Author: Rowan Arkenson
Summary: At The Edge of The World, Severus clings to his dying friend, and Draco mourns for his father…
Disclaimer: Mostly mine, but also mostly JK Rowling's.
A/N: This story was inspired by "Excess Baggage", by Staind. So if you have it lying around anywhere, put it on repeat while you read this. Also inspired by a lovely lovely friend, Melli, who I adore dearly (fictionpress; 'theangstywhore' read her poems/stories. Beauitfully angsty). And review. Always review, good or bad. -rowanx
At The Edge of The World
Severus looked around him, crouched low at the edge of the world. He saw Lucius; a frail body fragmented over a rock, puffing and huffing what sounded to be his last breaths. Severus scrambled up, running desperately to his old friend. There was dust everywhere, and everywhere was covered in the dark rusty mud of the earth.
"Lucius…" Severus whispered desperately, nearly choking, his dry eyes widening in fear.
His friend lay limp, though his eyes widened at Severus' voice. His eyes seemed hollow and unseeing as they rocked backwards and forwards, searching frantically to see Severus. Snape edged forward, leaning over Lucius. His black messy hair fell in front of his uneven eyes, and Lucius' own locked onto his.
"Severus," came the muffled struggling voice. "Severus."
"You're ok Lucius, you're ok… I'll – I'll get you to St. Mungos." A quick shake of Lucius' head told Severus clearly there wasn't enough time. "I'll find a medic, the Dark Lord, even Dumbledore… I'll find anyone – they'll help you."
Lucius shook his head, his own long blond hair staying eerily in place around him, looking untouched; graceful to its own last moments. "They want me dead."
"Dumbledore's a good enough man, remember I've worked with him…he'll want to help," Severus said in a deep voice that cracked towards the end. "Lucius…don't just give in. It's strength that keeps us going…"
The man fell from his rock and to the ground in a soft motion. As though more comfortable to speak, he said hoarsely, "Severus, if Dumbledore's such a good man why have I wished so desperately for his death for so many years?" Severus was shocked at the amount of words coming from his ill companion; he knew it was coming to the end. "Why couldn't I…be brave like you? Leave…Voldemort." The last word was said with a distaste Severus had never heard Lucius speak before when talking about his Lord.
"It was hard," Severus said quietly. "I couldn't have done it without help…"
"From Dumbledore. Not from me…" Lucius gasped loudly, his pupils flittering and his body shivering. "Draco…he tried to help me. He tried. He asked me, begged me to stop killing his friends…" Tears poured down quick and freely with Lucius' last shreds of dignity as everything one by one, step by step, was slowly fading from his closing mind. "I could have stopped…he never knew…my only son…I lov…d… he never knew, he wouldn't have wanted to know…my only son…"
Severus pieced together the ragged sentences. "Draco knows you love him Lucius. Even if you could never say it, he knows it. Of course he does."
"He…doesn't know…didn't understand…it…" Lucius grabbed Severus' robe and pulled him closer. "I love him," Lucius said loudly, still a hoarse yell. He fell back again. "Not because he was my son…because I loved him…he was Draco…a beautiful boy, clever, so clever…and so loving…he managed to love that side of life I never – could," Lucius coughed, and Severus watched in horror the blood that splattered from his friend's mouth.Lucius cried, his body shaking, as though he'd never cried before. Severus wondered if he ever had. "What have I done…my Draco…his mother…Narcissa…Narcissa…"
Severus squeezed his eyes tightly shut to stop his own tears coming. He had to stay strong. "That wasn't your fault Lucius. Narcissa died because of consequences you couldn't stop. When she stood up to the Dark Lord…"
"I could have stopped him."
"No. You couldn't. No one can stop the Dark Lord."
Lucius frowned, a last spurge of emotion. "Bastard. Bastard. I wanted it all…he didn't have to – " he coughed again, vomiting on the grainy ground. "Tell Draco the truth…I love him…I'm sorry, I always loved him…I'm sorry I wasn't there, like," he breathed in deeply, shivering all over, "like a father should do. Oh Severus… My family, what have I done to my family?"
"Your family loves you Lucius. And you love them." Severus couldn't hold back as he said, "And I love you too, Lucius," and he cried for his dying friend before him as Lucius smiled at Severus' words, a true smile, and then his smiles closed forever.
Severus breathed in and out, in and out trying to control the pain. The only friend who had ever understood him. Even in the Dark times as they fought for two sides, Severus' always ached for his friend. For Lucius, lead astray but true to his heart up unto the end…
Severus cried, pounded his fists on the ground, stood, kicked a stone harshly, yelled aloud, stumbled to his knees and held on tightly to Lucius' body. He couldn't do it. The only decent man left on this world…corrupted by evil. Voldemort. It was Voldemort's fault.
He stood up, set, his eyes closed, and walked around the familiar grounds of the once-standing, alive and breathing Malfoy mansion. Into the remains of the house; a few walls, still standing but crumbling, much like the Malfoy family…up unto it's last breath.
Severus saw Draco pacing nearby a seated Dumbledore and a pale, shivering Potter. Harry's friends' deaths had come so suddenly, no one had taken it in yet. Everyone alive in death; Harry obviously hadn't let them go yet.
Draco looked up and saw Severus. His eyes widened and he rushed forward. He grabbed Severus' arms but the older man winced away, not being able to look Draco in the eyes. Severus knew it must be obvious he had been crying, and still was in parts, as Draco stepped back from him as soon as he was close enough to distinguish tears from blood.
"He…my father…where…" Draco stopped, a dead whisper to the end.
Severus looked up, strong, to Dumbledore, as Draco fell to the ground in shock, a still sort of silence, and didn't move, not even as Potter rushed forward and sat with him, not touching his friend, not saying anything, just sitting there, anxiously – as if Draco was about to fall to pieces at any second.
"Albus, where's…"
"Voldemort has gone, Severus."
Snape's eyes lit up, though his expression did not change. He looked to Potter. "You…"
Potter looked at Severus. "I couldn't have done it without Draco's help," he said, letting me off for once, not having to congratulate him totally. "He saved my life," he whispered.
Severus looked to Draco. The young man didn't move from his spot. He was staring at the ground, as though trying hard to will his father to materialize in front of him.
"What now, Albus?"
"Now? Now…we wait. For the ministry."
Severus shook his head. Those alive needed to be counted and checked. Those dead…needed to be buried. And the muggles needed to taken into care by the ministry until every memory of the battle had been lost. "And…and Draco?"
Dumbledore walked forward, an air of grace and wisdom still feeling powerful as he approached Severus. "Take him to Lucius. Let him take in the closure. Then take him back with you for a few days. I assume that Harry shall wish to go with you." Dumbledore looked deeply at Severus until the man nodded, agreeing.
Dumbledore walked forward and whispered a few short words to Harry. The young man nodded slowly and Albus walked away, out of the rattered building.
Harry looked up to Severus and stood. "I'll be back in a second," he said slowly, and hintingly, walking after Dumbledore.
"Draco…" Severus kneeled down and touched Draco on the shoulder.
"I want to see him," he said, standing quickly and knocking Severus to the ground. He ran off in the direction Severus had come from. The older man swore and hurried to his feet and after his young friend.
He caught up to Draco, panting, to see him kneeling in awe at his father's side. He touched Lucius' cold hands gently. "Your father loved you, Draco," Severus said, remembering his friend's last words. "He was a good man in life…a good friend, a good husband – your mother loved him dearly." Severus knew his words would be empty to the frailed man before him, as though Draco was dematerializing into a young boy again right before Severus' eyes. But he knew that later Draco would think on this. He had to make him understand. "He didn't love you because he had to, Draco. He didn't leave you and your mother because he wanted to. He didn't fight for the Dark one because he wanted to… It was almost in his blood. What a man chooses to do is very different to why he does it, and to whether or not he had a choice."
Draco nodded. "I know. It doesn't matter what he was…" Draco's face scrunched up, as though about to cry. "He was my father…"
"And still in. In death we can love just as in life," Severus said despairingly, hating to see Draco falling apart like this. "He loved you," Severus said again, desperately.
Another short nod. "My father…I love him…" and then Draco fell into his depression and misery, holding onto his older friend, the only family he now knew, screaming for his father, and cursing Voldemort, wishing aloud that none of it had happened, none of it…
And Severus clung onto Draco, staying strong, for Lucius. For the memory of Lucius and of everyone who had died in the war, he stayed strong, and clung onto Draco until he couldn't stay strong anymore, and he cried freely, the two men mourning the loss of their father, their friend. A loved one who had died alongside everyone else, and alongside all the blood been shed of good and of evil. So many dead; it was over. At the edge of their worlds, it was finally over.