Hogwarts Infirmary, January 9, 1973.

#Severus's Pov#

With heavy eyelids, a skinny young man straightens up on the bed. He perfectly remembers the night of his madness.

"I must be sick of Potter's stupidity," he muttered to himself.

He didn't know what happened to his body, but something wasn't right. Something was different about his body.

That vague feeling in his consciousness, difficult to explain in words. He felt like...

"Confidence?" A slight feeling of relief on his shoulders as if everything was going to be okay now.

Anyway, just being alive now comforts him. Before he thought that with all the bad things happening in his life he would be indifferent to death.

But with his near-death experience, he realized how wrong he was.

A brief ''whisper'' in his mind said "Lily".

He didn't understand where that whisper/feeling was coming from, but a few seconds later the infirmary door opened and someone entered.

"Sev, you woke up! Finally, I was so scared you got hurt." Lily rushed over and hugged him with tears slipping from her eyes.

Coincidence? Something told him no. At the same moment he felt that whisper that said 'Lily', she appeared in a few moments.

But what scared him the most was his newfound daring to hug Lily back. After so many years of abuse with that monster who calls himself his 'father'...

Let's say invading his personal space is uncomfortable, to say the least.

Lily shivered at Severus' unexpected attitude. At the moment of great emotion to see your friend awake and well. She acted spontaneously and without considering her friend's known space issues.

Pulling away slowly, she looked up at him, her eyes still red and tearful.

"I'm sorry Sev. I was thrilled to see you okay. But what happened after all? Ahhhrrr if that toerag's gone again I swear I'll choke his throat." - Emotional Lily rambled on and on until.

A light, carefree laugh sounded in the gradually expanding room.

Lily looked at her friend in amazement and wondered 'what did they do to Sev?? Did they happen to trade him for an alien?'

It was very rare to see him in such a good mood. Truth be told, he was never the good-natured type of person. And when she looked at him now… There seemed to be something different about him and she couldn't tell what it was.

Whether it was good or bad she didn't know, but she kind of liked seeing him laugh.

With a smile he asked with an amused tone "Lily, I know it's not forbidden to stare so much, but you're making me a little uncomfortable"

With a slight pink in her cheeks, she reconciled herself and said "Ohh, sure...

Er...B...Well, I wanted to say to you happy birthday, don't think I forgot about you, sevvy" she finished handing him a small box.

He took the box from her hand, with a light touch and slide it into her hands. He pulled against himself and thanked him with a smile.

"Thank you, Lily, it is very dear to me."

Lily couldn't explain the emotion inside her, perhaps the shock of not expecting these friend reactions from her took her by surprise.

The smile that although yellow and crooked that she saw, seemed in the background through the radiant aura emitted by him.

She didn't know why, but with all this happening. With the reciprocated hug, the relaxed and sincere smile on her face. Even the brief touch of her hands as she delivered the gift had reminded her of something her friends had warned her about not long ago.

"Er... I have to go to the dorms now to finish the lesson. You stayed here for 3 whole days and then I pass the notes to you...I'll see you later" she said leaving the scene with a peculiar shyness.

#Severus First Person POV#

It felt like a dream come true, nothing could compare to that. It was like making potions... I was in control of everything.

I don't know exactly why, but I knew exactly how to behave, react and express myself. Even the words were carefully chosen, all of them meant to make a strong impression on Lily of my change.

Though maybe before that I would burst with joy and think myself crazy for pulling such shyness out of her. I knew this was only temporary.

Much of her shyness came from her surprise at seeing me act so out of character. Translated, she was not prepared.

I'm not a fool to think that just one potion would solve all the problems in my life and deliver the woman I love on a platter.

Yes, I love her, it feels so liberating to be able to say it to myself and be honest with my feelings. I'm still scared of myself for such a sudden change in my values.

I wonder if I'm ceasing to be me, but who cares? One thing is for sure, old Severus is dead and now I won't let people step on me and say what I can be or not.

My chances of choices were always around me, I was just blind not to notice them. Everything now seemed so sharp, it was like living a movie in black and white and in the middle of it realizing that there had always been colors.

Only my fears and uncertainties clouded me, a natural reflex to guard me against disappointment. After all, it's much easier to blame my circumstances than my inability itself.