The Truth About Snape

Well, after waiting a while, I finally got to find out what was going on...and you know what? I've made the decision to hate every single wizard and witch out there. No I'm not being prejudice. I hate every single one of them. Equally. Some more equally than others.

Alright, that was a blatant lie and exaggeration, but my night hasn't been a very nice one. Especially not after I got this.

If I could I'd turn myself into a dark queen just so I could go and kick Voldemort's butt, usurp his throne and rule the entire world with a fluffy pink fist just so I could have things go my way.

Once again, exaggerating, but I suppose that I should be explaining the lovely night I had.

Ugh, Soundwave...if I could, I'd kiss you. You're one of the few things that are keeping me from totally snapping and trying down the road of darkness just so I can try my hand at taking over the world. I swear to god this place needs a woman running it....

Sorry, ranting again. Lets get on with today's lovely revelation. [/sarcasm]

Oh, yes. Before I forget...I thank you all for understanding William's...peculiar situation. I really appreciate it.

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It started out with a few members of the Order coming in looking worse for the wear. Haggard, really. And drawn. Mr Weasley looked like someone had killed his favorite spark plug. Moody was--forgive the pun--quite moody. Harry was livid--something that made me avoid saying anything to him at all (even to greet him). What he was so angry about made me curious, but I held my tongue until Professor McGonagall came into the house. And even then I didn't say a word. She looked tired and older than she was--and it was quite late, so I didn't want to disturb her as she walked towards the kitchen.

But then she stopped in front of me.

"Ms Shinra, I need you to come with me for a moment." she said.

"Um...what for?" I asked nervously as I rubbed my arms. I felt an urge to hold onto my son, but unfortunately for me...I didn't have him around as I usually did as I had tucked him into bed hours before. "I mean...what is it you need me for?"

"Possibly a last request..." the woman said as she began to lead me out of the headquarters. I asked if Mrs Weasley could keep an eye on William while I was away before I could let myself go. "Thank you for the information, by the way, Miss Shinra."

"Oh, don't thank me." I said, not one for taking the credit of others. "The elf lords and Rinnalaiss did all the work. I just relayed it to you all...Thought it would be important."

She nodded, continuing to walk ahead with a purpose, though her tired steps did give something away.

"So, how did the caoture go?" I asked, worried about the answer.

"Terribly."

McGonagall went on to explain about how the fake Snape that Rinnalaiss, Elrohir and Elladan had captured had escaped when the Order had just reached the scene. The main theory that the Order members that had gone to collect the indisposed Death Eaters and the fake Snape was that even though he was a fake...he obviously had an immunity to the potions that had been used on him...or, at least, a better tolerance of them so he would be able to fight them. Another theory that they had cooked up--was that there were not many fake Snapes...but one that kept flitting all over the place and who kept escaping because he had a purpose to fulfill. And, apparently, that purpose involved me.

"But what?" I asked, pondering about this. "I mean...what could he possibly want? And what do you think this has to do with the war that's going on at the moment?"

"Perhaps, You-Know-Who wanted revenge on Snape." McGonagall answered. "He, after all, defied his master in favor of helping your friends..." She smirked a little. "..or perhaps, more accurately, helping you. After all...had you not been in a relationship with him before he left?"

I blushed bright red, looking away. Even though I never really talked about it, I had said enough in the past to the Order about Severus and I...Though we had never been intimate or had done anything romantic, we did share a strange sort of connection. And then I remembered admitting to loving him some time ago and my face became even redder. I've been told that I had two conflicting sides...A Gryffindor side and a Slytherin side. The Gryffindor side was screaming for joy that I finally admitted it and my Slytherin side was berating me for not really thinking things through before I decided to plaster it all over my blog.

Oh, well. I cared for him deeply, that I can easily admit. It can become love if it so wished, but after having it pointed out to me so many times...Ugh. I wanted to make it un-true. I have this bad habit of saying the opposite of something if someone accused me of something--even if it was true.

So I found it increasingly trying on my patience when McGonagall continued to jab at me about Severus and the almost a year we had spent together before the fight against the Emperor. When it was clear to her that I wouldn't say anything, she decided to talk of something else entirely...something that happen right after they had all Apparated a few streets away from Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Something that shouldn't have happened.

"We caught him."

"Who?"

"You know who."

I wanted to say 'And who is that exactly?', but my mind figured out what she truly meant and I had to gape. How did they manage that feat? And if that was so, where did that monumental final battle go? I fired a lot of questions at the professor as we reached the phonebooth that led straight to the Ministry. We both got in, while I still asked question after question. Our badges popped out ('Keily Shinra, Angry Young Woman, Visiting A Prisoner') and we put them on, though I had to eye mine suspiciously.

"Who am I visiting?"

"You know who."

Once again, the stupid question wanted to be asked, but I pushed it at the back of my mind and tried to either think terrifying thoughts or...not so terrifying thoughts. I wanted to think them, because I was too calm for my own good. I mean, it's Voldemort for crying out loud. And then I didn't want to get scared, because if I did...I might give the man some sort of an edge against me.

"Why?"

"He's been sentenced to death without a trial. His execution is within one month's time tonight...And his last wish was to see you." At this point, she wouldn't look at me as we had our things checked. The old woman almost seemed guilty about something and I couldn't fathom what it was. Another thing I didn't understand was why Voldemort would want to see me. After what I did to him and his hideout last month...you'd think he would stay as far away from me as possible. But possibly he wants to spit a vengeful curse at me for helping turn his favorite against him? For helping ruin his plans for domination over our world? Who knew?

I had forgotten what floor we had stopped at, but I was told that we were being sent to a special holding cell until he was properly processed and sent to Azkaban--or wherevr wizarding criminals were sent to nowadays.

I wish someone could have gotten me better prepared for what was about to happen. I wish someone could have explained better than McGonagall had so I wouldn't be so surprised...

...so I didn't have to start crying like a total ninny in front of several Aurors. God, I seem to be crying a lot lately...

They didn't let me go into the cell itself, but I was able to reach inside through the bars--not that I did...not at first. I just approached the cell cautiously, wary of the person that it held. I didn't get a good look at Voldemort when I had bene kidnapped by him last month...not that I had wanted to, but here I was...and I had to look at him. I vaguely wondered if they had given him Veritaserum to wrangle some sort of truth out of him...

I watched him look up at me with those red eyes--red eyes as dark as blood. His nostrils flared slightly as he breathed, a most disgusting and rather reptilish thing. I looked at his face which looked stern, frightening...angular and no holding any of the handsome qualities his mother had wished upon him....the loks of his father...

Not feeling anything at the moment, I moved to ask him what he wanted when he said my name.

"Keily."

His voice was high, as it was described in the books...And it made me shiver a bit. But the way he said my name. It was almost familiar...No, it was very familiar. It had that slight lilt to it...said in a way only one person knew how.

I shook my head. It couldn't be. But then again, my gut feeling hadn't been wrong so far. Could it be now? I looked to McGonagall, questioning her silently. 'What's going on?'

She gave me a stare. "I told you we caught, you know who."

I shook my head in denial. I closed my eyes and calpped my hands over my ears, trying to block it out. It couldn't be what I was thinking, could it? No. My heart was just getting its hopes up! It was going to shatter...

"Keily.."

I whirled around, staring angrily at the snake man who had come to the bars, staring down at me calmly with just a twinge of...remorse? Was that what it was?

Hot tears began to form in my eyes and fell.

"You can't be..." I whispered.

Voldemort--no, Severus gave a small smirk. "It seems...that the late Emperor...had managed to teach the Dark Lord a few tricks in exchange for his support." He reached out to touch my cheek, but I jerked away--hardly believing what was going on at the moment. I shook my head again. This was not happening, I told myself many times. My life was just one long series of unfortunate events...could they ever be happy again? "Keily...look at me...Look at me!" He tried to turn my head, hold my chin--anything to look at him, but I couldn't.

"Oh, god...what did he do to you...?" I asked quietly, still in denial, now with a mixture of shock and paranoia.

One would think that we would have been reunited in a romantic sort of way--and I, in all honesty, had been hoping for the same sort of thing...If only to stop the torrent of terrible things that seem to be happening all around me.

He smiled gently and tried to caress my hair. Funny how that in his own body, he wouldn't dare touch me, but now that he's stuck inside a body that resembles a snake or a corpse...he's doing all he can to be near me...to calm me down. "What does it look like?" he asked, a little sharply. "He's switched bodies with me..."

"But why?" I asked, beginning to choke in tears. I couldn't believe that this was happening--of all things to add on top of everything else!

He explained about how he had been captured by Death Eater's and had his soul switched with Voldemort's. He told me about how he planned revenge against him for ruining his grand plans. He told me about how he was going to use the switch to keep himself alive...how he was going to use 'love' as his own weapon as well. Severus--ye gods, ho I missed saying that name--said that by switching bodies that the Dark Lord would send him to fight against Harry, where Severus would get killed and the Dark Lord could lay low, while doing his best to woo me ('And failed at.' I said to Severus. 'Do I have a 'desperate' sign on me, or something?') so he could use my love at a later time. Voldemort had planned on using me as a human shield against any enemies that would try to destroy him.

"You have to admit...I heard stories about your fights against his Death Eaters when you escaped...and what you did on Mustafar? You have a lot of repressed rage, don't you?" Severus said, smirking with that face I was so unfamiliar with.

"So, what...was he planning to have me die like Lily did for Harry?" I asked, hoping that that wasn't the case. That would be too strange if it was. Severus shrugged.

"I'm not very sure, but it might be." he said. "And he had been hoping to have me die in his place by Potter's wand and thus...'fullfilling' the prophecy so he could catch the Wizarding World unawares and in a new body..." Severus looked bitter at this, but soon that bitterness changed to slightly disinterested concern. "Obviously...his plan had failed for I escaped and you're not with him..."

I shuddered. And to think...I had let him touch William! My eyes widened. "Anna!"

Severus looked taken aback. "Anna?" I flushed with embarrassment and quickly explained about William's little sister.

"You don't think he had any ideas for either William or Anna do you?" I asked.

"I wouldn't put it past him...especially with his new abilities...I suppose he's found his own way to immortality now..."

This was bad. This was really bad. It had been bad enough with the Emperor doing it, but Voldemort, too? And the one he had tested it on...well...I sniffled and shyly reached towards him. I brushed against a cool cheek with my fingers, wondering. Then I let my hand cup his cheek and stared straight into his eyes. I am not a Legilimens or an Occulomens, but I saw how earnest he was...I saw who he really was inside the form of this terrible man....

I gave a sigh as a tear fell.

"You know...if stuff like this keeps happening...I'm going to think myself important." I told him, my voice shaking a little. I closed my eyes, feeling more tears fall. I took deep calming breaths.

Gods, I felt like such a sap.

"Um...Severus..I've been meaning to tell you...It's something I have to say or I might never be able to tell you...what with you being executed...Oh, god...They're really going to kill you, aren't they? I mean....they can't have you Kissed, luckily...But you still have to die and they probably won't even give you a fair trial and...and...and...I..I..."

He stopped my mumblings with a finger to my lips as Professor McGonagall and one of the Aurors who was guarding the cell said that it was time for me to leave. I didn't want to go and I made a terrible scene about it. I had to tell Severus something. I had to do something...anything.

Severus was going to die in a month. A month. I had to tell him....Tell him about William! Th truth about William...The truth about...

"Severus, I..."

He stopped me again.

"I know."

As I had managed to get to the bars of the cell, he pulled me close and I almost expected a kiss from him...But no. He just held me tightly. As I was pulled away, I felt the weight of something in my pocket. Only after being unceremoniously booted out of the Ministry and told that visiting hours are such and such, did I check what had been dropped into it.

I cursed myself, Dumbledore, Voldemort and Severus.

"So...what will you do now, Miss Shinra?" McGonagall asked as we began the trek back...'home'.

I stared at the little thing that had been given to me. I looked head of me, lips pursed into a thin line. "First," I said, "I'll get my act together. Then I am going to bring back the not-quite-a-Sith-apprentice back so she can help you fight against Voldemort. That bastard's going to pay for what he's just done!"

"Oh?" McGonagall looked at me, seemingly intrigued by my rather silly sounding proclamation. "No more weeping then? No more sitting on the sidelines?"

I shook my head. The woman smiled.

"Well, then, Miss Shinra...I do believe that things are beginning to look up."