My own story, born from JKR series and an attempt to make justice to Severus Snape. It is written after Deathly Hallows and is, consequently, a spoiler in its conception. I make no profit from it. Feel free to copy or download, but please, don't change it. I'm Spanish so I feel it's my duty to warn you about the possible lack of good style or extensive vocabulary. I needed to get this story done so I can sort my sorrow. Please, comment and review if you feel so inclined. Enjoy.

Chapter 1 – Forgiveness

In my dreams I see, see you come to me; a memory of times of old

Waking up, I realize Hell's as cool as ice

and the touch of sin did get me in

Nothing burns like the cold

In those silent shades of grey

I will find a place

to escape the endless night

to find a new sun

I know which is my fate

(…)I'll be always there

fighting the ancient sin

moon shine in this eternal night

Angels Are Calling

From Divine Lost Crystal Realms

Riding From Heaven

For The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream

The magic of the wizard's dream-Rhapsody of Fire

...and Snape moved no more.

As the three teenagers went off the room, a dark hooded figure walked towards the body lying on the carpet. The stranger kneeled down besides the Potions Master and cast the same complex spell that Severus Snape had used on Draco that day in the bathroom. Life refused to return to the still body but the blood spilled all over the floor was vanishing. In agonizing slow motion, some colour started to spread along the marble features, the chest rising and falling in a barely noticeable attempt of life. Seeing these little signs, the unknown saviour took Snape's body, covered it with a cloak and muttered a spell making it rise about twenty centimetres from floor and then, the cloak fell empty to the ground. With a last look over the now empty room, the mysterious person left soundlessly.

Hell. A place where the slightest sign of life hurts. Breathing. Feeling. Being… just being was the most painful of tortures. In that gloomy place was where Severus Snape was lying. He was in a country cottage, with wooden walls and silvery blazons, a tapestry hanging on the hall above a bureau with nearly fifty small drawers, and a big mirror in the staircase wall. There were no portraits and a thick layer of dust covered the dark wooden surfaces of the bureau and the banister. The Potions Master lied in the middle of the hall, over a compass rose drew in the cold loses.

The cold was overwhelming and each chill sent down his spine made him shudder causing acute waves of pain go trough his wounded body. Severus Snape opened his eyes and was grateful of the semi darkness that came from the stained glass window that was the only roof and light source for the hall. He didn't recognized the house, nonetheless, the coat of arms portrayed in the afore mentioned stained glass window was vaguely familiar. He had no strength left to mull over that, he was aware of his life and cannot explain why he was still alive. Nagini had bitten him. The Dark Lord has been there, and Potter… he had given Potter his most precious and hated memories. The mere thought of what Potter will see made him dizzy, he dragged himself upstairs and make through a door that seemed to grant access to a bedroom. He was right, he climbed painfully to the bed and tried to get under the blankets and pearl-grey sheets to get rid of the consuming cold. Shivering, he drifted unconscious. An hour later, a sharp pain shook his body awakening him from the reign of shadows. His left forearm was burning, the Dark Mark becoming a deep shade of crimson and feeling like if a red-hot iron marker was pressed against it. Then it become cold, and vanished with a new wave of pain that rendered him unconscious again.

A muffled crack sounded in the dark room, two faded figures were approaching the bed where a pale man was sleeping in a rather unquiet way, some drops of sweat making his forehead shine under the moonlight. The intruders were an old man and a young woman whose crimson hair contrasted fully with the large silver beard of the wizard. They were staring at the sleeping man with a sad look in their faces.

Hello my poor boy, said the older one as a wistful smile was drawn in his face, I have to come, I need your forgiveness, I cannot rest in peace without knowing that you can understand it, that you can forgive me for throwing you into this hell… it was necessary, for the greater good… I know this will make you laugh, believe in the greater good was never one of your strengths; you were always disdaining this purpose with your irony. I doubt if yourself realized that there was a huge part of that goodness inside you, that you were one of the biggest supporters of this battle towards peace. Well, I have to leave; tomorrow you will think that this was a dream. Maybe. But I am only allowed to visit you in your dreams, and when you look at the sunrise I will sent you a sign, something only you recognize, something which granted you that I have asked you for mercy despite I don't mere it… but I need it, and I never needed nothing before. I leave you with someone else, she is more than blissful of seeing you. I came to ask for forgiveness and she has come to give it.

The aged man retired to the shadows, touched gently the cheek of the sorrowful woman and faded as fume from a candle. The woman looked at the man in the bed. Her eyes were showing a tender love, bright and happiness mixed with sadness. Looking further, there was something more in that look. There was pain, extreme pain and sorrow. There was mercy and compassion. There was pity and regret and yet, by heaven, there was love, and compassion.

The sleeping man seemed to feel the intense look he was being subject and he moaned and changed slightly his posture. Now, a moonlight ray was illuminating his face. He is a young man, thirty-five or forty, but he looked older. A deep frown cross his face even when he is sleeping, perhaps even is not the most suitable word to use, because when he is drowned in the slumber he is not able to hide his emotions as well as he do when he is awake… Curtains of dark lank hair framed the pale face, in his sleep you can guess a sober and sad expression that is concealed by his bitterness when those black eyes are open. The shade of grief seems to increase as he feels the stare of the woman. Still, he remains asleep.

The woman walked towards him and sat on the edge of the bed. She reached out her hand to touch him, but she stopped just a few inches from his cheek, then she started talking.

Hi Sev. You look so alone, so weak here within this greyish blankets… if only I could embrace you, if only I could provide you the slightest warm… I know that you have been torturing yourself during the last seventeen years. You shouldn't do that anymore. I'm here and I cannot bear the idea of seeing you suffering one day more because of me. It was not your fault, you were young and you made the wrong decision… but it wasn't only your fault. You have received nothing but hatred and disdain, and I don't blame you for your attitude. Mistakes are made all the time, maybe yours had worse consequences, but it's time for you to live. Do you remember when I used to help you healing the bruises and wounds caused by you father rage outbursts? You never complained, just be there watching as I put iodine in it. You were abused and still you blame yourself for not being able to stop it. Voldemort threatened you certainly he was subtler but he still abused you. The pain has faded and death give perspective, I blame you no more, Wormtail betrayed us, and he has never had the slightest remorse. You have paid your dues time ago. I will remember you as I the skinny boy sat next to me in the thicket of trees, smiling as I called his name, without the frown and the sadness that have made a home of your face.

You tried to save me from the darkness that was covering the world in long strides when you noticed the implications. You were only 21. You tried to protect me; you made all that was in your hands to keep me safe. You forgot that time that the Dark Lord can read in the deepest part of our hearts and he won't count on something he never understood and still remain a mystery for him: love. The only guilty was him and his hatred consumed heart (if he has something which can be called like that), you have suffered too much, you have also done too much to redeem yourself. My son has already forgiven you, and James will do. Here is my forgiveness.

Now, I should leave, the sunrise is coming and you will awake soon.

She caressed gently his cheek, then, he made a sudden movement and she disappeared like the older wizard, she became a light smoke while uttering a simple sentence,

I forgive you Severus.

He awake in that very moment, with the words echoing in his mind. A dream, it was all that have been. He got up and wobbled across the sober room. He reached the window and looked pensively through it. Then he felt a sudden shudder in his back, he looked into the dawn and his disbelief broke down as he saw a pair of twinkling eyes and a face he had not seen in seventeen years reflected on the window glass. He turned to his back and saw nothing but the empty and cold room he occupied in Malfoy's cottage. He looked again through the window and the two familiar faces remained there, he reached out a hand to touch the fresh glass where the beloved face was standing and then, he looked into the blue eyes. Remembering the dream, he took a deep breath and said:

"Albus, I forgive you." As he said this, the older wizard in the glass smiled, and then, looking closely to the woman Severus said, "Thank you my love". And with this last words, the reflections disappeared.

Severus made his way back to the bed, too weak to stand more than a few moments. He lay on the pillow and raised a hand to his neck feeling the rough tact of the healed skin. He couldn't recall who have brought him to the safe cottage, who have saved his life. He had hoped to die since the very moment he knew about Lily's death, but Dumbledore made him stay. And now, she had forgiven him, he had achieved redemption, he was finally able to die and look for peace. And someone had deprived him from the rest of death. And the Dark Lord has been defeated, the Dark Mark was gone. Potter must have died. Lily's son has offered himself as sacrifice for the greater good and he was still alive. Yet, Lily had forgiven him.

Severus was now drowsy and weak, so he let the spiral of pain and dizziness get over him and drift him back to sleep. He feared sleep, he feared not awaking a next time… He feared the most see a new awakening, see the birth of a new dawn…