The Crevasse Between Us
The Boy Who Cared
Lily
The wind blew strands of red hair into my eyes, as I swung higher and higher, enjoying the whoosh of the air and the creak of the chains. Without turning, I knew the strange boy with the long black hair would be there, watching me. For weeks I had been trying to figure out whether I should approach him or not, and how I should go about this first meeting. Scenarios danced across my eyes; boldly walking up to him and demanding to know what he thought he was doing spying on me or maybe double around and start spying on him. Would I start with an accusation? Or try to be polite? He looked so pitiful with his oversized sweater and ripped pants, both torn and dirty. Does he need help? The boy looked as if he hadn't eaten in a week. With that last train of thoughts I knew that I had to approach him, if not only to ease my own mind.
Severus
I needed to speak to her. The first day I saw her, she was kneeling on the ground near the swing set, crying. Her mother came to collect her only a few minutes after she appeared, but I already knew then that I needed to tell her what she was. Lily the girl with the fiery red hair and the wide green eyes was a witch. She came every weekend, to swing all alone. This was it, the day I would approach Lily, instead of hiding in the grass just out of sight. Running how this first conversion would play out in my head, I didn't notice my very specimen was walking straight towards me, until it was too late.
Lily
"Hello." I said as I finally got close enough to make out his bird like features, large black eyes and a long narrow nose. Panic spread across his face and the boy swiveled his head around, as if he was trying to figure out how to escape. Deciding to pretend I couldn't see all of this, I stretched out my hand, "I'm Lily Evans".
The boy cleared his throat and managed to choke out "Sev…", before he went into a coughing fit. "Severus…Severus Snape", he said, finally shaking my hand.
"Are you ok?" I asked, especially concerned now that I could see him up close; his skin was almost translucent except for the dark circles under his eyes.
Severus
Those three words jerked me back to reality. I could see the pity reflected in her eyes as she studied me. Indignant flared up and my face contoured into a sneer, "There's nothing wrong with ME", I said making sure to emphasis the last word.
Quickly her expression changed to match my tone, "I'm not the one being a stalker", she replied angrily. This wasn't how the first meeting was supposed to go. I was going to explain to her about what she was; so she was no longer bullied or scared because of her own magic.
She was looking at me with those piercing green eyes, "I…I'm not a stalker!" I managed to stutter out. Lily raised one eyebrow, a skill I could never master, before turning and beginning the trek back to the swing set.
Lily
That was pointless; what a stupid boy, I thought as I stepped over a broken orange frisbee lying in the grass. Insufferable little…"Wait! You're a witch!" suddenly interrupted my thoughts. So now he was going to call me names?
Turning around I fixed him with a glare and said, "You're calling me a witch? I'm not the freak who's lurking around in the bushes. Do you ever even wash your hair?" Instantly after the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Severus's pale face quickly became flushed, and his hands moved to rearrange his hair. His pronounced adam's apple bobbed up and down and he seemed to be at a loss for words.
Severus
I had offended her. The anger burning in her eyes and the hatred in her words, caused me to start uncontrollably twitching and stuttering. The fact that her comment on my hair hit home didn't help; it had been a while. "No..you don't under…don't understand." Before she could open her mouth to shoot another insult at me, I said, "I've seen..you do magic."
Much to my surprise, the girl started laughing, "You seriously think I'm a witch!" "Don't you think you'd be a toad by now?"
The girl thought she would be skilled in transfiguration at this age? "What..no, but I saw the flower."
All the laughter drained from Lily's face as she studied me. "You didn't see anything."
Lily
It had been almost a month ago. Petunia and I were swinging together, when she spotted a large yellow bud. "Let's make a bouquet for mom!" Petunia had said as she jumped from the swing. I quickly leap from my own swing and raced her to the flower. "I want it to open!" Petunia said, already with the bud in hand by the time I reached her. She started pulling the petals apart; trying to steal the suns job.
"Let me try. I can do it." I said, after she ripped two of the petals off.
"Go ahead", she said glowering at me.
Taking the flower from her outstretched hand, I started reaching down to pry the petals apart but before I even touched them, the flower's petals spread apart exposing the white stripes spreading from the center.
I barely heard Petunia say, "How….teach me!", as I stared at the flower in my hand.
"Petunia I don't know how that happened…" I had said to her, as she stared up at me, flower in hand. Instantly distrust and anger filled her eyes, she turned and went to sit on the bench, waiting for mom. The next time it was when we were jumping from our swings, and I ended up flying much farther and higher than her, or what should have been possible. These anomalies had broken our friendship, I could never explain them and Petunia could never believe me. This boy had seen all of this…but didn't seem scared of her or brand her a freak?