Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK does.

Saturday came very quickly, much too quickly by Hermione's standards. She woke that morning still tired from a long night of studying with the boys. Neville had joined them in the Head Girl's room for the study session, glad to be away from Dean and Seamus' constant teasing about his relationship with Luna. As such, Hermione had faced a barrage of questions on all subjects, even those she was not taking. Though she was glad for the review session, she was not glad for the lack of sleep it brought. Saturday was a busy day, and she had much to do before her and Severus' meeting with Pansy Parkinson at the Ministry. Grudgingly, she rolled out of the cold bed and found her way to the warm shower. To finish, she put it on a cold spray briefly in an attempt to wake herself more. However, several minutes later it was apparent it had not helped, as she was half dozing through brushing her teeth. Severus came to the rescue with a pepper-up potion.

"Can't have you drooling on Parkinson, can we?" he joked. She fixed him with a glare to say that she was way too tired for his humor, so he backed off. "Breakfast will be here shortly, love. Then you're free to take care of your studies until eleven thirty," he informed her, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her somewhat tamed but still bushy head. After a mumbled "thanks," Severus was on his own way to take care of some work he needed done.

One would think that the likes of Severus and Hermione Snape would have trouble focusing on their work knowing what lay ahead. However, both had spent a lot of restless nights (and the occasional day) contemplating their next meeting with Pansy Parkinson. Both knew what they had to say to the girl. As such, it would have been a waste of time to spend precious time doing so that morning. And so it was that eleven thirty came much sooner than either planned it would. As Hermione was just finding her traveling cloak, Severus entered their chambers. Without even a question, the two met at the fireplace where Severus had a handful of floo powder waiting for her. With a clear shout of "Ministry of Magic," both were on their way. This was the moment they had waited to happen for months. Pansy Parkinson would not know what hit her until some time after it happened.

: P

As usual, the Ministry was all hustle and bustle when Hermione and Severus arrived. Walking up to the main reception desk, they received their visitors passes and had their wands checked. All was in order, and they were taken to a special visiting room several floors underground. Their escort explained procedure to them as he walked them down the hall. Outside the pre assigned room stood Remus Lupin. He informed the Snapes that he would be waiting outside until they were finished with Miss Parkinson. They let themselves in and waited. Several long, silent minutes passed until the clicking indicated the door being opened. Remus appeared once again, this time with Pansy. He seated her across the table from Hermione and Severus. With an almost imperceptible wink, he left them alone, closing the door tightly behind him.

Moments passed as they looked at each other, no one making a move or saying a word. Pansy looked more fearful than anything while Hermione looked at the other girl noncommittally. Severus, per usual, was cold and calculating as always, reading into even the slightest twitch or movement of the eye. After letting Parkinson stew for several minutes, he finally said in a quiet voice, "Miss Parkinson, I'd thought better of you." The disappointment in his voice was quite evident. She shivered as a result. "But then you always were easily swayed by the promise of power." She looked down guiltily.

Hermione was watching carefully as her husband spoke. Each statement was carefully executed to keep Parkinson off guard. She would squirm accordingly, not always sure what to make of Severus' calm but condemning tones. She could certainly feel the cold gaze he fixed her with. That in itself would make even Voldemort turn in his grave if he were subjected to it long enough. Hermione was glad not be on the receiving end. She could feel the emotions emanating from him. They were nothing short of unpleasant.

Parkinson finally looked up once Snape quieted for several minutes. She tried to form the words, "I'm sorry," but she had trouble with even that simple phrase without looking away or stuttering.

Hermione put her hand on Severus' arm. He finally tore his gaze away from Parkinson, instead giving his wife a loving, reassuring gaze. This only unsettled Parkinson more as Snape's sudden gentleness replaced his hostility.

"Pansy, why did you do it?" Hermione asked simply, staying as emotionally neutral as possible.

She looked up, looking at Hermione and avoiding Severus. "Lucius made me. We, we made a deal that if you got pregnant that it would need to be, to be . . ." she stopped, not wanting to think about what she did, her eyes downcast. Looking up sadly, she said, "I didn't think I'd know what it would feel like, being pregnant, especially after what I did. I can't, I just can't . . ." Hermione made no move to comfort the girl, instead opting to look at her with pity.

Severus asked, "How did it happen? How did Lucius get you pregnant, Pansy?"

His calmness reassured her, but the sudden caring in his voice unnerved her just as much, especially since she was receiving negative emotions from Hermione. It all seemed backwards. Fidgeting nervously in her seat, she said, "He told me how to get clearance to visit. I didn't really visit him, or at least, not officially. It was easy to get permission to see a lesser criminal, especially one I was related to, but then I had to slip past the guards. Lucius knew he couldn't leave with the protections on Azkaban and the aurors guarding the prison, so he had to find a way to get me in. I, I had been working on becoming an animagus for the last few years, at Malfoy's request."

Hermione stopped Pansy, looking all to eager. "You became an unregistered animagus that quickly within Hogwarts?"

Pansy nodded. "It took a lot of work, but with the war and all, I was able to go relatively unnoticed until the time needed."

"Miss Parkinson, what form does your animagus take?"

"A bat," she looked down sheepishly. Severus harrumphed. "Once I was in Azkaban, it was easy enough to use my animagus form and gain access to Lucius cell."

Severus stopped Pansy. Groaning loudly, he said, "Lucius' animagus is a bat, Hermione. He's not registered either, as you can guess."

Hermione looked a bit incredulously at him, but turning toward Pansy, the other girl nodded. "He insisted that was how things were to happen. It was all part of a backup plan of his from before the war. I had to go through with it, or I would have, he would have . . ."

"The unbreakable vow?"

She nodded. "I didn't really want to much after everything that happened, but I, I didn't want to think of the alternative." Pansy's eyes began to tear up. She looked down at her hands again, letting the tears fall silently.

Hermione did not know what to make of the confession. She knew it had to be true. Pansy had been given veritaserum before the interview to be sure she would not lie. Severus, on the other hand, felt no guilt for the girl. Lucius was sly, that much was true, but Pansy would have been able to find a way out of making the unbreakable vow if she had really wanted to. Now that she found herself pregnant, he had a strong desire to make her go through the personal hell Hermione and himself had been through. However, another part of him felt that would be too harsh a punishment.

Voicing his thoughts, Severus said, "Tell me, Miss Parkinson, what is an appropriate punishment for your crimes?" The look in his eyes suggested revenge.

She swallowed hard, feeling the myriad of emotions coming from him, but not being able to distinguish them. "I, I don't know, sir."

"Think harder," he commanded coldly.

Gulping, she responded, "Ta-taking my ch-child away, sir?" she stuttered out of fear. She was starting to sound a bit like Neville when nervous or under a lot of pressure.

"And you think that's satisfactory?" he inquired in the same tone, making her think there should be more.

"I, I don't . . that is, I'm, I'm not sure . . ."

Severus just nodded. Hermione, taking the motion as her cue, said, "Or perhaps, Pansy, it would be better to let you keep the child as a reminder of what you did."

Several moments passed before she asked, "Why would you do that?"

Hermione once again responded. "If you lived through it, you would understand." Hermione took Severus' hand in hers and gripped it tightly, drawing strength from him. "It's something I will always have with me; a hurt, a void that cannot be filled. Over time it lessens, but it's always there, Pansy. You took a child away from me . . ."

" . . . but we have no intention of making you live through that agony, Miss Parkinson," Severus finished. He noted the confused but relieved look on her face. "Your child will be a reminder to you of what you've taken from us." He let that sink in a bit before continuing. "Life is a precious thing. I've taken enough in my time, and I don't intend to take any more. When I married Hermione I hoped for a quiet, peaceful end to those days of my past. In one action, one single event, you almost made me return to that line of thinking. However, as a testament to my devotion to Hermione, and hers to me, I've put aside the anger, the hurt, the pain I once brought to the world in order to finally live what I hope will be a happy life. I only hope you're able to someday find what I've found in Hermione." He did not elaborate further, instead standing up and walking to the door. Severus gave a swift knock. Remus entered moments later. Severus took his wife's hand and intertwined their fingers on the way out leaving a shell shocked Pansy Parkinson behind.

: P

Back at Hogwarts, the pair took a few hours to reflect on their meeting with Pansy, mostly just going over what had happened internally. Hermione snuggled into Severus' side, comfortable and content for the first time in months. She always knew that her last year at Hogwarts would be interesting, but the turn of events that occurred on more than one occasion took some getting used to. She could not quite wrap her head around it all, but at that moment, it did not matter. Hermione finally knew where she belonged in the scheme of things. If it was with Severus Snape as her husband, that was fine by her. Everyone still misunderstood him even after the war, but life with him would most certainly not be normal for very long. That too was just fine by Hermione. He loved her with everything he had, and she realized that she had come to feel the same about him. Maybe he was right when he said they would have eventually found each other even without Lucius' interference. Not that it mattered now, but the more she thought about it, the more she was becoming certain it was true. Few people really could understand the man that was Severus Snape, but somehow she just always knew, no matter what. Kindred souls, perhaps?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she untangled herself from him. "Severus, I've got work to do, if you don't mind."

"I understand. I believe I may as well." As he stood up, watching her collect her schoolbooks, he remembered a conversation he had earlier in the week. "Actually, Hermione, I need to go speak with Albus about something."

She cocked her head, intrigued. "What about?"

He smiled at her curiosity. "I'm not sure, but I'll let you know when I come back. And I may finally get Minerva off my back after this. I never realized just how much of a nag that old witch could be if she set her mind to it."

With a hint of a smile at the joke, she said, "Okay." Hermione walked over to him, gave him a lingering kiss that promised something more later, and began her hike up to the Head Girl's private rooms.

Severus watched her go before taking the floo to Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Severus, your back. How was your visit?" The headmaster was cheerful as ever as Severus sat opposite the older wizard.

"It went decidedly better than we thought. Miss Parkinson is a bit more resourceful than we would have imagined, but her methods were decidedly as Slytherin as ever."

"She learned from some of the best, did she not?"

Severus scoffed loudly. "Albus, don't even joke. Lucius is the worst sort. He's a disgrace even to the name Slytherin, right along with Riddle," came a slightly angered response.

Dumbledore caught himself by saying, "I was referring to you. I assume she's realized the error of her ways."

Rolling his eyes, Severus responded, "Yes, and be a bit more specific next time. I'd rather be compared to Potter than those traitors."

"I do apologize." Getting to business, Dumbledore said, "But you didn't come here to listen to an old man unintentionally insult you, now did you, Severus?" He shook his head. "I thought not. Now, I do have some very important news to tell you, but it will require a bit of restraint among other things on your part."

Severus snorted. "Unintentionally insulting me, again? Albus, discretion would be among my specialties if you recall."

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, then I best tell you what you came to know. However, Minerva does not yet know, and I'd rather like to tell her the news before you."

Severus listened closely as the headmaster discussed many things for the next half hour. By the time Dumbledore's speech concluded, Severus had ascertained exactly what he thought the older man was getting insinuating. With one statement, his suspicions were confirmed and he could only think of one thing appropriate to say, "Albus, this will require some thought. It's not something to take lightly or make a hasty decision about. We shall speak of this again. Good evening." Severus excused himself, needing time to think, something he found himself doing more and more of late.

End Chapter 28