As a single tear rolled its way into the waiting flask, the light left Snape's eyes. His last memory held everything Harry needed to know and there was no reason left to hold on. Perhaps the stories were true and soon he would see Lily, her hair the color of strawberries and bright green eyes flashing joyfully, as she had once been. It's the last thought in his head before he loses everything to dark.
A bright burning light brings him back, as if from a long dream. When his eyes open and adjust he realizes it is the sun and he is on his back laying on a grassy hill. The sky is a bright blue and burning with summer heat. He is momentarily dazed. What had he been doing again? He reaches his hands out blindly, meaning to pull himself up to see where he was but instead he met with something else.
"Ow!"
His head swivels at the sound and there she was, her green eyes flashing in annoyance at his hand pulling her hair. He moves the offending hand off her hair but his eyes won't leave hers. She was so beautiful, it felt like ages since he last gazed at her. Though it couldn't have been maybe a few hours? He tries hard to remember but everything from before was a blur and he shrugs the ominous feeling off. What would it do to worry?
"Sorry, Lily."
He mumbles his apology, her name tasting like metal on his tongue. For some reason his heart pangs painfully and all he wants to do is hold her. He resists the urge and instead runs his hand through his shoulder length black hair. The sight of his scrawny arms momentarily confuses him. Had he always been so small? Today was turning out to be strange indeed. Lily sighs beside him and it sounds heavenly to him.
"Really Severus, your always so serious. When we start school next year you really have to try to let loose a bit." She props herself up on the palms of her hands and basks in the warm glow of the sun. He stares, still feeling that deep painful longing. Next year would be there seventh year at Hogwarts together and the thought makes him swallow hard. "What if we didn't go back?" He blurts it out before he can stop himself and Lily looks over at him, confused and slightly amused.
"Where would we go if not Hogwarts?"
He blushes and thinks seriously about not answering but some urgent bone in his body tells him to try. "Doesn't matter where. How about a lighthouse? I've always wanted to live near the water."
Lily laughs, a musical sound. "We could befriend a mermaid and spend our days swimming among the reefs." She leans on her side and stares sidelong at him. He allows a small rare smile to grace his face.
"They'd be too jealous of your hair and I would have to fight them off. So much for the lighthouse idea."
Lily laughs again and he forgets what exactly breathing feels like.
"How about a castle in the sky then? We could practice our transformation magic and live as birds among the clouds." She squints into the sky as she speaks. He entertains her idea.
"We could make a fortune selling cloud candy to the centaurs, they go crazy for the stuff." He frowns. "But unless you know how to breath up there I think that's out too."
For a moment they are quiet. Then he speaks up quietly. "We could live in the forest, in a cottage. I could learn to hunt and you could paint. It would be a nice life wouldn't it?" Lily turns to look at him once more, now sensing how serious he is. "You mean live a normal life?" She knew what he had meant. Live without magic. Don't go back to Hogwarts. Stay here. Stay with him. He nods solemnly. "Yes."
She pulls her bottom lip with her teeth, a nervous habit she had picked up when they were younger. Younger? He tries to figure out what his subconscious was up to but nothing fell into place. He memorizes lily's face as she deliberates. Her hair is caught in a light breeze and the sun makes it seem almost on fire with light. Freckles cover her nose though there are fewer than there had been when they had met. Before long they would disappear and he could vividly see the woman she would become. He doesn't know how but he knows. And for some reason the knowing pains him immensely. Going back to Hogwarts this year will be the end of something but his brain won't supply the answer as to why he feels this way. His eyes darken at the thought of it as he broods. A touch on his cheek pulls him from his thoughts.
"What's wrong Severus? There's something your not telling me isn't there? Is it those bullies again? Is it James?"
Her voice is quiet and the sound of James makes him wince. He remembers their conversation and how he had lashed out at Lily, though it seemed forever ago.
"I'm sorry about everything, Lily. I've been a rotten friend recently." He hangs his head in shame but Lily pulled his chin up to face her. "Its okay Severus you already apologized a hundred times for that." She rolls her eyes but he knows he had hurt her.
"And I'll keep apologizing until I feel like I've more than made up for it."
His eyes burn their determination into hers until she has to look away. She lays back down on the grass and closes her eyes.
"You're changing the subject again." She states matter-of-factly. She won't let this go and he knows it. He sighs and lays back in the grass too.
"It is a bit about them I suppose. But mostly…" He tries to put his feelings into words but everything came up short of what he wanted to say to her. I feel like I will lose you? I feel like something horrible is going to happen? Even for a wizard, it was tentative. He huffs.
"Oh I don't know Lily! Somethings just telling me not to go back to that school again." He rolls over towards her and notices her staring wearily at him.
"That's not much of a reason."
He knows he can't argue with her, it really wasn't much to go on. "Come on Lily, at least for this year, let's not go. We can go back next year. We'll get a tutor and home school for a year."
She is still skeptical. "Please Lily. Just trust me. Please."
He begs her mercilessly and he can't figure out why he is so adamant. Everything inside him was screaming not to go though and he had to try. Lily stares a moment longer at him and finally she sighs and very quietly, so quietly he almost doesn't hear, she answers. "Fine if it means that much."
He almost jumps up in joy. "Really? You'll do it? This is the best birthday gift ever thank you Lily!" He pulls her into a hug and he smells lavender and fresh grass. She swats his arm playfully.
"Oh, it isn't your birthday you liar." He grins a spectacular smile that makes his face hurt and Lily blinks in surprise. He doesn't blame her, it was the first time he had ever felt so happy.
"Come on let's go set everything up and make a plan!"
It didn't take long to pack everything he owns into a trunk. It had been a week since they had planned their getaway and the nerves were riling up inside of him. But not for any of the normal reasons. He wouldn't miss Cokeworth or his family. He had everything he needed. He heaves his small trunk into the back of a carriage. It was the easiest way to travel where they would be going. He pats sir Paton, the brown and black horse he had 'borrowed' from one of his friends. He was a flying horse, a Pegasus, and he had had to sneak him here. He had flown quickly in the dark of night and made it back in time for their agreed meeting time.
After five minutes he began to fidget with fear that she wouldn't come but then she walks out of the swirling dark and he audibly relaxes. He hadn't expected her to agree so easily to his selfish request. She loves being a witch and to stop going, even if only for a year, was a miracle. As she approaches he could tell she was also a bundle of nerves. He lightly touches her shoulders, something he normally wouldn't have done. He had been doing that a lot recently. Things he wouldn't normally do.
"You ready?" His voice was gruffer than he intends and he cleared it before stepping to the side for her to get in the carriage top first.
It was a cheap thing that his family had bought a long time ago and it creaks as she steps onto it. She found her place and he pulls himself up beside her, their shoulders brushing together.
"Are you sure we should be doing this, Severus? I mean what if they don't let us come back? And you never really told me the reason and I don't want to screw this up I'm a mud blood after all I don't get many chances like this-" He frowns angrily at her.
"Don't call yourself that, your just as good as any pureblood could hope to be." He snaps at her. She sits in stunned silence. He had never spoken to her like that before and he guiltily looks at the floor. "I-I mean you're a good witch Lily, don't w-worry so much." He peeks back up at her and sees her smiling softly.
"Thank you Severus. What's gotten into you recently?"
He hears the awe in her voice and swells with pride. "Nothing of course. Are you ready to go?"
She nods at him and he takes the reigns tightly in his hands. And they were off, flying in the sky together. She holds onto him tightly, not having flown before. He relishes in the feel of her and spurrs the horse faster toward their new home.
The listing in the paper had been promising. Farm work, including a house, in the middle of a small town in a magic community. They ride all night to get there and it was just gracing dawn when they tied their horse to a post to drink and rest. The place seems familiar to him but he couldn't fathom how that could be. He had never stepped foot in Godric's Hollow before today.
He leads Lily through the quaint town and up the steps of the small townhouse home that the ad had led them to. It was finally starting to feel real and he bounces up the stares two at a time, a nervous Lily falling behind. He knocks heavily on the door and tries his best to look presentable. Eventually, what feels like forever to him, the door is opened by a wizened bent women. She looks like the right wind would tip her right over but her grip on the door was firm and she stares with eyes that blazed with life up at Severus, who politely bows to her.
"Hello, miss. I am Severus Snape and this is Lily P- uh Evans." He holds his hand out to shake. "We are here in answer to your ad." The older lady glances him up and down before shaking his hand with more strength than he thought possible.
"You seem a bit young to be looking for a job son. Shouldn't you be in school?" Lily squeaks beside him, the worst liar he had ever met as she couldn't keep her emotions from showing and she was nervous.
"Yes ma'am its our parents who sent us. We are getting a tutor to look after us while we are here. Our parents will be along shortly." He lies easily and keeps his face impassive.
"I see" She mumbles and waves them in the door. "Come in then and we will discuss everything presently." They talk for hours before the lady is satisfied with the agreement. They shake her hand once again and she places a key in Lily's hand.
"Here you are dear. I know runaways when I see them." She huffs at the surprise on his face. "You're not half as smart as you think youngin'. But I won't ask what it is your runnin' from. Keep the rules and I don't care to know." She waves them out the door and slams it behind them. Lily was a mass of nervous energy.
"What have we done Severus? Its not too late, we could still go back just say we missed the train and-"
Something on his face must have stopped her. She places her hand on the small of his back. "Oh Severus why won't you tell me what this is really about?"
"I really don't know" He mumbles. "But I know its not fair to drag you into this mess. If you really want to go back.. I'll go." He stares forlornly into her eyes. They stay like that for several minutes more before she sighs and grabs his arm to drag him onward. "Well come on then. We have a lot of work to do."
The house was a short walk from where they were and sat in front of a long row of overgrown farmland. Weeds grew everywhere and all in all it needed a lot of attention. "Well you go ahead and see what needs doing inside and I'll take care of.. This."
He frowns at the land. Even with magic this was going to be a long job. Lily nods and walks up the wooden porch. It was a beautiful white house, a picket fence surrounding its girth. It cheers him to see it and it felt like home already. He sighs and rolls up the sleeves on his white button up and legs on his pants. It was cooler here than Cokeworth had been but it was still hot. Then he got to work.
The house itself needed very little work. A few shutters needed replacing and the stove fixed but it was a warm house. It had an upstairs with several rooms and they both picked one from them, across the hall from each other. Before long, they had settled into a steady rhythm of working the ground together for the morning then Lily would start looking in the neighborhood for odd jobs. She would help mend things for the elderly and she was quite gifted at just about everything, especially at potions though not as good as he was. She made a bit of gold and had been looking for a tutor. Finally, she came home one day walking on air.
"Severus! Severus! I found us a teacher!"
She clasped his hands in hers and he blushes slightly at the contact.
"That's great Lily. Who is it?"
She smiles widely at him. "Our neighbor here has agreed to do it. She's a rather nice lady and was a teacher once too!" She hops around in delight. Severus smiles gently. He liked seeing her so happy, so full of life. He squeezes her hands gently in his and she stares as if she has just realized. "Oh!" She pulls them out blushing. "Sorry Severus I know your so busy." She looks down at his shirtless body and turns even more scarlet. He had taken it off in the heat of the day. Over the past weeks of work he had darkened a bit from the constant sun. His muscled were peaking out now from the hard physical work he endured, though he used magic still when he could.
"Its fine Lily I don't mind." He mumbles before grabbing the hoe once more. "I'm almost ready to plant something I think. Want to help make the growing potion?"
She lights up then. Potions were her favorite.
"Of course! You'd be lost without me." She laughed her musical laugh again and bounds into the house.
That night, once all the work was done and they were sitting down to a simple ramen noodle dinner, he asks her.
"Why did you decide to come with me?" She eyes him calmly.
"You asked me to." It was a simple answer but he snorts.
"If I had asked you to jump off a bridge, would you?"
Her eyes flash angrily at him. "Of course not don't be ridiculous."
He grimaces. "Then don't give me ridiculous answers."
She huffs and stands haughtily over him. "It is not a ridiculous answer Severus Snape and I don't like your tone." She swings her hips to accentuate her words and he was momentarily lost.
"I came because your my best friend in the whole world and.." She hesitates and casts her eyes down. "You seemed to be so afraid."
He stands then, their food forgotten. He holds her then, like he had been longing to do since the beginning. He pulls his arms around her gently and basks in the feel of her in his arms. In all his years he had never hoped to have this. Though he is young and can't fathom why he had been thinking so strange.
"I was afraid. I still am."
Lily pulls her arms tight around him too and for a while they stayed like that, neither one letting go of their hold on the other. "Severus.." Lily's voice was mumbled against his shoulder.
"What is it Lily?"
Her voice sounds worried. She leans back in his arms. "I'm worried is all. Are you sure everything is okay?" She probes deeply into his eyes but he isn't sure what she finds there.
"I'm sure Lil." He smiles crookedly at her and steps back away from her with effort. "Its bedtime though I think. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."
He picks up there dishes and deposits them in the sink. Lily yawns loudly and he hears her head up the stairs to her room. He sighs and heads up to his room, already regretting not holding onto her longer.