Memories of a death eater (Severus x OC)

8. Day 6

Dumbledore woke up with a start. He had fallen asleep next to the pensieve, with his arms resting on the table, and his head on them. Now his neck hurt, and he couldn't focus his eyes well. But he wasn't wearing his glasses! They had slipped to the side while he was sleeping.

With his head spinning, he managed to lean his aching body against the back of his chair, and looked at the pensieve, not understanding what the hell it was doing on his table. Then he remembered. Severus!

He looked at the clock, and discovered that it was ten in the morning. There were less than twenty-four hours left until Snape suffered the Dementor's kiss, and he still had not found conclusive evidence to prove his innocence.

Yes, it was true that those memories showed that he had loved and protected his sister, and that he had possibly fallen in love with Mary-Anne, but from there to declare him innocent of the murders...

But he still had one last bottle to open. It was the most recent, and perhaps the most important of all. With trembling hands, Dumbledore emptied it into the pensieve, and drowning out his body's protests of pain, he entered again into those silver whirlpools.

The old headmaster hoped to see the memories Snape had kept of the final battle and the important role he played in it. Or the days after, when the death eater's name was cleared of years and years of scourge. He expected to see something that would finally free him, and so he was surprised to see that the memory had nothing to do with the battle, nor with the trials, nor with the news in the newspapers...

***

...Snape was dressed like a muggle, and was walking calmly down the street, without anyone noticing him. He had a couple of fine scars on his face, testimony to his previous fights, and he limped a little, but none of that seemed to matter to him. He walked briskly, with his hands in his pockets, and strangely enough, he had every appearance of being happy.

Suddenly, the former death eater stopped, and Dumbledore recognized the place: it was the school where Mary-Anne worked. The woman was in the yard, surrounded by children.

The children were sitting in a circle around her while the woman read them a story. From afar her words could not be distinguished, but her crystalline voice could be clearly heard as she narrated the story, acompanied by the children's exclamations when something surprised them.

Then Mary-Anne looked up and saw Snape looking at her from the other side of the fence. Surprise and disbelief crossed her face, and then, suddenly, a brilliant smile.

She put the book aside, got up and ran towards the gate, opening a door that led to the street. The two adults approached, and Mary-Anne covered her mouth with her hands, still unable to believe that he was there.

When they were close enough, Snape opened his arms, timidly, and Mary-Anne threw herself into them without hesitation.

They hugged each other tightly, and for a few moments neither of them said anything. The woman suddenly burst into tears on Snape's shoulder, and he buried his face in her copper hair. He patted her gently on the back, and for a few minutes, neither of them moved, until she was able to control her crying and look at him.

She wiped her face with her hands, but she was too excited. She laughed and cried at the same time.

"That's it?" she asked.

"It's over," Snape confirmed, as emotional as she was.

"Really? Are you serious?"

"Look," he rolled up his forearm, which, although covered in wounds, was free of the Dark Mark. Mary-Anne began to cry again, this time with relief, and hugged him again.