Chapter 22

Ginny's POV

"I might need you." My hands trembled as I tried to open the letter. It read;

Ginny,

It's time for some truths from me. Not that I lied to you, but I didn't always tell you everything. First off, why did I let you go so easily all those years ago? You were always right about why; I feared being hurt. I know you thought I never even looked at you during my trial, but you would be very wrong. I watched you closer than you will ever know. When you came to see me when I was being held awaiting to be cleared, I wanted to come to you, but I had convinced myself that you were there to end things completely.

Why didn't I claim you when I found you with Lucius? Ginny, I knew even then that I was dying. I never really knew how long I had, but you were happy with Lucius and he was happy with you. I wanted you to be happy. I didn't want to take that from you when, for all I knew, we may have had only weeks or months. And then one day I came home and you were there. I wanted to kill him for hurting you, but it caused you to come to me. I also want to thank him. It was during the first week of you being there that I realized that I wouldn't waste away like a sick man.

I came to think that perhaps we could be happy together for however long I had. You don't realize it, but from that moment on, everything I did was to make you happy and ensure that you would always be taken care of. Every choice I made was somehow to ensure there was less to burden you with when I was gone. I was so torn when you wanted to have Wyatt. What if I didn't get much time with my child? What if you had to raise him alone? When you decided you wanted another child, you were expecting to have his father with you for a very long time.

But I knew you had your family and they would help you if you needed it.

Over time and with research I did, I learned the signs to watch for that would let me know the end was near. I have known I had about a year left from shortly before Eva got engaged. I wanted to spend that time enjoying my life and not with you crying and demanding we go from healer to healer trying to stop the inevitable.

I knew the night Potter arrived in Hogsmeade, I would likely be killed. I knew years before that I would most likely die before the end. I had honestly been looking forward to it. Then you happened. You're the reason I took the potion that gave me all this extra time. You Ginny, not Lily, made me want to live!

Please, my love, don't hate me for not telling you that I was dying. In my mind, I was protecting you. Ginny, you are the love of my life. You made me happy. You made my life amazing!

I will wait for you, but take every second you need. Get to know our children as adults, and get to know our grandchildren.

Forever yours,

Severus.

I finished reading the note and I felt Lucius' hand on my shoulder. I reached up to his hand and touched it.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I realised I was crying again. "He knew; he knew since the end of the war. He knew he was dying!"

"I'm sorry, Ginevra," Lucius said.

I gave a bitter laugh. "He also knew what I would have done if I knew. And he, of course, was right."

Lucius' POV

"He knew you very well. Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now you go take a shower. Did I ever tell you I'm envious of your ensuite?"

"I know. We saw one similar to it in the builder's showhome as a huge upgrade. Severus got this glint in his eye." She smiled at the memory.

"You shower. I'm going to take your dog for a walk."

She came over and hugged me. "Thank you for being here."

"I'm doing my job, which is to bring you back to life." After she went up the stairs, I read the letter he left. If she didn't want me to, she would have taken it with her.

Later, she came down to go to dinner wearing a black dress. She looked healthier. The service she had at the salon helped a great deal, but I haven't seen her in anything but black or Severus' t-shirts since the day he passed.

"I didn't think you owned that much black. Are you charming your clothing?"

"What?" she asked.

"All you wear is black. Are you taking a page from Queen Victoria and plan to wear that colour the rest of your life?"

"I wore blue earlier," she pointed out.

"You were wearing one of Severus' shirts earlier," I retorted.

"Of course you noticed."

"Yes I did, and two of you could easily fit into it. Unless you want to be mistaken for staff, go put something on with colour."

She was put out and muttered as she headed back upstairs. "Here I was led to believe one could never go wrong with a little black dress!"

At dinner, we talked about how and where to start the research of Severus' story. "I would suggest speaking to the oldest people who knew him first," I began. "Once in England, I'm sure you can talk to your brother and Potter about allowing us to see the Death Eaters that are locked up."

"I've never stayed at Spinster's End alone, but I guess Stirling will keep me company."

"That garden isn't enough space for her," I cautioned. "You could stay at the Manor."

We spent hours upon hours talking about Severus. She wrote down things every so often.

Ginny's POV

Lucius was suggesting the Manor because I had him very concerned. I had lived there, and Severus and I stayed there for Eva's wedding.

"That way, when it's time for Evangelina to have the baby, it's one less call for Lachlan," he pointed out.

"I guess I could."

"I can't wait for this baby because I know it will make you smile," he admitted. He was right.

"Marie is the one who can't wait for the baby," I informed Lucius. "Once it arrives, she can focus on her and Fred's wedding." She met my nephew at Eva's wedding and they both fell head over heels. Dad is thrilled because it's the last step on the ladder for having a full Muggle in the family!

We were sitting in Lucius' study. We had just returned from Eva's baby shower. "She looks like she will pop if one stuck her with a pin," Lucius chuckled. "Did you look that big with her?"

"With her, no. With Wyatt, we were sure I was having twins. I looked like she does now when I was in my seventh month." I smiled. "So we go to Azkaban tomorrow; are you going to be okay with that?" I asked him.

He looked away, then back at me. "The Dementors are gone, and I will return to my Manor with a beautiful witch at the end of the day. I will be fine." Lucius never stopped flirting with me. I didn't mind it really, because that's all it was; flirting. We both knew it wasn't going to go anywhere. However, if it ever did, I'm sure he wouldn't complain. "Ginevra, for tomorrow, keep in mind these people this week are angry and bitter. Many of them will say things to upset you or me, or to make themselves look better, or to make Severus look worse." he advised.

"I know. I'm trying to figure out how to decipher the truth out of what they will say."

"Go with the common facts. I will say this: Rodolphus, my former brother in law, is likely the one who will be the most honest with me, more so than with you. He was hurt by Bellatrix's death, but he was more hurt by her lack of faithfulness to him. I admit I don't want you to interview Amycus Carrow. You have told me enough; never mind what Severus had said. Amycus will be out for blood."

"I know, but both him and his sister will know things, having been at Hogwarts that year, that no one else will know."

Amycus was the last person we saw the next day. I swore I could see the man's mouth watering as he looked at me. "Thank you for meeting with us."

He didn't comment.

"I wanted to talk to you about Severus Snape, please."

"Your late husband, eh? Did he go like the coward he was?"

I knew he was baiting me, so I took a deep breath. "No, because he never knew the meaning of the word coward."

"Yes, that was the reason he stayed hiding in his office that year," Carrow said accusedly.

I once more took a deep breath.

Lucius' hand covered mine. "Are you willing to answer anything Mrs. Snape has come to ask?"

Amycus looked at me. "You do seem to enjoy us darker men…"

"Amycus!" Lucius growled.

I covered the hand on mine and gave Lucius' hand a squeeze. "I do; they offer me something more vanilla men can't."

An hour later, the guards came to take him back to his cell.

"Tell me; how did they heal?" he pleaded before going.

I just smirked.

"Tell me!" he yelled as they closed the door.

I shuddered. "I need a shower. Lucius, you really need a tankless hot water heater like we have at the house."

"I'm glad to see you realise he was getting off on what you gave him. Let's go back home."