Authoress' Note: Yes, yes, I know that Snape was not the Potter's secret keeper and should therefore not be able to find their house. However, it is mentioned [at least in PoA the movie that only a few people knew where the Potters were hiding. I believe that whilst Snape was working for the bad side at the time, he did know the Potters whereabouts. Besides, that's the only way this story would work. :P Anyhoo, please read and review when you're done! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places mentioned hitherto in this story. I'm just taking them out for a wee romp.

I'll Do Anything

To all non-magic folk the dilapidated old house on the hill in Godric's Hollow was nothing short of rubbish. It should have been demolished years ago said the local villagers whenever questions were asked of it. Nobody would care to live there anyway they said. The house was an eyesore with its rusty gate, broken window shutters, caved in roof, and water-damaged foundation. But, despite these complaints, not one person of Godric's Hollow or the surrounding villages had done anything about it. The usual excuse was, "As long as 'tain't botherin' us, we won' bother it." With this in mind, the townsfolk went about their day-to-day activities without giving the house so much as a passing glance.

However, to the greasy-haired, hook-nosed young man standing in the house's front lawn, this house was of very great interest. For when he looked upon the house he saw much more than what the villagers saw. As one of the magical folk, he could see that this house was no mere stain upon the land. Rather, when he gazed upon it, he saw a completely whole house, with roof, shutters, gate, and all looking as new as the day it'd been built.

The cobblestones of the front drive had been recently washed and the garden in front of the great bay windows was obviously well tended. As of that moment, all of the curtains were drawn tight over the windows to suppress any light from inside.

And with good reason, the young man thought grimly.

With a tap of his wand the man unlocked the gate and made his way toward the house, looking nervously over his shoulder several times before feeling certain he wasn't being followed or watched.

He knocked lightly upon the door and pulled his cloak tighter about him. The door opened a crack so that a sliver of candlelight could escape. One almond-shaped green eye stared unblinkingly at him for a moment before the door was opened further.

Suddenly, a smooth hand gripped his own tightly, pulling him into the gaping maw of the house. The door clicked shut, a spell was whispered and a face swam into view before his own. It was those shining green eyes again that caught his attention, but this time he could see they were part of a young woman's face that was capped with fiery red hair.

Abruptly she pushed him forcefully against the door with hidden strength and held the candle up to his gaunt face. At first her eyes glowed with malice, but they softened ever so slightly upon realisation.

Severus Snape squirmed uncomfortably under Lily's gaze. It had been so long… so long since he had been this close to her. So long since the day he had turned her away with the uttering of a single word. And now… she was so close he could hardly bear it. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his, the warmth of her flesh, and the wild beating of her heart. Or was that his own pounding so loudly in his ears?

A few moments of awkward silence reigned supreme until, as if coming out of a trance, Lily stepped back and lowered the candle away from Severus' face.

"Why are you here?" she whispered staring fixedly at the flame dancing about in front of her as though she wished to look anywhere but into his eyes.

Snape's throat tightened; she didn't know yet. And now it would be his job to tell her. It was his entire fault he knew; a permanent black stain upon his soul. All he had wanted, even whilst they were students at Hogwarts was for her, his Lily, to be happy, and most importantly for her to stay safe.

Oh how he wished he could turn back time to that fateful night at the Hog's Head, or better yet, to the day he had first lain eyes on the woman before him. The Fates could not have been any crueler.

Severus stepped forward, but before he could say anything he found himself caressing Lily's cheek. He felt her tense underneath his hand that was now travelling downward to rest on the small of her back. And then, abandoning all thought, he found his lips descending upon hers.. But at the last moment, she turned her head and his lips just barely brushed her cheek.

Eyes closed and body trembling slightly, Lily stepped further away from him. "Severus, please," she said forcefully, her voice somewhat pained and constricted, "I… I've never liked you that way. We were only friends, nothing more. And… I'm a married woman now, with a son to care for," she added continuing to put a good amount of distance between herself and Snape's silent figure.

A son. The thought sliced through Severus like a knife through bread. His heart nearly burst at the newfound idea forming in his mind. He would not only be responsible for Lily's death, but for her son's as well; the son she so dearly loved and guarded with her life.

The young man's shoulder's slumped. He was a murderer. Even if he wasn't the one to pull the trigger, he might as well have been.

Lily pierced his thoughts with the same fervent question –

"Why are you here?"

"Where's the child? Where's Ja- Potter?"

"Stop avoiding the ques – wait… why do you ask?"

There was no escaping it now. She had to be told and he was wasting precious time.

"The Dark Lord knows you're here," he whispered, "He's coming for you… tonight."

Lily's expression did not change. She continued to stare at him blankly as though he had not said a word. Suddenly, she turned away biting her lip and crossing her arms over her chest.

Snape watched her figure leaning against the wall. She was taking in gulps of air at a time, her shoulders heaving with each breath. When she turned to look at him again her face was a perfect façade of control, but her eyes… those emerald green eyes were the open window to her soul. Tears had misted over them making them glisten and sparkle in the candlelight.

Suddenly he was struck by a wild thought, "Come with me."

"What?" Lily said, as thought she hadn't heard him correctly.

"I'll do anything… please, come with me. We can escape. The Dark Lord will never know."

Lily's face contorted in anger, "And leave James and Harry behind!?" she cried in a harsh whisper, "You are many things Severus, but I never thought you'd be a coward."

Severus was silent. He should've known she wouldn't leave her family behind. Yet for one moment, one inkling of a moment, he had thought…

"No," Lily said, her voice returning to normal, "I.. I will not abandon my family. But, thank you Severus," she said, lip trembling against her will, "For warning us, I mean."

Snape was taken aback. He wasn't quite sure how he had expected her to react, but a thank you definitely hadn't been on his list of possible scenarios.

A baby's cry from upstairs broke the silence. Wringing her hands worriedly and shifting her gaze about the room in an effort not to look directly at Severus, Lily looked as though she were trying to decide whether to answer her child's cries or throw Severus out.

Muffled footsteps could be heard overhead; James was coming. Panic flashed across Lily's face and in a split second decision, she had wrenched open the door and hastily pushed Snape outside.

Severus began to lift his hood up over his head as he stepped into the deepening darkness. His work was done, though he felt the worse for it.

But Lily's was not. Suddenly, her hand was on his arm again and she had pulled him into a tight embrace where her lips met his for a split second before pulling away and casting him out into the night.

Severus could taste the salt of tears and barely heard the whispered words, "I forgive you," as the door shut once again.

Snape stood rooted to the spot for a moment. Lily had kissed him and forgiven him and all he could feel was hatred toward himself. She had forgiven him.. The thought echoed through his head as he walked down the cobblestone drive for the second time that night. But, would he ever be able to forgive himself? Never.

Little did Severus Snape know that only a decade later he would face Lily's son, and when he looked into her boy's almond-shaped eyes he'd find himself staring straight into Lily's once again.

Authoress' Note: Hullo again! Hope you enjoyed that. I'd like to think that Snape had only made it just in time to warn them, and even as he was leaving Voldie was on his way to the Potter's house. That's the only way it'd work out methinks. Anyhoo, sappy ending I know, but please read and review!