Love's Labours

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Chapter Six ~ Snape?

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The class filed silently out of the dungeon. Well... almost silently. Miscellaneous snickers popped up among the Slytherins as they took one last glance at Harry before leaving. Harry could hear Draco's underhanded comments as he left the room. And from the level of his voice, Harry knew that Draco intended that he hear his words.

"Looks like Potter's finally met his match. Although, I can't imagine Snape saying anything that would make his embarrassment worse than screaming like a little girl. Imagine what the rest of the school will think when their Head Boy was falling asleep in class. I'm sure Dumbledore won't be happy. Maybe they'll finally kick him out."

Other comments flew as the Slytherins laughed their way out of the room. Harry could feel the back of his neck turning red. His fists clenched at his sides, he glared at the backs of their heads, wishing for once he could destroy Malfoy once and for all.

Then again, that was what the Quidditch pitch was for.

The last two to leave the room were Ron and Hermione. They had taken the longest to pack up the last of their ingredients and their books. The two hovered near the doorway, hoping to hear what Snape would say to Harry.

"And what are you two still doing here?" Snape asked, his eyes narrowing at each of them in turn.

"N-nothing, P-professor," Hermione stuttered, pulling Ron towards the door.

"Then I suggest you two return to the common room. What happens here does not concern either of you."

Ron seemed to be rooted to the floor. It took one final pull by Hermione to drag Ron from the dungeon. Before she left, Hermione flashed Harry a small smile. The encouragement in the smile reached her eyes as they sparkled. With what, Harry wasn't sure. Still, just seeing a smile was like a small ray of hope. Maybe he would survive this tongue-lashing.

Maybe.

Harry turned around to find the dungeon empty. The door to Snape's office was left a jar, a small sliver of light reaching across the floor, beckoning Harry forward. Harry's eyes darted between Snape's office door and that of the dungeon itself. True, he could make a run for it... but that would only make matters worse. Besides, it wasn't his nature to turn tail and run. He would stay until the death... which was probably waiting for him on the other side of that door.

"Mr Potter... I don't have all day."

The Professor's voice seemed to echo throughout the still dungeon. His one chance to run away had come and gone. Harry took a few deep breaths to slow the beating of his heart. Then, he took the first step towards the beckoning office door.

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In the time Harry stood outside the door, Snape sat in his office, mulling the recent events over in his mind. It was time Harry knew the truth, but would the boy believe him? Could the Gryffindor put six years of bad blood behind him? Doubtful. Very doubtful.

A stab of pain shot down his arm as he felt the dark mark's pull once again. He refused to answer it. He always had been a spy... one of the good guys. So why did he have the mark of Cain on his arm always to serve as a constant reminder of the past? Hadn't he suffered enough?

Harry still hadn't come in. As much as he was trying to keep his temper down, it still threatened to flare. Was Harry doing this on purpose? Making him wait for any particular reason?

"Mr Potter... I don't have all day."

Snape leaned back in his desk chair, closing his eyes. In his mind, he ran through the dialogue. What to say to Harry, how to make him understand...

Soft footsteps alerted Snape to Harry's presence. Without looking at the wizard, Snape indicated the chair opposite him.

"Please sit Mr Potter."

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Why was it that Snape's voice seemed even colder than usual? Harry pulled his robe tight around his shoulders, as if he were tying to find some bit of warmth in the otherwise frigid atmosphere. His movements were slow, but Harry eventually managed to find the seat Snape had indicated.

Before Snape could even open his mouth, Harry began to speak in a tirade of words. They tumbled out of his mouth like water, the torrent that couldn't be stopped once it had started.

"Professor, please believe me when I say I didn't intend to fall asleep. Things haven't been the easiest for me this term. My-my--" Harry stopped himself from saying anything about his dreams. He knew Snape wouldn't care, so why bother to explain?

"Tell me about your dreams." Snape paused briefly, enjoying the shocked look on Harry's face.

"H-How do you know about my dreams?"

Snape laughed, leaning back even further in his chair. "Well, when one falls asleep in a class, they wake up as inconspicuous as possible. Harry, your scream and falling off the chair was anything but inconspicuous." Harry opened his mouth to interrupt, but Snape held up a hand. "So, don't lie to me and say there was no dream. We both know there was."

A silence descended on the dungeon office as Harry looked Snape over. Why was it that he seemed less intimidating in a solo setting? Something seemed strange; he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Why do you care?" Harry asked finally, his voice quiet. "You never seemed to care if I lived or died. In fact, you did everything possible to get me expelled."

Snape leaned forward suddenly, his chair ricocheting forward. He placed his elbows on the desk, resting his head on his clasped hands. He stared at Harry for what seemed like hours. It was a deep, penetrating stare that seemed to reach into his very soul. Harry felt himself grow uncomfortable under this close scrutiny. He fidgeted in his chair, yet didn't break the eye contact with the Potions Master.

"Did you ever stop to think that I was trying to protect you?"

Harry stood up quickly, his chair falling to the ground with a clatter.

"Oh, I've heard that one before. Dobby said the same thing to me. Why is it that you people have the strangest ideas on how to protect me? Why don't you let me take care of my own affairs for once?"

Snape's head did not move, only his eyes followed Harry's movements as the boy paced around the room. The professor didn't say a word; merely let the boy simmer for a moment.

"I cannot do that. It was an oath I pledged to your father."

Harry stopped pacing and turned to look at Snape. "My father? What does he have to do with this? I thought you hated him."

Instead of answering the question, Snape nodded in direction of the chair. Harry caught the hint and righted the chair, taking a seat. This conversation was not at all what he had expected. And frankly, he'd prefer to face a tongue lashing than what he knew he was going to hear.

"It's Sirius I hold the grudge against, and I doubt it will ever be resolved. Your father saved my life that night, and my debt is being repaid in my protecting you. Theoretically, my debt was repaid after your first year. As for why I've continued these past few years... that's an oath I made with Dumbledore."

"D-Dumbledore..." Harry stuttered. "How are you involved with Dumbledore?"

Snape sighed to himself, gathering his thoughts together. This was the final moment and the last chance to turn back. One more word and he would be past the point of no return.

"The oath I made was to protect your parents and eventually yourself... the day before I became a death eater."

Snape let his sleeve fall, the dark mark burning in his skin. Harry recoiled, his worst fear confirmed. If the situation hadn't been so serious, he would have laughed at the events as they transpired. He didn't even have to ask to see if the mark was burning. Yet, Harry's heart grew heavy in his chest. Voldemort was on the move. The final battle was drawing ever closer. Still, one final question lay smouldering in the back of his mind. Who would be the victor?

"You see, this mark is a constant reminder of what I had to face during those dark times. A reminder that my life as much as yours is in danger. Voldemort knows of my betrayal, and it's only a matter of time before he comes to me. I never was on his side, always on Dumbledore's. That is why I am protecting you."

Everything Snape said seemed impossible. There was no way, in Harry's mind, that he could come up with a plausible explanation for the events that were transpiring. It was impossible. Things like this just didn't happen. He couldn't just learn that the teacher who tried to have him expelled on countless occasions was actually on his side. Things just didn't work that way. Then again, no normal child had his parents killed by a Dark Wizard either.

"Excuse me if I'm out of line," Harry began, choosing his words carefully, "but this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever."

Snape sighed, massaging his temples. "I should have known you wouldn't understand. Just leave, Potter."

Harry stiffened at Snape's tone. The caring tone that had graced his voice was suddenly gone. The old Snape had returned, and didn't seem too pleased. What did the professor expect? That he would believe him immediately? After what Snape had done to Harry these past few years, it was a ridiculous thought.

"You expect me to forget what you've put me through these past six and a half years? With one conversation it's supposed to be alright. I go on my merry way with the knowledge and don't say a word? It just doesn't work that way."

Snape's eyes flicked upwards, the old hatred still lurking in the stormy depths of his eyes. Harry bit his lip, thinking he had finally gone too far this time. Still, what's said was said and nothing could be done to change it.

Harry stood, walking towards the door. He couldn't look Snape in the eye, not when his thoughts were in constant turmoil. He didn't know what to make of the conversation. Harry reached out to pull the knob towards him, but found he didn't have the strength to. For some strange reason, Harry felt that Snape was telling the truth.

"You want to know the dream?" Harry asked, still facing the door. "I'll tell you.

"I saw Voldemort, in the form I last saw him. He was talking to me, taunting me. And in the background, all I could hear were screams. Loudest of all were those of my parents. I could hear them both, plain as day. It was as if a Dementor were present. Then, he ran a finger down my cheek... and it was like a finger of ice. Like all that was good in me was sucked out through that one simple touch.

"He disappeared, and all I could hear was his voice." Harry shuddered at the memory. "I'll never forget what he said: 'You will be mine, or you will die like your parents. Don't make their mistake.'" Harry turned around to face Snape, emotion showing on his face. He didn't care if it looked like a sign of weakness. As soon as Snape had started speaking ten minutes ago, the entire world had been turned upside down.

"Is that all?"

Harry nodded. "Yes... that's when I woke up..." he paused, wincing at the memory, "screaming... By Merlin, I made a complete fool of myself."

"There's something that you should know." Harry moved towards the chair once more, sitting down across from the professor. "Anyone in your predicament would have given up long ago. They wouldn't have been able to live with the stress. You have the strongest character of anyone I've ever met considering your age. If others see you as a fool, it is because they don't know what you've been through.

"Yet I know. I too had to sneak around. I know the pain of having to hide everything from those you were closest to."

Harry's head snapped up in surprise. "You mean you..." he trailed off, unsure of how to finish his own sentence.

"No one knew my true motives for becoming a Death Eater. The truth was that Dumbledore wanted a spy on the inside. So, I worked my way into Voldemort's inner circle, gained his trust and thus gained knowledge."

"Did my parents know?"

Snape nodded. "They did. Only your parents, Dumbledore, Remus and," Snape paused before he spoke the last word, and even then it came out sounding more like a curse than a word, "Sirius."

Running through the names in his head, Harry realised there was one person missing from the group. The fourth marauder.

"What about Peter?"

"He was the only one Dumbledore didn't trust. Looking back, it was a blessing we never told him. No one knew he was a Death Eater... not even myself until the night of your parent's death.

"I, like everyone else, knew that Sirius was your parent's secret keeper. But that night..." Snape glanced at the floor. "I didn't find out until it was too late. I went to Dumbledore, but by that point... they were dead."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room while Harry digested this new information. As improbable as it sounded, it had to be the truth. It was as if some higher being were forcing him to believe this. Under normal circumstances, he would have nodded, and then left thinking Snape a liar. But these were not normal times.

"So, the reason you act as though you loath me is for my own protection?" Snape nodded in reply, causing Harry to snort. "You sure have a strange way of showing it."

"Harry... I want you to know that we are on the same side, as much as you don't want to admit it. I keep up the facade to keep them guessing. If I were to show any bit of favouritism towards you, it would return to the Malfoys quicker than you can say 'Riddikulus.' It's for your own protection. I told you that I swore an oath to protect your family and I will honour that oath until my dying day."

There was still one last question that Harry had to ask. While it would drudge up raw feelings, he needed to know. "What about your hatred of Sirius?"

"I admit what happened when we were in school is something I will never forget... but we've set aside our differences. I still hate him with a passion, and I know the feeling is mutual. Still... we are on one side. We all need to be allies if we will have any hope of defeating Voldemort."

"I hope you'll forgive me for saying this... but this is rather hard to believe," Harry paused, knowing this was his own moment of truth. "Yet, I believe you... my mind tells me not to, but for some reason, I'm convincing myself otherwise."

"I imagine so, but know that I am sincere." Snape paused, his old demeanour returning quickly. "I know I don't need to tell you this, but it should be said. This conversation will remain between the two of us. Don't make me regret that I didn't give you a detention this afternoon."

Harry nodded. "I understand."

"And if anyone asks, you will be serving detention Saturday night at midnight. Come down to my office then."

Once again, Harry nodded. He stood and quickly fled the office. While things had certainly gone differently than he had expected, it was a relief to finally know what had happened. Knowing who was on your side was a plus. It would be difficult to finally accept the fact that Snape wasn't out to kill him, but it would have to be done. As Snape had said, 'we must be allies if we will have any hope of defeating Voldemort.'

Harry left the dungeon quickly, running up the stairs towards the Gryffindor Common Room. The oath he had taken didn't apply to Ron and Hermione. He couldn't wait to tell them the news.