Disclaimer: I own nothing, all credit to J.K. Rowling.
When her boyfriend of fifteen months had suggested they take 'a walk in the park', Lily hadn't expected an actual walk in the park; she thought it was a euphemism. Because, really, two fully qualified wizards who fight the darkest sorcerer of all time on their days off aren't really the type to take walks in the park like their normal, boring Muggle counterparts.
"But that's the point, see?" says James as he opens the gate for Lily. She passes him with a roll of her eyes.
"Not really."
Now James rolls his eyes as he closes the gate behind them. "For once we get to pretend that we're the Muggle couple with no worries." To emphasise his point, James nods his head towards the various other couples milling around the park.
"But we're not. For all we know You-Know-Who could have a spy hiding behind a tree or that fountain." Lily points to a large stone fountain in the middle of the park, big enough to obscure a whole host of spies from view.
James sighs but takes her hand anyway. "Just stop complaining and admit you love it really."
They begin walking around the perimeter of the park. Smirking, Lily gives a non-committal shrug. "Well I guess the park's nice." she concedes.
"It's better than nice, Lily – except that guy over there." James gestures to one of the benches around the fountain. Sitting on it is a man, homeless by the look of him, gently strumming his guitar. Lily's too far away from the man to hear the music, but she suspects it must be awful considering the wide berth people are giving him.
She tugs James towards the centre of the park. "Come on; let's see if he's any good."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" James asks.
"Yes, now come on!"
Even though this is so not how he pictured their romantic walk, James lets himself be pulled along.
When they're halfway towards the guitar player, James suddenly stops walking, causing Lily to stumble. As she turns round questioningly, James drops her hand, transferring his to her face. Smiling, she stands on the balls of her feet to meet his lips.
"What was that for?" Lily asks a few minutes later.
James straightens his glasses and says, "Nothing."
Dating James for over a year has taught Lily that kisses for nothing are not James' speciality ("it makes life boring"). "Come on, tell me."
Staying silent, James reclaims Lily's hand and they continue strolling towards the fountain. With her free hand, Lily repeatedly pokes James' side. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees his eyes almost imperceptibly flick to a tree across the park.
"You're just so… compassionate." James confesses after a minute of being prodded.
Lily's forehead scrunches in surprise. She'd expected some comment about her butt looking good even through her robe. "I am?"
"Yeah." James answers. "You're the only person willing to go within a mile of that guy. In fact, you forcibly started to drag me over. Not many people would do that."
Lily smiles softly but glances down at the floor. "Well, I know how it feels."
James opens his mouth to reply when Lily places a finger over his lips and commands him to "shhhh" and "listen!"
Cocking her head to the side, Lily listens intently to the music now in her hearing range. It's a slow waltz, played softly but firmly. "That's amazing." she whispers.
James nods his head in agreement. He hadn't noticed them get closer to the man, but they're stood almost next to his bench.
To herself, Lily admits that the man does smell a bit odd, but she digs around in the pocket that doesn't contain her wand. Triumphantly, she pulls out a crumpled ten pound note and drops it into the guitar case at the man's feet. Beaming up at Lily with surprisingly straight teeth, the man begins to play louder and with more confidence.
An idea strikes Lily and she whips her head towards James.
"What?" James asks with trepidation.
Excitement sparkles in Lily's eyes. "Dance with me?"
Laughing, James shakes his head at his girlfriend's quip.
"I'm being serious!" Lily exclaims.
"No, I'm being Sirius." says Sirius Black from his hiding place, earning a chuckle from Remus, although the same joke has been said many times before.
Peter, who has been peeking around the fountain, jerks his head back. "They're actually dancing!"
As they picture their lanky friend prancing around, all three of them collapse in silent laughter.
Once Sirius recovers, he says darkly, "Follow them all day out of the kindness of our own hearts so they don't get murdered, and what do we get? Dancing."
"We would've done better with the Death Eaters." Peter murmurs.
"I'm never going to let him live this down." vows Sirius.
"He's never had any balls when it comes to Lily." Remus reminds his friends.
Sirius and Peter nod their heads thoughtfully in agreement as Peter leans around the statue once again. Immediately, he turns back, looking stricken. "They're coming this way."
Sirius starts to make his way to the other side of the statue to remain hidden, but Remus stops him with an arm to the chest. Remus smirks and lifts his hand, which is suddenly holding a camera. Clapping Remus on the back, Sirius proclaims his friend a genius.
Ushering Peter out of the way, Remus stands on the slightly raised wall on the edge of the fountain. He waits until James and Lily spin their way into his vision, and then snaps a picture of their laughing faces and twirling bodies.
"Wha-? REMUS!" James shouts as Lily throws her head back and laughs.
"Sorry mate," says Sirius. "We just couldn't miss the moment."
James drops the dancing pose; he puts an arm around Lily's shoulders. "Do not – under any circumstances – develop that."
"Oh don't worry James, I won't."
Looking surprised, James replies, "Really?"
"But I will." Peter says, grinning at the glare James sends him.
Lily pinches James' cheek with the hand that isn't around his waist. "Don't be sorry James; I'm sure you looked adorable."
James looks annoyed for a second longer before joining in with the raucous laughter emitting from his friends. "I – am going to – kill – you guys."
"It's not our fault you're ridiculous." Sirius claims, mimicking James' dancing with exaggerated movements.
Lily shrugs off James arm, and he looks at her, hurt, until she winks at him. Swiftly she steps forward, grabbing Sirius by the hands as she does so. James, Peter and Remus are in stitches as Lily attempts to twirl Sirius around.
When Sirius finally shakes Lily off, she moves closer to Remus.
"No way, Evans!" he cries. "You're not getting me!"
Remus turns on his heel and runs in the opposite direction. Already red in the face with laughter, Lily chases after him in a blur of red hair and glowing cheeks.
"Get back here, Remus John Lupin!" Lily wheezes.
When Remus makes it apparent he's not going to stop, Lily turns to Peter.
"One twirl, Wormtail," she pleads. "Just one."
"Fine." Peter sighs.
Watching from a safe distance, Remus stands nearly crying from laughter as Lily holds one of Peter's hands above his head and instructs him to spin around. He does, but nearly falls over in the process.
The group get a lot of snide glances, but the man with the guitar has a smile on his face as he watches the scene his music created.
Realising she's embarrassed his friends enough, Lily returns to James' side and leans his head against her shoulder as she tries to get her breath back.
"Do you not get a twirl?" James asks.
Lily smiles and holds her hand out to James. He bows to her before taking her hand and makes a show of kissing the back of it. She sees Sirius roll his eyes behind James, but even he cracks a smile as Lily spins, her black robes flaring.
Severus Snape visibly winces as he watches Lily and James through the branches of the tree - she looks so happy. Even though that's all he ever wanted for her, he hates that it's Potter making her smile like that.
Minutes ago, when Potter saw him lurking in the trees but made no attempt to confront him and instead turned to Lily, it was with extreme self-restraint that Severus didn't pull out his wand. And now, he's making her laugh, claiming her as his own.
That should be me, he thinks. Jealousy gnaws at his insides like a parasite. But he chose his way, and she chose hers. They were incompatible from the very beginning, and he knew it. She was pure, and he was, well, not.
But now, he wishes he did everything differently. He would go back and be in Gryffindor for her, if he could.
Is it brave, he thinks, coming here today? Is it valiant to watch them on the Dark Lord's orders, even though he wants nothing more than to keep her safe? Is it chivalrous to want – not just want, but to be actively plotting – to end the life of her beloved?
Maybe not, but that's what his life has resulted in.
Severus watches Lily dance with the group of boys who terrorised him at school and made his life hell. He wishes he could hate her for it, but it does nothing except make him hate them even more.
He could never hate her. He could never hate her smile, her freckles, and her zest for life. He could never stop loving her. Not even when she doesn't give him a second thought. Why would she when they haven't spoken in three years?
Lost in resentment, Severus doesn't notice Lily and them boys move until they're trooping out of the gate, shoving each other playfully. He does, however, notice Potter look directly at him with narrowed eyes before the other wizard laces his fingers with Lily's.
Then, they're gone. Severus should Apparate straight to his Master's side and relay any and all information related to members of the Order of the Phoenix, but he can't bring himself to, not yet. Not with the sadness inside him mingling with deep loathing for James Potter – his arrogance, his selfishness, his girlfriend.
Instead, he skulks over to the homeless man, who has lost his only appreciative audience. With a wretched concentration, the man continues playing as if the music is his only lifeline in this lonely world.
Stopping a few metres away, Severus flicks a silver Sickle into the guitar case, where it lands on top of the ten pound note, pinning it to the worn interior.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed that, it's a bit different from my usual stuff but I tried to convey everyone's thoughts. I wanted to write something happy but, being me, I just had to add a bit of angst there. Review, subscribe, favourite!