But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you

Sinead O'Conner - Nothing Compares 2U

He loved her with all his heart and so much more. Like a fire that could never be put out. You see Lily Evans was the only girl he, Severus Snape, ever loved. Lily was beautiful both inside and out with her rich red hair, pale complexion and the most amazing eyes. Those emerald green eyes that he always lost himself in. She had talent and intelligence. Best of all she had kindness, which never faltered even to those who others would not consider it worthy for.

Although this love was not returned. That was evident enough as Snape stood there, concealed behind a tree on the Hogwarts Grounds, watching her with him. His heart broke, shattered into a million pieces.

James Potter said something to Lily and she giggled, and now his face was moving closer to hers. She wasn't moving away! Their lips connected and as theirs did it felt like someone had reached into Snape and ripped out his heart.

Blinking back tears, he stared determinedly away from them. Hatred for Potter rose as it had never before, reaching dangerous levels, something that he would have not thought possible.

Potter whose blood was pure while his mother had tainted his by marrying a mere muggle. Potter, whose parents wrote to him regularly, sending all sorts of gifts with their riches! While he would be fortunate if he received more than two letters a year and his family would be lucky if they could rub three galleons together! Popular while he was unpopular. Potter's grades were always top of the year and he had talent on the Quidditch pitch, without a doubt, that Snape so badly craved. To top it all off, the only girl Snape could ever love was now taken by the boy who constantly went out of his way to humiliate him!

How could she ever like Potter? He was so unworthy! After all the insults she made about Potter and now this!

Although hatred was also rising up for himself. He had called her a Mudblood! The foulest word in the magical vocabulary. When she had tried to defend him! How could she not see why, in a state of complete humiliation and anger how the word fell off his tongue? He knew however that there was no excuse.

The years passed and Severus had to endure the pain of news such as the wedding of the now Lily and James Potter, and yet his love did not falter.

-SSxSS-

"Please don't kill Lily Potter," said Severus to his master, his face stony and his mind as unreadable as ever.

"What is this? You, pass me information of this prophecy and then you try to prevent me from getting rid of the boy!" snapped the Dark Lord.

"No," said Severus quickly. "By all means you can kill the boy and the husband but Lily is not part of this prophecy it won't make a difference if she survives; as long as the boy goes down."

"What is this?" asked the Dark Lord again, taking a step closer to Snape. His face scanning the man before him. "You desire her?"

A muscle twitched at the corner of Severus' face. "I see," stated the Dark Lord, turning his back on him he paced the small dark, dingy room. "It was you who informed me of this prophecy …"

-SSxSS-

Severus' eyes were blurred with tears and overcome with such emotion, as he struggled to unlock his front door; hand shaking violently. Somehow he had managed to stumble his way into his home. Standing in the hallway he leaned against the wall and sank to the floor. Summoning a bottle of fire whiskey he downed half of it, sobbing hysterically. "She's dead," he whispered, "gone!"

He had promised, thought Snape. The Dark Lord had promised that no harm would come to her. He had lied. Oh, how he had lied!

His face stung but this pain was nothing compared to that of his heart. How can happiness still exist in the world when his what but complete misery? Not only had Lily's life been taken but his had gone crashing down with it. Severus flung the bottle at the opposite wall and watched it shatter to pieces.

As Severus took up the position of Potions Master at Hogwarts; he waited. The years went by and still he waited, finally the son of Lily Evans arrived at school and he knew that the boy would be just as arrogant and big headed as his father before him.

The boy was an exact copy of his father, as though James Potter had found a way to taunt him even now, a constant reminder of that foul person. Even through his loathing for Harry Potter he couldn't help on occasion to stare into those emerald eyes. Those exact eyes he used to lose himself in, when gazing into Lily's.

The return of the Dark Lord was a dark time. He had to return back to the man who had taken her life; for her. Severus knew that if he played his part right then the Dark Lord would welcome him back with open arms; and if he didn't … well at least he would be able to rejoin Lily. Although he knew that he would be accepted back for the simple fact that the Dark Lord would never know of the emotion that still resided inside him. He would never know of the hatred he felt for the person he had once called master. He was doing it for her, to bring down the person that had brought her down.

Although Severus knew that some of the Death Eaters were wary of his true allegiance and when he joined the Order of the Phoenix he knew that some of the members doubted his actions. He however didn't care, Dumbledore and him alone knew where his true loyalties were.

Then came the Occulumency lessons and on occasion he searched for those visions of Lily that he so craved. However no such memories existed inside her son's head.

That final night came and he knew before the Dark Lord had said it, the master had finally turned on what he considered to be one of his most faithful servants. The snake pounced and ripped its teeth into Snape's skin. Pain swept through the man as he felt it's fatal poison gush into his bloodstream. He had failed Dumbledore! Worse still, he had failed Lily! Harry Potter had yet to be told of his fate and he had been too weak in telling him.

Then miraculously, the boy materialised out of thin air, as though the heavens were granting him that one last favour. Seizing the boy with all his efforts he gasped, "Take … it … Take … it." All was not lost.

The boy had to know and ignoring the pain that had became unbearable; he relinquished all of the memories concerning Harry Potter out of himself. He was no longer looking upon him as James Potter's son but as Lily Evans' child. Her face flooded into his mind, clinging on to the little life he had left, and with all the energy he could generate he whispered "Look … at … me."

The emerald green eyes met his and he lost himself in them as he looked into the eyes that had held so much wonder; the eyes that had belonged to the only person he had ever loved.

And as the world faded to darkness an image of Lily filled his mind, and that was the vision he left the world with.