Disclaimer: I own nothing but the little voices in my head telling me what
to write...
Snape paced the worn floor of his office, avoiding looking at the sleeping form on the hard couch. He had quickly delivered Malfoy the antidote, and left him to sleep while he thought. 'He's so young! I knew his father was. . . but why so soon? . . . so promising, now . . . pressured into it? I hope. . . just like me . . . no escape."
Snape clutched his left forearm frantically, and collapsed in a chair, tears silently burning a path down his rough cheeks. A sharp knock on the door startled the professor out of his stupor. With a deep breath, he called out, "Enter, Dumbledore."
The wise old wizard came into the room quitely, waiting to hear what Snape had to say, although he already knew what was going on. Dumbledore had a way of knowing everything, he always had.
Snape paused, unsure of how to begin. He suspected that Dumbledore had an idea of what had happened, but you could never be sure.
"He- he's getting stronger, sir. Lord Voldemort, I mean, the Dark Lord. I felt it in my arm. I-I can hardly move it. But. . . that's not all that told me. It was. . ." he pointed at Draco's body. "He's taking them even younger. We have Death Eaters amongst us, Albus!" Snape said this last sentence urgently, almost as a plea for help.
"But he is not a faithful Death Eater, Severus," Dumbledore responded calmly and quietly. "A true Death Eater would not try to escape. Surely you realize this is what caused him the pain?"
Snape stood silently as Dumbledore touched the young boy's forehead, muttering a few well-chosen words. The boy blinked his eyes drowsily as he tried to sit up. Suddenly taking in his surroundings, Draco yanked his cloak down to cover his exposed left arm, fear suddenly entering his dark eyes.
"It's alright. We saw." Dumbledore said quietly and simply.
Draco lowered his eyes, unable to face Snape or the head master, ashamed and embarrassed at being found out in this way, being so completely weak in front of two powerful wizards, two wizards who would never show the cowardice he showed. "I'm sorry." Despite all his talk about despising the headmaster, Draco had come to respect him when compared to the harsh master he now knew.
"I'm sure you understand Mr. Malfoy, that we can allow no Death Eaters in Hogwarts. That group goes against everything that this school stands for," Dumbledore seemed saddened by more than the fact that Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater.
Scared, Draco responded, "If you only knew... please... I don't believe anything that group stands for. I was. . . my father. . . I didn't know. . ." he trailed off, watching Dumbledore's thoughful face.
"Albus, if I may. . . " Snape requested quietly. "Might I deal with Mr. Malfoy?"
"Teach him all you know, and keep him safe, Severus," the headmaster replied. Turning to Draco, he said, "You chose a dark path. And now, an even harder path has chosen you. You are alive because you need to try. You have the power to help others and in doing so save yourself. If you succeed, .you will have my respect, I assure you of that. A certain amount of bravery, courage and intellect is required to go against Voldemort, particularly after you have sworn loyalty to him."
Draco shuddered at the mention of the name, rubbing his arm vigourously. Finally, after a moment of thought, he sighed resolutely. "Then I'll die trying if I must; I can't stand being a part of... of him."
Snape nodded. "Neither could I."
Snape paced the worn floor of his office, avoiding looking at the sleeping form on the hard couch. He had quickly delivered Malfoy the antidote, and left him to sleep while he thought. 'He's so young! I knew his father was. . . but why so soon? . . . so promising, now . . . pressured into it? I hope. . . just like me . . . no escape."
Snape clutched his left forearm frantically, and collapsed in a chair, tears silently burning a path down his rough cheeks. A sharp knock on the door startled the professor out of his stupor. With a deep breath, he called out, "Enter, Dumbledore."
The wise old wizard came into the room quitely, waiting to hear what Snape had to say, although he already knew what was going on. Dumbledore had a way of knowing everything, he always had.
Snape paused, unsure of how to begin. He suspected that Dumbledore had an idea of what had happened, but you could never be sure.
"He- he's getting stronger, sir. Lord Voldemort, I mean, the Dark Lord. I felt it in my arm. I-I can hardly move it. But. . . that's not all that told me. It was. . ." he pointed at Draco's body. "He's taking them even younger. We have Death Eaters amongst us, Albus!" Snape said this last sentence urgently, almost as a plea for help.
"But he is not a faithful Death Eater, Severus," Dumbledore responded calmly and quietly. "A true Death Eater would not try to escape. Surely you realize this is what caused him the pain?"
Snape stood silently as Dumbledore touched the young boy's forehead, muttering a few well-chosen words. The boy blinked his eyes drowsily as he tried to sit up. Suddenly taking in his surroundings, Draco yanked his cloak down to cover his exposed left arm, fear suddenly entering his dark eyes.
"It's alright. We saw." Dumbledore said quietly and simply.
Draco lowered his eyes, unable to face Snape or the head master, ashamed and embarrassed at being found out in this way, being so completely weak in front of two powerful wizards, two wizards who would never show the cowardice he showed. "I'm sorry." Despite all his talk about despising the headmaster, Draco had come to respect him when compared to the harsh master he now knew.
"I'm sure you understand Mr. Malfoy, that we can allow no Death Eaters in Hogwarts. That group goes against everything that this school stands for," Dumbledore seemed saddened by more than the fact that Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater.
Scared, Draco responded, "If you only knew... please... I don't believe anything that group stands for. I was. . . my father. . . I didn't know. . ." he trailed off, watching Dumbledore's thoughful face.
"Albus, if I may. . . " Snape requested quietly. "Might I deal with Mr. Malfoy?"
"Teach him all you know, and keep him safe, Severus," the headmaster replied. Turning to Draco, he said, "You chose a dark path. And now, an even harder path has chosen you. You are alive because you need to try. You have the power to help others and in doing so save yourself. If you succeed, .you will have my respect, I assure you of that. A certain amount of bravery, courage and intellect is required to go against Voldemort, particularly after you have sworn loyalty to him."
Draco shuddered at the mention of the name, rubbing his arm vigourously. Finally, after a moment of thought, he sighed resolutely. "Then I'll die trying if I must; I can't stand being a part of... of him."
Snape nodded. "Neither could I."