The beginning of a new era at Hogwarts: the first year of the Marauders.
When James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew arrive at Hogwarts, none of them are prepared for what awaits them in their first year. For each of them, this...
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Winter, January 1970.
In the farthest part of the park, near the frozen stream, Severus and Lily were together.
"What are you doing?" asked Severus, letting out a nervous giggle. He had decided to wear his best coat; he had washed his hair, and now the soft black strands fell cleanly to his neck.
"Don't move, Severus!" Lily scolded him, her green eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Then tell me," he insisted, his voice sounding somewhat worried, though an involuntary smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"It's a surprise," she replied in that conspiratorial tone she used when she wanted to drag him into her adventures. She continued wrapping his head with her red scarf, winding it carefully until it covered his eyes completely, tying it with a loose knot to ensure he couldn't peek around the edges.
"Right... Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?" she asked playfully, holding up two fingers in front of his covered face.
"Well... I can't see, how am I supposed to know?" She burst into laughter. He finally asked, trying to sound indifferent, "Errr... Two?"
"Hey! You're cheating!" she scolded.
"Did you really put up two?" he asked, incredulous.
"Duh! Of course not, I was just joking," said Lily, with that bubbly tone that always made him feel like the world was a little less grey when she was around. "Come on, walk."
Severus snorted, but in truth, he was enjoying the game more than he cared to admit.
"If you make me trip, I'm going to..." Severus began, but his threat died in the air, drowned out by Lily's laughter.
"Trust me!" she interrupted cheerfully, giving him a gentle nudge to get him moving.
Severus huffed but didn't resist.
"I don't like walking blind," he muttered, more to himself than to her, though a slight blush crept up his cheeks beneath the scarf.
"We're almost there," she replied mischievously. Then she took his hand, just for a moment, and pulled him forward. "One more step, come on!"
The boy stumbled forward awkwardly, his breath forming small clouds in the cold air. Even though it had only been a moment, there was something about the warmth of Lily's hand that made his heart feel a little lighter.
Finally, Lily stopped. Letting go of his hand, she ordered him to stay still until she gave the signal. As the minutes passed, he began to grow impatient, but with a swift tug, the scarf fell.
"Ta-da!" she exclaimed, a triumphant smile on her face.
Severus blinked several times, dazed by the light. In front of him, Lily held a small cupcake, tiny, the size of a fist, decorated with green frosting. In the centre, a small green candle flickered in the cold breeze—it was clear she had chosen it with Slytherin in mind.
