"I already know your question, Severus Snape. You ask if I chose correctly, placing you in Slytherin. My answer remains the same."
"How?!" He rasped, suddenly too exhausted to take on a belligerent tone. "My ambitions are dust."
"Your ambition is no longer so insidious, that part is true. But you are still shrewd. You are still cunning. You are still resourceful. Traits Salazar himself would have anointed."
"Am I not brave?" Snape bellowed, unable to temper his emotions. "Am I not clever? Am I not loyal? Why am I still Slytherin?"
Silence met his ears for the longest time, until finally that small voice returned. "Why is it, Severus Snape, that you think a Slytherin cannot be all of those?" After all his indignation he could not answer the hat. "Is it perhaps because of another thought that had wormed its way into your mind? But Severus Snape, you of all people should know this answer. Slytherin does not mean evil."
"How?!" He rasped, suddenly too exhausted to take on a belligerent tone. "My ambitions are dust."
"Your ambition is no longer so insidious, that part is true. But you are still shrewd. You are still cunning. You are still resourceful. Traits Salazar himself would have anointed."
"Am I not brave?" Snape bellowed, unable to temper his emotions. "Am I not clever? Am I not loyal? Why am I still Slytherin?"
Silence met his ears for the longest time, until finally that small voice returned. "Why is it, Severus Snape, that you think a Slytherin cannot be all of those?" After all his indignation he could not answer the hat. "Is it perhaps because of another thought that had wormed its way into your mind? But Severus Snape, you of all people should know this answer. Slytherin does not mean evil."
Reaching forward suddenly, Lily cupped both hands around his cheeks.
"Don't you dare give up on me Severus," she whispered to him as he stared back at her. "Don't you dare block yourself off into your isolated heart." His dark eyes stared at her, glimmering in the dark. "You find me you hear? You find me. And remind me to care."
His eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.
"You will promise me Severus."
His voice sounded, low and muted. "I promise."
"You promise me you won't leave me be, no matter what I say. You find me and make me listen to you."
His dark eyes glimmered in its darkened way. "I promise."
"You will tell me of your heart. Make me see the new you. Let me see the different man you've become."
A smile edged around his sorrowful expression. "I promise."
"And…" She bit her lip, trying to shake off the hesitation.
It is possible.
"Severus." She met his eyes, those dark eyes of a man who would sacrifice anything for her. Had sacrificed everything, just for a memory of her. "Make me fall in love with you."
"Don't you dare give up on me Severus," she whispered to him as he stared back at her. "Don't you dare block yourself off into your isolated heart." His dark eyes stared at her, glimmering in the dark. "You find me you hear? You find me. And remind me to care."
His eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.
"You will promise me Severus."
His voice sounded, low and muted. "I promise."
"You promise me you won't leave me be, no matter what I say. You find me and make me listen to you."
His dark eyes glimmered in its darkened way. "I promise."
"You will tell me of your heart. Make me see the new you. Let me see the different man you've become."
A smile edged around his sorrowful expression. "I promise."
"And…" She bit her lip, trying to shake off the hesitation.
It is possible.
"Severus." She met his eyes, those dark eyes of a man who would sacrifice anything for her. Had sacrificed everything, just for a memory of her. "Make me fall in love with you."
A smile worked its way across Lily's lips. "You can be really adorable, you know that?"
Well that wasn't something he'd ever been accused of. "I think we have different definitions of adorable."
"Not in the puppies and kittens way, of course," Lily continued, as she munched lightly on a small bite. "More like if a Boggart decided to give up its day job and try its hand at being human."
Well that wasn't something he'd ever been accused of. "I think we have different definitions of adorable."
"Not in the puppies and kittens way, of course," Lily continued, as she munched lightly on a small bite. "More like if a Boggart decided to give up its day job and try its hand at being human."
