"Look...at...me!" gasped Severus.
Harry looked at him, and for a split second, Severus saw the eyes he so loved and cherished. Then he fell; he didn't feel his hand hit the ground. He just fell, it all went black. Then it went bright white. He opened his eyes and saw a misty, pure white area. He found he was naked, but imagined himself in his robes of black once more and suddenly, he was. He then wondered where he was. He looked for the fires of Hell, or the minions of the Devil.
But all he saw was white, and all he could hear was... he heard groaning. It came from his left. He turned and saw a bench. Then he realised that his eyes were adjusting to the brightness and saw a familiar sight; he came here at the start of every school year where he'd enjoy meeting Lily and dread meeting James and Sirius, always with the pathetic Peter Pettigrew and the reluctant Remus Lupin. He was in King's Cross Station.
Severus approached the bench and saw nothing on it, but the groans came from underneath. He looked under the bench and recoiled at the piece of Voldemort sent to die.
"Severus" a voice gasped.
Severus turned and found that before him stood none other than Albus Dumbledore. He looked pale and sympathetic.
"Oh, Severus, I'm so sorry. I was hoping you'd pull through it all." sighed Albus, "You deserve no less."
Severus went from shocked to indignant immediately.
"There's nothing for me there. So what if Potter knows who I truly worked for? So what if he knows about me and Lily? He's going to die too. He won't have time to tell others about me and that's how I want it to be. I don't need people knowing that I did everything for someone I could never have."
"Severus-" began Albus.
"But hang on" cut in Severus, as something had dawned on him, "If you are here, then... is she here here?"
Albus smiled. "Not here. We are you see, waiting for our parting with the Wizarding World. Have you comprehended where we are, Severus?"
Severus replied "King's Cross."
"If you say so." said Albus, hardly listening as he thought of giving the good news to Severus, "You see, if you desire, you can board a train and it'll take you On."
"On to where?" asked Severus, "To her?"
Albus' smile widened. "Yes, to Lily."
Severus' face paled immensely. "Won't she be with HIM?" he gasped weakly.
Albus' smile slightly lessened. "I believe so."
"THEN THERE ISN'T EVEN ANYTHING FOR ME THERE EITHER!" roared Severus despairingly, "NOT ONLY WILL LILY BE UNABLE TO FORGIVE ME FOR HOW I'VE TREATED HER SON, HOW I BROUGHT ABOUT HER DEATH AND FAILING TO KEEP HER SON ALIVE AS HE'S GOING TO DIE SOON, BUT HER PRECIOUS HUSBAND WILL BE THERE TO RUB EVERYTHING IN MY FACE."
Albus' smile had by now completely faded, but as always, he remained still and calm.
"Harry isn't about to die, Severus. He will, I believe, come here for a little catch up with me, but he will hopefully go back to Hogwarts to finally destroy Voldemort."
Severus had stopped his outburst at hearing this, but then his face flooded with fear.
"If the Dark Lord dies, he'll punish me for my betrayal, he'll humiliate me just as badly as James Potter ever did."
"No, Severus." said Albus, his smile starting to resurface, "Tom has committed too many crimes to be allowed either to move On, nor can he return as a ghost. In death, he will completely manifest into that poor creature you've just seen lying underneath that bench."
Severus looked back towards the bloody mound, and showed little sympathy, as this was the man who killed Lily and so many others; he was the man who Severus worked so hard for to bring down.
"Even so, you still haven't explained what there is for me once I've boarded that train, assuming I ever will." said Severus.
Albus smiled once more. "There is something for you, Severus. Yes, James is there with Lily. Yes, Lily may show some disappointment in your hatred for Harry. Yes, you feel like your friendship is long over and there was never hope that she would love you. But know this, Severus; Help will always be given to good men, especially if they deserve it."
Severus showed pure anger in his eyes at Albus' cryptic words, but knew that he was rarely ever wrong.
"What is this help? If I board this train, promise me I'll be happy." Severus' voice began to break into emotional sobs at this last word.
Albus looked at him. "You're probably the first one to die I have seen since I've been here to cry, Severus."
"Promise me." sobbed Severus.
"I promise, Severus" said Albus, placing his hands on his shoulders, "And I will be happy to see it, as I will soon be joining you all once I've spoken to Harry."
"What about?" asked Severus, wiping his eyes.
"The choices he needs to make." said Albus simply.
Severus knew it would be pointless to press the matter, so he said nothing. Then he heard a whistle. It was a train pulling in to the platform he and Albus were standing on. A door opened, awaiting Severus to board.
"Don't delay your eternal happiness, Severus." said Albus, a tear in his eye, "Go on."
"Yes, Professor." said Severus.
And Severus Snape boarded the train and it departed, taking him On.
Author's end of chapter talk: I dedicate this entire piece of writing to bumblebee_5n4p3, as her excellent fanfic, It is our choices, is the inspiration of my little short story. And now that I've completed Chapter 1, what do you think happens next? Will Severus be forgiven? Does he still have Lily as a friend-or maybe more? Comment and vote, please.
