Vows and Prophecies

Chapter 10: Vows and Prophecies

A/N: All my gratitude to JaneAverage, Hogwarts Honey and Droxy, for their moral support and super beta skills!

In the previous chapter, the Horcrux is destroyed. Snape accepts Emma’s love.

Snape returned Emma to his bed. She was exhausted and strung-out from the ritual. He gave her a Calming Draught and she slept soundly for a few hours. He summoned a chair and sat next to the bed, holding her hand, intending to be there when she woke.

In the pre-dawn quiet, he reflected on his life—his emotionally distant father; the indignities he suffered at the hands of the Marauders; his descent into the Dark Arts; his unpardonable mistake of joining the Death Eaters and revealing the Prophecy. He thought of Dumbledore’s fatherly love and his forgiveness, which came at too high a price. He thought about his years of self-imposed loneliness, self-loathing and guilt. Then he thought of Emma. And the man he could be, with her. And the promise of redemption through their love. He would speak to Dumbledore tomorrow. He would demand freedom from his bonds of guilt. He would love. He had hope.

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Dumbledore refused his ‘resignation’ from spying. He appealed to Snape’s honor and sense of duty to triumph over what transient happiness he could have found with Emma. The old man had ripped his heart out. Called due his Wizard’s Life Debt. Secured Snape’s loyalty and obedience to the end. . . however it would end.

Ironically, their conversation in the Forbidden Forest was partially heard, misinterpreted, and reported by an eavesdropper—Hagrid. A prophecy of sorts, with a lower-case “p.”

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Emma knew something was wrong the next day. He barely spoke. Emotionally, he seemed to close himself off from her, but she did not press him too hard, knowing that he would talk if he needed to. They made love twice, fierce yet tender, long and slow, as if he was trying to burn the act into his memory. She thought he was crying, but when she reached to wipe the tears away, he turned his head.

Dumbledore came to her early that evening, dressed for a journey in a long dark traveling cloak. Snape had been called to a disturbance in the Slytherin common room. “I have very little time, Emma, so I must be direct. I am not expecting to see midsummer, and I need you to handle certain affairs after my death.”

“Albus, NO! We all need you too much. You can’t die. And you certainly shouldn’t choose me over Minerva!”

He replied sharply, “Emma, we all must die. I am comforted that I will most likely die fulfilling my duty to the Order. You, unlike Minerva, have no status in the Wizarding world; therefore, your reputation will not be tainted by your involvement in this enterprise. Take this ring. It is on a specially charmed chain which will release only upon my death. When that happens, you must put the ring on immediately. My phoenix, Fawkes, will deliver a parchment to you, which can be opened only by your applying the ring to my wax seal. This parchment will exonerate the parties involved. You will need this when called before the Ministry of Magic for a hearing, gods willing.” Dumbledore paused here, looking as if he were contemplating hell itself, then continued.

“If the Dark wins, this ring will be activated as a Portkey to your school in New York City. It goes without saying that nothing of this conversation is to be revealed to anyone—not Minerva, not even Severus,” the old wizard explained, sighing.

“My dear, I thank you for your assistance with Tom Riddle’s Horcrux. I thank you also for teaching Severus to love. I remain hopeful that you two will be together after a period of terrible events. Never give up on him, Emma. I love him like a son.” Dumbledore hugged Emma tightly and Floo'd away. Emma sat, stunned and numb, on the couch.

Snape returned later that night, exhausted and disgusted with the Slytherins, Draco Malfoy in particular. He held Emma for a long time as he sat in front of the fire nursing a glasss of firewhiskey. “Severus, is there anything I can help you with? Anything we need to talk about?”

“No, Emma, thank you. Go to bed and get some sleep. I love you.”

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Raised voices and a loud bang in the suite awakened Emma. She ran out to find Filius Flitwick sprawled on the carpet in front of the hearth. Hermione Granger and another girl were tending to him. Severus, looking wild, was standing at the door to their rooms, muttering an incantation. His dark sparking eyes met hers. In them she could see love, desperation and fear. He turned and ran from her.

Emma tried to follow him. She ran to the door and was forcibly repelled. She tried again and again. Sobbing, knowing, she told the girls to go on without her. Severus had charmed the suite to contain her safely during the battle.

Dumbledore’s chain broke, and her heart broke with it.

Trembling, sobbing, she slid down the stone wall of the suite onto the floor. How long she stayed there, she did not know. She felt like she was underwater, thinking in slow motion, only partially conscious. After quite a while, a witch with wild blue hair stood over her, angry, jabbering. Nothing made sense. It couldn’t be true. Severus. Albus. NO. NO. Rocking, crying, she made no response to the angry witch’s rapid-fire questions. The witch left in a huff, mumbling, “Azkaban’s too good for Snape’s whore.”

Emma heard someone screaming, as a wildly-plumed bird swooped into the suite. “NO! NO! OH, GOD, NO! ALBUS! SEVERUS!”

Later, she realized she had been the one screaming.

Remus Lupin, kind Remus, came down to the suite hours later. He explained what Harry had seen on the Tower. Severus killed Albus, and had fled and rejoined the Death Eaters.

Emma didn’t say a word. She sat, twirling Albus Dumbledore’s signet ring, a perfect fit on the ring finger of her left hand.

Wily Remus found the remains of the broken chain and his eyes were drawn to the signet. Emma smiled sadly and silently retrieved the chain from the werewolf. As she fingered the shattered golden links, she had her first clear thought in hours: I will exonerate you, Severus, and we will be together. Forever.