Severus observed the village’s occupants as he passed by. Everyone glanced at him curiously, but no one attempted to speak to him. The place seemed to be just waking up as he strode purposefully towards the shore.

The village was one of the many different places Severus had scouted out when Dumbledore asked him to be ready to remove Potter to an isolated location if the trial went badly. He’d seen the village in the distance a few times while out collecting ingredients, but had never entered it. He’d done some research, however, and it had turned out to be an ideal hideout.

Too small to even have a name, and certainly too small to make its way onto a map, the tiny fishing community had largely escaped the world’s notice. No roads inland led to it because of its distance from any other settlements, although it had a steady commerce outside of itself.  Water vessels were used to transport mail, food, medicine, manufactured goods, and other supplies to and from the village; and if anyone was in need of emergency medical attention beyond the means of the local Advanced Nurse Practitioner, the nearest hospital was on an island less than half an hour away by speed boat. Electricity had reached the village some 50 years ago by efforts of the Lochalsh Distribution Scheme, and although several families owned generators, the majority of the power came from a water mill set on a stream that cut through the center of the village as it emptied into the sea. The roads were unpaved, and the main occupation was fishing. The buildings lay as close as fifty feet to the water’s edge, where many different crafts were tied to docks or beached on the sand. By virtue of this combination of modern and old, the community had developed its own little quirks and culture separate from anywhere else. This made it an ideal place for the two of them to hide, as it virtually existed in a bubble independent of the rest of the world.

Severus regretted that the Potter boy would not be able to remain here after they separated. The cover they had crafted for themselves would not hold up if another Order member came to babysit the teen. The other villagers would immediately become suspicious if Potter’s “father” disappeared and was replaced by another adult. Severus was expecting Dumbledore to call him back to London during today’s conversation, and Potter was just going to have to come with him. Amy had already said something about getting a boat to take to a city. Severus had been as noncommittal in his answer as possible, but he could easily take her up on the offer. At the city, he would Apparate Potter to Headquarters and they would part ways.

As he walked along the beach, away from the village and back in the direction they’d come, he found himself thinking. The two of them could remain here, in this village. Severus could set the teen assignments and fix his previously negligible work ethic. A month of tutoring by Severus, and Potter could really improve both his grades and common sense. He’d teach the child not to be so reckless, and—

Severus shook himself. It wasn’t going to happen. Even if he wanted to stay here, which he didn’t, he had too much to do. He had potions to brew for both the Dark Lord and the Headmaster, meetings of both groups to attend, and would need to teach Potions again as soon as the school year began.

He walked for a full half hour until he reached a shallow depression in the side of a hill. Not prominent enough to be considered a cave, but it would provide adequate concealment. The almost-encounter with tourists had only proven that the wilderness was not perfectly empty.

Withdrawing his wand, he reveled in the opportunity to use magic again. The last week of living without it had been a distinctly uncomfortable experience.

He withdrew from the enlarged pouch a piece of parchment. With a muttered spell and flick of his wand, he activated the connection between this and the matching parchment in Dumbledore’s possession. Pulling out a quill, he wrote:

“Headmaster”

He only had to wait a few seconds for Dumbledore’s familiar script to appear below it. The man must have placed a charm upon it to alert him when the connection was reopened.

Aconite. I trust all is well? Aconite was their previously agreed–upon codename for Severus, just as Snitch was their codename for Potter.

“Yes. The Snitch is safe.”

Excellent.

“Is the Ministry amenable?”

No. Snitch must remain flying.

Severus cursed. So Dumbledore had been unable to overturn the verdict. “Should it be moved to a different pitch?”

A pause, then, How quickly can the Aconite be delivered to Hogwarts?

Severus hastily wrote, “Now,” and turned on the spot.

Apparating to just outside the castle wards, Severus hastened across the grounds and entered the castle. The walk from the entrance hall to the Headmaster's office was a long one, but Severus moved quickly. He didn't like leaving Potter wandless, amongst muggles, any longer than necessary. Even though Severus had waited until the teen was under cover to leave, he still had no defenses besides secrecy.

No password was required at this time of year. Severus, uncontent to wait for the magical staircase to carry him to the top, leapt up two steps at a time.

He was slightly out of breath when he knocked perfunctorily upon the door before entering without waiting for a response.

"Severus," greeted the Headmaster warmly. "Your haste is appreciated." 

"What has happened?"

The man wasted no time. "We fear that the Order has been compromised."

Severus sat down abruptly, paling. "Who?"

"We've no idea," Dumbledore said. It might be true, it might not. Severus knew that Dumbledore completely trusted him—that was proven, if not already, when he entrusted Potter's safety to him—but the man often chose to keep his secrets close. Severus had long ago become accustomed to doing things without knowing why. It was simply the way war worked. Potter would learn that as well, if he was studying the book Severus had assigned him like he ought. "But I fear that you may have been compromised."

Severus froze, then glanced at his arm where the Dark Mark lay concealed by his sleeve. "I have not been summoned. Surely the Dark Lord would have called me if he knew I had betrayed him."

"We believe Tom may be planning to feed false information to us through you."

Severus cursed again. "What am I to do?"

"I think, my boy, that it is time you took another role in this war."

"Stop spying?" Severus grasped the arms of his chair, feeling the world tilt underneath him. For so long, his entire life had revolved around one thing, one goal. His purpose suddenly ripped away from him, he fought to remain collected. From the way Dumbledore was watching him, he knew it hadn't completely worked. "What if we're wrong? What if the Dark Lord does not know?"

"My boy," Dumbledore said, lacing his fingers together. "Remember why you became a spy in the first place."

Severus looked away. He didn't want to remember.

"Remember the promise you gave me."

How could he not? He had been reminded every time he looked into Lily's green eyes during the past week spent with Potter. "Yes," he said slowly, beginning to suspect where the Headmaster was going with this. 

"As invaluable as the information you’ve been able to provide us has been, I believe that you can now best serve by protecting Harry. I very much doubt that he will be able to return to school in two weeks. As I cannot take him to Headquarters if there is indeed a traitor in our midst, he will have to stay in some unknown location. Is there any chance that Voldemort will find him at your current hideout?”

Severus cleared his throat. “I hesitate to deal in absolutes, so I will not say that it is impossible; however, it is very unlikely.”

“And you will be there, to protect him?” Dumbledore was watching him closely, and Severus felt himself to be standing at the edge of a precipice. He could refuse, rant and rave about how he couldn’t stand the teen, and the Headmaster would place Harry with Lupin or some other friend. Perhaps he would set up a place for Sirius Black to live, disguised, with Harry. Severus could refuse. The Headmaster probably expected him to.

Then he thought about green eyes, filled with pain, silently asking for help when the teen woke from another blasted nightmare. He thought about the silent shadow who’d followed him for days, uncomplaining, as they walked for miles and camped in the open. He thought about a mop of unruly black hair poking out above a blanket on the couch. He thought about the plans he’d started making about tutoring him in defense and strategy.

“I will,” he said simply, feeling as though he had just leapt head-first off of the precipice, only to land safely.

Dumbledore smiled, and his eyes seemed to grow brighter. Severus knew that he was about to say something about his bravery, or loyalty, or some other nonsense about learning to grow and change. Not wanting to hear it, he stood. “Perhaps an emergency portkey directly to this office would not be amiss, should Potter need to escape and I am incapacitated?”

The Headmaster nodded, and they set up a portkey while discussing the finer details of the new arrangement. It was only designed to carry one person, in case an attacker attempted to grab hold of the boy as it was activated. Severus would have left it at that, but the older man had set up another as well for Severus to use.

“If you should need it,” Dumbledore said, pressing it into his hands, and Severus swallowed past a lump in his throat. There had occasionally been moments over the years when Dumbledore had expressed some sort of paternal affection for the younger man, and Severus never quite knew how to react when it happened. He only nodded, slipping the portkey into an inner pocket.

As he moved to leave the office, Dumbledore’s voice spoke up. “Severus.” 

The Potions Master turned to meet the piercing blue eyes watching him. “Yes, Headmaster?”

“Sometimes, what seems to be a trial in our life will prove to become a blessing.”

Severus only nodded and left the office. One more stop before he could return.