Evangeline pushed open the door to the roof of the Astronomy tower and stepped out to see a lonely black clad figure leaning against the parapet, contemplating the distance.
With a heavy sigh, she walked up behind him and addressed him quietly, "You know, whenever I see you like this, a part of me is afraid you're thinking about jumping."
Snape dropped his head to his chest for a moment, then he raised it once more and slowly turned around to face her with a sober expression on his features. "I've considered it, but I'm too stubborn to give a fool like Fudge the satisfaction. It would be playing right into his hands. A dead scapegoat is better than a live scapegoat any day," he stated dryly.
Somewhat relieved, she nodded and attempted a smile. Reluctantly she slid her engagement ring off her finger and held it out to him.
"Have you been regretting giving this to me, Severus?" she asked in a rather faint voice.
His dark eyes fastened on the glittering ring in her hand and started at it for a long moment then he nodded wordlessly.
Her heartbeat hitched in her chest. "I was afraid of that," she whispered in a soft and strangled voice. "You may have it back if you wish."
Slowly he reached out and took the ring from her ice cold hand and looked at it silently for a moment. When he spoke it was in a deeply bitter tone. "I was a fool to think, even for a moment, that I could escape my past. Someone like me doesn't get to live happily ever after, with someone like you, Evangeline. Whatever I do, wherever I go, there'll always be someone like Fudge, ready to remind me of the type of man I am and always was. I can't put this ring back on your finger and chain you to me for the rest of your life. It wouldn't be fair."
Her heart dropped at his words, but she forced herself to step forward determinedly and look up into his deeply shadowed eyes. "And how fair is it to dangle everything I could ever want in front of my face, and then snatch it away at the first sign of trouble? I know what kind of man you are, Severus Snape, even if you aren't sure. You should know that no ring and no ceremony would make any difference to me. I'll always be there for you, no matter the circumstances. As far as I'm concerned, you're already my husband, and no one could ever take your place in my life, or in my heart. You're stuck with me, Severus. Whatever happens, I'll be there for you…ring or no ring."
"Evangeline, you do understand what all of this means, don't you? There's a very good chance that I'll end up in Azkaban prison…quite probably for the rest of my life."
Fear glimmered in her eyes although she tried to fight it down. "But you aren't guilty of any crime, Severus! You didn't do what they want to believe you did."
"Do you really believe any of that matters?" he snapped in annoyed impatience. "The fact that I'm not guilty of this crime doesn't make me an innocent man. You need to understand what kind of man you're agreeing to marry, Evangeline. I'm a former Death Eater. Not simply a spy who put on an act. For far longer than I ever should've been, I truly was one of them. Did as they did. Thought as they thought. I'm guilty of many horrible crimes done while I served the Dark Lord. My past is what will be on trial here…not the present."
Chilled by his statements, she stared deeply into his dark eyes, and what she saw there frightened her. They were the cold empty eyes of the man she'd first met, and the only emotion they seemed to contain was a very deep anger. "I understand that they'll try to tie your past into this crime, but I can't believe that they'll be successful. There's no proof against you, Severus. You're innocent! Indeed, if it wasn't for you, Voldemort would have succeeded in destroying Gringotts."
A sad smile drifted across his face momentarily as he gazed at her determined face then he sighed and shook his head. "My Angel, you're charmingly naïve at times. Fudge is determined to blame this on me, and he has the power and resources to make it happen. If Fudge can't manufacture enough evidence to convict me, Voldemort and his followers will be only too happy to fill in the gaps. This is a golden opportunity for them. They'll see it as poetic justice to send me to prison for the crime that I stopped them from succeeding at. There's nothing that anyone enjoys more than condemning a traitor, and that's how those on both sides of this conflict see me."
"No. That's not true. Dumbledore doesn't see you as a traitor, and neither do I. I won't abandon you, Severus, no matter what. I love you…with all my heart," she exclaimed sincerely with suppressed tears brimming in her voice.
He shook his head in bewilderment, as if her attitude puzzled him greatly, and he spoke in a rough voice, "Haven't you heard anything that I've said to you, Evangeline? Sometimes I think you don't see me as I truly am. You seem to have this idealized vision of me as "the noble spy" sacrificing myself for a righteous cause!" The sarcastic edge to his voice caused her to wince slightly.
"That isn't who I am! As a Death Eater and a spy I helped to murder people…including your own mother! How can you simply overlook that? I'm a selfish, arrogant, suspicious person. I turned away from Voldemort because he lied to me. What he was and what he did turned my stomach. I sought help and refuge from Dumbledore for my own safety…because it seemed the best chance to save my own skin…not out of some inner nobility. I became a spy because I had no other choice! Don't mistake me for some insufferably noble Gryffindor. I'm merely someone trying to survive as best I can. I'm no hero… and no prize. My past is about to catch up with me."
He hesitated momentarily and glanced down at the stones beneath his feet. Then he added in a softer tone, "I just don't want you to be hurt when it does. You don't deserve to suffer for my crimes…my mistakes."
With a sigh she reached out and took his cold hand in hers and caressed it gently. "Severus, sometimes I think you don't see yourself for who you really are, either. You get so caught up in the guilt and the shame that you don't see the sacrifices you've made, and how much good you've done! Perhaps you aren't as good as I wish to see you, but I know you aren't as evil and irredeemable as you see yourself! Neither one of us is perfect, you know. I wouldn't want to marry perfection. I want my husband to be human…I want him to be you…for however long I can have you."
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The two of them walked into the Great Hall at dinnertime hand in hand. Evangeline decided that under the circumstances, there was no longer a reason to continue hiding within Hogwarts. If Severus was going to come out into the open, then so was she.
As they walked up past the students at their tables, Draco Malfoy spotted them together and his jaw dropped. What was that woman doing with Professor Snape? Hadn't his father been looking for her? Hadn't he found her months ago? What in the name of the Dark Lord was going on? The confused young man found his heart was pounding hard in his chest as his narrowed eyes followed the progression of the unexpected couple through the room.
When Snape and Evangeline got up to the head table, Dumbledore and McGonagall rose from their seats and came over to greet them. Several of the other teachers crowded around them as well. As the room buzzed with speculation the group at the head table continued to talk avidly amongst themselves…and smile. Suddenly Dumbledore embraced first Evangeline, and then Snape, to the shock of the students. Obviously something was up…speculation turned quickly to eager anticipation. It had to be something worth hearing if Snape of all people was tolerating a public embrace from the Headmaster!
As everyone else took his or her seat except Evangeline, Snape, and Dumbledore, the hall fell silent, consumed with curiosity. The Headmaster smiled out over the sea of attentive faces and stated warmly, "It appears that I have some happy news to share with all of you."
He turned and indicated Evangeline with a flourish of his right hand. "This lovely young woman is Miss Evangeline Winthrop, as some of you may know, she was working on cleaning and restoring our paintings earlier in the year. She's come back to resume that task. In addition…" He paused and his eyes twinkled happily. "She and Professor Snape have become engaged to be married. So please join me in offering them our sincere congratulations."
He turned to Snape and Evangeline and began to applaud enthusiastically. The staff at the head table swiftly joined him. Snape smiled at Evangeline and put his arm around her waist. Then they both looked out at the sea of stunned students, who slowly began to come out of their shock and applaud as well. The Slytherins also whistled and stomped their feet. All that is, except Malfoy, who sat there with an absolutely stunned and sick expression on his face. Wait until his father heard about this!
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Remus Lupin staggered out of his bedroom and over to the nearest window, to watch the sunrise. His favorite time of day! Depending on when the full moon rose, his transformation could last for one, two, or occasionally three nights. This time it was two nights…two nights of hell. Leaning his weary head against the cool panes of glass, he took a deep breath and soaked in the rosy colors and comforting warmth that heralded his return to the land of men. Gradually he could feel his mind awakening from its dreamlike state. Although the Wolfsbane Potion allowed him to keep his sanity, he still found that he had to struggle to think truly human thoughts. The whole horrid experience had a sense of unreality to it…like some sort of waking dream or hallucination. Through it all he still had to fight the intense urges pulsing through his veins to run and howl at the moon, to rend and tear and kill. When it was finally all over, he always felt so wrung out, like he was just recovering from a bout of flu.
Suddenly there was a faint stirring from behind him and then a footstep. He sighed and muttered resignedly, "I'm really going to have to put stronger wards on my door. Don't you ever use your own quarters, Sirius?" He turned to confront Sirius Black, who smiled sheepishly at him.
"Sorry, Remus, but I have some news for you, and I wanted you to hear it first from me."
Lupin felt fear clutch his chest. "Did we lose the fight for Gringotts, after all? Was Voldemort victorious? Oh, god, who died? Evangeline? Albus?"
Hurriedly Black shook his head and held up a hand. "No, no, no one died. We won the battle, although the verdict is still out on the war. That imbecile Fudge still refuses to acknowledge Voldemort's return. He's decided that a bunch of renegade Death Eaters were responsible, and that Snape probably masterminded the whole thing."
Lupin's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Is he insane? What did he do to Severus? Did he throw him into Azkaban?"
Black shook his head once more. "No, Dumbledore put a stop to that, although it's what Fudge had in mind. For the time being, Snape just has to stay confined to Hogwarts, presumably while Fudge tries to dig up some proof to confirm his twisted theories. No Death Eaters were captured to confirm or deny anything unfortunately."
Lupin sighed. "Yeah, but what's to stop Voldemort and his thugs from manufacturing some evidence. Let us do their dirty work for them. Make us throw Snape into Azkaban for betraying Voldemort! They'd laugh themselves sick."
Black looked grim. "Tell me about it."
Lupin felt ashamed. "I'm sorry, Sirius. Of course, that's essentially what happened to you. Fudge's attitude makes it even harder to prove your innocence."
Black scowled. "I still say that Fudge is a closet supporter of Voldemort."
Lupin nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe. It's hard to believe that anyone could be so stupid."
Black hesitated and continued to stare at Lupin, knowing that this next little bit of news would be a lot harder for him to take.
"Uh oh. There's more isn't there?" ventured Lupin in a cautious tone.
Black nodded reluctantly. "Yeah…There's really no easy way to say this…so here goes. Snape and Evangeline have gotten engaged to be married."
Lupin's face lost its color, and he abruptly sat down at his desk. Dazedly he shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense. Severus wouldn't want all this hanging over Evangeline's head."
Black nodded again. "You're right. Apparently, Snape proposed when he thought he was free of the spying, but before he found out about Fudge's idiocy. Then, Evangeline wouldn't let him off the hook."
Lupin sighed resignedly and nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. Evangeline would never abandon Severus, no matter what. She loves him too much. She must be very worried now, though."
"Yeah," said Black. "I'm sure she's not the only one."