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 cây 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 bởi the shoulders and stared into her sparkling green eyes.
"Happy Birthday, Lily. And thank bạn for coming. I realize your fiancé probably wants to spend the ngày with you, and that bạn don't really want to see me."
"Sev, bạn 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 đã đưa ý kiến bạn could trust me?" surprise etched into his voice.
"Yes. He đã đưa ý kiến that bạn 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 bạn 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 hoa that resembled Tiger Lilies. Lily's smile grew and she hugged it to her chest.
"Thank you, Severus. It's beautiful. I tình yêu 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 bạn ages, bạn shouldn't have..."
Snape put a finger to her lips, but quickly withdrew it.
"I thought bạn might like somewhere to keep pictures of your life with James. Your new life. I thought bạn 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 bạn the album was because I want bạn to remember me. I know that bạn don't want me anywhere near bạn hoặc your family because of what I've become, but bạn have such a kind tim, trái tim and are going to protest to never seeing me again. With this album bạn won't have to. I'm weaved in with the vines."
"Sev, I just got bạn back. I'm not going to lose bạn 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 Mất tích 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 bạn 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 vàng leaf. She glanced down at the letter and decided it was now hoặc never.
My dear Lily,
If bạn are đọc this letter, then bạn came. I thank bạn for that with every ounce of gratitude I have left. I have written bạn this letter to clear up the years we haven't seen each other. Why that happened.
I called bạn a Mudblood.
I wanted to tell bạn the ngày I threatened to sleep outside the Gryffindor common room, but bạn didn't listen. I don't blame bạn for that. You'd had enough, and even if bạn 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 tình yêu you, and I have since the ngày bạn jumped from the lung lay, swing and flew through the air and landed as gracefully as a cat on the ground.
I want to tell bạn now that calling bạn a Mudblood has been and always will be the biggest regret of my life. Ahead of turning to the Dark Lord, which is my một giây greatest regret, because bạn so despise him and everyone involved. I also wish to tell bạn that since that day, I haven't called anyone a Mudblood. I now loathe the word, thanks to you. bạn 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. bạn are marrying James Potter, and I wish bạn all possible happiness.
I will never forget you. Never.
Please don't write me, as I know bạn want to. It will make leaving and staying away from bạn twice as painful.
Take care of yourself, and those bạn love. Losing them is heartbreaking. Hold them close.
Love,
Severus
P.S. There is one last gift for bạn inside the oak tree. Don't feel as though bạn have to use it, but I thought bạn 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 chuỗi hạt, chuỗi hạt cườm with an oval-shaped locket. She unclasped the locket and found another note tucked inside.
Lily,
For the letter. If bạn 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 chuỗi hạt, chuỗi hạt cườm 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 cây 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 bởi the shoulders and stared into her sparkling green eyes.
"Happy Birthday, Lily. And thank bạn for coming. I realize your fiancé probably wants to spend the ngày with you, and that bạn don't really want to see me."
"Sev, bạn 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 đã đưa ý kiến bạn could trust me?" surprise etched into his voice.
"Yes. He đã đưa ý kiến that bạn 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 bạn 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 hoa that resembled Tiger Lilies. Lily's smile grew and she hugged it to her chest.
"Thank you, Severus. It's beautiful. I tình yêu 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 bạn ages, bạn shouldn't have..."
Snape put a finger to her lips, but quickly withdrew it.
"I thought bạn might like somewhere to keep pictures of your life with James. Your new life. I thought bạn 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 bạn the album was because I want bạn to remember me. I know that bạn don't want me anywhere near bạn hoặc your family because of what I've become, but bạn have such a kind tim, trái tim and are going to protest to never seeing me again. With this album bạn won't have to. I'm weaved in with the vines."
"Sev, I just got bạn back. I'm not going to lose bạn 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 Mất tích 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 bạn 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 vàng leaf. She glanced down at the letter and decided it was now hoặc never.
My dear Lily,
If bạn are đọc this letter, then bạn came. I thank bạn for that with every ounce of gratitude I have left. I have written bạn this letter to clear up the years we haven't seen each other. Why that happened.
I called bạn a Mudblood.
I wanted to tell bạn the ngày I threatened to sleep outside the Gryffindor common room, but bạn didn't listen. I don't blame bạn for that. You'd had enough, and even if bạn 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 tình yêu you, and I have since the ngày bạn jumped from the lung lay, swing and flew through the air and landed as gracefully as a cat on the ground.
I want to tell bạn now that calling bạn a Mudblood has been and always will be the biggest regret of my life. Ahead of turning to the Dark Lord, which is my một giây greatest regret, because bạn so despise him and everyone involved. I also wish to tell bạn that since that day, I haven't called anyone a Mudblood. I now loathe the word, thanks to you. bạn 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. bạn are marrying James Potter, and I wish bạn all possible happiness.
I will never forget you. Never.
Please don't write me, as I know bạn want to. It will make leaving and staying away from bạn twice as painful.
Take care of yourself, and those bạn love. Losing them is heartbreaking. Hold them close.
Love,
Severus
P.S. There is one last gift for bạn inside the oak tree. Don't feel as though bạn have to use it, but I thought bạn 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 chuỗi hạt, chuỗi hạt cườm with an oval-shaped locket. She unclasped the locket and found another note tucked inside.
Lily,
For the letter. If bạn 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 chuỗi hạt, chuỗi hạt cườm 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.