A/N: This fic is now AU. There was a plot bunny that gnawed rather viciously at my brain and this is the only way I could get it out.

"To what do I owe this gift my friend? My life, my love, my soul?"

Hide-Creed

CHAPTER 2

"Severus, please sit."

Snape had followed Dumbledore into his circular office and now stood stubbornly in the doorway, simply watching the elder man as he seated himself behind his desk. The Potions Master sensed a lecture and was not in the mood.

"Sherbet Lemon?" The Headmaster gestured to the packet of sweets upon his desk and as he shook his head Severus wondered, not for the first time, if anyone actually ever accepted this bizarre offering.

"Well, if you won't accept the offer of truly delightful Muggle confectionary." Dumbledore paused to peer intently at his youngest teacher. "At least indulge me by taking a seat."

Stifling a groan, Severus sat himself in the high wing-backed chair in front of the Headmaster's desk and met the old man's gaze obstinately.

He was waiting to be berated for his rash words to Lupin.

Outside the walls of Hogwarts the sun was beginning to set, disappearing behind the hills in a burst of brilliant red and gold that stained the sky and cast a pale hue upon the floor of Dumbledore's office and the faces of the silent portraits.

"I was just wandering." Dumbledore began softly, compelling blue eyes never wavering from Snape's face. "If you wanted to talk…"

At this Severus was taken aback. In all honesty he believed that he might just have preferred the lecture.

"I—" He opened his mouth, willing his usually sharp mind to force some intellectual sentence from his lips.

But Dumbledore went on. "I noticed your rather disturbing silence during the meeting, and your sudden, unprovoked verbal assail on Remus, it all leads me to believe—"

"Unprovoked? He interrupted me!" Severus fired, realizing as he said it just how immature the words were.

Albus raised a silvery eyebrow. "As you just did I. Shall I make some cutting remark regarding your time as a Death Eater in return?"

It was obviously a rhetorical question and he went on quickly. "No…there was no apparent reason for your reference to Sirius Black's death or your callous words against werewolves, you must have known that you would cause some sort of uproar, or at the very least a distraction." At this Dumbledore leant forwards across his desk. "This, I believe, was your intention."

Severus showed no reaction save for the arching of one oily eyebrow.

"Since your last meeting with Voldemort three weeks ago," Dumbledore went on. "You have been terse and abrasive." More than usual anyway. "And upon mention of Dark activity you began referring to Sirius and antagonizing Remus, any attempt to draw attention from the topic at hand." A small, slightly sad smile played at the elderly man's lips. "To great effect I must say."

A bitter look crossed Severus' face. "Perhaps." He whispered. "Though I must admit, I never expected Moody to retort."

"No I would imagine not." The aging Headmaster rose from his chair and strode to where Fawkes sat on his perch, preening his magnificent feathers. "But why take the risk?" A gnarled hand extended to stroke the bird's fiery red belly. "What are you so intent on hiding, my boy?"

Snape bristled at the address as he too got to his feet and, partly to relieve his restiveness, partly to escape Dumbledore's piercing gaze, he strolled to the window.

"I thought it prudent…" He began, staring at the dying sun and steadily rising darkness.

Ah, how metaphorical…

"I thought it prudent not to mention this during the meeting as plans are currently still a work in progress and I felt it unwise to cause undue worry."

Stroking his pet phoenix Albus let a tiny smile flitter over his lips at irony in the Potion Master's words, if Severus' way of preventing worry meant riling his comrades up by insulting one of their number then Albus almost shuddered at the thought of what Severus could do if he intended to cause strain…

But I've witnessed that side of him. He realized sorrowfully. I know all too well what Severus Snape can do when faced with desperate situations.

Severus pressed a ghostly pale hand against the windowpane as Dumbledore watched him sadly, speaking softly. "What plans are these, Severus?"

"The Dark Lord," Snape stared into the eyes of his distorted reflection, eerily white against the growing darkness outside. "He is now developing a means of tracking certain wand signatures."

At this Albus looked up sharply, two fingers resting against Fawkes chest suddenly unmoving. "Any wand signatures?"

"That is his ultimate goal, yes…but for now he is simply concerned with specific ones…"

Snape's voice trailed into nothingness as both men stood contemplating the severity of this statement.

"When is he planning on finalizing the details?"

"Sometime…" Severus waited for the blow to fall. "Sometime in the next two days."

"And just when were you planning to inform me of all this?" Albus turned to face his employee, voice pitched low and calm but eyes blazing.

"I was hoping that there would be no need." Severus felt his own frustration well within him. "The idea, for the most part, seemed unreachable! It was far too large an operation to expect—" He broke off abruptly, black eyes rapidly masking something.

Very slowly he dropped his right hand to his smarting left wrist.

Locking eyes with his former student Dumbledore insisted quickly. "Go. Answer his summons and come directly back here to report."

Severus held his gaze for a just a moment longer before turning and tearing from the room.

Dumbledore stood watching his departure with an aching heart, reciting a silent prayer for the man he had always wanted so desperately to save.

It was only the portraits and one lone phoenix who heard the heart-wrenching whisper of; "Be careful, my child."