CHAPTER TWO.

Disclaimer: J K owns it all!

He started to walk in the direction of the noise and suddenly there she was. A little girl huddled at a rock, at the bottom of the waterfall as though she was carved there. He found himself sitting very still and staring her, as though she was a sculpture, a statue, a work of art, a handsome marble in the form of a little girl, so skillfully fashioned that it seemed almost real. He stared her for an endless instant and then she turned her face in his direction. What he saw as he looked down at her was the prettiest face, he had ever seen. A face, as he suspected earlier, was a piece of art indeed. Tiny, delicate features, a flawless face filled with large, emerald eyes. His gaze was so transfixed on her emerald eyes that when he noticed tiny rivers of tears on her white, marble cheeks, he seemed taken aback by that.

He walked towards the waterfall and sat on the glossy, green grass near the rocks. He had never seen someone so pretty. She was even prettier than her mother. His mother had once told him that staring someone was unethical and a Prince never did something unethical so he shifted his gaze and muttered after searching for a couple of suitable words to comfort the unearthly creature crying before him:

"Madam! Is everything alright? I am Severus, by the way."

The cinnamon headed girl looked at him for a moment and then muttered in a thick, raspy voice:

"Go away!"

He got taken aback by her rash reply. Nobody ever spoke to him like that, but he knew when someone wanted to remain alone, it was the very time one wanted someone's company. He got up from the grass and sat on the rock inhibited by the emerald eyed beauty. They remained silent for an infinite moment and then the girl turned and held Severus's hand. She looked straight in his onyx orbs and blurted out:

"Do I look like a freak?"

He wanted to laugh his heart out at her out of the world question, but the raging inferno in her emerald eyes stopped him. He cleared his throat and the words left his mouth before he could contain them:

"Not at all Madam! In fact you are the prettiest girl I have ever met."

He regretted saying something like that to a girl who was already crying. He was waiting for another cutting remark when he saw something soften in her emerald eyes. The girl nodded and then almost whispered:

"Lily."

Severus blinked as if trying to process what she uttered was a question, an answer or just a comment and then muttered:

"Yes Madam! The meadow is filled with lilies. See! there is a tiger lily just behind you."

Then she smiled in answer. She was impressed by the new kid. He seemed rather ordinary and looked as if he belonged to a poor family but he had great wit, great eloquence and great style. She cleared her throat and confessed:

" Sev! My name is Lily. Lily Evans."

Nobody had ever called him 'Sev' but for reasons unknown something in his heart soared when she said that. He smiled and then asked:

"Who called you a freak and why?"

She turned her face in the other direction and wiped tears from her delicate, white cheeks. She sighed a bit too loudly and then muttered ruefully:

"My sister Petunia calls me that and she has every right to say so."

"Why?"

He asked almost involuntary. She plucked a fistful of grass and clenched her fist tightly. When she reopened it moments later, there were pearls in her hand. She held out the fist in front of Severus and muttered:

"That's why."

Severus laughed at her display of magic. He was holding her stomach while the red head was busy in finding stones to hurl at him. He contained his laughter for a moment and explained:

"You are not a freak but a witch. Even I am a wizard. Here watch this."

He dipped his hand in the lake and moments later the lake got filled with water lilies. She clapped in excitement and then hugged Severus in pure joy. She smiled, her cheeks blushing to a delicate pink on the perfect creamy skin. Severus told her everything about Magical world, Hogwarts and their admission letters they were supposed to get at the age of eleven. She seemed thrilled and relaxed at the same time after truly understanding the reason behind the supernatural incidents that occurred in her presence. They were talking about Hogwarts and the houses when she stopped abruptly and muttered:

"Sev! You look great in black. I think you should wear it more often."

He blushed deep, glorious pink and made a mental note of always wearing black robes. They were laying on the grass making the flowers sing a Spring Song, picked by Lily when a cold voice came from their behind:

"Fantastic Lily! You stop it this instant. Flowers are not supposed to sing in this squeaky soprano which makes the listener's ears bleed. Oh boy! Stay away from her. She is a freak! She make things happen which should not happen"

He cocked his head in the direction of the voice and saw another little girl standing behind them. 'She must be Petunia', he thought to himself. She was Lily's sister but she was not a bit like her. There was so little give, so little softness to her. She was all angle- cold, hard and sharp. He could sense Lily was about to cry and for reasons unknown he did not want to let that happen. His lips were forming the words in her defense when Lily clapped a hand on his mouth and refrained him from speaking. She cleared her throat and muttered:

"What do you want Petunia?"

The new girl pouted and then muttered:

"Mum was calling you home for lunch. It is nearly afternoon and she was worried that you had not eaten anything at all in breakfast as well. Now come home with me or I am gonna tell Dad that you are befriending people from slums and showing off your parlor tricks to them."

Severus could not believe his ears. He always thought siblings were amazing and he always longed for them, but in Lily's case sibling turned out to be nightmares dressed like a daydream. Lily hugged him and whispered a goodbye in his ears. He watched the two little girls disappear in a small Victorian House nearby and started to walk towards his own stately Mansion/Broken hut, his mind lost in the thoughts of the red headed witch. He was going to befriend her in Hogwarts as well and promised with himself become such a strong wizard that he could easily protect his Lily!

Well this is it! my dearest readers. I completed the story in single night just for you people. Please review! Please! I am waiting for your suggestions about anything related to this fanfic. Please tell me about your favorite line. It is a request! Keep reading and writing and live your lives with zeal and zest.

Cosmos~.