Author's Note: I know this is probably getting old, but I have been extremely blown away by the reviews! You all have no idea how much a review means to me...well, maybe you do and that's why the chapter's are getting written so quickly! I don't want to let you all (and the story) down. So an extremely big thank you to everyone!

Chapter Eight: Unforeseen Forgiveness

They buried James Potter on November third under the cover of night. Thankfully, he had been released from the hospital wing that morning and now hid in the shadow of the small white church. Dumbledore had told him of the burial that night, but Severus had politely declined the offer. He wouldn't have been going out of respect for James but rather to give support to Lily, which he doubted Black would allow. The man may have brought him from Surrey to Hogwarts but Black made it very obvious that was the extent of the kindness. But it didn't stop him from doing what he does best: watching from the shadows.

Lily's face was white and pinched. She had left Harry back at Hogwarts, realizing she would be out in the open and vulnerable at this time. Black was looking uncharacteristically serious, hands shoved in his pockets and staring blankly at the fresh mound of dirt. Lupin had his head hung, his longish hair obscuring his face. Dumbledore's low voice murmured indistinguishable words and Severus wondered what wonderful things they were saying about the deceased man. He wondered what would he have to say about James Potter if they gave him the chance?

"He lies James Potter," he whispered to himself. "A man who's sole purpose was to make my life miserable, probably because he never knew what real misery looked like. Pity he couldn't see me on the day of his wedding, the perfect picture of misery. You would think I would be happy to see this day come," he paused in his eulogy. The truth really did hurt. "But I'm not. I wanted to know what made him change that last year. What he did that I didn't to win over Lily. And why he was the one that had everything I ever wanted. Why is that in life either you have everything or you lack it?"

It really was pointless now. Any changes that James had made were a moot point at the moment. No matter how much he had matured and grown, his life was still taken. Severus wondered if James and he switched places, who would standing over his grave? What would they have to say? Would his past crimes and bad decisions be wiped cleaned in lieu of his death? Was death what it took to permanently remove the stains of past mistakes?

A dim light flickered through the stained glass window and effectively removed his cover of darkness. He moved over to the leafless tree and tried to use to dark bark to blend in with. He looked over to the gravesite and found that Lily was the only one that was there. Dumbledore, Black and Lupin had completely disappeared and he wondered if all three or just one person was inside the church now, hence the lighting of the candles that lit up the windows with their uneven, flickering light. He was unsure of what to do now, stay hidden and watch over her or reveal his presence. Unfortunately, the decision was made for him.

Jet of red light momentarily lit up the graveyard, reflected a thousand times over in the shiny surfaces of the headstones. Due to how the light was refracted, it was difficult to tell where it came from. When the spots of light cleared from his eyes, Severus saw Lily was lying prone next to the freshly dug grave. Drawing his wand and all thoughts of remaining hidden gone his mind, he ran through the headstones to her side. He laid two fingers against her neck and found a strong pulse beating up against his fingertips. Thankfully, she was only stunned and even moved slightly. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked up at him in confusion.

"Sev?"

"Stay down," he was still scanning the dark, trying to find where the initial stunning spell came from. He didn't a chance to pinpoint the location of the attacker as a series of spells bounced off the headstones and gouged the ground around them. Lily was still disoriented and he tried to pick her up with one hand while still holding his wand at the ready. He felt the tip of a wand dig into the back of his skull.

"Lookie what I found among the dead."

A cold cackle sent shivers down his spine which was something that only one person was capable of doing to do him: Bellatrix Lestrange.

"How appropriate," she crooned. "For you to be found with dead things." Then she caught sight of Lily. "And with your mudblood. That is just precious."

Before Bellatrix could taunt him anymore, she fell to the ground with a flash of light and a thud.

"I hate that woman."

Severus let out a startled laugh. Lily had been conscious through the whole thing. While Bellatrix was taunting him, Lily had raised her wand and nailed Bellatrix with a strong stunning spell. "Are you alright?"

She stood up with his help and brushed off her robes. Her eyes focused on the grave and any reply she had for him was forgotten.

"Come on," he said, taking her elbow, "let's get out of the open."

"Get away from her!"

Severus tried to turn towards the new voice that shouted across the graveyard, only to be hit with a stinging hex that knocked him back a few steps. A low headstone caught him behind the knees and he toppled over the marker, hitting the marble base with his shoulder. The pain from the impact of the fall dispelled the stinging hex.

"STOP IT!"

Severus was on his feet in seconds, alarmed at the sound of Lily's voice. He couldn't remember ever hearing that kind of frustration, fury and tears come from her lips. And if he heard it and it was enough to stop Black in his tracks, then surely if Bellatrix had brought back up then they would have heard it as well.

"I really think we need to leave," Severus urged.

"We'll leave when she's good and ready!" Black shouted back, his wand still griped in his hand.

Severus was about to reply when Black stumbled over the fallen Bellatrix.

"What the-" Black moved the body slightly and Severus watched as realization then fury crept over his face. "Bring a little friend along with you tonight, Snivelly?"

"Sirius-"

But Black cut across Lily's weary statement. "I should have known better. You were probably waiting for this moment from the start."

"You can finish your charming train of thought back at Hogwarts," Severus stated. Black could rip him up one side and down the other for all he cared, as long as they all got out of the graveyard. "We really need to leave."

"Is that so? Let me guess, you'll take Lily with you and hand her over to Voldemort yourself!"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Yes, I am!" Black roared. "I was out of my mind when I brought you back from Surrey!"

"Then why did you do that, Black?" Severus knew he had pushed Black to his limit so an answer would come to his question.

"Frank Longbottom told me to. If he had kept his mouth shut I would have left you there. The perfect demise for someone like you, I think."

"STOP IT!" Lily screamed out again. She fell to her knees beside the mound of dirt and laid both hands on top of the fresh dirt. Her shoulders started shaking and she began to knead the loose dirt with her hands. "You don't know…you don't know how he regretted…so many times…blamed himself…"

Black looked just as confused as Severus. They didn't have any time to contemplate what exactly Lily was saying as Bellatrix started to move. Black quickly stepped over her and knelt down beside Lily, taking hold of her shoulders.

"We'll come back, Lil. No worries." They both disappeared with a crack but just as he was about to apparate himself, Bellatrix hit him with another stunning spell. Unfortunately, it was just enough to knock his wand from his hand and land him back on the ground. Forcing air back in his lungs, he lunged for his wand but Bellatrix's booted foot slammed down on it, snapping it in two. The point of her wand was digging into his throat again.

"The Dark Lord misses you, Severus."

"Does he now?"

She licked her thin lips in anticipation. "He's been looking for you more than the brat from the prophecy." She grabbed a hold of him in a vice like grip, her fingernails painfully digging into his arm. "Ready to go home? We have a party waiting for you." And he felt them apparate before he had a chance to break away.

Dumbledore heard the shouting before McGonagall came hurrying into his office, white faced and frightened looking.

"Albus, something's happened."

"What, Minerva?"

"I don't know. Sirius Black showed up at the front gates with Lily Potter in hysterics. I can't understand a word she saying."

Before he could respond, the door to his office flew open with force and Lily stumbled her way into the office, Sirius right on her heels.

"Professor, they've got him!" Lily slammed her hands down on his desk. Her eyes were red rimmed and she looked half mad. "We have to find him!"

Dumbledore stood up from his desk. "Who? Remus?"

Sirius shook his. "No, Moony went home shortly after you came back here."

"Then who?"

Sirius frowned. "Snape."

"Severus," Dumbledore looked over at Minerva. "I thought he was going to stay here?"

"I'll go check with Horace," McGonagall said before leaving the room.

"Professor, please," Lily begged. "We have to find him."

"I've tried to tell her that he was there to turn us all over to Voldemort. When I came out of the church, he's out there, manhandling her with Bellatrix Lestrange!"

Lily looked like she was two seconds away from pulling her hair out. "He was not 'manhandling' me. Bellatrix stunned me and he came to my defense…again. I'm afraid after Sirius and I came back, Bellatrix came to and overpowered him. Please, sir, he must have told you something about where Voldemort is. If she takes him back there, they'll kill him."

Dumbledore tugged on his beard thoughtfully. "I have no doubt about that. He told me that Voldemort has many bases of operation and I've had some of our members checking into those places but they haven't found anything concrete. Though…"

"What?" Lily asked.

Dumbledore picked up his wand and a silver phoenix burst from the tip and flew out the window. "I have a suspicion as to where they could be located. Once we hear back, I'll gather as many as we can and go to Severus' aid."

"You're joking, right?" Sirius asked. "We're going to risk our lives for him? We're already outnumbered five to one! Why put our numbers in more danger of falling?"

"Frank told me, Sirius." Dumbledore said, gently leading Lily to a chair by the fire. "He told me the real reason why you brought Severus back. That he told you to because he couldn't reach him in time."

"I trust Frank, alright? I've found that listening to him in a tight spot usually gets me out of it but I think he's way off on this. Snape has always been up to his eyeballs in Dark Arts and with his little sleazy group of friends, all of which, may I point out, have ended up in Voldemort's service. You yourself wanted to use him as a spy so who's to say that Voldemort didn't have the idea first."

Dumbledore peered at Sirius. "Why do you hate him so much?" Thankfully, the comment brought Sirius up short so Dumbledore continued. "I know you and James thought it was great sport to bully him, something I neglected to put a stop to."

"Why?" Lily's question was so quiet she had to repeat. "Why did you never intervene?"

"I foolishly thought that it was merely school boy rivalry."

"It was," Sirius said.

"Sending him down the Whomping Willow passageway to meet a fully transformed werewolf was not a childish prank, Sirius," Dumbledore corrected.

"Then why didn't you punish me for it?"

Dumbledore took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "If I did, I ran the risk of exposing Remus. I was hoping at that point, James would have the mind to pull you back from the viciousness of the pranks."

"Did you ever speak with Madame Pomfrey?" Lily asked.

"She came to me with some concerns when he came to the hospital wing with various injuries but when I questioned him, he remained stubbornly tight lipped. I have often wondered, if I had intervened on his behalf perhaps he would have joined the Order instead of the Death Eaters."

"I knew him," Lily said, staring into the fire. "I knew what his home life was like. I knew his insecurities. I got so angry with him and when he tried to make a wrong right again, I turned him away. James backed off hexing him when he caught me crying in an empty classroom at the end of our sixth year. I told him that even though I disagreed with Sev's group of friends, he would always be my friend. I told James everything that summer and he backed off jinxing Sev for my sake."

Sirius' head turned to her direction. "Is that what you meant back at the graveyard? About him regretting and blaming himself? That was James?"

Lily miserably nodded her head. "There was that battle we had with the Death Eaters shortly after James and I were married. Severus' hood came off in the battle and I just remember the shock and hurt at seeing him like that. I told James later on how it made me feel to fight a person I considered a friend." Lily studied her hands. "I wasn't sure if he was just trying to make me feel better or if he really meant it, but James said he regretted the things that he had done to Severus. He too wondered if he had gone easier on Sev, perhaps he wouldn't have driven him closer to his pack of Slytherin friends."

Sirius snorted. "Like they were going to be bosom buddies."

"They didn't need to be," Lily snapped.

A silver lion bounded through the office window and spoke in Mad Eye Moody's voice. "You were right, Albus. They're in Little Hangleton."