dhorrible_mod (dhorrible_mod) wrote in deeply_horrible, @ 2013-05-11 02:23:00 |
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Entry tags: | *2013 fest, *ss2013, rating: g, type: fic |
Sloppy Seconds Day 6: The Ballad of Severus Snape
Title: The Ballad of Severus Snape
Author: writcraft
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Unrequited Severus/Lily
Rating: G
Word Count: ~1,300
Content/Warnings: Canonical character death, canon twist with events during the Battle for
Hogwarts.
Prompt: Excerpt from The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde.
Author’s Notes: My peculiar muse demanded a poem told loosely in the ballad style of the
Wilde poem on which the prompt was based. I am frankly a little terrified of this posting and for all of
those poets amongst you, I can only offer my sincerest apologies for butchering your craft.
I. He met her first when it was bright; The sky was pastel blue, He took her hand and showed to her All the magic he could do, He caught her eyes and with surprise Saw she was smiling too. From that time on when things were dark, He thought about her smile; Remembering the way the sun Shone brightly in the sky, And he knew that he would think of her Until the day he died. II. The day soon came to catch the train To take them somewhere new, He told her things that he had heard About the magic school, And promised her that where she went, He would follow too. He gnashed his teeth with disbelief When the hat proclaimed out loud, A rousing shout of “Gryffindor!” Drawing cheers from all the crowd; He watched her walk away from him, Her head held high and proud. He knew the hat would not choose him For such a noble quest, When the hat called out for “Slytherin!” He knew it suited best, And joined his housemates readily, Upon the hat’s behest. III. The years passed by and still he tried To keep her by his side, But as all things strain with passing time Their friendship ebbed and died; While secret dreams and silent schemes Kept his spark of hope alive. Then one sunlit day he saw a sight Which made his stomach coil, An idle hand upon her hip – His blood began to boil, And he dwelt long upon the Darkest spells As he plotted to destroy. He took a Mark which burned his skin And planned a great revenge, He knew someday the boy would pay It didn’t matter when, He would bide his time and wait awhile, And be ready to strike then. IV. When autumn leaves upon the trees Had fallen to the floor, He found himself within a pub And hid behind the door, Where he heard those fatal words Which shook him to the core. He walked in shadows through the night When the sky was filled with stars, He arrived and told the gathered crowd Of whispers heard in bars, The cries and yells brought down the room And he understood at last. He realized then his foolishness As his wicked, hopeful dreams, Led to something he had never planned In any of his schemes, While every desperate, wretched plan, Collapsed in smithereens. He made his case with desperate pleas, He promised and he begged, But not one more lie or shaking cry Could save his loved one’s head, He left that night and took his flight, Filled with rising dread. V. He stalked through shifting corridors, Until faced with darkened stone; He banged until his knuckles bled, It opened with a groan, He begged again, a second time And at last was welcomed home. It took him time to change his ways, To pander and to please; He scowled and snarled and hated Those he needed to appease, And fought with every silent scream From falling to his knees. And so began another plan Where he joined a different team, He trusted they would keep her safe, And again began to dream, He always dreamt of auburn hair And eyes of brilliant green. VI. One night he woke in fevered sweats And felt his forearm burn, Something bad, something mad, Twisted through the earth, He looked outside into the night And his stomach churned. He stumbled fast upon the house, The skull hung in the sky; The room was still the brightest green And more than one had died, He found her lying on the floor And bent his head and cried. He kissed her once, he kissed her twice, Her face between his palms, He felt her blood upon his hands When he took her in his arms, She still looked pale and beautiful; Her eyes were strangely calm. He wept against her silken hair, And cried into the night, He took his time to hold her close, Within the dying light; The light that took the life from her And brought about his plight. VII. The years went past and every night He thought about her eyes, The dream of what life could have been; The kisses and the sighs, Her memory hummed inside his mind, Like whispers in the night. He saw her boy when school began, And everything went cold; It brought back distant memories Of being angry and alone, As hatred boiled beneath his skin And pricked at every bone. He fought for her, not for him, He did as he was asked, And hated them and wept inside With every thankless task, And never could he be convinced The boy would even last. Then came the day when he was forced To test his every nerve, He drew his wand and held it firm, With all his cool reserve; His arm aloft, he cast the spell And watched the green light curve. The only man he ever loved Stepped backwards, then he fell, The blond boy cried, something died, He consigned himself to hell - The werewolf crowed, the death bell tolled, Its deep and forceful knell. The world around him split in two; The light against the dark, His home became a breeding ground For those who bore the Mark, But still at night he dreamed of her Until the very last. VIII. The darkness came, the end drew near, And whispered on the wind; It told him tales of how he had failed recounting many sins, While spells were cast and then at last Teeth sank into his skin. He clenched the glass within his hand And gave his memories away, He stumbled as he tried to talk About that fateful day, But found he couldn’t speak a word Of the things he wished to say. The glass fell down upon the floor, The marble cold and hard, His strangled cry and desperate eyes Fixed upon each tiny shard, As silver poured through every crack With flagrant disregard. He felt the boy’s hands on his neck And looked deep into his eyes, He saw how much they looked like hers And couldn’t help but cry, Until he drew his final breath And shuddered as he died. IX. The cruel gods came with last refrain And took him by the hand; To show him souls of all of those Bloodied, lost and damned. He heard them cry and weep and sigh And stumbled to the ground. He saw her then, a glorious sight, A whisper in the wind, She turned to smile and caught his eye As he told her of her sins, She laughed and shook her auburn hair, As her vision moved and dimmed. He reached his hand to try to grasp, A strand of shining hair, She pushed him back into the night As his hands caught only air, Wherever she had gone to be He wasn’t welcome there. Fin