After All This Time and Always
Ch. 1
“Severus? Severus Snape?” The sing-songy voice of a ginger-haired girl called out through the twilight. It was unusually warm and floods of students were laying out on the grounds. The raven haired boy was sitting under a tree, writing in his potions book, but as soon as the voice called through the night he snapped to attention, scanning the lake shore for a sign of the girl. “Lily?” he called quietly, not sure he had heard correctly.
“Snape! Come meet me by the water!” the voice called out. Cautiously, Severus put his books aside and slowly walked to the water’s edge. He stood there for a moment, looking up and down the beach but seeing no sign of her. “Lily!” he called out again, a little louder this time. “Oh Snapey!” the voice called from behind him and as he turned around he came face-to-face with James.
James quickly pushed him into the water, laughing hysterically and running back to Sirius and Remus. “Snively, Snively!” he chanted in Lily’s voice, obviously having cast some spell on himself to trick Snape.
Disgruntled, Snape stood up, marching quickly and angrily up the slope to his books. “Not so fast, Severus!” Sirius called from behind him. “Wingardium Leviosa!” James shouted. Snape was lifted into the air and spun around before a high pitch screech shocked through the air, “POTTER! PUT HIM DOWN!”
Lily stood in front of the dark-haired gryffindor with her hands on her narrow hips, “Now.” Snape had never heard her voice so serious and angry. It was almost as if she could kick him to King’s Cross and back again. “Woah, chill Evans,” Sirius laughed as James let Snape fall harshly to the solid ground, landing on his back and knocking the wind out of him.
“No, you chill, Black!” she said, her voice coated in a venom that could put a King Cobra to shame. “Leave him alone. He did nothing to you.” And with that, Lily turned back to Severus and offered her hand to him, pulling him to his feet and glaring as the Marauders sauntered off towards the group of daydreaming girls that followed them around incessantly.
“Are you ok, Severus?” she asked, the malice in her voice gone. It was now soft and sweet, flowing like honey. “I’m fine,” he said, trying to hide the pain on his face. He felt like his face was about to catch fire. “They’re just jealous because you’re special and they’re ordinary,” Lily teased, leaning back and biting her lower lip.
“Isn’t that what I said to you?” Snape asked, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “Why yes, I do believe it is,” Lily said. A playful spark danced across her eyes as she made a lunge for his notebooks.
“Hey, Evans! Give it back!” Snape joked as she thumbed through his well-worn notebook. “Why, Severus Snape,” she teased, “says here you think you’re falling in love with someone.” Snape’s heart skipped a beat. “No, seriously Lily. Give it back!”
“Now, now,” she teased, backing away and dancing out of his reach as he lunged for the notebook, “Not until I find out who this special girl is. Journal entry number 153: Today we walked down to lunch together. I wanted to sit with her, but she’s in a different house,” Lily paused, “ooh, criss-cross.”
“Lily, please,” Snape begged. “She sat by herself, as did I, and I felt awful. If only I had been put in her house so we could sit together and spend more time with each other. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I really do love...” she paused, looking up to meet Severus’ eyes. Her mouth was slightly agape as she whispered the last words, barely audible: “Lily.”
“Snape! Come meet me by the water!” the voice called out. Cautiously, Severus put his books aside and slowly walked to the water’s edge. He stood there for a moment, looking up and down the beach but seeing no sign of her. “Lily!” he called out again, a little louder this time. “Oh Snapey!” the voice called from behind him and as he turned around he came face-to-face with James.
James quickly pushed him into the water, laughing hysterically and running back to Sirius and Remus. “Snively, Snively!” he chanted in Lily’s voice, obviously having cast some spell on himself to trick Snape.
Disgruntled, Snape stood up, marching quickly and angrily up the slope to his books. “Not so fast, Severus!” Sirius called from behind him. “Wingardium Leviosa!” James shouted. Snape was lifted into the air and spun around before a high pitch screech shocked through the air, “POTTER! PUT HIM DOWN!”
Lily stood in front of the dark-haired gryffindor with her hands on her narrow hips, “Now.” Snape had never heard her voice so serious and angry. It was almost as if she could kick him to King’s Cross and back again. “Woah, chill Evans,” Sirius laughed as James let Snape fall harshly to the solid ground, landing on his back and knocking the wind out of him.
“No, you chill, Black!” she said, her voice coated in a venom that could put a King Cobra to shame. “Leave him alone. He did nothing to you.” And with that, Lily turned back to Severus and offered her hand to him, pulling him to his feet and glaring as the Marauders sauntered off towards the group of daydreaming girls that followed them around incessantly.
“Are you ok, Severus?” she asked, the malice in her voice gone. It was now soft and sweet, flowing like honey. “I’m fine,” he said, trying to hide the pain on his face. He felt like his face was about to catch fire. “They’re just jealous because you’re special and they’re ordinary,” Lily teased, leaning back and biting her lower lip.
“Isn’t that what I said to you?” Snape asked, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “Why yes, I do believe it is,” Lily said. A playful spark danced across her eyes as she made a lunge for his notebooks.
“Hey, Evans! Give it back!” Snape joked as she thumbed through his well-worn notebook. “Why, Severus Snape,” she teased, “says here you think you’re falling in love with someone.” Snape’s heart skipped a beat. “No, seriously Lily. Give it back!”
“Now, now,” she teased, backing away and dancing out of his reach as he lunged for the notebook, “Not until I find out who this special girl is. Journal entry number 153: Today we walked down to lunch together. I wanted to sit with her, but she’s in a different house,” Lily paused, “ooh, criss-cross.”
“Lily, please,” Snape begged. “She sat by herself, as did I, and I felt awful. If only I had been put in her house so we could sit together and spend more time with each other. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I really do love...” she paused, looking up to meet Severus’ eyes. Her mouth was slightly agape as she whispered the last words, barely audible: “Lily.”