Characters: Severus Snape, Harry Potter, Lily Potter
Cannon Universe
Unbreakable
Severus walked through Godric's Hallow with a scowl upon his face. He concentrated on the magical sphere hidden beneath the layers of his soul and flared it out to search for the concealment charm. There were whispers of an attack against The Order and he had to warn Lily. His aura met little resistance with a small stone haphazardly thrown into a pile of flowers. The small cottage appeared as he barely grazed his fingers across the stone.
"Pathetic. Even a muggle could have found the charm."
A deafening silence fell as he entered through the front door. His hairs were standing on end and it felt as if his magical aura was being stifled by a foreign presence. He walked towards the door, listening for any sounds and hoping that Lily was safe. Time slowed as he reached for the doorknob and took in the scene unfolding before him. A shadow cloaked in tattered robes hovered over James' lifeless body. There was a little boy with green eyes snuggling into the cloak of invisibility too shocked to make a sound. In front of the crib laid a young woman who stared at the crib as silent tears stained her cheeks.
Cradling the young woman in his arms, he gazed into her piercing green eyes. A sense of recognition and relief crossed her face as Severus held her.
"Lily" he murmured into her hair.
"Always" she whispered with her dying breath.
Severus reverently kissed her forehead as he watched the brilliant fire from her eyes fade into dull embers.
The soulless creature finished off the dark lord's wishes and drained the physical energy of its prey. Severus witnessed the moment James Potter ceased to exist in this world in mind, body, and spirit.
A rush of chilled air coursed through his body, causing goose bumps to erupt on his skin. The dementor shrouded with black tattered cloth hovered towards him. There was no use in fighting back. The will to live was extinguished with Lily, along with his ability to spark the ancient magic within his blood. Looking into the creature's hood, his body went rigid as he realized he was gazing into a dark abyss.
His breath was slowing and the pain clawing at his body slowly retracted. In the corner of his eye, he saw the small boy hiding under the invisibility cloak staring at him with those deep green eyes. He stared at the boy with pleading eyes to forgive him. He was broken. The light that fueled his magic ceased to exist and there was nothing in this world to rekindle the light needed to summon a patronus.
The pair of green eyes was the last thing he remembered before the darkness consumed him.
"Lily" he murmured. There was an insurmountable pressure surrounding his soul, wanting him to submit into nothingness. It was easy to give in; let it sweep away his pain and to forget. . To be subjugated to a life without her was unthinkable. All traces of his humanity was slowly siphoning out of him as he fell into a dark abyss.
There was a warm light prodding the dark aura surrounding him. It began to glow brighter and eventually shot out electric currents, not liking that it was being ignored. He begrudgingly acknowledged it and the peaceful current washed over every fiber of his being. It was as if Lily was willing him to remember her.
An onslaught of memories filled his mind; the promise of their unbreakable friendship, the disappointed look in her eyes when he was sorted into Slytherin, when she told him her heart was with James, and the excitement in her voice when she told him of her pregnancy. Despite the distaste James had for him, she still remained his friend. Lily was the only person who truly understood, accepted, and loved him. He held on to this warmth greedily, never wanting to leave.
The electric current buzzed around again, but this time he could physically feel it. His eyes flew open to look for her only to find his gaze fall upon the little boy's bright green eyes. Relieved that the little boy was not harmed, he turned his attention to the dementor who was weaving an ancient spell. The dark aura immediately suffocated him, tempting him to take rest in the eternal slumber. The dark creature hovered over him, eager to make his deathbed and fulfill it's carnal need for power. Feeling of hopelessness surged through his veins and threatened to envelop his mind again. He ignored crackles of its power as it lashed around his skin, leaving thin lines of blood against his porcelain skin. Instead, he held his gaze with a little boy whose green eyes showed no fear. He would sacrifice everything, even his own life, to keep those green eyes alive.
A light blue aura surrounded his body as the energy tingled on the surface of his skin. The energy whipped and hissed at the darkness surrounding him. He could feel the power humming around him and focused on the little boy. He was Harry Potter, the boy who lived; the boy who connected him to Lily, the boy who he needed to save.
Without hesitation, he chanted the only spell that would give light to the dark. Wisps of energy flowed out from his being. The dementor wailed in agony as the souls of the tormented were purged from its form. His eyes were cast down as he slowly fell to the floor, feeling void of any physical pain or emotion.
Expelling the last of his energy, he took Harry and cradled him into his arms.
He cooed into the little one's ear, "Always".
The faint smell of flowers gently filled his senses, immediately thinking of Lily. Both were surrounded with thin wisps of ethereal light swirling around them and gathered to form a white doe. For a fleeting moment, he connected with the doe. Deep gratitude and love gently ebbed his consciousness and as suddenly as she had appeared, she had receded into the air. He will always be connected with her. She transcended time and death to make him feel her love. The little boy in his arms exhausted the last of his energy with a small whimper and fell asleep. He now had something to protect. After all this time, she was the light to his patronus, and the reason to live.