Bravery Chapter 1, a harry potter fanfic

Prequel to Bravery

Belongs To JKR

Severus Snape awoke from the pain and realized he was dead. As he stared around the bright white light that surrounded the him he wondered aloud

"Did hell get new lighting ?"

"Hello ?" He asked

The last thing Snape remembered was being on the floor of a godforsaken shack staring up into the boys eyes while his blood made a run for it from his neck. He knew he was dead but what he didn't know was whether the boy succeeded or failed. Not that it made much difference to him, he was dead. But he did want a few answers like how long he was gonna have to stay in these god awful robes ? Or more importantly, Was this Hell ? So he started walking.

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Lily Potter, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin awoke in the same white room albeit a distance away, at least as much distance away as can be measured in a room outside space and time.

"Where are we ?" Lily spoke first

"I don't know" James answered as he grabbed for her hand helping her up

"This doesn't look like where we were" Sirius said "I feel more…..alive"

"Exactly, I feel less dreamy if that's the right word, in comparison to before" Lupin said

"Look at you talking like a professor, what happened to the bright young Marauder I grew up with ?" asked James in an attempt at a joke to lighten the mood

"Middle age" Lupin answered with a smile

"I can't believe our baby boy did it James" Lily said with a hint of awe in her voice

"I know, and it only took a little bit of dying" Sirius added

They all remembered the peace they felt in the afterlife, the feeling well...as close as can be described was of Love, Warmth, Happiness, and Acceptance the feeling of floating in those emotions like a warm seawater. Free to watch Harry grow into the bright young man he is today.

Freedom.

Freedom to watch your son grow up to watch his happiness and sadness. His trials and his triumphs

Freedom from memories of war. Torture and Azkaban

Freedom from fear of turning into a monster that would hurt your own child

Freedom.

"We were wrong" Lupin said suddenly as they were walking around the white

"About ?" Sirius asked

"Sev" Lily said in a sad voice

It was odd, in the afterlife she was calm and happy, worry never seemed to ever cross her mind or register. In fact no negative emotions did. It was odd feeling it for the first time in 17 years.

"Oh yeah" Sirius said suddenly feeling ashamed.

He too had forgot the pain of negative emotions in the afterlife. And he felt the shame in his chest as clearly as he remembered feeling the cold of a dementor.

"Why didn't the bastard tell us" He yelled

"We would have helped him he didn't-"

"Would you have ?" James asked quietly in a sad voice

"After everything we did too him would you have come to your tormentors for comfort" He continued

If anybody here was feeling the comedown from the great beyond it was James Potter. He wasn't proud of how he acted in school toward Snape…..No Severus. But he always comforted himself with the fact when he was alive that Severus made his choice. James did stop bullying him in Seventh Year, he didn't like him, No he hated him but did that mean he would have kept bullying him ? No he had matured beyond Severus in that time and Lily saw that and chose him. But Severus was understandably bitter toward the man who he felt abused him from year one to six then decided he was done. And got the girl he'd always loved as a prize. So he went after James and James defended himself and sometimes paid him back in kind.

It was only after he died and heard what Harry said did he understand that Severus had been working for the light this whole time. But he was in the beyond and regret wasn't an emotion he processed, until now that is. Now he felt truly awful.

"Do you think Tonks ?" Lupin asked in a hoarse voice

" I'm sure she's fine Remus" Lily comforted him

"And Teddy ?" He added

"Moony this is my son we're talking about here, you know the guy who killed Voldemort, twice. I'm sure he can handle your son" James broke out of funk to tell Lupin

"Yeah I mean I'm sure-" Sirius broke off and stared

"Merlin's ball sack, that dungeon bat bastard" He said. In one of the oddest phrases to ever hit the great beyond

"What ? What is it ?" Lily asked

But Sirius Black was at a loss for words for one of the very few times in his life so he simply pointed toward a black garbed figure walking in their direction.

Severus Snape

Severus Snape had no idea how long he'd been walking since as said at the beginning of this tale, time has no meaning here. But I digress, as he was walking he thought he saw four figures in the distance. And not wanting to wander eternity alone, decided to see who they were and if they were of use.

He thought he caught the phrase "ball sack" but brushed it off as his mind playing tricks. Then one of the figures start running toward him waving their arms like an idiot and yelling.

Then he heard it.

"Sev, Sev," No it's not possible. He couldn't see her. There was no way she would be here, not in hell.

"Lily" A voice whispered that wasn't quite his own.

Sev.

Sev was right here she could see him again to tell him all the things she wanted to say. If only she could figure out what it was but the main idea was "Thank you" and "I'm so sorry".

He simply stood there waiting. For her. She didn't say a word or let him get one out either. She bowled him over in a hug. And squeezed him as hard as she could. Finally she felt his arms tentatively wrap back around her. Now she felt tears role down her face and her back was soon wracked with sobs as she tried to get out a word.

She finally drew away to look at him.

His eyes were the same inky black color that always fascinated her.

She stared at them and noticed they had tears leaking out of them as well.

"Lily" She was shocked. The last time she heard him utter her name was outside the Gryffindor Common Room and his voice had a squeaky sound that alternated between pre-teen and man. It was now a deep and noble baritone. His eyes and face though, had not changed for the better. His face held the worries and lines of a man not 38 but 76, god only knows what living around Voldemort does to a person. But his eyes. His eyes were the worst. They were old. Beyond old, not the old of Dumbledore, which held a twinkle of happiness and mischievousness despite his age. No, Sev's eyes held the worst things that came with age.

Regret

Pain

Self Loathing

Hatred

Bitterness

Fear

Anger

Weariness

But despite all that. While he was looking at her she saw beneath those horrors a glimmer of the delicate, fun, dreamer boy she knew and loved.

"Sev…Sev, What did they do too you ?" She asked in a soft hoarse voice

By "They" she meant the world, , Dumbledore, Voldemort, his father his mother, everybody but most of all Her. Everybody who had taken an innocent young boy and help twist him into a shell of a human being.

Finally after gathering some of his dignity Severus tried to say

"I'm sorry" But they said it at the same time

They both smiled and Sev feeling unusually bold put his fingers on her lips and said

" You have nothing to be sorry for. You were right to leave me, I was no kind of friend to you then and deserved what happen to me. And considering what I did later I deserved everything I got. So please accept my sincerest apologies Lily"

Lily smiled at him in a way that made his heart want to ache and Said

"Apology accepted Sev"

"But I do have to say-" she cut off when she and him both noticed the surviving Marauders standing behind them looking extremely awkward.

Lily was very nervous, she was afraid of what might happen now that tormentors have met tormented. But Sev kept his eyes locked with hers and she gave what she hoped was a pleading look. And something behind Sev's eyes melted and after exhaling a long sigh. He addressed all three of them. With a terse head nod and a

"Potter, Black, Lupin"

They all looked surprised at his greeting. Luckily that was all that he gave. Lily looked around and realized that everybody had apologies to give but no one was ready.

"Sev, I know you said I had nothing to apologize for but I do. I'm sorry for abandoning you. I'm sorry for not making a greater effort to save years of friendship. I'm sorry for breaking your heart and leaving you in the dark" More tears dripped from her eyes and Sev wiped them away

"I'm sorry for what the world did to you"

Lupin went next

Remus Lupin took a deep breath and stared at the man who had in more ways than one helped make sure Voldemort never won. Who arguably lost the most from both wars.

"Severus I'm sorry, I'm sorry for letting my friends hurt you while I stood by and did nothing. I'm sorry for not trying to understand you. I'm sorry for believing the worst in you. I hope you can forgive me"

Sirius Black took a deep breath and started with

"I always thought you were a arrogant git. I hated you. I thought you were up to your neck in the Dark Arts and Death Eaters. But you were just another symbol of my family that I hated and wanted destroyed, So I took it out on you and I want to apologize for that and for bullying you through Hogwarts. And never giving you a second chance."

James took a long shuddering breath like everyone before

"I was bad Severus, I was real bad. I for all my talk of being brave was a coward who was afraid of what you had with Lily. Someone who wanted that for myself and I hurt an innocent boy for no reason. I'm sorry for never giving you a second chance or a chance at all and I'm sorry for taking what you cherished most"

By the time he finished tears were leaking out of his eyes.

Sev was overwhelmed and at a loss for words so when Lily turned to him expectantly he took a minute and gathered his thoughts

"James, Remus, Sirius, Lily, I accept all your apologies but I have something to say in return"

"Remus, you were kinder to me then I deserved back then considering who my friends were and what I was involved in and in the present you made more of an effort toward reconciliation than I did. That I refused out of bitterness and fear due to your disease and I apologize for ruining your career out hatred.

"Sirius, I apologize for not trusting you when you came out of Azkaban and for goading you into proving yourself even though we both knew your bravery"

"James I apologize as well for ending your life prematurely, for trying make your sons school life miserable and for attacking you even though you stopped going after me. I was bitter and mean and angry But…But you were the better man for Lily and you were the one who would've given her less heartache, and in the end knowing she was and is happy with you is good enough for me.

After they were done they all looked around at each other and smiled, Lily with the biggest.

"Soooo now that, that corny love fest is over, What now ?" Sirius asked

"That is entirely up to you" A familiar voice said

They turned around to see Albus Dumbledore walk toward them with a grin on his face and twinkle in his eye.

Lily was slightly apprehensive of the man who had used both Sev and Harry for years.

"Lily I know you may have doubts about what I've I done in the War but I assure you I took no pleasure in it"

Dumbledore then walked over to Sev and embraced him in a bear hug and said thickly

"Thank you my boy, thank you for doing what no one could've done" He pulled away and looked Sev in the eyes

"I'm sorry for what I did to you Severus but rest assured I have never been more proud of you"

Sev to Lily's surprise smiled at that and said

"Thank you sir"

Dumbledore clapped his hands together and said in an excited voice

"I come bearing an offer"

"From who ?" Lily asked suspiciously

"If you wish to have it free of charge" He said ignoring her question

"What is the offer ?" Sev asked

"A second chance " Dumbledore responded simply

"At what ?" Lupin asked

"Life" Dumbledore said

"You mean like reincarnation ?" James asked

"Ohhhh no James a second chance at your old lives" Dumbledore responded with a chuckle.

"From when ?" Sirius asked

"From when you were born of course"

"Wait, with all our memories ?" Lupin asked

"Of course not Remus that would be wrong, No you would start as children again with no memories of the past in the same situation you were born into but you'd have a second chance to make a better life without the mistakes of today" Dumbledore said

"How do you know we wouldn't make the same ones" Sev asked

"Nothing happens the same way over again my dear boy"

"What if it's worse than before ?" James asked

"Would you really be given this opportunity if it could be worse ?" He asked back

"What happens to our world ? To Harry ?" Lily asked

"Or Teddy ?" Remus added

"I don't know that I'm afraid, but let me ask you this. Wouldn't you rather give them the opportunity to have a better world ? Is this the way you wanted to end your lives ? Dead at 21 ?, Killed by a Death Eater ?, Killed by your own cousin after being imprisoned in Azkaban ? Or hated and alone, killed in a dirty shack by a snake ?" Dumbledore asked them evenly

"You all must agree with this wholeheartedly before the change happens"

"What happens if we say no ?" Sirius asked

"You'll be sent to the Beyond, Where you were before"

Lily looked at all her friends and saw in their eyes something conflicting feelings she felt it to. She didn't want to lose James and Harry in this new world and the Beyond was so…..wonderful. But…a chance for a happier Sev ? An unscarred Sirius ? A Remus that was alive and happy ? Her and James alive with Harry ?. And Dumbledore did say it couldn't get any worse.

Didn't they owe it to themselves to try ? After all she was a Gryffindor

"I think we should do it" Lily said quietly

They all looked at her

"We owe it to ourselves" She said looking at each and every one of them.

"You're right" Lupin said

"I'd like a second try" Sirius said with a grin

"He did say it couldn't be worse" Sev said drily

"Was that a joke Severus ?" Dumbledore asked lightly

"No it was a turkey"

They had a small laugh at that

"James ?" Lily asked

They all turned to him, he looked at Dumbledore then Lily

"Will I ever hold her again ?" He asked thickly

"Love always finds away" Dumbledore answered with a smile and hand on his shoulder

"But whose ?"

He looked at Sev

"Not even the wisest man in the world can answer that" Dumbledore said back

James took a deep breath

"Alright then"

Dumbledore seemed very pleased

"Excellent"

He snapped his fingers

And the white light suddenly grew brighter and brighter until it threatened to blind them

Lily grabbed James hand, then…Sev's for some reason

"You'll stay with me won't you ?" she asked to somebody she wasn't sure who, then she heard Sev's reassuring voice answer her.

"Always"

And suddenly she wasn't so frightened anymore.

The light engulfed them, and Lily Potter soon to be Evans fell into it