The mediwitch cautiously moved into the room at Severus's prompting.
Hermione was tense beside him , but did not react.
Unlike the usual diagnostic spells, which produced runes in the air for her to read, the mediwitch ran the ones required by law , which printed the results directly onto parchment. She finished with a flick of her wand, thus signing and authenticating the parchment and providing a copy to Kingsley.
"The child is physically alright, some bruising" The mediwitch's jaw clenched at that "-and she has a few stress related problems , heartrate and blood pressure etc , but nothing we'd medicate beyond a mild pain potion and calming draft. I'd be happy to discharge her" The witch spoke softly. Hermione breathed out deeply, some tension leaving her frame.
"Miss Granger, you have a broken hand, a laceration and a couple of fractured fingers, I'd like to see to those if possible"
The witch looked nervously to Severus , when Hermione made no move to provide her hand.
"Hermione ? Give her your hand" He prompted, and the girl reluctantly and hesitantly reached out one hand.
Her hand was bloody. though nowhere near enough to account for the blood covering her , and it was also bruised black and swollen.
No one needed to ask how she'd gotten it, Severus especially, as he remembered having to hold in his laughter as he was fixing a whimpering Draco's nose.
Though the mediwitch spoke anyway as she began to fix the damage.
"Did you hit him?" She asked.
Hermione just nodded.
The mediwitch nodded back. "Good" . It was said loud enough for only Severus and Hermione to hear.
"I pulled a small fragment of tooth from this laceration before I sealed it, it's not severe but due to the nature of it I'm going to recommend a course of antibiotic potion to prevent infection , as there's a lot of bacteria in the human mouth"
"I shall provide it " Severus spoke and the witch nodded.
"Then I'm happy to discharge you both, as you have no pressing physical injuries"
"Thank You Madam" Kingsley stated in his deep voice "If you can please go with this Auror to give your statement, you're free to go"
The mediwitch pressed a card into Severus's hand. "If ever they need someone to talk to" He nodded his thanks.
"If we can take your statement Hermione then Severus can, with your permission of course , use legillimency to corroborate it. We shall then extract the memories from Severus for use in the Wizegamot"
He softened his expression as a soft whimper came from Rose.
"We can perhaps wait until tomorrow to examine Rose's memories"
"I don't think that would be wise Minister" Severus spoke and Hermione turned slightly to look at him.
"Severus ?" Kingsley asked with a questioning tone.
"I believe for the sake of the case , it is best to take memories and statements now..." He turned to meet Hermione's gaze.
"..That way when I take Miss Granger and Miss Rose to stay with me at my home, the testimony cannot be argued to be biased as they were residing with me at the time"
A few tears broke from Hermione's eyes and she buried her face in his shoulder, wearing a look of relief and gratitude as some tension left her body and Kingsley's expression softened.
"A wise choice Severus, the ministry shall of course write up the paperwork for your freelance protection detail " Slytherin Politics, Severus thought once more.
A legal reason to have them in his home , to prevent anyone suggesting misconduct or conflict of interests.
"If you are ready Hermione?"
She took a moment before nodding, and took the preoffered veritaserum.
Severus noticed that she cast a silencing ward around Rose , preventing her from hearing what she was about to say.
The men could only look on in sympathy.
"I got home from work early..." She spoke monotonously , and Severus instantly recognised that she was occluding to keep her emotions under control. At the same time he made a point to himself, not to mention the fact that she knew how to occlude... as it would prevent them using legillimency as evidence in her case.
Kingsley's eyes met his, and he knew the minister had recognised the signs, though a quick glance to the other auror showed that he was none the wiser, simply attributing it to the veritaserum.
"We have a new apprentice in the department, she's eager to please and has been running herself ragged trying to prove herself...so some things I needed doing were done for me, and I got to leave an hour early"
She closed her eyes and began to control her breathing. Severus put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer as the minister held her hand in his.
"In your own time, Hermione, please tell us what happened tonight" Kinglsey spoke as he set up the dictaquill.
"I got home early , and wanted to surprise Ronald and Rose" Her voice broke on Rose's name. "A lot of the time She's already in bed by the time I got home"
"I saw that Rose's bathroom light was on and figured he'd just got her out of the bath, so I went in to clean everything up to save Ronald the job"
Tears were running unchecked down her face, and the only signs of her suppressed emotions were the shaking of her limbs.
"I spelled everything back in place , and went into her bedroom through the bathroom door...maybe that's why he didn't see me , because I didn't' come in through the main door"
"What was he doing when you went into the room" Kingsley asked.
"He was sat on the bed talking and r-rose was on his knee crying"
Severus's arm tightened around her , and he noticed the auror staring resolutely at the wall as he gripped his wand.
"At first I thought he was just talking to her, soothing her, telling her a story...but then I saw his h-hands"
"What was he doing with his hands?" The minister questioned softly , though Severus heard the steel in his tone.
"He had one h-hand in her pyjamas, and with the other he w-was m-making her touch him" She spat out and her hair was crackling.
"Touch him how" Kingsley asked.
"Intimately" She seethed through clenched teeth, unable to verbalise it any further.
"On his genitals ?" Kingsley asked and Severus had to admire the mans control , as his own was only held back by the weight of the woman on his side.
Hermione nodded.
"We need a verbal answer" He said softly.
"Yes." She spat.
"What happened then ?"
"I punched him, and grabbed Rose, then I hexed him and - I - I apparated here" She stuttered over a word, looking to Severus and both he and Kingsley knew there was more to the tale, though didn't question it.
"How did you hex him?" Kingsley asked.
"Sectumsempra" She said and Severus fought the small feeling of pleasure that welled in him at the thought of his hex being used to punish the bastard.
"Where did you hex him?" Kingsley questioned.
She answered clearly as she met his eyes for the first time.
"Intimately"