Prompts: Do not regret growing old, it is a privilege denied to many/ The touch of time
Pairing: Severus/Lily
Title: In Memoriam
Word Count: 1229
AN: EWE, Snape survives Nagini's attack and lives to a ripe old age of 134.
It was a bitterly cold 30th January morning when a black cloaked figure moved across a London. He did this every year. The locals had gotten used to the strange figure who was always seen going into the graveyard by the milkman at half five, and leaving two hours later by those who were on their way to work or doing school runs. Some remembered him from when they were young, and were now middle-aged. When people tried to approach him to introduce themselves, he would turn a corner and vanish. They just wanted to be friendly, though some wanted to prove he was a tangible being, and not some kind of ghost.
The man in question, was Severus Snape. After surviving Nagini's attack, which left him heavily scarred and with some minor health issues he could control with potions he had invented or modified himself, he had recognised that life could so easily not been granted to him. Still, he was now 102, spectacularly old in muggle terms, but in the wizarding world he was still on the young side of old. Despite his health issues, he was still fairly fit and made the walk from the outskirts of the village to the graveyard three times a year. Today was Lily's birthday. He had conjured a small trellis, and planted roses to grow on the on the back of the gravestone. It had definitely been affected by the touch of time.
He came faithfully like clockwork. Early morning on her birthday, in the dead of night on 31 October and midday on the anniversary of the day they met at 7 years old and he revealed the truth about her magic. In the time since the attack, he had made peace with Pot-Harry, though giving him his memories in desperation had probably helped, and also become civil with his friends. He supposed he was the only connection to his mother. He had many people tell him about James Potter, but he now had memories and stories of his mother. Severus reflected on the bitterness he had felt at not being given his peace, but had visited the headmaster's office in Hogwarts to retrieve some personal items and had got caught in conversation with Albus' portrait. Even in death the man had his words of wisdom. One thing that had really struck him was when he'd told him to not regret growing old, and that it was a privilege denied to many. He had raced to the apparition point and had appeared here, 62 years ago to beg Lily for forgiveness for his wasted life. He had been his light, the beacon that had shown him life could be good. Every year since, he had come faithfully, now thankful for his long life, while Lily's had been so short.
He turned to leave and saw another figure heading towards the graves. He panicked a little, thinking the anti muggle charms surrounding the area had dropped, but realised it was Harry. He was earlier than usual. The 81 year old nodded to him and stopped a little way away from the graves. Severus nodded back and continued to leave, only to have a hand stop him and a voice say "You don't have to go."
"Yes I do" he replied "Or I'll never leave."
The younger man had seen the memories of his life. He had wormed his way into his life and they both held a small affection for each other. Recently, Harry's Grandchildren had taken to calling him pappy. He was especially fond of Lily Luna, who had inherited the Weasley hair and brown eyes. But there were times she echoed her paternal grandmother. He'd had to double take on several occasions. Over the years, her hair had gone from the Weasley almost fluorescent red to a deeper shade, which was closer to brown. Her son, Jasper had started the "pappy" thing. Then Albus' daughter, Fionnula had copied her cousin and the rest of the Potter children had followed. Then, Alice Weasley, daughter of Fred Weasley and Granddaughter of George and Angelina Weasley had copied it one day at one of the many birthday parties. Within a week, he had over twenty children calling him "pappy".
Severus brought himself back to the graveyard and commented that Lily Luna was so much like Lily, but noticeably still her own person. The Weasley blood in her took care of that. Harry invited Severus to his home about half a mile away, but was as usual politely declined. Harry touched his hand to his parents' graves and quietly left Severus with them. His gaze strayed to James Potter's grave and he said quietly "My present to Lily this year is that I have made my peace with you, through your son. I accept your family where you cannot be here, and will tell them stories of your friendships and love. I will tell the truth, but I will explain things so that I do not come across as a petulant child. I am much too old now for bitterness or childhood disputes. I can never know if you accept this but I say it every year since the first time, in the hope that somehow, you would forgive me, and know that I have forgiven you. I do this not because I have to, or for Lily's sake but because I want to." He had said it on Lily's birthday every year, almost word for word since three years after he had started his visits. He meant every word but the only thing he wanted, the only thing he needed was Lily's acceptance.
For another thirty two more years, he faithfully visited the grave site. Even when he was sick, he would struggle out, even just to touch his hand to her grave. He died two days after his final visit on what would have been Lily's 134th birthday. He had collapsed on her grave, and was found by Harry's children, who had adopted their late father's tradition of visiting the sites on their grandparents' birthdays. They had quickly apparated him to St Mungoes, where he held on for a further two days and finally left the land of the living. A young man visited Lily, who had been listed as his next of kin. He revealed that Severus had had his gravestone commissioned twenty years previously, after another brush with death. He had also reserved a plot of land to be buried in. It was close to the Prince family grave plots, but as his mother had been disowned, neither could be buried there. He had gone walking one day and had found a hill overlooking a lake. He was so reminded of Hogwarts, that he had immediately purchased a portion of the land and when his mother hand died two months later, he buried her there. There was enough land left that there could be more burials here if need be, but they erected a black marble tomb and placed his body inside. They moulded the gravestone into the tomb and the engraving shone in silver. He had requested the words told to him all those years ago:
Never regret growing old, it is a privilege denied to many