He saw Lily walk into the park, her eyes scanning the park for any sign of him.
"Sev? Where are you?"
Severus jumped from the bushes, hopin to give her a scare. To his satisfaction, Lily was surprised. He ran up to her, wrapped his hand all the way around her tiny one and led her to a large पेड़ in the distance.
When they reached the tree, Lily saw a small present lying underneath. Before she ran up to it, Severus grabbed her gently द्वारा the shoulders and stared into her sparkling green eyes.
"Happy Birthday, Lily. And thank आप for coming. I realize your fiancé probably wants to spend the दिन with you, and that आप don't really want to see me."
"Sev, आप were my best friend and Dumbledore told me to trust you. So, as far as I'm concerned, you're still my best friend."
"Dumbledore कहा आप could trust me?" surprise etched into his voice.
"Yes. He कहा that आप would never do anything to hurt me. He knows something."
Severus looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet. He composed his face, looked up, and smiled. "Go ahead and open your present. I hope आप like it."
Lily smiled and lifted the small box from the ground. She shook it slightly, then ripped off the light blue paper. Inside was a small picture book. The cover was wood and delicately etched with a pattern of leaves, vines, and फूल that resembled Tiger Lilies. Lily's smile grew and she hugged it to her chest.
"Thank you, Severus. It's beautiful. I प्यार it!"
He swelled with pride. "I made it myself. I find those presents to be best," he said, quoting Lily from her birthday years and years ago.
Lily's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, Sev. It must have taken आप ages, आप shouldn't have..."
Snape put a finger to her lips, but quickly withdrew it.
"I thought आप might like somewhere to keep pictures of your life with James. Your new life. I thought आप would enjoy saving the set bits and pieces."
"Thank you," Lily whispered, and enveloped Severus into a hug. He immediately understood that she wasn't only thanking him for the album, but for accepting that James, who he despised, was now a part of her life.
He released her gently, looking anywhere but her eyes. "Another reason I gave आप the album was because I want आप to remember me. I know that आप don't want me anywhere near आप या your family because of what I've become, but आप have such a kind दिल and are going to protest to never seeing me again. With this album आप won't have to. I'm weaved in with the vines."
"Sev, I just got आप back. I'm not going to lose आप again."
"Lily, the taunts and general dislike of our relationship will be worse than it was at school and you're marrying a man who is the complete opposite of me. I don't belong. It's better this way."
A defeated look swept over Lily's face. She had लॉस्ट the battle, maybe even the war. She couldn't believe he was already halfway gone. Again.
"I have to go now, Lily. I'm being missed. Tucked inside the album is a letter. I'm begging आप to read it. That is my last request to you, as a friend."
Severus gave her a tight squeeze and then sauntered off, Lily desperately calling his name.
A tear trickled down Lily's face as she put her finger under the flap of the envelope and tore the letter open. It was written on parchment with a border of सोना leaf. She glanced down at the letter and decided it was now या never.
My dear Lily,
If आप are पढ़ना this letter, then आप came. I thank आप for that with every ounce of gratitude I have left. I have written आप this letter to clear up the years we haven't seen each other. Why that happened.
I called आप a Mudblood.
I wanted to tell आप the दिन I threatened to sleep outside the Gryffindor common room, but आप didn't listen. I don't blame आप for that. You'd had enough, and even if आप had been listening, I would have made up something else to say because I wouldn't have been able to force the words out.
I wanted to tell you, other than being grieviously sorry, was that I प्यार you, and I have since the दिन आप jumped from the झूला, स्विंग and flew through the air and landed as gracefully as a cat on the ground.
I want to tell आप now that calling आप a Mudblood has been and always will be the biggest regret of my life. Ahead of turning to the Dark Lord, which is my सेकंड greatest regret, because आप so despise him and everyone involved. I also wish to tell आप that since that day, I haven't called anyone a Mudblood. I now loathe the word, thanks to you. आप will always be the light at the end of the dark tunnel that is my life. Untouchable, but necessary.
I realize none of this matters, which is why I left. आप are marrying James Potter, and I wish आप all possible happiness.
I will never forget you. Never.
Please don't write me, as I know आप want to. It will make leaving and staying away from आप twice as painful.
Take care of yourself, and those आप love. Losing them is heartbreaking. Hold them close.
Love,
Severus
P.S. There is one last gift for आप inside the oak tree. Don't feel as though आप have to use it, but I thought आप might want it. Actually, I just hoped.
Lily folded up the letter, tears streaming silently down her face, and stumbled over to the oak tree. She reached inside and pulled out a liitle box wrapped in gold. She peeled off the paper slowly and opened the box. Inside was a हार with an oval-shaped locket. She unclasped the locket and found another note tucked inside.
Lily,
For the letter. If आप would like to keep it close.
She tore the piece of paper in half and gave the halves to the wind. She folded up the last of Severus and placed it in the locket. She set the हार around her neck and tucked it beneath her shirt. She would never take it off.
"Thank you, Sev," she whispered to the wind. "I already miss you."
Miles away, the whisper reached Snape's ears. A small smile flitted across his face; the last of his life.
"Sev? Where are you?"
Severus jumped from the bushes, hopin to give her a scare. To his satisfaction, Lily was surprised. He ran up to her, wrapped his hand all the way around her tiny one and led her to a large पेड़ in the distance.
When they reached the tree, Lily saw a small present lying underneath. Before she ran up to it, Severus grabbed her gently द्वारा the shoulders and stared into her sparkling green eyes.
"Happy Birthday, Lily. And thank आप for coming. I realize your fiancé probably wants to spend the दिन with you, and that आप don't really want to see me."
"Sev, आप were my best friend and Dumbledore told me to trust you. So, as far as I'm concerned, you're still my best friend."
"Dumbledore कहा आप could trust me?" surprise etched into his voice.
"Yes. He कहा that आप would never do anything to hurt me. He knows something."
Severus looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet. He composed his face, looked up, and smiled. "Go ahead and open your present. I hope आप like it."
Lily smiled and lifted the small box from the ground. She shook it slightly, then ripped off the light blue paper. Inside was a small picture book. The cover was wood and delicately etched with a pattern of leaves, vines, and फूल that resembled Tiger Lilies. Lily's smile grew and she hugged it to her chest.
"Thank you, Severus. It's beautiful. I प्यार it!"
He swelled with pride. "I made it myself. I find those presents to be best," he said, quoting Lily from her birthday years and years ago.
Lily's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, Sev. It must have taken आप ages, आप shouldn't have..."
Snape put a finger to her lips, but quickly withdrew it.
"I thought आप might like somewhere to keep pictures of your life with James. Your new life. I thought आप would enjoy saving the set bits and pieces."
"Thank you," Lily whispered, and enveloped Severus into a hug. He immediately understood that she wasn't only thanking him for the album, but for accepting that James, who he despised, was now a part of her life.
He released her gently, looking anywhere but her eyes. "Another reason I gave आप the album was because I want आप to remember me. I know that आप don't want me anywhere near आप या your family because of what I've become, but आप have such a kind दिल and are going to protest to never seeing me again. With this album आप won't have to. I'm weaved in with the vines."
"Sev, I just got आप back. I'm not going to lose आप again."
"Lily, the taunts and general dislike of our relationship will be worse than it was at school and you're marrying a man who is the complete opposite of me. I don't belong. It's better this way."
A defeated look swept over Lily's face. She had लॉस्ट the battle, maybe even the war. She couldn't believe he was already halfway gone. Again.
"I have to go now, Lily. I'm being missed. Tucked inside the album is a letter. I'm begging आप to read it. That is my last request to you, as a friend."
Severus gave her a tight squeeze and then sauntered off, Lily desperately calling his name.
A tear trickled down Lily's face as she put her finger under the flap of the envelope and tore the letter open. It was written on parchment with a border of सोना leaf. She glanced down at the letter and decided it was now या never.
My dear Lily,
If आप are पढ़ना this letter, then आप came. I thank आप for that with every ounce of gratitude I have left. I have written आप this letter to clear up the years we haven't seen each other. Why that happened.
I called आप a Mudblood.
I wanted to tell आप the दिन I threatened to sleep outside the Gryffindor common room, but आप didn't listen. I don't blame आप for that. You'd had enough, and even if आप had been listening, I would have made up something else to say because I wouldn't have been able to force the words out.
I wanted to tell you, other than being grieviously sorry, was that I प्यार you, and I have since the दिन आप jumped from the झूला, स्विंग and flew through the air and landed as gracefully as a cat on the ground.
I want to tell आप now that calling आप a Mudblood has been and always will be the biggest regret of my life. Ahead of turning to the Dark Lord, which is my सेकंड greatest regret, because आप so despise him and everyone involved. I also wish to tell आप that since that day, I haven't called anyone a Mudblood. I now loathe the word, thanks to you. आप will always be the light at the end of the dark tunnel that is my life. Untouchable, but necessary.
I realize none of this matters, which is why I left. आप are marrying James Potter, and I wish आप all possible happiness.
I will never forget you. Never.
Please don't write me, as I know आप want to. It will make leaving and staying away from आप twice as painful.
Take care of yourself, and those आप love. Losing them is heartbreaking. Hold them close.
Love,
Severus
P.S. There is one last gift for आप inside the oak tree. Don't feel as though आप have to use it, but I thought आप might want it. Actually, I just hoped.
Lily folded up the letter, tears streaming silently down her face, and stumbled over to the oak tree. She reached inside and pulled out a liitle box wrapped in gold. She peeled off the paper slowly and opened the box. Inside was a हार with an oval-shaped locket. She unclasped the locket and found another note tucked inside.
Lily,
For the letter. If आप would like to keep it close.
She tore the piece of paper in half and gave the halves to the wind. She folded up the last of Severus and placed it in the locket. She set the हार around her neck and tucked it beneath her shirt. She would never take it off.
"Thank you, Sev," she whispered to the wind. "I already miss you."
Miles away, the whisper reached Snape's ears. A small smile flitted across his face; the last of his life.
