Chapter Four; The Unbreakable Vow

Just A Quick Note; For this chapter I wanted to really stress that Harry is not perfect and he isn't miraculous either since that I being a Christian believe are only qualities Jesus has and that sometimes it's alright to doubt. (although I don't too much anymore) If this doesn't have anything to do with your beliefs then you can choose to ignore it due to the main point is to hear Hermione's response. (at least for the purpose of the story) Alright, enjoy the next chapter! And don't worry it's not too religious.

"Are you okay?" Hermione questioned while glancing over at Harry as they walked through the woods side by side. "I know something's bothering you." She continued after he remained silent for a few moments. "You like Ginny don't you?" she questioned him.

"Yeah, but that's not what's bothering me." He began. "Didn't you hear the prophecy? Neither one can live while the other survives. Dumbledore had to have known that, maybe even my parents. First I find out that my own father almost wanted me dead, and now this. I thought they loved me." He said.

"They do Harry, I've seen the way that they look at you. It's just like the way you look at Ginny. You mean the world to them Harry." She told him.

"Then why do they keep keeping secrets from me?" he asked her.

"Probably just because they want to protect you." She said. "I'm sure they had their reasons. One way or another nobody's perfect and we all make mistakes." She told him.

"Oh yeah well Jesus doesn't." he said.

"But Harry you're not Jesus." She said with a shake of her head.

"I know! But everybody always treats me like I am! I didn't walk on water or cure the sick and feed the hungry." He said.

"Exactly." Hermione began as she came to a halt in front of him. "Harry you're a wizard that means you can do magic. You're not a miracle worker. Look, I'm not sure whether or not God even exists, or if there is life after death. But right now I don't feel like that matters. Because above everything else, I believe in you." She told him with a warm smile in which Harry returned.

"Thanks Hermione." He told her in which he suddenly had felt a lot better. He still considered himself a Christian even though he was beginning to doubt, but it meant the world to him to hear that she still had faith in him.

….

Lily sat on the beach beside her husband while they watched their kids playing in the ocean. "Remember Tobey don't go too far out because you still need to watch your little brother and sisters!" she exclaimed before she turned over to look at Snape. "Man, in about a couple of months I have to plan for three birthdays." She said. "Teddy and Heather are easy, because four year olds pretty much like anything, but I can't for the life of me think what I'm going to get Harry." She said.

"I think all that Harry wants right now is to be left alone. He has every reason in the world to hate us. After all, we knew about the prophecy but I just didn't want him feeling anymore pressured than he already does." He explained when all of a sudden an owl screeched and swooped over their heads before dropping an envelope down on top of his lap.

"That's odd. I wonder where that came from." Lily said while Snape started tearing into it.

"It's from Narcissa." He replied.

"Malfoy? I wonder what she wants." Lily said before he glanced up nervously at her.

"It's about her son Draco. The dark lord has a very important job for him." He answered anxiously while feeling his bottom lip begin to quiver and tremble with fright.

….

Snape wrapped on the door to Flourish and Blotts where Narcissa had written to meet him in her letter. "Thank you for coming Severus." She said as she answered the door in which he realized that Bellatrix Lestrange was in there as well. He glanced over at her with uncertainty. For he had remembered that she was the reason for Sirius' death, and even though he never really got along with Black, it mattered very much to Harry, which that meant that it also meant very much to him.

"Well it's not like he had any much say in the matter. He knows that I tortured the Longbottoms, and I could torture him or his family just as well." She said.

"You leave my family out of this that includes Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger." He told her but she just simply scoffed and waved her hand.

"I could care less about that red headed devil and his little mudblood girlfriend." She said.

"Bite your tongue." He hissed.

"My? You're not actually telling me that you've grown to care for those teenaged warthogs are you?" she questioned him with uncertainty and disbelief.

"Those warthogs are my friends!" he spat.

"C'mon Bellatrix, let's not forget the true reason that we invited him here." Narcissa began. "What about my son!?" she cried.

"Don't worry Narcissa I was just getting to that. You see Severus, I'm sure that you're very much aware by now the task that the dark lord has ordered Draco to perform." She said.

"I am." He spoke softly.

"Well then if Draco is for some reason unable to perform it, will you perform the task for him?" she asked him.

"No." he replied.

"I beg your pardon?" she questioned him again.

"I'm a man of God, husband, and father now. I am not a murder." He told her.

"Alright then let me put this another way, what if your reasoning to perform it was to save your son Harry's life?" she asked him.

"You wouldn't! I told you to leave my family out of this!" he hissed angrily. "Don't you dare lay a finger on him!" he cried.

"Relax Severus, he'll be alright." She began. "Just as long as you cooperate. If Draco is unable to perform the task that the dark lord has ordered him to complete then you are to do it for him. That is, as long as you want to keep Harry alive and healthy." She said as he took a deep breath and sighed.

"I will." He replied.

"Swear to it then, make the unbreakable vow." She told him as Narcissa grabbed ahold of his hand and Bellatrix placed her wand to it causing invisible silky strands to wrap around their hands. "Do you Severus Tobias Snape promise to watch over Draco and protect him?" she questioned him.

"I do." He answered.

"And if he should fail do you promise to do the task yourself?" she asked him.

"I do." He replied before the strands disappeared and then they finally broke apart.

"There you go Narcissa, your son is protected now that the ultimate sacrifice has been made." Bellatrix said with a sneer.

"No, it's not. The ultimate sacrifice is something that you'll never begin to understand." Snape told her before he turned around and left the bookstore.