PART I

Chapter 4: Knew it All Along

After leaving Borgin and Burkes, Severus and Eileen quickly made their way back to Diagon Alley for a stop at Flourish and Blotts to buy textbooks. Eileen had a few old books from her days at Hogwarts that Severus could probably still use, but they were mostly advanced classes that he would not take until his sixth or seventh year. Severus would probably have to buy everything new for his first few years which worried Eileen a bit. Although her family vault at Gringott's still held a substantial amount of gold, she and Severus were on their own now, and they needed to make it last.

Shortly after stepping into the bustling bookstore, Severus decided that there was no place on earth that he would rather be. The high walls were covered in rich mahogany shelves filled with books of all shapes and sizes and the air smelled of leather and parchment. Witches and wizards were sitting at little candlelit tables in the corners sipping tea and skimming potential purchases. As he walked by, Severus stole quick glances at the books on their tables…a historical novel about the Salem witch trials, a biography of the warlock who invented floo powder, a romance novel about vampire hunting. Severus had always been a reader; he found it easier to escape into a fantasy world full of opportunities and imagination as opposed to living in the real world where he received frequent harassment, not only from the bullies at school, but also from his father at home. Ever since receiving his acceptance letter to Hogwarts, Severus had been fantasizing about retreating into the imaginary worlds created by wizards, which he assumed must be much more interesting than those created by Muggles.

Eileen led her son to the section of the store that specialized in textbooks and began examining the list he had received from Hogwart's and pulling various books from the shelves. Severus' eyes wandered around the towering fortress of bookcases holding all the knowledge that would help him to become a powerful wizard. He picked up a book on a nearby shelf that seemed to stick out for some reason: Dark Wizards of the 21st Century: Tragedy and Triumph by Lazslo Roman. Severus started skimming through the first chapter and quickly became immersed in the book and completely out of touch with the outside world. He noticed a bothersome tapping on his right shoulder, resurfaced to turn and see a familiar face with beautiful dark red hair and brilliant green eyes right behind him.

"Severus!" cried Lily excitedly grabbing his arm. "I hoped I would see you today. Where have you been? I've missed you so much."

Severus felt butterflies writhing in his stomach. Living just three doors down from the Snapes, Lily Evans had been Severus' best and only friend in the neighborhood that has been his home until a month ago. Always genuinely friendly, Lily talked to him even though most of the other kids at school laughed at his prominent nose, shy persona, and unusual name. He missed walking home with her from school, sharing stories and dreams. He missed coming over to her house on Saturdays to have lunch with the Evans family and play board games. He missed just talking to her. He felt like she was not only the one person who took the time to consider him, but also was the only one who really understood him.

"My mum and I moved," Severus explained frankly. "We've been living in a mill town a few kilometers away. I'll give you the address and maybe you can visit."

Lily 's smile faded. "Does that mean that your parents broke up?" she asked quietly.

"It's not a big deal," Severus answered dismissively. "Mom and I will be fine on our own and well, you know my dad…" Severus trailed off nervously staring at his feet.

"Oh I'm sorry," said Lily patting his arm. He shivered a bit. "I don't want to upset you. We should be so happy right now. I mean, we always knew this would happen didn't we? Remember that night in the tent…"

As Lily reminisced, Severus' mind wandered back to one warm June night about two years ago when Lily and Severus set up a small tent in her backyard and camped out under the stars. After telling ghost stories and indulging in lots of sugary candy, Lily told Severus a story about how she thought she had made Mrs. Pickens, their math teacher, sick last week by wishing that she wouldn't have to take Friday's quiz. She also shared a strange experience about somehow managing to make one of her favorite dolls dance and do cartwheels just by thinking about it. She asked Severus if he believed in magic.

Up until this point in his life, Severus had tried very hard to keep his family secret hidden. He had always known that his mother was a witch and that there was a whole wizarding world out there somewhere, but his father made sure that he didn't get anywhere near it. Occasionally, he managed to smuggle books from his mother's trunk and read about this other world, desperately hoping that one day he would become part of it. Severus knew that every so often the child of a Muggle became a witch or a wizard and he had always felt there was something special about Lily. Why not tell her, his only friend, the secret he had never been able to share with anyone else?

So that night Severus told Lily everything he knew about his mother, the wizarding world, and how all of this might relate to her seemingly strange abilities. He told her that he had inherited his mother's gift and she had been teaching him spells since a very young age. He told her that she might have that gift too and if she did, they might be able to study together at a wizarding school.

Lily was shocked into disbelief, but she wasn't scared. She knew she had no reason not to trust Severus Snape. She could tell that he was being honest with her and she could not think of a better explanation for these strange things that kept happening to her. Additionally, she always knew there was something about Severus and this all seemed to fit somehow. What normal mother would name their son Severus anyway? Her shock quickly transformed into excitement and her vivid imagination began constructing her future as a witch.

"…and I knew from the night on," concluded Lily. "I wasn't even surprised when I got my letter, but Mom and Dad are taking a while with all of this. Oh, Severus, I am just so excited! We're going to learn so much and have so much fun!"

Severus smiled discreetly and looked into Lily's green eyes, which reminded him of shimmering emeralds. As he stood in the bustling bookstore, it seemed like time was standing still and he found himself lost in her gaze. He felt as if he was floating, his vision faded, and pictures began to materialize. He saw a classroom with Lily sitting in the front row at a worn wooden desk diligently taking notes. A dark haired boy who looked suspiciously like himself sat beside her, his oversized nose buried in the textbook in front of him. The scene faded and he saw Lily strolling through a vibrant garden, the same boy at her side. Images flashed before his eyes and he felt dizzy. He grasped the bookshelf next to him for support and looked away quickly.

"Severus, are you okay?" Lily looked at him concerned.

"Yes," he replied quickly in a bit of a haze. He was drowsy and thought it might be a nice idea to curl up and enjoy an afternoon nap. He felt a thin hand on his shoulder and turned around to see his mother at his side.

"Come along, Severus," she said nudging him forward. Eileen recognized Lily and smiled at her shyly. She knew Lily to be her son's playmate, but she rarely made her way out of the house as she was usually inside trying desperately to make Tobias happy. "We need to hurry home," She whispered to her son.

"Goodbye," Lily said happily. "I'll see you at school."

"Bye," replied Severus hesitantly. He turned and walked away.