Over the next few weeks, any time Luna was with Severus she couldn't help but hear Pomona's voice in her head rehashing the story of Lily. Every time they were intimate or had a tender moment, Luna would desperately search Severus's eyes for any trace of loving emotion. She could never come to a conclusion either way. If she saw love, the little voice in her head told her that she was imagining it. If she didn't see it, then the same voice told her that she was trying to make problems where there were none.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Luna said as she was packing her possessions into her trunk.

Severus entered, "Do you have plans for the summer?"

Luna stopped packing and turning her attention to him, "Are you asking me to go on holiday with you?"

Severus gave a nervous laugh. "Not exactly. I have no plans to go anywhere myself. I just thought, if you didn't already have plans, that perhaps you'd like to join me at my house for the summer. It isn't much, but I thought I would still ask if-"

Luna cut him off, "I'd love to."

A small smile appeared on Severus's face. "I'll leave you to finish packing."

He left as quickly as he had entered.

Luna and Severus stood outside the door of a narrow brick house that was surrounded by similar looking, but clearly abandoned homes. All of the street lights were broken, and the smell from an dirty river wafted by from time to time.

They crossed the threshold and entered into a small sitting room, the walls lined with worn books.

"It isn't much..." Severus began.

But Luna wasn't listening. She had already left Severus's side and had wandered over to one of the walls stuffed with leather bound books. She reached up and let her fingers glide along the cracked spines of several books. "I love it." she said as she returned her attention to him.

Over the next few days, the two had settled into a routine of playing house. Luna had, against Severus's wishes, begun to tidy the place a bit. This brought a warmth into the cold house.

Every evening the two would make dinner together without magic. The two often remarked at how muggle cooking was similar to potions. Carefully measure ingredients, specific heats, time and attention. It was an activity that they grew fond of doing together.

But one night Luna rolled over in bed, half awake, expecting to find Severus next to her. Instead she found cold sheets. She sat up and looked towards the bedroom door, where a faint light crept under the doorway.

Curious as to what he was doing in the middle of the night, Luna got out of bed. Goosebumps appeared on her skin and she gave a shiver as the cold of the night greeted her skin when she got out of the blankets. She put on her robe and then quietly left the bedroom, following the source of the flickering light.

Severus was sitting in an old armchair, a glass of brandy in one hand and what looked like a photograph in another. His gaze was fixed out the window towards the dark abandoned streets. A dying fire in the fireplace dimly lit the room.

"Severus..." Luna whispered.

Severus's head snapped to look at her, and his body gave a slight jump. He clearly wasn't expecting her to be awake.

"What are you doing?" Luna continued as she moved closer to him.

"Just... reminiscing." Severus said softly. "This was my childhood home you know. I have lots of memories here. These streets weren't always empty. One of my dearest friends used to live nearby."

Luna looked down at the photograph in Severus's hand. A gorgeous red haired young woman was standing in the photo. She had a smile that could light a room and was wearing a long flowing white dress. She was waving at the camera. Although she had never seen her before, Luna immediately recognized who she was.

"Lily." she said, her voice cracking.

"Who told you about her?" Snape said, his eyes widening with alarm.

"Pomona" Luna responded. She could feel a fire starting to build somewhere deep within her.

"Is she the dearest friend who used to live nearby?" Luna asked, the shakiness of her voice beginning to fade and be replaced with anger.

"Yes." Snape said softly.

"And is she the reason that you come here every summer despite the fact that this house is surrounded by a ghost town? Despite the fact that what Dumbledore pays could easily pay for a new house? You choose to come back here. Because of her?" Luna's voice was now quaking with anger, and the finger she raised to point at the photograph of smiling Lily mimicked the shake of her voice.

"Yes." Snape said, his voice barely audible.

"Is that why you brought me here? So you could be close to the memory of her and pretend that the body you were touching at night was hers?" Tears were starting to stream down Luna's cheeks.

Severus didn't answer her.

The silence that filled the room as the two of them stared at each other was deafening.

"Have you been carrying a flame for her all this time?" Luna said, her eyes growing puffy from crying. "Have you loved her all this time?"

"Always." Severus whispered, his eyes pleading for her to stop.

"I think I'm going back to Hogwarts early." Luna whispered.

Severus rose to his feet, "It's the middle of the night." He reached for her hand "I'll explain everything to you. And if after you still want to leave, you can. But please, please just stay till morning." It was his turn to have a shaky voice.

Luna tore her hand away before Severus could touch her. "I don't want to stay here. I won't compete with a ghost."