Disclaimer: I only own what you don't recognize. The post after this will give full credits to any ideas I have used.

A/N: Okay, so here goes my first proper post. This isn't terribly long because it's just the prologue, but chapter one is quite long so I'll have to post it up in bits. Hope you enjoy this post.

Albus Potter and the Phoenix Sonnet (PS):

Prologue; Part One

(Severus Snape and a Promise of Life)

It was cold, dark and calm. Much like he had expected the end of his life to be like. He always thought that his life would end in a simple Avada Kedavra. But of course, life still had to torture him, even as he slipped out of it's grasp. He had given Potter his memories, what he did now was not his responsibility. No. Now he was free. Now he served no master. Now he had no-one to abuse him, no-one to ask too much of him, no-one to be tortured by. Now he had no duty, nothing to uphold, nothing to see through till the end, nobody to look after, nothing more to do in the name of Lily's memory. No. Now it would just be darkness, somewhere that he was able to forget that he ever lived, ever did so many things in the name of an obsession. Yes, he admitted how terribly he had fallen for the only girl that had shown him friendship and warmth. Now as he looked back, he saw how foolish he had been to throw his life away; living for honour and hoping that one day, at the end of it all, he could die, and forget it ever happened. He finally accepted that he always subconsciously believed he would, one day, join her, where he could beg for her forgiveness. Now that he was dyeing, now that the fate he had set himself was taking it's course of action, he realized that he didn't want her forgiveness, not any more. He had a lot more to be sorry about now, every choice he had ever made, required him to be sorry and beg for forgiveness. He wouldn't do that. He had lived his life where he had no choice, or where the only other choice was death, betrayal or ever worse. He wouldn't let anyone control him now. Now he was his own man. He wanted to be loved, yes, but he knew he could never expect it or accept it. He knew that he at least deserved a scrap of kindness, but he could not, and therefore, would not expect it.

The coldness of the shack's floor was slowly seeping through the thickness of Severus Snape's robes. Not that it mattered. The blood that seeped down from his neck, wet his clock and other garments, not that that mattered either. The sticky substance ran into his hair, firmly sticking it to his skull. The three children had long since gone, but quick and quiet footsteps were heard by the keen ears of the dyeing potions master. His eyes remained closed and Severus held his breath, hoping that the approaching witch or wizard was a death eater; only checking briefly, to see whether or not he was still alive. Maybe he should of let them see that he was alive, then perhaps they would use the spell, and all he would see was a flash of green light. He had manipulated them often enough, on others orders, maybe, but he had still used them, everyone. As the footsteps got closer, Severus realized that the steps were not familiar because they belonged to one of the people that used to call him their ally, but because they belonged to the girl, now woman, whom he had berated and belittled for seven years of her life. Hermione Granger crept through the doorway, her breath audible in the thick silence of the room. A gentle flush beginning to make it's way up her cheeks. She took another step forward, close enough to lean over him. The next thing she did was crouch down and gently brush Severus' hair out of the way, her warmth radiating off her body and into his, her breath tickling the inside of his ear, her smell reaching his hooked nose and her compassionate eyes boring into his. She opened her mouth and inhaled, then made the noise that you will hear anyone make who is about to say something then then suddenly stops. She then let out a shaky breath and started over.

'Look. I know that you probably aren't with this world any more. I would have come sooner, come and given you something. No. No, I would have stayed and made sure you stayed alive in the first place. But I know that you wanted this end. You may not, now that you're there, but I hope that you are in peace, wherever you are. I hope Lily forgives you, but I hope that you are a stronger man, now that you have lived life. I hope you don't make the same choices. Not because I feel any shame in them, but because I know that they ruined what may have been a great life. I hope James is there to ask for forgiveness, and I hope Dumbledore is there, thanking you. I hope at least someone; anyone is there, to welcome you. I know you deserve at least that.'

Hermione let out a breath. Severus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Surely he was going insane from Nagini's venom. This couldn't be the girl, woman, he corrected himself, who had been loyal to her friends and who had suspected him of every wrong deed they ever witnessed. Severus was now struggling for breath. Suffocation would end the torture of dyeing, but now that she had started, Severus wanted to hear the end of what Hermione had started. She opened her mouth again.

'If you can hear me. Please don't be angry about knowing about you and James and Lily, and Sirius and Remus too. Harry didn't tell me, I was practising Legilimency on him, but subtly so that he didn't notice. You're the only one who knows that. You're the only one who know a lot of things about me. I know that fate was not meant to be, you would never have me. I'm far too ugly and annoying and … and anyway, it's not like you would have allowed a student-teacher relationship. Just know that … Lily wasn't the only one who supported you. I did too. I loved you. I love you. I will always love you. I know that the wizarding would expects me to be a Weasley, and I know that I haven't cared about people's opinions of me before, but he's the only person that would have me, after you, he's the only person I could live with. I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I just thought that you should know.'

Hermione's hand reached out and stroked her dyeing wizards face. Severus couldn't take it any more. He didn't have the strength to pull away, or be angry, or not return the sentiment. He had cared for her as a student, but he couldn't show it, he bullied her instead. He didn't deserve her kindness. He let out a shuddering breath, giving himself away to her. She must have known that he was still with her, because they rhythm of her caresses didn't change.

'You know. Harry will win this war. Whatever memories you gave him, it will help him win the war. And even, though I dread to think, if he dies, we won't give up. And if I will make sure you're name is cleared, that you have a proper funeral, that you get all the respect you deserve. You may not want the fame, but you still deserve it. I know that if you hadn't wanted to see what was in the world of the dead, and leave this awful place, you would have been taking anti-venoms recently, preparing for this possibility.'

Severus grasped onto his last scraps of energy and reached up to cradle her face. She gently shushed him and leant down over him. He opened his eyes and whispered; 'You're beautiful.' She whispered back; 'No, you are.' Finally she joined her lips to his and sealed their parting.

Again Hermione's voice sounded; 'I have to go soon, but I won't leave until you go. I wish you luck, and I promise to bring you back. Not just as a portrait, though I will do my best to keep you entertained. I promise that I will find a way, I will bring you back; when everyone knows who you truly are, but when everyone will leave you alone. I will find a way. After what Harry saw in the pensive, and then ran off to complete some sort of quest, I'm sure that he will try too. It may take us a while. Years, even. But I know that you deserve another chance here, on this Earth, and that you will probably come to realize that you want it too, once you've been in the world of the dead a while.'

The young woman's radiant smile crossed her face, then turned sad and regretful. She placed a kiss, full of depth and love, as though trying to pour all her love and passion into that one kiss, on Severus' mouth and reached to hold his hand, while her other one still stroked his face, brushing away the raven lock which fell over his eyes, covering his features from view.

Severus mustered up the last energy he had, and with closing eyes whispered; 'Thank you, thank you for everything. I'm don't want to be part of this world any more, but that may, and will probably change. Thank you for your promises and thank you for your gifted kindness and love.' He took a deep breath and spoke the words which he hadn't uttered in many years. 'I … I love you … Hermione. Have a … happy life. I wish you the best.'

Hermione leaned over him and embraced his cold, sticky and wet frame, when his pale skin was stretched taught over his bones and where scars criss-crossed over his torso and other body, marring it's beauty and perfection, but making Hermione love him no less. 'You will be proud of me when you come back. You will.' She smiled down at the cold man in her arms.

'Remember that time and life are balances that shouldn't be messed with. I don't want you joining me here by mistake. Please be careful.' I single tear was squeezed out of his eye. Hermione silently accio-ed a crystal vial, collected the tear drop, and stoppered it, twisting the lid on tightly, as though the contents was the most precious thing in the world. Then again, to Hermione, it probably was. It was the deepest sign of trust and friendship that the man could give her. The man that had only heard her declarations of love, a few minutes before his accepted and expected death, had given her the most valuable thing he had, and spared her asking one of the most difficult questions, she would have ever faced asking her best friend.

'Thank you. For everything you taught me, and the others. Thank you for what you gave me and inspired me to do. Thank you for not taking action when you knew that it was I who did the deed. Thank you for punishing Malfoy in secret, every time he called me a … a mudblood. But most of all, thank you for this, for living, for existing. Thank you for your dedicated and honour-filled life.' Hermione drew in a shuddering breath, allowing her tears to fall freely onto Severus' face.

His whisper surrounded her face. 'Don't cry. Not for me.'

She whimpered and finally gathered her strength to say what she had to, to confirm their parting. 'Now … it's time for sleep. Good night Severus. I hope I will wake you at a time that you will find happiness in the world, with someone who will love you just as much as I do.'

She pressed a kiss to his lips, and heard a slow and soft response. 'Good night Hermione. We will see each other again soon.'

With that said Severus slowly drifted off into the blackness of death, being enveloped by it's comfort, feeling as though his body was being passed carefully, like that of a baby, from Hermione's warm arms and accepting smile, into the reaper's. A figure so many hated, so many feared, was only there to comfort you when your life had ended.

Hermione felt Severus' breathing stop and his heart beat vanish. She knew that he had risen up into the other world that Muggles liked to called heaven. It was then that she realized that it would be many many years before she would feel his lips, full of life, on hers once more. It was then that she realized that her friendship with Ron would have to elaborate, and that she would have to become the best Slytherin, the world had every seen. Pretending to be something and someone she was not. Yes, she loved Ron. But she would always be in love with Severus Snape.

As she got up, she heard footsteps, so she quickly disillusioned herself and stood behind the ancient door with baited breath. With the heavy step and painful crashing noise, the realization that it must be her chosen Weasley barrelling down the stairs.

He burst into the room, breathing madly and looking round like a maniac, disturbing the peaceful place of death of her loved one. She was, now, almost thankful that Severus Snape's moments had been cut short, she hadn't wanted for Ron to disturb the moment or disrespect the man she would always truly love. Ron's eyes flew around the room, trying to detect whether there was anyone apart from the dead body in there. He suddenly cursed, which caused Hermione to jump ever so slightly.

'URH! Where is she! I need to see her! Harry's … gone, and now, I don't, no, I can't think like that!' With that said, he flew down the steps of the Shrieking Shack and burst out of it.

Harry … gone … ? No. It couldn't be. Severus seemed sad when he looked at Harry, as though he would die as he had, or at the time, was about to. But he clearly knew that he would survive, because she could sense that he would have spend his last words telling her something important like that. Looking back on the way they had conversed, it had been a conversation where both of them out of character. Severus was stripped of his snarkiness, which Hermione had always found playful, and she had lost her need to recite a text book.

She moved quickly and quietly, taking one last look at Severus, reminding herself to come back and retrieve him herself, or maybe with Harry, but not with Ron, definitely not with Ron, as soon as Voldemort was dead. The last thought that crossed her mind before her Occlumensy shields came into place was; at least she could blame her tear-stained face on 'loosing Harry.'

Ok guys! So this is the first part of the prologue. You like? I've basically done most of the Snamione pairing for the series here. It's not much, but most of the work is going to be canon with additional ships mixed in. Part two should be up next Friday. I would be able to post it sooner, but anyone who's read my work will know that I only work if I get reviews. P.S. Those following my Godfather series, part 3 is the last part, but if this goes well and I get at least 10 reviews, I may consider writing part 4. I will probably be changing the name of this fic to something that invites more readers. Will re-write the summary but seeing as I'm rubbish at writing them I may call on another's help.