"James I'm just going to step outside for a minute okay?"
Lily Potter pulled her coat tighter around her and stepped out onto the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. After an Order meeting the Potters had made a detour to purchase potion ingredients from the apothecary before returning back home to Godric's Hollow. Just as they were about to leave, Harry had spotted the owls on display at Eeylops Owl Emporium, squealing in delight. James was inside the store with him, happily entertaining his son's antics.
Lily smiled to herself, as she thought of her growing toddler. He was beginning to crawl and becoming curious with his surroundings. Yesterday she found him trying to pull the cat's whiskers.
Shaking her head, she looked up and down the street. There were a few people walking around, doing their shopping. Only one or two would stop to talk with an acquaintance in hushed tones, everyone else were scurrying around trying to complete their work so they can return to the safe confines of their homes. Ever since the mass attack on a Muggle village in the valley occurred last week, everyone was on high alert. The Dark Lord and his followers were getting stronger and merciless by day and this was worrying the Order. Lily could still see the mask of uncertainty on everyone's face, including Dumbledore at the meeting.
After checking on James and Harry through the window, Lily crossed the street to check out some of the book displayed in the window of Flourish and Blotts. As she was preoccupied with her own thoughts, she suddenly heard a hoarse whisper.
"Lily".
She turned around and her emerald eyes fell on a pale skinned, dark haired man lurking in the shadow of the dark alleyway. Her hand immediately went for her wand in her cloak.
"No! No! Please Lily, I mean you no harm! It's me", Severus Snape pleaded.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hex you right now", growled Lily, her fist tightening around her wand handle.
"Please, I'm not here to harm you. Or your family for that matter. I just needed to speak with you"
"I have nothing to say to you Snape", said Lily as she observed him. He seemed to have become thinner than she last saw him, grimmer. She noticed his bandaged right hand and the gash on his jaw.
"Lily I just came to warn you…"
"Of what? Voldemort? Death Eaters? Or should I say, your friends?" spat Lily.
"No I just…"
"Look, I know you are involved in all those attacks! I know you were there at the attack on the Muggles and I know you were at the McKinnons' place last month! Marlene and Stan! Their kids! HOW COULD YOU!" A rage came over Lily as she swung her fist at him and felt a crunch when it hit his face. All she could think of was her dearest friend Marly and how she was robbed of her life with her family. She had cried the entire night after Peter broke the news to the Potters.
Snape fell flat on the ground and tried to back away. He knew what an exceptional witch Lily is and didn't want to be at the receiving end of her wand.
"No, listen to me, you are in DANGER!" he shouted. "Your whole family is! Your son and him!"
"Everyone is in danger Snape! Everyone's running for their life! They're locking themselves in their houses, not fighting for themselves, fearing the Death Eaters are going to kill them! And YOU!" Snape saw a fire in her startling green eyes. He knew she would react like this but he had to warn her.
"YOU! You are there with the wrong side! You are there watching the deaths of the people you know! What happened to you? I thought you were better than this!" She looked down on him with disgust. This was no longer the friend she grew up with, no longer the sweet boy who played in the meadow with her.
"Lily please! The Dark Lord has set his aim on your family. He believes your boy has the power to defeat him! Please you have to get to somewhere safe. All of you, you have to run" Snape managed to interrupt into her fury.
"Of course, we're all targets! Anyone who defies him becomes a target! But we, unlike you, choose to fight him, for the right reasons. I don't expect you to understand, you chose your side and we will continue to defend ourselves and our friends from you. I'm done here!"
Lily wearily started to turn around when she felt him grab her arm. "Lily please…"
She whipped out her wand and aimed it at him. "Everte Statum!"
Her last sighting of him ever was him flying into the alleyway before she ran back to the Emporium. James and Harry were still inside. She decided to tell James later once they put Harry to bed at home. She gave herself a moment to compose herself before entering the shop to join them.
And this was one of the last things that Lily Potter thought of when Voldemort burst into their home on Halloween night that year. She remembered how her old friend Sev had tried to warn her.