Warning! Spoilers to Half Blood Prince!
This is something that I thought happened along side the book. A conversation between two people during HBP. A conversation between Dumbledore and Snape.
This is a one shot!
"Enter" came Albus Dumbledore's voice through the door.
Severus Snape entered and took the seat in front of the headmaster without waiting for an invitation.
"I guess this is about what happened over the summer Albus? I have no doubt that someone would have heard about my little visit from Cissa and Bellatrix."
"Severus, I have no doubt in my mind that there was a very good reason for why you did what you did. I am merely curious as to that reason." Dumbledore steepled his fingers in front of him and waited for Severus to reply.
"I don't know how much you have heard Albus but I will tell you exactly what happened."
Snape took 'n deep breath before lurching into his story… "Cissa and Bella came to 'visit' me. Cissa was worried about Draco and Bella came along just because she did not trust me. And as far as I know, she still doesn't. Cissa asked me to make an unbreakable vow to protect Draco with the task he was set. If he could not fulfill his task I was to do it for him."
Albus leaned a bit forward, he had a pretty good idea to what that task was but wanted to hear it from Severus himself.
"The task he was set Albus, is to kill you. I had taken the unbreakable vow and as such am now obligated to kill you Albus at the end of the year if Draco is unsuccessful or unwilling." Severus's voice was but a wisper and Albus had to strain his ear to hear.
"It was a last minute decision on my part Albus. I could take the vow and live and spy for you for the rest of the year, or, I could have said no and get killed on the spot by Bellatrix."
"I took the vow Albus, so I could be able to spy for you for another year at the least. At the end of the year I am going to have to fulfill that vow or die. You know what an unbreakable vow is Albus. You know what it entails. I will have to kill you by the set date that Draco has to kill you or I die. I doubt very much that Draco would kill you Albus. He is but a scared boy who would do almost anything for his parents, but kill, Albus, I don't think he is ready to take that step yet. He will chicken out in the end."
"So I tell you now Albus, I have this year left to spy for you and teach your Defense class. At the end of the year, I will be killed by the vow I had made."
During this whole speech Severus had looked anywhere but at Albus's face. He did not want to see the anger, the resentment or the disappointment that he knew would be there. But now, now he had no choice but to look up for Albus had been silent the whole time and about 5 minutes since he had ended his speech. Severus did not know what to think. Had Albus somehow left the room during his little talk, had he shut himself out from Severus's confession, or had he listened and was now waiting for Severus to look up. To see all the emotions he felt for Snape now.
He lifted his head a little bit and raised his eyes so he could just see Albus's eyes.
What he found there frightened and surprised him more than he would ever had thought possible.
Albus was not looking at him in disappointment, anger or resentment. In Albus's eyes, he could see nothing but love and pain. There were a few tears running down his wizened old cheeks.
"Severus. You know I love you like a son. I am very sorry for what you had to do and endure during your life. You had given more for the side of light than anyone would ever know. You had put your life in danger on more than one occasion and I can't thank you enough for what you did."
"Now, I will ask you one last favor. One last request to complete for this old coot sitting here.."
Snape opened his mouth to say something but Dumbledore lifted his hand for silence.
"No, hear me out Severus. I am an old coot. I have done so many wrongs to and for the people that matter most to me. To you as well. I have one last request Severus. One last thing to ask you, to make an old man happy."
Snape was silent for a while. Thoughts running through his head. 'What would Albus want from me now? Would he ask me to leave the school. Is he going to ask me to kill myself now so I could possibly save many other lives that could be lost because of this vow?'
"You know I would do anything for you Albus. I'd lie my life down for you. You know that."
"I do Severus. I do. But what I'm going to ask of you now is so much more. But first, promise me that you will do as I ask. Promise me that you would not doubt what I'm asking of you now and that you will not think twice of doing what I'm going to ask you to do."
Severus looked up at Albus. He could see emotions running through the wise old eyes but could not decipher them. All he knew was that he would do anything for Albus Dumbledore. The man who had given him more than anyone else in the world. The man who had believed him when no-one else would.
"I promise Albus."
Albus looked him in the eye and could see nothing but truth and sincerity.
"Thank you Severus. I want you to make an unbreakable vow to me. I want you to promise that when the time comes, when Draco Malfoy fails to do as he was asked. Promise, vow to me, that you will continue that task. Promise me that you will not end your life just so I can continue on living. Your life has much more worth than mine. You have your whole life ahead of you. Continue spying for the light. Continue in Voldemort's service and help Harry to fulfill the task he was destined for. Promise me Severus that in the end you will not let the other vow take you but that you will kill me. Kill me and live. Live so that when Voldemort is gone, you can search for a place where you find happiness. Where you can just be yourself. The man behind the mask. The real you. Promise me Severus."
Severus Snape sat in stunned silence. He could not believe what he was hearing. He could not fathom how anyone could ask to BE killed. Severus had known Albus since he was a first year. He had come to respect and even love the headmaster but he had never thought that he would be asked to kill his friend, his mentor in order to save his own life.
"I am an old man Severus. My time will come soon. I'd rather that you do it in order to save your life than die for nothing." Albus's voice was soft and full of emotion. Such emotion that Severus Snape could do nothing but agree with Albus.
"So I will Albus".
Albus had called Minerva to his office to do the bond, the vow. When they had finished explaining the situation to her, Minerva had tears running down her cheeks.
The procedure to do the vow was followed and in the end, no one in the office had a dry eye.
"I'm sorry for this Minerva. Obliviate!" came Dumbledore's voice.
------------------------------------------
So, what do you think? I just felt that there was something more to the book than what we read. Something in the way that Dumbledore had insisted on Harry getting Snape. Something in the way that he had said "Severus….please…." I think it was a plead to do as Dumbledore had asked him, rather than to end his own life. That is just my point of view.
Tell me what you think. You can flame me as well. I would like to hear your opinions!