Albus Dumbledore offered Severus Snape a lemon sherbet. Snape took it and stared at it in his palm, the yellow candy was sticky and even without putting it into his mouth, Snape could tell it was more sugary than anything he'd eaten in quite a long time. He looked up at Dumbledore, not sure what to do with the candy - he didn't really want to eat it. Dumbledore seemed unperturbed that Snape wasn't eating it, or else he didn't notice. Either way, he didn't react when Snape stood with it in his palm, not moving.

"My proposition for you is simple Severus, I do not expect you to renounce the Dark Lord to his face or anything terribly dramatic of that sort."

"I would not be able to do so even if you were to ask me," Severus answered.

Dumbledore considered this a moment, sucking on the lemon sherbet he'd popped into his own mouth when he handed Severus his. "I see. May I inquire as to why?"

Severus hesitated.

They were standing on the sidewalk next to a row of muggle cars that were parked along the curbside outside of the square. The charms protecting the muggles from knowing of anything happening within the square were doing their job - not a sound came from beyond wrought iron fence, grown over by shrubbery. 

Dumbledore stared at Severus, waiting.

And as Snape hesitated, he felt a funny feeling, like a profound urge to tell the truth. He looked at Dumbledore and said, plainly, "My muggle father beat my mother. If she were not a witch, she would not be alive today, but she was able to heal her own wounds and lived. She was able to heal me when he beat me as well. We survived. He would not work, and so we starved. When my Mother told the Ministry for Magic and begged for help, they told her they would file a report. What good does a report do?" His voice was dark and it lowered, "She went to family and they wouldn't help. They mocked us instead. But at one of our cousin's houses, begging for food, my mother met a man who overheard the story she told... and he cared. He promised to help her. To help me. For a price. And that man came and my father paid for what he had done to us. My mother's promise is my inheritance. It is binding."

Dumbledore nodded. "This is why you helped the boys at that home, when you heard what was happening to them. Did you create any such contract with those boys as Voldemort created with you, Severus?"

"No," Snape said lowly.

Dumbledore asked, "And why not?"

"It shouldn't cost anything to be protected."

Dumbledore nodded. "Mr. Snape, I believe that conviction is the very thing which might save you from falling into a cycle that is far too easy to take part in. Children who have been mistreated are more likely to mistreat others as a result of their own trauma. Why, I cannot imagine the plethora of tragedy which must manifest within the motley collection of the followers of your so-called Lord. He has built for himself an army of people and creatures who have been wronged and seek revenge. But you, Snape, are different. You understand that safety and well being is a natural-born right of every person. And it is for this reason that I believe that you, Severus, are just the man for the job which I am about to offer to you."

"I already told you - I am bound by my mother's promise," Severus said, shaking his head.

Dumbledore said, "Ah, yes, but I am not asking you to leave the service of Voldemort, Severus. Rather, I am asking you to help us to see what it is that your Lord asks of you to do. You are a great mind, and you have access into Voldemort's most privvy life, into his plans... You even more than most, being a legilimens. I ask of you not to leave his service, but rather to exploit your abilities and simply inform us. We will do the rest and you need not run a single mission on our side, you need only to inform." Dumbledore stood, watching Severus think.

Severus scoffed. "Well, what's in it for me?"

Dumbledore said, "What do you want?"

Severus wanted for a lot of things. His life had been a long litany of things he wished for but did not have. But one particular thing stood out to his mind.

"I want Lily Evans protected."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, fishing in the bag of lemon sherbets again. He stared at Snape as he popped one in his mouth and, even though Snape was still just holding the first one he'd given him, Dumbledore offered the bag again. Snape shook his head and Dumbledore folded the top neatly and returned it to his robes pocket.

"I want to know that she's not sent on ridiculous missions pretending to be vampires meeting up with Death Eaters again. If it was her that had been taken tonight, when the Dark Lord revealed her identity, she ---" he paused here, anger clear on his face at the thought, "--- she would've been given up for the Death Eaters to do as they pleased. The only reason Alice Longbottom wasn't was because of her blood status and Lily Evans --" Severus shook his head and looked away.

"She is a mudblood," Dumbledore said, purposely using the slur that he knew Severus was used to hearing for people like Lily.

Severus Snape's eyes snapped up to look at Dumbledore, "She's more than that. She's always been more - better - than ---" Severus paused. "Better than my father," he said. That compulsion to tell the truth still hung heavy on him. "She's better than my father which is the only experience I've had with non-wizards. I hate them because of him. Because everything that Grindelwald used to say about the no-maj was true about him. He hated us because of magic. He hated me because of magic and he sought to burn it out of me."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow again, "To burn it out of you?"

Severus had pushed that memory down so far that even the compulsion to tell the truth and answer Dumbledore couldn't drag it out and he shook his head and murmured, "Please don't make me speak it."

"Very well," Dumbledore said, and the compulsary feeling faded. The candy clicked on Dumbledore's teeth as he stood for a moment, considering. Then, "You love Lily Potter. Despite her blood status."

Severus nodded.

"Despite what your so-called Lord teaches about love? That it is a weakness?"

Severus nodded again.

"Even though she isn't yours - and never will be?" Dumbledore cocked his head slightly, raising an eyebrow at Severus, studying him, "Even though... your love is unrequited?"

Severus murmured, "Always."

Dumbledore held out his hand after a moment of letting the word hang between them. "I shall protect Lily Potter and you shall be our agent among the Death Eaters. You'll report back to me directly and we shall work together. Both of us understand that this agreement will lead to some... sacrifices... but that ultimately, anything that happens as a result will be in benefit of the Greater Good."

Severus stared at the offered hand.

He tossed the lemon sherbet that still sat in his palm into the hedge that lined the wrought iron fence 'round the square and he took Dumbledore's hand and they shook on it. Magic tingled in Severus's palm and he knew that it was a binding contract - not quite as severe as an unbreakable vow, but akin to it.

Dumbledore smiled at Severus. "I do believe that concludes our meeting for this evening."

Severus was suddenly standing in the empty street alone, hand held out and empty - Dumbledore had vanished.

Confused and more than a little embarrassed at the memory of the things Dumbledore had gotten him to speak aloud, Severus scowled and hurried to the gate of the square, pushing it open and --

It was like being hit with a blast of hot air.

The tree in the center of the square burned, blazing bright, and smoke filled the air. There was shouting and jets of spell light shooting every which way so that even coming in, Severus was already dodging the hexes, curses, charms, jinxes, and whatnot flying through the air. And not just magic - some of the whatnot were ducks. Actual waterfowl, which squawked and flew chaotically over the mass of Death Eaters and Order Members battling.

"Stupefy!" squeaked a small voice and Severus turned, throwing a shield charm effortlessly and watched as it bounced back and struck Peter Pettigrew with his own magic. Peter fell to the ground and Snape shook his head.

There was Remus Lupin, standing over Evan Rosier, yelling about pufferfish.

And there was Marlene Mckinnon, creating hedges to box in masked Death Eaters.

There was Sirius Black, stunned, laying as pathetically as Peter Pettigrew now was, spread-eagle on the ground.

There was McGonagall, shouting, deflecting curses like a champion.

There was James Potter, facing Antonin Dolohov and a crucio to the chest sent him flying backward - and there was Lily Evans.... screaming, running toward James with fear in her eyes...

Severus hurried to Lily, pushing around Fenrir Greyback, who was sending shoving charms, headed for where Remus Lupin was ennervating Sirius. He was kneeling beside James with her, and she looked up at Severus with tears in her eyes, "Sev, he --" she started to say, but Severus could hear the worry in her mind and he cut her off.

"He's alive."

There was a shout behind him - Rudolphus Lestrange had just struck Fabian Prewett across the back with a morning star charm, tearing his back.

Lily was sobbing, shaking James.

"Rennervate," Severus cast the spell, pressing his wand to James Potter's chest, which heaved with the magic and he let out a sharp gasp, his eyes flying open.

"Oh my stars," Lily threw herself across him, clutching his torso.

"What --" James stammered as she clung on and his eyes met Severus's.

Severus opened his mouth to answer,  but was suddenly distracted by the sound of the most desperate thought he'd ever heard, the thought like a scream for all it's importance to the thinker.

Morning glories. Page 47. Tell her. Go... go... go.

Severus turned away from James and saw the bright white flash of a patronus - a bird - huge and graceful, long tail sweeping through the night - the peacock flew with the speed of a shooting star through the sky, up and away from the fight.

Severus stared up at the streak of light.

And suddenly from his left came a blur of limbs and panicked shouting - it was Sirius Black, throwing himself across the grass to James, shoving Severus out of the way. "Get back, get back you bastard, don't you fucking touch him, I'll blast your greasy head clear off your shoulders, you monster!" Sirius and Lily were both helping James up and Severus stumbled backwards, nearly struck by a spell from behind, he turned 'round and found there were flashes and sparks flying right there, and Remus Lupin was dueling Fenrir Greyback. 

A sharp pain went through Severus's arm as a spell went errant.

Each jab of the wand sent a horrible spell across and cuts and lacerations were showing up on both of the werewolves as though they were slashing one another with unseen claws - both in their human forms, but the spells they were using doing damages that were on-par with a wolf fight and Severus looked down to see he had blood on his forearm, as though he'd been struck by a mighty dog's paw. 

And then there was a gutteral, world-shattering cry and every one paused to turn and look as Antonin Dolohov strode across the grass and executed Fabian Prewett without a moment's hesitation.

"NO!" The bellowed word came from across the square, where Elphinstone Urquart was running toward the cluster of Death Eaters that hovered around the dead twins and Urquart shot a spell that struck hard on Dolohov's shoulder, pushing him back from the twins' bodies, which lay folded over one another, blood pooling about them in the grass. "NO!" Urquart's voice was laced with anguish and anger and he slashed and all five Death Eaters disapparated immediately so that Urquart's spell flew through the air and struck one of the masked men beyond, who crumpled, unconscious, to the ground.

In the shock of the moment, Greyback sent a cheap punch to Remus Lupin's knees and his knees gave beneath him but even as he went down, Remus shot a jet of light that cut Greyback across the face and a burst of blood flew up from the man's cheek, nose, and mouth that was sure to leave a horribly griseled mark, throwing Greyback 'round in a spinning sort of fall so that he twisted and landed on his stomach. Another shot and Greyback's shoulder was torn and he scrambled on his hands and knees several desperate feet, grabbed his dropped wand, and disapparated with a look of panic on his face as he clutched at his cheek and nose.

Suddenly a roar behind them from the wrought iron gate sent a blast of air that struck like a wall as it flew out from the source - Dumbledore had stepped into the square and his arms were spread wide, the force of power had him as the epicenter. Every last one of the people standing in the square were thrown back by it and the fire in the tree was extinguished like a candle.

The Death Eaters disapparated from where they'd landed one by one, and many of the Members of the Order did as well - including Severus Snape. Remus fought to his feet, his knees in shambles, he hurried over and pulled Sirius up from where he and Lily had landed on the ground with James, who were now struggling to get up themselves. Dumbledore waved a wand, ennervating the remaining Order Members and he announced, "Go to your homes. We'll converge for a meeting shortly. Await my Patronus. Elphinstone? Your assistance." He strode to the center of the square, where the twins lay.

"No," James said, his eyes seeing the twins for the first time as Dumbledore and Urquart bent to each take up one of the twins bodies. "No - "

Sirius's eyes were wide and his jaw dropped and he turned to Remus quickly, pressing his face into his husband's chest and he said, "Fucking tell me I didn't just see ---"

Remus had tears in his eyes, the breath gone from him.

Lily's hands covered her mouth in horror.

Peter, who had been ennervated, ran to James and Lily and threw his arms around James. "You're okay," he gasped - for the last thing he'd seen had been James being struck and falling - but James was staring, slack-jawed as Urquart took hold of Gideon under the arms and pulled him up... the blood dripping from Gideon's limp body...

"Go. Home." Dumbledore's words were firm. "All of you." And without any further command, he took hold of Fabian Prewett the same way that Urquart had done with Gideon and the pair of them disapparated away.

The four Marauders and Lily stood speechless as around them their friends disappeared, Sirius crying into Remus's chest and Peter clinging onto James desperately. James looked at Remus and Remus's face crumpled, tears smearing dirt over his scars as he held onto his husband. Lily broke, a sob escaping her, and James reached out and grabbed her hand. 

"We gotta go," James said.

Remus nodded.

"Together?" James asked.

Remus nodded and held out a hand for James's and between the two of them - they managed a five-part side along, which had them all reappearing in front of the graveyard in Godric's Hollow.