The next day they went before the Spanish Head Wizard himself. Harry gave a run-down of everything that Esteban had told him, and Tamara gave a statement about what had happened to her. They were told that Esteban would be brought in for questioning about his brother's activities and whereabouts.
"Señora Snape, I'm afraid I must ask you to remain here in the country for the time being. When the suspect is apprehended you will need to positively identify him, and then, you will need to be here to testify at his extradition hearing. I know this is likely very inconvenient for you…"
"Inconvenient?" Severus asked incredulously. "Are you out of your mind? My wife was kidnapped and brought here against her will by a madman and assaulted. She has two children waiting for her back in the U.K. and classes to teach. After this ordeal, to ask her to delay her safe return to her home is more than an inconvenience it is an outrage!"
The man looked apologetic, but it was obvious that he wasn't going to budge. "I am sorry, but if you want to proceed with the charges then it is the only way."
Tamara sighed. "Would I have to stay here until he is caught? Couldn't I just come back when you've got him?"
The man shrugged, and Tam noticed that he looked over at Harry, who was listening with irritated interest.
"You could" he admitted. "But I must advise you… the chances of actually being granted an extradition would be greatly reduced. Wizards here in Spain… we have a long history of being persecuted for what we are, and as a result, we are very careful to ensure the rights of our kind. There is a great burden of proof, and much mistrust…"
"Against other wizards?" asked Severus, his fury growing by the minute. "Our kind has been persecuted everywhere by muggles throughout history and that is why we now keep our worlds separate. I see no correlation between protecting magical citizens from persecution by muggles and protecting criminals from prosecution by a qualified panel of other wizards. My wife is a witch, and she is not persecuting anyone. She is simply seeking the justice to which she is entitled!"
"Minister Shacklebolt has already pledge his involvement in this case" Harry explained. "He's said that he's willing to do whatever it takes to see that this is resolved, and I know for a fact that he'd vouch for…"
The other wizard held up a hand to stop him. "As I said, you can do as you like, but I have told you already what the outcome will most likely be. Your Minister is a good and honorable man, and he has proven himself very capable in his job, but I do not think he will be able to sway habits that have developed from centuries of suspicion. Did you know that there were wizards participating in the Inquisición? Some of them were trying to get revenge against other wizards and witches that they didn't like, or that they thought had wronged them somehow. Others did it because they were afraid. It is a common misconception that having a wand and knowing how to use it is protection from any non-magic individual. This is false. Under the right circumstances, unless one is willing to kill on a large scale… we can be rendered helpless. Until it has happened in your home you will not understand."
"I appreciate the history lesson" said Severus, "but I still don't see where something that happened with the muggles so long ago has anything to do with my wife's present situation."
The man stared at him. "I am sorry."
"You can go home Sev" Tam said quietly. "I'll stay here for a while and wait to see if they can find him."
He shook his head in disbelief. "That is not amusing, Tamara."
"It wasn't meant to be. I mean it. I want you to go back to Hogwarts. Min's got two absent professors right now, and my class is just an elective of little consequence but yours is essential. The students need you there for the sake of their future careers. Potions class is required, and we both know that there are not many who are available to teach it that have any business doing so. Besides, I want you to be with the kids. I can't imagine what they're thinking right now."
"Minerva can easily send an owl to Professor Slughorn and under the circumstances I am sure he could be persuaded to return once more from his retirement to fill in for me while I'm away. The children have Minerva to keep them updated and they are quite safe. I will not be letting you out of my sight again" he insisted.
Tam sighed again. "No. I want you to go back to Hogwarts. I know Horace would fill in for you but I see no need to ask him to. Go back to work, and go back to the children, and I will stay here and see this through. Honestly, Severus, I think it is for the best."
Frustrated, he pulled her aside, away from Harry, Hermione, and the Spanish wizard.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, feeling quite hurt that she would not want him to stay with her.
"I've been trying to think of how we can possibly move forward from this, and now I think that maybe this could be a blessing in disguise. I… I need some time to sort out what's happened and come to terms with it, and I think that in spite of what you say, you probably do too. I think that being apart for a little while is probably the best way for us to do that. I can't cope with this guilt when every time I look at you I hate myself."
Severus looked like someone had hit him with a shovel. "You told me last night that you weren't going to let the bastard keep us apart again."
She looked at the floor. "I know I did. It's not really him doing it though, is it?" She looked up again but wouldn't meet his eyes. "It's me. I have to do this. Besides, if it takes too long I'll just come home and take my chances. Obviously we don't know when or if he'll even be caught, and I don't plan on staying here forever."
Hermione and Harry were trying not to eavesdrop but both of them were nervous. However they may have felt about Severus Snape in the past, over the years since the end of the war he and his wife had become their friends. Family, even. It was disturbing to see them going through all of this.
"I've obviously never had the experience, but is that what it feels like watching your parents suddenly arguing?" Harry whispered to Hermione.
She smirked sadly. "A bit. I wish she'd stop trying to push him away. I know he doesn't always handle things the best but he really is trying. Now putting countries between them doesn't seem very productive to me. I think she's trying to escape the problem."
"What should we do?"
Hermione shrugged. "Nothing. I don't think there's anything we can do, but hope they sort it out. We aren't children saving the world anymore. We actually have to follow the rules of society now and mind our own business, I'm afraid."
Harry nodded. He knew she had a point.
"I thought I had lost you and now you want me to leave you here?" Severus was pleading now, which was not something he was used to ever doing. "We hadn't spent a night apart since before we were married until that maniac took you away and now you want me to leave you behind? I can't do that. Please do not ask me to do that!"
Tamara hated herself. He looked so desperate, and it broke her heart. She felt nauseous again, thinking of what she had allowed to take place. This was all her fault for being too trusting, and now she had to send her beloved away to keep from having to look at him and see her failure as his wife. Why had she let herself be sucked in by that evil man? For someone to talk to? It was so foolish, she knew now. She had enough friends for that. She had trustworthy old friends who she'd known for years and she had her Severus, who she still needed as much as she needed oxygen. Now, because she'd confided in someone else instead of him, she was forced to send him away from her. Honestly, the thought of watching him go made her very soul ache.
"I'm sorry Sweet. I have to ask you to do that, and you have to do it for me."
"He's got that look again" Hermione whispered to Harry. "That look he had on the train. If tragedy itself had a facial expression it would be that one."
Severus swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "As you wish" he said. "I will not impose myself on you if you do not desire to be in my presence."
Before Tamara could respond, Severus, probably breaking several international wizarding laws in the process, apparated right out of the office. Thankfully the Spanish Head Wizard had the decency not to press the issue. He cleared his throat, as Harry, Hermione, and Tam all stared at the empty space where Severus had been standing just a moment before.
"Ahem. Ah…" he looked very flustered. "Naturally we will provide you with accommodation while you are here in our country, Madam Snape."
"What about protection?" asked Harry, knowing that with Severus gone, there would have to be someone here to make sure Calderon didn't manage to get a hold of her again to eliminate his victim.
"Of course!" the man assured them. "You will be well protected. I do not want anyone to think that we do not take seriously the severity of what has happened to you. If I could make things run smoother I would, believe me. It is regrettable that it must be this way."
Hermione was watching Tamara. She could tell that her friend was not paying attention to anything that they were saying. She was still just staring at where Severus had been standing, looking lost.
She put an arm around Tam's shoulders. "He'll be all right" she whispered. "In fact, if you sent off an owl I'm sure he would come right back…"
"No" Tam insisted. "When you go back, ask Minerva to look after him for me please. She knows him."
Severus did not apparate directly back to Hogwarts. He had one important stop to make first. If he could not be there with Tamara himself, there was only one person he trusted to be cutthroat enough to make sure that she was really safe. Potter and Hermione would be returning to their families, and Severus wanted someone looking after Tamara who was not afraid to break some laws… or some bones… if need be.
After his errand, and the calling in of an old debt, he found himself still reluctant to return to the school. The thought of facing his children and having to tell them that he had not brought their mother home with him was not an appealing one. Also, there was bound to be talk. Minerva certainly could be trusted not to say a word to anyone on the matter, but with Tamara and Calderon disappearing at the same time, and then Severus returning alone… conclusions would be drawn. It was humiliating.
Normally Severus didn't give a damn what the general population thought of him. He'd given up on that in his teens when he'd learned that it was best not to put to much thought into it for the good of his sanity. He did however, care very much what they thought of his wife. The thought of anyone thinking she had run away from her family for another man made him sick to his stomach. His options would be to either go through the whole painful ordeal again explaining it to everyone, or to let them all talk and think what they wanted to think. He found both choices equally unappealing.
He supposed he would have to ask a representative to tell the awful story for him. Minerva was the obvious choice. That way, word would spread, and he wouldn't have to be the one to do the telling. He didn't think he could actually bare to have to recount it to anyone personally. Trying to come up with an honest but gentle explanation for Sevarun and Sevina was going to be hard enough. Leaving it all to gossip, that would not do, whether he preferred it or not. He would not allow his children to face the chatter and the questioning looks that would have come from that.
After a bit of procrastination and a stiff drink, Severus did in fact return to the school. He was tempted to sneak off to the dungeon and go to bed without facing anyone, but that wasn't the right choice, he knew.
"Oh, Severus! You're back! I've been in contact with Mr. Potter. He told me everything…" she hesitated. "And he said that I should probably be expecting you."
Alone he thought to himself. Save the pity, Minerva… "Yes. I wanted to come and speak with you for a moment to ask you a favor before I go and find the children. Could you please explain the nature of what has taken place to the other staff? I really don't think I am up to it at this point, and I don't want there to be any more gossip than I'm sure there already has been."
The Headmistress nodded. "Yes, of course! I understand." She fidgeted a bit with the sleeve of her robes. "Severus?"
"Yes?"
"Do you want me to call the children up here? I know this isn't easy for you. Perhaps I could at least be some support?"
He shook his head, but did smile slightly at her concern. It had never been easy for him to accept much compassion from anyone, but he was grateful for McGonagall's friendship over the years. He did know that he could trust her, at least.
"Thank you, but I think I should talk with them alone."
When Sevarun and Sevina arrived in their parents' dungeon rooms Severus suddenly wished he had taken Minerva up on her offer. This was dreadful. They looked so frightened.
"Where's mum?" Sevarun asked. "People are saying that she ran off with that Calderon, and that you went chasing after her."
Sevina simply stared at him in that quiet, attentive way of hers.
Severus sighed, and sat down on the leather sofa in front of the fire. He gestured for them to join him, and Sevina dropped into his lap. It wasn't an unusual thing for her to do, but for some reason, under the circumstances he found himself feeling a bit choked up by it. He rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Your mother is in Spain" he began. "She did not run off with anyone, so please forget that idea immediately. She was… abducted."
"It was that nasty teacher wasn't it?" Sevina asked. "The one I saw you talking to, who was in mum's classes?"
He nodded, and exchanged a glance with Sevarun. "Yes. It was. He apparently has done this sort of thing before with other witches. He puts a curse on them that causes them to temporarily forget who they really are, and he takes them away."
Sevarun's eyes widened. "Is she all right? Does she know who she is now? Did you find her?"
"Yes. I went to Spain with your Godfather Harry and Hermione Weasley. We found her rather quickly, and I was able to remove the curse with little trouble. Calderon fled, regrettably, without a confrontation." Shaking his head, under his breath he repeated "Regrettably…"
"Then why is she still in Spain?" Sevarun asked, looking frustrated.
"The Spanish wizarding government has certain policies for dealing with this sort of thing. She was asked to remain there so that when they locate her abductor she can identify him and get some charges leveled against him that will stick."
He knew what the next question would be. His children knew their parents very well.
"Why aren't you there with her?" It was, of course, Sevarun, who asked.
Severus had been thinking of how to answer that question since he'd left his wife's side back in Spain. He still hadn't managed to come up with a way that he liked.
"She asked me to come back here to be with the two of you" he said, finally.
Sevarun shook his head. "No. You should be there to protect her, and make sure she's all right. She's got to be pretty upset. We're fine here. Dad, you've got to go back."
Sevina nodded her agreement.
"Sevarun, I can't. She's… very upset, as you said, and she doesn't want me there."
Seeing the stricken look on his son's face he scrambled to think of a way to make it sound less dire.
"Just for now" he added. "I think she just needs a bit of time to herself to work it all out. I'll be in contact with her, don't worry."
"But what if he comes back looking for her?"
"Don't worry yourself, son. I've taken care of that."