Disclaimer: Not mine.

I Need to Breathe

Chapter 4

His Legal Guardian

Hermione arrived early, wanting to make sure she did not get lost finding the solicitor's office. She took a taxi to the address on the card, and once on the pavement, flipped it over to see the Wizarding address stamped on the back. It took her an hour to find the secret door, not being able to tell which one the Muggles could not see. At least he could put up a sign, she thought angrily.

She had to open the door with both arms, leaning back and struggling to get it open enough to squeeze in. The Hallway was dark and smelled of something she could not place, but was sure she had once smelled the same thing in the bottom drawer of the fridge after coming home from holiday. The long narrow hallway ended at a staircase. Climbing the steps, she wanted to shriek when a shadow darted across her feet. Great, she thought, mice ghosts, and then she giggled thinking how like Snape it was to find a solicitor in a place like this.

"I am here to see a Mr. Dobbins," she told the purple haired witch sitting behind a large sign that told her where to register.

"You must be Mrs. Snape."

"No, Miss. Granger, Hermione Granger. I have an appointment with Mr. Dobbins."

"I don't see it in the book. I see he has one with a Mrs. Snape."

"No, it's about Mr. Snape, Professor Severus Snape, but I am Hermione Granger. I was to meet him and Harry Potter."

"Oh, Mr. Potter is already here, but I still don't see your name."

"Listen, I don't even think there is a Mrs. Snape. If there is, I would be sincerely surprised and sympathetic. Just tell Mr. Dobbins and Mr. Potter that a Miss Granger is here."

"Hermione?" Harry walked out of Mr. Dobbin's office and grinned at her.

"Harry!" She threw her arms around him and gave him a hug before stepping back and laughing up at him. "It seems like I haven't seen you for ages."

"How are you doing? Better?" Harry said seriously. "You haven't been around much. Ron has been wanting to see you."

"Most of the time I'm fine, I still wake up in the middle of the night and cry a lot." She smiled thinly. "I just can't see him now, I can't … but tell him … tell him soon. I just need time."

"I know. I think all of us are having problems. Ronald's a right mess."

"I haven't even owled him, I just can't Harry. I can't. He needs someone to support him and I can't do it."

"He understands, we ... we talked about it." He shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I think he needs time too, you know, just to heal."

"Mrs. Snape?" Andrew Dobbins stuck his head out of his office. "If we could get started please?"

"Miss. Granger, I told your receptionist, Miss. Hermione Granger." She rolled her eyes and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him into the room with her. "They got the names mixed up."

"Umm, Hermione?" Harry led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her. "You'd better sit down."

"Thanks." She sat, slid her shoulder bag onto the floor under the table and shrugged off her jumper. "Now, where do we start?"

Later, Hermione would not remember much of what happened then. She would remember standing in front of Harry, holding his face with one hand, her wand with her other as Mr. Dobbins tried to wrestle it away from her, while the purple-haired bimbo from the outer office pried her fingers off Harry's face. She would remember spitting at Dobbin, and her fist connecting with the witch's nose, but other than that, it was a blur.

She could hear Harry' voice, it was far away, through a fog, she needed to get to him. She fought to sit up, but felt a hand pushing her down.

"Is she always this excitable?" Mr. Dobbins leaned over Harry's shoulder to look at her, and then returned to his desk when Harry levelled him with a glare.

"Hermione?"

"Harry?" she said groggily, "I must have fallen down. What…?"

"Just take it easy," he frowned at her. "It'll be Okay, really it will, we can figure something out."

"Help me up." She pulled herself up and lowered her legs over the side of the sofa until she was sitting properly. "I don't remember a sofa."

"Give it a moment." Harry grinned. "I'm sure it'll all come back."

"My god." She leaned forward covering her face with her hands. "She tricked me, Augusta Longbottom tricked me. Neville's grandmother … I'll kill her. I will. I will… that bitch!"

"Hermione, she must have done the same thing to Snape," Harry reasoned with her. "I don't think he will be overly pleased about this either."

"Don't tell him. Harry he mustn't know. Don't tell him."

"Mrs. Snape, you can…"

"Don't you dare call me that," she screamed. "Where is it? My wand, where is it?"

Harry sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Listen, get through the trial. After it's over, I will go with you to the Ministry and get this thing overturned. You should be able to get an annulment, you were tricked."

"Umm, Mr. Potter, that may not be completely correct," Dobbins offered. "The document was accepted, magically."

"I was tricked you idiot!"

"What exactly were you told?"

"Just that he need a legal guardian, someone to … to take care of him."

"There you have it. You accepted, legally, responsibility for his care. It comes with the marriage."

"Then we will do something else. Don't marriages have to be consummated?" Harry smiled.

"Oh my god, I am going to vomit." Hermione wailed and hid her face in her hands again.

"Consummation is not a requirement," Dobbins added.

"That's good." Harry grinned and nodded at her.

"That's awful, Harry, that means I can't get a divorce just because I won't fuck him."

"Umm," Harry stammered and turned red.

"Get over it, Harry," she hissed at him. "And what do you expect me to tell Ronald? That I told him I wanted to wait until we were married to go to bed, but now what? I … oh no, I can't do this. I don't even want to see Ronald's face when he hears and … oh, my gods… the trial… he will be there. Get Ron, get him here now, I can fuck him and get a divorce."

"He's going to find out."

"You tell him, Harry, please? I can't … I just can't." She sobbed into her hands. "He'll kill me, or Snape, or … gods, this can't be happening."

"He'll understand," Harry said softly, and then heard her snort. "Okay, he won't understand, but once we get it all sorted out he'll be fine."

"Mr. Dobbins, do you handle divorces?" Hermione snapped up her head.

"Divorce is very difficult in the Wizarding world, Mrs. Sn… Miss Granger. Furthermore, your type of marriage did not stipulate infidelity as a reason for divorce."

"Yeah, I get it," she hissed. "How much?"

"Miss Granger, I assure…"

"How much, my husband is paying. Cost is not an issue, clear out his vaults, take it all, I don't care and I am sure he would insist on it."

"Think of it this way, your current husband is being put on trial for being a Death Eater. He also tortured children, misappropriated funds, conspired to overthrow the government, committed murder … shall I go on?"

"That's ridiculous. He has never stolen in his life!" She lifted her chin, and then turned to Harry. "That didn't sound right."

"And that is exactly the problem we will have at the trial. The Ministry has accused him of doing things that he did do. There is no question about that. What we have to show is the why. You see, Mrs…Miss Granger, this world is different. Here, the intent is the important thing, not the action."

"So I can't press charges against Augusta Longbottom?"

"No, I am afraid not, but for now we must focus on Mr. Snape."

"Fuck Snape! How do I get out of this? I'll rip her fucking head off!"

"If he is found guilty you will be quite free, and a wealthy widow."

"What? You're suggesting that we…"

"Not at all, I am giving you one scenario."

"That's my best chance?"

"I am afraid so."

"Harry? Don't testify."

"Hermione, we can't. Bloody hell, he won't make it out alive. You know that. We'll figure something out."

"Then you have to tell Professor Snape about our… you know… before he shows up." Hermione turned and glared at Dobbins.

"Yes, I must say I do hope he is under restraint, he may take his poorly."

"I hope he's not. I hope he is up and about, make sure there is a knife near by, maybe he will slit his own throat."

"Hermione!"

"I know, I know…" she sat at the table while Harry transfigured the sofa back to his desk chair and took a seat next to her. "Let's get started. The sooner we do this, the sooner he gets off and the sooner you are Miss. Granger again."

.

.

Hermione filled out her questionnaire only to return the next day and do it again. On the third day, Mr. Dobbins asked her the same questions aloud, scowling and taking pages of notes. She knew Harry was doing the same thing down the hallway, no doubt biting the end of his quill and cursing under his breath. She only hoped tomorrow would go as easily as answering the questions Dobbins shot at her. He assured her they were the last two that had offered to help, and that many more witness had come forward. She sighed in relief, hoping his trial would be over quickly.

The next morning she paid close attention to her appearance. Not wanting to look like the schoolgirl she was, she magically altered one of her mother's business suits to fit her, tied up her hair, and slid on a pair of heels. Looking in the mirror, she sighed then headed for the floo.

As soon as she stepped out at the Ministry flashbulbs popped in her face and she was crowded to the wall as reporters from every corner of the magical world assaulted her, asking questions, and demanding she give them an interview. She held her purse in front of her face, edging down the hallway with her back against the wall. Suddenly a pair of arms covered her with a cloak, and holding her tightly, propelled her down the hallway.

"Ronald," she said tearfully, recognising who it was without needing to see his face. "Thank gods you are here."

He pulled her into a room and shut the door before releasing her and stepping back. Hermione flung her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to reach him only to feel him push her away.

"Why'd you do it?" he choked. "I thought we meant something to each other. I thought we had an agreement."

"We did, we do, Ronald. It was a mistake. Not that I married him but how." She saw his face grow hard and angry. "No, I mean … I was tricked. I didn't know what I was doing. Didn't Harry tell you how it happened?"

"I don't care how it happened, I only care that I lost you."

"No, Ronald." She reached up to cup his cheek to see him flinch. "We will talk later, okay? I have to do this now, and so do you, but you haven't lost me."

"Tonight?"

"Yes, love, we'll talk tonight." She smiled as relief flood her. "I can't lose you. You must know that I care for you."

He nodded at a door on the far side of the room. "That's the witness holding area. I told that Solicitor of Snape's that I would collect you."

"You're not a witness?"

"No, I went and talked to them, but I really didn't see anything you and Harry didn't. That and I can't very well give him high marks on character can I now Mrs. Snape."

"Ronald, don't do this, please."

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I can't let it go. I buried a brother because of the likes of him. How would you have me act?" He lifted his chin, only to let it go again, and left without a word.

She could not see who else was in the room through the charms that obscured them. She soon found that the spells extended to verbal communications as well. Unable to see or hear who was in the room with her, she was left watching the clock and worrying her lip.

Almost three hours later, she heard her name called. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the courtroom. It was silent, much too silent she thought. She lifted her chin and saw every seat taken, in both the audience and the judging stands. Not knowing what to do, she looked around for Dobbins, but instead saw Snape glowering at her.

"Please have a seat," Head Justice MacGillian waved to the witness chair that sat in the middle of the floor, at the bottom of tiered spectator seats.

Hermione walked stiffly forward , not looking at Severus and sat, folded her hands in her lap, put her knees together, and gently moved them sideways.

"Are you comfortable Mrs. Snape?"

"Quite."

"Would you like a glass of water?"

"No thank you."

"I take it you are familiar with the accused?"

"Yes sir."

"Quite familiar?" He grinned to the amusement of the crowd.

She pressed her lips together and glared at him.

"I see. Mrs. Snape, when were you first aware that your husband was a Death Eater?"

"I am not aware of that at all. He served in the…"

"You will keep your answers to the point, Mrs. Snape, or may I call you Hermione?"

"No, Mrs. Snape is fine." She wanted to see him lose his smirk and was quite pleased when he did.

"I believe that you and you alone are responsible for your husband's recovery. Am I correct in this?"

"I am sorry, sir, I do not understand the question. Are you asking if you believe it, or that the information itself is correct?"

"Both."

"No and No," she smirked. "No. You do not believe it, not even this court is that stupid, and no, the information that you refer to is incorrect."

"I see."

"Is that a question, sir?" She snipped and was rewarded with an amused murmur from the crowd.

"And who did assist you?"

"No one."

"You testified that you did not do this alone. Now you say you did. Which is the lie?"

"Since I did not heal him, I was not assisted, therefore both of my answers are truths."

"Mrs. Snape did you know that your husband was responsible for the death of Harry Potter's parents."

"No, I was and am not aware of it. He did not …"

"Are you aware that during his time as a Death Eater he not only killed but raped?"

"No, he ..." she paused and shot Severus a look, unable to read his face, unable to know the answer. "No, I have no knowledge of that."

"You are aware that he has fooled his court before?"

"No, I … Sir, if that was for crimes for which he was exonerated you can not bring it up now."

"Mrs. Snape, you will leave procedural comments to your husband's Solicitor."

"He's an arse, the Solicitor, not my husband. " She heard Severus snort and looked at him, surprise to see him nod at her.

"What were the memories he handed down to Mr. Potter."

"Since they were given to Mr. Potter, you will have to ask Mr. Potter or my husband, since I have not seen them."

"You are friends with Mr. Longbottom are you not?"

"Yes."
"And you are aware that your husband is responsible for his parent's condition."

"No I am not, and may I add neither are you. The records clearly show that all those involved with the Longbottom incident were incarcerated. So unless you are saying your own records are in error you know this is a lie."

"Is it true that Mr. Snape was your teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

"Yes."

"It is true that you are at this time a seventh year student?"

"Yes."

"Is it true that you and your teacher had an illicit affair?"

"What?" She gasped as the murmurs of the spectators grew.

"I think this would be a good place to leave it for the day," Head Justice MacGillian smiled.

"Dobbins!" Hermione hissed.

"I demand that question be answered." Severus spoke for the first time, straining against the restraints that held his arms to his chair.

"It's a lie and you know it!" Hermione shouted to MacGillian's back. "Get back here!"

She stood with her fists to her side watching the judges file out of the room as flashbulbs again went off around her. She spun and looked at Snape, watching as the Aurors surrounded him to lead him out of the room.

She turned back to the courtroom, searching for Ronald.