Severus Snape was messed up. He had known that since, well, forever. And that is not an exaggeration. Since the moment he had been sorted into Slytherin, and Lily had been sorted into Gryffindor, he had known nothing would be the way it used to be, his best friend had been sorted into a rival house, the house of the traitors, people who went around hugging Muggleborns and bugging Slytherins for fun. And what's more, she seemed happy, sitting with her fellow housemates, not even looking at Severus. Not even when his parents argued, had he ever felt ignored. For once in his life, he felt neglected. He felt alone.
He had taken to hanging out with fellow Slytherins, a few being Avery, Mulciber, Evan Rosier, and Wilkes, and even Regulus Black. But even if he did hang out with them, he didn't torture Muggleborns. Mudbloods, they called them. Admittedly, his fellow Slytherins didn't always torture them, but there had been occasions when they did. Take Mary Macdonald for example.
Lily had asked him many times, how he could even stand being next to them, that they were evil. His reply was simple, they were his friends. The ones who stood up for him, whenever Black, the Gryffindorky one, and Potter felt that Severus needed their help in 'styling' his hair, though he didn't say that bit. How could he, in fact? Everyone would say he deserved it! Excluding the Slytherins, it was only Lily who would ever defend him if it came down to a duel between him and the Marauders, which was often, mind you. He'd rather not have Lily hating him.
And that's just what happened.
It was right after the OWLS in fifth year, and Potter and his stupid friends were, as always, bragging, when suddenly, Potter had turned around and hexed Severus. Lily had defended Severus, had screamed at James Potter, called him an insensitive git who deserved to rot in hell, she had tried to help Severus. But this only made things worse. Severus, in an attempt to regain his dignity, had screamed that he didn't need a Mudblood's help. For the first time in his life, Lily had given him a look of pure hatred and utter disgust. And then, coolly, she had replied, "Well then, why don't you go crying to your dear Slytherins for help?", and had turned around and left. Severus had been so shocked that he didn't even try to call out to her or run after her. He had waited outside the Gryffindor Common Room the entire night, and Mary Macdonald had said so to Lily. Severus had tried many times, after that day, to apologize to Lily, but she refused to forgive him for it, even after his repeated apologies. He just knew this would forever be Severus' worst memory.
Almost five years later, when Severus had become a Death Eater, and Lily had married that James Potter, Severus had heard a prophecy. He had heard only half of it at Aberforth Dumbledore's pub, and had hurried back to Voldemort to tell it to him. If only he had known at that time, that it would concern Lily's child of all people, he would never had dreamt of telling the Dark Lord. But of course, it was already done, and he could not go back and undo it.
Voldemort had decided that Harry Potter was the subject of the prophecy, and now Lily was in danger as a result of his actions. He had begged Voldemort to spare her in exchange for the lives of her husband and son. But how could he leave Lily's safety in question at the hands of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Someone who could kill Severus, his own follower, in a second, without any remorse. Combined with the fact that Lily would probably defend her child until she died, Severus now had only one person to turn to - the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared - his ex-headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He had pleaded with Dumbledore to hide Lily, even James and her son, if he had to.
Dumbledore had agreed, but of course these favours are never done without a catch. Severus had to serve Dumbledore as a spy among the Death Eaters. But despite Dumbledore's efforts to protect the Potters, Lily and James had died, leaving a one-year old Harry alive.
In 1991, when he had seen eleven-year old Harry, he realized that apart from the boy's eyes, everything about his looks screamed mini-James-Potter. He had taken an instant disliking to the boy, treating him the way James Potter had treated Severus.
In Harry's fifth year, when he had been asked to help the boy master Occlumency and Legilimency, he had never expected Potter to get past his defenses and cast the Legilimency spell on Severus. And imagine his shock and humiliation at realizing that Potter was going through the memory of his Fifth year, the one in which he called Lily a Mudblood. He had then, once again, gained control of of his thoughts and forced Potter out of his head, threatened him and kicked him out of his office. Seriously, what was it with every Potter he knew humiliating him in their fifth year. And that too with the same memory!
Afterwards, he started being even harsher towards Potter, and had continued to do so till the boy's seventh year, when Severus had been dying and had asked Potter, no, Harry to look at him, with Lily's eyes, one last time, and given him his memories. At least he died while trying to protect Harry. Without him, Harry wouldn't know he himself was a Horcrux. Whatever Harry and his friends thought of him, he didn't care. If they made him out to be the villain, he was fine with it. He didn't care.
His biggest regret in life was to lose Lily. But at least his biggest contentment and accomplishment was to be be able to help Harry Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Potter, win the war and defeat the wizard who killed James and Lily.
2017...At King's Cross Station
"Dad?", Albus asked.
"Yeah, Albus?"
"Will you be mad if I end up in Slytherin?"
"Albus Severus Potter," Harry knelt down by his son, "You were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was the bravest man I ever knew."
"Severus Snape?"
"Severus Snape," Harry smiled, "And if you really prefer Gryffindor, then the Sorting Hat will take your choice into account, as it did for me."
Severus would never truly die, Harry Potter made sure of that.
***THE END***