A/N: For the Houses Competition

House: Ravenclaw

Category: Short

Prompt: Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

Word count: 686

There was a meadow behind their two houses where they would always meet. They'd lie underneath the lofty willow tree, watching the leaves dance in the wind, caring about nothing at all.

Severus sometimes wished he could go back to that meadow. Back then, they'd had no teachers, no parents, no sisters, no one, except for each other. And that was fine. More than fine. They were invincible in those days, and Severus felt like he could do anything, as long as Lily was by his side. They didn't need anyone else.

And when they just lay there, Severus was able to forget about everything. He could forget about his father, who would likely beat him when he returned for being out the house so long. He could forget about his mother, who probably hadn't even noticed he had gone. And he could forget about Lily's jealous sister, who was trying desperately to keep her away from him. In that glorious meadow, in the shade of the tree, it felt like they were the only two people in the entire world. And he could forget the rest of it while he had her.

Over the years, Severus wondered how he should tell Lily about the way he felt for her; thought about the different scenarios, and which would be the right moment. He wanted to say something, so many times, but each time the words died right on his lips, because they simply weren't enough.

'I love you' didn't say how she was his everything.

'I love you' couldn't convey how he cherished her entire existence.

'I love you' wasn't enough to tell her that he had adored her from the moment they had first laid eyes on each other.

'I love you' was nothing at all. It was just three words made empty by couples repeating them over and over until they lost their meaning entirely. Lily deserved so much more than that.

(Years later, he would find the perfect way to tell her everything he had wanted to say when they were young and innocent, little more than children.)

(Years later, she would be dead.)

Every year, when they came back from Hogwarts, the meadow was always blooming with flowers of every shade. Lily would trail her fingers lightly over the delicate petals, smiling joyfully, and Severus could swear that the flowers brightened at her touch. Everywhere felt as though it was bursting with life, and Severus could never be certain whether it was just the meadow, or the magic of Lily's presence that made it so.

Perhaps, if Severus went back now, the meadow would still look exactly the same. The same vibrancy, the life still flourishing in the light of spring. Or maybe it would be much changed, because she wouldn't be there to lie with him under the willow tree, to smile at the beauty around her, and to help him forget that a world existed outside of the two of them.

For a long time, Severus defined himself by Lily. She was everything he had ever wanted - everything he had ever needed - and she knew how to heal him in ways that no one else ever could. Everything about her was perfect, from her sparkling green eyes, and her beautiful, flame-red hair, to the freckles that splashed across her face. Severus knew that she would be all he could ever wish for.

Nothing ever changed between them - not from Severus's side at least. He still loved her with his entire being, and she would always be the light that shone bright in the darkness that threatened to overcome him. She was always there, even after she left him for Potter, even after she left him for good, and she would always be the one to guide him right.

When Severus Snape was dying in the Shrieking Shack, he wished to go back to their meadow. He longed to lie under the willow tree once more, to stretch out his hand and feel hers linking them together like it always used to be.

Then, and only then, could he truly be at peace.

A/N: Thank you guys for reading and I hope you liked it! Please leave a review if you have a moment. Bye!