Chapter 25: Letter to Mommy and Daddy (Barbara Lynn)

The ride was short and silent. Hermione and Severus thanked their driver and wished the family a safe trip back. The town appeared small, quaint, and magical in a way, and the party already felt like a dream. Severus admired the view from the old stone bridge on which they were walking. They could come across the Grangers in a matter of minutes. He turned around. Hermione was bending over the parapet to retch. The few visitors passing by enquired about her wellbeing. Feeling somewhat whimsical, Severus informed them in English that he was pregnant and that his partner was empathetically suffering similar symptoms. A concerned Canadian man guiding his blind friend advised them to drink lots of fluids, including warm milk and honey. As soon as they were gone, Hermione turned an angry face towards him. Her low voice was full of tension that had very little to do with what he just said. She was in no condition to appreciate his attempt to lighten the mood.

"What's wrong with you? That made no sense at all!"

His cheeks coloured a little under his embarrassment. He had not planned on it, and, in insight, the joke seemed inappropriate. "Do you think I don't know that? Of course not, but that's beside the point. What is the matter with you?"

She sputtered "I, I, I." She was trembling and her eyes rolled back dangerously. She nearly collapsed in the shadow of the parapet, hugging her knees, as if trying to take the least space possible.

He kneeled in front of her. After examining her intently, he spontaneous volunteered private information, for the first time it seems. "You know, as a child I suffered from an illness, and my mother had no money to pay for treatment." She looked up and finally made eye contact. "As a result, I am not able to conceive a child." They silently stared at each other. With the relentless cicadas' song and the declining light, it was clear they should not stall anymore, but Hermione held on to that new piece of information anyway.

"How do you feel about it?"

He shook his head dispassionately. "I used to be angry. I have learned to live with it. I don't really like children anyway, in case you haven't noticed."

She showed him a wobbly smile, and whispered, "I am afraid to face them." He knew who she was talking about. "They will never forgive me. I know it but I can't bear to be certain of it. And when I think about justifying my actions, my mind goes blank."

Severus sighed, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, his expression was distant. "Just say I made you do it."

She could only blink in shock. "What?"

He frowned, as if surprised by his own proposal, but went on, "I mean I will say I did it because my teacher who is a Death Eater slash Order member slash highly able protector made me believe it was the best solution. I can take the blame for this. I did worse, much worse. Knowing the state of the Order, I might have advised something akin to that. Although, I would not have made their sentimental and unqualified daughter do it."

Hermione hesitantly asked, "You would do that? For me?" She must have misunderstood him.

He stood up and stared into the distance "It solves the whole problem, doesn't it? And you will be able to preserve your relationship with your parents, which is what matters. Come on, now."

"I guess…" Her limbs were slowly obeying her again. She stood up as well. "Thank you. I mean it."

He made a noncommittal sound and walked towards the end of the bridge. His posture was different somehow and it reminded her of how he was only a few months before. But it's his idea, so it's fine, right? She let the rod guide her. Her parents were in a hand-made ceramics shop to their right. She walked past Severus and towards the shop like a condemned man. She peeked inside and quickly recognised the couple in the back. Suddenly, she could not breathe anymore. She physically could not set foot inside. The shopkeeper noticed her yellow complexion and helped her sit down on nearby steps. He tried to make her talk but she only said a few words in French meaning "family matters". The man did not know what to do. He just lightly patted her shoulder and said that every family had issues, and you had to take the good with the bad. Having to rush back in, he indicated to her where to find the closest gorges for a refreshing swim to clear her mind. She heard her mother's voice from behind her and saw them exit the store from the corner of her eyes. She stood right back up to witness the dreaded scene: her reunion with her parents. Severus was just in front of them. He glanced at her, and she could only stare as took matter into his own hands.

Surprisingly, he noticed a flash of recognition in their eyes. "Do I look familiar to you?"

Her mother nodded and her father said "Yes."

He stepped closer to them. "Do you know who I am?"

They looked at each other and shook their heads a little defiantly. That was how Severus sensed they knew more than they let on. They knew but they did not trust the knowledge, and they were really suspicious of him.

"I need to tell something very important. Can we go somewhere private?"

Although it could be dangerous to do such a thing with a complete stranger, Hermione's mother said "Follow us."

"Thank you. That man has to come as well. He is not a threat."

Hermione kept her eyes firmly stuck to the pavement while her parents examined her wearily. But they moved on, and so did she, as she closed their solemn procession.

They were soon sitting in their small room rented through City Hall. The Grangers had made tea for everyone. Hermione's tea got cold, and remained untouched in front of her, and they had only talked about unimportant matters, and then had fallen silent. "So…" said all three of them at the same time. A more unpleasant silence ensued. Severus stepped on her foot to remind her she could still decide how it should go. She eventually summoned up the courage to face her parents.

She felt as though her insides were plummeting down to the floor, and could almost see them raw and pulsating, all exposed and begging to get stepped on. She was almost surprised no one else noticed them. Her mother looked frail, and her father had more wrinkles and grey hairs. But they were beautiful, alive, and right in front of her. She wanted to crawl into their arms and just be their child, like before.

Severus decided to get the show on the road. "Does the name Granger ring a bell?" They nodded. That was strange. Hermione must have screwed up the spell, even if, truthfully, that was unlikely.

"Are you aliens?" The one who spoke was her father. He would never have asked that before.

Despite the ludicrousness of the notion, Severus smoothly replied, "No." Her mother gave an "I-told-you-so" look to her husband. "We do have special abilities, and peaceful intentions, and we have met before. Before I say more, can you tell us what happened to you the past year? I promise it will all soon make sense."

Although, they were no less suspicious of them, her father explained how they began their journey to France. "A year ago, or so, we were about to leave for Australia which had always been a dream of ours. We arrived to the airport. Everything had been going well although the general atmosphere was really oppressive at the time. We handed out our passports, and there seemed to be no issue with them. But then, the custom agent frowned at his computer screen and then at us. He checked our passports again and relaxed. And then, he looked at the screen again, frowned, and repeated the same pattern again and again. After several minutes of this eerie spectacle, we thought we were on candid camera, or something. People behind us were getting impatient. Because of the stricter security measures of those days, and because we did not want to miss our flight, we managed to distract the agent and get a good look at the screen, since he was so confused."

Hermione's mother took over the story, by placing her hand on his arm. "Our files were displayed one after the other. At first, I saw nothing wrong with them. And then, I noticed some details were erroneous. Our names were different, for one. Instead of our real name, it was written "Granger". We would just have figured it was a computer glitch, if it were not for other strange happenings before. Just a few days ago, I had cleaned up my favourite handbag, and under the ripped lining, I had found the Grangers' business card, but we had never ever used their services… It was really peculiar, especially since many other things did not make sense as well. I decided to call the Grangers' office right there and then.

"A man that sounded elderly replied and after I mentioned appointments for the Wilkins, he called me Mrs. Granger, and declared he had been worried after we had disappeared so suddenly." She had gotten cold sweat at hearing that, even if it sounded ludicrous. She had briskly hung up. "I took my husband aside. Even if it was crazy, I convinced him to go with me to that office, and get to the bottom of the story. We announced to the agent we could not leave anymore because of "bad news", grabbed our passports, and took a taxi to the address that was on the card." It was an uncharacteristically brash behavior, but they were so confused, like how they knew their jobs but could not remember were they worked. They needed to find some clarity.

"We entered the office that the Grangers shared with other dentists. I was certain I had never been there before, but the office felt awfully familiar. The dental assistant that I had talked to shrieked when he saw us. He stood up and began talking nonsense about us having left without a word, how he had been worried sick, since so many people were disappearing for good. He seemed so earnest, he had to be delusional, we thought. We tried to understand what was going on without raising suspicion. He gave us a cardboard box with "our belongings." He said, "I didn't know what to do with it. I told them you would come back eventually." Their hearts had pounded so hard as they had frantically perused through the box. It had to be a prank, a terrible prank. "We found a picture of us with a little girl disguised as a witch. We learnt that she was our daughter." She had actually been a bit relieved to have an explanation as to why she had that scar on her stomach. She added accusatorily at the young woman, "She looked like you. You look like us."

Severus glanced at Hermione who was now very pale, and holding her hand in front of her mouth. "We will get to that in a moment, I promise. Please, do go on."

The woman was ready to protest, but her husband took over. "Fine, but you'd better keep your word. In short, we were confused, and did not know who to trust. We convinced the assistant we were just stressed and needed to rest for a while. He offered to put in a good word for us with some old friends of his living in the south of France. He must have really liked us because he did and it worked. We called him from our room in a hotel, and he gave us the information we needed. We decided to get a private eye to find our "daughter" and left to escape the attacks that were multiplying all around the country. We went to France. After a few months, when we finally had access to all the Granger's money and correct papers and diplomas, we actually opened a small dental practice, and never heard anything back from the private eye we had hired. Right now, we are on holidays. Your turn, now."

"Why did you go to Paris for a day only?" Hermione had found her inquisitive voice again. That was better.

They recoiled. "You followed us?"

Severus intervened calmly. "We just had a more efficient private eye."

The couple still moved closer together, and her father informed them angrily that the private eye had apparently not been that thorough, because his wife had been doing a check-up during her remission from breast cancer.

"No!" cried Hermione.

Her mother disbelievingly reassured the stranger. "I am fine, now. It is water under the bridge." She turned to Severus. "Are you our daughter?" He looked at Hermione and nodded.

"I am Hermione Granger. And this is Professor Snape. We are here to help you get your memories back. I promise you no harm will come to you from either one of us." The calming herbs he had put in their drinks had begun to work, he could see.

He took out his wand, and Hermione followed suit. While he used a spell to make them even calmer and protect the room, she tearfully began weaving back the threads of their memories. It took hours, even with Severus' help. He used a restorative balm on their brows and they lay on the bed, sleeping.

Severus and Hermione quickly fell asleep as well, on their armchairs by the window. Before finally resting, she prayed to whoever was listening for her family to be whole and unscathed in the morning.

But when she woke up, it became clear no one had been listening. Her parents were crossly hovering over them, their wands in their hands. Severus was already awake. He opened his mouth to mollify them, but he was not able to get a word in.

"I can't believe you did that to us!" "You don't know how scared we were!" They had both spoken at the same time and in the same angry tone, just as they said "Get out!"

"Listen, I," Hermione tried to argue.

"We don't want to hear from you either, Mister Snape." Her father looked so disappointed in her. She felt someone was stabbing her in the chest.

"We can't even bear to look at your face right now, Hermione." Her mother's words made that emotional blade went right through her. She knew she deserved the pain. She did the only thing she could do for them: she obeyed and fled. Incredibly, Severus managed to get an answer from her parents before quickly following her.

Hermione went to the only place she had heard of: the gorges. She focused on not tripping down the narrow path. The insects were loud, the branches relentlessly scratching her legs, and the unsteady rocks intent on making her fall. The sun was cruelly making her parched, and it was not even noon. She knew Severus was not far behind her and she did not care. She followed the call of the water, even if it sounded excessively cheerful. She heard him slip and grunt but did not stop. He did not really fall anyway. Arrived at destination, she climbed over big rocks and found several profound puddles of water. She took all her clothes off and immersed herself in the cold water, not caring about the spiders artfully moving over the surface, or the pinkish tint taking over her skin. At that moment, she hated that skin that wasn't hers, her parents' ingratitude, the stupidity of wizards everywhere, Voldemort, the sun and most of all herself. She shouted with all her might, hoping her bubbles of anger would swallow the world whole. She repeated the same process over and over, until her lungs were on fire. She ended up out of breath, sitting on a rock by the water, gazing at the trees and the canyon-like surroundings.

Severus was watching over her from his vantage point on top of a bigger rock. It was lucky he still had his old wand, or they would really have been defenseless. For once, he had a compassionate look in his eyes. It really was like looking in a mirror, without self-hatred. She feebly turned her back on him to lie on her stomach on the warm flat rock. A while later, she heard Severus ask "Do you actually do butt flexes exercises from Albus' book? Because I don't know how to feel about that."

Her shoulders shook slightly. She was laughing, crying a little, and not giving a damn all at once.

He waited a while longer. "You should put some clothes on. Too much sun can be harmful."

She listlessly obeyed and went to rest under a tree. He joined her. "Things will work out in the end, you'll see. The worse is over. You have found them, and they are alive. With time, they will understand. If not, you did your best, and you saved their lives. Even you can't have everything, after all."

She half-heartedly smiled. "Yeah, well…"

They fell silent, observed their surroundings, and ate some fruits and almonds from the bag Severus had carried over. Hermione distracted herself by suspending drops of waters in the air without her wand for a few seconds. All of the sudden, with a messy flapping sound, an owl delivered a letter which Severus read out loud, sometimes raising a derisive eyebrow.

"Dear Hermione,

We can't believe you didn't tell us about going to find your parents! Thanks for the note, by the way, and I am being sarcastic. That is so you to put our exams over your need for moral support. Are you okay? Did you find them? Are they okay? Are they mad at you? Did your mother like your haircut? I don't know what to ask. If things are bad, I don't really know what to say. Ron and I hope that they are alive and well. I only ever talked to my parents through illusions, and I think anything more than that is fantastic, but what do I know? Ginny says I am an oaf and sends you her love. Anyhow, I think we made you proud with the exams, this week. Ron even thinks he got an Optimal, no less, in Muggle Studies. He really is taking that business thing seriously.

"That business thing?" Hi, Hermione! It's Ron. I'm actually going to become the store manager of the Wizarding Wheezes French branch and Gabrielle is going to be my right hand! How cool is that? That means I won't be staying long with George, but Harry will be there. And apparently, he was recruited to help out with that project of his, so I am not worried.

Write to her yourself! It's Harry again. And here comes the second piece of news of the day. Guess the name of the institution that will soon prevent the rise of next Dark Lord or Lady, and bring about the "real peace". See, at least one person was listening to you. So, there it is. I present to you "The Phoenix Foundation". I wanted to sell the Blacks' property, to help pay for the costs, but Kreacher begged me in tears not to. So, I guess I will keep that souvenir of Sirius a while longer, even if he hated it. Molly has agreed to come work with us. So, the children coming to us will be loved and cared for. And Andromeda is going to come live there with Ted and help out. So, I don't have to be apart from my Godson. She is thinking about studying psychology to help the children, and the parents who have no one else to turn to. I'm not going to lie, I'm really psyched by (and worried about screwing up) all those developments. I think I understand now how you feel about S.P.E.W.

You know, I wanted to travel for fun with you and Ron but we are going to get very busy, at least the two of us are. What are you going to do? You still haven't told us. Hey, let's say we'll go on a fun trip together in a year from now, okay?

P.S.: I am sending you a photo of Teddy too. He really is a Metamorphmagus.

Write to us soon!

Harry & Ron"

Severus added his two Knuts. "I know it is not the best time, but have you actually thought about the future?"

"Of course. Since I am close to losing my parents, we might separate soon." She sniffed bitterly. "I am thinking of staying at Hogwarts as a Tutor for the students who did not come to the summer session for a few months. I have applied for a double Master's degree, one Muggle, and another magical in two years. Depending on the University I choose, the program could begin in January, or in October. What about you?"

"Minerva has asked me to continue teaching at least until December. The new teachers she has found should have arrived by the end of November. After that, I want to leave that place. I am still wondering where I will go."

"What if we can never go back to the way we were?"

He flatly replied, "We'll die. But there is plenty to lose before that happens, so there is still hope for us."

She laughed at the sarcasm.

He stared in the direction of the sun and the horizon. The end of the afternoon was approaching. "Speaking about depressing thoughts, we should go back. They are waiting for us." That made the smile on her lips die as quickly as it had appeared.

They slowly walked back into town. As she was in deep thoughts, Hermione's demeanour was calmer. They might listen to her then. Her parents were waiting in front of their door. They were weary of being bewitched again somehow, so they took them to a restaurant decorated with leaves and round lanterns with coloured glass. They ordered drinks from a table isolated from the few others diners.

"So, do you have anything to say for yourself, young lady?"

Her mother's tone and words reminded Hermione of how she was reprimanded when she was much younger. She knew Severus was going to take the fall to help her. It would not matter if two more people believed he was an unscrupulous person. After all, he had hurt many people. She had the right to get back her regular relationship with her parents. The war had stolen it from her, and it was not fair. That was what she told herself, but she remained unconvinced. She rolled her eyes at herself. She could not let him do it. It was wrong the same way not helping him survive would have been wrong. It was dirtier than the trick she had played on her parents. It was cowardly. And it did not bode well for building up trust within her family. Severus was ready to defend her case like she had defended his. "Dad, Mum, I am so sorry," he began.

Hermione held her hand up. "Mr and Mrs Granger, I am sorry to interrupt, but your daughter is fraught with emotion and I don't think she can explain clearly the situation. You need to understand the context of the war and how your daughter fitted into it." She lectured them extensively until the cheese course at the closest table, as they had not gotten past the aperitifs. "So, your daughter had no one to turn to but her own skills. As I was a Death Eater as well as a Member of the Order of the Phoenix, she could not be certain I would not leak information about you. Your daughter was one of the people who made the end of the war possible. Her only mistake was that she did not consult you. She had not imparted on you the dangers of our world because she was afraid you would take her away from it. Because of fear and miscommunication, she took your right to choose from you. And it was neither fair nor respectful..."

While she was searching for words, Severus interjected. "Professor Snape is right. I am so sorry. I couldn't sleep I was so worried about you and I'm afraid you can never forgive me. But I just wanted to keep you safe. I promise I will never abuse my magical power over you ever again. I will always ask for your consent and approval."

It was a lot to take in, and none of them really knew what to say. So, they paid for their drinks and left in pairs. Hermione and Severus could see the other two converse in front of them but waited patiently to be addressed. Hermione took his hand. "This is not utilitarian. Thank you." He lightly stroked the top of her hands with his thumb to show he understood.

Her mother held back while her husband went to open the door of their flat. "Look, we are glad you are unscathed. We think we might be able to understand and forgive you but we need time. We can't just welcome you back with open arms. We want you to send us the issues of your Wizard newspaper since you arrived in the magical world. If you can, lend us an owl so we can send you our questions. Send it to this address." She gave Severus a business card on the back of which she had written an address with a pen. That was so cold. Hermione looked in pain, but tried to put on a hopeful front. She said "Thank you," when her mother wearily gave her their wands back before walking away.

Hermione and Severus soberly walked toward an isolated corner to activate their Portkey. But they heard steps rushing their way. Severus almost took his wand from her hand, but recognised the "assailant" in time. Hermione's father knelt down without a word and hugged her tiny frame. Severus hugged him back without hesitation, and said what he read in Hermione's eyes. "Daddy… I'm sorry I wasn't there to support mom and you."

"We know…" He nodded at Hermione whose lips were firmly pinched. Her nose was starting to prickle and her eyes to water, but it was too dark for anyone else to notice. Her father quickly went back to his wife and the couples went back to their separate lives.

In Hogwarts, Severus stayed with Hermione until she fell asleep. Then, he went to tell Harry and Ron what had happened. Perhaps he could gather information on how to console her himself. When he went to bed, he reflected on Hermione's refusal to let him take the fall. In the morning, would he finally be back in his body?

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This chapter was NOT BETAED. Please, send me a PM if (when) you see any mistake. I know this moment kind of sucked for obvious reasons, but it had to happen. I can at least guarantee you will enjoy the next one. ;) Really… Stay with me people!

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