"Lily, how did you fare on Professor Slughorn's exam?" Severus asked Lily.
Severus was walking her back to her dormitory after they had been studying in the library.
"I think I did really well, Sev. How about you?"
"I think that I did acceptably well. What did you say for the question between the bezoar and the healing potion? "I put down that the healing potion was better because even though it had to be brewed, you could easily find the ingredients, whereas it can be hard to find a bezoar."
"Wouldn't a bezoar be better, since you can't mess up with it like you can with a potion?" Lily never got a chance to answer.
"Snivellus." A rough voice called. Severus looked up to the top of the flight of stairs and saw his tormentors, James Potter and his rag tag group, standing at the landing. "Why are you boring her with your stupid potions ideas. Potions is a complete joke, right Sirius."
"Yeah, why don't you go play with your chemistry set, those at least have bigger explosions." Black added. The "Marauders" laughed at the comment.
"Come off it James." Lily spoke harshly.
"Well I guess he isn't boring you then. Is he helping you brew a potion that will allow your muggle sister to become a witch?" Potter responded
Lily nearly flew up the stairs, pulling out her wand and pointing it at James' throat.
"Don't you dare talk about my sister. She has nothing to do with this."
Severus was standing beside Lily and watched as she shoved her wand point into James's throat.
"Wait….I'm sorry." James gulped.
Lily lowered her wand tentatively, but brought it right back up.
"Don't listen to him, Lily." Severus whispered as he saw a tear run down her face.
"Wait, Lily…..Did Snivellus….Is he trying to defend you?" James questioned
"That's low. It's like having a house elf defend you." Sirius mocked as Severus moved between Lily and James.
"Take it back, Potter. She doesn't need to be involved in this."
The "Marauders" laughed.
"Why don't you make him?" Sirius said.
"Potter, why are you always a coward? Are you afraid that I will beat you so badly that you will have to sick Wolf Boy here on me?" Severus asked confidently.
"Don't call Remus wolf boy." Sirius snapped
"Oh, I'll stop when Potter takes back what he said." Severus commented
"I want you to make me." Potter crooned, as he lightly shoved Snape.
Severus lost his balance for a second, and recovered by shoving Potter to the ground hard.
"Take it back now!" Severus screamed
James Potter got off the ground so fast, it caught Severus off guard. All three Marauders pulled their wands out of their robes. Sirius pushed Severus once, and Sev was going to push back, until he saw the wands. Severus laughed a hearty laugh, which caused Potter to say.
"You think you're funny? Look who's defenseless now."
"I think you are funny, Potter. Why do you have to fight me three on one? Have wolf boy and his pup put down the wands, and I will show you how a real man fights." Severus growled as he pulled his wand out of his robes.
Potter turned around to talk to Lupin and Black. Severus contemplated hexing Potter, but he wasn't a coward. Suddenly, Potter whirled around.
"Stupefy!" He yelled
The spell caught Severus right in the chest. He flew through the air and slammed into the wall. The portraits flinched as he hit the wall, his head bouncing off of it and his arm making an unnatural sound at contact. Severus crumpled to the floor as Lily let out a yelp. She came and knelt by him when she saw that he was not moving. James Potter and his friends laughed as they watched Lily try to rouse Severus. They were laughing so hard that they didn't hear two teachers walking toward the staircase to investigate what was going on.
"What is going on here?" an older voice questioned as his gaze traveled from the Marauders to Lilly and an unconscious Severus Snape.
"Professor Dumbledore." They all gasped, except Lily who was more concerned with the wellbeing of Severus than the arrival of the Headmaster.
"Minerva, Please take Mr. Snape up to the hospital wing. Boys, Ms. Evans, will you please come with me." Dumbledore ordered
When Severus woke up three days later, he found Lily sitting by his bedside. She explained how the Headmaster had pulled all four of them into his office, where Lily explained that Severus was only standing up for her. The Marauders, natural liars that they were, denied everything that Lily said. They had even gone so far as to say that Severus attacked first. Dumbledore gave the Marauders two weeks worth of detention.
"Dumbledore should have expelled them." Lily argued "Detention won't stop them. They already live in detention for the most part."
"It's fine, Lilly."
"What do you mean it's fine, Sev? They broke your arm and gave you a concussion with one spell."
"If Headmaster Dumbledore thinks that the punishment is sufficient, then I have to agree with him."
Severus was glad that Lilly stuck up for him. However, he wasn't okay with the Headmaster's decision . He was just telling Lily that so she would stop being angry. Severus knew the torment would get worse, he just didn't know that he would eventually lose a friend because of it.
"Harry, we need to-"
"We are not going to go save Snape." Harry interrupted Hermione. "He's a treacherous git that doesn't deserve to be rescued." This was the first time that Hermione had brought up this argument in the past week.
"How do we know that he's not being tortured for spying against Him. He could be dead already."
"Then let him die. If he really was captured, then let Volde…."
"ARGH." Ron interjected.
"He-who-must-not-be-named, then. Let him kill Snape because the man doesn't deserve to live anyways."
"Harry, that's horrible! Every person deserves to live, even those who have made mistakes. Snape made up for his mistake, he spied against the dark lord."
"That doesn't make a DIFFERENCE." Harry yelled as he slammed his fist down on the table. "Once a death eater, always a death eater."
"How can you say 'if he's been captured'? You saw it in the Prophet."
"The Prophet is under the thing's control along with the Ministry. Snape probably just joined his army full time. It would look bad on Hogwarts if they placed a death eater in control. He knows that and there is still a part of Tom Riddle in Him. He loves Hogwarts because it's his home. Tom doesn't want to destroy the school's reputation. He told them to say that Snape was taken. Now both sides win."
"What are you talking about Harry? None of that makes sense, also if we rescue Snape, maybe he could tell us where the other Horcruxes are."
"I wouldn't trust him to tell us anything."
"But we have to do something."
"No we don't. He is the reason my parents are dead. After this war is over, if he still is missing, then we will go find him."
"But…"
"No. That is the plan."
Harry got up and stalked out of the tent. He couldn't see how Hermione could see any good in such a vile man. Harry thought that Snape used to be good, but after that night on the tower and knowing that he gave the prophecy to Lord Voldemort…Well it banished all doubts. Harry would, however, keep true to his plan. They would go and find Snape after they had finished Voldemort.
When Snape came to, he was wet and the side of his face hurt. His left eye was swollen shut, and pain pounded through his broken right arm. Seeing as Snape was right handed, this would be bad if he had to fight his way out. The chair he was sitting in felt different. The back had been modified so that his lower and middle back were exposed, but his shoulder blades were still covered. With what vision Snape had left, he could see Malfoy, Dolohov, Yaxley, and the Carrows standing in a group, conversing with Voldemort. They were having a whispered argument, all worries of being punished for questioning their lord were gone for the moment, when Voldemort saw that Snape was awake.
"Ah, Severus, are you ready to answer my questions?"
"Carrows, what are you doing here? I thought I ordered you to stay at the school." Snape growled, ignoring what Voldemort said.
"We were called here." Amycus answered.
"You may be our boss, but we serve The Dark Lord." Alecto added
"Well…." Snape began, but Voldemort interrupted, repeating his question
"Are you ready to answer my questions Severus?"
"I have been answering your questions, my lord. You just don't seem to like my answers."
Voldemort quietly laughed to himself as he walked closer to Snape. They stared eye to eye for a few seconds before Voldemort turned his back on Snape. Voldemort was about to walk away, but he turned around and lunged at Snape, the back of his hand making contact with Snape's face. The white flash of sharp pain surprised the prisoned man.
"You disgust me Severus." Voldemort growled. "How could a man like you, who has been the most loyal to me, be spying against me. Without me, you would be nothing and your name would not be feared at that school."
"My lord, I have not been spying on you." In a quiet voice, Snape defiantly whispered. "It was also just not you who helped create my name. I was feared long before I joined your ranks." Snape was trying to keep the pain at bay. He would have to do a lot of pain management, if he wanted to survive.
"Why have you been spying on me?"
"I have done no such thing. Everything that I do has been to help you."
"Lies!" Voldemort hissed as looked at someone behind Snape.
It was a second before pain registered in Snape's back, and a loud crack of leather meeting flesh, resounded around the room. Snape breathed in violently as the belt hit his back.
"Now Severus, if you tell me the truth, we can end this quickly."
"Yeah." Snape thought. "You'll probably kill me."
Snape took a deep breath before speaking.
"If I had been lying to you, my lord, I would have told you the truth after all the pain you have put me through."
"And that is where you are mistaken, Severus. Any normal human being would have told me the truth if they were in the situation that you are currently in. They would have told me after the first hit. You are different. You have been taught to lie under any circumstance, and you had a good teacher, no doubt. That's why I think you are still lying to me. If you tell me the truth, then all of this pain and suffering will stop."
"I HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU THE TRUTH! I don't know why you don't believe me." Snape snapped.
This earned Snape another lick from the belt, and a memory surfaced in Snape's mind.
A young boy was hiding between the corner and a dresser, hoping father wouldn't find him.
Snape could hear Voldemort ask a question, but he didn't give an answer. The belt cracked on his back once again.
The young boy was sitting on his mother's lap, with her arms wrapped tightly around him. He was crying, for his dad had found him and proceeded to beat him with a belt. The boy was only five years old. It was the first time that Tobias Snape, in a drunken rage, had beaten his son, Severus, with a belt. It was the first time, but it definitely wouldn't be the last time that this would happen.
Snape was so surprised by the memories that came to him, that he didn't answer the next five questions. Each unanswered question earned Snape another hit from the belt. By then, the pain was getting so bad that Snape was afraid that he would bite off his tongue if he attempted to speak, so his silence continue. He had lost count of how many times he was hit after 35, but Snape knew it was close to triple that number. This whipping made Tobias Snape's whipping look tame.
Snape could see that The Dark Lord was getting irate, so it was time to start messing with him. Snape knew it was a good way to get killed, but he also knew that The Dark Lord wouldn't kill him. At least not yet. Not until he got the full truth out of Snape. The only problem was, in order for it to stop, there would be a lot more pain. Snape made tears come to his eyes, and found that it wasn't very hard.
"Alright." He cried out in pain. "Make it stop and I'll tell you everything."
Voldemort signaled Yaxley to stop.
"You will tell me everything that I want?" Voldemort asked skeptically
"Yes." Snape had tears running down his face. "Anything to be let go."
"I am glad that you have seen the light, Severus. You do know however, that what you tell me might not get you free."
"Just make the pain stop." Snape yelled in response.
"Alright. Have you or are you currently a spy?"
"Yes."
"Who have you been spying against?"
"Albus Dumbledore."
"Has Albus Dumbledore ever tried to turn you against me?"
"No."
It was silent for a moment, which during this time, Snape prayed that Voldemort would buy his story. The chances were slim to none, but he hoped for a miracle.
"Have you ever spied against me for Dumbledore?"
"No."
"I am tried of your lies, Severus." Voldemort hissed while shaking his head.
"I have not…" But Snape couldn't finish his sentence
His jaw had locked up because of a Cruciatus curse that Voldemort had casted. Then Malfoy casted it, followed by Yaxley, Dolohov, and Greyback. The pain in this torture session was ten time worse then in the last session. The pain of five curses was like being hit with eight tazer, 100 volts a piece. If Snape could talk, he would of begged for death. The pain was so bad that he could feel his life slowly slip away. However, the spells were released and he could feel life its retreat from his body. He felt groggy and disoriented, like he was about to pass out.
Someone stepped forward and pulled a vial out of their cloak. Snape's head was thrown back, and whoever pulled the vial out of their pocket, forced a liquid down his throat. Snape tried to spit it back out, but only some would come out. Greyback and Dolohov undid Snape from the chair and dragged him down the stairs, leaving him by the wall where he lay unconscious a few seconds after the door slammed shut. Snape's right hand moved on its own, showing signs of extensive nerve damage.
When Snape came to, he was in a world of pain. He could feel something sticky on his back, so he gently reached toward his back. Even at the slightest touch, Snape winced in pain. He could feel his back becoming raw, the scars would be there for the rest of his life. He pulled his hand away, and saw blood on his hand. Then Snape remembered that someone poured some sort of liquid down his throat. He wondered what it was, but was stopped when pain screamed up his right arm. Slowly lifting his arm up, Snape saw that it looked perfectly normal. However, when he gently ran his hand down it, he discovered that it was broken. He couldn't tell how many breaks he had in it. Snape wondered what else was hurt, when a sob stopped all of his thoughts. Snape carefully rolled over, to see what was crying.
His back screamed in pain, but he made it onto his side. There was someone in the middle of the room. Snape figured it was Lestrange, so he rolled onto his stomach, and tried to stand up. His knees buckled and Snape caught himself by dropping to one knee. Snape gasped as pain shot up his back, and the crying stopped.
"Sev." Someone called out.
There was only one person in the world who called him by that name.
"Lily." Snape whispered in confusion.
He made his way toward Lily in a half walking, half falling fashion. The person lying in the middle of the room was indeed Lily. Snape dropped to his knees by her side.
"Sev." She reached up and touched his face.
It all felt so real, but it couldn't of been. Lily had been dead for fifteen years, this couldn't of been real. Something in Snape's brain said that this wasn't right, but Snape didn't pay attention. He was with the woman that he loved.
"Lily." Snape grabbed her hand.
He could feel a liquid by his knee so he looked down. He was kneeling in a pool of blood that was coming from Lily's back.
"What happened Lily?" Even though he knew something was wrong, he allowed his heart to take over. Lily was the only one that he ever loved, and he would be damned if he didn't help her.
"He found us."
"Who found you?"
"Voldemort. He found us and…..he killed James." Lily had tears running down her eyes as she choked out the answer. "He tortured us and killed James."
"What did he do to you?"
"I don't know, Sev."
"It's alright." He reassured as he picked Lily up and held her in his arms. "Everything will be fine, just hold on." Snape whispered after he saw her take a short, shaky breath.
"Oh Sev." Lily whispered as she reached up again.
"I'm sorry Lily."
"What are you sorry for?"
"I was a fool. You were so good to me and you were my only friend. You didn't care where I came from, and you were there for me.. I messed up and I never meant to call you that name. I was angry and I never should have been angry at you. I'm so sorry."
Severus looked down at Lily and saw that her breaths were becoming further apart.
"That doesn't matter anymore, Sev." Lily winced in pain. "I need your help."
"Anything Lily."
"I need you to tell me what side you are on. Dumbledore told us that he had a spy but we weren't sure that you were fully against Voldemort."
"Why do you want to know that?"
"It was something that I always wanted to know, before I died." Lily's eyes started closing.
"You won't die. You have to keep fighting." Severus pleaded.
"Sev, I'm not afraid of dying. I just need to know." Lily's breathing began to slow down as well.
"I did." Severus blurted out. "I did spy for Dumbledore against Voldemort."
Sev could that Lily was about to die, and he felt so helpless because he couldn't do anything to stop it. He had to tell Lily something that he had always meant to tell her. Something that he should of told her a long time ago.
"Lily, I love you."
Lily's eyes were about to close, so Sev grabbed her hand. He leaned down so that he could hear Lily's whisper.
"I loved you too, Sev."
Lily took her last breath and closed her eyes for a final time. Her hand slipped out of his and Severus' eyes began to fill with tears. He didn't hear the cellar door open.
"Come on Lily, wake up."
Two men walked down the stairs and grabbed Snape under the armpits. They dragged Snape up the stairs while he was screaming Lily's name. Another man took Lily's body up to the main floor. Snape was thrown into a chair, and Lily's body was taken into another room.
"What did you do to her?" Snape yelled
"She got what was coming to her. The mud blood…."
"Don't call her that!" Snape cut off Voldemort, and because he did so, he got punched in the face.
"The mud blood deserves to die. I heard what you told her." Voldemort's voice was calm.
"oh shit." Snape thought, but he continued to stay angry at the Dark Lord. "What did you do to her?" Snape yelled again.
"Oh, is poor Snape crying over little Lily Potter?" Bellatrix cooed as she rounded the corner.
"What did you do to her?" He yelled at Bellatrix
"Who?" She asked calmly.
"Lily…Lily Evans. What did you do to her?"
Bellatrix pulled her wand out of her pocket and waved it in front of her face. Her appearance began to change, and where Bellatrix had been standing three seconds, Lily took her place. The abdomen of her shirt was soaked in blood.
"He found us, Sev." Lily said. "Lord Voldemort gound us and…he killed James." Lily whimpered and she waved her hand again, and she turned back into Bellatrix.
"Fuck." Was the first word that came to Snape's mind. "I just got tricked. Now he knows." Snape's face continued to show no emotion, but his mind had been flying at 1010 miles an hour. "I told you that it wasn't right." Snape could believe that he was tricked. He couldn't of been stupider. Now it was time to give up the gig.
"Well. Now you know my secret. What are you going to do?"
"I have to ask you something Severus. Why?"
"Because you killed her!" Snape yelled. He couldn't help it. His temper was exploding. "I asked you, no I begged you to spare her and you didn't. You killed her."
That was the last thing that Snape remembered clearly. Everything else was filled with lots of pain, but he was still alive. Snape woke up in the cellar. He was in so much pain, that he didn't know if his mind would ever work correctly again. Snape thought about Lily and he realized that someone had to know. He placed his fingertip to his temple, and pulled out a memory strand. He found a vial in the cellar and placed the memory in it. He placed a stopper in it and put it in his robe pocket. He figured that if he died, someone would at least know his position.
He was in a lot of pain. Snape was still fuzzy, his mind going in and out of the fog. The arm that Snape had broken was swollen beyond movement. He could taste blood in his mouth and throat. His left eye was swollen shut and every part of his body hurt. Snape tried to sit up on the wall, his body screaming in pain as he did so.
"How much longer do I have?"
That was the last thought that Snape had before he passed out from pain.