Of course Lily can't forgive him--it might make her think why she loves the bully who beat Severus up for seven years (and she can't imagine why Sev would hate James even though she saw what the Marauders did to him).

The pity was that Snape could never forgive himself, and that his guilt was used to send him to his death for those who despised him.

For the Greater Good, of course, and so that Harry and his friends could live happily ever after. After all, Rowling knows who the really important people are.

Aw, that was heart breaking :(
That has to be the worst feeling, having someone you care so much for, and knowing you will never get their forgiveness. Beautfully written, which you have been doing much of as of late!

Oh! How sweet, the story couldn't have been better.

So sad! Thanks for sharing this. You wrote it very well.

"After everything you’ve done to James and the others..."
What the? Completely the other way around, as far as we can tell from canon. Sirius and Remus admit in OotP, "Careers Advice", that the bullying was ongoing and largely unprovoked. And you probably haven't considered that they had the advantage not only of numbers (four against one), but of a Cloak that let them sneak up on him and a Map that let them find him alone ... and the power of prefecthood/Head Boyship over him as well. They were despicable bullies, there's no way round it, and she was shallow not to realise it.

Pretty good story. I like how short and realistic it is. By the way, Lucius was years before Snape so I think he wouldn't be on the Hogwarts train with him.