Set after Snape's death, the title tells you pretty much what you need to know... And I'm always very happy for reviews...

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The last thing Severus saw in the World of the Living was a pair of almond-shaped, emerald green eyes staring into his black ones. It was the eyes of the woman he loved, no, it was the eyes of her son, but he had her eyes... Then, after a second, everything around him dissolved and all pain disappeared, both the one in his neck where the snake's fangs had pierced him, and the one in his soul, that was the empty hole where Lily Evans' friendship had used to be for a few happy years in his youth.

For a while, he neither saw nor felt anything, he just simply existed, in complete harmony with everything. No, he wasn't in harmony with everything, he was everything... yet he was nothing.

Then he suddenly became something again - he could feel, but his eyes seemed to be closed, because the only thing he saw was warm darkness.

He attempted to move, and to his delight he could. His fingers groped over soft, warm grass, and he opened his eyes in suprise. Grass? he thought. How can it be grass here? He sat up and looked around, realizing he wasn't in the Shrieking Shack anymore. He lifted his hands to his neck and tried to find the places where Nagini had punctured his throat, but he couldn't find anything. The wounds were gone, along with the pain. He got onto his feet, frowning slightly. Where am I? he thought.

"Look around, Sev, and I think you'll recognize the place", a soft voice said and Severus spun around, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Lily?" It was her, standing there, right in front of him, alive and well. More beautiful than ever.

"Yeah, it's me, Sev." She took a step forward, smiling, reaching out a hand. Severus dropped to his knees, tears suddenly welling up in his eyes.

"Can you forgive me, Lils?" he whispered, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Can you forgive me for all I did?" He refused to meet her eyes as she knelt in front of him.

"Sev, look at me", she pleaded, and slowly he raised his head to meet her eyes. "I forgive you. There's no meaning in hating, it doesn't do any good, especially not here. But Sev, you must forgive too." Severus looked up, looked behind Lily, and spotted James standing there, next to Sirius. And there was Lupin... and Tonks... all other dead members of the Order... And Dumbledore stood there as well, smiling slightly.

At first he didn't know what to feel, let alone to say, but when he felt Lily's hand on his shoulder he understood.

"I know", he mumbled. "I know." Lily smiled at him, rose to her feet and held out a hand to help him up. He took it, and when she pulled him to his feet he felt that he could do what she asked him to. Still smiling she squeezed his hand before she let go, gave him a little nudge in the back and walked over to her husband.

Severus waited for the usual sting of jealousy to come when he saw her take James' hand, but it didn't appear. He took a few hesitating steps in their direction, looked at Lily, and encouraged by her smile, he walked closer until he stood just a few feet away from James.

"Uhm..." he mumbled and he could hear Lily giggle softly, in that sweet way of hers, that wasn't mean at all. "Uhm..." He wondered what would be the right thing to say, but James saved him.

"I'm sorry", he said, taking a step forward, letting go of Lily's hand. "For, you know, everything." Behind him Sirius and Lupin said the same thing, and Severus blinked in surprise as James held out his right hand. "Thank you for protecting our son." Severus shook his hand and Lily's smile grew wider, though tears were trickling down her cheeks.

"Thank you, Sev", she whispered, wiping a tear away. He smiled at her, the first real smile in a longer time than he could remember.