My Dear Dark Lord

Chapter 69: Ghosts

When Severus saw Lily standing in front of him, he almost fainted.

"How?" He asked.

A part of him thought that this was a trick. A dirty prank by Peverell. But the other part, the more rational one, knew that Peverell hated joking about his parent. The boy had utmost respect for them. He wouldn't sink low this low. Severus could not handle it.

"Severus." Lily said, smiling slightly at him.

He came out of his stupor and looked at her properly. Severus realized that Lily was not exactly solid, but was more like a ghost.

Peverell, apparently bored by his speechless reaction, spoke. "Hello, mom. Sorry to call you like this, but I need your help."

Lily turned her back to him, and smiled at Peverell, "Hello, love. I'll make sure he listens."

Seeing both of them talk together, made him remember just how many years had passed since Lily had.... died.

Both Peverell and Lily looked of the same age.

The boy smiled at her and moved away from her, creating a privacy ward between them.

They stood together in silence for a few minutes. Severus just stared at her, knowing deep down that this was true. Lily Peverell's ghost was standing before him.

"Lily." He whispered, still in disbelief. "How-"
Tears started to gather in his eyes. After all, this was his fault. Because of him, Lily was dead. "I'm so sorry."

Lily stared at him blankly for a long moment. Her voice was equally blank when she spoke, "When I heard that you knew about that. The attack, truthfully, I was hurt and furious. I knew that you and James had issues, serious ones, but never in the 16 years I'd known you, I had thought that you would sink so low." He could see the hurt on Lily's face. Every word was like a dagger to his heart.

"Even when I knew that you were a Death Eater, I had hoped that the Severus I'd known since childhood was still there in the bitter, cold man. I felt so guilty. So, so guilty that it was me, that I was one of the reasons why you joined the Grindelwald." He flinched at the name. And at the teary voice of Lily. Still, there were no tears on her face. (Did ghosts cry?)

"Guilty, that the man I loved, was one of the reason why you turned so hateful, Sev." He whimpered at the nickname.

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"What's your name?"

"Severus Snape."

"Severus is a big name. Can I call you Sev? Please?"

"Alright."

"That's good. I'm Lily. Lily Evans."

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"Even then, I had hoped, that one day, maybe I'll get to apologize to you. Maybe, you'd forgive me. But that day never came. And then- and then, I got to know that you knew that the Death Eaters were going to kill us, but you remained quiet. That you wanted to be the one to kill my husband." She cried.

He got up shakily and walked towards her. When he stretched his arm to touch her hand, it went through her. He felt the icy coldness around his arm.

"I'm dead, Severus. This form- it's like a ghost. Why did you do it, Sev?" She sobbed.

"I-" What did he have to say? 'Because I wanted your husband dead, so I could have you?' That sounded so sick. But that was true, wasn't it? That very thought was going through his mind, when he kept quiet about the attack on James.