The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 51

Despite Snape's misgivings about continuing to associate with Miss Gray, he was obligated to visit her regularly if only to keep up appearances with the other Death Eaters, who were watching him closely and reporting back to their ever-suspicious master. He spent most of his time in the Potions lab that Miss Gray had taken to calling his "micro-dungeon." She seemed to think the name amusing; he didn't. He still hadn't perfected an anti-venom for Nagini, nor had he produced a workable prototype for Miss Gray's lycanthropy cure. Serving two masters while keeping a full-time job was taking its toll on him; he was exhausted.

"Do you ever stop working, Severus?" asked Dumbledore as he entered the Potions laboratory.

Snape looked up from brewing. "Brewing potions relaxes me."

"It's important to rest one's mind and body occasionally."

"I know you didn't you come down here to engage in small talk."

"While it's true that I require more in-depth information from you, Severus; it's also true that I enjoy friendly conversation from time to time."

"I haven't the time for pointless blather," said Snape sharply.

"I know you're tired, Severus. I'm tired too, and I'm not so young a man as you." Snape's temper cooled and Dumbledore conjured a comfortable chair for himself. Snape remained standing over his cauldron. "Tell me about Umbridge. And the students, how are the students?"

"There's not much I can tell you about Umbridge that you don't already know. She's cruel, manipulative, power hungry and, fortunately for us, she's not particularly clever." That made Dumbledore smile and his clear blue eyes twinkled merrily. "She's been interrogating students with veritaserum. I've been providing her with false serum for members of the Order. I've been deliberately irksome to her, but I have not been defying her as overtly as certain other members of the faculty."

"Yes, well Minerva's Gryffindor temper gets the better of her where the children's welfare is concerned. And you, my boy," chuckled Dumbledore, "are a master at the art of subtle irritation."

"You're too kind, Headmaster."

"Protect the students as best you can, Severus," said Dumbledore more seriously, "but don't risk losing your cover."

"Understood."

"And how is Harry?"

Snape's temper flared again, "Willful and defiant as ever."

"He has strength of character."

"He's arrogant, lazy, and impossible to teach! I don't know why you insist on making excuses for his shortcomings!"

"We all have flaws, Severus."

"But we are not all the son of James Potter."

"Harry isn't his father."

"He's his twin," countered Snape.

"Superficially perhaps, but the less savory aspects of his character that he inherited from James are softened by Lily's more sensible, kinder nature. Harry has a great deal of his mother in him, Severus."

"Lily was never a spoiled, petted brat!"

"And neither is Harry," replied Dumbledore, forcing his voice to remain calm and even. "James was overindulged as a child and that gave too much encouragement to the negative side of his personality, but he wasn't all bad; just imperfect. Harry, like his father, is willful, but he will need that strength of will to resist Voldemort. You of all people know how manipulative Voldemort can be." Snape returned his attention to the simmering cauldron, and his lack of verbal reply gave Dumbledore impetus to press the point. "Harry had an early childhood very much like yours, forlorn and lacking in affection."