Blood. The smell of blood...and darkness...were the first things he noticed as he came to. Just what the hell had happened? The last thing Severus remembered had been that bloody ridiculous mirror. Opening his eyes, the dark man struggled to a seated position. With a flick of his wand the torches came alive bathing the room in flickering light. There were shards of glass everywhere. He raised a hand to his aching head, pulling it away when he encountered something sticky.
Raising slowly to his feet, Severus swept his eyes disdainfully at his surroundings one last time. Donning his trademark scowl before exiting the room. His long legs carried him quickly towards his destination. It was moments such as this that had him sending a silent thanks to whichever deity had blessed him with insomnia. Were it not for his inability to sleep he would have attempted this fiasco during normal waking hours. As such he would be wandering these corridors, bloody and visibly unsteady, surrounded by nosy teenagers. He was going to kill Albus for suggesting this insanity.
He continued toward the headmaster's office, taking the steps two at a time. Did the old fool want to torment him? Surely after all he had done, all he had endured, he deserved some peace. So why had his employer instructed him to seek out such a tortuous device?
"Enter, Severus," came Dumbledore's gentle voice from the other side of the heavy door. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"No, Headmaster. All I found was a gut-wrenching reminder of what is to come!" He snarled. "When you told me the mirror would help me decide upon the proper course of action I thought it would show me how to steal her away from him. Not show me a future that I have no hopes of escaping." Severus spun away in anger, the sight of the old man unbearable.
"Severus, my boy, you misunderstand the mirror's magic. Did you not read what is written on it? The Mirror of Erised shows your heart's deepest desires. It-"
"Ha!" Barked Severus bitterly. "My deepest desires? Have you gone daft old man? I saw her marrying him. Smiling at him! KISSING HIM! That mirror showed me nothing that I desire!"
"...perhaps what you desire most is her happiness at the expense of your own," said Dumbledore, placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"Sentimental, Gryffindor dribble if I ever heard it." Severus scoffed.
"Love. At its truest." With that Dumbledore handed Snape the awful wedding invitation. The cursed paper that had started it all. Severus admitted internally that Albus was right. And though he knew it would kill him he signed his acceptance on the RSVP and sent the owl before he could change his mind. He would go, but only to see her smile.