Light My Way
The dark-haired man with the long nose could not quite remember how he got there but it seemed as if he'd been on the boat traveling down the river to the sea for a long time. The small rowboat needed no rower but moved of its own accord over the still water.
He could not even remember who he was but was content to let the boat take him where it would as it glided over the blue, looking-glass ocean. In the distance, the man could see a small island covered with evergreens. The boat was headed towards it so he laid in the little craft and let the warmth of the sun and the almost inaudible lapping of the water lull him until he was delivered to the island.
The sun moved in the sky and the light dimmed to gold and then to sliver. By the time the boat neared the island's small, deserted dock, the air and water were silver in earnest because a full moon was shining and the small wake of the boat sparked lights in the water from the collisions of small, phosphorescent creatures.
The boat reached the dock and the rope slithered out and tied itself securely. The man looked up the path leading away from the dock and up a steep hill into the woods. A silver light smaller than the moon glowed brightly at the top of the hill. It was an ethereal doe. He could not quite remember why the sight of it should make him want to cry but the thought of green eyes flashed briefly in his mind.
The doe beckoned to him with its head and it followed it down the moonlit path. It seemed to be a summer night for the air smelled fresh and green and was only slightly cool. Though it was night, the illumination of the moon and the doe provided sufficient light to guide his way.
They came to a tunnel of alders that blotted out the moonlight but small toadstools glowed at the edge of the path and the little stream that crossed it was small enough to skip over and had a bottom of white pebbles. The tunnel opened up to a place where the path was cleared on either side and the moonlight again held sway.
On the side sloping down to the dark and loamy forest, there was an herb and rose garden splashed by silver moonlight sparking off the white roses. He could smell the sweet citrus undertones of the roses as well as the heady sweetness of lilac, the freshness of mint, and the sharp earthiness of rosemary and sage.
He turned away from the garden when he saw the doe was on the other side of the path, where the land rose up to meet the bottom of a hill which sheltered a small cabin. He followed it up to the door of the cabin. A beautiful, red-haired woman stood in the doorway and memories came flooding back to him.
"Lily," he whispered as a tear slid down his cheek.
She cried, "Oh, Severus," and he remembered that that was his name as they embraced.
With some trepidation, he ventured, "James?"
"Oh, Sev," she said with gentle reproach, "he was my husband and the father of my child. He died trying to protect me. Part of me is with him but in death we can be in more than one place, as we cannot in life, and a large part of me has desired to be with you."
They went into the small kitchen that flickered with candlelight and was well-appointed with bottles, vials, and sacks of dried herbs. A pot bubbled on the stove and emitted a scent that could only be described as purple. It was redolent of sweet red wine, lilac, plums, and purple-red roses. Lily poured some into two mugs and, giving one to Severus, said, "Drink this, Sev." He did and he felt a warmth and opening and sweetness he had never known in life.
"Now," she said, "look in the mirror over the sink, there."
He did and the face he saw there was softer and smoother in the candlelight than it had ever been while he lived. Lily, who was standing behind him, slipped her arms around his waist and he thought she had never looked more glorious and radiant, even at sixteen.
"Lily," he said, "I was not kind to your son…"
"But you helped him defeat Voldemort," she said, "why don't we have a talk, Sev?"
They sat at the table and talked until all the candles were burnt out and they went up to the sleeping loft where moonlight spilled in from the west-facing window. The pink light of morning found them still wrapped in each other's arms.
"Welcome to eternity, Severus," said Lily.