Everything Works Out in the End - Kodaline

Xxxx

Severus expected the battle to continue, for Death Eaters to fight the Order. Instead, masked figures intermingled with their opposites, those they had fought to defeat for years. Each of them stood, facing the two lifeless bodies of their masters laying before them. Slowly, all heads turned to glance at Severus, the only one who understood both sides. He looked at the faces of those nearest him and saw the questions that couldn't quite grace their lips.

The fight had been short, an easy defeat, which surprised them all. It occurred to Severus then that only three other lives had been taken that night. They'd been too busy, too focused, on the defeat of two of the greatest wizards that the engagement between the others had been practically non-existent.

A voice finally broke free from the crowd, one he would always recognize. "Sev?" She asked simply, several meters away. Severus was tempted to run to her, to scoop her up in his arms, but the mere sound of his name asked so many questions the others seemed to be incapable of.

Severus cleared his throat nervously, glancing at the curious eyes surrounding him. "I didn't learn of Dumbledore's intentions until this evening." His eyes went to the now empty ones of the man, the one who had been his friend and a feeling of betrayal coursed through him. "He had recently begun leaving me clues, although it took some time for me to piece it together. I believe he wanted to be caught, he was tired of living in the Dark Lord's shadow. He had risen so high in our community, had gained such an influence over all of us that I think he could no longer rise any higher without the world knowing." Severus paused, looking back at Lily who seemed to be inching closer towards him. A flicker of a smile formed on his face at the mere sight of her, more importantly, that she was alive.

"And?"

Murmurs from the others broke out and Severus snapped back to the real world. "I'm positive you're all aware that he defeated Grindlewald? The previous terror of the wizarding world strived for what he called the 'greater good'-"

Before he could say much more, a rather pale looking Aberforth interrupted, speaking more to himself than anyone else as the realization dawned on him. "Dumbledore was close to Grindlewald while we were younger. The 'greater good' was a plan they had formed together, but Dumbledore claimed to renounce it and condemned the other man's actions." He exhaled, shaking his head in disappointment at his brother. "I guess he never truly stopped fighting for it, it was merely a ruse to make him appear as though he were a part of the light."

Severus nodded in agreement. "Over the years, so many of his actions were in an attempt to defeat Lord Voldemort, but now we know it was not to keep us safe. Rather, to dominate us in his own way."

"What about the mudbloods, then?" Spat Rabastan, glaring at a few choice members of the order

Severus sneered back at him, it was unnecessary to hide his true feelings towards the Death Eaters now. "In my own personal experience, I have seen him favor those of pureblood over others. As a half-blood myself, I was a victim to this discrimination throughout my years of Hogwarts." He found the heavyset form of Peter Pettigrew in the crowd. Severus' stare remained fixed on him as he spoke again. "I wasn't the only half-blood treated as such."

"Severus." It was Sirius that spoke this time, his voice carried an unfortunately familiar cold edge. "You weren't the only one in his office during those times. I saw the things you did, the magic you used. Your punishment doesn't equal prejudice."

"No." He replied, trying to keep the frostiness out of his own voice. "But your lack of punishment does. I seem to remember some of your school boy antics as well. There's one incident in particular, involving a tunnel, in case you've forgotten. What did you receive in return for that incident?"

"A weeks detention, polishing the trophy room by hand."

Severus shook his head, that wasn't nearly enough. "You should have been expelled, all of you and you know it. Yet that's all you received. I was given much harsher punishments for much less. He may have been a half blood himself, but that didn't stop him from looking down on those that weren't pure. Unlike the Dark Lord, as Dumbledore mentioned himself this evening, he was able to keep his desires for domination of the wizarding world a secret. He has left tidbits of information over the years, but nothing substantial, until now."

"If he wanted world domination, why did he turn down the position of Minister?"

"It's merely speculation, but the Minister of Magic is constantly in the public eye, his actions aren't his own, they are bound by other members of the government. It would have hindered his ability to achieve his plans."

An overly gruff voice broke into the conversation. Severus glanced at Moody, still irritated by the similarities they shared, whether or not it was reasonable. "The Aurors were always the last to know. Unless an ambush was planned ahead of time, I was almost always the last to find out. On those occasions, by the time I had informed the Auror office and arrived there myself, the battles were nearly over. He did what he could to keep the government away, instead he gladly accepted fighters, like myself, that had been misled."

"And the Longbottom boy? Why was he here?"

"Dumbledore used him as a lure. The fact that he survived Lord Voldemort's killing curse several months ago was due to some dark magic, one that only the Dark Lord could reverse. However, Voldemort wasn't aware of it. He was simply interested in defeating the boy once and for all. Dumbledore knew I would figure everything out, he knew I would bring Lord Voldemort. He had everything planned out, except his own death."

"Is it true, Severus?" Lucius interrupted. "Everything he said, you joined the light?" His voice dripped with a mix of disappointment and jealousy. "That you have a family?"

Severus hesitated, he had no desire to share this part of his life with the men and women who likely wanted him dead, and would try to achieve that. He stared in silence at Lucius, the man genuinely wanted to know. The two of them had been friendly towards one another and Severus knew Lucius had a child only two months older than Harry. In response, Severus turned to look at Lily once more, who he found was quite a bit closer than last time he had checked. He stretched out a hand towards her and she took the last few steps forward. There was no point keeping it hidden anymore, Dumbledore, his mentor, had destroyed that safety net. "Yes." He said simply as he intertwined his fingers with Lily's. He ached for more as adrenaline rushed through his veins. The desire to touch her, to kiss her, to know that she was really alive despite the gash across her wrist was overwhelming. He wanted all of her, then and there. If only they weren't surrounded by several dozen people, including dead ones.

He looked around, taking advantage of the silence to see who had fallen that night. Near the edge of where they gathered, Severus saw the unmistakable, wild black curls of Bellatrix. He had to admit he was surprised. She was passionate for Voldemort's movement, she was his greatest fighter. Out of all of them, he never would have picked her to be one who died here. Emmeline Vance was sprawled not too far from her and Severus wondered if they had been each other's demise. On the other side of their crowd remained the body of a man that had been rendered unrecognizable.

Severus looked back at Lily, his thumb rubbing over the knuckles of her each finger. Those around them murmured with one another, still confused and stunned over that night's events. He took the opportunity of distraction and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. It would have to do for now.

Xxxx

By the time they returned to the safe house in France, it was nearly light outside. The Aurors had been called, at which point the Death Eaters had fled. The Aurors collected the bodies along with statements of those who remained. The entire ordeal had taken hours. During that time, Lily and Severus had refused to let go of one another. They were finally allowed to be seen in public together and after the dread of losing one another they had no desire to chance it again.

Lily was the one to disapparate, leading him to the safe house she had chosen. "Beesy?" Lily called out quietly in the small flat. In an instant, the unusually shaped house elf appeared from out of a nearby room.

"Yes, Miss?" She squeaked in an equally quiet tone, afraid to wake the baby. Instead of an answer, Lily knelt down so that she was at the house elf's level and quickly wrapped her arms around her. Beesy's eyes went wide at the touch, something house elves weren't privy to receive. The house elf patted Lily's back awkwardly, unsure what to think of the situation. "Thank you." Lily repeated softly, next to the house elf's ear. Severus nodded in agreement, giving Beesy a small smile of his own. He too was overly grateful that she had watched and protected their son.

As Lily composed herself, she released Beesy and straightened back into her full height, dismissing the elf. Before another word could be said the house elf disapparated, leaving them completely alone.

Lily stepped back towards Severus, eagerly enveloping him. "Severus…I don't understand." She mumbled against his chest, listening to the oh so alive thump of his heart.

Severus frowned "I thought I made it clear."

"No." She shook her head. "I don't understand how we could have missed it for so long, how he could have done such horrible things…I don't understand why he let us live."

"I don't get it either." He responded with a heavy sigh. "Dumbledore fooled us all."

"It's all over now, Sev." She smiled weakly up at him. "I don't have to worry about you anymore, your mark won't burn, you're free."

He shook his head, he looked almost more depressed at the realization. "I could be sent to Azkaban. I always thought Dumbledore was on my side, that he'd keep me out of prison, but now…"

*We'll get through this, we can prove your innocence. The most important thing is you're alive, we all are."

The corners of his lips lifted and he stared down into her brilliant green eyes. "I love you, Lily Snape." He captured her lips in his and pushed against them passionately. The look in his eyes was one if such loving adoration that she couldn't help but being caught up in it all.

Xxxx

They awoke several hours later in their own home. They'd left in a hurry for France, afraid Dumbledore would have ambushed them here, at the very least they thought their home would be ransacked, but everything was where they had left it when they returned which brought a new sense of safety.

They stared at each other bleary eyed in the morning light. One of Lily's hands reached up to brush against the coarse stubble that dotted his jaw. The other worked it's way below the bed covers, gripping tightly to the waist band of his pajama bottoms. Severus' arms wrapped around her in response, pulling her impossibly closer to him until their skin and lips were flush against each other.

His mouth moved slowly away from hers, nibbling across the skin of her jawbone and slowly up to her ear. He exhaled softly then and the warm breath on her skin made her shiver in delight. She groaned against him involuntarily. With the arm that was still wrapped strongly around her, he rolled on to his back and pulled her on top. Without taking their eyes or lips off of one another, he teased beneath the hem of her night shirt and gently tickled the smooth skin he found there. She squirmed on top of him in response and nearly broke the contact. In an effort to keep it from happening, Lily placed her hands behind his neck and kissed him more deeply.

Severus' hands kept wandering upwards, taking the fabric of her shirt with them. As it was free of her and tossed to the floor, she lifted herself from his body as he slid out of his own clothes. Once naked, he quickly slipped inside and she began to gyrate rhythmically on top of him. His fingers hungrily found the hardened center of her chest and they both began to moan with the intensity of it all. Eventually she fell back on to the bed beside him, breathing hard and damp with sweat. Lily smiled sheepishly which earned her a tender kiss in response.

Despite their desire to spend their day in bed together, the wizarding world was anxious to know of the events of last night. Word had quickly spread of the death of both Lord Voldemort and Headmaster Dumbledore. It wouldn't be easy to convince them of Dumbledore's true intentions, not when so many people of the world held him in such high stature.

As if on cue, Harry began to cry from the other room. With a sigh, Severus moved to the edge of the bed, reaching for his prosthetic. Lily watched him, everything else in the room faded as her attention was fully on his bare back.

"Sev…" She spoke softly, curiously, as she moved towards him. She reached out slowly, almost too afraid to touch him. When her fingers made contact she felt normal, soft skin and he didn't flinch from the graze. He merely looked over his shoulder at her in curiosity and confusion.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He frowned deeply at her.

"Nothing…that's the point. It's gone, all of it."

His frown only deepened and his brow furrowed. "It's not possible…not unless-"

"The third body…do you think it was Mulciber?"

Severus smiled then. "I guess we'll find out."

At the look on his face, and the missing blemishes on his back, Lily smiled too.

Xxxx

A/N: Wow, so I was not ready for this to end. That's just how things ended up working out. I'm debating writing a sequel at some point, just depends if I can think of a way to continue it. Thank you all for your support and generous reviews. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.