Chapter 17

A/N Chapter 17?! We've been at this for 17 weeks everyone! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has read this story and will hopefully continue to read it as we write more. Also, thanks for all the feedback of last chapter! Like seriously, you guys are amazing.

Christine Dalen: :D I really don't know what to say. Your reviews were absolutely amazing! How cool would it be to write something and see it in a movie? Honestly that would be incredable.

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DaisyKitten: Snape is definitely my favorite character from the book too. Actually, he's probably one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

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Bienveue a Bikini Botton: Yeah, Snape tends to hate people in general, we weren't going to change that about him. We will probably explain why that is soon.

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Severus' feet landed on the ground almost instantly, the bright light making him squint. He heard faint talking not too far away and then suddenly, a crash rang through his ears. When he opened his eyes he saw Remus trying to pick up a picture frame he had knocked off a side table.

"Sorry," he muttered and Severus rolled his eyes at him.

He was about to make a snarky comment at him when James Potter ran into the room, his wand drawn. He looked around with a fierce expression on his face; one Severus knew all too well from when they were at Hogwarts.

"Who's there!" he demanded and Sirius raised his hands in surrender.

"James, calm down! It's us!" James paused and then slowly began to lower his wand, his face contorting into confusion.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"James, there has been an attack," Dumbledore said solemnly as Sirius stepped closer to James.

"I'm really sorry I didn't mean to give your position away to this many people," Sirius said, obviously worried for his friend's sake.

"No Sirius, it's fine." he replied and Sirius nodded his head. "Now Albus," he said, turning his attention back to the old man, "what happened?" Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak when Sirius spoke up again.

"Albus, I don't think it's wise to give out any information while there is a Death Eater in the room."

Severus-who had been in the back of the group unnoticed before-felt five pairs of eyes instantly fall on him.

"What is he doing here," James said, his voice hard and cold.

"I've always wanted to catch up with you; see if the rumors the Dark Lord was spreading were true," Severus said sarcastically and both James and Sirius raised their wands at him.

"James, Sirius-" Remus started but he was immediately interrupted.

"How dare you break into my house and speak of him!" James exclaimed and Severus fought back a laugh.

"Gryffindors. You always had such short tempers."

"Why I ought to-"

"I didn't break in, I was brought here by Sirius." James' arm fell slightly but was soon back to where it was before, his eyes glaring at Severus.

"That's because you were too scared to fight for your pathetic master, you coward." Severus' arm raised immediately and he quickly advanced so he was only a few paces away from James. Severus held his wand so it was merely inches from his old enemy's eyes.

"I...am not a coward," he said slowly and coldly, having to spit out every word. "If I was here for the Dark Lord you would already be dead. Furthermore, I am the least of your problems. One of your precious Marauders was unmasked as a spy for the Dark Lord this very evening and one of your Order members is dead. The Dark Lord is fully prepared to start a full blown war to find and murder your son and you wanted to leave your wife in this house by herself." James looked at Severus like he had never seen him before but Severus didn't stop. "If you plan on continuing on going around bragging about your Gryffindor house, I think you need to get bravery first. I-" Severus stopped mid sentence as someone walked into the room where he and the others were standing.

"What's going on?" Lily asked as she walked into the room, Harry on her hip. Her eyes immediately went to Severus' wand pointed at her husband's face and her brow furrowed in confusion. She quickly put Harry on the ground by his toys and hurried over to where Severus and James were facing off. "What's going on? Severus why are you here?"

"I would like to know this as well, Dumbledore." James interjected, "Why have you brought this Death Eater into my home where I have been protecting my son from people like him?"

"James, please, listen to me. I need you to trust me. The man before you is no Death Eater, though he was. He has changed his ways and has risked his life for your family's safety. Though I know you are not friends with Severus I must ask that you, along with Sirius and Remus, put your differences and pasts aside because we are now all working for the same thing now, Harry's life. Now, I asked Sirius to bring us here because we have to talk." And Dumbledore began to gravely tell the story of the Battle on the Hilltop and how both Peter and Severus had been discovered and how Severus was in as much danger from Voldemort as Harry was.

"Peter?" James asked once Dumbledore had finished, "Peter was going to betray us? I thought he was my friend! I took him in back when we were both in school and this is how he repays me? By threatening my family?" Harry, who was before just watching the people in his house talk, began to cry at the harshness of his fathers voice.

"James," Lily chided her husband, "Calm down, you are frightening Harry." She went over and picked up her weeping child, "But still," She said, turning her attention to Dumbledore, "Peter?"

"Yes, I am sorry but it is true that your old friend has turned against us."

"Not to pry, but why were you two at the Hilltop anyways?" Remus asked and Severus looked at Dumbledore, begging him not to tell them about Lily's pregnancy. He didn't want her knowing he had broken her trust.

"Severus has been a spy for the Order for quite some time and now that he is a Professor at Hogwarts, it's much easier for us to figure out what he will be telling Voldemort and what Voldemort is planning. Bellatrix probably suspected that something was off about Severus' loyalty and found a way to find him tonight. Both Severus and I battled for quite some time before the rest of the Order came and Voldemort himself," he replied and Severus silently thanked him.

"But Severus, you stayed?" Lily asked, "Even though you knew He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was coming and would want to kill you, you stayed?"

"Yes, I stayed." Severus said.

"Thank you." Lily thanked him, "You are truly my best friend." James opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but then closed it and nodded to himself. A silence fell over the room as everyone looked at one another, realizing there was so much more to each other than they previously thought.

"So what now, Albus?" Remus asked, voicing the question Severus' mind. Dumbledore stayed quiet for a few more moments before responding.

"James and Lily should stay here for their protection. Voldemort is getting stronger each day and now that he's freshly angered I'm sure he'll be more likely to attack." The couple nodded and continued to listen. "Remus and Sirius, I need you to rally up the Order and find a safe meeting place for the time being. We need to let others know about what's going on."

"We'll get on it right away," Remus replied confidently.

"I will be going to the family of Dorcas Meadowes," Dumbledore continued. "Her family deserves to know how she died. And Severus," he started and Severus looked up at the man. "The safest place for you right now is Hogwarts. I doubt Voldemort would attack it and there are many protections around the castle."
"Alright," Severus said.
"But Severus, you must understand that you and Harry over there are on Voldemort's top kill list and he will stop at nothing to get you. I assume you know how that is. So, you must promise me you will stay in the castle." In the back of Severus' mind, a memory flashed and he remembered the first time he watched his old master kill one of his Death Eaters just out of rage. Severus hadn't even known his name.

"I promise."