AN: Once again I am not JK Rowling.

Severus POV

I rubbed my hands against my eyes and sighed. It had been a long day. Trying to teach ignorant children how to defend themselves was not how I had wanted my day to go. At least I was finally teaching what I had always wanted: Defense Against the Dark Arts. Too bad the students were horrible at it.

The door to my office slammed open and I jumped in surprise. Hermione was standing in the doorway tears on her cheeks her face drastically pale.

"What happened?" I asked darting over her checking her for injuries. The Serpents had been keeping to themselves lately and it had been extremely worrisome. It meant they were planning something. Hermione didn't have a scratch on her but she was swaying her face a slight greenish color.

"Dumbledore and Harry left together. They're doing something," she said evasively looking at the ground. "Before they left Harry heard Draco whooping happily in the Room of Requirement. He's finally done it. He figured out how to kill Dumbledore." I clenched my eyes tightly and my stomach churned.

"How long ago did they leave?" I asked untying my hair and stepped away from the finished potion in front of me.

Hermione looked at her watch her face pale. "About a half hour."

"I don't have much time." I said quickly pulling out my wand. "I finished all the potions you asked for and everything else I could think of to help you when you run off. Don't get them until tomorrow or even the day after. The password is Lily." A loud explosion sounded and the castle seemed to shake. Hermione squeaked and gripped my desk so she wouldn't fall over.

"Hermione?" I asked slowly as her eyes became distant, unfocused. Her breathing sped up and she let out a horrible heart wrenching scream.

"SIRIUS!" She sobbed brokenly falling to her knees. I ran forward and pulled her up so she was standing. She swayed unsteadily and I forced her to look into my eyes.

"Breathe through the pain." I whispered as her eyes slid in and out of focus. A moment later she relaxed against my side.

"Cruciatus Curse?" She nodded then started towards the door. I followed behind her my wand ready at my side. We reached the steps leading upstairs and Hermione stopped her eyes pained.

"Hermione?"

"Your a good man Severus Snape." She whispered tears flowing down her cheeks. No I wasn't. I had to pay for my mistakes every day. I was the reason the one woman I had ever loved was dead.

"Protect them as best you can and know that Sirius and I are here if you ever need us." Hermione darted forward and kissed my cheek. I froze and looked down at her surprised. She smiled as more tears flowed down her cheeks as she darted up the steps to the battle.

Draco POV

I stood in front of the most brilliant wizard since Merlin my wand aimed at his jugular. Albus Dumbledore leaned against the wall speaking of stupid fables. He believed he could protect my family from the Dark Lord but it wasn't possible.

"I haven't got any options!" I yelled desperately. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"

"I appreciate the difficulty of your position," Dumbledore said "Why else do you think I have not confronted you before now? Because I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realized that I suspected you."

I winced. Not at the sound of his name but at the thought of my death. I was not ready to die.

"I did not dare speak to you of the mission with which I knew you had been entrusted, in case he used Legilimency against you," Dumbledore continued. "But now at last we can speak plainly to each other… no harm has been done, you have hurt nobody, though you are very lucky that your unintentional victims survived… I can help you, Draco."

"No, you can't," I said my wand shaking. "Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice."

"Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother and father tonight to hide them likewise... Come over to the right side, Draco… you are not a killer…"

I lowered my wand thinking. Could it be that easy? I wanted to be with the woman I cared for and keep my family safe at the same time. Could I possibly have both? Would I be able to keep Susan Bones and my family? I loved her dearly. She had kept by my side every night when I was in the infirmary.

No I couldn't have both. The Dark Lord would kill my parents.

"But I got this far, didn't I?" I said slowly. "They thought I'd die in the attempt, but I'm here… and you're in my power… I'm the one with the wand… you're at my mercy…"

"No, Draco," Dumbledore said quietly. "It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now." Why must he always speak in riddles? I thought of Susan's bright eyes and our whispered conversations. She told me I was good even if I didn't think I was. She told me I could change sides. She made me believe in the impossible.

I lowered my wand.

Suddenly footsteps were thundering up the stairs and a second later I was pushed out of the way as four people in black robes burst through the door on to the ramparts. It seemed the Death Eaters had won the fight below. All I could think of was Susan. Would she have gotten hurt in the fight? She was in the DA and would have fought. I swayed and leaned against the wall.

A lumpy-looking man with an odd lopsided leer gave a wheezy giggle.

"Dumbledore cornered!" Amycus said, and he turned to Alecto who was grinning eagerly. "Dumbledore wandless, Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco, well done!"

"Good evening, Amycus," Dumbledore said calmly, as though welcoming the man to a tea party. "And you've brought Alecto too… charming…"

Alecto and Dumbledore were talking while Greyback was whispering in my ear. "Do it Draco while she's distracting him."

I shivered my stomach churning horribly. The Dark Lord was right, I couldn't do it. I didn't have it in me to kill.

I seemed to have missed half the conversation with my internal musings. Dumbledore was speaking to Greyback. "Am I to take it that you are attacking even without the full moon now? This is most unusual… you have developed a taste for human flesh that cannot be satisfied once a month?"

"That's right," Greyback said. "Shocks you, that, does it, Dumbledore? Frightens you?"

"Well, I cannot pretend it does not disgust me a little," Dumbledore said. "And, yes, I am a little shocked that Draco here invited you, of all people, into the school where his friends live…"

"I didn't," I breathed careful not to move. Greyback lose in a school was a terrifying though. "I didn't know he was going to come —"

"I wouldn't want to miss a trip to Hogwarts, Dumbledore," Greyback rasped ignoring me. "Not when there are throats to be ripped out… delicious, delicious…"

And he raised a yellow fingernail and picked at his front teeth, leering at Dumbledore. I swallowed my disgust and shivered my stomach churning. "I could do you for afters, Dumbledore…"

"No," a death eater I didn't know said. "We've got orders. Draco's got to do it. Now, Draco, and quickly." My wand was shaking as I held it up. I couldn't do it. A roaring sound crashed through my ears and I shook my head to clear it.

"Draco, do it!" I jumped wishing I was anywhere but here.

Suddenly there were loud scuffling sounds from behind the door. "They've blocked the stairs - Reducto! REDUCTO!"

The death eaters were fighting again. Greyback wanted to kill Dumbledore while Amycus kept yelling it was my job to do it. But I couldn't. I couldn't kill the man in front of me who lay broken on the floor his face pale.

"Draco, do it, or stand aside so one of us —" Alecto started then stopped when the door burst open and Uncle Severus walked in his face pale.

"We've got a problem, Snape," Amycus said his eyes fixated on Dumbledore "the boy doesn't seem able —"

But somebody else had spoken Uncle Severus' name, quite softly.

"Severus…" My heart clenched at the pain in Dumbledore's voice. Utter revulsion and hatred flared in Uncle Severus' eyes when he saw Dumbledore laying against the wall for support. "Severus… please…"

Uncle Severus raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore. "Avada Kedavra!"

AN: Please Review!