Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter-unfortunately, right?

Hey,

Thank you SO, SO much for starting this story. It's my first fanfic on this sight so please review! It's told in Lily's point of view and there are some parts from the book (Deathly Hallows) that are in their dialogue but of course I don't own it. I hope you like it!

-MM

I soared higher and higher until the air wooshed past me and the swing frame rattled around me. I felt like I was soaring, there on the swing. I pumped back and forth even harder, my bright red hair flying behind me.

And then I let go.

"Lily, don't do it!" Petunia gasped.

But I didn't worry. I knew that I would glide through the air unharmed. I knew that when I was ready, I'd land gently on my feet, completely unharmed. And I did.

"Mummy told you not to," Tuney protested. She dragged her foot and ungracefully piled off the swing seat, facing me with her hands on her skinny hips.

"But I'm fine," I told her. I wanted to share the excitement with my older sister, the rush I feel as the heat was pulled into my arms and legs. I knew what she'd love. "Tuney, look at this. Look at what I can do!"

Petunia's eyes flicked around the park and then she shuffled closer. I snatched up a pretty purple flower and held it in my palm. Then, I focused all of my energy and, closing my eyes, imagined it opening and closing. When my eyes reopened, the petals were, to my delight, swaying in towards the core and out again. The warmth spread out to my fingertips and I grinned happily.

"Stop it!"

Petunia stood with tears welling in her eyes, glaring down at the limp blossom. I felt my heart sink. "It's not hurting you." But Petunia continued to frown. I let it drop.

"It's not right," my sister said. "How do you do it?" I wondered if Pentunia was imagining the flower moving all on its own in her hand.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" A boy thrust through the bushes on the side of the playground. Petunia squealed and backed up towards the swings, away from the boy in front of us.

He had long, greasy black hair and a hooked nose, like the bird's beaks at the pond that Mum took us to. His skin was pale, like mine, but that was the only similarity. His eyes—while mine were green and happy—were dark and hard. They were presently turned towards me.

"What's obvious?" I asked before I could stop myself. I could practically feel Petunia wince behind me.

His eyes flickered over to Petunia and then turned back to me. He whispered, "I know what you are."

"What do you mean?" I asked. What was I other than me, Lily?

"You're...you're a witch."

I gasped angrily. A witch? Why, that was a terrible thing to hear. I had been prepared for something exciting, something...amazing. "That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!" I huffed and spun around to Petunia.

"No!" The boy cried. He ran after us. Petunia turned first, just to give him a disaproving glare, but I looked back too. He was bright red.

"You are. You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one, and I'm a wizard." By now, he was talking to me alone, paying Petunia no mind.

My sister broke in with a harsh laugh.

"Wizard! I know who you are. You're that Snape boy! They live down on Spinner's End by the river," she sneered to me. Spinner's End? But that was the bad part of town. People who lived there were...bad. At least, that's what Petunia had told me. "Why have you been spying on us?"

"Haven't been spying," muttered the boy, Snape. "Wouldn't spy on you, anyway. You're a Muggle!" It was a word I had never heard and, after looking over to see if Petunia had any clue what it meant, I decided that it was Snape's own, made up word. And, I also decided, it wasn't a kind word.

"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" Petunia ordered. I followed her immediately, shooting Snape one last glare for calling my sister a mean word.

Petunia and I stomped out of there and were silent walking home. Eventually, we both spoke. "Why did he say-" I began at the same time Petunia said, "Don't listen to him!"

"Don't listen to him," Petunia repeated. "He's wierd. Didn't you see his hair?" She shuddered. "Disgusting."

"Yes, Tuney. But, why would he call me a witch? And you a...Nuggle...Wuggle...Muggle?"

"Don't say that. It's strange. He's strange. Just forget him."

I agreed because Petunia was older and wiser, as she constantly reminded me. But, after eating sandwiches that Mum had ready for lunch and doing my homework with Petunia and running a parcel over to our neighbors, the Dursleys, with Mum, I started thinking about that Snape boy.

Who was he? Besides the poor kid who lived on the other side of Cokeworth? He seemed to know something about my...my what? All I knew was that I could do something. Something that was "unnatural".

I tossed and turned that night and then went to school the next day. All I could think about was those eyes. They knew. They knew what it was that I could do. He knew what to do about it.

So that afternoon, I hurried to the only place I could think of looking for him: the park-ground. I had barely started towards the swings when he stepped out towards me. He had been sitting on a bench in the shade and he looked miserable. I instantly felt bad for what Petunia had said to him yesterday.

"Hi," he said shyly. "Hi Lily."

I blinked. "How do you know my name?"

He flushed and responded, "I heard her talking to you."

Her, I realized, was Petunia. And I knew that Petunia would be angry with me if she knew I had talked to Snape.

"Are you busy?" I asked. "I want to talk."

He smiled tentatively. "No. I'll answer any questions you have."

"Well then," I said. I couldn't let Petunia find out we were together. She'd be hurt, I was sure. So, I started walking out of the park. "Come on!"

"Wait!" Snape cried. He flapped to keep up. "Where are you going? I thought you were going to listen to me!"

"I am. Come on. I know a spot that no one will see us."

I didn't turn to look at him, marching ahead quickly towards the river. It was ten minutes before I settled in a clearing on the banks of the water, surrounded by trees. I looked around appreciatively. "Perfect. How's here?"

"Perfect," Snape whispered. I turned around to grin at him, then sank down into the soft grass. He stood awkwardly for a moment before settling down next to me.

"OK. So what is this?" I reached over and grabbed a dull brown leaf and held it in my palm, just like the flower. I shut my eyes and concentrated hard. Snape held his breath. My hand trembled a little but when I opened my again, the leaf was a deep red.

Snape looked appreciatively at the plant. "That's really good." I smiled at the praise and he continued, "Most witches and wizards can't control it until they get a wand."

I shrieked. "A wand!? There are wands?"

Snape nodded eagerly. "Yes, and so much more."

I knew what Petunia would have told me to do: look down my nose at him, shake my head, go home, and forget about Snape and forget about my trick.

I couldn't. "Tell me everything, starting with your name."

His name was Severus Snape, he was nine—my age—and he was also a wizard. "You're a witch," he told me for the second time but this time, instead of being offended, I was fascinated.

"A witch? What do they...we do?" I asked excitedly.

"Magic."

"But, magic's not real. Right?"

Severus frowned. "Who told you that?"

"Tuney—Petunia."

"Well, of course she would. She can't do magic."

"Why not?"

"She's a Muggle."

"Hey! That's not nice."

"No, no," Severus said. "A Muggle is just someone who can't do magic. There's..." he paused. "nothing wrong with them."

I smiled, all anger forgotten. "Oh, good! But why can't she do magic with a magic wand?" I didn't want Petunia to feel left out.

"Because she's not a witch. She doesn't have any magic to use a wand," Severus answered.

"Oh. But when do I get a wand?" I was bouncing up and down.

"When you go to Hogwarts, when you're eleven."

"Hogwarts?" I asked. "What's that?"

"It's the school. For people like you and me, witches and wizards." He glanced down at the ground.

"There's a whole school?" I squealed. "And other people like us? Who can do magic? They go there, too?" It was all so much.

"Ya. There are a ton of witches and wizards. Whole families of them. My mom's family were all magical."

I sighed. He was so lucky, to know all of this.

"But...what do we do at the school?" I asked.

"We learn how to magic, of course!" Severus burst out, than colored red like the leaf resting in between us. "How to transfigure things, how to make potions, how to do everything!"

I was in awe but the sun was nearly down and we were being cast into shadow. "Oh, Severus. This is incredible! But I have to go home now. Can...can we meet tomorrow? So you can tell me more?"

Severus nodded, looking over at me. I grinned. "I'm so excited!" Then I stood up and stretched. "I'll meet you here tomorrow."

For the next week, Severus and I met, talking about everything magical. I was intrigued; everything was so...different. He told me about wizards and witches and traveling through fireplaces, how they could make pots clean themselves, how there were huge dragons.

But one night, as I was stepping into the house quietly, Petunia confronted me. "Lily! Where have you been?"

It was the first time Petunia had asked me all week. I looked down guiltily.

"You were with him!" Petunia hissed. "Admit it! You went back to him. And now he's been telling you lies!"

I shook my head. "Tuney, Severus is really nice. He's not lying! He has explained everything to me. I am a witch!" And then it all spilled out while Petunia looked on in tight-lipped disgust.

When I finally finished, she glared first at me, then towards the door like she could send the anger in her look all the way to Severus. I knew immediately that she wouldn't be, wasn't, happy for me.

"He. Is. A. Great. BIG LIAR!" She screamed. "There's no such thing as Hogwarts. He's playing a big joke on you and you are falling for it, Lily."

"Then how come I can do magic?" I demanded and she flinched away from the last word.

"You can't. It's something else. It's horr-"

Just then, Mum came in. "Tuney, Lilly, what is going on?"

I was nearly in tears but so was Petunia. "Lily is making up stories," she told our mother.

"I'm not! Mummy, it's true. I know I am. I'm a witch!"

There was shocked silence.

"A witch?" Mum repeated.

"Yes, I am. I can do magic and Severus told me that I am and Tuney is being mean to him and..." I trailed off.

"She is making up stories!" Petunia repeated.

"But Mummy, you've seen my do it. You've seen me do magic, remember, the flower, I showed you!"

Mum's eyes were wide open. She had they same eyes as me, bright green. "Lily, Petunia. Girls, go to your bedrooms now. We'll have supper in a little while."

Dad walked over from the kitchen. "What are you ladies talking about?" He asked, taking in Mum's startled gaze.

"Dear," Mum said, "We need to talk. Girls, up to your rooms!"

Petunia and I hurried up to our separate bedrooms, glancing back at our parents conversing in whispered tones. Mum shot me a tiny smile before I climbed the stairs.

"Now you've worried them!" Petunia accused, before slamming her door.

Neither Mum nor Dad talked to us about my being a witch the next day. Like usual, I went to the river and found Severus already in wait.

"Hi, Sev!" I called. He looked up from pulling out grass stalks.

"Lily!" He seemed glad that I was there. I'd noticed that, as we spent more time together, Severus became less shy around me. He talked more and smiled at me often.

I didn't want to worry him about my argument with Petunia the night before.

"So, there's a Ministry of Magic?" I asked, jumping in right away. "That's what you said yesterday, right?"

"Ya. And they are the government for the Wizarding World. There's one person, called the Minister of Magic, who is like the Muggle Prime Minister. And there are other departments, lots of them, that deal with all sorts of things."

"Like what?" I breathed.

"Well, there's people who make sure that wizards and witches aren't exposed to the Muggles. But there are laws...and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside of school, you get letters."

I felt my breath rush out. Oh, no! "But I have done magic outside of school!"

Severus shook his head. "We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven, and they start training you, then you've got to go careful." He nodded as if he was already a Hogwarts student and very good at following this rule.

I picked up a twig and spun it around. I could imagine sparks flying out of it. Would they be colorful? Would they burn you?

Was it all real? I thought back to what Petunia had said. She had told me that there was no such thing as Hogwarts or witches or anything that Severus had talked about. I had to ask him.

I leaned in towards Severus as if we were trading gossip, like some of the girls at my school did. "It is real, isn't it? It's not a joke. Petunia says you're lying to me. Petunia says there isn't a Hogwarts. It is real, isn't it?"

Severus responded immediately and confidently. "Definitely." I felt like I could breath easier. If Severus said it was true, then, I was sure, it was all true.

"And it will really come by owl?" I tried to imagine a speckled owl with a letter tied to his leg swooping into the window.

Petunia would really like that.

"Normally. But you're Muggle-born, so someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents."

I voiced the other worry I hadn't stopped thinking about: "Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?" I was so worried that I would be an outcast at this school for wizards, for people who knew all about the magical world.

I was thinking about this for a moment before Severus answered. "No. It doesn't make any difference."

"Good," I said.

"You've got lots of magic," said Severus. I grinned proudly. "I saw that. All the time I was watching you..."

I stretched out on the ground, listing to Severus's voice. I stared up dreamily at the leaves and thought about what I knew about the boy beside me.

He hadn't told me much about it but I could remember him talking about his parents, how they didn't get along very well and they yelled at each other and him. He had said it quietly, half whispering it, during one of our long moments of silence.

"How are things at your house?"

He tensed beside me.

"Fine."

"They're not arguing anymore?"

"Oh yes, they're arguing," Severus said and I felt my heart break for him. I focused my gaze on his face, his eyebrows tight. "But it won't be that long and I'll be gone."

"Doesn't your dad like magic?" I wondered. How could he not, if he'd married a witch? If magic was as amazing as Severus told me it was.

"He doesn't like anything, much."

I took that as a no.

"Severus?"

He smiled a little. "Yeah?"

"Tell me about the dementors again." Earlier this week, he had told me about the black, cold monsters.

"What d'you want to know about them for?"

I was shy to voice it but..."If I use magic outside of school-"

"They wouldn't give you to dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too-"

He cut himself off and I briefly wonder what I was. Too Muggle? Too bad at magic? He had said I was good, at least for my age.

Suddenly, there was a light rustling noise behind us. If we'd been talking, we probably wouldn't have noticed it. As we were silent, Severus jumped up and spun around.

Petunia stood on the hill. If she was here...that must have meant she forgave me. That she, too, wanted to learn about magic!

"Tuney!" I grinned.

Severus looked at her and for a moment I thought that he was happy to welcome her to the lessons, too.

But them he yelled, "Who's spying now? What do you want?!"

Petunia was bright red and wide-eyed. "What is that you're wearing, anyway?" She pointed at Severus's shirt. "Your mum's blouse?"

A loud, piercing crack vibrated throughout the clearing and then a branch—perfectly healthy, mind you—fell and hit Petunia on her shoulder. She fell backwards, barely catching her footing. I was stunned.

"Tuney!" I shrieked at my hysterically crying sister. Petunia shot a puffy, red-eyed glare over at Severus and then she dashed away.

I watched her go for a second and then turned to Severus. "Did you make that happen?" I knew the answer...

"No," he lied, his chin tilted up.

"You did! You did! You hurt her." I started backing up.

"No—no I didn't!"

He was lying, lying, lying—just like Petunia said he would. I ran after my poor sister, tears streaming down my cheeks. How could he? All she had been doing was watching. She wanted to be able to accept me, I was sure. And he had magically thrown a tree branch at her.

"Tuney!" I half-sobbed. "Tuney, wait! I'm sorry. Wait, Petunia! Wait for me, I'm sorry."

She was still before me, running away towards our home. "Tuney, wait! Please, I'm so, so sorry!"

All of a sudden she skidded to a stop and wheeled around to face me. "You-" she gasped. "You could do that, too. Anybody like you will do that! I hate him! I hate this!"

When she accused me, I felt my heart shrivel up. "I would—I wouldn't ever, ever hurt you, Tuney," I whispered desperately. "You're my sister."

She looked doubtful but let me walk up to her. "I'm really so sorry. Tuney, I don't know what to say..."

Her face pinched up and she suddenly looked murderous. "It's him. That boy. He did it. Not you! And he...he's bad, Lily. I told you, he's bad. I told you, I told you!" Petunia cackled.

I wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that Severus wasn't bad. That he was just shy and had a horrible family life. That he was nice and good—but he had dropped a heavy branch on her. That wasn't good.

"I know. That was mean. That was bad. He did bad." But he's not bad, I added to myself.

"Yeah, he did. You shouldn't see him anymore," she added the last part absently, like she didn't think that I would even want to see him after attempting to hurt her.

I nodded eagrly, anything to make my sister happy again. And it seemed that Petunia was happy again. She walked with a new spring in her step, like as long as her little sister wasn't hanging around those boys from Spinner's End, she would be OK.

The next day, as I was walking home from school alone—Petunia had went to her friend Yvonne's house—I was intercepted by Severus.

"Lily!" He cried, running forward and barely avoiding tripping to catch up to me. My hand automatically went out to steady him and he blushed bright red. "Hi," he mumbled.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"Lily," he paused and seemed to be trying to gain his confidence. "Lily, I am so sorry. Please let me just explain. I didn't mean to-"

"No! Sev-Severus, you hurt my sister!" I couldn't trust myself to say anything as I looked at his miserable expression.

"Lily-" he began but I was walking quickly down the pavement.

He tried again the next day and the day after that, too. But I held my ground. He is bad, he is bad, I told myself constantly.

It was the fourth day, when he grabbed my arm. "Lily," he said fiercly. His eyes kept twitching over to his hand on my arm. "Remember how I told you that you're really good at magic? Remember? I told you that most people can't control it before they get to Hogwarts. Well, you can. But, Lily, I can't." He seemed embarrassed to be admitting this to me.

"You can't what?"

"I can't control it! That's why I sent the branch down on...your Muggle sister." He was talking quickly. "I felt horrible, I did. I was just surprised. OK? Please forgive me. I'm so sorry. And there's so much more to tell you...to prepare you for Hogwarts." He had me there. I didn't want to be far behind the other witches and wizards that knew everything already.

"So it was an accident?" I asked slowly.

"Yes!" His whole face lit up and he nodded. "It was an accident. It was just my out-of-control magic."

I smiled hesitantly at him. If it was an accident...Mum had always told me that people make mistakes and you should forgive them for it. "OK. I believe you."

And we were friends again.

Hope you liked the first chapter. Like I said before, if you have any advice for me, don't hesitate to let me know! Thanks.