As his last breath rasped and his eyes began to close, he could hear Harry run from the docks with his friends close behind.
His last worldly thoughts, echoing in his mind, were that he only wished he could've spared Harry being the lamb at slaughter the way he'd stayed Draco from killing Dumbledore.
And yet, everything was as it was supposed to be.
Except for this.
There was always the expectation that it could happen, but Severus had truly hoped to carry on a bit further. He'd worked hard to play at being Voldemort's faithful dog, despite his utter hatred of the creature that had destroyed the one pure light he had ever known. But again, no amount of loyalty or pleading would turn the Dark Lord's mind.
So, here he was..
Lily... his beloved Lily... He had hated what looked like James in the boy's face, but his eyes, his courage, his dedication to justice; it was all Lily.
She'd given her life for her son. He only hoped that what he'd done would be enough. Maybe in the after life she'd forgive him for his anger and jealousy, and he'd get to see her smile again.
And it was with that thought that Severus Snape drifted away to dreams, his spirit calmly wresting free of fleshly ties as the blood pouring from his neck pooled cold on the floor.
~
He'd been having the most pleasant dream.
Lily and he were children again, meeting near the river between their homes, and they were friends again.
She'd been talking to him about school, then turned all of a sudden to tell him something he could tell was important. Yet, her voice was getting faint. He could no longer hear what she was saying. She began to wave and smile, while he began to panic, calling to her to speak louder. The light in the meadow they'd met in grew ever brighter, until suddenly...
He opened his eyes.
Pain reverberated through his entire body, like he was on fire. Madame Pomfrey was leaning over him with a terror stricken face, then suddenly Minerva McGonagal and Hagrid also came into view. Everything sounded hollow and strange, like sound couldn't penetrate the sense of all- consuming burning that swept over his entire being.
He was vaguely aware of Minerva pointing her wand at him with a malevolent glare as Hagrid pulled her away. After that, he was unsure what happened, as the pain that dulled his hearing swept him back under into a blanket of empty, black void.