Prologue

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to the queen, J.K. Rowling.

The familiar sounds of his father's drunken shouts seeped through the creaky floorboards of the old house down Spinner's End by the river as Severus Snape tried his best to focus on the tattered textbook he was reading. It was an interesting one, going in depth about some of the rarer and more dangerous to procure potions ingredients and why they were so particularly effective in potions, but for some reason his thoughts kept wandering away from the properties of boomslang skin to a certain girl whose hair was as fiery as its owner could be.

Burying himself in his solitude and his studies had always been Severus's way of escaping the constant arguing that was the usual background of his life away from Hogwarts, but up until last year he had had the company of Lily Evans as well.

The mere thought of his ex best friend sent a web of emotions and memories spiraling through his head. The first time he had met her, how he had burst from his hiding place to announce that she was a witch, but then disappointed when, instead of being as excited as he thought she would be, had left with her sister. Later, though, he had found her again, this time without her bossy Muggle sister, and explained what he had meant. But then, last year, after he had accidentally called her a Mudblood after she had come to his defense and had tried to apologize…

"I'm not interested."

"I've made excuses for you for years."

"None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you."

"You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."

The sounds of yet another angry shouting match beginning downstairs pierced his painful recollections. Severus slammed his book shut in frustration, standing up and tossing it onto his bed. Perhaps a bit of fresh air would clear his thoughts, though unlikely. Anything to get out of the house.

Pulling on his shabby coat over his baggy shirt and too-short jeans - his parents had, of course, not noticed that he had finally had his growth spurt and now almost fit into the coat that had once seemed to ridiculously huge on him but certainly not into the jeans he'd had since third year - he quietly stepped out of his room and down the stairs, slipping through the kitchen and out the back door to avoid the furious voices of his parents in the living room.

Speeding up once he left the house, Severus walked at a fast pace down the street. A few wisps of the morning mist still hovered above the river that wove its way around Spinner's End as it meandered through the town of Cokeworth, and the July air was humid and warm. I continue to walk without a particular destination in mind, trying to banish the memories of happier summers from his head.

It was only when the woody smell of birch reached his nose and the light on the path ahead of him became dappled that Severus realized where he was. His feet had subconsciously taken him to the very birch tree in the shady grove where he and Lily had had some of their first conversations,, before they had even received they Hogwarts letters. A bittersweet smile crossed his face as he remembered how Lily had earnestly asked him whether she could be sent to Azkaban for doing magic out of school. So much had changed since then.

Severus walked over to the trunk of the tree and sat, leaning back against the rough bark and closing his eyes, allowing himself to relax beneath the canopy of leaves above him.

He didn't know how long he sat there, eyes closed, until he heard a faint rustle in the grass and opened his eyes to see Lily standing a few feet away from him.

Severus sat there for a moment, completely speechless, before scrambling to his feet. He'd only had the memory of her as company through the summer, but suddenly, her she was. After a moment, Lily broke the tense silence,

"Hello," she said coolly.

Severus frantically searched for something to say in return that wouldn't betray what he was feeling. He opened his mouth to say something, maybe greet her in return. Unbidden, the image of the contempt on her face when she rejected his apology after the Mudblood incident came to the forefront of his thoughts.

"Look, Lily, I'm so sorry about what I said that day, it just slipped out and you know I didn't mean it. You're my - " his voice broke on 'best friend,' effectively stopping the jumble of words spilling out of him.

"We've been through this, Severus. We're on different sides now, and the people you spend time with are evil Muggle-born haters planning on joining You-Know-Who the minute they graduate, and you may even want to join them."

Severus was desperate now, he didn't want this conversation to end the same way the first did.

"Please, Lily. I can't lose you. My parents are still arguing, it's gotten even worse and I - I miss you, Lily."

Her gaze softened for a moment, but a look of resolve hardened it again.

"I'm sorry, Sev. But we've gone our separate ways."

Lily looked at Severus for one second longer, then left him standing under the birch tree, staring at the spot where she had disappeared.

Hey guys!

So this is my first fic here on - I'd love all comments, feedback, and constructive criticism :) Sorry the prologue was so short, I promise the other chapters will be much longer! Again, please read and review :)

Thanks!

-FelixFelicis13