Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. How sad.

Notes: This is one of the "shorts" I've written in my spare time about our beloved Severus Snape. This one takes place between HBP and DH and is AU-instead of being the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Snape is in hiding.

Dangerous Liaisons

Had Severus ever mentioned to anyone how much he hated his life?

Well, he loathed it. Loathed it with a deep and fiery passion.

He hated everything he need to do in order to stay alive lately, hated what Dumbledore had convinced him to do, and hated what everyone thought about him now. Strange, he'd never thought he cared about how his coworkers and peers saw him, but now he felt dirty.

They all saw him as a murderer, and traitor now, no one knew that he was still truly fighting for their side, and he knew Dumbledore's wishes well-no one could know.

So instead, here he was. Holed up and hiding way in a skuzzy dive in Knockturn Alley, watching his writhing Dark Mark with growing trepidation as he waited for it to burn with the Dark Lord's call.

He was little more than Voldemort's shadow now, almost constantly summoned to stand at his side and listen as he carefully plotted aloud to his most trusted companion.

Severus was forced to carry out the most dangerous errands; Voldemort trusted no other enough to give such tasks to them. As such, he often had to spy on Order members, and then bring back false information with just enough truth to keep the Dark Lord from realizing his true motives.

And then, sometimes he had to be truthful, and that almost always ended in someone dying, but he could not always be wrong, it would be too suspicious.

And so, in this way, Severus was forced to be both judge and jury more often than even he would like.

And obviously, this was a large factor that caused him to hate his very existence.

But he could not let himself give in. Death would come only when the job was complete. He owed it to the only man who had ever seen him as a he truly was. He would finish Albus' work.

He only wished that he could have contact with anyone of the Order. Hell, he'd even be willing to talk to Lupin! Things would go so much more smoothly if he could only warn them of changes, dangers coming…

But Severus knew that he must trust the judgment of his mentor. And so, he was silent.

For now.