He always will be...
The crackle of apparition broke the silence that stood over Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a lone figure emerging from the twists and turns of that disorienting form of magical transportation. He wore a black sweater, faded blue jeans, faded black sneakers, and a pair of rounded glasses perched upon the bridge of his nose. His most notable features were the partially-healed scar on his forehead, green eyes that had dark-colored bags underneath them, black spiky hair, and the partially-clean shaven face.
He inspected his surroundings, noting that the castle had been rebuilt and that a new ramshackle tower made up of wood, stone, and scrap metal occupied the space that was once Hagrid's Hut, he also saw the thick fog that had formed above the surface of the Black Lake before turning and finding his objective, long rows and columns of marble graves surrounded by an enchanted wooden fence.
He sighed to himself, reminiscing on the bittersweet memories of the past. How long had it been since the fiasco with the Sorcerer's Stone? How long had it been since the chamber of secrets was opened? How long had it been since the day he met his late godfather, Sirius Black? How long had it been since the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Cedric Diggory's death, and the Dark Lord Voldemort's return? How long had it been since the prophecy was revealed and the death of his godfather at the hands of Bellatrix LeStrange? How long had it been since the discovery of Voldemort's Horcuxes, the death of Dumbledore, the hunt for the Horcruxes, the discovery of the Deathly Hollows, and the final showdown between him and Lord Voldemort?
Too long...Too bloody long. After that day, when the new Ministry was brought back to life from the ashes of its precursors, and when he was hailed a hero of Magical Britain he went into a self-imposed exile. The reason? The weight of many responsibilities that were once on his shoulders never left him nor did the knowledge of the deaths that he both directly and indirectly caused during his years at Hogwarts. He left so he could find solitude and peace of mind or at least that is what he hoped.
Shaking his head, he continued on his path to the graveyard that housed the bodies of students, professors, and allies who died during and after the Battle between Light and Dark. He was looking for one grave in particular.
It was then shortly during his journey he noticed that he wasn't alone, spotting a familiar head of neatly-combed short blonde hair and dark-colored clothing. His body instinctively tensed even though it wasn't necessary, especially since he abandoned his allegiance to the dark lord after he was defeated for the final time. The problem was his body and mind still didn't forget the pain, suffering, and misery his old rival from the House of Snakes had caused.
The man with blonde hair stood up, taking a quick glance to the other visitor before turning back to the grave.
"Potter." The blonde acknowledged the boy-who-lived with a simple statement of his name.
"Malfoy." Harry replied, his tone civil with only a bare hint of caution.
"I didn't expect to see you here." Malfoy stated bluntly.
"I'm only paying my respects, I'll be out of your hair in a moment." Harry dryly replied.
With a few circular motions and a wave of his wand a set of flowers started to fade into existence on of the grave but below the inscription:
Here Lies Severus Snape
The Half-Blood Prince
January 9th 1960-May 2 1998
A few more waves and he finished conjuring a set of lilies on the grave before sighing to himself. Draco Malfoy looked at the son of the marauders with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"You know, after all these years I still think that you two hated each other."
"Not as much as we hated Lockhart." said Harry with a bittersweet grin.
Draco tried his best to snuff out the morbid chuckle so that it only came out as a tiny snicker. He didn't want to disrespect the lives that were lost here especially his Godfather.
"In all seriousness though, did you hate him?" Malfoy asked with a hint of solemn curiosity.
Harry paused, taking a glance at the boy he once called his enemy before turning to face the grave below.
"He hated me for being the son he never had with Lily Potter, my mother. He also hated me for being the son of the man who tormented and taunted him during his years at Hogwarts...My father, James Potter. However, in my eyes he will always be the bravest man I ever knew."
This is a short fic I wrote as a tribute to Alan Rickman who passed away after his battle with was famous for his role as Severus Snape from the Harry Potter films as well as his roles as Hans Gruber from Die Hard, Metatron in Dogma, Alexander Dane from Galaxy Quest, and many more films and plays.
My thoughts, sympathies, and prayers go out to his family and friends, may he rest in peace.
-Vent Xekart