Low Man Is Due

And onto the next. Severus\' trial.



Reviews are always appreciated. SP



Chapter Seven: Confess all to the rain.



At last Severus stood trial.



The courtroom, since Lucius’ disasterous admission, had been cleared of the general public. Only the press and the jury were watching as he was led into the large room.



Severus looked as stony faced as always. His black robes were neatly pressed and hung loosely on his frame. Too loosely. He had lost weight since his arrest.



The Minister, as the presiding officer, established Snape’s identity, and then allowed the defence solicitor forward.



“Professor Snape, you have worked at Hogwarts for a number of years, haven’t you?”



“Yes.” Snape’s voice was a little hoarse, as if he hadn’t used it much in the cells, or as if he’d been screaming.



“In that time, you would have had the opportunity to torture and abuse any number of students. Yes?”



“Yes.” A small smile lit Snape’s haggard face as he thought And some of them would have deserved it.



“Yet you did not do so.” The solicitor turned to the rows of impassive witches and wizards. “He could have done as he wished, had torture and abuse been something he enjoyed. He didn’t. It seems clear then that what happened during the incident being investigated, Severus Snape had a motive for doing what he did.”



“Can you tell me, professor,” the man went on, turning back to his client, “just what your motive was?”



A muscle ticked in Snape’s jaw. His voice came slowly at first, as if the answer were being dragged unwillingly from him. “Since returning in his final year, Harry Potter had become something of an obsession of mine. I wanted to see his eyes darken with the pleasure I knew I could give him, I wanted to hear his voice break with his screams of completion as I climaxed within him.”



The crowd shifted uneasily, all except the newspaper reporters, who were noting down every scintillating detail for later.



Snape seemed more comfortable now that his confession had begun, and spoke more easily, “His capture provided an opportunity for me to have at least the pleasure of his body, even if he were less than fully enjoying what happened. I have no illusions about myself, I am aware that in the normal course of events Harry would never have looked at me like that, nor would I have ever acted upon my desire. But these events were not in the normal course of things.



“I ensured that he did give me his permission. I wanted that small balm to my conscience: that at least Harry had allowed me to use his body, however little he gained from the experience.”



His lawyer looked sickened and surprised, as if that wasn’t the response he had been expecting. He cleared his throat, “Th-thank you, Professor Snape.”



Moving like an elderly wizard, he staggered back to his seat. The opposition representative stood up, eager to have his shot at this pathetic and perverted man.



“Isn’t it true that you would have done anything to have Harry Potter?”



“No.” The response was unemotional in tone, but something showed in those black eyes.



“Isn’t it true that only fear of losing your job prevented you from raping him at Hogwarts?”



“No.”



“Isn’t it true that you are still a loyal Death Eater, and took pleasure in following You-Know-Who’s orders?”



“No.” Some small spark of anger was beginning to show in Snape’s voice.



“Isn’t it true that you were disappointed at the swiftness of Mr Potter’s rescue? That you wanted more time alone with him to corrupt and torment him?”



“N-no.”



“You seem unsure!” the lawyer pounced, “Elaborate, Snape.”



“I – I wanted more time with Harry, obviously, but I knew what would happen to him if he remained there any longer. What Lucius Malfoy did was only the beginning of what was intended for Harry, and I had – I knew he needed to be rescued, so I was pleased when he was.”



“Isn’t it true you raped him? That you wanted to keep him there to rape him more?”



“I – I never raped him. I never wanted to rape him.”



The Minister broke in, “Mr Gullat, the court already has evidence that Severus Snape had consensual intercourse with Mr Potter, that point is settled. Please move on.” He paused then asked, “Do you have anything else?”



“Yes, sir. I will now turn to the other torture you submitted Harry Potter to. Under veritaserum, Mr Potter states that you: “restrained him, forced him to crawl like an animal, grabbed him by his hair, forced him to relive the torture he had suffered, kept him from sleeping, and tortured him with a spell.” What do you say in response?”



Snape’s lip curled, “I had the object of my affections, or obsession, entirely in my power, and that was the worst I could think of to do to him? Had I wished it, I could have broken that boy and made him my willing fuck toy within four hours.” He paused, aware that his comment had struck home, “And under veritaserum, did he also tell you of the care I took to heal his wounds? How I made it clear to him what the only way to survive was? What I did to protect him from more Death Eater attentions?”



The prosecutor looked unsure of himself.



The Minister stepped in. “I think the jury has enough to deliberate upon.”



It took them six hours before they returned. Six hours to decide the fate of a man’s life.