Chapter 68: Regretful Distance

{A/N: Here's Another Update....}

My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.

{"Memories don't live like people do...I'm sick for ever believing you...Wish you'd bring back the man I knew...Was good to me, oh Lord...Every time you say you're coming...Boy, you disappoint me, honey...How well you forgot when you were down...And I was around...I can't eat, I can't sleep anymore...Waiting for love to walk through the door...I wish I didn't miss you anymore..."} I Wish I Didn't Miss You Anymore, Angie Stone

The Sitting Room, The Granger-Weasley Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World...

The clanking of keys echoed throughout the formerly empty and eerily silent household as Hermione Jean Granger entered her home after a long three month absence. She had been out of the country on assignment for the Ministry Of Magic and had yet to check in with the children since her return to England. With an exhausted sigh, the amber eyed witch made her way further inside the sitting room of the house she had once shared with her former husband Ronald Weasley prior to his untimely murder apparently at the hands of her former lover whom happened to be the son of her former Potions Professor.

The exhausted witch had been quite content to bury herself in her work in a bid to ignore the nagging questions about the events that transpired two years prior when evidence had surfaced implicating Regulus Snape in Ron and former Minister Of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt's murders. A part of her wanted to believe that Regulus had not been at fault, that he had not been capable of such a heinous act no matter how many people believed he could be and the other part of her. Yet, their was also another part of her that could not get the evidence out of her mind nor the images of the man whom had been responsible for the attacks once the mask was removed from his face.

Shaking all thoughts of Regulus Snape from her mind, Hermione settled into her empty home worn out from her journey and emotionally drained to boot. She had been quite fortunate in the fact that the Weasleys had agreed to look after Rose and Hugo while she'd been away on assignment in Australia.

The exhausted witch had barely collapsed onto the sofa when an abrupt knocking had gotten her attention. Hermione sighed getting to her feet as she made her way toward the door only to find that Harry Potter had been standing on the other side of it.

"Harry...what's the meaning of barging over here at this time of night...I've already given my report at the office." began Hermione narrowing her amber eyes at her best friend since childhood.

"M-Mione...has he been here to see you yet?" asked the green eyed wizard as if studying her for any traces of deception.

"What are you talking about Harry?" asked Hermione in relative confusion. "Has whom been to see me and why would they need to?"

Harry sighed unsure how she was going to take what he had been about to tell her.

"So you haven't heard." he said realizing that he would now have the burden of letting her in on the truth she hadn't been privy to for close to three years.

"Harry what's with you?" asked Hermione still confused. "And what haven't I heard?"

Harry met her gaze for a few moments before collecting himself.

"Regulus Snape has been released from Azkaban." he said.

"WHAT!?" shouted Hermione narrowing her eyes at the former boy who lived. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S BEEN RELEASED!?"

"Mione...while you were away, new evidence has been presented that proves Regulus was not the one that murdered Ron and Kingsley that night." admitted Harry. "As it turns out...the crime was truly committed by another...by Arcturus himself."

"Harry we've been over this, Regulus is Arcturus." said Hermione in disbelief. "You've shown me the video evidence yourself and that pertaining to DNA might I add the magical signatures match...need I go on?"

Harry sighed once more.

"Mione...the reason everything seemed to point to Regulus is due to the similarity in looks as well as the genetic signature...even the magic had been similar...in the fact that...there's no easy way to explain this...but Snape didn't just have one son...what I've gathered since my earlier run in with Arcturus last...is that...Regulus has a twin brother." continued the green eyed wizard.

Hermione could hardly believe what she was being told.

"A...how is this possible there was no documentation on...how?" she asked looking at Harry before suddenly feeling ill and very weak in the knees.

"M-Mione?" said Harry rushing to assist her as she nearly collapsed when her legs gave way.

"I-I didn't believe him...I actually believed that he would be capable of..." she began as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Harry Regulus has been in Azkaban for nearly three years for a crime he never committed."

"I know." replied Harry. "But we need more resources if we are going to stop this new threat to the wizarding world...I came here believing that...well Regulus was interested in assisting us with the Arcturus problem before...perhaps he could again."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Harry as her rage enabled her to scramble back to her feet.

"Do you hear yourself?" she asked still enraged. "Regulus isn't going to help us...he's sooner sit back and watch the world fall part after what we did to him."

"Mione I was hoping that you could convince him that he'd have a future well worth fighting for...I mean...he fancies you...and..." began Harry Potter attempting to get his friend to see reason.

"GET OUT!" demanded Hermione as tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"Mione..." attempted Harry.

"I SAID GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" she shouted this time more firm and making it clear that she'd hex him if she had to.

Harry sighed and took his leave of her getting the point that he had once more turned her world upside down with his follies.

Hermione slammed the front door behind him as she turned her attention to processing what she had just been informed of: Regulus Snape had not been the one to murder her husband and the former Minister Of Magic.

The very same Regulus Snape that had been unjustly imprisoned in Azkaban for close to three years, and was recently released. Slipping down onto the cold hard floor as her back rested against the front door, she could not get the look of utter shock from behind his obsidian eyes out of her mind.

She had rejected him in favor of Harry's mistaken information and now she would have to live with it along with the immense burden of guilt that seemed to be weighing heavily upon her.

Gryffindor Guilt, Regulus' father had once called it.

The now floored witch had known all too well how Snape viewed betrayal and the result of him blocking out any and all emotions because of it. Now she feared Regulus would do the same and if it were the case, there would be no talking to him nor changing his mind if he so desired to throw himself into darkness as easily as his father had.

"What have we done?" asked the shock filled witch before resolving herself to sitting with her back against the closed front door given to the lingering silence of her empty home.