Hello.
This is my first attempt at writing in the Harry Potter fandom. I've long loved the books, but never been inspired to write about them. But then, this idea appeared.
Reviews are encouraged. Please don't be too harsh, but let me know if I did alright with the characterization and such.
Um… yeah. That's it. Except… disclaimer: I don't own anything, except my copies of these wonderful books.
-AmayaSora
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Lily's Smile
Severus Snape walked briskly down the cobblestone street, his robes flowing behind him, shoes making no sound. His expression was intense, yet distant, black eyes oddly vacant. He was concentrating, emptying his mind of all distractions, of everything except what he was to relay to the Dark Lord. Right now, everything else was meaningless. Every other thought was a waste of-
Snape felt something tugging on the hem of his robe. He stopped abruptly, hand darting instinctively to the wand in his pocket, as his black eyes fell upon a small child, a young dark-haired boy who was doing the tugging.
Something in Snape's dark gaze frightened the child, for he withdrew contact immediately, snatching his hand away and stumbling back a few steps. But, still, the boy found a small, shaking voice with which to say "S-sir, excuse me, bu-but you dropped this."
He was clutching a piece of parchment in his other fist, which he slowly opened and extended towards Snape. It was the note which bore Snape's instructions from Dumbledore, a very incriminating bit of evidence. Snape silently berated himself for not destroying the paper immediately.
He hurriedly, yet gently, took it from the boy's hand. He used his wand to incinerate the parchment, and then began to walk away when his face twitched suddenly, as if he was trying to smile -for real- but had almost forgotten how in the long years since he'd had reason to.
Snape returned to the rather dumbfounded boy and said, quite kindly, "Thank you, young man. What's your name?"
The boy blinked, surprised by Snape's sudden change in demeanor, and timidly smiled at him. "Donny, sir."
"Well, I thank you again, Donny. But you'd better run along home now. These are dangerous times to be out about in the streets, alone." Snape inwardly shuddered to think of what might befall the child if he should stumble upon the Dark Lord's current headquarters, which was so near.
"O-okay, sir," The boy, Donny, said hastily.
Snape watched the boy take a few hurried steps away, and seemed to wrestle with himself for a second before calling Donny back. "Here you go," he said, offering a Galleon to the child, whose disheveled clothes, unkempt hair, and dirt-smeared face showed Snape all too clearly that Donny's family was sorely lacking in money.
Donny's little blue eyes widened and his face broke into a smile of amazement and delight. "Wow! Th-thank you sir!" he stammered, and ran forward to hug Snape's legs.
Clearly embarrassed, Donny quickly pulled away and hurtled off down the street without another word, leaving Snape standing there alone, a small smile on his face. A small smile, but a true one, radiating contentment and peace.
He looked up at the sky, and Snape knew Lily was smiling with him.