He ran toward the stone gargoyle that served as an entrance to Dumbledore's office. He stopped in front of it; he had no idea what the password was. He let out a howl of exasperation and looked directly into the gargoyles eyes and he felt as if someone was looking back at him.
The gargoyle groaned, sprang to the side and revealed it the hidden staircase behind it. He mounted the staircase as it twirled up to the office; nearly jumping off before the staircase reached the door. He flung it open, not bothering to knock. He ran to Dumbledore's desk and collapsed into the chair in front of it, his breath caught in his throat and tears slid from his eyes making streaks under them through the grime on his face.
"So Severus," said Dumbledore, keeping the back of his chair towards Snape. "You now choose to join us, do you?"
Snape stared at the back of Dumbledore's chair; sometimes he gave Snape the ominous feeling that he could delve into his mind. "I wish to renounce my life of destruction and service to Lord V-Voldemort."
Dumbledore turned his chair and looked directly at him, "Why Severus? Why should I trust you?" There was a mixed look of interest and hate in Dumbledore's face.
Snape was lost for words to describe it, what he had seen, what he had done. How could he possibly convey to Dumbledore that all he wanted was to be loved and respected and the price he paid for it?
"It's all in your mind Snape, if you cannot tell me can you possibly show me?" Dumbledore asked calmly. Dumbledore walked over to a cabinet behind his desk and pulled out a stone basin decorated with runes on the edge and full of a silvery gas-liquid.
He placed the bowl on the desk in between them, "Do you know what this is Severus?" Snape nodded, it was a Pensieve, and this one seemed particularly full. Dumbledore seemed to have been in possession of it for quite a long time.
"Do you know how to use it?" Snape again nodded, you simply extracted thoughts from your mind and placed them into the Pensieve. Then you stirred the thoughts and an image would appear, and if you touched the liquid you would be inside that persons memory.
"May I?" Dumbledore asked almost coyly as he brought out his wand. Yet again Snape nodded, he seemed completely unable to speak. Dumbledore walked up to him and placed his wand at Snape's temple just at the roots of his greasy black hair.
A few strands of silver liquid strings clung to the end of the wand; Dumbledore placed them into the Pensieve and stirred the substance. Images from Snape's past arose out from the depths of the basin.
A/N: I did a little editing so it should be a little better, but not much. This fic was inspired by GoF when Harry asks himself "And, Why...why, was Dumbledore so convinced that Snape was truly on their side." Well this is my version of why. So no likey, no readie, no complainy, M-Kay. I, sadly, do not own these characters they belong to J.K. Rowling (she's so lucky.)