Chapter Text
The venom slid through his veins like razor wire. It was the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt, and that was saying something, all things considered. He would have screamed but for the fact that the damned serpent had torn his vocal cords to shreds and he could feel his blood pouring from the wound.
He was delirious with blood loss and pain almost instantly. Time staggered forward in great, stuttering clips that seemed to slow down and then speed up randomly. He saw something. A flash of green?
No. It couldn't be.
His mouth was saying something, but he couldn't remember what it was. The taste of copper filled his mouth and his tongue felt thick and heavy, as though it were filled with lead. He remembered crying, or was that someone else? Something? Memories poured from his body.
After all, he wouldn't need them anymore.
Darkness.
He didn't remember closing his eyes. Perhaps he had, though.
It was so hard to think, to focus.
Everything seemed far away, now, even the pain.
He was thankful that at last it was finally over.
Freedom .
As the darkness closed in around him like a thick, soothing blanket, he knew that no master could follow him where he was going.
He smiled. Death was already being far kinder to him than life had ever been.
The light was blindingly bright. Someone was screaming. It took his brain a long moment to realize that the screams were coming from his own mouth.
"...was dead!"
"Couldn't....she... impossible !"
Words assaulted his ears. None of them made sense or formed coherent sentences that held any meaning for him.
Pain flowed through his chest and he screamed again even though he still felt rather detached from his body. Murky, indistinct shapes danced before his eyes and suddenly red light filled his vision. Before he felt himself fall back down into the warm comfort of oblivion, he heard a familiar voice say, "Thank Merlin, he's alive!"
It was then that he knew that he'd survived. Instantly, his heart filled with despair.
Apparently life hadn't yet had its fill of kicking him when he was as far down as he could go.
“I know you're just pretending to be asleep, you bastard !"
"Ron! You know that we're not supposed to be interfering with his recuperation!"
"Oh I'm sure that George will be glad to hear that, huh Harry? Oh right, if you want him to hear what you're saying, you'll have to be sure to speak near the ear that wasn't cut off by this arsehole right here!"
"Ron...you know that I'm not minimizing-"
"Yes you are, Harry! That's exactly what you're doing. You see one goddamn Pensieve memory-"
"Several, actually."
"So what if you saw a billion of them? Just because Snape wanted to snog your mum doesn't mean he was some kind of bloody hero. Or did you forget how much of an absolute git he was to us year after year? How he murdered Dumbledore in front of you?! You seemed to have a pretty accurate read on the man for seven years straight and now suddenly you're the head of the Severus bloody Snape fan club! He's not suddenly a nice person just because he did a couple of un-shitty things in his stupid, miserable life!"
"Ron! Wait!"
The sound of a door crashing closed filled his ears and he controlled the urge to flinch.
It was true. Severus had been pretending to be asleep. The last thing he wanted was to have an awkward heart to heart with the Boy Who Had Apparently Lived, especially since it seemed as though he'd somehow given the boy access to his memories somehow, judging from the rather inaccurate version of his and Lily's friendship that Weasley had regurgitated. Part of his mind idly wondered if it would be possible to goad Weasley into finishing the job that Nagini had started, but it would be unlikely if anyone else was nearby to stop him from doing it.
Note to self: next time, when bitten by a massive, bloody snake, have the good sense to die before parting with any humiliating memories that will be used to haunt you for the rest of eternity.
He couldn't speak, but that didn't matter. He'd never been much for conversation, as there were few he could speak candidly with and even fewer who he wished to talk with in the first place.
No, when it came to Severus Snape, everything was in his head, and it was with great relief that he realized that his mind has survived intact. His body could have been broken beyond repair, but the thought of losing himself and being reduced to nothing more than a human-shaped vegetable was utterly repulsive.
He'd already figured out that some of his memories were missing. They felt fuzzy and indistinct, nagging at his conscious mind like a corn kernel stick in his gum that he couldn't reach.
When he heard no other movement, he opened one eye very slowly, still wincing in the low light in the room. He was in a hospital bed of some sort, and it was obviously a single room, which he knew were rare. The rune-etched shackle that anchored his right arm to the bed was an obvious reminder that he was not just a patient.
He was also a prisoner.
Footsteps were approaching again. Hushed voices spoke back and forth to one another, though they were hard to understand from the other side of the door. Severus didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes once more, his face relaxed as though blissfully unconscious.
If only.
It was then that a strange feeling began to pulse and grew in his belly, a kind of giddy and ticklish sensation as though he'd been filled with champagne bubbles. He’d felt it before, but it had never been as strong as this, probably because the last person to cause a similar reaction had only met the barest requirements for it.
Shit. A life debt.
The only good news was that at least he knew it couldn’t be Weasley or Potter. Or any of the blasted Marauders since they were all blessedly dead now. Unlike himself, though not for lack of trying.
He snorted at the irony of it all.
At least it couldn’t get any worse.
He’d been terribly, horribly wrong.
“Harry, I told you not to tell Ron about the results of the Priori Incantatem !”
“Hermione, you know that the results are public record. They’ve been printing them up in the Daily Prophet every week.” Harry sighed loudly as though this were an old argument
“I know, but Ron doesn’t get the Prophet. You could have at least had the decency to keep yours away from him! The way he tells it, I’m at fault for his brother losing his ear just because I saved Professor Snape’s life! We’ve been rowing about it for the last week and a half, and I’ve gotten to the point that I’m about to consider leaving the Burrow altogether even though I don’t have anywhere to go yet!”
“Well, you do have to admit that it might have been better if you’d just let him…” Harry trailed off.
“What, die ? Are you really so heartless, Harry?!” Hermione’s voice had grown shrill and Severus was glad that his eyes were closed, for her eyes were probably flashing with anger. “You gave Voldemort himself a chance to turn himself in before your final dual, and yet you think that the Professor deserves to die?”
“That’s not what I…” Harry’s voice trailed off and he sounded somewhat petulant.
Severus, however, knew that this was exactly what Harry had meant. And, to some extent, he agreed with Harry, as much as it pained him to even consider it.
He would, after all, rather be dead than owe a massive life debt to one Hermione Granger.
“He belongs in Azkaban!”
“We’ve been over this a hundred times, Ron! I need him.”
“What for, huh? Have you been secretly involved with him or something?”
“Ron, that was uncalled for!”
“Saving his goddamn life was uncalled for! Everyone would be happier if he was rotting in the ground!”
“You...you.... fine ! You know what?! Get out of here! I’ll handle this myself!”
“FINE!”
“ FINE !”
Hermione entered the room and slammed the door behind her, her eyebrows lowered and her cheeks flushed with anger. Severus was sitting up in bed, sipping tea with a mild expression on his face. His dark eyes, however, were sharp as ever and they followed her movements as she set her briefcase on the floor and flopped heavily into the chair near the bed.
“I’m sorry if you heard any of that,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose as though trying to rub away a headache.
“It would have been hard not to, seeing as neither of you seem capable of speaking below a dull roar when in each other’s presence.” Severus winced at the pain of speaking, his voice coming out thin and gravelly. The healers at St. Mungo’s were skilled at what they did, but Nagini’s bite had caused extensive damage that even magic would take time to heal.
Hermione made a noise behind her hand that sounded suspiciously like a snort of laughter.
“I know that you’re not yet fully healed,” she started, “but I thought it would be best to level with you. As of today, you’re facing life imprisonment in Azkaban for your activity as a Death Eater. However, both Harry and myself have done all we can to clear you of these charges. The Pensieve memories that you provided Harry were incredibly useful. Headmaster McGonagall has also been able to dredge up paperwork and other documentation from Dumbledore’s vault that proves that you were working for Dumbledore all along and that your spying was one of the main reasons that we were able to vanquish Voldemort at all.”
“Go on.” Severus had crossed his arms and was sitting rigidly in bed, the tea forgotten on the tray next to the bed with the rest of his uneaten breakfast.
“The thing is, the public is still clamoring for blood. The Daily Prophet really hasn’t helped, either. So...we reached a decision.” Hermione sighed and pulled open the briefcase, taking out a rolled piece of parchment and handing it to Severus with a weary smile.
He unrolled the parchment and looked through it, his eyes widening as he read the words therein.
“Harry and Ron have been given pretty much instant induction into the Aurors,” Hermione said, as Severus finished reading and looked up at her once more, his expression guarded, “Honestly, though, I doubt Ron will last. He’s been talking about going and helping George...well, that’s not really important. The important thing is that as a member of the Magical Law Enforcement Agency of Great Britain Field Division, I’ve been tasked with tracking down the remaining Death Eaters who have escaped. The fact that you switched sides and became a spy for the Order tells me that you will be well-suited for the task ahead if you choose to accept it. Your wand will be returned to you, though it will be equipped with a Limiter, and once you finish assisting with the capture of the rest of the Death Eaters, you will be given your freedom and a full pardon for any crimes committed.”
“What is the catch?” Severus rasped, staring at her with impassive eyes.
“C-catch? I’m not sure I-” Hermione stammered.
“The catch, Miss Granger,” Severus replied wearily, “There is always a catch.”
“It will be dangerous, obviously,” Hermione replied, her brow furrowing, “And the Limiter will prohibit you from using your wand in ways that could kill or fatally wound your opponents. You’ve been unconscious for nearly six months, Professor. With the help of my coworkers, I was able to develop a device that slips onto a wand easily and prevents lethal force. It’s not yet the law to have one on your wand, as many believe it limits the potential magic of that wand, but those who are on probation or parole from Azkaban are required to have them and the program has really helped to reduce recidivism.”
“Miss Granger.”
“Please, call me Hermione. I’m nearly nineteen years old now.” Hermione’s voice was kindly and it grated on his nerves.
“How do you know that I won’t simply kill you the muggle way and flee the country?” Severus replied, his shredded voice darkening.
Hermione flushed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“W...where did that come from?” she stammered.
“I asked a simple question, Hermione ,” Severus replied, his voice deadpan, “but if I must rephrase it, I shall. How do you propose to keep me, an accomplished wizard, spy and Potions master who is more than twenty years your senior, in line?”
“Don’t you feel it?” Hermione asked suddenly, and it was his turn to be stunned into silence.
“ What ?” he asked quietly after a long, awkward pause.
“The Life Debt.” It wasn’t a question. She knew .
Goddamn it.
“What about it?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant and failing horribly.
“If you try to harm me, you will die,” she replied matter-of-factly, “In fact, I’ve had it checked out by my superiors and they’ve confirmed it, which is the only reason they’re letting me offer you this partnership.”
Severus looked away and muttered something under his breath.
“What was that?” Hermione looked puzzled.
“I said , what if I want to die?” Severus replied, his voice choked with bile.
“That’s a terrible thing to say, Professor!” Hermione replied, standing up so quickly that he shrunk backwards instinctively until his head was pressed against the headboard of the hospital bed.
“Well, it’s true. I never asked to be saved,” he rasped, “And that’s another thing! Don’t call me Professor ! That’s not who I am anymore. Not after all of this…”
“Just...think about it, okay ?” Hermione looked as though she wanted to reach forward and squeeze his hand.
He snatched it away before she could make a move and looked pointedly at the far wall. He knew that he was being churlish and immature, but at that moment he didn’t care.
“You can do some real good in this world, you know, Mr. Snape,” Hermione said as she stood by the door. “I can give you until the end of the week before I have to give my superiors an answer. Keep the paperwork and think about it. I know you think I’m just some kind of know-it-all kid, but I promise that I’ll pull my weight and I won’t invoke the Life Debt unless you seriously step out of line for some reason. I wish that things could have been different, but..this is just how things are right now.”
“Miss... Hermione… ” His voice sounded tired, and he still wouldn’t look at her, but he felt like he had to say it.
“Yes?”
“Call me Severus. Mr. Snape was my father, and the less I’m reminded of him, the better. I shall think on what you have told me and give you an answer tomorrow evening.”
With that, he went silent and picked up his tea with his free arm, still refusing to meet her gaze.
“Thank you... Severus… ” she said softly, her mouth catching awkwardly on the unfamiliar name. “I hope that you continue to recover quickly.”
She shut the door quietly behind her and it was only then that Severus dared to look up at the frosted glass window that was built into the top half of the door to his room.
The outline of her bushy haired head lingered there, unmoving, for a long moment. Then, it was as though some spell had been broken and he heard her soft footsteps receding down the hallway until they’d disappeared altogether.