Around him – within the broken walls of the castle, his colleagues duelled. They duelled with the Death Eaters; those who considered him an ally. His old friends fought valiantly alongside one another; those who considered him a traitor. And yet here he was, away from the fray.

Severus Snape stood, staring out onto the crisp, burnt forest beneath the window. There were yells coming from within the ever decreasing trees, as more and more Wizards fell.

He once would have longed to be fighting. He used to dream of the days when he and Remus would stand side by side, fighting for each other. Fighting for themselves. But then, nothing went according to plan. Not with two people. Two very different people.

Ah yes, Remus.

Severus was surprised to find a tear roll down his cheek, as he recalled the parting between he and his partner.

His partner; he who had sworn to stand by Severus for all eternity, couldn't take any more.

He, like all the others, believed Severus to be a traitor. An enemy.

"This is one step too far, I'm afraid. It's finished."

'It's finished.'

The words rang over and over in Severus' mind.

Would it be too later to make Remus see the truth?

'That's if he is still alive,' a cruel voice reminded Severus.

He had to try, at least. After everything the two of them had done with one another. After all the times they had stuck together, against their peers.

Remus had to know.

He had to know some part of the truth. That Severus hadn't gone a day without thinking of him. That knowing he was still alive, was all that got Severus through the days.

Remus had to know.

Another flash caught Severus' eye, through the window, and he watched on in well-disguised horror, at the scene unfolding before him.

One of his colleagues were being tortured. Tortured for information only he, Severus, possessed.

It was surely too late to save them; they blamed Severus anyway.

But Remus. There was still time. Hopefully.

Severus tore his gaze from the gut wrenching scene outside amidst the darkness, and turned; his cloak billowing behind him.

He had no idea where Remus was. No psychic bond to guide him there, no nothing.

Wasting no more time, Severus made his way down the corridor, and down the stairs. Neatly dodging curses and hexes sent his way by old friends and colleagues.

He ignored Minerva's call of, "Come back and fight you coward." For the first time ever, he no longer cared what the others thought of him. Remus was all that mattered.

Remus had to know.

Severus came to a standstill, in the empty doorway as he looked out across the hall. It was hard to decifer friend from foe, within all the flashes and the cries.

The wall's boundaries also presented a hard task of allowing Severus some privacy, as he spoke to Remus. But then, he remembered, now wasn't the time for a fond, loving conversation.

Now was the time for good bye.

"Good bye, Remus," a soft whisper came, immediately after Severus had had this thought.

It was Tonks. Of course – Severus hadn't spared a thought for her. But he saw Bellatrix standing over her; pleased to have done what she had longed to do for so long.

This meant Remus was close.

"Severus," a wispy voice cried out.

He would know that voice anywhere, and so Severus immediately made his way over, and crouched down beside Remus.

A simple glance from Severus informed him immediately of the situation; He, Remus, had been cursed; the Cruciatus curse. One too many times, by the look of things.

Putting his arm beneath Remus' pale, withered body, raising him from the ground slightly, Severus forced himself to look down at Remus.

"I...I..." Severus struggled to say what he knew he could only have minutes left to say.

Remus looked at Severus. He looked neither loving nor angry. Merely sad; somewhat regretful. His time had come, and he knew it.

"I need to say this. I should have said it so much sooner..." Severus rambled, "And I've left it too late. I should never have let you go, Rem, I shouldn't."

Tears began pouring down his cheeks.

"It was the worst mistake of my life; letting you go. Whilst you still believed..." Severus continued.

As seconds passed, Remus seemed to get weaker and weaker.

"I just...I..."

He wasn't going to manage it. Severus had struggled his way down to Remus, and run out of time to say anything.

He had screwed up. Again.

But then there was a small change in Remus' stature. The small hint of light shone through Remus' empty, shallow eyes.

Severus, having studied this eyes for well over a decade, knew these eyes so well; better than his own – and so he saw the change instantly.

And as Remus' eyes bore into him; the light fading from them, Severus saw the realisation finally seep through him.

Remus' pale, chapped lips parted slightly, as a dry, scarred tongue attempted to wet them slightly.

"I..."

Remus couldn't speak. He was much too weak. And though he desperately wanted to hear what Remus had to say, he decided he had caused too much pain, for the now dying man before him. And so, instead, Severus shook his head carefully. He ignored the shouts of the Order, echoing around him. All that mattered now, was the Remus knew the truth. He could live with that, surely?

"L-l..." Remus tried again anyway – he was still as stubborn as he used to be, Severus' mind registered, making him chuckle quietly, sadly as he watched the life leave his lover's eyes.

"I love you, Rem," Severus whispered, "Always."