Leaves in varying degrees of red, yellow, and orange covered the grass. A chilly autumn breeze caused ripples to form over the surface a small pond. Trees surrounded the pond to make it secluded. The faint sounds of children yelling and screaming could be heard from a park close by.
Two children, however, chose to sit in the quiet offered by the secluded pond. They sat beneath a willow tree and admired the beautiful autumn colors surrounding them.
Anybody who saw them wouldn't believe the ten year olds to be friends. The boy had dirty black hair that reached past his ears and eyes the same black color. His skin was almost sickly pale with several bruises. Purple bags rested beneath his eyes, suggesting a lack of sleep. His clothes had a few small holes and his shoes were scuffed. No jacket protected him from the cold air.
The girl was much different. Her fiery red hair rivaled the reddest of leaves while her green eyes put emeralds to shame. Freckles dusted across her tan nose and over her cheekbones. She wore brand new sundress with a purple knitted sweater to protect her from the weather.
The red haired girl leisurely plucked at the grass surrounding her while the boy carefully removed a leaf that had blown into her beautiful red locks. He made sure not to pull at her hair, never wishing to hurt someone he cared so deeply for.
When the leaf was out the boy slowly tore it apart. When he couldn't rip it any more he grabbed another leaf to so the same thing.
A soft sigh interrupted the silence. "Severus?"
The dark haired boy focused all his attention on the girl. "Yes Lily?"
"Why couldn't we go to Hogwarts this year?"
Severus smiled amusedly. "I told you, we can't start until we're eleven."
Lily huffed. "I think that's silly. I can do magic, so why not start now?"
He idly ripped up another leaf. "Because if we start actively using magic too early we could damage it."
Lily sighed sadly. "I guess." The sadness quickly melted away; the thought of learning magic too exciting to feel anything but happy. "I can't wait until we start! We'll get on the train, get sorted, then learn magic!" Lily bit her lip. "How do we get sorted?"
Severus shrugged. "Not sure. It's supposed to be a secret. We won't find out until we actually get sorted." He suddenly grew worried. "Hopefully we'll both get in the same house."
Lily shrugged. "That'd be brilliant. But even if we don't get in the same house," she turned to her best friend with a beaming smile, "we'll still see each other because we're best friends."
Severus looked down at the hand suddenly linked to his. He felt his ears and cheeks blush hotly. Glancing up his black eyes locked with passionate green. He smiled shyly and agreed. "Always."