Severus and Lily's first couple of years at Hogwarts seemed to go by faster than they expected, and before they knew it, they were heading to Diagon Alley for the third time for school supplies.
Their first two years had been interesting to say the least, but their friendship had grown stronger than ever after facing situations that threatened to tear them apart.
There had been the time Lucius Malfoy had tried to jinx Lily in the hallway after discovering how popular she was with everybody at Hogwarts, but Severus had stopped him with simply saying, "No...she's all right. Let her alone."
And during the past two years, Severus had begun to realize that he was not well liked by anyone outside of his few friends in Slytherin, and of course Lily. James Potter and Sirius Black seemed to think it was the funniest thing in the world to call him 'Snivellus' in front of everybody, and once they had even hexed him in the hallway, making him fall face first to the floor. The professors had punished Potter and Black, but all the two boys wanted to do was make Severus' life a living hell. It was mainly Potter being envious of Severus that sparked his actions, and Black followed everything he did. Jealousy emanated from every pore in Potter's body, and Severus knew it, so he chose not to fight back. His strategy was to simply stay close to Lily whenever he could, which he would have done even if Potter wasn't a threat. But it was constantly a battle for the girl's attention.
And so that was how their first two years had been. But despite Gryffindor's mutual hatred with Slytherin, Lily and Severus remained best friends. The main element that had kept them together was their stubborness and obvious dismissal of what other people thought of them. It also helped that Lucius stepped in once and a while to turn James Potter into a toadstool.
Severus and Lily walked into the Leaky Cauldron on a cool, breezy day, wearing their long black cloaks. They definitely didn't look like Muggles, but they didn't look like wizards either. They just looked strange. One small boy with his mother gaped at them as he passed by, his head turning as he got farther away. Severus and Lily giggled at the the ridiculousness of it all. Sometimes they wondered how Muggles lived without wands and potions and broomsticks.
"So what do we need this year?" Lily said, pulling her supplies list from her cloak pocket as Severus held the door open for her. He followed her in and pulled his own list out.
"Bloody Hell! There's so much stuff on this list! Herbology: A Fun and Interesting Guide to Plants? What rubbish!" Severus said.
"Gosh, you're right. There have to be at least thirty things on this list! We're going to be here a bit longer than I expected." Lily replied, scanning the bit of parchment in her hand.
"We'd better get started, then." Severus said, sighing. They walked through the Leaky Cauldron to the other exit where the brick wall separated and made an opening to Diagon Alley.
The street was crowded with witches and wizards and lost Muggle parents, all heading in different directions. Lily and Severus took in the familiar sight with smiles on their faces. Even if it was buying school supplies, they were just happy to be together again after a long summer of being apart. Lily had gone on vacation with her family in Spain, leaving Severus to put up with his two temperamental parents. He had basically spent the summer thinking about its end.
"Well let's start with Madam Malkin's...I need some new robes. I think I grew over the summer." Lily said with a sheepish grin. It was true; she had grown about three inches while in Spain, and she was now a whole head taller than Severus.
"You think you grew? Evans, you look like a skyscraper!"
"Oh, piss off! You sound like that Potter, calling me Evans." They looked at each other, and without another word they both burst out laughing, and didn't stop until Madame Malkin herself shushed them inside her shoppe.
Two hours later, after collecting every thing they needed on their lists, they hobbled down the street, their faces hidden by boxes that were stacked up in their arms. They were grateful that they hadn't needed new cauldons this year. That would not have been good.
"I don't want to go home." Severus suddenly exclaimed, placing his boxes on the ground. He had been thinking this the whole time they had been there, but this was the first time he'd said it aloud.
"You mean Hogwarts?" Lily asked, setting her boxes next to his. She turned to face him and crossed her arms. It was getting chilly out.
"No. I mean back to my house. With Mum and Dad."
"Sev, don't worry, we only have a week until school starts. You'll be fine." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her through his pitch black hair and shook it out of his face. When he did, Lily suddenly found herself taking her hand away after a strange jolt of energy coursed through her body. She shivered, wondering if she should have gotten warmer cloaks.
"Maybe I'll stay here for a week. In a little inn or something."
"Are you joking, Sev? Do you even have the money for that?"
"Yes, I have leftover. I just can't go back there. They don't want me there anyway. I don't even think they know I'm gone."
"I guess I have no choice. I'll have to come, too." Lily said defiantly.
"What!? You must be mental! You can't come to my house!"
"No, you git, I meant to an inn. If you're going, I'm coming with you. You can't just stay in an inn for a week alone--you're not even thirteen yet!"
Severus scowled at that. He did want Lily to come. But he knew her parents would be scared to death about where she was, and they would blame him for it. As if she could read his mind, Lily said,
"I'll send an owl to my mum and dad right now, Sev. It'll be fine." She gave him a pleading look and stuck her bottom lip out. Her hair was being blown about by the wind and her eyes shone like emeralds. Severus was mesmerized.
"I suppose so." he grumbled, tearing his eyes away from her face. What's wrong with me?, he thought. I can't even look at her anymore without swooning like a complete prat.
"Hurray! We'll have so much fun, I know it!" Lily said, throwing her arms around his neck with joy. His pale cheeks turned bright red. She withdrew from him a few seconds later, still feeling the warmth of him. My cheeks are naturally pink, she thought as she felt them burn.
"Well, we should find an owl, then." Severus said, picking up his boxes once again.
"There's Fran's Familiars! They have owls. I'll rent one," Lily said, picking up her boxes and starting towards the shoppe. Severus followed.
It didn't take long to send an owl and find an inn; there were plenty of places to stay in Diagon Alley. The problem was whether they were going to be let in without adult supervision.
" 'Ow old are you two anyways? Should'n' yeh 'ave yur mums and dads wif yeh?" The man who showed them to their room not only didn't care that they were twelve, he was also drunk from too many firewhiskeys. It was only about eight o'clock at night, but he'd been drinking all day.
"Well, they're coming later," Severus lied. The man nodded and wobbled where he stood, then descended the stairs into the lobby.
"I can't believe we actually got a room." Lily said as she turned the key in the lock. She opened the door. They stepped inside.
"Well." Severus said, taking in the scene before them.
There were two beds, both with mustard-yellow comforters and brown pillows. There was one small window on the left wall that was covered in grime. The floor was relatively clean, but there was a large wine stain next to one of the beds and a dead spider in the right far corner. The ceiling was cracked, and Severus was reminded of his own room for a moment.
"Bloody Hell," Lily said quietly. Lily didn't swear very often.
"You were the one who insisted on coming. Just remember that," Severus threw his new trunk and school supplies on the bed. Lily snorted softly and quickly brought a hand to her mouth. She couldn't hold it.
"Its...its...so...PICTURESQUE!" she yelped, and before she knew it she was on the floor laughing, tears pooling in her eyes. Severus watched in awe. A smile began to twitch on the edges of his lips. Then he was laughing too. He threw himself onto the yellow bed and laughed for what seemed like forever, Lily still gasping on the floor.
"What shall we name the spider, then?" she asked him, propping herself up on her elbows.
"I've got one! How about 'James'?" Severus said.
"Damn it, I was going to name the stain James!" Lily answered, and that brought about another gale of laughter.
"Well I don't regret it," Lily said when they finally calmed down.
"Well, good," said Severus. He looked down at her from the side of the bed.
"What?" said Lily, smiling.
"Oh, nothing. You're just lying on top of James, that's all," Severus said nonchalantly. Lily sprung up from the floor with a squeal and noticed that she had in fact been lying on top of the old wine stain. They giggled as Lily stood up, brushing herself off.
"You're such a prat," she told him, smacking his shoulder. The only thing Severus could do was smile.