A/N In honour of Alan Rickman, a truly legendary actor and great man. He was a massive part of my childhood and will be sorely missed.
He felt the last of his strength drain away. He was dying. But, he had done his best to save her son. To save Harry. He watched as the boy with her eyes left. He gave a backward glance to Severus. A glance full of pity and understanding. Severus moved to look at those eyes. Lily's eyes. He tried to convey all he could in a single look. An apology for his behaviour towards Harry, strength to keep Harry going and remorse at being unable to make amends. He was nearly gone. He felt his body give out. His heart stopped beating. His lungs stopped breathing. For a moment in time, it was as if he was frozen in a dead body. His dead body. But, then he watched himself being pulled upwards by a warm, golden light. Then, his eyes closed. The last of his life.
He awoke in a playground. The playground where he met Lily. He saw her coming towards him with a beautiful, graceful smile. "Sev" She opened her arms and hugged him. Her love for her best friend radiated for miles. He looked into her brilliant green eyes and saw unconditional love. "Thank you" She thanked him with a beaming smile. His best friend was here. His only love. A tear escaped his eye. "I'm sorry. I didn't treat him right-"
Lily Potter just hushed him with a knowing look. "You saved his life, Sev. You protected him. That's enough for me" She took his hand. "Thank you"
"Lily, can you forgive me?" He asked ashamedly. He had made her son's life a misery. Her son. A brilliant young man with the world on his shoulders. And, Severus made his life deliberately difficult.
Lily hugged her best friend. "There is nothing to forgive. You saved my son. That outweighs everything" She looked into his jet black eyes.
"But, I called you a-" Severus felt unworthy of such easy forgiveness.
Lily interrupted him. "It is forgotten. Let's not dwell on times past" She motioned to him to follow her which he did with pleasure. "Do you remember this place?" She pointed to the place under the tree they had sat a million times when they were but children.
'Yes, of course Lily" Severus quickly said. How could he forget the place where they had become friends? Where they had spent hours talking?
Lily sat down. "Then sit down, Sev" She said with a teasing smile. "And, let's have a catch up" Her green eyes glinted with happiness as her best friend.
He sat down and they chatted for hours. Just as they had when they were children. It was as if nothing had changed between them.
A/N RIP Alan Rickman. May you be at peace wherever you are.