Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-116-

My heart is pounding hard inside my chest. I don't wanna be here. Mouth dry. Hands sweating and shaking. I don't wanna see them. No matter how I try to calm myself down, I can't stop the trembling. People dressed in all black enters the Courtroom and the room immediately gets filled with this loud chatter. My body goes more intense and there is this squeeze in my heart. I want to run away. I flinch when a warm hand touches the top of mine that is neatly placed on my thigh. "It's going to be alright, darling." gentle female voice reassures as she's sitting right next to me. Ruby. To have her sitting beside me eases the anxiety. "Order, order in the Courtroom!" the man behind the podium hits the surface of the table few times and the gabble slowly dies down.

All of our attention is now on the man behind the high podium, who first looks around the room to make sure everyone is seated and quiet before speaking. I do a quiet inhale thru my nose and my chest raises slowly. Ruby's grip around my hand tightens just a tiny bit. "We are gathered here today to hear Mr. Harold and Mrs. Eloise (Y/L)'s final plead before we make the final decision considering their seventeen year old daughter - Miss (Y/N) (Y/M) (Y/L)'s custody battle between the parents and Eloise (Y/L)'s older sister, Ruby Hannah Harris." the judge announces to the whole court. The room quickly gets filled with quiet chatter between the adults all around. Mostly because they recognized my father's name since he is part of the Ministry.

There are only five people who are not gossiping in this room; me, Ruby, the judge, Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody. I'm not sure where to look at this point. So I pretty much keep my head down and hope all of this would be over as soon as possible. The judge once again hammers against table couple times:"Order.". The room goes quiet again. Judge fidgets some papers in his hands before speaking again:"I call in both of the parents - Mr. Harold (Y/L) and Mrs. Eloise (Y/L).". Feels like my heart stops when I see how two cages slowly appears to the room thru the floor. Ruby's hand that once was holding my hand, slides behind my back and she pulls me closer to her. I can feel her warmth radiating from her body. She must be as anxious as me right now.

Ruby's eyes are fixed on the two people inside the tight cages that has sharp spikes all around them. If they'd move, they would quickly get in touch with one of them. Seeing my parents standing there, dressed in the shabby prison clothes of Azkaban... They really do look quite awful - even they have been in there only four days. They always had dressed up in their fanciest suits and dresses. Hair neatly combed back so not a single hair would be sticking out. But now... It is all buffed and dirty. Talk about the dark circles under their eyes. The sight of them gives me the chills.

The judge starts with saying all of the specific dates and times when they were captured by the Headmaster of the Wizarding School - Albus Dumbledore, and one of the Aurors - Alastor Moody. He also lists about the awful things Harold and Eloise has done in their past that has come up to the surface during this investigate. Some of the things I didn't even know about. But for some reason, hearing the things they have done, doesn't surprise me. Not anymore. I'm numb. The Unforgivable Curse that has been used on me got mentioned as well. After all of this, the judge asks:"How do you plea?". Eloise forces a shaky smile on her face that comes across more creepy than intended:"Like we have said before; this is all... Just a huge misunderstanding. You must understand, I..- I would never - ever - hurt my little daughter. She..- she is the apple of my eye, Your Honor.". Hearing this makes me feel sick to my stomach. Ruby's face goes more intense and she has to bite her tongue not to blast her own little sister right in there.

Before judge can say anything, Dumbledore raise to stand across the room from where I'm sitting:"How do you explain all the bruises and cuts on her, if you claim there has never been any sort of violence towards her?". People began to whisper. Eloise's smile drops. She doesn't know what to say. "The poor girl is self destructive, Your Honor. My wife and I are only trying to help her." Harold raise his voice over the whispers. What?! The room goes quiet again. Some of the people raise their eyebrows now. Unsure what to believe. "That's bullshit!" Ruby shoots up from her seat. "Order! Order!" the judge hits the gavel four times quickly and Ruby grudgingly sits back down. My mother starts nodding her head before looking up to the judge with pleading eyes:"Y-yes, yes, Your Honor. That night when Mr. Dumbledore and Mr. Moody broke in to our home, (Y/N) had locked herself in her room and - and we as parents were so worried for her she'd do something to herself! That is why we tried to get in her room in the first place.".