SEVERUS, PLEASE

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter. I'm so glad I don't own Snape, though. His hair? Nasty.

I've had this story sitting here for a while, and just now I decided to clean it up a little. Basically, just a short and (maybe) sweet story about what flashed through Snape's head right before he... well, you'll see. The first scene takes place right after that little train fiasco with Lily, Snape, and James. Enjoy!

"My mom will kill me."

"Severus, please!" Lily pleaded with her best friend.

"I don't like Potter. He'll be in Gryffindor." Severus spat out that last bit, still seething over the encounter from five minutes ago.

"Severus, please."

"No. I won't do it. I won't be in Gryffindor."

"Not even for me?" Lily leaned forwards towards him, batting her eyelashes.

Snape looked away.

Lily walked past the Slytherin table, past the Hufflepuff, and finally the Ravenclaw table, only to sit down next to Potter.

He could do it. He could surprise everyone. He could sit down next to Lily and have her grin at him, that lovely grin...

But his family would leave him, desert him. He had nowhere to go, no money, no friends aside from Lily.

Was she worth it?

"You could have been in Gryffindor, you know."

Severus nodded. "You could have been in Slytherin."

Lily made a face. "Skulls and creepy people... Not for me, thanks. And not for you either. At least, not the Severus I know."

"It's not just skulls, there's..."

"Dark arts. Torture. Did you hear about Avery, Sev? You're better than that."

He smiled at the use of his nickname. "Thanks... I guess."

"Severus, please?"

He looked confusedly at her. "Please what?"

"Please stay away from all the Dark magic, Sev. Stay out of it. You deserve more, a whole life. Not a life torturing others."

Snape shrugged, knowing Lily was right. "I guess," he lied. "I'll try... as long as I don't have to be nice to Potter."

Lily laughed lightly. Then her tone became pleading. "Severus, please."

The next time Snape heard those words was years later. Lily was dead. And instead of the redhaired beauty, it was Dumbledore who was pleading with him. To kill him.

"Severus, please."

It was as if he heard Lily's voice again. Asking him to do the right thing for once.

And for once, he did it.