A/N: I shall return to the trial shortly. Enjoy.

Love's Messengers

With her wand still trained on him, Aurora stared at the sleeping man lying on the cot in his cell. She stood at the ready, ready to curse him to hell and back for all the pain he had caused her. But the curse failed to leave her lips. No matter how badly he had hurt her, she just couldn't do the same.

Her wand shook in her trembling hand. He deserved this. He deserved to feel all the hurt he left behind. He deserved to know the hell she felt know thanks to his actions. But she couldn't. She knew deep down she still loved him . . . and always would.

She turned to leave, stopping a moment later. Her eyes darted to his cot once more, taking in the sickly complexion on his pale face. She slowly drew in a breath, taking a step towards the cell. A part of her wanted to comfort him now . . . to hold him and tell him that he wasn't alone as he had thought. But the bigger part of her screamed not to do that.

Severus had always done this to her. He had always made her want to run to him and prove that he was wrong, that he was capable of being loved by another. But he had also continuingly made her want to stay away and give him the space he desired. He was her conundrum, the puzzle she could never figure out because he always hid the pieces from her.

Anger mixed with confusion compounded by grief was all that held her together now. She was angry for him hurting her, for using her like some cheap whore. She was confused as to why he would do that to her in the first place, since he proved that night she meant nothing to him. And she was full of grief from the result of that night, yet another stain on her soul.

He needed to know that she'd ensure he'd never hurt another person again. She clenched her teeth, grabbing a broken piece of brick and transfiguring it into a stone dagger. She'd leave him with a message just like he had. With the dagger levitated above her hand for a moment, she sent it flying in between the bars before hovering for a second above him. She watched the slumbering man she loved continue to doze without an inkling of the dangerous situation he was in. Cold brown eyes hidden in the shadows remained on him until the dagger plunged downwards, piercing its target. With the message delivered, she turned on spot, returning home. Severus would know now. She was sure of that.

~IL~

Early afternoon on Christmas day at the Burrow, Harry sat off to the side in the sitting area as the Weasley family surrounded him with pleasant albeit meaningless conversation. Every now and then, he'd notice the look Ron's father, Arthur, kept giving him, but he tried to ignore it. However, when Ron's mother, Molly, started sneaking worried glances towards him, he couldn't take it any longer.

"Is something wrong?" He stared at them both, wondering what he had done wrong this time. It couldn't still be about his views on Snape. Could it?

"No, Harry dear. Everything is fine," Molly replied, forcing her polite smile to her face again.

"Please, Mrs. Weasley," he begged quietly. "What is it?" He watched the Weasley matriarch glances towards Arthur before sighing quietly.

"There was an attack at Azkaban last night," Arthur answered, frowning.

Harry idly noticed that everyone else's ears perked up at the response. He nodded in understanding, even though he didn't truly get what the big deal was . . . unless the attack was on . . .

"Snape?" the young Gryffindor whispered, feeling slightly ill as he waited for the response.

"He was the intended target, yes. But he's fine, though, Harry." He leaned over towards Harry.

"You're certain?"

"I am. He didn't even have a scratch on him in fact."

Closing his eyes, the young man shook his head. After all, Snape had gone through for them . . . He deserved to be celebrated as the hero he was. He may have done everything out of selfish reasons and not for the greater good, but if one was honest it all boiled down to love. Snape had loved Harry's mother more than anything, devoting the rest of his life to protecting the son of his childhood bully who made his life a living hell and the one last living piece of his lost love.

"It shouldn't have ended like this," Harry grumbled. "He's a hero. Why don't they understand that?" He stared at the Weasleys, shaking his head when they didn't have an answer for him. "Did they catch the person who tried?"

"No." Arthur shook his head slowly. "The person managed to get away unfortunately. In fact, according to Moody, the guard that was injured in the attempt doesn't recall anything, and no evidence was left behind. So the Aurors have no clues as to the person's identity."

"Have the Aurors at least stepped up security now so this doesn't happen again?"

"They have. He has three Aurors with him at all times." Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "His attorney asked for a delay, but the Wizengamot denied it, stating that they were already giving too much time to it as it was."

"So they've made up their minds already basically?" Harry scoffed. "Snape saves all of our arses, and how do we repay him? By letting a bunch of bureaucrats put him to death."

"They haven't officially ruled yet so we don't know if that's the outcome."

"But it's what's going to happen if they won't give any leeway."

"It's not up to us to decide, Harry," the Weasley patriarch quietly spoke.

"I'm not going to let him die," the young Gryffindor stated firmly. "Not after what he did for us. He may have been a complete git to us, but it wasn't as if he could be Mister Sunshine and Rainbows with all of us and later do what he did. I understand that now. I understand a hell of a lot better than I did before all this happened. I'm not giving up on him, and I appreciate it if you didn't either."

"Harry love, listen to me," Molly quietly said, staring at him with a saddened expression. "It's what he wants. I'm not stating we give up on him, not at all. But a man like Severus, one who has been surrounded in the darkness for so long, tends not to want to be saved, Harry. He looks at the punishment of death as a way to rid himself of the pain he's felt for years, a blessing really. And while it is tragic, we all have to keep in mind that . . . that it would be hard for him to continue on."

"So we should just stand aside? Let him die because that's what he wants?" Harry stared at them in disbelief. "Do you know after living with the Dursleys for so long that there were days when I was like Snape, longing for the day when I didn't wake up and feel as if I was in a constant state of hell? But if I had thrown it all away at that time, given up, then I never would have met any of you. I wouldn't have my friends. I wouldn't have been happy, fell in love, anything. He deserves a second chance. And if you don't agree with that, fine, but I'm going to do everything I can so he gets that. We owe him."

~IL~

The next day, the chains rattled loudly as Severus slowly walked into the cemented closed-off room with his three hallucinations beside him like always. He had thought he had heard the Auror wrong when he stated that he had a visitor, but clearly the Auror was correct at the sight of an unknown man sitting at the table waiting for him. He frowned, noticing his guards walk off to give them privacy. As if their conversation would truly be private.

"So, did Potter finally give up and hire an attorney who listens to me? Or are you here to kill me outright?" he drawled, sitting down across from his visitor. He heard the mirage witches' disapproval instantly at his words. He didn't care, though.

"I'm not here for either option, Mr. Snape."

"Pity. You'd save the world loads of trouble I'd imagine."

"Says you," the man replied, sighing before he glanced towards the guards. "I don't think you deserve to be killed."

"Then you either belong in St. Mungo's care or are one of Potter's biggest fans. Either case, I have no use for you." He went to stand, stopping when the man reached for his arm.

"Please don't leave." The man stared at him, brushing a hand through his salt and pepper hair a moment later. "I need to explain . . . because right now you don't understand."

"I understand plenty, considering I'm a murderous Death Eater."

"No. They're wrong." His visitor shook his head violently. "They have to be."

"You're a fool."

"Perhaps, but you need to understand why she's so angry with you."

Severus's eyes narrowed on the man at the mention of a woman. He took in the man's form then, glancing towards mirage Aurora a second later. The eyes, they were the same. Then that meant this was some sort of relative to her, father he'd guess considering the protectiveness the man exhibited.

"I'm quite aware of why she's upset with me, and she has every reason to be."

"No she doesn't." Her father shook his head again. "She's not dealing with it properly. Instead, she's placing all the blame on you."

"If that makes her feel better, then quite frankly good for her, sir," Severus replied.

He couldn't understand for the life of him why this man would visit him. All of the answers seemed to be wrapped in tiny enigmas that he was just supposed to know for some reason. Only he didn't know what the hell Aurora's father was talking about. He of course understood that Aurora was pissed with him. He'd be an idiot if he didn't know that, considering that the witch left a dagger in his pillow not even an inch from his face. And he knew before he had even made it to the Astronomy tower that night that he'd break her heart. So, what in the hell was this man trying to say?

"Son, you don't understand." The older wizard sighed. "You're taking all this from the point of view of that night still."

"Yes, well, considering that night pissed your daughter off more than anything, I wonder why I would not think of then, Mister Sinistra."

His frown deepened when he noticed the man glance towards the table somberly. Was there more to it than that? He quickly thought back to his encounters with her the past year after that night. She had not even said a word to him until the students returned, and even then it was only because she had been forced to out of acknowledgement. Most of the times he had been near her, she had been very quiet, which he didn't at all think odd at the time considering what they were dealing with at the time.

"There's more to it than just being irate about a one-night stand with the man she loved who later used her." Her father's dark chocolate eyes held Severus's black. "I don't want to know the reason you did it, son. That isn't my business."

"Then why are you here? Because you haven't made me understand anything yet," Severus growled, glaring at the man. In fact, if anything, her father was annoying him more than anything else at that moment.

"She was pregnant," the wizard stated quietly.

Severus's throat went dry instantly. He had to have heard that wrong. He couldn't have just—

"Now, no paternity test was done, but I'd stake my life on it that it was yours, son. It's the only reason I can think of as to why she's dealing with it in this way." Aurora's father then stood up. "Son, I know it's a shock, and I wouldn't blame you if you thought I was a kook. But you needed to know."

"I don't understand." She had taken that potion, hadn't she? He had never asked Mokai when he returned because he just assumed she had. But . . . if she hadn't . . . He stared at the man, noticing that there was no lie in the man's face. "How?" he asked breathlessly. "Why?"

"She used to rave about you all the time, son. The things she used to tell me about you . . . Only a fool would not see that she was head over heels in love with you. Then last summer she comes home, and not a word about you. At the time I thought little of it, not realizing what had happened. I mean I knew about Albus's death, and that you were the accused, but I suppose I thought she was just at a loss for words. Still in shock, you know?" he replied, shrugging. "Then came the day when Poppy firecalled me and asked me to help calm my daughter down . . . I just assumed she had worked herself up again. Only when I walked into the room, I saw her fighting against Pomfrey to reach . . ." He closed his eyes, sighing. "It was so small . . . and broken like she was. I didn't know what to do. Aura was covered in blood from head to toe. She had numerous bones completely shattered, fractures in other spots. The pain she had to have felt . . . It physically paled compared to the emotional anguish of it all."

Severus sat there, stunned. She had been pregnant? He couldn't recall any signs of her pregnancy, but then again he hadn't been paying attention to that. He swallowed at the thoughts swarming his mind.

"I didn't learn all the details, but Pomfrey was convinced that Aura's injuries were a result of one of those Death Eaters in the castle who were harassing her constantly." He brushed a hand down his face, sighing. "I'm not telling you this to make you feel like crap, son. I'm aware you have other things on your mind. But I'm telling you this because I know my daughter never would. And if you were that baby's father, as I think you are, you have a right to know it then."

"What-what was it?" Severus's voice uncharacteristically wavered as he spoke.

"A boy," her father answered somberly. "He's buried in our family cemetery under a large oak."

He nodded numbly before glancing at the mirage of Aurora. Why hadn't she told him?