Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to J.K.Rowling not me, I just play with them a bit to entertain me and others, no money is made by this and I solemnly swear to put them back after I'm done playing.
Rating: R
Pairings: Eventually HP/SS , mentions of RL/SB and RW/HG
Feedback: Is highly appreciated, please be so kind to review.
Authors notes: This story is dedicated to my wonderful beta Kuteki. I really wouldn't know what I'd do without her.
Behind the Mask
or
The Truth about a True Hero
by Angeline
Prologue
My name is Severus S. Snape as you may know when you read this and if you are able to read this, let my assure you that I'm dead by now and nothing will affect me anymore by the time this story is published.
I fought with myself for quite a while if I should share this with anyone, but I have come to the conclusion that others have the right to know the truth. I have decided to wait until my death with it, because I'm quite fond of my calm life, which I spend in solitude now. There was a time when I didn't mind and even enjoyed the company of others, but the older I get the more annoying I find other people.
I know that if this story would become known while I live, I would spend the rest of my life being chased by lunatic reporters, a fate which horrifies me, so you can hopefully see my reasons for waiting so long.
This is a story about a true hero, most of you may have heard of him, maybe his tale may have been told to some of you as a bedtime story, even though in my opinion this is not a fitting story for children.
Some of you may have known him personally, as much of himself as he let others see. There were very few he confided in enough to let them see the real him and as the war went on fewer of them were there anymore. He always had to be the strong one, a beacon to whom people could look up to.
That is the problem with people, they don't want to believe that their heroes are human like them.
I want to tell you something about heroes, some things for which most of you may have never spared a thought. Heroes make mistakes, can be in a bad mood, or sometimes behave childishly, what really makes them different from other humans is that they fight for millions of faceless people who they will never know, they gain nothing from this fight. A hero, even when he is exhausted and lost all hope, he keeps on fighting because the light has to win over the darkness, a hero's only reward is the peace that settles after the dark is defeated once again, and if he dies in the battle, not even that.
So you see, being a hero is nothing one should wish to achieve, even the fame that comes with it is mostly just frustrating, so I have been told. People expect so much of you, sometimes more than you are able, or want to give, if you are not able to live up to their expectations they will judge you harshly and turn their backs on you.
A fact, of which people are mostly ignorant about, is that a hero also needs true friends, a place where he can rest undisturbed and love. No one is able to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders without having a shoulder to lean on, people he can trust to sometimes share his burden with.
Love is another thing this story is about. Not the kind of happily ever after love and also not the kind of boy meets girl, they marry and have children love. No, we are talking here about a different kind of love. The love that happens on the battlefield, between fighters where you are never sure if your mate will come back in the evening, or how much time you have left. So this kind of love is more intense, you could say desperately so. Clinging to each other to be comforted, feel alive again for a few hours, grieving for the ones that are gone and praying the other will be spared, to have the chance of a future together. But life is not a fairytale and prayers often go unheard...
