Prongs {Book One}

PROLOGUE

THREE YEARS AGO

-LILY-

James Potter's hand jumped to his hair, giving it a windswept look.

"You don't like him, do you?" I turned to see my best friend, Sev, raising an eyebrow at me. I could tell he was trying to act nonchalant, but I knew him too well to believe it. I could tell he was nervous and jumpy, as he always was when we were around James.

I watched Potter with that snitch he stole from the broomshed, letting it go almost out of his reach before snatching it out of air. His friends all laughed raucously, especially that idiot Black.

"Lily?"

"No," I replied slowly, "I do not like James Potter."

Some people may have thought that my slow reply was me lying, but Sev knew me as well as I knew him, and he knew I was telling the truth.

Sev's face relaxed, the features becoming less tense.

"Anyway," I said more firmly, "It's stupid to think you like people now. We're only twelve, for crying out loud."

Something passed over Sev's face. He tried to hide it, but I caught the expression before it was gone.

"What?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Nothing," he replied quickly.

"C'mon Sev, you can tell me."

"It's nothing."

I raised my eyebrows at him, a smirk playing across my lips.

"Who is it?" I teased. Sev flinched like I'd fired Hagrid's crossbow at him.

"No-one," he muttered defensively.

"So it's a person, then?"

"No! I meant nothing. It's nothing!"

"Is it Mary McDonald?"

"Mary? No way! Her nose is too big for her face."

"Hey!" I nudged him, "That's my best friend you're talking about!"

"I thought I was your best friend," Sev said quietly.

"'Course you are, silly. I can have more than one best friend, though, can't I?"

"Yeah, I guess."

We fell into silence as Potter's friend, Pettigrew, gasped at James' latest snitch-grab.

"Lily, can I ask you something?"

I turned.

"Sure."

"It's a bit weird."

"Severus Snape, if I didn't like weird, why in the world would I hang out with you?"

Sev didn't laugh, but managed a weak smile.

"What is it?" The smile died slightly from my lips.

"I dunno. Nothing."

"Sev, come on, you wimp. Just ask."

"Well..." he hesitated, "Would you... I mean, not now. But, in a few years... when we were, fifteen, say. Would you, you know... go out with me?"

I blinked.

This had to be a joke.

"Sev, you can't be serious," I said, laughing a little.

Sev's face was bright red.

"No! I was... I didn't mean... It was stupid. Sorry. It was really stupid."

-SEV-

Shit. Lily will never date me now.

You idiot, Snape. You absolute dumbass.

Why did I ask right after she said we were too young for dating?

I felt my face go redder than a beetroot.

"Sev?"

"Y-yeah?"

"It's not stupid." I turned to Lily. She smiled.

Oh, her smile...

Get a hold of yourself, Snape.

Then Lily did something very un-Lily like-

She leaned forwards and kissed me on the cheek.