"..You have your mother's eyes.." Were Severus Snape's last words before he succumbed to his injuries.
The last thing he saw was Harry Potter's eyes as he faded into the darkness.
---
After the darkness, Severus saw a light.
Was it the gates of heaven? The fires of hell? The professor thought to himself.
He feels his neck to find that there are no wounds or lacerations like his final moments on earth. It was as if he were good as new.
The bright light shines brighter and brighter until the man in black is forced to close his eyes. Then, the light dims back down after a quick moment.
When Severus opens his eyes- a familiar place greets him.
King's Cross Station.
He remembers the countless memories from this place as he had been here many times before. But this looks slightly different.. The room had an ethereal glow to it- as it it was repainted by an angel. Everything had an aura of white light growing around, giving it the illusion that this was some sort of dream.
Did he actually die? Is he just delirious from blood loss? Is this a dream?
"This is not a dream, Professor Snape." A voice calls out from behind him.
He turns around and looks at the figure, but lowers his gaze a bit. He sees a shorter girl standing. She looks eerily familiar.
"So we meet again.. Not in the way I hoped, but I'll take it." You say with a small smile.
"Who are yo- Miss Y/l/n?" He cuts himself off.
"The one and only." You softly reply, clasping your hands behind your back.
Severus is taken back into a memory from two years ago and you watch him as the gears in his brain turn.
Flashback - 3rd POV
"Hello, Albus." You say, appearing in thin air behind the man in his office.
The Headmaster flinches and stops what he is doing.
"...Y/n?..." The Headmaster asks in his aged voice as he turns around.
"Oh dear, it has been so long!" He says with a sad smile.
"It really has. I'm sorry I had to leave. But it was necessary." You frown, your hands clasped together in front of you.
You walk over to him as he opens his arms, embracing you. You hug him and smile softly against him.
"How long has it been? Centuries? It looks like it has been." You tease, pulling away from the hug.
"Ha ha, very funny." He says, pursing his lips together to hide his grin.
"Not everyone is a celestial being who doesn't physically age, Y/n." He says, shaking a finger at you.
With a smile, you hum in acknowledgement and look around his office.
It has remained mostly the same through the many decades that you had been here. Your job was a guardian. Not necessarily an angel, but pretty close. Your job is to blend in and be a silent protector- either protecting them, saving them, or even preventing certain events from occuring. Once your job is complete, you switch to the next person in need. You were there for your friend during the battle with Gellert Grindelwald. Even he didn't know that that was your role- not until you jumped out last minute and saved his life.
"What brings you here, old friend?" He asks, taking a seat at his mahogany desk.
You take a seat across the desk, leaning forwards in your seat.
"A few reasons, Albus. But before I dive in- congratulations on the raise!" You cheer, looking around the room.
He chuckles and nods his head, looking back at you.
"I assume you were already aware before you even came." He says with a small smile.
"I am the guardian and observer of all worlds.." I nonchalantly say, shrugging.
"But back to the topic- I am here for a job. To protect. Unfortunately I cannot prevent the situation, but I can deal with it." I say, pausing.
He nods his head as he listens to me. He doesn't bother asking any questions as he knows that I likely won't answer it.
"I need to be enrolled and sorted into a house- I may be older than you and Minerva combined, but my physical age is still young." I grin, leaning back into my seat.
"Yes, I see.. Well, I'll get you sorted right away.. Thank you for visiting again. Good luck with your mission." He smiles.
He truly didn't know who you were there for- which genuinely frightened the man. Albus Dumbledore is a wise man, one who knows many things- including unsaid ones. But he didn't press, knowing that you wouldn't tell him.
He believed that it could possibly be Harry Potter or even him- but he was wrong.
You were there for Severus Snape.
Present
"I remember you.." He whispers.
"You were the new Ravenclaw student... But you're more than a student, aren't you." The man rhetorically asks.
I nod my head with a small smile. I then begin to tell him the story from the first time I met Dumbledore and up to my last moments.
"I was there for you until the end. Even though I had 'died', I never stopped watching over you." I quietly say, pausing.
"And no offense, but it isn't exactly easy betraying Voldemort. Not saying that you were incapable of doing anything, but I did have to pluck a few strings.." I shrug.
"Well, thank you.." He murmurs.
"You're welcome, Severus." I answer.
Somehow the name didn't seem strange to the man. He was right- there was something different about you.
"Are you an angel?.. A reaper, perhaps?" The man questions, his dark brown eyes gazing into mine.
"No, honestly there is really no way to correctly describe me. I can reap souls and take on similar roles to an angel, but I'm technically not either one." I softly smile.
He nods his head in understanding, processing the thought.
"If you're dead... Am I dead?" He whispers, looking away.
"Not yet, you have to make a choice. You are currently in the veil. The in-between or medium of worlds. If you board that train over there- you will carry on. But if you come with me..." I trail off, looking around until my eyes meet back to the professor's.
Eternal rest and mercy? Or joining that cruel world? Severus thought that it'd be an easier choice, but he is still finding it hard to let go...
What will happen to Harry? Harry..
"You've been raising him like a pig for slaughter!"
Severus internally shudders at the the memory of him and the former Headmaster.
"If you go back, you will be fully healed. You will finish the fight. Be there to see the outcome. Or you can rest. What do you choose?"
~
Severus Snape jolts up from against the window pane. He jerks backwards and hits his head against the glass, groaning slightly.
It felt as though it were his first time apparating- queasy and dark.
The professor slowly brings his calloused hand up to his throat. When his fingers touch the surface of the skin, there is no mark. The fresh blood still stains his clothes.
Severus then stands up on unsteady feet, slightly wobbling. He literally died and came back.
Well, according to you, he technically didn't quite die yet.
He fishes out his wand from his pocket and holds it in front of him, observing the intricate detail as though it would be the last time he ever used it. There was this newfound appreciation for the wand and magic in general.
He mutters a spell as he traces his wand up and down his shirt, the blood disappearing.
With a deep breath, he makes his way out of the boathouse.