There came a peculiar tickling at the back of Severus' ear as he leafed through his book.
"Lily?" the nine-year-old asked softly. "What are you doing?"
"I," Lily replied, grinning, "am making you, Severus Snape, the loveliest person who ever lived."
Inwardly, Severus thought that there was no way that he in all his greasy-haired glory could ever be a lovelier person than Lily, but he said nothing. He turned to face his friend, who wore a handmade daisy crown perched atop her flowing red hair, but she took his head in her hands and turned him back around so that he faced the front.
"Hold still, Sev!" she cried impatiently. "I have to put this flower in."
Severus rolled his eyes and went back to his book, trying to ignore Lily's fingers tickling his ear with her endless fussing at the daisy she was trying to put behind it. Finally, she made a satisfied little noise and said,
"There! You're lovely."
Severus smiled in spite of himself. Having Lily call him lovely was music to his ears.
"Why, thank you, milady," he said, standing up, taking Lily's hand, and bowing low over it. He would have kissed it if Lily wasn't so certain that boys had cooties. "Can I take it out now?"
"What? No!" Lily cried, sounding offended. "You can never ever take it off!"
"But it tickles!" Severus whined.
"Nooooo!" Lily giggled, and ran off across the field. Severus dropped his book and chased after her.
"Lily! Lilylilylily..."
"Can't catch me!" Lily tittered, speeding up. Severus ran faster as well, but he'd never been much of an athlete and was soon out of breath. He stopped for a moment, took a deep breath, and bellowed,
"LILY EVANS! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT AND REMOVE THIS FLOWER!"
Lily walked back slowly, hanging her head dejectedly, and plucked the daisy that had caused so much trouble from behind Severus' ear.
"There," she said, pouting. "Are you happy now?" Severus smiled and hugged her, cooties be...darned.
"I am very, very happy," he said, grinning. "But I have to go home now, so I'm a bit sad, too."
A bit may have been an understatement. He never ever wanted to leave Lily. He didn't want to go home to his father after two bottles of wine and his mother lurking someplace upstairs. But when it was Lily, he was all smiles. He was able to forget everything from home and just be happy for a while.
"I'm sad that you have to go too, Sevvy," Lily said softly. She hugged him tighter as she said, "But I'll see you tomorrow. Promise." Severus gave a bittersweet smile.
"Promise," he replied, trudging back to get his book.
"Oh, and Severus?" Lily called from behind him. "You already were the loveliest person who ever lived! You didn't need the daisy!"
Severus blushed, but Lily couldn't see it.
"No I'm not!" he yelled back. "That's you! You're the loveliest person who ever lived! I could never ever outdo you!" It was Lily's turn to blush, the bright pink clashing with her fiery red hair.
"I am not!"
"Are too!" Severus insisted.
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Oh, you're just silly! Goodbye, Sev!"
"Goodbye!"
And then Severus turned down Spinner's End and was gone.
"I love you, Lily," he whispered to himself.