Some Things Can't Be Outrun

Severus Snape was a survivor in every sense of the word. He'd outlived Dumbledore. He'd outlived Voldemort. He'd made it through being a spy for the order and acting as a Death Eater. He wasn't unchanged, but he was alive. But there are some things wizards, even those as great as Severus Snape, cannot outrun. It seemed that death was one of those.

Severus let the door fall closed with a thud as he entered the small London apartment. A haggard sigh escaped his lips. His usually rigid posture fell apart as he leaned back against the door and let out another sigh.

The peacefulness couldn't last forever. He had known that. But why did it have to end now? He had things left to do. He'd only just started to live his life. He had spent all his time spying for Dumbledore, spying for the Order. They had won and somehow he's miraculously remained alive, so perhaps giving up all that time had been worth it. But now? Now it seemed he didn't have any time left for himself. For his family.

Family wasn't an easy word for Severus Snape. Or at least it had never been before. Yet here he was, recently married and with a step-son he adored. Then there were the Potter children of course. Harry could not be more awkward when it came to his stardom, but he'd settled very well into his own private life. The Ginevra Weasley girl was good for him. She took the publicity in stride and somehow managed to ignore it most of the time. Snape would guess it was from years of practicing battling the paparazzi when she was a pro quidditch player. Those days were over now though. She'd settled into her role as caring mother and she and Harry were expecting another any day now. They were family to Snape.

And then there were the Malfoys. They were another part of Snape's ever increasing family. Draco had viewed Severus as a father-figure his entire life, that wasn't about to stop any time soon. Severus, despite his complaints, did not mind a bit. And along with Draco came Severus' honorary grand-son, Scorpius. He was an amazing lad and Severus had hoped to see all the astounding things he would do with his life (and witness all the mistakes he would make getting there, just like Draco). Scorpius enjoyed the time he spent with Severus, and Severus enjoyed being with Scorp. But it was Draco who still relied on Snape the most.

Draco had his own domestic struggles. All of them stemming from one thing. His wife. Astoria. Snape could've told you it was doomed from the start. Draco and Astoria themselves could have told you that. They hadn't married for love. Instead it had been for propriety and for friendship. Astoria Greengrass had a lover waiting for her beyond the grave. He'd been waiting there for her since the war. And Draco, well Draco was always the type to want what he couldn't have. The girl he dreamed of was married to another man. Severus was the one he went to with these problems. The one he had confided in about how desperate he was becoming to get out of the loveless marriage. It wasn't that Astoria was bad, it was just that she wasn't her. If Severus wasn't there for him, who would be?

Severus himself had just entered into married bliss. And into fatherhood. Could he really leave them behind? He loved them both more than anything in the world. That's why he'd agreed to the marriage and to the adoption. But what could he do to stop this?

He should've been able to stop it. Everything was falling to pieces because of a stupid disease. And a muggle disease at that! Magic should have been able to cure anything, why not this muggle cancer? But even wizards cannot outrun everything. Severus Snape could not outrun death.