A/N: As to the question of Borgin's knowledge of the Horcrux...interesting thought. However, my inept Borgin is merely a pawn being used by his charming former employee. Borgin doesn't know what's down there, other than it's something very important...he's just the zookeeper.

And now, for my answer to a question that has plagued Severus lovers since that revealing episode at the end of GoF...

Chapter 21- For the Sake of the Ones We Love

Everything you do is triggered by an emotion of either desire or fear.- Brian Tracy

Severus left the next morning at 9:15 to go to Draco's. Harry and Samantha sat in the kitchen, enjoying their customary silent breakfast before Ron and Hermione woke up. Samantha finished reading the paper and set it down in front of her.

"Anything important in there today, Sam?" asked Harry as he drank the rest of his coffee.

"No, not today," said Samantha. She leaned her head on the back of the chair and sighed.

"Aw, come on now, it's not so bad," said Harry lightly. "Severus will come back exhausted, Ron and Hermione will glare at us the whole day, and Voldemort is still out for our blood."

Samantha chuckled half-heartedly.

"Thank you, my dear James," she said. "It's always good to look on the bright side of things."

"Perspective, Sam. It's all about perspective," said Harry with a wide grin. "So, what should we do today?"

"I was going to go pull all the books out of the library on potions for research on our little snake problem," said Samantha. "You're welcome to help if you want."

"That sounds so exciting," said Harry sarcastically. "But I think I'm going to workout a bit. My wand hand's getting itchy."

Samantha smiled. "Just be careful. I don't want to spend the afternoon playing Mediwitch." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Mum. Call me for lunch."

Samantha finished drinking her tea and walked down the hall. She got to the library and found no potions books. Irritated, she scanned the stacks for anything interesting and found a rare Charms book from the Renaissance. She sat in the chair by the window, immersing herself in the book and completely losing track of the time.

Harry came into the library at 4:30. He smiled at Samantha sleeping in the chair, her book propped open on her stomach. He looked towards the hall and motioned into the room with his head. A tall cloaked figure walked up behind him, staring at the angelic figure in the chair.

"Her and her books," said Severus softly. "She was like this in school, too. I'd find her in the library before breakfast slumped over a table during exams, with books everywhere. I think it's the only sleep she got the whole week."

"I never did understand that mentality," whispered Harry. Severus looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You, a star Quidditch player for the Red and Gold, not understand loving something so much that it becomes your entire existence for the better part of the school year?" mocked Severus. Harry gave him a little shove.

"Alright, you made your point," said Harry softly. "Why don't you make sure she's up in time for dinner? I'll go start some spaghetti." Harry left for the kitchen as Severus walked softly over to Samantha's chair. He lowered his hood, uncovering his tied-back hair that was coming loose from the ribbon. He brushed her raven locks back from her face and pressed his lips softly to hers. She opened her eyes as he pulled away.

"Hello, my love," Severus whispered. Samantha stretched and sat up straight in the chair.

"Hello there, handsome," she said. "How were your lessons with Draco?"

"They were surprisingly good," said Severus. "He's obviously been practicing Occlumency on his own. A week or two more and he'll be on par with Harry."

"Wow, that's great, Severus!" said Samantha excitedly. "Do you think he's already able to pass us information?"

"Possibly," said Severus. "I'm going back the day after tomorrow. I'll teach him the Patronus Messaging Charm then, so we can receive the information and pass it on. We'll let your wonderful cousin and Arthur decide what to do with it."

"Good thinking," said Samantha. She sniffed at the air. "Who's cooking garlic?"

"Young Mr. Potter is fixing us a culinary treat," said Severus, regally holding out his hand to Samantha. "Angel hair pasta covered in delectable marinara sauce with, hopefully, some bread and salad."

"You and your flare for the dramatic," said Samantha as she took his hand and got up from her chair. "Are you always this verbose, my dear Severus?"

"Yes, he is," smirked Harry as he leaned against the doorframe. "You should hear the speech he gave to us as first years the very first day of Potions. I'll never forget it as long as I live."

Harry crossed his arms and look haughtily down his nose. Samantha snickered at his close resemblance to Severus. Severus frowned at her as Harry spoke in a soft, velvety tone. "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses." Samantha burst out laughing while Severus glared at both of them as Harry continued. "'I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.'"

Samantha doubled over in laughter, leaning heavily on Severus. She grabbed his arm tightly as Harry gave Severus a cheeky grin and ran back to the kitchen.

"Let me go, Samantha," growled Severus, prying her fingers from their grasp on his arm. "I want to wring his scrawny little neck, the impudent little brat!"

"Now, Severus," said Samantha with a huge grin, "It was just a bit of fun. Let's be an adult about it, hm?"

Severus sighed and nodded. Samantha let go of him and he raced out of the room and down the hall before she could catch him.

"Severus Gabriel Snape!" yelled Samantha as she ran after him. She burst into the kitchen to find Harry in a choke hold.

"Sam! Help!" said Harry as Severus grinned at her.

"Severus! What in the hell are you doing?" cried Samantha. "You're going to choke him!"

"Well, yes, dear, that is the point," said Severus. He looked back down at Harry. "How are we doing, James? Your face is awfully red."

"You - wait - old man!" panted Harry. Severus let him go and Harry stumbled forward, coughing.

"Now, Severus," teased Samantha. "I'll have to send you to bed without dinner unless you behave."

"He started it," said Severus, pointing a finger at Harry. Harry stuck his tongue out at Severus from behind Samantha.

"Yes, thank you for acting in a mature manner," said Samantha, smirking at both of them. She turned to Harry, who was still rubbing his neck. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"They're upstairs," said Harry. "I'll go and get them. The pasta should be done by now." He grinned at Severus as he left the room. He returned a few minutes later, the other two in tow. They all sat down to eat, not talking much as the tension over Draco became immediately apparent. As the food disappeared, Ron cleared his throat.

"Hermione and I are going to Hogsmeade a week from this Saturday for her birthday," said Ron. He kept his eyes down on his plate, pushing his salad around in circles.

"Oh," said Samantha, raising an eyebrow at Severus. "That'll be nice. You'll just have to be very, very careful."

"I'd rather you not go at all," said Severus. He held his hand up at Ron and Hermione's protestations. "But I am not your guardian. Therefore I cannot keep you here against your will if you are determined to go. You are old enough to be responsible and take care of each other should you run into any trouble. I do ask that you be back at a reasonable hour, as it will be getting dark rather early."

"We should be back by late afternoon," said Hermione in a bright tone. "I can't wait! I haven't been out of this house in months!"

Dinner ended on a happy note, everyone filled to bursting with pasta and bread. Harry had Kretcher clean the dishes, with much muttering and cursing to be heard. Severus was walking out of the kitchen when Harry pulled on his sleeve.

"Would you mind doing a little training with me tonight?" asked Harry. "I did some earlier today, but it helps to have another person with me. Ron and Hermione are off in their own little world."

"Are you sure you want to train with an old man, James?" teased Severus. "I don't know if I'll be of much assistance to one so young and quick as you."

Harry schooled his face into one of serious concern. "It's up to you. I wouldn't want you to get hurt. Brittle bones and all." Harry took off in a dead sprint towards the ballroom, barely dodging a stunner from Severus.

"Merlin, Severus, not in the hall!" cried Samantha from over the second floor banister. "Keep your badly aimed spells within the confines of the ballroom, if you please!"

"Yes, Mum," said Severus snidely. He raced after Harry into the large dark room and dropped to the floor immediately, the red light of a stunner whizzing over his head.

"Sneaky, my young Gryffindor," said Severus softly as he crept around the room. "But can you continue to be sly and cunning?" He spotted movement and fired off a Jelly-Legs. There was a loud thud and cursing before the silence resumed. A light flew at Severus and hit him before he could conjure a shield, knocking him to the floor. He cut through the ropes of Harry's incarcerous spell and stood quickly. He grinned in the darkness and softly whispered a spell. The form of a tall, skinny boy glowed green in the darkness. Severus flicked his wand at Harry, ropes coming out of the end and tying him up. Severus snapped his fingers, lighting the chandelier.

"You cheated," said Harry, struggling against his restraints.

"Says who?" said Severus, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't tell me what spells I could or could not use. Besides, any opponent you're going to face will not ask you beforehand which spells you are familiar with. You have to know how to strike first and take your opponent out before they can take you out." Severus cancelled his spell and helped Harry off the floor. "Most amateur duelers will wait for their opponent to strike first, putting themselves on the defensive. You must always be the first to cast and cast something powerful or distracting. It keeps you one step ahead of them, at least in the beginning." Severus walked a few paces away from Harry and turned. He gave Harry a bow, and took on a dueling stance. Harry did the same, eyeing Severus carefully. They stood completely still for several moments.

"You've already lost," said Severus as he relaxed. "You had seconds to fire and you just stood there."

Harry sighed. "Sorry. I'm just so use to being attacked. It's hard to change your perspective."

"You must try and do so," said Severus softly. "Hesitation will kill you. It has been proven time and time again. That is why control of the situation is of utmost importance. Occluding your mind during a duel will keep you properly detached from the emotional drain of fighting and any strong emotions that may be used to distract you, in addition to a certain level of pain from the duel itself. Let's try again."

Severus and Harry mock dueled for the next three hours. By the end of their practice, both were covered in sweat and breathing hard. Severus looked at his watch as Harry stumbled weakly against the wall behind him.

"It's late, Harry," said Severus softly. "Let's end here for tonight. But I would like to ask you a question before you go."

"What about?" asked Harry as he sat on the floor. Severus came over and sat beside him.

"I want to bring Draco here next weekend while Weasley and Hermione are off doing -- whatever it is they do," said Severus. "But I wanted to make sure that was okay with you. This is still your house, no matter how many people live here. I would never presume to bring him here without asking you first." Harry nodded tiredly.

"That's fine," said Harry. "I don't mind him coming. Plus, Ron and Hermione won't be here to harass him the whole time."

"Well, yes, that was my intention in inviting Draco then, as opposed to any other time," said Severus with a smirk. "Draco is nervous enough about doing what he's already agreed to do, never mind having to deal with stubborn Gryffindors. I was thinking we could do some training like we just finished and maybe a little Occlumency practice with both of you, since I haven't had any lessons with you in a while. What do you think?"

"Sounds good," said Harry. "There's just one problem. How are we going to get him inside the house if it's still under Fidelius? Dumbledore was the Secret Keeper, so he can't tell Draco the location."

"Yes," said Severus. "But if you took your thinking a little further, you would realize that most spells cast by a person completely disappear after the caster dies. Albus's Fidelius on this house and the Order completely dissipated upon his death," said Severus. "He knew this might happen, so he made the requisite preparations, while still ensuring that the Order members who he personally had told the secret to would still be able to enter. He had to modify the Fidelius Charm slightly, but as you know, it's still working perfectly."

"A new Secret Keeper," said Harry. He rubbed a hand over his face. "If it's McGonagall, we're toast."

Severus chuckled. "No, it is certainly not McGonagall. That would indeed cause us endless amounts of grief. No, the new Secret Keeper will be more than happy to grant Draco access to the house for training." He grinned slyly at Harry, whose face broke out in a wide smile.

"Brilliant!" cried Harry. "How long?"

"Since I told him about the Unbreakable Vow," said Severus smugly. "No one else knows, not even Sam. Although I'm sure once Draco gets here, she'll figure it out rather quickly. I told Albus to find a secondary Keeper, just in case, but I don't have any idea if he was able to in time."

"Yeah," said Harry. Severus watched him fidget nervously, opening his mouth several times, but closing it before he made a sound.

"What is it, Harry?" said Severus. Harry played with his wand holder strap and took a deep breath.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done," said Harry softly. "It's probably not what you imagined you'd be doing after that night on the Tower. Especially being here with us. I really appreciate everything you've taught us and everything you're continuing to do for us and for Draco. It means a lot."

"It has been my pleasure," said Severus with a nod of his head. "Despite popular opinion, I do like to teach. However, I only take joy in teaching those who have a true desire to learn what it is that I'm trying to teach them. You and your friends, for all the trouble you've caused me the past six years, can be exceptionally determined once you set your minds to something. That has made this more than bearable."

"And having Sam around," teased Harry. Severus shrugged a shoulder and grinned.

"That is definitely a bonus to being here," he said softly. "I thought that I would never see her again. I thought that as soon as I cast the Avada that I'd lost her forever. But then she completely blew me away, showing up in the forest the day of the funeral and giving me a renewed purpose. She's the reason I'm here right now. I would have died without her and Albus."

"Can I ask you a question, Severus?" said Harry hesitantly. "You don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

"Certainly," said Severus. Harry turned to sit facing Severus.

"Why did you take the Mark?" asked Harry softly. Severus looked down at his hands, fidgeting slightly. He took a deep breath and looked back up at Harry.

"I haven't told anyone this in quite a while," said Severus softly. "But I think you've earned the right to know. Samantha knows, of course. She was the first I told, as it all began with her." Severus took a deep breath and began.

"You've heard, of course, how Voldemort recruits for his army. Some jump at the chance to join, believing whole-heartedly in 'the cleansing of the Wizarding race,' as they call it. Some enjoy the violence. For others, it's the promise of power or the rewards of vengeance. But for some, recruitment is much more akin to coercion or force." He cleared his throat and swallowed thickly, but his voice still shook slightly as he continued.

"As I told you before, I am a half-blood. My mother, Eileen Prince, was a very gifted and intelligent witch. My father was a wealthy muggle that she met through a friend. They married when they found out my mother was pregnant. I was unexpected, to say the least. I'm sure, living with relatives such as you have, you can relate to being unwanted by adults who are supposed to care for you."

"Yeah," said Harry as he though back to living with the Dursleys. Severus nodded.

"My father was not at all pleased when I started to display the accidental magic that most wizards perform when they are young. He never wanted me to go to Hogwarts. In fact, he tried to keep me from getting my letter when they arrived the summer after my eleventh birthday and threatened violence if I left for school. My mother had to write to Albus personally in order to get me safely to Hogwarts. I don't know what went on during the school year, but from what I can tell, my father became very fond of alcohol and reacted violently to seeing my mother perform any kind of magic in the house. As I got older, my father started to taunt and abuse me about my magical abilities, saying how I was unworthy of being a Snape. I remember staying with Sam the summer after my fifth year just so I could get away from him." He rubbed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

"Sixth year is when everything went to hell," said Severus bitterly. "I was made Quidditch captain that year and went back as somewhat of a popular person in the House, which drew attention to my admittedly superior potion brewing skills. I began receiving owls from people like Evan Rosier and Jonas Travers and Lucius Malfoy about this group and implored me to join. However, I could never get them to explain to me what exactly it was that this group did. I told them I wasn't interested in joining something that I didn't know much about. I showed the letters to Sam and she agreed that the whole thing sounded a bit off. I went home that summer and found both my parents dead, the Dark Mark floating over my house. The killers had written a message on the wall in blood." Severus bowed his head, closing his eyes to avoid seeing the glistening red letters on the wall.

"What did it say?" whispered Harry. Severus shook a little as he repeated the words that had burned themselves into his mind.

"'She will be next unless you agree,'" whispered Severus. "I had never been more frightened in my entire life. I had fallen deeply in love with Sam by then. She was the only thing I had left and I wasn't about to let her be killed because of me. I packed some things of my mother's and went to her house. I remember it was pouring rain that night. I showed up on her doorstep, drenched, with everything I owned packed in my trunk. I sat down with her and her parents, who were Order members, and told them what had happened. I told them that I wanted to take the Mark so that Samantha would be safe. They thought I was overreacting and told me that Dumbledore would be able to help."

He shook his head and chuckled harshly. "What a fool I was not to listen to them, but I was so scared for Samantha. I stayed with her for a week or two before I left. I told her that I would do what was necessary to keep her alive. I contacted Lucius and told him that I would take the Mark. I was branded that summer and completed my first missions as a Death Eater. I went back to Hogwarts, pretending that everything was fine. Sam never believed my act. She saw the Mark on my arm one night, but it didn't phase her at all. She knew I had never wanted to join. To this day, I think she feels responsible for my turning to Voldemort. After her parents were killed after our graduation I was furious with Albus, completely ignoring the fact that it was my so-called 'friends' who had murdered them. I couldn't forgive him for not protecting them as members of his Order. I vowed to protect Sam myself, Albus and the Ministry be damned. I helped her find a flat and kept the Death Eaters from finding her. It was at that time that I was truly loyal to the Mark." Harry's pale face stared back at him in horror.

"Why did you come back to our side, if you thought that Dumbledore wasn't a capable leader?" asked Harry. Severus ran a hand through his hair and exhaled.

"I was so angry," said Severus softly. "The rage I felt at Albus was, in my mind, justifiable. It was this anger that gave me a thirst for blood, for the murdering of innocents by way of nasty potions that I invented or modified. But as time went on, I became more and more empty. My quest for -- vengeance, retribution -- whatever it was that I felt I needed, was not being satisfied. I know now that it never would have been, had I stayed loyal to Voldemort. One of the final straws for me was finding Regulus dead in his apartment." Severus sighed wearily.

"Regulus Black, a member of one of the most distinguished pureblood families in the entire Wizarding world and a brilliant young man, killed by the same people who recruited him for those very reasons. I knew then that I had made a huge mistake. I was a tool to be used against people, only to be gotten rid of when I had served my purpose. I had been following Albus the day he interviewed Trelawney for the Divination post, hoping to get a chance to talk to him. Of course, I didn't know that I would overhear half of the Prophecy about you." Harry looked down to the floor. Severus raised his chin with his hand, staring directly into his eyes.

"I never, ever meant for your parents to be killed, Harry," said Severus. "I may have hated your father, but I never wished him dead. Lily was a good friend of Sam's. I followed him back to Hogwarts that night after I was thrown out of the pub. He saw into my mind with Legilimency, like I did with Draco. He saw me talking to the McKinnons about Sam and how I had kept Voldemort from finding her, despite my anger at Albus for the loss of her parents. He asked me to return to Voldemort as a spy for him, which meant telling Voldemort as much of the Prophecy as I had heard. I thought he was completely insane, and told him so. He had the nerve to smile at me and tell me that he would take care of things on his end as long as I did as he asked. He hired me to teach at Hogwarts beginning the next September. Voldemort was thrilled beyond belief that I had weaseled my way close to Albus. He actually wanted me to become a member of the Order so that he would have himself a spy on Albus, which worked perfectly to our advantage." Severus smiled a little, but sobered quickly.

"I found out the next summer that there was another spy in the Order who was close to you and your parents, although I would have never in a million years suspected Pettigrew. In fact, I didn't find out he was the rat until after the Triwizard Tournament and the chaos that ensued. Voldemort began planning to kill you that fall. I warned Albus immediately, who placed you under Fidelius. A week later, Voldemort was gone and you were lauded as the Savior of the Wizarding World. However, Albus and I, along with a select few from the Order, never believed Voldemort to be gone forever. You are, unfortunately, very knowledgeable on what happened from that point on.

Harry sat in silence as Severus closed his eyes, emotionally exhausted on top of being physically exhausted from their workout. He opened his eyes as he heard Harry stand. The boy held out a hand and helped Severus up off the floor.

"Thank you for telling me that," said Harry. "Everything makes a lot more sense now."

Severus nodded. "I would appreciate it if you didn't share that with anyone. I like to be the one to tell people my own story."

"Absolutely," said Harry. "You can trust me."

"I know I can," said Severus. He looked at his watch as Harry tried to stifle a yawn. "It's late. Best get on up to bed."

"Goodnight, Severus," said Harry.

"Goodnight, Harry," said Severus. "Sleep well."

"You too."

September 19th dawned bright and chilly. Ron and Hermione flooed to The Three Broomsticks early, wanting to spend some time shopping before the crowds got too thick, armed with passworded portkeys to Headquarters that Severus had forced them to take. Samantha, Harry, and Severus were all in the kitchen, finishing up the eggs and bacon Harry had cooked.

"We're going to have company today, Sam," said Severus casually. Samantha looked up sharply.

"It's not Remus, is it?" asked Samantha, cringing a little.

"No, Sam, it's not Remus," said Harry, grinning. "Our guest is going to be a lot more fun than Remus would be."

Samantha frowned. "Alright, I give. Who is it?"

"You'll just have to be patient, love," said Severus with a smirk. Samantha made a face at him as the doorbell rang. Severus got up quickly and went to the door. Samantha choked on her tea when she saw the pale haired boy in the doorway.

"Severus! How did you get him in here?" asked Samantha as she wiped tea off her chin. "Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful to see you, Draco. It's just that the house is supposed to be under Fidelius."

"It is under Fidelius," said Severus, chuckling softly. Samantha narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you kidding me?" she said softly. "You're aren't, are you." She shook her head. "Brilliant. The man was bloody brilliant."

"That's what I told him," said Harry. "Since summer before last, if you can believe that."

"With Dumbledore, anything can happen," muttered Draco as he snatched up the last piece of bacon and took a bite. He hummed in satisfaction. "Damn, this is good. Did you make this, Samantha?"

"No, James did," said Samantha absently, still staring at Severus. "I can't believe he made you Secret Keeper without telling any of us."

"He didn't want people to know in case something went wrong, which it did," said Severus.

"Who's James?" asked Draco, as he put jam on a cold piece of toast.

"I am," said Harry. He gave Draco a plate and pushed the eggs towards him, ignoring Severus and Samantha's talk about doddering old men. "It's my middle name. We've been using it as my code name when we go out of the house. That's why Severus called you by yours the other day. You have an awesome middle name, by the way."

"Thanks," said Draco as he sat down and spooned out some eggs onto the plate. "It was the name of my grandfather on my mother's side. Mother wanted it to be my first name, but Father decided that Draco was more dignified. Why I couldn't have a normal name like everyone else, I will never know." He began to eat while Harry drank his coffee.

"Unbelievable," said Samantha, shaking her head. She turned to Draco and gave him a smile. "Well, at any rate, our young spy is here for the day. We shall have to make the most of it while Ron and Hermione are out."

"Oh, pity," drawled Draco. "I was so hoping to speak to Weasley while I was here."

"Indeed," said Severus sternly. He pointed a finger at Draco. "There will be no untoward cursing, jinxing or hexing in this house, Elias, or you will pay the price."

"Yeah, yeah, Sev, I got it," said Draco. Severus growled at Draco's smirking face.

"He hates it when I call him that," said Draco softly to Harry, grinning. Harry grinned back and gave him a small nod.

"This day is going to be awesome!" said Harry softly. Severus groaned as he rubbed a hand over his face.

"What in the world have I gotten myself into?" he muttered to Samantha. She chuckled at him.

A/N2: Harry's mocking of Severus's copious use of descriptive language comes directly from Sorcerer's Stone. Just so no one thinks I'm brilliant enough to come up with that on my own...

Severus's story: like it? hate it? believable? I'm basing all of my dates on HP Lexicon's timeline for Severus, going with the 1959 birth year, giving him approximately two years of faithful Death Eater service before his turning in the spring of 1980.