AN: This drabble is set in the marauders era, and was written for an au roleplay prompt where Severus is 21 years old and is going to become the Hogwarts potions professor. [Set during the wizarding war - Voldemort decided the Longbottoms would be his target and succeeded in killing Neville so the wizarding world's only hope is gone]

Screeches filled the air of Diagon Alley that was normally filled with the anticipation of young witches and wizards as a new year at Hogwarts was beginning. It was hard to tell who was screeching and who wasn't whilst down in this dark alleyway. It was hard to tell if they were coming from children or adults; the death eaters showed no mercy. Severus severely hoped it wasn't children, or at least the ones he ought to be teaching in a few days. It was his first year of being Hogwart's Potions professor and the thought of his future students being out there made his skin crawl.

Severus Snape - a double agent - had set off with the death eaters to attack Diagon Alley under The Dark Lord's orders. Once he saw some Order members approach, he fled to safety. That safety was here; in an alleyway on the 'dark side' of the Alley. The Death Eaters believed that he was still in their ranks out there. There were too many members to count, so he should be safe. For now. He would be safe until one of the members he was 'friendly' with noticed him missing. He was counting each minute as it passed, wondering how long it would take for this to happen.

Snape shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to block out the sounds all around him. Although he often put on a mask of indifference, inside he did care. He cared for all the people that were about to get injured, tortured, or worse. Killed. His mind kept flashing to images of the possibility of Lily Potter - his Lily - being killed out there. He had tried to move on from her, but that was easier said than done. He knew Lily chose James over him; so why did he still care? Why should he care? He had screwed it all up anyway. And now she was in danger.

An Order member ran down the alleyway Snape was hiding in. Merlin, he muttered, under his breath. The other wizard approached him cautiously, wand extended as if about to hex him.

"Severus?" The Order member asked, a confused tone evident in his voice.

He had been recognised. This was not part of his plan. What do I do? He thought.

"Yes." Snape replied abruptly. What else could he say? What if this person suddenly realised he was a member of the death eaters?

The two exchanged glances for a moment, and Severus tried to carefully cover his dark mark with the hand his wand was grasped tightly in without the other noticing.

"We could really use some more men. I mean, the Death Eaters are relentless. They're stopping at nothing. Come and help us. Please."

Snape nodded curtly and followed the order member out of the dark alleyway and into the fighting.

Severus swallowed a gasp. The scene before his eyes was worse than he could have ever imagined it to be. Both Death Eaters and members of the order were lying strewn across the path leading through Diagon Alley. Children were hiding in shops that were in pieces thanks to a few curses. The battle was becoming intense, with attempted Avada Kedavras and Cruciatus Curses being thrown around left, right and centre. All the wizarding laws were being ignored. There were a number of one on one battles taking place in the midst of the main one. Thankfully for Snape, the two sides were not apparent, so he could slip in between them and nobody would know he was with the other side. Perhaps, he could get away with raising his wand a few times, but not saying anything so he wouldn't harm anyone. Perhaps his life would be spared if he just stood there. He looked around at the crowd.

A pair of green eyes met Severus'.

Lily.

He wouldn't fight. He couldn't. He didn't.