There was a note from Professor Slughorn asking that Snape immediately meet with the Headmaster when Snape arrived the next morning. Snape had a fleeting thought about collecting his things from the lab as he stood, still looking down on the parchment. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then walked soberly out of the Potions laboratory. As he made his way through the maze of corridors, Snape’s thoughts drifted. He had finally come to realize how important Hogwarts was to him. He had been able to gain the respect of a wizard like Dumbledore. He enjoyed his Potions apprenticeship. He could not even think about how Violet fit in.
The gargoyle looked at him menacingly, or so he thought. He eyed it cautiously, realizing he did not have the password. The words “ ‘sugar quill’ “ sprang to his mind so he stepped up and tried them out.
The door to the Headmaster’s office opened softly as the stairs stopped turning. Snape peered into the open doorway. Dumbledore stood with his back to Snape, looking out the window.
Snape took a few steps cautiously into the room.
Dumbledore turned slowly, giving Snape a sad smile. He reached into his robe and pulled out a small glass bottle.
“I have something that is yours,” Dumbledore said, holding out the bottle.
Snape walked to where Dumbledore was standing and took the small bottle out of his hand. For a few moments neither of them spoke.
“Can you teach me…” Snape began, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat.
“Can you teach me that incantation?” Snape asked.
Dumbledore shook his head and Snape’s face fell. He felt a burst of anger wash over him all at once. He clenched his fists.
“Show me,” Dumbledore commanded calmly.
Snape met Dumbledore’s eyes but did not move. Dumbledore registered the flash of anger in Snape’s face and took a step closer rather than backing down.
“Show me,” Dumbledore said again, quieter.
Snape looked down and hunched his shoulders.
“I can help you, Severus,” Dumbledore suggested.
Snape turned on his heel and stalked a few steps away.
“Help me with what?” he spat, his back to the Headmaster.
“Tolerate your new situation.”
Snape turned around, glowering at Dumbledore.
“There is no fixing this,” Snape told him.
“I know,” Dumbledore responded calmly.
“I will do my duty,” Snape said.
“As I expected,” Dumbledore replied.
“Why don’t you kick me out?” Snape asked bitterly.
“Wouldn’t that be a bit extreme?” Dumbledore asked. “Toffee?”
Snape shook his head, answering both questions at once.
“I was expecting you would return to Hogwarts,” Dumbledore told him, drifting over to a seat in front of the large oak desk. “Seat?”
Snape remained standing.
“How do you know all this?” Snape asked.
“Come have a seat,” Dumbledore ordered quietly.
Reluctantly, Snape obeyed.
“Show me,” Dumbledore said again.
Snape scowled, but this time he carefully turned up his cuff.
Dumbledore looked at the Mark on his arm for a long time, his brows furrowed together.
“Did it hurt?” he asked curiously, lifting his finger to trace the outline of it in the air above Snape’s forearm. “I imagine Dark Magic of that magnitude to be horribly painful.”
Snape did not respond, remembering with a shudder, pain so intense that he had blacked out.
“How did you know?” Snape asked finally.
“I didn’t for sure,” Dumbledore responded. “I hoped I still had a chance.”
“A chance?” Snape asked.
“To win your trust; win your allegiance,” Dumbledore explained, looking at Snape sadly. “What’s done is done.”
Snape rolled down his cuff and shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
“You realize, Severus, your life is now in danger?” Dumbledore asked.
Snape looked at him quizzically.
“With a Dark Mark, any Order member can kill you on sight.”
Snape shuddered involuntarily.
“Order member?” he asked.
“Order of the Phoenix, Severus. It’s a little name we are calling the good guys… well I guess that isn’t accurate exactly “ they aren’t all what you would consider to be ‘good.’ It is the name for those actively fighting to oppose Lord Voldemort.”
Snape looked down at his hands.
“I would like to offer you some protection,” Dumbledore told him.
“Protection?”
“I can keep you safe from the Order,” Dumbledore explained.
“Why?”
“I need you,” he replied. “I need your skills and your intelligence in potions making.”
Snape did not respond at first.
“What do you want from me?” Snape asked wearily.
“Your word,” Dumbledore explained, shifting toward him. “You will not share anything with them before first talking to me. Let me continue to protect your memories.”
“Why?”
“Because they will use them against you, Severus, and they will use them against people I care about; people I have sworn to protect.”
Snape thought about this for a few moments.
“What about Violet?” Snape asked quickly.
‘What about her?” Dumbledore responded.
“Has she talked to you?” Snape asked.
“She has not,” Dumbledore replied.
“I am concerned for her,” Snape admitted, leaning forward in his chair.
“She is an excellent judge of character,” he assured Snape. “She seems to be right about you.”
Snape did not respond.
“She could be in danger,” Snape stated finally.
“Indeed,” Dumbledore agreed.
“What should I do?” Snape asked.
“Be sure to see me before you see them,” Dumbledore replied. “I will do what I can to keep her well-protected. And under no circumstances are you to be seen with her outside of Hogwarts.”
Snape nodded in his assent.
“Severus, will this help make your situation more tolerable?” he asked.
Snape nodded.
Dumbledore leaned back and regarded Snape silently over his steepled fingers.
“People make mistakes,” Dumbledore began.
Snape bristled. “I made a choice!”
“Regrettably a poor one, however,” Dumbledore remarked. “Your choice, Severus, has put a great many people “ including yourself “ in unparalleled danger.”
Snape did not respond.
“Regardless,” Dumbledore continued. “I will do what I can to ensure your safety here. I trust that you will not do anything considerably foolish without consulting me first.”
“Agreed,” Snape responded.
“Any questions?” Dumbledore asked.
“What do you use the Dreamless Sleep potion for?”
Dumbledore smiled as he stood slowly.
“I have sent it out to Muggle hospitals. It is given as medicine to any Muggle that ends up on the wrong side of Lord Voldemort or one of his Death Eaters. Sleeping without nightmares helps speed up recovery.”
Snape left his meeting with Dumbledore, feeling a mixture of emotions: elation at not having to leave Hogwarts, relief at not needing to lie to Dumbledore, and fear at how it would all work out in the end with the Dark Lord.
He returned to the Potions laboratory, determined to distract himself with work. He worked through lunch and was just getting ready to begin another potion when the door to the lab creaked open. Snape looked up to see Violet looking intently at him. His heartbeat rose to his throat.
“Um, Severus,” Violet began, “I have been waiting ten minutes. I have no new review sheet.”
Snape stood for a moment just looking at her. Quickly he replaced the bottle he was holding and turned to walk toward her. Violet held the door for him to pass through. He walked toward her work table.
“I have been distracted,” he told her curtly. “I regret that I did not make any new review sheets.”
“That is fine,” she replied easily, rounding to the other side of the table and beginning to collect her things. “I can wait until tomorrow.”
He felt sad suddenly. He did not want to miss out on this time he had in her presence. He glanced around the room for something he could use to keep her there. Suddenly an idea occurred to him.
“I was just beginning to brew some Veritaserum,” he told her as she put the final item in her bag. “Would you like to observe?”
Violet looked at him intently.
“Are you sure that would be alright?” she asked cautiously.
He nodded once and turned back to the professor’s private lab. She followed him back to his work area, putting her bag on the floor under the table. He conjured a stool for her and placed it at the head. She settled herself atop it.
Snape spoke in low tones explaining to Violet all of the steps he was taking in putting the potion together. He was pleased when she started asking questions about the different properties of some of the ingredients.
Once the potion was assembled, they talked easily of other things. Mainly, Snape asked about her work in Transfiguration because he knew it was her strong suit. Violet was very passionate about it, especially regarding some ethical questions they had just covered in class.
Snape enjoyed talking to her; she was very knowledgeable about a great many things. Violet sighed aloud when the bell clock rang the hour.
“Thank you, Severus,” she said, hopping off the stool. “I enjoyed this lesson more than all the rest.”
They looked at one another awkwardly for a moment and then both bent together to retrieve Violet’s bag off the floor.
“Let me,” Snape said, softly.
Violet stood, allowing Snape to retrieve the bag and place it gently over her shoulder.
“I should thank you,” Snape began awkwardly.
Violet regarded him with a puzzled expression.
“For keeping my confidences,” he finished.
Violet smiled shyly. “You’re welcome, Severus.”
He walked with her over to the door.
“You should know it is only because I like you,” she told him simply, looking over her shoulder and giving him a small wave.
Violet left Snape at the door of the Potions classroom. She headed to her afternoon classes, lost in thought. It seemed that Snape was beginning to recognize his ability to trust her. She considered that a small breakthrough. How much more clearly did he need for her to be? It should be obvious by now that she cared for him a great deal and would never do anything to harm him.
“How are things going with Snape?” Matthew McMillian asked, catching up with her in the corridor.
Violet felt her face flush a deep red.
Matthew laughed incredulously. “Don’t you see him for help with Potions?”
Violet nodded.
“Potions is going well,” she choked out.
Matthew regarded her suspiciously. “What else is going well?”
She eyed him carefully.
“Oh, don’t tell me,” he began.
“It’s nothing,” Violet protested, still blushing.
“Have you seen the man, Violet?” Matthew demanded. “You can surely do much better than that!”
Violet sighed. “He is brilliant,” she tried to explain.
“Oh please,” Matthew replied.
“I have known him for a long time, Matthew. He is a friend of my sister.”
“Exactly! He isn’t even your age!”
“What, are you jealous or something?” Violet asked, laughing.
Matthew looked away.
Violet stopped walking. “Matthew,” she began, “You are my best friend.”
He scowled, walking a few steps farther than her.
“My unfortunate existence,” he stated, turning back to her.
Violet did not immediately reply.
“Look,” Matthew said suddenly, “I just worry about you, that’s all.”
“I can take care of myself,” Violet told him.
“He seems like a mean and nasty character,” Matthew remarked. “Have you seen him when he helps out Slughorn with the students?”
“You just don’t know him like I do!” Violet defended.
Matthew regarded her sadly.
“I don’t want to fight with you about it,” he said, softly.
Violet took a deep breath.
“So maybe I do like him,” she confessed.
Matthew rolled his eyes.
“You are my best friend, Matthew and it’s not because you aren’t attractive or anything… It’s just that I have liked Severus for a long time.”
Matthew nodded his head.
“Is that why you have never even given me a backwards glance?” he asked.
Violet nodded and reached out to squeeze his hand.
“I hope he treats you right,” he told her.
Violet laughed.
“Yeah, well “ it’s not like he even knows I exist,” she told him.
Matthew laughed good-naturedly.
“I know what you mean,” he agreed.
The following day, Snape met with Lily Potter at a small table in the Three Broomsticks. He had finally set up a meeting with her to go over his progress with Violet’s schoolwork.
“Severus,” Lily said settling into the seat across from him smiling. “Thank you so much for working so closely with Violet on this. I have been concerned about her schoolwork. It has been a difficult time for her since our parents died and then I got married. She puts on a brave face, but I know it is hard for her.”
Snape motioned for the bartender who brought two glasses of wine.
“Dumbledore’s orders,” he replied awkwardly, not wanting to take any credit where none was due.
Lily nodded pleasantly. Snape noticed that she was looking peaked.
“Are you alright?” he asked, pushing the glass of wine closer to her.
She shook her head. “No wine for me, thank you. It has been a series of late nights.”
He raised his eyebrows and she laughed.
“Working,” she stated.
“What are you doing now?” he asked with interest.
“Oh, a little of this and a little of that,” she replied vaguely.
Snape remembered hearing about a standoff between Death Eaters and some other magic folk who it seemed had begun to come to the rescue of the general Muggle community. He appraised Lily for a few moments, wondering whether or not she was involved in something like that.
“There have been some crazy things happening to Muggles,” she said, finally.
Snape was surprised that Lily would be caught up in such things, but remained silent.
“You know, Severus, I think that Violet may have a crush on you,” Lily said suddenly, smiling brightly.
He coughed into his wine and she laughed.
“Just be careful with her, would you? She is my little sister and I would hate to see her heart broken. I imagine that she is no one that you would be interested in “ a Ravenclaw, besides. She is young, yet, and has big dreams. Keep an eye on her for me, would you? Knowing you are around has allayed some of my concern for her.”
Snape thought back to his past few encounters with Violet and the sunny laughter she brought into the Potions laboratory.
“I will keep her close,” Snape replied thoughtfully.
Lily looked at him quizzically but did not respond as he still seemed to be lost in thought.
“Her schoolwork is much improved. In fact, Dumbledore does not expect that I will continue to tutor her much longer,” he explained, finally.
“And keep an eye out for anything suspicious, would you?” Lily suggested. “There have been some crazy things happening lately.”
Snape nodded, feeling an inner anguish at this.
“I am sorry, but I need to leave,” Lily said.
They both stood up together.
“Thank you for being so good to Violet,” Lily told him, leaning to brush his cheek with her lips. “You are a good friend.”
Snape remained silent as she squeezed his hand with hers.
“Be careful, Lily,” he said as she was turning. “Be sure to watch your back.”
She smiled at him and walked quickly out of the tavern.
Never Again by HandPFeather
Chapter Notes: So sorry for the very lengthy delay in updating! Been off having some HP fun - saw the Muggleboys...Real life has just gotten away from me. Thanks for your patience