Chapter Six
In which Hermione talks to an old friend
The day passed slowly as Hermione worked through everything she had learned from the reports, Severus, and the journey through the Pensieve. He did not return for further questioning. What else did they have to say to one another about the case? There were probably other things about other incidents Severus could have told her, but the death, the murder, that was the big one. That was the one that would condemn him to a life lived out in Azkaban under the watchful eyes of the dementors. Hermione shivered every time she thought about it.
Around noon a knock came to her door. It was too quiet, too polite to be Severus, unless, of course, one interpreted the knock as sounding guilty ... But then again, it was only a knock.
The door opened slightly without invitation, annoying her ever-so-slightly, until a head of neatly combed red hair appeared.
"Ron!" she laughed.
"Hermione." he acknowledged, feeling free to open the door all the way and step inside. He looked rather like his brother Percy, she thought, in his official robes and suit and tie, the attire of an Auror between assignments.
"I am glad to see you! I was beginning to wonder."
"Can't be helped, 'Mione." he said, falling into the pattern of speech from his school days. He pulled a letter from a pocket and shook it at her. "Of all the things to read on the day after proposing to my girlfriend, this one takes the whole blinking cake." he told her.
"You finally did it, Ron?" she asked, grinning with delight.
"That's what I said."
"And? And?"
"Come next April, I'll be a married man." he said with an enormous grin. "I've never been so happy."
"Congratulations, Ron! I am so happy for you."
"Go on! You know you're jealous." he joked.
"Maybe a little." she said, thinking momentarily of the kiss from the night before, but trying not to feel even the least bit envious of her friend's happiness.
"Enough of that! We have business to attend to. What's this I read about you defending Snape?" he questioned, growing somber.
"It's true. I am defending him, and I need some help."
"I thought about throwing a party when I heard the ugly blighter might go to Azkaban. I don't think I'm the person ..."
"Ronald Weasley! After everything he did for us? After saving Harry on more than one occasion? And you would still toss him to the dementors?"
"I don't know ... I know the story as well as anyone else. I know he was valuable to our side, or so everyone says, but does that entitle the man to a free ticket? I've heard some pretty horrible stuff about his Death Eater days." said Ron, looking uncomfortable, not to mention just a little guilty.
"So that's that then?"
"I didn't say that. If it means so much to you, I can prepare a statement or something regarding my opinion of his loyalty. But for my money, Hermione, you will need Albus Dumbledore to testify on his behalf, or the greasy git is through."
"And have you heard anything about our former headmaster or his whereabouts?" she questioned.
"To tell the truth, no, I haven't. Not a peep. And I just spoke to Interim-Headmaster Flitwick a few days ago."
"I sent him an owl the same night I sent yours ..."
"And if he gets it, Dumbledore will be here before you even know it. I don't think he would let Snape down."
"I hope you're right."
"You did contact Harry too, right?"
"Naturally. But he may not arrive in time for the inquiry."
"Yeah, he's in Ireland. But he wouldn't miss the trial. Harry may not like Snape anymore than I do, but he wouldn't let Snape go to Azkaban just for being a miserable bastard."
"I'm counting on that." said Hermione, who was quite accustomed to Ron's opinion of their former professor.
The days seemed to race by at a horrible speed while Hermione prepared for the inquiry, and perpared her defense for the trial, which was very nearly a certainty. She hoped that Severus, who had not contacted her for several days, was preparing himself as well. She wanted to get in touch with him, send him an owl asking if he was okay, but she didn't know exactly what to say to him, not after they had both laid their feelings bare and duty had forced her to walk away. What could she say after that?
And still there was no word from Harry or Professor Dumbledore. That troubled her too. If they appeared at the inquiry, made statements on Severus's behalf, then possibly there would not be a trial. Without them the future looked utterly hopeless. The only man for whom she had had feelings, well at least since Viktor Krum, would be thrown to the dementors, shut away in Azkaban forever. The thought tortured her.
Every night she took a sleeping potion and awoke in the morning slightly groggy after a night spent in dreamless slumber. She had prepared the potion herself, although she did admit that if she had asked Severus to make one, she might have felt a good deal more like herself when she woke up. Nevertheless, it sufficed.
Then the day before the inquiry came, and she could not put it off any longer. She had to have another discussion with Severus, no matter how awkward or painful. And besides, she did have some good news for him ...
It was a Sunday and the offices were mostly empty. Ron had sent over a copy of the statement he had prepared attesting to the fact that Snape had proved invaluable in the fight against Voldemort. She was reading this when there was a knock at the door. She rolled up the document and bade her visitor to enter.
Severus looked grim and tired when he entered, dressed in green and black, his house colors. Hermione stifled a laugh, noticing how tight the shirt was across his chest. It was obviously leftover from his school days. The effect was at least somewhat charming.
"What?" he asked, taking a seat.
"Feeling a bit nostalgic were we?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"The clothes. I know that has to be leftover from your sixth or seventh year at Hogwarts. All you need are the robes and a prefect's badge." she told him, pointing at the shirt.
"And it all still fits." he said, tugging the shirt down slightly.
"It looks good on you." said Hermione.
"You said you had some good news." he said, brushing off her compliment.
"They won't be using Veritaserum for the inquiry. I just found out the day before yesterday. They seem to think that going to trial is a sure thing."
"I see."
"Ron Weasley will be speaking on your behalf. I have his statement already."
"Should that make me nervous?"
"It looks good. Of course, something from Harry would be much better, but I haven't heard back from him yet ... or Professor Dumbledore."
"If the a trial is certain ... then they still have time. I may not know where Albus is, but I know he's still watching over ... watching out for those who were faithful. Whatever he chooses to do, he won't disappoint us." said Severus, sensing her uncertainty.
"Of course." she said, forcing a smile.
"Will there be anything else, Hermione?" he asked.
"About the other night ..." she began.
"The timing was a bit off."
"Yes."
He was silent for a long time before he said, "Isn't it always? Maybe if things end well ..."
She smiled and nodded, "Absolutely."
Severus smiled at her, a soft and genuine smile though his dark eyes remained filled with sadness, and left his chair.
"I just may hold you to that."
"I will see you tomorrow then. Bright and early." she said with a firm nod as he turned to go.
"Yes, bright and early." he affirmed absently.
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A/N: I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter: linnetjo, Autumnmist, fizzysoda, Redone, ress, and mym2000.
And I especially want to thank the reviewers who helped to answer my ethics question. I know abyssimally little about the law and legal processes (why I wanted to write about something dealing with those subjects is ... unknown). But I feel obligated to issue that warning from time to time.
In which Hermione talks to an old friend
The day passed slowly as Hermione worked through everything she had learned from the reports, Severus, and the journey through the Pensieve. He did not return for further questioning. What else did they have to say to one another about the case? There were probably other things about other incidents Severus could have told her, but the death, the murder, that was the big one. That was the one that would condemn him to a life lived out in Azkaban under the watchful eyes of the dementors. Hermione shivered every time she thought about it.
Around noon a knock came to her door. It was too quiet, too polite to be Severus, unless, of course, one interpreted the knock as sounding guilty ... But then again, it was only a knock.
The door opened slightly without invitation, annoying her ever-so-slightly, until a head of neatly combed red hair appeared.
"Ron!" she laughed.
"Hermione." he acknowledged, feeling free to open the door all the way and step inside. He looked rather like his brother Percy, she thought, in his official robes and suit and tie, the attire of an Auror between assignments.
"I am glad to see you! I was beginning to wonder."
"Can't be helped, 'Mione." he said, falling into the pattern of speech from his school days. He pulled a letter from a pocket and shook it at her. "Of all the things to read on the day after proposing to my girlfriend, this one takes the whole blinking cake." he told her.
"You finally did it, Ron?" she asked, grinning with delight.
"That's what I said."
"And? And?"
"Come next April, I'll be a married man." he said with an enormous grin. "I've never been so happy."
"Congratulations, Ron! I am so happy for you."
"Go on! You know you're jealous." he joked.
"Maybe a little." she said, thinking momentarily of the kiss from the night before, but trying not to feel even the least bit envious of her friend's happiness.
"Enough of that! We have business to attend to. What's this I read about you defending Snape?" he questioned, growing somber.
"It's true. I am defending him, and I need some help."
"I thought about throwing a party when I heard the ugly blighter might go to Azkaban. I don't think I'm the person ..."
"Ronald Weasley! After everything he did for us? After saving Harry on more than one occasion? And you would still toss him to the dementors?"
"I don't know ... I know the story as well as anyone else. I know he was valuable to our side, or so everyone says, but does that entitle the man to a free ticket? I've heard some pretty horrible stuff about his Death Eater days." said Ron, looking uncomfortable, not to mention just a little guilty.
"So that's that then?"
"I didn't say that. If it means so much to you, I can prepare a statement or something regarding my opinion of his loyalty. But for my money, Hermione, you will need Albus Dumbledore to testify on his behalf, or the greasy git is through."
"And have you heard anything about our former headmaster or his whereabouts?" she questioned.
"To tell the truth, no, I haven't. Not a peep. And I just spoke to Interim-Headmaster Flitwick a few days ago."
"I sent him an owl the same night I sent yours ..."
"And if he gets it, Dumbledore will be here before you even know it. I don't think he would let Snape down."
"I hope you're right."
"You did contact Harry too, right?"
"Naturally. But he may not arrive in time for the inquiry."
"Yeah, he's in Ireland. But he wouldn't miss the trial. Harry may not like Snape anymore than I do, but he wouldn't let Snape go to Azkaban just for being a miserable bastard."
"I'm counting on that." said Hermione, who was quite accustomed to Ron's opinion of their former professor.
The days seemed to race by at a horrible speed while Hermione prepared for the inquiry, and perpared her defense for the trial, which was very nearly a certainty. She hoped that Severus, who had not contacted her for several days, was preparing himself as well. She wanted to get in touch with him, send him an owl asking if he was okay, but she didn't know exactly what to say to him, not after they had both laid their feelings bare and duty had forced her to walk away. What could she say after that?
And still there was no word from Harry or Professor Dumbledore. That troubled her too. If they appeared at the inquiry, made statements on Severus's behalf, then possibly there would not be a trial. Without them the future looked utterly hopeless. The only man for whom she had had feelings, well at least since Viktor Krum, would be thrown to the dementors, shut away in Azkaban forever. The thought tortured her.
Every night she took a sleeping potion and awoke in the morning slightly groggy after a night spent in dreamless slumber. She had prepared the potion herself, although she did admit that if she had asked Severus to make one, she might have felt a good deal more like herself when she woke up. Nevertheless, it sufficed.
Then the day before the inquiry came, and she could not put it off any longer. She had to have another discussion with Severus, no matter how awkward or painful. And besides, she did have some good news for him ...
It was a Sunday and the offices were mostly empty. Ron had sent over a copy of the statement he had prepared attesting to the fact that Snape had proved invaluable in the fight against Voldemort. She was reading this when there was a knock at the door. She rolled up the document and bade her visitor to enter.
Severus looked grim and tired when he entered, dressed in green and black, his house colors. Hermione stifled a laugh, noticing how tight the shirt was across his chest. It was obviously leftover from his school days. The effect was at least somewhat charming.
"What?" he asked, taking a seat.
"Feeling a bit nostalgic were we?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"The clothes. I know that has to be leftover from your sixth or seventh year at Hogwarts. All you need are the robes and a prefect's badge." she told him, pointing at the shirt.
"And it all still fits." he said, tugging the shirt down slightly.
"It looks good on you." said Hermione.
"You said you had some good news." he said, brushing off her compliment.
"They won't be using Veritaserum for the inquiry. I just found out the day before yesterday. They seem to think that going to trial is a sure thing."
"I see."
"Ron Weasley will be speaking on your behalf. I have his statement already."
"Should that make me nervous?"
"It looks good. Of course, something from Harry would be much better, but I haven't heard back from him yet ... or Professor Dumbledore."
"If the a trial is certain ... then they still have time. I may not know where Albus is, but I know he's still watching over ... watching out for those who were faithful. Whatever he chooses to do, he won't disappoint us." said Severus, sensing her uncertainty.
"Of course." she said, forcing a smile.
"Will there be anything else, Hermione?" he asked.
"About the other night ..." she began.
"The timing was a bit off."
"Yes."
He was silent for a long time before he said, "Isn't it always? Maybe if things end well ..."
She smiled and nodded, "Absolutely."
Severus smiled at her, a soft and genuine smile though his dark eyes remained filled with sadness, and left his chair.
"I just may hold you to that."
"I will see you tomorrow then. Bright and early." she said with a firm nod as he turned to go.
"Yes, bright and early." he affirmed absently.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter: linnetjo, Autumnmist, fizzysoda, Redone, ress, and mym2000.
And I especially want to thank the reviewers who helped to answer my ethics question. I know abyssimally little about the law and legal processes (why I wanted to write about something dealing with those subjects is ... unknown). But I feel obligated to issue that warning from time to time.