A/N: hey guys! I like this app. I can type and everything I need. And I can upload. Love this. Anyway, I figured I would work on this, here is the last official chapter before the epilogue. I love you all so much and thank you for reading.
Chapter 49
Of course, Severus was right and the ministry sent her a summons to speak at his trial. She laughed, knowing that they expected her speak against him condemn him to life in Azkaban. They had no idea no matter how much they tried to twist the questions, she would speak in his favor, and they had no idea that Harry and their friends too. And she hoped they could succeed.
She sighed as she stared in her closet, trying to figure out what to wear. She wanted to wear something that Severus would enjoy, having not seen him in weeks. Two weeks, she thought to herself. He had missed two whole weeks of their lives. She sighed again as she grabbed one of his white button shirts and a black pencil skirt. Although slightly large on her, if she tucked it tightly into her skirt, it looked only a little loose on her and she charmed it to stay in place. She looked respectful and modest, to make the ministry happy. But she hoped that Severus would notice that she was wearing his shirt, and might appreciate it.
She felt nervous, and wasn't sure how things would go. She hoped he would be freed and cleared of all charges, and with the two surviving members if the golden trio speaking on his behalf, she figured the odds were their favor.
She dropped her daughters off at her parents home, who were only too thrilled to have the bonding time, and left for the ministry. She was of course, an hour early, but her husband's fate was on the line, and she wasn't going to risk the ministry playing their games, even though she trusted Kingsley.
Of course, checking into the ministry only took a few minutes, leaving her with plenty of time to spare. So she sat outside the trial room, fidgeting with her skirt. She wished that she could have brought the girls, Severus would have loved that, and they would have been a wonderful distraction while she waited, but the ministry had a strict rule about such young minors in the court room. So she waited silently, lost in her own thoughts, planning how she might avoid the obvious trap questions.
And finally Harry arrived and the jury of ministry officials filed into the room. Harry and Hermione asking with other witnesses, weren't allowed in, to make sure that their testimonies couldn't be changed by what the other witnesses said. After they spoke however they would be required to stay, so they could pass on what they said. Hermione thought it ridiculous since they did nothing to prevent them from speaking beforehand.
She waited nervously and watched as some dearth eaters who were in chaos follow in to soak and were taken out only so they could go straight back to Azkaban. Their powers were bound and their wands destroyed. When Minerva went in, she gave Hermione an apologetic look, and assumed that the witch wad going to speak against him. Hermione had started chewing the inside if her cheek absent mindedly, her nerves finally getting to her. And then they came for her.
She entered and was led to a chair in the center of the room, on the other end, sat Severus, looking paler than normal and like he wasn't being fed enough. Her heart ached, and she had to force herself to keep from running to embrace him. Merlin how much she missed him. He looked up to see her, and gave her a weak smile.
"Ms. Granger, you are hear to answer questions about Severus Snaps, to help determine if he will be found guilty of crimes against the wizarding world. Do you recognize this, and agree to tell the whole truth?"
She faced Kingsley and looked him straight in the eyes, "I swear."
"Let the trial continue."
A small, older witch walked up to Hermione, and she looked nervous, and it didn't take long for Hermione to realize that this was probably her first trial. Hermione flaxseed at Kingsley, knowing he probably had something to do with it, but his face was blank.
"Ms. Granger, is it true that you were kidnapped after leaving Saint Mungo's?"
"Yes," Hermione answered shortly. She was wasting time.
"Do you know who was responsible for kidnapping you?"
"Not everyone. I know I was captured by death eaters, and I know that one of the ones involved was Lucius Malfoy, only because of his wand."
"Do you know if Severus Snaps was involved?"
I just said I didn't know who except for Lucius and that was only because of his wand. Are you dead you idiotic witch, Hermione thought to herself before speaking, "I do not know if he was, he never said that he was in the time we were together."
"So he might have been, part of it?"
Hermione had to try not to roll her eyes, this was ridiculous, and thought about a diplomatic way to answer, "I suppose that it's possible, but I cannot confirm or deny if he was part of my kidnapping."
The witch looked nervously to the jury, before looking back to Hermione. Hermione was clearly ruining her plans. "And is it true that you were forced to marry him against your will?"
Hermione smirked, oh this was what she was waiting for so she spoke loudly and clearly, "No."
"Excuse me?"
"No, I was not forced to marry him. I chose to."
"Would you explain yourself?"
"Gladly," Hermione replied, sending a sparkling smile to Severus, "When I was kidnapped, I came to standing in the middle of a circle formed by death eaters. Voldemort started musing about which death eater should get me for a play thing, mentioned a couple who might need a wife simply for an heir. I spoke out, and said that I chose Severus. I chose him because as a professor, I knew he had a duty to protect me."
She looked flabbergasted at Hermione's declaration, and Severus looked at her with what could only be described as a mix of shame and pride.
"Did he rape you," the witch asked, clearly grasping for straws.
"Not even once. I never told him know, and he did everything in his power to make sure that I was comfortable."
"Did he ever beat you?"
"No. He raised his hand to me once, but I was being rude and ignorant. That might not make it okay, but I do not hold any ill will towards him."
"Did he ever torture you or use an unforgivable against you?"
"The only person to ever torture me, was Bellatrix Lestrange. Severus had been away at the moment and when he heard my screams he interrupted my torture, took me to be healed by Narcissa, and then took a fierce punishment himself."
"Did he ever try to cause a miscarriage or harm your children."
Hermione was furious at the thought, and she could see that Severus was too, and she saw his passion at the thought of his daughters, how much he missed them. Hermione spoke, with poison in her tone, "If not for Severus, I would have died. If I hadn't died, I would have never been able to have children. He not only is the reason I can have children, but was a caring husband and father. He only got to be a father for a few short weeks before the final battle, and we were separated in that time because he was protecting me and our daughters from Voldemort. He sacrificed himself, even though he loved them and knew he might never get to be a father to them."
The witch had given up. She had expected that Hermione would be the sure fire way to get him convicted, but now everything had gone the other way, "We are done questioning the witness."
Hermione was less from her seat to the stands, and she sat as close to the gate as possible, so that she would be able to run forward and embrace her husband. That spot happened to be right next to Minerva, but Hermione didn't even look at her, just watched Severus, who was watching her as well.
The witch didn't catch a break when Harry, as the final witness, was brought in and gave answers that spoke in Severus' favor as well. Hermione felt her heart flutter as she let her hopes rise that they would win.
Kingsley stood and his voice rang out, filling the room, "Today we have gathered in the case of Severus Snape against the Wizarding world. please stand to hear the charges laid against you. The charges are as follows: Rape of witches and muggles alike, torture of muggles and muggleborns, murder of muggles and muggleborns, and being a traitor to wizards. You have heard your witnesses. Those who find the defendant guilty, raise your hand."
Hermione held her breathe as she watched hands raise. One, two, three...five, five out of fifteen.
"Five find him guilty. Who finds him innocent and cleared of all charges?"
Hermione watched as the remaining ten raised their hands, her heart fluttering.
"There are ten who find him innocent. Severus Snape, the majority has spoken and you have been found innocent and cleared of all charges."
Kingsley waved his wand and the shackles that bound Severus to the table he sat at disappeared. Hermione stood and ran to him, and enveloped her in a tight embrace. She nuzzled her face to his chest and he buried his in her hair, kissing the top of her head.
"I love you, Severus," she mumbled against him.
He chuckled, "I love you too, Hermione. Nice shirt," he said in a seductive tone.
She giggled and pulled away from the embrace and took his hand so they could go home and enjoy some time together before they went back to being parents.
Hermione started at herself in the mirror. She had loved the dress that Narcissa made for her, but this was a second chance. She had a new ring, a new marriage, and a new dress. Hey mother had insisted on going shopping with her. Together they picked an off white gown with off-shoulder tulle sleeves and poofed at her waist, almost like a ball gown. She wore a matching corset. The off white background blending in with her dress, and the embroidered flowers standing in sleek black. She chose it for him.
Her hair was equally elegant, curled and twisted into a low bun, just a few stands hanging loose to frame her face, with a silver crown-base that had white and black flowers that he's her veil in place.
She looked over to her bridesmaids, Luna and Ginny, as they held Dahlia and Rose, who were now six months old. She couldn't believe how fast time had flown. They both had started to grow hair, black as their father's, and their eyes had finally started to darken, as she expected they would. They were the sweetest things and once they had learned to crawl, it was all they wanted to do. It drove Severus insane, and Hermione laughed. She was so happy with their little family.
"Dearie, it's time," Mrs. Weasley chimed in through the door.
Hermione smiled and stepped forward to take her girls from her friends as they went to go prepare. She hugged her girls and kissed each one on the forehead softly before handing them off to her mother who was going to hold them during the ceremony. Then she turned to face her father and hugged hinm. Everything felt right this time.
"Thank you for not trying to kill him," she said softly, knowing how angry he had been at the whole situation.
"There's no need for that sweet heart. It's pretty obvious he makes you happy, and he did save you, so there's no need to kill him," her father said in a joking tone before adding more seriously, though still smiling, "Just let me know if does anything to warrant it."
She laughed and they went to take their place. Her parents were the only muggles who had seen Hogwarts, and but Hermione wanted to get married on the edge of the lake, so the exception was made. She and Severus had agreed to go barefoot, wanting to be one with nature.
Severus was waiting almost impatiently by the lake. It was a beautiful day, and he was finally ready to be married to her again, this time by choice. He heard the small band start to play and turned his attention to the aisle between the chairs and guests. Ginny and Luna walked down the aisle, wearing their gray strapless knee-length dresses. But he didn't see them, he looked straight past them as Hermione came into view. And she took his breathe away. She was beautiful, stunning even. You couldn't even tell she'd had twins only six months prior. And before he knew it, she was standing front of him, taking his hand. This was the moment they both had been waiting for.
She was smiling brightly at him and he smiled back.
Arthur had agreed to officiate, and got his permits and everything, "We are gathered here today to rejoin this couple, in matrimony. Please join hands." And they grasped each other's left hands gently, never once breaking their loving gaze. "Colligatum. Hermione Jean Granger, do you swear to take care of Severus Tobias Snape, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," she practically sang out, her smile never once wavering.
"Do you swear to be loyal to only him, to seek out nobody else, and love only him?"
"I do."
"And do you swear to raise your family together, to never abandon them?"
"I do," and the absolute certainty rang out for everyone to hear.
Arthur turned to Severus, "Colligatum. And do you Severus Tobias Snape, swear to take care of Hermione Jean Granger, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," he said, thinking back to all the times she cared for him and how she tried to make sure he was okay, even when moving was almost impossible for her.
"And do you swear to be loyal to her, to seek out nobody else and love only her?"
"I do."
"And do you swear to raise your family together and to never abandon them?"
"I do."
The spell wrapped around their hands as it had done once before, but this time it shined a bright white light as it tighten around their hands.
"Let it be known by all who witnessed this ceremony," Arthur proclaimed proudly, "that this couple has found a true match in one another, and put all of their beings into their vows. I now pronounce you, wizard and wife. You may kiss your bride."
Severus eagerly pulled his wife forward, quickly lifting the veil over her head and placed a sweet and passionate kiss on her lips, wrapping both on his arms around her waist to pull her close, as she wrapped hers around his neck. As they kissed, big, fat raindrops began to fall from the previously clear sky, quickly turning into a downpour. They pulled apart laughing while their guests fled towards the castle for shelter.
"You know, they say it's good luck if it rains on your wedding," she said as they kissed their foreheads together.
"We don't need luck, you silly little witch," he chuckled, "I love you."
She smiled and kissed him softly, "I love you too. Now let's go inside before we end up sick, I'm already sure the girls might get colds."
Together they walked, hand in hand, towards their friends and family.
A/N: it would be so easy to end it right there, right? I mean, picture perfect ending. But I'm so doing an epilogue. Way too many awesome things that you must know. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And thanks for reading. Make sure to leave a review, they make my day.