TWO

Ten years earlier...

"Harry, I can't believe you. Why are you pushing to have Professor Snape kissed?" Hermione Granger paced furiously back and forth in the library of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. "You KNOW he helped us... Everything he did was at Professor Dumbledore's request."

Harry stared mutinously at Hermione. "I don't care! He is the reason my parents are dead, and HE KILLED DUMBLEDORE!"

Hermione threw down the book she had been clutching convulsively in her hands. The loud bang startled the occupants of the room, and Hermione stalked towards the door. "If you do this, Harry, you undermine everything we have fought for. As one of those "Mudbloods", I can't forgive you for this. Professor Snape saved every one of our lives, and he saved my grandfather, the only family I have left. What you are doing is something Malfoy would do... think about that."

That said, Hermione burst into tears and looked at Harry, then Ron and Ginny, who were standing silently by the window. "If we allow the professor to be kissed, or even to languish in Azkaban, we are no better than Voldemort getting rid of the people he had a grudge against. It is wrong, and I won't be a part of it." Hermione took a deep breath and continued, "If you do this, then I am leaving... for good. My grandfather is still recovering from Bellatrix's Cruciatus Curse, and I don't know if he will ever be completely well."

Hermione closed the door behind her, not even giving the other three a chance to respond to her ultimatum. She knew it was harsh, but they hadn't fought and died to destroy evil, only to continue with business as usual. And now her grandfather needed her. As she walked away from the library door, Hermione heard the sounds of furniture being blasted, and things breaking. Maybe Harry and Ron would grow up and things would be OK.

*****

Two days later found Hermione in a panic. George Weasley had been helping her work on extending the effects of the Lucidity Potion to use on Mr. Santiago, Hermione's grandfather. Bellatrix had left him seemingly empty with extended usage of the Cruciatus Curse and a variation of the Confundus Charm. The usual Lucidity Potion worked to make her grandfather understood, but because he was a Muggle, it only lasted for about fifteen minutes, maximum. The last time they had actually talked, he had tried to tell her something, and Hermione was desperate to find out what her grandfather had been so anxious for her to know. Without a working potion, Mr. Santiago only spoke occasionally, and that was only to repeat the word 'apples'.

She was working on a breakthough, when George popped in the door, panting wildly. "Her... Her... Hermione," he gasped between breaths. "I ran up... three flights of stairs... just to let you know..."

With that, George collapsed on the stool next to Hermione and dropped his head down, fighting to catch his breath. She conjured a glass of water and warned him to drink slowly. "OK, George, what's so wrong that you had to kill yourself to get up here to me?"

"Overheard my brother and Harry talking. They've got a plan with Kingsley and Mad-Eye. If Snape doesn't get sentenced to the Kiss, they're going to take him during the transfer. Heard Harry say something about a mask and collar that keep a bloke from doing magic. He told Ron that it's very painful, but it's an easy way to take him out. It sounds like they are planning on killing Snape."

George took a breath and another drink of water, and Hermione fell back onto her own stool, her mouth open in shock.

"George, that is positively EVIL! Are you sure you heard them right? I am going to give them another piece of my mind, but I need to finish this first; I think I've got it this time. Professor Snape would have known what to do to fix this draught..."

Suddenly, Hermione burst into tears. George had never such harsh sobs coming from anyone, and he was rather scared to try to comfort her. Instead, he took the potion she had been working on and told her he would give it to her grandfather. Hermione nodded, but continued to cry. Suddenly, warm arms were around her, and a voice penetrated her grief. "Hush; hush, mariposita; your Papa's here now. Hush, hush."

Hermione nodded and hugged her grandfather close. The familiarity of his smell, and his voice whispering to her finally calmed the distraught girl. "Oh, Papa, I thought I would lose you too!" she sobbed.

"Listen to me; I don't know how long I have to talk to you, but I do know that I don't have long. If I start to slip away, give me more of your medicine so I can tell you what you need to know."

"Papa, we don't know what kind of damage that might do to you."

"Hermione, it doesn't matter, only you and your Professor matter. And, of course, your good friend here. I've heard everything around me, but I couldn't get out myself to talk to anyone. If your friend is right, we must act soon."

Hermione and George looked at Mr. Santiago in shock. Both of them were wondering what they could possibly do to stop the wrong that was being planned.

Mr. Santiago looked at George and asked, "Are you willing to get Hermione to a safe place, even if it means you don't see your family again?"

George looked between Hermione and her grandfather and thought about the grief he carried at the loss of his twin, and how it was getting harder and harder to make it through the day. The fact that the potions work had become a lifeline wasn't hard to admit. "Yes, I haven't got anything here anymore. The joke shop isn't the same without Fred, and until I started working with Hermione, I confess I was thinking about joining my brother."

George dropped his head, afraid to look into Hermione's eyes. He should have known that wouldn't affect the way she saw him; Hermione wrapped her arms around him in a big hug.

"We'll start again together," she said.

Mr. Santiago smiled and nodded. "Bueno; you two will like where you are going."

George looked at the man with a frown. "Yeah; about that... where ARE we going?"

"I never did find out why you were at Mum and Dad's," Hermione added. "I am so sorry you got caught up in all of this."

Hermione's eyes welled up with tears as she thought about her parents' deaths at the hands of the Death Eaters, and her beloved papa getting caught up in the middle of everything.

"Mariposita, I came here to settle some property on you. Your parents and I had just come from finishing the paperwork when those men attacked. Now you have a place to go to get away from here. And, I am thinking that you might want to take a few strays with you, if I remember how you are correctly!" Hermione's grandfather gifted her with a warm, knowing smile.

"Papa, I love you and I will do everything I can to fix you..."

"You don't worry about your old papa, dear, I am an old man, and I miss your grandmother very much. I was almost sad that your professor saved me, but at least I got to talk to you again and get you sorted. There is a green leather bag in your father's study. All of your papers and your passport are in it. Now, I feel that medicine is wearing off and I am going to lie down."

*****

"This is a bad idea. What if we get caught?"

"George, shut it, will you? Your whinging is what's going to do us in... We've been planning this for two days, and as long as you stay calm, we'll be fine." Hermione led the way down the corridor. "Just follow my lead and everything will be OK."

She shuddered as she said this, knowing that things could easily go downhill fast. It didn't take long to visit the holding cell Snape was in, because the Aurors weren't allowing much in the way of visitation. Ten minutes was all that Hermione was allocated, and then she and her grandfather were unceremoniously pushed out. Hermione simply glared at the Aurors and grabbed Mr. Santiago's arm as he stumbled out of the cell.

Huffing, Hermione led her grandfather back the way they had come. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley were at the end of the corridor waiting for the Aurors to bring Professor Snape to his sentencing.

Hermione looked at her fellow Order members and said, "What you are doing is awful, and Professor Dumbledore would be ashamed. I came to pay my respects to the professor, and brought my papa since he wouldn't be alive without Severus Snape's help. I am appalled at the condition he is in. Have you no mercy at all?"

Both men flinched at her tirade.

"I also wanted to let you know that I am leaving. Papa needs to be away from here where I can help him recover, and I am not sure I will ever be back. Minister Shacklebolt, I am severely disappointed in you; Mr. Weasley, thank you for eveything you have done for me. Goodbye." Hermione turned on her heel and walked away from both men.

George was also feeling the pressure to leave and spoke to his father, "Dad, I need a new start, and Hermione has offered me a place to stay with her. I don't know when I'll be back, but I do love you and Mum."

Before Arthur could react to his son's announcement, Hermione, George, and Mr. Santiago were Portkeyed away. Kingsley and Arthur stood in silence until their musings were interrupted by Mad-Eye Moody.

"Here's the scum for sentencing."

No one paid much attention to the fact that Severus Snape was muttering under his breath as he was led into Courtroom Ten, and thus to his fate.

Ron looked at Harry. "What did the git say?"

Harry just shook his head. "I don't know; something about apples."