Author: Red Fiona
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Bloomsbury Books and JK Rowling do. No money is being made from this, and I hope they forgive me.
Characters: Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, mention of several others.
Rating: PG, nothing you wouldn't find in the books.
Notes: Set before the start of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. First ficlet in a set.
Warning: Although set before HBP, it contains spoilers for events revealed in it.
Summary: There are some things no one should have to do, and Dumbledore has only one person to do them.
Snape was finishing bathing and daubing Dumbledore's hand in the clear liquid. It had stopped the creeping spread of dead flesh. But it didn't reverse it. Nothing reversed it; he and Dumbledore had racked their brains and all the books they could think of. They would carry on looking but Dumbledore had resigned himself to forever losing most of the function in that hand. Snape hadn't, wouldn't. There were few things in this world that his potions couldn't cure and one of the Dark Lord's curses was not going to be one of them. Not if he had anything to do with it.
He was getting up from his knees and getting ready to go when Albus asked him to stay. "Albus, I really have to go."
"I need to talk to you." Snape stopped in his tracks. "Severus, you know how much I admire your skills,"
"Oh no, we have this talk every year when you don't give me the Dark Arts position. You promised me that position this year, and you're not taking it away from me."
"Nothing was further from my mind. What I wished to say is that they do not exclusively belong to the field of potions," Snape looked slightly mollified. "And the very fact that they do is part of what makes you useful to the cause. You are very important."
"What do you want me to do?" Oh, Snape knew this conversation too; it normally meant him doing something deeply unpleasant. But he'd do it. "You know you've only got to ask."
"It's not something I can ask. It would still be up to you if you choose to do it." That made it rather worrying. Dumbledore knew Snape would do anything for him, anything to set things right, well as right as they could get. He wouldn't give up the Dark Arts position, but beyond that there was nothing he wouldn't do it. "I'm not even certain if I'm correct in my hypothesis. I still need more information and I'm not sure if I can get it. I think it can be found but I doubt if it will be a simple task."
"You're being cryptic, Albus, just say what distasteful thing you wish me to do."
"Severus, there are many people in the Order who would do any number of things for me, die for me quite willingly, but no-one else would kill for me. No one else I could ask."
"'The tainted weather of the flock' and all that."
"Exactly. You're the only one that can." It was true, Dumbledore wouldn't want any of the others to dirty their hands.
If it stopped all this nonsense. "Who do you want me to kill?"
"Dear Severus, so blood-thirsty. I'd much rather you didn't kill anyone. Do you know what Draco is planning yet?"
"Not yet, but I will. I have no idea where he learnt such occlumency, not from Lucius or Bella, that's for certain. They're so easy to read."
"There is someone you're forgetting but it doesn't matter who he learnt it from, it just matters that he's learnt it."
"Unlike other people."
"Severus!"
"Sorry, but it's true."
Dumbledore made a gesture that said to draw the line under that part of the conversation. "What I wished to say is that should the victim be a member of the Order and if it is as vital that Draco fulfil his mission as it is for him not to cast any Unforgivable curses, then it may well be better that you kill this person rather than let Draco do it."
"Not wishing to be rude, but that was always my intention."
"I'm glad to hear it. I just wanted to remind you of it. Victory over Voldemort is paramount, no member of the Order is irreplaceable, we are all expendable."
"Understood." That had to be carte blanche to kill Draco's target for him. Snape found it amusing that neither side seemed to think that Draco could go through with his mission. It would be darkly amusing if the boy shocked everyone by doing whatever it was, but, though Snape too doubted he would, Draco was his Mother's son, there might be hope for him yet.
"She forgave you, you know."
"Forgiving someone before they do something is a lot different to forgiving them when they do actually torture you and kill you."
"Emmaline knew that. She knew that there would be risks."
"It's a lot easier to say that when you're an old witch who's done everything she was going to do. What if it's Tonks next time? What if it's Granger? Oh, don't worry; they don't think a 'Mudblood' like her is any danger to them. But no doubt they'll learn."
"I trust to your discretion."
"Thank you." Albus dismissed him with a slight change in posture. There was still so much to be done before he picked Harry up from the Dursley's.