I'm really dragging my feet about writing the trial; as you know from the previous chapter, they are not my favourite things to write or read about, but neither will I just cop out and have Rita 'plea'.
This chapter is short and just an interlude of sorts.
Thank you all who've read this story, favourited it and/or reviewed it. I am grateful to you all.
Chapter 25
The bell attached to the lintel above the door of Severus' shop gave a welcoming herald to the weekend, and Severus was relieved as the door to his shop closed behind the last customer of the day. He began the shop's usual closing procedures; locking the door, turning out the lights, assigning small cleaning chores to his assistants (sweep the floor, wipe the windows, tidy the shelves and the like), and pulling the days' transactions from the till. He noted with a smirk the speed at which the Anne and Stefan worked; he had given them the weekend off since he had decided to close the shop for a few days holiday.
He was looking forward to this holiday. The weekend previous, he had taken Hermione to visit her parents so that they could dote on her and give her a chance to relax away from the Wizarding world and their current difficulties. He would spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday with them, and the pair would return to their flat to resume work on Monday. Difficult days would lay ahead of them after the respite.
Severus sighed. He and Hermione had hoped that they could avoid a trial altogether. Although Skeeter—the sole person alive who knew all the plans that Alexis, Kane and she had concocted—had seemed forthcoming at her last interview, according to Potter, the Wizengamot had decided a full trial needed to be held. One wondered if the Wizengamot were using this situation simply to take care of the Skeeter problem once and for all; no member of that august body had avoided her wicked quill during their tenures.
Hermione had been disappointed, had even cried because she had hoped to avoid the turmoil, upheaval, and publicity a trial would bring upon the couple. Severus avoided publicity as much as he could, and Hermione, having been vilified repeatedly by the Prophet, had no wish to be further scrutinised.
Once the money had been counted and receipts double-checked, Severus put the lot in the hidden safe in his office and with a quick Nox to put out the lights, he left the room and went to the flat above. He had packed that morning, so it was just a matter of collecting his case and Apparating to the Granger's home.
"Severus!" Hermione called delightedly as she opened the patio door. "I'm so happy to see you!"
His arms were full of witch before he even had a chance to put his case down, but he did not mind. He hugged her tightly and gave her a tender kiss of greeting. "I've missed you, witchling," he murmured.
"I've missed you, too," Hermione answered as she stepped back from her wizard. "Mum and Dad are eager to see you. Dad wants a bit of help with the barbeque grill."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. He bought a new one and needs a bit of help putting it together so we can use it tonight."
"And by help, you mean magic?" Severus teased.
Hermione laughed. "Yes. He figured it would go faster, and we could eat sooner. Mum and I have been making the side dishes all afternoon. Let's get you inside and take care of your case and have a drink first, though."
Arm in arm, the couple returned to the house where Severus was welcomed warmly by Helen and David Granger. Helen hugged Severus, much to his chagrin, and David shook his hand and slapped him on the back. They directed him to the sitting room while Hermione took his luggage and went upstairs to put it away. When she returned, the group settled down to chat and have a drink before tackling the new grill and finalising dinner preparations.
The night air was warm as the couples lounged around the patio, the last of the trifle Hermione had made having been passed around for the final time. Severus eschewed further helpings, stating that he was full to bursting. David had started a fire, the Muggle way, in the pit nearby, and the family moved chairs to be closer to it.
The talk turned to the upcoming trial and Hermione sighed. "I had hoped to avoid it," she said.
"Couldn't she enter a plea at the last minute?" Helen asked. "That often happens before Muggle trials."
"She will try, no doubt, on the advice of her lawyers. However, I am of the opinion that the Wizengamot is using this to finally get rid of the Skeeter problem?" answered Severus.
"Skeeter problem?" asked David.
"I've told you about Rita Skeeter before, Dad. She's the reporter for The Daily Prophet who's skewered just about every member of the magical community for years."
"Isn't she the one who wrote those horrid articles when you were just a girl in school, claiming you were a harlot or some such?" Helen inquired. "You were, what? Fifteen at the time? Hardly a jezebel at that age," she snickered.
"MUM!" Hermione cried.
"Oh, love! I'm just teasing. But you did have that crush on that Quidditch player…Krust, or Valient…I can't remember his name."
"Viktor Krum and thank you for embarrassing me in front of Severus."
Severus laughed. "Pet, we all knew about Krum pursuing you, rather than the other way 'round. Never fear, Helen; Hermione was our good little bookworm while at school."
Hermione choked a bit on her drink. "I'd hardly call setting you on fire and stealing from your potions store being a good little bookworm. Not to mention the happy little camping adventure I experienced."
The couples laughed for a moment before turning serious.
"Tell us, Hermione," asked David, "what do you think will happen during the trial?"
"I'm hoping for open and shut. No, scratch that. I'm actually hoping for a plea, and we won't have to go to trial at all. I'm hopeful that Bucket's memories will be allowed; they'll make all the difference, at least regarding the accident at work."
"Bucket? Is he a colleague?"
"Of a sort," snickered Severus.
"Bucket is a spider, a magical spider," Hermione explained. "He's actually more of a familiar in that he will communicate with those he feels a bond with, and apparently, I am one of those he feels a bond. He has also bonded with his keeper and was able to communicate to her and me what he saw and observed during his time as a wee spy."
"The problem is," added Severus, "whether or not the Wizengamot will accept the memories of an animal, or in our case, an arachnid. There is no precedence."
"But Hermione said they allowed Dumbledore's portrait to testify at your trial, Severus," said David.
"True, but portraits are imbued with the magical essence of a human when they are painted. That is what allows them to interact with the living."
"Severus," began Hermione, "Aren't familial bonds sacred in the magical world?"
"Well, not sacred per se, but they are protected," he trailed off. "I think I see where you are going; if the familial bond is protected…accepted in the magical world to the point where it is understood and accepted that a familiar does have the ability to communicate and protect its bond mate…"
"Then it should be accepted as much as portrait testimony and admissible in court!" finished Hermione happily.
"What does this mean?" asked Helen. "I'm afraid I've lost you."
Hermione turned to her mother. "Think of it like this, mum; animals are instinctive. They'll protect the members of those they consider 'pack'. When a dog or a cat has formed a close bond with their human, they are protective of that human. The dog can sense when the human is ill. How many times have we've seen stories on the telly about dogs who've travelled miles to find help for their injured master? A cat will bring a freshly killed mouse to a human simply because it is their instinct, all jokes about our being helpless aside," she giggled.
"A familiar bond is the same but because of the magical element, more deeply connected to the point actual communication can happen. Verbally—well spider screech that is understood as English in the case of Bucket—or simply through a felt connection and instinctual reaction."
"I think I see," said Helen. "So, you'll need to prove to the Wizagarot—"
"GaMOT, mother," Hermione interrupted exasperatedly.
"GaMOT, Hermione," Helen teased, sticking her tongue out. "You'll need to prove that the bond of a familiar is no different than that of a magically imbued portrait."
"Exactly," said Severus. "Which means," he continued, looking at Hermione, "you'll be doing what you do best on Monday, my dear."
Hermione smiled widely. "Spending the day at Hogwarts, researching!"
Severus raised his glass in mock salute and took a drink. "To my little bookworm!"
The couples laughed and raised their glasses, too.
"More wine, love?" David asked Helen.
"Yes, please. Severus? Hermione?"
The pair nodded and David stood to get some more wine. "David," Helen called, "grab that new board game we picked up the other day, would you? We have enough light to play and it looked fun." David waved in acknowledgment.
Hermione interjected, "And even if we do run out of light…" She waved her hand and a small blue flame erupted. Severus waved his own hand and a small jar appeared in this palm. Hermione dropped the flame within it. "Voila!"
Helen looked at the couple fondly. "One of your first bursts of early magic was fire, did I ever tell you?"
Hermione put her drink down. "I know you took me out of school because I set that fire when I was eight."
"You can imagine our horror when you were just one year old and in a fit of temper set my kitchen towels on fire because I wouldn't let him have a taste of my cake batter!"
"I did not!" exclaimed Hermione.
"Well, you set me on fire," interjected Severus, "why not your mother's tea towels?"
"Well, I never!" Hermione cried indignantly. "I'm going to help dad." She flounced off with a smile.
Severus and Helen watched her go, chuckling good naturedly.
"She has always left herself open for a good tease; I'm afraid we took advantage of it."
"She does rise to the bait, doesn't she?" agreed Severus.
Helen turned in her seat to look at her future son-in-law. "She brings out the best in you, doesn't she?"
"She makes me want to be the best I can." Severus replied.
"Love does that," Helen murmured.
"It does."
"You're not who we imagined Hermione would marry. I don't mean any offense, but…"
"I assure you I am not offended. "I'm not who I imagined Hermione would marry either. She is so much younger than I am."
"Even in primary school, Hermione tended to gravitate to the older boys, and she even preferred her male teachers over her female ones. Now I think on it, her accidental magical bursts tended to happen the years she had female teachers. I suspect she felt that the older one was, the more intelligent you were."
"Hermione said that there are ten years between you and David…perhaps it's in the genes?"
Helen chuckled. "Perhaps it is. Regardless, David and I are happy for you both and are pleased that you'll be part of our family. Seeing you together, we don't doubt your love."
"She makes it easy to lover her," Severus said, "and I would do nothing to lose that love."
"See that you don't; David is a black belt."
Severus did not say that even a black belt in karate wouldn't stand to a wizard with a wand, but simply nodded and said, "Understood."
Before Helen or Severus could chat further, Hermione bounded out of the house. "Here's the game! Daddy's following with the drinks."
Helen rubbed her hands together and exclaimed, "Prepare to get trounced!"