Part Two – Failed

Leandra Snape sobbed in her mother's arms as though her heart was breaking. Only she knew that it already had.

"He was evil through and through, that husband of yours," Jack Smyth growled from where he stood near the fireplace.

"I know," cried Leandra. "Do you think that I don't know that by now?"

"Hush child," Lucinda said, as she hugged her daughter close.

Some time later Leandra had calmed down enough to tell her parents, newly returned to England, what had happened in their absence.

"It was Aurors, wasn't it?" prompted her father. He had heard the rumours already.

Leandra nodded in reply. Taking a deep breath she resolved to pull herself together and tell them everything she knew.

"I don't know exactly what happened," she began. "He was so determined to be seen as someone powerful in the community. It began with doing errands for the Malfoys. It was so gradual that I can't even say when it began for sure."

"Things like this usually are, darling," her mother squeezing her hand in encouragement.

"Then he began to gain followers, and the Malfoys were amongst the first to join him. Vincent was sucked in with them. Before I knew it, he was one of them." Leandra let out a sharp sob as she recalled the day she had discovered her husband had stood up to be counted with the supporters of the Dark Lord. She couldn't even bear to think about it.

"I don't know exactly how he died. The OWL from the Ministry was not very detailed. I only know that he had Malfoy were both killed by Aurors along with several others."

"This would be Malfoy Senior?" questioned Jack. Leandra nodded. "Yes, although Lucius is every inch his father's son." She could not keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"We should have come back sooner," Lucinda shook her head in regret.

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Leandra assured her.

"But we were so far away. If we'd been closer you could have come to us."

"You know I wouldn't have," said Leandra with a rueful smile. "You'll remember I have dad's stubborn streak."

Jack laughed shortly. "How could we forget?" Leandra laughed along with him. She knew instinctively they were both recalling the arguments that had ensued when she had announced her engagement to Vincent Snape. It was only the intervention of Lucinda that had kept them from coming to blows over her choice.

"It's good to hear you laugh again," Lucinda said with a smile. "It's over now. He's gone and he can't hurt you again."

Leandra nodded. "Yes, he's gone, and he can't hurt me again."

"You have to be strong now," her father advised. "We'll be here for you, along with Severus of course."

Leandra's smile vanished instantly.

"What is it darling?" Leandra could see the concern in her mother's face but she could not bring herself to speak.

"Where is Severus?" asked Jack. "Is my favourite grandson still sketching? It's been a couple of years now since he's written to us. And you've rarely mentioned him in your most recent letters."

"It's my fault he's not written to you," Leandra whispered as she looked at the floor. She could not bring herself to look her father in the face.

"How can it be your fault?" Lucinda questioned. "He's not a boy any more, he's a grown man and you can't force him to write if he doesn't want to."

"He's busy, we understand that," agreed Jack.

Leandra sobbed again as she forced herself to confess her actions. "It is my fault," she insisted. "The reason he hasn't written is because he thinks you're both dead."

Leandra clapped her hand over her mouth and looked fearfully from her mother to her father and back again.

"Do you mean you told him we were dead?" Jack questioned, shocked at his daughter's confession. "Why would you do that?"

Leandra sobbed again. "Because I failed."

"Failed?"

"I tried so hard," she explained. "I fought so hard to let Vincent send Severus to Hogwart's. He was set on Durmstrang but I argued with him for months over the decision. I thought I had convinced him, that he had listened to me. I was wrong. The Malfoys had talked about having Lucius transferred there for his final years after Dumbledore became Headmaster. It was only when they decided to leave him where he was that Vincent relented and let me send Severus to Hogwart's."

"Albus Dumbledore's a fine man. Hogwart's is a great school. How does this mean you've failed?"

"I tried so hard," she repeated. "But every time I turned around there was someone whispering in my boy's ear. The Malfoys, the Blacks, the Lestranges. Always one of them was around here influencing him. Vincent just let them, encouraged them even."

Leandra accepted the tissue from her mother's hand and wiped away the stream of tears that were flowing once again.

"At first I hoped," she whispered. "Those first holidays he mentioned a muggle-born girl who he had made friends with. I don't know what happened but somehow he changed."

"I'm sure you did your best darling," Lucinda handed her another tissue as Leandra continued to sob.

"But it wasn't enough," Leandra shouted, her voice breaking. She leapt up from the sofa and stood to look out of the window at the quiet street outside. She could not look at her parents as she whispered the words that she felt would choke her. "Severus is one of them. He's a Death Eater."

The silence stretched on until Leandra turned around to face her parents once again.

"Maybe we should have told him the truth?" Jack suggested. "If we had he might have had different values, made different choices..."

"I don't know." Leandra walked back to the sofa. "I just don't know any more. And now it's too late."

Putting her head in her hands Leandra sobbed again. She felt her mother draw her arm around her and her father sit down on her other side.

"What a touching little scene," the silky voice of Lucius Malfoy came from the doorway.