The hot summer sun shone brilliantly down on Severus, bringing beads of sweat to his pale forehead and pasting his stringy hair to his face. He ran a hand across his forehead, mopping up the perspiration, and continued his walk towards the park. He started fidgeting with his clothes, wishing he could look at least partially decent for Lily. It didn’t matter to him that they had known each other for almost six years now, he always worried that she looked down on the things he wore.
Severus kicked pebbles as he shuffled along the deserted dirt road. It was nice to be in a more tranquil place, no drunken parents yelling at you or at each other. He started picking up the pace when he realised he was running short on time before he had to be at the park.
A small smile crept its way onto his face as he saw the gate that opened onto the park. He paused at the opening to gaze at the slim figure on the swings. It was like he was ten again, watching the lovely Lily pump her way higher and higher on the swings. Her auburn locks swish in and out of her grinning face.
She turned her head to see that he had arrived, just like they had promised. Severus’s smile grew to a grin as he watched Lily jump from the swing at the height of its arch. Unlike last time, she let herself gracefully land on the sand. Her knees bent as she fell into a crouch, arms outstretched like a gymnast.
After straightening herself, she looked at Severus with a huge grin, her cheeks pink and beads of sweat running down her forehead.
“Hi, Sev!” Lily called, waving.
Severus quickly made his way to her side. “Hi, Lily.”
Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a big hug. Then, holding him out at arm’s length she said, “Cutting it rather close, aren’t we Sev?”
He grinned. “Sorry, father wanted to begin a new argument right as I was heading out the door.”
“I see. How are things at home?” Lily asked, leading him to the swings.
Sitting down, Severus looked Lily in the eye. “It’s about the same, but father spends lots of his time at the pub now and comes home very drunk. I just try to avoid him, but here’s how it ends.”
He lifted his sleeve to reveal five finger shaped bruises. Then, pushing his hair to the side, he showed a cut running from the centre of his forehead to the end of his right eyebrow.
“Oh, Sev!” Lily gasped, hand flying to her mouth.
“Don’t worry, I’ve learned to ignore the pain, mostly,” he replied, turning his face from Lily.
Lily got up and knelt in front of him. Gently, she reached out and brushed his hair to the side. “You shouldn’t have to put up with this,” she whispered sadly. Carefully, she leaned forward and gently kissed the cut.
Severus closed his eyes and breathed in a deep sigh. He was use to this. She mothered him sometimes, but he just wished she would understand that he wants more in the relationship.
The two sat in silence, rocking slowly back and forth in the swings. Severus glanced up through his curtain of hair to gaze at Lily.
“Um… so you said there was something important you wanted to tell me?” Severus asked, breaking the silence.
“Oh, yes!” Lily exclaimed, eyes sparkling. “I got my Hogwarts letter today. They’ve made me Prefect!”
“Congratulations,” he said, smiling a somewhat sad smile.
“What is it, Sev? Aren’t you happy for me?” Lily asked, slightly hurt.
“Of course! But, since you’re a Prefect you have to go to the Prefects’ compartment in the train on the way to Hogwarts,” Severus explained, looking down at his beat up shoes.
“Don’t worry,” Lily consoled, reaching over and squeezing his hand. “I won’t leave you alone. I’ll be sure to sit with you when the meeting’s over.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Smiling, Severus started swinging higher. Lily took that as a challenge. “I bet I could jump farther than you,” she challenged, pumping her legs to gain more air.
“You’re on!” Severus accepted, a devious sparkle playing in his eyes.
The two frantically pumped their legs, trying to get their swings higher and higher. Lily threw back her head, laughing.
“On the count of three, one,” Lily began.
“Two,” Severus yelled.
“Three!” they both screamed. Instantly they propelled themselves from the swings and flew through the air.
Severus landed first, and rolled onto his back. Lily soon followed, landing two feet to his left. They laid there laughing and trying to catch their breath.
Lily rolled onto her stomach, closer to Severus. “I…won,” she panted.
“I…don’t…think so,” Severus argued, getting a small gleam of greediness in his eyes.
“Okay, how about… we call it… a tie?” Lily said, letting out a laugh and scooting closer to Severus.
“Fine,” Severus relented.
The friends lay on the sandy playground talking. They discussed their eagerness to get back to Hogwarts, their summer, and other more random things. Severus couldn’t help studying Lily as she lay there talking to him. Her red hair was sprawled out in a halo around her head and her emerald eyes sparkled with joy as she chattered away. Her cheeks were still pink from the heat and she was working up a good tan from being outside this summer.
A small breeze picked up and blew a strand of hair into Lily’s face. She didn’t seem to notice as she continued rattling on about something stupid Petunia had said to her the other day. Carefully, Severus reached out and tucked the strand behind her ear. He paused, leaning over her, gazing into her eyes. Lily had finally stopped talking to watch what he was doing.
“Sev?” she whispered.
He leaned in closer, their noses almost touching. “Lily.”
He couldn’t hold himself back he leaned in and watched her eyes flutter shut, preparing for his kiss.
“Lillian mum says supper’s ready,” announces a snooty voice from the gate.
Severus rolled off Lily and stayed lying on his back. “Damn Muggles,” he muttered darkly, running a hand through his greasy hair.
“I’ll be there in a moment Petunia! Go on home without me,” Lily called back, sitting up.
Severus sat up as well, a mixed look of disappointment, anger and annoyance on his face. He watched sadly as Lily stood up and brushed off her clothes. Then she squatted down and wrapped her arms around Severus.
“Good-bye, Sev. I’ll see you soon,” she whispered in his ear. Then, as she was unfolding her arms from around him, she quickly kissed him on the cheek.
“’Bye,” Severus said, taken by surprise.
With that, Lily started walking towards the gate. Severus watched her walk away, stunned by what had just happened. She stopped to wave when she reached the gate and he dreamily waved back.
He sat there long after Lily had left; he was in no hurry to get back to the shack that held his angry father. So he just sat on the swing, twisting the chains then letting them spin him around. Every once in a while he would lift his hand to the cheek where Lily had left the kiss hours ago. It gave him a triumphant yet greedy gleam in his eyes. Triumphant for he finally received a kiss, that was nothing near motherly, from Lily; and greedy because he wanted more.
Finally, Severus decided it was time to go home. The sun had set and the stars were sprinkled across the sky. Slowly, he drug his feet down the dirt road, bringing himself closer and closer to Spinner’s End. After what happened this afternoon, he was determined to not let anything his father said, or did, ruin his happiness.
That’s harder said than done.
Most Women Love Roses, but She Loves the Thorn by Soccer_rocks_likeHP
Story Notes:
Lots of thanks and love goes out to my amazing beta, Mary-ann3112!