— The sun hung lazily over the Black Lake, casting golden ripples over the water’s surface. You sat on the opposite bank, laughing softly with a friend, completely unaware of the pair resting in the shade beneath the large beech tree. Severus sat beside Lily, sketchbook open, quill moving with silent focus. Lily spoke easily, animated in her storytelling, her red hair catching the light as it spilled across her shoulders. Severus nodded now and then, offering a quiet “hm” or “yes,” but his mind was elsewhere—his eyes drawn not to the girl beside him, but to the girl across the lake.

He’d started with lilies—small, neat illustrations along the edge of the page. He had always associated the flower with Lily. It was simple, almost ironic, the way it fit. But today, the lilies were only a beginning. The lines began to shift. Take shape. Without realizing, he was sketching you—your profile turned just slightly, the curl of a smile on your lips as you spoke, a lily tucked behind your ear like a signature he’d always noticed. He’d assumed you liked them, seeing you wear one now and then, and he used it as a quiet excuse.

Lily didn’t notice. She kept speaking, trusting his silence as listening. And Severus… he wasn’t sure what this meant. He’d always thought he felt something deep for Lily—something unspoken. But now, watching you from afar, sketching you without even meaning to, he felt something shift. Something stir.

You, on the other hand, remained completely unaware. You didn’t see the way his eyes lingered. You didn’t notice the careful strokes that captured the light in your hair or the gentle curve of your jaw.

But in that moment, something quiet and irreversible began.