Severus Snape's Worse Nightmare
By hufflepuffedwardcullen13
Summary: Written after DH. SPOILERS! After what happens in Deathly Hallows, Severus Snape has another nightmare. This one is worse!
A/N: I posted this story originally on another site. I'm trying to get out of a writer's block I've been stuck in for two years, and thought re-posting this one might help. If you recognize anything, it's most likely not mine. No flames! Enjoy!
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Severus Snape landed softly in a patch of green grass. He sat up and looked around. He was by a cool blue lake that one could see anything clearly in. Behind him was a white house. It looked like a mansion with gleaming windows and a small porch. He could hear voices inside and recognized one of them as Professor Albus Dumbledore, the late Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Severus stood up and pulled his black cloak closer to him as he neared the house. Before he could knock, Albus had answered the door.
"Goodness, Severus. It is good to see you again. Please come in!"
"Thank you, Headmaster."
Albus lead Severus down the hallway. He observed the maroon coloured home decorated with a touch of gold. The rooms were all decorated similarly, with maroon couches and chairs with mahogany tables next to them. On one of the mahogany tables sat a picture that caught Severus's dark brown eyes. It was a picture of Harry Potter and his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Severus could not have mistaken these three young adults for anyone else because for the last seven years, he taught them at Hogwarts. It looked like they were in their third year during December. They were out in the snow, wearing thick black jackets with the Gryffindor crest over their hearts and maroon and gold scarves wrapped around their necks. Severus could not believe how different they were in their third year than in what would have been their seventh. Harry had changed the most and to some extent Severus was saddened by that fact.
The next thing Severus knew was that four wands were pointed in his face. He looked up and saw five people accompanying Albus in the living room of this home. There were two women and three men besides Albus standing there. The women were Tonks Lupin and one woman that took Severus's breath away with her gleaming red hair and knowing emerald green eyes: Lily Evans. Potter, Severus reminded himself. She is in love with Potter and married him eighteen years ago. The men Severus recognized off the bat as Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and James Potter.
James stepped forward. "Put that picture down, Snivellus", James said in barely a whisper. Severus put the picture down gently. Remus, Sirius, Tonks and James still had their wands pointed at Severus. Tonks looked especially furious, as did her husband Remus.
"How can you invite Snape in here, Albus, after what he did to you?"
"Nymphadora, please calm down. Lower your wands, please."
James was the most reluctant to put his wand down, but did as his old headmaster told him to do. Severus reached into his cloak and took out his wand and four wands were pointed right at his face. Severus handed his wand over to Albus.
"Severus, I will not talk your wand."
"Please, Headmaster. I believe it's the only way they will believe that my loyalties lie with you."
Albus, understanding Severus's case, begrudgingly, took Severus's wand.
Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw James's wand go down. He looked over and painfully regretted it. Lily had placed a hand gently on her husband's arm, telling him that it was alright to trust Severus. Lily was looking at James with complete care for James and Severus turned away before his heart broke anymore.
"What are you doing here in the first place, Snivellus?", said Sirius Black. "Shouldn't you be burning in Hell with the rest of the Death Eaters?"
"Sirius, calm down", said Albus. "Severus did not do anything to deserve being sent to-"
"Except for betray you!" said Tonks. "Shall I remind you that it's his fault that you're here in the first place?"
"I am well aware of what Severus has done, better than any of you. He was working as a triple agent for the Order since-"
"Before the Dark Lord's first downfall", said Severus.
"He killed me under my orders and continued to fulfill my orders after my death."
"So it was your plans for him to cure Gorge Weasley's ear off?"
"No, Remus, but I did tell him to make it convincing, and I must say it did seem quite convincing that you were a Death Eater."
"Headmaster, I cannot stay here for very long."
"What do you mean, Severus?"
"I'm sure that the Dark Lord will have been killed by Harry soon, and he will come looking for me. I don't want to linger for my mark beings to burn. He is coming for me."
Severus rolled up the sleeve of his robes to show the Dark Mark etched into his skill and how it was pitch black. Albus gave Severus his wand.
"Be careful, Severus."
"I will, Headmaster. Take care of yourselves.", said Severus as he began to head for the door. His hand was almost out of the gate when he heard someone calling his name. He turned to where the voice came from to see Lily chasing after him. She was barely a foot from him and his breath became short. Lily had not changed at all since their seventh year, when Severus last saw her alive.
"Please stay, Severus. I don't feel right in you traveling alone at night with Voldemort following you. Please. Our house is Unplotable. No evil can stray upon this ground."
"Thank you for your consideration, Mrs. Potter, but I fear you the safety of all those inside that home. Unplotable or not, He will find me."
"Severus, why did you switch sides? Why did you become loyal to the Order?"
"I do not wish to answer your questions, Mrs. Potter", said Severus as he began to walk towards the gate.
"Severus," called Lily, "I know you have a good heart, Sev, but my question is more like why you joined Voldemort more than anything else. Sure, you used to hang out with Voldemort's future followers, but you were always so different from them. You are kinder than any of them. Why did you suddenly change?"
Severus stood there, not knowing what to say. After what seemed forever, Severus' internal battle was finally won.
"Ask Albus, Lily, if you want to know the real reason. I have not fully coped with it yet", said Severus as he walked out of the grounds of the Potter Estate.
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Lily Potter could not stop her mind from racing that evening. She was worried for her longest friend, Severus Snape. The clock chimed midnight. Suddenly, Lily could not sit still. Without waking her husband, James, she crept to the door and dressed decently enough to go down stairs. Oddly enough, just the person she was looking for was sitting in a comfortable chair near the fire.
"I thought I may be receiving a visit from you tonight, Lily", said Albus Dumbledore as he put down the glass of Fire Whiskey he was sipping. "How can I put your mind at ease?"
Lily explained her worries about Severus Snape and Dumbledore sighed.
"Lily, I do not know the reason he went into Lord Voldemort's services. Your guess is as good as mine. However, I do know why he came back to our side. You see, when Voldemort started to plan an attack on the woman Severus loved, he came to me instantly and begged me to rescue her as best I could. In return, he became a spy for me. But we were too late. Voldemort killed her, and Severus stayed at Hogwarts just in case."
"The woman that Severus loved, was she in the Order?"
"Yes. He is still grieving, and seeing her here must have been a nightmare for him."
"Here? Does he love Nymphadora?"
"No, no. This woman was his first friend he ever had."
Lily stood there stunned. "Me?"
"Yes. If I am correct, his Patronus even suits you. It is a silver doe."
Lily and Albus talked of other matters and a half hour later, Lily bade Dumbledore good night.
Once Lily had disappeared from Dumbledore's view, he took out his wand and muttered "Expecto Patronum". A transparent phoenix flew with a message to Severus Snape, telling him that Lily knew. Dumbledore looked out the window sadly, knowing that he may never see Severus Snape again.
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I posted this on another website and got a lot of requests for a second chapter for this fic, but the problem is, I'm fresh out of ideas! I'll make a compromise: I am creating a new line of fan fictions called The Nightmare Chronicles. I'll write mostly about the Marauders after DH.
Any question, comments, concerns, or good jokes?
~hufflepuffedwardcullen13
