~Always~

Severus stepped outside slowly. A brisk breeze was coming in from the sea, and the air was much more salty than usual. Clouds were brewing far away, but they weren't close yet. He would be cautious, he told himself, and he made his way to the woods near his home.

Her laughter filled his ears first. Joyous and continuous, its sound sent chills down his body, and he staggered for a moment on the well-worn path. I wonder if we'll speak today, if she'll let me say her name, he thought, smiling slightly.

"No, you have to do it this way," Petunia said sternly. Suddenly the laughter stopped, and Severus froze on the path.

"You—You—I hate you!" Lily shrieked. Severus could tell she was running in his direction, and he stood frozen in place as she ran past.

"Wait!" Severus called. Lily stopped for a moment, turning towards him. Her face was red and bloated, and sobs were shaking her chest. "Are you okay?" Severus murmured. Lily sighed heavily.

He thought she would speak, maybe come forward for a hug, but instead she ran to the sidewalk and sprinted for home.

"Lily…," he whispered, watching her run.

"What a stupid sister I have. And her stupid magic," Petunia spat. Severus turned to see her coming up the path. Their eyes met at the same moment, and Petunia scoffed loudly. "Just go home, you creeper. We won't be playing today because Lily is a stupid little baby who doesn't know how to take a good joke."

Severus said nothing as Petunia passed him. He watched as she slowly made her way to the sidewalk, and once she was far enough away, he made his way to the clearing. Her memory would be there, he told himself. Lily would be there in spirit no matter what, as long as he allowed her to flourish.

He smirked quietly as he disappeared into the woods.

The pouring rain was comforting. Severus looked over the abandoned playground carefully, lightly touching the rusted equipment. Paint chippings littered the ground, and dead leaves covered everything. The large rain drops hit everything with sharp pangs, including Severus.

"Are you still here?" he murmured, moving to the broken bench where he used to sit as a boy. "You promised me you'd never leave; you promised me I could keep you alive if I just pictured you in my mind. I'm concentrating as hard as I can, but…you still won't appear."

He sat on the bench, and it creaked beneath him. He stood again and moved to the ground. He brushed aside the leaves and chippings, though he knew the ground would still be just as dirty, and he sat down, sighing heavily as he did.

This meeting place was his secret with Lily. For years, after the two had grown up and reconciled, the two met. They usually talked: James wasn't doing well in his job, and Severus couldn't seem to find one. He never brought up the dark parts, but she knew about them from the rumors floating around. She never judged him for his deeds: She knew they were often necessary to save himself.

When Lily became pregnant, the visits slowly stopped. Severus had found a position at Hogwarts, and Lily didn't like traveling in her condition. Instead they wrote coded letters, with Severus posing as the long-lost sister Lily should've never had.

Severus scowled as he remembered Petunia. She was highly jealous of her sister, and she began to hate magic because of it. Because she couldn't perform it, she bullied her sister so that she was ashamed of herself.

It was that day in the clearing the Severus thought of often. He and Lily would leave for Hogwarts the week after, but she had purchased her wand the afternoon before the incident. Petunia was begging her to do spells, but when Lily refused, she broke the wand.

'It snapped so easily, and the innards were everywhere, Sev. They were everywhere,' Lily cried. The two spoke on the train about the incident, just moments before their first hug.

'I won't let her hurt you again,' he promised her. She pulled away, shaking her head.

'We're sisters, Sev. You wouldn't understand it.'

He still couldn't understand why Lily looked up to her, the sister who hated her for everything she was. Severus still couldn't believe that Harry was put in his dreaded aunt's custody when there were perfectly good orphanages littered around Britain. Some were especially suited for wizard children, and all of those were easily reachable the night Harry's parents died.

Severus punched the ground as he recalled it, and the pouring rain shrouded his tears. He bit his lip slightly, making them stop in an instance: He'd learned to control his emotions, and he wouldn't let them get the best of him now.

After a few moments listening to the storm, Severus looked to the tattered remains of the sandbox where he and Lily used to practice sparring. They never cast any real spells, but they pretended that first Christmas away from Hogwarts. Severus stood and approached the irregular square, formed with now-rotted wood and rusted nails.

He kicked some dead leaves from the dirty sand as lightning flashed above. It lit up the clearing for a full second or more before clashing into a booming roll of thunder. Severus didn't hear it though: He saw something shine in the light, and he bent down to see what it was.

The necklace was a regular length, and at first it appeared to be just the chain. But a ring came up as well, and Severus studied it carefully.

The clouds thinned out above, giving him enough light to see the inscription inside: LESS.

"LESS? What does that mean?" Severus said aloud, sitting down where he'd found the ring. As he did, a tattered piece of paper appeared, but it was too battered to be legible.

He stared at the ground for a moment, thinking of the people who used to play there. No one was strange enough to have such a possession, aside from himself, and he'd never seen the object before in his life.

"LESS," he said to himself. "Initials?" he muttered, turning the ring over in his hand. There was another inscription on the outside of the ring. It was too dark to make out at first, and he ran his fingers over it. This helped him make sense of the first letters, then the last. "Always?" he said softly.

He then threw the ring forward as lightning flashed again, revealing his scared face. Thunder then roared again, blocking out everything.

As it stopped, he wondered if the bolt had struck him. He could hear laughter, Lily's laughter, and he knew it was impossible.

But as he turned, there she stood.

"I was wondering when you'd come here again, Severus. We have much to discuss," she smiled, stepping out from the wood line. She picked up the necklace and handed it to him as she sat beside him. She put her head on his shoulder and sighed heavily. "You still smell the same, Sev. I missed you."

"I missed you too," he murmured, resting his head on hers.

"Tell me, how is Harry? Please tell me he's alright."

"I'm not sure," Severus said. Her head shot up.

"What do you mean you're not sure? What's going on?!" she exclaimed.

"The Dark Lord tried to kill me yesterday. There is a battle going on at Hogwarts between Him and Harry. I have no idea how it will end," Severus explained in a low voice. "He has learned a lot during the past years. He should be fine."

"I don't want speculation, Severus! Have you worked with him directly? Have you seen his powers at work?"

"Of course, Lily. Dumbledore would have it no other way, remember?"

Lily nodded, putting her head on his shoulder again.

"How did you get away? Isn't He still powerful?"

"If anything, He's more powerful," Severus sighed, putting his head on hers again. "But I've learned much from Dumbledore. He left some of his private belongings to me, and inside were some key spells. He wanted me to live, so I used one at the end. They all think I'm dead, and I want them to keep thinking that."

"We can be together now," Lily smiled, nuzzling into his neck. "We can travel to London and Paris, maybe even to the States or Australia," she grinned, wrapping her arms around him. "We can do as we please now that we're together."

"Shouldn't we stay here to learn about the out—"

"I don't need to know the outcome, Severus. I know when those I love have passed, as I did with James and with Dumbledore. I have the gift of foresight, remember? That's how I got away," Lily smiled. Severus nodded, remembering her "death" well.

As he moved to return to Hogwarts, he went to his childhood street to grab some key belongings…and the burn the rest. As he entered the room, Lily's perfume filled the air. When he turned on the light, there she stood, a smile on her face.

'You shouldn't cry so, Severus. It kills me to see you so upset,' she said, rushing towards him. He rushed towards her, taking her in his arms and squeezing her tightly.

They had made love that night, the first of many times. Lily was free now, she told him, and because Harry was safe, she didn't mind becoming the free spirit she'd always wanted to be.

"You're remembering too many details, Sev," Lily whispered into his ear, biting it gently. Severus knew what she was talking about, and he moved his cloak to cover it up. "Severus, I've always wanted to reunite with a loved one in the pouring rain, then make love to them in the freezing cold just to say 'hello'," she smirked, moving his cloak back. "You're the only loved one I can do that with," she smiled, pulling his face to hers.

They kissed, and Severus felt himself melt in her arms. It had been a long time since they could meet, and seeing her again brought back all of his built up feelings and emotions.

Suddenly their clothes were flying off, littering the area as they ravaged each other, taking advantage of the rolling thunder to cover up their screams.

When they were finished, they curled up in Severus's coat and watched the clouds depart above them. Lily pulled Severus close, kissing him any chance she could. After a few minutes of this, she moved on top of him and leaned down, resting her forehead on his.

"We should leave tonight, and I have things for us in my apartment. We can run away together, and leave this crazy world behind. Our old selves are dead, remember?" she smiled, kissing him again.

He kissed back, and after lingering for a moment, he pulled away to give his answer.

"I'll go wherever you go."

"Always?"

"Always," Severus replied.

She moved back beside him and looked up to the now blue sky. She then gasped and pointed.

"Look at the rainbow, Sev. It's a sign, I tell you, a sign!" she giggled, kissing him again as she removed the cloak.

"What are you doing?" Severus asked, covering himself with his arms.

"Let's dance in the sunlight, Sev! Enjoy the magical afternoon, the storm that disappeared with our love," she laughed, skipping around the area.

Severus followed, allowing himself to be free for the first time in his life. They danced naked, letting the sunlight dry their bodies.

They'd soon change their appearances with potions and travel abroad to wherever Lily chose. Each wore their rings on a necklace around their necks, and each showed the other their undying love as often as they could. They were always together, and they always would be.

~End~