Snape's Redemption

Disclaimer: I only lay claim to Bloody Turkey. Everything else is JKR.

Epilogue – 2nd September, twelve years later.

Hermione Granger scowled down at the contents of the letter in her hand, before screwing it up and throwing it into the fire. Sighing, she absently rubbed her hands over her stomach, reflecting on the stupidity of entering into a bet with someone who was so intrinsically Slytherin – even if she had been sorted into Hufflepuff.

Angrily, she whipped out her wand and fired various packing spells around her apartment, frowning as she recalled how her daughter had bested her. Still, she admitted grudgingly to herself, it really was for the best. This way she would not be capitulating to his wishes – she would only be honouring her vow to her daughter.

Which was fortunate.

Severus Snape was unbearable when he got his own way at the best of times.

Reaching out, she grabbed a framed photograph that was whizzing past. It was of all of them; the Grumpy Git with his arms encircling both Hermione and Sarah. Photo Sarah was laughingly pulling away, which her father allowed, whilst photo Hermione was surreptitiously trying to prise herself way from his desperate grasp, to no avail. One thing photo Hermione was resigned to was that Severus Snape never let anything of his go. It was a lesson that the real Hermione Granger had learnt a long time ago, but had not been prepared to accept without a very good reason.

Looks like I’ve got that reason now, she wryly reflected, once again rubbing her stomach and glaring at the ashes of her daughter’s letter.

Releasing the picture and allowing it to pack itself, Hermione revisited the aftermath of Harry’s defeat of Voldemort.

As the night was filled with the weeping and wailing of the loss of the two youngest Weasley children, a caustic voice cut through the piteous lamenting.

“Would someone get this bloody turkey off me!”

Turning from Harry’s arms, Hermione saw Severus Snape ineffectually bat at the Phoenix which had been formally residing on his chest. It now appeared to be trying to land on his shoulder.

“Severus,” she gasped, wrenching herself from Harry and racing over to him, flinging her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

“As you for,” he hissed, his hands grasping her shoulders and pushing her away from him, “I told you to leave! How did you circumvent the Vow?”

Hermione smiled, recalling his warring emotions of relief and anger when she revealed Harry had dissolved their apparently Unbreakable Vow.

The months that followed made her even more and more indebted to Harry for breaking that bond with Snape.

Severus became a dictatorial tyrant, imperiously making decisions about her future and trying to force her to move in permanently with him and his newly acquired familiar, the green and silver Phoenix which would only answer to the moniker ‘Bloody Turkey’. Not only was its name offensive to her, but the horrid beast would routinely swoop down on her beloved Crookshanks and, grasping him in its talons, would then deposit him in the highest tree it could find.

Familiars really did adopt the character traits of their owners, Hermione mused, recalling the number of times Harry would come to visit her covered in pecks and scratches from Bloody Turkey’s beak and talons.

Once Sarah had been born, Hermione had stayed for two months before handing her to Severus and leaving. It had not been easy for her; when Sarah had been first placed in her arms, she had wanted to hold onto that little bundle and never leave. However, Hermione knew that eventually she would regret not following her own dreams, and that ultimately that regret would coalesce and manifest itself on her beloved daughter. So she left them, with love.

For three hours.

Then Severus turned up at Grimmauld Place, her temporary home, with Sarah and Bloody Turkey in tow, demanding that she properly fulfil her obligations and feed her child.

Hermione grimaced, recalling the myriad of fights they had about her living arrangements. Eventually, Severus had capitulated to her need to have a separate residence and had bought her this flat. He had then encapsulated it with the most powerful protection and detection spells he could manage and, of course, made sure there was direct access via Floo or Apparition for himself and Sarah.

Then Hermione began to live her life. It was not radical, or even very exciting. She took up an Apprenticeship with an Arithmancy Master, moved through her Journeyman status to eventually become a Master herself. Then she buried herself in scholarly research and sometimes even made some new and interesting discoveries.

She had, of course, tried to date. Unfortunately, after one date, Severus would hunt down the beau and terrify him into leaving her alone. One suitor, who had defied Snape and gone on a second date with Hermione, was found the next morning hiding in a garbage tin, gibbering in fear. Hermione had cornered Severus and bargained with him to release her admirer from the curse. Of course, the terms of the release were that Hermione date no-one but Severus.

So here she was, thirty years old, about to move in with a grumpy fifty-two year old wizard and about to become a mother again.

She really hated it when Severus Snape got what he wanted.

However, as it was what she wanted too, she decided she could live with it.

Suddenly, the fire flashed gold, signalling that Harry Potter would shortly be arriving by Floo. Hermione smiled, musing that if Severus sold this particular spell, he would be very rich indeed. Everyone had at one time or another complained about unwelcome Floo calls.

Her smile deepened as Harry stepped out of the fire, blinking owlishly until he put on his glasses again - after his first disastrous Floo trip, Harry never travelled without taking them off.

“Hi, Hermione,” he said, reaching out and pulling her into a joyous hug.

“Ugh! Not so tight, Harry,” Hermione protested, pulling back and crossing her arms protectively over her stomach.

“Sorry,” he grinned unrepentantly. “I’m just so excited!! It’s finally happened – Luna’s pregnant!!”

“Oh,” Hermione gasped. “Oh, Harry, that is wonderful. I’m so happy for you! When is she due?”

But Harry had been looking around the flat, frowning.

“What’s going on?” he asked, ignoring her question.

“I’m moving,” she replied simply as the last box sealed itself and winked out of sight.

Harry grabbed her arm, still frowning. “Where are you moving to?”

Hermione sighed. She really wished Harry had grown out of his hatred of Severus, and vice-versa. However, when it had been revealed that Harry’s spell had not been enough to kill Voldemort and he had needed the love that Snape had shown from his sacrifice, their mutual dislike had blossomed once again into full hatred. Neither of them could stand the fact that they had both needed each other to defeat the Dark Lord. Hermione was infinitely relieved that this revelation had occurred three years after the final battle. Otherwise, Mad-Eyed Moody’s attempt to have Snape convicted for the death of Dumbledore and other various Death Eater crimes could have been successful. As it was, at the time of the accusation, Harry had refused to give any evidence and Dumbledore's portrait swore it was all part of their ultimate plan. Thus Severus had been exonerated and did not suffer the same fate as Bellatrix Lestrange, who was pushed through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries; or Lucius Malfoy, who, due to his helping Hermione, was under house arrest, unable to leave his own property.

“I’m going home,” she informed him gently. “Harry, it’s time.”

“Now?” he exclaimed incredulously. “But Sarah’s left! She’s at Hogwarts now – you have nothing to go to!”

“Now is really when I’m needed most,” she assured him, hanging on to her temper and desperately trying to make her friend understand. “He’s alone and … and …”

She trailed off, absently rubbing her stomach, trying to think of the best way to tell Harry.

But she didn’t need to.

His eyes narrowed, focussed on her stomach, as he watched her perform the same little ritual that Luna had started doing a few weeks ago.

“I don’t believe it,” he hissed. “Again? How could you let him back to … into your … Hermione!”

“Oh, shut it, Harry!” she snapped back. “There was no question of ‘letting him’ anything!”

“What?” he almost shrieked. “Hermione, did he force you to…”

“No!” she interrupted forcefully. “Harry,” she continued and then paused, floundering, not sure how to continue. In the end the simple truth was easier then all the other complex reasons. “I love him. I always have. I just wasn’t ready.”

“And now you are,” he sneered. “Why now? I mean, aside from the fact that he tricked you into getting pregnant again.”

“He didn’t trick me, Harry. In fact, he doesn’t even know yet. I went off the potion of my own free will. Severus had nothing to do with it. Well,” she amended, “nothing except what needed doing.”

“Surely he would have guessed! I mean, after all this time … and you suddenly … you know,” he trailed off weakly, unable to actually talk about his friend’s sex life.

Suddenly Hermione grinned. “Harry,” she began carefully. “Severus and I have always been …”

“Don’t want to hear it,” he interrupted, clasping his hands over his ears. “La, la, la, la, can’t hear a thing, la, la.”

Laughing, Hermione pulled his hands away, her anger disappearing at Harry’s antics.

"Seriously, Hermione, are you sure?” Harry questioned, his temper once again rising at the thought of his dearest friend being used. “You know he only thinks of himself. He doesn't love you, he just ..."

"No," she interrupted, gathering up some Floo powder to take her home. "You are wrong, Harry. He does love me."

"Has he ever said it?" Harry asked, clenching his fists. "Has he ever said 'I love you'?"

Hermione paused, tilting her head to the side.

"No," she conceded. "But Severus wouldn't call it love."

As she threw the powder in the fire, Harry grabbed her arm.

"What would he call it then?" he growled.

As Hermione disappeared into the Floo network, her answer floated back to Harry in the empty apartment.

"Redemption."

Fin

*~*~*~*~

A/n – Well, that’s all folks! I hope you all liked my little tale. I also hope that JKR will redeem Severus and not kill him off!

This story would not have been completed without the support and haranguing from my wonderful Betas – GinnyW, JuneW and Claraminutes. They have been absolutely wonderful and made me laugh over and over! Also, they were absolutely amazing with their turnaround – I never had to wait on them! Any delays were purely my fault!

Also, to my wonderful reviewers, thank you. There were quite a few times when I just wanted to ditch the story (usually after a flame), but knowing how many of you were enjoying it, I just couldn’t do it!!

Chocolate Snapes for Everyone!!!

Toodles

Juliet