DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. Thanks if you read this. Please review, but this is my first story so go easy on me, 'kay?
CHAPTER 1: Realisation
Lily Potter screamed and collapsed, like a marionette with her strings cut, lifeless. She heard nothing.
She seemed to awake and dilberately opened her eyes. She was suddenly standing in a blown apart house, her blown apart house she mentally corrected herself. She looked around her, confused and afraid. Where was Harry? Where was her killer? Had he fled with Harry, or after he'd killed him? This thought made Lily burst out crying and run, anywhere, far away, anywhere, but not here.
He lay on his back, dumbfounded, wondering where his Mummy and Dada had gone. Harry did not cry, though, he was stronger than that. He slowly closed his eyes, popped his thumb in his mouth and began to suck thoughtfully on it.
Lily opened her eyes again and looked around her for the second time. She was standing in Albus Dumbledore's office. Fawkes looked straight past her. She looked down. She seemed to be human though there was something different about her, something not right... A sound like a wounded and dying animal had caught her attention. She whirled around quickly, her face murderous. It quickly softened. For sitting at the straight-backed wooden chair, slumped over Dumbledore's desk, was an oily, greasy-haired man, wearing a long black cape. She sniggered quietly at how bat-like he looked and tapped him firmly on the shoulder. He twitched as if trying to flick off a fly.
'Well, Severus, long time no see.' she said. He ignored her. She frowned.
'Sev, seriously. What are you doing? You look pathetic.' He once again ignored her. She snarled and reached to smack him over the head, but faltered. Why was he crying? Why do you care? a voice inside her head asked her. He has said some terrible things to you in the past, or don't you remember... Lily did remember. She remembered very well, for it was the last time she and her childhood bestfriend had spoken about. Albus Dumbledore Apparated with a pop! He stood behind Severus, looking grim.
'Severus...' he started carefully. He groaned and lifted his head to utter the words 'I thought... you were going... to keep her... safe...'
'She and James put their faith in the wrong person, Severus.' Lily gasped. Thats the reason why he was so upset. Because of her. Lily frowned and walked upto Dumbledore and said loudly, 'Albus!' Dumbledore ploughed on through, talking over the top of her. 'The boy survives. He has her eyes precisely. I am sure you remember Lily Evan's eyes, don't you?'
Snape's head yanked upwards and tears spurted down his face silently. 'DON'T!' he bellowed. 'Gone...forever...'
Forever? Lily frowned but quickly gasped. She hastily pressed her middle finger and index finger to her pulse on her wrist and groaned when she found out that, although the rest of her was solid, the place where her pulses had been were not. Her slender fingers passed through her skin easily, as though it was water. The same happened in her neck and her chest. She bit her lips, desperately trying not to cry. Lily pushed her shoulder and stomach. They were still solid. But she wasn't alive. She wasn't human. She was her spirit. Lily's eyes overflowed with tears and she leant up against the desk, crying silently. Five words caught her attention.
'- the Dark Lord will return. And Harry Potter will be in grave danger when he does.' Severus was silent, letting the words sink in. He looked up at Dumbledore. At last, he said. 'Very well. Very well. But never-never tell anyone, Dumbledore! This must be our secret, especially Potter's son...I want your word!'
'My word that i will never reveal the best of you, Severus? If you insist.' he sighed heavily and walked around to his chair. Severus slumped back over the table, silent. Dumbledore simply put his long fingertips together and sighed once more.
