The Otherside

Severus Snape opened his eyes to a white nothingness, and realized almost immediately that was void of any clothing. Not a moment after realizing this, clothing appeared before him. He reached out with his left arm to pick up the bundle, only to freeze. His arm was blemish free; the dark mark that had marred his flesh and soul for twenty long years was no more. Dressing quickly, he surveyed his surroundings more closely, and realized that he was standing on the edge of the playground where he had met Lily for the first time all those years ago.

For a long time, such thoughts had brought him pain and bitterness mixed with a good amount of self-loathing, but no longer. Now, he felt an eagerness of the likes he had not felt since his first Potions lesson. He walked forwards, and as soon as he stepped foot within the playground his surroundings morphed into a corridor, not unlike those of Hogwarts, only much longer. Instinctively, he knew that Lily and all the others were waiting at the other end of the corridor.

Unknown to him, as he travelled Onwards, all of the stress lines, all of the age lines that had accumulated during his tenure as Potions Master, Headmaster and double-crossing spy for the Light, disappeared from his face. His mouth, which had set in a perpetual downward curve years earlier, now straightened. His shoulders, hunched over from stress and a lifetime of bullying rose proudly. His hair lost the greasy quality that had defined him for many, revealing the rich, dark chocolate brown that had not been seen for decades. Gone was the man weighed down by far too many promises, who carried guilt too heavy to bare; it his place, stood a man in his prime, wearing on his face an expression of peace and hard earned accomplishment.

Finally, he reached the end of the corridor to stand in front of a single, plain, ordinary door. Hesitating only for a second, Severus turned the handle and stepped though the doorway. The scene he beheld stole his breath away and conjured a lump the size of a snitch in his throat.

There before him, was every member of the Order of the Phoenix, old and new that had perished during the first and second wars, along with his old friends and those who had given their lives defending Hogwarts from Voldemort and his followers. There was Edgar Bones, Benjy Fenwick, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin, Fabien and Gideon Prewett, Marlene McKinnon, Emmeline Vance, Dorcas Meadowes, Alastor Moody, Fred Weasley, Lavender Brown, Sirius and Regulus Black, Colin Creevey, Vincent Crabbe and many others. He recognised some standing there as victims of the blood purge, many of whom he had apologised to before killing quickly and painlessly, or else had wished mercy upon. There was even the sweet natured stray that he had helped during the summer of third year, wagging her tail and whining excitedly at seeing her old friend once more. Every single one of them was looking at him with grateful smiles on their faces (or in Alastor's case, an approving nod).

But they were not the ones who caught his attention; there, standing in the centre of the sea of faces, was Lily Evans-Potter. Severus all but ran towards the woman he had loved since he was a boy, stopping in front of her, tears welling, and the only word that escaped his lips was "Lily,"

She laughed softly, and Severus Snape felt whatever tension that lingered within him dissolve. "Hey Sev," she replied, causing the tears to fall.

Severus Snape suddenly found himself the recipient of a gentile hug, making him stiffen ever so slightly and causing his breath hitch, before he relaxed into the embrace. "I'm sorry, Lily," he whispered desolately, "I'm so, so sorry!"

"Shh, it's alright Sev," she whispered back, carding her fingers though his hair, "you were forgiven long ago, believe me."

"Truly?" he asked, unbelieving,

"Truly" She paused a moment before continuing, "Thank you, Sev,"

"For what?"

"For looking out for Harry, Snape, and for saving him when we couldn't." James spoke up for the first time, placing a firm hand on Severus' shoulder and giving it an appreciative squeeze. "Your dept has been paid in full." After receiving a pointed look from Lily, James added, "And I'm— we're—Padfoot, Moony and I—we're sorry for how we acted during school. We bullied you, there's no way to sugar coat it without flat out lying. There was no excuse for it, so I won't even try. You have every right to punch me in the face and, as Lily repeatedly reminds me, I deserve it."

"I . . . I'll have to think on that," he replied, slightly shaken up and overwhelmed by the amount of people that had come to welcome him to the Otherside. Lily released him, flashing him the knowing grin that he knew meant she was silently laughing at an inside joke of some sort.

"There's one other person who'd like to speak to you before we show you around, Sev." She turned her head and Severus mirrored the action as the crowd parted to reveal a significantly younger Albus Dumbledore, surrounded by what could only be his family.

"Headmaster . . ."

"Severus, my dear boy," the man said fondly, his blue eyes filled with pride, "you did well."

Sirius and Tonks both snorted loudly, "That's putting it mildly . . ." Sirius said, shaking his head, only to grunt as Remus ribbed him.

"Severus," Albus beckoned, ignoring the interruption, "come and look at this,"

He obliged, walking with the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared to stop in front of a large misted window.

"What is this, Albus?" he asked, looking at the Headmaster,

"Your funeral." He replied simply, his eyes not leaving the glass.

Severus frowned slightly, "All I see is mist."

"Look closer,"

He did and was rewarded with the sight of Harry Potter, standing at the podium, giving his eulogy. To say it was disconcerting and slightly embarrassing would be an understatement but he found himself transfixed nonetheless.

". . . he was the snarky, grumpy git; the dungeon bat; the greasy Potions Master. He was all that and more. Much more. Severus Snape sacrificed more than any of us could ever imagine in the fight against Voldemort. We always joked that Snape had a heart of ice because he gave us so much homework, but nothing could be any further from the truth. Snape loved my mother, so much that his Patronus was a doe; the same as hers. They grew up together, were neighbours, and my mother named him my unofficial godfather. That night in 1981, he pleaded with Voldemort to spare my mother, something that in the end proved to be futile. But the fact that he tried at all, shows that he had more courage than all of us. He saved me more times than I can count from the shadows, a fact that I never knew until I viewed the memories that he gave to me minutes before he died. He was the bravest man I know, and I'll never forget him."

From high up above, for the first time in over twenty years, Severus Snape smiled. "Thank you"

I got the idea for this story while listening to Thomas Bergerson's A Place in Heaven, and listened to it while writing this. I'm telling you, I was bawling my eyes out by the end of it. (not really, but I did get a bit misty-eyed...) If you're not a feels junkie like I am, then try listening to Autumn Love or New Life by the same guy. Not as many feels (IMO), but it still fits the theme really well.

Go try it!