Title: One Way Out
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Severus
Warnings: Suicide, Character Death
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 472
Summary: Severus wants out of this loop.
Notes: This is an AU in which Voldemort didn't disappear after going after the Potters. Harry's still alive, but so is Voldemort.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: History of Magic – Bonus Assignment – Write about someone stuck in a loop - can be emotions, time, or any kind of activity.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Scavenger Hunt – Spell Use – Morsmorde
Treasure Hunt Challenge: Prompt Used – Write about someone finally getting peace after a long time.
Severus had told himself after Lily's death, he would be done with the Dark Lord. Yet, he was again.
He watched as the potion boiled and lowered the temperature. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to break free from the Dark Lord's influence.
With the Dark Lord, he did many things he wasn't proud of. And no matter how many times he told himself he would go to Dumbledore for help, he was never able to.
Tonight had been the worst, though. Along with Lucius and Bellatrix, he entered a Muggle-born's house. A young woman who looked eerily similar to Lily had been there with fearful blue eyes. She had a little girl in her arms and had begged them to go and leave hear and her daughter alone.
Bellatrix, in all of her insane glory, had brutally killed the child right in front of the Lily lookalike and Lucius had raped the woman, destroying what was left of her mind. Severus shot out the Killing Curse, knowing there was no way the woman wanted to keep living anyways.
When they left the house, Bellatrix said, "Morsmorde!" Now everyone would know what they had done.
Severus had felt bile rise up in his throat. He didn't want to do this anymore, but he wasn't strong enough to leave the Dark Lord. He knew the megalomaniac would torture him for treachery.
There was only one safe way out of what he got himself stuck in. He scooped the finished potion into a vial and took it with him into his sitting room. He took his wand and snapped it in half. He never wanted the Dark Lord to get a hold of it. Who knew what he would do with it?
He looked at the vial of the sky blue potion. "I'm sorry, Lily. I'm sorry that I failed you in so many ways. I had told myself I was going to protect your son, even if he is Potter's spawn, but I'm not able to when I'm still under the Dark Lord's thumb. I can't break free from the Dark Lord, no matter how much I may want to. Maybe I am taking the coward's way out, but I am no Gryffindor. It's the only way for me to be free. I doubt I'll see you in the afterlife, but I hope you don't hate me too much."
He tilted his head back and poured the potion down his throat. He closed his eyes as he felt it began to work. His skin got clammy and his heart stared slowing down. As his heart came to a stop, Severus felt himself drift away, and it was the first time in a long while that he had a smile on his face, knowing that he would finally be getting some peace.