Title: Do What You Have To Do
Author: Serpent's Redemption
Song: Do What You Have To Do by Sarah McLachlan
I know I promised this a long time ago, but it's here now. You'll finally find out who the mysterious female figure is that Sev had to kill. Just a note: I have read the 6th book and Sev's still my favorite character. The whole song thing above just lets the reader know what song I had stuck in my head and/or was listening to while writing the fic. And yes, I borrowed the idea from my friend and fellow fanfiction writer Chibi Naruto Kawaii, a.k.a. Kazega-kun (His pen name is Chibi-NarutoKawaii, and I borrowed the song idea, which isn't stealing… at least not technically) But enough of that; on with the story! Gallops off triumphantly to smite those to be smitten
Standing in a drafty hallway, Harry took a deep breath and opened the wooden door gently. Stepping quietly into the room, he let the door shut softly behind him. The cozy room was a drastic change from the rest of the abandoned mansion; it had the feel of a secluded hideaway. 'Or an isolated prison cell…' Harry thought sorrowfully. The only source of light in the room was a fire crackling in the fireplace, giving off a faint orange glow, casting most of the room in shadow. A four poster bed stood in the left side of the room with a matching bureau and chest of drawers, the tangled disarray of sheets giving the room a feeling of restlessness.
The rest of the room was sparsely furnished, with two high-backed armchairs in front of the fire, a few small tables and a bookshelf filled with old books on the near wall. The entire room was a combination of a bedroom and a sitting room. Beyond the chairs and bookshelf was a set of ornate glass doors that led onto a small balcony, with long dark scarlet drapes that could be tired back or used to cover the doors. A tall dark figure, half lost in the shadows, was standing next to one of the doors, holding one of the drapes partially open and peering into the velvety dark sky. Harry remained silent as he studied the dark figure, waiting for him to make the first move.
It seemed to Harry that the silence would stretch on for eternity before a familiar voice broke the stillness. "I suppose even a 'good evening' is too much to ask for anymore." the figure said quietly. "I know I don't deserve a congenial greeting but for some reason I always thought better of you. I suppose even saints reach their limits." Ice cubes clanked against glass as the man in the half-shadows raised his glass and threw back his drink. Harry waited uneasily, unsure of what to do next, not knowing quiet what to make of the man's comments. The man turned to a small table and set his empty glass down; grabbing a large bottle of amber liquid that was almost half-way empty, he began to refill his drink.
In the faint light of the room Harry could just barely discern where shadow ended and man began. Perhaps if the man had been wearing something other than black and his dark hair hadn't been so long he would have been easier to see. The tall figure turned back to his silent contemplation of the night sky, hardly seeming to give Harry a second thought. Harry had expected him to be rude but he hadn't thought the bastard would ignore him completely. 'The least he could do is invite me to sit down' Harry thought bitterly 'Maybe if I stand here long enough…' And so he stood there, prepared to wait as long as he had to in order to be acknowledged. It wasn't until the man had drained his glass for the second time that the silence was broken again.
"I suppose you came to talk again," the man said softly, a touch of irritation in his voice. Harry jumped when the figure slammed down his empty glass violently on the table. "Well I can tell you right now, you're wasting your time Dumbledore. I'm sick of talking. Just leave me alone…" Finally understanding who the man thought he was talking to, Harry snorted derisively. "Guess again."
Harry had expected the man to spin around sharply with his wand out, startled and on his guard. To say he was shocked when the figure didn't even move at all would have been an understatement. 'What the hell…what happened to the bastard? He'd have had me against the wall at wand point a month ago!'
After a shocked pause, the man spoke softly again. "So," he whispered darkly, "Potter... Interesting." Another pause "No matter." The figure let the drape fall closed and with slow deliberation turned towards Harry, facing him for the first time since Harry had entered the room. A pair of strange eyes locked with Harry's, seeming to be hollow and yet at the same time filled with something akin to hopeless resignation. "I refuse to be pestered by those Dumbledore wishes to send in his stead. You can take that status report back to the headmaster." The contempt sounded hollow in Harry's ears.
The man sat down in one of the high-backed armchairs with his back to his guest, gazing into the fire with what Harry guessed would be the same intensity as he had been studying the night sky. Watching the man in shock, Harry was hardly able to believe that the man before him and his former Potions Master, Severus Snape, were one and the same.
Harry could still see when the professor had turned around; his face had been illuminated by the fire, allowing Harry to see for the first time of the scars of which Dumbledore had spoken. The grotesque maze of gossamer-thin red scars covered Severus Snape's angular features, contrasting sharply with his pale complexion. The flickering reddish light of the fire made his face appear even more dreadful, like some sort of intricate tribal mask. Harry could barely comprehend the reality of the frightful change in the Potion Master's appearance. He was still in shock when Snape spoke, this time in a scathing tone.
"Do you intend to stand there with that look of stupidity plastered on your face all night? You may leavenow." The last sentence was spoken through clenched teeth, which did little to enhance Snape's recently added facial features. Harry shook himself mentally and gave way to his slowly growing anger. Who was he to get impatient with someone who was visiting him of his own freewill! How dare he snap at him!
"For your information Snape," he sneered contemptuously "I didn't come here because Dumbledore asked me to 'go in his stead' or any such rubbish and I'm not leaving until we're finished with what I came here for." He spoke in a deadly tone, barely managing to keep his anger under control. Snape's upper lip curled in a familiar sneer. "Really," he murmured caustically, as if doubting very much that Harry had any say in the matter of when he'd be departing. Harry's anger took another inch forward and his eyes turned stony, his voice taking on a frosty tone. "Yes really. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I came here of my own freewill? That perhaps I don't cater to Dumbledore's every wish like some doting house elf?" Snape laughed hollowly, sending involuntary shivers up and down Harry's spine. "Oh no, of course not," he drawled, "the great 'boy-who-lived-and-conquered' would never listen to such lowly beings as Dumbledore. I suppose you're much too busy planning new and better ways to save the world once again…" Snape's voice dripped with sarcasm, which only enraged Harry all the more "And as for you coming here of your own freewill I highly doubt you would want to visit a man whom you so openly despise."
Harry had had it. "I was going to kill you, you know, when Dumbledore first told me; it took them five hours before I had regained enough sanity to be reasoned with, and even then they had to restrain me for several more hours…" Harry let the cold malice saturate his voice, hoping to elicit some response from the Potions Master. A low rumbling chuckle filled the room, a sound completely alien and lacking in humor. "Really, is that so?" Severus asked quietly, his voice flat and emotionless. "Well, Weasley tried his best in your stead." A corner of Severus' mouth twitched upward in a strange half-smile, accentuating a particularly intricate looking scar line. "Unfortunately he's not as skilled at killing people as you are. I must admit that I'm disappointed I missed the demise of my former master; I've been assured, however, that you did exceptionally well during your last encounter." Severus rubbed his left forearm absentmindedly, as if he could still feel the branded mark in his flesh. I seemed the death of Tom Riddle had reversed the spell that marked his subjects; the dark mark had faded completely, leaving no visible sign on those who had served him, though Harry was sure none who had been branded would soon forget it had been there.
Harry watched silently as Snape flicked a wand out of his sleeve and murmured softly. The liquor and glass floated towards the Potions Master, who gently poured himself another drink. After downing the liquid, Severus let his head tilt backwards onto the cushioned back of the chair, a self-mocking half-smile on his lips, his eyes closed. "Well," he drawled slowly, "If you're going to kill me, get on with it"
Harry stood shock-still, his fists clenched at his side, his knuckles white with the pressure. He suddenly became very aware of the wand holster strapped to his left forearm, a reminder of the days before Voldemort's demise. Harry had become a walking magical armory in the last few years, training ruthlessly to become the "ultimate you-know-who killing machine" as Ginny jokingly called him. Even several months afterwards, Harry still couldn't make himself remove all of the weapons and defenses he had worn for so long. Some habits were just too hard to break he supposed.
Harry took a few calming breaths, silently reminding himself of his purpose for coming. Harry strode forward deliberately, silent as death itself, and took a seat across from the man he had once loathed more than Voldemort himself. Severus' eyes were open again, staring intently at the ceiling without really seeing it. Harry studied him, trying to glimpse the man who had once struck fear into the hearts of most Hogwarts first years, the man that had commanded respect from every student the moment they first stepped into his class. All he could see were the vestiges of a man who had once been the only person in the wizarding world who hadn't treated him like he was some sort of celebrity, or weapon or anything else. He had only treated him as a normal person, the son of an old school nemesis. Oh, the irony… Harry thought silently, turning to gaze towards the fire. He knew what he had to do.
"I didn't come here to kill you, Snape. I came here to talk."
Severus tilted his head forward again and the two wizards locked eyes, black against green. "Oh really" he bit off sharply, a glimmer of the old rage coming back to his eyes. "And what did you come to talk about, hmm? Come to talk about old times, about how grand life is? Oh, I know," He stood up slowly and walked towards the bookcase before turning around sharply and coming back, pacing impatiently. "Perhaps you came to talk about how you understand why I did what I did and how you know I only did what I had to or some such rubbish. Well, I'm sick of hearing it!" He uncorked the nearly empty bottle and pour some more of the amber liquid into the glass, his hands shaking with what Harry could only guess was suppressed anger. "I killed her, damn it. I killed her and nothing anyone says will change that." He fumbled with the cork, trying to replace it, his hands still shaking. Harry watched his hands sadly. "I know you killed her," He looked up into the Potions Master's face, green eyes meeting black. "And I forgive you."
The silence was heavy and the Potions Master looked away sharply, his eyes shut tight, his teeth clenched. "I don't want your forgiveness Potter. If that's all you came to say you're wasting your breath." Harry shook his head "I still forgive you." Severus inhaled sharply. "Maybe you don't understand, Potter. I killed her. I KILLED HER!" Severus took a step back and hurled his drink at the wall, shattering the glass into a million tiny fragments. Harry clenched his eyes tight, trying to hold back the tears. He could hear Snape's heavy, uneven breathing, could almost feel the energy radiating out of him. "I know" he whispered softly. "I loved her. More than you could ever know" He took a deep steadying breath before looking up into the eyes of the man who had killed one of his closest friends. "I know you can't accept it, but you did what you had to do. He was standing there telling you to kill one of your students to prove your loyalty to him. How could you have said no? You killed her because you had to; no one can blame you for doing the only thing you could." Severus' eyes were haunted by the scene, his hands shaking even more violently. "I killed Hermione, Potter. I killed her and nothing you can say will change that. Now if you're done, I'll ask you to leave. I have nothing more to say to you."
Harry watched as Severus Snape walked back slowly towards the glass doors, knowing what he had to do next. "Snape, I didn't come here to talk about Hermione. I came here to talk about you." Severus stopped. "What about me, Potter?"
Harry stood up and faced his former Potions Master and took a deep breath. "Dumbledore saw fit to tell me the last bit of information he'd decided to withhold from me all these years. It was about my father."
Harry saw Severus tense up at the mention of the man he had hated for as long as he had know him. "What about him has anything to do with me?"
Harry swallowed tersely, preparing for what would come next. "Dumbledore told me that James Potter wasn't my father," He paused. "He said you were."
Oh, Cliff-Hanger! 2,317 words and I'm already half finished with the second chapter that will end this little miny story I started. I will hopefully have it up in a few days (God willing) so that you all can look at you computer screen incredulously and dismiss the whole Lily/Sev idea. Seriously, something really went on between them when they were at school, be it a romantic attachment or just a friendship that went sour when Lily hooked up with Potter. Take it as you will. Please review this fic! Criticism is encouraged; I need all the help I can get, I know. So drop us a line and we won't feel so bad about staying up all night to write fan fiction instead of doing our English term paper. Thanx! ( We loves to talk in the Royal we! ) p
I smite thee! Serpent's Redemption