That's beautiful. I love the questions that run into Severus' mind...it's deep, and something I would probably think about if I had that kind of power. I don't know what my answer would be though, but I love that Severus really thought hard about it...and I hope he makes a choice he'll be comfortable with.
Other than that, I just wanted to point out that the use of "&" as a replacement for "and" is a bit jarring for your lovely piece. I suggest replacing it?