This chapter is inspired by Tigran Hamasyan's song Lament
Severus watched you sleep in his arms. He smiled slightly, stroking your hair gently through his fingers. He had to go, he knew this was the final time he had with you. Voldemort had called for him and he knew he had to answer his call. Severus could sense his death close, he had felt it for a while, but never mentioned it to you. He never wanted to see you crying or in grief, you would find out soon enough anyway, waking it up without his touch tomorrow morning.
Severus moved slightly and you huffed in your sleep, wrapping your arms tighter around his waist. Severus sighed, watching your face as it twitched and moved. He had given you good dreams tonight, not wishing for you to have one final happy memory of him before he was gone. He remembered the times when you laid together in the forest, just you, him and the wind as it blew the blossoms above you. He remembered how one fell onto your stomach and you placed it in your hair. He remembered how he wrinkled his nose at this, pretending not to like it. You giggled at his face, tapping his nose in response to it. Severus kept that flower and had it with him in his pocket. Taking it out of the magical jar which kept it alive he placed it on your beautiful hair. The pink was as bright as it was the day it happened and Severus couldn't keep back a tear falling from his eye. Severus wished he had said he loved you more, wished he had shown his love to you further, wished he would survive this. But he already knew he would not survive this.
Severus had always wanted to die, ever since Lily left him and he was alone. He would have been glad of this, but now he had you. Perfection to him. You helped him through hardships to the other side which he could not do alone. Severus never wanted to leave you because of that, he didn't want to die. Tears fell faster down his face, rolling down his cheeks and dripping on your hair and the flower. Slowly Severus whipped his eyes and looked down at you, sleeping peacefully, your arms still wrapped around his hips, your head nuzzled into his lap and your body splayed on the bed. Severus watched you as you moved in your sleep, turning to look up at him. Your eyes were closed and you looked peaceful, a little smile grew on your lips and Severus smiled, the potion worked. You were dreaming of him.
It was time to go, his dark mark gently throbbed, telling him he should leave your arms and your love forever. Severus leaned down and kissed your forehead gently. Slowly he pried himself off you and left a letter on the side, the one he had written saying sorry and that he loved you. He reached out one more time and stroked your cheek, placing a gentle kiss on your lips. You smiled as he let go and Severus quickly turned away, not wishing for his tears to fall onto you.
Severus looked at you one more time, longingly, wishing he could stay with you. Severus turned away, tears starting in his eyes again. Whipping them away he left Spinner's end, placing a powerful magic spell around it so none could enter or hurt you. Severus pulled himself together and whipped his newly falling tears. He had to be strong, for you, for Harry, for everyone for one final time.
He disapparated to the boathouse at Hogwarts, ready to meet his death.