Gloom hung in the air like a smothering fog. Remus Lupin felt like he'd wandered into a funeral, but he wasn't sure who'd died. He sat at the head table during lunchtime, but he was one of the few who were actually eating. Evangeline, Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore were all there, physically, but their minds were all obviously wandering around on some other plane of existence. Whether together or separately, he couldn't be sure, but no one looked happy.
Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. As they all stood to leave, he found himself jumping up and practically yelling, "What the hell is going on with you people? What's happened that I don't know about?"
It was probably just as well that the dining hall was virtually empty at the moment because that cut down on the number of surprised stares that were directed his way. His departing colleagues all stared at him as if he'd lost his mind however. Feeling foolish but still quite worried, he closed his eyes for a moment, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. "I'm sorry, but the tension in this room is so heavy at the moment you could practically touch it. I'm concerned. Please, has something happened that I don't know about? I want to help."
Evangeline smiled compassionately and left Snape's side to cross over and give the agitated werewolf a hug. "I'm sorry, Remus. We've all been so wrapped up in our own thoughts, that none of us realized how we must appear to others. Severus and I are going to the Ministry of Magic this afternoon. Minerva and Albus are coming along, as watchdogs, for lack of a better term."
Lupin frowned at her in concern, then glanced up at the somber Snape. "I thought you had to remain here at Hogwarts. Why go to Fudge and tempt fate?"
Snape walked over and slid an arm around Evangeline. "Evangeline and I need to obtain a marriage license. With all that's hanging over us, we simply didn't want to wait any longer. Fudge has agreed to allow this trip, since we do need to appear in person."
"Do you think you can trust him, Severus?" Lupin knew he certainly wouldn't have under the same circumstances.
Snape snorted, and Lupin could tell he was biting back some sharp retort as he glanced at Evangeline. "I feel that I have no other choice, Lupin. The trip is necessary, and we've done all that we can to insure that it goes smoothly. We'll simply have to hope that Fudge is a more honorable person than he seems to be." Lupin could see that Snape didn't have any faith that this was so, but he was keeping his doubts to himself. Probably for Evangeline's sake.
The five of them walked into the entrance hall together. Four of them took cloaks from the closet in the hall and headed out the front door of the castle. Lupin bid them goodbye and wished them luck. As he stood in the doorway and watched them stride off across the grounds to where they could apparate to their destination, he felt a shiver of apprehension wash over him. Suddenly he was sure that when they returned, there would only be three of them.
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The party from Hogwarts appeared on the steps of the Ministry of Magic. As she stared up at its imposing façade, Evangeline was momentarily overcome with blind panic. She seized Snape's arm and cried, "Let's not go in there, Severus. Let's run away! Go somewhere else…anywhere, far from here, where we can be together. Please."
Snape smiled reassuringly at her and put his arms around her shoulders. "It'll be all right, Evangeline. If we run away, it'll be taken as an admission of guilt. You and I have done nothing wrong, and I'm not going to let that imbecile Fudge force us into acting like fugitives." Gently he took her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. "You're going to have to be strong, Evangeline. You can do this. I know you can."
Not wanting to disappoint him, she stared deeply into his eyes and nodded wordlessly. He smiled in approval, kissed her gently, then released her and took her hand securely in his.
The four of them entered the building together. There were very few people around, and their footsteps echoed hollowly on the marble floor. They stood in the three-story lobby and checked the directory. The marriage license office was across the lobby on the ground floor.
Getting the marriage license went quickly and without problems. The witch behind the counter seemed rather nervous, but she performed her duties efficiently. Before long, Snape held a scroll in his hand that granted him permission to marry Evangeline.
When they re-entered the lobby, Evangeline became aware that there were a lot more people around than there had been. As they attempted to cross the lobby, a sonorous voice rang out and stopped them. "Severus Snape. I am placing you under arrest for high crimes against the wizarding community!"
All four of them whirled around to see The Minister of Magic standing halfway up the first flight of stairs. Fudge was dressed in his best suit and looked extremely pompous and important. The stout wizard was posed dramatically for maximum effect, and his voice carried confidently to all corners of the building.
A mass of people were watching from all the balconies around the lobby with interest, hatred, and fear on their faces. Obviously Fudge had wanted a large audience for his triumphal arrest of the extremely dangerous Severus Snape. Light bulbs flashed from numerous cameras, and many people wearing press placards bent over the railings and hung on Fudge's every word. Several Aurors pushed through the sudden crowd and came to stand near Dumbledore's party.
Dumbledore drew himself up impressively and stepped forward to angrily confront Fudge. "Cornelius, you promised me there wouldn't be any trouble if we came here today!"
Fudge smiled self-importantly and squared his rounded shoulders. "There won't be any trouble, Albus, if Snape surrenders peacefully. Even you, with your high standing in the community, can no longer continue to harbor this vile criminal in your school. You think you're a law unto yourself, but you are not! The families in this community will no longer put up with this creature teaching their children. I intend to place him in custody, where he can do no further harm. I can't, in good conscience, allow such a danger to the community to remain free. I'm responsible for the safety of our citizenry, and that will only be assured with Snape where he belongs…in Azkaban prison!"
Dumbledore gestured angrily. "Without proof of wrongdoing? You have no evidence tying Severus to this crime! Indeed, such evidence does not exist; it's not possible! His guilt is sheer speculation on your part. Doesn't he deserve to have a fair trial like any other member of your community?"
Fudge glared at him. "Don't worry. There will be a trial…eventually. Once we have all our evidence properly organized, all legal precedents will be satisfied, I assure you, Albus. In the mean time, the only way to truly keep everyone safe is to place Snape in custody."
The confident Minister turned to stare menacingly down at Snape with cold glittering eyes. "Well, Snape? Will you come peacefully or must we strike you down and drag you out of here in chains? I assure you we're fully prepared to handle things whichever way you prefer. There's no escape for you. The choice is yours."
With a sharp gasp of horror, Evangeline moved closer to Snape at this threat to his safety. He glanced quickly down at her and slid his arm around her shoulders to hold her protectively against him. Even this gesture of reassurance couldn't warm the cold serpent of dread that suddenly wrapped itself around her heart. All the worst fears she'd had about this trip were turning out to be stark reality.
Fudge stirred impatiently and eyed Evangeline with malevolence. "You know, Snape, I understand that your lovely fiancée there had a hand in what happened at Gringotts as well. Perhaps I should throw her into prison too, as an accessory. Any woman who would willingly marry a man like you is hardly likely to be an innocent, after all."
Instantly Snape's head snapped up, and he stared hatefully at Fudge. His low voice took on a menacing tone as he snarled a warning, "I'll surrender myself peacefully to you Fudge, but only if you leave Evangeline alone. Harm her in any way, and there's no place on earth where you could remain hidden from me."
Fudge paled noticeably and snapped, "Don't threaten me, Death Eater. It won't help your case. I care nothing for her. You're the dangerous criminal that I need to lock up. Come quietly, and nothing will happen to her."
Under the circumstances it was obvious that resistance would be futile, and would only play conveniently into Fudge's hands. At the moment at least, Fudge had all the options, and Snape appeared to have none. Coldly he nodded, his face an impassive mask, his eyes obsidian chips. "Very well. I'll come with you voluntarily. Will you allow me to say goodbye?"
Fudge nodded shortly. "Make it brief."
Snape looked down at Evangeline's tear-streaked face. "Don't worry, Evangeline. We'll get through this somehow. Remember your promise, stay safely at Hogwarts."
She nodded shakily. "I will, I promise. I love you, Severus."
They melted into a desperate kiss, anxious to impart all of their feelings to each other through one final embrace.
Wanting to squash any chance of sympathy from the watching crowd, Fudge turned and nodded to the Aurors, who descended en masse on the hapless couple. Rough hands dragged Snape away from Evangeline's grasp and tied his hands tightly behind his back. McGonagall put her arm around Evangeline and held her back when it looked like she might try to interfere.
Snape looked up at Fudge defiantly and sneered, "You know Muggles have a word for this type of thing Fudge, ferreting around for a scapegoat without proof of wrongdoing. They call it a witch hunt! How utterly appropriate."
Once Snape was bound securely, Fudge came down off the staircase and crossed the lobby. "We'll get plenty of proof. Don't worry. With such a nefarious creature as yourself, Death Eater, I'm sure we'll have no problem at all convincing a judge that you deserve to rot in prison for the rest of your life. This community will benefit greatly by your absence. Everyone will sleep more securely in their beds tonight, thanks to me!" He turned to the Aurors. "Take him away. Ship him off to Azkaban, where he belongs."
The Aurors roughly dragged Snape out of the room through a back door. He glanced back briefly to capture Evangeline's eyes for one infinite second, and then he was gone. Evangeline stood there numbly, in utter shock. A sense of unreality descended on her making her feel totally disconnected from her surroundings.
Suddenly Fudge bent over and retrieved something from the ground. He smiled arrogantly down at what he held and then thrust it into Evangeline's hand. "Here, don't forget your marriage license, my dear. Although, I doubt if you'll have any use for it now."
Evangeline locked eyes with Fudge. Without conscious thought, she brought up her free hand to give his face a stinging slap. Then without a word, she turned and walked out of the Ministry building, followed by a furious and sad Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore.