Freddie sat in absolute silence while Snape spoke, not allowing herself to react or respond in any way as he described being tortured from the moment he appeared. The Dark Lord had barely given him a chance to explain that the only reason he had not returned immediately when the Dark Mark burned was so that he could secure his spot at Hogwarts – to ensure that he stayed close to Dumbledore, to keep an eye on the Dark Lord's oldest enemy. The Dark Lord had tested him, examining his memories of the last fourteen years, every interaction he'd ever had with Harry Potter, torturing him with the Cruciatus Curse the entire time to try and break him, to discover deceit if there was any.

"He never broke my resolve," Snape said quietly. "I remained strong."

"You always do, Severus," Dumbledore said gently, giving him a nod of approval.

"It took hours, but the Dark Lord believes his trust in me is not misplaced. He was pleased to learn that Minister did not believe Potter's claims about his return. He said it will make gathering his followers all the more easy."

"I'm afraid it will," he said gravely. "But we will do everything that we can to stop him – or at least slow him down until Fudge sees reason. Do you know what he plans to do next?"

"Only that he wishes to gather his followers," Snape said, shaking his head. "He did not share any specific details before he sent me away. He told me to return to Hogwarts and wait for him to call on me again."

"And what of Miss Gray? Does He know that she is your girlfriend?" the headmaster asked. Freddie and Snape exchanged a look before they both quickly looked away. 'Girlfriend' wasn't a word that they'd ever used and Freddie couldn't help but feel a bit mortified that Dumbledore had said it now. Dumbledore looked faintly amused, but kept his tone serious.

"Is Voldemort aware of your relationship with Miss Gray?"

"...Yes," Snape said finally, still unable to look at Freddie. "He did not seem that interested in her for the time being."

"But that could change," Dumbledore said, his brow furrowed slightly. Freddie felt a wave of anxiety at the thought that the Dark Lord even knew who she was...and that he might take an interest in her. She quickly dismissed the feeling, not letting it show on her face.

"Yes," Snape said, sounding uneasy. "That very well may change."

"Well, we do not have to worry about that tonight. We have far more pressing matters at hand. Severus, you've done very well. Thank you," he said meaningfully and he stared at Snape until he met his gaze and nodded slightly. "I suggest you return the dungeons and let Miss Gray make you a cup of tea. Get some rest."

"Yes sir," he said, getting to his feet with some difficulty. Freddie couldn't imagine trying to get him back down eight flights of stairs to the dungeons.

"Professor Dumbledore?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, Miss Gray?"

"Could we use your Floo to go back to Severus' office? It'd be much quicker."

"Of course," he said easily. "I'm sorry, I should have thought to offer. It is a long way back to the dungeons. The Floo powder is there on the mantle."

"Thank you sir," Freddie said gratefully.

She let Snape go through the fireplace first, then grabbed a handful of Floo powder for herself.

"Take care of him, Miss Gray," Dumbledore said quietly.

"Yes sir," she said and gave him a quick smile before tossing the powder into the flames.

When Freddie stepped out of the hearth she found Snape leaning against his desk. He looked exhausted. He had shed his dirty cloak and left it on the floor, something he never did. She quickly picked it up and folded it.

"Do you want me to make you some tea?" she offered as she put the folded cloak on his desk. "I could make Brew 19, it might help with your pain. Or I could get Noelle to do it if you prefer."

Noelle was the only house-elf Snape used at Hogwarts. She was the only one who could brew a pot of tea to his satisfaction.

"I don't want tea," he said wearily, limping to the hidden entrance to his quarters. He tapped the bookcase with his wand and went inside.

Freddie hesitated slightly in his office, unsure if he wanted her to follow him or not. In the last five years she'd never gotten more than a glimpse inside his quarters. Even though she was no longer a student he was still careful with the level of intimacy they shared within the castle walls.

"Come," he called from inside and she hastened to obey. She found him sitting on the edge of his bed, trying to bend down to take his shoes off but clearly hurting. She quickly crossed the room and knelt before him, pulling his shoes off for him, then his socks. She stood and looked at him, his face lit by the green glow of the windows that looked out under the lake. She'd never seen him look so exhausted. Wordlessly she began to undo the buttons of his shirt, but he brushed her hands away.

"I can do it," he insisted and she stepped back to let him. She placed his shoes beside the bed, the way he always did at home, then turned to go.

"Winifred, wait," he said softly and she turned back to face him, raising an eyebrow. "...Stay."

"You want me to stay?" she asked, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he whispered, so quiet she almost couldn't hear him. "Please stay. I want to just...hold you. Please."

Snape rarely said please and she was surprised he would say it now. He didn't need to. Of course she would stay. She didn't want to leave anyway, not after everything he had been through tonight.

She nodded her head and shed her cloak. She kicked her boots off, not caring where they landed, then she let the satin dress slip from her shoulders and fall to the floor. He was watching her undress but his fingers were trembling as he tried to unbutton his shirt.

"Let me help," she murmured gently as she approached him and he let his hands fall away. He still wouldn't look directly at her as she undid his buttons and helped him get his shirt off.

When he was left in nothing but his pants he lay down on the bed, wincing slightly as he did, then shifted to make room for her. It was a small bed, not meant for two people, but they fit together perfectly when he wrapped his arms and legs around her. He buried his face in her black hair and sighed.

"I'm glad you're okay," Freddie whispered in the darkness.

"I am far from okay, little girl," he said, squeezing her closer against his body.

"I know. I'm sorry, I just meant...I'm glad you're alive."

"Me too," he murmured. "...I'm sorry you had to hear everything that I said to Dumbledore."

"I'm not. I think it's better for me to know than to wonder, and maybe...maybe if I know then I'll be able to help you somehow."

"No one can help me with this," he said. He squeezed her tight, then suddenly let go and rolled onto his back. She rolled over to see him staring at the stone ceiling above his bed.

"I can help," she said softly, moving closer to his side so she could lay her head on his chest. "Even if it's just by laying here with you."

"Mm," he said and put one arm around her. "That does help."

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, I'll never make you do that," she promised him. "But I am going to be a part of this. I already am."

"There will be things you might not want to hear when I make my reports..."

"I can handle it," she assured him, thinking that she'd already listened to his account of being tortured and it couldn't get much worse than that.

"The Dark Lord will kill people," he said, his voice quiet but serious. "And I will have to tell Albus. I've witnessed things, done things that...that no good man should ever have to do. Things that I want to protect you from."

"I know."

"If I could hide you away somewhere, lock you in a dungeon somewhere where you would be safe until...I don't know when – if – this will ever end or what shape the world will be in when it does."

"I know," she said again, stroking his chest lightly with her fingers. "But you can't do that. No place would ever be safe from the Dark Lord, would it? Besides...I have to help. I want to. I want to fight back against the person who killed Daniel...and I want to be here for you. Every step of the way."

"Even if I have to kill someone?" he asked in a voice that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. "If I have to kill someone to save my own skin, to protect my role as a spy..."

"You've done it before, haven't you?" she asked quietly.

"...I told you, years ago, that I had never killed anyone out of anger or 'for fun', the way other Death Eaters do, but...I have had to play my part," he said softly. "Dumbledore knows... and for every life I have taken, I have tried to save at least twice that many. Whenever it is possible for me to do so, I save them. But it does not undo the damage I've done, the marks against my soul..."

"You did what has to be done," she said, reaching up to cup his face and make him look at her. He closed his eyes. "And you are still doing it. What you're doing for Dumbledore, for the Order, no one else could do that, Severus. What you're doing saves thousands of lives, even if you can't see that."

"You sound like Albus," he muttered.

"Good," she said firmly, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "He's a smart man, Dumbledore. Look at me, Severus- look at me."

He finally opened his eyes and reluctantly met her gaze.

"I don't care what you've done, or what you have to do," she said seriously. "As long as you come back to me alive, understand? I love you. And I'll be here for you, no matter what."

He closed his eyes again but nodded. He covered her hand with his then moved it to his mouth to kiss her fingers.

"I'll try," he whispered, his voice sounding hoarse.

"...We should get some rest," she said after a moment. "You've been through a lot tonight. Do you want me to get you a Sleeping Draught?"

"No," he said, holding her tight before she could make a move to get off the bed. "Stay."

"Okay," she agreed, settling back down beside him. "I'm not going anywhere."