Chapter 4
Arranging the Roses
Minister Kingsley Shakelbolt sat quietly at his desk, his fingers tucked thoughtfully under his chin as he looked at the proposed bill before him. Although his eyes were looking at the parchment before him, his mind was resting on the court hearing he had to be at in an hour. He was being sued, along with 14 other Ministry officials. Minister Arthur Weasley, Former Minister Cornelius Fudge, Former Minister Amos Diggory, Alastar Gumboil, Stamford Jorkins, and Percy Weasley were all named in the suit brought by Minister Blaise Zabini in name of Hermione Granger.
Miss Hermione Granger had been an embarrassment to the Ministry and it's politics. But never had a muggle born witch ever caused such waves and ruckus to the steadily beating pace of Ministry Politics. It was his call not to have her tried before the Wizengamot because she would have elicited sympathy, especially since she had been the dearest friend of the Boy Who Lived To Die a Hero.
This would prove a fatal day indeed if his Barrister did not play his cards just right and did not manage to extremely tarnish Miss Granger's character. The fact that she had a cacophony of people testifying for her role in the war including a fellow Minister was not a good sign. Fudge had made a royal mess of things when he was in office. This had to be just another backlash.
The clock chimed, and it was time to face the music of his fateful decision.
--
"Miss Granger," the Barrister for the Ministry began his cross examination. "Are you telling me that Albus Dumbledore not only broke the law giving you a Time Turner to advance your skills, but he did so with the intention of you to commit further crimes by practicing medicinal magic on a known Death Eater?"
"Now Barrister," she said sternly. "That known Death Eater is the recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class by none other than one of your own clients. Severus Snape was not only fully pardoned for any crimes he may have had to commit in the act of being a spy, but your own client awarded him the highest accredation in all of the Wizarding World. And yes, I did practice medicine on him to keep him active as his role when Voldemort punished him numerous times with slicing hexes and severe boughts of the Unforgivable Cruciatus Curse."
"So that is a yes," the Barrister said sternfully. "And why was Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, unable to tend to his injuries?"
"No offense to Madam Pomfrey, but she is a bit of a gossip," Miss Granger said with proficiency. "The world would have quickly figured out that Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater through his numerous injuries he would not have been able to continue his work."
"So why not a Ministry official?" the Barrister said plainly.
"At the time I was appointed, Minister Fudge made it clear to the world that Voldemort was not a threat, even sending one of his own officials to torture Harry Potter into admitting such a fact," she said sternly.
"Torture?" the Barrister scoffed. "Surely you…"
"It was torture. He was fourteen years old and had to write numerous times onto a parchment that Voldemort was not back, each time it emblazed the writing in wounds on his arm making him bleed. He had scars of this torture even as he fought the Dark Lord in the final battle," she scorned the Barrister for trying to downplay Harry.
"Ah yes, Harry Potter. A dear friend of yours, wasn't he?" the Barrister put on a sneer that would have made Severus cringe.
"Of course," she said smoothly. "One of my best friends."
"One of?" the Barrister said smoothly. "Who was the other? Voldemort?"
"You offend me with your insinuation," she hissed. "The whole reason I was there was to make sure that Harry had a wand to destroy the Dark Lord with. It was more than likely that the only way Harry would be able to get close to the Dark Lord while armed. I stabbed Voldemort with a magical dagger, then kicked his wand to Harry Potter. Such was the testimony of Lucius and Draco Malfoy as well as Severus Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange!"
"Ah yes, Death Eaters always did look out for their own," the Barrister sneered.
"Objection!" Minister Zabini said sternly.
"Sustained," said one of the Wizengamot judges. "Barrister Michaels, keep your opinions to yourself unless you would like to testify yourself."
"Of course," the Barrister said softly.
--
"So Auror Tonks, you are saying you had no knowledge at all of Miss Granger's incarceration?" Minister Zabini said ruefully.
"None, had I known I would have made quite a stink," she replied.
"But you were a member of the Order of the Phoenix?" he asked.
"Yes, but I was not in the higher members like Moody or Arthur Weasley was," she replied.
--
"Minister Weasley," Zabini said cautiously. "You had Miss Granger incarcerated, correct?"
"Yes, indeed," he said sternly. "She was a Death Eater and deserved no less."
"You still claim her a Death Eater, even after your son was pardoned for his own Death Eater activity?" Zabini cautioned.
"Percy's story was different, he did it to protect his family. She got three of my sons killed!"
"Which sons would those be?" he said leaning boredly against his table where Miss Granger was sitting quietly, glaring at the red haired wizard.
"Charles, William and Ronald," he said with confidence.
"Did she force their hand into going into battle?" Zabini said sternly.
"No," Arthur replied. "She withheld information that may have saved their lives."
"What information would have saved them?" Zabini said sternly.
"How many numbers were there, how many werewolves were there, that Fenrir Greyback could have forced Bill and Remus to fight against the Order by calling his pack to him," Arthur began.
"Did anyone ask her? Wasn't she present for the final plans? Did anyone ask her if she knew anything that would help?"
"Absolutely not, none of us knew she was Phoenix," he snorted. "If we had known that, my boys might still be alive."
"Oh, so because she lived and your boys died, she needed to be punished," Zabini said.
"Yes!" Arthur froze. "That's twisting my words! That's not what I meant!"
"I think we all understand now, actually," Zabini said. "No further questions."
--
"Mister Jorkins, could you please tell the court why you reported on July 1st 1998 that Miss Hermione Granger was a Death Eater," Zabini said smoothly.
"I was informed by Kingsley Shacklebolt that she had been incarcerated as an unmarked Death Eater," the representative to the media said quietly.
"Did you corroborate the story with her Barrister?" he said smoothly.
"Miss Granger was not being charged, so she did not have a Barrister," he replied.
"No charges? No trial records or meeting records? Did you not find this odd?" Zabini asked smoothly.
"No sir," he replied. "Many Death Eaters had not received trials."
"But they all were charged and had representation anyway," Zabini said more than he asked.
"Yes sir," the newsman answered.
"So you acted with malice against Miss Granger by demeaning her character publicly without any proof or other testimony other than at the time Auror Shacklebolt?"
"I did not feel I needed any other resource," he snorted. "She was a mu.. muggle born that worked for Voldemort!"
"And you did not find it odd that a muggle born would or could work for Voldemort?" he asked.
"Apparently," he answered feeling like a scolded child.
--
"Minister Diggory," Zabini asked simply. "You were present when Miss Granger was first brought in for questioning. What was your purpose for being there?" Zabini said strongly.
"I am in charge of the maintaining of the Dementors of Azkaban prison," he replied.
"So she was interviewed with Dementors present?"
"Yes," he replied.
"And how many of these interviews were you present for?"
"All of them," he replied.
"And how many was that in a two year period?"
"140," he answered.
"In all one hundred and forty, did Miss Granger provide any details of Death Eater activities?"
"None," he replied.
"Was Veritaserum used?"
"Yes," the Minister of Care of Magical Creatures answered.
"Was torture used?"
"Yes."
"Was rape used?"
"I do not see…"
"Permission to administer Veritaserum?" Zabini demanded.
"Granted," one of the Wizengamot allowed. All color drained from Amos Diggory's face as he was forced to drink the water mixed with the three drops of truth saying potion.
"Now, was rape used to try and coerce Miss Granger?" Zabini said with both fists curled.
"Yes," he replied. "It is commonly used on female prisoners who refuse to cooperate." Amos did not bother to fight the serum. It would prove fruitless before the Slytherin Minister asking the questions.
"How many times did you take Miss Granger?" he snarled.
"I did not keep count," he replied.
"More than ten times?" Zabini said.
"Yes," he said quietly, a flush staining his cheeks.
"Whom else had this kind of 'access' to Miss Granger?" Zabini said firmly.
"Minister Shacklebolt, Minister Weasley did once that I know of, Auror Gawain obviously, Warden Umbridge, and Arnold Peasegood," he replied quietly.
"All of these people raped Miss Granger?" he said quietly. Zabini's voice was threatening to break under the stress of these revelations.
"No, Peasegood was there to Obliviate her, but it never worked. She always remembered," he said smoothly. "And Auror Gawain did not."
"What was Gawain there for?"
"To administer the torture," he replied.
"What kind of torture was used?"
"The usual physical torture, thumbscrews, water torture, humiliation, verbal battering, and then the occasional Unforgivable," he said with his eyes downcast.
"You allowed and said nothing about the Cruciatus Curse being used on a woman inside of a prison?" he snarled out bitterly.
"It was to add to the humiliation torture," he said sternly in reply. "She would not give up the locations of the Death Eaters!"
"So raping her and hitting her with the Cruciatus Curse was okay because she wouldn't give you information that she apparently did not have or she would have told you under Veritaserum," he said smoothly. "Is that what this court is to understand?"
"I… I don't know," he stammered. "I believed Arthur and Kingsley. I had no reason not to!"
"Of course," he said. "Makes perfect sense. I have no further questions."
--
In the end, Shacklebolt refused the stand in his own defense, standing on his Barrister's word that it was not necessary. The final argument had been made to how paranoid the Wizarding World was of those that served under the Dark Lord. Miss Granger was an unfortunate victim of that paranoia. That the public had such high demands for the incarceration of all Death Eaters that were a menace to society was no small gesture in the closing statement.
Zabini's statement was much more simple. Hermione was prejudiced against because of her heritage and her effort in the war was used against her. Due to Arthur Weasley losing three of his sons in the battle, plus Harry Potter he felt the need to make someone pay. Hermione Granger was going to pay that price. He could not have any personal satisfaction with making sure Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy or Lucius Malfoy were punished for their assistance had been fastened in stone, but Hermione who was supposedly in love with Ron and had let him die could pay.
Arthur Weasley sat with his chin fixed proudly even though his wife refused to sit with him and had moved her seat after the Minister's testimonies behind Hermione. She had not known of Arthur's complacency in the issue apparently. Hermione did not care. She did not listen to Molly's wails of apology, or her cries for Arthur's arrest.
Satisfaction came two days later.
All parties were arrested. Hermione Granger was exonerated completely. She was also awarded one of the largest cash settlements ever given by the Ministry of Magic. Hermione Granger would never have to work again if she so chose not to. She was now one of the Noveau Riche of the Wizarding world.
--
"Miss Granger! How do you feel about today's judgement?" one reporter screamed as she left the stairs of the Ministry.
"Empty," she said sorrowfully. "Nothing will bring back those that died on the day of the Final Battle. Nothing will let me attend Harry and Ron's funerals, and nothing will make it right again. This will just make sure that the victims inside of Azkaban are not being treated as horribly as I was," she said smoothly. "We put them there because they were a horrid threat to society. Not to be the Ministry's playthings."
"Can we quote you on that?" another called out.
"Of course, no more questions please," she said as she leaned on her cane and was supported by Blaise Zabini who assisted her to the Apparition point. Severus stood there awaiting her. Zabini gave her arm over to Severus who took her into his arms before looking at her again thoughtfully.
"Thank you Miss Granger, for everything," Zabini said softly.
"Do not thank me," she said sternly. "Make it right Blaise. Make all the deaths worthy again."
"I can trust you two will make it home safely?" Zabini looked to a tired looking Snape who only gave him a sharp nod before Disapperating with Hermione in his arms.
--
The judgment came two years after she had been released from Azkaban Prison. After four more attempts at her life, two attempts to poison her, and three attempts at removing her from the Wizarding World through obscure means and rules. It was a hell of it's own just to get to trial. But Hermione survived and persevered.
Hermione's legs never fully recovered. She suffered tendonitis and muscle decay from prolonged atrophy that no potion would ever fix. She could walk but only with use of a cane. It was funny her first birthday after her release when she received her first cane from Lucius Malfoy.
She had received a full scholarship from Cambridge University and graduated with a four-year degree in two years. For her graduation present she received another cane from Lucius, this one held a place for her wand in it, just as his did. Lucius had paid for the best mediwizards to work with Hermione to get her health and magic back up to par.
Severus had become a staple for her sanity. His snarky demeanor and sharp wit made sure that she not only kept her emotions level, but also her mind. He challenged her intelligence and forced her to strive to be the best. Their relationship had not progressed any further than this due to doctor's warnings of her heart not being able to cope until it had grown stronger. Severus made sure she had her necessary potions to keep her health up to par and keep her healing. The doctor had cleared her last week as "As healthy as she would ever be considering her circumstances." She had been too nervous about the trial to think of her relations with Severus too. Severus understood that, he also knew that founding a relationship before the trial would not prove beneficial to his testimony in her behalf.
Draco, on the other hand, married six months before to Susan Bones. It was one of Hermione's happier moments at the wedding, but the reception had been a disaster for her. She left after only have been there for fifteen minutes before she caused a scene at the people who dared to call her a traitor and a Death Eater to her face, who sneered and snickered as she walked by, and had given her nothing short of a dismissal when she greeted some people whom she once called friend.
Severus had to give her Dreamless Sleep potion that night, the first time in over a year because her nightmares about Neville Longbottom trying to kill her were so strong.
--
Upon reaching his house, he helped her upstairs. She needed a long bath after her day. Although she won the trial, she had not anticipated the desperate emptiness the verdict had given her. She was lonely. Or was it she was just alone? No, she had Severus. She also had friends in the Malfoys and in the Hogwarts professors. She just needed to relax from the emotional roller coaster of her trial.
Severus came upstairs to collect her for dinner two hours later with a copy of the Daily Prophet Special Edition that had gone out. The top headline read "CLEARED", with a picture of her descending the stairs of the Ministry on Minister Zabini's arm. Inside were the details of the trial. She had been fully exonerated in all ways, shapes and forms. This was her clearance back into polite society. At the bottom of the page in a smaller article read how Molly Weasley had filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery and infidelity prior to leaving the Ministry that day. Even before the trial for Arthur it was granted before she left that same day. Molly Weasley refused to have a man who was so bent on revenge as to take it out on one of her dearly departed son's best friend. But that alone could not win back Hermione's heart to the elder witch.
"Now will you let me take you out and show you this world you fought for?" he said softly. Pushing back a couple of unruly curls from the front of her face with his long and thin fingers. She had been made to feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome the one other time they had gone out.
"I think now would be a wonderful time," she said smoothly.
Severus took Hermione out, making sure she had to walk very little as he escorted her to Flourish and Blotts, then to Le Mystique for dinner. They had brandy in the Tea Room, and traded stories about Zabini between the years of school and present. Neither one being of present to dance, it was more invigorating to their blossoming relationship to have in depth conversation.
When Severus and Hermione went home, Severus carried her upstairs and set her down by her bedroom. Hermione had never been in Severus' room, and he had only come into hers based solely on necessity. To calm her nightmares, or to give her a potion for her pain, or to assist her on the days she was too stiff to be able to get out of bed in the early days. Even then, he was in the room, did what he must and left just as quickly.
Hermione reached up and touched his cheek gently, looking deep into those onyx orbs someone could easily get lost in.
"Is your leg very sore tonight?" he said soothingly.
"No," she answered with a soft blush to her cheeks. "Will you stay with me tonight?"
"Once you invite me in, know that I will never again leave," he said sincerely. "I expect to be invited into more than just your bed Hermione. I will take no offense if you wish to wait."
"I have waited years," she said with her eyes shining in the dim light of the hallway. "I do not wish to wait any longer."
Severus pulled her in close, bending down to her lips catching them in one fell swoop. His kiss was not the gentle ones he had given her in the past few years. This one was filled with fire, passion and longing. He looped both arms around her, pulling her against his frame and craning her neck up to his face. Hermione was not sure how long they were there, but when Severus pulled away her lips were on fire and her whole body shivered at the loss of his departure.
Severus looped an arm under her legs and carried her into her room, standing her near the bed. He took sweet time divesting her body with sensuous kisses, longing touches and gentle caresses as he made each piece of her flesh accessible to him. She in turn did the same for him, thankful that over the past few years he had rid himself of those enormously buttoned tutor style robes he wore in the Potions classroom, found the skin that she had previously treated over and over for ailment.
Her touch sent his body shivering in delight. As if over sensitized by years of neglect of another's touch, which very well may have been the truth, Severus responded with gasps and moans as she caressed her warm hands over his skin. When her lips found the skin on his taut chest, his head rolled back in pleasure at her teasing, warm and full lips as they suckled over his flesh. His arms longingly pulling her closer to him as she undid the button fastenings of his trousers shoving them away from his hips to let gravity have them.
Slowly he lowered her nude form to the duvet, assisting her into the bed before divesting himself of his boxers and crawling next to her, his eyes never leaving hers. Severus explored her body with reverent touches, cradling her under his arm and kissing her compliantly as he did so. Her gasps, tugs at his hair, and shoulders let him know exactly what she felt over her body.
They explored each other for what seemed like hours. Touching, tasting each other. They brought each other over the edge at least once before beginning again. The years of waiting would not do to have brought this sensuous night to a close and they needed to take the edge off of each other to prolong it. Severus wanted this to be something beautiful for her, she had enough ugliness in her life. Why he felt the need? Historians would say it was love. But they both had waited too long for this to end quickly.
When Severus climbed over her body, leaning his pelvis against hers, he stared her deep in the eyes.
"Legilimens," he whispered softly and suddenly they were not only joining in body, but they were again, joined in the mind. Hermione cried out as he entered her body, not in pain but the rapture of feeling him at long last at one with her body. Legs trembling, she raised them over his back and urged him to thrust deep within while their emotions tangled with each other in their minds.
Severus found no pain, no worry, no fear in Hermione's mind. For all she had been through he wished this only to be pleasure. And that is exactly what he found, along with tenderness; understanding, affection and something so deep the mind could not comprehend it. He had been told that this was love. He had never seen it, or felt it himself, but feeling it through her mind sent it tumbling into his own.
They remained joined throughout their lovemaking until the tremors in her body could no longer be ignored or tamped down. Their connection broke as she lurched her body and arched into him, her eyes closing the curtain between their minds as stars collided behind her eyelids and she screamed out his name.
The emotions were too much; he could not control his body any longer as he instinctively thrust to his own completion. His body was rock hard and taut as he found his heaven within her confines. Filling her body with his essence, taking from her the freedom of other men for all time.
--
Historians would write about Hermione Granger and Severus Snape as being so compatible that they never spoke to one another. History was written by those that would never know all of what happened to Hermione Granger. Today, her name is often called upon like Merlin and Circe's. Usually when one inducts the name of Granger, one is looking for strength against the odds.
Although she and Severus never married, they had two sons, and both sons were fiercely loyal, extremely powerful and gave purchase to the fact that Pureblood does not always mean powerful blood.
The name Snape became heralded as ones who would fight against the Darkness even using Darkness to do so if they had to. They were powerful and feared, loyal and fiercely strong in the arts of Legilimency and Occlumency. It was said that no one can hold a secret from a Snape. The other fact was that no political boundary ever held a Snape. They feared not Azkaban; they feared not any Ministry or other official. They were relentless in their pursuits of knowledge and over the years were heralded with such things as Lycanthropy Potions that halted the transformation of the body, but never were they able to change the transformation of the mind. But a human was easier held than the power of the Werewolf. Thusly werewolves were finally able to live normal lives and given purchase in the magical world once more.
The Snapes never let go of the woman who kept the once last of their line from drifting endlessly into the darkness. When the line was pulled into the Darkness for any reason, it was the family tradition to seek out and woo the most powerful muggle born witch and keep her as an equal. This leveled the Darkness.
The Portrait of Hermione Granger and Severus Snape has never moved from it's place above the hearth of the living room of what was now Snape Manor. Built by the first born son of Hermione and Severus, he established his line in the Wizarding World firmly through his process of invention and potions. This house was passed for many generations.
Hermione Granger died of natural causes at the tender age of One Hundred and Forty Two, just three days after her husband. It was believed that they were so close in mind as well as body that one could not survive without the other. Such as been the Snape way for generations to come when two Legilimens were married.
I came to know this story from the portrait that hung above the hearth in Snape Manor and felt to correct history by writing of it's tales. The portrait shows a beautiful woman with silver curls and amber eyes with her hand on the shoulder of what I can only assume to be a very tall man with onyx eyes and strait black hair that rests on his shoulders, flairs of silver streaking down his temples with dignity. They told me the story for they feel that it has been mocked over the years.
I wish I knew them; they seem so strong in character. The portrait rarely speaks, but they do exchange glances often and are often seen staring at one another for what seems like hours. Sometimes Hermione is seen reading a book in the chair and Severus is seen leaning against the library wall behind them, just watching her. It is known that when they speak, all in the Snape lines should listen and heed their warnings.
When they finished telling the tale, they fell silent once more. I can tell the story was a warning of some kind. Something they are seeing in the family that we, who live here, presently do not. Can portraits use abilities like Legilimency? I guess I will not know until I too join the portraits, but even then I doubt I will tell. If we can, it would explain a great deal about not being able to keep a secret from a Snape.
The Malfoy family is still our strongest ally. They too fell to near ruin and were given salvation by the actions of Phoenix. Seven generations ago, the pendant was passed to the first wife of the first born son. It did not need use until recently when insurgence was making it's way through the Wizarding World again.
Now I hold the pendant in my hand. It's wings of crystal glisten as I listen to the portrait of Albus Dumbledore giving me my assignment. It seems petty to put such magic to use to save a boy, no older than fifteen from the abuses of his parents. But Albus had faith once in the pendant, apparently it is time for a decendent of Hermione to use it once again and rise this boy from his own ashes.
I only hope that I do great, great, great, many greats and a great Grandfather Severus' Rose justice. I'm off to the garden now to pick out the first gift I will leave with the boy. White and Yellow roses I think will be best. It was Phoenix's first gift to Severus. And if it isn't broken, do not fix it, right? Apparently Lucian Malfoy the Third is in desperate need of a friend that is worthy of him, or so Albus says.
I pulled out the white dress that Rose or Phoenix as most knew her as out of storage and had it repaired so I could wear it. I cannot fail. I am a Snape, decendant of Hermione Granger and failure is something I do not do. Just as snogging a muggle born is something a Malfoy does not do, right?
It's time to go. Perhaps this story can reinvent itself in the future.
Lydiara Snape
1st born daughter of Tyrius Snape
1st born son of Hector Snape
1st born son of Melthinius Snape
1st born son of Callius Snape
3rd born son of Phillius Snape
2nd born son of Cesarius Snape
4th born son of Boran Snape
1st born son of Leonardo Snape
1st born son of Severus Snape
1st born son of Eileen Prince
A/N: This is the end of the story. Thanks to all of my readers and even more to those who review! I look forward to cranking a new story out at the end of this week after Thanksgiving is done!
Dianara Darkraven of the Darkraven Haven