It was all white around her, her nose full of the sharp smell of aseptic and ammoniac. Her head hurt awfully, and her eyes felt heavy.
"oh sweetheart"
She heard her Mom's voice.
But how?had she been hit in the head? Delusions? Stress? She could tell she was definitely in Hogwarts Hospital wing, so what was her Mom doing here?
Her mom, alone, without dad.
"dad?"
"no baby, your Dad is not here, but I will stay with you. now Don't worry dear, just sleep some more"
And Hermione dutifully did as her Mom told her.
It could have been seconds later, or hours, or days when loud voices disturbed her nap.
" under no circumstances she will vow this ridiculous farce!"
"come now Mrs Granger.."
Her mom interrupted " Dowson if you would"
"Ms Dowson then, You do not have the authority, as Severus is her father, and magical guardian. And since he is not capable of being there for her, the responsibilibty falls on me"
Her eyes opened, then as her mind worked at its fastest speed, she analyzed what she had just heard.
Dowson was her Mom's maiden name, it meant only one thing, that her dad wasn't here.
They had separated.
Without telling her a thing.
And what was this about Severus and Magical… then her mind went back to the events leading to her being hospitalized.
The heir.
Ginny.
Harry.
Sna..Father.
Basilisk.
And then what she heard when she was on the brink of unconsciousness, the vow so the whole story remained a secret. The whole Ginny's mess, and her father, her barely alive father's afforts to be forgotton.
Maybe so that Harry was depicted as the hero, and the Gryfindore reputation didn't go to garbage bin.
The most ugly turn of events. Other houses said that nothing could stand in the way of gryffindore and she dismissed it, she was wrong.
She couldn't decide to be more hurt that none had thought to tell her that her parents had divorced, or that muggles could come see their children, but all was nothing compared to what she understood they were about to do to her father.
She felt so angry, her blood boiled. She ripped the curtains, and sat back on her bed.
"No headmaster"
She ignored all the eyes being on her. She could tell the room was quite crowded. She could count weasleys, Greengrass and surprisingly Harry and professor Mcgonagal.
"My dear girl, you are awake!" said headmaster with a false cheerful tune which couldn't fool that stupid Lockhart guy even.
"I will not make the vow, no matter what it is"
"but hermione.."
"dear hermione you see Ginerva didn't mean.."
"See Dumbledore, even a Gryfindore won't take this shit!"
She heard Harry, Molly and Lord G speak simeltanously. But all were silenced when Dumbledore raised a hand " Miss Granger.."
"Granger Snape sir. I do know that all people present here know about my parentage"
And then looked at her mom, her liar of a mother.
Did she know? Why she had not tell her? Or even considered asking her a simple question about their fucking divorce.
"Or should I say Dowson- Snape Mother?"
Her mom was taken back" Hermione.."
She was being crual, and she damn knew it, but what she could do when her mother didn't saw fit to inform her of the changes in their house, even by a simple note? She considered herself close to her, and this sort of betrayal felt worse from her.
She hardened her features, stone made, cold eyes, that's it girl. You don't need heart now.
While she heard lord G mumble something about now seeing why she was Severus daughter indeed.
Was she now? Was it this that the professor felt when talking to others? Others who saw him as nothing more than a tool, a thing to help the bloody boy-who-lived and nothing more?
For what purpose but that would they want a bloody vow, a silence vow, to wipe the crimes of Gryffindores like Ginerva, and help the saviors face.
She knew harry was a bit dumb, thick and slow, but he really was blind? Couldn't he tell they were sacrificing Snape, robbing him, maybe post mortum for all she knew of having a jota of good reputation? That he was made to be the vilain by so called hero of the story?
She couldn't let him die like this. She fucking knew what she saw, and his chances were so low even before the bloody basilisk attack.
If she had to take her name and come out, so be it. He wouldn't die in disgrace.
Not on her watch.
She didn't let her finish " for now, I would like to be called Miss Snape"
"but Miss Gran.." Dumbledore started.
She couldn't let him. It killed her to raise to an authority figure , but she just had to.
She couldn't forget that he was convienintly out the castle, both times he was needed. Last year with Qierlmort, and now the heir.
"kindly refrain from manipulating me sir. I was not called the brightest witch of this age for my dashing looks. I can tell when you want to guilt trip me, or use my emotions. This whole Granger Dowson is between me, and my parents, in muggle world. Now here, we are in magical world, talking about magical vows. I do understand how blood and relations work sir, contarory to popular beiliefs not all Lions are brash and brainless. So I prefer to be called by my true, magical blood, I must have inherited some of my father's wit and cunning if Lord – what his name? o yeah!- Greengrass can see it in this short time we met "
She couldn't tell if headmaster was shocked or no.
Was he a slytherin in gryffindore clothing?
"Miss Snape then for now. But I have to inform you that this name, would endanger you in ways you are not aware yet"
She remembered the bow, and the bit Harry screamed Death-eater.
She made her mind.
"so be it headmaster, dare I say, bigger of a danger than we say, a Basilisk and the heir of Slytherin sleeping in my dorm?'
The crys of Molly Weasley angered her more.
"Mrs Weasley, do I seem an idiot?"
She just raised her hands in the air, not knowing what to say" of course not dear, but Gin here.."
"is a pureblood, raised in a house with 8 magical people, her dad is a ministry worker dealing with abuse of magic, and her uncles were aurors, killed in duty. Correct me Mrs, but how on earth such a girl raised with stories of horrors of dark magic, is so dense can not tell a dark artifact? I am muggle-raised, meaning not knowing about magic at all until last year, and yet I can bloody guess when a simple notebook talks back intelligently , this means trouble!" she nearly shouted.
"and you headmaster, why oh why you were absent last year, when we needed you and when professor Mcgonagal informed you no doubt, that we thought something was wrong about the stone? Why when you perfectly knew we found trouble even in simple things like going to bathroom which turned to be troll infested, or having a detention in which Harry met a unicorn- blood drinker, you did not lift a finger to tell us not to go down there? Why beside My father challenge, none of the obstacles were real hindarances?"
She went on " and now, you choose to go to who knows what place, when you have a number of petrified students, an undiscovered heir, and 3 lost girls? Don't tell me you didn't know, I have read Hogwarts history and the bloody portraits report to you."
"you, the supposed most powerful magical being now. If not for Ginny or Astoria, or not knowing about Harry, for me. A supposed Muggleborn who you are their magical guardian!" she exploded, finished it with a loud voice.
"My dear girl, you might think you know everything but…"
Again?
Manipulation?
"Mione, youre being stupid"
Harry had to say his piece NOW? Did he?
"oh am I? and wasn't I told this when I followed you to the fucking three headed dog, or tried to save you from falling your fucking broom- a broom you wouldn't be allowed to if not for a stupid pervelage of being a Gryffindore, or …let me think. When I brewed Polyjuice – a bloody dangerous potion- so you could check if Malfoy was the heir?"
Harry had a look in his eyes, which told her nothing good would come of it, but she didn't care.
He was her friend, or not. As simple as that. He could back her up, or let other people, who HAD NOT saved his ass, or listened to his whines or stuck to him even when all said he was the heir run over her, Hermione.
"you.. YOU SAW him! He bowed to the heir! And he said..he said he bloody served the dark lord! Voldemort! And you DEFEND HIM!" shouted harry.
"OF FUCKING COURSE HARRY JAMES STUPID POTTER! You just see thing with your limited brain don't you! Its not just your eyes, its your whole brain! You saw him bow, yes I did too! But then he went and had a mental battle with the heir so Ginny here didn't turned to a mini-Quirlemort! You dare to forgive Ginny, for petrifying all those people, and just wipe the whole problem without a single punishment, a CRIME she had done just a day ago and even endangered you, but wont forgive Snape, who had saved your ass so many times I cant count, for a crime he did nearly 10 years ago?" hermione shouted back.
"Listen Granger, he might have been having a pleasant conversation with him for all we know, and don't go call me NAMES and…" he hissed.
"and what? I call you names only when you deserve it! If he was 'having a conversation' as you said, why he attacked him? Huh? Why he sicked the basilisk on him? Why he destroyed that notebook? And names, yeah I can see HOW it is hurting you, being called a saviour, the boy-who-lived, the heir , its not that I am not called a know-it-all, or A MUDBLOOD almost all the time!" hermione rplied.
"SHUT UP! YOU KNOW I HATE IT! I LOST MY PARENTS OVER BEING CALLED THE BOY WHO LIVED!" Harry was nearly at her face now, her personal space.
"I AM LOSING MINE NOW TOO! How can you ..how.."
"he is not your father! You are so bloody desperate to run from your ..your muggle relatives you stick to him? A git, a death…" said harry in a softer voice.
"DO NOT CALL HIM DEATH EATER! And you are a hypocrite because you hate your muggle relatives too!"
"HE IS A DEATHEATER! Those killed my parents!"
"Harry how can you tell me that! He is not and you wouldn't call him that, if you ..you think yourself to be my friend"
"then maybe I don't want to be your FRIEND anymore!"
She felt frozen.
Not her friend anymore?
After all they went through? He just chose Dumbledore, and Ginny who left him, and nearly killed him over her?
She started shivering. Was it coming down from adrenaline or being shattered into pieces?
She heard madam pomefery whispering to Mcgonagal " she is on a potion, agitating her will nullify that!"
"But Hermione, I vowed too1"
Really Harry? If you chose to dangle upside down from that menace of a broom, I should do so because you said?
Not friends remember?
"I do have my own mind Harry. Maybe you should have taken advice from somebody not hell bent on getting you killed!"
Dumbledore was not twinkling now " Miss Granger, You have gone on enough. There is a reason why I do things, and it was not at all because I wanted Mr Potter Killed as you put. You only see things from one angle, not having the whole truth may lead to disaster."
Why no-one in the room was taken back by Harry's words? Did they all knew of Snape's past but her?
"no headmaster. Maybe you are right. But I will not let his, professor Snape reputation to go down through the mud. He is hated enough, he doesn't need to be accused of being the one petrifying kids, or worse. That is the main scenario I can see.
Students hate him. And when no-one knows about Ginny being the one controlled by heir, they will point fingers to him. With his manners and face, it is easy to fault a dark, snappish adult, a slytherin for the disaster than a first year girl. When they see all of us back, and him in the hospital, they think last year repeated itself and he was possessed by you-know-who like quirlmort."
"we could explain.." said Dumbldore while massaging the brink of his nose.
"and how did explaining helped when people accused Harry just because he spoke in hisses and snake toungue?" she said in a dead tone.
Then she heard clapping.
Who had arrived now? Was it a cricus?
There was a woman with black hair, and sharp eyes, dressed in typical slytherin colors.
"Andromeda Black-Tonks, Hermione's Godmother and magical gurdian"
Then she winked at her" you are bloody terrific dear! I couldn't see Sevvy being more proud!"
Savvy? Godmother?
"Mrs Tonks"
"Dumbldore, I wouldn't miss this for the Gringotts"
Like two sharks circling each other.
"so severus thought of it all?"
"of course he did. He told me before he told her parents. You see, you can take the girl from Blacks, but you will never take out the Black from the girl"
Was it hostility? Why she got vibes of dishonesty between the pair?
"now, Greengrass, you owe him a life debt for saving your daughter, confirmed by Goblins, Weasley you owe triple, once for your youngest son, twice for your daughter. First saving her mind, then saving her soul. Don't ask me how. Potter, you owe him 4 times, just for the last day. He had obviously waved all other debts from before"
She turned to Dumbldore " and you owe him your school."
Then turned to face the crowd " now, this is the altenative vow, you wont go blabber Hermione's parentage, nothing about the notebook, or Ginerva Weasley delibeartly writing in it. A middle ground for all"
Dumbledore eyes her.
"but why?"
She sighs" dear hermione, he is kind of right. If they know about your parentage, you will be targeted, and ginerva is a pixihead, but only a child. What do you think happens to her if all families of petrified children presented a lawsuit against her? "
Oh.
She then clears her voice" the alternative story will be that she was possessed by that last year defence teacher, who was the vessel of you-know-who. And that needs other hocus pocus Goblins explained in this document"
Then she calls a man in, name Ted?
"Ted here is an expert in magical posions and he will…"
The man, a strong built, warm face, weird clothed- a coat in this weather? Too hot! Shakes her hand
" o Hermione! I heard about you from Andy! I was thrilled to know we can have a little girl again at home this summer!"
A little girl? This summer? What?
"and Poppy, don't worry a thing! I love how basilisk poisonous blood and phonix tears react to eachother! My thesis was about werewolf blood and vampire blood reactions and its brilliant what it does to tissues burning and…"
Mrs tonks smacks him "Ted, go with Poppy now, you are blabbering like a first year again!"
He looks sheepish when he leaves.
"sorry, he is a good guy, just not good with people. I promise you my dear goddaughter, your father will be taking points again from you Gryffs in no time"
Then her smiling – kind face vanishes in a second .
"now, about the papers you WILL sign…"