A/N: This story is not at all abandoned. Unfortunately between starting my own business this past year and some health issues I have not had much time or inclination to write. However I find this story and my amazing readers to be a balm for the soul and am going to do my best to update at least once a month. There is still much story to tell so it is best I get on with it.

As always you, my darling readers, have my love and affection. Thank you for staying with me

lil

She had wanted to wear her black woolen dress, she felt it looked more professional and austere. She wanted to give the impression that she was taking this seriously, and she was, but Severus and Luna both managed to agree that in this case black was not the best choice. Of course they thought as much for very different reasons.

"Hermione, while you look lovely, and I certainly enjoy the color black, in this particular instance you should endeavor to appear to all as the epitome of light and goodness. I am concerned that the black seems to send the opposing impression," Severus had told her.

"Besides," Luna chimed in, "black attracts far too many Blargindums and they tend to muddle the mind. I often wondered if the Hogwarts uniforms weren't another color if perhaps the students would learn more easily."

Hermione wasn't sure what to think of her friends reasoning, but she eventually agreed that the point was less to be taken seriously and more to be taken as innocent. In the end she decided on a butter yellow sundress with a modest neckline. She pulled the hair back from her face and pinned in in a small twist with a lovely golden hair comb that had belonged to her mother. She looked sweet as daisies, yet still poised and mature. She only hoped that it helped.

Luna told her that she was going to meet up with a friend, and wished her well before leaving not long before she and Severus were due to travel to the Ministry.

Once alone with Severus Hermione's poise began to crumble. "Oh, Severus. What am I going to do? What if they keep me there? What if they take me to Azkaban? How am I supposed to handle any more of this?" She collapsed into his arms, needing the strength of his embrace to bolster her confidence. She was trying to be brave, trying to believe in the Wizengamot and in justice, but she knew that the system was flawed and that the deck was stacked against her, and ready to explode.

Severus held her against him for a few moments, just quietly offering her his support and comfort. Words were failing him. Typically, he felt confident in his loquaciousness and used it as a shield and sword, but in this moment, holding onto the witch he loved as she shattered, he felt at a loss.

There were no words to provide comfort and hope. Only his love, and that he was sure she understood was always hers. Finally, as the time approached for them to leave for the Ministry he told her the only words that would come to him. "No matter the outcome of today, and of the next weeks, and months, and years, you will still continue to be what I smell in a vial of Amortentia. You are the Pheonix song Hermione, pure and hopeful. Whatever they say or do today cannot take that away from us. You will endure, as you have done, and I will be here to hold you when you feel as though you have reached your limits. We will have many tomorrows, and they will be filled with joy, and free of this turmoil. We will have forever," he told her, as he worked to keep his own tears at bay.

He composed himself, and offered her his arm as she looked at him with tears in her eyes, and tear tracks down her cheeks. He guided her to the floo in silence, and grabbed a small handful of floo powder from a jar on the mantle piece that he had placed there the week before, when he established the home on the Floo Network. He called out their destination clearly and gave Hermione a nod as he stepped through first, so that she would not have even a second to stand there alone.

HIs first thought as he stepped out of the floo into The Leaky Cauldron was that it had been an appropriate choice of destination, it was fairly quiet in the inn that Sunday evening, with only a few patrons milling about, and one camped at the bar, looking like he had likely spent the night slumped on his barstool, or several nights as it were. It wouldn't be a long walk to the Ministry, and hopefully the evening hour on a Sunday would continue to be a blessing and they could further avoid crowds, making it easier for him to keep Hermione safe, and keep her calm. Soon however he was beginning to wonder on his choice to floo, and to leave her behind. He knew she was terrified and now he had left her alone, for however short a time. He was starting to consider going back through for her, and hailing a cab from the house to take them, but before he could make up his mind she appeared in a whirl of green flames.

Hermione stepped out of the flames and looked to Severus with determination glinting in her eyes. She was ready to face the day, even if she was afraid. It was that which had made her a Gryffindor. While her housemates had been brave to the point of utter stupidity, Hermione had persevered through her fears, never allowing them to control her. She stood before him seeming taller than she had done in some time and Severus knew a moments pride that this woman who had lost everything, and had broken beyond what should have been repairable, was standing there looking at him, every bit the little lioness.

Severus stepped forward and offered her his arm, placing a hand reassuringly over her own once she grabbed his arm. Together they walked silently from the inn, and onto the streets of London, just beyond the magical bubble of Diagon Alley.

At first there was nothing unusual about their walk towards the Ministry. In the heart of London, surrounded by Muggles there was always something going on, and the two of them walking arm in arm didn't seem to attract much attention, even the elderly woman they passed as she walked her obnoxious looking poodle smiled politely at them and did not seem to care a bit about the dour and dark older man walking with the young witch in butter yellow. They noticed one or two Wizards out, who were hard to miss – sticking out like they were in the most ridiculous clothing, but even they were not an unusual sight, so close to the Ministry they were bound to see at least a few Magical folk.

They entered the Ministry with little fuss, handing their wands to the Welcome Witch briefly as she issued them visitors passes and directed them towards the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The little blonde witch was polite and professional as she ran checks on their wands and questioned them about their intended activities in the Ministry that day. Severus suddenly remembered her from her time as his student some fifteen years prior, but could not seem to recall her name. She had been Ravenclaw if he remembered correctly, not that it was of any consequence. A pin on her lapel bearing the Ministry crest said her name was Tania. He vaguely remembered the name, but as she handed back their wands, never letting on once that she knew who Hermione Granger or Severus Snape were he decided it was of little consequence that a former student was working at the Ministry. He supposed many were. It wasn't until they were about to step away, that Severus was alerted that something big was happening, and that this witch, who had once been a fairly unmemorable student of his was a part of it.

Before they ventured towards the Ministry Atrium Severus turned to the Welcome Witch once more, "thank you," he told her, grateful for her expedient and gracious nature.

She just smiled at him, and then her eyes glanced to Hermione, and noting her attention was elsewhere the witch tapped her wand briefly to a pin on her lapel, instantly the Ministry Crest blinked away to be replaced by something baffling and unexpected. Suddenly emblazoned onto her pin were the words 'WE STAND WITH THE PRINCESS' and behind the words was a caricature that was unmistakably Hermione, only this Hermione wore a golden tiara with the Gryffindor crest. Princess of Gryffindor indeed.

Severus wasn't entirely certain what to make of the pin, recalling all too unfondly similar pins making the rounds at Hogwarts during Hermione's fourth year. He knew that while his godson hadn't been creative enough to actually come up with the idea on his own, that Draco had been instrumental in helping to create them. Charms had always come naturally to the boy. The thought that Draco was even remotely involved with whatever was going on gave him a terrible feeling that this day was going to be even more of a canine equine extravaganza than he had initially feared. He had hoped to get Hermione somewhat quietly to the offices of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He should have known the minute she agreed to the interview with Luna that quiet was not a possibility. Even the transforming pin, as uneasy as it made him feel, never could have prepared him for what they walked into as they stepped into the Ministry Atrium.

Everywhere Severus looked was organized chaos. Hermione stood next to him still as a statue, one of her hands up over her mouth, the other gripping tightly to his arm. The shock was written all over her face. Hundreds of Witches and Wizards were crammed into the atrium, all wearing pins bearing Hermione's likeness and carrying signs demanding her freedom.

Luna was standing in the thick of things, wearing her old roaring lion hat, this time however it was adorned with a rather large tiara with glimmering ruby stones. Standing just to her left looking like a red and gold peacock was his godson. Draco stood proudly in colors Severus never thought to see him in, pink sure, purple was a given, pink and purple plaids had even been known to happen, but red and gold, especially together in a bold stripe was not something he ever expected to see.

Other familiar faces dotted the crowd. The Weasleys, he was happy to see there to support Hermione, knowing how much their love meant to her. School mates of Hermione's, from different years and houses, professors, shop keepers, witches and wizards who couldn't have possibly ever met Hermione Granger, but all knew that they owed their freedom in part to her, and wouldn't let her lose hers now, they were all there.

"Severus," her voice sounded softly beside him.

He looked down at her, at the gob smacked look on her face, and knew she had believed herself to be unworthy of so much support; especially such an overt show of it by her community, Witches and Wizards who knew her and loved her, and so many more that had never met her, but believed in her none the less.

"I daresay the dunderheads in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will have a riot on their hands if they attempt to subvert justice in your case. You have not only the Chosen One on your side, but the Minister himself, and apparently the entire magical population of Europe," he assured her.

She gave him a smile that was full of strength and trust as she threaded her fingers through his. He couldn't be sure if the tears glistening in her eyes were caused by a fear that would not abate, or if they were the product of unbelieving joy at the outpouring of support she was receiving. He supposed it must be both, if the way her nails lightly bit into the skin on the back of his hands was anything to go by.

"This will all turn out in your favor." He gave her hand a light squeeze, and then began to lead her through the fray in full Professor Snape mode, glaring at the masses prepared to snap and snarl at anyone who dared overstep their bounds.

The change in him, though admittedly very subtle, was not missed by Hermione who had to hide a small laugh behind her hand.

Severus was happy to see such an unexpected reaction to the glares he sent out across the Atrium. He hadn't been planning on making her laugh but he was happy to do so. Everyone else could all move out of their way and did rather than face his known wrath.

Together they entered the lifts across the atrium and headed down to level two.

"Even Luna's known association with that paper of her father's, which may have some questionable ideas in it's pages, hasn't stilted her influence. Frankly you cannot deny that the Quibbler has become quite popular since the war. And while most may simply assume that the articles on Blibbering Wingnutters are pure satire it certainly seems that they have taken your interview with Luna for what it was. Continue to speak the truth on these matters and then you can put this behind you and we can move on. I swear to you that you will not be alone." He kept telling her the things he had already told her. Making sure that she heard them, that she knew them. He repeated assurances to her repeatedly as they exited the lift and approached the offices of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

He told her that he loved her. He told her that they would pick up Chinese for dinner that night. He told her that tomorrow they would begin to brew a few healing draughts for some of his customers, including the school. He told her that he would help her to revise more for her N.E.W.T.S.

He would not let her walk into that room feeling anything other than confident that she would be walking out again, free and clear of all charges.

A portly wizard, with a beard that was easily twice as long as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's had been, that was pulled into a leather band over his rotund belly and then braided and wrapped around his belt to keep it from dragging on the floor, stood as sentry to the doors of the offices of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

He was ostensibly there to make those who approached the offices feel more at ease. To Severus, who had never known the D.M.L.E. to require a guard at the door, it did just the opposite.

"This is Madam Hermione Granger, here to speak with whatever dunderheaded fool is in charge of her case. I am certain she is expected. We can find our way. Move." He had considered a more polite approach, but as he was filled with the growing suspicion that this already absurdly terrible situation was about to go completely pear shaped and saw no need to pander to this lowly guard. He began to push forth but was stopped before he could.

The old guard moved to stand more firmly before the entrance doors. "Of course, Mr. Snape. I had been told to expect both of you. Expected you most certainly have been; what after that article in the Daily Prophet. That Lovegood chit usually writes for the Quibbler I understand, yet somehow her tripe was printed above even Rita Skeeter's article. Furthermore, I am afraid you will find that these offices are largely unoccupied at the moment. You will find that you are in fact expected on level ten." Something in his countenance changed subtly, but both Severus and Hermione, who had been largely silent since their arrival at the ministry, were aware of the power of this change, and the meaning of his words.

"Severus, Level ten? But why? Surely they won't hold a trial tonight?" Any sense of calm Severus had managed to instill in her was quickly being whisked away.

Severus stood still assessing the situation. Things certainly were not going according to plan, and he would certainly have hoped that Kingsley would have given them more of a warning. He supposed that Luna announcing the time of their arrival in the Quibbler gave them ample time to prepare a sitting of the Wizengamot.

Slowly he took hold her of her arm. "It will be alright Hermione. I do not like this, but alas we have been given little choice of how to proceed this day. I have no doubt that something is in the works but it remains to be seen who is truly orchestrating events here today. This hardly seems the sort of confounded orchestration Kingsley would be responsible for. It is more likely that someone in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is looking to make a name for themselves. I have little concern that whoever it is will manage to have things go as they planned either. They may have gotten a step ahead but they will find themselves dragging far, far behind before the day is out. Come now darling, let us face this together," he told her as he began to lead her feeling very little of the conviction he put behind his words.

If everything had not already been conspiring to throw them off and thoroughly confuse and confound the pair, the sight of Ronald Weasley, in chains and being dragged off the lift opposite them as they arrived on level ten, would have done it alone.