Chapter Twenty-Two: What happened to my parents?

(i) The characters and world of Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this.

(ii) Thank you for the kind reviews. Please do continue to let me know what you think of the story. Your reviews mean the world, and they help me keep writing.

(iii) A big hug of gratitude to my beautiful beta, Queen_of_Stars.

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The great whirl of parties and balls continued well into July. However, as July came to an end, Severus and Hermione felt confident that their duties to the wizarding world were complete for the moment.

Severus, wasn't really one to take a break, but he had promised Hermione to go with her to Australia. To this end, he ensured that all his responsibilities relating to the rebuilding of Hogwarts were complete. He strengthened and added to the warding and worked long hours to ensure the paperwork required for the returning students and the missed end of year exams were up-to-date.

Minerva understood what drove him, and promised to stay at the school to ensure work continued apace.

Thus, they began to prepare for their departure to Australia. Minerva and Kingsley had helped secure them international Port-Keys, and with the blessings of the two older Gryffindors, they set off in the first week of August.

They took the first Port-Key on Monday the third of August and arrived without trouble in Doha. After a brief rest and an official lunch with the Chief Minister for Magic of Qatar, they caught the next Port-Key to Singapore. Here they spent a night as guests of the Singaporean Minister for Magic, who had thrown a magnificent ball for two such celebrated heroes of British wizarding society. Hermione was in no mood to be felicitated, but she realised that Kingsley and Minerva wanted them to use their trip abroad to strengthen ties with the international magical federation.

With concealed disgruntlement, Hermione and Severus pretended to enjoy the attention being showered upon them.

"I wish we could have just flown," said Hermione in resignation after she had finished accepting yet another over-the-top greeting by an irritatingly long-winded American wizard.

Severus sniggered. "At least you're not being eyed as though you are a tasty morsel for desperate gold-diggers," murmured the dark wizard as he skilfully avoided the hungry gaze of a strikingly beautiful Singaporean witch in a clinging turquoise blue cheongsam of embroidered satin that did little to hide her voluptuous figure.

Hermione followed Severus' scowling stare and felt her jealousy rise. Deliberately, she slid her fingers down his arm to encircle his clenched fist and stroked his hand until he turned to meet her eyes. Holding his gaze, she raised his hand to her lips.

Severus' eyes darkened with desire. Hermione was wearing the ivory lace dress that left her shoulders and neck bare to his amorous look. He had found her stunning when she had worn this dress to the Malfoy soiree, and she appeared even more delectable tonight with her hair pinned haphazardly atop her head.

"The kitten has claws," he murmured sardonically, even as his eyes slowly dipped to admire the curve of her breasts.

Hermione smirked at him. "She does, indeed. And she's staking her claim."

Severus chuckled. But inside, something in him stirred. He had never been claimed by a woman so possessively. A tightly held kernel of doubt loosened and began to disappear. He realised that she was not ashamed to be with him, that she genuinely wanted to be by his side.

Hermione saw the pleasure that flashed in Severus' eyes. She realised that he liked her staking her claim. He wanted her to make the moves in their silent dance around each other. It terrified her, for she realised she had little practice in the mating game. But she was not a Gryffindor for nothing. Straightening her spine, she looked him challengingly in the face. "If I claim you, it is forever," she said honestly. "I don't like sharing."

Severus shuddered. It was only long years as a spy that kept him from betraying the utter shock at her pronouncement. But it was shock firmly mingled with pleasure and understanding. Finally, he inclined his head. "I don't share either, and I'm just as possessive," he said quietly.

This Hermione could well believe. She knew him well enough to know that he was tenacious in his possessiveness. This was the man that hung on to childhood grievances for years, even after the perpetrators were dead and buried. "Good," she said decisively.

Pleasure was a flame that flared throughout the entirety of Severus' very soul. He wanted to pick her up and ravish her that very instance. Instead, he growled low in his throat. "Do not toy with me, witch," he said gruffly. "Never forget that I am a dark wizard. Claiming me means giving me everything you are. Remember, like for like. If I am yours, then you are mine."

Now it was Hermione's turn to shudder. Hearing him speak those words, in that tone of voice sent a white, hot pulse of desire to her very core. She may have been an innocent, but she was a woman and the primitive woman in her responded to the primitive man within him. All she could do was whisper hoarsely, "Yes."

Eventually, once they had spent enough time to please their hosts, they quietly took their leave from the gathering. They had another Port-Key to catch first thing in the morning and they needed to catch up on their sleep so that they would not feel the effects of international Port-Keying on arrival.

Severus could feel his need to take her pounding like a tattoo in his blood. Everything in him called him to take her, now, this very instant, but he was a man of control, too. He fought with himself not take her roughly up against the nearest wall. He kept reminding himself that they were going to retrieve her parents. Doing his best to leash his raging libido, Severus parted ways after seeing Hermione to her room door.

Hermione hoped against hope that he would kiss her, but when he just bowed and began to walk away, she called out in irritation, "Severus."

He stopped and turned around.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked softly.

When Severus looked puzzled, she walked up to him and kissed him on his mouth. She could feel him smirking through the kiss, but it did not bother her. Instead, she pulled him closer to her body and ground herself wantonly against his thigh.

Something snapped in Severus then. With a growl he lifted her and turned her so that she was pressed flush against the wall. Using his hands to cup her bum, he lifted her so that he could fit his engorged flesh between the juncture of her thighs. Meanwhile, his lips, mouth and tongue devoured her, licking, nipping, thrusting, until Hermione was completely blown away by his ardent display of passion.

Hermione moaned raggedly into his kiss, and Severus swallowed the sound, growling low in his throat in response. Hermione too had not been idle. Her hands were buried in his slick locks while her body was doing its best to grind against the hardness it so desperately craved.

The kiss seemed to go on forever, until with a gasp, Severus wrenched his mouth away from hers. "Not here, not now," he growled.

"You always say that," said Hermione in irritation. She was more than ready for the next stage. She wanted to touch him, to feel his skin. She had never desired a man as desperately as she wanted Severus right now.

Severus sighed. "Hermione, we are about to look for your parents. We must not be distracted."

As Hermione opened her mouth to respond, he laid his finger across it. Cheekily, she licked his digit before taking it into her mouth to suck.

Severus groaned as his arousal rose another notch. "I'm trying to be rational, woman," he said gruffly. He pressed his forehead against hers and sighed. "Hogwarts reopens in less than a month's time. Whatever we have now can't really continue at school. It would destroy your reputation. We must be discrete."

Now it was Hermione who sighed. "I want you," she said simply.

Severus shuddered in arousal. "I know," he said cockily. Even as a part of him rejoiced at her Gryffindor honesty, another part of him worried about what it meant based on the Dark Veela curse.

Hermione's eyes flashed at his smug expression.

Severus chuckled before kissing her softly again. When they broke apart, he said tenderly, "Don't worry, Princess." His hand caressed the petal soft skin of her cheek as he allowed her to slide off his body. "Never think that the wanting is one-sided. I want you too." Taking her hand, he placed it on his still hard flesh. "See," he groaned, as her hand began to stroke him through the cloth that covered him, "proof positive that I want you, but for tonight, I shall say good night."

Hermione nodded. She was not ready yet to seduce him, although if he had taken her, she would have gone willingly.

Severus could read the clear invitation in her eyes. Gently, tenderly, he kissed her once more. Then, like he had at the Malfoys', he opened her door, and murmured, "Good night, Princess."

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The next morning, they caught the Port-Key to Sydney. When they arrived, it was nearly lunch time. Once at their designated hotel that straddled the Muggle and magical worlds, they retired to their rooms to freshen up. A long hot shower for Severus, and a nice long soak for Hermione, ensured that they both were refreshed and ready to begin the task of locating the Grangers.

When Hermione had sent her parents to Sydney, she had done so purely based on Arithmancy calculations. However, a desperate week later, they had to admit defeat. There was no trace of the Grangers or the Wilkinses anywhere in Sydney. They had visited every name in the telephone directory and to no avail. Severus finally coaxed Hermione into using the resources of the Australian Ministry for Magic. Through the Auror department contacts, they searched the airport arrivals' records and found confirmation that the Wilkinses had indeed come to Sydney. However, they had relocated, and it took the Ministry a fair number of days to discover that her parents had moved to Perth where they had taken up occupation in the Swan Valley wine region. Hermione recalled that her father had always loved Australian wines, so the relocation did make sense in some comforting way.

On arrival in Perth they discovered the Wilkinses running a born-again Christian missionary church. When Hermione and Severus visited the church, her parents, who were suspicious of two strangers, still agreed to meet them when it was mentioned that they were from England too. At the local organic café, over a cappuccino, Hermione attempted to tell them that she was their daughter and that she had removed their memories to send them away to safety.

Monica and Wendell listened to Hermione's explanations quietly, but finally shock their heads. Monica was very sorry for the poor girl, and laid her hand gently on the Hermione's arm and said, "It's very good of your Priest to accompany you on your quest."

Before Hermione could even explain that Severus was not a priest despite his robes, Wendell said rather rudely, "Monica, don't patronise the lunatic. You'll only make her worse."

Hermione gasped at the remark. Her father had not been a crude or rude man. This altered person she could not recognise.

Severus clutched his wand tightly in his hand and said menacingly, "What if we could prove that magic is real? What if we show you?"

"Your joke is in poor taste, sir," said Monica in irritation. She looked over to her husband, who nodded his head. Standing up, Wendell held her hand and together, they began to leave.

In agitation, Hermione followed. Severus ensuring that no one paid undue attention to their hasty departure before following the trio.

Out in the parking area, Hermione pulled out her wand and cried, "Watch this," and cast a charm to turn her hair blonde.

Her parents gaped at her in wonder before Wendell remarked snidely, "We don't have time for your cheap tricks. This is all quite enough."

As they moved to get into their vehicle, Hermione rushed up to the window and begged, "Please give me a chance."

Monica was not a cruel woman. Reasoning to herself, Was Jesus not always kind to the hurt and the incapacitated, she placed her hand on her husband's arm. "Perhaps we can give her a few more moments of our time, honey," she said softly.

Wendell grunted. He too felt pity for the mad young woman. She was pretty, and looked so much like his dearest Monica. "There's a park not too far from here called Langley Park," said Wendell gruffly. Looking at Severus, who had come to stand behind Hermione, he asked, "Do you know it? It's between Victoria Avenue and Plain Street."

Severus nodded. "We'll be there."

About fifteen minutes later, Hermione and Severus saw Monica and Wendell drive into the car park. It was winter in Australia and the park was relatively quiet and unoccupied. There, once the Wilkinses were seated comfortably on a park bench, Hermione and Severus performed the counter charm. It did not work.

Hermione's parents had not expected it to. But Monica had made Wendell agree to giving the poor unfortunate girl a chance to get what she wanted to say off her chest. Thus, although the counter charm did not work, the couple sat and listened as Hermione tried desperately to explain all that she had done.

Even after Hermione's long narration, the Wilkinses were not convinced. In fact, they pitied the child even more. Wendell offered in his gentlest tone, "Do not worry, my child, my wife and I will pray for your damaged soul. Trust in the power of Jesus. He will help you find your lost parents."

In desperation, Hermione turned to the man beside her "Severus, do something please," she pleaded anxiously.

Severus sighed, but nodded his head in resignation. Then, Severus looked deep into Monica's eyes and murmured, "Legilemens." What he found there saddened him. He learned that Monica did not want to believe Hermione. She did not want the burden of a mentally scarred child.

"Muffliato," said Severus quietly.

Hermione blushed as she watched Severus cast the spell she and her friends had abused and used from his old Potions textbook.

Once the spell was cast, Severus bluntly said, "Your counter charm does not work because they do not want it to work. They do not want to remember, Hermione. The mind is a curious thing. Your mother is blocking all attempts to release the memories she does not desire."

"I don't believe you," said Hermione, her voice quivering with pain. "Not my mother."

Severus shrugged. He had not expected the reclamation of the Muggles to go smoothly, no matter how confident Hermione had been. Finally, seeing the sheer desolation on Hermione's face, Severus said, "There is one more thing I can try. It is dark magic, but it will work."

Hermione nodded. "Anything, please, Severus."

Severus sighed. He had studied spells from the darker spectrum of mind magic during his days as the Dark Lord's interrogator, but he had not wanted to expose Hermione to that nature of magic unless it was their last resort. Now it appeared that she would be forced to see her parents in pain. However, Severus understood Hermione's need and put aside his own fears that she would resent him for the suffering he caused her parents.

Raising his wand, he began chanting a dark curse in ancient Greek to remove all traces of previously performed mind magic. It was an old spell that had been developed and used to torture and to remove all protective mind spells from captured soldiers during the Persian Wars waged by Xerxes.

As he finished his incantation, Monica and Wendell began to convulse in excruciating pain. However, it was obvious that their memories had been restored.

Terrified and still clutching their aching heads, Monica and Wendell glared at Hermione and Severus balefully. "Devil incarnate," whispered Monica, crossing herself in agitation.

In their year away from England Monica and Wendell had discovered religion in its most fundamental of forms. Horrified at what they had witnessed, the memories that had just been restored of magic, they imagined that Hermione was the worst of devil worshipers.

Wendell, now Roger Granger said, "Young woman, you are nothing but the spawn of the devil. What evil have you brought into our lives?"

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. Brokenly she whispered, "I'm not evil, I'm your daughter and a witch."

"Yes, a witch," said Ruth Granger. "You're the spawn of the devil. We don't want to have anything to do with you and your kind."

"Mummy," moaned Hermione in disbelief. Her mother could not possibly reject her. Ruth was the kindest of women.

Roger Granger shook his head as though to clear the last remaining tendrils of dizziness. "We shall pray for your immortal soul that you are cleansed in the fires of hell and can be reborn in the love of Christ. But you are not our daughter. We will not have a witch as our child."

Hermione was really upset. She fell on the ground before her father and begged him to reconsider. "Please, daddy. I've missed you so. Why have you become like this? You were so proud of my being a witch before." Hermione had always been a daddy's girl and she could not understand their sudden rejection and altered thinking.

Her father sighed. Now that he had his memories back, he remembered how much he loved his only child. A child he knew his wife had never wanted, and had had merely because he had been so keen on becoming a father.

"Hermione," he said, trying to explain, "even if I could hurt Ruth by accepting someone as flawed as you, I could never trust you. You could have fabricated these memories just as you fabricated our memories of being the Wilkinses. You took us away from our extended family, our roots and home to live in this land of convicts. How can your mother and I ever forgive you? Do you know how long our family has lived in England? Do you know what place we occupy in society? And then, you reduce us to this, to living in Australia like common scum. I thank the Lord that we have the church to help us find out bearings in this time of grave turbulence."

Ruth nodded her head in agreement. She recalled how much Roger had loved his only child. She knew now that she had never wanted to be a mother, but that she had given in for the sake of her husband, who had therefore taken care of Hermione most of the time.

Coldly Ruth said, "Please don't try and contact us again. You have done enough damage."

Hermione turned back to her father. "Daddy, please. I've missed you so much."

Roger sighed. He wanted more than anything to wrap his arms around his daughter. But he could not forgive her betrayal. And he could not hurt his wife by accepting Hermione into their lives once more.

Severus had been silent since he had finished casting the incantation. Now, he was moved to intervene yet again. Looking squarely at the older couple, he said, "Look into your hearts. Does not your Christian god speak of forgiveness and mercy? If you find it in your heart to accept your daughter, your memories will show you how to contact her in Scotland. Any letter addressed to her at Hogwarts will find her there."

Roger nodded, but did not respond. Instead, he stood up and took his wife's hand in his. Silently, without a backward glance at the now weeping Hermione, they walked away.

Hermione was shattered. She cried, great gasping sobs that wracked her body.

The Slytherin in Severus realised this was the best time to press his suit. Even though he did genuinely care for her, his instincts screamed at him to make her his permanently now. She was needy, she was vulnerable. She would not refuse. But even as these thoughts circled through his head, another notion entered his mind. It was one born of honour, of a need for her to come to him with all of her heart and her mind. Though he did not want to admit it, even to himself, Severus had started to believe that he would be able to break the Dark Veela curse. He had begun to believe that he would find true love. Thus, he did not want Hermione to come to him when she was not in her right mind. He wanted her to want him completely, thoroughly, with full knowledge of what she was doing. Calling himself all kinds of fool, he gently pulled her into a close embrace as opposed to the heated kiss he wanted to bestow upon her.

Severus had from the very beginning suspected that this trip would not end in joy. He carefully put his arms around her and soothed her with gentle strokes to her back.

In her desolation, Hermione held on to him, the only constant and source of security in an alien and unpredictable world. Even as she cried, her eyes met his. They were wild, feral, and almost completely unhinged. Hermione had lost her surrogate family, the Weasleys. She had lost the boy she had thought she would always end up with. She had lost her faith in Dumbledore, who she had thought was infallible. Now, she had lost her parents; her father, who could do no wrong, and her mother, whose sensible and practical presence Hermione had taken as the example for her own way of being. Thus, as Severus murmured soft nonsense words into her ear, she held him as if her life depended upon not letting go and cried even harder.

Most men would have been made uncomfortable by Hermione's tears. But Severus had been Head of House for long enough to know what to do with crying children. Moreover, he had learned the art of soothing a wild animal from a true master, Hagrid. When an animal needed comfort, you comforted it. So Severus held her and rocked her gently as she cried and finally Hermione ran out of tears.

When the tears turned to soft sobs, he released one arm from around her to pull out a handkerchief. Kissing her gently on the forehead, he said, "Shh... my dear, enough now."

Hermione tried to smile bravely, but failed miserably.

Severus did not sigh or show in any way that he was irritated or annoyed. Instead, as gently as he could, he said, "Come now, Princess, blow your nose."

That did make her smile. Who would have thought, said Hermione to herself, Severus Snape has a truly gentle side. Looking up at the man whose presence made her feel safe and secure despite the heartbreak she had just undergone, she whispered hoarsely, "Did you suspect?"

Now Severus did sigh. As gently as he could, he replied, "Yes."

At Hermione's tearful, yet inquisitive gaze, he continued, "Hermione, you must understand that all Muggle-borns have at some point to make a choice. They must decide if they are going to live either in the magical or the Muggle world. Even if they hope to live in both, circumstances usually end up forcing them to chose, one or the other. It is otherwise very difficult for their spouses, their friends and their livelihoods. This is one of the main causes for the mistrust the wizarding world has for Muggle-borns because they have always had this choice. Muggle-borns can choose to betray who they are and leave the wizarding world. Purebloods do not have the choice, and so they feel they are more true to magic."

Hermione nodded. His talking of other things had helped distract her.

When Severus saw that Hermione was calm, he gently leaned over and kissed her on her forehead. "Never fear, Princess, you have a home at Hogwarts. Cissy and Lucius have taken a shine to you, and I owe you a great debt of gratitude. You are not alone."

Hermione shuddered at the words. Quietly she murmured, "I don't want to be indebted to you. I don't want to hold any kind of debt over you. Severus, you have had enough of that in the past, you are now finally free."

Severus had expected Hermione's predictable response. It was such a Gryffindor sensibility. No Slytherin would have let such an opportunity slip through his or her fingers. With a smirk, Severus said, "The gratitude is not because I feel I am oath bound. I give it gladly, one friend to another.'

Hermione nodded. This she could understand.

Severus inwardly shook his head. Gryffindors were so easy to manipulate. He knew just what to say to calm their over-zealous sense of honour. Tightening his grip on the young woman, he kissed her gently on her mouth.

Hermione responded to the kiss immediately. She was alone and afraid. Severus was suddenly the only anchor in a strange and choppy sea.

Severus seemed to understand the need that was driving Hermione's kiss. Gentling his own exploration of her warm and willing mouth, he gave her a warm hug before releasing her.

"Our work here is done," he said decisively. "I think we should do our best to return to England as soon as we can."

Hermione nodded.

Severus drew her into his embrace even further, and with a quick and silent spin Apparated them to their hotel.

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After her terrible disappointment Hermione did not want to return to Grimmauld Place. She could not bear to see the Weasleys, especially Ginny or Molly's gloating face. Instead, when she whispered her concerns to Severus, he suggested Hermione stay with him or the Malfoys. "Cissy would be most unhappy if she learned that you were all alone and did not go to her."

Hermione nodded. Severus, she knew, was right. She was not brave enough to move into Severus' home, however much a part of her wanted to. But Cissy was a true friend and she knew the Slytherin would give her the mothering she needed after the trauma of rejection.

Thus, Hermione spent the next week at the Malfoys'. Hermione and Cissy's friendship blossomed. The Slytherins were quick to use their time with the Gryffindor Princess to further her education into pureblood ideology. Under the tutelage and guidance of Lucius and Severus, Hermione began her reading of the wizarding history, pureblood tradition and culture. Narcissa meanwhile showed Hermione the importance of pureblood genealogy and helped the young woman understand the way in which pureblood society worked. There were so many layers and nuances to the way in which status and position was established that Hermione was utterly intrigued by the mystery of it all. Draco too began to unbend further and the two teenagers formed what was to prove a lifelong friendship.

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A/N: Love it or hate it, please let me know what you think.