Disclaimer: All rights to my idol JK Rowling, and I have used parts from 'The prince's Tale' deathly hallows

Prologue: before 11

It was early August when a young Severus Snape first happened to lay eyes on the Evens sisters. He was 8 years old and like his mother, magical. It was not by chance he saw them first there as both the Evans and Severus usually got bored at home in this long hot summer and as their village was small the only place to go was the park. Lily and Petunia Evans were the best of friends and didn't look like sisters at all; seeing as Petunia has light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes compared to Lily with her vivid red hair and emerald green eyes. Like Snape, Lily was also 8 years old but Petunia was 11.

Severus found himself doing a double take as the seemingly ordinary girl named Lily jumped off the swing set and flew across the park. Her sister was laughing and trying it herself however she only managed to jump a few feet away.

'It must be magic.' Snape whispered to himself, whilst quietly hiding in the bushes and continued to watch the sisters' playful banter until the sun started to set and they walked home laughing.

Severus sat there in his mis-matched and baggy muggle clothes thinking about what he had just witnessed.

The weeks following continued in a similar way until one day when Snape was sure that Lily was in fact a witch.

"Lily, don't do it!" shrieked the elder of the two as Lily swung particularly high and jumped.

But the girl had let go of the swing at the very height of its arc and flown into the air, quite literally flown, launched herself skyward with a great shout of laughter, and instead of crumpling on the playground asphalt, she soared like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long, landing far too lightly. This suddenly looked to abnormal to Petunia.

"Mummy told you not to!"

Petunia stopped her swing by dragging the heels of her sandals on the ground, making a crunching, grinding sound, then leapt up, hands on hips.

"Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lily!"

"But I'm fine," said Lily, still giggling. "Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do."

Petunia glanced around. The playground was deserted apart from themselves and, though the girls did not know it, Snape. Lily had picked up a fallen flower from the bush behind which Snape lurked. Petunia advanced, evidently torn between curiosity and disapproval. Lily waited until Petunia was near enough to have a clear view, then held out her palm. The flower sat there, opening and closing its petals, like some bizarre, many-lipped oyster.

"Stop it!" shrieked Petunia.

"It's not hurting you," said Lily, but she closed her hand on the blossom and threw it back to the ground.

"It's not right," said Petunia, but her eyes had followed the flower's flight to the ground and lingered upon it. "How do you do it?" she added, and there was definite longing in her voice.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Snape could no longer contain himself, but had jumped out from behind the bushes. Petunia shrieked and ran backward toward the swings, but Lily, though clearly startled, remained where she was. Snape seemed to regret his appearance. A dull flush of colour mounted the sallow cheeks as he looked at Lily.

"What's obvious?" asked Lily.

Snape had an air of nervous excitement. With a glance at the distant Petunia, now hovering beside the swings, he lowered his voice and said, "I know what you are."

"What do you mean?"

"You're...you're a witch," whispered Snape.

She looked affronted.

"That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"

She turned, nose in the air, and marched off toward her sister.

"No!" said Snape. He was highly coloured now, and Harry wondered why he did not take off the ridiculously large coat, unless it was because he did not want to reveal the smock beneath it. He flapped after the girls, looking ludicrously bat-like.

The sisters considered him, united in disapproval, both holding on to one of the swing poles, as though it was the safe place in tag.

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

Petunia's laugh was like cold water.

"Wizard!" she shrieked, her courage returned now that she had recovered from the shock of his unexpected appearance. "I know who you are. You're that Snape boy! They live down Spinner's End by the river," she told Lily, and it was evident from her tone that she considered the address a poor recommendation. "Why have you been spying on us?"

"Haven't been spying," said Snape, hot and uncomfortable and dirty-haired in the bright sunlight. "Wouldn't spy on you, anyway," he added spitefully, "you're a Muggle."

Though Petunia evidently did not understand the word, she could hardly mistake the tone.

"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" she said shrilly. Lily obeyed her sister at once, glaring at Snape as she left. He stood watching them as they marched through the playground gate, Snape was bitterly disappointed, as he had been planning this for a while and it all went so wrong...

The next day Lily went to find Snape and talk to him.

'Is it true?' Lily timidly asked from behind him, as Snape sat on the swing at the park.

Snape jumped. Turning around he saw Lily and visibly relaxed. 'Yes. You're a witch and that's why you are different. It's a good thing. You can do magic like me see?' Snape held out his palm and made a twig fly around his head before safely resting on the ground.

'It is true. I can't believe this. Its too much!' she paused, gazing intently at Snape: 'will you be my friend?'

Severus' heart leapt. Without hesitation he answered 'Yes.'

From that point on Lily and Severus became best friends. Every summer they spent hours on end talking to escape the boredom of home. Snape told Lily about the wizarding world in which they belonged, although his father was a muggle. Lily was in awe and found it fascinating. School was a pain, as it meant that they were stuck in white classrooms learning basic subjects which Snape told her she wouldn't need in the wizarding world. Moreover, Lily had to try to control her temper as when she got angry peoples hair tended to change colour and mouths used to swell up so they could no longer talk, and there was no explanation about these happenings.

"...and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside school, you get letters."

"But I have done magic outside school!"

"We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven," he nodded importantly, "and they start training you, then you've got to go careful."

There was a little silence. Lily had picked up a fallen twig and twirled it in the air, imagining sparks trailing from it. Then she dropped the twig, leaned in toward the boy, and said, "It is real, isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says you're lying to me. Petunia says there isn't a Hogwarts. It is real, isn't it?"

"It's real for us," said Snape. "Not for her. But we'll get the letter, you and me."

"Really?" whispered Lily.

"Definitely," said Snape, and even with his poorly cut hair and his odd clothes, he struck an oddly impressive figure sprawled in front of her, brimful of confidence in his destiny.

"And will it really come by owl?" Lily whispered.

"Normally," said Snape. "But you're Muggle-born, so someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents."

"Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?"

Snape hesitated. His black eyes, eager in the greenish gloom, moved over the pale face, the dark red hair.

"No," he said. "It doesn't make any difference."

"Good," said Lily, relaxing. It was clear that she had been worrying.

"You've got loads of magic," said Snape. "I saw that. All the time I was watching you..."

His voice trailed away; she was not listening, but had stretched out on the leafy ground and was looking up at the canopy of leaves overhead. He watched her as greedily as he had watched her in the playground.

"How are things at your house?" Lily asked.

A little crease appeared between his eyes.

"Fine," he said.

"They're not arguing any more?"

"Oh yes, they're arguing," said Snape. He picked up a fistful of leaves and began tearing them apart, apparently unaware of what he was doing. "But it won't be that long and I'll be gone."

"Doesn't your dad like magic?"

"He doesn't like anything, much," said Snape.

"Severus?"

A little smile twisted Snape's mouth when she said his name.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about the dementors again."

"What d'you want to know about them for?"

"If I use magic outside school "

"They wouldn't give you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too - "

He turned red again and shredded more leaves. Then a small rustling noise behind them that made them turn: Petunia, hiding behind a tree, had lost her footing.

"Tuney!" said Lily, surprise and welcome in her voice, but Snape had jumped to his feet.

"Who's spying now?" he shouted. "What d'you want?"

Petunia was breathless, alarmed at being caught. She was struggling for something hurtful to say.

"What is that you're wearing, anyway?" she said, pointing at Snape's chest. "Your mum's blouse?"

There was a crack. A branch over Petunia's head had fallen. Lily screamed. The branch caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she staggered backward and burst into tears.

"Tuney!"

But Petunia was running away. Lily rounded on Snape.

"Did you make that happen?"

"No." He looked both defiant and scared.

"You did!" She was backing away from him. "You did! You hurt her!"

"No no, I didn't!"

But the lie did not convince Lily. After one last burning look, she ran from the little thicket, off after her sister, and Snape looked miserable and confused.

It took a few weeks for Lily to fully forgive Severus for this incident, as she loved her sister dearly. However she eventually acknowledged that neither of them knew their own magical strength yet and that the incident then was not all that different from when she had sent pencils flying at a boys head when he had called her 'carrot top'.

Lily stayed close friends with Petunia, however after this incident although Petunia became more distant. Things only really changed when Lily and Severus turned 11.

A/N this is my first fanfiction so please read it and give constructive criticism. I hope to update often but things get crazy with school and everything. Please leave comments!