Light. That was the first thing he noticed, and it was bloody hard not to. He couldn't see but for the blinding light that seemed to be everywhere. He shut his eyes against it, but that didn't really help much. The light had been green just a moment before, but even that hadn't bee this bright.

The odd thing was, he didn't feel anything. A moment ago, the cut on his arm had hurt like hell, but he didn't notice it now. In fact, he'd almost forgotten it was there. Already, he couldn't remember how he'd gotten it. Or where he'd been before now. It was beginning to feel like he'd been here forever. But surely not, for he didn't even know where 'here' was. And if he'd been here a long time, he'd know. Right?

He was starting to not care one way or the other. And he was certain that wherever he had been, he wasn't going to be missed. He was Severus Snape, after all. No one liked him. He remembered that much.

But it seemed like someone had.

There was a memory that seemed to linger a bit longer than others, a memory of a kiss, perhaps. Or maybe of curly hair and glasses. It was blurring together now. The curls were smoothing until they were simply a colour, nothing more. Just a shade of ordinary brown. Why should he remember that?

A kiss. He'd remembered what it was, just a moment ago. Now it seemed like only another fading word, one more lost memory. It seemed important somehow, and he tried for a moment to remember before the effort seemed too much. He was too tired to remember, and it seemed like something he shouldn't do.

So he let himself slip into the brightness, so bright that he couldn't quite see who he was. (Or was it who he had been?) It didn't matter. Not here. He closed his eyes.