Afterlife

Blackhart: Part I

Severus was alone in the afterlife. He had been waiting for years to see Lily and now the afterlife had granted that favour...in a way he never wanted to see again. She hadn't been his Lily, well, in a way she had. Except the tables had turned. Instead of himself being by her side, smug, arrogant James Potter stood there, affectionately hovering. Instead of the fire-like gaze being directed towards James, it was aimed at Severus and she was livid.

Severus had always reflected on anger, because it wasn't one thing - there were two different types of anger and it was crucial to establish the difference. Wet anger is when your voice shakes and your face is wet and you don't have control of your emotions and you feel weak inside and dry anger is a composed face, burning eyes and an overwhelming sense of power as you completely mutilate the person standing before you, the person in the wrath of your anger. Dry anger sucks when you are on the receiving end.

And unfortunately that was what Severus was going to be receiving then.

Sure, there were more and more people coming in from the Battle of Hogwarts, the death toll numbers rising from both sides but Lily Potter wasn't watching that and James was most certainly looking forward to this ass-kicking.

"Snivellus," she snarled. He winced, "Why the hell did you think it was necessary to torment my son for years?"

Her beady gaze locked to his eyes and he gulped. In a sudden stupid move, he became incoherent as he remembered her beauty again - and shrugged.

Shrugging was the most awful hing he could have done - to Lily he was now indifferent about the fact that he had tortured her son for years.

"Not to mention Neville!" Lily continued, "Oh, if Frank and Alice were here, they would have kicked your ass a long time ago but guess what! A member of your distant family vanished that idea the moment she tortured them into insanity! Did you not know how much that could have taken a toll on him? Mental problems, anxiety, depression - mostly Muggles get them but witches and wizards are prone to getting them too. Neville Longbottom's greatest fear was you! I say was because it should really have changed by now - that boy, man really, is now a hero and has more things to be afraid of than you. I cannot believe that I was friends with you for so long, Severus Snape." One last scowl and then she stalked off like a predator, going back to watch the current Harry Potter drama. Will he live, will he die? Let's find out!

Protective husband was still standing, tapping his toes on the floor, "Pretty harsh, but true." He sat down next to Severus and raised his eyebrows, "Married life is a ride, I'm telling you. But it is so worth it in the end - I'll give you that." James paused, "Sorry. I suppose you don't actually want to hear about our marriage...yeah..."

It wasn't long before he launched back into conversation, "I admit I didn't see it coming, the whole crying tears episode. Always, and all that. It touched her, I think. Perhaps not. What I'm trying to say is, it touched me. And thanks. Never thought I'd be saying thank you to...you but here I am," he chucked nervously and smiled a bit, "I know deep down there you care for him, even if it's only because of Lily. Her eyes, all that jazz."

Severus frowned, not quite understanding, "Potter, err...why are you talking to me?"

A deep sigh emitted from the man, "Well, I got older."

Severus snorted, "Not you didn't, you died young, you still look the same as you did when you died!"

"Number one, that's creepy - didn't appreciate you crying over my dead wife's body - and two, I mean mentally."

"I doubt thought on a high level."

"Shut it, you. I was a twat as a teenager though. Complete ass to everyone around me especially you and I needed to say sorry. Yeah...let's not make this any more sentimental - I just have one more point. Stay away from my fire-eyes."