The Promise

The Promise

Albus Dumbledore found him at the small cemetery behind the school, the small plot of land was almost on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and was protected from view by many wards set by the man before him.

Watching the younger professor, Albus felt like an intruder upon the scene. Normally, he would turn and leave without a word but tonight, Albus had given himself a mission to at least attempt to bring Snape out of his shell; Severus has grieved long enough in the Headmaster's opinion. Already thin to begin with, Snape was now merely skin and bones the pain having craved cruel lines in an already unflattering form.

Clearing his throat to announced his presence to the other, Albus stepped closer till he stood just a few steps behind Severus. Slowly, the Potions Master turned around to face Dumbledore.

"Headmaster," a nod in greeting.

Dumbledore smiled but the smile was tinted with sadness. "Severus, you should join us in the Hall. The celebration is underway and I dare say the House Elves have worked especially hard on the feast tonight. It wouldn't do to have all their effort go to waste."

"I apologise but I am not hungry Headmaster." The tone was not Snape's usual silk but gray and dull as battled iron. Eyes that resemble the living dead of a Dementor's Kissed drifted back towards the small graves at their feet.

Albus was silent for a moment before speaking again, "Severus, the past cannot be undone. You did all you could for them. You must look ahead, think of the future..."

"Headmaster, my students, my children are dead, I...I couldn't save them." Snape's voice choked and cracked with each word as if they were torn from his mouth.

Here, Dumbledore laid a fatherly hand on Snape's left shoulder, trying to offer what comfort he could.

"Severus, it wasn't your fault. It was expected that they would listen to their Deatheater parents, rather than the young professor who became their head of house in their last few years at Hogwarts. There was nothing you could have done."

Anger clouded Severus's manner as he spurn around to face Albus Dumbledore. All the pain and grief that he had bottled up for so long finally made it's way to the surface. "You sound as if they are all little Deatheaters in the making. Twelve months in the year, how much time is it actually spent with their family? The rest of the year they are mine. If I had spoken, if I had reached out to them, told them that Voldemort only viewed them as mere tools for his cause, perhaps some of them might have lived."

"Your position as a spy would have been compromised, your life forfit." Albus calmly pointed out.

"And it would have been worth it if some of my Slytherins had lived. But that is neither here nor there since I never did. I was a coward and they have paid with their lives."

"Severus, you cannot be certain..."

Snape however would hear not more, turning back to the graves he curtly replied. "Leave me alone, I wish to grieve in peace."

Albus noticed to stubborn set of the shoulders and knew it was futile to continue for now. However he just had to give one last attempt.

"Severus, come in please. It's getting cold, you'll be ill." It sounded feeble even to the old wizard's ears.

The Potions master his back still facing Dumbledore, gave a small shiver (although Albus suspect it wasn't due to the wind) and spoke in a mere whisper. "Albus, all I want to do is to lie down among my fallen children and died. What is a little chill to me?"

A frown then resignation. "Very well Severus, I'll see you later. But, I hope you remember there are still other Slytherin students in the hall tonight and ...they need you too, now perhaps moreso than ever."

The stillness that followed the headmaster's statement grew heavy enough to choke. Finally, Snape acknowledged the words and when he spoke, Dumbledore could hear the unshed tears barely held in check.

"...I know, I will not fail them."

Satisfied that Severus would not attempt to kill himself if only for the sake of his still surviving students, Dumbledore turned on his heels and left. Snape waited till he can no longer hear the headmaster's footfalls before sinking to his knees. Lying his head upon the grave, Severus started to sob.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please wait a little longer. As soon as I ensure the others are safe...as soon as your deceiver and murderer is finally, truly gone...I'll join you all in hell to pay my dues. Please, wait for me."

End