Puzzle Pieces by thirty2flavors

51. But For the Grace of God

Word count: 328

Characters: Severus, James, Lily

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He duels Potter once after Hogwarts, and nearly wins.

Potter is skilled, of course, but so is Severus, and unlike Potter, Severus is not hampered by ridiculous moral twinges. Noble magic is no counter-curse to Dark magic, and after a few minutes of furious hex-slinging, Severus successfully disarms his opponent.

The look of dark surprise and something like fear that flashes across Potter's arrogant face is vindicating. Potter's eyes, wider than Severus has ever seen them, slide slowly from the wand now lying feet away to the wand of his masked assailant, pointed directly in his face.

It is such a fantastical inverse of so many school-day situations - Potter, straight-backed but helpless, a sitting duck, and Severus, completely at advantage, completely capable of ending this here, now, forever, of murdering the man who took from him the only thing that ever truly mattered.

Potter does not know whom he is dueling. Part of Severus is desperate to show him.

He raises his wand in practiced motion. The Killing Curse is on the tip of his tongue when a flurry of red hair and torn clothes plants itself firmly between his wand and Potter.

Lily screams "Protego!" instantly, but Severus' voice has died and there is no curse for her to block. If he tears his gaze from her horrified green eyes, he can see Potter's expression and knows that he and Potter are thinking the same thing: a Shield Charm would not have absorbed a Killing Curse, but her body certainly would have.

Severus hesitates - what choice does he have, with her in the way? - and in that split second she Stuns him without a thought.

Recalling the duel later, he finds it is disturbingly difficult to pinpoint what sickens him the most: that she would so willingly throw her life away for a love that nauseates him and burns his blood with jealousy, or that he'd come within a second of killing her himself.