A Dark Scenario

Chapter 9 ~ Confrontation

Hermione knew she couldn't just take what happened with Severus all away from Ron's memory. Sooner or later he would hear about it, or read about it. It was also recorded in the Ministry records. But she could take away the memory of his witnessing the act. He would know what happened, but not be able to relive it in his mind. That was the best she could do for him.

Hermione was quite talented with memory charms and targeted Obliviation. She had temporarily removed her parents' memories of having a daughter during the most dangerous part of their battle against Voldemort and sent them to Australia. She accomplished this by blocking those memories with magic, then restoring them when all was safe. In Ron's case, she would destroy the memory permanently. This required a bit of Legilimency as well so she could target the exact thread and be certain to get it all.

It took her about twenty minutes to completely remove the act from Ron's mind. She ended the spell and stepped back from the dazed wizard. Ron stood there stiffly for a moment, and then relaxed, blinking rapidly. His still wet eyes turned on Hermione.

"What did you do?" he asked her.

"I helped you," Hermione replied softly.

Ron still remembered everything else, and offered her the flowers. Hermione didn't take them and his face fell.

"I'm sorry, Ron, but I think—I think too much has happened. I removed the memory of what you saw, but I can't remove the wall that's grown between us. What happened, happened. It's always going to loom there. I think all we can be now—is friends. I think that's best, Ron. I really do," Hermione said gently.

"But—Hermione—"

"You should go."

"But—"

"Go."

Ron stared at Hermione, his eyes filling again. Then he turned and exited the classroom without another word. Hermione returned to her desk and tried to read the syllabus in front of her, but was finding it difficult.

It was hard to see through tears.

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Snape was walking through the entrance hall when Ron saw him.

"It's all your bloody fault!" he yelled at the wizard.

Snape stopped walking and turned as Ron ran down the stairs and confronted him. He didn't say a word.

"You ruined my life, do you know that? Are you happy about that?" Ron demanded. "Hermione and I aren't together anymore, thanks to you!"

Snape didn't say anything.

"I should knock your bloody head off!" Ron snarled at him.

Snape continued to look at him calmly, not reacting at all. Clearly, Hermione hadn't Obliviated him completely. He still knew what happened.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Ron hissed at him.

"I didn't want to do it, Mr. Weasley, but I didn't want her to die. I received no pleasure from the act, believe me."

Ron shook his head.

"You were hard," the redhead pointed out. "You had an erection—"

"A potion. Without it, I couldn't have performed. As I said, I didn't want to do it, anymore than I wanted to kill the headmaster. But she was needed."

Ron stared at him, then shook his head.

"You should have been sent to Azkaban. You might have served the Order, but you still committed crimes. You still hurt people."

"I know I did, Mr. Weasley."

"Hermione thinks you're a hero. So does Harry. But I never will," Ron growled, then he turned and exited the castle.

Snape watched the door close, then turned toward the dungeons, preparing to enter them. Suddenly he had a sense he wasn't alone and looked up. There, standing on the landing at the top of the marble staircase and holding the tea tray, was Hermione, staring down at him. He blinked at her, then walked to the dungeon entrance and descended the stairs.

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Snape entered his quarters and looked at the books stacked all about, then walked through them to sit in the armchair facing the fireplace. He pulled out his wand and extinguished the torches so he was immersed in darkness, then pointed it at the wood in the cold hearth.

"Flambé," he said softly, igniting the wood. He stared into the flame, the firelight flickering over his features. His face seemed set in stone, the only sign of life a slight recurring tick in his jaw. He sat that way for several minutes, then pointed his wand straight before him.

"Expecto Patronum," he breathed.

A silver doe exploded from his wand tip and stood before him, its beautiful eyes meeting his. Snape stared at it, drawing strength, and the doe began to frolic, its glow reflected in the wizard's dark eyes.

Snape watched his Patronus for more than an hour before finally dismissing it, putting out the fire and relighting the torches.

He had books to shelve.

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Hermione had her lunch in the Great Hall with Minerva, Hagrid and Filch. Severus was noticeably absent. Minerva tried to engage her in conversation, but Hermione was non-responsive for the most part. She was still angry about the headmistress' treatment of her co-worker. And Ron's outburst in the entrance hall did nothing to help her attitude, either.

She couldn't help feeling a bit of anger toward Snape, too. Why didn't he bloody stand up for himself instead of letting people treat him so horribly? He certainly didn't have a problem browbeating students for far less grievous offenses. Maybe he really was a bully and couldn't face off with adults.

Maybe he feels guilty

Hermione started at the small voice in her head. Guilty? Severus Snape never showed the slightest remorse about anything he'd done. It was all for the Greater Good and his duty as a member of the Order. Even at his trial, he never apologized for anything, even when asked how he felt about taking Albus' life. He simply said it was his duty and what the headmaster wanted. Only the testimony of Harry and Narcissa Malfoy filled in the details, corroborating the events. Snape didn't even mention the Unbreakable Vow or what Albus told him in his office about protecting Draco.

Hermione didn't understand why he let people think the worst of him. Was it because he thought badly of himself and was so used to being despised? The thought saddened Hermione. It was almost as if he wanted to go to Azkaban when he was on trial.

Well, he didn't deserve Azkaban, even if he thought he did. And he didn't deserve the shoddy treatment he was receiving from everyone. Something had to be done about it.

Just then, a loud bell sounded. Hagrid looked up from his lunch, then stood up.

"Somebody's at tha gate," he announced, carrying his bulk from the dais. "Don' worry 'bout it, Argus. I'll get it."

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Hagrid slowed down the moment he saw who was waiting at the gate.

Rita Skeeter, columnist and muck-raker of the wizarding world, although she considered herself a reporter. With her was a fat, little photographer named Bilbo, who was fiddling with his camera. He snapped a picture of Hagrid as he approached.

"Miss Skeeter," Hagrid said tightly through the bars of the gate.

"Mr. Hagrid. A little witch down at the Board of Governors told me Severus Snape is here," the witch said, adjusting her glasses with her large, mannish and well-manicured hands. "That he's been restored as a teacher. Is that true?"

"Yeah," Hagrid said uncomfortably. He wasn't a good liar and Snape was here after all.

"Well, I want an immediate and exclusive interview with him," she told the half-giant.

Hagrid looked ready to protest, but Rita cut him off.

"If you don't let me in, I'm going to tell every reporter in the wizarding world that Snape is here and instead of dealing with one reporter, you'll be dealing with hundreds. Do you really want that? Reporters camping out in front of the school? And they'll stay forever, you know that. Anything for a story."

Hagrid sighed and reluctantly opened the gate. Better one than one hundred.

"Thank you," Rita said crisply, starting across the grounds, followed by the camera-fiddling Bilbo.

"Professor Snape's not going to like this," Hagrid muttered, following after them.

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A/N: And a little more. Rita's always fun. Lol. Thanks for reading.