First one, then two [Private]

[Evaline]

How it began:

Like most things, it started quite unexpectedly... They were called into the office by Dumbledore and told that they would all be introduced to something both dangerous and wonderful at the same time. Some sort of other form of magic that was, perhaps, not magic at all - old magic that had been since locked and sealed away but, as Dumbledore often did, he decided that a little rule-breaking was warranted in this time of... great need.

And so it was decided that the portal should be opened and that a member of the other universe - their alternate universe - should be added. It was very conceited to believe that their world was the only that existed in the vast nothingness (or somethingness) of space, or that there were not other creatures like them at all, and so it came both as a shocking surprise and... a form of validation to those who were allowed to actually see what he had to show them.

"There are things from which we can all learn," he said, "From our brothers, our counterparts. Things to be opened that were before unimaginable. I had hoped to keep this hidden for just a while longer, hoped to keep them and us safe. It is clear to me, though," he turned away from the group, hands folded neatly at the end of his beard, "That we are in need of a little help..."

He acted as though it was his first time venturing through that particular portal but, as many who knew Dumbledore would be able to tell, it was far from his first time. In fact, he had already chosen the particular person to be introduced to their world.

"There is a Lily... male, but brave, noble like our own friend... There is the James, the Sirius - both have survived thus far... There is the Hagrid and," he gave a light chuckle, smiling to himself, "Even a Dumbledore! He is quite a handsome fellow, if I do say so myself - rather rugged and young." As he walked about he desk he ignored the frightened, confused stares of the damaged comrades, "But I think, for this particular assignment... it may be best to employ... The Snape."

Many were confused - of all of the people to bring in from that universe, that other place, why Snape? Surely they could make use of another... They could bring in Lily's counterpart, James', someone more noble. Why the least trustworthy? Snape was trusted insofar as Dumbledore said he could be... And so why should 'The Snape' be brought in of all people...



And what followed:

It was like she had apparated, just popped into the room out of thin air, although she hadn't quite apparated at all - she was called for by that particularly strong sort of magic that Dumbledore hoped to keep hidden from Voldemort for just a little while longer. If he found out that they could move between worlds and summon their counterparts from each, then he could... he could summon his own. There was enough danger in the world with one 'Lord Voldemort' reaping his chaos, and a second would be wholly disastrous.

"Ahh... there you are," he chuckled softly, folding his hands together, "We have been expecting you."

Evaline's ears started to twitch and she narrowed her eyes just a little, turning her head very slowly to look at the office. It was very different; where were all of the birds? Oh, there was one - a phoenix, but that didn't quite count did it? Not really. "Indeed."

The headmaster turned his attention to their Severus and smiled, giving him a little twinkle. This was a cruel game that he was playing to pit the two 'Snape' characters against one another but at the same time it was an opportunity for both worlds to learn from one another; and just imagine how great it made him that he had the ability to... to... Ahh. There it was again.

"Dumbledore," Mad-eye hissed, stamping his staff down on the floor, "What are you playing at?" There was no time for games, for experiments! The was was upon them now and this meeting had been called so suddenly - there was work to be done and Dumbledore was summoning people from... from other -places-?

"Calm down, Alastor," Dumbledore held his hands out to quell his growing excitement, hearing the other members of the order start to murmur with one another, wondering who was in the right: Dumbledore or Moody? They trusted the headmaster... but...

"We don't have time to play - we have to set plans into action!" it was still early in the year! They had TIME now!

"It seems to me as though what has been done has already passed and to change the plan now would waste more time than you intend to save," Evaline perked her brow up at this version of Moody, "In fact, any logical person would assume that more hands equal more power. While that may not necessarily be true, in this case I can assure you that it is." She was rather confident in herself... To a point. Either way, it was counter-productive to argue with one another like that.

When Alastor opened his mouth, and Kingsley stepped forward to respond and intervene, Dumbledore issued a well-placed and rather loud, "SILENCE!... Now, it is very late," his demeanor shifted into his fatherly whimsicality as he stepped away from his desk, starting to usher the Order out of the room (and pointedly neglecting to usher out Severus), "I think that it is indeed the time for planning but, perhaps, the time for sleep?" he chuckled, offering a wink to Eva as he paraded the Order out of the room, ignoring their (not so silent) pleas for more information. Why did he never tell them everything!?

Becoming rather curious finally, Evaline stepped up to Severus, tilted her head back, and just started to stare at him.

[tinyartist18]

Severus examined the woman in front of him. It was eerie, like looking into a distorted mirror, but he remained unperturbed. His lips were pressed tightly, and he was harrowed at the ordeal that stood before him.

"Hello," he drawled, his eyes darting to the side of the office door as Dumbledore herded them outside. He was curt - naturally, and he suppressed any feeling in his dark eyes. His arms rested inside his cape - the dark robes obscuring the touch he had on his wand. He had no reason to distrust this woman - himself - herself - but the unnatural feeling was pervasive and disturbing, leading him to take certain... precautions.

[Evaline]

"Hello," she echoed, blinking a few times. She, too, had marveled just a little at how mirror-like it was. They were very different, of course - he was a little older, taller, broader. Evaline was smaller and slimmer, but the two of them shared the jet-black hair that framed their faces and the pale skin that marked their preference for solitude (under normal circumstances), and the black clothing. While hers was less bulky and more functional, they were still cloaked in the dark material like it was a part of them rather than a separate entity.

Only a few more moments were spent looking at him before she seemed to have all of the information that she needed, and she stepped away, putting several feet of distance between them to stand over by the wall. She liked distance - it was nice and it gave a larger view of the whole picture.

"I understand that this is difficult to comprehend, Severus," Dumbledore turned towards his desk, "I can only imagine the things that you must be thinking," with a little heaving sigh he lowered himself down to his chair, brushing his hand over the papers on his desk, "And yet..." his eyes detached from the scene, drawing into a little imaginary setting, "You will understand in time, won't you?"

[tinyartist18]

((I am going to bed. Expect a post at about 8 am EST. Sorry!))

[Evaline]

((It's quite alright =D I will see you then!))

[tinyartist18]

Severus stood, stone-line, in the middle of the room, watching as she moved over to the side of the room. She had a grace to her, like a small raven perching on the side of the wall, and he wondered if she had, too, been a Slytherin. His eyes moved to Dumbledore, and he slowly rotated in his place to watch the older man place himself at his desk. "I might advise that I be well aware of the situation," he forced out, his lip curling.

It made him uncomfortable. She made him uncomfortable. He was crucial - quite obviously - to this operation, and refused to play Dumbledore's games. He would submit, naturally, but only <i>after</i> understanding.

[Evaline]

"Miss Tripp," Dumbledore smiled, gesturing towards the doorway, "Perhaps you would like to roam about the school? Things must be quite different here than you are used to."

At first Evaline just looked at the door, then tilted her head and nodded, "I understand. I will leave you two alone." That's what he wanted, right? She could roam the school any time, and so it only served to tell her that Dumbledore must want to speak with this... Snape personalone.

It was just as well, though. It would give her sometine to reflect. This Snape looked like a pensive sort of person to her, one who had seen a great many things... and they were obviously both quiet, cautious people. Evaline had only agreed to come after having discussed it with Dumbledore for several months.

She left anyways, pulling out of the room slowly and letting the door close behind her. She'd like to see if the Slytherin common rooms were any different here...


After a minute or so Dumbledore shifted, turning his chair so he could see Severus more clearly, "Severus... there is something about which I must tell you..." for he had not told another soul. Not the order not the chuldren. He made the order aware of Evaline's presence but had not told them what he intends for her to do.

"I am afraid that I won't last much longer..." his eyes turned a little darker, beginning to... realize the severity of his own statements.


((Sorry if there are any awful typos that I missed - I am writing this one on a tablet. Also, since this is the scene wherein Dumbledore tells Snape to kill him etc. And we both know what happens there, I don't think we nee dto play it out, unless you want to!))

[tinyartist18]

((Don't worry about it. Sure, we can skip it if you want. What would you like to continue on to?))

[Evaline]

((Perhaps to when Evaline comes back in? Right after Snape 'accepts his mission' sort of thing. I don't mind playing it out at all! Just since it's canon and we technically already know what happens XD))

[tinyartist18]

((Sounds fine. Would you like to post the starting post?))

[Evaline]

((Sure!))

The door flung open some time later, enough time to give them the chance to talk alone - as she knew that they had to. Evaline had received only a bare-bones response to her questioning on why she was there and, if she was to take this mission seriously, she knew that she needed to get more information.

"Ahh, Miss Tripp," Dumbledore smiled, standing and rounding the desk. Now that things had been sorted with Severus he hoped to seal the pact between him and Evaline, "We have been waiting a short while for you," but not too long since... his discussion had been very heated indeed.

"I have also been waiting. For answers, that is. Let it not be said that I am capable of jumping into anything for which I have no information. Either I am to receive answers or you might as well send me back." Her voice might have sounded a little angry but the look on her face was very plain. There was no need for heated emotions here - she was just being logical. Why would any person want to do anything when they did not know what it was that they were doing ?

Dumbledore just chuckled and walked over to the paintings on his wall, glancing up at the previous headmasters, "The mission is very much like your own," in her original universe, "But in this case I believe it would be beneficial to all parties if we pit two against one... Severus is working for us as a spy, but that is soon to change..." he will no longer be a spy, for there will be no one to tell of what Voldemort is doing - "An... undercover operation of sorts," he smiled at the very muggle-ish words that he used, "If you were to help him, though," he turned to the two Snapes now, gesturing lightly with his hands, "And work together on this... You see, the both of you possess the innate ability to... lie." It was a harsh choice of words, perhaps, but wasn't it true? Severus had been lying to Voldemort for quite some time, rather successfully. "The goal is to protect the students of Hogwarts and, ultimately, protect the wizarding world itself," and the entire world, as it were.

"Do you think that you can do that?" he directed his attention to both Evaline and Severus now, his old eyes flickering between the two.

Evaline just looked over at Severus for a moment, feeling that she was wholly at a loss. The old man seemed particularly mad, to her.

[tinyartist18]

Severus's eyes narrowed at Dumbledore's mention that he was a spy, at the suggestion that he might stop. The two were exclusively privy to the duplicity, and he did not trust this woman. "Headmaster," he moved forward, uprooting himself from the balcony where they had stood, stepping out of the darkness and into the center of the room. "I see no reason to abandon my efforts." He spoke decisively. Dumbledore's methods were crueller than he had first reckoned, harsher and more machiavellian than even that of the Dark Lord.

He turned, snarling, to face the woman. "I cannot." He paused, "I will not."

And then - quick as a flash - he drew his wand. "Stupefy," he spat, and watched as the spell hit the woman square in the chest. His aim had not deteriorated since his exploits. He lowered his arm, and turned back to the older man. "I believe that you are wise - that you understand this old magic," he murmured as he erected mental barriers from Legimens. "But we do not know her. She is *not* to be trusted." His eyes glinted with the pain of remembrance, realizing the moment when he learned of Pettigrew's betrayal. He watched the older wizard, brooding and boiling with anger.

[Evaline]

Even though this Snape person expressed his distaste, Evaline remained stoic. When he attacked her she had had a feeling that it was coming but remained logical - even if she could have blocked it, would raising her wand to him do anything for her? Probably not - it would probably only enforce his distrust in her.

When she dropped down to the ground Dumbledore held his hands out, "Severus, please," trying to calm him, "To say that we can not trust her is to say that we can not trust yourself," his hands folded down in his robes as he started to pace. He could have revived the girl with a simple counter-charm but thought, perhaps, that Severus needed some time. "The work that you have done has been remarkable and invaluable. But it is no longer about information - it is no longer suitable for you to retrieve information and take it back, for I will be gone. And I fear that the Order will soon come to... see things differently." If Dumbledore was gone then he was not so sure that their trust in HIM would echo in their trust in Snape - he knew that it could easily change. "It is now about protecting what we have left. The school, the staff, they are our weapons against the Dark Lord. When Harry Potter succeeds in his task..." as he knew that Harry would take up the mission of finding the Horcruxes in his absence, "There will be... blood." And death. And a full-blown war itself.

"We can not let the school fall, and you are the only one to whom I can trust that most special duty - but can you do it alone without losing your sanity?" Severus was strong but he had many emotions boiling inside of him, Albus knew. "How can you deny this help?"

[tinyartist18]

"She is not me." Severus folded his arms back into his robes, becoming more and more like a raven haunting the balcony of the Headmaster's office. "The boy will not succeed in his task without assistance from within." He blinked, glowering.

Lose his sanity. Hah. He lost his sanity fifteen years ago; lost his sanity in the seventies. His will to live was Lily - but this woman did not respect her. He turned, stalking over to the door.

[Evaline]

"I am offering what it is that you seek!" Dumbledore bellowed finally, standing quickly and flicking his wand at the figure's form, casting a silent Renneverate spell at her and jolting her awake. "Don't be a fool, Severus."

"Bastard!" Evaline hissed, standing quickly up and reaching for her wand. He stunned her, and that was quite unacceptable, "I didn't have to come here," she growled, "I could have stayed with him!" Now she had directed her attention to Dumbledore, looking livid and very much... displeased.

"He is gone, Evaline," his head turned to look at Snape, "And so is Lily. They are both gone. What we have left to hold onto is still alive, and we must consider it our duty to keep it alive. When the state of the world is what is at stake we must find it in ourselves to put away differences and skepticism. I choose you, Severus, because I trust you with my very life. Because I know that you are capable of doing this job unlike any other. Should you fail, the consequences would be catastrophic. I ask for Evaline's help not because I do not trust you, but because none of us can afford a mistake should one happen. Sometimes things are out of your hands, do not allow your prejudices to get in the way of what is necessary to succeed!"

"Your idealism is touching but to think that he would trust me, or that I would trust him, after just having seen each other for a few moments, in any sense of the word is beyond the scope of anything realistic. I haven't a reason to distrust him but neither do I have a reason to trust him and I would suspect, on the grounds of our being, as you told me, "two sides of the same coin," that he would share likewise sentiments towards myself."