After the Fact
a Severus Snape Fanfiction
The wedding was a beautiful affair, to say the least. The pretty backyard of the Potters' manor was shady in the late afternoon, and the sun filtered its way through the centuries-old oak and willow trees, dappling the grass. The guests were seated, not in folding chairs, but in a classy arrangement of plush velvet armchairs in shades of purple and royal blue. The arch where the groom stood waiting was adorned with deep red roses and Queen Anne's lace, all in full bloom.
Severus swallowed the lump in his throat and ignored the voice in his head telling him that coming was stupid, that if Lily saw him she'd hate him more than ever, and that it was only going to break his heart over again to watch her wed the man she hated.
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, heartrending violin music drifted across the yard, and from the backdoor of the manor came an angel.
Her flaming red hair, long enough to reach her breast, even when curly, was gathered up in a bun woven with the same flowers that decorated the arch. The dress was a pure shade of white (back when they had been friends, one of the things that Severus had known best about Lily was that she valued her virginity—that she wouldn't have sex until she was married. It made his heart leap into his throat to think that this was the last day she would keep that thing that she protected all these years) and the silken fabric clung to Lily's (admittedly minimal) curves like air, appearing lighter than anything. It was endearingly simple, with only the pale yellow, wide sash to break the white silk. Her startling green eyes were rimmed with lashes that resembled the wings of a blackbird, and something that Mrs Potter had done to her makeup brought out flecks of gold, hidden deep amongst the green. Even with his heart writhing, Snape couldn't help but soften at the sight of her. A slow smile spread across his face when he saw the happiness in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a hot, burning bitterness.
She could have loved me, he thought swallowing weakness. It's my own fault she doesn't love me...
James took Lily's hands as soon as she reached him and they took the Unbreakable Vow—and then they kissed. There was no performance in that kiss, no indication that they were being watched and their mothers were crying. There was something intensely real that made Severus wonder if this really was for the best.
No. It wasn't. The throbbing of a broken heart in his chest told him that.
It had been a stupid idea to come here, anyways.
Severus was just about to slip away when he spotted Lily and James gliding down the grassy aisle, hand in hand. He prayed Lily wouldn't see him, but her gaze wandered in just the right direction. "Severus?" she asked.
And then he was gone, stolen away into the night, his heart stinging and bitterness overflowing. He knew exactly where he would go. The only place he ever felt protected. To those familiar. To Avery and Rowle. To Lord Voldemort.
