Chapter 1: As The Lily Wilts
It seemed as though his feet couldn't move fast enough as he sprinted through the house. He didn't even flinch as he leaped over a corpse lying face down on the living room floor. He had neither time nor sympathy for the dead man in the living room. His mind was focused on the dreadful scene he knew he would find in the farthest bedroom of the house. He could see the door at the end of the hall. The cries of a small child became apparent and increasingly loud as he drew near the door. His hand hesitated above the doorknob for only a split second before he turned it, and with a click the door swung open.
The scene before him left him horrified but not shocked. The room and its contents were exactly as he had imagined them. A blue rug covered most of the hardwood floors. A wicker rocking chair sat empty on the left side of the room in front of a big bay window that at the moment displayed nothing more than a seemingly empty straight and a dark clouded sky that showed no sign that morning was soon to arrive. A dresser stood against the right wall. Three photos were displayed in frames on top of the dresser. In the center photo a man and a woman cradled their newborn son, smiling and cooing down at him, moving the way all magical photos do. To the right of the new family as a photo of four men, one of which who laughed and acted so lively in the picture, but now lay lifeless down the hall. To the left of the husband, wife and newborn was a photo of the same woman, but younger than she appeared with her family. She waved and smiled sweetly.
A name was carved into the top drawer of the dresser. A crib was placed opposite the door. In the crib was a sobbing boy, the same boy who was in the photo, the same boy whose name was carved into the top drawer of the dresser. The child was called Harry, Harry Potter.
Lily's body lay limp in front of her son's crib. Severus' cries matched Harry's as he sank to his knees, pulling Lily into his arms. His tears ran down his face dripping onto her, giving the illusion that she was crying as well. Severus would be devastated by Lily's death for the rest of his life. However, for the moment he needed to regain his composure.
Severus pulled a vile from his pocket. Harry's sobs echoed off of the walls filling the room with a piercing sadness. Severus attempted to ignore the noise and emotion that hung densely in the air, like steam in a sauna, making it difficult to breath. He had to ignore it though; the task at hand required the utmost attention. He took the small glass tube in his hand, his respective arm supporting the lifeless neck and shoulders of Lily Potter. He drew his wand from his cloak and touched the tip to Lily's lower abdomen. Severus blinked back tears and took a deep breath before whispering a small incantation which could not have been heard through young Harry's increasingly hoarse screams, even if someone else were there to hear it. As Severus steadily pulled his wand away from Lily's stomach a small white orb seemed to emerge from her body. Severus guided it gently into the vile, capped it, and placed it and his wand back into his pocket. He pulled Lily close, pressing his lips lightly to her forehead and her cheek. His lips hovered over hers before they brushed ever so slightly.
Tears began to stream from his face again. Severus rose to his feet, Lily still cradled in his arms. He placed her in the wicker chair near the window and brushed back a few strands of her hair that had fallen out of place. "I am so sorry Lily." Severus choked out, fighting back an emotional breakdown.
There was a soft knock on the bedroom door. Severus turned to see a man standing in the doorway. The first rays of morning light streaked through the window and glinted against the frame of his half-moon spectacles. "You said she'd be safe Albus." Severus said accusingly.
"Lily and James put their faith in the wrong person, as did you Severus." Albus studied Severus intently.
"No! He," Severus pointed furiously down the hall towards the living room "put his faith in the wrong person! Black was his friend! And he trusted him!"
"Are you accusing a dead man of being at fault for the murder of his wife and himself?" Albus raised an eyebrow. "Voldemort was the murderer of these two people Severus. Voldemort alone, not you, or me, or James."
Severus turned to face Lily. "I am resigning from my post." There was a moment of silence apart from Harry's cries which had gown muffled and his throat became hoarser.
"I wish you to reconsider Severus." More verbal emptiness. "He will need protection." Albus joined Severus, facing the window.
"The boy? From who? No death eater is going to take on the child who destroyed their master." Severus turned to look at Albus.
"True, that scenario is unlikely, but Voldemort himself will stop at nothing to kill Harry."
"You think he will return then sir?"
"Oh I am sure of it. The only questions are when and where." Severus looked back down at Lily. "Her child needs you Severus."
"Fine." Severus and Albus turned to examine the whimpering Harry. "What is to be done with the boy until he starts school? Obviously his god-father is unfit to trust." Severus sneered.
"Harry will be in the care of his maternal aunt." Severus opened his mouth to argue but Albus cut him off. "He will be safer and better off growing up out of the magical world."
"But with that monster? She hated Lily, and she's going to hate this boy."
"That very well may be true, but a hated boy becoming a loved man makes a rather humble hero." Harry pulled himself up by the bars of his crib to look back at the men watching him. "He will be safe there." Tears continued to trickle down Harry's cheeks.
"We will bury them and then Harry must go." Severus nodded. "Remus will be burying,"
"Lupin will be here?" Severus turned his gaze from Harry to Albus. Ablus did not return the look.
"He is here now, in the parlor with James." Severus looked uncomfortably down the hall. "I think it appropriate that you be the one to lay Lily in the ground. If you choose not to I understand completely."
"I will do it."
Albus nodded. "Very well, all should be prepared soon. I will leave you to your grievances now." Albus went to the crib, picked up young Harry and left the room. Severus watched the door close behind him.
Severus stood still in the middle of the room. Suddenly the aura of death crept upon him. The love of his life was in the room with him, yet she wasn't at the same time. To be in an empty room with someone else is one of the most bizarre sensations and at that moment Severus was experiencing that strange phenomenon. He went to the dressed and picked up Lily's photo. The Lily in the frame smiled at him sympathetically. He thought back to the first time he had seen that smile, and remembered that it wasn't the first time he had met the then Lily Evans.
The first time Severus laid eyes on Lily she was on the verge of tears. Petunia had been harassing Lily for the unusual occurrences in school Petunia was sure her sister was involved in. Just before lunch Lily was telling Petunia how she wished they could play outside. Suddenly the pouring rain stopped and the sun emerged as the clouds dissipated, also lilies had begun to spring up everywhere they went, even though they were far out of season. "That's not normal! You're not normal! I'm telling mum!" Young Severus sat on a swing watching the scene unfold. Petunia ran out of the park towards the nicer side of town where the Evans resided. Lily sat down in the grass. She touched a lily near her and watched its stripes change from pink to violet to indigo to blue. Severus got off his swing and approached Lily, sitting next to her in the grass.
"She's right you know. You're not normal." Lily's big green eyes looked at Severus for the first time, though they were now brimming with tears. "You're special. You're magical."
Lily examined Severus doubtfully. "How do you know?" She questioned.
Severus plucked a blade of grass and held it in his open palm. The blade of grass rose vertically, levitating above his hand before it transformed into a small daisy. "Because I am too." Lily stared at him bewildered. Severus fumbled for words to say to break to silence, anything to hear her speak again. "Those are pretty lilies. I'm Severus. What's your name?"
"I'm," Lily was cut off.
"Lily! Mummy says to come home right now!" Petunia had reappeared at the edge of the park and was shouting.
"I have to go." Lily stood up. "I'm really glad I met you Severus." She turned and ran after Petunia.
Severus' mind traveled from the park back to the room where he now stood. His attention still focused on the picture. He took the frame in his hand and tucked it into his cloak. His eyes now fell on the Potter family photo. He removed the photograph from the frame and held in gingerly in his fingers. With one swift motion Severus tore the picture letting James and Harry fall back onto the dresser tucking Lily away with her other photo. It was the last photo of her alive, he felt he needed it.