It was an ordinary day in Heaven when James Potter realized that his wife is in love with another man. Not any other man, because apparently Universe was crueler than one would expect, but one specific man. Severus Snape, the Death Eater. The realization hit him hard and unexpected. Lily was again sitting at vision fountain and looking at Harry and Severus and their daily lives. Harry, James understood, he loved his son and missed him dearly and wished he was alive and would be able to raise him himself. But Severus? Really? James had to admit, he did gain a lot of respect for the man, when he agreed to protect Harry, even though, it was James Potter's son, they were talking about. And Severus did endure a lot from both Voldemort and Dumbledore. But Lily was obsessed with the man! Day and night, she would watch him go to this meeting, that meeting, spy, lie, pretend, brew, teach. No , the man definitely kept himself busy! This particular time, Harry did another little mistake and Dursley family made Lily so mad, she decided to switch to Severus. Everything went from bad to worse after this.

Severus had some meeting with Voldemort again and again, he lied about some mission to find Harry, and of course got the generous dose of Cruciatus. This was all according to Lily, because James was just sitting around and reading a book, since neither of Marauders were in Heaven and it was rather boring, when one's wife is staring at a water all day long. Then the man, half-dead apparated to Hogwarts, where, of course there was noone to help him to the castle. After much effort, he got to his chambers, got out from underneath his pillow a small and old photograph of him and Lily and clutched it to is chest as he was shaking with aftereffects of the Unforgivable Curse. Lily, again, started crying, and as James looked at her once more, the realization hit him hard.

This was not a case of she liking him, being friendly with him, she is all he got argument, or they were neighbors, or he is protecting her son, crying. The girl was in LOVE with the greasy git!

He got up and went closer to the fountain.

"How long have you been in love with him?"

To her credit, she neither denied the fact, nor offered an explanation.

"Since we were fifteen."

"So this is not a new thing, because he protects our son." She shook her head and looked even more miserable. James hugged her, like he did back in a day, a friendly hug. She started whispering apologies to him.

"So, you weren't upset with him that day with the Mudblood incident, because he was your friend, but because he broke your heart."

A miserable nod.

"Lil, why do you look so miserable admitting this?"

"Wouldn't you be miserable, if you were in love with the fool?"

"I would be, but for entirely different reasons." That got a laugh out of her.

"Jamie, I am so sorry. I tried to stop this, tried to forget him. It does not work. It started all again, once we got here and I was able to see him again."

"Does the fool know?"

"No, of course not."

"Why didn't you tell him? He was moping around you all day long."

"I hoped he would notice, but that man is blind, I swear. And then he went into Dark Arts, and then he called me Mudblood. I don't know, after that I just decided that further I am from him, happier he will be. I do want to see him happy, I swear, I do. Looking at him and seeing how sad he is, and how lonely he is, it just breaks my heart."

"Lilyflower, that man gets up with your name on his lips and goes to sleep with your name on his lips and I don't even want to imagine what he sees in his dreams, because I might start haunting him after that."

Lily smiled, and said "Was it that obvious, Jamie?"

"I wish it was more obvious, because then I would not have done everything in my power to separate you two. I never thought you liked him back, Lil. Forgive me?You should have said something to us. We would have stopped if I knew his feelings were returned. Damn it! Sirius did tell me to stay away from you , forgive me for ruining your life."

"I ruined yours, Jamie."

"Then let's just forgive each other and see what is our Death Eater up to, huh?"

"Ex Death Eater, as if there is a difference."

"Alright, Ex-death Eater. Although, Albus does twist his arm around way too much, don't you think?"

"Oh don't get me started on that topic, Jamie, I won't stop."

"The old man can be quite manipulative, and he plays on the git's love for you. Maybe even too much."

So they started watching Severus together. Sometimes he would get too melodramatic for James' taste, all in tears over Lily and stuff, but generally, he was rather brave and stoic and made an excellent spy. They both decided that they will beat the living daylight out of him, once he is in Heaven for the way he treated Harry. Lily said that since she loves him, she gets priority in beating Severus, but Jamie is more than welcome to finish him off. They disagreed about the way Severus got rid of Remus. Lily was angry, because Remus was once more out on his own, unemployable.

"Lily, I love the man, but he can be so stupid at times!He is a dangerous beast at full moon, and he forgot! forgot! to take his Wolfsbane! What Voldemort could not do, my own friends almost accomplished! I think Snape did the right thing."

"And what is he supposed to do now?"

"Sirius's money is more than enough for both of them. He does not have to be in the middle of children and risk infecting them on daily basis, if he can't remember the simple task of drinking a potion. The times are turbulent and he is busy with other stuff. Once he can remember to protect himself from being labeled a murderer, he could return to teaching."

"I still think Sev was being vindictive. Because Remus was your friend. Remus has not done anything bad to him. He never once bullied him."

"No , that was all us, me and Padfoot. Well, maybe that traitor rat as well. I still can't believe that Peter sold us out and Severus Snape is protecting my son. Life is full of

surprises!"

"Not to me." Lily answered quietly. "Sev has a heart of gold. I always knew that. He just tries to hide it beneath his insecurities. Him and Remus could become friends, you know? We saw, Remus tried and tried. I just wish, he would stick around a bit more, because I know, they would be good friends, Remus can handle him,and once Sev considers someone a friend, he will be willing to sacrifice his life for them. He is very loyal. It's just he doesn't have too many friends."

"Lil, did you guys at least kiss?"

Lily shook her head. "But couple of times we held hands, when Slytherins and Gryffindors were not watching."

" I am so sorry, Lil."

"Don't be, I was in love with you when we got married, I would never do it otherwise. And I was very happy, you are a very good man, Jamie. It's just he is my first love, and I don't seem to be able to get over him."

"What do you see in him, anyway?He is ugly and depressed all the time."

"He is not ugly. He is not handsome in a way people think is handsome, or in other words, like you, but he has the most beautiful eyes and his smile, although rather rare, is worth the wait."

"So I am handsome! More than Snape. Well, Bloody Baron is more handsome than Snape, but I am handsome."

"That you are, you Prince Vanity! Haven't you seen how handsome our son is, it's because he looks like you."

"And yet you love the Lord of Underworld. But of course! It's like that Greek Myths book I read. He is Hades and you are Persephone."

"No, we definitely have to get the Marauders here, you are reading way too much recently."


"James, why don't they come after his body? Now they know that he was on their side?"

"They will Lil, don't worry."

"At least Harry knows what Sev did for the Order. "

"They must be busy, it's chaos there. They will come."

"They can't just leave his body there, can they?"

"No, no, it's our guys, they will come. Someone from Gryffindor will come."

"No, Jamie, I don't think they will come. After 17 years of pure hell.. What has the world become?"

"Maybe Harry will send someone."

Harry didn't send anyone that day. But someone did come. Tired, bloody and aged beyond his years, the blonde aristocrat of Slytherin House came after hours of searching.

"C'mon, Professor, I never quite knew on whose side you were, but I am not leaving you here. My father told me I can bury you on our property, where no Gryffindor Weasel can desecrate your grave."

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart." Lily said bitterly.

"You are a Gryffindor, Lil."

"Sad coincidence, nothing more. C'mon Jamie. I have seen enough. We have to prepare for Sev and Remi. I have to thank them both for looking after our son."

"Lil, would it be alright, if I thanked Severus? Harry is my son, too, you know."

"Sure. If you want. I don't want to make you.C'mon. Let's go meet them!"

Lily Evans never saw Harry's efforts to find her friend, she didn't see the white lilies on his grave, or the slow walk away from the grave of the young man realizing just how it feels to not be able to apologize to someone you wronged. After she and James saw Draco Malfoy carry Sev's body out, she decided that she should take a break from her watching her loved ones and go welcome them into Heaven. She also had absolutely no desire to see anymore Gryffindors boast about their bravery during the War. So when she did come back to Viewing Fountains again, it was long after the Last Battle and the life was returning back to normal. She never confronted anyone about abandoning the man who brought that War to an end, who had to live against his wishes for seventeen years in pure hell, she didn't even tell Severus himself anything about it. But after that day Lily never wore Gryffindor colors, nor she ever cheered for Gryffindor on Quidditch matches. Only James knew, that it wasn't because Severus was a Slytherin, it was because Draco was one. Lily did not forgive her own house for not coming after Sev's body after all he did for them.

The story starts here..