White. Surrounding him was bright, suffocating whiteness. Sterile. Snape covered his eyes as he struggled to force himself to sit up. It was blinding and he was disoriented, trying to remember what had happened. His mind was all a muddle. He remember a sharp, searing pain in his neck and immediately touched it, expecting his fingers to come back covered in blood, but there was nothing. No blood, no wound, no pain.

Green eyes boring in to his as he faded away. Lily's eyes. Impossible. Lily was long gone. Snape let out a roar of agony and he pulled himself to his feet, lowering his hand from his eyes. He squinted, trying to understand what was happening to him. Turning slowly in a circle he took in his surroundings. The whiteness stretched off in every direction, even above and below him.

He began to walk, unsure of what he was doing or where he was going. He just knew he needed to escape this place. His footsteps echoed around him as he walked, not helping him to clear his head. Everything was wrong. It was all just so wrong. He had a sense of foreboding. He couldn't remember, why couldn't he remember? Green eyes. Lily's eyes. Boring into him as he faded away. Faded. Gone. Dead? Searing pain in his neck? Had he died?

He stopped walking and bent over double, retching but nothing would come up, his stomach was empty. A series of images were beginning to form in his mind. Voldemort, the elder wand. Nagini. Nagini attacking him. The eyes, not Lily's, they belonged to the boy. The Potter boy, the boy who was so like his father except for those eyes. Dead. He had died.

Then what was this?

He took a deep breath and started walking again. Footsteps echoing. The whiteness never ending. He didn't know how long he walked when a sudden voice echoed through the whiteness.

"Now this is unexpected."

He spun on the spot and saw right behind him Albus Dumbledore, stroking his beard as he looked at Snape curiously.

"I was expecting someone else but instead i am honoured with your presence, Severus"

Snape took a step towards him.

"What is this place, Albus? I thought i would see Lily again when i died but instead there is this... this emptiness. Is this my punishment, for the choices i made in life? Will i never see Lily again?"

Albus took his time to reply, instead studying Snape intently. The man looked haggard, his cheeks sunken more than usual, distraught. It was curious indeed how he had ended up here, between worlds. Dumbledore didn't answer any of Snape's questions, instead asking him

"What were you thinking as you drew your last breath, Severus. That could be a clue as to why you are here instead of passing on"

"Lily. As usual my thoughts were filled with Lily. My regrets. The things i would change if i had just one chance. One chance to make right my choices."

Dumbledore nodded, beginning to understand.

"A complicated piece of magic. Interesting that you were able to cast it as you lay dying. Your thoughts must have been sincere"

Snape was shocked to see Dumbledore was smiling. He wanted to grab those shoulders and shake the man.

"Of course my thoughts were sincere! You of all people know how my choices haunted the rest of my life. Lily's death was my fault, consequences of my actions! If i could change anything i would, i would die for her to live a long and happy life!"

"Calm yourself Severus. What if i told you there was a chance. What if you could go back to a time when you were innocent and make good your actions, give Lily her chance at a happy life"

This time Snape really did grab Dumbledore's shoulders.

"What are you talking about?"

"This place, it's between worlds. You can choose to go on, or you can choose to go back."

Dumbledore explained.

"If you go on, you will see Lily again, though history shall remain the same. You will go on loving her, but she will want nothing to do with you. Everything that happened in the past stands still. Your actions will have lead to her death. However..."

Dumbledore pointed to something behind him. Snape turned and saw a door behind him. Written on the door was his name. And a date. 1st September 1971.

"If you step through that door, you will have a chance to relive your life. Make the right choices. Save Lily's life. Write a new story so to speak. The choice is yours."

"There is no choice."

Snape whispered as he reached out to the door and turned the handle, pulling it open. He was about to step through when Dumbledore called out to him

"I warn you Severus. You will remember nothing. My advice is be true to yourself, and always do the right thing."

Severus looked at Dumbledore one last time.

"Thank you Albus, for giving me this chance"

He stepped through the door and closed it quietly behind him, leaving Dumbledore alone. Albus shook his head, looking troubled.

"The magic was all from you my dear friend. Good luck."

He spoke into the whiteness.

XXXXXX

The jarring sound of an alarm jerked Severus from his sleep. He turned over onto his side, feeling with his hand to turn it off. A familiar giggle made his eyes shoot open and he found himself staring into deep green, almond shaped eyes. Lily Evans.

She laughed and stood up as he sat up quickly.

"What are you doing here so early, Lil?"

He asked. His chest hurt as he looked at her, though he couldn't understand why. Flashes of a dream he couldn't quite grasp ran through his mind as he watched her.

"Don't you remember the date, Sev?"

Lily teased.

"It's September 1st. We're going to Hogwarts!"

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and he could feel a smile appear on his face as her enthusiasm rubbed off on him.

"I can't believe you almost slept in! I've been awake since six"

She exclaimed and he shrugged, getting out of bed and stretching.

"I had a dream"

He replied, looking confused, face clouding over.

"A good one? What happened?"
"I can't remember. I just see a whiteness so blinding it takes over everything else"

Severus shrugged. Though he had a feeling he was missing something important he couldn't dwell on it as they were finally going to Hogwarts! He'd be able to spend every day with his best friend. Talking of Lily he gently pushed her out of his room.

"Wait here while i get changed"

He laughed, thinking the next year was going to be amazing.