Secret Life (as Severus Snape's Daughter) - English

Chapter 14: Back at Spinner's End

Lily-Anne takes her Trunk and pulls it out of the Hogwarts Express. She wants to take a look around, but she knows there will be nobody waiting for her. After what happened after Albus Dumbledore's funeral with Fred, she had found a little piece of happiness again, though it was but small. They had agreed to write for a while before meeting again during the summer, and Lily-Anne couldn't wait to read another letter by the hand of the Weasley. She smiles a little at the thought, but then she focusses on her heavy trunk again, with Destiny on top of it. She used to be in a cage, but the bird was so calm that Lily-Anne and her father had decided to leave the cage at home. She had had the bird since she was 6 years old, at first her father had taken care of her, but when Lily-Anne started to attend Hogwarts, she took on the care for the raven. Now the bird was ten years old and Lily-Anne could not imagine life without her, luckily, ravens were known to achieve an old age. Lily-Anne makes her way across the platform in silence, blending into the crowd, not attracting to much attention. She could see Harry, Ron and Hermione, joined by Neville, Ginny, Luna, mr and mrs Weasley. It was one big crowd, a crowd of friends. Lily-Anne swallows her tears, they had each other, and she, the person they all despised, had nobody but a secret boyfriend. They would all despise Fred too if they knew about the two of them, but he would not be to blame. Neither of them was to blame, they just happened to have fallen in love with each other. None of their, mostly superficial, differences mattered. Not even the age difference, even though it had bothered Lily-Anne. Which was why she had talked about it with Fred after their first kiss, while they were walking along the edge of the lake. Fred had taken off his black dragonskin coat, which was casually hanging off one of his shoulders, when she had opened her mouth to speak.

'Fred?'

Fred had looked up from the lake, where he had been looking at the giant squid absentmindedly. Still, his eyes were glistening brightly when he looked up and wete immediately focused on Lily-Anne again.

'Yes Lily.'

She had stared into his eyes for a while, but quickly regained her voice.

'What about our age difference. I mean, there are so many differences between you and me, but, you know... I am almost 16, but you are already 19 years old.'

Fred had started laughing, still holding her hand and swinging it slightly.

'Well like you said Lily, there are differences enough between you and me, so I am not surprised that our age is another thing.'

Lily-Anne had nudged him playfully almost causing him to lose his balance and fall into the lake, smiling brightly.

'No seriously Fred.'

'Oh leave Sirius out of this.'

Lily-Anne and Fred had smiled brightly. They stopped walking and looked at each other. Then Fred's face became more serious, though his eyes were still grinning in a way. Still clasping her hand tight, he spoke again.

'Lily, you may be younger, but I am the child remember?'

Lily-Anne looked away.

'Yes, that may be true but...'

Fred leaned in a little and whispered in Lily-Anne's ear:

'Heart to Lily, will you stop thinking for just a second?'

Lily-Anne smiled, Fred leaned back and she turned her head back.