Red Dragon

Summary: Severus Snape wants to challenge the Death. Will he succeed? The White Rabbit will be his guide through the whole trip in the Death's world.

"The Red Dragon"

There are always two paths in thy life - the good and the bad one. Sometimes you're walking on a thin line between them both.

"Which one do you choose, then?"

Imagine that you're on the high located, very damaged bridge: this is the path surrounded by the good and the bad ones. The wind starts to swing the bridge, you loose control over the bridge, you try to save yourself from falling into the chasm, but you fail. And you're dead then.

"So, where do you go after your death?"

"It's not easy to reply."

"But I want to know."

"Then I'd have to kill you. You'll fall into the chasm. There's no way out."

"That will be a challenging job."

"What? You want to fight with the Death herself?"

"Yes."

Severus Snape turned around to face me. He was unnaturally pale, his hair black and somehow smooth, moving his slender hand to touch his wand.

"You ask me to kill you?"

"Yes," he answered. I shivered.

"Are you insane? I won't do this!"

"Maybe I'm insane a bit.... But I want to challenge the death, what's the problem?"

"There is a problem! Standing in front of me! It's YOU, Severus, you're saying the nonesense! They'll take me to Azkaban, if I do it!"

"Calm down. Look... Let me explain something, OK? There's no point of being scared with killing me."

"How?"

"I can make it painless."

I shook my head.

"You're impossible," I reckoned.

"I know... But... Isn't it interesting?"

"Yeah, it is interesting, indeed, Severus, though I just can't understand your intentions!"

"Here," he handed me a small vial, which he took from the highest shelf. I gasped.

"Is it...?" I whispered slowly.

"Yes. Now, I'll drink it. Prepare to kill me."

I gulped. But after some seconds I was calm. Severus's been mad since Voldemort was back and he wanted to find a weapon against him. He sent me an owl a month ago and asked me to stay with him. I hoped he hadn't got crazy ideas then. I, obviously, was wrong.

He had chosen to stay on the damaged bridge.

I shook the small vial, intesnsely looking at the liquid. It was like looking on the blood. - the essence was clearly darkred with it's own reflections. Somehow beautiful, I'd say. Severus would admit it. He had always noticed beautiful things. I gazed at him for a moment - he looked unnaturally peaceful. He took from me the vial and drank the red liquid, then stood there very still. Although...Something about him made me say these words:

"Prepare for the death."

I pointed my wand at him and I said quietly: "Avada Kedavra".

How simple. How freakishly simple. Severus just fell to the floor, dead, his eyes shut, his lips parted. Nothing special. I didn't have a reason to call myself a murderer - he had asked me to do it.

Now I think it's time to introduce myself to you - they call me Red Dragon and I'll be your guide throughout the whole trip in the Death's World. It's my job to let others see what does it mean to die. I'll change into the white rabbit, the same as in "Alice in Wonderland" and wake up Severus. I don't know much about the red liquid in the vial. Ask Severus.

Severus POV

Am I dead already? Funny... I can fell nothing but the empitness. If you can fell it, of course. It's a strange feeling. I can't open my eyes. What did she do to me?!

Well, at least I can listen to the space surrounding me. I can hear water. Some kind of a waterfall. And the wind. And the music. Beautiful music. Birds, the water shimmering, light guitar, echo... Wait, it's supposed to be a dark place! People are supposed to be here! And there's nobody else but me!

My eyes suddenly flew open. Yeah, sure, I still could hear the music. But I could see something different: the ground I was lying on... covered with bones and yellow grass... It seemed to me, that I was in the cave. So, I have to get out of here, at once.

"Hello," said a happy voice behind me. I rapidly tirned around to see the white rabbit in a hat and with the clock in his paw, looking at me with no fear.

'Alice in Wonderland' - it was now in my head.

"It's me, Red Dragon," the rabbit continued. But, wait a minute, isn't the Rabbit from 'Alice..' supposed to be friendly-looking? This one looks like a... meat-eater. Or worse. It's not friendly. But I do trust Red Dragon.

"OK, so, what's the next step?" I wondered.

"Let's go to the Wonderland."

I see. So after death... We're all mad here!

I smirked to myself and went after the Rabbit.