The search for part-time employment in Hogsmeade was difficult but not impossible. Rosmerta hired her after a series of spells to ensure her identity and a promise to help maintain security within the tavern. Hermione worked hard every day and well into the night. The constant bustle around the place gave her hope of a life after Voldemort and provided a means of distraction. June was almost over, Harry would be leaving the Dursley's for the final time, and she would be forced to join the Order at Grimmauld place. She had yet to go see Professor McGonagall.
The fact of the matter was that Hermione was still unsure about Hogwarts and her position therein. Ron and Harry had no desire to continue on with their education which was fine for them. No doubt the Ministry would make them honorary Aurors after the war if necessary. Hermione however was an academic, her passions included learning, something she was able to do quite comfortably within the walls of her home. It made leaving with the boys something difficult to fathom while succeeding in making her feel guilty for wanting to stay. She wondered not for the first time whether she was being selfish or simply the same practical girl she had always been.
"Not a handsome wizard by any rate. Take a look at that nose."
Hermione froze. She had unknowingly been staring at the wanted poster of Professor Snape. He looked angry, betrayed even, though she doubted anyone else seeing it as such. Beside her an old man with a rather nicely shaped nose, and a little boy also looked up at it. No, she had to agree with him Professor Snape was not classically handsome, but the man had been mesmerizing. Maybe it was the amount of control it must have taken to cover up a life full of lies and disappointment that attracted her, or that dark sarcasm he so often displayed. She zeroed in on the little boy and the man who looked to be his grandfather, suspiciously. They didn't look like Death Eaters though one couldn't be sure nowadays.
"I beg to differ sir. Professor Snape was a fascinating fellow, rather sharp-tongued I'll admit, but he had qualities that one could contribute to being aesthetically pleasing."
The man frowned at her, his grandson snorting impolitely. Why on earth had she defended that man to complete strangers? They could very well be Ministry workers looking to capture Death Eater sympathizers.
"Strange that you would defend a murderer." He muttered. "That bastard killed Albus Dumbledore. Any student of Hogwarts would be outraged. Unless…you're not a Slytherin are you?"
Hermione stiffened going into a mode of feeling that one could only describe as righteous anger.
"I'll have you know that I am a Gryffindor, and that the belief of anyone's vileness or lack of propriety based on house loyalty is absolutely ridiculous!"
The man huffed at her, covering his grandson's ears in a futile attempt to keep him from overhearing the conversation.
"So you believe Snape's innocent then? That he should go scotch free for killing the most beloved wizard of all time?"
Hermione glanced at the wanted poster wishing she knew what to say. Her words and understanding would always be viewed like this. Like an abomination or betrayal.
"Snape…Professor Snape" she whispered, "is not and never will be innocent of Dumbledore's death. His motivations however are never so simple and above all I believe that justice should be served."
"Who will give this justice?" He barked. "What justice is there for a murderer?"
Hermione focused on her feet not wanting to see the disapproval on the old man's face.
"Not you, not I, certainly not the Minster of Magic or Harry Potter" she choked. The man raised an eyebrow at her.
"Redemption is in order sir. Once he has redeemed himself that is all the justice he deserves to serve."
Hermione nodded quickly in closing and went her way back to the flat. She had gone from thinking of motivation to defending the git. Though honestly demanding redemption from a double agent was probably more of a death sentence than a defense. But what about Harry? She knew that her friend was going after Professor Snape, and apparently felt strong enough to speak against it to a complete stranger. Such opinions would cause an even bigger rift in the trio, especially so soon after the Headmaster's death, and yet she couldn't help having them. Hermione wanted to find justice not revenge, but was she willing to give up her friends for it?
The following weeks found Harry back in Grimmauld place along with Ron and eventually Hermione. Her place among the two boys was quite obviously in jeopardy, but she decided she didn't care. The boys would always side together against her, so instead of worrying about it Hermione would do what she always did best: research. Particularly she wanted to gather Harry's memories in the new pensive she'd acquired. It took almost two full days but Harry gave in. She locked herself in the library not long after dinner and took a deep breath.
Hermione sifted though the memories with ease, dipping first into the stolen memories of Professor Snape's childhood home and life at Hogwarts. She saw the scared little boy that he was grow into a teenage outsider bent on learning all he could. In many respects she and the professor were cut from the same cloth. Exceptions being she had been raised with love and support, and made life at Hogwarts easier for herself by siding with Harry. Hermione stepped toward a window contemplating the parallel lives, parallel fates, they were all living. She and Snape were similar, but the similarity between Harry and Voldemort in the roles opposite them were uncanny. Both Harry and Voldemort had been a powerful means toward being accepted, especially for bookworms who did much better with words than people.
"Curiouser and curiouser" she murmured, feeling very much like Alice.
The next memories were that of Hagrid's recollection of a fight between Snape and Dumbledore in the forest. Given that Severus Snape rarely had an outward confrontation with anyone, let alone the Headmaster, and especially about work she found Harry's forgetfulness of the situation and Hagrid's obliviousness upsetting. Dumbledore took for granted that Snape would continue doing it. The whole conversation in the proper context was quite clear. Snape wanted out, whatever that was asked of him was too much, but the Headmaster commanded him to stay. Harry said Dumbledore seemed to know about Snape's Unbreakable Vow, which meant he knew either Snape or Malfoy had to kill him. He knew…he KNEW! And he forced Snape to stay, forced Snape after having talked Malfoy down to kill him. Hermione wept bitterly at last, coming to stand between the two men. The revulsion and hatred that Harry had attested to was so much more. Self-revulsion, he'd killed the only person who loved him, Hatred, Dumbledore had forced Snape to kill him and to not only live with the shame but become an outlaw. No one in the world could deny that in that particular situation the emotions were unwarranted. Dumbledore told Harry he was expendable, and if Voldemort could be trusted to do what was wrong, Dumbledore had been dead long before he reached that tower. But no one took the blame save Professor Snape.
"How could he do that to you" she whispered, reaching out to Snape as he ran.
"Harry how could you leave out all the information like that? The Order goes on it like it were truth when you knowingly leave out vital information."
Harry, Ron, Lupin, and Tonks glanced up from their activities in the kitchen. Ron was the first to speak, noting keenly the eyes red from crying and anger radiating off of her. His first mistake, everyone agreed later, was speaking out of turn.
"Oi Hermione! What are you going on about? Is it that bad time of the month again?"
Everyone in the room cringed except Tonks who glared at her distantly related cousin. It was no surprise then when his mouth suddenly shut involuntarily. Hermione repeated the question in a deadly whisper, looking directly at Harry.
"Ron's right Hermione, I haven't any idea what you're talking about."
Hermione slammed the pensive on the table its contents sloshing to and thro. She saw Lupin and Tonks look at it apprehensively then between her and Harry. She was glad they were smart enough not to interfere.
"Snape, Harry. You KNEW what was happening! The memories are all there, the fight with Dumbledore over continuing to be a Death Eater, Dumbledore's admission of his own mortality, it was all there and you just stood there and let him take all the blame!"
"Who?"
"Severus Snape!"
The room went eerily quiet as if she had spoken a string of expletives. Tonks was edging toward her as if she was under the Imperio while Lupin stepped closer to the pensive. Harry meanwhile began shouting at her, while Ron stood red but quiet in the corner.
"He murdered Dumbledore!"
"Under Dumbledore's order, you ignorant arse! He may not have said it but he KNEW Snape was under the Unbreakable Vow. He KNEW the contract, but he stopped Draco from killing him anyway KNOWING Snape would have to. How could you have lied to the Order like that?!"
Tonks whirled to face Harry, everyone in the house peeking through the door behind her to see what the commotion was about.
"He killed Dumbledore. Nothing was going to change that. Dumbledore was wrong! Severus Snape is a traitor and a murderer. Now get out of my house!"
Hermione gathered her pensive unconcerned with the busybodies. She was just at the door when she turned to glare at them.
"Toujours Pur indeed. Hypocrites the lot of you. You are your godfather's child Harry Potter, and every bit as juvenile as your father before you. Tell me, Dumbledore's Man Through and Through, did it ever occur to you that there was someone else standing in the room with Voldemort the night your parents were killed? That maybe the reason Dumbledore trusted Snape so implicitly was because Snape truly did switch sides when he found out Voldemort planned on killing them."
Harry crossed his arms as she turned to leave. Her hand was on the knob when he spoke again, his voice harsh.
"Snape murdered my parents, the fact that he hopped the fences until he found the winning team means nothing."
Hermione glanced at him over her shoulder coldly.
"No Harry. It means that he felt something." She breathed deeply before saying what she knew needed to be said. "Snape was a bookworm too you know, a bit of an outcast, much like a girl I used to know. The fact that he put aside his desperate need for acceptance makes him more of a man than you'll ever be. And the fact that he saw his leader, saw Tom Riddle, for what he was and turned from him, makes him far smarter than I could ever endeavor to be, or that we'll ever give him credit for."