At the End of the Day
Maggie looked directly at Severus, eyes still unfocused from the Veritaserum. He swallowed thickly, blinking away the tears. "I love you, Maggie," he whispered.
A ghost of a smile appeared on her face. "I love you too, Severus. I'll…try to remember you, if nothing else." Slipping her wedding band off her finger, she tossed it towards Severus, who caught it automatically, eyes never leaving her face. "Don't forget me." She nodded to the two Aurors flanking her, and they pulled her away from where he stood. They walked to the entrance to a long hallway. Severus choked back a sob, shutting his eyes against what would come next.
A pair of Dementors glided out of a side door, the temperature dropping noticeably in their presence. Severus wondered momentarily why no terrible memories came to mind in their presence before realizing that this was the worst experience he had yet had. Maggie stared up at them calmly, seemingly having accepted this. In a swift movement, one bent over, grasping her by the shoulders, and Kissed her.
She struggled for one horrible moment before her body stilled. The Dementor loosed its grip and released her. Then the horrid beings turned and vanished back into the hall from whence they had come. Severus didn't want to look at her, didn't want to see what was left, but could not help it. He turned to her.
She stared into space, gaze empty. Nothing remained of who she had been. An Auror took her by the arm, led her away. She'd spend her last few weeks in St. Mungo's, her body wasting away without her mind to sustain it. Severus turned back to the front of the courtroom as the Crouch cleared his throat.
"Let the record show that Margaret Lestrange-Snape received the Dementor's kiss on December 14, 1981, after being convicted of crimes against muggles, particularly the use of the Unforgivables."
Severus clenched his fist. "Albus, you shouldn't have let this happen to her! She's the one that convinced me to leave the Death Eaters, and just because she couldn't become a spy she's strung up with the others."
Dumbledore sighed. "Severus, even my reputation is not enough to save her. Her involvement with the muggle tortures was much more involved than yours, her crimes far more heinous. We both know she developed a conscience in the end, but it was too little, too late. I'm sorry."
Severus simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak, as he stared at the door through which she'd gone, clenching his wife's wedding band in his fist.
Author's Notes: I don't own Snape or Crouch. I also would like to apologize for the sheer bleakness of this story; it was meant to be part of a larger story, but that would have just added to the depressing content and I'm frankly to lazy to actually write the whole thing. The title comes from Les Miserables, which I don't own either. Reviews are always welcome.
Maggie looked directly at Severus, eyes still unfocused from the Veritaserum. He swallowed thickly, blinking away the tears. "I love you, Maggie," he whispered.
A ghost of a smile appeared on her face. "I love you too, Severus. I'll…try to remember you, if nothing else." Slipping her wedding band off her finger, she tossed it towards Severus, who caught it automatically, eyes never leaving her face. "Don't forget me." She nodded to the two Aurors flanking her, and they pulled her away from where he stood. They walked to the entrance to a long hallway. Severus choked back a sob, shutting his eyes against what would come next.
A pair of Dementors glided out of a side door, the temperature dropping noticeably in their presence. Severus wondered momentarily why no terrible memories came to mind in their presence before realizing that this was the worst experience he had yet had. Maggie stared up at them calmly, seemingly having accepted this. In a swift movement, one bent over, grasping her by the shoulders, and Kissed her.
She struggled for one horrible moment before her body stilled. The Dementor loosed its grip and released her. Then the horrid beings turned and vanished back into the hall from whence they had come. Severus didn't want to look at her, didn't want to see what was left, but could not help it. He turned to her.
She stared into space, gaze empty. Nothing remained of who she had been. An Auror took her by the arm, led her away. She'd spend her last few weeks in St. Mungo's, her body wasting away without her mind to sustain it. Severus turned back to the front of the courtroom as the Crouch cleared his throat.
"Let the record show that Margaret Lestrange-Snape received the Dementor's kiss on December 14, 1981, after being convicted of crimes against muggles, particularly the use of the Unforgivables."
Severus clenched his fist. "Albus, you shouldn't have let this happen to her! She's the one that convinced me to leave the Death Eaters, and just because she couldn't become a spy she's strung up with the others."
Dumbledore sighed. "Severus, even my reputation is not enough to save her. Her involvement with the muggle tortures was much more involved than yours, her crimes far more heinous. We both know she developed a conscience in the end, but it was too little, too late. I'm sorry."
Severus simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak, as he stared at the door through which she'd gone, clenching his wife's wedding band in his fist.
Author's Notes: I don't own Snape or Crouch. I also would like to apologize for the sheer bleakness of this story; it was meant to be part of a larger story, but that would have just added to the depressing content and I'm frankly to lazy to actually write the whole thing. The title comes from Les Miserables, which I don't own either. Reviews are always welcome.