Another Life

by Theblondeknight

16: Paradise

Snape felt himself drifting again, much like after he was killed by Voldemort and found by Harry. This time, he knew what he was waiting for, and was content to drift through the ethereal plane while he waited for The Guide to contact him again. Twilight had taken his power, the trigger that would seal Discord's fate and inform her of what he had done and why. He wondered if he would have offered her the explanation when he was a professor at Hogwarts, or if he would've just left the trigger with her. Maybe Equestria had affected him, subtly.

His musings were cut off when he heard the voice again, and the strange figure reappeared before him, "Well done, Severus. You diffused the situation, very well, if I do say so myself."

"It was an effort," Snape agreed as the Guide's shining frame appeared in the gray plane in front of him, "and I believe I have earned what now awaits me."

"That you have, Severus, I applaud you for doing a great service to both worlds you have lived in. You did not squander your second life, and I am very proud of what you have done. I gladly give you the reward that was promised."

To Snape's right, a bright portal opened and inside, Snape saw that gorgeous body, standing beside the lake of their childhood meeting, eagerly awaiting his return to her. He was moved enough to shed a tear, and reached out for Lily, and she seemed to notice him too, and her face lit up with a smile of gold. Snape soon forgot the Guide's very presence, and pushed himself closer to the portal, closer to Lily at last.

His hand finally reached the portal, and as it touched Lily's his entire body was moved with her presence, and they joined their hands together, and embraced in a hug as Snape was pulled through. He was instantly transported to the lake, standing with Lily in the grass by the large tree, and feeling the pleasant breeze pass by their embrace, and in the distance, the gentle call of birds. It was the definition of Snape's paradise....and yet, when she spoke to him, it all crumbled away.

"Severus, dear, I've missed you so..."

Snape looked at her with confusion, and pushed her away, turning to The Guide, who had followed Snape through, "What is this? This is not what we agreed to!"

"This is Lily, Severus, I have done exactly what you wanted."

"How dare you lie to me?"

"Severus..."

"This is far from Lily! This is a charade, a shallow imitation! Did you honestly believe that time would make me forget anything about her? About how she stood beside me, how she talked to me, how she existed?" Snape demanded as the false Lily on the ground faded away into nothingness.

The Guide sighed noticeably, and put his hand on Snape's shoulder, though it was quickly shaken off, "If I may, Severus...what you have asked...is not possible without....complicating matters."

"How so?"

"Well, the real Lily's spirit has her own idea of paradise, Severus, and it doesn't include you. Her paradise is with her husband, James Potter, and their son, Harry. No one person's soul can be in two different paradises...I'm afraid the real Lily Potter is beyond my power to give you."

Snape frowned as the words were processed, and he stared out on the horizon, ignoring the flowers and grass and water from the lake, and pushing away all that he had once adored. The Guide stood by solemnly, waiting for Snape to react, afraid that something ominous may be coming. After a moment, Snape looked the power in the eye, shaking his head.

"No. No, not again. I will not be cast away from her again!"

"There is nothing I can do to bring her here, to your paradise, Severus. I am truly sorry."

"Then bring me into hers. If she cannot come her, then take me away, destroy this place for all I care, without her it is far from paradise."

"Do you know what you are asking of me? Of the risks of fulfilling that wish?"

"I don't care, I will not be without her. You offered me this much, so take me away, put me in her paradise, I will gladly endure James and Harry Potter to be with her."

"Even as something she might not recognize or acknowledge?"

"...yes."

"There is no going back once you are there. Are you positive about this?"

"Yes."

"I wish there were another way, Severus, but if this is your desire, then so shall it be. Thank you again, for all that you have done. I'm sorry I cannot give you better than this."

In the span of a millisecond, the Guide disappeared, and a strange power overtook Snape, changing everything around him on a molecular level, transporting him from the childhood memory which had been poisoned by deceit, taking him away to that which he had long sought.

Snape found himself sucked away from the lake, and all of the sudden he was placed in a world of gray and black. He was in the city, where it was raining hard and the clouds matched the gray complexion of the sidewalk and the road, and where the grass was a dark green, matted down and confined, unlike the grass at the lake which grew freely. It was far colder here, and for once, Snape was bothered by this kind of cold.

The next thing he knew, he was face first in a rain puddle, and a hand then helped him up. Snape cleared the water from his eyes and face with irritation, but the spark of annoyance raged quickly into seething disdain when he heard the voice of apology.

"Sorry, didn't see you there....Snivellus Snape?"

James Potter met Snape's gaze as he turned around, and both men looked at each other strangely. Beside James, an eleven year old Harry Potter watched on uncomfortably as the two men examined one another. Snape noticed the ring on James' finger more than anything else and slowly backed up a few steps.

"You seem well....Potter."

"Unlike you," James said with a chuckle, "what have you been up to since school, Snivellus?"

"I've been quite busy, actually...not that you'd understand anything of my life."

"That's true, I never understood you, and I don't intend to start now."

"And this must be young Mr. Harry Potter," Snape said, turning his attention towards the boy he knew and remembered all too well.

"Yes, yes it is. Harry, this is an old school mate of your mother's and mine," James informed his son, speaking with a smug air that caused Snape to bite his tongue.

Harry waved hello briefly, and continued to watching Snape with intrigue and wonder. In this plane of miserable existence, Harry and Snape were strangers, but with his past experiences Snape found it difficult to view the boy with any sort of neutrality. Having a mother and father would no doubt change him, and not for the better he imagined. What joy it would be to see Harry Potter in yet another life.

But immediately his gaze was caught in the snare of her beauty. Down the lane a ways, rushing to join her husband and son, Lily hurried and crossed the road, umbrella clenched tightly to her figure. James took note and spun around to grab a hold of her hand as she drew nearer. Her eyes, however, gravitated to Snape as soon as she saw him.

"Oh, Snape....it's been a long time!" She greeted with a smile that was far more golden than the wretched imitation's, and inside, Snape was filled with ecstatic joy at seeing her once again. It had been entirely too long. Two life-times too long, to be exact. He could not help smiling.

"Hello...Lily. You look as...wonderful as ever."

"We're all quite happy, yes," James interrupted, breaking the smile, "but we're also running late, and standing in the rain no less."

"Oh, we've got to be running, it was lovely to see you again, Sev!" Lily called as she walked onwards with James and Harry.

"Likewise..." Snape whispered as he watched the family round the corner, and then began to walk quietly in the other direction.

---

Back at Spinner's End, Snape lit a fire and pulled up his chair beside it. As he gazed into the flames, he pictured Lily again, gorgeous under the rain, so happy to see him again, despite her life with James and Harry here, while he was alone in the darkness of his home. In the end, however, he couldn't be so upset, because the real Lily Evans, the true girl he had been enchanted with since childhood, was here with him forever, and she was worth enduring a hundred James and Harry Potters.

Was he content to live in this personal fantasy of hers when there was no hope of anything beyond seeing her from time to time and talking for a few minutes? Could he live with James and Harry always in the way of him fully embracing her? Was this really any form of paradise for him? Was love strong enough to pull him through the hatred he faced here?

Snape pushed such question behind him and smiled into the jumping flames.

Always.

Author's Note:

That's it. I leave you with this, because of all Snape tributes, I think it touches me the most. All credit goes to the maker and whomever he credits as well.

Thank you for reading Another Life.

Comments

[Bigwig6666]

Where is chapter 394?

[Fireeaters]

6238143 What? Is that a reference I spy? I remember Snape saying to "turn to page three-hundred-and-ninety-four" in the movie. Not sure about in the books though.

[Bigwig6666]

6238283 lol yeah its the best quote from the movies imo

[Hurgusburgus]

99gifs.com/-img/5043c737afa96f6c0000386c.gif

[HIEfan]

Awwwww, a truley touching ending.

[Theblondeknight]

6356318 Eh...I'll let it slide if you do.

Thanks for checking out my story, I hope you like it...or...at least don't hate it....

[hs0003]

I suppose there isn't anything left to do than to leave you with that like I've been holding back till now.

[Snow]

Not my kettle of tea, but written decently enough to get an up-vote. Some of the words in earlier chapters appeared to have been miscorrected by spellcheck.

[Theblondeknight]

6484367 Why thanks, that's always awesome to see.

Yeah, the earlier chapters weren't so great.....I was still trying to find exactly where it was going and I was less inclined to edit at the time....in truth I still don't edit as I ought to, but life goes on. Appreciate the comment and up-vote, you have helped make this not-so-fabulous-day better.

[Theblondeknight]

6686667 http://img.pandawhale.com/post-38729-snape-shrug-gif-Imgur-kcsT.gif

On a serious note, thanks for giving this a try! Thus far, this is my most successful (completed) work online.

[Trithtale]

This was a wonderful story and I loved every moment of it. You did a good job mate.

[Theblondeknight]

6744932 Always great to have a bone thrown at my ego.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting me know. It really does inspire me to keep going with my (too) many other ventures.

[Starlight Breeze]

6775922
The video is a Potter Puppet Pals video called The Mysterious Ticking Noise.

[Crystonian]

R.I.P. Alan Rickman.