AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
"Have I covered everything?"
"You've done that, and more." Betty put her quill down and glanced up from her parchment. "Thank you again for the interview."
"You are more than welcome." Hermione folded her hands onto the kitchen table. "If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask."
"I won't," Betty furled up the parchment and placed it in her pocket. "I'm just sorry you had to endure any of this. Something should've been done sooner."
"I kept silent for too long, but that's on me and no one else."
"I could've written this sooner though," the journalist continued putting her supplies away. "Beatrice alluded to Cormac being overly flirtatious with you a few times, but I didn't realize he was outright stalking you."
"In retrospect, I should have told someone, but I was afraid of the repercussions and not being believed."
"Sadly, it isn't easy for anyone to come out about this stuff, hence the reason the other women remained anonymous." Betty said. "I'm hoping to change that, though."
"This article is a great first step."
"It is far from the last though." Betty stood.
"Oh?"
"I plan to do an expose on other Ministry officials I suspect have been harassing women and an overall expose on discrimination against women. With any luck, I can expose a culture of harassment which will hopefully lead to reform."
"I wish you luck." Hermione stood.
"Thank you. I hope I don't need it."
"Me too."
"In the meantime." Betty followed Hermione to the fireplace. "If you don't mind, I would love to do a few more articles on you."
"You would?"
Betty nodded.
Hermione bit her lower lip. She'd heard this before, and it hadn't ended well.
"You're a fascinating woman, and more people need to hear your story. In fact," Betty's eyes lit up. "I could do an entire book on you!"
Hermione folded her arms over her chest and frowned.
"It would be so great to get your story out there."
"No offense, but how can I be sure things won't get distorted by the stroke of a self-writing quill?"
"To begin with, I don't use self-writing quills."
Hermione's expression did not change.
"I have wanted to interview you for some time now actually. Beatrice thinks highly of you. She's a good judge of character, and from everything I've heard you are someone to be admired whose story should be shared."
"I am flattered, I truly am," Hermione replied. "But please understand, my encounters with the press up to this point have been less than positive."
"Rita has been rather cruel to you," Betty admitted.
"That's putting it mildly," Hermione muttered.
"But that's part of why I am interested in writing this," Betty replied. "I think it's time to set the record straight on a few things and undo some of the damage Rita has done not just to you, but to British journalism in general."
The look in Hermione's eyes encouraged Betty to keep going.
"Journalistic integrity took a huge hit about a month after Severus Snape: Saint or Scoundrel hit the shelves."
"How?"
"A doctoral Wizarding history student named Raphael Camael was doing his dissertation on Severus Snape and his role in the war. He was about halfway done with it when the book came out. Unlike Rita, he had access to several potions researchers who had worked with Professor Snape. He was in the process of interviewing them when the book came out. Apparently, they were upset with what Rita said. With their connections, they were able to get him access to Hogwarts so he could interview his fellow professors, something he hadn't believed was possible. In turn, they gave him access to some of Severus Snape's memories and his portrait."
Hermione glanced to her right.
"For the last few months, he's been publishing papers about Severus Snape, disproving almost every one of Rita's assertions. Unlike other papers which are only found in academic journals, his professors have been giving them to rival newspapers like The Quibbler and the up and coming Wizarding Times. A few of them have been published internationally too."
Hermione returned her attention to Betty.
"He's gotten other people interested in Severus Snape, and their articles are corroborating his work. Rita Skeeter looks like an absolute joke now." Betty took a deep breath. "As does the rest of The Daily Prophet."
"Do you know where I could find Raphael Camael?" Hermione asked much more eagerly than Betty had expected.
"I don't have his contact information on me, but I could find it and owl you."
"If you give me that information I will consider helping you write a book on me."
"You will?" Betty's face lit up.
"Yes," Hermione replied. "I can't guarantee I will help you, since I want to see more of your work before entrusting my story to you."
"Understood."
"Still," Hermione gave her a small grin. "I am impressed with your niece and what you have done so far. If your exposes on Ministry corruption can bring about change, then telling you my story may be in everyone's best interest."
"I promise to give you Raphael's information as soon as I can." Betty replied. "You won't regret anything, I promise."
"I'm through regretting anything," Hermione answered. "It only wastes time."
"True." Betty extended her hand. "It was great to meet you."
"Likewise." Hermione shook it.
"Thank you again, and goodbye," Betty released Hermione's hand.
"Goodbye, and thank you," Hermione watched as the journalist took a handful of flow powder, called out her address, and disappeared within the fireplace.
"People are writing dissertations on me?" Severus asked as he emerged from the shadows of the living room.
"Well, you are the most fascinating man I've met, and you did leave the most extraordinary life." Hermione replied. "Honestly, I'm surprised only a handful of people are studying you."
"Why would anyone want to spend years studying me?" Severus' glow was light yellow. "Don't you think it's odd to spend that much time analyzing anyone?"
"It does sound odd when considering things from an academic perspective. Then again, who am I to judge?" She touched his hand. "I want to spend an eternity studying you, just not academically."
"I just hope Raphael does not want to study me for the same reasons you do."
"I hope so too. I would hate to fight anyone for your affections."
"There would be no fight." He brushed his lips against hers. "My heart is yours and only yours."
"My heart is yours, and only yours as well." She kissed him.
"Hermione?"
Severus turned light red as Hermione turned around.
"Hermione, are you there?"
She glanced at him, an unspoken request for direction.
"Go ahead and answer it." He released her. "We can resume what we were doing later."
"Okay," she answered in a soft voice.
He touched her once more and whispered in her ear, "I love you."
"I love you too," her voice was more confident.
"Hermione?" The flames were becoming dimmer.
"Hello Harry," she stuck her head in the fireplace. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine with me." He took a deep breath. "I should be asking you that though."
"Why?" She cocked her head.
"I read that article on Cormac." He took a shaky breath. "I am so sorry that happened."
She bit her lower lip.
"I was so disgusted when I read what he was doing to you. It, it was so awful. I knew he had a crush on you, but I never thought he'd go as far as he did."
"I should warn you that the worst is yet to be published."
"What?"
"Betty Braithwaite interviewed me in order to get a fuller account of what happened. What she uncovered this time was only the tip of the iceberg so to speak. The more egregious stuff is going to be published in about a day or so."
"Oh Merlin," he breathed. "Do you want to tell me what happened, or should I just read about it?"
"I suppose I should tell you the worst of it." Hermione swallowed. "Cormac came here one evening with a bottle of Champagne laced with Amortenita."
"Oh my God." Harry gasped.
"I told Betty I was able to subdue him and get him out of there, but the truth is, uh…"
"Severus Snape saved you."
She pursed her lips.
"There's no sense in denying it. The truth is all over your face. It's," Harry bowed his head. "It's good that he could save you when I was too oblivious to know what was going on."
"I'm very grateful he was there."
"I'm so sorry I tried to have you committed. It was so wrong. I should've listened to you instead of letting my doubts get the better of me."
"It still isn't okay, and I'm still hurt," she shot a look backward. Severus nodded. "But I think we can work through this."
"We can?" His lips curled upwards.
"We can." She took another look at Severus.
The spirit's glow flickered before he gave her a small nod. "For you, I'll work through this with him."
"All three of us will work through this," she returned her attention to the fireplace.
"We can?" His expression was that of a man who had been exonerated from a lifelong murder sentence.
"Yes, somehow we can."
"When?" He asked before clearing his throat. "I mean, I don't want to push, but I am eager to talk to Professor Snape again."
"I wouldn't expect you to be anything less than impatient," Severus drawled.
Hermione glared at him before looking at Harry. "We'll determine a time later. It will depend on a few projects Severus and I are undertaking."
"May I ask about them?"
"Sure."
"Well," he looked like a child waiting to open birthday presents. "What are they?"
"Let's just say we're taking steps to clear his name."
"That's amazing, but," he paused. "How are you going to do so without revealing your connection to him?"
"We have a few sources who are willing to help," she answered. "So long as I don't make it sound like my only source is a spirit, things should be fine."
"Well, good luck," he replied. "If you need any help, I'll do what I can."
"I know you will."
A baby's faint cries broke the silence.
"It's about time for James' dinner," he began.
"I suppose you should tend to him then," she replied.
"If you want, I have some new pictures of him."
"You don't have to ask me twice to see them," she took a deep breath. "But not tonight."
"No, not tonight."
"Goodbye Harry," she began. "It was great to see you."
"It was great to see you again, and oh! Wait!"
"What?" She stopped midstep.
"I forgot to mention, I would have called earlier, but I was at Cormac's house."
Even in the ashes she appeared pale.
"Right now, he's catatonic in the Janus Thickey Ward, where he can't hurt you, at least for the time being."
"How long will he be in his state?"
"We don't know, but the healers haven't seen anything like it. They're thinking it could take years for him to regain his faculties."
She felt as if someone had removed a fifty kilogram backpack from her, and she could now stand upright.
"Anyway, I need to go. Goodbye to you, and if he's there, Professor Snape too."
"Goodbye," she waved at him through the floo.
When the flames died, she stepped away from the fireplace and looked at Severus. "How are you feeling about all of this?"
"I feel as if we've been given a new beginning, and it would do us well not to squander it." He floated towards her.
"Those are my feelings exactly."
They embraced each other, hoping the peace of the moment could last them through the upcoming days, if not for the rest of eternity.