It is our choices (A Harry/Severus friendship fic post DH) (Watty Awards 2011)

Chapter 28- To reveal the very best of you

Author's note: Before i begin with the usual 'notes', now that Greyback is dead (and he IS dead), i know a lot of you are wondering where the story is going from here. I can see now that many of you are hoping for a sequel or are wanting this fic to last for quite a while longer. Unfortunately, this fic is 5 chapters away (including this one) from being finished. I am SO, SO, SO sorry to disappoint you all! However, i promise that it ends well and that loose ends are resolved. Having said this, all of the remaining chapters are LONG. I know that this will be loved by some of you and annoying for others. Nevertheless, i hope you all catch up! Despite this fic coming to a close soon, there is a LOT more that happens in those 5 chapters, so i hope you enjoy the ride! Now back to my usual comments: My sincere apologies for the length of this chapter! It is 45 A4 pages long :( I would have tried to split it in half, but this chapter is a 'bridging' chapter that spans over a large number of years, so i wanted to keep it all together. I hope you will forgive me :) But for the record, this is the longest chapter in 'It is our choices' though not by much. Again i will wait a couple of days to give you guys time to read this massive chapter (I'll see you how you go)! I dedicate this chapter to Gamecow for always commenting and voting (since she started reading) and for wishing (and trying) to vote multiple times for my chapters. Thank you Gamecow! ENJOY!

Chapter 28- 'to reveal the very best of you'

Almost two years later

"I'm so excited!" 

"And you just can't hide it?" James finished for his sister, absolutely sick of hearing those three words. 

"Well I am! And don't be so mean, I never complained when you had your first day at Hogwarts!" 

"I know, but it would be nice if you focused on packing rather than yelling at the top of your voice. Dad and I are trying to help you, remember?" 

Then looking sheepishly from her eldest brother to her father, Lily settled down and continued to help them pack her trunk. 

It was August the 31st and the following day would be Lily's first day at Hogwarts after waiting so long, she was finally going. 

Unlike many of the first years that begin, such as her father and mother before her, she wasn't scared, or at least- that's what she told herself. She knew she would be safe with her two older brothers looking out for her and also with Professor Snape as her Defense against the Dark Arts teacher and Professor McGonagall as Headmistress, Lily had the feeling that Hogwarts would make her feel safe and be one of her most favourite places in the world. 

But of course, she would miss her parents very much, but maybe they would like the time home alone? Regardless, she couldn't wait to learn magic, to use her newly bought wand and explore the many subjects and all the new people she was going to meet.

Lily found it hard to go to sleep that night. She couldn't stop thinking about all the secret passageways she wanted to explore, including the Room of Requirement that her parents spoke so fondly of. She was also anticipating the food what would appear before her very eyes at the Hogwarts tables and to hear the Sorting Hat's song. A whole new life was starting for her and now she truly understood why her two older brothers were so excited for their first day... she truly understood.

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So Lily was taking it back now- she was no longer excited. Because of her intense exhilaration from the previous day or should we say weeks, months, perhaps even years previously, Lily had always dreamed of this moment, but now that it was here, she sincerely wished she were home again. All of the first years were lining up just off the Great Hall in a small room. Although Lily knew what was coming, she remembered a conversation she had with Severus about two years previously when she expressed her fear that she may not be brave enough to get into Gryffindor. Despite her many assertions to her brothers that she was confident and brave, she didn't feel any more brave at that moment than she did at age nine.