This is the last chapter. I had many ideas for this story but I felt that this was a good place to end it. I feel sad writing this after hearing that the actor who played Snape passed. Alan Rickman was a great and talented actor. I have seen so many of his movies growing up and love almost all of them.
RIP Alan Rickman.
I hope you guys enjoy.
"This can't be true." Severus muttered. He turned to Carina. She was staring blankly at the space in front of her. He knew there was a possibility that she might be ill but he didn't expect it to be this severe.
"I'm sorry." said the doctor who was sitting across the desk from them.
"How long?" Severus asked him, not taking his eyes from Carina.
"Not very." the doctor's words echoed over and over again in his head even after they left his office.
He kept the pain bottled within when he brought Carina back to her flat. She took in her surrounding as if it as for the first time despite the fact that she had been living there for months. The poor girl. He embraced her from behind. He pressed his face into her blonde hair, fighting to hold back tears.
Severus could no contain his grief. His world was collapsing once again. He lost Lily and now Carina. Why was this happening? Why did the world allowed him to meet Carina only to violently tear her away from him? Why did he meet her? Why?!
He released Carina and allowed himself to fall against the wall behind him. Carina turned around. Gone was Carina, in her place was Lily. She had her red hair flaming out like fire. She was looking down at him with anger and accusation in her green eyes. He crawled back in fear.
"This is your fault." Lily said. "I am dead because of you, Sev. I lost my life, my husband, and my son will soon join me. Why must you take everything from me?" As she spoke her body began to decay. Her red hair was fall from her head. Her skin was turning pale. Her eyes were shrunken.
"Go away!" he ordered her. He pressed his eyes shut. When he opened them Lily returned to being Carina.
He gave her a bittersweet smile. "You remind me of girl that I once knew. I see her face whenever I look at you. You won't believe all of the things she put me through. I know it's so unfair to you that I relate her ignorance to you. I wish I knew, wish I knew how to separate you two."
Unlike Lily, Carina's face was deprived of emotion. She had no understanding of his words. She may never will. He pushed himself up and Apparate. He needed to get away from this place. Get away from her. He never wanted to see her again. He couldn't let Lily's ghost haunt him. That was the last day he saw her. He let her be. He didn't visit. He didn't ask Dumbledore about her anymore. He didn't care. He couldn't. A man with a life such as he shouldn't have ties.
End of Half-Blood Prince
"I found her." Honey informed Voldemort.
Voldemort's mouth curved into a smile. "Where is she?"
"Dead. She had an incurable illness. It took her life."
"Where is her body?"
"She was cremated and scattered in the ocean."
Voldemort's red eyes search hers for deception and found nothing. "I was planning to use her to test Severus' loyalties. Entertain myself by watching Harry Potter's reaction to seeing his dead mother's face."
"Is there time for that?"
"I suppose not. I have far more important things to do."
Honey bowed and excused herself.
End of Deathly Hallows
"Wake up, Serverus."
Slowly Severus opened his eyes to see Honey. She had come to collect the favor he owed her. His eyes roamed their surroundings. She had healed his wounds and brought him into the Forbidden Forest. He carefully pushed himself up from the ground.
"What is it that you want?" he asked her.
She brought a stack of letters with names on them from her pocket and handed them to him. "Give these to my family."
He took them without questioning her. She nodded and walked away from him. He supposed he had to follow. When they reached the bank of the Black Lake she stopped and raised her wand. The temperature was lowering. He could see his breath. Dementors were approaching. She lowered her wand and turn to look at him. Her eyes were glowing red in the darkness.
"When they are done, take me back to my family." She said in a voice mixed with male and female.
Something was not right with Honey. He was going to question her but the Dementors were already descending upon her like vultures. He was about to chase them off but one look from her stopped him. She was voluntarily receiving their kiss. He couldn't take his eyes away from the scene before him. They were ripping her soul form her body, bit-by-bit. What was the reason for this? He got his answer when her body fell on the ground. Her face transformed into another person. One he had only seen in photographs. Shocked by the sight he rushed to her as the Dementors flew away. Her face had transformed back to normal but her eyes and her face were empty. She was gone.
When will the gods above have mercy upon him? Why must he witness the things he had witnessed? Why must he endured the pain? The torment? It has made him became indifferent and then somewhere his heart had turned cold. He allowed her to end her life in a manner fit for wretched prisoners. He did nothing to stop her. To save her. It hurts him to do the things he had done here and in the past. He was seen as an evil person but no one would understand how much it hurts him. Who would care?
With a shaking hand Severus caressed over Honey's eyes to close them. He picked up her limp body in his arms. He carried her thought the forest. The path was guided by the light of the moon. When he reached the ruins of the castle, he searched for her parents. They were searching through the rubble for her. Her father was the first to spot him. He called to his wife. Together, they ran to Severus and took Honey. Her parents were devastated as any loving parents would be. He took the letters from his pocket and handed each of them the ones with their names. He found one for Albus and himself. He placed his back into his pocket and went to the headmaster's office to give Albus his letter. He couldn't be near the grieving family after what he had done to their child. He got to the office undetected because everyone was busy seeing to the dead and wounded.
"This is for you." he said to the portrait of the old headmaster.
"Open it for me." said Albus.
Severus teared the letter open and faced it toward the portrait. The portrait began to shake and fall from where it hang. He went to pick it up and then jumped back in surprise. Albus was emerging from the portrait before his eyes. Was this a dream? Is it real?
"What in the world?" exclaimed Severus.
Albus, in the flesh, shook his robes. "I've got a lot to tell you."
Gathering his wits, Severus listened to Albus' tale and thought back to the face that flashed over Honey's. It made sense to him.
"A Horcrux was inside of her." said Severus.
Albus nodded. "Together, they created an elaborate plot to destroy me. She placed the curse on the ring with the intention of slowly ending my life. The power of her curse countered yours and spared me. I assume she and Tom decided to trap me inside this portrait. I honestly thought I was dead at first."
"When did you realize you were not?"
"During her last visit, I saw regret in her eyes. She appeared remorseful."
Severus thought back to the Dementors. "That must be why she..."
"She what?"
"Honey Sheridan is dead. It was suicide."
Albus shook his head. "The poor child."
Severus picked up the letter off the ground. "She asked me to give you this."
Albus read the letter.
I apologize for my ill thoughts and treatment. My intent was never murder. I was avenging my family's honor, which I later discovered you never offended. The allegations my grandfather made about you were false. His grief over the death of his younger sister drove him mad. Please, forgive him. Forgive me.
"She asked me to forgive her in the last visit as well." Albus noted.
Severus bid Honey farewell. She was a child She could have chosen a different path in life.
He opened his letter.
Thank you, Professor Snape. I will know peace. Go to the address below and you will discover your peace as well.
Severus looked at the bottom before refolding the letter. He waited until everything was settled to go to the address. It was to a residential address. Standing on the front porch was a woman with her gray hair tied in a tight bun and a long dress. She had her back to him, talking to someone in a wheel chair. He approached her.
"Excuse me," he said.
Hearing his voice, the woman turned to face him. As she stood aside, he saw the face of the person behind her. The woman sitting in a wheel chair was dressed in the standard patient uniform. Her blonde hair was cut short. Her gaze wandered to him with no recognition.
"Violet?" he muttered to himself.
"How may I help, sir?" asked the older woman. The badge on her chest told him she was a healer.
"I…I am here to see..." Severus stared into the violet eyes of...
She was not Lily. She was not Violet. She was...
"Carina Allen."