Chapter Three

Severus picked a bunch of flowers near the river. Today was the day; he was going to tell Lily the truth. As he picked all kinds of wildflowers, he thought of the last month and a half that Severus and Lily had spent together. They were going to start sixth year in a couple of weeks, and Lily had so kindly reminded him of his promise a few days before.

He had practiced by talking into his mirror at night when his parents were asleep. The mirror gave him encouraging tips on how to tell Lily how he felt. Severus was so immersed in his thoughts, that he didn't realize that his feet had carried him all the way to Lily's. He knocked on the door, the flowers behind his back.

The door opened and Lily's father let Severus into the living room. Mr. Evans was a nice muggle man. He worked as a mechanic in London and had Lily's green eyes that Severus loved so much. Mrs. Evans saw that Severus had arrived and gave him a big hug and handed him a fresh slice of banana bread. Severus thought that not even the house elves at Hogwarts could out cook Mrs. Evans.

Lily came down the stairs in a beautiful white sun dress, kissed her parents good bye, and took Severus by the hand to the back yard. They sat on the two swings, their arm's wrapped around the chains.

"Well, I promised you that I would tell you who I had a crush on before the summer was over," Severus started.

"Wait, Sev. If you really don't want to tell me, you don't have to," said Lily.

"But I do, Lil. You're my best friend. I have to tell you."

"Okay, if you're sure," said Lily.

"Lily," Severus took a deep breath. "I have been meaning to tell you this for a long time." He handed her the flowers.

"Sev-"

"You don't have to say anything, Lil. I couldn't keep it bottled up anymore," Severus said. "I like you. A lot. We can still be best friends if you don't like me that way. I understand-"

Lily stopped Severus from blabbing away with just a finger to his lips. "Sev, I like you too."

Severus smiled and lifted Lily off of the swing into the biggest hug he had ever given her. When he set her down, Severus looked into her eyes. Lily stood on her tippy toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Ew! Lily, get away from him!" screamed her sister, Petunia from the back fence. She was there with Vernon Dursely, her boyfriend who was at Smelting's, the preppy boy school.

"Tuney! Stop it," yelled Lily. "We're sisters. I am fine with your choice in a boyfriend, why can't you be fine with mine?"

"You didn't tell her?" asked Vernon.

"Tell me what?" snapped Lily.

"Me and Vernon are getting married," Petunia whispered. "And I am fine with your choices, as long as it's someone normal."

As always, whenever Petunia used the word normal around Severus, he got riled up. "Normal! Like it matters?"

"Sev, please, calm down," said Lily.

"Lil, she wants you to be with someone normal. She doesn't like me at all."

Lily put a reassuring hand on Severus. "It's fine. She has her choices, and we have ours."

Severus took a deep breath. He finally calmed down. Lily was the only one who could ever cool his temper.

"Snape, it's not that I don't like you. I just don't like your parents," said Petunia.

"Well, you aren't the only one," mulled Severus. "I hate them too."

Vernon put a hand around Petunia's waist and they walked over to Severus and Lily.

"Tuney, don't you think we could be sisters again? Please? I don't like fighting with you."

"Yes. I don't like fighting with you either," responded Petunia.

The two girls hugged and the boys looked at each other. Severus what happy that Lily and her sister had finally made up after all of these years. He smiled at the girls.

"So," said Severus, "when's the wedding?"