Chapter Twenty-Four

When Arenwald opened his eyes again, he was feeling like a new-born – except for the small tingling in his skin he felt no pain, no physical pain – and it was a sensation he had almost forgotten during those couple of days he had been… in this place, wherever it was. However, he was still unbelievably tired and what was far worse and more uncomfortable, a monstrous hunger was creeping over him, craving fresh human blood. Certainly it was to be expected, blood was crucial for him to heal and to regain his powers. He yawned and stretched, enjoying for a while this new, remarkably painless feeling when a tempting perfume of wizarding blood reached his sensitive nostrils.

He turned his head to the direction it was coming from and there, seated in an armchair, the professor slept. In the gentle light of candles his face appeared to be less harsh and strict than usually. He would have seemed to be quite peaceful had it not been for the obvious tiredness marring his features. Even in sleep his face looked tired and Arenwald assumed that the professor had had an exhausting day or two. He had helped him though, had quickened his healing considerably. Had it not been for his potions, he would still be the half-burnt thing he had become after that cretin's curse in Azkaban.

The vampire rose from his bed and sat across from Severus, watching him sleeping. How come he had fallen asleep there? In the same room with him, a bloodthirsty dark creature? Did he not know how dangerous a starving vampire was? Gently so as not to rouse him, Arenwald brushed away Snape's hair to reveal his pale neck. He touched him tenderly, but then withdrew his hand. No, he can't harm this one.

The touch, though light, must have awoken the wizard for he opened his eyes and, much to Arenwald's surprise, he graced him with a rare smile. "I suppose that you're feeling better?" he asked softly while his black eyes were studying the expression in the vampire's gaunt face a bit warily.

"Yes, it is much better, I must thank you," answered Arenwald and looking hungrily at Snape, he added, "But this hunger…"

He trailed off, forcing himself not to think about it. This man was not to be harmed.

"You are allowed to leave here," spoke Snape calmly, "Someone will lead you out, shall I call for somebody?"

"And you?"

"Seeing that you're in no danger, I shall leave here as soon as I can too," said Snape, sounding a bit unsure as he glanced at a door, "Hopefully in less than half an hour."

"I highly doubt that, Snape," came Moody's mocking voice and he, Shacklebolt, Lupin, Arthur Weasley and Dumbledore entered the bedroom, "I'm afraid that you're not going anywhere. We can't have you out there where Voldemort can catch you at any time. Or are you forgetting the bond you have? The life debt to him?"

"What is it that you're suggesting, Moody?" exclaimed Snape, now sounding angry, "Are you planning to lock me here? You have no right to keep me here against my will!"

He moved to leave the bedroom, but Shacklebolt seized his arms and held them behind his back in an iron grip. Snape's anger intensified as he fought to wrench them away, but compared to the Auror's strength, his struggles were futile. He saw Dumbledore close his eyes, his face the picture of sorrow. Somehow it sent shivers down his spine and a cold hand clutched his heart tightly in a frosty grip. In his deep, reassuring voice, Shacklebolt tried to calm him, "We don't want to hurt you, Severus, but it's important for your and the Order's safety that you remain here. Will you not understand it?"

"And will you not understand that I can't stay here any longer?" hissed Snape, his voice low and iced with quiet fury, "I can't stand being here with the knowledge that you no longer trust me or that I'm of no use to you. Do you really believe that I would tell the Dark Lord your secrets were he to catch me? Shall I make an Unbreakable Vow for that case? I shall make it, if you just let me leave."

He turned to Dumbledore, seeking his gaze, "Headmaster, you can't do this to me. Let me leave with my father, we shall hide well from the Dark Lord and the Ministry, you should not be concerned."

Before he had the time to answer or chance to answer him, Tarquinius burst into the room, radiating fury. "What the hell is going on here?" he shouted and grabbed Moody by the collar of his robe, shaking him roughly. "You want to order MY son around? Tell him what to do after all he's done for you?"

Without a hesitation, he kicked Moody's healthy leg and threw him aside, looking for another prey. Meanwhile Arenwald flew into action. In a spilt of a second he was out of his bed and had Dumbledore imprisoned in his strong arms, teeth and fangs bared against his neck. "Now all of you will calm down," he said as everyone in the room froze, "I'm truly grateful for your help, but I'll kill your leader without hesitation if you don't let Snape leave with whomever he wants. Do we understand each other? Severus," he turned to Snape who to was frozen to the spot, watching the vampire with something like horror in his dark eyes, "take this as my repayment for your help and care."

Everyone's eyes settled on Snape who was looking genuinely confused and shocked. Arenwald frowned, puzzled by his expression and lack of reaction. "Severus," he spoke again, louder this time, "Go while I hold him."

But the Potions Master didn't move an inch, didn't speak a single word, actually, he appeared as if he wasn't even breathing. His eyes were on Dumbledore's, he was staring at him motionless while the Hogwarts headmaster remained calm, never struggling in Arenwald's arms.

"I'm afraid, Master Arenwald, that you'll either have to kill me or to release me," said Dumbledore, speaking more to Snape than the vampire, watching his face intently, "It is important for Severus that he leave as a friend."

Silence fell upon the bedroom then and all the eyes kept moving from Dumbledore to Snape and back. Only the two wizards in question were looking at one another, oblivious to the others, trying to communicate without words. As the silence grew heavier and heavier and the expression in Snape's face more desperate, Severus shook his head, walked to Dumbledore and touched the vampire's arm around his neck.

"Albus," he whispered softly so that no one else would hear him, "I must go. You're right in assuming that I would want to depart in a friendly way, but…" he let the end of the sentence hung in the air in a wordless threat and gestured to Arenwald to release the old wizard. The vampire, though wary, obliged. Dumbledore sighed and took Severus's hands into his.

"Come with me, I need to talk to you."

"It's certainly intriguing to see how you have suddenly decided to involve me in discussions about my life," sneered Severus, his voice cold as ice, yet he followed him into library.

There, without the famous twinkle in his blue eyes, Dumbledore framed Snape's face in his hands and searching for depths in the dark eyes, he asked seriously, "Why do you threaten me, Severus? Are you afraid of me? Or is it hatred you feel? Confusion?"

"It is everything, Albus," the younger wizard replied, "and far more. Are you truly unaware of how much you hurt me sometimes? Let me leave and I shall be loyal to you forever. Please, give me this one gift, the knowledge that there's someone who trusts me. Someone I can return to, somewhere I may belong. Am I asking too much?"

"Oh Severus," shook his head Dumbledore, "you ask a hard thing from me."

In his desperation, Snape knocked the headmaster's hands away angrily and hissed, "How do you plan to prevent me from leaving? Will you bind me?"

"No, Severus. Don't you know that I would never harm you intentionally? If this is what you want, I won't object anymore. Let us part as friends."

And much to the younger man's amazement, Dumbledore pulled Snape's repaired wand from his pocket and handed it to the astonished wizard. "I believe that you'll need your wand."

Snape slumped into an armchair and whispered, "You're such a fool, Albus."

The headmaster crouched down in front of Snape and holding his wand hand, he began caressing it while frowning up at him, "Why a fool, Severus? You're troubled and confused, is there any way that I can help you? Do let me help you."

"You would never understand it," smirked Severus, beginning to be annoyed how everyone wanted to 'help him', "never understand us, the Slytherins, me. I would have given everything to be like one of your precious Gryffindors. But I am not brave," he bowed his head, hiding behind a curtain of black hair, "nor am I good and all I have are these terrible remnants of the Dark Lord's curse. Have you got any idea what a horrid thing this is, how empty I am inside? This emptiness… as if he took something from me… it's scary. I know you care and yet… You would have let me go, am I right? But the others… no, they don't trust me and believe me, I understand that, because I know that I'm not strong enough. I confess I might yield to him again. But I promise you I won't seek him, I'll hide. I shall seek myself a quiet place, solitude, and there I shall recover. I shall stand up against him when I am myself again and strong enough to survive it or accept my fall."

"Very well, Severus," sighed Dumbledore as both wizards stood up, "You will keep me informed, will you? Promise me that you'll turn to me in case you need help."

"You have my word," said Snape quietly.

"Good-bye then, my friend," smiled the headmaster as he watched the troubled wizard leave hesitantly as if expecting to be called back and denied this sudden chance of leaving. But Dumbledore knew better than to have him locked and though his smile faded into a sad shadow, he made no attempt to stop Snape. The former spy descended the stairs slowly with everyone watching him curiously. Moody seemed to be his paranoid self, studying him intently as if expecting him to apparate directly to the Dark Lord. Arthur and Molly Weasley wished him good luck, though Bill made no move and neither did Remus and Kingsley who stood watching him with a thoughtful expression in their faces.

The vampire and Tarquinius joined him at the front door and the sight of the elder Snape was enough for Dumbledore to deceive himself that the father and the son would take care of each other.

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Author's notes: Well, one more chapter to go. Originally I was planning to leave the ending a bit open… in case that I would pick the story up later, but after HBP there's no point in it and I've decided to rewrite my "Amaurotum" story instead (so that it will fit HBP more) and leave this as an AU (it was to be expected that the story will be AU after HBP). There's going to be one more chapter, a sort of an epilogue, which will give it a final end. Anyway, what do you think about our dear Snape? Is he good or evil? Personally I believe he's somewhere in between…

Thank you very much for your reviews too! You're wonderful. If you're interested, the review responses can be found in my LJ, follow the (homepage) link in my bio page.