The night air was unusually chilly, especially for the last day of August. It wasn't enough to warrant a jacket – not for him, at least – but he'd brought his sweatshirt with him anyway. Lily was known for being forgetful and not grabbing hers, even though she almost always made a remark about how she wished she had. Tonight was no different.

He was squatting, leaning back on his heels, when he heard the rustle in the grass that announced her arrival. She was slow tonight, almost apprehensive, probably confused as to why he wasn't standing. Ordinarily he would be by one of the trees, waiting for her with an agenda for their adventure. "Severus? Are you alright?" She rubbed her arms as she crossed them slightly in front of her.

"Fine." Although fine was an answer completely open to interpretation. He didn't like it but it was the easiest response to give, the easiest one to hide behind. Friends for years, friends without secrets, and yet girlfriend and boyfriend with many. "Just fine."

And, as she usually did, she just smiled.

He was quiet too as he stood up and held his sweatshirt out to her. She took it without a word and he watched as she put it on. When she lifted her arms to pull her hair from where it was stuck under the material, a thin line of skin was exposed and his fingers twitched as he resisted the temptation to touch her.

"Thanks." She cleared her throat and looked around them. "Are you sure nothing's wrong? You told me to be here as soon as I could…"

"I said its fine," he snapped. He closed his eyes and took a breath. It was harder every day to not lose his temper. At the end of June, he'd thought it was just hormones and frustration at Lily for being so stubborn about not wanting to 'be too physical.' By the middle of July, he still thought that. And then she'd turned to him one night in this very spot and had asked if he knew what it was like. They'd tested it out, had been doing so regularly, and he had determined by now that his anger was from another source entirely. "I'm sorry."

The hurt on her face was only visible for a moment before she forced a smile. "Don't be."

For a moment, both were quiet and simply looked at one another, trying to read what they could from their faces. Neither had much luck. Lily was usually an open book, at least to him, but now he couldn't figure out what was going on behind those emerald eyes. He knew she was having about as much luck with him – she usually had to guess at what was bothering him.

"I didn't ask you to come so I could argue with you." He glanced at his watch to check the time. Half past one. "I thought you'd like to do something to celebrate our last night stuck here."

Lily couldn't help the curiosity in her eyes, and knowing he'd catch it, she smiled. "And what would that be?"

"You'll see in just a moment." He knelt down again and picked up a small bundle of something, then pulled something else out of his pocket before holding the bundle toward her. "Here, take a few."

She did, looking at them curiously. They were like small sticks with wrappers covering a good amount of them, each with words printed on labels she couldn't read in the darkness. Realization dawned on her face as Severus flicked on the lighter he'd been pulling out just before. "I used to love these when I was younger!"

"You've told me a time or two." He allowed a small smile as he touched the flame to the end of the sparklers. "And I know there's still a kid inside you somewhere."

"There's one in you, too!" She laughed and took off running as her fireworks started shooting off their small sparks.

Later, after chasing each other for nearly half an hour, they stood facing the river. Lily stood directly in front of her boyfriend, her back against his chest and his hands clasped around her stomach, holding her to him. She set hers over his and wondered – not for the first time – why their relationship couldn't be like this all the time.

a/n:

This was written for the "Midnight Challenge" hosted by the ever lovely TheNextFolchart, and is also the first in a three part installment for Elizabeth Blossom's "The Three Loves Challenge".