CHRISTMAS RAIN - SEV and LILY 2nd part #FANFICTION

It was a bright Christmas morning and Hogwarts looked like a bride.

“Merry Christmas, merry Christmas ring the Hogwarts bell, Merry Christmas merry Christmas cast a Christmas spell”; one could hear Sir Nicholas singing aloud. He was certainly the most amiable of all the ghosts.

Professor Flitwick was busy levitating the decorations. He had studded the Christmas tree and had bewitched the milieu of Hogwarts to seem as if it was snowing. Harps were playing on their own accord, filling the air with soft and delightful music. Perhaps Flitwick had charmed them. Christmas was always majestic at Hogwarts.

Far away from the castle, on the banks of the great lake was sitting a lady of eighteen. She was tall and had wonderful skin. Her eyes were unusually green with some hints of blue and her hair - crimson red. She was staring at nothing; maybe she was missing her family, or perhaps she was pondering the words of headmaster Dumbledore on the first day of her school this year, ‘Love is the only magic to transfigure a potential evil; this much, at least, has always been clear to any Professor of transfiguration.”

Suddenly she thought someone was behind her. She turned around abruptly.

“Merlin’s beard!!  Severus!!”

Severus allowed his lips to curl. “I see you haven’t packed”

“Mom and dad are off to Australia, you know, dad’s job.” Lily knew Severus always stayed at Hogwarts during Christmas.

“Do you wish to accompany me to Hogsmeade this evening?”

“Umm … I am sorry Severus .. James …” Lily spoke in the most delicate way possible.

“Understandable. So you are still with that insolently arrogant Potter.” Severus spoke in his usual discomforting tone.

“At least he doesn’t call me a mud…” Lily did not proceed.  She tightened her lips. Severus had called her a mudblood when James and Sirius levitated him in front of Lily.

“I beg you to forgive me. It was truly unintentional.”

“Oh really Severus! Do you and your evil friends not call my muggle friends with that ugly name? And yesterday you petrified Amanda, just because she was of my kind - a m… mudblood. Why should I be any different?”

The sky was by then covered with clouds, almost completely. It was quite unusual. Few hours ago it was too bright to predict any cloud. It was truthfully very very strange.

Severus looked as if he wanted to say something but he couldn’t. He was still looking at Lily’s eyes, perhaps it was stimulating to him.  Lily wasn’t looking anywhere. Severus, after a long silence, stooped and whistled in Lily’s ears,” Because … I love you Lily”

Lily’s eyes were wide, she wasn’t moving. She was gaping at Severus. It was completely unanticipated. Her lips trembled. Her eyes watered. Severus was still looking at her eyes and this time she was looking at his too. There was a long silence.

“Oh Severus, it is too late … James …”

“It was not a question”

Lily held his hands. Their eyes were fixed upon each other.

Suddenly, it started raining heavily. The rain was too heavy to move anywhere near the castle before one could avoid the same. Severus grabbed Lily’s hands and took shelter under a tree facing the great lake in the forbidden forest. They were still holding each other’s hands.

Lily was trembling, maybe because of the cold. Severus offered his Slytherin blazer to her. Lily accepted and allowed a faint smile on her lips. Severus smiled back. The rain was cumulating its speed and Lily was trembling more. They covered themselves with the black jacket Severus fancied. Lily felt warm.

Surprisingly, even inside the jacket, the vision was distinct. He looked at her and she looked at him. He gradually moved closer; Lily did not object. She moved closer too.

Finally their lips touched -- they kissed amorously. Bless my soul! It was perhaps the most pleasant scene to behold. His hands were around her waist and hers were around his neck. The jacket was no longer protecting them from rain; it was on the ground. The rain did not affect the romance they shared. They kissed in the rain for a long long time. Lily wasn’t trembling.

At last, there was no rain and surprisingly, no trace of cloud in the sky.

All of a sudden, Lily pushed herself away. She stared at Severus for some time and ran as fast as she could to the castle.

There was a dull brightness, even without the clouds. Perhaps she heard him saying “Lily, wait”. She did not wait. Everything was over. It was no better than a dream.

Severus was still standing there.