On The Ice

They’d been told not to go near the canal for as long as they could remember. The concrete walls are steep slopes, slick with water and muck that makes it impossible to climb out once you go in, the water was deceptively deep and dark so once you went under, no one would be able to find you. They ignored these warnings, of course, as children throughout cokeworths history had, but they weren’t idiots about it. 

They had the good sense to know that swimming in the water wouldn’t be worth the effort, but they still went out every winter once the thin snowfall on the ground had turned black with dirt and soot and the water was frozen for a good foot on the top. Perfect for ice skating. 

The first few times they went, Severus was content with just slipping around the ice on his shoes, it worked well enough he thought, but when Mr. Evans had offered him his own pair of skates, he didn’t say no. Lily taught him how to skate properly, to make figure eights and do little jumps and twirls, leaving swirling scars on the ice and bright marks where they bumped against the canal walls, the blades of their skates scratching into the old cement. 

Gliding on the ice felt like flying, like they were somewhere far away where there were no parents and school didn’t matter and the whole world was dark ice and glittering snow that trailed after them as they raced. He would look at Lily, and she would look at him and it felt like they were the only people on earth.

They went every year, a tradition so ingrained into their friendship that Severus can't imagine a year without it. 

Until now. 

His mother asks him when it gets cold, why he doesn't take his skates out to the canal. He says he's tired, sore, that maybe he's grown out of skating around on a dirty makeshift river.  He's lying and he knows it, knows that his mother knows too, but she doesn't press it. He stays inside, watching the white snow turn black through his bedroom window. 

He thinks he can deal with it, being inside all winter break, he’s spent this long living with his father, surely a few weeks won’t kill him. After a few days, though, he feels like he’s going to scream. It’s like his father knows exactly when he’s upset and exactly how to make it worse at any given time, dragging him out of his room to question him about school, badgering him to clean out the bathroom, to help his mother with the laundry so it wouldn’t freeze outside. He can’t even talk to Lucius about it because they don’t have an owl of their own for him to start the conversation. 

After a week, he figures he can sneak out for just a little while. He wraps up the best he can in old, warm trousers and his father's old army jacket, hanging his skates around his neck while he slips downstairs. He waited for his parents to be well asleep, the sun well set, the dull far and few between street lights leading him out to the canal. 

He’s not expecting anyone to be awake, but less out and about, so he can’t help his audible gasp when he sees a silhouette sitting on the edge of the canal wall. He tries to step back, to leave and pretend this never happened, but the figure turns and he’s pinned by bright green eyes.

They're both still, watching eachother in the lowlight, their visible breaths the only movement around them.

Severus moves first, stepping back a step and raising his hands in surrender, ready to go back home and forget this ever happened.

"Wait."

Lily stands, stopping him in his tracks and steps closer. She looks him over, eying the skates hanging around his neck. "What did you come out for?"

"I- I just," he tries to breath, to calm the nerves he didn't want to admit were getting the best of him, "I just wanted to get out of the house. I tried to come at night so I wouldn't-"

The 'bother you' doesn't come out and he's almost grateful it doesn’t because he can’t stand the look she’s giving him, like he’s the biggest idiot she’s ever met. 

“I can go, It’s not that big of a deal,” He moved back again, wanting to get out of this situation as fast as possible. He tried to escape, but was stopped again.

"Don't be stupid, Severus." Lily calls him back to the edge of the canal, looking him over. "This isn't- I mean, there's no point in leaving. If you came out to skate, then do it."

She didn't wait for any reply, hopping back and sliding down the canal wall and onto the ice. 

Severus watches her for a moment, genuinely debating just booking it, but the little part in him that wanted things to be okay, if only for a little bit, won out. He slips on his skates and hops down into the canal. 

He tries to keep a wide area between him and Lily at first, giving her space, but they're both gliding in familiar patterns tracing years old tracks in the low light and Severus will admit he missed this. He missed circling around his best friend and being circles around in turns, spraying each other with the snow from their blades scraping against the ice. 

He's so caught up in the cold and the movement that he doesn't think before reaching out to grab Lily's hand, holding on tight and they're both spinning around the axis of their connection, the momentum making them go faster and faster until they can't hold on anymore, and theyre flinging out to opposite sides of the canal,  backs hitting concrete. He swears it'll hurt in the morning, but all he can feel is the sweat on his forehead and the laughter bubbling inside as he finds his feet. 

He looks across the ice and sees Lily, still wiped out on her ass, laughing along with him. And he feels like they're the only people on earth.