On Saturday, I collected my clothes and a towel and left for the prefect
bathroom.
"Nemo malus felix," I said and stepped into the bathroom.
After a warm bath, I slipped on my green robes. They were just ordinary robes, but I'd never worn them before. I'd never found occasion to. At Hogwarts, I always wore black robes and at home I wore Muggle clothes. I'd never thought of changing after classes and on the weekends I just threw on the black robes like I did every day. I did have some dress robes, but that was different.
But this was a date. I wanted to look special. Even if I didn't feel any want to impress Severus, at least I could wear something different to make it more special for him.
To tell the truth, Mum had picked out these robes for me when we had gone shopping in Diagon Alley last summer. "Look at this color, Lily," she said. "It goes so well with your eyes."
I squinted into the mirror. I supposed it was true. The robes really did bring out my eyes.
I pulled out a hairbrush and yanked it through my hair. I had washed it but not conditioned, so now I had to struggle to untangle it. Finally, it was brushed. I squeezed the water out with my towel, appreciating that, because it was magic, it dried my hair immediately. Though I usually kept my hair in a long braid that hung down my back, I decided to keep it loose for today, letting auburn curls spill onto my shoulders and down my back.
I let the water in the tub drain and gathered up my old clothes, stuffing them into a bag. When I entered the common room, I was met by Severus. He looked at me and whispered, "Lily, you look beautiful."
"Thanks," I said hurriedly, "but I just came back from a bath. I have to put my things away." I pulled my hand out of his grasp and slipped up the stairs. In the dormitory, I stole a glance in the mirror. He was right. I should wear green more often, I thought. Mum is right. It does suit me well.
After tossing my bag of clothes down, I stepped quickly down the stairs, hand on the banister. Severus was waiting for me.
"Let's go," he said as soon as I reached the bottom. His hand slipped into mine and he led me out of the common room.
When he was sure no one was in sight, he pulled a shimmering cloth out of his robes. "This," he whispered proudly, "is an Invisibility Cloak." He stepped close me and threw it over our heads. I looked at my feet. They were gone. I let out a breath of wonder.
"Come," he said. He gripped my hand tightly and pulled me forward. We took small steps. Luckily it seemed most people were in their common rooms. We heard a few voices and footsteps drifting down the halls, but no one crossed our path.
Once Hogwarts was small in the distance, Severus pulled the cloak off. "Do you know how to Apparate?"
"Yes, of course," I replied. "I passed my test over the summer."
"Good. It takes to long to walk, so let's both Apparate to in front of Honeydukes, all right?"
"Yes," I replied. Certainly I had never before been on a date so exciting. Those dates had all ended early by my choice - I had been so bored. From that I had learned that a handsome face does not equal interesting personality.
"Get ready, set, go!"
Crack. Honeydukes lay on my right. I spun around. Where was Severus?
I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Oh, there you are!" I smiled. "Now where are we going? Or is it top-secret?" I grinned at him.
He sighed. "I'm afraid this date won't get any more exciting. We're just going to an ordinary restaurant, going to eat an ordinary meal, and then go home."
"Okay," I said and put my hand in his. I swung our hands back and forth. "Lead me to the restaurant."
* * *
After dessert, I sighed and laid my head on Severus's shoulder. "The food was delicious. Thank you."
He wrapped his arm around me. "Oh, Lily - I can't tell you how much I enjoyed being with you."
"It was wonderful to talk to you, too. There's so much I never knew about you."
The waiter came to pick up the dishes and Severus said, "I'll pay."
"But Severus, I have money--" I began.
"Lily," he said firmly, "It is my duty to pay."
I could not argue with him when he adopted that tone. "All right," I sighed. "Thank you."
We stepped out of the restaurant into the cool, dark night.
"Let's take a little walk around for a bit," I suggested.
As we walked, the cool wind blew gently on our faces. I shivered slightly.
Severus stopped. He pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders.
"Oh, Severus - You don't have to ... but thank you."
"It's so hard to get used to the idea that next year we won't be at Hogwarts," I sighed. "It will all be over then. We'll be adults."
"I know, it's unbelievable isn't it?"
"I can remember when I got my letter. It was the most exciting thing in my life. I learned of a completely new world - to which I belonged."
"What was your life before that? As a Muggle?"
Eventually the lights in the shops dimmed as people blew out the candles. The lanterns in the streets went out and I said, "I suppose it's time to be getting back." I glanced at my watch. Ten thirty already?
"Apparition time," Severus said. "How practical it would be if we could Apparate right to the common room."
"Yes," I sighed. "Back to from where we left?"
Nod.
Crack.
"It's too dark to need the cloak, but I'll keep it out in case we meet someone anyway."
I agreed.
I decided that I much preferred walking in the open air to small steps under an Invisibility Cloak.
When we reached the castle's great doors, I asked, "How are we going to get in?"
Severus smiled. "Accio broom," he whispered aloud. A few minutes later, a broom shot into his hand. "Sit behind me," he instructed. I did, hanging on tightly. It was a strange feeling to not be gripping the wood of the broom itself.
We soared into the air, heading for the Astrology tower. Severus landed the broom smoothly. "I'll leave it here," he said once we had both gotten off.
"Won't anyone find it?"
"Whoever finds it won't be able to tell that we used it. As for the broom itself, it's just an old one I borrowed from Madam Hooch."
"Borrowed...?"
He held a finger to his lips. "Shh," he said. "She'll get it back eventually."
When we reached the common room, I was surprised to find it empty. Then I realized it was almost midnight.
"I'm sorry for keeping you out so late," Severus said.
"It's all right. I had a wonderful time."
He smiled. "So did I," he said and leaned forward. Oh no, I thought. He's going to kiss me.
I took a nervous breath and closed my eyes. I felt his warm lips on mine. Then it was over.
"Good night, Lily," he said softly.
"Good night," I replied.
As I made my way up the stairs, the realization hit me. I was falling in love with Severus Snape.
"Nemo malus felix," I said and stepped into the bathroom.
After a warm bath, I slipped on my green robes. They were just ordinary robes, but I'd never worn them before. I'd never found occasion to. At Hogwarts, I always wore black robes and at home I wore Muggle clothes. I'd never thought of changing after classes and on the weekends I just threw on the black robes like I did every day. I did have some dress robes, but that was different.
But this was a date. I wanted to look special. Even if I didn't feel any want to impress Severus, at least I could wear something different to make it more special for him.
To tell the truth, Mum had picked out these robes for me when we had gone shopping in Diagon Alley last summer. "Look at this color, Lily," she said. "It goes so well with your eyes."
I squinted into the mirror. I supposed it was true. The robes really did bring out my eyes.
I pulled out a hairbrush and yanked it through my hair. I had washed it but not conditioned, so now I had to struggle to untangle it. Finally, it was brushed. I squeezed the water out with my towel, appreciating that, because it was magic, it dried my hair immediately. Though I usually kept my hair in a long braid that hung down my back, I decided to keep it loose for today, letting auburn curls spill onto my shoulders and down my back.
I let the water in the tub drain and gathered up my old clothes, stuffing them into a bag. When I entered the common room, I was met by Severus. He looked at me and whispered, "Lily, you look beautiful."
"Thanks," I said hurriedly, "but I just came back from a bath. I have to put my things away." I pulled my hand out of his grasp and slipped up the stairs. In the dormitory, I stole a glance in the mirror. He was right. I should wear green more often, I thought. Mum is right. It does suit me well.
After tossing my bag of clothes down, I stepped quickly down the stairs, hand on the banister. Severus was waiting for me.
"Let's go," he said as soon as I reached the bottom. His hand slipped into mine and he led me out of the common room.
When he was sure no one was in sight, he pulled a shimmering cloth out of his robes. "This," he whispered proudly, "is an Invisibility Cloak." He stepped close me and threw it over our heads. I looked at my feet. They were gone. I let out a breath of wonder.
"Come," he said. He gripped my hand tightly and pulled me forward. We took small steps. Luckily it seemed most people were in their common rooms. We heard a few voices and footsteps drifting down the halls, but no one crossed our path.
Once Hogwarts was small in the distance, Severus pulled the cloak off. "Do you know how to Apparate?"
"Yes, of course," I replied. "I passed my test over the summer."
"Good. It takes to long to walk, so let's both Apparate to in front of Honeydukes, all right?"
"Yes," I replied. Certainly I had never before been on a date so exciting. Those dates had all ended early by my choice - I had been so bored. From that I had learned that a handsome face does not equal interesting personality.
"Get ready, set, go!"
Crack. Honeydukes lay on my right. I spun around. Where was Severus?
I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Oh, there you are!" I smiled. "Now where are we going? Or is it top-secret?" I grinned at him.
He sighed. "I'm afraid this date won't get any more exciting. We're just going to an ordinary restaurant, going to eat an ordinary meal, and then go home."
"Okay," I said and put my hand in his. I swung our hands back and forth. "Lead me to the restaurant."
* * *
After dessert, I sighed and laid my head on Severus's shoulder. "The food was delicious. Thank you."
He wrapped his arm around me. "Oh, Lily - I can't tell you how much I enjoyed being with you."
"It was wonderful to talk to you, too. There's so much I never knew about you."
The waiter came to pick up the dishes and Severus said, "I'll pay."
"But Severus, I have money--" I began.
"Lily," he said firmly, "It is my duty to pay."
I could not argue with him when he adopted that tone. "All right," I sighed. "Thank you."
We stepped out of the restaurant into the cool, dark night.
"Let's take a little walk around for a bit," I suggested.
As we walked, the cool wind blew gently on our faces. I shivered slightly.
Severus stopped. He pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders.
"Oh, Severus - You don't have to ... but thank you."
"It's so hard to get used to the idea that next year we won't be at Hogwarts," I sighed. "It will all be over then. We'll be adults."
"I know, it's unbelievable isn't it?"
"I can remember when I got my letter. It was the most exciting thing in my life. I learned of a completely new world - to which I belonged."
"What was your life before that? As a Muggle?"
Eventually the lights in the shops dimmed as people blew out the candles. The lanterns in the streets went out and I said, "I suppose it's time to be getting back." I glanced at my watch. Ten thirty already?
"Apparition time," Severus said. "How practical it would be if we could Apparate right to the common room."
"Yes," I sighed. "Back to from where we left?"
Nod.
Crack.
"It's too dark to need the cloak, but I'll keep it out in case we meet someone anyway."
I agreed.
I decided that I much preferred walking in the open air to small steps under an Invisibility Cloak.
When we reached the castle's great doors, I asked, "How are we going to get in?"
Severus smiled. "Accio broom," he whispered aloud. A few minutes later, a broom shot into his hand. "Sit behind me," he instructed. I did, hanging on tightly. It was a strange feeling to not be gripping the wood of the broom itself.
We soared into the air, heading for the Astrology tower. Severus landed the broom smoothly. "I'll leave it here," he said once we had both gotten off.
"Won't anyone find it?"
"Whoever finds it won't be able to tell that we used it. As for the broom itself, it's just an old one I borrowed from Madam Hooch."
"Borrowed...?"
He held a finger to his lips. "Shh," he said. "She'll get it back eventually."
When we reached the common room, I was surprised to find it empty. Then I realized it was almost midnight.
"I'm sorry for keeping you out so late," Severus said.
"It's all right. I had a wonderful time."
He smiled. "So did I," he said and leaned forward. Oh no, I thought. He's going to kiss me.
I took a nervous breath and closed my eyes. I felt his warm lips on mine. Then it was over.
"Good night, Lily," he said softly.
"Good night," I replied.
As I made my way up the stairs, the realization hit me. I was falling in love with Severus Snape.
