Taking Down the Sunrise

“What do you do in a relationship like this?” Lily mused aloud as she nudged her chess piece forward. “It’s almost like we’re starting too late.”

“Is that like the opposite of moving too fast? Because that’s probably not a bad thing.” Severus replied absently as his pawn advanced further on the board.

Lily slapped the table, hard. The sound not only caught Severus’s attention but echoed through the library and awarded them several reproaching stares. Lily and Severus didn’t notice as they were focused on each other.

“I’m serious, Sev,” She said without a hint of a smile, “Where do we start? Do we go on a first date? Are we too far along for dates? And if we are, then what? How do we begin a relationship when we already know everything about each other?”

Severus took her hand and smiled, “We’ll start like any other couple. We’ll go on a date.”

“How do you go on a date in Hogwarts?”

“We could go for a walk or... work on our homework together?” Severus suggested.

Lily shook her head, “We always do those things. It’s not special.”

“Hogsmeade?”

She sighed, “That’s not for two whole weeks.”

Severus paused for a moment, thinking hard. All of his idea were against the rules or unlikely for Gryffindor approval. Or both. Suddenly, an idea came to him and he snapped his fingers, saying, “Why don’t we have a midnight picnic in the Astronomy tower? It’ll be romantic.”

A smile the size of the Eiffel Tower spread across Lily’s face. She leaned across the table and pecked him lightly on the lips, “I’ll see you then.”

“Where are you going?”

“To get ready!”

“It’s two o’clock!”

She smiled mischievously and waved goodbye as she left the library. Severus couldn’t help but smile back.

***

“My hair has to be up, Trina!” Lily exclaimed, more nervous than she was angry.

Trina didn’t seem to mind though as she brushed out the waves in Lily’s hair and tied it up in a high ponytail.

“That looks ridiculous.”

“It’s not done yet,” Trina replied calmly as Lily sighed, “Are you alright, Lil?”

Lily started to reply and then quickly stopped herself. Severus had always been her best friend, so Trina and her weren’t as close as girlfriends should be. Lily shrugged noncommittally, “I’m fine.”

Trina spun the chair and stopped it when Lily was facing her, “Just because you’re dating a Slytherin doesn’t mean you have to start lying like one.”

“It’s just... what if everything changes? Or what if nothing changes and it’s supposed to? What the transition from friends to lovers doesn’t work for us?” Lily fretted.

Trina sighed and sat down on a bed across from Lily. She took Lily’s hands in hers and said, “You can’t repeat this to anybody because I will deny it, but Severus... he shouldn’t be in Slytherin. He won’t leave you if you two can’t make this work. He will never leave you.”

Lily nodded slowly and turned back to the mirror. She looked so different with her hair up. “Down,” Lily whispered, “Sev likes my hair down.”

Smiling, Trina pulled the elastic from Lily’s hair and let it go, “I think you’re ready.”

The reflection in the mirror shivered and Lily stood, the fabric of her emerald green dress gently stroking her legs. Lily smoothed down the fabric against her stomach. She looked sick. She whipped around quickly to face Trina.

“Maybe I shouldn’t go,” Lily whispered, desperation echoing in her voice, “Maybe I could forget everything.”

“Lil, you love him. Why do this to yourself?” Trina asked.

She shrugged coolly, “Maybe I don’t love him like that... his feelings are just so strong and I don’t know if I love him that much. What if he expects more of me than I can give him?”

Trina smiled soothingly at her friend, “Severus expects nothing of you and yet for some reason he believes you worthy of the world. You’ll be fine on your date.”

Lily nodded. Taking a deep breath, she turned toward the door and said, “I guess I’m ready then.”