My respects !
I've just read it, after seeing the great illustration "Alive" , made by ~firefly-wp on dA. I'm unfortunately so rarely on Lj or Ij, but I really wanted to comment here!
This fic is so impressive. It is at the same time right and wrong, disturbing and appeasing. Actually, it shows in the strongest way the strong, subtle points and the moving cruelty of Rowling's story : the strange aberration of Tom Riddle character, the utter loneliness and unfairness of Severus's fate, who is Albus and everyone - actually, I found this fic so canon-compliant.
Lily is particularly interesting in her characterization. Shocking in a way as the fic itself, it is plausible to me too she would do that and think this way. I'm usually all in agreement with the Deathly Hallows, completely loving Severus in the 7th year and even his death - his way to find freedom and peace, when nothing more is keeping him in earth after he accomplished his mission-. I totally understand as possible and beautiful his allegiance to his former friend, but I felt always that Lily is not for him : poor Severus has no soulmate and it is usually hard for me to believe in the sudden soulmates he very often gets in fanfictions. To me, Severus who gets love and peace is already not Severus, as he is by nature defined by his cruel unrequited devotion. And here you are : you respected his nature and solved the cruelty of it.
I was so pleased to read a fic that understood the characters and Rowling's message in the same way as I did. Even the disturbing little Tom shows you understood the HP books in the same way I did, and honestly, it's good on my fan reader heatt : these books are read in many different ways and I rarely meet someone who share my views. Disturbing views, actually, as I said, as Rowling is not being so hollywoodian in her story and doesn't fear to not be manichean and to be as unfair as life. Her book is food for thoughts and emotions, and so is your fic.