smile of hers still playing on her lips.

"Yeah?" she whispered back.

"I want to tell you something." I sounded stupid. What was I saying? It sounded a lot better in my head, where it should have belonged.

Lily giggled. "Go on then."

I took a breath and looked into her eyes. I felt the confidence building, urging me onward. To hell with it, I thought. Just say it and hope for the best. What would be the worst thing to happen? No, I won't think about that. What if she smiles, what if she said it back? I'll never know if I don't try…

"I-I think…I love you." Damn, I stuttered. How could I have chopped up a simple line? It was only a few words! I shouldn't have looked at her. She was probing my soul with her eyes, it made me nervous. Still, the confidence was still there, hoping, eager for a response.

For what felt like hours, we stared at each other. She was going to deny it, to apologize, to pull away. She wasn't going to talk to me, she was going to ignore me, leave me. But she was the only one for me. Even if I can't have her, I won't have another. Nobody could compare to Lily, nobody ever would. It was just her, the one I knew I couldn't have, the one I shouldn't even be able to look at.

Still, we were silent. Please say something, I thought. If I could shout her name, plead on my knees, give her a bouquet of white lilies, something to make her respond to me. I cannon balled into the water, but now I felt like I was drowning on the bottom, my lungs waiting for me to break the surface to breathe again.

Finally, finally, she moved. Her lips, which had fallen, rose slowly into a grin. Her rose pink lips framed her perfect teeth and she giggled again, causing her eyes to crinkle. She looked so cute as her cheeks began to blush.

I could breathe again; I sighed in relief and smiled back. She wasn't laughing at me, she wasn't pulling away. No, she was still here in my arms, lying on my chest, blushing.

Then her smiling lips came closer as she pushed herself up, moving her face so it was right in front of mine. She looked into my black eyes again before closing hers and pressing her lips against mine. She kissed me softly and I kissed back, astounded. She pulled away and laughed. She was still close to me, and I reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. I felt like I could fly.

For Lily, I'd do anything.