Disclaimer: I own nothing

Stealing from Thieves

Getting Sacked is Hard

I did not go check on Lucius's transition to home that evening. Naturally I had much to do in the castle and Minerva insisted that I be present at dinner to formally announce that I would be leaving the castle. I agreed that I would attend, but only on the condition that she makes the formal announcement. I had nothing left to say anymore. Slowly word leaked out anyway. Based off the news travelling in the hallways I wondered if my leaving would come as a surprise to anyone at all. Many of the students who had been in the hallway supporting me stopped by my lab to give their nervous and hesitant goodbyes. I was still numb. I knew that once I had everything cleared and was sitting in my house in Hogsmeade the full weight of what had happened would settle on me. Until then I packed mechanically. Harry, both the Weasleys, and Hermione spent the remaining hours before dinner helping me. I was too pensive to really notice their presence much less demand they leave. If I had, Hermione might have spent a good while lecturing me on how dangerous it is to turn away the comfort and presence of friends and loved ones one time too many.

I had all my personal effects packed and shrunk into a handful of cartons. The potions ingredients and cauldrons that are too delicate to be modified by magic, I loaded into a pile and asked Hagrid to help me carry them out first thing in the morning. The rest of my belongings were easily transported by the five of us in one trip through the floo. That way no students would see me leaving with my things. I felt it important to leave quietly and keep my dignity. I kept reminding myself that leaving was what I wanted, but it did not help. The circumstances prevented the mantra from offering any immediate comfort.

"He must be really upset since he let us help with all that without yelling at us or anything," Ron said to Harry and Ginny as Hermione and I stepped out of the fireplace and back into the castle after dropping off the last the boxes.

I was happy that Hermione was spending more time with Ron and Ginny. I know she missed her friends, but I still wanted to say something biting just because it was so simple. Then I thought better of it. What would really disconcert Weasley would not be my wit, but something neutral or even kind. He would never expect it.

"I let a lot of you people help me build up my house once it got destroyed, didn't I?" I asked. I fixed him with a stare that said 'well, what do you have to say about that?'

Hermione beamed at me and Harry and Ginny laughed as Ron spluttered unable to think of a response. Sighing I turned away from them and headed to the Great Hall for my last meal at Hogwarts.

The Great Hall was buzzing with the usual chatter found at dinnertime. Since the day was not special, no feast or anything, Minerva had sent word out that everyone was required to be at dinner that evening so that the announcements could be made to as many people as possible. I picked at my food and ignored the chatter around me for the most part. I hoped that at least my face remained neutral. Hermione squeezed my leg under the table.

"Snap out of it, Severus," she hissed. "I know you are feeling awful, but remember you are also standing up for what is right. You have to look like it, as well."

"How am I supposed to look?" I demanded.

"I don't know," she said back hotly. "How about a little more engaged with the people around you? You don't want everyone to think this is the end of the world for you, because it's not."

She was right, but I didn't know how to make her understand that it was still leaving against my own will and that I was going to miss the castle very dearly. There was simply no other way to describe it. I would have been sad on the last day of term. Hermione would see when her last day came. The castle seeped inside those who were lonely, orphaned, and abused. Hermione's natural curiosity about the building and its enchantments would have made her an attractive outlet for the castle's sentience. Many witches and wizards took its bewitching majesty for granted, but she never did. When it was time for her to say goodbye she would feel it as keenly as I.

The evening Prophet showed up during dinner before Minerva could make her announcement. She was quiet throughout the whole meal, but other than that you wouldn't be able to tell there was anything amiss by her behavior. I was quite curious to know what she had discussed with the Governors after I left. Minerva leaned to me with her Prophet folded to the picture of me emerging from the Ministry's courtroom with Draco and Lucius walking behind.

"This is great, really good," she said thumping me on the arm with the paper. "You let those no counts on the Board of Governors know that they can't take away who you are."

Until that point I was avoiding the Prophet. I took Hermione's copy and Rita Skeeter hadn't been the first to report apparently because my quote was in there verbatim without any slanderous or otherwise outrageous intent implied. A quick scan of the Great Hall showed that about half of the students were upset about what I did. The rest looked pleased or uncertain. Many of the students at the Slytherin table looked smug and I didn't like that one bit.

"It seems that we have everyone's attention," Minerva said and stood up. The room quieted.

"I see that many of you have read the read the article about Severus Snape in the Evening Prophet," Minerva held up the paper and waited for general acknowledgement from the room. "Professor Snape's position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by the Board of Governors effective immediately, for his role in having Lucius Malfoy's case reheard by the Wizengamot."

The students burst into a flurry of chatter. I continued to sit with my head held high just as I was instructed to do, and in doing the act I felt the effects. As the students chattered I began to feel the indignity of the whole situation wave off of Hermione and Minerva and decided that I would get through it with no regret whatsoever. I had done what I believed in and that was that.

Minerva lifted her hands to silence the room and when she began again her voice was slightly shaky. "For those of you have doubts as to Severus Snape's loyalties rest assured that he is not a Death Eater, and that his actions at the Ministry today were to save a friend from a fate he did not earn and nothing more. Beginning tomorrow, Professor Slughorn will be reinstated as your potions teacher for the remainder of the year. Your permanent replacement will be announced before next term."

Slughorn stood up and bowed. I imagine he was already in the process of deciding how he was going to get his Slug Club going again. Maybe Weasley would finally make it in. Minerva silenced the room once more.

"There will be some more staff changes taking effect at the close of term. Hermione Granger has decided to continue her education at a magical institution of higher learning and I applaud that decision," Minerva turned to Hermione and clapped. The rest of the Great Hall joined in. Hermione blushed and bowed her head graciously. "Finally, I will be retiring as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry at the end of this year as well. Professor Filius Flitwick will take over as Headmaster after me. I would like to thank each of your for all your hard work and the dedication you showed in rebuilding the castle after a very difficult time."

"Why?" one student's voice was heard above the near silence at Minerva's announcement. She was a Gryffindor sixth year and ducked her head when every pair of eyes turned in her direction.

"Why, because I am old," Minerva said smiling. The students laughed hesitantly. "And I want everyone to know that I fully support my staff, and that I would never knowingly place any student in a position where they may be harmed or negatively influenced by any staff member with an agenda. The Board of Governors feels that changes are due at Hogwarts and I am prepared to step aside. I look forward to a life of leisure; I have not had a day off in a very long time. Let us work hard and enjoy the rest of our year."

There was a smattering of applause as Minerva sat back down. The students were surprised, but the members of the Head Table were beyond shocked.

"What are you doing?" I demanded of Minerva as the staff convened in her office shortly after her announcement. "If the Board of Governors and the Ministry are going to interfere at Hogwarts the school needs you here to protect it."

"Thank you, Severus, for your encouragement, but I have decided that you were right all along. The time has come for some of us to move on with our lives and find some other purpose. Professor Flitwick is qualified and prepared to take on the Ministry and the Board if necessary," Minerva said. I started to splutter something in reply but she cut me off. She waved her wand and summoned a few bottles of champagne and glasses. "I would like to propose a couple of toasts."

The dazed staff passed around the drinks and looked expectantly at Minerva. "Here is to Severus Snape, whose loyalty and dedication to this school will be sorely missed. Hogwarts will not be the same without you. To Severus!"

"To Severus," the teachers echoed.

"Here is to Professor Filius Flitwick who I anticipate will make a worthy Headmaster," she raised her glass again.

"To Professor Filius Flitwick!" the staff chorused with more enthusiasm.

Everyone in the room gathered around Minerva, Hermione, Flitwick, and I to offer their congratulations, or in my case, condolences. We all suffered through it for about fifteen minutes before Minerva asked everyone to clear out. I shook hands with the men, hugged the women and promised everyone that I would be nearby and available for drinks, etc., etc. Thankfully no one bothered to ask why I was not fighting the Board's decision. Or, maybe I should not have been grateful because it was an indication that they were happy to see the back side of me. It really didn't matter.

I waited for everyone to leave before I approached the portrait of Albus. Minerva and Hermione stepped out of the office as well. Although I had spoken to the portrait of Albus a handful of times over the previous months I was still ambivalent to the man. I didn't want to forgive him anymore for asking me to kill him, but I really wanted to berate for him so completely unhelpful when I was out of body. Dead or alive, the man remained the same. I supposed I should have applauded his consistency.

"Severus, my boy," Dumbledore greeted me just like old times. "You don't visit."

"Neither do you," I replied swinging Minerva's chair around and sitting down.

Dumbledore smiled and inclined his head.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Finally Dumbledore broke the silence.

"What is on your mind?"

Severus sighed. "I'm not sorry for killing you anymore."

"Good, you have no reason to be. You did me a favor and Draco as well," Dumbledore said. His painted eyes studied Severus. "However unapologetic you are about my demise, you still feel you need to be forgiven, don't you?"

I shrugged. Our conversations always seemed to veer in the same direction.

"It is time for me to go," I meant that in so many more ways than the one obvious one.

"As it should be," Albus said standing up from his painted gilt chair and resting his hands on either side of his frame. He pushed his face as close to the portrait surface as possible. "Leave here. Severus, my dear Severus, my friend. All of the reasons you had to be at Hogwarts are gone now, and all the reasons why you should leave are here still. You have an opportunity to live that life you could have lived years ago if you had made one different decision. And if I didn't know any better, I would say the life you can live now will be a thousand times more fulfilling than any you might have chosen back then, because there is one thing you never would have even if you did not join the Death Eaters."

He looked at me earnestly waiting for me to acknowledge that one thing I could not have ever had. "Lily."

"Lily," he agreed. "Lily was never meant to be yours, and you were never meant to be hers. Sometimes fate has other plans."

I tightened my fingers into fists. Memories that I thought had been long buried and gotten over were rushing to the surface. Not just of Lily, but of all the things that had had some effect on me over the years. There was so much hurt.

"Severus, the Board of Governors may be attempting to make an example out of you, but leave here with your head high. You don't belong here anymore. Remember the robbed man that smiles,"

"Steals something from the thief," I finished for him. "Goodbye my old friend."

"Until another time," Albus said and lifted a hand in farewell.

And that was it. There was nothing left to do but walk out the doors. There was no fanfare or crowd of students by the doors to cheer me or boo me on my way. Only Minerva and Hermione were waiting for me. I preferred it that way. If I returned to the castle again it would be as a visitor, maybe as a parent with a young student. That thought brought a pang of longing to my heart. I reached out and took Hermione by the hand. Her warm palm, soft and real inside of mine was all I needed to find the strength Dumbledore wanted me to find. She was here, and it was because of her that I could let go.

"Shall we walk home?" she asked.

I gripped her hand tighter and the three of us left the castle and walked together to the house in Hogsmeade. It was anticlimactic, just as I had hoped it would be.

Later after Minerva had left, Hermione stood up at the bedroom window peaking out the curtains. She was completely naked and the silhouette of her body shone with narrow strip of moonlight that was glowing through the slit of the fabric she was holding back. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

"The view of the castle really is breathtaking," she said. "Is it going to be hard for you to see it?"

"No, and if I am picturing you like that walking around in there, I will hardly be able to tear my eyes away from it," I said reaching out my hand. "Come away from there."

She walked back to the bed and crawled in next to me. Completely uninhibited in a way that I was going to treasure for many years to come. Hermione leaned over and kissed my throat where I had been bitten. She trailed up my neck and finally nipped at my ear.

"Are you ready for more?" I asked her trailing my hands down her breasts lingering over the peaks of nipples.

"Hmmm," she breathed. Instead of pursuing other parts of my body with her mouth though she leaned her head against my chest.

"Do you really want to look for houses on the sea?"

"Yes," I said without hesitating. With her naked body pressed up against mine she could have whatever she wanted. It almost wasn't fair of her to ask anything of me because I would not have denied her anything.

"Would you want to keep this house as well?"

I felt myself deflating, but I still shifted her further on top of myself before answering. "If you were to continue at Hogwarts I would have wanted to, so I could be nearby. I suppose there is no point to that now though, is there?"

She shifted her hip suggestively against my softening member reawakening it. "I like knowing that you want to be near me."

"Always, let me show you close I want to be." I grabbed her hips and settled her body fully on top of me entering her as I did so. We had never done it like this before with her sitting on me her naked torso in full view for me to explore with my hands and eyes as she rocked on her hips against mine. She leaned her head exposing her white neck. Her long hair fell back and brushed my thighs and I nearly exploded inside of her. I had never been more turned on by her body before. It felt as if the Board of Governors, Hogwarts, and my past were less than memories. They had never existed. The only thing that was real at that moment was Hermione.

Afterwards Hermione lay panting on top of me. I was completely drained. Physically and emotionally. My eyelids started to flutter closed when Hermione whispered sleepily.

"Harry loves this house."

I woke a little bit. "Were you thinking about that the whole time?"

She slapped my chest weakly. "No, just something to think about."

I closed my eyes again. "I only want to think about you."

She may have said something else, but I was already asleep.

A/N: I know many of you were expecting a big fanfare or bursts of outrage over Severus leaving the school, but that's not the way it goes. Sorry! Next chapter will be up soon and it will be longer, this one was a little short. Thanks to those of you who have reviewed and added this story to your alerts or favorites. I am going to have to start dedicating chapters!