Different Questions

Disclaimer: I only wish that I owned Harry Potter.

Hermione and Ernie arrived on Azkaban Island by boat. They both shivered as the wind off the sea tore through their clothing. A patrolling officer spotted them and hurried over.

"What business do you have at Azkaban Fortress?" he yelled over the wind.

"We're here to see Professor Severus Snape. Can we please move out of this weather while we're at it?" Ernie said.

The guard seemed torn for a moment before beckoning them to follow. Upon reaching an entry area, the guard rounded on them again.

"Severus Snape is a dangerous criminal. He is not allowed any visitors." He looked pointedly at Hermione.

"It's good we aren't here as visitors then," came Hermione's sharp reply.

"We are his defending counsel, and I need to be able to freely speak to my client," Ernie explained.

"You will wait here while I check your information. Your names would be?"

"Hermione Snape and Ernie Macmillan."

"Do not move." With that, the guard hurried off.

Hermione turned to Ernie and said, "If this is the treatment now, I would hate to have seen this place under the dementors."

The Ministry banished the dementors after the fall of Voldemort. Too many innocent people lost their minds and their souls to those creatures.

After fifteen minutes, the guard came back.

"You will follow me. Snape is considered highly dangerous, so he cannot leave the cell. You will also give me your wands."

Hermione felt terribly uneasy relinquishing her wand to the guard. Ernie handed his over without preamble. The guard looked at her expectantly, so she finally handed hers over, and the guard led them into the fortress.

Azkaban was a labyrinth of hallways and cells. The guard was leading them to what seemed to be the centre of the fortress. Hermione noticed that the deeper within the prison they went, the more neglected the inmates looked. She was worried about the state her husband would be in when they saw him.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a set of heavy, metal doors. The guard said an incantation, and the door slid away, revealing two cells. Severus was in one, and the other looked like it had never been used. Dust was everywhere, along with cobwebs. The cobwebs covered every corner of the cell and the bars.

Hermione took one look at Severus and nearly collapsed. It was obvious he had been beaten. His nose was broken, and the blood had mingled with that from his cut lip.

His gaze was unfocused, as if he wasn't used to the light. Hermione rushed forward and reached through the bars.

"Severus, what have they done to you?"

"Hermione?" Severus rasped. He had either been screaming or been silent for too long.

"Professor Snape, Hermione and I have to ask you some questions. We're doing everything we can to get you out of here."

Suddenly, Hermione asked, "Where's Argus? You're holding him for the same crime as Severus. Why isn't he in the bowels of Azkaban as well?"

"He's a Squib; therefore, he's not considered a risk. He's being held in our minimum security ward," replied the guard.

"Pardon me? Are you telling me that people without magic can't perform acts of violence? How, then, do you explain the numerous murders or violent crimes in the Muggle world," Hermione said to the guard.

"Mr. Filch is a Squib; therefore, in comparison to the magical inmates, he poses no threat."

"I don't think you understand. Both my husband and Argus Filch are being wrongly imprisoned for the brutal murder of a young girl. Since it is the same crime, both men should be of equal threat."

"Not how we see it," replied the guard.

"Then your view is –"

"Hermione, please drop it," Severus interrupted her. "You said you were here to talk to me. Stop bickering with that imbecile and do what needs to be done."

"I request that you leave us so we can question him without interruption," said Ernie to the guard.

The guard glanced between all of them and looked as if the last thing he wanted was to leave them alone with this prisoner.

"Sir, I assure you, we can take care of ourselves. If you could just wait outside the doors, we will conclude our business."

Reluctantly, the guard turned toward the door. Before he could leave completely, he turned and said, "I hope you know what you're doing, defending scum like him." With that parting shot, he left.

Finally, Hermione and Ernie turned their full attention to Severus. He had moved so he was closer to the cell door. Hermione reached through the bars and took his hand. His hands felt like ice to her.

"Professor Snape, we need some information from you to allow us to give you the most help."

Severus nodded.

"Firstly, what was Lucius Malfoy's job or position within the Death Eaters?"

Severus sat for a moment and stared at the wall. Hermione squeezed his hand to show her support. Her action seemed to bring him out of his memories.

"Lucius was one of the highest ranked Death Eaters. The Dark Lord would place him in charge of the Muggle raids. Lucius found enjoyment through torturing the Muggles. He particularly liked to make them bleed and scream."

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had a vivid image of her parents being tortured. They, thankfully, were alive, but she still feared for them.

"Were there any particular things that only Lucius would do to his victims?" Ernie asked.

"Any excess blood should have been used in some way. He liked to draw designs or things of that nature. Lucius hated wasting blood."

"How considerate of him," said Hermione, feeling slightly queasy. "Is there anything else concerning Lucius we should know?"

"I can think of nothing."

"Alright, well, moving on then, what do you know about George Epps?" Ernie inquired.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. He's a Gryffindor in the same year as Miss Bloom. They were normally together from what I could tell."

"Does he have any specific reason to hate you?"

"Besides the fact that it's me? None that immediately come to mind. I can think of all the normal reasons: biased Slytherin, bastard extraordinaire..."

"Severus, this is no time to joke!" admonished Hermione.

"How else am I going to keep what little sanity I have left?"

"By knowing you'll be out of here soon. They can't keep you much longer without real evidence."

"Why, Mister Macmillan, were you asking about George Epps?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. His name had been floating around. George's father removed him from the school. Also, Dawlish looked like a giddy schoolboy when he mentioned the younger Mr. Epps. Just to be safe, I thought it wise to ask you about him."

"Indeed."

Hermione noticed that Severus seemed lost in thought. Perhaps he was remembering something useful.

"Have you thought of something?"

"I don't know. The only reason George Epps stands out to me is that I remember catching he and Miss Bloom out after curfew at least twice a week. This was excessive, even for you and your friends, wife." He turned his gaze toward Hermione.

"What were they doing out so often?"

"Well, snogging from what I could tell."

"Why go out to snog? They were both Gryffindors. The Common Room was available as well as Anna simply going into George's dormitory."

"And how would you know that last is possible?"

"I was allowed up there for Christmases. I wouldn't think the enchantments had changed. Ron found out the hard way that boys weren't allowed into the girls' rooms."

"That is something we'll need to ask Mr. Epps when we speak with him," interjected Ernie.

"Though, they were only fourth years. It may have been too soon for that sort of thing," Hermione continued.

"Please stop. Hearing about my students' love lives is making me ill."

"Very well, moving right along. Were there any reasons that you didn't like the girl? Besides the 'Mudblood Gryffindor' thing, that is?" Hermione asked.

"No, do you have so little faith in me that you must ask that question?"

"I ask because I have so much faith in you. If I had any doubts at all, I wouldn't have asked for fear of the answer," Hermione replied.

"Not to beat a dead horse," Ernie said, "but Miss Bloom hadn't just come to you because she wanted an unsatisfactory mark changed? Or, perhaps, she had caught you and Hermione in a compromising position and was threatening blackmail?"

"No, and absolutely not. We were happily married and, therefore, not much is compromising."

"All right, I simply had to ask. We will need to talk to George Epps before we can do anything definitive. We should be in touch with him within the week," Ernie explained.

"Ernie, could you give us a minute? I will be out shortly."

"Certainly, Hermione." Ernie made his way to the door. "I will be directly outside if you should need me."

After Ernie left, Hermione turned her attention to Severus. For a moment, all she could do was look at him. He really didn't look well.

"What have they been doing to you?"

"Treating me no worse than I deserve."

"How can you say that? You have committed no crime!"

"Not recently, though the charges against me are all very true, just a few years too late."

"Stop it, Severus. You have been pardoned or cleared of all of those crimes. You are a different person now. You are my husband, a caring man. Would someone with as much feeling as you be capable of committing such a crime in the present? I doubt it. Even under other circumstances, you decided that way of life was not for you. Severus, you can't give up hope, now least of all. Think of all the time that we'll have wasted if you just give up. I, and you, have put in too much effort for this all to have been a waste." Hermione finished and stared directly at the wall. Severus is not one who appreciates a show of strong emotions.

"Hermione, my wife, please forgive me. I have been locked in this cell too long. This is almost worse than when the dementors were here, for now all I have are happy memories. Each happy memory involves you, and not being near you is taking its toll."

"Thank you, Severus. That means more to me than anything. Now, I have to go and track down George Epps. Somehow, he holds the missing key to all of this. Keep faith in me because I will never fail you."

Severus raised her hand and kissed it as Hermione stood to leave. With one last look, she turned and headed out the door.

Author's Notes: Thanks go to Sophi and Zen Lady for beta reading. You are so much help!

Feedback and reviews are always welcomed and appreciated.