This is it! The last chapter! I kinda like it... I hope you do. And will the Mary Sue people PLEASE stop flaming me? I get the point!

Chapter Twelve

He told Lilly the whole story once the lights in the hospital wing had gone out and he could open his eyes without being blinded by pain. She was beautiful in the moonlight. He hadn't been close to her since Christmas morning. Her black hair shone like dark silver in the light and her skin seemed to glow… the light reflected as if off of water when he looked into her eyes.

He grabbed her hand roughly and she winced. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay. I have to go, Severus. We leave early tomorrow."

"Stay here tonight."

"I haven't packed yet."

"Well, don't leave tomorrow, then."

"Is that allowed?"

"I don't care."

Lilly laughed and shook her head. "Good night, Severus. I'll see you when I can over the summer. Where do you live when you aren't at Hogwarts?"

He told her and she nodded, fixing it into her memory. "When I've recovered, I'll teach you how to make Veritaserum, like I promised I would."

She smiled and kissed him for the first time in too long. He slipped his hand through her hair, cradling her cheek in his palm, staring into her deep blue eyes. A voice made them both jump.

"I realized something tonight," it said quietly. Lilly turned to see Dumbledore. She took a quick, angry breath. "There are all kinds of magic in this world…" said the old wizard, "but none is so controlling, so powerful and beautiful, as love. You two have known what I did not."

Severus considered it with narrowed eyes. "Headmaster," he said. "I don't know what you expected, but it's been pain worse that the Cruciatus Curse for five months."

"Can you forgive me for making the mistake of a man who has never loved the way you have, Severus?"

He looked away. "It will take time. Gentleness I can learn—patience is one thing. Forgiveness is quite another and some old scars never heal."

Dumbledore nodded and left. Lilly followed him a few minutes later after saying goodbye.

Lilly left on the train in the morning. It hurt to leave Severus behind. She watched out the window until she couldn't see the castle anymore, then sat listlessly in the compartment, thinking. She glanced over at Fred and George playing exploding snap… George was with Kathryn now… They seemed to be doing well together. Lilly looked down at the picture she held in her hand. The picture was black and white; it moved but didn't talk.

"Are you still moping about that greasy old git?"

"George, please," she sighed. "He's not a greasy old git."

"Dunno why you think so," Fred admitted.

"Stop it, guys! I love him."

George rolled his eyes. "You used to tell me that, and see how true it was." But he was teasing her now and she knew it. "So what's he like when the rejected, failing students aren't around?"

"He's sweet," she said. "He tries so hard to be gentle and mostly he is."

"Mostly?" Kathryn raised an eyebrow.

Lilly grinned. "You know that scar on my lip?"

They all nodded.

"And I told you that it was from Quidditch?"

They nodded again.

"It wasn't."

"He bit your lip?" Fred gasped.

"Now, Lilly, I never did that…" George grinned.

"It was okay, he didn't mean to. He just got… carried away."

Kathryn sighed. "He loves you, right? L-O-V-E? It's not L-O-A-T-H-E, is it?"

Lilly frowned. "Nice spelling, Kathryn. Yes, it's love. He didn't mean to. I just told you."

George shook his head. "So tell me something else." He gave her a lopsided grin. "How's he in—"

"I will not answer that," she snapped.

They all laughed, including Lilly. "C'mon, Lilly, just a one word answer: Is he better than me?"

Lilly considered it. "Yes," she said finally. "A lot better. Sorry, George."

George pretended to pout, but it was somewhat interrupted by Kathryn. "George, you did what with Lilly?"

There was an awkward silence until Fred said, "So, what, are you going to marry the scumbag—I mean, Snape?"

Lilly shrugged. "Maybe…"

"How're you going to have kids?" asked Kathryn. "He's a lot older than you…"

Lilly rolled her eyes. "He's still a young man. He's only thirty-three."

George shook his head. "And you're… how old? Eighteen. He's fifteen years older than you! He was probably taking his O. W. L.'s when you were being born." Lilly couldn't think of an answer to that, so she ate a chocolate frog and looked out the window.

George grinned. "I love it when she's submissive," he said suggestively, which made Lilly hit him and they spent the last hour glaring at each other.

†

Lilly moved out of her parents' house the day after she got back. She had a nice apartment and a job at the Ministry—she was a potionmaker for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She worked with regular officials and Aurors and she loved it even after just a few hours.

She liked her new apartment, but it was too empty. Pretty, but empty. She framed the picture of Severus and set it by her bed, but it wasn't enough. Just one more day, she thought before sleeping, remembering how she'd thought the same thing five days ago.

She realized that she wouldn't be able to see Severus for months at a time—he was at Hogwarts. She was in London… But they'd have to make it work. She'd figure out something…

Severus pulled the last layer of the heavy bandage off and looked down at his side. There was a scar there, about an inch across, and Madame Pomfrey said she thought it would never really go away. He ran a finger over it. It was ice-white and slightly raised, very unlike the Dark Mark on his arm.

The moon rose bright and clear over Hogsmeade. Severus stepped into the shadows behind a small used book store and pulled out his wand. With a tiny pop, he disappeared

His feet hit the ground with another small pop outside a white door. He raised a fist and knocked on the door.

A young woman appeared behind the door looking tired. She was wearing robes with a charred sleeve and a large purple M. O. M.: Magical Law Enforcement stitched into it. "Hi," she began, but then she jumped. "Severus," she gasped.

He stepped into her apartment and kicked the door shut. His arms that had ached for her for so long found what they wanted and he pulled her close to him. "Lilly," he sighed. "Lilly…"

He finally looked down at her and smiled. "I heard about your Potions N. E. W. T. score," he said. "I'm very proud of you."

"It's just a score," she said modestly.

"Aren't you glad?"

She smiled. "I worked hard on that potion," she joked. "I think I deserve more than just a little piece of paper telling me that I did so well they couldn't grade it…"

Severus became serious. "That can be arranged…"

"You have a scar. Is that from the cut?" she asked, looking down at his side.

He nodded. "The second of two scars that'll never heal."

She sighed. "Don't think about that now. This will need your undivided attention."

Severus smiled. "I should hope so. I came all the way down here from Hogwarts."

They were stretched across the bed in Lilly's apartment. She felt his skin, pale and cool, against her. She moved closer to kiss him… he took the hint well.

It was warmer… less urgent than the last time. It felt so natural now, like they'd been doing this for years. She moaned quietly, holding onto him tightly. His breath was hot and heavy by her ear and he slowly let her go when it was over, as if he didn't want the moment to ever end.

"I'll miss you when I'm at Hogwarts," he said.

"I could always take the Defense Against the Dark Arts position," she said.

"I wouldn't want to be jealous of you."

"There're Hogsmeade weekends and holidays. And summers, like this one."

"I know… but it'll be a long time still."

She nodded, then he echoed her, smiling. "Don't think about that now. This will need your undivided attention…"

Severus let the morning pass. He didn't wake her up. She didn't need to go to work today. She wasn't his wife. She wasn't Bellatrix… She was the last one in the line; he knew that now. He held her sleeping figure tighter. He wouldn't let her go, not until he died. He could let Bellatrix go, even let his wife go. Lilly healed him, completed him, fitting the puzzle back together the way it hadn't been in almost fifteen years. Severus realized while he was there, wrapped around Lilly, that some old scars do heal, even when they cut the skin and break the bones... even when they burn the mind and rip the body. Lilly... she could heal all wounds... Severus wrapped his arms more tightly around her, letting himself fade back into sleep.