I do not own Harry Potter.
The Last Goodbye
A Harry Potter Fanfiction
Where am I?
The man tried to open his eyes, but a white light blinded him and he quickly shut them. A soft breeze ruffled his robes and he could hear a woman singing in the distance. He opened his eyes again, this time allowing them to adjust to the bright light. Once he had become accustomed to the light, he stood up and looked around him.
He could see a playground in the distance, and next to it was a large sandbox. Trees had been planted on the outskirts of the park, but no one was around. Silence was everywhere, but oddly enough, he felt at peace.
Where am I?
"I was wondering when you would wake," said a familiar voice.
The man turned around to see an elderly man dressed in pale blue robes standing behind him. His silver beard almost reached the ground, and he wore a cap that matched his robes.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"Ah, that is the question. Does this place look familiar to you at all?"
Looking around him, it finally dawned on him where he was.
"No…" he whispered.
"No?"
"Dumbledore, I can't. This...I-I can't."
"I believe you can."
"Why here? Is this even real?"
Dumbledore nodded and started to turn away.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"I'm not what you need."
"What do you mean?"
But Professor Dumbledore was gone.
Sighing, he started walking towards the swings, but then decided against it, and walked out to the field where he spread out on the grass.
"Why are you laying on the ground?"
He shielded his eyes and looked up to see a woman with red hair and brilliant green eyes looking down at him.
"Lily?"
She smiled.
"Lily!"
"I want to thank you, for everything."
"Whatever for?"
Suddenly, a man stepped out from behind her, a man that was all too familiar to him.
"For protecting Harry," James Potter said. "I know you've hated me all these years, and I don't blame you. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I will be forever grateful to you. I know you only did it for Lily…but without your help, well, we wouldn't have been able to watch Harry grow into the man he is now."
He stood and looked at his rival, his most hated adversary, with unresolved anger. But then he looked at Lily and his features softened. He held out his hand, which James grasped firmly in his own, and they shook.
"Lily…can you forgive me?"
"I already have," she replied, smiling. "James and I regretted the fact that we couldn't be there for our son. But Harry is alive because of you. We are eternally grateful to you, and I'm sure Harry is too."
They lapsed into silence then, each thinking their own thoughts. And when James and Lily Potter started walking away, he knew that their time was up. This was indeed, a last goodbye.
Severus Snape looked at her, the woman he loved since he was a young boy, and finally understood that all was forgiven. And, after all these years, he felt pure bliss.