Gotta love Snape (He's my favorite character—well, second favorite. Bellatrix Lestrange holds that spot! LUV her!)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
In Dumbledore's office that day, something changed within Severus Snape.
It was monumental, almost unbelievable, yet none were able to tell that anything had happened.
It changed within him.
His point of view shifted.
It was almost as if the ground collapsed and swallowed him up. Or he found out the world was, in fact, square, even after it had been proved to be round countless times.
But no one—not even Dumbledore—was able to tell that that was how he felt.
And no one ever would.
The words 'carried it to my grave' often come true, just as they came true to Severus Snape.
When Severus Snape realized that Harry Potter had been raised to die, well, he had the most inexplicable, unbelievable feeling grow inside of him.
Regret.
Regret for not knowing Harry better, not talking to him, believing him, mentoring him. For not being there.
The next time Severus saw Harry, he thought of that feeling, and that moment in the office.
There was no way to convey what he felt to Harry.
In the instant that Severus thought to try, he became confused with himself.
How could that moment—that single, stupid moment—do such things to him?
How was it possible that years' worth of mental torture, bad-mouthing, and general cruelty could be regretted after one single conversation?
The next time Severus Snape saw Harry Potter, he, himself, was dying.
He gave to Harry what he was supposed to—what Dumbledore wanted, practically ordered to give him.
But Severus Snape died feeling that it wasn't enough.
His last words may have been, "You have your mother's eyes," but his last thoughts were, "I'm sorry."
And no one would ever know.
So how was it? Review, please.