AUGUST, 1973

They had been meeting themselves all along the summer. They had learned some new spells and invented others; because both stood out among the students of their age. They had taken long walks together speculating what their third year at Howarts would be like. Both were surprised at how well they understood each other despite their differences, to the point where even their silences were complicitly interesting.

A year ago, in one of those walks they had gone to the small lake behind the scattered houses of the neighbourhood and it was then that Severus discovered Lily's passion for water. Without thinking twice, the girl had stripped naked to his amazement and had thrown into the lake of cold water (despite being summer). She had started swimming meters up and down while he looked at her, both, admired and disturbed. When she got tired, she swam towards him confessing that swimming was relaxing and helped her ease her mood. She told him, she used to go to the public swimming pool early some mornings. But since the discovery of the little lake, whenever she disappeared after her sister Petunia's tantrum or due to a bad day, he knew where to find her.

Severus could not get used to his nakedness even having seen her like that hundreds of times during those two years. He had never dared to do the same. He just sat on the shore, writing or reading a book while he waited for her to return together to the urbanization. But that afternoon, two days before going to Kings Cross, she had surprised him by asking him to accompany her in her bathroom.

- Come on Sev! You will likeit! It is very relaxing and does miracles in clearing the mind. - Seeing his reticence she said - If you give me another negative we will not go in the same seat this year!-.

He looked at her in dismay.

- Do not ask me that, Lily. You know me. I'm like a cat. I hate getting wet –

- Oh, come on! Do it for me! Besides, the sun is already gone. It will only be for a while. Leave the books and have fun, just for once! - She said it with sincerity while she had been getting closer to him. At this point he could count every freckle on her face. After a few seconds in silence, he finally stood up and gave his back to her. His silky voice was calm and totally transparent:

- Lily, honestly. I'm just 13 years. I feel like I will not be able to stand bathing with you, both naked, like grown up self-confident adults -. He blushed. He was not used to talking about these issues with his friend, nor with anyone. – I can't see myself able to avoid sexualizing the moment and I do not want it to happen. - Lily's surprise, he continued- "I enjoy spending time with you. I don't want you to hate me". He blushed so much that he had to look at the ground to allow the long hair to cover his face. He knew that leaving things this way could clearly mean that his fears came true. But he also knew that she was not going to be scandalized. Lily was exceptional in every way he knew; they were best friends after all, although there was the possibility that she could misunderstand him, or that the girl would make fun of him, or perhaps that she would simply run away indignantly. However, she threw herself at him and hugged him so hard that it left him breathless.

- Sev, you're an amazing guy. What's more, you do not even realize how special you are. Your little speech has only confirmed your precocious maturity. - And whispered - Neither the sixth years reach you in that. - He separated from him and gave him a kiss on the cheek- You and I will always be friends. Can you promise me?

-I promise-, he said now with a trembling voice, thanking the gods for not having spoiled everything. And without waiting for anything else, she broke away from him, undressed in a blink of an eye, and threw herself into the water with her peculiar style. The problem was that Sev, if until then he did not have it clear, was now finally convinced: he was completely in love with that cheerful girl.