Hello everyone! This is THE story I'm going to focus on right now. It's about Lily Potter, and her impact on other people's life. Each chapter will be dedicated to another character, and for today, the character in question is Severus Snape.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, and nothing belongs to me (very sadly). I don't make any money out of this story.

.:. Severus Snape .:.

i

When Severus Snape met Lily Evans, he wasn't ready at all for everything she was going to change in his life. He just saw a young girl with fire in her hair and fire in her eyes. Rebellious, and so very kind. And when she opened her hand and a daisy bloomed within her palm, he smiled. She was just like him.

She was smiling at another young girl, a dark-haired one this time. He heard the older girl call her a freak, and saw the smile vanish from her face and the tears welling up in her eyes. She was so visibly trying to hide her tears, and the other girl didn't even care that she had hurt her.

When the dark-haired girl left, the tears she was holding back finally slid down her cheeks. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to comfort her, so he stepped forward and out of the shadow of the huge tree.

"You shouldn't cry," he said, his voice as reassuring as he could muster. "I don't think you're a freak."

The red-haired girl whirled around, and her hair whipped around her head. She wiped at her tears and looked at him, the deep nuances of her green eyes almost hypnotizing him.

"You're just like me," he added.

Her eyes burned into him like fire and he chose to show her something he could do. He picked up one of the daisies in the meadow and extended his hand to her. And the flower flew towards her, and the smile that shone on her face was so radiating that he didn't doubt for one second he had made the right choice talking to her, and showing her what he could do.

ii

When she was sorted into Gryffindor, he knew something would never be the same between them. Or at least he thought so. Because for many years after that moment, she stood by the side of a Slytherin boy who was so very different from her. Perhaps that was what made their friendship so beautiful, so… pure.

Many years later came a day when he couldn't control his anger. He called her a Mudblood, and he couldn't take it back. She let him go, and he was truly alone after that. The Slytherins were (most of them anyway) afraid of him, the Gryffindors hated him, and the Ravenclaws simply didn't care about him. And he didn't care about the Hufflepuffs.

He didn't realize he needed her fire until it was gone from his life.

iii

He was walking towards the lake, at the spot where Lily and him always came when they wanted to be alone, when he saw two silhouettes by the water. He frowned and came closer, and when he saw the red hair that reflected the light of the sun, he felt a pang in his heart. Because he recognized the person she was with…She had to choose James Potter, of all people! And she had to come here, in their spot, with him!

Suddenly, she laughed at something he said, and he decided not to look any longer. He was just torturing himself. But even as he turned around, he remembered how her fire burned bright for someone other than him.

iv

He was not supposed to feel like this. He was not supposed to be nervous. He tried to convince himself that it was not reasonable, but it was no use.

Lily was in danger, and he could already see, in his worst nightmares, the fire of her hair and in her eyes being tarnished. After he couldn't take it anymore, he decided to do something to try and protect her (or them; it didn't even matter, if it meant protection for her).

"Severus," Dumbledore greeted him when he recognized him.

"Dumbledore," he almost spat, and the Headmaster frowned. It was clear what he was confused about; if he was so disgusted by him, why did he dare to come into his office?

"What is it you are looking for?" the older man finally asked, after a few moments of silence.

"Protection. For Lily Evans… Lily Potter," he spat out her new last name.

"I see you have heard about what fate awaits the Potters, Severus."

He nodded curtly and said, "I want Lily to be safe. So protect her, protect them all if you have to."

"I cannot guarantee –"

"I need you to protect her, Dumbledore. I need you to promise me you will protect her."

Severus knew the other wizard couldn't promise him such a thing. There was always going to be a slight chance that the Dark Lord would still reach them, but the protection of Albus Dumbledore, the only wizard he was afraid of, had to mean something.

After a while, after he paced every possible inch of the room, Dumbledore finally declared, "I promise you I will do my best to protect them. But we both know, Severus, that there is a chance they will still die."

He just left without a single goodbye. He had a bad feeling about this.

v

He fell to his knees and cried. There she was… His Lily. Lying on the ground, her red hair spread under her head. There was a stray strand of hair crossing her face, and her green eyes, which had once been filled with fire, were the most terrible thing about her; so empty.

She looked like she had gone down fighting (there was still a scowl on her lips), and it didn't make him feel better at all. He just felt so… empty. Her fire had gone from the world… or so he thought. He heard a cry and turned towards the crib behind her. A baby. Alive. The baby. The one that was responsible for their deaths.

He didn't come any closer. He didn't want to see if he looked like her. But as he finally walked away, he realized her fire was not so gone after all. Whether he liked it or not, the baby had survived. And her son was the one to carry her torch now.

I hope you liked this first chapter! :) I am not making any promises as to when the next chapter will be up, because I'm pretty sure I won't respect the date.