A few years passed again, the time speeding by. Lily soon found herself in her fifth year at Hogwarts. She and Severus were falling further apart and they both could see it. The more they drifted the harder he seemed to hold onto her. She didn't mind. She really did love him…but she wasn't in love with him the way he seemed to be with her. She didn't want this friendship to end unless it had to. He was the first friend she ever really had. Petunia had left her. There wasn't any hope of getting her older sister back. The girl hated her now and Lily found that this didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. Ever since Severus had first told her that she was a Witch, Lily had thrown herself into this new world, finally happy for an explaination for what she could do. Petunia was just jealous, but there wasn't anything Lily could do that could get her sister to change. Not everyone had magic, Lily had tried to explain, you just have to accept that. Of course, Petunia hates being wrong, so Lily never got her point across her. Her sister had shut her away…and she wasn't going to let her back in.

Sev,

Petunia is being a miserable old hag like always. Yes, that's right, I just called her a hag. I wish you could see the way she's acting. Its…well its sort of annoying. She's acting like the little sister. I can't believe I used to look up to her. I still do, in some ways, but she just won't accept that. Its like the friendship we used to have is gone…it feels like I can't ever get her back. This is a hard thing to accept but I have more people, people like me, and I don't need her anymore. Petunia can do what she wants. I don't care. I only care that I get my magical education finished and get to start a new life. Have you thought anymore about what you're going to do when you leave school? I hope you took my warning into consideration, Sev, because I don't want you to become a Death Eater. Pat told me before we left for home that You-Know-Who treats his followers horribly. I don't want you to get hurt, Sev. Please don't do what I think you're going to do. Don't join Him just so you can fit in. Fitting in doesn't matter all that much. I would know. Sometimes it's a good thing to be different. Please, Sev, for me.

With love,

Lily

"What are you doing? Are you writing to that stupid boy?" a shrill voice demanded.

"Get out of my room." Lily snapped, folding the parchment up.

"Don't you dare send that to him! I'll--"

"Look, Petunia. I don't care what you do. Go tell mum. I don't care. I'm not in the mood. I'm sick of you always telling me what to do. I'm not a little girl anymore." Lily sighed.

"You're my little sister--"

"And you're my big sister. I love you, Tuney, but you're being ungrateful towards me. If you're going to act like that then I'm not going to treat you with the respect that you deserve. Treat people the way you would like to be treated, Tuney. Just because you're older doesn't give you the right to tell me who I can mail and who I can't." Lily interrupted, pushing past her older sister.

Petunia followed behind her, fuming.

"Mum? Can I mail this letter?" Lily called.

"Of course darling." Mrs. Evans called back.

"Thanks!" Lily picked the owl up on her arm and carried it back to her room with her, cooing softly. She had been given the owl in her third year at Hogwarts so she wouldn't have to bother the Snape's as much. Severus was gone away to some kind of camp at the moment and that's why Lily was writing him. It was a Wizard's camp and she was sure he was having some fun despite his gloomy letters.

"Why do you even talk to him? He's a freak." Petunia said.

"He's no more a freak then you or I." Lily returned, setting the owl on the window sill.

"Why didn't you mail it down there?" her sister demanded.

"Look, I don't have time for all these questions. I've got summer course work that I have to do. If I don't get this finished by the time I'm back at Hogwarts I'm in big trouble, Tuney. So if you don't mind leaving, please do." Lily interrupted again.

"I wish you would--"

"Just go."

Petunia looked hurt as Lily opened the window and the brown and white owl flew off in the direction of Severus's camp. Lily turned around and put her hands on her hips.

"Or you can stand in her and watch me while I write with my 'freak' stuff." Lily offered.

"I don't care anything about your freak work." Petunia sneered.

"If you don't care then get out." Lily returned.

"Fine!"

"Fine."

Petunia glared at her little sister, turned on her heel, and marched out of the room. She slammed the door shut behind her. Lily sat down on the edge of her bed and sniffed; tears filling her eyes. She hated being mean to Petunia but her older sister was being…she didn't even know what she was being. One thing was sure that she wasn't herself anymore. Lily adored her, and Petunia just didn't care anymore. Lily still loved her but it was like Petunia didn't even want to acknowledge the exsist of her little sister. The little girl that had followed her around and was willing to do whatever the elder wanted. It was like all the games and good times they had had before Lily started Hogwarts had disappeared. Just because Lily went somewhere else that Petunia didn't, just because Lily was more gifted then Petunia, it was like…it was like she wasn't allowed to be her sister anymore.

"'Lo, Ginger," Lily whispered miserably as the fat cat rubbed up against her purring, "At least I still have you and Severus to be my friends."

The cat meowed softly, kneading Lily's hand with her head. Lily smoothed the soft fur as she gazed out the window, longing for Severus to return.

[X]

Lils,

Camp sucks. I wish I could back home and sit with you under the tree in front of my house like we used to do. Stupid mum sending me here. I can't stand her sometimes. I'm sorry Petunia is acting that way. Maybe we should hex her over at my house sometime. You know she deserves it. I really miss you, Lils. I hope I can make it home soon. This place sucks so much. All the people here are…well people. I never said I was going to be a Death Eater just to fit in--I didn't say I was going to be a Death Eater at all. I don't know what makes you think that but I promise I'm not going to be what the rest of them want to be. We just have to promise to stay in touch after graduation. I can't believe we're both going such different ways. It's a good thing we're best friends, Lils. I don't know where I would be without you.

Yours,

Severus