Chapter 20: For Better and For Worse
November's heart was in her throat. She stared at the door before her and felt her knees weaken.
As if sensing her emotions, Remus slipped an arm around her waist, comforting and supporting. The dark obsidian halls were loud with their shallow breathing and they waited to be summoned.
Today was Lucius Malfoy's trial. Within he had already been enclosed in the barbed cage used for Death Eaters and criminals. And when she was called to the stand, November would serve as witness against him.
The giant door before her opened and Remus grabbed her hand tightly.
"Miss November Cadougan?"
She nodded, trying to repress how nervous she was. This was an intensely personal trial and being near Lucius again frightened her.
The wizard stood aside and she stepped through. Remus gave her a weak smile and followed at a distance. It had taken quite the fit from November to get permission for him to sit in and he did not want to push his luck. He slid into a spot beside Tonks and Moody; they had already testified as to how Lucius had evaded them, going so far as to actively fight them, along with the discovery of November's wand on the scene (14-inch cedar with phoenix feather core). The stage had been set for her testimony.
November could feel his eyes on her from the moment she entered the room. His head moved slowly, following her path to the center of the room, and his face was emotionless. All of this she saw through the corners and sides of her vision; she would not look at him. He was hoping to throw her off and she would not allow any such thing.
Fudge looked more uncomfortable than she had ever seen him. He had announced his retirement but was sitting Head of the Wizengamot for another week. Rufus Scrimgeoursat beside him, the Ministry at large feeling that Fudge was hardly in a position to oversee this case without bias.
"November Helena Cadougan?" Fudge's voice rang out in the packed room.
She nodded again.
"You are here to stand with the prosecution and give testimony as to the activities of Lucius Malfoy, accused Death Eater?"
"I am."
There was a ripple through the room, though this was not new information.
"Miss Cadougan," Rufus interrupted. "I have come to understand that as far as the Ministry is concerned you are dead. Would you care to explain how this is possible, as you are sitting before us alive and well?"
"Not well. And only alive due to an oversight in the plans of the accused."
A louder ripple ran through the room and Lucius's eyes bored into her.
"Some of you will remember Titus Freyson," November spoke, keeping eye contact with the Wizengamot to avoid looking at Lucius. "We were engaged to be married and he was seeking certain dark objects he believed would be important to keep out of the hands of Death Eaters. After I received a ring from him, he was killed in his home. A day later my own home exploded and a body was found in the wreckage. That –" she paused sensing the expectation in the room, "was not my body."
"And the ring?"
"It was given to Albus Dumbledore upon its discovery. It was not obvious to me what had happened or why for some time."
"But if that is so–" Fudge began in his whining voice.
November was losing patience; he was going to get caught up in the ring and that was not the reason she was here. "Minister, I would like to submit evidence as to my accusations against Lucius Malfoy."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco stiffen.
"And what would you like to submit?"
Reaching into her pocket, November produced a vial that contained a white swirling thread. "Memories, sir."
The room nearly erupted and even Lucius betrayed his feelings, looking momentarily shocked.
"That is highly unusual, Miss Cadougan," Fudge began.
"This is highly sensitive, Minister. Surely you would prefer this method?" There was a glint in her eyes that Lucius recognized. Behind November, he could see the hungry and longing look on Rita Skeeter's face.
"Do you have a Pensive, Miss Cadougan?" Rufus asked, leaning forward and forcing Fudge behind him.
"I do."
Dumbledore's own Pensive was floated out into the middle of the room and the two Ministers, along with two other senior Wizengamot members made their way down to November. Rufus nodded to her and the four men broke the surface of the Pensive.
The following hour was one of the longest of November's life. The Pensive floated eerily in the middle of the room and every occupant of the room watched it intently. All but one.
Lucius's appearance was much changed already: he now sported dark circles around his eyes, a two day growth of beard, and a scar above his eye where Tonks had nailed him in retaliation during the arrest. And his hungry grey eyes never left November, watching her as if he would like nothing more than to have her as a snack.
While it was clearly intended as harassment, Remus knew better than to try to complain that he was staring at November.
There was a ripple in the surface of the Pensive and four men appeared from it. Fudge was white as a ghost and Scrimgeour'sjaw was set. Slowly, the men retook their seats and November locked eyes with Fudge. She had chosen the memories carefully, though the attempted rape and torture was more than enough for a conviction.
Fudge opened and closed his mouth and November's blood began to boil. He was waffling because it reflected very poorly on him that while he was having tea with Lucius all of this had been going on behind the scenes.
"My dear, I am so very sorry and–"
"I do not want your apologies, Cornelius!" November shouted, losing her controlled cool for the first time. "If you would like to make amends you will do as the law and as justice commands you!"
Rufus had cocked an eyebrow during her outburst and now leaned forward, again asserting his dominance. "All in favor of conviction and sentencing as a Death Eater?"
All four of the wizards who had been through the Pensive raised their hands.
"Lucius Malfoy," the blonde wizard turned his eyes away from her for the first time since she had entered, "you are hereby declared guilty of torture, sedition, conspiracy, and use of the Unforgivable Curses. While I am sure there is more to that list, you will serve a life sentence in Azkaban."
The gavel hit and November nearly fainted in relief. Her eyes instantly found Remus's and she had begun to stand. But his voice had always caught her ear and she turned to Lucius.
"How could you?" he hissed at her. He knew as well as anyone in the room that he had a fighting chance until those memories hit the Pensive.
Again, pity stung at her and she approached him, ramrod straight in his cage.
"You don't have to choose this," she whispered so only he could hear. "You could be so good."
His lip curled and he was about to speak when he was removed from the cage and led away. She couldn't help but watch him go. She had meant what she said.
"November?"
The familiar voice made her turn away from Lucius and a smile spread across her face. Remus held his arms out to her and she flung herself into them.
"He cannot hurt you. Never again," Remus murmured into her hair, which was dark brown and exactly as it should be.
"November…" Scrimgeour'svoice caught their attention and they turned to him. "I believe there are some death records that need to be set straight. And of course there is the matter of the ring…"
"Of course, Minister," November replied, following him out of the round room with a wave back to Remus. "See you at home," she mouthed with a grin.
November woke and recognized the comforter wrapped around her. It certainly wasn't hers though. The comforter belonged to Tonks.
She sat up and quickly realized most of the room belonged to Tonks, with a few of her thigns sprinkled here and there. She tried to recall if she and Remus had fought but nothing came to mind. So why was she at Tonks' place?
Molly Weasly bustled into the room, throwing November into further confusion.
"Just waking up?" she grinned. "I hardly slept the night before our wedding!"
November remembered in a flash. Their wedding. She was getting married today. A silly grin spread cross her face and she bounded out of the bed to hug Molly.
"Couldn't be happier if it was Charlie," Molly whispered in her ear, her voice teary. "Now get ready!"
November raced around the room, grabbing up various articles of clothing before racing to the bathroom that had been magically added to the flat. Tonks looked barely awake herself and waved from the kitchen table. Quickly showering November thought back over the bustle of the past few weeks.
After Remus proposed, preparations for the wedding had begun in time with preparations for the trial.
She had thought it gauche to look for a wedding dress in all of this and had insisted she would just wear dress robes. However, an ambush from Mad-Eye had ended in a lovely and simple dress. The more she gushed over it the bigger his scowl grew, trying and failing to hide his blushing.
Anyone who wanted to be in the wedding was immediately welcomed into it. Hermione, Ginny, and Molly baked a cake that Bill of all people volunteered to decorate. The twins volunteered to man a reception firework show and Charlie agreed to be Man of Honor, earning jokes from the twins until he beat it out of them.
It was of course a painful reminder as well. Remus had left school with three friends as close as brothers and none of them would see him married.
November toweled off as fast as she could. Her hair had not changed color since her capture and she felt a huge sense of relief. The wedding was important in so many more ways than the wedding she had once planned with Titus. She had escaped a horrendous situation with her love and her life. Remus, who had once been so convinced that he would die alone, loved her with everything in him and had risked his life to save her. This was a beginning and this was a decision: a decision to choose hope that they would live a long life together.
Molly helped her into her dress as Tonks worked away at her hair. The two women could not help but remember the other times this had happened and November caught the younger smiling at her.
"What?"
"I always knew. I always knew you would be together."
November glowed with happiness. "How could you tell?"
"The way he looked at you. The way you always held his attention and his heart."
November was still grinning at the compliment when the door opened and the three of them screamed. Severus Snape, of all people, was outlined in the door. November cursed at him, regaining her color after turning white.
"Sorry," he drawled, sounding less than sincere. "I was told to collect you."
November's eyebrow shot up. "Molly, Tonks, we'll meet you in a second."
The pair hurried out, looking less than pleased about leaving them alone together.
When the door closed November turned back to Severus. "You volunteered to come here; they would never ask a favor of you. Why?"
He looked intensely uncomfortable and finally he spoke, not meeting her eyes.
"I never had any intentions of harming you," he murmured, almost to quietly to be heard.
Tears sprang to the corners of her eyes, not just for what he had said but for knowing what he had dealt with in all of this. She impulsively grabbed his hand and he did not resist.
"I know, Severus."
He nodded and moved his hand gently from hers. Absently he looked her up and down, standing before him in her wedding dress. "Do you not have a necklace of some sort?"
"Nothing that didn't come from Malfoy."
Snape reached into his pocket and took out a silver coin. Laying it on the bedside table he pointed his wand at it murmuring a spell. The coin transfigured, blooming into a water lily made of silver, with petals as fine and detailed as lace, hanging from a fine silver chain.
He held it out to her. "A wedding present." As soon as she had taken it he left, stopping to wait for her in the hall.
When their eyes lighted on it, Tonks and Molly were stunned. It was a gorgeous piece of transfiguration and a present from Severus was something to gawk at no matter what.
"We should go though," reminded Molly. "It's time!"
Remus felt lightheaded enough to pass out and he had to fight the urge to bolt. Alastor Moody standing behind him was a fairly solid motivation not to though.
He could not believe he was getting married. He had always sworn he wouldn't do this, that he couldn't do this to anyone he loved.
But when November appeared at the end of the aisle, on Arthur Weasley's arm, he remembered why he was doing this. She was worth it and above all else she had chosen this. A week before the wedding she had told him that he would have to kill her to get rid of her, that she would always look for him and always find him until she died. And those words, that choice, had calmed something in him that had fought and stirred for much of their relationship.
She stopped in front of him, glowing behind a birdcage veil. November saw his eyes fix questioningly on her necklace. She mouthed the word "Severus" at him and his expression went from curious to surprised.
With a small smile, Dumbledore began the ceremony.
And so they were married under the setting sun, in a lovely little clearing of a forest. The reception carried them late into the night and they escaped to a nearby cottage. Their new home and a haven for two people who had been running and hiding and fighting for far too long.
And at the end of it all, with bare skin wrapped around bare skin, it was all either of them had ever wanted.
:-D
There will be an epilogue so stick around for that!
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