A/N: A wonderful artist has completed an artwork for Vixen: Redemption in the following link. Please go and visit and give her some love(Remove spaces) ronices. deviantart. com /art/ Snapes-Encounter- 527934317

And also a truly beautiful banner by another very talented artist! I wish ff allowed banners to be added to stories! Thank you for spending your time creating this! (Remove spaces.) hm-roberts . deviantart . com /art/ Vixen-Redemption-Banner - 526688809

Chapter Three

"So… How did it go?" Harry asked tentatively, his black hair back in its normal messy state now that it was free of the wax which usually subdued it enough to look professional for the ministry.

She narrowed her eyes at him and glared as she handed him a mug of tea and joined him on her worn ash brown sofa, propping one of the navy blue pillows behind her and crossing her legs.

"Ah, ok… I'm guessing that means it didn't go well?" He cringed slightly as he awaited her answer.

"Well observed Harry, I see you're as astute as you ever were." She said dryly, taking a sip of her coffee and looking at his guilty expression over the top of her mug.

"What happened?" He asked, and so she told him. He cringed in all the right places, and looked at her with sorrowful eyes once she reached the end. His sigh was heavy as he ran his hands through his messy black hair before he propped his chin on his hand and met her gaze.

"I'm sorry for putting you in that situation Hermione, but I needed to know he was ok. Why didn't you speak to him?"

"Oh yes Harry because he would have reacted fantastically to me transforming in his back garden. 'Oh hello there Professor, sorry just to drop in but Harry requested that I stalk you because you weren't answering his owls. By the way, do you fancy coming to a wedding?'" She reeled off sarcastically and he flinched at her tone.

"I suppose you're right, Hermione. Thank you for checking anyway." He sighed and took a sip of his tea. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Harry, all he had done since discovering the truth was try to atone for the mistake he had made in judging Snape's character. It wasn't something he should have to atone for in Hermione's opinion; the man had crafted his persona to perfection, no one was supposed to see through it. And they had only been children after all, a villain is a villain to a child, they see good and evil so simply that it's hard for them to fathom the true depth of the matter. How were they to know a man so easily painted as evil truly fought for the light, and the man they believed to be a hero turned out to have his fair share of darkness within him?

"All you can do is keep trying Harry. Maybe one day your owls will drive him so mad he'll turn up at your office, wand drawn and robes billowing." She said trying to lighten the oppressive mood that had fallen over them.

Harry's mouth quirked upward in a smile. "You have no idea how happy it would make me if he did, i'd even take whatever spells he had to throw at me without trying to defend myself."

"Probably not the best idea Harry, he is the most powerful wizard alive." She stated seriously, knowing full well just how much damage Snape could do if he chose to.

"Yeah, I know. And to think all of that talent just sitting there, all that potential…"

"I imagine he's had enough of fighting other peoples battles." She reminded him gently. Trying to get the notion of he and Snape side by side fighting crime, out of his head for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Yeah you're right Mione, anyway I'd better get back to Ginny. Thanks again and i'm sorry to have put you in that situation." Her best friend stood and embraced her with one arm, she hugged him back feeling a little heaviness in her chest.

"Anything for the chosen one." She said, but it fell flat. They both tried to smile and laugh but in reality the war had taken so much from all of them, they had lost so many and Harry still insisted on blaming himself.

"See you later." He said as he waved and stepped into the floo, the fireplace flared green and he was gone.

Hermione sat there for a moment fiddling with the handle to her cup as her mind played with an idea. It was a stupid, absolutely insane, completely ridiculous idea. But after years of following the boys and their ridiculous plans it was about time she followed her own.

Suddenly, seemingly making up her mind, she stood and placed her still lukewarm tea on the side. Then she took a deep breath and span on the spot, disappearing with a loud and echoing crack.

Spinners End seemed so remarkably different in the daytime, even more so in her fox form with everything being so much larger than her. The dilapidated house looked even more pathetic in the daylight than it did at night, at least under the cover of darkness the imperfections were somewhat disguised. The harsh rays of sunlight showed no forgiveness as they highlighted every crumbling brick and cracked roof tile, every moulding windowsill and cracked window pane. She felt rather sorry for the poor building. She imagined Snape's neighbours didn't share her sympathy, the place was an eyesore and if she had to look at it every day she supposed it would begin to wear on her too.

Thankfully his house was the last and so beyond that stretched woodland and fields, plenty of places she could keep cover whilst she watched. Though Merlin knows why she was actually here, she didn't have a clue and kept trying to ignore the annoying voice in the back of her skull which insisted on trying to analyse everything.

Hermione lithely wove in and out of the bushes on her white paws until she reached the back of the house. She knew watching the front was futile, Snape preferred privacy. Whilst the day wasn't exactly warm enough for gardening, the sun was shining and the flowers were beginning to lift as winter turned into spring. Therefore she was stunned to a total halt mid-step when she saw the figure crouched amongst the long grass, apparently fiddling with something she wasn't quite able to see. She circled, being careful to still remain hidden as she sidled past the dilapidated fence that enclosed his property.

He was clothed in the garb she was so used to seeing him in as a child and young adult and it made her almost nostalgic, to see the long sleeves and many buttons with the strong, pale hands working diligently at his task. Momentarily an image flashed before her eyes and they were back in the potions classroom.

He appeared to be putting together some kind of feeder and her amber eyes narrowed as she looked at the large plastic bag next to him, her whiskers twitched slightly as she sniffed and her heart lurched within her chest.

He was setting up a feeder and in the bag next to him were nuts and raisins. Hermione knew that this particular mix was widely considered as the best way to keep foxes in your garden for the longest amount of time, as the food was small and more difficult to gather. She remembered her mother doing the same thing for the foxes that their neighbours had considered vermin, that had been when Hermione had first felt a kindred spirit and love for what she thought were truly beautiful animals.

Her chest ached and she bowed her furry head, her pointed ears laying back against her skull in sorrow. The poor man. How lonely was he that he wished to further entice wildlife into his garden for some interaction?

She couldn't deny him that one, small happiness. She would come back tonight and let him see her eating from the bowl. After all if Snape wouldn't let her befriend him in human form, perhaps he would in fox form.

As the sun had begun falling lower in the sky Hermione had crept from her hiding spot and approached the feeder. Her bushy tail curled about her petite form as she bent her head to sniff the bowl before her, the sweet and savoury smells wafted upward and settled on her tongue making her mouth water. Using her nose she nudged the bowls contents, giving the appearance of consuming the treats before her. Once she felt she had continued the charade for long enough she stretched out, tail flicking behind her and laid her tummy against the dew covered grass. It felt wonderful upon her skin and giving into the primal urge within her, she rolled happily, dampening her fur in the wet grass.

Within the house, concealed behind dirt smeared windows and heavy, dank curtains, stood Severus Snape. He observed the fox closely as it frolicked in his back garden, its honey-red fur had been darkened by the moisture, though its bushiness had not diminished at all. A small smirk quirked the corner of his mouth as he considered how like her animagus form his former student was, bushy hair and all. Of course he knew she believed that she had tricked him, fooled him into believing she was a mere urban fox. He snorted momentarily in bemusement, after Black's escape from Azkaban and Rita Skeeter's numerous 'Breaking News' stories, animagus detection charms were among the first he placed upon his property.

Again he took a moment to wonder how stupid the girl truly believed him to be, or perhaps it was naive hope on her part, he had after all ignored her many pleas for contact after the war had ended and his trial had finished. He didn't understand why she continued to persist, he was just her old teacher. Surely Miss Granger hadn't fallen prey to hero worship? No… She had grown up with The Boy Who Lived and was considered a hero herself for her efforts in the war.

Which was precisely why he had gone along with her little game for the time being, to see how long she could keep it up and if she ever revealed what, exactly it was she wanted. He was curious about her motives, that much he would admit to himself.

One thing he certainly wouldn't admit was that it warmed his cold, deadened heart somewhat to have her come to him and seek him out again. Or that he found amusement in watching her roll around on his lawn like a common canine, he would be sure to remind her of her idiotic behaviour when he did eventually confront her.

He steadfastly ignored the voice in his head that suggested perhaps as he hadn't already confronted her and demanded she leave, he didn't really want her to.

AN: I will resort to begging for reviews as I've had half of this chapter sitting, waiting to be finished for WEEKS and it drove me to insanity I tell you! I had to force my muse into action and that's never a good thing, so please help me keep it going and leave a review behind, my humble thanks.