Young Lily paced the Owlery Tower, anxiously waiting for her family's reply. It was midnight, and she had snuck out of her dormitory. She didn't care about the rules and was driven by her anxiety to break them. Her family was poor, and they could barely afford the small house they lived in. She received a letter from her family a few weeks ago saying that she could have to be pulled out of Hogwarts to move away. She had begged them to stay.

She gazed out the window with agitated eyes. Suddenly, an object in the beautiful night sky came into view. She sauntered to the window with shaking hands. The old owl rushed into the room, hovering above Lily. It dropped the neatly folded letter into her hands.

"Thanks, Eros."

She threw on her Invisibility Cloak and quietly bolted out of the room. She ran up flights of stairs, and finally, out of breath, halted at the Gryffindor Common Room portrait. She paused and looked down the hallway, only to see dark emptiness. Her heart pumped as she opened the letter and took out an old, yellow piece of paper.

Greetings, Lily.

Your mother and I have terrible news. We know how much you love Hogwarts, and we are sorry to admit that we are running out of money, and no longer able to pay for our house. We are moving to the United States of America to an even smaller home. You and Petunia are going to share a bedroom. You will be picked up at 7:00 AM tomorrow. Please start packing, no matter how late or early it is.

Love, Mother and Father

Lily's heart sank to the floor. She tried to suppress her tears as she trudged to the Slytherin Common Room. She knew who would be more disappointed than herself.

"Password?" the painting grunted.

"Pure-blood," Lily muttered.

The door opened. Lily quietly trudged through the room. It was hard to see. She spotted a flight of stairs, and slowly crept up them. When she reached the top, she faced a door with brass letters on it, spelling out "boys." She quietly opened the door and stepped into the dark room.

And then, she saw him- the dark-haired, pale-skinned young boy was sprawled out on his bed, reading a book. He immediately looked up, alarmed. He backed away towards his pillows, looking terrified. Even through the sadness, Lily couldn't repress a smile. She shut the door and swiftly walked toward the candlelight and sat on his bed. Just as he was about to pull out his wand, Lily yanked off her invisibility cloak.

The boy smiled very slightly. "Hello, Lily."

"Hello, Severus," she replied softly.

Snape looked around. "What are you doing here? You are going to get caught."

Lily remembered what she came here for, and her face went grim. "I have... bad news. I don't really think that you'll believe it."

The boy's face scrunched with concern.

Lily looked into his eyes, then away. She didn't want to break his heart.

"I..."

Snape stared at his bed sheets. "You can tell me."

"My parents are pulling me out of Hogwarts," she blurted, starting to cry. "We can't afford our house anymore, and we're moving to the United States. I'm sharing a room with my jerk of a sister, and I won't have any friends! My dad has an awful job, his boss is mean. We aren't paid enough, and I don't know if I'll ever see my friends again."

She looked up, sniffling. Snape's face was downcast. He crawled to the edge of the bed and blew out the candle, bathing the room in darkness. He paused, then stretched his arms out to her.

"Need a hug?"

Lily's heart melted as her stomach filled with butterflies. They had never touched before. She hesitated, then cautiously inched toward him.

Snape smiled. "It's okay."

Lily came closer, then wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

"You can stay here as long as you want." He wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Lily pulled away, then wiped her eyes. "Are you doing your homework?"

"No, I was just reading."

There was a moment of silence.

"I should go," Lily said wearily. "My parents need me to pack, and I need rest."

Snape put his book on the floor and sat upright. "Goodnight," he said mournfully.

"Goodbye, Severus," Lily sniffed.

He gazed at her with teary eyes.

As Lily was opening the door, she paused, then took a deep breath.

She slowly walked towards Snape, smiling sadly.

The boy stood up and stepped towards her.

When they were about a foot apart, she took his hand, sending what felt like an electric shock through them. Her heart skipped a beat.

She stood on her toes, then leaned in and kissed his forehead.

Lily studied his face. Tears were streaming down his neck. Then, without hesitation, she left the room. Once she got back to her dormitory, Lily immediately began packing. What was she going to do without her best friend?

Lily woke with a start. She had been lying on her closed suitcase. The dorm room was filled with weak sunlight, but all she could hear were the birds and the droning snores of the students. She looked around the floor, realizing she had finished packing. Her watch told her that it was 6:30 in the morning. She was going to miss Hogwarts.

Realizing she was still dressed, Lily walked down to the Great Hall. Some students were studying and quietly talking. She decided to take a walk around the courtyard, so she rolled her suitcase with her. There was a beautiful sunrise, and the trees rustled in the gentle, sad breeze. She came across a bench and sat down. She stared at the ground, lost in thought.

A few minutes later, someone tapped her shoulder.

She looked up. "Good morning, Severus."

He seated himself next to her, gently touching her hand.

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever.

"I'm going to miss you, Evans."

Lily turned to look at him. He pulled his hand away and looked down, fidgeting. She brushed his hair off of his face, causing him to redden. He turned to look at her and managed to smile. Then, he swiftly kissed her cheek and stood up.

"I'm going to breakfast. You better write to me." He smiled, causing tears to run down his face.

Lily couldn't suppress her tears. "I will."

She watched him disappear up the hill.