AN: So it turns out that not only did I get exposed to COVID, but I caught it as well. I have been sicker than ever these last few days. Still, I have energy now, so I figured I'd strike while the iron is hot and post!

Thank you for all the support! I am blessed to have readers as awesome as you!

What was so important that Severus needed to leave for a few hours?

Hermione slouched against the left armrest of her sofa as she stared at the potions journal before her. She had been staring at it for a half hour, yet had not read a word. Her mind replayed Severus' brief visit. All he said was there were spiritual matters which deserved his attention. He did not look alarmed, and his glow was the usual hue. He seemed at pleased enough with his mission, perhaps too pleased.

Had she read the situation correctly, or was he using the skills he'd learned as a spy to mislead her?

He would've told her if there was a problem, or given her some hint that something was amiss, correct?

She set the book atop the clutter free coffee table and glanced at the half-kneazle across the room.

"He would tell me if something was wrong, right?"

Crookshanks stretched and yawned.

"He didn't look particularly distressed to you, did he? He seemed fine, right"

Crookshanks yawned and shut his eyes.

"Some help you are," she muttered before shifting her eyes to her closed journal.

Did talking to a half-kneazle qualify as insane? On the surface it was no less crazy than talking to a spirit, but Severus responded to her, or at least he usually did. Crookshanks was less than interested in her problems.

Best not to worry about turning into a crazy half-kneazle lady. There may be more important matters to attend to, such as Severus' absence.

Was the Trinity aware of his absence? Would speaking to them alleviate the situation, or were they too involved in running the universe to listen to her? Over the least few months, they had taken more interest in her than she had ever paid to them. So far their attention was positive, but if they were planning on recalling Severus or ending the program…

"Please no," she held her hands and whispered. "Please don't take him from me."

She felt and sensed nothing.

"Please," she raised her voice. "I'm pleading with you, don't take Severus from me. You gave him to me, so please don't take him."

The fireplace erupted.

"If you are all loving, please, just let him stay with me. I promise, I'll do whatever you want, just let the program continue."

"Hermione?"

She unfolded her hands and startled.

"Hermione, are you there?"

She glowered at the ashen face within the fireplace. There was no reason to answer the call. After everything she'd been through, it would be easy to lock herself in her bedroom until the flames died down. She would wait for Severus, and they could spend the night together working through whatever spiritual business he was involved in. This caller could be ignored.

"Hermione?" The voice continued. "Please, I know you don't want to speak with me, and I deserve it, but please, just answer. I need to tell you something, and please, just answer."

She stood and turned to the hallway. Then, a thought came to her head.

What if her lack of charity caused the Trinity to rethink the program? Could they recall Severus because she was holding a grudge, one she would not have had he not come into her life? If they believed Severus was causing her to discard her friends, if they thought she was isolating herself, then they could end things in the name of her emotional health. Severus had proposed that as a possibility. What if he was right?

"Hermione?" The voice was weaker.

"Yes, I'm coming, Harry." She crept to the fireplace.

"Yes, uh hi," he swallowed. "I, thanks for coming."

"What do you want?" Her expression could have chilled a wildfire.

"I just wanted to tell you how incredibly sorry I am for everything. I," she could see a tear in the embers. "I messed up big time. I really messed up, and I'm sorry."

She tapped her foot and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I should have believed you, and there is no excuse for my actions. I should have listened to you."

"Yes, you should have," she snapped.

He gulped.

"After everything we've been through, after all we've seen and done, how could you not believe me?" She raised her voice. "Did you think I would lie about seeing Severus, or that his mother didn't make it straight to heave?"

"No, but I didn't want to believe you."

"Why? Did you think I would lie to you about something so important? Did you think I was a madwoman? Why was I so unbelievable?"

"I didn't want to think Snape was with you."

"Why?"

"Because then I'd have to face him!"

"Well, you certainly faced him! He's furious with you, and so am I."

"I know you both are, and you have every right to be. I'd be furious with me too. Well, I am furious with myself, but not for the same reasons as you, and probably not as much as you are either."

"At least you acknowledge that we should be upset," she huffed. "There's some progress."

"I know, and there's no excuse which is good enough, only explanations."

She scowled.

"I was scared when you told me you were seeing Severus, so scared I acted stupidly."

"Were you scared that I was crazy?"

"No, I was scared that he would want to talk to me. Then I was scared of what he'd say." He took a shaky breath. "I was scared he would judge me, and wouldn't believe that I was sorry. I was scared he'd only remember how upset I was with him, and would berate me for how I'd wronged him.

"If you wanted to prove you were sorry for the way you treated him, taking me to a psychiatrist and claiming he didn't exist was the worst way to prove it."

"It was," he bowed his head.

"If you were only scared of him judging you, then why did you go so far as to take me to a psychiatrist?"

"I won't lie, part of me thought you were crazy. If I could prove it to myself, then I could forget everything you'd said and not think about Severus judging me anymore. Then I could think about him loving my mother, and think about her going straight to heaven."

"You could forget what I said about your mother," Hermione's voice was softer. "If you forgot what I said about your mother, you could keep the perfect image of her you had in your mind."

"Yes," he whispered.

Silence reigned for a few moments.

"It was hard to hear what you said," Harry's throat tightened. "I wanted so desperately to believe that my mum was the perfect person everyone said she was. I wanted Severus to be this man who loved so completely that he would sacrifice everything for her always. I wanted to believe their love would never died, stupid as that all sounds. When you challenged those assumptions, I got upset and took it out on you."

She twisted her lips. The Trinity was the first entity she knew of who claimed that Lily J. Evans Potter wasn't perfect. Although the former Mrs. Potter was a heroine, she had faults, ones for which they believed she needed to atone. Then there was the myth of Lily. The Wizarding World would be scandalized that she was not a straight shot, and may give up hope of avoiding Purgatory if they knew how stringent the Trinity's standards were for automatic entry.

"Luna told me Purgatory should were saved, saved souls weren't damned, and I understand now nobody was claiming she was evil…" Harry began.

"But at the time it must have seemed that way."

"Yes."

"I suppose," She took a deep breath, "I suppose I could have been more tactful when discussing your mother."

"You were being honest, which is what makes you a true friend." He gave her a small smile. "I appreciate your honesty. I needed to hear what you said, even if I didn't want to."

Her frown remained.

"I know nothing I do can make this up to you, and if you never forgive me I understand. Still," another tear trickled down his eye. "I wanted you to know that I do regret my actions."

"You hurt me deeply," her throat tightened. "I trusted you with something very personal, and you violated that trust."

"I know," he squeaked out as he bowed his head.

"It is going to take some time to trust you with something so personal again, if I ever do. That being said," she swallowed. "I would still like to be your friend."

"You would," he glanced up.

"Yes," she replied. "It will take me some time to recover from all of this, but I would like to find a way to do so."

"I'll do anything to prove myself worthy of your trust."

"You don't need to do anything right now," she replied. "Although you should consider finding a way to apologize to Severus, however you are able."

"Are you with him right now? You could bring him to the floor and we could do it now."

"He isn't here right now," she replied. "But at some point he will return."

"Do you think I could speak with him sometime?"

"It won't be anytime soon," she replied. "We're all going to need a little time to cool down until we can have a totally rational conversation about this."

"Probably."

"If he wants to speak with you though," She gave him a small grin, "I am willing to act as a medium so to speak."

"I thought you hated divination."

"Divination is useless babble. This though." she sighed. "This is something very different."

"It is," Harry admitted.

"That being said, I'll ask him, and we'll see where he stands," she tensed. "Be warned though, he may refuse to speak with you. If he does, I won't force him to do so."

"I understand that," he answered. "If you want I can write him a letter. Perhaps that will be easier, and you won't need to mediate things."

"He'll have to agree to read it though, and that could take some time."

"I know," he deflated.

"That being said, I will speak to him on your behalf. Hopefully, we can get something worked out."

"Yeah, I hope so too," he mused aloud.

"In the meantime," she relaxed. "If you want to begin to repair this relationship, I would love a picture of my godson."

"You're in luck." He shifted around. "I took one of him putting his fist in his mouth today."

"His entire fist?"

"Yep." Harry raised the picture through the fireplace. "He only got a few fingers in, but I caught him trying to do it again about any hour ago."

"He's determined, just like his father." She took the photo from his hand. Her face lit up as she watched the infant lying in a crib, raising his fist above his head.

"He is," Harry answered.

Hermione laughed as the baby stuck his fingers in his mouth. The infant grunted as he struggled to stick them in. Then, she glanced at the ashen face of her friend.

The trust she had in him was not as strong as before, but it wasn't broken beyond repair. There was time to move past this, time she was willing to spend.

A warmth filled her as she wondered if this was the Trinity's answer to her prayers.