002 Question
Title: Question
Author: accountingwitch
Rating: G
Character/Pairing: Snape, Dumbledore, mentions James/Lily
Genre: ficlet
Warnings: talking to dead people, if that counts
Word Count: 700
"NO!"
Snape raged as Dumbledore sat back in his chair. The pair were in Dumbledore's office, where dozens of pictures were glaring at Snape's temper tantrum. Dumbledore himself seemed unfazed, except for his glittering eyes and a tightly-grasped handkerchief. One might have noticed that it was quite damp.
"She's dead, Dumbledore!" Snape yelled. "I did everything I could and she died!"
"I am well aware that the Potters - "
"LILY!"
" - are dead," Dumbledore answered, ignoring Snape's interruption. "However, you still have a way to honour her memory - by protecting the son that she died to defend."
Snape's look was murderous. A part of him agreed with Dumbledore, that it was the most fitting way to continue remembering her. A last piece of her blood that he wanted to protect. However, he'd seen pictures of the baby, and the shock of black hair made his stomach turn.
Dumbledore weighed Snape's silence, then added, "Of course, if you decide not to, I must ask you to leave and not return. As much as I would like to trust you, Severus, if you yourself cannot make me believe in yourself..."
"I'll do it," Snape hissed. The old man was wise, but damn his manipulations! Silence reigned supreme for a few more seconds before Dumbledore spoke again.
"There's the matter of the Potters' funeral. Three days from now, at Godric's Hollow. Will you come?"
"I'll think about it," Snape growled before leaving.
Snape arrived the day before the funeral to view the bodies. The sun was just setting, washing the sky with a glow that reminded Snape of Lily's hair. The viewing was held in a small, secluded lawn, magically protected from any ill-wishers. A pair of coffins were set inside a black gazebo, with flowers and ribbons hanging from it.
Snape though it looked a bit riduculous. It looked as though someone had stolen the structure from a wedding and painted it black just for the occasion. He supposed it was meant to look good, but the frippery hanging from it was just plain offensive. Did someone actually think decorating was imperative for a funeral?
Snape had purposely come now, after the crowds had gone. He knew he was still looked at as a Death Eater outside of the Order, and a Death Eater seeing him walk in could compromise his identity.
Or bounce off the shield, as he was gently repelled from the area.
Snape snarled. Of course the charm would also affect Potter.
"I don't want to kill him, he's already dead," Snape growled. "I won't even look at him."
He stepped forward again. The spell was like jelly, or mud, or just unusually thick air; his steps were slower and it took visible effort to make his way in. The charm finally did give way, as though deciding that Snape really wasn't a bad guy and agreeing that nothing worse could really happen to James Potter now.
The two coffins were in dark brown and open, which Snape thought was tasteless. Snape only needed a glance at them before shutting the one over Potter's dead face.
He turned to look at Lily. She looked calm, perhaps a bit too stern in her death pose for his liking. The dress she wore was simple and black, with a bit of lace trim. Snape thought that too was a waste, dressing a dead person in his Sunday best, but supposed that even the dead were afforded some dignity into the afterlife. It made a remarkable contrast to her skin, now a translucent white that he'd never seen on her, and her flaming red hair, loose around her shoulders.
Snape's shoulders sagged. There was so much he had wanted to say to her. He was sorry that he had said those words, he missed her company every summer since then, he simmered with anger and jealousy when he saw Potter touch her, he could never regain her trust when he finally became a Death Eater. Perhaps what weighed heavily on his mind was the moment he spoke the prophecy to his Lord, knowing with the coldest of chills that she would be marked. And despite everything he had done, he hadn't been able to protect her...
Snape wanted forgiveness.
"Do you forgive me?" Snape asked, near tears now.
Lily's body didn't respond.
Author: accountingwitch
Rating: G
Character/Pairing: Snape, Dumbledore, mentions James/Lily
Genre: ficlet
Warnings: talking to dead people, if that counts
Word Count: 700
"NO!"
Snape raged as Dumbledore sat back in his chair. The pair were in Dumbledore's office, where dozens of pictures were glaring at Snape's temper tantrum. Dumbledore himself seemed unfazed, except for his glittering eyes and a tightly-grasped handkerchief. One might have noticed that it was quite damp.
"She's dead, Dumbledore!" Snape yelled. "I did everything I could and she died!"
"I am well aware that the Potters - "
"LILY!"
" - are dead," Dumbledore answered, ignoring Snape's interruption. "However, you still have a way to honour her memory - by protecting the son that she died to defend."
Snape's look was murderous. A part of him agreed with Dumbledore, that it was the most fitting way to continue remembering her. A last piece of her blood that he wanted to protect. However, he'd seen pictures of the baby, and the shock of black hair made his stomach turn.
Dumbledore weighed Snape's silence, then added, "Of course, if you decide not to, I must ask you to leave and not return. As much as I would like to trust you, Severus, if you yourself cannot make me believe in yourself..."
"I'll do it," Snape hissed. The old man was wise, but damn his manipulations! Silence reigned supreme for a few more seconds before Dumbledore spoke again.
"There's the matter of the Potters' funeral. Three days from now, at Godric's Hollow. Will you come?"
"I'll think about it," Snape growled before leaving.
Snape arrived the day before the funeral to view the bodies. The sun was just setting, washing the sky with a glow that reminded Snape of Lily's hair. The viewing was held in a small, secluded lawn, magically protected from any ill-wishers. A pair of coffins were set inside a black gazebo, with flowers and ribbons hanging from it.
Snape though it looked a bit riduculous. It looked as though someone had stolen the structure from a wedding and painted it black just for the occasion. He supposed it was meant to look good, but the frippery hanging from it was just plain offensive. Did someone actually think decorating was imperative for a funeral?
Snape had purposely come now, after the crowds had gone. He knew he was still looked at as a Death Eater outside of the Order, and a Death Eater seeing him walk in could compromise his identity.
Or bounce off the shield, as he was gently repelled from the area.
Snape snarled. Of course the charm would also affect Potter.
"I don't want to kill him, he's already dead," Snape growled. "I won't even look at him."
He stepped forward again. The spell was like jelly, or mud, or just unusually thick air; his steps were slower and it took visible effort to make his way in. The charm finally did give way, as though deciding that Snape really wasn't a bad guy and agreeing that nothing worse could really happen to James Potter now.
The two coffins were in dark brown and open, which Snape thought was tasteless. Snape only needed a glance at them before shutting the one over Potter's dead face.
He turned to look at Lily. She looked calm, perhaps a bit too stern in her death pose for his liking. The dress she wore was simple and black, with a bit of lace trim. Snape thought that too was a waste, dressing a dead person in his Sunday best, but supposed that even the dead were afforded some dignity into the afterlife. It made a remarkable contrast to her skin, now a translucent white that he'd never seen on her, and her flaming red hair, loose around her shoulders.
Snape's shoulders sagged. There was so much he had wanted to say to her. He was sorry that he had said those words, he missed her company every summer since then, he simmered with anger and jealousy when he saw Potter touch her, he could never regain her trust when he finally became a Death Eater. Perhaps what weighed heavily on his mind was the moment he spoke the prophecy to his Lord, knowing with the coldest of chills that she would be marked. And despite everything he had done, he hadn't been able to protect her...
Snape wanted forgiveness.
"Do you forgive me?" Snape asked, near tears now.
Lily's body didn't respond.