Kiss From A Rose

Severus watched her red hair swaying behind her as she walked out of his dungeon office. As the door shut behind her the coldness radiated out of the dungeon once more. He pulled his thick black cloak around him tightly and looked at the door sorrowfully. He let out a sigh and rested his head in his hands.

Severus Snape was thrown roughly back into his cell at Azkaban Prison, he fell to the floor from the force of the guard and grazed his skin painfully on the rough stone tiles. Small droplets of blood slowly formed on the set of diminutive scratches, but he was not worried about that, he was more concerned with the complete and utter feeling of despair that washed over him.

Famous Harry Potter had defeated Voldemort no less than two weeks ago and the majority of the wizarding world was in a state of joyous jubilation. Severus, however, was not celebrating. The knowledge that Voldemort was finally defeated sat well with him but unfortunately, his actions during the war had landed him in particularly hot water.

Out of everything he had done during his miserable life there were two things which he wished he could forget. The first was becoming a Death Eater and the second was killing Albus Dumbledore. He did not wish to kill Dumbledore, but the old wizard had, on many occasions, told Severus that it needed to be done in order to continue with his façade as Voldemort's most faithful servant.

So Severus Snape murdered Albus Dumbledore.

For the months that followed he continued his work with the Death Eaters and slipped anonymous messages to Harry Potter about the horcruxes, and had notified the Order of planned attacks. As these acts were carried out anonymously there was no proof that he was, in fact, the person who had helped them and was thus unable to redeem himself from the status of a murderous bastard.

So Severus sat and waited. He waited for help. He waited to die. He waited for a time when he would be able to feel more than despair and desolation.

There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea.

You became the light on the dark side of me.

Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill.

For two months Severus sat in that cell. The prospect of dying seemed much more relieving than the thought of waking up the next morning. The darkness that fallen over Severus was in complete contrast to the freedom that had settled around the rest of the word. From what he had heard efforts were being made to rebuild Hogwarts before the new term started. The school had been almost completely destroyed during the Final Battle, and Severus tried to occupy his mind with thoughts of how it would be reconstructed, anything to distract him from the black hole he was falling into.

The metal doors of his cell clanked open and his head snapped up quickly. A wave of confusion rushed over him as the young red head walked into the room. He looked at her questioningly and she frowned.

"Hello Professor." Ginevra Weasley said softly, a subtle note of sarcasm in her sweet voice.

"What are you doing here?" He snapped, not caring for politeness or subtlety. Although a new face was a welcome sight, he did not wish to see her of all people.

"I was in the area, I thought I would drop by." She said matter-of-factly.

"What are you doing here?" He repeated impatiently, not wanting to trivial play word games with the girl.

"Well, if you really must know I came to see you." Severus raised his eyebrows "Not of my own will, if that is of any concern to you. I actually don't really want to be here. This place is depressing." Ginny looked around uncomfortably.

"Really? I hadn't noticed?" He drawled sarcastivcally, she rolled her eyes at his snarky comment.

"It is nice to see that you haven't changed. May I sit?" She motioned to his bed and he nodded, moving over so she could take a seat, he felt the bed sag slightly under her weight and his heart skipped involuntarily. "Professor McGonagall has asked me to come here, she and my parents are leading the Death Eater prosecutions." Ginny said allowing him to take in the information.

"Well then, I am not sure if I will still allow you to sit on my bed." He said indignantly, she laughed and continued.

"I am sure you won't mind by the end of this conversation. Everyone else is really busy and considering I am the only one without a job and who isn't saving the world, I have been adopted as a messenger of sorts." She sighed "McGonagall wanted me to give you this." She handed him a letter and he opened it, fingers trembling slightly.

Severus Snape,

Before I begin I would like to apologise for your current situation. Measures have been taken to free you from Azkaban but none have yet been successful.

As you may or may not be aware your trial has been scheduled for Friday week and we wish to ask for your complete cooperation. We have asked the warden for suitable rooms to conduct interviews to gather evidence to prove your innocence.

A number of reputable people have been asked to speak on your behalf, including a great number of people in the Order. It has come to our attention through rather magical and mysterious means that Albus Dumbledore wished for you to take his life and continue work with the Death Eaters and now that we have been made aware of that we have no choice but to comply with his wish to grant you freedom and forgiveness.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Arthur Weasley

Molly Weasley

Impossible, Severus through angrily, shoving the letter back in Ginny's hands and turning to glare at her. She looked at him questioningly confusion in her big brown eyes.

"Get out." He whispered, she raised her eyebrows.

"Professor…"

"I SAID GET OUT!" He yelled, jumping up from his bed and pointing to the door. Ginny stood up slowly and held the letter out to him.

"Oh, I see." She hissed, her face red with embarrassment, he knew it was because he yelled at her- she had never taken criticism from him lightly. "You are such a miserable old bastard that you would rather sit in this hell hole and rot than accept help from people who genuinely want to clear your name!" she threw the letter at him before walking to the bars of his cell. She stopped and turned back to face him. "You are pathetic." She spat, Severus closed his eyes for a moment.

"Wait." He called after her desperately, pulling down all of the barriers he had built around him for thirty years with one word. "Please… wait." She turned around slowly. And the look of satisfaction in her eyes tore down his defenses. This is why he had never let anyone get close to him. This is why he had remained indifferent for so many years. She walked back over to him, hips swinging, face beaming, silent triumph plaguing her entire existence.

"Yes?" She asked sweetly, she lowered herself onto his bed once again.

"I…" He begun, she looked at her watch impatiently. He took a deep breath before continuing "I need to get out of here." Ginny nodded slowly, as though she wanted to make him apologise, but looked as though she was satisfied with that response.

"Very well then, I will be back here sometime in the near future to conduct some interviews." She stood up and walked towards the door this time stopping of her own accord. "And will you do me a favour, Snape?" She asked sweetly. He glared at her, angry that he had to accept her charity; feeling as though he was scum, beneath her, not worthy of her time.

"What is it?" He snapped.

"Next time I come to see you, try not to be such a git." And with that she walked away.

As he watched her retreating back he managed to feel warmth for the first time in months. Even though everything he had worked so hard for during the past thirty years tumbled down in front of him because of one four letter word. Even though he now felt inferior to her she was there to help. She wanted to help. She wanted to help him. A picture of her pale white face, big brown eyes and blazing red hair burnt itself into his memory, as a light shining through a snow storm.

But did you know,

That when it snows,

My eyes become large and,

The light that you shine can be seen.

It was three long and discouraging days before Severus saw Ginny walk into his cell again, he managed a weak smile for her that felt awkward and unfamiliar on his face, but she smiled back.

"So, you are in a better mood today then?" She asked, he glared at her and nodded. It was hard to not be in a better mood when she was there. He didn't know if it was because of beacon of hope she was, or because in one short visit she had transformed in his eyes from a bothersome little student to an intriguing woman. He knew that the war had its effect on her too, making her older and more mature, taking away her chance to grow up. "We are going to an interview room down the hall." She said, he nodded and stood, when he reached his cell doors a second wave of hope rushed over him. This would be the first time that he was out of his cell in months. Even if she didn't manage to free him, she would have given him the biggest taste of freedom he has had in a long time.

When Severus stepped out of the cell his hands were immediately bound by magical rope, and the spark of freedom he felt for a moment quickly flickered and died. This was it. He would always be a prisoner, if not of Azkaban, then of his own memory.

"How long have you been in that cell for?" Ginny asked softly, he couldn't sense any sarcasm or nastiness in her voice, and for that he was glad.

"I have not left it since I was put in there." He said coldly, Ginny bit her lip and smiled at him.

"That is terrible, but, I think we can change all of that." He looked at her somewhat skeptically. "And don't give me that look either because I, and everyone else, believe you have a chance." A few feet away a guard opened a solid metal door and ushered them through, closing and locking it behind them. Ginny motioned for Severus to sit down, and then she took a seat opposite him.

"Why are you here?" He asked, Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Because I want to help you." She replied as though she was talking to a child.

"No, I know that, but why you?" He asked, she sighed.

"Would you rather be interviewed by Harry, who still hates you for killing Dumbledore and betraying his family? Or what about Remus, who doesn't believe you are innocent? Or perhaps Professor McGonagall and my parents could take time out of their hunt for fugitive Death Eaters to interview you." Ginny said angrily, he could tell that his question offended her, and to some degree he felt remorse about it.

"I am sorry." He replied, she looked just as shocked as he felt, Severus Snape had apologised. He knew that it was because she was his only hope. She was the only one who could save him. "I didn't mean to offend you." Ginny shrugged in a guilty manner and cast her eyes aside. Both of them unsure of how to continue after the uncharacteristic apology.

"Never mind. It must be hard for you." She said, her angry tone disappearing. Severus' heart skipped a bit. Compassion. She had shown him something that he had never received in his whole life. His stomach stirred nervously and he avoided her eyes. The Potion's Master in him told him to settle down. She was seventeen, if that, and he should not think of her the way he did. "Now, do you mind if I ask you some questions?" She asked, he looked around before nodding, never once catching her eyes.

"Go ahead." He said simply, knowing that if she asked, he would tell her everything. He was no longer the fortress of strength that he once was, she had broken down his walls during her first visit. Part of him dreaded what would happen this time, but another part of him felt utterly relieved.

The questions came, slow and steady, she never once hurried or mocked him. She asked about the agreement he had made with Albus Dumbledore and the information about the Horcruxes that he passed on to Harry. As the words flowed from her lips he found himself focusing his attention on her more frequently. Her soft brown eyes framed by perfect white skin scattered with the lightest brown freckles imaginable. Her red hair fell well past her shoulders, bits of it falling onto her face at times, before they were casually tucked back behind her ear. But her lips, he could not stop looking at them. The way they looked when she was talking, when she was smiling, when she was breathing. With every question she asked, he was slowly becoming intoxicated by her.

When there were no more questions Ginny sighed heavily and looked at Severus. He did not respond nor return her look.

"Well, that is all for today, but I will be back some time soon." She smiled at him and he felt the cold stone walls of the room heat up. Her smile shone throughout the darkness and the warmth that radiated from her chased all of his anxiety away. "For now, try not to let this place get to you, we all know you are innocent." She said, standing up and walking past him, her arm brushing his side lightly as she passed.

Baby,

I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey.

The more I get of you,

Stranger it feels, yeah.

And now that your rose is in bloom.

A light hits the gloom on the grey.

She was there. Sitting in front of him. Looking at him. Talking to him.

She was completely bewitching, the world existed just for her, Severus felt as though he wasn't good enough to be in her presence.

"Is there anything else you can tell me that would help our case?" She asked softly. He loved that about her. She never asked anything harshly just nice and softly, carefully.

"What do you need to know?" He asked, not completely sure of what she wanted to hear, he didn't want to shock her, or scare her away, and he had more than enough stories to do so.

"Anything… your actions, your thoughts..." She looked at him with an alluring smile on her face "Your feelings." His stomach dropped out of his body and his heart stopped. For a second the world came to a grinding halt. There was no sound. There was no light. There was nothing but her face. "About the war and your position in it." The world swirled back into place leaving his mind reeling. Severus silently cursed himself for being so stupid. There was no way that she would ever want to know his feelings about her.

"No... Not really." He replied matter-of-factly.

"Well then," she sat back in her chair as though she was in front of a roaring fire in her own home. "How have you been?" she asked.

"Pardon?"

"How have you been?" She repeated patiently. What on earth was she doing?

"Splendid thanks." He replied, she rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Severus. I thought that you might appreciate some light conversation." He looked at her, eyes wide "But if not…" She stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"No!" he said, reaching out to grab her arm. She smiled softly and put her jacket back on the table before taking her seat again.

"You don't need to be intimidated by me." She told him "I am here to help you. Listen to you. I know that if I was in your place I would be going crazy, and I would like to think, that given the opportunity, you would be able to help me. Regardless of what has happened in the past." Her voice floated through the air like a soft song on the wind, it warmed him up and relieved his anxieties. "You can talk to me." She whispered.

Severus did not know where to begin…

There is so much a man can tell you,

woah

So much he can say.

there's so much inside.

You remain,

My power, my pleasure, my pain, baby

To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny

Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?

Three days. That is how long it had been seen he had seen and heard from her. It was also the same amount of days left until his trial for the murder of Albus Dumbledore and crimes against humanity, too numerous to name.

He had given in. He had let it slip. The conversation ran over in his mind through every waking second.

"You can talk to me." She whispered. He wanted to; so he did.

"It is hard." He replied so quietly that he wasn't even sure if he had said it or not.

"I can imagine." She said, looking around to emphasize her point and added in a shiver for good measure. "I don't know how you make it through the day. It must be hard to keep going."

"Yes, it is." He said "There is only one thing that I have to look forward to."

"Freedom." She said softly.

"No." He replied, a bit too quickly to prevent suspicion.

"Not freedom?" She asked, he silently cursed himself "What is it then? Is must be pretty special. Tell me about it, it might help."

"No, it doesn't matter." He replied, she raised her eyebrows.

"Honestly, it will help, and I wont judge you." She said with a reassuring smile. The minutes ticked by and her expression remained the same.

"You." He said, his voice barely audible.

"Pardon?" Her reply came, slightly shocked.

"You." He repeated, a little louder this time.

"Me?" She questioned.

"Yes." He stated firmly. He wished that he could take the words back, but he knew it was too late.

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly.

"You asked me what I look forward to everyday and I answered. You. You are what I look forward too." He said, trying to keep the bitterness he felt inside from showing.

"I…" She looked around awkwardly "I have to go." She quickly picked up her papers and quill before standing up and walking out of the room quickly. Severus closed his eyes and let out a sigh. What had he done?

Looking back on the conversation he didn't really blame her for leaving. He had put her in a horrible position. All she had tried to do was help, and then on his desperate rampage, he had destroyed her will to aid him. He had taken it too far. What made him think that she would stay after he told her?

His thoughts were interrupted by the clanking sounds of his cell doors opening. His stomach turned and he looked up, only to be sorely disappointed.

"Severus, how are you my old friend?" Asked Minerva McGonagall as she walked into his cell. He tried not to glare at her.

"I think my situation speaks for itself." He replied, she nodded gravely. "Where is-" he begun before she cut in.

"Ginny?" He nodded "She had a few things to do today, I just wanted to bring you a list of questions she will be asking you at your trial. She will come by later this afternoon to go through a few things with you."

Everything else that happened between when Minerva said that and when she left was completely lost in Severus' mind. All that mattered was that she was coming back; she still wanted to help him.

Baby,

I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey.

been kissed from a rose on the grey.

Ooh, the more I get of you

Stranger it feels, yeah

stranger it feels, yeah.

Now that your rose is in bloom.

A light hits the gloom on the grey,

It wasn't until seven o'clock that evening when Ginny finally came to see him. It seemed like a thousand eternities rather than several hours. She walked in, as radiant as always, with a smile that could make any man beg for her attention. Severus tried to avoid making eye contact, thinking that if he did, she would forget who he was and what he had said to her.

"Ginny…" He begun, she looked at him and he allowed her to catch his eye for a split second.

"D-don't say anything." She said, voice faltering nervously, he wanted to kill himself for making her uncomfortable around him, he had been stupid.

"Please, let me explai-" Severus had started to say before his words were cut off by her lips pressing against his. The rest of the world faded away and it was only them. Severus and Ginny. His entire body filled with warmth and a happiness he had not felt for decades, he wrapped his arms around her waist, wanting to hold her forever. It was not long before she pulled her lips away from his and smiled sheepishly.

"There is nothing to explain Severus." She said. "I need to go, but I want you to have a read over these papers, I will be back tomorrow at about eleven, and we will go over the questions that will be asked, okay?" She said, Severus nodded dumbly, his lips were still tingling from her kiss. She walked out of the dungeons, this time though, there was some of her warmth left after she had gone, her lips had left an imprint on Severus' that he would never forget. He brought his fingers up to touch his lips and closed his eyes.

She had kissed him, his life was complete.

I've been kissed by a rose on the grey,

I've been kissed by a rose

been kissed by a rose on the grey.

I've been kissed by a rose on the grey,

And if I should fall, at all

I've been kissed by a rose

been kissed by a rose on the grey.

"Hello Severus." Ginny's voice echoed through his head and he looked up. She looked like and angel. She was wearing a plain pair of jeans, a white shirt and a long coat. She was an angel, she had to be.

"Hello Ginny." He replied she walked over and sat on his bed beside him.

"So, did you read over it?" she questioned, chocolate brown eyes meeting with his own black ones.

"Yes." He nodded. She smiled and took the papers off the table next to his bed.

"Would you mind if we went through it?" She asked, he nodded. "Okay…" She begun asking him all of the questions on the paper, and he responded to them using the answers he had rehearsed.

It was hard for Severus to answer some of the questions, the ones about how he killed Dumbledore, and when he was asked to recount all of the conversations leading up to it. Ginny sensed his discomfort and slipped her hand onto his knee to give him comfort, he had to try and focus on his words and not the tantalizing warmth of her hand on his knee.

It was over far too quickly for Severus' liking. Ginny had stood up and walked out. Severus sat back on his bed and slumped against the rough wall. He looked around the room and noticed that Ginny's coat was draped over his table. He jumped up and ran over to the door of his cell, looking up and down the corridor, but there was no sign of her. He sighed and walked back over to his bed, he clutched the jacket in his hands and brought it up to his face so he could smell it, inhaling her intoxicating scent of roses and sunshine.

Her smell alone was enough to give him hope.

But did you know,

That when it snows,

My eyes become large and

the light that you shine can be seen.

Cold and shaking, in a rusted iron cage with eight-inch spikes, breath puffing out like fog on a frigid winter morning.

If he focused on her things would be okay.

Her flaming red hair, chocolate eyes and flawless skin were his anchors in sanity. He felt now that if she went away he would too. In any way possible. The spikes were right next to him, their icy iron tips piercing his flesh if he swayed a little too far in any direction- it wouldn't be too difficult to push himself against them. Or he could pretend he was going to mutter a hex and the dementor' would kiss him. Or he could just close his eyes and will himself to die.

But not now. Not while she was there for him. She was so close he could almost smell her. But the bars around him blocked out her warmth, and the light of hope that shone from her was weakened by the dementors.

He could hardly pay any attention to the trial. It was so hard when all of the dark thoughts he had thought about over the past three decades had come back to haunt him. The dementors sucking out his happiness and will to live. If it wasn't for Ginny he wasn't sure that he would want to continue. He had kissed her, and she didn't shy away, she kissed him back.

Somehow, he knew things would work out. In life or death, they would be together.

She had walked out. She had left him. There was no point any more. She had been with him for his trial, for the six months of torture after he was freed, and she promised to be with him deep into eternity.

The coldness of his dungeon room slowly sunk into his skin, his bones, his heart. Into every fiber of his being. He wished that he was back in Azkaban, so close to the portal between life and death, he wanted to slip through it right now. Get away from the heartache that threatened to consume him, the pain that would not go away.

As his most promising seventh year student Ginny had been like a blooming rose. The more he looked at her the more beautiful she became, the more he got to know her, the more her depended on her. When he was teaching his seventh year students he had eyes only for her. As long as she succeeded everything would be okay.

But now…

She had told him it was over. She needed a break. She had said that she was trying to help him, give him hope, she never intended for a relationship to eventuate.

There was a knock on his office door and his head snapped up.

"Enter!" He drawled, the door swung open and there she was as radiant and tempting as always.

"Ginny, please." He said desperately, she frowned at him.

"Tell me Severus," She begun softly, a tear rolling down her flushed cheek slowly "Was I ever more than a way out to you?"

"Ginny," He said, amazed that he could find his voice "you were, and still are, my everything." She blinked before looking at him solemnly.

"Can I take your word for that?" She asked before walking over to his desk and leaning over it to kiss him.

Now that your rose is in bloom,

A light hits the gloom on the grey.

Lyrics: Kiss From a Rose by Seal

(Some editing was done to make lyrics more understandable)

For Author's Notes see profile: Sinister Spiders