:+: Snape's Fight :+:
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A.N.*
Hey there, you know, this story has nothing to do with my other Snape fic "The Distruction of Severus Snape." Though it might seem like it. It's not. Most sequels suck. Nope this is just a cute, well dark little story that I came up with as I re-read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I got to this great quote from Snape that porves why he's my favorite character. I don't know why, but, it sort of displays it well. *SPOILERS* If you haven't read the fourth book, I do not suggest you read this. The quote of which I speak will come as a bit of a nasty shock to you if you haven't finished the fourth book, or haven't read it at all. You have been warned.

*Disclaimer*
I don't own anything. The quote of which I spoke was written by J.K. Rowling. All things of which I write here and of which you read here belong to her. Also the fist two things that are said are taken out of the book, in order to give direction... Anyway, just read...
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"Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.
""There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disaperate, and Apparate, instantly at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff had fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed to many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold.""
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Chapter 1 : the assignment.

"Severus . . . you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready . . . if you are prepared . . ."

"I am," said Snape.

With that, Snape wordlessly left the room.


That was a month ago. He had left in order to find a fellow Death Eater. This fellow Death Eater was once in the Dark Lord's inner circle, however, the night that he vanished, so had this particular Death Eater. Snape assumed that this ment that this Death Eater had purged their loyalties to the Dark Lord. His mission was dangerous for two reasons: 1) He must remain unseen by the Dark Lord and his minions so as to keep his life, and 2) He had to take the chance that this particular Death Eater, was a former Death Eater and not one still. For if this person was, it could prove fatal for him.

He walked down the street in this muggle town. He was dressed as a muggle - a particular aspect that he hated - in blue jeans and a black button-down shirt. The address was 222 W. Jacaranda Place. Well, this was W. Jacaranda Place, but he couldn't find 222. He'd been searching for this person for a month now and this hunt brought him here: Monterey Bay, California, U.S.A..

'Why,' he thought. 'There's nothing here but a beach.'

Which was partially correct. There was a beach, a private beach.

'What the hell,' he thought. 'Might as well go and walk on the sand. It's not as though Hogwarts has the sand and the ocean that California has.'

The reason this Death Eater was needed was complex. They were the best, most outstanding spy in the world. They'd worked for the muggles intelegence agencies for the past thirteen years. The spy was Agent 176. They'd been in on all the greatest and catostrophic happenings that the Dark Lord could have mustered thirteen years back. And THAT was why they wanted this Death Eater. Maybe, Dumbledore could pry out the motives for the killings, or the names of those who were to be killed and save them.

That all depended on the Death Eater that lived on 222 W. Jacaranda Place.

Severus Snape took off his shoes and held them, walking down the beach a piece. He had walked around the "No Trespassing" sign. He didn't care. 'Who really cares?' he thought. 'Those stupid muggles.'

As he walked, thoughts of the mysterious Death Eater / muggle spy. He'd known them. Maybe too well. Then he dissmissed the thought. He had not known them too well, that would have been alright. Then he would have known where they were, what they were doing, and wouldn't have had to go on this wild goose chase to find them.

Then, he saw, up the beach a bit, a woman. She was standing, looking out to sea, in a rather large white hat and an over-sized but short light blue sundress. The dress was quite over-sized for her small figure. She looked like a french model with her shoulder-length red hair flowing out in the wind from beneath the hat that her pale, slender hand held to her head.

When he was about four yards away from where she stood, she turned. Now, a vague tatoo on the arm that held the hat was visible.

He advanced toward her. "Collette."

"Severus," was the turse, British reply.

"I've been looking for you," Snape said, coming yet still closer to her. The sun was setting, and the orange light hit her hair in such a way that it seemed to be on fire.

She turned back towards the ocean. "I believe it," her voice, like liquid silver, said from behind the large hat. "Have you come to kill me?"

The question came as a bit of a surprise to Severus. "Why would I want to do that?" he asked.

"He didn't send you, then? The Dark Lord?" She turned back to him as she asked this. Her green eyes seemed to glow in the strange lighting that lit the scene.

Being careful not to reveal anything, he said, "I cannot say."

After letting this roll over in her mind, and after looking him throughly up and down, she turned back to the ocean. "No," she said. "No, you aren't here to kill me. You were always a bad liar, Severus. Don't try to do my job. Professional liar, that is."

"You caught me," he sighed. "Now, I suppose, you must kill me?"

"Ah, Severus, I won't kill you. Even if I was told to, I couldn't do it. You know to much," she said. "Which is exactly why I should kill you. However, I won't kill you for two reasons: the aforementioned "I can't" and because I am now a fugitive, like you."

All this didn't quite make sense to Snape. Why couldn't she kill him, and did she say - "Fugitive? But-"

"I am not with him any more. I didn't come back that night a month ago when the Mark burned. I can't go back now. To add to it, I don't want to. Too much killing, too much pain. Too many commands. I can't do it any more, Severus. It's like I grew out of it," her voice trailed. The voice like liquid silver had begun disscussing these deep thoughts with a man who she'd not seen for over a decade. It was almost unerving for Severus, but the sound of her voice had a calming effect to the words which it pronounced.

"I have searched for you for a reason, Collette. I have a proposition to make," he said, trying to get to the point so that his nerves might calm down a bit.

"A proposition? What kind?" She turned to look at him suspiciously.

"You come with me. To Hogwarts. We'll help Dumbledore, stop Voldemort, and live without fear," Snape said, stepping closer to help ensure no nasty tricks.

"As enchanting as that sounds, Severus, I like my job here and don't fancy leaving it-"

"You'll have a job at Hogwarts."

"What will that be? Toilet cleaner extrordinaire?"

"No," Snape said. 'That's Filch,' he thought. "You'll be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"A teacher. That's insane. Though, it is a subject that I suppose I could teach well," she seemed to give it a hard thought. Then she said, with a school girl smile, "Are you really that desperate?"

"Maybe," Snape said. He thought about it, then ammended it with a, "Yes."

"I suppose," she began, breaking off in what appeared to be thought. "I suppose, anything is better than living in fear."

"Yes, it is," Severus said, knowingly. For he knew what it was to live in fear.

"Shall I pack and then Dissaperate?" she asked, looking at him with a small smirk on her pink lips. It was almost completely dark, and the light was now coming from a house that was about ten yards away. Snape assumed it was hers.

"That would be wonderful."

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A/N*
So, how'd you like it? Well, tell me... please flame nicely... or not at all.