Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Harry Potter characters. Just the plot. And some of the lines come straight out of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.

[X]

Lillian Evans sat starring at the letter. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't happening. Not to her. Not to an average girl.

Not Lily.

"What's that?" someone demanded.

Lily didn't look up. It was probably just her imagination playing tricks on her again.

"You better tell me, or I'm going to go get Mummy!" someone shrieked.

Lily tucked a strand of her dark red hair behind her ear and turned to look at her older sister Petunia with her green eyes.

"I-I think its my letter to Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts? That stupid school that boy is always talking about?"

"Yes."

"Don't you dare open that!"

Lily nodded and stuck in the trash can.

"I wasn't going to, Tuney."

Petunia studied her little sister for a moment before turning and leaving the room. Lily waited until she was sure that she wasn't on the upstairs landing anymore. She grabbed the letter out of the trash and stuck it under her shirt. She walked out of her room trying to clear her expression. She walked down the stairs and into the living room where her parents sat conversing.

"Can I go play, Mummy?" she asked.

"Of course, darling," Mrs. Evans replied, not paying attention.

Lily hurried out of the house, checking over her shoulder as she walked down the sidewalk. As she turned down the block and was out of view of the windows of her house she broke out into a sprint. As she was running she pulled the letter out from under her shirt where her name and address screamed up at her. She was turning down Spinner's End before she knew it.

"Lily?"

"Severus!"

Lily came to a halt in front of the surprised boys face.

"Did you get a letter today?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, my Hogwarts one. Did you?" he asked.

"Yes, but I'm scared to open it." Lily admitted.

"Scared? Why?"

Lily dropped her tone to a breathless whisper,

"Petunia said it's bad to get these things. That being a witch makes me a-a FREAK."

"You're not a freak," Severus frowned, "its good to be a witch. You get to do magic!"

"I know, but I didn't want to open it alone and Petunia told me not to or she would tell Mummy on me."

"Well, you can open it now."

Lily sat down with him under the cool trees and read the letter sent to her from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"You were telling the truth," Lily smiled looking up at him.

"I told you I was," Severus shrugged.

Lily tenderly refolded the letter and placed it in her pocket as she looked inquiringly at Severus Snape.

"Tell me about it all. Please, I want to know it all." she begged.

Severus smiled and began to talk about all of it. Quidditch, the Ministry of Magic, Azkaban, and everything else in the world that Lily would soon be joining.

"…and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside of school. You get these letters--"

"But I have done magic outside of school!"

"We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven, and they starting training you, then you've got to be careful." he said importantly.

"It is real, isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says you're lying to me. She says there isn't a Hogwarts. It is real, isn't it? Please say it is!" Lily begged.

"It's real for us, we got the letter."

"Really?"

"Definitely."

"And will it really come by owl? I think that would be so cool!"

"Normally," he replied, "but you're Muggle-born so someone will have to come and explain it to your parents. They're probably doing it right now since you're here with me. I guess the headmaster already knows that I told you."

"Does it make a difference? Being Muggle-born, I mean." she asked.

Severus hesitated as he looked at the pale face with the dark red hair swirling around it.

"No," he replied, "it doesn't make any difference at all."

"Good." Lily relaxed and gave him a smile.

"You've got loads of magic. I saw that. All the time that I was watching you…" he trailed off but Lily was fantasying something herself.

"How are things at your house?" she finally asked after a long silence had passed.

"Fine," he had a crease in-between his eyes.

"They're not arguing anymore?"

"Oh, yes, they're arguing," he shrugged, "But it won't be long and I'll be gone."

"Doesn't your dad like magic?"

"He doesn't like anything, much."

"Severus?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about the dementors again."

"What d'you want to know about them for?"

"If I use magic outside school--"

"They won't send you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too--" he stopped abruptly as a noise came from behind them.

Petunia came tumbling out of her hiding place.

"Tuney!" Lily cried out, surprised.

"Who's spying now?" Severus shouted, "What d'you want?"

Petunia was breathless, but she shouted,

"What is that you're wearing, anyway? Your mum's blouse?"

There was a loud crack. A branch fell over Petunia and Lily screamed. The branch caught Petunia on the shoulder and she stumbled backward, crying.

"Tuney!" Lily cried.

Petunia was running away. Lily spun around and glared at Severus,

"Did you make that happen?"

"No!" he looked defiant.

"You did!" Lily backed away from him.

"No-no I didn't."

"You did! You hurt her!"

The lie didn't convince Lily. She went running after her sister crying her name. Severus looked after her; miserable and confused.

[X]

A/N: So what do you think? Let me know, I really would like to carry on if people like it.

=]

--Disaster