I had never doubted his loyalty but had often wondered if he would be strong enough to do what had to be done. He had walked in the shadows for much of his life and now he had been called upon to make a decision that no man should have been faced with—to kill me to protect a child. I did not fear death, sudden as it was, but I knew he both feared and loathed the task before him. Everyone had read it in his eyes.
He knew the consequences of such actions. He knew that he would irreparably change a reputation painted in shades of grey instead of black and white. He knew that he would become one of the most hated wizards alive. He knew that in fulfilling my destiny he had forever changed his own.
I had never been prouder of him.
In my time of greatest need when I implored him to do the unspeakable he had done so, even at such a great personal cost.
Days later he sat slumped over a table, miserable. If he only knew the peace I had found, perhaps it would have offered him some measure of comfort. Or perhaps not. He had no time for peace, trapped as he was between both worlds.
"Good luck, Severus, and thank you for being strong enough. You have been a noble friend." My whisper blew across the room, ruffling his hair slightly. When he looked up in surprise, I fancied I saw the ghost of a smile cross his features.