Chap. 3: Reunions

Severus Snape looked around. Where was he? There had been something about wands and Nagini and green eyes. Green eyes! He looked down. His robes were stained. Was it blood? His own or somebody else's? But wait what was he thinking. Wasn't Hogwarts under siege? His charges being butchered and here he was lying uselessly. With an effort he sat up. The room swam. But he had endured worse than this. Mustering all his strength he moved towards the school….He listened in shock to Dumbledore. Images flitted through his mind. The Dark Lord, the command to his snake, the sudden appearance of Potter. So had he been dead all this while? Dead but now alive again. He felt himself. Yes solid. Not a ghost, not an infery, not insubstantial. He started to shiver. If he had been dead but was now alive that meant that that….hadn't Dumbledore said that all those who had died a violent death will return…that that meant. And then amongst the throng he saw a flash of red. Could it be, could it ? He closed his eyes. Surely all this was a dream. Or had he died and reached a place where all of them were destined to meet. All around him people were rushing about calling for loved ones. Cries, hugs, embraces, swooning fits…

Harry looked at Hermione, "You mean, you mean.." His throat was dry. He just stared dumbly at her. "Come on Harry," Hermione said, "We have to search for them." Search for them. Panic filled him. Suppose he was unable to find them, suppose all this was only for a few moments, suppose they disappeared before he was able to locate them, suppose… "Come on Harry," Hermione repeated, pulling him. Ron had already moved away towards Fred along with the other Weasleys.

Two girls were playing on the swings. Up and up the swings went. One of the girls let go of her swing and literally flew in the air. The other screamed and tried to bring her own swing to a stop, "Lily." She jumped from her own still moving swing and moved to where the other girl had landed gracefully. "Lily are you hurt?" "No Tunia, I am fine." "But why, why did you let go of the swing like this?" "I just felt like being borne in the air", the other replied, her hair all askew, her body full of exhilaration, her eyes two shining emeralds. Snape dropped the packet of eggs that he carried. He opened his eyes. Across the crowd, two shining emeralds.

It was difficult to make one's way across the throng. People were rushing past, calling out. From the corner of his eyes Harry saw Neville being smothered in an embrace. So had his parents recovered, but then he could not make out Neville anymore as Hermione pulled him along.

"I meant what I said the other day," he said, holding his coat together so that the hideous shirt was hidden, "you are a witch." "And that," he added hastily, "is not a bad word." "Oh then what is it?" She folded her arms and glared at him. "It means that you can do magic." "Magic?" "Yes magic. See," he held out a white rose then ran a hand over it. Immediately it turned red. "Oooh! How how did you do it?" Her eyes wide open with wonder. "You can do it too" he said jumping with excitement, "just run your hand over it and think hard of a colour." But she seemed hesitant… "I, I don't know…" "Come on, it is easy," he coaxed. She looked at him apprehensive. He smiled in encouragement. Tentatively, her hand moved towards the rose... "Lily!!" Petunia's voice was full of anger, "What are you doing with this boy?" "Why have you come?" he asked in fury. "You do not belong." Before Petunia could answer however it was Lily who spoke and her voice was cold, "She is my sister and she belongs wherever I do." "No, no this is not what I meant." "Come on Tunia we are leaving." And then the two girls were marching off. "No listen," he said running after them but the eyes were two cold, gleaming points. Snape shut his eyes.

Hermione stopped so abruptly that he banged into her. "Ooof," he grunted and then grunted again as Hermione grasped his wrist. "What?" he managed to ejaculate. But Hermione seemed unable to answer. She lifted her hand and pointed. Harry followed her shaking finger…and then his stomach gave a lurch. There. there…a man who had the same untidy hair, same thin face, same mouth. Hermione turned towards him trying to say something but nothing came out of her mouth. Harry felt the world revolve around him. He would have collapsed had Hermione not been grasping is wrist. Suddenly his feet were full of lead, his whole body bloated, his tongue swollen. He could not speak, could not move, could not do anything except stare at the man.

Across the crowd a pair of emeralds. Not icy, not contemptuous, but frantic. Searching. "Lily," he moaned. "Lily." He doubted whether anybody heard him call out. Even to his own ears, the voice was shaky tremulous. He tried to lift his feet but was held immobile just staring at the eyes.

"Seen him James?" A woman asks the question to his father. A woman with her back to him. Red hair. But he knows who she is. He can hear her and as she turns towards him, knows that her eyes would be just like his own. And now their eyes meet. And eons pass. As if in slow motion he sees her grasp his father's wrist and with a shaking finger point towards him. He sees his father's eyes open wide, his mouth opens but no sound emerges. Hermione and he, his father and mother, making the same gestures, looking at each other across worlds. The tableaux frozen.

He has to go to her. Before others do. This time there shouldn't be any mistake. There is a hand round her shoulders. Who? Rumpled hair, thin face, hazel eyes…he stops as if hit in the middle….the breath all knocked out of him. Figures seemed to come to life in front of him. Lily and Potter and rushing towards them from the other side, a younger version of Potter. They look at each other for a second and then dissolve in each others arms. It is difficult to know where ends and the other begins. Lily walks away from him. She looks back for a brief instant, "It is you who do not belong." He hears the cry. It hardly sounds human as he starts falling…

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Thanx a lotThe Kiko person and Lilyflower 1987. Your interest is most gratifying.