Loopholes
Chapter Nine- Amends
-))*((-
It was too fucking bright and too fucking early for Hermione's tastes as she and Severus made their way through the mess of witches and wizards who didn't know how to pick a goddamn side when walking in a public forum. I mean, Jesus fucking Christ, how hard is it people?! Left if you're coming, right if you're going! Hermione had been bumped into so many times that now she was starting to shove back. Fuck it. She almost sent one poor soul flying into the fountain.
They finally reached the elevator, thank fuck for that. Hermione was already in a right foul mood because 'Goddamn Peacock' decided to spend the entire night cooing up and down the hallway by her door. Narcissa looked 'bout ready to fire up the skillets when Hermione caught a glance at them this morning. Lucius was baby talking him like some slick peacock pimp Sugar Daddy. Hermione stepped in the elevator with an envelope full of papers, Severus followed with a suspicious thick ass fucking file folder that had a full blown padlock on it. Knowing that he was the supreme overlord behind Malfoy Mafia, Hermione was not about to ask questions. Nope, nuh uh, hell no. She was not about to be the next target of a neighborhood drive by.
The elevator pinged and stopped at the third floor.
"This is where we part, Miss Granger," Severus stepped from the shaft. "As much as it pains me to say this-" really, it did. He loved it when Harry got his ass chewed out- "Try not to be too hard on Mister Potter when you see him. At the core, he means well. He's just-" he scrunched his face trying to find the right word, and Jesus Christ there were too many. Idiotic, careless, foolhardy, witless, simple-minded, brainless, unfocused, ill prepared, empty headed, thick, moronic, baboonish, and a goddamn twink with the ass of Adonis.
"Potter," he finished his original thought with a passive look on his face. He still had it when the elevator closed.
Hermione emerged on the eighth floor a few seconds later with a less than friendly attitude. Not even waiting for Mary Anne to alert Harry to her arrival, she marched right in his office and slammed the door behind herself.
"Minister, Hermione Granger is here to see you," Mary Anne rang from his speaker.
"Yes, I can see her in my office right now," He was staring her right in the face you fucking animal. This is what drove him to drink on a daily basis. "Thank you, Mary Anne."
For a while they just stood there in awkward silence. Harry could see she was angrily huffing like she was ready to explode at any moment. At this point he just naturally woke up every day expecting to be yelled at. Made his life somewhat easier to deal with.
"'Mione, where have you been?" Somebody had to break the silence.
"You don't get to call me that, Mister Potter," she spat with a glare that could kill.
"Hermione, please," Harry walked over to his conference table and pulled out a seat. "Let's sit and have a talk. Catch up-"
"You've been hunting me for ten years and now you want to catch up?!"
No, bitch. This was not an episode of Friends. Monica and Chandler are divorced, Ross and Rachael married out of wedlock and spend their nights having affairs with other people, and Phoebe and Joey are just fine because they were the only two decent ones on the show.
"No, I've been looking for you-"
"So you can snap my wand and haul me off to Azkaban like Kingsley tried to?!"
Eyes averted, Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew this day would come when he'd have to rectify his first and most damaging mistake since becoming a politician.
And that mistake would be 'putting your job before the most important people in your life.'
"You didn't even try to appeal my case, did you?" Hermione had her arms folded, leg pushed out, and foot tapping on his gold trimmed area rug.
"You were already gone," Harry said without looking up. "I couldn't appeal a wanted criminal turned fugitive."
"But I'm not a criminal, Harry," she threw her envelope on the table. It slid and all her papers fell out at his hands. "I've been through hell just to find a way to reverse the curse I put on him. Would a criminal do that?"
Harry sorted through the papers. Her recognizable script invaded many pages and margins.
"No," Harry finally looked at her. "But you still need to be here, Hermione. There's a proper way to do this."
"I tried the proper way!" Hermione waved her arms in the air feeling every bit as pissed off as he made it sound 'easy'. "Kingsley painted me as some Muggle killing monster because of it!"
"You pled guilty, what was I supposed to do?"
"Because I felt guilty!" Hermione shouted with tears in her eyes. "Not a single one of you stepped in for my defense! I was your best friend, Harry. I thought of you as a brother, the only conscious living relative I had left! And you couldn't even get your head out of your ass long enough to see I needed your help!"
"Hermione, you didn't speak for months," Harry truly hated seeing her so upset. Even more so when he knew she was right. "All we had to go by was the statement and reports from the Aurors who found you. When they questioned you, you told them you had done it on purpose, that you killed her. That's on par with a confession," he shook his head and gave her a sincere look. "There was nothing I could have done or said that would have swayed the Courts. I was nowhere near as influential back then to have handled something that big."
"Then handle it now," she wiped her eyes and finally took a seat. She shoved her papers towards him. "Help me fix this and get my father back."
He stared at her for a good long minute. She had bags under her eyes, and her clothes seemed a little baggy and worn. He could tell she wasn't lying when she said she'd been through hell. He couldn't imagine the weight of her heart that would drive her this far. She was nothing like the Hermione he remembered, and yet she was. Because she was still fierce and fighting for another day.
"Please, Harry," she begged, her gaze desperate. "This is the only obstacle I have left."
There was silence as Harry perused through the documents she gathered for him.
"This is dark magic, Hermione," Harry said after a while. "Extremely dark. Are you sure you could manage? Even if you could, the Council would never-"
He was interrupted as the door to his office flew open. In strut Severus with the same dead bolted folder from earlier and a rolled parchment in his hands.
"Minister, Severus Snape is here to see you," Mary Anne buzzed.
Harry suddenly had a migraine and a craving for some very strong alcohol.
"Severus, could you wait outside please?" His voice was stern but the way he looked at Severus could be taken otherwise. "Hermione and I are in the middle of a meeting."
"I am well informed to Miss Granger's situation," Snape handed him the rolled parchment. "And as your new Deputy Minister, I have a solution."
Harry threw him a curious look as he unrolled and read the scroll.
"This is-"
"A Writ of Tempus," Severus now turned to Hermione, " It would allow Miss Granger a chance to perform the task originally intended under the supervision of the Ministry; and if sufficient evidence is present, allow for a Writ of Certiorari to reopen Miss Granger's case before the Courts. With proper representation, might I add."
Harry read through the entire paper as he spoke.
"If the procedure goes well, which you have my fullest guarantee that it will, Miss Granger will have proved beyond probable cause that she is not a threat to Muggle society and therefore her sentence will be declared null and void."
Hermione's jaw dropped. She stared at him like he was a fucking God.
"How the hell did you get them to act so fast?" Harry had a similar expression as he rolled the paper and handed it to Hermione. The Council always took months of useless bickering they called 'deliberation' before they could ever unanimously decide on anything. For them to give Severus something this detailed in a matter of minutes was a miracle on par with sweet little 9 lb 3 oz baby Jesus himself!
Severus made a show of rolling his cuffs in a professional manner. His eyes were locked with Harry's. "I have my methods, Minister."
Oh, you best believe he had dirt on all those old fuddy duddy bastards who thought themselves 'above the law.' Every single one of them. Who run the world? Severus Snape, bitches.
"Aha, is that so?" Harry folded his arms and sat back with a coy little smile. "I see you've wasted no time fitting right in to your new position, Deputy."
"Politics is a game, Mister Potter," Severus held his gaze. "I shall do my best to teach you how it is played-" oh, he'd be teaching him something, alright- "Let us hope you can keep up with the lessons."
"Ahem," Hermione suddenly felt like the training pads on an adult Big Wheel. "So, about my request-"
"Approved," Harry spoke without looking her way.
Hermione held her chest. Holy shit, she felt like she was going to faint. She laughed in relief, and felt like crying, but she could wait to do that.
"Thank you, both of you," she originally meant it for Severus, but his words about Harry meaning well rang in her mind. Harry truly did mean well.
He was just an idiot at times.
"I believe it would be in your best interest, Miss Granger, to get some rest," There was a strange phenomena happening where neither Severus nor Harry could take their eyes off each other at the moment. Not that Hermione was complaining when it swayed the results in her favor; she was just itching to get the hell away so she didn't have to be in the middle of it. "The date has been set for tomorrow at noon."
Holy shit. He was not playing around, was he?
"And do tell Narcissa to get rid of that bloody bird."
She laughed from the doorway. "Will do, Sir."
"What's so funny, Granger?" Draco asked from where he leaned against the tall window of Mary Anne's desk. Hermione closed the door to Harry's office and turned to face him with the brightest smile she could gather.
"The fact that your magical aura is pink, Malfoy." The resulting scowl and fluster caused her to practically skip to the elevator. She waved 'ta ta!' from behind the closing doors.
Back in Harry's office, both men were now standing face to face.
"You accepted my proposition," Harry's voice was full of questioning wonder.
"You expected otherwise?" Severus raised an eyebrow. Neither seemed aware that they were steadily moving towards the other.
"I wasn't sure how you felt about working under me, given our history and all."
"I can assure you, I have no intentions of doing anything under you that you have not asked for." He reached out and adjusted Harry's tie. "But I am curious as to why you would go that far, Minister. I only asked you to revise a bill."
Harry's eyes slid to half lids as Severus slid a hand down his chest. Severus could feel him purring. Suddenly the nickname 'kitten' didn't seem too far of a stretch after all.
"Why wouldn't I go that far? You're an idealist, like me. Outspoken, but you're very passionate about your ethics," he closed his eyes once he felt Severus pull him closer by his tie. "This is about more than just the Reform Bill. I took an interest in politics because I wanted to change our world. A little over a decade later and I've realized that nothing has changed, Severus. It's always a fight, I fight to get something heard, and I fight to get something passed. Nobody listens to me and it takes months and months before anything actually gets done. It's tiring, and it ticks me off." Harry furrowed his brows and shook his head in frustration. Severus picked up on his tension, however, and slid his fingers to hold the nape of his neck and tilt his chin up in a tender fashion.
"But you, you demand results," Harry continued despite Severus kissing up his jaw, "And you don't stop until you get them. If I want to bring a change, then I need you to help me," he opened his eyes to see Severus giving him a very heated look. "I want you to help me. I-If you'll have me, that is."
He was already plotting the first hundred ways to eat roasted Potter ass over an open fire.
"I think our first order of business shall be to discuss electing a new cabinet to the Council. Most of the representatives you've harbored have served since Fudge," Severus led Harry backwards until he was pressed against his desk. Harry leaned back without resisting. "Which makes it relatively easy to pass old corruptions into a new age."
"I thought it'd be a good idea to keep them for their experience," Harry blushed, both from his mistake and the fact that Snape was currently burning him up. His hands were already under his shirt, but they were not in a hurry to move.
Out in the lobby, Mary Anne's buzzer suddenly went off.
"Ah, yes," Draco and Mary Anne heard Snape say. "While true those who hold experience can be beneficial, you no longer have need for their uses. Not when you have me."
"What's going on?" Draco asked and looked at the curious Muggle contraption Harry recently installed after insisting it would be an upgrade for everyone involved.
Mary Anne shook her head and frantically tried to buzz into his office but with Harry's hand over the 'speaker' button, her calls weren't getting through.
"Please kiss me," Harry finally asked after he had been cat fishing his lips but each time Snape had pulled back just before he could latch on.
"Now now, Minister," Severus teased with his trademark smirk. "Once again your priorities are mixed. Besides," he spoke from mere inches from Harry's lips. "Why ever would I be caught in an act so scandalous?"
"What the hell is going on in there?" Draco now had a look of pure disgust. Why couldn't she get that damn thing to shut off?!
"Oh, Severus," they heard Harry pant. "Please."
BANG BANG BANG
"OI! GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF THE SPEAKER, POTTER!"
Harry finally looked down and saw the tell tale red light blinking on his box. He blushed and quickly adjusted himself.
"Oh, no," Harry groaned. "Severus, I'm so-"
Snape kissed him anyway.
-))*((-
All Bella wanted was a tub of ice cream.
That's it, that's all she wanted. Just a single tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream to use and abuse from the comforts of her own home.
Apparently the universe decided that was too much to ask for. The goddamn freezer door of the frozen food section was glued shut.
As if she hadn't already had the shittiest day of her life.
No no, I mean that literally.
Earlier at work she had to remove a bowling pin from a clown's asshole in what he described as a "freak juggling accident", which took way longer than it should have due to her ditz of an assistant, Mindy, who somehow got it in her mind that he needed to shit the damn thing out and gave him extra strength Pepto Bismal to 'help it come out easier.'
Bella had never been so happy to fire someone.
Ever.
She'd finally gotten the lights and Internet fixed and bought a new charger but none of it mattered because she'd forgotten that her phone wallpaper was a picture of Hermione she snapped one late night she found her sleeping like an angel on Bella's side of the bed wrapped around her pillow. She'd tried to delete it but every time her fingers would hesitate because goddammit look at her. She's so fucking adorable you can't help but want to kiss the pout right off her lips. Instead she'd thrown her phone at the wall and left it where it fell.
The living room was worse because of this stupid fucking obscenely childish 'My Little Pony' poster Hermione'd stuck on the wall after Bella lost a bet they'd made a few months back about who could drink the most eggnog and not get sick. Strewn all over the place were blankets and little knicknacks they'd bought together from an old Muggle pottery barn warehouse, despite the fact that Bella hated window shopping with a fiery passion but the way Hermione'd smile when she saw something she liked made the trip well worth the hassle.
And the kitchen, her sanctuary, had even been ruined because now when she'd cook she'd miss Hermione propped up on the counter rambling on and on about insignificant bullshit that Bella could give two fucks in the wind for, but she'd loved the way her voice would totally squeak when she was too excited about something.
And here she just had one of the worst shifts of her life and no one even fucking cared anymore. She'd cried for a good hour and she wasn't even drunk.
Which brings us to where she was currently about to commit armed robbery to this freezer door just to get a tub of ice cream so she could go home and cry even more.
It was like a goddamn conspiracy.
She was banging her head on the door, minding her own business and not bothering a damn soul, when suddenly she felt someone take a mighty helping of Bella booty in the palm of their hand.
And had the audacity to squeeze it.
"Careful, honey," a feminine voice she easily recognized called in her ear, "You know what they say. 'A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.'"
"Cissy," Bella hissed without turning, "Get your dirty rotten hands off of my ass."
Hmmmm, nope. Dat ass felt firm as fuck. Damn, how long had it been? Had she been working out? Jesus. Besides, Narcissa had seen her eying that mint chocolate chip from afar and that was not a good sign. Terrible fucking taste. Who the hell wanted goddamn minty spearmint shit with their chocolate?!
Narcissa took another good squeeze of that ass. Bella jumped and finally faced her with a long list of obscenities at the ready.
But then she froze mid sentence and just stared at her ridiculous little sister.
"What the fuck are you wearing?"
I'll tell you what she was wearing. An old, worn, but still fashionable neon pink onesie jumpsuit that looked fresh from a 1986 catalogue of Vogue Magazine. Even complete with matching belt and boots.
"What, you mean my 'shopping suit'?" Narcissa asked with a cocky smile and wink. "I found it at a Muggle thrift shop for .99 cents."
Bella pushed her cart faaarrr and fast. Oh, heeeeelllll no. Not today.
"Bella, wait!" Cissy hissed and resorted to a light jog to catch up. "Don't I look like a normal Muggle?"
"We lived through the 80's, you know," Bella hissed and turned down the cereal isle contemplating ways to humanely kill one's self. "If I wanted to be embarrassed I'd just look through some old yearbooks!"
Cissy had caught up and was now trying to get handfuls of Bella booty while walking.
"Don't you dare follow me!" Too late for that, Narcissa had that ass locked in sight. Bella finally stopped and slapped her on the thigh. "I have officially disowned you."
"Oh?" Narcissa fiddled with a box of 'Pranks', the off brand of 'Trix'. "But I have news you'd be interested in. Important news."
"Yeah? Let's hear it so you can be on your way," Bella snatched the box and put it in her cart. "I'm sure Emcee Escher is waiting for his suit back."
Ignoring her snooty attitude, Cissy leaned over the edge of the cart like a child sorting through candy.
"Your little kitten has had quite the time lately." Bella rolled her eyes. "Delivering babies, partaking in certain illegal activities, mastering control of her emotions," Cissy paused and turned her gaze to Bella, "And even asked the Minister for permission to perform Apertum Caligo on her father."
Bella went stiff.
"Why should I care?" She said and pushed her cart to the next isle. Rice and noodles, awesome. "Oh, right. I don't."
"It's obvious to me that you care a lot more than you're putting on," Narcissa replied right behind her like an annoying buzz of a bee.
Bella bit her lip. She feigned interest in debating between Kraft or Velveeta to hide the fact that she was actually really concerned. Granger had actually gone to see Potter? Was she really that confident? And what the hell happened in just two weeks that brought this on?! Didn't sound like she was having nearly as bad a time as Bella had been. Which irritated her even more. Here she was suffering from a goddamn broken heart while Hermione was canoodling with this band of world class idiots.
"For fuck's sake, you're pouting and making goo goo eyes at a box of Mac 'n Cheese," Narcissa taunted. "Why don't you go see her? She's been nothing but a wet sobbing mess since you two fought."
"What are you complaining for," Bella had no problem with the bitterness in her voice. She angrily stuffed both boxes in her basket. "Isn't that what you wanted?"
Narcissa stopped and thought about it.
"Yes."
Bella huffed in irritation and wheeled to the canned goods isle.
"Is that what this is about?" Once again Narcissa had to jog to catch up to her. "This isn't like you at all Bella, to be so territorial."
"No, that's not what this is about," Bella absently shoved can after can of mixed veggies in with her other goodies.
"Then tell me what it is about so I can help you fix it," Narcissa hissed and pinched her shoulder.
"There's nothing to fix," Bella tried to keep her voice even, which, Jesus Christ, why was it so hard? "I got my answer already."
Hermione had been pretty clear where she stood about it.
Momma Malfoy was very close to loosing her cool. These motherfuckers needed Cupid. Hello? God of Love, are you watching? Perfect target right here. Shoot your arrow and aim for the ass, its so thick you can't possibly miss.
"You call this nothing?" Bella tried to escape but Narcissa stopped the cart before she could move. "Bella you're a mess. Even with these goddamn shades on I can see you've been crying," Cissy yanked them off and got a good look at her eyes.
"Seven months of living together under the same roof, sleeping, eating, and annoying each other with your shitty attitudes and you call that nothing?"
"We had a deal," she felt every bit heartbroken as it sounded.
"And at what point does it stop being a 'deal' to become a 'partnership'?"
"You don't have to ask me that, okay?!" Some Muggles further down were suddenly really interested in why 'Cool Mom' was yelling at 'Unhip Grandma'. "I've been invested in this relationship since day one!"
Finally, some emotion underneath that thick skin. Narcissa sighed the weight of a thousand elephants off her chest.
"Then why don't you tell her? That's what she's waiting on, if you haven't noticed," Narcissa's voice softened at the sight of her sister so torn. "She absolutely loves you but has no idea if you feel the same. She only hesitates because you're a damn mystery to figure out."
Bella shook her head. She was not good at these things. I mean, first and foremost that intimidating aura of hers made it nearly impossible for anyone to stand her for more than what's absolutely necessary. Then the fact that she generally hated people and preferred to be an antisocial badass all the time. Factor in a horrific past she was trying to escape from and add trust issues and boom, you get this. Bellatrix fucking Lestrange on the verge of tears in a goddamn Muggle grocery store.
And she never did get her ice cream.
During the silence between the two sisters and if by another force of conspiracy, the Muggle radio overhead blasted through with the chorus of 'Blurred Lines' by Robin Thicke.
"Look, Bella," Narcissa walked over to console her broken sister. "You've always had this 'love is bullshit' attitude-"
"It is bullshit," Bella interrupted with a sniff and wipe of her eye.
Narcissa shook her head and gingerly stroked Bella's cheek. "It's not love that's got you all worked up. You have a lot of that inside you," she poked Bella's chest with her other hand. "It's being vulnerable. Showing that part of yourself to someone else, and trusting them with it."
"But I am vulnerable, Cissy," Jesus, she was a sobbing mess in the middle of the spaghetti sauce section. Can't get any more vulnerable than that.
"My sweet Bella," Narcissa sighed, pulled her into an embrace, and rubbed her back. "How is she supposed to know if you never show it?"
Bella desperately clung to her sister, 80's fashion gear and all.
"Her spell is set to perform at noon tomorrow. St. Mungo's, fifth floor," Narcissa tilted her chin up. "I can get you in, if you wish. Potter will be there. Severus too," she smirked. "You might want to talk to him."
Bella gave a weak chuckle. "Why exactly will Snape be there and why should I care to talk to him?"
Narcissa's eyes flashed. "Things aren't always as they seem to appear. By the way," she rummaged through the grocery cart and pulled out a tiny jar. "When the hell did you start liking anchovies?"
"Oh, my God, Cissy," she knocked the jar out of her hand. "I'm going home. I'm tired of being stared at like Kathy Ireland is standing right beside me."
"You're just going to leave the cart in the middle of the isle like this?"
Yes, yes she was going to be that asshole! She only came here for ice cream in the first place!
"You owe me some mint chocolate," Bella grabbed her wrist and yanked her along. "And a story. I want to know who the fuck gave birth and why my kitten had to help."
"Mmm, that reminds me….. Do you have use for a peacock?"
-))*((-
As an added fyi, a Writ of Tempus was something I made up to fit the story but a Writ of Certiorari is something that genuinely exists in the US judicial system.
