A/N Just a brief shout out to LadyDunla for being a most excellent and patient beta!

Harry Potter was seventeen. His shirt was ripped and face bloodied. He walked slowly through the forest, turning a golden Snitch in his hand. He wasn't breathing, but gasping and his eyes were dark from little sleep. The Snitch glinted brightly in the dark forest.

He brought it, fluttering, to his lips. "I am about to die."

Severus felt an odd sensation, like threads were being pulled from the forest. Something was being brought back that didn't belong. Severus felt his heart and realized it wasn't beating. But the threads weren't for him and four figures materialized before Potter.

James Potter stood before his son, a near perfect replica. But James looked more youthful, happier, unscathed. Sirius Black entered from the darkness, slouching as if he had been caught late to class. Remus Lupin appeared next to him, healthier but more subdued.

Lily appeared next to Severus and he wondered as she briefly glanced at him before approaching her son. She stood close to Harry Potter, smiling as if she could cry. "You've been so brave." Potter looked back at his mother and looked like the boy he was supposed to be.

"You are nearly there," said James. "Very close. We are…so proud of you."

Harry Potter tore his eyes away from his mother, looking at all of them with a desperate hopelessness. "Does it hurt?"

It was Black who answered, but it was Lily who flinched as if the words had hurt her. "Dying? Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep."

The image was fading and the words harder to hear. Severus felt himself being pulled upwards, like surfacing from a very deep pool.

"You'll stay with me?"

"We are part of you."

"Stay close to me…."

Severus opened his eyes to the darkness of his bedroom. He was surprised to not find himself gasping or in some sort of pain. He sat up slowly, trying to piece together the dream and what it was. What it meant.

The charmed candle at his bedside came to life and he rubbed his eyes. When he looked up, he saw Lily sitting on the end of his bed, legs curled up, and staring at the stone wall.

"Was it a dream?" he whispered, finding words to be too loud in the stillness between them.

She shook her head, slowly. She held on to her knees, as if she was holding herself together. Severus waited for her to speak, not trusting himself to say the right thing. Her eyes were shining, as if she was silently crying and her shoulders shook slightly. But there were no tears and Severus wondered if it was too painful for her to cry.

Lily spoke, softly. "I've always followed Harry. I was with him from the moment I died. He didn't see me, not like you can. He wasn't meant to see me, but I think he felt me…sometimes." She closed her eyes, wincing. "In one of the few moments that he could see me, talk to me, it had to be then. At the end. And I…I couldn't say anything to stop it." She buried her head in her knees. "He was brave, so brave. And I was so scared and wanted to hold him and take him away from that place. But I couldn't and I couldn't even tell him to leave."

Severus pulled his legs from the covers, so that he could sit beside her and not facing her. "Why couldn't you?"

She looked up at the ceiling, gasping and choking. "So many reasons," she breathed. "Dumbledore, for one, had convinced him. The prophecy had convinced him. Even you convinced him. I couldn't tell him to turn around; it would only hurt him."

Severus remembered now, he had given Potter his memories of the information Dumbledore left him. He hadn't thought about it at the time; it simply was his last duty that he could preform for his deceased mentor. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She shook her head. "Don't be, you were one of the few who actually thought it was a terrible idea for Harry to sacrifice himself."

He looked to the floor. "It wasn't out of consideration for him, you know."

"I know," she murmured. "But it still meant a lot to me."

"Is that…what you want me to save Potter from? From sacrificing himself?"

She sighed. "Yes, and no. What I want is not that simple. But Severus-" She turned to him, kneeling on the bed. "-if you can do nothing else, please make sure Harry knows that he has a choice."

He struggled to meet her eyes. "I'm not sure if I can do that."

She reached out, putting her hand on his shoulder, but he didn't feel her. But he did feel a little empty and he looked away. Lily didn't speak.

He had to say something. "I'm assuming that vision was from after I died. When did the first one take place?"

"What?"

He looked and saw that she was confused. "You gave me another vision, several weeks ago, of Potter in a muggle house. He was…" He struggled to remember. "He was talking to his owl, and looking at a cupboard under the stairs. He seemed oddly melancholic."

"Oh, I know what you are talking about." Lily ran a hand through her hair. "Whenever you are sleeping, I tend to meditate of these memories of Harry. I hadn't realized you received more than this one." She looked again at the wall, thinking. "He was getting ready to leave his Aunt and Uncle's house, where he grew up, for the last time. He was…sad, because it was the first time he actually felt like he was going to miss the place.

"The first time?" Severus questioned and she nodded. "He had never felt homesick before?" There was something strange here and Severus felt like he was missing something important.

Lily turned to him, her expression closed. "If you really want to know why, you should ask Harry. "

Severus was wandering at night again. Lily was silent beside him, as she was most of time after their conversation in the early morning the day after Christmas. He supposed she could have been bored. During any break, Severus tended to hole himself up in his office or laboratory, preparing for the semester ahead. He was known to give a lot of homework during the breaks, and it usually meant that he spent a lot of time grading essays and playing catch-up himself. He didn't mind; being busy suited him much better than idle time with uneasy thoughts.

But Lily seemed more than subdued. The dreams or visions were increasing to almost every night. Sometimes they were strange snatches of conversation with no context, sometimes Severus saw Hogwarts, sometimes he saw himself. He did not speak anymore on these visions, but tried to ignore them. Lily never mentioned them either. He was beginning to realize that they were more than just her mediations, they were uncontrollable.

She didn't speak much, even when he tried to engage her in conversation. Severus wasn't sure how he should deal with someone like her. She wasn't even alive, but she was beyond a stage of death that he could even imagine. She was depressed, but he wondered if it was possible for her not to be depressed. And he couldn't decide if she had lived too much, or not enough.

He was beginning to wonder that, if by 'saving' Harry Potter, he would be saving Lily.

Severus was leaning in an alcove, watching the night sky through a window across the hall when he heard something strange. It sounded like muffled footsteps, but there was no one around. Hardly moving, Severus turned his head, observing the deserted hallway.

At the end of the corridor a door opened, and was partially closed. Severus narrowed his eyes. Whoever was around had some means of making themselves invisible. No student would be skilled enough, it could be Quirrell, however. Severus moved forward, silently, and peered into the room.

It was an abandoned classroom with a very large mirror in one of the corners. Severus looked to the window, but none were open. There was no other door out of the classroom. Severus kept to the shadows, moving silently.

There was a soft, sliding sound, like a curtain falling. Severus looked to mirror just as Harry Potter shed a silver cloak from his shoulders. If he had not been so on guard, Severus might have groaned. It would be many years from now that Dumbledore would inform him that Harry Potter had an incredible invisibility cloak in his possession. He hadn't, however, realized that the boy acquired it so young.

Potter, unaware that his potions professor was watching, approached the mirror as if he was mesmerized. "I'm back," he whispered in a hushed, longing tone.

Severus did not have a good view of the mirror, but he saw no one else in the room, nor anything obvious on the mirror besides for the boy's image. Lily suddenly stepped forward and stood beside her son. She looked at Potter, through the mirror, and placed her hand on his shoulder. Potter placed his hand on top of hers and smiled shyly.

Lily, not looking away from the mirror, spoke to Severus. "Can you guess what he sees?"

Severus didn't answer, feeling the implications of the mirror to be just out of reach. But it was disturbing, he knew that much.

"So—back again, Harry?" A voice from the corner of the room. Potter flinched, whirling around. Severus, by pure instinct, didn't move or even breathe. It was Albus Dumbledore, sitting on one of the desks in the corner of the room like he had been there the entire time.

"I — didn't see you, sir," the boy eventually stuttered and Severus looked towards the headmaster. Dumbledore didn't look at Severus, but merely continued speaking to the boy.

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you." He was smiling and Severus attempted to move more completely into the shadows.

Severus suddenly wondered if he should try to leave. Lily stood in his path. "Just wait, Severus. I want you to hear this," she whispered, though Severus was fairly confident no one but himself could hear her.

He looked back to the pair, now sitting together on the floor together. Dumbledore was leaning close to Potter. "But I expect you realize by now what it does?"

"It—well—it shows me my family—" Potter looked to the dusty floor. "But it showed Ron as Head Boy."

Dumbledore smiled softly, sadly. "Now can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"

Potter looked briefly over his shoulder, to the mirror. Lily stood in the reflection and slowly reached towards him. For a second, one of his hands moved across the stone floor, as if he would reach out and take hers. "It shows us what we want…what we miss.."

"It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts." Dumbledore paused and looked up, where Potter was still transfixed. Lily lowered her hand and both the boy and the man turned to each other again. Dumbledore's voice was soft, almost reverent. "You, who have never known family, see them standing around you."

"A slip of the tongue," Lily whispered, stepping away from the mirror and back to Severus.

He would have to questioned her comment later, as Dumbledore continued. "Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible."

Potter looked at Dumbledore imploringly. "Is it possible?"

Dumbledore made a strange gesture, as if all his breath just left him and he crumbled forward slightly. But quickly, almost too quickly to tell, he straightened himself. "The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed."

Potter left silently, throwing his cloak over his head as he left for the hallway. Severus stayed in the shadows of the classroom, watching as Dumbledore slowly approached the mirror. Lily stood in the doorway, watching her son walk down the hallway. He wondered if she could see through his cloak.

"You surprise me, Severus."

Severus froze at Dumbledore's voice, but attempted to turn around casually. "How is that?" He managed to not sound completely caught off guard. He hadn't talked directly to the headmaster since the disastrous Quidditch match. He was somewhat uneasy around the man, having too many memories of how their relationship developed after the second rise of Voldemort. He couldn't remember how he acted during the ethereal years between the wars.

Dumbledore stood in front of the mirror, facing Severus with his hands calmly folded behind his back. "A student out past curfew and you decide to let it slide? Very unlike your strict nature. Of course, you've been surprising me all term."

Severus stepped out of the shadows, resisting the urge to glance at Lily, who still stood half out the door. "Have I? And I did not act because you seemed to have the situation under control. Was I wrong?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "No, I'm glad you had the foresight to not intervene." He paused, turning his head to glance at the mirror. "While you're here, wish to take a look?"

"I believe it has been said that 'this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth'."

"Wise words."

Dumbledore was silent, seemingly content stare down Severus until the younger man had to break the silence. "I don't care much to see what the mirror shows me." I've seen the image everyday for four months.

Dumbledore nodded and stepped forward to move out of the room. Severus knew the headmaster couldn't be finished yet. The old man wanted to say something to him, Severus could feel it. But he had no idea what it was.

As they both stepped into the hallway, Lily slid beside Severus. She didn't speak, as was her custom when others were conversing with Severus. She looked at Dumbledore, however, almost thoughtfully. The moonlight struck her as they passed by a window. She looked so solid that, for a brief moment, Severus wanted to ask the headmaster if he could see her.

"Severus?"

The younger man fought not to flinch, wondering if Dumbledore had read his mind. But he knew the sensation of Legilimency far better than he would have liked. He realized, not a moment later, that Dumbledore was probably wondering why he had stopped suddenly and was, seemingly, looking out the window. "Yes, headmaster?"

Dumbledore was thoughtful. "Is something on your mind?"

There were a hundred things on Severus' mind. He wondered where this conversation was going, he wondered about Lily's visions and her depression, he wondered if he should bring up Quirrell again, or if that was a lost cause. But what he said was none of those things; "How long has Potter been visiting that mirror?"

Dumbledore leaned against the wall and, consequently, right next to Lily. As if she thought he was aware of her presence, she moved to sit on the window sill and face them both. "Well, a few nights now. He discovered it on the night after Christmas, I believe, and has visited it ever since. Once with his friend, Ron Weasley, as you heard earlier."

Severus had no idea why he had asked the question, but he suddenly wondered at the answer. He had given Potter Lily's picture that evening. Had it anything to do with it? Is that why Potter saw Lily in the mirror? Did Severus inspire him to…pine for her? He looked to Lily, almost automatically.

"Why do you ask?" Dumbledore prompted.

"I was just…merely inquiring on the boy's motives." He recovered. "However, several nights out of bed is hardly something to let slide, headmaster."

Dumbledore looked at Lily, or most likely the window. "It was not hard to guess what he saw in the mirror. I decided to handle the situation delicately." He paused. "Besides, a little night walking is not uncommon to some of us in the castle."

"We all have trouble sleeping, sometimes," Lily murmured, looking to Dumbledore.

The headmaster continued, as if not interrupted. "And I've noticed you wandering these halls on many occasions, Severus."

"Have you been out here so often as well?" Severus remarked, defensively. He had never noticed the headmaster and suddenly felt more than a little off-balance.

Dumbledore chuckled. "We all have trouble sleeping, sometimes." The echo was uncanny and Lily gave a rare soft smile, lowering her eyes. He paused, for only a moment. "And I've seen you talking to her."

Severus felt himself pale. "Who?"

Dumbledore waved a hand towards Lily, the window. Severus blinked, trying to regain himself. "I think you know who. I was surprised at first, Severus. You didn't strike me as the thoughtful type, but…" His blue eyes seemed to pierce the younger man. "You've changed in these years since the fall of Voldemort."

Severus averted his eyes and took a moment to gather himself. Dumbledore just thought he was reflecting to a Lily of his own imagination. The thought only calmed him slightly. What unnerved him more, however, was that Dumbledore had never said anything like that before to him. "I've…striven to change," he murmured.

Dumbledore took a step toward him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "I know. And I see it in the way you hold yourself. Or the way you interact with Harry Potter." Severus looked to him and Dumbledore grinned. "I'm ashamed to admit, but I had a very strong feeling that you would have acted the same to him as if he were his father. I was surprised and pleased to have been proven wrong."

Severus swallowed thickly, feeling an unfamiliar sensation wash over him; warm and uncomfortable. "It was not wrong for you to think so. Only…circumstances have made me…reconsider."

Dumbledore was still smiling and the hand on his shoulder gave him a friendly shake before releasing. "Whatever you believe, my boy." He took a step back, half turning. "But if you would ever wish to share your thoughts with me or, perhaps, if you find memories don't give you the guidance you desire, do know that my office is available to you."

Severus stared at him, suddenly unable to think of what to say. Dumbledore didn't seem to need an answer anymore, but nodded before walking down the hallway. It wasn't until his footsteps were too soft to hear that Severus managed to regain some thought. Undoubtedly, the headmaster meant to be comforting, but Severus found himself feeling more angry and frustrated.

Lily seemed to notice the change. "What is it?"

Severus cast a quick silencing charm, in case certain a headmaster were still hanging around, before he spoke. "I…feel betrayed."

Lily didn't look surprised. "Why do you feel that?"

"I'm…not sure." But as his thoughts collected, he was sure of why he felt such a way. During his previous life, he had felt hopeless and confused many times. He had expressed many concerns to the headmaster on many occasions. But Dumbledore had never reacted quite like that. Dumbledore had been stern, unyielding, and obstinate. There was much more at stake, so much to be done than concern himself over Severus' petty thoughts. The headmaster had spoken to him, many times, given him guidance many times, but it was always when it would benefit the war or Potter.

Now, now of all times, the headmaster was reaching out to Severus. Offering consolation not with the price of being a double agent, but with open concern for Severus' well-being. He felt he should be comforted, but he felt betrayed. "Why would Dumbledore do this now, when he never considered it before?" He ended up asking, though he hadn't expected Lily to follow his thoughts.

She stood up and stepped toward him. "Dumbledore is a man of many minds and many faces. He rises up to any problem with strength, cleverness, and the greater good ever in mind." She folded her hands, resting them against her lips in a pensive state. "I hate him, Severus. I've come to terms with that. But perhaps, just perhaps…" She looked up at him. "Perhaps he can be changed as well. Perhaps when war comes again, he will have someone to rely on, just as everyone relies on him."

Severus scoffed. "How could Dumbledore rely on me? The man has knowledge beyond my understanding."

Her expression didn't change, but she looked down the hallway. "We all have trouble sleeping at night, Severus. What we sometimes fail to recognize, is that it is because we all have something in common."