Chapter 2: ...And Allegro

The peaceful silence, and Severus's musings, were suddenly broken by the clattering of heels on the stone floor. Snape rose unhurriedly, turning to face Professor McGonagall without a wand in his hand for the first time in a year. Her face was grey and tight with weariness, but she was moving quickly and surely; no spell had left a mark on her.

"Minerva," he said courteously. She ignored his greeting and pushed past him. Only when she saw the boy, lying and breathing peacefully enough, did she relax and turn to face him.

"Severus," she said, the old, familiar name coming in her relief. "You must have come here straight from the battle. Has Poppy come back yet?"

Snape shook his head. "Probably still on the battlefield, dealing with the wounded. He'll live," nodding to the bed, "nothing but shock and exhaustion, as far as I can tell. He needed quiet, so I brought him here."

"Shock – well, no wonder," the professor said, turning back to Potter. "I came as soon as I could – it took me all morning to organize our side, get Aurors to deal with the prisoners, count the Order's losses...I couldn't find Harry, no one knew where he had gone. I finally thought of Hogwarts when I realized you must have taken him." There was a pause, and what she really wanted to say came out in a rush. "I still can't believe it, Severus, I still can't believe he's gone. The Dark Lord...is gone. Is dead."

"If 'dead' had any meaning left for him, yes, he is dead. Every Horcrux destroyed and his wrecked body now gone too, killed by a seventeen-year-old boy."

"Seventeen years, Severus, seventeen years since the day we thought he was gone. But this...today isn't like that day was. I can feel it."

Severus shook his head and held out his arm. Dirty and smeared with blood, there was nonetheless nothing to see. "It's gone, Minerva. The Dark Mark has vanished. Not just paled. It's gone. He's gone."

McGonagall stared at his unmarked arm, first in relief; then her face tightened, and tension entered the room. Snape's mouth twisted into a sardonic smile; he knew what she had just remembered. Their easy, thoughtless interchange had hearkened back to the days before the Dark Lord had returned, when they had been merely colleagues; when there had been mutual respect and yes, even trust in their relationship. There was a year to be accounted for: the most recent year they had spent as enemies. The professor saw his smile, and her lips thinned, but she opened her mouth in determination. "Severus, I...I need to apologise."

Snape's smile turned into an innocent mask. "Why, Minerva, whatever for?"

The professor scowled openly at him this time; she knew what he was doing, and she had no option but to play into his hands. "For doubting you, Severus. For believing the facade you put up to fool the Death Eaters."

Severus smiled at her again. "No apologies necessary, Minerva. The facade was created for the purpose of fooling everyone – on both sides, if necessary."

McGonagall's glare had vanished; she ignored his baiting. "But Severus, you of all people. How could I have believed him?" At this, one of Snape's eyebrows went up.

"Believed who, Minerva?"

"Harry, of course," the professor replied distractedly, turning back to the bed. She reached down to stroke his hair, brushing a few strands off the boy's face. Not a boy, not any longer; stubble was clearly visible on his chin, but in sleep his face was nearly innocent. "He hated you, I knew that. He accused you of stealing the Stone when he hardly knew you. And he blamed you for Sirius's death as well. I should never have trusted his word about you. He idolized Albus, and to see him...dead...well, I'm not sure I blame Harry. He must have been in complete shock, and I suppose you Confunded him as well, though it wouldn't have been hard. He came into the hospital with this tale of being Petrified, standing by and watching you murder Albus – I should have checked, should have searched his memory..."

Snape put a hand on her arm to cut her off. "Minerva, what are you saying?"

McGonagall turned to him. "Oh, Severus, I know it was a farce! No one could have touched Albus but the Dark Lord himself, we all knew that, it was perfectly obvious. But Harry appearing that night, telling us all it had been you...the boy was convinced it was you, you know. Whatever you did, however you Confunded him, it worked. But now we know the truth, Severus, and now it's over."

Something very odd was happening inside Snape's brain. "The truth, Minerva?"

"Must you hear me say it? We know you didn't kill him, Severus. It was merely the poison from that blasted Horcrux; we know, we know! As a matter of fact," her voice grew rueful, "Potter probably still believes it was you. He went to that final duel thinking it was you...well, we all thought it was you up to the point when you..."

"Yes, yes," muttered Snape, who wasn't in the mood to hear a recitation of his actions the previous night.

"But we know now, Severus. Everyone knows, unless they're still unconscious, like Harry. Everyone knows you were on our side the whole time, and you didn't kill Albus, you just," her voice faltered for the first time, "made use of his death. You had to, I see that now, we all see it. But now it's over, the Dark Lord's fallen, you don't have to lie anymore. You're...you're a hero."

She turned to him and gave him a quick hug before taking his seat by the bed, watching Potter's face eagerly for any sign of movement. Snape stood by the bed, stunned.

We know you didn't kill him, Severus...

It's over, the Dark Lord's fallen...

You're a hero...

He turned and walked abruptly out of the room.

It's over...