The smell of salt and soil wafted with the cruelly bitter wind, twisting around Severus's oversized hooked nose. The crescent moon lit the surrounding forest creating nightmarish, dancing shadows across the mud. Rushes of water calmed Severus, letting it drown his thoughts from the approaching night. His black hair rustled around his pointed face, tickling his shaved chin.
His gaze travelled from his intertwined gloved fingers to the blackened stream he walked beside. His cracked lips parted in desperation as he saw a petite, fragile child. Her wide emerald eyes blinked slowly, smiling back at him. Her wavy black hair sat past her naval, swaying in the frosty breeze, she had to be cold wearing only a frilly red dress. Her features were bright and excited, the stream had always been her favourite place to play. She lifted her hand expectantly, awaiting Severus to hold it. He returned a gaze of misery, knowing that she was only a figment of his imagination conjured up to slowly twist his sanity. His thoughts constantly returned to this memory, the final moment he had seen Lily happy and oblivious to her coming fate.
"It's time Severus" whispered a frail echo. Lily glanced around, searching for the invisible voice."Give her to me."
"Dad?" Her voice sweet and charming, giving her father a questionable gaze.
"It's time to go play," Severus croaked, his lips lifting into a false smile, "in the house over there."
Lily glanced over her shoulder, across the forest was a cold, sinister house barely staying upright. She turned back to Severus, doubt now in her eyes. "But dad, you always told me not to go in there."
"I know darling, but it'll be fine." He knelt down in front of her, clasping on to her small, fragile hands. The sun shone off Lily's charmed bracelet, holding only one charm. Severus took a moment to compose himself before he uttered. "I'll be right behind you."
"Okay Daddy," She chimed cheerily excited for a new adventure. She hopped off, singing a song on her way to the house, her new black shoes hitting the ground with light thuds. Her arms swung beside her, blissfully swinging to the rhythm she sung.
"The day we rode to the clear stream, you said it would be so clean. It was tainted with the colour red, as the dark lord drank from a unicorn who's dead. You said, "Not to worry dear, there's no need to be in fear. Never look him in the eyes, or never tell him any lies. Trust me dear, I will protect you, I will always be protecting you.""
A tear escaped Severus's eye, creeping its way towards his chin. His breath quickened as he watched his daughter run into the open door, the house engulfing her small, frail body. Behind her the door shut close, separating him from Lily. He cringed when he heard the lock, sealing her into a future full of dangerous expectations.
He wiped away a stray tear, interlocking his gloved fingers once more. Lily's charmed bracelet lay delicately between his hands, she had dropped it metres from the house before she had entered. Severus had kept it in the pocket of his cloak, relishing in its memories. He shut his eyes, breathing intensely before continuing on throughout the forest.
Eventually he found himself in front of the house, looking up at it through narrowed eyes. It looked identical to his memory, containing the familiar shattered windows and broken bricks. However, the top window was lit dimly, licking the grass which lay below. Severus absently climbed the porch steps and entered, the door closing behind him. The only light in the small corridor came from the second floor, illuminating the busted stairs. With each step he took the floorboards below him creaked and strained under his weight. He gradually ascended the stairs, not conscious of another stray tear escaping his eye. He headed towards the lit room, clutching his twined hands more forcefully, the charm digging through the gloves.
"Severus, finally you made it," uttered the feeble voice. It was so familiar to Severus that he relaxed his worked up muscles. The dimmed ache on his left arm ceased as he pushed himself to enter the room. "Tonight is the night Severus, I hope you came prepared."
"Of course my lord," Severus momentary glimpsed around the room, viewing a hunched man in the corner, his teeth bared in a snarl. The man bored into Severus's eyes, winking with a devilish pleasure. Severus growled in disgust, further noting to ignore him for the rest of his stay.
"I believe it is time, Severus. We have trained her for so long and I need my power back." The voice came from a dusty recliner chair which sat in the centre of the room. Relief momentarily filled Severus as he couldn't see the thing which lay a top of it. "I want you to perform the spell Severus, I believe it to be the only way."
Severus's pupils grew, making his already black eyes darker. His eyebrows furrowing in revulsion. He never considered that he had been called here to put the spell on her himself. The thought ran a shiver up his thinning body.
"Bring her in," The hunched man in the corner flinched from the harshness of his master's tone, clumsily getting to his feet. He scattered out the room, returning moments later with a bony, fragile girl.
Her frail body was pale and flawed, her clothes harshly hanging off her. Her limp black hair lay plastered around her expressionless face. Everything about the girl reminded Severus of his daughter, although she was too lifeless and icy. She opened her eyes, revealing the one part of her which had stayed the same. Innocence and happiness radiated from her eyes, contrasting severely with the rest of her features.
"Father," She bitterly spat whilst slitting her eyes.
"Please," strained Severus, his voice breaking. "Forgive me."
"How can I forgive you?" She screamed, thrashing against Wormtail. "You gave me up!"
"I had to!" Cried Severus, dropping to his knees. He gazed into Lily's eyes, he saw true hatred in them, the sweet and innocence gone.
""I'll be right behind you", you lied to me."
"Please -"
"No, I don't want to hear any of it," She sneered, her lips twisting into a grimace. "Please father, just hurry up and do your job."
The words cut through Severus, making another tear escape down his cheek. He quickly turned away refusing Wormtail the pleasure of seeing him cry.
"How touching..." The voice whispered cruelly, sounding quite bored. "We must continue Severus."
Severus turned back towards Lily, avoiding her gaze. He clasped onto her hand, he could feel the calluses through his glove. He slipped on the charm bracelet, it still fit her slender wrist. They locked eyes once more, returned to him was misery and pain. He lifted his wand till it was in front of her betrayed eyes. He let one more tear escape before whispering, "Obliviate."