Sorry it's been a while. I got caught up in school work.
Please review, but most of all, enjoy.
Joseph was finishing up a page in an alphabet book that Sheeva had given him when he heard a small knock at the door. Severus looked over at it, and crawled out of his bed, unlocked the door, and swung it open. He smiled when he saw Kathryn.
He invited her in and gave her a hug, kissing her forehead. She sighed, and hugged him back. Joseph nodded at her and smiled.
"Hello, Kathryn." He greeted, going back to the next page in the book. It was working with "vowels". Humans, he'd learned, had very strange customs, and the words were amusing to say. He loved to play with some of the sounds, enthralled with the silent vowels and the silent 'g', as in gnomes.
She pulled away from Severus' embrace and nodded back.
"Hi, Joseph. How are you doing?" She asked, a solemn look on her face. It was slightly white, and she was trembling. He blinked, worried a little.
"I am well. You do not look… so well." He pointed out. She silenced, and nodded slowly.
"My trial is tomorrow." She reminded him. He nodded. He didn't understand the full situation, but he knew she'd done something apparently terrible.
Severus turned to Kathryn, encasing her in a hug again.
"It'll be alright. Dad and I will be there." He whispered. She was still shaking. Effortlessly, he picked her up and carried her to his bed. He set them both down in it, pulling off her shoes and crawling in with her.
"I have to see her again, Severus." She whispered. In the dim light, he could see that her eyes were wide. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and she buried her face in his chest.
"I know. She can't hurt you. Not anymore." He consoled her. She bit her lip nervously.
"But… what if she gets released? What if they don't believe me? What if-" He shushed her by putting a finger to her lips gently.
"If she gets let go, I'll track her down. Joseph and I both will. I'm pretty sure that we can make it look like an accident." He stated confidently. Joseph looked over at them upon hearing his name, wondering what they were talking about. Her eyes widened for a second, unsure if he was being serious or just joking. She dismissed it as the latter.
She let out a chuckle, whispering something along the lines of: "That's not necessary", but it was muffled into his chest.
"They have so much evidence against that woman. This case is closed, hands-down. She's going to jail for the rest of her life. You'll never see her again after this day. She'll never hurt those kids at the orphanage, ever again. It's all right." He stressed, rubbing small circles into her back. She calmed down.
"Summon that Gryffindor courage that we know you have. You can do it. Dad and I will be right there with you… well, in the background." He added. She smiled, and curled up against him. They lied there in silence, and Severus couldn't tell if she'd fallen asleep or not. The hot puffs of air that she let out against his pectorals was sending a jolt of energy along his body.
Joseph was ignoring them now, immersed in his learning. He felt a disturbance in the peaceful, loving aura that the couple was emitting, and looked up. It was faint, but he was sure he'd felt something. He heard someone whispering, another woman's voice. He looked around, fearing that it might be one of the ghosts lurking around.
He crawled out of bed and grabbed his sword and stepped into his shoes. Severus turned at the noise.
"I am going to go for walk." He announced to the two. Severus arched an eyebrow.
"Are we… upsetting you?" He asked. Joseph smirked.
"Iye." (No.) He called over his shoulder before leaving, trying to keep up with the strange aura, as it was dissipating somewhat quickly.
"I be back soon." He stated before shutting the door.
"Hmm… Ok." Severus turned back around, smirking at Kathryn. He blinked, and chuckled to himself as he found that she'd already fallen asleep. He slowly reached for his wand off of the bedside table, and waved it, casting a tempus charm. It was past midnight. He smiled, and replaced it, kissing her forehead lightly.
"Happy Valentine's Day." He whispered, making sure that they were well covered before resting his head and closing his eyes.
Draco knocked on Severus' door, frustrated. Kathryn wasn't in the Gryffindor commons, as she usually was, and Sheeva had suggested that she might be here. He hoped that she wasn't, as that would have been extremely awkward.
Severus shot up, and when he realized that it was his father, he turned to wake Kathryn. She wasn't there. Instead, she had already gotten out of his bed, walked to the door and opened it, facing his father. Draco scowled, and squinted his eyes, obviously displeased and trying to intimidate her.
She looked back at him calmly, as he wasn't as scary as the possibility of seeing the Madame later during her trial.
"I couldn't sleep last night. I'm already ready to go." She told him. Draco held back a smirk.
"Yeah, well…" He trailed off, unable to create a comeback. He shook his head.
"Severus, get ready. We've got to be there in three hours. I'd rather be there soon, so that we can make sure that we're ready." Draco ordered, arms crossed and leaning against the doorway. Severus scrambled out of bed, rushing to his dresser and throwing on a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt. He flipped up the collar, fumbling with the tie that he was trying to tie. He walked over to Draco, who helped him fix it, smirking a little. Kathryn stared out of the door into the commons, a slight scowl on her face.
Draco noticed, as she seemed to be radiating discomfort.
"Nervous?" He started. She hardly blinked, giving a slight nod of her head.
"Who wouldn't be?" She asked. Draco nodded in return.
"You said you'd been through the same thing. What'd you do?" She asked. Draco glanced at his son. They hadn't told their kids their past experiences, keeping their dark marks concealed and hidden beneath blemishing charms. The question had never come up, really.
"Issues with the war. They were questioning Blaise and I's loyalty. Looking back, I don't blame them." He muttered, thankful that Severus had rushed into the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his hair. Kathryn raised an eyebrow at Draco's answer.
"Why would they question your loyalty? Are you… hiding something, professor?" She asked, getting the feeling that he wasn't letting on something. He kept his demeanor cool and collected.
"We all have reasons to hide things, you know." He muttered, trying to fend off his self-consciousness.
"Yeah, well, there's a time when things need to be brought to light. Before they do so at a critical moment… bringing even more drama into play." She grumbled, crossing her arms, shifting around uncomfortably. There were some things that she hadn't thought to write about in her briefing, and she wondered if it would help her case at all to go ahead and voice them.
Draco snorted. She was one to talk, having kept her misery and dangers hidden from the others. Draco shook his head. Her actions were reasonable, and justifiable to boot. So had his been… mostly. If it hadn't been for Sheeva and their full cooperation, he wondered often if they wouldn't have gone to Azkaban. He shivered at the thought.
"Kathryn, remember something, alright?" He started, waiting for her to turn to him. She had only nodded to show she'd heard, but he wanted her undivided attention. When he didn't continue, she turned to look at him.
"In your trial, you tell them the whole truth. Don't leave anything out. There's so much evidence for you at this moment, that that woman will be going to Azkaban for the rest of her life. If they question you, look them dead in the eye and tell them the bitter truth." He muttered. She nodded.
"I was planning on it."
Kathryn stared meekly down at her hands folded in her lap. Fidgeting nervously with the dragon-medallion that Jeffrey had transfigured, she wasn't surprised to find that she was shaking. The room was dark, the only light being shed on them coming from an ancient-looking chandelier, illuminating the room by magical candlelight.
Severus, Draco, and Blaise sat in the audience across from her. All she had to do what look up at them, and she might relax. However, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She hardly noticed that the last of the jury had walked in and taken his seat in the stands to her left.
"Miss Huître." One of the council members announced, snaring Kathryn's attention. She snapped her head up, and looked at the owner of the voice. A thin, scrawny woman who was wearing so much make-up, it reminded Kathryn of the Madame's daily get-up.
"Yes, Ma'am?" She asked, tightening her fist on the medallion.
"Do you recall the events on December the 23rd, when you attacked…" She paused to look at her folder, "Stacy Maddess with an unforgivable curse?" She began. Slowly, Kathryn nodded her head, unable to find her voice. Harry tapped her foot from beneath the table, and she cleared her throat.
"Yes, ma'am." She stated bluntly. The council looked back at her, surprised that a child would be telling the truth, even more so admitting to her crime.
"And you are aware that you did so in the presence of Muggles?" The woman asked, leering down at Kathryn. Kathryn looked up at her. They all looked angry, tall, and menacing. Kathryn forced herself to take a breath.
"Yes, ma'am, that is correct." She acknowledged. The spectators in the crowd around Severus and his fathers began to murmur. Severus tried his best to keep from barking at them. She heard them too, and her stomach turned in fear.
"You are nervous, yet you still admit to these claims? In your statement, you have admitted guilty. You are not going to defend yourself, Huître?" The head council member asked, his long black beard shaking as he spoke. It was so incredibly bushy that it seemed he had no mouth. She managed to catch Draco's eye. He slowly nodded to her, and she remembered his words of wisdom before the trial: No matter what they throw at you, speak the full truth. There is enough evidence for you, Kathryn. Look them dead in the eyes and tell them the truth.
Kathryn took a deep breath, and stared the man in the eye. Light blue locked onto hazel, glimmering with expectancy.
"Yes, sir. I have no reason to lie, because it's the right thing to do, no matter how scared I am right… now." She started strong, but her voice faltered at the cold stare she was receiving. She clutched onto the medallion with a death grip. When there was no response from the council members, she took another breath and averted her gaze to the insignia on the tapestry hanging off of the pedestal that the council members sat on.
"You may even give me a Veritaserum if you want. I swear to you that everything I say now will hold true even under a Veritaserum potion." She added, noticing their disbelieving stares. The head of council shook his head, his beard swaying from side to side. In a way, it would have reminded her of Hagrid's beard, but she couldn't allow herself to be distracted by the thought, no matter how comforting.
"That is not necessary." The man said, taking a sip of water. Kathryn found herself smirking at the irony of the situation.
A brunette sitting next to him spoke up.
"Are you afraid of jail?" She asked, curious. Kathryn looked back at her, and contemplated how to say what was on her mind, while shaking her head no. The woman arched an eyebrow at her response.
"If I receive a sentence for jail-time for using an unforgivable curse in defense, then so be it. I can accept the consequences of my actions. The worst fear I have is that this trial will be in vain. That that woman will be released. That she will return to the orphanage, and tyrannize the children. I feel… No, I know that the minute she returns, she will force them to tell her who testified against her, and torture them. Possibly even…" She stopped herself, her throat tight and her voice small, cracking from the strain of trying to speak in the nervous wreck she was in.
The jury was on the edge of their seats, intent on listening to everything the small young woman in front of them had to say. The council members were intrigued too.
"Possibly even…?" The woman egged her on. Kathryn looked up at her sadly. This woman really wanted her to say it, or wasn't very smart to begin with, as the context clues should have been enough, Kathryn felt.
"Kill them." Kathryn muttered, dropping her gaze to the folder on the table that contained all the evidence that they'd collected and documented. The woman stared at her in shock, and more muttering in the crowd was heard.
"Why do you think that she would kill them, Huître?" The woman asked. Kathryn didn't look back at the woman for her next answer.
"Because, it wouldn't be the first time." Kathryn managed to get out, her voice in a barely audible whisper. She felt her face heat, turning red from embarrassment. Her hands were freezing cold, almost numb, and her legs were shaking, even though she was sitting down. She couldn't help but wrap her arms around herself as her mind dove into the memory.
A little girl had been "punished" so severely that by the time the Madame was finished, she was bleeding from her ears, her breath in wheezing, bubbling, labored breathing. The offense? She'd been sent to the nurse because she'd had bruises on her arms in the shape of hand prints.
Kathryn's eyes welled up, and she remembered where she was. She dabbed her eyes with her sleeve, sniffling to prevent the snot forming in her nostrils from running down her nose.
"Wouldn't be the first? Can you tell us—
-please, no more. I don't want… I can't… I…" She pleaded, looking around the room uncomfortably. The woman nodded, and sat back.
"That is fine, Huître. Regain yourself, and we'll continue when you're ready." The head of council announced, trying to regain his composure as well. Severus sent a bit of energy to the medallion, and it warmed up in her cold hands. She took a deep breath, and fought to keep from smiling. She caught Severus' eye in the crowd, her eyes conveying the message she couldn't say: Thank you.
"Will you tell us the circumstances that led you to use an unforgivable curse on Stacey Maddess?" The head of council asked after a few minutes of silence. Kathryn looked up from her hands and nodded.
"I returned to the orphanage for winter break, because I wanted to ensure that the children were being cared for, fed, well-kept. I do so because I want to, and it's… the right thing." She started. They nodded, asking for her to continue.
"The Madame was about to punish another child, who hadn't really done anything wrong. She was in horrible shape, so I… I stepped in, sir. I took her… punishment." Kathryn admitted. She heard a sound from the sidelines, almost an "oh!" of horror and pity.
Kathryn swallowed the lump in her throat, and forced herself to continue.
"What did the child do?" One of the other council members asked. Kathryn looked at him, somewhat irritated.
"I don't know, sir, but that is irrelevant, sir." She somewhat growled. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I was locked in the closet from then on. For almost a week and a half, I was not let out of that broom closet, save to use the bathroom twice a day, and eat, maybe a day or two in between. I… would not have survived if it hadn't been for the other children. They would steal food for me, and jam it through a hole in the wall." She hissed, keeping her eyes closed. Feeling her surroundings caving in on herself, she snapped them open. Seeing darkness only reminded her of that tiny, horrible closet. Why, if she were to reach out, she swore she could almost feel the tattered, cold drywall.
"My god! How did you get out?" One of the jury members blurted. The head council hushed them, reminding them that they were to be silent. Kathryn didn't turn to look at the man.
"If my friends hadn't come to visit me, I don't know where I would be right now. She let me out, allowed me to shower, clean myself up. She let me eat the best meal I'd had in days. I… She poisoned my water. If I hadn't taken a bezoar stone from the potions closet, I don't think that I would be here right now… I'm still sorry for that." She muttered, apologizing once again to Draco. Draco shook his head. It was water under the bridge.
"You stole a bezoar stone?" The brunette next to the head council asked, distaste in her voice. Kathryn slowly nodded.
"Yes, ma'am. As I said, I have no reason to lie. I don't care if I go to jail. As long as she is far away from them. Even if she is in the cell next to me. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that those children are safe, because…" She reminded them, then trailed off. The head of council gave her a small, and rare smile.
"Because it's the right thing to do?" He asked. She snapped her head up, and nodded slowly.
"Yes, sir. We've been through a lot." She whispered. They sat back, and the head council waved his hand.
"Would Auror Potter bring forth the evidence that has been collected for this case, please?" He asked. Harry nodded, grabbed the file, and walked up to him, handing it to him. Kathryn's eyes never left the manila folder. They opened it, and the expressions on their faces changed rapidly as they viewed the pictures and read the medical files. Horror, shock, sadness, anger, pity… They changed too quickly for Kathryn to count.
She took a deep breath as she wished that Nayeli could be here as well. She wasn't given much time to think about it, though, as the pictures had been passed to the jury members. One of them even blanched, his face turning white as snow.
Kathryn could imagine the things that were stated in the medical documents from the examinations of some of the children, the young and the older. Broken bones, malnutrition, possibly even sexual abuse.
"No one could ever have survived something like this! How?" One of them asked. Kathryn looked to the jury crowd, unsure of who'd asked the question.
"I healed them, with magic. It was the only way to keep them out of the hospital, and the rest of us safe." She admitted. The woman sitting next to the head of council leaned over and whispered something in the man's ear, and Kathryn read the woman's lips: This is more than enough evidence to convict. The man hastily nodded, muttering something back to the brunette. She would have read his lips too, but they were hidden behind that damn bushy beard.
"Bring Stacey Maddess in. We will question her now." He announced to the bailiff. Kathryn stopped, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn't ready to face the woman. Not yet. On instinct, she listened, hard. She began to visibly tremble as she heard thudding footsteps from down the hall, a clickety-clacking thud of the guard's boots, and a jingling of chains.
She let out a whimper and flinched violently as the door was thrown open, averting her gaze to anywhere but the plaintiff's desk. The moment that the Madame saw Kathryn, she lunged for her. Harry intervened, pointing his wand at the Madame with a menacing glare. Severus jumped up too, unable to control himself. A few heads turned to him, and he sat back down, muttering a slight apology.
Kathryn was stunned to say the least, her shell-shocked mind going haywire. She wanted to run like a bat out of hell out of the courtroom. Hide under the desk, or in a closet somewhere. She wanted to floo straight back to Hogwarts, lock the door to her room, and hide underneath her bed, her wand in hand and at the ready.
Severus, Draco, and Blaise were desperately trying to catch Kathryn's eyes, but she was staring wide-eyed at the floor, off in the distance. She was completely petrified, unaware that the council members were repeating her name, trying to get her attention. She was lost to the world.
Severus sent a wave of energy to the medallion again, hoping that it would bring her to her senses and snap her to reality. He frowned when he realized it didn't work, and a look of worry spread across his face as he heard a metallic clinks and a cymbal-like chime echo through the darkly lit room. She'd dropped it. He wasn't sure if she was aware of that, either.
One of the jury members stood, asking permission to step onto the floor, identifying herself as a mental counselor.
"Sir, if I may, allow me to talk to her. I can help to ease her back to reality. I have seen this many times before. Please, allow me to help." The woman offered, giving an explanation to Kathryn's paralyzed state.
The plump, curly-brown haired woman carefully and slowly walked down the steps, pausing to pick up the medallion that Kathryn had dropped. It tingled in her hands, and she felt a strange calm wave over her as she held it. An interesting artifact; she'd never felt anything like it.
Approaching Kathryn, the plump woman softly said Kathryn's name. When she didn't respond, she looked at the medallion again, touching it to the back of Kathryn's hand. Kathryn blinked, and looked at the woman. The woman held up the medallion in front of her face, and a puzzled look spread on Kathryn's face as she wondered how the woman had gotten a hold of it.
"This is yours, isn't it, dear?" She asked. Kathryn slowly nodded and reached out for it, grasping it in her cold, trembling fingers. Her face softened, and her eyes glimmered with happiness as she gazed upon the silver dragon-medallion, her capacity for rational and coherent thought gone.
Severus… She thought, a small smile curling on the corners of her mouth. His name echoed through her mind, and it seemed to tickle her brain. The pleasing emotions melted her icy state as she thought of him, still momentarily unaware of where she was.
"Kathryn, I want you to do something for me." The woman asked. Kathryn looked up, still swooning, a dreamy, happy expression on her face.
"I want you to remember this happiness and joy that you feel. The peace that you feel. Remember that no matter what has happened to you, or will happen to you, you have every right to be happy. You deserve to be happy." She began. Kathryn looked at her and then suddenly remembered where she was. The smile on her face and in her eyes slowly disappeared immediately, and her head dropped as she realized where she was. She was immensely embarrassed with her reaction.
"I'm sorry… I…." She muttered, trying not to cast glances at the tyrant to her right.
"Please understand that by law, we must allow her to appeal. If you want, I will walk you through it." The plump little woman offered in a soft, light voice. Kathryn thought for a minute.
"Thank you, ma'am, but I must face my demon myself." Kathryn whispered shakily. The woman was taken aback, but nodded slowly, feeling that the young girl's path to recovery would be significantly easier if she was ready to handle this on her own.
The woman nodded to her, and walked back to her seat, a small smile of her own on her small face.
Kathryn stared at the floor, trying to steel herself emotionally as much as possible.
"Madame Stacy Maddess. You are being charged with child abuse, child neglect, and possibly even first degree murder as well as child-prostitution, should more evidence arise to support the decision. The evidence is high against you. Do you have anything that you wish to say in your defense?" The head of council asked. The Madame was busy leering at Kathryn with hateful eyes, which Kathryn was fighting to ignore.
"You ungrateful little shit. You filthy little deaf bitch. I took you in when your father was shot to death, protecting the worthless child you are. You will amount to nothing. You will—her voice was cut off with a silencing charm, cast inaudibly by someone in the room. Kathryn looked among the crowd, slightly amused and slightly thankful. Draco smirked, casting a sideways glance of approval at his son.
"Release the silencing spell. Let her spit those lies. I know the truth now. I know who I am, and it is none of those things. Those words don't define me. I do." Kathryn stated bravely, staring at Severus, guessing that it was he who had cast the spell. His eyes were glimmering with chaos, but he gave her a slight nod and countered the curse.
-your drunken, stupid, lazy father, and—
"My father wasn't a drunk, nor was he stupid or lazy!" Kathryn barked, turning on her as her rage hit its limit. The wind picked up in the room, blowing the magical candles out. In the next second, they burst into flame, the glass lamps that held them shattering, splaying broken shards every which way. The people below covered their heads.
"My father was incredibly smart! He was a hard-worker! He saw my worth, and loved me for all that I am! He died to protect me, because he loved me, and saw that my life was more valuable than my own!" Kathryn screeched. The fire above grew to a roar, falling to the ground. From the flame emerged a wolf of fire, quite like the one she'd summoned during the battle on Hogwart's grounds. She turned to it, and sighed, embarrassed yet again. She thought to it: go away, I don't need your help.
Surprisingly enough, it worked. The wolf sat back on its hind legs, and let out a low, long, almost sad howl as it died out. The entire jury, council, and people on the floor slowly turned from where the firewolf had just been to look at Kathryn, mouths agape and eyes wide.
"That was awesome!" Severus whispered to his father, underestimating the resonance of the room. His whisper echoed along the walls. A rumble of nervous and genuine chuckles sounded out around the room at his comment. Draco smirked. Yes. Yes it was. He thought.
Kathryn stole a glance at the Madame, who was cowering in her seat in fear, trembling and stunned just as she had been a few minutes previous.
Satisfied, Kathryn sat down, shooting a smirk at the woman's direction, her eyes glimmering with victory. The head of council called for a short recess, so that the jury could discuss their decisions and a janitor could clean up the glass splayed on the floor. Kathryn took the opportunity greatly, stepping outside. The warmth of a fire danced along her skin and she took a deep, calming breath.
Draco, Blaise, and Severus stepped outside as well, shielding their eyes as the brightness hit them. She turned sharply, and smiled in relief, rushing to Severus and hugging him tightly. He chuckled and hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.
"Your firefox was an amazing sight to see, Miss Huître. How long have you been able to control it? Not many witches or wizards can summon fiendfyres." The woman from before asked, approaching them slowly. Blaise gave her a look, and then nodded as he realized who she was.
"It's a wolf, actually. Thank you for your help." Kathryn corrected her, breaking away from Severus to face her. The plump little woman smiled.
"If I may, I'd like to help you. My name is Marie Schneidmiller; I'm a psychiatrist at St. Mungo's. You handle yourself well, but I feel that there is more than what you let on." She introduced, holding out a business card. Kathryn nodded and took it, stuffing it in her pocket.
"Thank you, ma'am but I need to face my demon on my own." Kathryn restated. Marie smiled at her and nodded. True enough, she was already well on her way to recovery.
"Even so, there may be some underlying issues that you will need to deal with someday. Please keep in mind that my office door is open. If you need to, owl, and stop by." Marie reminded her, turning on her heel and walking away. Draco nodded, thinking to himself. Considering the things she'd written down on paper a month ago, he contemplated whether he should send the parchment to the woman.
A janitor passed them and walked into the courtroom as well, pushing a mop bucket and a mop, with a broom and dustpan floating behind him. Kathryn sighed, slightly embarrassed.
"I didn't mean to lose my temper." She announced sadly. Blaise smiled a little and patted her back.
"It happens. I'd be pissed too, if someone were to insult people that I care about like that." He muttered. The council members and jury members began to shuffle back into the courtroom, and they followed. Kathryn stole a glance at the Madame, who let out a small fearful whimper.
Finally, revenge. She thought vindictively.
The head of council banged the gavel, silencing the room. He grabbed a piece of parchment that held the jury's decision, and as he read it, he couldn't agree more.
"The Court of Magical and Muggle Affairs, as well as the present jury, find Madame Stacey Maddess guilty as charged, sentenced to serve in Azkaban prison for life."
At this, the Madame shrieked.
"Send me somewhere else! Anywhere else! Those things—those things!" She sputtered, falling into a hysteria of tears and incoherent babblings.
Kathryn smirked, knowing full well what "those things" were, and what they would do. They'd have a feast on the woman's favorite happy, sadistic memories, draining her until she was devoid of happiness and hope, unable to find any shred of it anywhere. She would drown in pure misery.
She found herself wishing that the woman would receive a "kiss", but even that wasn't good enough, as she wouldn't be forced to suffer her years of torture.
"Miss Huître, you are to complete three months' worth of anger management lessons, as well as psychiatric therapy. The psychiatrists at St. Mungo's are more than willing to help, and they will release you when you both agree that you are well." The head of council announced, stating Kathryn's sentence.
Kathryn fought a shrugging of her shoulders, as that would have been extremely rude. Anger management, huh? Suppose I'm lucky.
"What of the children at the orphanage, sir?" She asked, worried still for their well-being. Narcissa was doing a wonderful job, but she was old, and wouldn't be there forever. The head of council smiled genuinely, this being the second time he'd broken his bearing.
"Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy will continue to care for them. The wizarding community would like to donate funds of one-thousand Galleons… an equivalent of five-thousand pounds, as well as help to pay for any psychiatric help that the children may need." He announced, beaming down at her.
She grinned, trying to hold back tears. She bowed her head, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.
"Thank you, sir." She managed to get out. She barely heard the Madame's shrieking pleads as they dragged her out of the courtroom, too stunned.
She felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. However, she frowned as the little voice in the back of her head piped in, saying something along the lines of: You don't deserve this.
She bit her lip. She'd get rid of this voice, without any outside help. It wasn't anyone else's stone to throw…
So... Any comments? Anything at all? Would be much appreciated.
I'm thinking about writing another HP fic. Feel free to suggest some pairings, and I'll see what I can do.
Thanks!
Sheeva1331