Part 1: Severus

When Harry Potter left the Dursleys, walked straight out with no apparent hesitation, leaving the wards that his mother had died for straining and useless; leaving everything everyone had done for him; and leaving safety, sanity and the chance to survive, he also left Severus Snape swaying where he stood. Barely a week into summer and already Potter was causing trouble. Snape's upper lip could only curl.

What had been neutral ground was now tainted with cruel words, dripped in torture. The trees themselves rustled with Death Eater anticipation of something greater than ever before. Dark Marks were attuned to the Dark Lord's feelings and such a giddy happiness could only mean one thing: the blood wards had fallen, and Harry Potter was theirs to take.

Perhaps Potter had shown his usual surge of brattiness, so much so that the Dursleys had closed the door on him – or, less likely, it was an injustice by the Dursleys. Severus didn't care. All that mattered was that Potter had rejected their protection. Undeserving, ungrateful, a waste of his mother's sacrifice. Another in Potter's place, and Severus would not be in front of the Dark Lord right now, preparing to do his worst. But of course it was the black-haired, bespectacled child of James who held all their fates in his thoughtless he died now, what was her death for? Nothing. She may as well be alive, with him… Severus's fists clenched, and he didn't even have the clarity of mind to recognise the symptom of anger. Just that it hurt.

"Severus," the Dark Lord said heavily, in trustworthy, silky voice that reminded Severus of the first time he had bowed, kissed the hem of those robes that clothed such power, felt the brush of fear of every pair of Death Eater's lips as they kissed with all their terrorised, beating hearts. And all of Severus's torn own. But now his heart took no part - his was owned by only one person.

Experience and intuition told Severus to indulge the Dark Lord's excitement and stand up after a shorter time than normal. That worked for him. He tasted acid rather than the sweet belonging of his teenage days.

"The wards fell less than a minute ago. We must find him, Severus."

The unasked question from the Dark Lord to Severus Where do you think he would go? (he didn't like directly asking for help).

Mrs. Figg's? The park? The Leaky Cauldron? Potter had just disobeyed the Dumbledore's most cherished instruction - keep safe - so Snape couldn't imagine he would go anywhere near the Wizarding World.

"Diagon Alley or The Leaky Cauldron, my Lord."

"Then you shall search in Diagon Alley and the surrounding area," The Dark Lord then turned to his close circle of servants. "You shall cover London!" His eyes fell where Severus knew they would. "And Bellatrix, dear Bellatrix, you shall go to Privet Drive."

The lipstick was cracking as she smiled, oblivious to the murmured, thinly-veiled annoyance from the Death Eaters - which soon turned into "My Lord's" at the Dark Lord's stinging glare, with a faint stir of relief that the Dark Lord was too fixed on Harry Potter and too weary of time to punish them (for now, at least).

Snape met the Dark Lord's gaze, whose lips lip curled, narrowing the slits of his eyes even further. The Dark Lord might feel the edge of threat when Severus met his eyes - but it could also resulted in the Dark Lord viewing Severus as strong and reliable. Perhaps, if the Dark Lord had been a better Legilimens and Snape a worse Occlumens, he would have found Snape's throbbing panic. Anger. Despair.

When the Dark Lord stopped probing his mind, Severus's relief was as strong as the first time he had hoodwinked the Dark Lord. How many times could one (usually unlucky) man dodge death?The Dark Lord had barely skimmed the surface of Snape's thoughts, quick in the excitement of being so close to killing Harry Potter...

About that, had the he not noticed a pattern? Perhaps this time there would be less of the less of the grand speeches and more of the killing thing-

"And now my Death Eaters…"

Apparently not.

"The time has come for me to rise and Harry Potter to fall."

The rustlings of Death Eaters stilled; all eyes were on their Lord. There was a tightness in them, the same kind that a cat gets before it jumps to pounce. The speech ended more quickly than Snape had predicted, too quickly-

"Go!"

As one, the Death Eaters spun on the spot. Severus too. When he landed, it was with more dizziness than apparition would give him alone. He stilled himself on the nearest wall. He had done the wrong thing, under pressure he had done the wrong thing... Instead of ensuring that it would be he that would find Potter, he had made it that he'd be sent to the last place Potter would be - Diagon Alley.

Not that Severus had followed the Dark Lord's orders, not that he was in Diagon Alley. Not now, not with this at stake. Not again.

Privet Drive. It was quiet, but Severus placed a Disillusionment charm on himself. Bellatrix was roaming.

Number Four was ablaze, every window that Snape could see had its light on. At odds with the lifeless, dark neighbourhood. The Dursleys were panicking.

Snape craned his neck to see the uppermost branches of the tree Potter had used to escape the dog. The shadowy branch he had clung onto. At least his relatives had tried to teach him some sense of humility, feeling the whip of laughter at rather than with him...

Well, Potter wasn't here. It had only a few minutes since the wards had fallen according to the Dark Lord. How exactly he knew that wasn't clear but Dumbledore, ever more the seer than Trelawny, had warned of as much. How far could unresourceful Potter possibly get in such a short amount of time?

Snape's eyes glinted as he walked, searching from hiding place to hiding place, up trees and around corners, raking every shadow. None of the places were likely, but since when did likely apply to Potter? Everything about the neighbourhood reminded him of the vile primness of Petunia. That woman who hated anything different; Potter and her must get on-

Then, he stopped. He was outisde Arabella Figg's house. He had found what he was looking for and it was slumped, darkened by bruises and shadows in the doorway. Eyes open. Severus could see green.

Severus never ran; no situation warranted such an impulsive action, one that barely saved time, exhausted energy and limited thinking, reeked of desperation. Yet, his legs were moving, he no longer had any control and he was running.

"Potter!"

Mind, rearing.

A wild animal.

Kicking, damaging and scared.

On his knees, one hand on Potter's shoulder. Deep breaths through gritted teeth. He was deflating, and he could pinpoint no emotion other than panic.

Think, Severus. Who are you? Some Hufflepuff nitwit? The practicalities first.

Snape heard her before he saw: Bellatrix running towards him, loud breaths and light, almost silent steps. Her whirling dress and wand at almost amusing odds with the Muggle neighbourhood around her. Though Snape's wand was in his hand, casting a spell wouldn't help. Bellatrix would cast one faster, given she wasn't weighed down by Harry Potter, and then his attack would be proof that Severus was betraying the Dark Lord.

Severus could call the Dark Lord -give Potter to him, making it trickier to rescue him but making it easier for Snape to stay alive, continue as spy.

It was Lily's voice that made him decide what to do next, the same that had accepted Severus when no one else had, when even he could not. But the words were different. Rather than telling him how she would lose Severus if he continued on the same path, she told him how she would lose Harry. Severus had already lost Lily her beloved husband. Severus had already lost Lily her own life. The least he could do was keep the only part of Lily left alive.

For me, she had said when she had asked Severus to look after James's son, her son. Asked With Gryffindor bravery, and perhaps a little Slytherin cunning. For me, Severus…

For her, Snape lifted Potter. Though he was hardly one to judge how heavy fifteen year old boys should feel, the load seemed lighter than even Potter's small stature should account for. Side-long apparition with an unconscious passenger was never a good idea, but it didn't appear that Severus had much choice... This risked Bellatrix spelling him first…but, if it worked, potentially saving Potter's life. Which is your job, is it not?

And why was he not spinning yet?

For her, he spun-

A spell, bright red, rushed through the darkness towards him. His legs buckled, Potter still in his arms, and gravel grazed his cheek, Bellatrix's steps reverberating in his ear. Severus clutched onto Potter's wrist as he raised his head.

Bellatrix pressed her hand to her Mark with a grin - and the Dark Lord appeared in Little Whinging, gleaming with pleasure and looking just out of place like Bellatrix. He grabbed Potter's arm, then spun himself away with his prize. Bellatrix did the same to Snape, first leaning down and whispering in his ear with the delicate voice of a small woman. A rose with thorns.

"I always knew… You are a traitor. And I will be his most loved servant. The reason he captured both Severus Snape and Harry Potter!"

Severus stood, his loss tingling but he was not one to wallow: he exhaled empty air once, before deciding to let Bellatrix continue to hold him and whirl them both to the Dark Lord. Though he had vaguely flirted with apparating to Dumbledore, his priority was to keep Lily's son alive.

Where did it all go wrong?

As Snape had always known, it had and would always be when Harry Potter got involved.