18

AN: The chapters will be getting longer from here on out. Because of that, the posting schedule might become a bit irregular, though I hope to keep it at once a fortnight at the longest.

Many thanks to Ayerf and Septentrion for their time and talents.

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Severus struggled to stay awake. It had been a long, stressful day, and his body was starting to cry out for rest. He hadn't had much in the way of sleep since Hermione and Weasley had taken over his bed, but even catnaps were better than nothing.

However, there was no way in hell he was going to let himself fall asleep when Potter could come up behind him at any moment. He just wished the damned boy would hurry up and get his emotions under control. He could see Hermione needed sleep as desperately as he did.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and pinching the bridge of his nose. The headache that had been looming all day was starting to grow, and all he really wanted was to lie down in the dark and sleep. He closed his eyes for just a second and when he opened them, Potter was sitting before him looking thoughtful. For once those green eyes were not loaded with venom.

"Thank you."

Snape suppressed a yawn and scowled at the boy. "For what, pray?"

Potter's lips quirked up in a bitter smile. "For everything."

Snape's scowl grew as he thought about what was yet to come. He glanced over at Hermione and saw her dozing. "Don't thank me yet, Potter," he muttered very quietly, returning his gaze to the boy, earning a suspicious look. "The war's not over."

Potter's brow cleared and he nodded wearily. "I know." He leaned back, face troubled but still so fucking open that Snape knew the question before Potter could ask it. He restrained himself from antagonizing the boy, however.

"What do you know of my quest?"

More than you do. "Everything."

Potter nodded without surprise. Snape wondered at that.

"Hermione said you let her do research?"

"She seems to have a talent for it."

Potter snorted inelegantly. "And she's looking for?"

Snape barely managed to not raise his brows in surprise. The boy had learned something about circumspection! It was a miracle! "The location of a diadem, which we think is the Ravenclaw artifact. We have no leads at this point, though she's found a picture of the blasted thing."

"May I see it?"

Snape looked over to see where the book was only to find Hermione watching them with tears in her happy eyes. Snape didn't bother to repress his brow as it arched up.

She didn't say anything, though. She just sniffled, picked up the book and handed it to him, beaming.

Snape gave her a hard look before turning back to Potter, who was looking at Hermione with amusement.

"You're not going to bring us into a group hug, are you?" he asked jokingly.

Hermione shook her head, eyes still shining, then rushed to the bedroom. Presumably for handkerchiefs, judging by the sob that escaped just before she shut the door on them. Snape turned his attention again to Potter. Potter shrugged with a soft smile. "She thinks the two of us are friends now."

"She is delirious from exhaustion."

Potter snorted and Snape felt some of the tension in his shoulders ease just slightly. "Yeah, pretty much. You look like you could use some sleep, too."

Snape arched his brow at Potter, who simply shrugged. Snape decided to test the water.

"I can sleep when I'm dead. Till then, there is a war to end."

Potter nodded, his smile now grim. "Yeah. Can I see the picture of the diadem now?"

Snape opened the book to one of Hermione's markers and handed it over to Potter. The boy looked at it with a frown.

"That looks familiar."

"It was a popular style for a time."

Potter shook his head. "No. It's... I think I've seen it before, but I..." He rubbed his forehead as he tried to think, bringing Snape's attention to the scar. It looked as livid as ever, and now that he knew what it was, Snape found his fingers itched to eliminate it once and for all.

Potter cleared his throat, and Snape returned his eyes to the boy's, feeling caught out. Potter seemed not to have noticed the intent behind the stare, however, as he said, as if from habit, "It's nothing."

"You should practice Occlumency."

Potter shook his head. "There's no way Vol-- he knows I'm seeing his thoughts. And I've got some useful information from the connection, like where Hufflepuff's cup is."

Snape did his best to look bored rather than smug. "In my vault."

Potter shook his head and said slowly, "No-o. It's at the Riddle House. His dad's family house."

Snape shook his head impatiently. "No. He told me he was putting something of value in my vault. I was going to retrieve it tomorrow."

Potter looked at him shrewdly, still shaking his head. "No. He went to some vault, but he didn't put the cup in there. He put in a gold statue of some sort. No, he took the cup to his dad's place and put some nasty protection spells around it. It's in the dining room, where he murdered them."

Fear crept down Snape's spine as he thought about it. Yes, the Dark Lord trusted him, but there were sure to be whispers of doubt circling around the Inner Circle. Who knew what Bellatrix had said while he was torturing her. Was it possible she had told him something to incite suspicion?

"You are positive that information isn't a trap for you? You've been known to fall prey to them."

Potter's shrewd look had transformed into something pugnacious. "This was different."

Snape pursed his lips until he felt his surge of anger recede. "And you have such a wonderful track record for being able to see the truth through the lies."

"And I said this is different!" Potter said, his voice rising. "You'll have to trust that I know more about Voldemort's brain than you do right now!"

Snape opened his mouth to snap back, but then closed it tightly. The boy's arrogance was profound, but he and the Dark Lord were linked at the soul, so perhaps...

"Provide one logical reason why you think the Dark Lord isn't filling you with misinformation."

"Because he's too full of himself."

Snape couldn't help it – he blinked. "Considering the source..." he muttered, receiving a scowl in return.

"Look. Do you think he wants me to know he broke into Dumbledore's tomb to get the Elder wand after breaking into Nurmengard to kill Grindelwald?"

"When was this?"

"The night... just after I escaped from Malfoy Manor."

Snape recalled Voldemort's Summons. His fists clenched involuntarily.

"That proves little. He could have been trying to unbalance you."

"I felt his rage when he found out I'd escaped." Potter shrugged his shoulders wearily. "I always feel his rage."

"That doesn't help us determine whether he is playing you, or not, though."

"I can sense his emotions really clearly now, Snape. When he put the statue in your vault, he was smug. When he tortured Bellatrix and the Malfoys for letting me go, he was furious and exasperated. When he asked you about your interest in Hermione, he was suspicious."

Snape's eyes widened. Potter looked disgusted, but surprisingly calm. He also looked dangerous.

"It's not true, is it?"

"Is what not true?"

"Your interest in Hermione."

Snape wanted to look away, but he didn't dare show such weakness. "No, it isn't true. I made a mistake, Potter. I hoped your luck would hold and Miss Granger would stay with you for the length of the war, as I know how essential she is to you. It was actually my thoughts of how essential she was to your safety that put us in this mess."

Potter nodded, but didn't relax. Snape could see he was working himself up to ask something else. Something worse. Snape quickly thought back to that conversation with Voldemort and couldn't help the despairing sigh that escaped.

"Ask it, Potter."

"Your Patronus..." Snape closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He could get through this. He would get through this. "Did you... love my mum?"

Snape opened his eyes to glare at the boy before him. "Do you really need an answer to that?"

Potter shook his head slowly. "No, sir, but... Is that why you hate me?"

Snape snorted. Of course, it would always be about Potter. Some things never changed.

"I hate you because you set my teeth on edge. You are hailed as our personal savior, when all you did was get your mother killed. You are disrespectful, arrogant, self-centered and thoughtless. You endanger your friends needlessly more times than is sane, and yet, they go along with you each and every time. They would and do die for you, because they believe in you and your role in saving us all from our bogeyman. Your life is sacrosanct, and all others can be damned, no matter how much more valuable their contributions are compared to your fumbling about mindlessly."

Potter looked rather pale, and Snape took a long breath in through his nose, trying to calm himself enough to rectify the situation. He had obviously touched some buttons he shouldn't have, and now he had to reel the boy back in. "I hate you, Potter, because you have everything that I never got. Loving parents, loyal friends – people who will protect you, even beyond death. All I got out of life is this lousy tattoo."

Potter's lips twitched, but he still looked rather grim. Snape sighed.

"Plus, you look like your father. The reaction was rather ingrained in my psyche."

The boy nodded and looked down at his hands.

"I don't want anyone to die for me, Snape. I never did." He looked up and Snape was surprised to see maturity facing him. "I didn't ask for any of this, but that doesn't matter, does it? I have to do it, whether I want to or not. I'm the Chosen One, after all.

"It scares me that people believe in me so fiercely that they are willing to die for me. Because, yeah, I'm not as smart as Hermione or Dumbledore. I'm not particularly talented at anything except flying and defense. And I do make stupid mistakes. I'm no savior, I'm just... a boy."

Snape braced himself for what he had to say. He hated having to correct Potter on this. He hated it so much. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed and said, "No, Potter, you're not 'just a boy'. You are their savior, whether you like it or not. The Dark Lord made sure of that the night your parents died."

"I know."

They sat there a few moments in silence, before Potter got up and looked to the bedroom door. "I wonder what's keeping Hermione."

Snape thought that was a fairly stupid question, but went with it just to avoid further conversation.

"I imagine she fell asleep."

"But I need--"

"She had a rough day, Potter. Let her rest." He sighed at the suspicious look that garnered. "She had to face the entire school in chains and then suffered a few setbacks in the search for the diadem as well as finally recognizing her boyfriend is dying. Your arrival, while providential, is... enough to overwhelm her."

Potter perked up suddenly and inexplicably.

"The diadem!" he exclaimed. "I know where I saw it!" He smiled triumphantly at Snape, then leapt up and headed for the door. Snape had to act quickly to ward the door against egress.

"Explain," he said when Potter turned on him furiously.

"I know where I saw the diadem!"

"So you said. Where is it?"

"It's here in the castle! In the Room of Requirement!"

Snape felt something that might be hope rush into his gut. "You're sure?"

"Yes! Almost positive!"

"Do you still have the Invisibility Cloak?" Potter grabbed at his waist, then nodded. "Good. Put it on. I will escort you there."

"I don't need..."

"I have to see to Draco anyway, and I do not want to leave you alone in these halls."

"Draco? What about Draco?" Potter's eyes widened as he came to the wrong conclusion and raised his wand. Snape rolled his eyes.

"I need to talk to the boy and determine his loyalties. He probably has passed out by now thinking about what I'm going to do to him for defending you."

"And what are you going to do to him?"

"It depends on what he says." Snape grinned evilly, but seeing that Potter's righteousness hackles were raised, he turned it into his familiar scowl and explained: "I will either Obliviate him or recruit him."

Potter's face cleared in understanding and he nodded.

"Oh. Right. Can we go now?"

"Cloak yourself."

Potter did so with bad grace, and only when he was completely covered did Snape unward the door. It was rather odd to see someone using an Invisibility Cloak so overtly, but it tickled the punch-drunk part of his brain into a smothered grin.

"Please, for the love of the wizarding world, stay with me, Potter. I can not hope to defend you if you're off by yourself."

"And who says I'll need defending?" Potter's voice said from a few feet away.

"Seven bloody years of experience," Snape muttered, and walked out the door.

*

Snape led Potter to the room where Draco was being held, glad to see his wards were still untouched. He gestured for the boy to come close, then cast a privacy spell around them after making sure they were alone with a quick Homenum revelio.

"When you have retrieved the diadem, bring it back here. I will need your assistance with Draco should he prove willing to help us."

"And if he isn't?"

"Be careful not to run into him on his way out."

Potter snorted. "Right. Excellent advice. I'll be back shortly."

Snape canceled the privacy spell and felt Potter leave. Taking a breath to prepare himself, he slowly took down the wards on the room and entered. He was surprised to find Draco still awake, though looking very peaky.

He made sure his robes billowed as he strode over to loom over Draco. He noted that Draco shrank back, but his Occlumency shields were up. Snape removed the silencing charm and discreetly cast Muffliato.

"You will be interested to know that I captured Harry Potter, and plan to summon the Dark Lord at dawn."

Draco paled further, now looking green, but didn't open his mouth.

"I would be interested to know what you were doing trying to protect Potter."

Draco kept his mouth shut.

"You have been behaving strangely for a while now, Draco. You were honored when the Dark Lord brought you into the Inner Circle even before you reached your majority, and this is how you repay him? By turning traitor? Have you been Imperiused?"

Draco lifted his chin in defiance and, surprisingly, did not take the easy out.

"I want to help you, Draco. I do not want to see you harmed, but I cannot overlook this transgression without knowing your reasons for doing it."

Draco just glared. Snape sighed and brought out his bottle of Veritaserum.

"Open your mouth or I will open it for you."

Draco gulped and swooned in fear, but opened his mouth. Snape carefully put two drops in, just enough to force the truth, but not enough to overwhelm his consciousness.

"Why were you helping Potter?"

"Because he's our only hope."

"Whose hope?"

"My family's and mine."

"And why is he your only hope?"

"Because he's supposed to be the Chosen One. He's the only one who can kill the Dark Lord."

"And you want the Dark Lord dead?"

"Yes."

"Do you see the Dark Lord as a threat to you and your family?"

"Yes!"

"And are you willing to die to protect your family from the Dark Lord?"

Draco looked surprised when his answer turned out to be, "Yes."

"I am going to offer you a choice, Draco. Think the options through before answering, as more than your life depends on how you answer.

"I can overlook all of this recent reticence of yours and let you carry on with life as it is. With that option comes the knowledge that you will need to toe the line very carefully, and even that will not ease the Dark Lord's wrath where your family is concerned. The only thing that will tempt the Dark Lord to forgive you is if you handed Potter over yourself, which would only happen if you killed me."

Draco swallowed and trembled just slightly.

"Or you can turn sides completely. Take an Unbreakable Vow that you will help Harry Potter and myself in whatever way you are able to bring down the Dark Lord."

Draco's eyes widened.

"Needless to say, if you choose the first option, I will Obliviate you," Snape drawled lazily.

"But... But why? He favors you!"

"He does now. I was your age when I joined the Death Eaters. It took me about as long as it took you to learn what that meant, and that his promises mean nothing. I lost more than you after joining and have regretted it ever since. So I have been working against him for nearly twenty years, and the end is finally near. Should you choose the second option, you will be given a task, a very important, very dangerous task, that could limit the Dark Lord's reign to a matter of weeks, if not days."

"I'll do it," Draco said, then added, in a rather small voice, "Just... just please don't make me kill anyone."

"I cannot promise anything in that regard, though you could review your defensive spells and practice the non-lethal ones. Many are quite effective."

Draco nodded, still looking up, wide-eyed, at Snape. Snape looked down at him, amused. Finally Draco asked, "How did you do it?"

"By heeding the advice of a master manipulator. For all his flaws, Dumbledore was much cleverer than the Dark Lord could imagine."

"But, then... that night?"

"Dumbledore had that planned out nearly a year in advance."

"So he really did know all along?"

"Yes. I suspect he would have known even had I not been the one to inform him. His ability to collect relevant information was uncanny. Then again, the Dark Lord wasn't particularly circumspect in his anger. Anyone with an ounce of cunning could see what was coming."

Draco flushed.

Snape was going to soothe his ego a little, when there was a soft knock on the door. Snape gave a tight smile and went for the door. Opening it, he saw no one there, though he felt Potter's presence. He made a show of looking around, then closed the door. Two seconds later, Potter's head was floating in the middle of the room.

Draco let out a moan of mild outrage. "So that's how you did it? You've got a fucking Invisibility Cloak? Merlin, Potter, you are such a wanker."

Potter looked nonplussed for a moment before letting a boyish grin through. "Yeah, well, I can't get by on money alone, can I?"

Draco blinked, shocked. Snape coughed, drawing Potter's attention back to him. "Did you get it?"

Potter nodded, a triumphant smile erupting. He held out not only a tarnished crown, but also the sword of Gryffindor. And then he stepped forward, presenting them to Snape.

Snape waved away the sword, but took the diadem from Potter, examining it closely. He had a difficult time believing that such an ordinary, harmless looking item could house such potent magics. He felt a slight pull to try it on and see if it still bestowed wisdom, but thinking of Dumbledore's experience with the cursed ring was enough to quell the impulse. That and the fact he'd look utterly ridiculous.

Instead, he brought out his wand and tapped the crown, bringing to light the spells woven into it. And there, amidst the beautiful blue and purple filigreed network of mental enhancement charms, was an ugly green mass. The Dark Lord had made it integral to the magic of the diadem.

He tapped the crown again and the lights disappeared. He handed it back to Potter, who was looking at both him and the diadem with a satisfying tinge of awe.

Potter looked down at the artifact in his hand and then back up to Snape. "Don't you want to be the one to...?"

Bemused, Snape stepped back, shaking his head. "I think you should have the honor, Mr. Potter."

Potter looked disappointed for some reason, but nodded, stashing both the diadem and sword beneath his cloak again. "Perhaps we should let Hermione do it, instead. Without her, we wouldn't be this far ahead."

"A fine idea."

"Um," Draco said, looking between the two of them, "Speaking of Granger, where is she?"

"Sleeping."

"And, is she... is she okay? I mean..."

"She is fine now," Snape said kindly.

"And the Weasel?"

Snape saw Potter scowl. "Dying. Your aunt's blade was poisoned."

Draco paled, then turned to look at Potter. "I'm sorry, Potter. I... I would do things differently if I could."

Potter surprised Snape by simply saying, "I know. I would, too."

It seemed they reached some sort of silent accord, which Snape accepted as a good thing, but it was all still rather extraneous to current events.

"Potter, will you be the Bonder of an Unbreakable Vow?"

Potter looked at him, startled, then quickly looked between the two of them. "Um, what would I have to do?"

"Hold your wand to our hands."

"I suppose so, but, do you really think it's necessary?"

Snape gave him the you are being an idiot look, but Potter just frowned back. "Seriously, sir, it's pretty drastic."

Snape and Draco both snorted at the understatement.

"It's okay, Potty," Draco said. "I understand the need. If I were in either of your places, I wouldn't let me leave the room without one, either."

"But, why not a wand oath?"

"Because," Snape said, "they are breakable. Draco knows his life is forfeit. With an Unbreakable Vow, he protects the secret and his parents from retribution should he be caught. Also, this way there is no way for him to double cross us."

Potter frowned. "I don't want coerced help."

Snape let out a sharp breath. "It isn't coerced if he agrees to it. Besides, we are too close to the end of this dirty war to let idealism bring us down."

Potter looked down on the bound boy in the chair and back up to Snape, eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Potter, he gave me the choice. I want the Dark Lord dead."

"Why?" Potter asked, genuinely curious.

"He's mad. He's also destroying... our way of life. I want to be on top, but not... not this way."

Potter nodded. "Okay. As long as it's your choice."

"It is."

Snape flicked his wand and the magical ropes disappeared, allowing Draco to stretch out then stand up. He then knelt on the floor, and motioned to Draco to do the same.

When they were positioned, they clasped hands. Snape motioned for Potter to touch his wand to them.

"Will you, Draco, do whatever is necessary to bring down the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters."

"I will."

One thin cord of flame wrapped itself around their hands.

"Will you, to the best of your abilities, protect those who side with Harry Potter?"

"I will."

The second cord crossed the first.

"And will you protect the secrets we share with you, letting no one except myself, Harry Potter or Hermione Granger know until such time it is agreed that you can divulge said secrets?"

"I will."

The third and final cord of flame shot out of Potter's wand, wrapping itself around their hands in a blaze of red. The room glowed for three seconds before the flames died away, leaving their hands unmarked.

Both the boys looked shaken, but neither said anything. Snape stood up, feeling far too old, and shook out his robes.

"And now Potter will tell you your task."

Potter looked at him then at Draco, eyes wide. "You want to send Draco? But--"

"You are too valuable to send, and anyone else I would trust to the task would be missed."

"But it's my task! Dumbledore gave it to me to do!"

"He also led you a merry chase, Potter. At this point, we need to get the cup so we can confront the monster, before said monster figures out all is not well in his realm. I still have information you need, and trust me when I say you need to be the one to confront the Dark Lord. We can not risk you."

Potter clenched his mouth shut, obviously biting back angry words.

"I know you do not like it. Nor do I. But as you said earlier, it matters not whether we like it, this is what needs to be done. Give me the benefit of my experience and trust that I know how to get us through this portion better than you do."

Potter eyed him angrily, but did nod after a moment. Without breaking his expression, he turned to Draco. "I need you to get something from Vo-- You-Know-Who's family house. There are a lot of protections around it, so you're going to have to be careful."

Draco waited for Potter to continue, but silence reigned. His brows rose in alarm. "That's it? That's all the information you're going to give me as I go out and risk my life for you? Do you want me dead?"

Potter frowned in thought, but it was Snape, as usual, who came up with the answer.

"There is a Pensieve in my office. Perhaps Potter could put the relevant memory in it so we can analyze it for your mission."

Draco nodded, and Potter looked relieved. "That's a good idea," Potter said sounding amazed.

"I have them on occasion," Snape replied dryly.

Potter had the grace to look slightly abashed, but it wore off quickly. "While we're there, we can catch Hermione up on everything."

Snape nodded just as a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him. It occurred to him that getting Hermione's opinion on all that had happened seemed like a very sensible thing at that point. It also occurred to him that the last time he'd been this tired, he'd been thinking of her, as well. Not wanting to think of the implications of that, he refocused on the boys, who were looking at him expectantly.

"Potter, cloak your head. Draco, I will be escorting you at wand point. You need to look caught out. I will be letting it be known in the morning that I caught you aiding and abetting the enemy, though of course I will imply it was Longbottom, or one of the girls, you were helping."

Draco nodded. Potter nodded as well, then disappeared under his cloak.

Snape nodded back and headed for the door, where he motioned with his wand for Draco to precede him. He then proceeded to frogmarch Draco to his office, keeping his face as stern as he could manage it.

Once they were on the moving stairway and the gargoyle had closed the door behind them, he lowered his wand. Potter took the cloak off, revealing the sword and diadem. Snape looked at them, and then looked up at Potter, unable to suppress an excited smirk.

"We're close."

Potter grinned back, almost vibrating with excitement. "Yeah. We really are."

Draco looked between them and the artifacts and grinned in an abstract way. "Will you tell me what those are?"

Snape and Potter looked at each other. Snape nodded minutely, giving his opinion. Potter nodded back. "Yeah. Just let us kill it first."

"Kill it?" Draco asked, now thoroughly confused.

"Yes. We need to kill the crown."

Draco looked bewildered, but held his tongue. Potter grinned happily and was trying, unsuccessfully, to not laugh outright. Even Snape was having a difficult time not smiling. Snape found it odd to be a part of Potter's giddiness, but it was not as awful as he would have thought.

They moved into the office proper, and Potter rushed off to the bedroom to wake Hermione. He stopped suddenly as he opened the door, and, looking around the boy, Snape saw Poppy hovering over Weasley. Hermione, standing at the foot of the bed, turned to them with tears streaming down her face.