Author's Note: This fanfiction is mostly a flashback of Lily Potter's to the Summer of 1977. The other setting is around Harry's 1st birthday in Summer of 1981. I think of this fic as a bridge between Lily being past friends with Severus and then later being close to James, her feelings on things. Disclaimer: I don't own this song nor Harry Potter.

Southern Nights

It was the Summer of 77', Lily Potter remembers it well.

The ginger haired young woman is sitting at the old park near her childhood home in Cokeworth, United Kingdom of Great Britain. She is wearing sporty shorts and a swim top while sweating in the nighttime summer heat. It was back when she was Lily Evans, soon to be 7th year Hogwarts student and former best friend to one Severus Snape.

While it is technically the second summer without her "Sev", this one hurt more because her anger was mostly gone now, replaced with grief and reluctant acceptance. Acceptance that her once longtime friend was gone, grown into a soon to be Death Eater. Oh how she hates that group that took her Sev away from her. They have not spoken since the end of 5th year exams. A Death Eater and a Muggle born, such as herself, could never be friends. However, the War of "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" (Lord Voldemort) is not the sole reason, for Lily and Severus had been growing a part since their sorting in 1st year when one went to Gryffindor and the other went Slytherin. It had been about time that Lily left their friendship behind in the past.

At first it was easy, Snape made her so angry with the company he kept and his life choices. Him calling her a "mudblood" in front of the whole school was the final straw. She had only been trying to help him but he had proven to be a lost cause.

However, with Petunia gone to spend the summer in the city and with her friends too busy out in the Magical parts of England, Lily Evans is feeling lonely. Having lost her parents only a few months ago, she is truly alone at the family home. No Neighbors around, not even Snape who hasn't even got off the train with her since the end of 5th year. Lily misses the summers she got to spend with Sev, at least she was not alone then. And he was different then, a true friend.

But now she is alone. And while not normally emotional, Lily can not stop the tears falling down her hot, sun kissed face. Her watery emerald eyes reflecting happier times, when her family was together and Sev was in her life. For even though she was at odds with her sister Petunia and that she no longer spoke to Severus, she dearly missed them both. She is missing her happy childhood, the simpler times and no war to worry about. Lily is so miserable that even a letter from that Arrogant Toe-Rag Potter would be welcome right about now.

As if the heavens were answering her private call, a snowy white owl flys down to Lily from out of the starry night sky holding a note. She grabs it quickly from the owl desperate for contact with another soul. "Thank you," addresses the lonely teenager to the majestic bird, "I am sorry, but I am not ready to write a reply right away. Please fly back to your master. I will send them a reply sometime later." With a slight huff, the powdery owl flys back out into the dark sky.

Lily decides to walk home and listen to her record player in her room before reading the note. With the war in the magic part of the world getting worse, she is afraid that it might be more bad news. It is a decent walk back to her home on the "good" side of this old mill town from the overgrown park.

Some time later, Lily is sitting in her bedroom. Pulling out her well-used record player, she places a new record she got as a gift a few months ago for her birthday from her fellow muggle born friend Mary. The label on the vinyl reads "Glen Campbell-Southern Nights". The first song is the main namesake of the record and it helps improve Lily's mood. There is some thing about American style music that puts a smile on Lily's face, this singer being a good example of this.

Southern Nights, Have you ever felt a Southern Night, Free as breeze, Not to mention the trees, Whistling tunes that you know and love so...

While listening to the sweet sounding American music, Lily starts to read the note delivered by the owl from earlier.

"Dear Evans, First of all, I know that we are not even friends let alone something more. Hell, you don't even like me very much at all. But I need to write to you a few words so I hope you keep reading this letter even if you check to see who wrote this first. I am truly sorry for bothering you and your friends for years, even Sniv-Snape. It was immature and cruel of me. I am also sorry for pestering you about dating and acting like a prat. I hope we can start over in September and not be enemies at least, if not friends. I promise not to push you into going out with me anymore. Also, through Remus I heard about what happened to your parents. Please don't be mad it him, I forced him to tell me when he vaguely mentioned you having hard times. While I can not begin to understand what you are going through, I hope you are doing well all things considering. I hope you stay safe and I guess I might see you back at school. Sincerely, James C. Potter."

...It's precious beauty, Lies just beyond the eye, It goes running through the soul, Like the stories told of old...

After she finishes reading the note, the Evans girl looks out of her window into the twinkling night sky. Lily contemplates her past and she thinks of what could be someday, escaping from the here and now for the rest of the night...

Joy, Feels so good, Feels so good it's frightening, Wish I could, Stop this world from fighting...

It is four years later from that particular summer. The same red haired woman is dressed in a bright yellow sundress looking out the window with her baby, her husband sound asleep in the next room on this hot summer night. Lily plays the same song for her year old son Harry on the same ancient record player. She is miles away from Cokeworth, years out of Hogwarts, and now married to James. While the little family is living in hiding with the war still going on and their lives in danger, the young couple still feels great happiness towards their son. With his dark hair and his mother's eyes, little harry brings both of his parents not only great joy, but hope for the future. He is the little light in the surrounding darkness. They might not be free to leave their home of Godric's Hallow for now, but maybe someday when the war is over Lily hopes to take her Harry for an outing to her childhood park...

Southern nights, They feel so good it's frightening, Wish I could, Stop this world from fighting, Da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da, Da-da-da-da-da-da, la-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da