Lily
Severus turned around, just in time to see a furious red-headed fireball run up to him. Lily was there, solid, alive—
And then she slapped him across the face, hard, and sucker punched him in the gut. “You absolute bloody tosser! How could you? How could you, Sev?”
Severus wheezed, hunching over and trying not to throw up. He should have expected this. Lily was rightly furious, and she had probably been waiting for this moment ever since she died. “I'm---I'm sorry, Lily, so sorry. For everything.” He tried to stand up, rubbing his face gingerly, but his stomach protested.
“You're sorry? Do you think that makes up for it?”
“No---I know it doesn't, I shouldn't have taken the prophecy to the Dark Lord, I should have kept my mouth shut---and I know, I'm sorry too for calling you that name in fifth year, and for not listening to you—”
“You utter berk,” Lily said, exasperated. “Are you that much of a dunderhead? You don't even know what you did. You— you—” Her fists clenched.
Severus looked at her warily. “The— the Longbottoms? And your friends, I, I know how much damage I caused as a Death Eater, but truly, I have tried to atone—”
“It's not that, Sev! Well, I am angry about that stuff, too, but you don't even realise the worst thing?”
Severus very much wished to be a different kind of dead right now. If anything, he thought he had known all the mistakes he made. “I…”
“Harry!” Lily shrieked. “My son, Harry! Or did you forget that was his actual name? You treated him like hippogriff dung every chance you got! Even when you knew it was the last thing he needed!” She raised her hands toward Severus again, and he flinched, but didn't move away. He would take whatever she wanted to do to him. Of course, she meant Harry. Failure.
To his everlasting surprise, Lily didn't hit him again. Instead, she flung her arms around him and squeezed, hugging him with all her might.
Severus froze, arms pinned to his sides. He wasn't entirely sure Lily wasn't planning to strangle him or something.
“I am so, so mad at you,” Lily said hoarsely into his shoulder. “And also…I am so sorry.”
“Sorry?”
Lily pulled away and grabbed his upper arms firmly, like she always used to. “Yes. For one thing, I was an idiot back in school and I should have forgiven you right away. It was a ridiculous thing to end our friendship over.”
“No.” Severus shook his head. “You were right, it was unforgivable. Besides, I didn't listen when you said I should stay away from the Death Eaters. You were right.”
“I was naive,” Lily insisted. Her green eyes got that stubborn gleam. It never boded well for Severus. “I've had plenty of time to talk to other people who died, and to see what was happening on the other side. You didn't have a choice, Sev, and I realise that now. I just made life harder for you. That's why I'm sorry. You turned your back on them for my sake, and you've been miserable for the last twenty three years, don't try to deny it.”
Severus couldn't.
“You were a berk to Harry, and I'm still mad about that, but I'm not mad about the rest because you did the best you could in an awful situation. You protected so many kids, Sev,” Lily insisted, her eyes gentle.
To his horror, Severus felt tears starting to his eyes, and occlumency did nothing. His defenses were disappearing the longer he spent here. “I endangered them every day, you mean,” he spat. He didn't deserve to look at her.
“No.” She didn’t let him look away, but instead got up in his face. The stubborn gleam was back in her eyes. “You fought against Voldemort for ages, and did the most difficult things. Don't think I haven’t had many words with Dumbledore, and I’ll even find that old Voldysnort when he gets here. But you,” she shook his arms fiercely, “you were the bravest person. You've always been the bravest person I know, Sev.”
Severus would have liked to say that he maintained his composure in front of his best friend, despite his many emotions. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat and keep his face straight. But alas, occlumency didn't work in the afterlife, so Severus dissolved into a sobbing mess in Lily's arms.
She hugged him again, which only made Severus cry harder. He buried his face in her shoulder. She was squeezing him too tightly, as usual, and it was the only thing keeping him together.
Even though he had already cried with Dumbledore, Severus found he had more tears inside. How many times had he wished for a chance to talk to Lily, to apologise, to atone? To spend an eternal afterlife where she existed was more than he could have hoped for, even if she hadn’t forgiven him.
At some point, Lily eased them both down to sit on the ground. The atmosphere shifted a little, brightening the day and greening the grass. When Severus ran out of tears, Lily scooted to face him. With both of them sitting cross-legged, their knees almost touching, it was like they were ten again, with Hogwarts shining in the future.
Lily smirked at his blotchy, red, tear-streaked face and flicked her hand at him. Severus flinched a little when he felt magic rush at him. An instant later, his face felt fresh and clean, and…moisturised? “Is that coconut?” he asked incredulously.
She laughed at him, a full belly laugh. “Yes,” she gasped. “And, sorry, I didn’t mean to include the makeup—hold on—”
Once she set him to rights, Lily sobered. “I don’t have all the time in the world—ha, not like that really means anything—but I need to tell you the most important thing.” She bit her lip, then fixed her gaze firmly on Severus. “I know you want to stay. Believe me, I know how miserable you were before. But I need you to go back.”
Severus immediately knew that he would. He hated the thought.
“For Harry,” Lily clarified. “He needs someone, someone who understands what he’s been through and will give him the support he needs. Someone who will be the parent since we can’t.”
For a moment, the figure of James Potter wavered lightly into existence nearby. Then it faded, but Severus had the feeling he was still there, present.
“And I suppose Black refused the chance to return two years ago?” Severus asked snidely.
“His case is different, since he came in through the veil. That stupid thing—” Lily sighed and shook her head. “He couldn’t do it, and I don’t think Remus will be able to either. Not everyone gets this choice.”
“What determines it, then?”
Lily shrugged, and seemed to forget the topic. “You have to go back,” she said firmly.
“What does Potter think of having a Death Eater take his place?” Severus directed his question to where James had appeared. But he didn’t reappear.
“He agrees,” Lily said firmly. “Sev, Harry needs someone now more than ever. There will still be danger, and he has to keep out of trouble and find something new to do with his life that doesn’t involve fighting. Heaven knows you’ve assigned him enough detentions, you’ll be able to keep him in line when he’s acting particularly Gryffindorish.”
Severus snorted, remembering some of Harry’s escapades. And he was sure that he’d had many more in the past year away from Hogwarts. He shook his head and looked at Lily with as serious a face as he could manage. “Lily…I’m sorry, but your son’s an idiot.”
“He is not!” Lily exclaimed, offended. She was ready to slug him again when Severus’ crinkling eyes betrayed him. She huffed. “Oh, I know you’re right. I’ve watched him a lot, whenever I get a chance. He really doesn’t do things by halves, does he?”
“He is a consummate Gryffindor,” Severus declared. “And you want me, a consummate Slytherin, to, what? Adopt him? Kidnap him and keep him wrapped in cotton wool? He’s already of age.”
“He’ll go along with it once you explain,” Lily said confidently. “He really just—oh bloody Merlin, I have to go,” she said, jumping to her feet.
“Already?” Severus stood, too. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. But would he ever be?
“Harry is on his way.”
Severus felt his stomach drop to his toes. “So he is going to die.” Failure.
“Yes. But we’re sending him back, too, obviously.” Lily began fading. “I have to meet James and the rest, it’s almost time. Thank you, Severus,” she added, grasping his hands in both of hers. He tried to hold on, but they were slowly turning to mist. “I knew you would, you’re my best friend…I’m ever so grateful…you have my love, give some to Harry…” and she was gone, leaving Severus alone in the green grass next to an old asphalt playground.