Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter...
This was to fulfil a request for a fanfic where Snape meets James & Lily Potter in the afterlife. I, naturally, threw my own spin in on it.
This for you Alohomora Addy. ^_-
Enjoy.
Even In Death…
~)0(~
It was there. Or rather, it was no longer…
As soon as he opened his eyes, the pain from before ceased and fell away into the inky blackness that had so gracefully surrounded his world-weary body… like a velvet cloak smothering the burning fires of Nagini's potent venom. At the very least, his duty was fulfilled…
But then, where was he now?
A world unlike any other seemed to appear before his eyes, insubstantial and full of brilliant white light; so beautiful and yet, he could not help but to wonder as something akin to a cool breeze rustled past, shouldn't he be somewhere…well, hotter, for his multitude of sins?
Somehow, it felt as if he'd broadcast the thought aloud, for sure enough, there was a familiar chuckle to his right; though strangely without the malicious tone that usually accompanied some public humiliation in his younger years of education… "Oh don't worry Sev, I'm not likely to do anything like that here… Sorry about that, by the way, I was just jealous you had the undivided attention of this beautiful creature…" came the achingly familiar voice that made him want to flinch away, but his steely resolve prevented such a movement.
A hand entered his field of vision from seemingly nowhere, just protruding from the clashing inky black and blinding white; without further thought, he took it and was hauled from where he was sprawled in a pool of –miraculously clean and whole- dark robes, to a standing position. Though where exactly, was the question. It was almost as if…he had been pulled through some form of portal in that momentary movement…
"Yeah, it's a bit like that to start with… you were just trapped in Limbo by your own self-doubt; lucky we heard you arriving or it might have taken centuries to find you!" chuckled the same voice again… he inclined his head slightly to the left, not quite a tilt, to see the person who still grasped his wrist firmly; James Potter. His former arch-nemesis and stealer of-
And there she was. Her beauty almost ethereal in this strange light… Lily Evans, as he would always think of her; she had a loose hold on James' other arm and was nestled close, a head resting on the other's shoulder. Severus pulled his hand back abruptly, unsure in the face of their sudden attention to him… but it was Lily who spoke in the sudden, uncomfortable silence, moving away from her husband to take his hand. Surprisingly, the marring scars of the Unbreakable Vow were no longer visible, seemingly swept away and replaced with smooth, pale flesh as her hands ran over them…
"Severus, thank you for protecting our son…thank you for Harry's life." She whispered, her eyes –those captivating emerald green eyes- sparkling with the depths of unspoken emotion she felt and could never truly express…
"He has your eyes, you know… I could never have let anything happen to him. My only regret is that I let Dumbledore talk me into leaving him with those disgusting Muggles, your sister and her blimp-like brood. Had I had my way he would have lived with-… it is not important." He sighed and looked away.
And suddenly, slender arms were about his chest, trapping his arms to their respective sides as Lily sobbed happily into his chest, laughing a little at the absurdity of her emotions, "Oh Severus, thank you for what you did… I know- We saw- you took on Voldemort to save his life. And all those years… there is nothing I can do that will repay you, except…maybe…" there was a strange lilt to her voice that merited further investigation… so he looked down, and found her lips on his own, though she stood on tippy-toe to reach them. He was startled and unsure whether or not to react, but eventually, with Lily's oh-so-soft hands stroking his arms, he relaxed and let the tension of all those many long torturous years simply melt away. Passion sparked between the two leaving no thought…
And then a thought struck him, forcing Snape to jerk abruptly back from a smiling Lily; he blinked and looked to where James was looking suitably amused, and…well, 'excited' is one way to put it, though aroused might be slightly more accurate. Confusion whispered across his features, "I apologise…"
James waved it away with a cheeky grin that simply screamed 'I am Harry's Father!', Lily linked her arm through his own as James approached, one hand outstretched to rest on his shoulder; a warm smile on his lips below those distinctive glasses. Mischievous blue eyes sparkled as James responded, "Don't, the rules here are…different. Share and share alike, as long as it's desired by both…stops petty jealousies from arising." The smile quirked up, like Harry, when he was pleased with himself; it had never quite struck him before just how similar the son was to his father…but up close, the comparisons and parallels between the boy he had practically raised from afar and this man before him now, were simply mind-boggling.
"C'mon Sev, let's go…there's a certain Headmaster who'd like a word…not to mention the others, how'd you like to be the Fourth Marauder…? We kind of kicked out Wormtail, seeing as he didn't actually make it, well…up here. Hope he's roasting marshmallows where he is right now, for betraying us…" James said with a tint of anger and then smiled as if throwing away the negative emotions like a heavy cloak. "We'll have to think you up a new nickname…by the way, what is your animagus form again? Don't tell me, you're a bat or something…how about…Batman?"
That earned him a glare. James backed off and Lily giggled.
Nudging him towards a wispy looking construction in the distance… White, transparent shapes flitted past, like animals – no, birds; skimming and swooping through the white sky that slowly gained colour as they moved closer. Mind still attempting to process events, Snape remained silent, but his expression was troubled… Lily noticed first, as they began to walk slower.
"Oh Severus, I know it is hard, but you have to let go of everything you knew… Here there are no differences, no boundaries, no reason to hate or hurt…" she smiled; still, something gnawed from within, rather like a ravenous pit of darkness. "It is merely that I… expected to end up somewhere… warmer, for my actions. Though done with your son's welfare in mind, I did indeed kill Dumbledore…and so many other things that could be considered grievous sins. Awakening, if that is what you can call it, here was…unexpected." He said simply, trying to convey the confusing multitude of emotions swirling through mind, body and heart at the same time, making him dizzy.
Lily's soft hand cupped his chin, "Severus, you did what was right… The reason behind the actions counts as well in the scheme of things, you wouldn't be here right now unless you were worthy on at least some small level… and I know that Dumbledore does not even vaguely consider you responsible for his death. Don't make me kiss you again…" she threatened with a sly smile that he had never seen on her beautiful features before. Snape let out a strange squeak noise of surprise as James laughed. "She'd do it too, you'd best be careful around her!"
The former Potions Master cleared his throat and regained his composure as best he could, "Be that as it may… I would very much like to see Professor Dumbledore, so I may apologise in person. Accepting that I am here, however, may take a little longer."
James clapped an overly-familiar hand on his shoulder, "You'll get used to it eventually, Sev –or should I say Batman?"
Snape scowled at him. James Potter raised his hands in a warding, playful gesture. "Alright, alright…maybe not that particular nickname, I'll keep thinking on it. Dumbledore's waiting up ahead, so is Sirius, Remus, Tonks, all those who have died…" James smiled, Lily slid herself closer to Snape's body and did not speak, though seemed to sense his next question and giggled.
"For your sakes, I hope that this does not mean I have to spend the remainder of eternity plagued by one of those blasted Weasley Twins, because if so I shall have to find a way to kill him, even if we are technically dead, already…" he intoned in his most serious voice. James looked to Lily, Lily looked to James; they both visibly swallowed deeply. And were surprised when Snape laughed, "I was, of course, joking… Though I should imagine Fred Weasley and I shall be at odds over a great many things in the near future…" he informed them.
Lily smiled, tugging at his arm, "Come, Severus, they are waiting for us… and then, maybe we shall have some time to, reacquaint ourselves… though there is no rush, we do have all eternity. Thank Merlin for that!" she laughed and kept walking. James hovered at his shoulder, a companionable distance, but never too close or too far… Snape was beginning to question what the man was up to when he heard, "I suppose it's too soon to ask if you want a hug?"
He stopped dead in his tracks and whirled about, "Indeed it is… 'Prongs', was it?" James nodded and adopted the crestfallen look that Harry had often worn after Snape had removed house points for some meaningless prank. Snape's lips curled up in a smile, "that does not, however, mean you will not be receiving one…" and he hugged the man; past hatred evaporated in this new world. "I do forgive you in the same way you and Lily have forgiven me for my…injustice, towards your son."
Lily somehow squirmed her way into the middle and giggled, "Nothing to forgive, he's a little too like James when it comes to being reckless, it must have made your job quite difficult! Now come on you two! The others are waiting!"
She slid an arm under each of their own and linked them in a human chain, pulling forwards gently in a way that had Severus and James complying instantly –for neither could refuse this wonderful woman anything she desired- and they seemed to vanish into a pool of brilliant white light…
Free at last.
~)0(~
Harry's eyes lifted from the crystal ball with small traces of tears on his cheeks; a sniffle was echoed by his two closest friends, who each held a hand tightly. Ron and Hermione seemed torn between wanting to speak of what they had seen, saying something to break Professor Trelawney out of her trance, or simply hugging him.
Ron settled for dumping a vase of water over her, then tossing it aside and assisting Hermione to strangle the bloody life out of him with a constrictive hug; one that he was certain his great-grandchildren would feel. No one spoke. No one needed to.
It was all he could have asked of the Fates. His Parents, and his unknown hero, Severus Snape…free and happy in a world he would one day visit… Until then, it seemed…he was quite happy to remain where he was. With friends… speaking of which.
Aloud he said, "C'mon guys, let's-… let's go help clean up, Hogwarts is a bit of a mess…" but another ten minutes went past in that protective embrace of friendship…and Harry did not feel inclined to move at all.
~)0(~
As the small whorl of spirit mirror dimmed, James, Lily and Severus smiled to one another…
Harry would be just fine…
The End.
So...this was outside my usual realms... how did you find it?
Please Review.
~*SailorSilvanesti/Phoenix Fire*~