A/N: YEAH!!!! It's over! I hope you like the end…and I hope it all makes sense now. Please let me know what you think. Oh yeah, and check out the next chapter…cuz as I said that can be accepted at the final chapter if you eliminate all the scenes with Sal and pick up clean where Hermione comes to 12 Grimmauld place. The other ending was the original ending just keep that in mind when you read both endings. Thanks all of you who have stuck through this story with me. It's been a fun journey. ~Jo
"Thank you but am I in trouble?" Sal teased her. "I haven't been called that in years. Well," he rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't say years. Dad still tends to call me Salazar on a regular basis."
"Where is your father?" Bethany asked as Sal came in and gave his mother a hug and a kiss.
Sal shrugged, "I don't know, I just got here." Sal sat on the edge of the bed next to his mother, and across from Hermione. "Didn't he bring you here?"
"Oh, yes." Bethany nodded. "When I fell asleep last night he was here." She reached out and touched the bed next to her.
"I'm sure he's out doing something for you. He's been going crazy since the request for your removal from Azkaban was approved. You being gone has driven him mad, you know. He loves you like nothing else."
"I'm sorry Sal, it must have been difficult for you."
"Dad's difficult for everyone. But he loves me, even if he doesn't know how to say it. He took good care of me, don't worry." Sal reached over and tucked on of Bethany's stray hairs behind her ear. "I've missed you mum." Sal leaned over and hugged her.
"I love you, Sal." Bethany said hugging him back.
"He went every year to try and get you released, at Christmas time. When I was little, before I went to the Academy, he used to bring me."
Bethany smiled through the tears that were rolling relentlessly down her face. She looked to Hermione, "You asked what happened Hermione, and though you've heard half of it now, I'd be happy to tell you the whole story."
"No." Sal said plainly. "You will rest mum. I'll tell Hermione before Mrs. Weasley gets up and starts breakfast. If dad comes back I'll send him up here."
"When Remus gets up, tell him I'd like to see him too."
Sal nodded, "Only if you promise me you'll sleep."
Bethany smiled.
Sal offered his hand to Hermione. "Come on, my mum needs her rest and I can tell you what happened to us."
Hermione bit her lip and looked over at Bethany, who once again gave her an encouraging smile. Bethany winked and said, "Don't worry Hermione, you'll understand when it passes."
Sal looked over his shoulder at his mother and said again, as if he couldn't help it, "It's so good to have you home. I really missed you." And with that he led Hermione out into the hall.
As soon as the two got into the hallway Snape's voice cut the air like a knife. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Father, I apologize, I had to see mum. Mum requested Hermione's presence. Forgive us."
Snape's nostrils flared and he narrowed his eyes at Hermione, who couldn't help but suck in a nervous breath. She had suspected that Snape was Bethany's husband and Sal's father since Sal came into the room but now that it was confirmed Hermione thought she'd pass out from sheer shock. This was not, at all, the ending she had suspected.
Snape nodded but said nothing, instead he swooped past them both and entered the room. Sal watched the door for a moment. "He's a mess. It's awful. He didn't used to be so bitter, he's mean now. Knowing my mum she'll change that, at least with us. He's always been a hard teacher."
Hermione shook her head, "This is all so hard to grasp. We never knew Professor Snape had a family."
"Even when I lived at Hogwarts the students didn't know he had a family. Do you really know anything about him at all?"
Hermione shook her head.
"I'd be mean too if it had been me…what happened to them." Sal frowned. "Dad's always been distant, that's his nature and his character, but he's always adored my mum. Always."
"Sal, is it your birthday?" Hermione asked.
Sal nodded with a grin, "Yes. My mum's not that mad…yet. I'm eighteen today."
"Happy birthday," Hermione said sheepishly.
"Thank you Hermione." Sal said as they walked the length of the hall. "Where to start describing this nightmare?" Sal walked like Snape, Hermione wondered why she hadn't noticed before. "My mum dated Remus for some time, and it took her awhile time to realize that she loved my dad the whole time. But she did notice, and they married almost as soon as she graduated. They had me very soon after. It drove my father crazy that she remained friends with the Potters, Sirius, and Remus. But she was very strong headed and very determined.
"When I was a year old my mum found out my dad was a Death Eater, working for the Dark Lord. They fought, and she blamed herself. She said he wouldn't have taken that path if it hadn't been for her friendship with the Potters and such. She also told him that she wouldn't stand with him while he did the wrong thing and he would have to do it alone. So, she took me and we went to live down south in a landing she owns called the Terra property. She inherited it from her parents when they died.
"We stayed there for some time. A few years and I became extremely attached to my mum because she was the only family I knew. We avoided the whole mess with the Dark Lord, until my dad showed up at the Terra one day. I was too young to understand what was going on, but we moved back here and they reconciled. Now I understand that he told her he would give up the dark life and if she would come back. He loved her you see and he couldn't live without us any longer. She told him yes, because she loved him too, but he had to prove it to her. That's when he got the job as Potions Master, that was proof enough for her.
"She liked being back around Hogwarts, and closer to her friends. I liked it too. I had people to talk to and everybody enjoyed having us around. But then Halloween came around that year…and the Potters were attacked. Sirius Black was blamed. My mum went nuts. She was outraged. She went to the ministry and caused a scene. She went directly to the minister, she even appealed to the International Wizards conference. She said Sirius would never do such a thing, she said they were mad to think that he would. She said she couldn't explain it but it was Peter's doing. He was the follower, Sirius was the leader and that the Ministry had it backward.
"She was always in a fluster and dad, more calm now and less angry, would try and calm her. After her eight attempt the Ministry told her she had to stop or they would charge her. My mum, you must understand, is a Slytherin at heart she's determined beyond anything else and she would stop at no end to prove her friend's innocence. She continued and by December, it was my birthday, they sent her a court date.
"Dad went crazy. He told her to stop and just plead forgiveness and tell them she'd been cursed. She told him no, she would present Sirius's case again. Dad always hated Sirius, but he hated him more now.
"Well, the court day came around and the Minister told dad that he wasn't allowed in the proceedings. So, dad and I waited outside. Well, she was convicted of being in with Sirius and that she was a Death Eater and should be condemned to Azkaban. She was never a Death Eater, and she was never guilty. We cried, the only time I've ever seen him cry and he cried for days. That was when he turned mean. He was always hard and reserved, but he became really mean…to everyone but me.
"Hermione, it takes thirteen years for the court to even consider looking over your case again, and even then the often throw them out. Dad went every year at Christmas to ask that they re-examine her case. Every year he would take me down there and ask, and every year they would turn him away. She didn't have a shot in hell to get out not even now. But," Sal held up a finger. "Something happened that flipped the coin for us."
Hermione watched Sal and he smiled.
"There was a very powerful, very rich man who caused my dad to not be allowed enterance to my mom's case. Someone who used her to save his own neck, pretended for years to be friends with dad, but didn't want my dad to see or know what was going on. This year, on my mum's thirteenth year in Azkaban, when they did reopen her case my dad found something he didn't expect. Lucius Malfoy stood against my mum in her trial. He pointed the blame on her to save his own skin. It was his testimony that got her jailed. And now, with the recent light on his alignment, they thought to really look over her case…and that is how she was released.
"I remember waiting in the Ministry outsider the door to where she was on trial, clinging to my dad's leg. Lucius told him, 'Don't worry Severus, she'll be fine'. And then he went in. I remember being terrified that I'd never see my mum again, and my fears were right. The people piled out of the trial and Lucius came over to us. He patted me on the head and said to dad, 'I'm sorry Severus. I did all I could'. All he could all right, Lucius is the reason she was in Azkaban all those years and he was free. Dad never knew those things, he truly thought the Malfoys had sided with my mum. He always blamed Sirius, and he still does but I think young Draco Malfoy's life might become a bit more difficult in Potions now."
Hermione shook her head, "The Malfoys are evil."
Sal shook his head and shrugged. "Being angry solves nothing. It's over and I'm just glad my mum's back. I have missed her Hermione."
Hermione nodded. "I understand."
"Don't tell everybody our story all right?" Sal asked. "It's hard enough without having to explain it all again."
Hermione nodded again.
"Well, I hear Mrs. Weasley down in the kitchen I'm going to go help her."
"I'll be down to help you in a minute all right?" Hermione asked.
Sal nodded. "She really was innocent Hermione."
"I know," Hermione said. "I knew Sirius, and I knew he was innocent."
Sal smiled. "Thanks Hermione."
Hermione nodded and turned on her heels heading back down the hall. She understood what Beth meant now. Hermione didn't really want Sal, he was a crush…what she realized was that she loved one of her dearest best friends. She ran over and knocked on the door to where Harry and Ron were sleeping.
"Mmmm," Hermione heard Ron's muffled voice and Harry call, "Come in."
"Hey Harry." Hermione smiled. "Can you give me a minute with Ron please?"
"What did I do?" Ron asked.
Harry got up and nodded. "Sure Hermione."
"Don't leave me here with her," Ron said.
Hermione rolled her eyes but Harry disappeared behind the door.
"What now?" Ron sighed.
"Nothing Ron." Hermione said crawling up on the bed next to him, she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her head in his chest. "Nothing at all."
~*END*~