"Mudblood," he called her. It was an ugly, ugly word. And he immediately regretted it once it had escaped his lips. He felt a sudden knot of guilt and emptiness when he saw the betrayal and hurt flash across her eyes.
Lily's beautiful, almond shaped, green eyes.
He could tell that she was replaying the words he had just said and he knew that she was hoping, praying, wishing that what she had heard was something else… but it was all just wishful thinking.
Mudblood.
He hurt her. He made a mistake. He didn't mean it! He didn't! He would've loved her forever. He would've given up both his life and his soul for her without hesitation.
But now, he just lost her. Lily Evans was no longer Severus Snape's best friend.
That moment was the turning point in his life. It would haunt him for the rest of his days. He felt disgusting and dirty, and he wished she'd hexed him for saying it.
But she didn't, and instead turned away with no intention of coming back.
Mudblood. The word was revolting.
He had tried to run after her, but she was always one step ahead. There was nothing else he could do but wait and hope that she would come to her senses.
So he waited and waited, desperately hoping that each passing day would be the day when she would reconsider and come back to him and forgive him for his mistake. He didn't care how long it took. Even if it took years, he knew that the moment she'd forgiven him would've been worth all the tears.
He'd watched her from across the room. He'd seen her laugh. He'd longed for her. He'd watched her fall in love with another.
As the years went by, he thought about extinguishing, once and for all, the undying flame he held for her in his heart. Yet, after all the ignoring, the swearing, the shunning, the avoiding, he found that he could never bring himself to hate her.
It was never in Severus' nature to fall out of love with Lily Evans.
Like always, he waited. The days, months, years became endless, the sun rose as it had set countless times, and he knew for quite some time now that Lily would never come back… yet he knew nothing, not even the truth or reality, could ever vanquish the everlasting hope of forgiveness hidden away in his heart.