They were taken to Azkaban, and Severus and Selene were locked up, in separate cells, under the custody of the dementors. For days they waited, in the dark, uncommunicated, without hearing from each other, while terrible thoughts consumed their minds.
Selene couldn't stop thinking about the long months she had suffered at Bellatrix's hands, her cruel tortures, her deranged games. She relived her worst nightmares over and over again.
And now she worried about Severus too. He had carried the Mark. What would they do to him? Would they sentence him to life imprisonment? Would they give him the dementor's kiss?
Finally, they opened the door, but they only came to question her. Again and again, the aurors peppered her with questions. They wanted information, names, data about the victims, things that Selene didn't know or could answer.
She tried to collaborate, as she gained nothing by remaining silent, but they didn't believe her when she said that she hadn't done anything, that she was just a squib.
They questioned her about Severus, his past as a death eater and his alleged crimes, but then Selene refused to answer. She wasn't going to give him away. She wouldn't say anything that would harm him.
As punishment, she was left uncommunicated for days, in complete darkness, with the dementors right outside her door. Selene thought they would let her die in the cell, without anyone remembering her. Gone were the bright days of their honeymoon. Now, only the cold and anguish accompanied her.
And then, when she was in utter despair, they opened the door again, and this time, Selene was led outside to another room that, although sober and depressing, was less gloomy than the cell, and had windows on both sides that allowed the light came in.
A wizard was waiting for her next to a table, and a bird-shaped patronus was flying around him.
"I'm Ignotus Travers," he introduced himself, extending his hand. "I'm going to be your lawyer."
Selene squeezed his hand and sat up, suddenly feeling relief, thanks to the presence of the patronus.
"Are we allowed to have lawyers? Why haven't I talked to you before?"
"There have been a certain number of irregularities, which are being resolved at this time."
"What's happening with Severus? Are you also going to help him?" Selene looked at the wizard anxiously. "Do you know if he's okay?"
"Mr. Snape will be handed over to the judges in the next few days, you don't have to worry about him. Now we must focus on you," Mr. Travers unfolded the parchment he was holding in his hand and rested the tip of a quill on it. The feather stood on its own, magically. "Your maiden name is Selene Corine, right?"
"That's correct," Selene saw how the quill began to faithfully write her words and those of the lawyer.
"And you married Severus Snape forty days ago?"
"Yes," Selene bit her lip, nervous. Was he going to question her again about Severus' past?
"Have you been a death eater, Mrs. Snape?"
"I have already said no, I never received the Mark. I'm a squib," Selene insisted, starting to get irritated.
"If you were released, would you agree to be monitored by the Ministry to control your activities and future movements?" that question surprised her. Was she going to be released?
"Do I have any other options?" she asked, and Mr. Travers looked at her seriously. "Yes, I accept" she relented.
"Do you agree not to contact individuals related to the dark side?"
"And what happens if they contact me?"
"Do you promise to notify the Ministry if members related to the dark side contact you?"
"Yes," Selene didn't see the point in discussing those terms now.
"Will you agree to divorce your current husband, Mr. Severus Snape?" Travers continued. She looked at him with her mouth open.
"Why would I do such a thing?" she asked in turn. The lawyer held her gaze, impassive.
"Answer the question, Mrs. Snape. The Ministry can annul your marriage and pretend it never existed. You can start from scratch."
"I don't accept it," Selene gripped the arms of the chair tightly, but raised her chin defiantly.
She imagined that she would be taken back to her cell for refusing to follow the Ministry's directives, but Mr. Travers simply took his quill and wrote something down on the parchment, very calmly.
"This is a faithful transcription of this conversation," he held out the parchment for her to read. "Please sign here to show that you confirm the veracity of the text."
Selene read it, finding nothing out of place. Taking the quill, she put her name at the bottom of the parchment.
"You will be released in the next few hours. Your return home will be facilitated by using flu powder. If you have any other questions, I will be happy to answer them."
"What about Severus? What are they going to do with him?" Selene insisted.
"Mr. Snape will be tried for his charges as a death eater. The resolution will come out in a few weeks. You have nothing to worry about, this has nothing to do with you."
But Selene disagreed. That had everything to do with her.
***
She was able to return safely to the house on Spinner's End, but she did not feel safe. She tried by all means to get in contact with Azkaban, Mr. Travers, and even her parents. She needed someone to tell her what was happening with Severus, when his trial would be, and how she could visit him. But nobody answered.
Selene became desperate, wishing more than ever that she could have her wand with her, or that she could have some kind of answer. She was frustrated by the lack of news. Every week, she tried to use the floo powder to go to Azkaban, without success. She even visited the Ministry of Magic, but they didn't want to listen to her either. All the doors closed before her.
The days passed by slowly, and then the weeks. The new year arrived, and in mid-January, she finally received a note from Mr. Travers, informing her of Severus's upcoming release.
Severus returned home, handcuffed, and guarded by two aurors. They searched the home before releasing him, looking for any trace of dark arts that they had not seen in previous raids. Finally, when they were satisfied, they released him and disappeared through the chimney.
Selene was finally able to approach him, relieved and happy to have him back, but when she was about to hug him, he turned around abruptly, indicating that he did not want to be touched.
Selene stepped back, disappointed, but understanding his reaction. Severus had spent three months in Azkaban, in worse conditions than her. She couldn't even imagine the horrors he had experienced because of the dementors. It had taken her weeks to recover, thanks to her obsession with seeing Severus again. She wondered how long it would take for him to get back to normal, and if he would ever make it.
***
But as the days went by, Selene realized that perhaps this return to normal would never happen.
Severus avoided her at all costs, and every time they spoke, he limited himself to responding in a cold and cutting manner, or with some hurtful phrase. He hadn't wanted to play chess again, and when he looked at her, Selene had the feeling that he didn't want her to be there. Nor had he called her Core again.
She tried not to look affected, but that behavior hurt her a deeply. Sometimes her mind returned to those days they had spent in Venice, but she did not recognize the Severus of then with the man she lived with now.
She tried to have a routine, but that was also difficult for her. She had nothing to occupy her time with, and the lack of magic made it difficult for her to carry out daily tasks. She had to do everything the muggle way, taking thrice as long, and she became desperate. She tried not to appear weak in front of Severus, but sometimes she couldn't help but curse angrily when she got frustrated.
One day, Severus left home in the morning and did not return. Selene waited worried, not knowing what to think. Had the aurors arrested him again? Had he gotten into trouble with some former death eater? Again, the lack of news frustrated her the most.
The hours passed and it became night, and Selene curled up on the couch, waiting, too worried to fall asleep. Too angry to relax. Too helpless to calm her mind.
And when she least expected it, the green fire illuminated the room, and finally, Severus appeared through the fireplace. Behind him, several trunks followed floating.
"Where have you been? I was worried," Selene approached him, but Severus ignored her. The man simply moved the trunks and placed them in front of her. Selene looked at them, confused, and then, she recognized her name on the label of one of the lids.
"Are these my things?" she asked, without understanding. "Where did you get them from?"
"This belongs to you too," Severus addressed her for the first time in several days. From his pocket he had taken out an elongated object.
"My wand!" opening her eyes wide, Selene ran to pick it up. As soon as her fingers touched the wood, an electrical current ran through her arm, making her hair stand on end. It was like meeting an old friend again.
"But, how? My father had it hidden," she looked at Severus without understanding. "Have you been to my parents' house?"
But Severus ignored her, and turning around, headed for the stairs. Selene felt hurt by that silence, but on the other hand, at her feet she had all the things that her father had taken away from her.
With trembling hands, she opened the trunks. There were her schoolbooks, her clothes, and the personal and sentimental objects that she valued most: pictures of her friends, letters, and her grandfather's chess board.
She also found the key of her Gringotts' vault, the only thing her father had not been able to destroy when she became a squib, because she was already of age and the goblins would not allow him to close the account.
And her wand, her dear and missed wand. She had lost all hope of seeing it again. She might never do magic again, but her wand still made her feel better.
But she didn't understand anything, why had Severus bothered to get her things back? Why had he gone to her parents' house? Had he argued with Mr. Corine to get the wand back? He had definitely traveled to Gringotts to get the key that gave her access to her money. Why did he go through so much trouble if he didn't even want to look at her?
Still confused, Selene remembered their first days in Venice. Severus hadn't talked to her much then. Only chess had united them. Well, that and something else...
That night, when they were in bed, Selene approached Severus and hugged him from behind. In that moment she realized how much she had missed physical closeness with him. However, gently but decisively, Severus moved her arm away, indicating that he did not want to be touched.
Hurt and disappointed, Selene turned away, returning to her corner, as far away from him as possible, and choked back her tears.
***
The situation did not improve in the following days. Severus spent more and more time away without explanation, and she had more doubts about her future. She didn't know what to do and she had nowhere to go.
It was true that she could now access to her money, but it wasn't going to last her a lifetime. What could she do for a living? There were hardly any jobs for squibs, and her stay in prison meant a criminal record that closed many doors for her.
She would have to live as a muggle, and that idea terrified her.
Disappointed and saddened by Severus' continued rejection, Selene began to sleep in the small room. Although she missed Severus' closeness and the sound of his breathing, sleeping alone was preferable to sleeping curled up on the edge of the bed, knowing that her presence was unwanted. At least now she didn't have to worry about holding back her tears for fear of him listening to her.
***
One day they received an owl from Mr. Travers, saying that he should meet them in person. For the first time in many days, Severus and Selene found themselves inside the same room, but they did not speak as they waited. An invisible wall stood between the two, as if they were two strangers.
The lawyer arrived on time, and sat down in front of them, taking a group of parchments out of his briefcase.
"I'll be brief. The Ministry has monitored your activities, and after extensive investigation, it has been decided that you can be trusted. From this moment on, although you will continue to be under the scrutiny of the aurors, you will not be watched at all hours," he explained. "I am also authorized to return to you the official documents that were taken into custody at the time of your arrest. Here you have your birth certificate, your passports and.... the marriage certificate," he listed, placing the documents in front of them.
"There is nothing else?" Severus frowned, looking displeased at the parchments.
"Certainly, I forgot. Here I return to you the ownership papers of your house, and a certified copy of the signed declaration that both of you made in Azkaban," Mr. Travers put the parchments together with the others. "There is nothing more to deliver. Now, if you would be so kind, you must sign this document, indicating that you have received the aforementioned documentation," he took out a new parchment, and handed it to Selene first.
She signed it, passing it to Severus. The man seemed confused, and read the document carefully, frowning, as if searching for something. He looked at Selene sideways, with questioning eyes, but finally he signed as well.
"That's all," Travers concluded, standing up. "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to owl me. It has been a pleasure," and after saying goodbye, shaking their hands, he left through the chimney.
Selene picked up the scrolls, relieved. She had not realized that she lacked identification documents. It would be easier for her to travel now if she needed to.
"Do you have a safe place to store them?" she asked Severus.
He took the documents and took them to a safe hidden on the shelf. But before putting them away, he spent a few minutes reading something. When he closed and camouflaged the safe, he turned to the woman. He still had the same questioning look as before.
"Why didn't you accept the divorce?" he asked, irritated. Selene felt the cold suddenly invading her. She didn't know how to interpret that look.
"I didn't want to do it," she answered, in a low voice.
"But why?" Severus insisted, upset.
"Is that what you were looking for in the papers? The divorce certificate?" she guessed.
Severus had the decency to lower his gaze, but Selene felt hurt and angry.
"Did you really think I was going to abandon you at the first opportunity?" she snapped, raising her voice. "Do you think I'm so weak?"
"It was your chance to escape this situation," he murmured.
"What situation?" she asked, angrily. "Aren't we in this together? Do you have any idea of everything I did to try to visit you? Did you really think that...?" but Selene couldn't continue speaking. Her emotions came to light and tears flowed into her eyes.
Embarrassed and furious, she turned around and returned to the kitchen.
She began to pick up the remains of the dinner, without paying attention to what she was doing. Fury, disappointment, and rage filled her chest. She had never done anything to deserve such distrust.
She heard footsteps behind her but ignored them.
"The aurors asked me repeatedly if I wanted to divorce you," Severus spoke quietly, from the other end of the kitchen. "They said it was the most sensible decision, and the best thing for you. One day they informed me that you had been released, and they did not ask again. I thought you had accepted."
Selene turned slowly, listening.
"Didn't Mr. Travers tell you anything?" she asked strangely.
"I'm not sure. My memories are confusing."
Selene understood what he meant. Dementors not only made people remember their worst experiences, but also produced hallucinations and obsessive thoughts. After three months under their influence, it was little wonder that Severus couldn't differentiate what was real and what wasn't.
"I should have asked you," Severus continued. "But when I saw you here, I thought you were waiting for the right moment to leave. You had no money, no wand, how were you going to survive that way?"
"Is that why you went to see my father?" she deduced. Severus nodded.
"He didn't want to give me your belongings, so we had a long discussion."
"How did you get him to give in?"
"I threatened him," he confessed. "I made him afraid of what I could do to him if he didn't obey me."
At any other time, she would have been scandalized, but Selene, who had spent months punished for the mere fact of being injured and unable to do magic, did not feel sorry for her father.
"But I didn't leave," she observed.
"I thought you were afraid. That you didn't dare tell me that you were going to leave."
"Is that why you have been absent for so long? To give me the option to escape?" Selene began to see the previous days from another perspective. He nodded in response. "And why haven't you divorced me, if you were so sure that I wanted to leave?"
"I didn't want to humiliate you that way. I wanted it to be your decision."
"My decision is to stay here," she whispered. She had approached slowly, stopping less than a meter away from him.
Her anger had ebbed, replaced by compassion. She could see that the effect of the dementors was still punishing Severus. It was evident in his hunched posture, the way he looked at the ground, and the tremors in his hands.
She wanted to go up to him, take his hands in hers and hug him. She missed having physical contact with him. But she didn't dare. He was too hurt and vulnerable, and the slightest false gesture would make him flee from her.
Not knowing what to do, but wanting to keep that weak connection standing, Selene suggested the only thing she knew could tempt him.
"Do you want to play chess?"
***
Selene tried to stay asleep, but she noticed that she was beginning to wake up. Her dream was mixed with memories of the previous night, with the chess game. It hadn't been a particularly exciting game, but for a moment, she had seen a spark of life in Severus' sunken eyes.
When they finished, she had dared to ask if he would mind if she slept next to him that night. Severus had simply shaken his head, looking at the ground, but that gesture had been a great relief to Selene.
She closed her eyes tightly, wanting to catch up on sleep, but a restless movement behind her woke her up completely. Severus was having a nightmare again. This had been common since his return from Azkaban, and there was not a night that the man did not stir in his dreams, trying to escape the images that tormented him.
Selene reached out to touch his arm. Sometimes physical contact calmed him. He laid still again, and Selene turned on her side, trying to fall asleep. It was too early to do anything else.
Then Severus stirred again, murmuring in his sleep, and put an arm around her, holding her close.
Selene stood still, totally surprised. He hadn't hugged her like that since that last day of their honeymoon. Her body reacted immediately, growing hot, asking for more. Selene wanted him, and for a moment she was tempted to act on her desire and do something more. However, she stopped herself, trying to calm her heartbeat. Now it was not the time to think about that.
Severus had fallen fast asleep, without stirring anymore, holding her close, breathing slowly, his face buried in her hair, and Selene didn't dare to move. Slowly, she began to drift off into drowsiness, wrapped in the comfortable warmth that heated her back, and lulled by the rhythm of his breathing...
***
They woke up at the same time, startled by the sound of the rain falling heavily against the window.
Their first instinct was to hug each other tightly as they stretched, taking a deep breath. Selene didn't want to let him go, and hugged his arm against her chest, moving her hips back, to get as close to him as possible.
Severus took a deep breath, his face still buried in her hair, and his body glued to her back. Gently, he released his arm from her grasp, but did not move away from her. He moved his hand slowly, softly touching her body over her nightgown, feeling her belly and side.
Selene sighted and took his hand, guiding it gently and firmly to her bosom. She gasped as she felt the warm pressure on her breast, and the soft and unexpected pinch on her nipple. She moved her hips and legs again, touching his, pressing herself as much as possible against his body.
She felt the man's warm breath against her ear, and feeling a shiver of pleasure, she moved her head slightly back, to get closer to his mouth. He bit her earlobe, making her gasp.
Severus lowered his hand again, moving it in circles, caressing her belly and her hip, descending to her legs. Selene moaned as she felt the hand move up slowly under her nightgown, towards her thighs. She spread her legs, while Severus continued caressing her, kissing her neck at the same time. She was sure he would feel the wetness between her thighs, but that, far from deterring him, just made his caresses more daring.
He slid his hand under her underwear, touching and caressing her in her most intimate parts, while hugging her tightly with his other arm and biting her ear again. Selene closed her eyes and gasped, shuddering under the touch of his hand.
He continued touching her, first slowly and softly, then a bit faster, letting himself be guided by her moans. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to finish, although it was clear that he was excited too. Finally, a wave of pleasure swept through her, and Selene curled in on herself, shuddering, letting a small cry scape from her lips.
And then, he turned her roughly, laying her on her back, and after yanking away her underwear, rushed on top of her. Selene helped him undress, fast and clumsily, and with quick and rough movement, he grabbed her wrists, holding them against the mattress above her head. He kissed her violently, biting her lips, and Selene moaned and closed her eyes, letting him take control.
She could feel his erection against her body, and that only excited her even more. Selene wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him to continue, and Severus didn't hesitate in obeying, penetrating her with force and abruptness. They moved together fiercely, biting, scratching, holding each other tightly. Severus lifted one of the woman's legs, resting it on his shoulder, and Selene screamed, overcome with pleasure and desire.
And finally, he too let out a scream, as he hugged her tightly, and trembling, he fell on top of her, breathing heavily. They remained motionless for a few moments, one on top of the other, sweaty, and panting, before they separated.
Selene closed her eyes, smiling contentedly. Definitely, there were worse ways to wake up.
***
Selene came out of the shower, humming happily. Looking in the mirror she saw a red mark adorning her neck, where Severus had bitten her. She smiled blushingly, thinking that he must have some matching scratch on his back.
Thinking about what had happened, she dressed quickly, and hurried down the stairs, following the smell of freshly made breakfast. She smiled happily, thinking that perhaps this was the beginning of the improvement of her relationship with Severus.
However, as she entered the kitchen, she saw something in the man's expression that made the smile wipe off her face.
"What happens?" she asked, surprised to see his serious expression. He avoided her gaze, not deciding to answer.
"I'm going to start working at Hogwarts, as a Potions teacher," he finally answered.
"But that is... good news, right?" she asked, confused. "When do you begin?"
"Tomorrow."
Selene froze, not knowing how to respond. The feeling of warm happiness that had flooded her seemed to disappear from her body. That news was so sudden that it seemed like a bad joke.
"Since when do you know?" she dared to ask.
"It was one of the conditions I accepted when I was released from Azkaban," he murmured.
"I don't understand."
"Albus Dumbledore interceded for me before the judges. He was the one who contacted Travers to expedite your release. In exchange for his... help, I agreed to work for him at Hogwarts," he noticed that Selene still didn't understand. "It's a way to keep an eye on me, and at the same time it guarantees my protection from other death eaters."
Selene felt completely empty and bewildered.
"When were you planning to tell me?" she asked, with a thin voice. "Or were you going to disappear without saying anything?" he didn't respond, but his guilty expression said it all. Selene felt her eyes fill with tears. "Is this another trick to make me leave?"
Feeling like she was going to cry, she turned around and ran up the stairs. She took refuge in the bedroom, where she gave vent to her tears. She could not believe it. Every time she dared to trust him, she got hurt again.
Why had he slept with her that morning? Knowing that he was going to disappear in a few hours? Was it a macabre farewell gesture? One last chance to have fun at her expense? It took a while before she could control her crying, but she didn't dare to leave the bedroom. She didn't know how she was going to react when in front of him.
But Severus entered the room, and for a few seconds, he looked at the woman's back, who was still sitting on the side of the bed.
"I must spend the night at Hogwarts, I will be introduced to the students during dinner," he explained.
Selene didn't respond, but she listened as he put his clothes in a travel bag. She then remembered that Hogwarts' teachers spent the entire year at school. Did that mean she wouldn't see him again until the summer?
"Are you planning to come home at some point?" Selene turned to look at him.
"I don't know, I'm not sure how much freedom of movement I'll have."
"And what does that mean for us?" Selene made a gesture, pointing to both of them.
"What do you mean?"
"I need to know what to expect from this marriage. What kind of relationship are we going to have? Are you going to ignore me like I don't exist? Are you going to be absent all year, coming sporadically to have sex with me?" she insisted, angrily. "I need to know."
"I can't answer that," he muttered, bowing his head. "I'm sorry."
Selene snorted and turned around. She wanted to say many things, but she didn't decide on any of them. She was outraged, furious and sad. She heard him leave the room, and seconds later, the sound of the fireplace as he left the house.
And Selene was left alone, crying.