Chapter 5 - The Aftermath
I woke up when I heard someone stumble through the ruined doors of my nursery and blearily opened my eyes. It was Severus Snape. He stared at mommy's still body for a few seconds, then collapsed on his knees in front of her and brought her to him with a grief-filled wail. A few moments later, he took a deep breath and slowly turned his gaze towards my crib.
His reddened eyes widened in shock as our eyes met.
He slowly, as if in trance, put Lily gently back on the carpet and stood up on shaky legs.
"Anthea," he whispered my name as if in reverence, then stepped next to my crib and picked me up, only to cradle me in his arms, making sure I could not see Lily's corpse any more, trying to protect me.
"Unca Sev," I whimpered as I buried my head into his neck and gripped him as tightly as I could to myself, not willing to let him go. He gently tightened his hold on me and I could feel hot tears on my neck as we hugged in the midst of my family's destruction.
An uncertain amount of time later, I felt someone else arrive at the cottage and when my magic flared in recognition I knew it was Sirius who arrived. "Paw-paw's 'ere," I mumbled into Severus' neck.
In response, he took a deep breath and pulled me even closer to himself as he made to exit the nursery. However, Sirius was too quick and was up the stairs before Severus even made a step. He looked devastated, and his eyes were red and unfocused. His gaze momentarily shifted to Lily and I could see him swallow down a whine, and then his grey eyes turned to us.
Severus was tense as he turned sideways so that I was hidden by his body as he pointed his wand at Sirius.
"It wasn't me," Sirius whispered in a broken voice. "I wasn't the Secret Keeper."
"Who was it then? Lupin?" Severus rasped out, his wand still in his grasp.
"Peter," was Sirius' only reply. His whole body twitched in desperation then as his gaze didn't leave me.
"Please," he begged Severus as he stretched his arms out towards me. "Let me hold her, I need to hold her."
Severus observed my godfather for a few seconds then relented and passed me into the other man's shaking hands.
"I cannot be seen here," Severus muttered as he took another grief-filled look at Lily's silent body still laying on the carpet.
"I know," Sirius said, his voice muffled as his face was buried in my hair, his hands clutching me to himself tightly yet still careful enough so as not to hurt me. "Thank you," he continued. "For coming here anyway."
"I had to," was the only response Severus gave as he made his way out of the debris of my nursery.
"Unca Sev!" I called after him as I reached out for him. He hesitated. Then closed the distance between us and took my hand in his gently.
"Love ya," I told him seriously and honestly.
Severus' eyes glittered with unshed tears then as he lowered his head to my forehead and gave me a soft kiss. I blinked up at him, suddenly feeling sleepy and exhausted.
"Good-bye," was my only reply as he left me and Sirius alone.
I must have fallen into an exhausted stupor soon after Severus left me and Sirius alone in the house, as I cannot recall much from what happened next. I remember bits and pieces of Sirius talking to Hagrid, me whining when he tried to give me to Hagrid and him cradling me into his arms some more before giving me to Hagrid anyway. I remember Hagrid wrapping me up in a sling on his chest as he drove us into the night.
A shriek wakes me up, and I start crying as I come to the bitter realization of where I was.