"Sir! Professor!"

Snape didn't turn at the expected voice, but kept his fast pace towards the Hogwarts gates. The boy sounded breathless and upset, but Snape knew that if he turned now he'd be forced to do something, something that could destroy the plan and ultimately he'd regret for the rest of his life. As the voice became increasingly desperate, Snape felt an unexpected twinge of remorse. He suddenly felt tempted to take the boy with him, to do what Dumbledore suggested and treat him as a son. But no. He had to wait until it was time for Draco to…

"Snape! Sir!"

Snape just hurried through the grounds faster, his side still hurting from the blow with the wall. Trust Potter to stick his oar in. That blast had winded him, the little brat. As for Dumbledore… was such a blow necessary? Alright, so they had a part to play, but couldn't it have been slightly more mimed? As soon as he was out of Hogwarts grounds, he would have to check for broken ribs. Damn that Potter, this was all his fault. His being fired, the pain in his side, all this humiliation. At least he had managed to shake Minerva off. That, at least was a small comfort as she worshipped Potter almost as much as Albus did.

"Severus! Please!"

He wouldn't have harmed Potter at all. Well, perhaps a little bit. That little swine deserved what was coming to him, although (and Snape did have to admit this) from what he had learnt from the Occlumency lessons, Potter had had a miserable life. Oh, and he had such a wonderful life himself…

"Please! Please…"

The desperate pleads soon turned to sobs, and Snape finally in a burst of pure empathy for his favourite student turned around. Draco stared back, his white blond hair far less tidy than usual, his eyes hollow and sharp cheekbones threatening to tear through his skin. He made the most pathetic form, his arms limply by his sides, head drooping as if his neck could not support the weight. Snape, for all that he was bitter and hard hearted suddenly felt so wretched watching this figure that he had to stop himself from turning back and running away. He had promised to help Draco, he had made the Unbreakable Vow. But if Draco wasn't going to let him help, what else could he do? For the first time, it appeared that Draco needed his guidance, but perhaps it was too late. Snape had been dismissed, and had been told to keep his hooked nose out until the time came. He could do nothing for Draco now.

"Go back to school, Draco," His voice sounded bored, more bored than he intended. Good. Perhaps Draco would take the hint and leave before his emotions acted before his words.

"I can't," Draco raised his pale face and stared at his ex-teacher eyes still watering. "You can't go, I don't know what to do anymore, I…" His voice tailed off, voice cracked and usual arrogant manner gone. Snape studied the pitiable creature before him, trying not to show any regret. They were working for different sides, and although he knew that for all his words Draco wasn't evil, Snape no longer had the time to prove this. He was aware that if he was not off the school grounds in a matter of minutes all the other professors would start a search, and though he could take on most of them, he really didn't relish a fight against those he respected.

"I have to go, Draco." Still bored, still off hand. Excellent. He made a turn as if to leave, and was startled when Draco grabbed him.

"You can't! You have to protect me! Mum said! If you break your vow then you will die!" The triumph in his voice was weak but nevertheless still there. Snape fought a sudden, irrational ripple of irritation. Only days before the boy was encouraging him to break the vow! To leave him alone and to mind his own! Funny isn't it, when the morale is broken? Even those who are determined eventually break and realise they are not the person they thought they were.

"You have to listen to me, you have to help me! If not, I'll have you killed! And then what will you do Mr Severus Snape? You'll be finished!"

"Obviously."

"Don't speak to me like that!" Draco half lunged for him, half held himself back. He crashed into Snape who fell backwards but managed to regain his balance. Suddenly the ex-professor was angry. What did he want him to do? Sometimes Dumbledore asked too much, far too much. If it wasn't Potter then it was Draco. If not the foolish adolescents then it was the Death Eaters and Voldemort. If not for… if not for her then he would have given up completely. He wanted no part of this anymore. Didn't want to be good, nor evil. Nothing. It was the best way. In a fit of rage that didn't startle him, he grabbed Draco's shoulders, and shook them roughly.

"Then open your mind. Tell me all that I need to know and perhaps I can help you! It's your last chance. We can still do this Draco. We can still escape unharmed. Open your mind! Let go!"

Malfoy looked terrified, his cold grey eyes fatigued and frightened. "I… I can't. I've been told not to."

Bella. Snape let his hands drop to his side, his robes billowing in the oncoming wind. "Still up to her old tricks." He stared past the boy, his voice becoming more bitter with frustration. "If it's not you then it's the Potter boy. Won't close his mind, won't even attempt to hold his feelings from the Dark Lord…" He tailed away, realising that he had said too much. Draco stared at him incredulously, his eyes flashing with a sudden distrust, his voice high with betrayal.

"You've… you've been helping Potter? You work… you work for them?" He staggered backwards, his robes up by his forearm, ready to touch his mark. Snape blanched at the sight of the ugly blot on his skin and reached forwards, grabbing Malfoy by the scruff of his neck.

"Is that what you think? I am devoted to the Dark Lord and his plans! Dumbledore mistakenly asked me to help Potter last year, with the foolish notion that I am on their side. I couldn't refuse without looking suspicious, but I personally made sure that Potter would never be able to close his mind to me! All information I gleaned went straight to the Dark Lord! Now if you open your mind then I can help you! Draco!"

"I don't believe you!" Draco's screamed, high voice terrified as he wrenched himself out of Snape's grasp. "My mother trusted you to help me, and all this time you were acting under Dumbledore's orders!"

Snape had the sudden urge to use a memory charm on the boy and start from scratch. But that would solve nothing. Memory charms could be broken, and besides if it was too strong then… using all self discipline not to reach for his wand, Snape spoke with exaggerated calmness, his voice deliberately soft. "I made the Unbreakable Vow. If I do not fulfil it then I will die. If I was so determined as you say to act on Dumbledore's orders then surely I would have been slightly more hesitant to grasp upon your mother's arm. Yes, I do what that decrepit old fool tells me to. It's to keep up pretences. If I stopped at any time then the whole of the Dark Lord's plan would have been useless. I'm doing it for all of us." His eyes remained fixed to Draco throughout the speech, trying to convey to the boy that it was true. He could tell the boy was unsure; his hand still hovered over the mark, trembling violently. After the longest three seconds that Snape could ever wish to stand, Malfoy finally dropped his guard.

"Okay."

Snape took in a deep breath, and nodded. "I'll keep in touch." His voice was rushed and ragged. "I'll make sure that everything is alright. I'll floo you in your common room, but make sure nobody else is around. Understood?"

Draco shrugged, pale face pointed back to the ground, and he kicked a stone. "I'm not frightened." His voice sounded pathetic, even to his own ears, filled with the fear that he was feeling. He expected Snape to sneer, or even laugh but instead the older man just grimaced thoughtfully.

"If you are not frightened, Draco, then you are very foolish. Even I myself am afraid." For the first time, and worse to an adolescent boy, Snape voiced that he himself was as fearful as the rest of them. He who was supposed to be indestructible- the one that occasionally lost his cool, but never, ever experienced something such as fear. Ha, if only everybody knew. Slightly flushed, he made himself look at the boy, expecting a sneer, perhaps a laugh, but the younger boy just flinched slightly and stepped back.

"I'm going to go back to school."

Snape twitched, unsure what to do or say. Finally, he merely said what he thought was best; nothing too dramatic, but a half promise that could be kept if all things went well.

"I keep watch for you. I'll… I'll be around if you need me."

Draco gave half an acknowledgement and scrambled up the hill back to school, not looking back. Snape watched until his blond head was just a speck into the distance, then turned heavily towards the school gates. Time to go. He gave one last look at the school, stepped out and heard the metal clang behind him. Some people truly asked too much.

And this time, he wasn't sure the plan was going to work.