Hello Lovely Readers!

Ok I know, I know, it's been ages, but real life has to take priority at the moment. I've started working for a massive company and I've just come back from Indoor Netball Nationals so I'm running on empty! But rest assured I'm continuing on with all my stories and there should be some new chapters up for the others...eventually.

Thanks in advance for all the wonderful reviews you're going to leave me!

~VTM

Disclaimer: I own nothing of this magical world

Chapter Twenty One: Surprise Surprise part One

Completely oblivious to all that had been going on, another member of Hermione's team sat on the concrete of the first floor of the Ministry with a frustrated scowl on her face. The door she had placed herself in front of looked brand new with silver linings on the handle and varnished wood gleaming in the light of the fake window that sat behind her. She was rather grateful for the Blast-Ended Skrewts that Harry had placed at each end of the corridor, otherwise she would have been caught performing some rather illegal magic.

And yet despite all the force she had put behind her spells the door still looked brand spanking new, not a scratch on it and still sealed shut. And Lavender' patience was slowly running out.

She had tired every spell she knew ranging from make up to unforgivables and still she had nothing. How the hell had they gone and protected this office? She had always been taught that there was nothing that could stop the killing curse and yet when she had fired it at the door out of sheer anger, it had rebounded and almost killed her. She was starting to think that the ministry was hiding more than she thought…

***
"You'd better start talking Granger or else you might regret it."

Hermione sat there panting as two of the worst aurors she had ever seen glared down at her, trying to intimidate her and failing miserably. She could feel quite a few bruises forming on her face from where they had hit her but she wasn't worried. She had suffered worse after all.

She couldn't help but laugh at their pathetic attempts at interrogation.

"You two are perhaps the worst torturers I've ever come across," she smiled darkly, "And I've come across a lot. I mean come on! I'm Hermione Fricking Granger, best friend of Harry Potter, The-Man-Who-Lived-To-Be-A-Pain-In-Voldemort's-Scaly-Backside! You'll have to forgive me gentlemen but…I've been tortured by the best!"

One of them seemed to get pissed off by this information and hit her again. Oh, she was going to be so bruised in the morning! Perhaps she should tell them that just to make them feel better?

Nah, she thought to herself, this is too much fun.

"You know," she heaved as she turned to look at the two of them again, "Hitting someone is no way to get information."

"And how would you propose we do it?" One of them asked snidely.

"Perhaps a nice cup of tea?" She asked sweetly, "Personally I prefer firewhiskey but whatever flies your carpet…"

The other one rolled his eyes and then hit her again.

"No wonder I hated you in school," he snapped at her, "You're such a know-it-all."

"Merlin Smith it took you that long to figure it out? You know that's probably why I hated you so much in school. You were always stating the obvious!"

Crack! That was definitely a broken rib and yet somehow she couldn't stop herself from laughing at him. His anger was just so amusing! She knew that it would probably get her killed before she made it to Azkaban and yet she couldn't help it. Goading him was just too much fun and she hadn't been this…well she wasn't happy but she was certainly amused.

"You'd better start talking Granger," one of them told her, "We've been given permission to use any means necessary to secure a confession."

"Ha!" She laughed, "That certainly does sound like our dear Minister doesn't it! I'll always remember the time she threatened Harry with the Cruciatus Curse if he didn't tell her who he'd been trying to contact inside her fireplace. She didn't seem to care that he was only fifteen, The-Boy-Who-Lived and possibly the Chosen One."

Smith raised his fist to her again and when it was about to connect with her face the door slammed open.

"Touch her again and it will be the last thing you'll ever do."

Through all the pain she was feeling she couldn't help but be shocked at who was standing in the doorway.

***
"Tell me everything from the very beginning."

Rabastan sat across from Ginny with his head in his hands as he tried to concentrate on what she was telling him. So much had happened in the last twenty four hours that his head was beginning to spin. Between Hermione and Malfoy getting arrested and now finding out that Malfoy had a secret wife…

"It's all a bit much isn't it."

He looked up to see Narcissa standing in the doorway, staring down at him kindly. Ginny looked between the two and gave a tiny nod to show she understood and left the room to let the old friends talk. Narcissa sat beside him on the couch and placed her hand over his in a gesture of comfort.

"I just don't understand," he told her quietly, "How could things have gone so sour so quickly?"

"To be honest with you I don't either," she told him, "But it was always like this in the old days wasn't it? One moment everything was fine and the next you and Lucius were in Azkaban…Perhaps, we should deal with it like we did then?"

"What?" He asked sarcastically, "Rape, pillage and plunder everything in our path until Umbridge decides to let Hermione and Lucius out of prison?"

She gave a tiny tinkle of laughter.

"No," she told him, "We fight fire with fire, use Umbridge's weaknesses against her and then make our demands."

Rabastan thought about it for a few moments and then looked up at the woman.

"Sometimes I wonder how Lucius and Zabini wound up with a woman like you," he smiled.

"They must have done something right," she smiled back.

"So how do I use Umbrige's weaknesses against her?" He asked, "I don't even know if she has a weakness."

"Granger put Brown on the job did she not?" She asked, "Let Brown do what she has to do and then use whatever she can come up with."

"Hmmm," he mumbled, "I only hope Lavender can come up with something."

"Oh," Narcissa said with a smile, "She's Lavender now is she?"

"Shut up, woman," he smirked as he nudged her on the arm, "Nothing's happened yet."

"Yet," Narcissa emphasised, "And I take it that if you have your way quite a bit will be happening?"

He smiled at her for a few moments before staring into the fireplace.

"She's wonderful," he told her, "She's gorgeous, kind, funny, wonderful with Aria…What more could I ask for?"

"Indeed," Narcissa said with a knowing smile, "You do realise that this was Granger's plan all along?"

He looked at her strangely. Narcissa sighed.

"Lavender Brown is a notable member of the community," she told him, "She's a member of the Order of the Phoenix, has an Order of Merlin Third Class, is a truth columnist for the Daily Prophet and is now working to help set an innocent man free. Once this is all over, if Lucius is out of prison she will be given quite a bit of recognition for the triumph, especially if she manages to take down Umbridge in the process. Granger will see to that."

He still continued to look at her funnily and she smiled again.

"If by some miracle you end up with her," she said quietly, "No one will look at you when you enter a room. You'll be able to hang around the pub without being stared at, Aria could finally go to Hogwarts…"

He could see it. He could really see it, right before his eyes. If he did end up with Lavender then she would bring so much more to him than a loving relationship and a good step mother for Aria…she would give him his freedom back.

"I think I like the sound of that," he whispered with a smile and Narcissa laughed.

There was a small pause between them in which a thought came to mind for Rabastan.

"Did you know your son was married to Astoria Greengrass?" He asked her. She seemed to freeze for a few moments before nodding.

"Yes I did," she said quietly, "How did you find out?"

"Mrs Potter found out when she was researching for Granger," he told her, "Apparently Draco was in St Mungo's last month when one of his clients cursed him for losing. Astoria Malfoy signed the release papers. And I'm pretty sure that Lucius never had the time to adopt another child while in Azkaban."

She nodded in ascent for him.

"Draco was keeping it quiet," she told him, "He didn't want the world to give Astoria the backlash that he had been receiving since the end of the war. He was planning on going public with it this year but then Lucius' case popped up and…"

"Understandable," Rabastan nodded, "Even more backlash would ensue considering he's the prosecution."

"And I hope you can understand my reasoning for not telling you," she said, "He's my son after all."

"I think that-"

He was cut off by the wooshing of the fireplace and Harry Potter emerging through emerald green flame. He was ashen faced and obviously disturbed by something but Rabastan didn't care. He stood in the man's path with worried eyes.

"How's Granger?" He asked.

"Where's Ginny?" He ignored Rabastan's question.

"In the kitchen," he told him, still blocking his path, "What's happening with Granger?"

"She's being charged with murder and attempting to break Malfoy out of prison," he told him, "Get out of my way! I need to see Ginny!"

He pushed past him and Rabastan followed.

"She needs a Law Enforcer-"

"No she doesn't," Harry told him, "She's already got one."

Rabastan stopped dead for a few moments in confusion before following Harry down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Harry moved immediately to his wife and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Where's Ron?" He asked her.

She blinked at him in confusion.

"Ginny I need you to tell me where Ron would be today."

"Hang on Potter!" Rabastan said, "What do you mean she's already got one? Who is it?"

"Malfoy," he told her before turning back to Ginny.

"WHAT?!"

Harry lost his patience. He turned back to Rabastan, slamming him into a wall with the most fearsome look he possessed.

"Shut up," he said quietly before turning away from Rabastan and back to his wife, "Where is Ron?" He asked again calmly.

"I think he might be with George in the shop today," she said, looking completely dumbstruck, as did Rabastan until he regained his composure.

"Potter what's going on?" He asked him. Harry went to walk away but Rabastan caught him by the shoulder and turned him around, "Harry tell me what's going on?"

Harry seemed to stare at him for a few moments, debating whether he should tell him or not. Hermione said not to create mass hysteria and yet he couldn't help but feel that he should scream it out to the world. They all deserved a chance to get away if it was true, they all deserved a chance to prepare.

"Hermione's given me some information," he told him quietly, "Don't ask me what it is because we're not even sure if it's true yet and there's no point in you knowing until we do. I just need to find Ron and Snape as soon as possible."

"Why didn't Granger give the information to me?" He asked Harry.

"Or me for that matter," Ginny chipped in.

Harry didn't answer them. He had decided that he could explain once everything was sorted, once he knew the truth. There was no point in making them worry now if there was nothing to worry about. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a few seconds to try and stem off the nasty headache that was threatening to take over and looked at his wife. She was worried, he could see in her eyes. She may have been scowling at him but he had always known when she was covering up. Likewise, she knew that he was worried too and was hiding something from her. She suddenly lost the scowl and moved towards him, placing her hand on his cheek and watched as he breathed a little easier with her touch.

"What's going on?" She asked him quietly.

He wanted to tell her the truth, he really did. Of all the people in the universe she had the right to know what was going on and yet he couldn't bring himself to utter those fatal words. It would shatter her world, it would shatter all their worlds. He couldn't do it to them, not now.

He pulled her into a tight embrace before kissing her passionately for a few moments and then walking out the door. She watched him apparate away with a new feeling of dread washing over her. The last time he had kissed her like that he had gone hunting for horcruxes the next day. But she was determined. If he had to do it again, she would be right there with him this time.

She dropped what she was doing instantly and moved out of the room to which she was followed.

"And where are you going?" Rabastan asked her exasperatedly. She grabbed her coat from the coat rack and walked out the door too without saying another word. He watched her apparate away just as she watched her husband and let out an annoyed huff.

"Bloody Potters." He muttered before getting his coat too and apparating out of the house, leaving whomever was left to their own devices.

***
He landed outside the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic and cautiously made his way inside. After all the years of stares and glares he had received he was not exactly surprised nor frightened by his reception inside the Atrium. They all stared at him like he was bubotuber pus on the bottom of their shoes, something that tarnished their vision, a monster capable of destroying all that they knew. And he was. Not a monster but capable of bursting all their bubbles, shattering the perfect little world that they lived in. In a way he sort of felt sorry for them. They had become so shallow minded since the fall of Voldemort but in a way it wasn't really their fault. They were just so frightened that it would happen again, so scared that their nightmares would or could come back to haunt them that they had to persecute anyone and anything just to keep themselves safe.

He knew it was a long shot that Lucius would ever win his trial and on the off chance that he did there was no way that the Wizarding World would ever accept him. Their bubbles of delusion were just so thick that they would never allow him to be seen in a positive light whether innocent or not.

It was with those thoughts in mind that he bypassed the Blast-Ended Skrewt at the end of the hallway, sleeping peacefully after a hard day's worth of guarding and made his way to the Minister for Magic's office.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

He ducked just in time as the curse rebounded off the door and in his direction and when he came up again, battle ready and willing to fight for his life he almost laughed. Lavender was an absolute mess. Her hair was as bushy as Granger's, she was breathing heavily and the scowl on her face clearly said that she was frustrated, fed up and ready to kill anything that so much as tapped her on the shoulder. It was for that reason that he pulled an Umbridge and coughed instead. He was expecting to see and exhausted smile when she looked up but instead she glared at him.

"What are you doing here?" She spat.

He blinked at her for a bit before realising just how long she had been trying to get that door open. It was for that reason, he didn't take her tone to heart.

"I came to see how you were going," he told her as he finally felt safe enough to approach her, "And to keep you updated. Considering you've been up here since the hearing I would say that you've got no idea what's been going on."

"Unless it's got something to do with this bloody door and how to blast it off its hinges I don't want to hear it!" She screamed while aiming another curse at it, which also rebounded in Rabastan's direction. He dove to the floor, taking Lavender with him and landing directly on top of her where she just about screamed.

"Merlin's dirty old underpants!" He roared, "Have you lost your mind?!"

"It won't open!" She screeched, slamming the back of her fist into the concrete floor, "No matter what I do it just won't budge! I've thrown potions, unforgivables, hexes that not even Malfoy should have heard of and it just-"

She was cut off where her lips were obstructed from moving by his. He kissed her so hard, with so much passion she thought she might explode and when he finally pulled back he had this sheepish grin on his face that she found rather cute.

"Sorry," he said with a lopsided smirk, "But you have no idea how-"

He didn't get to finish what he was saying either.

***
To Severus Snape this was rather ironic if not repetitive. Once more the good guy was persecuted and almost thrown in prison, the bad guy was seemingly non-existent and the entire situation was screwed beyond repair. And Severus was tired of it.

It was a slap in the face to say the least.

Just when he thought he was out they drew him back in. He had thought that his days of spying and danger and heart ache would have been over by now, that he would be able to move into the next phase of his life. But it seemed that the gods enjoyed playing with him far too much to let him be happy. It was for that fact and that fact alone that he went with Potter to Hogwarts to retrieve Minerva McGonagall and inspect the tomb of Tom Marvolo Riddle to see whether he would try to murder them all again.

"Harry?"

Potter turned to see Ronald Weasley following meekly behind them. They had been to pick him up only half an hour earlier and it had taken just under half an hour to explain to him the dire situation that they were now in. Severus rolled his eyes at the bumbling fool. He would never understand what Granger or Potter saw in him. He had done nothing but hold them back in his eyes.

"What is it Ron?" Harry asked impatiently. Apparently he was beginning to feel the same way.

"What are we going to do?" He asked as they kept walking, "What are we going to do if…you know… he is back?"

Harry looked away from him and didn't answer. It was clear that he had absolutely no idea what he would do. The mere thought of it was enough to send him running in the opposite direction. He was scared. Severus could tell. Yet he stood there and led them to the castle as if he had no other choice. Stupid Gryffindor courage.

The moved swiftly inside the wrought iron gates and up to the castle with haste, not wishing to be here much longer. They moved quickly inside and up the staircases without a word, making their way to the Headmistress's office and once greeted and inside they began to tense. There was no way the Minerva was going to take this well.

"What can I do for you boys?" She asked as she sat behind her desk, "If this is Wizenagmot business, I'm afraid that I'm not the one to talk to."

"This has nothing to do with the Wizenagmot Minerva," Severus told her quietly, "And we would very much prefer it that anything that is said in this office or…" he gave a glance to Harry, "Anywhere else in this castle for that matter, remains between us."

She eyed them with suspicion for a few moments before she gave a curt nod.

"Hermione was arrested this evening," Harry told her, "For murder and attempting to break Lucius out of prison."

"So I heard." she nodded, "I find it to be completely and utterly ridiculous."

"It is," Severus agreed, "The idea that Hermione Granger of all people would murder someone to break a Death Eater out of prison is frightening to say the least…However the reason she was arrested in the first place is even more frightening."

"She was attacked," Harry told her, "By a cloaked man and from the way she described the way he talked to the way he went after her…"

He couldn't speak any longer, Severus could see it in his face.

"We need to check the Dark Lord's tomb Minerva." He continued on for him.

She seemed to react the same way that Harry did. She simply sat there shaking her head.

"No," she muttered, "No. It's not possible."

"Hermione knows what she saw-" Harry started but he was cut off by McGonagall standing once more and cutting him off.

"No, Potter," she said firmly, "You defeated him. That's all there is to it. He is not back."

"But what if he is?"

Ron had finally decided to use his voice. He stared at McGonagall timidly as he spoke.

"We don't want to turn this into another fifth year," he said quietly, "If we're not sure…Who knows what could happen."

"As much as I hate to say it," Severus said as he turned back to his boss, "Weasley is right. We can't afford to pull another Fudge here."

It was almost shocking to see the Headmistress so unnerved. In all his years of working with her Severus had never seen her so shaken. It really did show the power that Voldemort had had over them all, what fear he could still bring out in them all. He had become so used to Minerva being so staunch and strong and fearless that this was a moment that was almost unreal.

The older woman finally took a deep breath.

"Where is he?" She asked softly, getting a better hold of herself each second she stood there. Now it was the others' turn to pale.

"You want to come with us?" Harry asked. He really didn't like that idea.

"Of course I want to go with you," she said indignantly, "Do you really think I would just sit here and wait for your owl? Where is he?"

Severus looked at Harry and Harry looked back. She really wasn't going to like this. Severus doubted that anybody would. His final resting place was the best place for him, rather fitting too, but it would be just a little too close to home for some if they knew where it was. Only himself, Potter, Weasley and Granger now knew where he was buried and although they themselves didn't like it all that much they all agreed that it was the best place for him. After all, only Harry could get inside nowadays.

"Follow us," Harry sighed, "We'll take you."

Severus glared at him. He just knew that this trip was going to be bad for his health one way or another.