Chapter 2

Ever since that day at the park, where I performed magic for the first time, Petunia and I had been growing apart. I wanted to hang out less with her and she also with me. I had seen the pale boy a few more times in the summer, but he never said anything to me. I didn't bother to make conversation with him at the park or even the day when Petunia and I met another girl from the neighborhood by the river, which we weren't supposed to go to without an adult (Mrs. Gray would tan our hides), and he was there piling rocks on one another not but a few meters away. He always looked at me and then turned away.

Mum and Dad didn't believe me about the magic. I couldn't perform it again that night after the first time. I have tried since and only succeeded in making something special two more times. The times that I could work magic were alone, and when I tried to show Mum or Dad it just wouldn't work again. I still believed I could do magic, and one day I will be able to do it in front of people.

It may seem like a stupid idea, thinking that all those fantastical stories your dad or mum read to you could be real, that there is magic in this world. But I believed. I know what I saw.

I asked Mum about getting books on magic, but our library had a very limited selection. She also wasn't too keen on the idea. Dad laughed at me and told me if I can find them, I can read them. But I'd also have to pass them by him first. Mum may have been the artist of the family, but Dad was definitely more of the dreamer. Even with the OK from Dad, I gave up eventually trying to find the literature. Nothing answered any of my questions and it was mostly information I had read elsewhere or just regurgitation of the fantasy stories I heard/read. I had begun spending my energy elsewhere in other pursuits.

It was a long time before I was able to perform magic again. One day in March after my tenth birthday, I was playing outside after school and asked if I could go the the park by myself. Mrs. Gray gave me the usual business, and then said yes. I put on my galoshes and raincoat.I had borrowed Mom's more egg-shaped clear plastic umbrella with yellow dots on it (if I got under it and pulled it down all the way it covered most of my torso, it was a deep umbrella); I liked to pretend I was in a rocket ship and the dots were stars.

I made my way to the Foreign Space Area, which was in reality the park, but the Americans landing on the moon almost 8 months ago was still fresh in my mind and I wanted to be an astronaut for the afternoon. As I bounced around planet-to-moon-to-planet, I found that pale boy arranging rocks in the rain (just past the Martian planet in my imaginary solar system). I found it a bit odd playing in the rain with no umbrella and no galoshes, but I was curious enough to finally go up to him.

"Oi," I yelled as I approached, "what are you doing with those Martian rocks?"

He looked at me, baffled. I had pulled the umbrella as far it would go over me, it was one of those deep umbrellas, so presumably I looked a bit strange. "What business is it of yours, weirdo?"

"You're a weirdo," I retorted. "I'm not the one building Stone Hedge in the rain." He had killed my illusion of space and brought me back to the Earth's surface.

"First, it's called 'Stonehenge,' and this is not a henge. I'm just building...small towers," he said blushing and returning to his work.

"Do you always blush when you talk to girls. We don't have cooties, you know." I was feeling particularly spirited.

The boy tucked some of his longish hair behind his ear. It was dark. "I don't blush."

"You do every time I've seen you so far, and you're blushing right now."

He looked up at me again. "Why are you even here? Isn't your sister around somewhere so you can bother her?"

I crouched down by him. Noticing the jacket he had on was a very dark ruby red jacket. It was also old and a girl's jacket. I had to remind myself to not make fun of him. "How do you know I have a sister?"

"Um, hello? I live in the neighborhood too. Besides, you're the only girl I've seen with the pretty red hair." He immediately stopped what he was doing. "Long red hair," he quickly corrected.

I found it funny and sweet. I chuckled. "I'm Lily," I stuck out my hand from under the unusually low umbrella, "Lily Evans. I'm not usually this snippy, sorry about that." My hand was getting lightly pelted with raindrops.

The boy looked at me for a moment. He gingerly took my hand into his and shook. "Severus Snape."

"Severus?" I asked. He was still holding onto my hand.

"Yes. I'm named after an old relative, I think." He said as he slowly let go.

"Oh. It's a strange name."

"So I've been told." He had resumed precariously placing stones on one another.

"Did you get those from the river?" I asked, still crouched.

"Are you the one that makes flowers dance?" He said in reply, looking cautiously at me.

I was caught off guard, but then I had realized what he said. "Ah ha! I knew it was you that crawled out afterwards. So you saw me, right?! You saw what I did?" My heart leapt. Someone to believe me, after all that time. I didn't care about our semi-awkward meeting and the fact that this was totally out of nowhere. Someone believed me.

"Of course." He stood up and brushed his hands off. I didn't know then that his suspicions were confirmed when Mrs. Gray visited his mother about the Muggle witch years previous. He started walking to the gazebo out of the rain, not saying anything. I followed him out of curiosity.

"Here," he said crouching over a geometric design made out of tiny pebbles. "Make some of them move." I caught his eyes again. They were a very dark brown, almost black.

"This is a little spooky," I said keeping my distance. I shook off the umbrella and folded it up. I set it on the boarded floor before I decided crouched down across from him. "What makes you believe I can do it and it's not a...not a hoax?"

"Because I'm a wizard," he said flatly.

"A wizard?" I gave him a look.

He stared at me, smiled lopsidedly, then placed his hands over the small rocks. He said something in Latin, or Latin sounding like the language old Catholic masses are held in, and a few of the rocks moved into an undefined shape.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed loudly.

"See?" he said at the same time. Severus looked at me again and smiled. It was a very pleasant smile, genuine. "I am a wizard."

"Do it again!"

"Ok."

He did it again. The pebbles moved into another odd shape. He had told me about how his mum is a witch, but she doesn't really practice anymore because she wants to be a "Muggle." He said that is what you call non-magical people. My family was a bunch of Muggles. He said it wasn't a cruel word, it's just what Muggles are called. I asked him questions and then I too tried to move the pebbles. It took me a few tries, but I did it eventually even if it was a very wobbly motion of movement. We both cried out in joy when it happened.

Petunia came down to the park yelling for me. It was dinner time and I was in big trouble. I hadn't realized that I had spent so much time talking and performing magic with Severus. She saw Severus and I and the rocks as she climbed the gazebo steps.

She's not dumb. Petunia put two and two together and knew what we were doing. Magic.

"I'm so telling Mum."

I turned to Severus and stuck out my hand quickly. "Nice meeting you, you know properly and all." Petunia turned and started running home, going to tell the parents I was being "crazy" again.

"Same," is all he said as he gently shook my hand. He looked into my eyes again. I felt a bit weird. "Don't forget your umbrella," he said letting go and then pointing to it.

"It's my Mum's." I grabbed the umbrella opened it up and pulled it all the way down like I did before. "It looks like stars, huh?" I was spinning it. I didn't want to leave and was stalling.

"I guess I can see that." We stared at each other again.

"Bye, Severus."

"See you around, Lily."

He watched me go. I could feel his eyes on me, a witch. I smiled knowing he was there and I didn't care what Petunia said. I had a new friend, a magical new friend.

I didn't tell Mum or Dad that night, and neither did Petunia despite her threat. In fact, it wasn't until that summer that I decided to tell them. And I only did because Mrs. Snape wanted to meet my parents that week. Severus said she would help explain it to them, since they were Muggles and had no clue. Apparently, Severus had been talking a lot about me to his mum. I was probably his only friend, so I understood. The other boys teased him relentlessly, as he was a bit weird to the untrained eye. It didn't help that his mom dressed him in girl's clothes. (He said that was a sore subject and one day he'd tell me, just not now.)
I remember talking to him a few days before the big reveal of telling Mum and Dad I was going to go to wizard school. Earlier that morning I got overly excited about what I had learned of the wizarding world and Hogwarts in particular, and spilled the beans to Petunia.

She just sat there staring at me with disgust-later I would find out it was jealousy-and let me prattle on a bit. She then got up from my bed and stormed out of myroom. But before leaving she told me, "It's all a lie, you know. He's just making this stuff up because he's a stupid boy that has no friends and is trying to impress you with stories about dragons and witches." And with that she slammed my door.

Severus and I were laying in the grass at the park later that same day, staring up at the evening sky. It was alight with shimmery oranges and fiery reds. The eastern sky was just touching on the dark hues of blue.

"Severus," I asked. He turned his head to face me with a raised eyebrow. "It is real, isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says you're lying to me. Petunia says there is not a Hogwarts. It is real, isn't it?"

Severus' look fell. I could see the hurt on his features. "I wouldn't lie to you, Lily. Ever." He looked back to the sky. "It's real for us, not for her. But we'll get the letter, you and me." I glanced over at him once more, and just stared trying to see something, read him.

He had a happy but serious look on his face. He wasn't lying to me. Hogwarts was real. Wizards were real. Our friendship was real.

I stretched out my hand reaching for his, and he pulled away sharply. I looked at him and smiled sincerely. Severus studied me for a moment. His gaze went slowly to where my hand was, and then he gingerly placed his hand into mine. I slid my fingers in between his, looked back to the sky with that same smile, and holding his hand I said, "We're going to Hogwarts."

The morning of Mrs. Snape's visit was today, it was the day Mum and Dad were going to find out magic was real. I woke up all nerves. I was met with the aromas of Mum cooking bacon and eggs, which mingled with Dad's coffee as I came downstairs.

"Smells good," I said. I gave Dad a walk-by kiss on the cheek and headed to the fridge.

Dad pulled the paper down and muttered that I was up early on a summer's day. Mum spun around and wished me good morning. I made sure Mum said she was in fact staying home with us girls today and poured myself some juice. Mrs. Gray had a family issue arise yesterday afternoon and said she wouldn't be able to watch my sister and me. I then reminded Mum that Mrs. Snape was coming over for lunch.

"Oh, of course I remembered. I'm looking forward to meeting your playground pal, and his mother. Mrs. Gray said that your friend was interesting." She kept flipping the bacon over and then called up to Petunia to wake up.

I sat down at the table trying to read the news stories on the front of Dad's paper, but Mum put down the platter of eggs, then the plate of bacon and Dad immediately began to dig in. I debated on spilling the beans right then and there. I played the scenario out in my head and thought better of it. Mrs. Snape would be able to explain it way better than I could.

The morning passed so slowly. Dad left for work, Petunia and I finished breakfast, and I even had time to really put myself together afterwards. It was only ten o'clock. Mom went out and retrieved the post. I had totally forgotten that a few days previous Severus warned me that the letter would come by normal post and not by magical bird delivery because we were Muggles and didn't receive "owls" yet.

"Lily, you have something," she said quizzically flipping a rather decorative envelope over. "Did you order something from one of your comics?"

It struck me right in the stomach. I felt like the wind was knocked out of me and little jolts of electricity danced on my skin. It was the Hogwarts acceptance letter. "Can I see," I started instead of asking why she would ask about my comic orders, "what does it look like? I don't think I've order anything recently."

I was trying to play it all nonchalant like, even though my heart was starting to race. Mum handed me the envelope. It was beautiful sturdy parchment, reminding me of the paper the framed degrees and diplomas are made of, only more old looking. The handwriting on the envelope with very swirly, I remember thinking that must be how all magical people wrote.

My mum gave me a look. "Lily, I know that look." She placed her hand under my chin, and nudged it up with with her pointer finger so my gaze met hers. "You're excited." She smiled. "Did you win one of those contests things from you comics? And what did you win?" She plucked the envelope from my hands playfully.

Petunia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "There's no return address on it, Lily. Did you and your silly friend mail those ridiculous make believe letters to each other?" She sounded bitter.

"Make believe letters?" Mum asked looking to Petunia then to me. I turned to Petunia and frowned. Petunia told Mum what I had told her earlier in the week. Mum chuckled at it and asked me if I really believed it. I told her I did and she kissed me on the head and handed me the letter back. "Ok Lily. You're a witch." I think my mum thought this was a joke, child's play. That hurt my feelings.

"No, Mum. It's true. It's really true. That's why Mrs. Snape is coming over because she's a witch!" My mum gave me a quizzical look and scolded me for calling Severus' mum a witch. She continued to tell me it is ok to believe what I do, because children do that. But it's not nice to involve grownups in stuff like that. That is how neighborhood rumours start. (I'd find out later that there was already talk among some of the other mothers in the area about Mrs. Snape and Mrs. Gray.)

"Mum, I'm not lying to you. See!" I popped the wax seal all unceremoniously, and pulled out the acceptance letter. It was two pages, and it was absolutely breathtaking. I barely got to read the first few lines before I handed it Mum. My heart lept. I was accepted. "I'm not making this up!"

Mum took it and read it hesitently, and out loud:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Lily Evans,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

Mum leaned on the counter a bit. She placed the second page in front of the first and made some faces while reading it silently. "Lily-" The doorbell rang. I looked up at the clock. They were early. Severus and his mum were early, thank god.

All three of us looked towards the front of the house. "Petunia go get the door," Mum said quietly. Petunia tried to say something back, but Mum shushed her and told her to get the door. Petunia stomped her foot and then left. "Lily, what is this?" Mum looked a bit upset. She was not a fan of my magical musings, but I think she thought that this was one of my "pranks" and I was taking it too far.

"Mum, the kid from the park and his mum are here," Petunia said before moving out of the way. Severus and his mum walked into the kitchen.

Mrs. Snape smiled. "Eileen Snape. I'm Severus' mum." I stared at her. Eileen. I heard that name before. Mrs. Snape held her hand out and chuckled. "I see you have gotten The Letter, already." She smiled nervously. "It comes as a shock to most Mug-nonmagical people."

My mum gave her a confused look, shook her head, and excused herself for forgetting her manners. Then she got up and shook Mrs. Snape's hand, then offered her a seat and a beverage.

"I'm sorry if I came off as rude," Mrs. Snape said as she sat at the table. I looked at Severus, who looked at me. Then I looked to Petunia, who then looked and sneered at Severus, then back at me with a frown. Mum handed Severus' mum some juice in a daze. "You're daughter is not making this witchcraft 'stuff' up, Mrs Evans."

"Eileen. Can I call you Eileen?" My poor mum ambushed by me and the Snapes, and not knowing what to say. Mrs. Snape chuckled again. It reminded me of bells, if bells could laugh. She said of course. Mum leaned on the counter then said, "I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this."

"You're actually taking it better than a lot of families that find out that their child is a witch." Petunia scoffed. Eileen turned to her. "I know it seems so unreal," she turned back to face my mum, "but it's true. Magic is real and there are schools for young witches and wizards to go to hone their talents and abilities."

Mum put her hand up and waved it to motion for a halt to this conversation. She tried to say something, but couldn't. She was rattled and upset, I'm sure of it. She gave me a look, then glanced up at the clock. "My apologies, I'm not normally like this, but I think I am going to have a drink." I watched Mum's perfectly clothed self walk over to Dad's bar. She had on this amazing floral print dress with a large white collar. Her hair was perfect, the little makeup she had on was perfect. But she was falling apart inside.

I did not think that this would go this way at all. It all played out so splendidly in my head. Mrs. Snape turned to Severus.

"Sev, we'll do an introduction in a little while. Why don't you and the girls play out back or front or somewhere outside while we ladies talk." Severus nodded and looked at me.

"C'mon Severus let's go out back." I turned to Petunia. "You're welcomed to join us if you want."

"No thanks," Petunia huffed. She then went out the front of the house.

"Sorry Mrs. Snape. I didn't think-"

"Oh, Lily," she sounded hesitant saying my name, as if she wasn't confident that was it, "why do you think Severus and I came over here over an hour early." She smiled up at me. "Now you two go play."

I grabbed Severus' hand and led him to the back. I told Mum we're giving the Mums some alone time as we passed her on our way to the rear door. Mum gave me a look and shook her head then continued mixing her tomato juice.

Severus and I were outside in the shade of the small tree in the backyard, jumping up and down in excitement about the letters. I was keeping it all inside. We both kept talking at the same time and had big goofy smiles. After the anxiousness subsided, we finally calmed down. We were holding onto each other's forearms, trying to slow down our breathing.

I was in a little bit of shock myself. I didn't let the gravity of the situation sink in until I could have a private freakout moment like I just did. We stared into each other's eyes for a few moments in silence. Smiles kept creeping across our faces. I had no words about the excitement I felt. I was going to Hogwarts.