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Severus had finally done it. He had brewed his first ever batch of Veritaserum outside of a classroom, succeeding where his attempts at learning spellcraft from Lily had failed. Lily was why Severus took the risk of brewing the potion, knowing his father's violence awaited if he was caught. But Severus hadn't been caught, so when he met up with Lily, one potioned soda and one regular in each hand, he felt the giddiness that came with having done something wrong. The excitement of having a secret, one that was finally for a worthwhile cause.
Severus had seen the two sisters, Petunia and Lily, for the first time long before Hogwarts. His friendship with Lily at Hogwarts was constrained by their differing houses, but during the summer the only constraint was Tobias Snape's temper or the Evans' family bonding. The summer after first year, Severus had first witnessed what had disturbed him, first know for certain that what he had seen had not in fact been ordinary affection misinterpreted by his loveless household. Sisters didn't do what he had seen Lily and Petunia doing.
Severus needed to know if Lily was - if she leaned that way or - the words were unthinkable but what Severus had seen was undeniable. Lily waved, happy to see her friend, taking the potion laced soda with no suspicions. Severus may be a Slytherin, but he was first her best friend.
"Lily, have you been spending much time with Petunia lately?"
"No, ever since I started Hogwarts, she's been so terribly jealous and so she avoids me except when our parents make us spend time together or when she decides the need to practice kissing is more important than my freakishness." Lily never would have said the last part, influenced by the potion, but even Veritaserum's usual tonelessness couldn't take away the hurt expression as Lily used freakishness, a word Tuney used against her.
"Practice kissing? Is this practice you want?" Severus hadn't thought through what his questions would be, more worried about the Veritaserum potentially hurting Lily than what he would do if it worked. He had the antidote he brewed in his bag, but Lily showed no signs of pain, only a futile effort to resist answering the question.
"I want to be a good kisser for any potential boyfriend I might have, and Tuney's experienced. I like how it feels and we're both girls so it doesn't actually count as a first." Lily laid out her teenage rationalization for why she kissed her sister even though they were sisters. "Tuney likes me enough when we're doing this. At least in this one way I can make her happy."
Severus didn't know why he had done this. Why he had asked ablut Petunia. "So you're not a lesbian?"
"No, gross! No, I would much rather be kissing a boy, but no boy wants to kiss me that I know of, so..."
"I'd kiss you."
"I would rather not risk ruining our friendship if we don't end up liking each other like that. With Tuney, there's nothing left to lose. Besides, we could never actually date during the school year."
"That's true. Do you trust me, though?"
"I trust you right now, that's why I'm answering your questions even though I suspect you potioned me."
"Obliviate." Severus had read ahead, not meant to know this spell, which meant Lily didn't know how to resist it. She wouldn't have resisted it even if she knew hoe, since the feelings of betrayal and confusion Severus' questions had produced in her were ones she would rather live without. Severus removed the memory of the last twenty minutes, then asked Lily to rant about the worst pranks the Marauders had committed in Gryffindor (since the worst pranks entirely, Severus had been the victim of). Severus could listen to Lily rant about the Gryffindor troublemaking quartet forever, and expected summer evenings like this to always be available. Lily Evans trusted Severus Snape. The other question, do you love me, was better left unmasked, Severus told himself. Deep down he knew the answer, just as he knew Lily loved Petunia. Family was the one realm Severus could never slither into.