Author's Note: Yes, I said I wasn't going to write Dark Prince anymore but hey, far be it from me to deny my muses in their twisted crusade to achieve infamy through fan fiction. Hope you enjoy, with thanks to everyone who helped contribute to this story.
Disclaimer: "If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended,
That you did but slumber'd here while these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme is no more yielding then a dream."
-Midsummer's Night Dream
Tabula Rasa- n. A need or an opportunity to start from the beginning.
Chapter One: The House of Cards
Severus Alexander Snape rolled over, opened his eyes and stared at the sunlight as it illuminated his bedroom. For a time, in those moments between slumber and wakefulness, there was a certain amount of peace and contentment that filled his soul. It was early summer at Hecate, and the weather was prefect. A white sun cast it's light over the green grass outside and the smell of ripening fruit wafted through his open windows, making his stomach growl. Rolling over, he felt the warm spot left behind by his lover. Curling his fingers over the warmth, he smiled a private smile and lingered longer, burying his nose into her pillow to savor the whispers of her aroma.
He sat up in bed, and rested his hands on his knees to allow himself time to accommodate himself with standing. As it did every morning, his hand found the necklace around his throat and toyed with the medallion. Tied by a brown leather cord, the silver pendant showed an Angel poised with a dragon under his feet and his sword leveled at the creature's neck. Saint Michael was craved delicately around the edge of the icon. Letting his hand linger for a moment while he closed his eyes, Snape then stood and walked to the bathroom.
Sind Charlemagne smiled at him in the mirror, side-stepping to allow him to wash his face. As he walked forward and held his hands under the water, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed herself against his scarred back. Had this been another time, Severus would have flinched from the touch, unwilling or unable to cope with what they meant. Now, it didn't matter. Of all the pain that had permeated his life throughout the years, the memories of past sins no longer held their sting.
He could only think how beautiful she looked in the morning. Her black hair had not been tamed, and fell in unruly curls that framed her square face and dark brown eyes. She was built and immaculate, with muscles that flexed under her tanned skin that no artist could have created. No scars injured her body, and age had barely begin to touch her, turning the hair around her crown gray and the laugh lines around her eyes more pronounced. She hated the lines, and the knowledge that more would come. He was kind of excited at the idea of growing old with her and meant to tease her about that when he saw her eyes dim uncharacteristically.
"What's wrong?" He asked quietly as he splashed the water over his face and righted himself to hold her hands around him.
Sind swallowed hard and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I started this morning."
Severus felt his stomach sink, but he was careful not to show his disappointment. Pulling up her hands, he kissed her knuckles and traced over her fingers with his. "Well, we can try again next month."
"Maybe we could adopt." She offered, trying to keep her voice from breaking. "If I'm too old…"
"Nonsense. You're not old."
"Gaza and I always wanted children but both of being Aurors as we were, there was never any time…and then he died…" Sind pulled away and this time Severus let her.
Gaza Charlemagne had been Sind's husband for almost twenty years before he died from drowning. It had been a cruel, ironic death for an Auror, who had expected to meet his end on some battlefield for some great and glorious reason and Sind had taken it hard. She had been in a depression for months after his death, only barely returning to work when Voldemort had returned.
Gaza had been dead only four years by the time Severus had met Sind that chaotic night three years ago when the final battle had been waged and the fate of the world had been sealed; not by great armies or fearsome weaponry but by one boy.
Three years. It hardly seemed that such time had passed since Harry Potter's repeat victory over the Dark Lord Voldemort and his own private victories over his own demons. But it had, and he, like the world was healing. Hecate Compound was slowly rebuilding from the battle, reconstructing the white walled pillars and buildings that made it famous, and gradually returning to self-rule after decades of accountability to civilian governments but the make-up of the Compound was different now. No longer was the monogamy of old names and traditions. Hecate was young now, new, with children that no longer saw differences where his generation had. They were blazing a brave new world, like Dumbledore had said they would.
And despite himself, Severus was proud to be alive to see it. But even as new worlds were being mapped, the sins of the old still had to be recounted.
"Come on," Snape whispered in Sind's ear. "Get dress, the Tribunal is meeting."
Sind blinked out of her nightmare and walked back into the bedroom to don her uniform and Severus did the same. They dressed and prepared in quiet, fumbling over one another and stealing glances and hurried kisses as if they were children and theirs was a secret love affair.
And this was to the great amusement of their friends, especially those like Ambassador Jamie Kahle-Byron who always enjoyed a chance to taunt her friend. And presently, it was Jamie who had appeared in the doorframe of the room with a grin and twinkling eyes. She had drawn her arms over her to rest them firmly on her hips, letting her robes flow around her. She gave them their fiercest, taunting look that she could muster before uttering in mock-disgust. "You two never quit, do you?"
Snape looked over, buttoning up his shirt and giving her a long-suffering look. "You're just jealous Bryon is in Poland."
"He's in the Czech Republic this week, Morning Star." Jamie countered. "And I'm not too worried. He's coming in for Amissa's baby-shower in a few weeks." She paused and looked over at Sind. "Speaking of which, will it be a double shower?"
Sind offered her a weak smile. "We'll see, next month."
"Well come on, you know how the Skipper gets if you're late, Alexander." Jamie nodded and then motioned for them to follow.
Severus suppressed a groan. "Skipper would send the Dementors after me if he could."
"But he can't." Jamie reminded him. "We don't use them anymore."
"Right. No." He replied. "But that doesn't mean he won't try."
Sind rolled her eyes. "You two go ahead. I have to shower before I head over to the Compound. "
Jamie waited till they had shut the bedroom door before stopping and looking over at Severus. "So, no luck this month?"
"No, and she's starting about her age again, thinks I'm going to leave her for another woman or something."
"Are you?"
"Of course not! I love her."
"But not enough to marry her?"
Severus inhaled, realizing that it would have come to this at some point in the conversation. Jamie had been pressuring marriage since Sind had moved in with Severus eight months ago, but thankfully had let to try and sway Sind to her cause. His hand moved to his neck, as he dug out the pendant and began to toy with it nervously like he had been known to do. "I'm just not ready for marriage right now."
"You were born ready, Alex. You're just afraid." Jamie pushed. "And I don't blame you, after Melanie…"
"It's not about Melanie, Jamie." Severus whispered, stopping at the doorway. He looked down his home, the old Townhouse that had been the home of his youth. It had been here Dahlia, Billy and Dora had died. It had been here his world had changed for the worst when he had been barely a man and it was here he had returned. He loved this home, and even though he had not yet garnered the strength to enter some of the rooms, he belonged there- to pick up the pieces of his life and reform and refit them to how they should be.
But he wondered how could he rebuilt when there was still so much unresolved in his life. So many unburied and restless.
"Then who is it about?"
"I just have to work some things out, I can't explain it but I…I'm not ready."
Jamie was watching him and then put a hand around his waist. "Well don't wait too long." She warned him. "Or Sind might not stay."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence."
"Any time!" Jamie chirped. "Come on, let's get a quick cup of coffee. We can be late to Tribunal a few minutes."
The Tribunal Chamber was a large, round room made with marbled floors and one of the few rooms in Hecate to have decorations. There were large, looming windows that had their white curtains drawn over them to mute the light, and words inscribed around the top like: Honor, Justice, Virtue and Fortitude. It was a typical courtroom, with the Judges' table near the far wall, facing the solid dark wood doors and the two tables set aside for the plaintiff and defense. There was a single chair in the center that had been placed there for the witness. The seating area that was usually set aside for spectators or press was reserved now for witnesses' families or those who had as of yet been uncalled.
Snape hated this room that had been his workplace for the past six months. It reminded him far too much of the courtrooms after Voldemort's first fall, when justice had been dulled in the name of giving security. Then, innocent people had been shamed and arrested while true monsters had walked free with the thanks of the High Court. But, he forced himself to remember, that Court those years ago had been designed to restore the peace.
This delegation was sought only to understand.
The Tribunal had been called to order six months ago at the request of Hecate's Council and the IWC. Their sole purpose was to decipher and understand all they could about the Dark Times, to try and understand what had transpired over the past three decades that had allowed first, Voldemort to come to power so quickly, and then flourish like he had. They wanted to understand what made monsters like the Dark Lord, his Princes, and all their countless armies. Hecate wanted to understand its role in this madness, and truly understand how they could have helped make these creations that had ravaged the world so. They wanted accountability and it was Severus and the other Consuls' responsibility to assign it.
Most of the key players were already there by the time Severus and Jamie had donned their black robes and entered the courtroom. Three of the six Tribunal chairs were filled, and seeing them enter, Sind looked up from her papers and smiled at Severus before turning back over her files. From his placer in the center, Chairman Sherman looked up and favored Severus with his most fierce glare before turning back and talking with his Companion.
Severus swallowed. Chairman Hesper "Skipper" Sherman had been a thorn in Severus' side since the battle had ended. Sherman was a few years older then Severus, and was the typical Auror of the era, having fought the major villains of his time: Rio Hecate, Lord Voldemort and his Dark Prince. His face was torn, with massive scars that ripped from one side of his face to the other at all angles. He wore a full gray beard with wisps of the natural red that it had been once peering around the corners and near the places scars jutted out. Sherman had one magical eye, that unlike Moody's appeared to be a solid silver orb, and where his other eye should have been was a black eye patch.
Severus was reasonably certain that Sherman had cultivated this look to appear as an able warrior and to tell the truth it worked. Severus was terrified of Sherman. And even more afraid of that blasted dog that followed Sherman everywhere.
Unable to make out breed, the full extent of Severus' knowledge of Little Jimmy was that he was old, ugly and gray: just like his Master. Jimmy had this coat of matted curly gray hair and seemed to carry dust and dirt from everywhere he's been. Solid black eyes, like a doll's eyes, gleamed from sunken eye sockets, and one ear was missing, bitten off in Jimmy's youth. But the teeth, the teeth were scary and sharp.
Sherman claimed the mutt could smell Dark Wizards a mile away, and there was no denying that Jimmy tried to bite him every time they were forced into close proximity together. Even now, he could hear Jimmy growling from his place under the Tribunal table, and despite himself, Severus leaned over to grab Jamie's arm.
Jamie took one look at him, then to the dog before shaking her head tiredly. "I don't believe you sometimes, Alex. Leave that poor mutt alone!"
"It's not me!"
"Of course it isn't.'
Severus looked at her blankly. "Whose side are you on?"
"Is that a trick question?" Severus turned and went immediately to new voice. He smiled at his savoir and wrapped his arms around her. "You believe me, don't you Sky?"
"Of course I do." Sky Falls whispered, patting on his arms.
"Hey, hey," Ginny Weasley cried as she sat up, readjusting the three year old on her lap. She was sitting behind the Advocate's desk, looking pleased with herself. "Hands off my girl, Professor."
Severus readjusted his grip and smiled at Ginny haughtily. "She was mine first." He told her, and then whispered into Sky's ear. "Why have you left me to join the other team, eh?"
"There was never another man for me outside of Phoenix." Sky said softly as she pulled away and moved to take the toddler from Ginny's lap and played with the child's blond hair. "Outside of Ambrose here, there'll never be another man for me."
"Lucky for me." Ginny said as she stood finally and leaned into to favor Sky with a long, loving kiss. When she finally pulled away, she rested her forehead against Sky's for a while. "Now remember, I'm taking Ambrose to meet my parents so I'll be home late. Mother is going to want to cook dinner."
"Tell Molly I said hi." Sky whispered. "And afterwards, make sure you drop by Hogwarts so Albus can baby-sit." She gave Ginny, a coy dark smile. "I want just us tonight."
Ginny blinked, and raised a brow. "What a wanton I have…" She seemed to realize Severus was still near and blinked before gathering Ambrose and his bag and leaving the room.
Severus shook his head weakly at Sky who shrugged and walked to other Advocate's table to return some last minute paperwork. He gave a look to Jamie who merely nodded as they walked towards their table and took their respective seats.
Severus sat down and admired the view for a while, amazed at how quick the world moved on from a time nobody thought would heal. He was amazed how everyone had continued to live and flourished, finding love and security in the ashes of what had come before. Everything was at peace.
That should have been his first warning.