It was always Snape's favorite story from Beedle the Bard. His mother often found time to read it, as soon as his father was out of the house, a smoky trail of neglect echoing along behind.
Doting on the lines he remembered, death greeted him. He let the blood warm him, sticking better to his skin than it ever had to his bones. The darkness was pleasant; he couldn't tell anymore where his capes ended and the sky picked up. A burst of green made him all the more joyful...
The boy had retreated, rushing to seal away the memories. The room was empty, and then...
It stopped. All of everything had ended. There was no light or dark, no real thoughts or orders... but she somehow arrived.
Snape was watching her with gentle awe, and obedient focus. Her cherry-hair bounced at her shoulders as she floated, not walked, over him.
"Severus." Her voice was a watered-down syrup, "I can't stay here."
He tried to ask why, but found the slash in his throat made it impossible. Blood touched his vocal chords and air whistled around them, making him want to choke, if only he could figure out how.
She seemed to understand his plea, while his fingers, suddenly inspired, attempted to imprison his remaining blood. He managed to hold two bits of his skin together, and could feel the blood forming a mob behind them. His whole body shook. Hers gleamed, translucent.
"We can't stay here, Severus. You're strong enough... you are... I'm not. We need to go."
With a tedious smile, she offered him her hand. He grasped at it, and met nothing but cold, foggy air. That's when he noticed the silver doe had seeped into the room... whether it was his or Lily's doing, he couldn't guess... His.
Her glazy eyes widened and followed the Patronus. She shed a tear at this beautiful, eternal tribute he'd made to her. It rolled and fell to the doe, which tensed her skin, shook away the moisture, and bounded from the room. Lily's eyes met his again.
"Severus, it hurts me... I can't stay. Do you know where you're keeping me?" At once, she was both shrieking and weeping, "You're hurting me!"
The story... the Three Brothers... their words and intentions slipped through his mind. He knew.
Surging to his knees, Snape muttered spells without caring where his wand currently was. His objective would be met soon enough. Lily watched and she applauded, wisps of her shining outline disappearing each time she forged her hands together.
From both of his wrists surged the darkest of his blood.
They walked, hand in hand, through King's Cross.