Lily shivered as she stepped up onto the train. Whether it was from excitement or cold (it had been especially chilly that September 1st) she wasn't sure. She turned back one more time to see the tight smiles of her mum and dad. She knew that they were worried about her. For a moment Lily lost it. She felt the sudden need to be cradled in their arms one more time. But the the feeling had passed like a yawn. I'm an eleven year old girl, practically an adult. She told herself. And I'm about to go to a school for magic to become a witch! She grinned as she remember the moment.
A beautiful, tawny owl and knocked on her bedroom window with its shiny beak. She had fallen off her bed when she heard the sharp click. Lily had rushed to the window and thrust it open. Ducking to allow the bird room to fly in was when she had seen the parchment attached to the left talon.
Lily's smile widened as she remembered opening the scroll and reading the contents, her parents sitting on her bed. She waved to the from the train's corridor to where they were standing on the platform.
Soon a shrill whistle was announcing the departure of the train. Slowly the train began to move. Lily threw her parents one last kiss and turned away from the small, square window.
Peering down the corridor Lily felt another sudden longing for her parents' warm arms. She shook her head to clear her mind of any such thoughts. She stuck out her chin in a determined way and walked down the long train car, totting her small suitcase, that held a set of robes along with some other personal belongings, along with a larger trunk that held all her new books, potion ingredients as well as some spare clothing.
As she walked, Lily stole quick glances in to each compartment. Most seemed to be full with either groups of older students, or, ew, silly, stinky boys. She thought about Petunia for a moment, how she would always be bringing boys around. It always bothered her parents and Lily as well. They were usually rude to her and her older sister. Boys were almost always stupid and crass. Except for one boy...
Then Lily was grinning again. She had found him, sitting alone in one compartment at the end of the train. She threw open the door and cried out with happiness and excitement.
The small boy turned his dark eyes from the emerald countryside that flashed past outside the window. Long, black hair covered part of his face, but his eyes were still full of fear at the noise. Then, in a flash the eyes warmed and a smile broke over his face too.
"Lily!" He said, jumping up. He quickly grabbed her trunk and tried to hoist it up onto the luggage rack. He dropped it.
"Let me help." Lily said, reaching for it.
"No, I've got it. Really-"
"You pratt, let me help." She said and they both threw it up onto the rack.
"Oh, Severus. This is all so exciting!" Lily almost screamed. Her green eyes were flashing the way Severus liked so much. She held one of his hands in both of hers. "I couldn't find you, though. You were hiding all the way back here. I got so worried that I wouldn't have any friends to sit with." She sat across from him and unclasped her hands. He could still feel the warmth from them in his palm.
"Don't be silly. You'll be able to make loads of friends," he said. It was probably true too. Even at eleven years old Lily Evans was striking, with dancing red hair and a beaming smile. With a fierce charm and a witty tongue that could captivate almost all, Severus felt a small flame of pleasure at the fact that she was his friend.
"Oh Severus, I know you're just saying that. What about your friends?" She asked. "I want to meet everyone."
A painful shot of ice put out that flame that was cradled in his chest. Truth was Lily was his only friend.
"Well, you see Lily, I haven't met anyone either. It's my first year too."
She laughed. "Right! Sorry. I hope we're sorted into the same house. I read a little bit about the houses in one of the books I bought from Diagon Alley and I think that we'll both be in Gryffindor. Or maybe Ravenclaw. Won't it be splendid to be together, studying?"
And so the train ride passed by. Lily kept up the conversation, thinking and dreaming about all the time they were going to spend together at Hogwarts. Severus Snape just listened and watched the animated, little girl, hoping the same hope. That they would be friends forever.