Ever since Snape/Lily became canon, its developed into an almost OTP for me. Well, I'm still highly Snape/Hermione, but thats fanon.

Canon wise, its Snape/MINE MINE MINE, I mean Lily... all the way.

None the less, this project is an opportunity for me to tie up all the things that HURT ME SO in DH, including.

Um. Including Snape's death.

If you can forgive this one teensy tiny little detail, then you may enjoy this fic.

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Prologue: Snape's Untimely Rescue.

It was the event Severus Snape had spent the better part of seventeen years waiting for- hoping for. He felt unusually light, and unburdened. It had been decades since this feeling had encompassed him, and for the first time in his life ( if this could be called life, now) he was purely at peace.
He gazed at the room-was it even a room?- it was painted purely white, in fact, Snape thought to himself, probably not white-paint at all, but pure light. This served only to broaden the smile on his face.

You see, Severus Snape was dead. The very concept thrilled him. "Finally" He thought to himself, not certain if it was an appropriate thing to say outloud at the end of one's life.

"Finally"

But it was truly how he felt. For as much as his effort in the War against Voldemort was greatly needed, Snape had felt as though he had merely been wasting his time, when his true desire was to be with Lily.

It was this thought that stirred him. His heart burst with exitement- for if there had been moments where he felt Lily's closeness, this was the most vivid of all.

A small movement of colour in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and his head snapped around quickly to catch sight of it.
Snape's eyes widened in disbelief, as the figure began running towards him.

"Surely..." But his words were cut short into a "gurumph" sound, as he was quickly enveloped into the warmest and most welcome embrace he had ever recieved.

"Severus!"

It took him a moment to comprehend the situation. He had to take a step back, to see if it was really true. If it was really her. He looked straight into her eyes. Yes. Certainly her eyes, and for the first time in years, it was set upon the frame of her face. Not Harry Potter's. He could not refrain any longer, and with rivuluets of tears streaming down his face, he took her back into his arms.

"Lily..."

They stood that way for the longest of times,for Snape, an eternity of bliss, where both were trying to forget all past ills and mistrusts.

Relcutantly pulling away, placing his hands upon her slender shoulders, Snape was the first to try and make amends.

"Lily- I'm so sorry for everything. When you- when I'd heard you..."

Lily cut him off with laughter, which reminded him of the comfort when a favourite childhood song, so long forgotten, was suddenly brought back to memory.

"sev, there is no need for this now" She said, a gentle smile gracing her features.
"You've done everything you could have. We've been hearing about it, in the afterlife. Thankyou so much for taking care of Harry. James and I are so grateful."

At the mention of his name, a frown crept into the corner's of Snape's brow. Lily sighed in acknowledgement.

"I know you had, and always will have feelings for me, Sev, but my heart belongs to James. You know this, you knew this"

The familiar pain stung Snape's chest. sadly, he clutched at it. Lily took his hand.

"But things are different in the afterlife. There are no grudges, there is no pain"

"Then why do I feel it now?"

"You...hurt?"

As she said these words, the lights around them began to fade, Lily cast a worried look at the direction from which she entered.

"Can you see a way?"

"What way?" Snape could see only the light, which was fading fast

"The way...on"

Snape searched the vast room of light.

"No"

Lily lowered her eyes, and pulled away. 'Severus, we will be together again, but if you can't see a way to move onward, then something has occured to stop you at this time."She said sadly.

"Am I becoming a ghost?"

"I don't different for everyone. I have to go...We'll meet again, I promise. This has been wonderful,but I know you'll understand when I say "I hope its not too soon" , So, Sev, until then-" And letting go of his hand, she slowly began to drift away, along with the light which, with each thudding heartbeat-which Snape knew was his own, began to ebb further and further away from him.

"No...Lily" He called out, desperately reaching out into the fading surroundings. "Please...PLEASE!"

Darkness enveloped him, and he sat in it, completely unfeeling, completely disassociated. Moments later, the sound of voices murmuring began to grow.

"It worked, good one, Finkus"

"He should thank himself,Greer, he was the one who taught us. Put a stopper in death, and it did!"

"Shh, Fink', I think he's waking up...I heard him groan"

He opened his eyes, and felt nothing but searing pain in his neck and a heavy wave of utter despairing had felt so real, so tangibly, beautifully- painfully real.
He tentatively drew his hand to his neck, a sudden wave of memories pouring into him. He had been with Voldemort, and Harry was there- something happened. It all seemed so far away now. He tried to recall what it was.

"n...Nagin...i" He croaked, catching the eye of the man sitting beside him, open vial in hand.

"She's dead. Heads lopped right off by a student..."

"P-poison...?"

"She was milked, used her venom up on other victims."

Snape closed his eyes in frustration.

"I'm not dead"

The fellow named Finkus spoke up "I should think not, saved your life, we did." He claimed, rather proudly.

"Why did you do it?!" Snape demanded, barely any strength in his voice.

"Someone told us you was in here...Potter"

"Why did you bring me back to this hell hole?"

"Not now that You-Know-Who has gone" Stated Greer, with a golden smile etched clear across his face.

Snape grunted.

"I was ready to go. I wanted to go." He grabbed the sleeve of the nearest bloke-Greer- and begged of him "Kill me, please! Let me go back."

The men shifted uncomfortably and cast awkward glances at each other, they made no response.

Snape closed his eyes, and allowed one solitary tear to flow out, in mourning.

For he was not dead, afterall.