"LILY!"

Lily's body swims before his tear-filled eyes, her hair gleaming in the moonlight, limbs sprawled.

"Lily."

His voice cracks as he drops to his knees, embracing her, willing life to return to her body, tears flowing down his cheeks.

Snape closes his eyes, and the scene changes.

Severus pleads with Dumbledore.

"I thought... you were going...to keep her... safe."

Tears threaten to spill, but do not, leaving his eyes glossy and his vision blurred. Dumbledore leans heavily over his pensieve, dressed in his typical robes, beard hanging over the memories. He wears a sorrowful expression and hangs his head as his former student accuses him of not doing enough to protect his precious Lily.

"Her boy survives."

Asifthatwereanyconsolationtome? Herchildsurvives. Potter'schild.

Snape feels as if he were going to retch- he had done all that Dumbledore had asked of him, and he had failed him. Now he expected that he also care for his worst enemy's child?

"I wish... I wish I were dead..."

"If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."

Severus wakes with a start, cold sweat covering his brow, left forearm burning. His eyes widen in alarm and he hurriedly dresses and leaves the castle, Death Eater robes trailing behind him. He apparates to Malfoy Manor, the temporary location of Voldemort's headquarters. Before entering, he occludes his mind, and berates himself for not doing so before sleeping. He raises his left forearm and enters the gates, rushing to the door, and down the hallway to the room where Death Eaters habitually meet.

"Well, well, Severus, we are quite late, aren't we?"

"My Lord, I apologize. I was delayed-"

"I did not ask for an explanation. I trust that you have some information to share with me?"

"No, my Lord."

Voldemort's eyes widen as the skin where his eyebrows once grew is raised, and he moves to the side of Snape's head in order to speak into his ear.

He speaks in a voice so quiet and silky that it might be mistaken for an affectionate whisper.

"I am not pleased, Severus."

"My Lord, shall I punish him?"

"DO NOT SPEAK OUT OF TURN, MALFOY!"

Lucius Malfoy bows his head in submission and looks to the ground.

"Our meeting is finished. I shall punish our dear Severus myself. Go."

Without a word or a moment of hesitation, every Death Eater leaves the room, eyes averted from their master, heads tucked to their chests.

Severus looks down as well, trying not to anger his master further.

"You should not have delayed in coming to me, and you should have provided me with useful information. You aren't my only servant- I could have easily used another as my spy at Hogwarts. Do not fail me again. You are dispensable. In order to make this perfectly clear to you, I will punish you. Kneel."

Snape complies, not daring to defy the Dark Lord, and once more occluding his mind.

"Crucio."

Severus does his best not to cry out, barely even twitching as the agony overtakes him.

"Hm. You don't seem to be learning your lesson terribly well. Give me your wand."

Snape retrieves his wand from his cloak and gives it to Voldemort, hand shaking slightly, and paling as he does so.

Voldemort gives a cruel smile and draws himself up to his towering full height, this time reciting the spell with even more enthusiasm, both wands in hand.

"CRUCIO!"

The intense pain hits Snape like a physical blow. He falls to the floor, eyes screwed tightly shut, hands balled into fists, lips pursed in order to prevent himself from screaming, teeth digging into his bottom lip.

As the spell begins to wear off, he remains still, breathing deeply.

"Sectumsempra!"

Severus instantly regrets teaching his master that spell as he feels the power of both wands slashing his skin- first his arms, then his stomach and legs. Voldemort makes two last slashes on his calves, these deeper than the others, cutting deep into the muscle.

"Leave me."

Voldemort returns Snape's wand to him.

Snape attempts to do so, pushing off of the floor, wincing as each cut is pulled by the movement, then shuffling out of the room as fast as he can. He limps down the hallway, blood dripping onto the Malfoys' carpet, nearly falling as he reaches the door and steps down, catching himself, then stumbling to the gate, pushing it open, and going to the edge of the wards.

Once he is outside of the wards, he disapparates. It feels as if the world were compressing in on him for a few moments, until he reaches the road outside of Hogwarts.

As soon as the castle is in sight, he collapses.

Author's note:

Alright, so I'm being a bit harsh on Snape. But you can't have hurt/comfort without the hurt.

Snape lovers: I know I keep beating him up. That is so painfully obvious that even Potter could see it. You can bemoan my sadism in reviews. Although, to be honest, I don't see how you forced yourself to read down to this note if you find this to be disturbing.

So, what think you? Who should be there for poor Severus?