Under the Stars

Severus wasn't hot, but at the same time he didn't feel cold. It was as if there was no temperature there. His neck no longer hurt and he could breathe now. The man knew what he was and what had happened; he was dead. And now he was at wherever people go when they die. Severus wasn't exactly sure where that was.

He opened his eyes and was greeted with a dark night sky. From where he lay, he could see more stars that he ever had in his living time. The man knew all of the constellations due to his education. Scorpio, The Big Dipper, Leo, it goes on. But as he lay, silently labeling the stars, a voice called to him.

It wasn't like the voice of his Lord, or the former headmaster, not even the students. It was the one voice he thought he would never hear again, the voice that he had so long yearned to hear. The voice belonging to the most important person in his life.

"Severus!" the voice called, filled with nothing but joy. Severus stood up, looking in a circle to find where the source was. "Severus!" It was getting louder now.

But, there was no one around, and he doubted that she would even be happy to see him. The man sighed and closed his eyes, a bit of hope gone from him, although there was barely any in him to start with.

A force rammed into his chest, sending him falling backward to the ground. He yelped a bit. There was light laughter in the air, and Severus couldn't believe it. He would have never thought that it would be possible. How would she be happy to see him? He had to be sure.

The man opened one eye, only to find a pair of emerald pair staring back at him. Yeah, that's her, he thought. Severus opened both eyes to stare at Lily. She was still just as beautiful as he remembered. Her crimson hair hung down from her head and tickled the man's face as she lay on him, supported by her hands, placed at either side of his head, and her knees, placed on either side of his hips. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at her.

"I missed you so much" she murmured. Lily rolled off of her friend and lay in the grass next to him, staring at the stars.

"Me too" Severus whispered back. Although Lily was looking up at the sky, thinking, he was looking at her, taking in every detail. Just like when they were young, she had laugh lines on her cheeks. They were larger now, giving her a more mature look. Her eyes glimmered, even in the dark.

"Thank you… for looking after Harry" said Lily, after a moment of silence. "You didn't have to."

"It's okay, Lily" Severus said. He rolled onto his side to look at her. "I just… didn't think you cared."

Lily rolled so she was facing her childhood friend "For the longest time, I didn't. But, eventually I did. Sev, I saw you that night at Godric's Hollow. I…I'm sorry, you had to hurt like that. I wish you didn't have to see that."

Severus shook his head. "You couldn't help it" he said softly "I'm sorry about…calling you…that word." She shrugged. He let a small smile slide onto his face and moved a strand of her hair out of her face. She inched closer to him until she was curled in a ball against his chest.

"I love you, Sev" Lily whispered into his chest. Then she looked up at him and added "I really do." Severus wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"I love you too, Lily" he said, feeling calm as she drifted to sleep in his arms. He finally got his happy ending.