No Pity (PG; Snape, Ginny, others; 1226 words)
Title: No Pity
Author:
iulia_linnea
Characters: Snape, Ginny, others
Rating: PG
Warning (highlight to view): For mentions of violence.
Word Count: 1226
Summary: Ginny has an unexpected conversation with Snape in Dumbledore's office.
Disclaimer: This work of fan fiction is based on characters and situations created by J. K. Rowling and owned by J. K. Rowling and various publishers, including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made from (and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended by) the posting of this fan work.
Author's Note: Written for the 2022 run of snapecase. Thank you, Shog, for beta'ing.
Alecto Carrow's inane giggling can be heard on the other side of the Headmaster's door after she shuts it upon Ginny, who at once turns on Snape.
"Do you know what the Carrows have been up to? What Amycus did this morning? He-"
"Attacked a Firstie in the Great Hall," Snape says, his voice low and dispassionate.
Ginny clenches her fists and spits on his robes.
"Yes, I know. I am the villain in this tale," he says, "but you must listen now. There isn't much time."
Ginny opens her mouth to speak, but closes it again just as abruptly. She finds Snape's behaviour odd and wants to know what he has to say-and why he's chosen to say it to her.
"I must leave the castle for a short duration and have taken steps to ensure that Amycus cannot permanently harm any student by use of his magic."
"That isn't stopping him from-"
"Becoming more physically violent," Snape interrupts, moving closer to her, "which is why you must keep the younger and injured students out of his and Alecto's way. I suggest that you hide them where it is Required."
Ginny swallows her guilt. Neville has been after her to help him, and she's done her best to do so while staying out of the Carrows' way, herself.
But it isn't enough, she thinks, while demanding, "Why are you telling me this?"
At first, the scent of Firewhisky is all that emerges from Snape, but then . . . .
"Because when you hide, you'll need these."
Ginny stares into the sack that Snape Summons; it's full of potions phials. "And I'm just supposed to trust all this? To trust you?"
Snape sighs. "If you do not look out for the weaker students while I am gone . . . . Weasley, the Carrows are not my only concern when it comes to protecting the student body. The Dark Lord is frustrated to hear of your disobedience and defiance."
"And you're not?" Ginny asks.
Snape runs a hand through his hair, pulling it back. Ginny can see the odd glitter of his eyes. He's had more than alcohol, it seems.
"Will you take them to the Room of Requirement? Will you act?"
Ginny swallows and tries to look away, but Snape seizes her by the chin and stares into her eyes.
After a moment, he mocks, "Isn't that sweet. You promised your mother not to fight."
Forgetting how much she hates Snape, Ginny snaps, "I'm her youngest. She wants me to stay safe!"
"Of course she does. She loves you. She loves you, Weasley, but you cannot repay that love by hiding. You must care for those who cannot care for themselves."
This is entirely too bizarre, thinks Ginny, with suspicion. "Why do you care?"
Snape keeps speaking as if she's said nothing. "I must leave the castle to discuss the 'student problem', and I need to know that you and Longbottom and the others will prevent any . . . deaths, any . . . anything-"
"Unpleasant?" Ginny supplies.
"Yes, 'unpleasant'," Snape agrees, smoothing down his robes a bit unsteadily.
"What could be more unpleasant than death?" asks Ginny with forced sarcasm.
Snape fixes his gaze upon hers again. "Not dying, Weasley. Not dying."
A thousand questions run through Ginny's mind, and she can't look away. Snape's expression is . . . haunted, by what, Ginny doesn't know.
"If you have questions of me, ask them now. I must soon release you and take that," Snape tells Ginny, pointing at a smoking goblet on Dumbledore's desk.
It's not Snape's desk. It will never be Snape's desk.
"What is that?" Ginny demands.
"A forgetting draught, for I cannot Obscure so much from the Dark Lord, not easily, and as you have no doubt gleaned, I have much to hide, Miss Weasley."
"Are you . . . are you still some kind of spy for the Order? Are you double-agenting it?"
Snape snorts before slumping against the desk. "Yes."
"Summon a house-elf."
Without a trace of surprise, Snape calls, "Tessy, attend me!"
Pop!
"You is asking for Tessy?" a young female elf in a light green pillowcase asks.
"Miss Weasley has ques-"
"Tessy," Ginny interrupts, "is the Head-is Snape trying to keep students safe? Has he been helping us?"
Tessy claps her hands together. "Oh, yes! Severus Snape is being very good to his students, very, very good! We is, all of us elves, we is watching the bad ones every day, all the time! We is telling Severus Snape everything!"
"You are a very good house-elf," says Ginny, earning her a grateful, wide-eyed look from Tessy. "You must . . . you must also look after Severus Snape every day, all the time."
"Tessy knows this! Tessy does this!"
"That will be all, Tessy," Snape tells her. "You may go."
Pop!
"Don't come over all Molly maternal, Weasley, I couldn't bear it."
Ginny rolls her eyes. "How are Ron and Harry?"
"No concern for Miss Granger?"
Now Ginny snorts. "No, none. The boys?"
"They are fine, dear," Phineas Nigellus reports from his frame-just before the curtain whooshes shut over it.
"Silence!"
"Professor, under the circumstances, you really shouldn't shout."
"What do you mean?" asks Snape, rubbing his head.
"Now's not the time to come over all thick, sir. Whatever you've been dosing yourself with is wearing off, isn't it?"
"I don't appreciate your familiarity, Weasley."
"I don't give two shits what you appreciate, however helpful you may be being. Why are you-"
"Enough! Let us just say that I am not his man. Do you understand me? I am not the Dark Lord's man."
Something in Snape's expression makes Ginny think of a frightened child. It's the same expression she's seen on the faces of the First Years in the wake of one of the Carrows' "detentions," and suddenly, something occurs to her.
"You're not going to survive the war, are you, sir?"
Snape's head snaps up. "Why do you say that?"
"You don't look as if you want to."
Snape turns away from her, his face hidden by his hair. "It's been . . . difficult, and I . . . don't deserve to-"
"Belt up, you great whinging arse!"
Ginny's words have Snape back on his feet, but she presses on.
"I don't feel sorry for you. However you got here, you got here all on your own. You do everything you can to keep us safe-even if it hurts you! And you'd best double your efforts where my brother and Harry are concerned!"
Snape smirks, wincing a bit. "Still no concern for Granger?"
"No need. Hermione can take care of herself. Promise me."
Snape shakes his head. "I assure you that I will do what I can, but I cannot promise you anything. I simply cannot do that, Miss Weasley."
Ginny is surprised to see Snape's eyes glitter wetly, yet no tears fall. "Give me that sack. I'd best be going-and don't you dare die, Snape, not before you make things right."
"You are just as fierce as your mother, Ginevra," Snape says, handing her the potions.
"Of course I am," she replies, too shocked by his compliment and use of her first name to do otherwise. "Take care of us. Take care of the boys. And stay out of Hermione's way!"
As Ginny leaves the Headmaster's office, she can hear them: broken tears cut by laughter, and they fill her with confusion . . . but no pity.
Author:
iulia_linnea
Characters: Snape, Ginny, others
Rating: PG
Warning (highlight to view): For mentions of violence.
Word Count: 1226
Summary: Ginny has an unexpected conversation with Snape in Dumbledore's office.
Disclaimer: This work of fan fiction is based on characters and situations created by J. K. Rowling and owned by J. K. Rowling and various publishers, including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made from (and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended by) the posting of this fan work.
Author's Note: Written for the 2022 run of snapecase. Thank you, Shog, for beta'ing.
Alecto Carrow's inane giggling can be heard on the other side of the Headmaster's door after she shuts it upon Ginny, who at once turns on Snape.
"Do you know what the Carrows have been up to? What Amycus did this morning? He-"
"Attacked a Firstie in the Great Hall," Snape says, his voice low and dispassionate.
Ginny clenches her fists and spits on his robes.
"Yes, I know. I am the villain in this tale," he says, "but you must listen now. There isn't much time."
Ginny opens her mouth to speak, but closes it again just as abruptly. She finds Snape's behaviour odd and wants to know what he has to say-and why he's chosen to say it to her.
"I must leave the castle for a short duration and have taken steps to ensure that Amycus cannot permanently harm any student by use of his magic."
"That isn't stopping him from-"
"Becoming more physically violent," Snape interrupts, moving closer to her, "which is why you must keep the younger and injured students out of his and Alecto's way. I suggest that you hide them where it is Required."
Ginny swallows her guilt. Neville has been after her to help him, and she's done her best to do so while staying out of the Carrows' way, herself.
But it isn't enough, she thinks, while demanding, "Why are you telling me this?"
At first, the scent of Firewhisky is all that emerges from Snape, but then . . . .
"Because when you hide, you'll need these."
Ginny stares into the sack that Snape Summons; it's full of potions phials. "And I'm just supposed to trust all this? To trust you?"
Snape sighs. "If you do not look out for the weaker students while I am gone . . . . Weasley, the Carrows are not my only concern when it comes to protecting the student body. The Dark Lord is frustrated to hear of your disobedience and defiance."
"And you're not?" Ginny asks.
Snape runs a hand through his hair, pulling it back. Ginny can see the odd glitter of his eyes. He's had more than alcohol, it seems.
"Will you take them to the Room of Requirement? Will you act?"
Ginny swallows and tries to look away, but Snape seizes her by the chin and stares into her eyes.
After a moment, he mocks, "Isn't that sweet. You promised your mother not to fight."
Forgetting how much she hates Snape, Ginny snaps, "I'm her youngest. She wants me to stay safe!"
"Of course she does. She loves you. She loves you, Weasley, but you cannot repay that love by hiding. You must care for those who cannot care for themselves."
This is entirely too bizarre, thinks Ginny, with suspicion. "Why do you care?"
Snape keeps speaking as if she's said nothing. "I must leave the castle to discuss the 'student problem', and I need to know that you and Longbottom and the others will prevent any . . . deaths, any . . . anything-"
"Unpleasant?" Ginny supplies.
"Yes, 'unpleasant'," Snape agrees, smoothing down his robes a bit unsteadily.
"What could be more unpleasant than death?" asks Ginny with forced sarcasm.
Snape fixes his gaze upon hers again. "Not dying, Weasley. Not dying."
A thousand questions run through Ginny's mind, and she can't look away. Snape's expression is . . . haunted, by what, Ginny doesn't know.
"If you have questions of me, ask them now. I must soon release you and take that," Snape tells Ginny, pointing at a smoking goblet on Dumbledore's desk.
It's not Snape's desk. It will never be Snape's desk.
"What is that?" Ginny demands.
"A forgetting draught, for I cannot Obscure so much from the Dark Lord, not easily, and as you have no doubt gleaned, I have much to hide, Miss Weasley."
"Are you . . . are you still some kind of spy for the Order? Are you double-agenting it?"
Snape snorts before slumping against the desk. "Yes."
"Summon a house-elf."
Without a trace of surprise, Snape calls, "Tessy, attend me!"
Pop!
"You is asking for Tessy?" a young female elf in a light green pillowcase asks.
"Miss Weasley has ques-"
"Tessy," Ginny interrupts, "is the Head-is Snape trying to keep students safe? Has he been helping us?"
Tessy claps her hands together. "Oh, yes! Severus Snape is being very good to his students, very, very good! We is, all of us elves, we is watching the bad ones every day, all the time! We is telling Severus Snape everything!"
"You are a very good house-elf," says Ginny, earning her a grateful, wide-eyed look from Tessy. "You must . . . you must also look after Severus Snape every day, all the time."
"Tessy knows this! Tessy does this!"
"That will be all, Tessy," Snape tells her. "You may go."
Pop!
"Don't come over all Molly maternal, Weasley, I couldn't bear it."
Ginny rolls her eyes. "How are Ron and Harry?"
"No concern for Miss Granger?"
Now Ginny snorts. "No, none. The boys?"
"They are fine, dear," Phineas Nigellus reports from his frame-just before the curtain whooshes shut over it.
"Silence!"
"Professor, under the circumstances, you really shouldn't shout."
"What do you mean?" asks Snape, rubbing his head.
"Now's not the time to come over all thick, sir. Whatever you've been dosing yourself with is wearing off, isn't it?"
"I don't appreciate your familiarity, Weasley."
"I don't give two shits what you appreciate, however helpful you may be being. Why are you-"
"Enough! Let us just say that I am not his man. Do you understand me? I am not the Dark Lord's man."
Something in Snape's expression makes Ginny think of a frightened child. It's the same expression she's seen on the faces of the First Years in the wake of one of the Carrows' "detentions," and suddenly, something occurs to her.
"You're not going to survive the war, are you, sir?"
Snape's head snaps up. "Why do you say that?"
"You don't look as if you want to."
Snape turns away from her, his face hidden by his hair. "It's been . . . difficult, and I . . . don't deserve to-"
"Belt up, you great whinging arse!"
Ginny's words have Snape back on his feet, but she presses on.
"I don't feel sorry for you. However you got here, you got here all on your own. You do everything you can to keep us safe-even if it hurts you! And you'd best double your efforts where my brother and Harry are concerned!"
Snape smirks, wincing a bit. "Still no concern for Granger?"
"No need. Hermione can take care of herself. Promise me."
Snape shakes his head. "I assure you that I will do what I can, but I cannot promise you anything. I simply cannot do that, Miss Weasley."
Ginny is surprised to see Snape's eyes glitter wetly, yet no tears fall. "Give me that sack. I'd best be going-and don't you dare die, Snape, not before you make things right."
"You are just as fierce as your mother, Ginevra," Snape says, handing her the potions.
"Of course I am," she replies, too shocked by his compliment and use of her first name to do otherwise. "Take care of us. Take care of the boys. And stay out of Hermione's way!"
As Ginny leaves the Headmaster's office, she can hear them: broken tears cut by laughter, and they fill her with confusion . . . but no pity.