Goodnight dear... A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

Chpt 28

“Where were you?!” He demanded when I entered the clearing.
“I was finding Harry like you told me too.” I answered impatiently, pulling the hair off my face and tucking it behind my ears, only a few wisps of red defeating me.
“I couldn’t hear you. Why?” He meant our mental connection, and for a moment I considered the sarcastic comment residing on the tip of my tongue only to discard it. “There’s a barrier around the school that’s stopping it,” He looked dubious but he knew that at this point I had no choice but to tell him the truth, such was the condition of our marriage. “Have you found him?” he asked beckoning me to follow him. His pale skin glistened in the moonlit clearing and looking away I realised that this was the place of my second vision. I searched around for other death eaters and surely enough they were back into the foliage and crouched in groups awaiting the command to attack; my people shifting almost minutely as the trees did, similarly waiting, but less restless than the human occupants of the area. “Robyn,” I turned and he was awfully close to me, his breath could be felt along my eyelashes. We were standing just below the hill where the Whomping willow sat, and I could hear the violent thrashing of the branches that had a mind of their own. “Give me your hand,” I did as he said and with a gut wrenching whirl of darkness we apparated.

I had to look around at first, aware of another presence. Severus was standing by the wall and I felt his eyes on me as we stepped through the partially dismantled doorframe, the actual door hanging off its hinges and motes of dust drifted visibly in the light between the boards covering the windows and other openings in the creaking building. We were inside the Shrieking Shack, but a great sense of foreboding shook me greater than the foundations shook themselves. It was the same feeling I had before the moments where one of my visions would come to pass, the stinging in the deepest part of my skull, making me nauseous; the last time I had felt this way was when Sirius had died.

“My lord,” Snape bowed, I got a whiff of something else from behind the doorway and recognised it as Harry. For some reason he was endangering himself; but I had a feeling that he needed to be here as well. “Severus, you are my most trusted follower,” he began, no one interrupted. “And you understand how vital you have been to our, cause,” he paused again, he was always a one for drama, and the silky, cold tones suited all things dramatic all too well, I shivered.  “My lord?” Severus was as dubious about this encounter as I was.
“Severus, I have the Elder wand, but it is no stronger than its predecessor, do you know why this is?” he was growing tired of the conversation, the smell radiated off him and I desperately wished to let Severus know why. I’d seen this happen, I knew where it would lead, and I hated having that knowledge.
“No my lord I do not,” He had clicked that something was happening. Voldemort looked at me and I kept my face blank, he could hear my thoughts, he knew I knew what was going to happen, I was hoping he didn’t know that I knew Harry was kneeling just out of sight. “Come here,” he commanded me, I had no choice, I could literally feel the pull of his mind, and I didn’t dare refuse, even if I could have. “Precisely, see my wife here, she knows why,” he pulled me down in front of him and stroked my hair, my back to him. He was proving his possession. “I could even ask her to do it.” He whispered, making me shiver.
“My lord please...” I pleaded, not wishing to do it.
“Then I will.” He stood, and left me kneeling on the floor, immobile.  “Severus, the wand requires blood to exchange hands.” Snapes eyes opened wider.
“So Severus,” He whispered, “I thank you for your service.”
I closed my eyes as the harsh guttural language of the snakes left his throat and in horror heard the scales of his giant snake, slither and snap of scales as Nagini struck. Even down to the final sickening crunch of fangs through flesh that made me strangely thirsty.

When I finally felt the rush of air behind me as Voldemort apparated with his snake back into the forest I shuddered, not from the cold but from the enormity of what had happened. “Robyn…” I heard him croak barely able to move his lips. “Severus,” I replied, opening my eyes slowly and unwillingly looking at the soon to be decaying body to my left. “You should have done it.” He whispered.
“It wasn’t my place to interfere,” I said, hating myself for causing someone so much pain, the sting of venom was not a kindly sensation. “Harry you can come out now.” I finished; looking over to where I knew he hid. He stood and came into view, his face was pale but I could not smell or feel any sorrow from him, but rather a hatred I daren’t question. Severus looked up sorrowfully at the young man. Wordlessly he pulled a small vial out of his cloak and handed it to Harry who leant to grasp it from his shaking hands. He smiled up at me lastly and a glittering pale tear dribbled from the corner of his now distant eyes staring uncaringly to the sky, Harry leaned over and collected the liquid memories. I looked at the confused boy and offered advice. “You need to watch this on your, own, I’ll find you after.”I promised.

I stood and as I left the battered house I sighed in memory of a lost friend, my heart heavy with loss and grief of everything still to come.