Author's note: In answer to someone who asked about Credence, that will be slowly revealed as well. :) I don't want to give away too much information at once. This story is a mystery.

Obscurial Flower

Chapter 12: Different Stories, Same Path

Watching as everyone left the Great Hall to begin packing for their trips back home for the summer, Harry turned to Lily and Sirius smiling widely. He held the newspaper up with the headlines. "You guys did it! You actually did it!"

Lily nodded. "Yeah, we did. Sirius is a free man now."

He patted her back. "I couldn't have done it without you, Lily."

"I wonder how the Wizarding World is going to deal with the news that you're back from the dead." Hermione stated, looking a bit worried over the whole thing now.

"Take it as a miracle!" Sirius roared out, chuckling.

"That's not what I meant." She had this bad feeling in her gut. Hermione couldn't explain it, but there was going to be consequences for this. If anything, if probably put more of a target on Harry and now Lily's head.

Ron sighed. "It will be fine, Hermione. Let's get going. Summer has officially began!"

Harry looked to his two friends heading off. "I'll meet you both upstairs in a bit." Once they left the hall, Harry looked back to his mother and Sirius. "Since you're cleared now, does that mean the offer to live with you still stands?" He asked.

Sirius chuckled, taking the kid into a hug. "Of course! I stay true on my word."

Harry gave a sigh of relief. "Now I don't have to live with the blasted Dursley's anymore. Do you know the stuff I had to endure while living with them?"

"I can only imagine." Lily commented, rolling her eyes. From the memories she had Vernon always came off as the weirdest muggle she had come across, never fit to be a father or a husband in her opinion. As for Petunia...well, there was many things she could say about her sister. She just wondered if she was different in this world than the one she grew up with.

"They locked me in a cupboard under the stairs and haven't let me have my own room until recently. It was dusty under there and had so many spiders." Harry said, saying this all to Sirius who was listening closely.

"THEY DID WHAT?!" Lily yelled, causing the two to stop and turn to look at her. Even some of the teachers and staff still in the Great Hall turned to look at her. "Why did they do that?"

Seeing his how mad his mother was at all this, Harry knew it would be best to confess all he had gone through with his aunt and uncle. "Every time I would use my magic unconsciously, they would lock me there. It was even other the most stupid things too. Dudley would use it as a way to pick on me to. They even refused to give me my Hogwarts Letters saying I would turn out as a Freak."

In that moment the person to be most feared in the world was Lily Evans. Hearing her son say all this and confirming he was pretty much being put through the same torture she had been, even by her own sister, made her the most dangerous person currently.

Sirius noticed the look on Lily's face and not wanting her to lose control, he came up to her and tried to calm her. "Lily, I know you're mad, but don't lose control in front of Harry. Stay calm."

He was right, she had to do that for Harry. Last thing she wanted to do was end up hurting him. In that moment they were greeted by Remus Lupin who was fully recovered from everything. Lupin took Sirius into a hug and then Lily. "I'm so proud of you two! How did you do it?"

"It wasn't easy. At first we barged in there and got arrested, but..." Sirius looked over to Lily before whispering to Remus. "Lily accidentally showed them and well, they sent in Newt Scamander who will be helping Lily overcome it. After that we had a trial we barley made it out of if it wasn't for Dumbledore."

Remus nodded and sighed. "Well, you both have an event full time. I'm sorry for what happened by the way," He looked to Harry and Lily as well. "...To all of you."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Remus. It wasn't your fault." Lily stated, smiling to him. Remus felt the warmth in his heart from hearing that. It reminded him of what Lily once said to him back then about his condition. "Besides, you've been trying to help me with my little uncontrollable monster within."

"But that was Snape-"

"Yes, but you also tried to help me as well. So how about for next year in this coming September we work on trying to control our monsters together. I met Newt Scamander and I think he would be willing to help us both."

Remus frowned, looking down. "I'm sorry Lily, I wish I could but...I've resigned. Apparently news got out I was a Werewolf." Lily noticed Remus and Sirius eyeing Snape behind Lily who was gathering his stuff at the staff tables. He noticed them looking at him and quickly made to leave.

Lily looked back to him. "Remus, don't you dare leave just quite yet. I'll be back!" She went to go run after Snape, knowing she would have to talk to him about everything sooner or later...and it just had to be now.

"Severus!" Following out through the door he left through, she didn't care if she need permission or not, she had to talk to him. Catching a glimpse of his black robes behind him, Lily managed to keep up with him. "Severus, please wait!" Obviously he couldn't hear her or he was choosing to ignore her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "SEV, PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!"

He finally stopped in his tracks, not daring to turn and face her. He couldn't look at her face right now. He had been knowing this moment would come once she got her memories back. "What do you need?" He asked.

"Why did you spread word around of Remus being a Werewolf?"

He relaxed a bit, turning around to answer her question. "He put everyone's lives in danger last night by forgetting to take the potions I make him. I couldn't afford to let him have another slip up and end up taking someone's life if he stayed on as a teacher. The students are learning to defend themselves from dark forces out there, not to defend themselves from him."

"Okay...far point. But, do you know how hard it is for him to get a job because of his condition?" Lily asked. Severus remained silent, answering the question for her. "He needs this job! Also, I think it would be perfect because he can protect Harry while he's at school here as well."

Severus frowned. "If anything, it increases danger for the boy even more. I won't be around constantly to protect him from another Werewolf attack."

Lily looked at her childhood friend with wide eyes before chuckling. Whatever had happened between them in this world, she couldn't understand. Yeah, Severus came off as bitter and cold, but he seemed to have a heart underneath it all. It was just hidden behind pain... something she could relate with.

Changing the subject, she decided to finally ask him about it. "Sev...what happened between us in this world?" He tensed up, clutching his breath. "I have memories on what happened, but yet...It's hard to believe them. I know the feelings I felt during all of it, but yet..."

"I must continue my work. I don't have time to talk about this." He began walking away from her, but Lily wasn't going to let this slide. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him to look at her, face to face. To say he was surprised was an understatement. In that moment he felt like he was face to face with the ghost of his past, haunting him despite knowing Lily was here and alive.

"Please don't walk away, Sev! We need to talk about this. I need my best friend back!" Lily said, beginning to feel tears threatening to fall. Oh great, waterworks again. She couldn't help it. Lily had gone through so much and just wanted something stable. She wanted this life...the life she never got to live. The life she can now correct and maybe have back.

"Lily..." Severus said, for the first time showing a bit of genuine shock besides when he first found out she was back. He never knew what to do when she was crying. He remained there, frozen and silently listening.

"I- I know what they put you through. Back in my world I've faced bullies just like them. Granted, they were muggles and had no magic to let them secretly get away with what they were doing to me, but they didn't need it. They still got away with it, calling me names and cornering me at times." Lily sighed, now grasping his hand like a lifeline, hoping this would reach him. "What I'm trying to say is...I'm sorry the me of this world never tried to do more to stop them. I thought I was doing my best...but I only made things worse for you. I never understood what you were going through."

"No." He managed to choke out, trying to maintain a face that held no emotion. "I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Granted, you called me a name I thought you never would...but I understand. You were hurt in the moment and thought even I was out to get you. People end up saying the wrong things when they're hurt and mad. I've had my fair share of it. I've even done some things I regret doing."

It was meant to comfort Snape, however it didn't. He was getting tenser by the minute. He couldn't let her know his ultimate mistake, the thing he still felt guilt for nowadays, despite her being right here in front of him.

Lily noticed Severus was looking away from her now, avoiding eye contact. "What is it, Sev? I forgive you for what happened back then." A smile came to her face, remembering something. "In fact, I was talking James into saying sorry to you as well so we could all move on from it-" She paused, her smile dropping as she remembered what happened next. "But...never got that chance."

Looking up at him with a sad look, Severus could take it anymore and pulled his hand from her grip and began walking away. Lily looked at him shocked and confused. Something was wrong. There was something he wasn't telling her and she could see the pain in his eyes. Was it because she ended up marrying James?

As she pondered what could be bugging Severus, she had made it back to the Great Hall which was now empty. Outside waited Sirius, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Remus. Noticing Lily was walking back and the way she looked deep in thought, they questioned it. "What happened?" Sirius asked.

"Something seems off about Severus." Lily stated, feeling concerned for him.

"You're just now noticing?" Sirius replied sarcastically, causing Lily to smack him in the side.

"That's not what I mean. Did something happen to him? He seemed a little...hesitant about talking to me."

"Probably afraid you would confront him on what he called you back then. Did you?"

Lily shook her head. "Actually, I forgave him for it. He knows what he did was wrong and I understood."

Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "Lily, I know you want to set things right and I'm grateful that you did for me, but Severus doesn't deserve it."

Remus looked to the trio, knowing things were going to get out of hand here with Lily and Sirius going at each other's heads again. The kids didn't need to hear all this. "Get going kids, we will be behind you okay." They picked up their stuff and began heading off.

"Really? You're only saying that because you use to bully him and you've just never liked him because you never took the time to get to know Severus. Admit it!"

"Uh, no. I know the guy and I don't like who he is." Sirius smirked smugly, about to prove a point. "Besides, I was right. I told you he would become a Death Eater and that's what he is now."

Lily looked to him with absolute shock. "What?"

"I said, Snivellus is a Death Eater. He worked alongside You-Know-Who and helped him. Dumbledore says he's reformed and gave him a job as the Potion's Teacher here at Hogwarts. I don't believe it though. I think he's just laying low cause his master is dead."

She could feel hear heart racing in her chest and herself becoming a bit lightheaded. No, this couldn't be true. He wouldn't...but he would. The Severus in her world was more than likely one of those Death Eaters as well. So...there was no saving him? It would always come down to this.

Sirius had to be lying about this. Turning to Remus who would never lie to her, Lily had to ask. "Remus, is it true? Is Severus a Death Eater?"

"He was...but not anymore. He reformed."

Lily turned to glare at Sirius and if looks could kill, he would be dead right now. She began hitting him for scaring her like that. "How. dare. you. say. all. that. stuff! Do you not even feel sorry for what you did to Severus that you still have to say mean things about him?"

Sirius blocked her attacks and gathered himself together. "I might regret what I did to him...but I'm not going to start being friendly with the guy!"

Lily looked to Sirius, surprised. "Wow...I never thought-"

"I might have grown up a little? Yeah, well don't tell anyone." He smirked before running off to join the others. Lily and Remus followed after him.

Boarding the train, Remus and Lily found the others and joined them. Taking a seat next to her son, Lily and Remus continued their conversation.

"Don't resign from Hogwarts, we all need you Remus. J-Just battle through it. Dumbledore and others will defend you."

Remus shook his head. "I'm sorry Lily, but I think it would be better this way. I don't want to cause more trouble. Besides, I'll be visiting you, Sirius and Harry a lot more now that he is free."

"Where do you live Sirius?" Harry asked, curious and excited to see his new life ahead of him.

"Uh...well..." He mumbled. How was he going to explain this one?