Author Notes: Chapter Twenty One of the Harry and Snape Romance, Red and Green. Un-beta'd but still looked over and such. Chapter Twenty One is where the big Voldemort and Severus fight takes place, but with the most tragic endings. I won't spoil it for you -- one more chapter to go and an epliogue. Hope you enjoy.

Author Note 2: A lot of you have asked for Harry not to die -- and I have yet to decide whether he will or won't. If you don't like character deaths, in chance there will be one, don't read on. because I'm honestly not sure. But if you can stand a character death, go on and read -- it's wrong to leave a story in the final stretch because things aren't going your way. As well, There will be three more chapters to this story. As hard as it is to finish it up, I have to. This has been my pride and joy -- but all great things must come to an end.

Livejournal: Have a livejournal? I do too! My name's everrivers on it. So if you're looking for some more Snape/Harry friends on livejournal, be happy to add me. But leave a comment on my friends entry so I know you added me and I can add you back. ^_^ Just don't add me for a free layout -- I get enough of that already.

Reviews: I thrive on reviews. I'm selfish at this moment, yes. But I adore your support.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, just this story.

Dedications to Dinala, Nikki and Mink. If it were not for you guys, I'd never write.

Enjoy!

_____________________

XXI. Falling

That green light pressed against my blinding eyes, gazing each edge of my face with it's flashing scheme. Words would not echo from my lips, only a taste of ice filled my lungs from my broadly parted lips. It was certainly all over now. My eyes finally flew past the glowing green light and watched the silver snake handle on the end of Malfoy's cane emitted a glow of an image. And that chilly, but stern voice echoed again. I couldn't hear it's exact words, but one was for certain; Severus.

"Seems you have disappointed me, Severus.." Spoke the voice, and the blinding light started to die down. As if I was watching a sunset, my hand was hovering over my black eyes, waiting until the entire green glow ceased to exist. But as that silk, and blizzard like voice licked the tip of my ears, I knew what this wall was. I knew what had begun, and what was about to occur. His evil laugh immediately followed from his silk string of words. That laughter I hated for years past.

"Severus. Ah, there you are, pity fool. We meet again."

His eyes touch mine and I'm on the base of a fine line between fear and anger. My eyes glance at his with as much heat as one could hold in their orbs colors. My hand steadily reached for the wand that had fallen to the ground from my grasp earlier. He watched, and laughed joyously to my efforts to try and fight him.

Lord Voldemort had returned. Eviler then ever.

He would play his games, I knew. He was a very patient man when it came to killing people. He liked to toy with them. But I knew that I wasn't going to be pressed to those limits. My wand raised and faced towards him, shaking in not only fear my a strong sense of defeat. This man had made me fall again, and I wasn't sure if I could stand up to him this time. I had no words to speak to the man. I couldn't say anything, nonetheless, all my words seemed to be tangled on the tip of my tongue.

"Now, now, Severus. This is Lucius house, and since he has been here to help me regain my strength, I think we should play by his rules."

His chilly voice filled my face in a flush of red. I had to be strong. I couldn't let him see my weakening Slytherin pride. My eyes heated up and he looked taken aback by my standard of struggle. My wand moved to the air, and pushed itself forward to come closer to Voldemort's body. Only inches away from his chest until one world came from his lips. "Avada Kedarva."

I was kind of shocked at first. But after that thought of shock came to my mind, a forceful amount of pain inflicted on my entire body. Binding me to it's grasp of green light and power. I willed myself not to scream in agony, but those somber words drained from my lips and my body went entirely weak and I found myself at the wrath of the most dangerous curse in the wizard world. I couldn't see any color, but for a moment, I could imagine it being green.

I didn't really expect him to do this so fast. Sure, I expected death. But, not now.

Not without one more chess game.

One more kiss.

One more silly thing called love.

I felt like I was falling. China patterned plates slicing through my face. Raindrops speckling over my cheeks. Heated flames of fire torched my skin, dancing along my back and my abdomen. Ridicules of laughter and humor were splashed along my ears. I could feel myself banging my hands somewhere, perhaps it was thin air, but my hands were pounding in tight wounded fists. My lips were parted, emitting silent screams of pain and defeat. Crisp knowledge that I was falling to the Dark Lord's powers caused me to go into a sea of misplaced memories.

I heard a loud cry. A sob perhaps. My body entangled itself in a deep sea of torment to try and reach that voice. It was not cold and bloody like the Dark Lords; rather, it was warm and glowing. It was too soft to pinpoint who it was, and so I used my arms, dragging myself in this.. vision, this dream to get closer to it.

But everything was black and I couldn't see.

The voice grew a bit sharper, and small lisps of words could be noticed. My eyes winced to the voice, trying to get closer and closer, to comprehend what was being said. To be saved. My hands grazed at this place I was in. This ominous, cavernous hallucination. But everything seemed like a black eternal tunnel and I was crawling down it's path. To try and reach this voice. These words. The only things left that I could recognize to be alive. To be truthful, I wasn't even sure if I was alive.

Because I'm the only one who will let you have the white pieces.

My hand clawed at those words, and my heart charged dramatically. My chest pounded to each word spoken. It was Harry. I couldn't picture him, everything was still black. Still a sea of endless black that led to nothing other then he words I heard. So I edged further. To what? I'm not sure. But those words, and his voice never left my mind. The words started to become repetitive, trying to cheer me on, some could say. It was like a chant now as I crawled on, my nails digging into the nothingness that I was working in. Thos dark tunnel. But, all the same, I was growing weaker. Throbs were striking over my body as I moved each inch in this elongated tunnel. It seemed like this wall, this wave of blackness never ended. But I was still filled with the touch of Harry's words.

Memories began to strike my mind. Covering over the words that Harry said to me while I dragged on. I tried to keep the thought of Harry's words on me, the words he spoke to me to enchant my heart. But memories craved into my heart, engraving their selves. I could start to imagine little images in my mind. Chess Pieces. Tea. Books. Kisses. Everything drowning over each other as if it were an overflowing sea of water. They were all wonderful memories, but this tunnel was coming to no point.

Everything was so dark. And I only wanted to go on.

And I come here on my own, because I like it.

I hear his voice again! Harry! I crawl more, but with each inch, the pain grew stronger. Like whips cracking on my back. And so I stopped crawling. My lips began to emit pants and elongated breaths. I still couldn't see anything around me, not even the sweat drizzling down my cheeks. But I could feel every inch of me weakening. Growing more tired. Moments later, after being in a thought of emptiness, my mind began to lose track of Harry's words. Of those precious memories.

And so I started to crawl again. Spirals of whips cracked on my back as that fire raged along my chest, tearing at my every muscle. But as soon as I started crawling again, those memories that I desired grew back. They came back to my mind, but still, everything around me was black. No matter how much I tried to picture Harry kissing my lips -- everything was still black. Only feelings. Feelings that danced with loops of pain. Anger and hurt was thrashed against my back with each time my hands clung into the darkness, moving on.

You care.

I do care! Harry, come back! My body began to struggle to keep up with the pace of the words, and they were starting to fade. But every bone in my body was fragile, and wanted to breakdown. But I kept crawling, using every inch of my strength to reach that voice. To reach Harry's love. Those strands of greasy and sweat filled hair touched my face, and as each piece came crashing against my face, sparks of electricity brushed against my cheeks. But I couldn't cry out in my pain.

My mouth opened, but no words came out.

Please Harry, save me. My mind was playing a mental game in this black tunnel of nothing. I could see nothing, but image the memories. I could say nothing, but feel the pains of hurt and anger thrash against my body in a physical bruising beyond any others. Colors were erased from my life and replaced with this black hall of sorrow and redemption. I wish I did more with Harry. I wish I showed him how much I truly cared earlier. And with every wish, pain slashed against my back. Dragging it's nails as I dragged mine into this blankness.

If I win, please, never leave me.

I won't leave you Harry! Please come save me! I won't leave you! I'll change! As each of those thoughts, those sentences of pleads forfeited into my mind, a strong wind of power hit my face, smacking me as if it were like the moment Voldemort laid his wand on my chest and crashed me into this blackness. I don't remember what spell he used on me, in all honesty, I don't remember anything at all.

Besides pain, love and power.

My heart craved each of Harry's words as I crawled on. They gave me some kind of image, although it was black, of love and will. Hope and desire. Trust and faith. Was I eternally now devoted to crawl this long line of black to earn Harry's words? Were there enough words to cover what this black tunnel does? But as my thoughts ran through my head, more power was inflicted on my heart. So much that I couldn't even think. I just couldn't go on.

Don't worry, Sev.

And I fell.

And I felt my fingers grasp onto whatever they could find. Which was nothing more then my own palms. Fingertips stabbed into my flesh covered palms and blood was drawn from their shell. My mouth opened, I could feel it, but no noise was made. No pants, no cries, no screams. Nothing came from my lips. My brain was bashed by tremors of heat, making my head drop to my hands, but they were too power to lift.

My body felt weak as if hit a heat waved floor. Smashing my entire body onto it's cement covered life. I could see nothing but black though. I wasn't even sure if my eyes were open. By all my body was motionless, and I had neither the strength or power to move any of the limbs on my body. Everything was so weak and tired. No more whispers from my young lover came. But only then, did I fell small streams of water crawl down my cheeks. Cold. Ice.

My tongue could not reach to taste them, but they streamed down my face. I was crying. I was bruised, and most likely bloodied, and I was crying. No, not for all this pain I was enduring. But because I lost the only meaning to life. I lost my Harry. I lost my thoughts, sure, but I also lost the whispers. My pain was being stung my strands of heat and flames, but even worse, I lost his words of encouragement and love.

I lost.

I wanted to tell you that... I love you.

I could not think about what words were said now. I could not allow my mind to generate a thought, or response to the whisper that was now granted to my weak but dedicated heart. Porcelain figurines may be broken with a fall, but this heart of love for Harry could not be broken under any circumstances. Nothing could take over this sole passion I had for Harry. And it drove me on to hear those words that Harry expressed. That he loved me. I remembered, for a flash second, I was too scared to tell him that, I as well loved him. I waited.

I love you.

Those words grazed over my heart again. No longer then they tingle the tip of my ears and blast over my lips with their warm warmth, rather, they now went straight to my heart and submerged in that desire and growing passion that I had to return to Harry. But I had no strength in my entire body to move on. I was going to die. I was going to leave Harry forever. I didn't want to die. But I had no choice. And so I cried, remembering Harry's words.

I was only one man, I deserved tears after thirty seven years.

I was only Slytherin, Houses couldn't hold my love.

Sometimes I wanted to cry. Sometimes I just needed to let those emotions free from their confined state. I wasn't one for suicide, so I let my tears flow. Steaming down my cheeks. Of pain. Of angst. Of love. Of desire. Of everything that I was created of. The cement floor did not cause pain towards my body anymore, just shocks of fire strung along my cheeks with every tear.

Covered in a black cloak with a broken wand in hand, I cried.

I love you.

I love you too.

I love you.

Don't leave me Harry.

I saw a white light. A defining white light. Shining bright in this once black covered tunnel. I could now see, but only of this illuminating white light. But reality hit me. I had heard of fables about white lights from Muggles. Those silly fables that when you saw the white light you were dead; and as worn as my body was, I did feel dead. Muscles weak, back strained, heart throbbing. I can't believe it didn't come to my mind earlier.

But reality hit me.

I think I was dead.

To be continued...