Death
Severus felt how Voldemorts eyes sought his, he braced himself for the intrusion but the dark lord did not look into his mind. The scarlet eyes rested upon his face and Severus felt very un-easy, when the dark lord started to speak he could hardly breathe:
"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live Severus, the Elder wand cannot truly be mine."
Severus felt ice-cold fear rising in his chest as the realization of Voldemorts intentions dawned upon him. He was a dead man.
"My lord!" Severus protested while he raised his wand.
"It cannot be any other way", said Voldemort. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last."
It felt like slow-motion. Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand. The snake's cage came rolling through the air and before Severus could do anything more than yell, it had encased him, head and shoulders, and Voldemort spoke something in Parseltonge of which Severus understood nothing.
The huge snake's fangs sank into his neck and he felt an immense pain as the poison entered his body. A red fog clouded his view, he failed to push the enchanted cage of himself and he felt how his knees gave away. Exhausted, Severus fell to the floor.
"I regret it", said Voldemort coldly.
The cage was lifted from Severus and he fell sideways, blood gushed from the wound in his neck. He heard how Voldemort swept out of the room. Then he was there, Potter. Severus seized the boy's robe and pulled him close, and when he did he saw hatred in his green eyes. Lilly's eyes. He had to tell him. He had too…
"Take…it…Take… it…" He managed to rasp out; blood was flowing from his mouth.
Darkness fell before his eyes; through it he could only see the boy. How his memories were assembled into a flask. Now he only had one wish left in this world, one last thing…
"Look…at… me…" Severus whispered.
Green eyes found black ones but it was no longer Harry Potter's eyes that gazed into Severus'. Before his inner eyes he could see Lilly Evans smiling face, as he remembered her, young and laughing. Sweet Lilly.
Everything began to fade away, and he drifted into darkness and knew no more pain…
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He thought he heard the sound of dripping water, his face was resting upon a cold stone floor. He tried to open his eyes but found that the world around him was just as black with or without open eyes.
"Welcome", a cold voice greeted him.
Severus sat up abruptly. All logic in the world told him that he should be dead, that he shouldn't be hearing voices. If he wasn't a… the thought of becoming a ghost made a cold shiver run down his spine, he wasn't afraid of dying and he did not want to walk the earth eternally.
"You are not a ghost Severus", said the chilling voice calmly: "You are not even dead, not yet."
"But the snake…?", Severus tried to sit up but found to his absolute terror that he had no body.
"Oh believe me; you are not exactly alive either", said the voice with an amused undertone.
"What is the meaning of this, who are you?", demanded Severus with as much authority he could muster.
"I am Death", came the answer with a voice that reminded Severus of a cold murmuring stream.
"Wha-"
"Some people…", came the lingering answer abruptly from the darkness. "Deserve a second chance, wouldn't you agree Severus?"
"I don't understand."
"I'm not as cruel as everybody wants to believe", whispered Death's voice and Severus thought he had caught an undertone of amusement in the cold voice. "I've been watching your suffering Severus Snape and I'm here to make a deal with you."
"A deal?", asked Severus with a voice tainted by dread. "What kind of deal?"
"I want your faithfulness and your obedience for when I might need it", Death told him slowly as if he wanted Severus to listen to his every word.
"You want my soul?", Severus asked and felt how terror embraced him.
"That is to take it a bit too far", Death told him reassuringly. "I want your service, that is all."
"I've heard that before and I ended up killing a lot of innocent people", said Severus and forced his own voice not to shake. "Just… let me… die."
"Are you sure about that? That is what you want Severus?", murmured the voice and Severus could have sworn that Death had now moved closer to him. "What if… you could undo your mistakes? What if I gave you the opportunity to… see her again?"
"Do you want me to believe that you'll just let me go? That you will let her go?", the doubt in Severus voice must have been evident because Death's cold laugh echoed in the darkness and sent cold shivers down Severus spine, or where it should have been if he had had one.
"I give and I take", Death said slowly. "If I let you go I'll take life from someone else."
"I don't want that on my conscience… please; just let me go to rest now… I'm satisfied with what I got out of life", Severus whispered.
"Is that so Severus?", Death said smugly and a cold touch made Severus inhale sharply. "Can you tell her that?"
"He-"
"Severus?"
A figure took shape in the darkness, a woman with flaming, red hair stood before him. She had a sad look in her emerald green eyes. Severus felt how warmth suddenly filled him; she looked so living, so unlike the few pictures of her that he had left. He wanted to touch her, to reach out and embrace her. He wanted to tell her that he was…
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"So am I", taunted Death's voice behind him. "I'm sorry for your sake Severus because I believe that you are lying to me… can you honestly tell me that this isn't your hearts true desire?"
"Haven't enough people died?", Severus whispered with tears in his eyes and it was with sorrow in his heart that he saw how the image of Lilly slowly began fading away.
"Oh, you are a brave man Severus Snape, I give you that", Death whispered. "But can you deny me now?"
Severus drew a sharp breath as he saw how a replica of himself embraced the petite figure of Lilly and when they turned to face him they held a little child in between them. The child had black hair but Lilly's green eyes.
'All the happiness you ever wished for… Severus you fool', Whispered a voice in his head, it was his own voice.
"I… can't do it", said Severus silently. "I had the chance long ago and I was a fool and didn't take it then. I insulted her, I hurt her. I don't deserve her."
"But what if I gave you the chance to undo everything you did wrong?" Death's ingratiating voice told him. "What if I sent you back…?"
"Can you…?", the question had slipped from Severus lips before he had the chance to stop himself.
"Of course I can", Death told him with a cold laugh. "I am Death and Death has no time-limits. What does past, present and future matter to those who have died?"
"Then so be it, take me back."
"Good boy, Severus."