It was raining heavily and Severus was stuck at spinner’s end with Pettigrew whimpering at his side. He would have been sufferring too, but his experimental potion was working wonders at countering the effects of multiple crucios which the Dark Lord favoured. He did not mind the pain. He had often faced Voldermort’s wrath. It was the ache which was unbearable.
In his 18 years of servitude with Dumbledore, he had ample opportunity to analyze love and its power. Dumbledore certainly insisted on researching it. Snape could recall countless occasions on which the headmaster had taken to narrating stories of extraordinary powers of love. Even shy hufflepuffs were known to battle with fierce protectiveness when their loved ones were endangered, and Snape was not a ‘shy hufflepuff’. He was a powerful wizard and he was in a constant battle, with himself. Because he was responsible for her death!! Lily...
He knew he had the power to smash into smithereens anything which would threaten him. Fear was an emotion which Severus inspired in others and suffered rarely from. But it was fear that scorched his very core when he realised, that the one person who he truly wished to kill, the one person he could torture till eternity and relish in it, the one person who had brought death to Lily Potter’s doorstep... was himself.. Severus Snape.. a death eater.
A light sigh escaped his lips. Rain had slowed to a slight drizzle and he still had three more locations to scout and search for Harry.
Albus believed, Harry was the key to it all, and for Severus, he was the one who could end it all. Harry Potter, an exact replica of James, with her eyes. Lily’s eyes, reminding him that he should not be alive. Guilt pierced his heart because he was still breathing.
Severeus had ensured that Harry’s... Lily’s eyes held all the hate that he deserved. He hoped to face his own death in those eyes. It would have surely ended a lot earlier if he would have just told Harry the truth, but Albus had wisely intervened, and Harry was now destined for his own battle. And according to what Albus had told him, Harry’s battle was with death itself.
He crouched low as he apparated near the forest clearing and made his way towards the thick cover of the trees. He moved towards the lake hoping for a chance to lead Harry to Gryffiondor’s sword.
It wasn’t long before he saw Harry and slowly murmured as he envisioned her smiling eyes, “Expecto Patronum”. The silver doe shining brightly in the silent forest flitted towards Harry, leading him to the lake. Severeus had always loved Lily. ”Always..”, he thought ... and he smiled.
The Story is also posted on Fanfiction.com: URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/
Image Courtesy FanPop: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/severus-snape-and-lily-evans/images/6711208
