A/N: Revised - October 2018
Beginning Again After the End
It was over.
After years of sacrifice making damned sure the arrogant Chosen One didn't get himself killed, Harry Potter had defeated the Dark Lord; it had all gone according to Albus Dumbledore's intricate plan.
Upon fleeing Hogwarts after being out-wanded by his fellow professors, Severus had laid low in the Forbidden Forest waiting for an opportune moment to enter the fray. When he felt his Mark burn—the Dark Lord's call—he knew in that moment that it was now or never. He had prepared himself for battle.
In all the commotion, hardly anyone had noticed that he was aiming his stunning spells at Death Eaters and Snatchers rather than Hogwarts students and other members of the wizarding community fighting for the Light.
It had only taken a simple Point Me spell and little time to find Potter. The boy had been near the Room of Requirement when Severus came upon him. Hexes were exchanged for a lot longer than Severus would have imagined less than a year before—the boy had grown stronger and had been working on his Occlumency. In the end, though, Severus had managed to apparate them both to a secluded area of the castle and The-Boy-Who-Lived was forced to listen as his former professor talked and, eventually,he implored Potter to take his memories in order to see the events of the past sixteen years, to understand where Severus's true loyalties lay.
Of course, Severus Snape doubted the boy would ever recognize the risks his hated Potions professor had taken for him both on Dumbledore's orders and for the memory of Lily Potter. However, now that it was finally over, the truth was that Severus didn't much care. He had spent nearly his entire adult life making amends for the choices he'd made in his misspent youth and, now that Potter knew the extent of Severus's devotion to the memory of his long-deceased mother, the whole world would undoubtedly know.
Severus didn't even want to think of the hordes of media attention he would receive. Perhaps he could…persuade Potter to keep quiet. But Severus doubted Potter feared him as much as he once did. There was no denying that the boy was practically a man now and had defeated the darkest wizard of all time. If that didn't put Severus's intimidating stature and biting insults into perspective as naught more than scare tactics, nothing would.
No, Potter would tell the story of his victory to the press, perhaps only once, but it would be enough to raise Severus Snape onto a pedestal he had neither want nor intention of being hoisted onto.
"Headmaster?"
Severus froze.
He had been making his way to the doors of the Entrance Hall having just packed the majority of his things and shrunk them to a pocket-storable size. He had hoped he wouldn't meet anyone on his way out but, recognizing the all too familiar voice, he could not ignore it. Severus turned to see Minerva McGonagall standing on the bottom step of the stairs leading to the upper levels of the castle.
"Do not call me Headmaster," he said quietly. "I never earned that title."
Minerva was staring down at him with the utmost look of confusion on her face.
"Where are you going?"
When Severus didn't respond, she took several steps toward her colleague.
"You're leaving?"
Severus looked toward the doors of the Great Hall which were standing just ajar enough that he could see in. Despite the deaths that had occurred that night, there was joyous chatter emanating from within the room. People would always remember this day: there would be feasts and remembrance ceremonies and toasts to the great heroes of the war. Severus wanted no part of it.
He looked back into the blue-grey eyes of the woman before him. She had been his teacher, his colleague, and his friend, but he couldn't stay. He gazed helplessly at her, imploring her to understand.
Minerva sighed heavily.
"Well, I can't say that it surprises me much. You were always a difficult man to understand, but I think I see where you're coming from." She too glanced in the direction of the bustling Great Hall. "I imagine the impending publicity storm will be too much for you to tolerate."
Minerva looked critically upon her former pupil then. "Do you have somewhere to go, Severus?"
He nodded once. "I will reside where I always have when away from Hogwarts. With a bit of work, it might be suitably inhabitable."
"In Spinner's End." It was not a question. "But that is a Muggle community."
Severus looked into Minerva's eyes and as comprehension dawned, her eyes widened.
"It's the only way to be guaranteed peace which, after all that has happened, I rather think I could use. If I were honest, I never expected to survive this war."
"I've no doubt you're still here for a reason." Minerva looked saddened. "Will you ever return?"
Severus gazed out the doors onto the sprawling Hogwarts lawn. The morning sun was just starting to make its way over the mountains.
"Perhaps."
Minerva laid a hand on the black-clad shoulder of the man before her. "Your efforts in this war have meant everything, Severus. Harry could not have done what he did without your assistance. I'm sure he will consider all old debts repaid." She looked sternly over her spectacles at him. Severus understood that to mean she would see to it that Potter considered it.
He grunted noncommittally nonetheless. He doubted Potter would ever see it that way, everything being Dumbledore's master plan and all.
"You will be missed, even if you don't think so."
Then, the woman did something deplorable. Minerva walked forward to embrace her colleague. Severus had not expected physical contact, but he allowed it, though he did not return the gesture. Minerva then stepped away from him, allowing him to exit through the large doors. She watched as the man walked down the grounds and out of sight.
Severus Snape living exclusively in the Muggle world... Now, that would be an interesting sight to see.
As she walked back into the Great Hall, Minerva smiled inwardly. She had no doubt he would return eventually but, just as the war had pushed him from the magical world, it may take an even greater upheaval in his life to get him to return.