Sara: Shush, you. Snape is kick ass, and so is McGonagall. And after seeing those pathetic kissing scenes in the movie I'm not in the mood to write anything romantic about Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Ginny. And unless you want Snape to become a necrophiliac, he's not having sex with Lily.

Well, this was originally intended to be a oneshot, but after getting several requests to continue it, I decided to make it a two-shot. Maybe more. It all depends on whether my House muse returns, since I promised them a sequel a while ago. Also, I'm throwing in a time skip- this one takes place during DH- the final battle at Hogwarts- mostly because I just saw Part 2 today, and me and my brother had alot of fun pointing out the HUGE discrepancies with the book. I mean, really. (Spoilers if you haven't seen movie yet, coming up) When did Harry and Voldemort go flying around the castle? And Harry didn't break the Elder Wand. And what happened to Harry's speech about the Elder Wand and remorse to Voldemort before he killed him in the Great Hall, not wherever the hell he was killed? And what happened to Neville and the flaming hat trick? And the diadem wasn't destroyed by a basilisk fang, it was destroyed by the fire curse I think Crabbe set off. Or maybe Goyle. And Goyle isn't black. Well, I could go on all night, you get the picture. Then I got inspired to write this fic. Don't worry, it's based off the book, not the movie, which was great but would have been so much better if it'd just followed the book. ...And that scene in the Chamber of Secrets NEVER happened. What the hell was up with the evil water?

Chapter 2

"Professor!" Harry shouted as he doubled over, clutching his head, "He's here! He's at Hogwarts!" McGonagall paled before she started issuing instructions to everyone who had stayed behind to fight while Ron and Hermione rushed over to him in a panic. "He knows," he gasped, looking up at them in a panic. "He knows we've been destroying the Horcruxes. He thinks we've got rid of the cup, but the diadem, he's confident we can't find that."

"We can't find it, Harry!" Hermione shouted as she pulled him to his feet. "He don't where the hell it is and we still can't destroy the cup!"

"Excuse me," Luna said, drifting away from the main crowd of people over to them. "If you're looking for the lost diadem of Ravenclaw... well, no one alive has ever seen it." At the trio's gazes of confusion, she sighed and exclaimed, "Isn't it obvious? Ask someone who's dead! The ghost of Ravenclaw tower."

Harry hesitated, then nodded. "All right, I'll go find her. Ron, Hermione-"

"Harry, wait. The cup. I know how we can destroy the cup!" Ron exclaimed excitably, looking between him and Hermione.

Harry didn't waste a second thinking about it, just handed him the cup and gave them the Marauder's Map. "Fine, go, find me on it after you've destroyed it!" Harry's sense of urgency was growing; the Death Eaters were only moments away from the castle and he had already run out of time.

Severus watched Potter's trio separate from his spot in the corner. He was hidden from everybody else's sight by a cheap invisibility charm- the Dark Lord's orders were for him to remain behind and fight with the rest of the Death Eaters. But it no longer mattered. The war was over tonight, one way or another, and he wasn't going to fight for the Dark Lord. He knew he couldn't fight for Hogwarts; no one would believe him if he told them about Lily, that he had played traitor this past year because he had to remain in a position of power so, when the time was right, he could tell Potter about the piece of Voldemort's soul hidden inside him. They would most likely kill him on the spot- so he would wait. He would remain invisible and do what he could to help Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, he still had the problem of how the hell would he get Potter to listen to him without killing him first. By the sound of it, he had destroyed every Horcrux save for the cup, diadem, and Nagini. Except for the one inside Harry, of course. If Weasley was correct about whatever hunch of his he had had, then the cup would soon be gone, though he was still at a loss for how they could find the diadem or kill Nagini. Severus knew it was hidden somewhere in the castle, but Albus had never been able to find it, and neither had he, in this past year. And Nagini had rarely been allowed to leave the Dark Lord's side before the Horcruxes were being destroyed- now he would never let anyone near her.

Except Severus could get near her. Near enough to kill her.

He just needed an excuse.

Severus knew. He knew from the moment Lucius told him that the Dark Lord wanted to see him.

He ignored his personal regrets and focused on the final task Albus had assigned him. If Potter didn't find out about the Horcrux hidden inside of him now, the likelihood that Hogwarts would win this battle was zero. The odds of anyone defeating the Dark Lord were the same. But he still had no choice. He couldn't join Hogwarts out in the open yet, they still wouldn't trust him and would kill him. And if he stayed invisible and didn't answer the Dark Lord's commands, he would be killed without having a chance to relay the message to Potter.

So he settled for the best option he had: he put the memories of Lily, of his betrayal of the Dark Lord and turning to Albus, of the truth about the night Potter's parents were killed, in a vial, which he hid inside his robes. He could only hope that it somehow found it's way to Potter.

"Who is the real master of the Elder Wand, Severus?" The Dark Lord asked as he paced slowly around the Shrieking Shack.

Severus hesitated, fingering the vial hidden in his pocket, unsure of where he was going with this. "You are."

"No. No, I am not the master of the Elder Wand. Not yet, at least."

He frowned, thinking perhaps that he had been wrong, that the Dark Lord had not brought him to be killed. "You have performed extraordinary magic in the past few hours alone with that wand, My Lord-"

"No, Severus, I am extraordinary. This wand... it is merely ordinary. For me, that is. Which leads me to believe that I am not the master of the Elder Wand. Why would that be, Severus?" he asked, looking up at Severus curiously, though he knew the Dark Lord was anything but.

He doesn't know, thought Severus incredulously. He thinks I am the master of the Elder Wand. He doesn't know. And then, more morose, After everything I've lived through, I'm about to die because of a misunderstanding? Out loud, he said nothing, wanting to prolong this as long as possible. He had to buy Potter and the others- here, he ignored the fact that the picture his mind conjured for the others was of Minerva and Minerva alone- more time. He had to buy them more time. Maybe, Potter would face Voldemort on his own and the Horcrux would be killed by Voldemort himself, by luck.

"I think you know... no, perhaps not. Well, you have been most loyal, Severus. I will at least explain it to you, before I kill you. You do deserve that much, I think." Severus swallowed, focusing on keeping his emotions off his face. If the Dark Lord knew that the Elder Wand could be won through disarming, he already would have tried it on Severus. That meant if the Dark Lord learned the Elder Wand wasn't Severus's before he struck, he could only come to one conclusion- that Dumbledore's death had been arranged by none other than Albus and Severus themselves. And if the Dark Lord discovered the truth about Severus's alliances these past years, his wrath would not be containable. Severus was dead either way, but with option two, Voldemort would attack Hogwarts himself. And no matter how many remained behind to fight, they would not be able to hold out for long.

So he remained silent as Voldemort explained, "I took this wand from Dumbledore... but that's not important, is it? Because this wand's power changes hands when it's previous master is killed. But I never killed Dumbledore, Severus- that was you."

Severus bit his tongue and instead of laughing out loud at the fact that he was going to be killed because of the Dark Lord's ignorance and did what was expected- plead for his life. He did not get far. "My Lord-"

"Don't bother, Severus, I don't want to draw this out any longer than necessary. It is a pity... my most loyal servant, killed because of your most meaningful gift to me. Well, no use thinking of how unfair this is to you, Severus. The world only has room for one great wizard, and that wizard most possess the Elder Wand." Before Severus could say another word, Voldemort had hissed an order at Nagini and she had struck.

Harry flinched when he saw the snake flash forward and heard a horrible scream and a crunching sound before looking away. He didn't want to see that brutal killing, even if the man he hated perhaps the most was the one being killed. When he heard Voldemort disappear again, though, he hurried out from behind his hiding place over to Snape.

It took one look at his wounds to know that, even if he knew the proper spells to heal someone, he wouldn't be able to save Snape's life. His injuries were just too severe. Snape coughed, splattering him with blood, his eyes widening with shock when he saw who was before him. Struggling to raise a shaking hand, he clutched the front of Harry's robes and pulling him closer. "Take it," he wheezed, managing to pull out the vial with his memories and let it fall to the floor. "Take them." His eyes focused on Harry's for one long moment, trying to see Lily in them before they closed for what should of been the last time.

Harry stared at Snape for a moment, then swallowed hard and let go of the dying man's hand and grabbed the vial on the floor. Memories. Memories of what? Something in Snape's voice when he had pleaded for Harry to take them told him he really should see them… shaking his head, he got to his feet and dashed from the room. He could only hope that whatever his worst enemy had left him would help him kill Voldemort, since he didn't have any ideas on what to do next.

But if Harry had stayed even a moment longer, he would of seen Fawkes appear with a burst of flame above Snape. Snape was already unconscious, so he didn't see the life-saving phoenix tears falling on Nagini's bite marks.

Severus groaned as he opened his eyes in shock, staring around the room. The Shrieking Shack? But that had been where the Dark Lord had killed him with Nagini. No one had ever survived an attack from that snake. After years of Voldemort's curses, her venom had grown more potent than a Basilisk- and Voldemort was anything but incompetent.

So why he was still alive?

He looked around in confusion, either too tired or too sore to move, freezing when he saw the red feather on the ground next to him. A phoenix feather.

Fawkes!

Severus sat bolt upright, looking himself over urgently. Every part of him worked, and the only thing that seemed wrong with him was a soreness that encompassed his whole body. "Oh my god," he whispered, hesitantly getting to his feet with the aid of the wall, mostly because he was afraid to trust his own feet. He took a hesitant step forward, becoming more confident when his strength didn't fail him.

Voldemort had failed in his attempts to kill again. And this time, it was all through Voldemort's main fault- he loved to put on flashy shows when he thought his victory was assured. If he had simply aimed to kill quickly, Harry never would of escaped that graveyard the night of his return. And now, if he had just used the Killing Curse, not even Fawkes could of saved him. But instead he had used Nagini, and as a result, everybody would believe he was dead. And there were benefits with being dead. No one would be looking for him, and if he hid in the right places, no one would see him. And with the Death Eaters under the impression that he was fighting for them, he could hide amongst their ranks and takes out a dozen at once.

With a cold smile, Severus turned and ran back to the castle. His duties for Albus were finally complete. Now it was time to do something for himself.

HPHPHP

Minerva swore as she ducked under another curse, wondering how the hell she had gotten stuck fighting three Death Eaters at once. Right now, she'd rather be fighting Severus anyways, but the coward had disappeared when she and Flitwick had cornered him.

She avoided a jet of green light from Bellatrix, trying to find a way to duel all three at the same time, unaware that a fourth Death Eater had just murdered a young student behind her and was now aiming for her.

Severus saw Alecto turn his wand for Minerva and didn't stop to think. He shouted, "Protego!" and a shield expanded around the middle of the hall, blocking the curse from hitting her. The force of his shield threw Minerva back several feet and made the Death Eaters stumble, giving him the chance to stupefy two of the Death Eaters before Bellatrix aimed a killing curse at him- he remained invisible, so no one could see him, but they knew generally where the spells were coming from. The spell missed him by an inch and collided with a suit of armor next to him, which blasted apart. One of the pieces hit him on the head and knocked him out while the rest piled on top of him. But, once again, he was alive.

Minerva would of been stuck with Bellatrix and Alecto if Voldemort hadn't chosen that moment to withdraw his forces. "You have fought valiantly," his voice echoed inside all of their heads, "but in vain. You can not keep me out forever. Dispose of your dead with dignity, and remember this: every drop of magical blood spilled is a waste. All you must do is hand over Harry Potter, and I will leave you all be. I order my forces to retreat, so we can give them the chance to chose the only valid choice. Harry Potter, I now speak to you and you alone: Your friends have fought and died for you. That is the greatest dishonor; to allow someone to die in your place. Come out and face me, in the Forbidden Forest, and no one else will die. You have one hour."

Bellatrix and every other Death Eater disappeared from the castle, just moments before those fighting for Hogwarts raised their wands again. "Cowards!" Minerva shouted after her opponent, breathing hard before turning to look at the fallen suit of armor. That voice who had shouted the spell that had saved her life... it was faintly recognizable... familiar.

She shook her head before heading starting to pick her way though the wreckage. Whoever it was was dead now... dead because they had tried to protect her. She didn't want to see their face. She started searching for other survivors, determined to put that voice out of her head. She must have imagined that it sounded like Severus. He had made his allegiance clear enough.

Severus regained consciousness when he should of been dead for the second time in as many hours. He frowned, squinting at the wreckage covering him before kicking it all off him with a wince. He couldn't move his left arm, and further examination proved to him that it was broken. He tried to heal it, but Nagini's assault and then being crushed by a suit of armor had exhausted him so much he couldn't pull it off. Sighing, he clutched his injury closer to his chest and kicked stone blocks out of his way, stepping over bodies of Death Eaters and students, wondering where everybody was.

He did not remain in the dark for long. As soon as he rounded the corner, he heard screams and the sounds of explosions coming from the Great Hall and saw the people fighting to get inside. In his hurry, he almost forget to make himself invisible so no one would kill him. He ran forward as silently as he could, making it inside in time to see Bellatrix Lestrange killed. He smirked as she was blasted backwards, then froze when he saw who Voldemort was fighting- Kingsley, Slughorn- and, a sight that scared him far more than the others- Minerva.

When he saw Voldemort scream with fury and blast back his three opponents, Severus shouted, "No!" and dashed forward to where Minerva had collided with the wall, all the while thinking, No, no, no, I'm not going to let him take another one! He's not going to kill ANOTHER woman that I love! He ducked between people until he finally reached her. She was alive; struggling to get to her feet amid the rubble and dust from the fights earlier. He breathed a sigh of relief before turning his attention to the center of the room, where Voldemort was looking around wildly for whoever had protected had brought up a shield to stop him from killing somebody else. Everyone else gasped in shock when the Potter boy pulled off his Invisibility cloak and stepped forward, and he heard murmurs of, 'He's alive!' rushing through the crowd.

Severus just watched intently, unaware that the Dark Lord had previously announced that he had killed Harry Potter. "I killed you!" Voldemort shouted, furious. "I killed you!"

"No, you didn't, Voldemort. You tried to kill me. But you only killed yourself."

"You're lying!' Voldemort shouted, the two circling each other. "I don't know how you escaped last time, but it will be the last time! You may have destroyed my Horcruxes, boy, but you still must kill me. Neither can live while the other survives, is that right, Potter? You can't kill me. There's only one way for this night to end. For you to be here now means you must believe you possess some magic that I do not, or a weapon that is more powerful than mine."

Harry laughed. He actually laughed at that. Severus knew that there was no one in this room who could take the Dark Lord on and survive, much less kill him, certainly not that arrogant child. "Tom, I believe both."

Voldemort cackled at that, shaking his head at the childishness of the boy. "Oh, is it Dumbledore's love again? Are you going to quote Dumbledore's lines to me again? Well, I have some news for you, boy! He is dead! Dumbledore is dead! What's all his love worth now?"

"What you don't understand, Tom, is that Dumbledore has planned all this from the beginning."

Voldemort glared at him, then shouted, "Dumbledore is dead! I arranged his death, it came to pass through my orders! He is not coming back!"

Harry just shrugged. "You're right about him being dead, but it wasn't because you ordered it. Severus Snape may have cast the Killing Curse, but it was on Dumbledore's orders, you foolish man! Dumbledore and Snape arranged it months beforehand!"

"Do you still not get it, Potter?" Voldemort screeched, though there was a hint of fear in his voice now. "Snape was mine! He was my servant! My Death Eater! I ordered him to play on Dumbledore's side until the last moment, when he would betray him!"

"And do you still not get it, Tom?" Harry shouted, advancing on him. "Severus Snape was never yours! And if you understood what you were missing, then you would have realized that from the beginning! He loved my mother, Tom. And you believed that, after her death, when he said he no longer cared for her, you believed that? Snape went to Dumbledore before you killed my parents and begged him to save her! Ever since that night, he has been on our side! Do you want to know how I destroyed the locket, Tom? Severus sent us the sword of Gryffindor! Severus Snape. He has not been fighting for you for nearly twenty years. And you were blind to that fact because you didn't realize how powerful an emotion love is. You want to know why you your spells don't work on anyone here, Tom? Because I went to fight you, to die for them, and I did die for them, and now? Now, it's just you and me. And I can defeat you."

Tom laughed at him again. "Whether I believe your lies about Snape or not, he is dead now. I killed him, and the Elder Wand is mine! You truly think you can defeat me? You truly think-"

"Tom, I could stand here and listen to you wax eloquent about how much better a wizard you are than me, or I could tell you this: The Elder Wand isn't yours because it never belonged to Snape! Haven't you been listening to me! Snape never won the won from Dumbledore! Draco Malfoy did! But I won the wand from him when I disarmed him back at Malfoy Manor. The wand you're holding, Tom, is mine. And you can't kill me with my own wand."

Voldemort remained frozen for a second, then just shook his head and chuckled. "Whether its yours or not doesn't matter, Potter. And when I've killed you, it will be mine."

"We'll see about that, Tom." The two continued to stare at each other for one long moment, then jumped into action.

"Expelliarmus-"

"Avada Kedavra-"

They shouted their spells at the same time and they met in mid air. Everyone stared in shock as the two battled for dominance, but Harry had been right. The Elder Wand refused to kill its master, and Voldemort's curse rebounded, hitting him squarely in the chest, killing him in an instant.

Everyone watched in amazement for a moment, spellbound, then erupted into cheers, crowding around the boy who had saved them all. Severus just slumped back against the wall, letting his invisibility charm fade away as he collapsed in exhaustion.

It was over. Finally, everything was over.

Minerva was just leaving the Great Hall when she spotted a dark figure slumped over in a corner. Something about the man was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She hesitantly approached him, fingering her wand uncertainly. The figure finally looked up at her when she came to stand right in front on him, and they both gasped. "Severus?" she whispered, momentarily stunned. "What- oh my god, how- what..."

Severus fumbled inside his robes for a moment, then produced a phoenix feather Fawkes had left behind. "Phoenix tears are stronger than snake venom," he offered weakly before letting it drop to the ground.

Minerva stared at him for a moment, fumbling for something to say. "Wha... but... your face, its..." Severus frowned in confusion, unsure of what she was trying to tell him. Finally, Minerva picked up a shard of glass from the ground and handed it to him. "Look at yourself," she managed. He hesitated before tilting the glass and trying to see his reflection in it.

He gasped. Nagini's assault had left a horrible scar across his face, arcing from his jaw line to his forehead, the sharp pale line permanently etched into his even paler skin. He stared at it for a second, then dropped the shard to the ground, smiling when it broke into two smaller pieces. "I guess there are some things phoenix tears can't cure."

Minerva hesitated before sitting down next to him, still watching him in amazement. "Severus.. is everything Potter said back then true? About Albus's death, and that this past year, you've really been on our side all along?"

Severus nodded. "Ever since the beginning."

"And You-Know-Who…Voldemort figured it out? That's why he tried to kill you?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "No... that one's a long story."

"I don't mind listening to it."

Severus shrugged, then sighed. "I'll tell you. But let's get out of here." He looked pointedly at the dead body next to him of a young student, and Minerva nodded quickly. They both stood up and headed out of the Great Hall, where there was more rubble but less dead bodies.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Minerva observed as they were picking a path through the mess, noticing he held it close to his body and avoided using it as much as possible.

Severus looked down at it, then shrugged. "I'm not sure. Its probably broken, from when Bellatrix tried to kill me but hit a suit of armor instead."

Minerva blinked in surprise, then turned to face him. "Wait, that was you? You're the one who put up the shield charm?" Severus nodded. "But... why?"

"I'm wasn't going to let Voldemort's people kill everyone in sight, Minerva. I've been on your side this whole time, remember?" he said coldly.

Blushing slightly, she shrugged, then nodded. "Yes... I'm sorry. But this past year, everyone's got so used to thinking of you as the villain."

"I know. That was the point."

The two held each other's gaze for a moment before Minerva broke it, looking down at Severus's arm, taking his hand so she could examine it. She pursed her lips, then shook her head and said, "It looks pretty bad. I'm not sure if I can heal it myself. We may have to get-"

"Just leave it, Minerva. I'm sure there are a lot worse injuries than mine."

"Still," she insisted, "that doesn't mean that we should just leave it alone like that. Humor me, Severus." He glared at her, then relented with a sigh.

"Fine. You get what you want, but then I get what I want."

"And that is?" Minerva asked as she led him back to the Great Hall, where Madam Pomfrey was treating the injured.

Severus groaned when he saw how many people were inside, both dead and alive, and lowered his head, hoping to remain unrecognized. You create a distraction so I can leave without getting accosted by people, and then meet up with me later so I can explain everything... because I know I have alot to explain."

Minerva nodded easily as she led him over to where many of the injured had gathered. "Deal."

Everybody was celebrating the downfall of Voldemort. No one was on the alert for the anything suspicious, so with Minerva by his side, everybody assumed he was just another wizard exhausted by fighting all night. No one examined him close enough to see past the greasy curtains of his black hair, to see a ghost back from the dead. "So," Severus murmured to her as they made their way through the crowds of people, "What exactly happened after Bellatrix tried to kill me? I woke up when Potter was talking to Voldemort about the Elder Wand."

So Minerva filled him in on everything she knew, which really wasn't much. She knew that Voldemort had told everyone in the castle to hand over Harry Potter, but what happened after that was unclear. Eventually, though, Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters had shown up, with a supposedly dead Harry Potter. Except he hadn't been dead. "But there's no cure for the Killing Curse-" Minerva began, interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

"Severus!" She gasped, staring at him in shock. "Severus Snape! But- But I thought He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named said that he- but you- and your face, its-"

He groaned heavily before producing the phoenix feather once again. "Voldemort used his snake, and Fawkes got to me in time."

"But- but," she stammered, "you- your face, and-"

"Look," he sighed, "can you just fix my arm and send me on my way? I'm not here to answer questions," he said coldly, holding out his broken arm at an awkward angle. The younger witch blinked, still shocked, then tenderly started examining his arm, though her eyes kept flicking back up to Severus's face.

Severus and Minerva both glanced over when they heard Luna exclaim something about one of her fantasy creatures, attracting the attention of everyone near her. However, most people didn't notice the boy sitting next to her vanish when everybody's attention was attracted elsewhere. But Severus did.

He smiled slightly, thinking of how much the child was like his mother. Lily, too, had hated the limelight. He remembered all the way back to the day they were sorted into houses, and her face had turned beet red when her name was called and she had ducked her head, telling him later that she had been praying to disappear.

Maybe he wasn't just like his father after all. He did have his mother's eyes.

Shaking his head, Severus attracted his attention back to the two witches standing by his side just as the younger one began talking again. "You should avoid using it for about a day," she said as she wrapped it up in the remains of a bloody sheet which had been fashioned into a sling, "but it should be fine in no more than a couple days."

He nodded his thanks briskly before standing and turning to Minerva. "Now, I believe you have to fulfill your part of the bargain."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Of course. I'll meet you outside of the Great Hall in five minutes, Severus. Don't run off, because I know you want to, but I want an explanation for everything that's happened this past year."

He smirked, watching as she proceeded to the head of the hall and shot sparks into the air. Severus didn't pause to hear whatever fantastic thing she was announcing, just slipped away and waited for her to make her appearance.

Five minutes later, they were wandering through the ruins of the castle, where the bodies of most of the Death Eaters had been left untended to, but those fighting for Hogwarts had already been taken care of. "So," he said as they stepped over the crushed remains of a pillar, "what do you want to know?"

Minerva hesitated. She had many questions, and though she knew most would be answered later, she wanted some answers now. "How is the boy still alive? And why did Voldemort try to kill you?"

He sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. Dumbledore hadn't told him everything, though he had picked up on a lot of things this past year. "I assume you've heard of the Deathly Hallows?" he asked finally.

She shrugged. "That old children's story? Of course."

"Its not a children's story. Ever wonder how Dumbledore was such a powerful wizard, Minerva? For years, it was just him, but after he fought Grindelwald, it was more. He won the Elder Wand from Grindelwald. Voldemort had the Resurrection Stone but didn't realize it, so he left it behind as a Horcrux; Dumbledore found it eventually. And the Invisibility Cloak of Potter's? That was one of the Deathly Hallows. The boy didn't know it for a while, but Dumbledore knew. As did Voldemort, though he wasn't interested in it. Only the Elder Wand. He stole it from Dumbledore's grave, but that's not enough, to win the wand's allegiance. You have to kill its former master. He believed that the wand didn't serve him because I was its master. You heard what Potter said before he killed him, you know the rest of that story. As for the boy's survival this time around... well, this time, I can only guess. But that is a long story either way."

He told Minerva everything Albus had told him about the Horcruxes and the one inside Harry, and that Harry's blood was inside Voldemort, from the night he had returned three years ago. That it had tethered Harry to this world, but the Horcrux had been killed. And that, of course, led to a longer tale about the other Horcruxes, how Harry himself had destroyed the diary over five years ago, about the curse in Dumbledore's hand from the ring, and how that was when Albus began planning how and when he would die. "But as for the others?" Severus finished as they came to a rest before a crushed staircase. "I'm positive his snake was a Horcrux, but as for what the others may have been, I have no idea. But that is what Harry and his two friends have spent this past year tracking down."

"Wow," Minerva said softly as they sat down together. "That's a hell of a story. Certainly does explain alot... but not everything."

"Not everything. Of course," he said with a sigh.

She shook her head. "No, not everything. You're saying you've been a double agent for seventeen years? The whole time?" Severus nodded. "After he returned, you were working for the Order... giving reports on him about the Order... on Dumbledore's orders?" Another nod. "You killed Albus by his own request? And this past year- when you sanctioned the torture of students- that was all just so Voldemort would trust you?"

Severus sighed. "You see why I refused any friends these past few years. The less people I talked to, the less chance of me giving something away."

Minerva shook her head, looking back on the past few years, unable to believe Severus had really been on their side this entire time. "And everything Potter said about his mother?" she finally asked quietly. "All that... was it true as well?"

He swallowed hard, looking away. Eventually, he murmured, "Yes. Yes, it was."

It was absolutely silent when she finally asked him, "And do you love her still?"

He shrugged. "I'll always love her. Doesn't mean I can't love somebody else." The two looked up at each other in silence, Minerva's eyes widening in surprise.

"Severus... is this your subtle way of saying you want something more than friendship with me?"

His only answer was another shrug. "If you want. Either way, friendship or something more, its your choice, Minerva. Just... know this. I saw someone nearly kill you twice tonight- first, with Bellatrix, then Voldemort. And I saw dozens of people survive death by an inch tonight, but you're the only one I remember."

Minerva stared at him in shock. No one had ever thought about Severus Snape having a relationship of any sort. The thought of him doing anything besides evil was unheard of... but now that she knew the truth about the last seventeen years...

But first, she had to know something, before she answered his question. "Severus, you saved my life tonight. Why? Was it just because I wasn't a Death Eater? Or something more?"

"I don't know. When I saw you fighting Voldemort, I... I just remember thinking that I couldn't let him take another one, another woman that I..."

"That you what?" she asked softly.

He shook his head not willing to admit the rest of that thought aloud. "Just that I wasn't going to let him kill another one of my friends," he lied.

Minerva went from hesitant to a cold fury in a second. "You know, Severus, if you're going to lie to me now, then there's no point of us even continuing this discussion. I don't need or want-"

"All right, all right, I wasn't going to let him kill another woman that I loved! But, honestly? I don't know if its because I've known you for nearly twenty years now and we're just friends, as you people say, or if its something more. I don't know if I want something more. I've spent the last seventeen years trying to avenge Lily. And now she's been avenged and I don't have a purpose anymore. I've spent so long being both Dumbledore's and Voldemort's pawn that I haven't actually fought for myself in a while. Feels like forever."

"Its not so hard to live for a purpose besides revenge, Severus."

"But I don't know how," he muttered under his breath, gazing at the ground forlornly.

"Why don't you allow me to show you?"

Severus raised his head to stare at Minerva with black eyes, examining her expression for any signs of lies of deceit. It was true, he had spent so long living in deception he wasn't sure if he could. But, perhaps Minerva could help him.

Finally, he said, "I... I'd like that." They both hesitated, brown eyes meeting black, until Minerva leaned forward and kissed him.

Once again, me continuing this depends on my other fics and my muse. Don't expect daily updates, or even monthly ones. As for now, its complete, only to be continued when I get bored. Please review