Severus Snape's Epilogue- Always & Forever
~always-roza-mystica

"Look…at…me…"

A final breath escaped from Severus Snape's lips as his life faded away, gone from the living world.

The unsung hero had finally passed on.

The world was white, and Severus could feel light embracing his body as his eyes opened to the vivid, emerald green eyes that he had held in his mind as Death took him. Curls of red hair framed the lovely lady's face, and a smile etched on her face.

"Severus…" she whispered.

What was this world which he had woken up in, undeserving and unworthy of it he was? A world for the pure, that he could never belong to. This was just a dream, Fate's final laugh at his expense before he was sent off to a wicked underworld where wizards like him would burn. Not like he minded. He had many sins to atone for, and many sins that pained him. A little more pain was inconsequential. He deserved it, for killing Lily.

"Severus… thank you…" Lily said. "You were never alone, you know?"

"I have looked over you from the moment of my death, when you came to my house. I felt every emotion that you did and saw what you saw. I'm sorry for giving up on you so quickly. I'm sorry that you loved me, with so much goodness in your heart, despite your actions. I'm sorry that I had caused you so much pain. But hush, my brave Half-blood Prince. Your fight is over, and there is no need to be weary anymore."

Severus's eyes fluttered open as tears blurred his vision of the perfect, perfect woman that cradled him lovingly.

"Thank you, Lily… do you forgive me, for calling you mudblood? Do you forgive me, for mistreating Harry, out of pride? Do you forgive me, for killing you?" His heart ached, for closure, for love, for answers. Pain reached him still, in this damned afterworld.

Lily's slender fingers reached out and closed around his, clutching it tight. "I do, for your heart revealed just how noble you were. I never blamed you for my death, my Prince. You were brave enough to turn away from the darkness, because of the love that shone in your heart. It overcame everything you did. The one choice to love and change that was enough to redeem you. I believe in you, because your heart reflects all that I need to know. Harry needed a tough teacher in his life, and I hate to say this but without your indirect influence, I don't think either James or Harry would grow out of their childishness." Lily giggled. Her face turned serious, sadness creasing her face. "But you really didn't need to bully Harry, I know that he was just as much of an arrogant toerag like James when he was young."

"I'm sorry, Lily. I'm so sorry... I couldn't even take care of your son, even if he was yours…" Severus cried out. "Forgive me, Lily! Forgive me…"

"I forgive you, and I love you, but I will never love you back the way that you did for me. I am truly sorry." From her pocket in her flowing white robes, she pulled out a wand and conjured her Patronus. A doe sprang out, dancing around them. Severus was compelled to do likewise, and the Patronus that he conjured was identical to Lily's, now that he compared them.

"Our souls are mirrored. You love me and that has brought you strength. This mirror showed the extent of your love. But you will never be the stag to my doe." Tears began streaming down Lily's eyes too, as the two friends embraced each other, their does continuing to dance around them, reflecting how similar their masters' feelings were at that moment.

They stood up; continuing to weep under a willow tree conjured from their imaginations, the very tree that they spent their summers under, house to the moment that Severus was sure that he had fallen in love with the one and only person in his life, Lily Evans. She would never be Lily Potter to him. She would be Lily Evans.

Soon, they let go. The stark contrast between then was obvious. Severus donned black robes, and Lily donned white robes. They were different and bound only by their love for each other. Though the heart of Severus was good, what he had seen in his days would mar him forever. They were different as night was different from day, but there were things that would never change.

Unspoken words filled the space between them, in the intensity of the goodness that surrounded them.

A bit behind Lily Severus could see Albus Dumbledore, tearing at the sight of them. "My boy, thank you."

Severus nodded. "My service is over, then, Albus?"

"Well done, my boy. What, then, is your choice?"

"My choice?" Severus was puzzled, but looking at Lily and James who had appeared behind Lily also, he knew the answer, the answer that ached his heart even more, but he knew was the right choice.

"Sev?" Lily asked, genuinely puzzled.

Severus could only blink and watch Lily and James. His doe and her stag.

"…Thanks for watching over Harry, Snape." James said softly. The black orbs of Severus looked into James's brown eyes, but his usual curled lip of disdain wasn't there anymore. It was past the time for childishness, in the face of Death and Life.

"I wasn't doing it for you or Harry. I was doing it for Lily." James stiffened and relaxed, a sad smile tugging at his lips as his confidence wavered that moment.

Sirius entered the picture. Regret was on his face, as he said, "The world isn't truly divided into black and white, for it was your choices that determined who you really are, Snivellus. You were a good guy ultimately. I can't say that we were all pure inside, but you proved that some part was, in any case. Thanks for helping Harry, all of us were watching."

Severus looked stoic for a moment, before replying stiffly and smirking, "You're welcome, Padfoot. Merlin knows that I'm not a jerk like you."

"Why, you!" Sirius said, tightening his fists but James pulled him back.

"That's fair enough, we were all jerks," James grinned. Lily laughed, playfully slapping them on their shoulders. Sirius only grinned with his usual overconfidence.

Severus looked back at Albus, nodded and stepped forward to hug Lily once again. He breathed, capturing the moment when he finally met Lily again, unworthy as he was, and finally saw her again. She was not cold in his arms, like that chilly evening when she died. She was warm, and Snape rejoiced, mingled with his despair and pain, that he could see her one last time and apologise. They looked at each other, eye to eye.

"I will always love you, Lily."

This world was not for him, for he had no one to live his eternal days with. In this Magical Heaven, there was no place for him. His actions had redeemed him, but his love had not.

He closed his eyes, feeling light ebbing away from his body.

"Sev!" Lily cried, desperately clutching his arm as he fell slack on the ground. "Sev, please! Don't go!"

Severus opened his eyes, and smiled weakly at her, the smile that was saved for Lily only. "I cannot. In this world there is no place for me. I will never be yours, and I accept that. Still, there will be no place for me in this world. I must go. Be happy, Lily. Always. You will be in my heart forever."

Lily nodded as fresh tears pooled in the beautiful eyes that Severus loved. It ran down her cheeks as she clutched his hand tightly and nodded, accepting this sad truth that no matter how much she had regretted it, he was right. She was the doe to James's stag and even if Severus belonged to her she would never belong to Severus.

Severus's vision was dimming, and his body was turning to dust, flying away in the breeze that carried his favourite scent. Before he closed his eyes, he saw the figures of many people, Albus, James, his mother Eileen, among the many that had come to mourn the hero, to make peace. But most importantly, before all of him was ebbed away, he took comfort in the fact that Lily had held him, as he was brought to a place of warmth and darkness where his consciousness was no more, and he slept eternally, peacefully. The last thing on his mind was Lily. The thought of Lily, without any more regrets. He held Lily in his mind, the beautiful image of her eyes, her face, her hair and her brave, Gryffindor heart.

In life or death, it was all about Lily for him.

He was in Heaven, but chose endless, dreamless sleep, for he knew that he would never belong, just as he did not, in life. But to him, it was well-deserved rest, for his pain was gone and his love had forgiven him. And that was all that mattered to him. Not his service, but release from pain and suffering. It was the shining power of love and forgiveness that brought him to where he was.

And so our hero slept, for Lily.

The Boy who Loved and died for Love.

END

A/N: Well, that's my imaginary conclusion to the great character Severus Snape. I loved his story the most, throughout the entire series. I think that I would choose a bittersweet ending for him, because what he needed was a simple resolution and sadly, Lily would never be his so this was a very apt ending. Leave a review and tell me how you liked it, how I can better improve or to point out some mistakes. Thank you.