I was wondering how hard it would have been for Minerva to deul Snape in the Deathly Hallows bacause he used to be her student and all, and she's worked with him for years. By the way, I don't think of Snape this way, it's just her thoughts and feelings at the time.

Oh, and in this, she's not in love with him.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Severus Snape stood before her, his dark eyes glinting as he came closer.

"It is I." He had said, of course it was. Minerva pressed her lips together in annoyance as she watched the new headmaster looking straight at her.

"Where are the Carrows?" He asked quietly. Minerva didn't blink, she answered straight away.

"Wherever you told them to be I expect, Severus." She knew he was a clever man, just as he'd been a clever student, and it would be hard to throw him off the trail. But she had to, especially with Harry and Luna right beside her.

His eyes probed the air around her as if he knew Harry was there and Minerva was filled with a thud of sorrow.

She'd known him since he was eleven, and that made it hard, so hard, to see him now.

He had gone so thoroughly bad; working for Lord Voldemort, and ready to take the son of a girl who, if she remembered correctly, used to be his best friend.

"I was under the impression that Alecto had apprehended an intruder."

"Really?" She tried to distract him. But he had always been too determined for that. "And what gave you that impression?"

Severus flexed his left arm and Minerva had to stop herself from flinching. Of course, it was so hard to remember he had the Mark sometimes. Though, now that she thought about it, he'd always had it, even when he pretended to be on their side.

"Oh, but naturally," she let her disgust creep into her voice. It was a pity it had no effect on him now to hear her disapproval. When he was a student it had actually seemed to matter to him. "You deatheaters have your own means of communication, I forgot."

Severus just ignored her. Minerva watched him with narrowed eyes as he searched the air again. She had the uneasy feeling that he was looking for some sign of an invisibility cloak.

As she waited for him to say something she found her mind drifting to what it seemed to have considered all too much this year.

She'd thought, despite his proud manner and scalding remarks, that he might have retained a shred of respect for her, even felt as though they were friends. She knew that all the staff had cared about him, even if he'd been so horrid sometimes. He had been a part of the team. And surely he had felt the same way.

Obviously not.

As he moved closer she resisted the urge to step back. He would take it as cowardice, when in truth, she was disgusted by what he'd become.

"I did not know it was your night to patrol the corridors, Minerva."

"You have some objection?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I wonder what could have brought you out of bed at this late hour?"

"I thought I heard a disturbance." She said coldly, secretly wishing that they were back in the staff room like last year, having the usual battle of words.

"Really? But all seems calm." Chin high she met his eyes directly, forgetting that she should occlude, just in case, until the last second. She hoped he hadn't seen what he needed in that second.

"Have you seen Harry Potter Minerva?" Something inside her seemed to snap at those words. He did seem to know. But so what? She was ready for him now. She knew she had to make a choice. "Because if you have I must insist-"

No matter how responsible she felt for her old students, her current students mattered more. Doing what was right mattered more. Severus had chosen his side. She couldn't help him now. But she could, and would, help Harry.

She struck fast and hard, as quickly as she could. But they had all taught Snape too well. As he parried the curse she was thrown off balance by the shield charm and instead of attacking him again, directed her wand a the torch that sat in it's bracket on the wall.

With a whirl and a flick she created a lasso of flame and sent it at him.

But he was fast as well, making the flame into a great black serpent that he directed at her.

Was he aiming to kill? She wondered, with a thud of dread. She would have to fight back just as hard then. Pushing aside every thought in her mind but her determination she transfigured it into a swarm of daggers, directed back at her old colleague.

He pushed a suit of armour in front of himself and she winced as she watched the daggers drive deep into it's breastplate.

Then she felt the delayed anger boiling up faster. What right had he to be so familiar to her? What right had he to make her feel like some sort of indulgent aunt, not wanting to hurt him?

And then she found herself thinking of Voldemort, and how he had ruined Severus before he had a chance to live up to his potential.

Before she could let her fury fuel her actions, strengthen her magic, she heard a cry behind her.

"Minerva!" It was Flickwick's squeaky voice and she felt a lot stronger as she saw her back-up coming in. Her real friends, Pomona and Filius, with Slughorn panting behind them.

"NO!" Flitwick cried, little voice trembling with emotion "You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!"

And he brought the armour to life. Snape ran from it's crushing, powerful arms, down the corridor.

He was younger and faster then them, but they gave chase. He couldn't run forever. And they would catch him up.

She was briefly shocked as he ducked into a classroom, effectively trapping himself. They pelted in after him, just in time to see him perched on a desk before a window He turned and looked her briefly in the eyes.

For a second she seemed to be looking at the little eleven year old when he stood in wonderment in the transfiguration room, and then the moment passed.

He launched himself right through the window.

Minerva felt her stomach sink as he fell, she felt sick.

And then she saw him rise up, not crushed on the pavement after all, but escaping because he was afraid. Her anger, which wasn't so far from the surface, seemed to explode out of her.

"Coward!" She screamed, furious "COWARD!"

And she was disgusted that he would run away, afraid to face them.

Perhaps it would have been better for him to die.

And, with emotions swirling inside of her, she turned her back on the window.

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