A/N thanks for all the great feedback guys. I also want to express my sincere gratitude that you have stuck with this so called romance even though we are thirty thousand words in and our romantic leads haven't even locked lips yet. I really didn't intend for them to hold out this long, but Snape is so damn stubborn! Don't get me wrong I love the fics that throw these two together for ludicrous impossible reasons, but I really wanted to write a story that brings them together realistically and on their own terms. I promise I am bringing their time at Hogwarts to a close. Soon, your patience will be rewarded. For now, please enjoy Snape's interview with the Ministry's buffoons. Hermione's interview to follow.
Snape holds the ministry interview in his classroom. He sits behind his desk and makes the ministry lackeys sit like children. They are paper pushers, not detectives. Snape is sure their job is to bury this so it never comes up again. First though, they have to feel him out for weaknesses. If it weren't for the fact that Hermione's freedom was at risk, too, he would almost find this fun.
"How did you first become aware of the threat against Miss Granger?" One of them asks all the questions. The other one records everything, and occasionally asks for clarification.
"There was talk in the Slytherin Common Room. I was made aware by a student who would not tell me who was doing the talking. But I had reason to be concerned." His voice is low and monotone. His expression never wavers from one of boredom tinged with irritation. He keeps his legs crossed and his elbows on the wide leather arms of his chair, fingers interlaced.
"We are going to need the name of that student."
"Which student is that?"
"The one who, uh, let you know about the threat to Miss Granger."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
Snape raises his eyebrows looks over his interlaced fingers at the quivering man. "No. The child is a minor and risked their safety and standing in house Slytherin amongst their peers, and the families of their peers, to inform me of a threat to a muggle born Gryffindor. My job is protect my students. To divulge the identity of my source would put them at risk. I won't do it."
The ministry oafs glance at each other before continuing. "Did you try to investigate the plot?"
"Yes, although that proved to be fruitless. Now that my true allegiance is known, many of my old contacts are no longer helpful. And whomever it is who is trying to hurt Miss Granger is covering his or her tracks well."
"You mean Scabior."
"I do not. Scabior was obviously a person's or party's agent in this matter, nothing more."
"So you think there is still a threat to her?"
"There could be. The Headmistress and I have asked Miss Granger to stay on Hogwarts Grounds until she completes her NEWTs. Hogwarts staff will be keeping a close eye on her until she graduates."
"And then?"
"And then it is not my concern. I am a teacher at Hogwarts. When Miss Granger is no longer a student at Hogwarts, she is no longer my responsibility."
They were a bit taken aback by his apparent lack of concern for Hermione. Snape relaxed a little into his chair.
"Why didn't you inform the Ministry of the threat against Miss Granger?"
"Because the Ministry was near the top of a very short list of people and parties I thought might be behind the threat."
"Excuse me?!" the lackey splutters, "Do you DARE to suggest that the Ministry-"
Snape cuts him off. "Might issue an order to have her kidnapped and tortured?" He is still deceptively calm, but his eyes are blazing.
The man opens and closes his mouth a few times. Then, "Did you warn Miss Granger of the threat against her?"
"I did. I told her I believed it to be serious and asked her to refrain from patrolling the castle alone, and to be careful when leaving Hogwarts grounds."
"That's all?"
"That was the appropriate response given my limited authority over her. Miss Granger is of age and a competent duelist. Attempting to restrict her movements further would have likely backfired, causing her to be less cautious. And this line of questioning is superfluous. My warning worked. She was on her guard. When they attempted to lure her to the shrieking shack she recognized the trap immediately and called for help."
"And how, exactly, did she call for help?"
"She sent her Patronus to me."
"Oh, come now," the man said, clearly disbelieving that Hermione was capable of such magic.
It takes all of Snape's self control not to hex the man.
"I will not argue with you, sir. If you doubt my word, perform Priori Incantatem on Miss Granger's wand and see for yourself."
The oaf actually takes down a note.
"Why send the Patronus to yourself and not the Headmistress? Isn't the girl closer to McGonagall?"
"She was following my instruction. I told her to inform me of any attempts to tamper with her. Someone under the Imperius curse attempting to lure her into an abandoned shack fell under that category."
"I'm sorry, the Imperius curse?"
"Yes. It was a Hufflepuff boy. And no you may not have his name."
"It's nearly impossible to tell if someone has been Imperiused. How did she know?"
"It is remarkably easy for a Witch or Wizard with half a brain in their head to tell when someone they know has been Imperiused. Miss Granger has been trained to recognize the Imperious Curse."
"What did you do when you received Miss Granger's message?"
"I flew to the Hogwarts gates and disapparated to the shrieking shack."
"You happened to have your broom handy?"
"I do not need a broom to fly."
"What, uh, device did you use to fly to the Hogwarts gates?"
"I do not need a device to fly."
"But that's-" the idiot stutters.
"Dark Magic? Yes, it is. Voldemort taught me."
At the mention of that name, the man taking notes startles so badly he falls out of his chair.
"Are you beginning to understand why Miss Granger sent her Patronus to me instead of others she may be more fond of?" Snape asks, leering at them a bit. "The girl may despise me but she isn't stupid."
"What did you do once you arrive outside the shrieking shack?" The man asking the questions tries to steer the interview back on track as his colleague tries to get back in his chair.
"The Hufflepuff boy drew his wand on me. Miss Granger warned me that he was under the Imperius Curse. I disarmed him, stunned him and petrified him. I sent my Patronus to the Headmistress informing her of the situation. I asked Miss Granger to go back to the Castle. She refused. So we entered the shrieking shack together."
"Why didn't you just order her back?"
Snape has to remind himself to keep the affection out of his tone. "Order her how? As I have already told you, Miss Granger is a competent and powerful duelist. Whomever was in the shrieking shack was obviously trying to harm her. I could not have convinced her to turn back. Perhaps I could have disarmed her but then what? Leave her outside alone? I didn't have the time nor the inclination to duel with Miss Granger. We needed the element of surprise to gain the advantage on her attackers. So after informing the Headmistress of the situation we proceeded into the Shrieking Shack."
"Were you concerned for Miss Granger's safety?"
"Yes."
"Tell us what happened in the shack."
"We were immediately set upon by three attackers. I knew there was a fourth man in the shack but he did not make himself known at that point."
The interrogator obviously wants to ask Snape how he knew that but doesn't want to look stupid. Too late, thinks Snape. He continues.
"We dueled the three men for about thirty seconds before Miss Granger managed to stun one." Again, the interrogator looks like he doesn't believe a word of it. Small minded fool, Snape thinks, itching to curse the man. "When the first man went down, the second one panicked and shot off a killing curse. I deflected it and responded with one of my own. It took him in the chest. We had the third one cornered when Scabior entered the room."
Snape pauses here to see if they have anything to say about him casting an illegal curse. They are silent. He continues.
"Scabior made some vulgar remarks about Miss Granger, but gave us no clue as to who had sent him. Then the two men shot off two spells simultaneously. A killing curse was aimed at me, which I deflected. A dark stunning curse was shot at Miss Granger. I realized it would likely bypass her shields, and I had no time to counter it or get her out of the way, so I stepped in front of her. It struck me in the chest. I lost consciousness and awoke in the infirmary."
"What happened after you lost consciousness?"
Snape gives the poor man his most sour look. "I was unconscious. Anything I have to say on the matter would be hearsay. That would be entirely inappropriate, don't you think?"
To this, they have no response.
"Are we done here?" Snape says, rising out of his chair. "I have work to do."
