A/N: Thanks to coleytaylor for beta-reading!
Severus Snape watched the woman with fiery red hair from his seat in the café. She looked beautiful and content with the snow falling around her.
Little did she know she would be his next victim.
Severus sat at a small table in a café; a full cup of black coffee sat in front of him, no longer steaming. His dark eyes followed the woman as she walked back to her car, her red hair blowing behind her in the wind.
She was holding several shopping bags from different stores. It was Christmas time, so Severus wasn't surprised. They were most likely presents for friends and family members.
Her car was in front of the café; Severus had a great view. She fumbled for her keys and they fell to the icy pavement. Severus took that moment to make first contact.
He left some money on the table and walked out of the café. He plunged his hands in his coat pockets after lifting his collar up. It was freezing out.
Severus watched as the woman went to insert the key into the lock – she had picked her keys up off the ground before Severus had left the café.
Walking toward her, he pretended to accidentally bump into her. Her keys fell to the ground again, along with a few bags.
"I apologize," Severus said, bending down with her.
"Don't worry about it," she answered, picking her keys up and smiling at him.
Severus's breath was stolen from him. Her eyes were gorgeous. They sparkled like emeralds. Shaking his head, he grabbed the bags for her.
They stood together for a moment before the woman opened her car door without any incident and Severus helped her put her bags inside.
"Thank you for the help, Mr.…" she trailed off, waiting for him to supply a name.
Severus's mind went blank and, instead of saying the fake name he normally used on missions, he slipped up and said, "Snape. Severus Snape. And you are?" He already knew who she was, but he couldn't let on.
"Lily Evans," she said with a smile, holding her hand out.
Severus took her warm, soft hand in his cold, clammy one. A shiver went up his arm and down his spine.
"Thank you, Severus, for the help," Lily said, her smile still in place.
Severus waved her thanks away. "It was no problem. Anyone would have done it."
Lily tilted her head and seemed to think for a moment. She seemed to decide on something, and then asked, "Severus, would you like to have a coffee with me sometime?"
He should've have knocked her out and driven off in her car to kill her. Or followed her and put a bomb underneath her car. He shouldn't get attached; he couldn't afford to. But his mind wasn't working. Lily's choice of shampoo and how she smiled was getting to him despite his best efforts. So he just smiled. "I'd love to, Lily."
They exchanged information and Severus felt the slightest bit guilty. He wasn't supposed to give his information to targets but something about Lily just made him trust her. After helping Lily in her car like a gentleman, Severus waved at her as she drove. He felt oddly happy.
Once she was gone, he realized what a terrible mistake he had made. His face turned into a scowl. He was a ruthless assassin who didn't have feelings! How was this woman making him feel emotions he hadn't felt since… No, he would not think about Lilianne Underwood, the woman who had broken his heart years before. He refused to think about her.
Severus stalked toward his car, irritated that he failed on his job. Usually, he would kill his victims the first time he came in contact with them; most often with poison, his signature. But this time he had failed. His boss would not like what Severus had to tell him.
As he climbed into his black Tesla, he started it and turned the heater up high; his ears and face freezing. He sat there, thinking.
How would he kill Lily? Should he poison her coffee when they went out that weekend? Or would he put a piece of poisoned paper on her jacket? The fumes would kill her by the time she went home but if she went around anyone else, they would die too.
Severus was conflicted. He did not understand why his boss wanted her dead.
He never asked about his targets, but this one seemed particularly odd. She didn't seem like someone who knew anything about Tom Riddle – or his street name, Voldemort.
Groaning in exhaustion, Severus pulled away from the curb and took off toward headquarters. He needed to ask a few questions.
