redemption - SOULBOUND I̲̅I̲̅ || SS/HG

10. Embroideries

It had been quite a while since Severus Snape stepped over the intricate designs on the marble floor decorating the headmasters private quarters. The last time - he recalls - was the evening Lily Potter had been murdered, his hand stained by her blood, dripping carelessly onto the floor.

Flinch in at the memory, remembering the way she felt in his arms, her limbs heavy body falling in his grasp, his tears pouring out of his orbs as he yelled after her. Feeling the blood from his head rushing to his legs, leaving him with black stains blinding his sight, Severus gripped onto the nearest hold and leaned over it, his mind playing him the memory of a baby boy's lost gaze and quivering form.

How could he still pretend after so many years? It didn't feel right, protecting the truth and keeping it away from the one he had cared for so many years. He had raised him as his own, pretending to be someone he was not in order to protect him from his own blood, treating him less that the dirt from under their shoes. It he made a vow, a promise to stay silent until Voldemort was vanquished. Yet now more then ever he felt compelled to lower his guard, to remove this heartless mask from his face and reveal the truth to Lily's son, Harry.

Before he could knock on the door Dumbeldore hastily opened it with a smile grazed on his face, "Severus finally, one minute later and I would have eaten all the lemon drops."

The headmaster chirpy voice made him smile, although, as he joined him on the couch, Severus couldn't take his focus away from the void in the old man's eyes.

"Now tell me Severus, how are you?" He asked as he extended a golden tray covered with his most prized delicacy, "take it won't bite you."

Scoffing at his remark, Snape squinted his eyes and flared his nostrils, searching for the ones that weren't spiked with veritaserum.

"Come on, you're vexing me," insisted the headmaster who in the process had dipped his own hand and selected one of the candies before stuffing it into his mouth. "These are so good they should be illegal."

"Then our meetings would be held in Azkaban," laughed Severus as he reached in towards the darkest looking ones knowing the others were dripping with the serum.

Pretending to be outraged, a hand covering his chest in sign of indignation Dumbeldore joked, "knowing me I wouldn't be found out. I'm appalled to see you think so little of me as to be discovered."

"Of course Albus, I'm sure you would also find a way to befriend the dementors into helping you escape."

"Intriguing creatures don't you think, misunderstood. Like you Severus." He stayed with a glimmer in his eyes, knowing he was taunting him. "Dark, tall, mysterious, one kiss and you would probably kill half the population."

"Either you think I have bad breathe or my charms are far to advance for the mundane woman population," countered the potion master who lifted the empty tea cup to his lips, muttering a spell before drinking the materialized tea.

Giggling at the retort, Dumbeldore stood up and walked towards the open window and closed it, not before looking outside and smiling fondly at the last remaining of students before the beginning of class. "Now tell me, Albus, why am I here?"

"Why must you ask so many question, Severus?"

Rolling his eyes Snape leaned back on the sofa a frown drawn on his face, "something is bothering you, isn't it?"

"You see Severus, since my time with Grindelwald I've learned to pay close attention to what I do," he stated before placing a diary in front of the listening wizard. "Yet strangely enough there seem to be an immense gap in my daily writing."

Opening the blue journal designed with blue embroiders on the right hand corner, Severus raised a confused eyebrow as he flipped through the blank yellowish pages. "There is nothing inside."

"Of course I won't remove the concealing spell for you to see all my secrets now would I?"

"Then why did you give me the basted journal?" He growled, snapping the book close, "are you trying to tell me that someone found your journal and decided to play a little trick?"

"Severus do you need a drawing child? The lack of sleep is unfortunately having a negative effect on your deduction skills. My journal," he explained taking the book out of Snape's grasp and flipping through the now written pages, "contains every bit of information from my youth until now, or so I thought. It seems that some pages were ripped."

He knew clearly what was happening yet Snape still questioned whether he should inform Dumbledore of Hermione's situation and her time traveling or not. There was no saying what that other mysterious person could do should he ever learn that they are trying to retrieve the headmasters memory. Hours of long concentrated thought - isolated from the world - made Severus conclude that revealing too much from the future could alter it in unimaginable ways.

He simply couldn't risk it.

"Do not take it the wrong way but you are getting old. McGonagall could have ripped them under her animagus form or your bird -"

"- Phoenix, Severus!"

"Your bird got hungry and ate these missing pages."

The dubious look the headmaster was giving him made him feel cornered. Lying was his expertise, so there were no signs of unwanted sweat or trembling fingers. Yet he knew how much Dumbledore valued order and his memories. The tall pensive in the middle of his office provide this right.

"In that case Severus I should consider retiring," laughed the bearded man as he sat in front of his friend, "the upcoming war is having a toll on me, and Mr Potter isn't bringing me the informations I require."

"And what might that be if I may ask?" Severus thought of the conversation he had had with the young Potter involving the horcruxes and Slughorns big mouth.

Sighing in fatigue, Dumbledore peered through his round spectacles as his face shifted to sturdiness. "Slughorn said something to Riddle when he was a student at Hogwarts, and I must find out what it was in order to find a way to defeat him."

"We will figure it out, for the moment our dear and loving Potter is trying to stroke my godson to the good side."

"Is he now?" questioned the headmaster his eyebrow raising in curiosity.

Giggling at the meddling and childish attitude from the man Severus decided to play with him. "Yes, they spend the majority of their free time interlocking their wands in the Room of Requirements."

"Interesting."

"And how is Mr Weasley and Ms Granger handling their blossoming romance?"

The anger that flashed through his obsidian eyes didn't go unnoticed by Dumbeldore who only smiled at the affronted man.

"She is far to bright to even consider courting a dunderhead."

"Love is blind, Severus, and intelligence is bliss."