Prologue [1 / 3]:
Of All The Ways.
A quiet buzz filled the vast space while the distant repetition of "congratulations on making it," echoed around. Spirals of gold magic danced along the white sky making their way towards the large gates which lay on top of solid gold stairs. There was no sun radiating the area, but the light seemed to bounce off everything and everyone.
Heavenly giggles rent the pure air as the lucky people found their place in line. The check-in section consisted of eight lines which were kept at a reasonable length at all times. At the front of the queue were many Guardians who repeated the same things over again: "Name?", "Congratulations on making it", "Enjoy your new eternal life."
Around the feet of the people whirled a white fog that stopped at ankle-length; it created an enchanted atmosphere which paired well with the harp charmed to play near the gate. The departed souls moved closer to the front unsure of what was happening to them. Most of them were recalling their deaths and others were wondering if they were heading to Hell.
In the second from left line stood Severus Snape. His eyes moved around calculating his new surroundings—this cannot be what I think it is—was he standing in a queue to move into the afterlife? Because that's what it looked like.
People were crying with uncertainty and others looked happy to be at peace. Severus was neither one of those people. He knew exactly where he was, however, he didn't understand why? He has done such terrible things and somehow he was standing in an angelic wonderland awaiting his judgement.
He was yet to hear anyone be told they hadn't made it to Heaven, but he'd been blessed with bad luck all his life, so he wasn't ruling the possibility out. His line moved forward a few steps and he followed behind the person in front of him.
Severus was still clad in his teaching robes and he realised that a lot of people's attire looked out of place, nonetheless, everyone was clean and glowing. He brushed his fingers against his neck and felt the raised skin which held his scar.
A sigh escaped his lips.
Had he done enough good deeds in his life to counteract the bad? He'd died helplessly in the Shrieking Shack and parted ways with his memories—actually, he was glad that he didn't have to stick around and answer any questions that Potter had for him.
It was true that he still loved Lily, but not in the way he knew Potter would think. He'd grown up since their friendship had ended and he realised that it was love as a friend that he held close to his heart. He hadn't had any normal friends that didn't wish to bully him into doing things for them. However, life had got in the way and he found himself indebted to her and knew he couldn't allow her son to fall at the hands of the man that had killed her.
Lily? Would he see her again if he made it beyond the golden gate? Severus knew that if the afterlife was what he thought it was, then she would be; it meant James Potter and Sirius Black would be there as well.
Albus? He would definitely be in Heaven.
For once, Severus allowed himself to relax and let hope fill his body. The afterlife could be his reward for the good he's done, for the sacrifices he made for the greater good. He could only hope some more that he'd find happiness wherever he may be going.
"Next!" The chirpy voice squeaked and Severus realised he was getting closer to the front. He'd been standing here in a daze for what seemed like forever.
Another thought struck him: Had they won the war? Would he ever find out if they had? There were so many unanswered questions running through his mind and it aggravated him that he may never know the answers. The soothing harp melody eased the tension in his body and he closed his eyes for a few seconds.
His mother?
Severus' eyes flew open at the possibility. She may have died living a mundane life, but she was a witch. This was without a doubt the afterlife for magical beings. Did he want to see her again after everything? Many emotions flashed across his face and he did his best to suppress them for now. He wished to focus on the good that could be happening to him when he reached the desk.
He waited and waited until he was finally at the front. The person at the desk looked his way and flashed him a smile. "Name?" she asked, and he cautiously approached the table.
"Severus Snape," his baritone voice echoed around and he heard a distant gasp from the back of one of the lines. He turned his head slightly but soon focused his attention on the woman who was holding a piece of parchment.
"Congratulations on making it," she beamed up at him. "If you take your paper up to the people at the gate they will allow you to go through. Enjoy your new eternal life."
Severus nodded in thanks then followed behind the few people that moved towards the golden gates. There was another queue which trailed up to the Guardians at the entrance, but people had spread out a little and formed small circles. Severus watched some try to interact with one another and a joy long forgotten entered his heart at how easily they were accepted.
This process seemed to take longer than waiting in line for the desk, but Severus didn't mind. He'd made it. He was finally getting the freedom that he deserved and he was over the moon about it. A small smile grew on his face and he stared down at the parchment in his hands. It contained his birth information and there was a long list of things he'd done; most of it was bad, however, the red stamp at the bottom assured him that there hadn't been a mistake.
Good. That's all it said and it meant the world to him.
Severus stood at the bottom of the stairs for a long time. More people joined him to wait and a few smiled at him innocently; he found himself returning the gesture. This was it, he could finally relax and live his eternal life freely.
He watched as the two male Guardians read off a list of names. Around twenty people were called forward and told to roll up their parchment and place it into the circular keyhole. Severus was slightly aghast when they disappeared with a pop, and after each person did it, gold magic rippled up the bars of the gate.
The crowd had become more sparse and he knew that he'd have to wait until it filled up some more before he got to see what Heaven looked like.
He lingered at the bottom step and kept his eyes glued to his shoes. Perhaps I'll have a change of clothes...I stand out too much in these robes. It was a striking contrast against the gold place he found himself in. He expected that the line to hell was filled with black robes and ghoulish masks. Merlin, he was thankful to be here and not there.
"Erm...Hello, sir."
Severus' back straightened. He recognised the voice and he couldn't understand why he was hearing it. Ever so slowly he lifted his eyes from the clouded floor and turned toward the voice. His eyes didn't deceive him and he could hardly believe that he was staring at Hermione Granger.
Her clothes were dishevelled, but clean, and there was a nasty scar on an exposed part of her chest. Right over her heart. Her hair fell in frizzy curls yet it seemed to shine beneath the golden hue of the gateway. A sudden tightness laced around his heart and the only thought that entered his mind was 'what the bloody hell is she doing here?'.
Of all the things he expected her to do, what she did come as a surprise. The parchment fell from her fingertips and she ran across the large gap that separated them, then collided hard with his chest. Her small arms wrapped tightly around his waist and he heard her inhale sharply.
She's hugging me.
Severus wasn't sure why he did it, but he found himself returning her embrace. His arm came around her shoulders and he lowered his head by her hair. She sniffled and nuzzled her face against his clad body then pulled away to look up at him.
"I'm sorry," she whispered wiping away her tears. "It's just nice to see a familiar face."
He nodded in understanding and she quickly moved to retrieve her discarded parchment, then returned to his side. Severus discreetly tried to look at the cause of death on her profile, but she soon hid it in her back pocket. How did she die? It seemed a very impolite question to ask someone, however, he was extremely curious.
"We won," she said with a smile, and relief flooded through Severus' veins. "Harry killed him."
He could see her bottom lip shaking and she bit down on it. That only meant one thing, she died after the war had been won. Severus wasn't sure how the timeframe worked between dying and moving up to the gateway, but she must've died shortly after the victory. He couldn't think of a more horrid way to go; dying right after knowing your life would be free from such evil.
"I'm glad," he replied as they both stared up at the golden gate. Severus found his eyes drifting back to her and he couldn't stop the small smile from growing on his face.
Of all the ways he could picture his life after death going, standing next to Hermione Granger while they waited to go to Heaven was beyond his wildest dreams. Yet, at this moment in time, he couldn't think of any other way he'd rather spend it.
AN:/ Hello! I hope you enjoyed the first part of a 3-part prologue. I'm very nervous about posting this story because of how much it relies on MY imagination as well as incorporating it with the world of Harry Potter! Please let me know what you think, and I'll be posting weekly!