A tall man, who wore his shoulder length black hair in a ponytail and was wearing khakis and a loose blue long sleeved t shirt, was gazing out of the astronomy tower. Looking fondly across, the Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry grounds, on a warm summer night on the 31st August 1991.

The faint voices of a little girl and a little boy seemed to echo in the breeze, from a promise made one Christmas Eve by the Black Lake.

The two friends played by the frozen lake; ice skating until they had a snow ball fight, then started making snow angels. The boy was grinning and rested his arm in the snow, looking at the girl grinning back.

"That was fun," said the boy.

"I know, best snow ball fight I had in ages," the girl teased.

"Me too," the boy reached in his robe pocket and passed over a small box, "Early Christmas present" he explained.

The girl picked up the small box from the boy's hand and untied the silver ribbon, then the gold wrapping paper, showing a small velvet jewellery box. Carefully she lifted the box lid, reliving two gold friendship rings, with a lion and snake engraved on them.

The girl remained quiet, staring at the heartfelt, thoughtful gift however the boy was growing confused.

"Do you like them?"

"Yeah, there are lovely," she said giving him a light kiss on the cheek briefly, both causing them to blush slightly.

"Put my ring on me, please."

The boy took one of the rings and slid it onto the girl's right ring finger and she returned the favour.

"These are friendship rings, I got them charmed so no one can see them apart from us. I will never take it off until my dying day, if you aren't with me. You are a very special person to me."

"Me, too and you are amazing at times," she said blushing. Suddenly floating mistletoe appeared above them, the two friends was very close to each other and shared their first kiss.

Now, some people will tell you that a Slytherin and a Gryffindor muggle-born could never get along or be friends. But Severus Snape and Lily Evans didn't believe that and broke the rules. Suddenly the young couple stopped kissing and Lily rested her back against Severus, he responded by wrapping his warm arms around her, with a phoenix above them.

"Lily, you're my best friend."

"And, you're mine too, Sev."

"And we'll always be friends forever."

"Yeah, forever!"

Severus mind fell back into reality, as a man was careful standing next to him.

"I wonder who those voices belong to," the man teased.

Severus looked at Albus confused.

"My Phoenix Fawkes, witness the exchange that Christmas eve in 1971."

Severus looked deafest, "You knew the entire time?"

"Yes, you and Lily was the best of friends always, despite the challenges presented here in your school days."

"Are you talking about those idiots?"

"Yes and No, Remus Lupin knows you always loved Lily. He knows you will look out for young Harry, when he starts Hogwarts tomorrow."

Severus snorted at the mention of James Potter's only child. "How, I'm supposed to be a Death Eater remember, Albus."

"I know, but you are also a loyal order member and even loyal to Lily. Thanks to you, Lily had some more time with her son."

Severus just stood still, with his hands in his pockets, "I know, but if I knew his plans that night. She still be alive with James."

"Severus, no one knew Black would betray them."

"They were like brothers, James, Sirius and Remus. I think Remus should have been the secret keeper personally or you."

The two wizards stood quiet for several moments.

"What Harry like?"

"Like James with Lily eyes, he didn't know he was a wizard or anything until Hagrid gave him the letter on his birthday."

"What … How did that fly Petunia explain the scar and how his parents deaths?"

"Car crash, he's never been able to ask anything, never seen a photo for them."

"So, tomorrow he will arrive like a muggle-born."

"Exactly."

"How do I look out for him?"

"Watch his back, Voldermort is still out there weak and will return one day to finish the job."

"I understand," Severus said dropping his head.

"I will leave you in your thoughts, there's a staff meeting in an hour at ten."

"Thank you."

Severus stood looking at the cloudless sky, dusk was drifting in and the brightest star was in the centre.

"Lily, I don't know if you will hear this. But I promise to look out for your son. I promise to continue to be a spy for the order and hopefully one day bring peace again in this world. Lily I will write a journal entry explaining how Harry goes through Hogwarts." He paused, rubbing the hidden ring still on his right ring finger. "I love you and I promise not to be to hard on him, but I'm still a Slytherin and have now a dung bat teaching reputation to protect."

Severus pulled on his dark black robe, and walked down to the staff room, unknown his promise was heard, and the journal entries he would write would be seen by Lily and James.

"Lily?"

"Yes James?"

"I'm sorry, I was a jerk towards Sev, and also I'm sorry for hurting your friendship during the fifth year."

"I understand, some of your reasons."

James sighed, "Hopefully one day, I can aplogise to Severus."

Lily smiled, "Now let's see our baby boy grow up, hopefully he wouldn't cause too much trouble."

"It's in the marauder's blood, Lily flower!"

Lily smirked and turned the first page of the journal.