So Long and Goodnight

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned, I am making no money from this, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental. This work will contain MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing graphic sex, non-consensual sex and sexual acts, nudity, etc.), and mildly graphic violence. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! You have been warned!

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Chapter Fourteen - September

Lily gulped, feeling the weight of the assembled witches and wizards that made up the Wizengamot staring down at her. Their focus was making her the sole focus of the entire courtroom, and she felt herself start to sweat under her best robes. She hadn't thought, precisely, when she'd agreed to testify against her husband to ensure he would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, that she'd be in a Ministry courtroom. Further, she'd never dreamed she'd be sitting in the same chair the accused might occupy, in her best robes, about to be sick, with the full Wizengamot present and watching. If anything, the redhead had assumed she'd be interviewed in some tiny office, by a clerk perhaps, while dosed with Veritaserum, to give her statement. But then she'd been informed that she'd be sitting in court, and would have to say, out loud and without any hesitation, precisely what sort of horrors her husband had inflicted upon her person. In, to quote the Ministry pamphlet she'd received with her summons to court, 'as much clear and unemotional detail as possible'. All to have grounds to dissolve her marriage, and the magical bonding she'd entered into with the wizard who now terrified her. The wizard who'd abused her, and thought nothing of it, and had most definitely never assumed he'd be punished for his acts of cruelty.

And now, staring up into the sea of faces, Lily was positive she would actually be sick right there, and then have to live with the mortification of having done so before even opening her mouth to give her name. She closed her eyes, trying to harden her supposed Gryffindor courage, and then blinked them back open, landing on the familiar, reassuring face of Scorpius, sitting in the first row Malfoy seat, not quite smiling, but giving her the silent courage she felt evaporating as everyone settled and a gavel banged, leaving absolute silence in its wake.

"Order," said Kingsley Shacklebolt, in his deep and booming voice, even though there was absolutely no sound in the room save for Lily gulping. He shuffled through a sheaf of parchment before him, finally selecting the pertinent ones, even as Lily's hands sweated and trembled and she was certain she might just pass out. "We are being called into session today for a grave and most serious decision, today," he said in his booming, commandingly deep voice. "This thirteenth day of September, the Wizengamot shall be hearing divorce proceedings from Miss Lily Luna Nott, who shall henceforth be referred to as the plaintiff, against her husband, Thaddeus Wolfgang Nott, who shall henceforth be referred to as the defendant. This hearing is to determine whether a dissolution of their marital bonding should be legally performed, in accordance with Ministry of Magic decree twelve, section A, and sub-sections twelve and fifteen. Also, esteemed members of the Wizengamot, you will be called upon to deliver a verdict of whether or not the defendant shall be tried for crimes committed against the plaintiff, after a decision has been reached in the first order of business."

Lily barely heard the booming voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt, the same wizard who'd attended her seventeenth birthday party and given her a very beautiful, and rather expensive, necklace with a clock pendant, which told not just the time, but the day, year, season, and geographic location of the wearer. She was too distracted by the thudding, pounding beat of her heat in her ears, and the feeling of nausea rising from the pit of her belly, threatening to make her vomit in anxious anticipation.

"The Wizengamot will now hear the testimony from the plaintiff," Shacklebolt said in his booming voice, looking right at Lily and offering a somewhat grim smile. "You may state the reasons for the dissolution of your magical bond with the defendant, Miss Potter."

For a long beat, the redhead could only stare back, unsure she would even be able to make a sound should she even open her mouth. Lily had practiced for this, sure, and she'd known, after hearing the details from Scorpius himself, she'd undoubtedly have to testify in front of the full Wizengamot about just why she needed such deeply binding magical vows undone. But now, in the moment, she was all but certain she wouldn't be able to speak a word in front of anyone, let alone what felt like hundreds of eyes on her.

In her rising panic, as the silence lengthened, and she was certain she was going to look like an absolute fool in front of a great deal of important, influential wizarding folk, a good few of which probably knew her husband, Lily found her gaze darting around the courtroom desperately. And then, suddenly, there was the steady, dark grey gaze of Scorpius, capturing her frantic, manic, and terrified hazel stare, making her feel safe, and reminding her just how badly she wanted to do this. To stand up, and tell the world that she was worth enough, and important enough, to be able to live her life without being bound to a wizard who could stoop to such levels of abject cruelty and hate.

It felt as though a fire had been lit in her chest, and the redheaded witch boldly met the dark, somewhat pitying, but mostly curious, gaze of the Minister of Magic, and found the words waiting as she opened her mouth to speak. "There are many reasons I seek to undo the magical binding between my ex-husband and myself, but the most important one was that I was, for most of my marriage, a victim of abuse at the hands of that...wizard."

Her voice wobbled the tiniest bit on the last word, though not from fear, or nerves, but merely from withholding the urge she had for wanting to call Thaddeus the disgusting excuse of a man she knew he truly was. And in the resulting silence after her initial words, and the redhead heard a few gasps, as if in surprise, and one singularly loud snort of disdain from somewhere in the middle of the sea of purple-robed officials before her, staring down at her.

Glancing once more at Scorpius, seeing the slightest nod of approval for her to go on, and just do it, Lily pushed on, forcing the words out, and for the next hour, shared her life as the wife of Thaddeus Nott. And she made sure to spare no detail. Every tiny thing, every incident she thought would be worth mentioning in her case, she shared, swallowing her considerable pride and bearing the humiliation that crept up her neck to her cheeks. During that, she attempted to mostly keep her eyes on Minister Shacklebolt, because he was a familiar face in the sea of nameless others who listened, while she couldn't help but glancing back at Scorpius from time to time. Especially whenever she happened to hesitate, or feel like she should offer something vague instead of the cold hard truth, if only to make sure those steady, dark grey eyes were still there, offering reassurances in silence.

Then came the worst part, or at least the part Lily was most dreading. The opportunity for the Wizengamot to ask questions, get further details, or, as the redhead had been terrified would be the only case, interrogate her about why she'd never said a word until now. The Minister himself went first, but simply asked her to clarify which bonding ceremony she'd partaken in with Thaddeus, making a small note on the parchment before him. There were several other inquiries, most of which Lily felt comfortable enough to answer, and then, feeling emotionally exhausted and on the verge of tears, even as hope welled up in her chest, she was dismissed.

No one had asked her why she'd never reported any previous injuries, or made any comments to friends or family about needing help. Not a soul had demanded to know why she hadn't left after so many years. And, shockingly to the redheaded witch, not a single person accused her of being a lying, acting, over dramatic little fool. She felt a slow smile starting to unfurl on her lips as she slipped out of the courtroom and leaned against the wall, heart pounding and joy that she might, soon, be finally free making her spirits soar. Still unable to shake her smile, she went back to the little holding office she'd waited in before she'd been sent for to testify before the Wizengamot, to wait again, to be called back should a verdict be reached. Only this time, she felt none of the worry or nerves from before.

Meanwhile, Scorpius sat back in his seat, smiling a little as he watched Lily's fiery hair slip from within the courtroom, beyond proud and in awe of her total bravery and grace when she spoke of just how horrible her marriage had been. Sure, he had known beforehand that things had been bad, and her disgusting excuse for a wizard husband had been physical with her, but after listening to Lily's story, raw and uncut, nothing but complete honesty, Scorpius felt a little sick. And, glancing around at the other assembled members of the Wizengamot, he could tell he wasn't the only one. It was awe inspiring to the blond that, after all that, the Lily he knew now could still smile, and laugh, and carry on each day instead of drowning her sorrows in a bottle. That she got up every day, and fought to put her past behind her, even if some days were obviously harder than others. It made him, personally, want to be an even better person, and yet it also made him realize that despite how deep he was falling for the redhead, she deserved far better than him after all that.

His smile faded at that thought, but he was shaken from his musings as the doors to the courtroom opened once more. Scorpius's lip curled as he watched Thaddeus Nott, in a finely tailored set of burgundy robes, looking as smug and arrogant as ever, strut in before the Wizengamot, smiling a winning smile and seating himself with flourish in the seat Lily had just vacated. Disgust filled Scorpius as Nott pushed a hand through his hair, looking as if he hadn't a single care in the world, and this whole thing was merely a waste of his time for the sake of appearances.

There was a murmur through the purple robed wizards and witches of the Wizengamot, and Scorpius could only hope they were as perturbed by the difference between Lily and her soon to be ex husband as he was. Shacklebolt quickly called for order, and gave a similar speech to the one he'd given to Lily, then proceeded to state the reasons for the dissolution of his marriage. Scorpius barely repressed his look of surprise that no intention of the possible criminal charges against Nott, from his own wife, was mentioned as Shacklebolt boomed, "You may state your case now, Mr. Nott."

"Thank you, Minister Shacklebolt," the blue-eyed, smiling bastard said, and Scorpius tried not to let his face betray his utter disdain for this cretin before him. "First of all, I'd like to state, as I'm sure my wife has given testimony to already, I married for love, and love alone."

Scorpius barely repressed the sneer that wanted to pull his lip up and narrow his eyes into a scathing glare, and he reined in hard on his emotions and attempted to listen, knowing already precisely the questions he had for this son of a bitch. It was difficult, especially when the smiling prick glanced right at Scorpius, blue gaze narrowing on the blond for a beat.

"And I have never, once, used a wand upon my wife in anger. Ever." Scorpius barely refrained from rolling his eyes, wondering if perhaps the dolt thought he'd be testifying before his wife, and then glanced up to a grim-faced Kingsley Shacklebolt. The silence in the courtroom ballooned terribly for one long moment after Nott's declaration, and Scorpius felt panic begin to seep into his bones, because the Minister didn't reply to that statement, and Nott seemed content to say nothing more at all.

Just as he was opening his mouth to speak, wanting to at least ask his own questions of the pathetic excuse for a man before him, the Minister of Magic said, sounding resigned, "Duly noted." He cleared his throat, and continued. "However, there still remains the matter of-"

"According to the marital bond that I shared with my lovely wife on our wedding day, a legally binding magical bond, the terms of which are very clear, I in no way violated her in a manner that would cause our bond to disintegrate, or become strained in any way." Scorpius couldn't hold back his sneering scowl at hearing those words, those condescending, smarmy, smug, and utterly warped words, fall from Thaddeus Nott's mouth. To hear him sit there, still smiling, as if this were all some elaborate farce he was in on, and justify what he'd done to Lily, made rage boil, hot and unchecked, through Scorpius. He was moving without thought.

"You killed your own unborn child, or have you forgotten that, Nott?" Scorpius half shouted, rising to his feet abruptly, even as a few scandalized gasps rang out and the brown haired, blue eyed wizard glared at him. "Even while you kept to the basic terms of your magical bonding ceremony with L- your wife, the plaintiff in this case," Scorpius fought not to start actually yelling, like his pounding heart and the urgent thrum of passion in his chest demanded, "you beat her to the point she miscarried an unborn child."

Even as he spoke them, Scorpius found the words tasted like ash in his mouth. And even through his fury, he heard the scorn in Nott's voice as he replied, "There is no proof, other than hearsay, that my wife was even-"

Scorpius wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, chest heaving with the effort of practicing self-restraint, and merely sat down again, surprised Shacklebolt had allowed him to fly off the rails in that way. Hell, his seat was merely a courtesy one, and he wasn't even required to attend. This one time, however, he had, if only to stare down Lily's monster and perhaps trip him up enough to incriminate himself even worse than the redhead already had.

"There are medical records," he said dismissively, knowing for a fact Lily had submitted them to the courts before the hearing, having accompanied her, just in case, while she dropped them off a week and a half ago when they'd found out the date of her hearing. At that, Nott's face contorted, for the briefest moment, into a furious glare, that even Scorpius felt a thrill of dread seeing.

"Indeed," Shacklebolt said, in his deep voice, "the courts have been submitted a patient file from your wife, Mr. Nott, for a stay at St. Mungo's in early July of this year."

"And I can assure you, and the Wizengamot, anything within that file is complete hearsay," Nott snapped resolutely, trying to maintain his calm, smiling, dignified facade. "I've never been made aware of any medical visits made by-"

"You're a liar!" Scorpius seethed, and hated that Nott, hearing the swift bang of Shacklebolt's gavel, looked smug once more.

"Do not interrupt the testimony of the defendant, Malfoy, or you will be removed from this hearing," Kingsley boomed, looking thunderous. Scorpius bit back the assertion they could all get absolutely fucked for all he cared, because Nott was nothing more than a violent, potentially dangerous, and utterly pathetic wizard, who'd murdered his own potential heir in a fit of rage. Instead, he nodded, grim faced and jaw clenched, and sat back mutinously.

"As I was saying," Nott continued. "I haven't been made aware of any medical visits my wife may have had, nor have I ever thought, for a moment, I might perhaps be a father." He looked down, briefly, at his shoes, even as Scorpius scowled at him, then lifted shining blue eyes back up to the Wizengamot. "I would never have knowingly done anything to harm any child of mine, or their mother."

Scorpius tasted blood he bit his tongue so hard, barely keeping his seat as the anger and fury and downright outrage on Lily's behalf stewed in his gut and rose like bitter bile in his throat. How could the bastard simply sit there and lie? How could he claim, for one second, that he didn't know Lily was pregnant, when she'd admitted to him in a broken whisper when they'd come to retrieve her things those long months ago, that she'd told her husband, and then him, she was going to have Nott's baby.

"If you've finished your testimony, Mr. Nott, the Wizengamot and it's elected members," this was said with a warning look at Scorpius from the Minister again, "will now pose any questions needed for clarification in order to deliberate the advisability of yourself and the plaintiff in this case to remain magically bonded."

"I do have one last thing, actually, Minister Shacklebolt," Thaddeus Nott said, looking as pompous as any pureblood raised within the strict rules of self comportment that entailed. Scorpius didn't fight his eye roll.

"Go ahead," Shacklebolt said, face expressionless.

"Despite whatever the members of the esteemed Wizengamot may have heard here today," he said, flashing the briefest glance of annoyance and the blond once again, before smiling widely, "it has never been my intention to have anything but a normal marriage, with the ups and downs that may come from it. And I vow again, as I did on my wedding day, to always support my wife, cherish her, and treat her with the utmost respect her station affords her. Always."

Scorpius glanced nervously around at the other member of the Wizengamot, hating that he saw a pair of ancient looking wizards across the courtroom from him nodding gravely along. "Very well, Mr. Nott," Shacklebolt boomed, then looked around to his peers, several of whom raised hands indicating they had questions.

Scorpius watched Nott closely, seeing how he gulped and fixed his cuffs almost nervously, especially when the Minister allowed the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to begin the questioning.

An hour later, Lily, feeling as though she might be sick once more, nodded at the witch who'd come, once again, to tell her the Wizengamot had made a ruling, and she was expected back before them. The redheaded witch steeled her nerves, clutched her wand, and took a deep breath, praying for courage, then followed the witch back to the courtroom.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she passed into the tall ceilinged room, palms sweating with fear, because she knew this time Thaddeus would also be there, and that thought, the idea of seeing him in the flesh again, and in these circumstances no less, terrified her. She could feel nothing but the clinging veil of the old fear, the fear she'd say the wrong thing, or make her husband look bad, and he'd exact his revenge the second they passed behind closed doors once more. It was like her tongue was tied up in knots, and she could feel, almost the second the door closed behind her, Thaddeus's stare upon her like a branding iron.

"The Wizengamot has reached a majority decision, concerning the matter of the dissolution of marital bonds between the plaintiff and defendant in this hearing," the Minister declared. Lily's breath stuck in her throat, even as she stared resolutely at the floor, trying not to tremble with pent up anxiety and fear, all but feeling the heat from Thaddeus as he stood next to her, a mere foot away. She could smell his cologne, and sickness threatened to rise up and out of her once again. "Madam Undersecretary, if you could," Shacklebolt said, gesturing to someone Lily couldn't bear to look at.

"We the Wizengamot find this bond, while under no magical strain and having no discernible dissolution since its original casting, to be both unethical in its maintenance and potentially harmful to the plaintiff long term. Thus, we the Wizengamot have decided this bond shall be dissolved on the first of November, by its original caster."

Lily flinched, because she could feel the fury and outrage all but pouring out of the wizard beside her, but looked up as someone clapped loudly, soon followed by a half dozen others. "This isn't over, Lily," Thaddeus snarled from the corner of his mouth. "Far from it."

The redhead, finally looking up, saw her aunt, Hermione Granger-Weasley, Undersecretary to the Minister herself, smiling ever so slightly down at her, and hope rushed through her at warp speed, making her smile. And making her, for the first time, able to drown out entirely the fear and shame and embarrassment Thaddeus's whispered threat had brought with ease.

"In the matter of any criminal charges to be addressed, the Wizengamot finds that, as per magical law," Hermione Granger's mouth twisted at this, "the defendant in no way violated the magically binding terms of the bond, and thus, no charges are applicable."

Lily felt her heart drop the tiniest fraction upon hearing her soon to be completely ex-husband would basically get off scot free, that despite what her father, and the DMLE were trying to do, they could still be thwarted by the oldest rules and laws of magic in some ways. But still, the freedom, close enough on the horizon now to taste, left her feeling as if she might never stop grinning, and that she was floating on clouds.

"That concludes this hearing for the Wizengamot," Kingsley Shacklebolt boomed, with another smack of his gavel, and then added, to a stunned looking Lily, "and the involved parties may exit the courtroom."

For a long beat, she simply stared, then gulped, half afraid just to go back into the corridor where she knew Thaddeus could follow, but she nodded, sent Scorpius a beaming smile of victory, then turned and marched, head held high, out of the courtroom. She couldn't help but think, as she did so, that it was like walking into a new chapter of her life.

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