Darkest before dawn

Pacing, up and down. Sickness washed over him, he was paler then usual. Hermione sat, helpless on a bench outside of the courtroom with him, waiting to be called in. She began to feel sick, what if he went to Azkaban and she lost him for good, could she live her life without him? Stupid question, of course she could, she had lived her life prior to him coming into it not but 8 months ago, she could live without him again... Of course her heart would be torn, shattered and stomped into the ground.

He stopped pacing, right in front of her and looked down. She looked up and forced a smile, she at least needed to be strong for him. His head snapped to the left as the double doors opened. A short woman stepped out, dressed in black robes. "Severus Snape, you are required." Turning on her heel she hurried back into the room. He swallowed, hard. His heart began to race and his palms sweated. Hermione got to her feet and entered the room beside him. The room was large, a huge amphitheatre type setting, 20 people occupied the large semi circle stand. A small wooden three sided box in the middle of the room. Hermione peeled off his side and sat down on one of the benches, wringing her hands together nervously, she looked around the room, it was void of anyone but the judges and herself and Severus. She watched as he sat in the box. She looked to the faces of the people who would choose his fate, all neutral. She had a bad feeling about this.

She sat for five minutes, she wondered how he felt, it would of felt like 500 hundred hours up where he was under the watchful eyes. What the hell was taking them so long, could they not start already?

She heard the soft sound of voices coming from behind her. Rita Skeeter of course, she needed to be in on anything even remotely scandalous, she slipped in right up the back. Harry and Draco, carrying the large portrait of Dumbledore, they came and sat next to her. Soon after Remus and Tonks, sitting down on the bench behind the trio. And the Weasley family. Although Hermione had a fleeting suspicion they were here to see him go to Azkaban for life. They had heard a rumour Severus had killed Ron...And they did not put it past him. They sat at the back, as far away from Harry, Draco and Hermione, Tonks and Remus, who were all on Severus' side as possible, shooting the five of them a death stare or two as they shuffled along the benches and assumed their position.

"Awkward," Remus leaned in toward Hermione and whispered. She smiled, he always knew how to lighten the mood.

Severus sat, feeling 40 pairs of eyes boring into him as he looked to his hands, bridging his fingers he tapped them together softly. He just wanted this to be over. He needed to know where his future was heading. Was he going to be fodder for the Dementors? To suck the happiness from within him, leeaving him no more then a cold empty shell. Or was he going to be able to run from the stand, take the woman he loved so, get down on one knee and ask for her hand in marriage. He came prepared, of course, the ring tucked up tight within his robes...Was he being too optimistic bringing the ring with him? Probably. Would he ever get to slide it on her finger and make her his? He doubted that. He sighed, wearily as he looked up to the sea of faces that would send him to his fate.

"Severus Snape, you are here under the pretension that you murdered Albus Dumbedore in the first degree. If found guilty you will be sentenced to Azkaban for life. If, however you are found innocent you may walk out of here a free man, no convictions held against you. " He was pulled from his thoughts when a tall blonde wizard sitting directly in the middle of the stands began to speak.

"Now, Severus please if you would, give us your reasons for killing him." The same lady that had ushered him in now stood in front of him, she looked harsh, not one to be crossed.

"Well, there are a few reasons," he began, searching for where he wanted to start. He sat back in the hard chair he was on, they sure did not want the accused to be comfortable. He brushed his right index finger over his top lip in deep thought.

"It all started when Narcissa Malfoy came to me, begging, nay, pleading with me." He gave the judges before him a quick glance before going on.
"She was... Crying. " He gave a quick silent shudder. "I have never been one to turn away a woman in distress, especially one punctuating that fact with tears." He rolled his eyes when he heard a snort emit from the back of the room, Hermione guessed it came from the brood of red heads.

"Anyway, the dark lord had entrusted the task of annihilating Dumbledore to her son, Draco. The weeping woman was sure her son would fail at the task, which, I will add, he did." He shot a pointed look at Draco who sunk low in his seat. Shifting in his seat uncomfortably he continued on. "She begged me to make an unbreakable vow with her, she had grabbed my hand and that snivelling maniac she devil Lestrange had her wand out and was waving it around before I even had a chance to work out what was going on."

"So, you could say you saved both yourself and Mr Malfoy by killing Albus?"
His face twisted in thought, yes, that sounded plausible "Yes, I guess you could say that." He said simply, leaning back in this hard god forsaken chair.

"And Would you please give us your recollection of the events that unfolded on the night in question." The woman paced before him, he watched her walk up and down and up and down, she was making him darned irritated, the clicking of her heels on the wooden floor was almost equivalent to Chinese water torture.

"Well, Draco had just fixed the vanishing cabinet, thus a group of death eaters made their way into the castle. Albus had just come back from Horcrux hunting with Potter back there, Draco had Albus bounded up in the astronomy tower at wand point. He could not do it, Draco that is, could not kill Albus. I come along. Albus pleaded with me, to kill him, so I did. He was dead before he hit the ground." He said it so softly and quietly, no emotion shown.
The only sound in the room for moments after that was the sound of Rita Skeeter putting quill to parchment.

"You say he pleaded with you to kill him? We do not believe that, perhaps he pleaded with you to spare him?" The woman, now stood in front of him, staring him down.

He shook his head, his hair falling in his eyes "No, he was dying anyway. He was cursed after putting a ring on, it was a Horcrux of course, he was going to be dead in a little under a year anyway. It was planned that I would kill him if Draco would fail. It was all planned with him, ask his portrait if you do not believe me." He folded his arms over his chest and leant back.

"Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy please bring that here." The blonde Wizard motioned for them to come to the front, doing as the were told, they face Dumbeldore towards the bench of judges.

"This is not something we would usually do, taking a statement from a portrait however... In these circumstances... Bizarre as they are we will allow it. Please do tell us what happened." The blonde wizard leant back in his chair, a smug look on his face, the truth would come out now... A short case and the accused would be at Azkaban before lunch, he loved these short trials.

"It is true, what Severus says. It was planned with me that should Draco fail to see out my demise Severus would see too it. I was dying anyway, and if I meant I could save both Draco and Severus then who am I to begrudge them both their lives? I had my time, they are still young and have great lives to live." That damn annoying twinkle was in his eyes, even now as a portrait.

Severus watched as the blonde man shifted in his seat, thinking "So...Can you tell us some more about that night, the Horcruxs and the vanishing cabinets? " Irrelevant to the case, but it intrigued the man so.

Dumbledore shook his head "I am sorry my dear man, that is a story for Harry Potter, or young Draco Malfoy to tell, another time." He closed his eyes, sitting in his chair and pretended to doze off.

The blonde Wizard sighed heavily shifting in his seat, clearing his throat he began to speak.

"Severus Snape, you are guilty of murder." His voice was flat, plain and simple, to the point. Severus' heart sank as the brood of Weasley let out an excited cheer.

Hermione jumped to her feet, shaking "NO!" her voiced echoed through the large room. Everyone turned to look at her, tears began to prick her eyes, she loved him so she could not loose him.

The blonde Wizard merely raised a brow "If you have finished and gotten that off your chest, I can continue." He watched as Hermione sat back down, sobbing silently, Harry rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Severus Snape, while guilty of murder, however the very unique situation it was attributed too, you will hold no conviction in this court and you may leave a free man." His heart jumped into his throat. He was a free man!

Hermione began to sob again, happy sobs. The Weasley got up and walked out in disgust whilst Harry and Draco hi-fived one another.

Severus left the stand, almost running to the woman he loved, wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her close pressing a kiss to her lips. "I love you. He chocked out, not one to cry but he was a free man, he was going to escape Azkaban."

He pulled the ring from his robes, dropping to one knee he looked up at Hermione, gods she was perfect. She began to shake, he began to shake. Harry and Draco began to cheer.

"Hermione Granger you are my world. I have been the happiest I have been in a hell of a long time since I met you. My life was dark before I met you, so very dark. But now I realise why, it is always darkest before the dawn, darkest before your brought the light and happiness into my life, now will you marry me, Witch?"

"YES." He slid the ring on her finger, getting to his feet he hungrily pressed his lips to hers. He was going to be a husband to some, to share his life with her for the rest of their lives. She had made him the happiest he had ever been.

"Thank you," He whispered into her ear. She just smiled, she was the one that should be thanking him for the love he brought into her life.

A/N: A little present for you all for X-mas. I was going to be harsh and send him to Azkaban but... I am a softie and it is Christmas afterall so thought I would be nice. We are heading to the end of this chapter. I have started another fic if you are interested... The one that got away.

Merry Christmas to all!

Aliasmel