Dear Lily *COMPLETE*

Dear Lily



The funeral was a sad solemn occasion, everyone dressed in black and Miss De Le Couer especially looked every inch the tragic heroine dressed in black velvet and lace. She hid her beautiful face under a black heavy veil. Molly and Arthur stayed at the front and four brothers lowered the coffin in the ground.



Harry threw a book down, it was a Chudley Canons book and they lined the coffin with orange, his team colours and Ginny put in a quaffle. It was making me cry. I taught this boy, he had his whole life ahead of him.



Arthur came up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around.



"No one blames you, Severus," he said. "He was a Gryffindor, we do things like this, and it’s amazing most of us get to old age."



"Is that supposed to be a joke?" I choked out trying with all my hardest strength not to cry.



"Listen, Severus, any of us could be laying down there now!"



"It should have been me Arthur!" I exclaimed. "After my confession it should have been me!"



Ginny overheard.



"Then where would we have been?" she asked. "Ron died for the cause. He died for the order and most of all he died for Hermione."



"Yes all those things could have applied to me had I died Ginevra," I said.



"We need you," she said plainly.



"What about your brother didn't you need him too?"



"Yes but -" she sighed and wandered over to me and took my hand. "He wanted to die and he died bravely. He died fighting."



"Exactly the way Black died!" I hissed.



"No, braver than that he died forgiving you and he died knowing that Hermione was going to be well looked after with you. That is all he wanted to know before his mind was clear enough for him to die."



"It's a sad day when a parent has to bury his own child," Arthur murmured. "Amos gave me a few good tips on how to carry on but at least I have other children, I still feel more for him. He lost his only son!"



I walked up to the ground where Bill had shovelled in the first pile of dirt. I picked up a shovel.



"Severus you don't have to," Bill said. "The four of us will do this."



I was about to protest when out the corner of my eye I saw a figure hiding in and out of the trees. I walked up further to investigate my heart was in its throat and I had my wand ready to cast any spell on any unfriendly intruder come to destroy an already sombre occasion.



I was ready to pounce when I felt arms clinging tightly around my neck and lot of thick luxuriant hair thrusting itself into my face, the arms had a body, the hair had a head under it and the face turned up and looked in my eyes.



"Don't do that!" I exclaimed furiously. I always hated being caught of guard.



"Sorry I couldn't contain myself," she said. "I can't believe it! Ron’s dead! I had to sneak out to see."



"I'm sorry, Hermione, but he wouldn't listen I tried to tell him that he should live but he had it in his mind and well, he was determined."



"D - did he s- say anything a - about me?" she stuttered out trying not to cry. She was wearing black to, a light black lacy veil over her face, understated but more tasteful than Fleurs. And I could see her press a black handkerchief to her eyes that had a few tears streaking down out of them. She was graceful and elegant in her grief. She was wearing black silk robes.



I took the veil away from her face and looked deeply into her warm honey coloured eyes and brushed the tears away from her eyes with my finger.



"He made me promise to love you enough for the both of us!"



"H - he d - did l-love me?" she stammered again.



"Yes those were his last words; he died for you."



She gulped down a lump in her throat; I had that very same lump.



"Oh Ron!" she sobbed burying her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking; I took her in my arms and stroked her hair.



"He was well loved in his life and he had a good one Hermione," I said, words to comfort me as much as her.



She nodded. She then broke apart from me.



"I have to get back," she said. "If they find out that I snuck out - well - you know what would happen!"



"Of course dear heart," I said. "You better go."



"And don't tell the others that I was here," she said.



"Lips are sealed."



She allowed a small smile to creep on her face.



*****************************************************************



We all went back to Grimmauld Place where there was some food laid out on the table ready for us.



"How did?" Molly asked.



"Dobby!" Harry exclaimed. I saw a small house elf I instantly recognised as the Malfoy’s old one before he was 'accidentally' set free by Lucius. He was furious weeks after that and I must admit a small part of me thought he deserved it. No one treated house elves like that and had my absolute respect. This one was rather an oddball though, he always wanted freedom and occasionally I heard him talk to himself about how wonderful it would be to be free.



He was wearing what looked like a black tea cosy and an odd pair of socks, one was black and one was purple. His large silvery green eyes looked up at Harry.



"Harry Potter lost the thing most dear to him! Yet Harry Potter still smiles? How great Harry Potter is to smile when friends die!"



"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.



"Don't be angry with Dobby, sir, for Dobby to take work without sirs permission. But Dobby felt he had no choice sir! Dobby read all what happened to Harry Potter's redhead friend, and Dobby felt sorry for Harry Potter sir, and Dobby wanted to help sir! Dobby doesn't even mind not getting paid for it sir!"



"I am not going to be angry with you Dobby," Harry said. "So, what's happened to all the other house elves at Hogwarts?"



"Many have got new masters sir," Dobby said. He looked from one to the other. The house elf’s skin went darker, which I assumed meant he was blushing.



"What is it Dobby?" Harry asked.



"Does sir mind if Dobby becomes Harry Potters house elf, sir?"



"I don't mind," Harry answered. Arthur was sitting Molly down in the corner of the room. Neville was helping himself to some food and Luna and Ginny were in another part of the room talking in whispers. Bill was supporting a frail Fleur, and Charlie was helping Remus with Tonks, the females of this group seemed to have been most affected, I stayed close to Harry. The house elf seemed hardly to notice me.



"Does Harry Potter mind if Dobby has friend elf to help?" Dobby asked.



"No I don't mind who is it?"



"It Winky sir," Dobby said. "Winky can't find new master and Dobby look after Winky and Winky need Dobby!"



"The more the merrier," Harry said. "And you can tell Winky I won't insult her by trying to pay her for her services. She'll then be able to hold her head up high."



Dobby bowed low muttering about Harry's greatness and goodness when suddenly he looked at me.



"What you doing here?" he asked sharply. "What old masters best friend doing near Harry Potter? You is not good enough to wipe Harry Potter's shoes!"



"Enough Dobby," Harry said wearily. "He is a friend now, he is no longer friends with your old master in fact he has broken free from his old master and is now somewhat of a father to me!"



Dobby's eyes widened and looked from him to me.



"Dobby heard but Dobby did not believe," he said. He bowed again and went somewhere, the kitchen I presume.



"Harry," I said. "What was it that you didn't want Ronald to do?"



"He owled a letter to Charlie expressing an interest in being in Romania until you and Hermione were completely settled. He was in so much pain at seeing her loving you and you loving her that he couldn't be around much longer."



I turned my face away and then Mad Eye walked in.



"Severus, a word please," he ordered. He limped and I walked into the library. Where it was completely private.



"Yes Mad Eye?" I asked once we were settled in the armchairs. He poured out a glass of whiskey for him and me.



"What did she have to say?" he asked bluntly.



"Who?" I asked.



"Don't play coy with me Severus," he snapped. "Hermione. Mrs Greyback! What did she have to say for herself?"



"She's not a Death Eater Mad Eye," I said through gritted teeth. "She's one of us!"



"I know that Severus," he replied taking a gulp of whiskey.



"And don't think I didn't notice her at the funeral," he growled letting some whiskey spill slightly on his chin. "Because I did. And I saw you go up to her so, come on, what did she say?"



"She wanted to watch," I said. "She didn't want to be noticed. She wanted to see her friend being laid to rest, it's perfectly natural Moody."



"I wasn't saying it weren't," he muttered. "You can't protect her Severus you have to tell me what she told you!"



"She told me nothing Moody now can I get back to Arthur," I said.



I got up and walked out of the room still holding the whiskey in my hand, I gulped it down in one fast swig, I shuddered slightly and then threw the glass down on the floor.



'You can't protect her Severus!' Moody was taunting me then, like he still doesn't trust me. Not that I blame him. Some Death Eaters drove him to distraction and it is that, that has turned him mad.



"I bloody well can!" I said to myself.



*****************************************************************



After the funeral Arthur had come home with sacks full of letters that had to be ministry inspected before he could carry them home. All from their old surviving school friends. Most though were from Harry's year. Letters from girls that were splotched in places from their tears. Explaining how they really liked him and how they wished they went with him to the ball.



The ones from the boys were all saying about how cool he was and how great a laugh he had been in life. And one in particular from Dean Thomas said that he would kill that Malfoy prat for doing that to someone who was the best kid in the world. One letter surprised me more than most. When I saw the handwriting I had to open it first to make sure it wasn't written to insult or hurt.



"Hello Potter



Er! You probbably don't want to here this from me but I am relly sorry for the deaf of Weasley.



Know I don't like him much nor you for that mater, but I don't fink that Draco would eva haf done it! He was always boasting bout it in Slytherin Common Room but I don't fink he would have done for real though because he seemed to be all talk!



Crabbe!"



"I didn't know Crabbe could write!" Harry exclaimed. I gave him a withering glare.



"Why would he write to say sorry though, isn't he supposed to be Draco's henchman?" Ginny asked.



"He has his own mind you know," I said.



"Well," Harry said squaring his shoulders. "I have to write back to him don't I."



"Harry," I said. "I have a plan and I want to run it through with you first though. After that we have to get it approved by the ministry. Only if it's okay with you though."



He looked up.



"Yeah sure," he said.



We got up and walked to the library. Dobby and Winky were in there cleaning up.



"Dobby, Winky please leave I have to discuss things."



"Yes master," Winky said curtseying. Dobby bowed and he took Winky's hand and they left the room together.



"So, what's this plan?"



"It's the only way I can help Hermione without getting into trouble."



"Go on," he said.



"I'll have to become Ebonium forever!"



"Are you crazy?" he hissed.



"Aren't you worried for her?"



"Of course I am but she's doing all right I think, I got a letter from her sending her condolences and that she is really upset but that was got through yesterday."



"I have to be with her Harry," I said. "Now more than ever."



"Why?"



"I promised Ronald I'd love her enough for the both of us," I said. "He'd do the same wouldn't he? If he could?"



"I'll think about it."



What happened to the hot head I first met all those long years ago?



"Fine, just don't be too long!"



*****************************************************************



During the night I woke up after a bad dream. It was Dumbledore's beseeching face again, this time it was joined by Ronald the look in his blue eyes. I wanted these nightmares to go away. I needed to talk to Dumbledore. I crept downstairs and slunk in the dining room. He was there. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.



"Hello Professor," I said.



"Ah Severus a sad day was it not!"



"I didn't think portraits had feelings," I said.



"It depends on how emotional the person was when he was alive," he answered. "And I had a special place for young Mr Weasley in my heart, poor boy, I hoped he died with a smile."



"No, it was with a heartbroken frown on his face, he died for love."



"That is the greatest of all causes to die for, Severus."



"I know."



"Severus don't feel bad for the rest of your life, I believe that you have someone good waiting for you. Don't lose out on the second chance you have of happiness."



"I want to protect her by using my cat form but Harry is thinking about it."



"Thought," Harry's voice said from behind me.



"Hello Harry," Dumbledore said cheerfully as if they were meeting at a party.



"Hello Professor Dumbledore," Harry said. "How long have you been there?"



"Long enough Harry," he said elusively. "I had to step in and break a fight between him and Remus. I am glad to see you two FINALLY working together."



Both of us went a little sheepish.



"So, Harry, what is your decision?"



"I can't afford to lose another friend Severus you know that so I am going to let you go on one condition you kill of Greyback making sure Hermione is not part of the plan. AND send word to me. Here," he handed me something heavy in a brown paper bag.



"What is it?"



"Something Sirius gave me the last time I spoke to him I was determined not to use it and it was the final clinching proof that he was dead. Anyway I have found the second one another of Kreacher's hordes. We can use it to communicate without ANYONE interrupting."



"Why didn't you use it to speak to Black?" I asked.



"Because I was an optimistic fool and thought that he'd be exonerated and I'd be able to live with him."



"Oh!"



"So, tomorrow we're going to get this ministry approved, and if they say no, well, I'll find a convincing way of changing their minds!"



I smiled. He had a gleam in his eye, I knew that they'd agree, whether they liked it or not!



*****************************************************************



The next morning Arthur took us to the ministry, he was still grieving but he said food doesn't buy itself. Harry and I were either side of him both of us knowing exactly how he felt. Neither of us felt like doing what we were going to do either but we knew we had to because there were other people alive that we had to fight for as well.



We entered the telephone box.



"Hello, state your business," a woman's voice said in a cool tone.



"Arthur Weasley for work," Arthur said dully.



"Harry Potter and Severus Snape for a meeting with the minister," Harry said. Badges came out with our names on it. Harry handed mine over to me. It read 'Severus Snape - Meeting with Minister - no appointment!' I shrugged my shoulders and pinned it on.



Arthur went to his work and Harry and I was standing by the fountain. He looked at the fountain.



"It's more interesting when it jumps into life and saves you from the clutches of a mad woman and a Dark Lord."



"I thought that was a corroborative detail to an otherwise bold and unpretentious story," I said.



A group of wizards turned up. One of them was Percy Weasley. I glared at him.



"The Minister can't see you at the moment," he said stiffly. "He's far too busy."



"Like you were too busy to attend your own brothers funeral?" Harry asked coldly.



"He ceased being my brother two years ago when he insisted on staying friends with you he was a prefect he should have been setting the example!"



"Set this!" Harry said through gritted teeth and whacked him with full force spell. It was the eat slugs. This seemed to be a firm favourite with the gang. Percy fell over backwards on the ministry floor toppling three others along the way. "And that was just a warning Weasley if you ever insult anyone I love again you will get it harder and more painful! Now you can tell your precious Minister that Harry Potter wishes to speak to him and you will even if I have to drag you by the scruff of your pitiful little neck got that!"



Percy scrambled up and looked at Harry with absolute disgust as he was adjusting his robes. Another wizard stepped forward.



"You might be the Chosen One to some people but to us you're just a nuisance teenager the Minister is too busy and important to drop everything for you boy!"



"Do you want to taste my anger?" Harry asked vehemently. "I'm in no mood to be wasting time with you Ministry mutts I want to talk to the Minister and I will!"



He barged past them his eyes as green as the sea in the middle of a tempest and his temper to match. I walked by.



"He had a good teacher!" I snarled flicking my wand between the four of them.



Harry walked up to the reception desk.



"Please ma'am, where is the Ministers office?" he asked sweetly all charm and innocence just the way his father would have done.



"You already know young man so why ask me?"



The receptionist was a pretty blonde woman.



"Because I needed an excuse to talk to you!" she blushed. I rolled my eyes. I walked up to him.



"I'm terribly sorry ma'am, my son has just realised there are these things called girls and he's been charming the socks of every one of them he meets."



"Son?" she asked. "But isn't he…?"



"It's a long story," I said. "Come on, Harry, I have important things to do you can eye up the pretty birds later!"



Birds? I shuddered, I hated calling women that, it somehow degraded them.



"And, um, are you single, sir?" she asked. It was my turn to blush now.



"No I am not I am afraid."



"Pity," she said. "Although you do remind of someone but you can't possibly be him."



"Who?" I asked I had hidden my badge now.



"My old Potions Master thankfully I only had that slimeball for a year."



Harry looked at me arching an eyebrow. I steered him out of the secretary's gaze and we went to the Ministers office.



"Well Daddy it seems you got a date!" he leered.



"Don't be silly, as soon as she realises I am the slimeball she'd hate me. I remember her now. She was much like Hermione, hand always going up and always knowing the answer. What made it more embarrassing was that I was only 22 or so at the time and kids in her year actually remembered me as the kid who got jinxed and hexed by…"



"My father and his friends?" Harry asked.



"Yeah," I sighed.



*****************************************************************



We got to the Ministers office and burst through the door and saw Rufus talking to the old Minister Fudge.



"I say, Mr Potter, your choice in friends is rather disturbing." Fudge said. "You could go the same way as Dumbledore you know!"



"At least he didn't have to bribe me for my friendship. He earnt it with actions! And he has had plenty of time to betray me but he hasn't so I assume he's truly on MY side now. Anyway I am here to talk to the current Minister."



"What is it, Mr Potter?" Rufus said stiffly. "I don't like being interrupted you know!"



"Yes we got through your little welcome committee," Harry said coolly.



"Very well then what is so urgent that needs this intrusive interruption?"



"I want Severus to have his first Ministry approved assignment!"



"That would be?" Rufus asked.



"I want his animagus to become legal his assignment would be to look after Mrs Greyback making sure she remains healthy and living. After losing Ron I cannot afford to lose another friend."



"Ron?" Fudge asked.



"Ron Weasley!"



"Arthur’s youngest son," I replied through gritted teeth.



"Poor Arthur," Cornelius said in an off hand way. "And er? Who is Mrs Greyback?"



"Still here?" Harry asked him. Fudge fidgeted in his pinstriped robes and I was this close to physically making him leave. Instead I leaned over and whispered something to Harry. He looked at me angrily at first and then he smiled. He understood the artistry of it. He waved his wand and out came a snake. Harry spoke Parseltongue to it and the snake winked at Harry and the snake chased Fudge out of the office. The snake came back his skin was shining with pleasure and then he looked at Harry. Harry nodded and sent the snake back! "Right Scrimgeour I want Severus to have legal Animagus status and I want it now!"



Rufus looked wide-eyed at Harry and at the wand. He then looked at me.



"Of - of course," he stammered. "I just have to get the forms for Snape to fill in and then I need four hundred gold galleons. The Ministry needs to pay for itself somehow."



"Why can't you do this one out of the goodness of your heart?" he asked.



"I suppose we could knock two hundred of the price Mr Potter," he said.



"Fine!" Harry exclaimed. "But none of this money is to be taken out of his wages."



"I can speak for myself you know Potter!"



"And what do you think Severus?" Rufus asked turning towards me knowing he didn't stand a chance, his gait became saggy. He knew he'd lost before he gave himself a chance to win.



"This is very powerful work I am doing, it is also dangerous, and life threatening possibly and it could incur the pain or death of someone I care about most deeply. Now perhaps we can take that into consideration Mr Scrimgeour?"



He was trembling.



"Oh very well it will be given as a gesture of goodwill," he said.



"I knew you'd see sense in the end," I said.



He got the forms and I filled them in, he then processed them in front of us, we stayed until I got my roll of parchment that confirmed that I was now a legal animagus. Beat that Black!



When we got back to Grimmauld Place Harry and I wanted to announce it to the world. We were going to announce it at dinner. I couldn't wait!



Dinner came and as soon as we all finished the wonderful meal that was cooked for us by the two house elves I was about to stand up when Remus stood up instead. Harry looked at me and smiled.



"Right," Remus said in his broad Lancashire voice. "I have something to announce to the whole party. Well, it's Dora's announcement really but after this tragedy we need to announce it now."



Yours ever



Severus



A/N - Dun du dun! Wow, phew, lets review the important details - Severus is hot, Draco is a big doofus, Remus and Dora are the cutest couple in the HP series and Hermione is in trouble. What happens next? Well, you might get the rest today. I have a cold and may not be able to write anything...