Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.
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A/N:- Thank you to LadyWinterlight for her beta work on this chapter, and thank you all for your reviews and alerts. I appreciate every one, and I am profoundly sorry that this update has taken so long; my muse went on holidays where this story was concerned. This year has been a pretty traumatic one for me, and my updates have been spasmodic at best, but this poor story languished completely in the face of everything going on around me. I'm so pleased that I've managed to get a spark again where it's concerned.
Please be warned that this chapter contains the passing mention of rape, and a little Dumbledore bashing, along with major Harry and Ginny bashing. I hope you all enjoy, and you haven't given up on me.
May I also take this opportunity to wish everyone the best for 2019.
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Chapter Fourteen – Not What We Expected
Severus and Hermione were curled up reading together. It was close to midnight and Hermione's yawns were no longer subtle.
"Come," Severus encouraged, marking her place in her book for her and slipping her off his lap. She was still very easily tired, but then it had been a trying day, and one that they were pleased they could end by spending some hours reading quietly together. After the trials of the day, reading was the way they both liked to unwind. He gently pushed her to her feet and started guiding her towards the stairs. He had noticed that Hermione had been deep in thought, as she'd stopped turning pages long before she'd started giving in to her fatigue.
As she wandered along towards the stairs, Hermione's mind was troubled, and it had been so for some time. Months, if she was honest with herself. Before that she'd been too caught up in her misery to look at the bigger picture, but now she personally was healed, she could see that there was blame to lay, and it was not entirely with Harry or Ginny. This did not mean that she felt sorry for them after what they'd inflicted on her, but it meant she was trying to academically nut out the root cause for their actions.
She was still quietly pondering as they started up the stairs, and finally she spoke. "I would have considered that it would be the responsibility of those adults present to make certain that if a child was possessed by something dark, as both Ginny and Harry were, that they were free of its taint before everyone moved on."
Severus nodded. Ah, so that's what she's been thinking about, and he glanced at her. "Yes, you would think so, wouldn't you," he replied thoughtfully. "But this is Albus we're talking about here."
"Yes, I suppose it is, and for a wise man he was often very uncaring of consequences."
Severus opened their bedroom door. "Believe me, many of us tried to temper him, but he was a law unto himself."
"Yes, a renegade," Hermione agreed, but then she sighed as she started to undress. "He had little regard for other people's suffering."
Severus eyed her as he opened his wardrobe to place his coat inside. "He was a war general, Hermione. They're not allowed to have emotion."
"But he was working with children for much of the war, not soldiers, and it was as children that Ginny and Harry were exposed to such evil." Hermione wasn't certain if she was angry at those who hadn't made certain that they were free of dark magic, or if it was about something else. She walked into the bathroom to clean her teeth as she pondered the situation from a parent's point of view. If someone exposed Alice to dark magic she would be livid. Then she considered that both she and Harry had been raised by non-magicals—she hated the word Muggle—perhaps that was why nothing had been done… But Ginny, her family should have… shouldn't they? Who knew? She remembered Arthur telling them to beware of items asking them to do things that shouldn't have a brain to ask.
She wandered back into the bedroom, and saw Severus already in bed.
He gave her a heated look. "Perhaps it's time I took your mind off everything," he told her, his meaning plain as his eyes panned over her curves.
She smiled absently, and climbed in beside him. "I believe I might like that," she said, but then yawned again.
He slid down the bed and opened his arms to her. "However, perhaps sleep is what you currently need more than pleasure."
"Mmm," she sighed, snuggling into him. He kissed her head, and she reached up and kissed him back, inhaling through her nose as he opened to her. "No," she told him breaking their kiss. "Just you."
At her words, Severus rolled her onto her back, his mouth devouring hers. He felt her legs open and curl around his thighs urging him forward. He chuckled softly. "Such a hurry," he murmured, shifting himself so that he was nudging her entrance.
"Yes," she murmured. "Need you," and she slid downward, impaling herself on him. "Mmm," she hummed feeling him stretching her. It felt wonderful, and as he started moving slowly she said, "Do you know that many couples start trying for their second child when their first child is approaching three," her voice breathy with pleasure.
Severus stilled above her; his eyes had been closed, savouring the feel of her around him, but now he opened them to connect with hers. "Do they indeed?" he whispered, sensing the gravity of the moment. She was telling him that she wanted another child, a sister or brother for Alice. "And are you ready for that?"
"Yes," she told him, reaching up to kiss him.
"Then let us make certain," he said, breaking the kiss and starting down her body. He slipped from her, but his fingers replaced it as his mouth kissed over her stomach. Then he was whispering a fertility spell as his lips adored her, slipping ever lower with his quest to ensure a pregnancy. He knew that her cycle was in the right place, he kept track of it to avoid any unforeseen encounters that saw him getting singed by her temper at strategic parts of the month. His tongue slipped into her cleft and he wiggled it and blew air over the heated bundle of nerves. She moaned and he smiled as he came back up her body, slipping his member inside her once more, and starting to thrust strongly. Neither of them lasted long before they were gasping out their pleasure, and Severus grunted in counterpoint to her sighs as he spilt himself inside of her.
She smiled as he rolled off her, and then pulled her to him. "Sleep well, my love," he whispered.
"Good night," she replied, sorry that he'd slipped out of her as he'd moved her.
xox
It was still dark when Hermione became aware that Severus wasn't asleep behind her anymore, and she sighed as she felt his once more rigid shaft nudging her entrance. "Mmm," she moaned and shifted her hips so that when it next passed she was able to engulf his length inside her.
She heard a decadent chuckle close to her ear. "I didn't mean to wake you, love," he murmured.
"Didn't you?" she questioned, turning her head to join their lips as he started moving in and out of her.
He cackled softly. "Well, maybe I was hoping you would wake. I just wanted to make certain that I'd done the job right."
She'd been going to answer him coherently, but as she opened her mouth to speak he lifted her leg so he stretched her more every time his thrust and her comment was lost. "Severus," she moaned, overwhelmed by the feel of him.
"That's it, darling," he crooned. "Oh, fuck," he moaned. "Rub," he told her. "I want you to come with me."
Without a thought, Hermione's hand slid over her stomach and started rubbing where he'd told her to, and soon they were both panting and she felt him pulse deep inside her. They'd really only both been half awake, and they dozed back off as they were coming down.
xox
The next time she woke it was daylight, and Severus was moving softly within her again, and she wondered if he'd been inside her since their nocturnal adventure earlier. It had seemed more dream than reality to her, even if it had felt just as delightful as this did and she moaned softly.
"Good morning," he said, kissing her neck and shoulder as he picked up his pace, his hands occupying themselves with fondling her breasts. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"I kept having the most delicious dreams," she said, and she felt him smile against her neck.
"Did you, well we want to make very certain that we get what we want," and he rolled her onto her hands and knees as he surged up behind her and grasped her hips.
He thrust into her strongly, making them both moan and then he set a fast pace, watching his eager member pounding in and out and feeling Hermione's internal muscles fluttering and gripping around him as he drove her towards her fourth orgasm. She cried out his name as her body crested over the building tension and he only lasted three more thrusts before he joined her in riding the wave of bliss.
They collapsed in a heap of arms and legs and, rolling over, Severus pulled her into his arms. His long fingers ghosted up and down her spine and he kissed her temple, slowly regaining his breath. "I love you," he murmured. "And I'm going to keep doing this as often as we can until we know for certain," he told her.
"I love you," she replied, lifting her head for a kiss. "And I'll hold you to that," she told him, as she glanced at the clock, and sighed. "Alice will be awake soon."
"Mmm," Severus replied. "And I'm expecting Kingsley to be back today too."
"The poor man," Hermione commented. "It's plain to see that he really wanted the chance to settle down."
"Yes, he was wearing his heart on his sleeve, wasn't he?" Severus stated.
"Yes, somewhat desperate to find the right witch," Hermione agreed.
"Merlin, he's younger than me, and I've found the perfect witch," Severus chuckled. "I'm sure he will too."
"Yes, I'm sure he will," and she leant up and kissed him. "Want to share the shower?"
His smile had just turned into a leer when they heard Alice stirring. "I believe that the answer to that is no," and he kissed her. "You have your shower and I'll organise our daughter."
Hermione smiled. "Thank you," and she watched him getting out of bed and reaching for his robe.
xox
Hermione and Alice were in the kitchen having breakfast, and Hermione had just heard the shower turn off upstairs when she also heard a knock on the front door. Shotsie looked at her.
"Yes, please," Hermione said, and the little elf hurried off to answer it.
When she came back she said, "Minister Shacklebolt is wishing to be speaking with Master, please. I is leaving him in the study," she told Hermione.
"Thank you, Shotsie," Severus replied, coming into the kitchen via the back stairs in time to hear what his elf had said. He looked down at Hermione. "Do you mind if he joins us for breakfast?" he asked.
"No," Hermione answered, thinking that Severus had dried and dressed rapidly. Mind you, I've seen him doing it faster than that too, she thought, thinking back to the day that Healer Ramrod had summoned him as she watched him moving up the hallway.
Kingsley rose from the lounge as Severus entered the study.
"Good morning, Kings," the Potions Master said, noting that the man was still wearing the same clothes as he'd had on the day before, and he looked truly ragged.
"My apologies for disturbing you so early, but I know what your opinion of John Dawlish is, and I wished to speak with you both before he is involved," Kingsley replied. "I've had to have him overseeing the case, as I cannot continue impartially."
"I see," Severus intoned. It was true that he thought Dawlish was an arrogant prick, and he decided to be happy that he'd been spared from seeing him this early in the morning. "We're up and having breakfast. Would you care to join us?" he continued.
Kingsley followed Severus into the kitchen and greeted Hermione and Alice, and Severus and Hermione were surprised to see Alice accept the man's presence without fuss.
"Well, that is extraordinary," Severus commented, and he and Hermione shared a smile as she came back to the table with coffee, and Alice continued eating her toast. She placed Kingsley's down beside him, and she studied him for a moment. "Can I offer you breakfast, Kings?"
The mention of food made his stomach rumble, and Hermione chuckled, "Well, your innards say yes, that's good enough," she laughed, but then taking in his haggard appearance she asked, "How are you this morning?"
"Honestly, I haven't really slept since Abigail regained consciousness," he admitted, happy to be greeted with a sympathetic ear.
"Are you still holding out hope that she'll be vindicated?" Severus asked.
"No," Kingsley told them. "No, she's in it as deeply as Madam Potter," and he sighed. "I can feel it in my bones. No, there's no hope there," and he exhaled a long breath. "It's obvious that Ginevra is the ring-leader, but I just do not know what to make of Harry and Abigail."
"Then don't make anything of them," Severus stated with a little shrug of his shoulder.
"Yes, I truly do agree with Severus," Hermione told Kingsley. She placed the plates down on the table and then filled Alice's sippee cup with milk, which she warmed with a spell, and then she sat down. "Look, I know you had great hopes for Harry… Abigail's betrayal is not the only one you must be feeling, but Harry Potter wilfully drugged and raped me and then turned up after I'd told him that I was pregnant with his beast of a wife to 'deal' with me," she said, using air-quotes. "Now, under normal circumstances a bloke either owns up to his mistake or not, but he doesn't get that nasty over it!"
Severus stilled her hand as she was spreading her toast with so much gusto that she'd torn a hole in it without even noticing.
Kingsley watched her for a moment, and then nodded. "Of course, you're correct. I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to infer anything else." He sighed again. "Look, the long and short of it is that we believe that Ginevra Potter seemed intent on recreating or reincarnating Voldemort, and we have captured a grimoire and for which we require the consultation of a dark arts expert."
"What?" Hermione gasped.
However, Severus was unmoved. "What is the nature of this grimoire?" he asked in a bored tone.
"I'm assuming that it is the chronicle of her journey to resurrect a dark lord," Kingsley told him.
Picking up his coffee, Severus smirked. "And you wish confirmation?"
"Yes, it's unlike any grimoire I've ever seen," Kingsley stated, picking up his coffee and draining the mug. "Thank you for breakfast, Hermione," he commented, and then looked back to Severus. "Would you be able to come and decipher it, please, Severus?"
Severus glanced at Hermione. "What are your plans this morning, dearest?"
"I am intending to finish binding the Selwyn omnibus on my workbench as soon as Alice goes down for her nap, and then we're having a late lunch at Hogwarts with Minnie and Poppy once she wakes again," and she gave Severus a significant look. "A birthday party planning lunch."
Severus nodded his understanding to Hermione and then sat forward in his seat. "Then you may have my undivided attention for exactly three hours from nine o'clock, as I wish to be here again once our daughter wakes from her nap."
Kingsley nodded. "Very well, then I will leave you to prepare, and meet you at headquarters in half an hour."
As he left, Kingsley was deep in thought. He was heartily sick of being alone, and he longed for the kind of tranquillity that Severus and Hermione had. He did not want to destroy what they had, simply replicate it with his own witch. He was constantly forced to be around people that annoyed him, and he was growing heartily sick of it.
He sighed, deciding that at least he'd to try and rid himself of Dawlish for as much of the morning as possible. The man was a bull-headed fool, and part of the reason why the Aurors had not been involved with very much of the subterfuge of war after Moody had died. Dawlish had risen to the top of the Auror ranks after successive heads had retired or had been killed.
He sighed, he'd been hoping that Harry would have been different, that he would have eventually made a good leader, but after this Harry Potter would be lucky if he kept a pen-pushing job now. Hermione and Severus were correct, perhaps it was best to allow this to fall as it might and just see what was left.
Sighing in irritation, Kingsley realised that he'd stopped just outside the front gates of Severus and Hermione's home and he'd been caught wool-gathering. He apparated away without another word.
xox
"Interesting," Severus said, examining the next page of the grimoire.
"I told you it was unusual," Kingsley stated glancing over his shoulder. "But can you make anything of it?"
"The series of spells is unclear and incoherent in nature, there is no structure between spell and function. This is the ramblings of a mad woman," and then his eyes narrowed. "And a mad woman that I believe I've met before."
Kingsley's eyes opened wide as Severus turned to him, lighting a cigarette as he took a step back. He offered the packet to Kingsley as he asked, "Were you present when Bellatrix Lestrange died?"
"Yes," Kingsley stated, confused at this apparent change of subject.
"Tell me what happened," he asked.
"Well, if I remember rightly, it was while Harry was duelling Voldemort. Bellatrix sent a curse towards Ginevra Weasley—as she was then—and Molly reared up like a mother dragon. She duelled the witch and killed her."
Severus nodded. "Do you know what spell she used?"
"I believe it was some kind of blasting spell because the witch literally exploded."
"I see," Severus intoned. "May I speak with Madam Potter?" He saw Kingsley looking puzzled so Severus explained further. "I believe that the witch is possessed, but not by whom you think. I think that you told me on the way here that since she's been in custody that she's been becoming increasingly unstable?"
"Yes, the guards tell me that she's been having more and violent periods of psychosis," Kingsley stated.
"Then that means that her inner being is gaining control. It's a good job that she's in custody, as I believe that now she is truly dangerous. However, her reaction to me will confirm my theory. If I may?"
Kingsley raised an eyebrow, but ordered two of the three senior Aurors present to bring Ginny up from the cells. "And make certain that she's shackled tightly to the chair," he warned as he started to fathom what Severus wanted to test. He nodded to the other guard to remove the grimoire from the chamber, and then set his mind to this new set of circumstances.
Severus looked around while they waited, and then commented, "I see you've rid yourself of Dawlish."
Kingsley chuckled. "That's not actually my doing, although I'd intended to. Another case he'd been working on paid dividend this morning, so he's otherwise engaged."
"Ah, I see," Severus intoned. "So, he's under the impression that you're not dealing with this case this morning?"
"Yes, something like that," Kingsley told him sheepishly.
"And here we are about to blow it wide open," Severus chuckled, but then his face turned serious. "So I suspect you had best summon him. I just saw him heading up the hallway when the men left to collect the Potter woman."
Kingsley sighed. "Are you certain about this, Severus?"
"Very much so, and as much as I dislike the man he needs to be here to add authenticity," and as he spoke John Dawlish poked his head around the door without them having lifted a finger.
"So I see you're bringing the prisoner back up. Why?" he said to Kingsley, but then he saw Severus. "Snape," he stated, obviously fighting to keep the sneer off his face.
"Dawlish," Severus replied, coolly.
"Severus has a theory, and we wish confirmation from the witch in question," Kingsley put in.
"You cannot give her more Veritaserum, it has not been twenty-four hours yet. Besides, this is an Aurory investigation, not yours, Snape," Dawlish snapped.
Severus sneered at the man, but answered plainly. "We will not require Veritaserum, and for your information if safe dosages have been given, the twenty-four hour rule does not apply."
"What are you trying to say?" Dawlish barked.
"Nothing, and Kingsley asked for my assistance," Severus stated, but then fell silent as the two Aurors arrived back with Ginny Potter between them. They sat her in the chair opposite Kingsley. Standing in front of her to secure her to the chair. She couldn't see Severus, and he was purposely not showing himself yet.
Once she was settled Severus smirked and stepped around Kingsley. "Hello, Bella," he taunted. "What's it like inside a Gryffindor's head?"
A switch inside the witch in the chair seemed to flick, and she reared up and spat at him. "Traitor!" she screamed, and they all registered that it wasn't Ginny's voice as the stunned Aurors either side of her pulled her back down.
"Ah, yes, I thought so. You've finally got complete control of her, haven't you?" and Severus stood his ground and raised an eyebrow. "It's taken you a while, and you never were a patient witch," and he laughed.
"Bastard!" Bella yelled from Ginny's mouth. "Crucio!" she commanded wildly, eyes boring into him, but nothing happened.
Severus' smirk grew, even as his hand twitched on his wand to make the witch in the chair feel his wrath, but he remained calm and he tutted. "You can't wield magic without her conscious, you stupid witch," and he watched on nonchalantly as Ginny's body thrashed about in the chair she was shackled to, and he goaded her more. "Yes, it felt very good to know that I'd played you all so perfectly," and he leant forward, buttressing his arms on the table between them. "But you always were a pathetic coward… So, why don't you stop hiding inside this witch and come out and try to avenge old Volde, ay?"
"How dare you speak his name with such little respect," she ranted.
Kingsley glanced at John Dawlish, standing there with a look of horror etched on his face, and then he turned back to Severus watching his cool and calculating façade sitting so easily in place. He could see exactly why Severus Snape had such a dangerous reputation, and also why he'd been such a successful spy; he was cold as ice, rock solid in the face of evil.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Severus stated to the witch in the chair, smirking.
"Now hang on a minute," Dawlish huffed, interrupting. "What the hell are you doing, Snape?"
Severus turned cold eyes to him. "I'm solving a problem for you, Dawlish," he told him.
"We do not need your assistance," Dawlish spat distastefully.
"John, may I have a word, please?" Kingsley cut in, displeasure laced through his voice. John Dawlish's eyes on kept snapping from Severus to the witch in the chair who was cackling under her breath in menacing manner. It appeared that she was rather enjoying the discord.
"I believe that Severus is uniquely placed to solve this problem, and you yourself agreed that we should allow him to examine the grimoire," Kingsley told his colleague.
"Yes," John started, but was abruptly cut off.
"You scum! How dare you look at my grimoire!" the voice of Bellatrix yelled from inside Ginny.
"Yes, I've read of your pathetic attempts to wield powerful magic," Severus teased, his patent scowl easily slipping onto his face. "I know of all the things you've done… that both of you have done," he taunted, taking a step back to give himself space as he beckoned to her. "Come on, Bitch!" he barked, his hand on his wand. "I know you want your chance at revenge over that sad half-blood bastard," and he grinned as he saw Ginny's eyes roll further back in her head and the apparition starting to tear away from the unconscious witch.
Kingsley, John, and the other Aurors stood by watching, gobsmacked, most probably never having seen anything like this before.
Then the youngest of them muttered, "What the fuck," and the apparition turned to look at him, it saw a frightened countenance and wanted to exploit it, but Severus drew attention back to him.
"Still love carving up the innocent and vulnerable, don't you, Bitch?" he snarled, thinking of the damage that this witch had inflicted on the woman he loved, and it made him hate her more.
She sneered and cackled madly. "Darling Snapie," the phantom crooned in a child-like voice. "And his juicy 'ikkle mudblood… married…" Then her voice changed and literally bellowed, "You foul dirty bastard," and she started towards him again, cackling demonically. "I know things about your 'ikkle mudblood," the fiend sing-songed, hovering in front of him threateningly.
Severus was unmoved. He was angry that he was here solving a problem that should never have happened. This witch should have been dead, and it was lack of knowledge that had led to this situation. But he knew exactly what to do, and out of nowhere the sword of Gryffindor dropped into his hand. He swung it and easily decapitated the fiend. She screamed as the righteous blade hit her, but as she tried to shatter into smaller pieces before
it was too late, Severus created a containment field around her and her remains were trapped within it. The last piece of Bellatrix's soul was gone; dead.
He sealed the jar and made it unbreakable as he let out the breath he'd been holding and sagged slightly. "This was the real seat of the problem. Tom Riddle is dead," he said sending the sword back to its safe place in his office at Hogwarts after scourgifying it, and he held up the container that contained a black sludge. "However, Bellatrix did not create any Horcruxes, she was too mad, too unorganised for that." He cleared his throat. "You see, the day of the battle, her exploding was not whatever spell Molly used, it was a black, thoroughly evil soul fighting destruction," Severus told them, looking between the two remaining senior Aurors; the others had fled. However, Kingsley was the only one paying him any attention, and Severus wanted to laugh at John Dawlish. He was leaning against the wall looking green, and if the acrid smell was anything to go by that was not all.
Finally, he looked up at them. "Excuse me, please," he mumbled and he hurried out the door.
"That man is a waste of space," Severus muttered, but his eyes moved to Kingsley as he spoke.
"Mmm," he agreed, but it was obvious that he was troubled, and finally he said, "But Voldemort exploded in the end too."
Severus snorted. "That bastard's soul was far too broken to cause any more trouble," and he patted Kingsley's shoulder. "Don't worry, the war is over." He handed Kingsley the container he'd been holding, and he turned to Ginny. "This witch also needs to pay for what she's done."
"But surely if she was possessed, she's not responsible?" Kingsley stated, he'd felt confused a lot this morning, and he wondered why he hadn't involved Severus earlier. The man certainly had a vast insight he did not possess.
"Not the case. No, that grimoire was very revealing, you can tell where the entries are Madam Potter's own as opposed to Madam Lestrange's influence over her, and neither are innocuous. I would be happy to build a defence case from it for you, if you wish." Severus told him.
Kingsley cleared his throat. "I guess I had suspected as much, but I'm fairly certain that any case you build would be thrown out of court for the same reason that I was unable to run this case by myself."
"I suppose you are correct there, and I'm determined that she will be held accountable for her actions." He looked to the redhead starting to regain consciousness. "Then you put together your own team, and Hermione and I will assist in any way that you see fit."
Kingsley smiled. "Thank you, Severus," he said.
Severus inclined his head calmly, like he hadn't just decapitated a demonic witch-apparition with the sword of Gryffindor—a magical artefact that as a Slytherin he should not have been able to summon—captured her in a jar, and offered to bring down the witch responsible for many crimes. "Then you require me to leave so you can get on with your day." He started to leave, but then turned. "By the way, the grimoire is also a catalogue of her crimes." However, in saying that he realised that her actions against Hermione three years ago in trying to terminate her pregnancy had not featured, and he recognised that Hogwarts had changed a great deal the night it had married them, and he smiled. "Good day, Kingsley."
Kingsley smiled as he watched Severus walking from the room; he was by far the most powerful wizard of their generation. When he was gone, Kingsley turned back to the witch in the chair and realised that his job was far from over, but he did have witnesses for what had just happened. He walked to the door to see where his men had gone, but then sighed and decided that he should escort the recovered Ginny back to her cell.
However, being moved seemed to bring Ginny from her stupor. "Scum!" she yelled at him.
Kingsley looked at her. Severus was right, even without the influence of a dark soul, there was something very wrong with this witch, and she did need to be held accountable for her crimes, as well as rehabilitated; her husband likely would as well. Then, as he took Ginny back to the duty sergeant, he wondered how Abigail fitted into all of this, and he sighed, he really was exhausted.