Snape's Redemption

Still not mine. Damn it.

Chapter One – A Witch Alone

Hermione was thinking.

In the aftermath of Bill and Fleur\'s wedding, those left had retreated to the Burrow and were now all sitting around the huge kitchen table. Even Mrs Weasley was sitting down, not fussing or fixing food but just gazing at Great Auntie Muriel\'s tiara which she was turning around in her hands as the conversation flowed around the table. Tonks was also surprisingly quiet, sitting back and studying those around her, looking surprisingly icy and composed. She had changed so that her hair was a long silvery sheet and her eyes a bright blue. Fleur had been upset that none of her family, not even her beloved sister Gabrielle, had been able come to England as it was just too dangerous. So Tonks had decided to be her surrogate family, in looks at least. When Fleur saw her she had grabbed Tonks and hugged her hard, crying all the time and babbling indecipherable French. She had not let Tonks out of her sight for the whole day. It had been slightly disconcerting.

Hermione, still thinking, noted that Tonks\' gaze was drawn most frequently to Harry and that a frown often marred her forehead. Trying to decipher the cause of the frown, Hermione tuned in briefly to the conversation Harry was having with Remus, Mad-Eye, Ron, Fred and George.

\"… and when I finally find Snape I\'m going to …\"

Knowing this rant off by heart, Hermione tuned out again and studied the rest of the table. Minerva was silent and also appeared to be worried about Harry\'s continuing tirade. Ginny seemed to be completely absorbed in her Pygmy Puff, Arnold. Arthur was idly playing with a plug and the fuse-wire and screwdrivers Harry had given him the Christmas before last. He gave the impression of completely blocking out the conversation. That was until Mad-Eye thumped the table hard, scattering the screwdrivers to the floor.

\"Killing that traitor – that\'s what the Order should be doing! We have to start hunting him down, like the dog he is,\" Mad-Eye growled. There were fervent agreements from those around him.

As suggestions flowed from the men of the group, Hermione watched Harry. Every emotion was evident on his face as it passed through him.

\'Oh my god,\' Hermione realised with horror. \'He doesn\'t hide anything! No wonder Snape beat him in the duel.\'

Mad-Eye finished his vindictive speech just as Hermione\'s thinking coalesced and the truth of her musings suddenly slipped out of her mouth.

\"We need Snape,\" she whispered.

There was a moment of blessed silence which was quickly followed by a cacophony of male voices and Mrs Weasley\'s usual screeching. To Hermione, it felt like she was back at 12 Grimmauld Place after Tonks had once again knocked over the troll\'s leg umbrella stand and woken up the portraits. Ignoring the noise, she noticed that Minerva and Tonks were looking at her intently. Suddenly Tonks grinned, scrunched up her face and changed her hair back to bubblegum pink. Minerva raised one eyebrow, eerily reminiscent of Snape at his most condescending, and waved her hand giving Hermione permission to continue.

\"You\'re mental!\" Ron\'s voice suddenly boomed out over the others. \"It\'s like with Krum! You want to ... to ... fraternise with the enemy!\"

And that was that. Hermione whipped out her wand and suddenly there was silence, blessed silence. Tonks burst out into laughter. Minerva looked disapprovingly towards Hermione who smiled tightly and then turned to the rest of the silenced table.

\"Please, just listen to me. I have been thinking a lot about Snape, and I don\'t think he\'s the complete traitor you all think.\" This pronouncement was greeted with a round of arm waving and table thumping which ceased abruptly as Tonks waved her wand. Everyone suddenly sat straight in their chairs only able to move their heads. Hermione looked questioningly at Tonks.

\"Modified Body Bind,\" explained Tonks with a grin. \"I\'d like to say I\'m amazed no-one lifted your original spell themselves, but I think you caught them all off guard.\" Catching the condemning glance from Remus, she flinched and then kissed him on the nose in apology, but did not raise the spell.

Hermione looked at all the people trapped around the table, agreeing with Tonks\' assessment. She supposed that they weren\'t expecting to be jinxed. \'Fools,\' jeered a voice at the back of her mind that sounded remarkably like Professor Snape. Noticing that Remus seemed to be the calmest, she decided to start with him.

\"Remus, remember when Harry told us the reason Headmaster Dumbledore accepted Snape, I mean Professor Snape, was because he has sorry that he had betrayed the Potters? You didn\'t believe that, did you?\"

Remus mutely shook his head.

\"No, I think it was a pretty flimsy excuse.\" Hermione carried on. \"Do you think the Headmaster would\'ve entrusted Harry to someone if he didn\'t have irrefutable proof of their allegiance?\" Remus shrugged, not willing to give any support to the idea of Severus Snape being anything but a traitor. Hermione sighed and tried another tack, turning towards who appeared to be her only ally.

\"Tonks, did you see him fire off any spells when he arrived at where you were fighting the Death Eaters?\" Hermione questioned. Tonks looked confused and also slightly trapped.

\"That\'s difficult, Hermione. It was dark and curses were flying everywhere. I saw Snape run up to where we were fighting and then he was gone. But I really can\'t give you any other proof.\" Turning to her lover, Tonks continued. \"But Remus, didn\'t you say that he ran straight through the barrier up to the tower?\"

Remus nodded thoughtfully and was suddenly free. Thinking this was the way to circumvent the curse, everyone else around the table started frantically nodding. Tonks burst out laughing again.

\"Sorry – doesn\'t work like that! You\'ll be free when you agree to discuss the situation rationally,\" Tonks informed them cheerfully. \"I reckon some of you\'ll be stuck for quite some time.\"

Hermione ignored the glares as she quickly sifted through the information she had assimilated. She turned to her old Head of House.

\"Professor McGonagall, didn\'t you say that Headmaster Dumbledore had an iron-clad reason for trusting him?\"

\"I said he had hinted at having one, yes,\" McGonagall replied frostily. \"I agree with Remus that remorse over the possible death of his childhood enemy would not have been enough to sway Albus. But I still do not see why you think we need him!\"

\"I\'ll get to that, but please, Professor, I need to go over all the evidence first.\" Hermione looked over at Harry and winced as she was blasted by his hate-filled glare. Doggedly, she continued on with her case.

\"Harry overheard Professor Snape telling Draco Malfoy that he made the Unbreakable Vow to Draco\'s mother to protect him.\" Arthur Weasley\'s eyebrows rose and he turned his head to glare at Fred and George, who both flinched. Hermione continued.

\"Harry, you also said that … on the tower …\" Here Hermione faltered, remembering Harry\'s tear-filled rendition of Dumbledore\'s last moments. They had been staying at the Dursleys when she and Ron had finally heard everything about that night. Drawing a deep breath and trying hard not to feel like she was betraying Harry, Hermione carried on.

\"You said that Headmaster Dumbledore had ordered Professor Snape to watch over Draco and that he had known Draco was trying to kill him. Which means that Professor Snape had told him of Draco\'s mission. He had probably told him about the Unbreakable Vow he had made to Draco\'s mum.\"

\"He may have told him, Hermione,\" Remus interjected. \"We don\'t know for sure.\"

\"We don\'t know anything for sure,\" Tonks muttered, regretting the spell she had placed on everyone. But the noise and perpetual \"Get Snape\" conversation had been wearing. She was still enjoying the relative silence.

But Hermione hardly heard them. Another flash of inspiration hit her and she began to pace around the kitchen table, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. By this time Arthur and Ginny had also been released.

\"Then there was the conversation Hagrid overheard – Professor Snape was arguing with Professor Dumbledore, saying he didn\'t want to do it anymore.\"

\"Do what, exactly?\" Ginny questioned almost as icily as Professor McGonagall. Bending, she scooped Arnold off the floor where he had fallen on the onset of the spells.

\"I don\'t know.\" Hermione\'s forehead creased in frustration. \"Follow Draco? Spy?\"

Frustrated, she threw herself into her chair, still furiously chewing her lip. Everyone except Tonks watched her, none of the gazes particularly friendly. Tonks had lowered her eyes to her wand which she was busily cleaning.

\"Is there any more of your evidence?\" Professor McGonagall queried.

Hermione hesitated, about to say something but looking around at the accusatory eyes staring back at her, shook her head.

Professor McGonagall raised her wand and released everyone from the spells. Everyone stretched, mumbling amongst themselves but refusing to look at Hermione. Hermione slumped down into further into her chair as Professor McGonagall sat up straighter.

\"Well, I must say Miss Granger, you a presented us with a well thought out view point. However, I cannot help thinking that you are clutching at straws, desperately trying to see some good in Severus Snape. Although everything you have said can be construed as truth, you cannot deny that he ran away. He has not returned to us to explain his actions, nor given any indication that he wishes to contact us. He has left no communication at the Headquarters, nor sent his Patronus with a message. Furthermore, he knows enough spells that would kill Albus whilst allowing for him to be revived later. He has, if needs be, the ability to put a stopper in death. Instead, he used Avada Kedavra, to which there is no counter-curse or any way of blocking. Ultimately, his behaviour illustrates that he betrayed us and cannot be trusted. However, I do think that the vindictive tirade that we have been continually subjected to should stop.\" Her eyes bored into Harry, Ron and Mad-Eye. Reaching out, she placed her hand on Hermione\'s arm. \"I am sorry, my dear.\"

\"Hermione, I don\'t understand why do you think we need him?\" Remus asked suddenly.

Surprisingly, it was Molly Weasley who answered. \"Not us - Harry needs him.\"

\"What? Mum, you\'re ment..\" Mrs Weasley\'s glare was as effective as Hermione\'s spell and the twins quickly subsided into silence.

\"Occlumency,\" Harry replied. \"She,\" gesturing contemptuously towards Hermione who was now almost disappearing under the table, \"thinks he\'s the only one who can teach me. But I don\'t. And this … discussion is over.\"

With that he rose from the table and walked towards the living room.

\"And Hermione,\" Harry paused and glared at her. \"Hexing your friends is not considered the best way to gain their trust.\"

He left. Ron, after one disbelieving look at Hermione, followed, as did Ginny, Fred and George. Without a word to anyone, Mad-Eye stalked over to the fire and Flooed out. Arthur quietly collected his plug, fuse-wire and screwdrivers and disappeared outside. Molly muttered something about the ironing and her clock and left.

\"He is right, Hermione. If you need to talk about things, try talking,\" Remus chastised gently. Turning, he placed his hand on the back of Tonks\' neck. \"That goes double for you,\" he persisted.

Tonks gave a small, embarrassed smile in Hermione\'s direction, dropping her gaze as they both exited out into the garden. Shortly after, Hermione heard the distinctive pop as they Disapparated.

Leaving only Professor McGonagall and herself in the kitchen.

\"Child, I am sorry. I know how much you wish to believe in him but…\" McGonagall began.

\"No,\" interrupted Hermione. \"I don\'t wish to believe in him. I do believe in him. There is a difference.\"

Minerva remained silent then rose and, placing her hand briefly on Hermione\'s shoulder, left.

Under the table Hermione picked up her book bag, which held the basis of her belief – a rather new looking copy of Advanced Potion-Making.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It all started with that book.

As soon as Hermione saw what it was doing for Harry\'s rather lamentable potion making skills, she had coveted it. She had tried to convince Harry to get rid of it, but to no avail. She gave him her view that the writer must have been a bit dodgy and that it didn\'t seem as though he was a very nice person, but Harry had ignored her. As usual. Ignored until it was too late.

\'Seems to be the story of my life,\' she reflected glumly in the empty kitchen. She could hear Ron in the other room telling Harry that she, Hermione, was mental and once again bringing up Viktor Krum. \'Honestly!\'

\'A normal person,\' she fumed, \'would not bring up an incident to make those around him remember what an irrational prat they could be.\' And Ron\'s behaviour in their fourth year towards Harry had been particularly obnoxious. Not to mention the way he treated her in their third year at Hogwarts. \'And let\'s not even think about Lavender Brown!\' Hermione frowned. Then she sighed.

She had been a fool, thinking that once the three of them were back together they would once again be the Golden Trio, each using their own strengths to help the others. That there wouldn\'t be anymore of this stupid rivalry as all of them would be equal again.

Which led to her possession of Professor Snape\'s old text book.

It had been simple to retrieve. She had merely paced back and forth before the Room of Requirement asking for a place to hide a book. Once the room had appeared, a quick Accio had produced sixteen copies of Advanced Potion-Making. Flicking through them all, she found the copy she wanted and left with her treasure, casually flicking all the other books back to where they came from.

Then Hermione did what Hermione does best. She studied. Unlike Harry, she read through the whole book with a critical and analysing mind. Before she tried any of the spells, she pulled them apart, trying to judge from the words invoked and the wand movements made what the likely outcome would be. Then she started testing some of them. Many of the spells in there were nasty and horrible, and she shuddered remembering what happened to the poor garden Gnome she had tried out one of the spells on in a secluded corner of the Burrow\'s garden. Yet, the whole book showed a brilliant mind that slowly seduced Hermione\'s own intellect. The person who wrote this would be able to teach her how to adapt and use everything she knew in dangerous situations. She still remembered with shame how she froze up in her first year and when confronted by a Boggart in her third year exam. She was still only comprised of books and cleverness and had not mastered the important things. Although back then she had believed important things were friendship and bravery. \'How very Gryffindor,\' sneered that voice again. But now … things were different. Everything had changed. And Hermione believed that Professor Snape was the only one who would be able to teach her everything she needed. And Harry too, if Harry would let him.

Resolute, Hermione clutched her book bag firmly to her chest and walked out into the garden. Moments later there was a pop of Apparition, which nobody heard.

In fact, no-one noticed Hermione had gone until late in the night when Crookshanks began wailing for food.