Lily came to my house at around eight o'clock. I had barely even started unpacking when the knock came at my door, and my mother called to me, "Severus! That girl is here to see you!" Honestly. She's known Lily for six years now and she still calls her "that girl." Almost tearfully, Lily asked me if I'd like to go to the playground, so that's where we were now, each of us sitting on a swing, staring at the sky, lost in our own thoughts. I could hear Lily sniffling beside me, so finally I asked, "For Merlin's sake, Lily, what's wrong?" She took a shaky breath before saying, so softly I might have mistaken it for a breeze or a rustling in the woods, "My mum has cancer." I didn't know much about cancer, it was a Muggle disease that wizards rarely acquired, but I knew it could be fatal, and Lily was obviously upset over it. So I got up from my swing and, wordlessly, opened up my arms to her. With a sob, she launched herself at me and started weeping into my shoulder. I don't remember when, or how, or why, but somehow we ended up on the ground, and that's where we fell asleep. I woke up the next morning with her curled up into my chest, with my arms drawn protectively around her. It killed me to see her so broken, but at the same time, it was the happiest I had ever been.