Eyes—The Death of Severus Snape
Severus Snape did not know Parseltongue, but he knew what was going to happen. He saw the giant snake slither toward him through the small crack of light. The snake was at his feet and Nagini's teeth bared. The mouth opened and his leg caught a searing pain, like he never knew. He stumbled backward and fell, lying down and his eyes closed. As the poison filled his veins, the man's eyes snapped open and he saw something he never thought he would see again.
Eyes.
Her eyes.
Lily's eyes.
Lily's bright, beautiful, almond-shaped, emerald eyes.
And then it all came rushing back as fast as lightning. Watching eight-year-old Lily Evans swinging through the bushes, talking about Hogwarts with Lily, Lily being sorted into Gryffindor, falling in love with Lily, the huge fight in fifth year, proving to Dumbledore his love for Lily, planning to kill Dumbledore for the betterment of the world and a piece of Lily; the memories flooded through him like a hurricane. He felt the memories leaving him, as quickly as they came back he had to show Lily what had really happened, as his soul left his body.
"Lily," he gasped, reaching for air. She was the only one who could have his soul, who already had his heart, the one who he knew would be the death of him. Severus Snape's last breath was for the only one he loved; it was for the sparkle, the fire, and the love in her eyes.
It all turned black.
Severus Snape's eyes slowly fluttered open, although they never were closed. He was in a white room, lying down. He scrambled up to his feet while scratching his head, wondering where he was. He knew what had happened, but when he lifted his cloak to show his ankle, where the snake had bitten him, and there was not even a scratch. Severus lifted up his left sleeve to show a clean arm, without a Dark Mark. He looked around the vast area and saw a figure coming forward. It was a tall figure, with long, auburn hair cascading her shoulders. As the girl came closer, it became apparent that she was just over twenty. She had a long, white, billowing cloak. She was coming closer and closer and it almost looked like she was…floating. She came even closer. The two people were about three yards apart when Severus knew he was having a hallucination. What he saw when she came closer were two brilliant almond-shaped green eyes. Lily.
He reached out, a sense of want and need that he hadn't felt in years was overwhelming him. Lily, his Lily, had come to see him.
"Hi Severus," said Lily, almost cautiously, but confidently, taking a strand of red hair and putting it behind her ear nervously while chewing on her lip.
"Lily," he breathed.
"I've come here because of a choice," she said, blunt, as the old Lily was, yet oblique in a way, "a choice that you have to make."
Severus simply nodded wide-eyed and gaping, dumbstruck by the sight of Lily.
She sighed and ran her hand through his long, black hair. "Sev," she said, her face long and resigned, as if she was holding back something. The two stared at each other for a long time, each watching the other's emotions play out on each face. Then, out of nowhere, the redhead threw herself at him and gave him a long, hard hug. Reluctantly, the man hugged back, still as shocked as ever. He slowly breathed in and out, closing his eyes. Tears ran down his cheeks. Severus felt a wetness on his shoulder, and he knew she was crying as well.
"Sev," she sobbed, still hugging him with extreme tightness, "Oh Sev, I missed you so much! I miss my best friend! I miss you! I need you, Sev, so much! I need my best friend!"
Just as suddenly as her outburst came, it went. She let go of her long-lost best friend and composed her self, straightening her cloak, tucking her wild auburn hair behind her ears, and wiping away her tears. "I am sorry. I should not have done that," she said in a very professional manner, although her head was slightly downward so her beautiful hair covered her face, as if trying to hide her emotions.
"Lily!" He whispered, lifting her chin up so she could look him in the eye. "Don't ever apologize. I was the one who made mistakes. I was the one who drove you away from me. I was the one who joined Voldemort. I was the one who fell for my best friend. I was the one who let my best friend die." The man said the last part in a small, guilty voice, afraid of what the woman across from him would reply to that statement.
The young woman began chewing her lip again, a nervous habit that she'd had forever. "Severus, you have a choice," Lily repeated, getting back on topic, not knowing what to say in response to her childhood friend. "You have to choose between a clean left arm and a Dark arm, a friend or a dictator. You have to choose to leave it all behind or go back to it. Severus, you have to choose between me or Voldemort. You have to choose between life or death."
Severus gazed intensely at his best friend's face with a million and one questions running through his head at the same time. Should he go back and face Voldemort and show his true colors? How would Lily react? What would Lily do in his situation? Should he go back and fight with the Order? (A/N: the war is still going on as this is happening. Remember that Snape dying isn't the end of the war!) Or should he stay here and rest in peace? Remain with Lily, the love of his life? Should he risk being remembered as a Death Eater to remain with the eyes that had captured his heart or should he go back to plead his innocence and how he was working with Dumbledore the entire time? Should he live the life he had yet to live or should he move on to the love of his forever, even though her heart was taken? Should he go to live or die and settle for just friendship?
"Lily," said Severus, his voice now strong, even though tears were running down his face as fast as Micheal Phelps in the 100m butterfly. "Lily, I choose here. I need you. I don't know how I survived without you the entire time you were gone. Although you and I both know that I am in love with you while are not, I will be there for my best friend, no matter what. I'm going wherever you go. I've been gone one too many years and I don't plan on being away from you any longer." Severus finished his ad-libbed speech with a sigh. "Lily, I missed you too much while you were gone and now that I've seen you again, I'm never repeating the mistake of letting you go."
"They were right all along," Lily whispered to herself in daze and wonderment after a prolonged silence, "He was always in love with me." She gracefully cupped her hand over her mouth in the stupor of it all. Lily quickly snapped out of her trance by shaking her head quickly, slipping back into "life." "Severus, if this is your choice, there's no backing out. Come with me now," as she said the last sentence, Lily took Severus by the hand and led him to a door that he could have sworn wasn't there before. But then again, it was a magical world. Once Lily opened the door, an even brighter light shone out from the inside of this new, unfamiliar yet attractive place. Severus blindly followed his love inside this new place.
Lily closed the door and Severus could see many familiar faces around him. The people he hated in Hogwarts, then worked with after Lily's death.
"Well let's not hold on to our old grudges. Let's start anew and afresh." Lily said brightly. Her upbeat voice somehow startled Severus. The woman continued, "We'll start with introductions. Everyone, this is Severus Snape."
A man about the height of Severus with shaggy, black hair came forward. He had a small, lopsided grin on his face. "Hi, I'm seriously Sirius Black," he introduced himself and held out his hand. The slightly confused, slightly awed man took it and shook it. All of these introductions occured in a similar fashion. He met Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin, Fred Weasley, Gideon Prewett, Fabian Prewett, and Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. Severus felt like he had met one too many people at the same time, but there was one person left.
A man with round glasses, rumpled up hair going in every direction, a tall, lean stature, and a billowing cloak took a step forward. "James Potter," he said, offering his hand.
Severus took it, "Severus Snape." The two men smiled and shook hands. All grudges and prejudices were forgotten.