The young Potions teacher heard a soft knock on his door. He glanced upwards from his ancient tome and noticed that the candles in the brass candelabras had burned quite low. Who could be knocking at this time of night?

Severus placed the book on his armchair and hastened across the room to demand who was disturbing him so late in the evening, his black robes swishing behind him in annoyance. He opened the heavy wooden door and there stood Lily Evans, her emerald green gaze staring warmly into his obsidian eyes. His eyebrows shot upward in surprise, his mouth hanging open of its own accord. "Lily? B-But how-?" he began.

Lily gently placed her finger across his lips. "Shh…" she whispered. "Can I come in?"

Shuddering under her touch and at a loss for words, Severus stood aside to allow Lily entrance into his chamber. He hastily closed the door and turned to face his visitor. "How are you here?" he murmured in wonder.

"I'm here because you called for me," she stated simply.

He stared at her blankly, mouth still agape. She was wearing a dark green, knee-length muggle dress that clung pleasantly to her curves. Severus gulped. "I called for you?"

"Yes, Severus," she replied. "You call for me most nights."

"I don't understand," he stated. "You…you've been…"

"Dead?" she finished.

Severus nodded slowly. "For a year now."

Lily moved closer towards him. "Death cannot defeat love," she whispered, inching closer, "And I know you have loved me."

"Always," he breathed quietly, trembling as she stood face-to-face with him.

"Your love for me has allowed me to be here," she said as she cupped the side of his face in her palm.

Severus' eyes closed in happiness, reveling in the feel of Lily's touch. She tucked strands of his hair behind his ear and continued caressing his face.

Now believing that the apparition before him was real, Severus hesitantly wrapped his arms around the woman who was his life. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck and shared in their embrace.

Tears slowly and silently streamed down Severus' cheeks as he held Lily tightly against him, her face cradled against his chest. Lily tilted her head upwards and gently brought her lips to rest against his. Severus marveled at their warmth and softness as he allowed his to move with hers.

He brought his hand to rest behind her head and gently stroked her gorgeous red curls as they continued to kiss. There was a certain purity to Lily's kiss that seemed to dissolve away every hateful, hurtful event of his life. Her touch was an elixir that would sustain him so long as he had her near.

Lily gently guided Severus towards his four-poster bed and lay beside him, staring into his love-filled obsidian eyes. Severus marveled that the woman he had longed for with every part of him for such a long time was finally with him. He loved every bit of her—the way she said his name, the light dusting of freckles across her nose, her warm nature and kind spirit, the incredible depth of her dazzlingly green eyes.

He leaned in to her and brought his lips to meet hers again. This time, they moved with a strange kind of desperation. Lily traced the contours of his body underneath his nightshirt with her delicate hands, gently feeling the scars on his back inflicted on him by an abusive father. Severus shuddered from her touch and his own hands began to explore Lily's body, gently feeling her small, soft frame. She sighed quietly, apparently enjoying Severus' touch.

Severus buried his face in Lily's neck and breathed in her intoxicating scent. She smelled of almonds and honey and some unidentifiable floral smell that filled his senses completely. He trailed kisses from her neck up to her earlobe before arriving back at her abandoned lips.

Lily pulled Severus on top of her while refusing to let his lips part from hers. Severus moaned quietly into her mouth as she moved him. They could hear each others' hearts pounding in their ears as they continued to press against each other.

Finally, when Severus could bear no more, he looked into Lily's eyes. "Are you certain you would like to do this?" he breathed.

"I've never wanted anything more," she kissed him.

Severus groaned in delight as he pulled the woman he loved deeper into his embrace…

Severus awoke with a start in the Room of Requirement. He looked around, gathering his bearings, and a strangled sob escaped his chest. Lily… he mourned, My Lily. It was all a dream.

He picked himself up and wandered around the room, gazing once more at the pictures of his beloved the magical room had conjured for him. Small tears ran down his cheeks as he picked up the framed muggle photograph of himself and Lily as small children. Things were much simpler then.

He kept moving, this time settling on a wizarding photograph of Lily that was taken at school. Her long red hair danced and whirled around her as she spun in circles, showing off her beautiful new dress robes. The laugh of joy on her face was the purest, most beautiful sight he had ever beheld.

She can't ever come back. Because of my stupidity, she's gone forever Severus wept, large tears falling onto the glass frame. His chest heaved as he hugged the photograph to his chest. Every so often, he would steal glances at Lily's beautiful face again, but would once more be reduced to anguished sobs.

"Oh, Lily," he cried to the photograph, "I love you. I'll always love you until the day my heart beats its last."

Always….. he heard Lily's voice echo quietly throughout the room.

AN: So, I don't know about all of you guys, but the Snape/Lily relationship has long been one of my favorite love stories. I have yet to watch the scene from the movie or read the passage from The Deathly Hallows without sobbing hysterically. I sincerely hope you think I've done Snape justice and reviews are always appreciated!

-SS & LE-

Always…