Severus Snape was about to die. But silently he thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't alone. Harry Potter was right there beside him, bless the boy - he was trying to staunch the blood flow but it was impossible.
"Take them, take them," whispered Severus as his memories leaked from his eyes.
Hermione Granger stepped forward a look of appalled sadness on her face at the fate her one-time potions master had been dealt. She silently handed Harry a glass phial to collect the memories in.
The last words to be spoken by Severus to Harry.
"Look. At. Me." Harry looked straight into Severus' deep black eyes. "You have your mother's eyes."
The last thing he saw as he released his dying breath was Lily Evans emerald green eyes staring at him.
As he released that last breath a whole wealth of memories flashed before his eyes. All the chances he never got to tell Lily how exactly he felt about her, how much he loved her. His dying regret was yelling 'Mudblood' at his bestest friend in the whole world during their fifth year, and how he wished it had never happened and how he'd driven her away. Then there was blackness.
"Severus? Severus?" came a female voice.
"Lily?" Severus found himself answering.
Slowly Severus opened his eyes, if they really were eyes he had.
"Severus, it is you," said Lily with a soft smile.
"Lily? Where am I?" asked Severus finding he could speak.
"Purgatory Sev, that place between Heaven and Hell," answered Lily.
"Why am I here?" was Severus' next question.
"Because of your actions and decisions in life I suppose,"
"Merlin Lily, I'm sorry I'm so sorry for everything, everything that I did over the course of my life. I'm so sorry I never meant to drive you away by calling you that name!" Severus blurted.
"You've made up for that by protecting my son Severus. Thank you," said Lily softly.
"It was the least I could do my Lily flower," said Severus softly.
"Severus I was never your Lily flower, I loved you yes, but only as a friend and nothing more I'm sorry," said Lily apologetically.
"I know, but you can't help who your heart chooses," said Severus quietly.
"I know, Sev. Come," said Lily holding out a hand.
It was then he realised he was sat on down - on what he wasn't sure for it had no defined shape or structure.
"Where are we going?" asked Severus uncertainly.
"On Sev, you've done what you were
supposed to do here," said Lily with a smile. "What did I do?" asked Severus in confusion.
"You apologised, Sev."
Lily stopped to face Severus, she saw the dawning of inkling in Severus' eyes and for the first time in a long time Severus smiled and was finally at peace with himself. He put his hand out and Lily took it.
"Lily, is this real?" asked Severus uncertainly.
"It's as real as you or I, Sev."
Quietly together they walked towards Heaven to a peaceful afterlife.