Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. I wish she would pay me to write fanfiction, but she hasn't offered anything yet.

Chapter Twenty-One

Hermione's first week of work at St. Mungo's was quite anticlimactic. She was put on a team with Edgar Bones. There were three intern teams each handled by one fully qualified Healer. They had been fortunate enough to receive Marshall Forsythe for their healer, and she likened him to the healing equivalent of Mad Eye Moody.

Forsythe had a way of stalking through the halls that made everyone feel as if they weren't doing work at all. Even if busy, people typically started working harder when they saw him walking toward them. A constant look of disapproval and anger showed on his face… unless he was with a patient. Though still incredibly to the point, his bedside manner was remarkable. Her first day, a patient had come in that was stupid and perverse enough that he had made the mistake of sticking galleons to himself and then going into a pen of nifflers. Somehow, Forsythe had been able not to laugh in the man's face and instead made him feel comfortable and as if that sort of injury happened regularly. Edgar had not been so in control of his emotions and had been paying for it since.

Forsythe had taken an immediate shine to Hermione, and she credited it to her preparation. Just as she had prepared for her first year of Hogwarts, she had already read the books that were recommended. Due to the extensive reading list, she was again thankful to the Malfoys. They owned most of the texts and had saved her from having to buy them all herself.

She supposed it could also be due to his rather friendly relationship with Abraxas. Lucius's father had been making an obvious effort to initiate Hermione into their world. The last time she had been studying at the manor, he had even joined her, making a point to drape the blanket she had made for them over himself as he lounged on a couch. She could tell that he wasn't completely comfortable with her potential inclusion in the family, but he was having trouble holding to his "principles".

Unfortunately, she wasn't sure how quickly his views would change about her if his friend decided she wasn't quite worth having around.

St. Mungo's was a good distraction, for now, from the devastation she could sense looming on the horizon. She did not think there was anything she could do to prevent the first war from starting, but still had hopes for dramatically reducing the number of casualties and the number of death eaters.

It was with no small amount of surprise that, one day, her new team mate Edgar approached her as she was preparing to leave. "So, The Order of the Pheonix, hmm? Who came up with that name?"

Hermione actually reeled back in shock. She had, of course, told Dumbledore that Edgar Bones had been a member in good standing before his death during the first war. She had not, however, known that he had been approached. "Excuse me?"

"My bet is on Fawkes himself. I get the sense that bird is a cocky son of a bitch. Well, to be honest, I am not sure what a mother phoenix is called. Or even if there are mother phoenixes. I never took Care of Magical Creatures. How do phoenixes come to be? He seems like the sort to want all attention on him though."

Hermione looked at him with wide, steadily blinking eyes. In her year at Hogwarts, Edgar had not said a single word to her. Not that he had avoided her or anything. She just really did not see him as a priority right away. He wouldn't be scheduled to die for another eight years if nothing changed. Other people had much less time. Still, the way he spoke to her then with such familiarity was unnerving.

"Are you sure we should be talking about this?" she asked, trying to gather herself.

"Why not? Dumbledore trusts you, and I trust Dumbledore. He doesn't seem like someone to put his trust in the wrong person easily. Besides, I was a Hufflepuff. Friendliness and loyalty are kind of the deal. Officially, then…. Hello, I am Edgar Bones. Most of my friends call me Eddie."

Hermione stared at him as if he was in the middle of eating a shoe. "Hera. Want to come over to my place? The floo address is Princeton Place."

Edgar smiled back and nodded. "Sounds great."

From there, a friendship was incredibly quick to form. Hermione was not sure if she had met anyone quite like Eddie before. He was incredibly friendly and upfront. He wasn't afraid to say exactly how he felt about something, and usually his emotions were strongly tied to rationality. He operated solely on the basis of being himself at all times with absolutely no pretenses. He was down to earth and laid back the vast majority of the time. In a way, he was the anti-Lucius, which made Hermione feel a bit strange as she liked Edgar a lot and loved Lucius. He was also, without question, an incredibly hard worker. Ever since the incident with "Goldmember" (as they both referred to the old patient in private), he had been the first one to arrive and the last to leave every day. While not quite as magically powerful as Hermione was, he had a dedication she had not really seen in another person. Healing was definitely a calling for him, rather than something "useful" as it was for Hermione.

Dumbledore had apparently invited Edgar to visit the day before graduation to let him in on the info, considering he had found out that Edgar would be working closely with Hera. As a result, he was practically assigned to be her partner. He knew the story that Adeline had been told, and accepted it wholeheartedly. After that, he had been practically jumping to be involved. He kept a journal that was heavily enchanted and linked to one Hermione had that proposed potential ideas to help people Hermione didn't know the fates of, and he made a point to reach out to a few sympathizers or their family members in the hopes of preventing them going over to Voldemort's side. Among these was Hermione's old roommate, Anna Greengrass. Edgar had confided in her that he found the interning journalist to be beautiful and driven, traits he certainly hoped to have in a wife one day.

Despite his "Hufflepuffiness", as he called it, he was rather easily accepted into the group of friends Hermione was forming. At least once a week, it was typical to find Hermione out at dinner and a movie with them. Edgar and Anna were generally present, as were Kingsley and Antonin. Narcissa had come a few times as well with Antonin, though that still hadn't seemed to progress to more than just flirting. Even Rodolphus had shown up twice, though he was a bit standoffish in the mixed crowd. Despite all, other than herself, being of magical heritage, everyone was able to agree that muggle movies were something to be cherished. Several catch phrases had emerged as a sort of secret code to the insiders, chief among them anything and everything from The Godfather.

Things had also been developing with Severus, though perhaps not in the way she had hoped. It hadn't been exactly a surprise though. For the first three weeks after the meeting at the grocery store, Hermione had not seen Severus. While quite disappointed, as she had come to think that Severus was mostly comfortable in her presence, she did not risk scaring him off by seeking him out.

Then, a late Thursday night in July came about. She had been writing a paper assigned by Forsythe when a hand knocked roughly at her door. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was already nearing ten and later than most people would come to visit. Cautiously, she drew her wand before opening the door. There, completely wet from the rain, was Severus.

Surprised, she stepped aside, and he said nothing as he walked by her and into the living room. She quickly waved her wand, drying him. "Severus?" she asked, worriedly.

With all of the wet taken off of his skin, only his bloodshot eyes gave clue to the fact that he had been crying. "Do you mind if I stay here for an hour or so?"

"That's fine. Is everything okay?" She motioned to the couch and led him to it, clearing her book off of it and putting it on the coffee table to make room for him.

"My parents were… arguing. My mother wanted me to leave while they discussed things."

"Is your mother okay?" Hermione asked intently as Severus sat down next to her.

Severus nodded. He was silent as he stared into the fire, seemingly deep in thought. "I don't know why she stays with him. My father is…. He's horrible. He hates that she is a witch, and he hates that I am a wizard, and he just…. He hates. Always."

Hermione closed her eyes as she leaned forward, looking into the fire as well. "Does he hurt either of you?" She, of course, already knew the answer to that question. Harry had told her the truth about Severus in its entirety a few weeks after the final battle in a drunken stupor.

"You are probably the last person I should be complaining to, right? You don't even have any parents," he said, sadly. His eyes met hers, and she was shocked to see the amount of pain in them already.

She reached out and took his hand. It was stiff, but he didn't pull away.

"I think it is good that you are talking to someone about it. Considering I had parents that didn't want me, I am familiar with the knowledge that sometimes the people that should love us the most cause us the most pain. You didn't answer my question."

"And I won't," he said, firmly.

Hermione nodded. He was scared. If he told her, who knows where he would end up? His mother's family had nothing to do with them, and he had heard what orphanages were like. Not to mention, if he was gone his mother would be left alone with Tobias.

"She loves you," Hermione said softly.

"Does she? If she really loved me, wouldn't she want to get me away from there permanently? Wouldn't she know that seeing him… She should leave."

Hermione nodded again, "It sounds like she should, but… she isn't there yet. It is her decision, as horrible as that is to say."

"I'm sorry I came barging over here. I just couldn't think, and with the rain I couldn't go to the park like I usually do."

"No! Severus, I want you to promise me that you will come here whenever you need to. In fact, I am going to key you into the wards so that you can come in even if I am not here."

He looked at her in surprise. While more than acquaintances, he certainly wasn't a particularly close friend. "Why would you do that?"

"Because everyone needs to have a safe place, and you are my friend. I care about you."

"No one has ever… I mean, people have known. My teachers in primary, the neighbors. Once, the police were called, but they didn't do anything because my mother wouldn't admit to it or press charges."

"Then you have been failed, and I am sorry for that. People get uncomfortable and don't know how to respond or cope. Confusion makes cowards of us all. I'll figure it out, though. You come here. Understood?"

"Will you… tell people?"

Hermione was silent for a few minutes as she thought. On the one hand, she wanted Severus out of that house, but… she didn't want to alienate him. She didn't want him to pull away. "That depends. I will be talking to your mother and telling her that you will be coming here whenever you need to. If she refuses that, I will tell to make sure you get out. I will also offer to help her if she needs it as well. I can't force her to leave him though. I can only force that she makes sure you are as safe as you can be. If you get hurt… I don't know what I will do, but it will only happen once."

Severus stared at her as if trying to see if she would suddenly announce it was all a big, mean joke. Finally, he nodded, though he still looked unsure.

"The couch will have to do until I arrange to get a bed in the guest room. I know you might not always need to stay the night, but it will be an option." He nodded again and leaned back on the couch, exhaling heavily.

"I'm happy you moved to town," he said, quietly.

"Me, too." She was quiet for a few more minutes. "Whenever you want to talk, Severus… I am here to listen. I might not know what it is like to live with a parent that is bad to you, but I do care. You can survive this and be stronger for it."

He didn't respond, and she gave him a few moments before changing the subject. "Want to help me powder some asphodel?"

Dear Lucius,

I hope your apprenticeship is continuing to go well. St. Mungo's certainly keeps me busy, but I am handling it. Edgar is becoming a good friend, and even meshes well with our Slytherin friends. He is a great healer, too, and I am happy he was teamed up with me. Forsythe is starting to lay off of him now that he is showing his worthiness to be there. I have been owling Professor Dumbledore lately with my proposed lesson plans for the dueling class. So far, he has been happy with them and only changing a few things.

You remember how I mentioned that Severus actually lives in town, too? Well, he came over a few nights ago. It seems that his home life is even worse than expected, so I have offered him to come over whenever he likes. Regarding that, I have a few questions I was hoping you could answer for me. Is there anything we can do to help Severus's mother get away from her husband? I know it is still her decision, but for whatever reason she is unwilling to seriously consider leaving. What are her prospects in the magical world? Is there any way you can think of that we can protect Severus? So far, I have no indication that Severus himself is being physically abused, and it seems like his mother sends him out when things turn nasty. What if Eileen is severely injured and Severus is left alone with him? I promised Severus I would not tell the authorities, so I appreciate you keeping this quiet.

Any insight you have would be very much welcomed. He has been over here about as much as he hasn't, though he mentioned that Lily would be coming back from vacation soon. That might change things a bit.

Any chance of you coming back for a weekend soon? I am missing you and could use a bit of fun.

Love,

Hera

Dear Hera,

Regarding Severus, I am sorry to hear that he needs help at all. This might be something to approach my father with. He is rather knowledgeable about Wizarding Family Law and actually was partially involved in a case involving someone abusing their child. Given, no muggles were involved. I believe that if the victims are magical (and the offender knows of magic) that it is to be handled by our courts. If you approach my father, though, I could see him using it for political gain. He has mentioned before how much it angers him that muggleborn children are raised by muggles that can't understand them or teach them what they need to know to properly assimilate. With his current associations, it might be a driving point that we don't necessarily want right now.

If you don't want to risk it going public, I think you should approach Severus's mother yourself. She can actually go to the ministry and sign a document that would make you Severus's secondary magical guardian without the approval of her husband. Then, if something happens to Eileen and her husband is still in the picture, you could contest it with the backing that his mother thought you worthy of guardianship. Or someone else. The Prince family are still rather active in society… you could reach out to them, too. They might not be willing to accept their daughter back into the fold, but would certainly care to get Severus out of that situation. I think it would be good for Severus to get to know them. While definitely interested in blood status, they seem to only think that the magical world should be completely isolated from the muggle.

Regarding getting Eileen out, unless she went back to her parents… I am afraid her reputation is in shambles. Do you know if she graduated? That might help.

I hope to come home before the school year at Hogwarts starts, but I am not sure if that will be possible. Master Kuzmina is a slave driver but definitely skilled, and he is eager to pass on his knowledge. He has the summer practically booked up with appointments from around the world, and he has even mentioned taking me with him to a home in South Africa that is apparently killing anyone inside on their birthday. People curse things and other people for a very, very wide range of reasons. Unfortunately, most of those reasons seem to be utter ridiculous. Either someone really hated birthdays or loved them so much they thought it was a crime to not leave the house for it.

I'm glad to hear you are enjoying St. Mungo's and that Edgar Bones is turning out to be a good friend. His family and mine don't have much interaction, but I hope that can change. They seem like reasonable people if a little excessively light for my tastes. At the very least, I know that Edgar has good taste in friends…. He should love me.

I love you and hope to see you as soon as I can.

Yours,

Lucius

His ideas had merit. She agreed that it probably wasn't for the best to get Abraxas or the general public involved. Domestic violence wasn't advertised in the magical world very often, and if it was to come out that a witch was letting herself and her son be harmed by a muggle father… The headlines would be horrible, and it would give Voldemort a great platform to start pushing his ideas from.

She would mention the Princes to Severus, though. Perhaps he would like to try to get to know them a bit. And maybe they would be eager to help if he decided to tell them.

The one thing she did absolutely agree with was the plan to ask Eileen to assign Severus a secondary magical guardian.

Considering it was her Thursday afternoon off, she decided there was no time like the present. Tobias would be at work, and Severus had been spending the past few days with Lily. Eileen was likely to be alone at home. Without hesitation, she put on her shoes and walked out the door toward the Snape household.

Their home was not nearly as well kept as hers, though it was a bit larger. Obviously, even with the mill still being operational, money was scarce. That could have something to do with Tobias's liquor problem, though. She knocked on the door and waited several minutes for it to open. When it did, Eileen was on the other side. "Miss Elias! I'm afraid Severus is out with Lily for the day. Is there something I can help you with?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, Mrs. Snape. I was hoping I could talk to you about something rather important."

Eileen held the door opened and motioned to the threadbare sofa. "Can I get you some tea? I might have some coffee, too."

"Tea would be great. Thank you." Eileen nodded and hurried into the kitchen. While Eileen prepared the tea, Hermione went over what she wanted to say in her head. If Eileen was much like Severus, she would value candor, but approaching someone about their spouse beating them was delicate no matter what.

She returned a few moments later with the things needed on a thick wooden cutting board. Hermione smiled as she took the cup offered and had a sip. Eileen looked at her curiously. "What do we need to talk about, Miss Elias? I hope Severus hasn't been a bother? He said he has been enjoying going over to your home."

"Severus is a perfect guest, and I am happy to have him. He is a great boy, and that is why I am here…"

Eileen's face paled slightly, but she only nodded.

"Though Severus has not outright admitted it, I have come to believe that his relationship with his father, and even your relationship with your husband…. Leave a lot to be desired. As such, I have invited Severus to come to my home at any time, even if it is to stay the night. I want him to have a place to go while you… settle your disagreements with Tobias."

Eileen's creeks went pink with her shame, and she looked down at her lap. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"I am happy to do it. May I call you Eileen?" The woman, though at least ten years older than Hermione, looked like a chastised school girl as she nodded.

"Eileen, I want to first offer any assistance I can to you. From what Severus says, you intend to stay with Tobias. While I can't understand your reasoning, I do understand that it is ultimately your choice. If that ever changes and you wish to leave, you can come stay with me while we figure things out. You don't have to stay, no matter that you think. Severus is another matter, though. Your decisions affect him greatly, and you are responsible for making sure he is taken care of, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The current situation harms him in all three areas."

Eileen looked up at her sharply. "I am doing my very best. I… I would have nowhere to go if I left. I was pregnant when I dropped out of Hogwarts, and I married Tobias immediately. Here, at least, Severus has a roof over his head and some food on the table. Tobias has never hurt him; I haven't allowed that."

"While I think it is wonderful that Severus hasn't physically been harmed, I think you underestimate the power of cruel words and what it does to a young man to see his mother be harmed and be unable to do anything about it. The truth is that, while I greatly care about Severus, he did not have an easy first year at Hogwarts. He always seemed stressed and detached… bullies flocked to him as an easy target. While I took care of the latter, I believe, he is emotionally wrought. Something has to give."

"And, what? Do you expect me to give him up? I would never. He is my son, and I love him!" Eileen's hands were shaking, and she was starting to get angry.

Hermione quickly shook her head. "No. I don't want him taken away from you. I just want a backup plan."

"And what would that be? Do tell?" The sneer and the tone reminded Hermione a lot of an older, angry Severus Snape.

"You can go to the ministry and sign a document assigning Severus a secondary magical guardian. Tobias doesn't even have to know as, due to his lack of magic, he is assumed to be less than capable of helping Severus with things in magical society. All muggleborns have a magical guardian… typically it is one of their professors. If you do this and it is needed, Severus will have somewhere else to go."

"And what would that change really?"

"Eileen, regardless of how hard it has been so far, Tobias is obviously a violent man. If he hurts you too badly…if he kills you… Eileen, Severus would have to come and live with Tobias with absolutely no buffer. You couldn't protect him, and he would turn his anger onto Severus. If that happened, the secondary guardian would be able to contest his parental guardianship. Especially on the grounds of you being hurt and Severus being afraid to be with his father."

"And I suppose you suggest yourself?" The anger was still present, but it has lessened and was mixed with a good amount of worry.

"I am willing. The truth is that I don't care who it is as long as they would be good to Severus and be willing to fight for him if they needed. While I fit those qualifications, I am sure there are others that would be willing. Headmaster Dumbledore likes Severus and would be willing, I am sure. Or, you could reach out to your parents."

Eileen looked down at her lap and sighed heavily. "Do you really think this is necessary?"

"I think there is more danger in assuming that it is not. As it stands, regardless of if you do this, I expect that you will send Severus to me whenever he needs to not be here. Your decisions are your own, but he shouldn't be forced to see the ramifications of it. I have a bed already set up in the guest room. While I don't wish to threaten you, that is the absolute minimum I would require. I will go straight to Dumbledore and the ministry if I think he doesn't even have a safe place to escape to. I would rather risk him being in an orphanage, though I doubt it would truly come to that, than risk him being hurt."

Eileen started to cry then, great wracking sobs that left her folded over her lap. Hermione hesitated before putting her hand on the woman's shoulder. "We both want the best for Severus. All that entails is doing our best to make sure he is safe, provided for, and as happy as he can be. You do your part, and I will do mine."

Eileen nodded with her head still against her legs. "I'll go to the ministry in the morning," she whispered, brokenly.

Author's Note: This week, I have been thankful for the fact that I already had this chapter edited and ready to go. We are sick...sick...sick. March was just not a great month here. I am hoping that warmer weather will come to stay soon, and I will not have to clean up any more vomit. Apologies if I didn't answer your review last chapter. If this wasn't already edited, I doubt I would even be on here. Please review and let me know what you think! I hope this chapter wasn't too... depressing. Wish I could say that it would be all sunshine and rainbows but... not really gonna happen. Thanks for reading!