Parts 21-36

Whipping his head toward Potter, Severus stared at the saviour of the wizarding world in absolute shock. This did not make any sense. Why would Hermione make an Unbreakable Vow with Potter – and what did the Vow require of her? His mind was awhirl with possibilities and their various ramifications. In a daze, he turned back toward the witness stand.

"Miss Granger," began the Chief Warlock, his tone incredulous, "are you telling this court that Harry Potter asked you to make an Unbreakable Vow regarding this case?"

Black eyes met brown, and the raw pain he saw was almost unbearable.

***

Hermione held Severus' gaze for as long as she dared before turning her attention back to the Chief Warlock. "Not exactly, sir. The Vow pertained only to the mission, but it was quite ... specific."

There was whispering amongst the Interrogators as well as the bystanders, and Hermione waited for the inevitable questions, struggling not to fidget in her seat. Impulsively, she found herself looking toward Severus, desperately attempting to tell him with her eyes what she could not speak aloud due to the current circumstances. She loved him, she had not willingly betrayed him, please believe her, please forgive her.

***

Severus' breathing quickened as he read the desperation in Hermione's eyes, awakening the dormant sense of protection he felt toward the witch. He wanted to go to her, to hold her and tell her everything would be fine, that he loved her .... No. There may be more going on than he was aware of, but he needed to know the entire truth before he could even consider trusting her with his heart once more. Schooling his features into his usual unreadable façade, he broke their connection. He would reserve judgement until everything was on the table; then, he would decide.

***

Hermione watched as Severus' expression turned cold, and she felt his rejection like a Bludger to the stomach. It was truly over – he would never forgive her. Her melancholic thoughts were interrupted as the Chief Warlock began to speak.

"Please tell us, if you can, about the Vow and its oaths, Miss Granger."

"O-of course." Hermione took a deep breath and prepared to turn against her best friend since childhood. "Approximately six months ago, Mr Potter called me into his office. He had an important mission for me – one so secretive it would require an Unbreakable Vow on my part."

***

Severus listened intently as one of the Interrogators asked, "Isn't that level of secrecy highly unusual?"

Hermione nodded her agreement. "Yes, it is. I've been best friends with Mr Potter since we were eleven years old. We fought side by side in the war. I cannot tell you the number of times we have saved each other's lives." She glared at Potter, her tone becoming accusatory. "I trusted him implicitly. It never occurred to me that he would ask me to do anything that would go against my own personal code of conduct."

"But he did?"

"He most certainly did."

***

Conjuring a glass of water, Hermione sipped the cool liquid before continuing.

"He did not inform me of any aspect of the mission until after I took the Vow." Hermione winced at her naivety in taking Harry at his word.

"Hermione, I wouldn't ask this of you if it weren't absolutely necessary."

"Of course, Harry. I understand completely."

"Ron Weasley served as our bonder, although he had no knowledge of the mission."

"What were the specifics of the Vow," asked a wizard in bright blue robes to her left.

This was it then. There would be no going back now.

***

Moving to the edge of his chair, Severus strained to hear her low murmur.

"I vowed to do whatever I deemed necessary to uncover evidence against the person I was being asked to investigate. I vowed to collect said evidence in a tangible fashion. I vowed to provide access to the evidence to Mr Potter and to the Wizengamot. And finally, I vowed that until the other three oaths were met, I would only discuss the investigation with Mr Potter or the presiding court.

"It wasn't until some time later that I realised exactly what I had sworn to do."

***

Hermione described the events that followed making the Vow. She was aware of Harry's fierce glare, but she ignored him, continuing with her testimony.

She explained how angry she had been when Harry had informed her that the subject of the investigation was Severus Snape.

"The man was acquitted by the Wizengamot! He sacrificed his entire adult life to fighting Voldemort. He should be left alone!"

"Hermione, I'm not arguing with you about this. I'm positive he's doing something illegal. Anyway, it doesn't matter now. You made an Unbreakable Vow to do whatever it takes to find evidence against Snape."

***

Severus was livid. Didn't the idiot realise what could have happened? What if there had been no evidence? What if he hadn't been distributing that potion? Hermione would have died had she been unable to find any prosecutable activity. Cursing under his breath, he returned his attention to Hermione.

He listened as she explained how – having no other option – she had befriended him, earned his trust, and provided the Charmed journal to collect potential evidence. Severus noticed that she left out the intimate nature of their relationship, instead making it appear as if they had been simply very good friends.

***

Hermione explained how she would read the journal whenever the opportunity arose. Her voice was steady despite the horrible guilt she felt at having invaded Severus' privacy. It didn't matter that over the course of their relationship he had shared with her much of what he had written.

"When I found the evidence I presented earlier, I immediately contacted Mr Potter. Mr Snape was arrested at his home, and I took possession of the journal. Given the nature of the Unbreakable Vow, I believed it was in my best interest to keep the evidence in my possession until the trial."

***

Severus tried to remain attentive to Hermione's testimony, but could not keep from remembering the day Potter and his Aurors had come to escort him to Azkaban.

"You won't get away with it this time, Snape. We have evidence – solid evidence."

Potter smirked. "You'll find out soon enough. Oh, look here's our operative now! Hermione, love! So glad you could join us!"

At the time, he had been consumed by rage, he had misread her unusual demeanour. She had not looked him in the eyes once.

***

"This is fascinating, Miss Granger," the Chief Warlock began, "but unless you can provide some further information, we have no other option but to find Mr Snape guilty."

Hermione looked at Harry, her gaze cold. "Mr Potter worded the oaths so that the only evidence I could provide would be against Mr Snape. Fortunately, after my earlier testimony, my Vow was fulfilled. I can now show you the evidence that will exonerate Mr Snape.

"If you would please, look at the list of names entered into evidence earlier and compare them to a previous ruling made on July 23, 1999."

***

Severus was stunned. He listened as Hermione informed the Wizengamot that the names of those he had provided the potion to coincided with people they themselves had determined to have been coerced, placed under the Imperius Curse or otherwise forced into taking the Dark Mark. Each of them had been pronounced innocent of all charges and released. Having the Dark Mark, however, had made their lives especially difficult, despite their innocence. Who wanted to hire or sell to someone who bore the Mark? Their homes were vandalised, their children ridiculed. Severus had felt compelled to help them however he could.

***

"This potion has allowed them to live their lives as if they had never been Marked. Mr Snape has done a wonderful thing, and he deserves to be praised for it, not punished." Hermione concluded her testimony by saying that it was clear from the journal that no one else had been given the potion and that, with the distribution completed, the instructions and ingredients list had been destroyed. There simply was no cause to think that a fugitive Death Eater would be able to use it to escape prosecution.

"How do you know he won't give it to them?"

***

Severus held his breath and watched Hermione's face as she turned to answer Potter.

"I know because I have read the journal in its entirety. I know because I believe he needed to help these people. I know because he was a trusted member of the Order of the Phoenix. I know because he risked his reputation, his life, and his very soul to defeat Voldemort. I know, Harry Potter, because Severus Snape is an honourable man."

Severus felt his heart swell at the obvious intimation that he was more honourable than Potter. It was no wonder he loved her.

***

Hermione slumped in relief as the Wizengamot declared Severus free to go. She walked on unsteady legs to where he was now standing. She stared at him, feeling uncertain, her heart beating a staccato rhythm. Did he still hate her? Stepping forward, she handed him the journal, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I'm so sorry, Severus. I hope that one day you can forgive me."

He said nothing, but accepted the book. Suddenly, Hermione felt a wave of dizziness, and she swayed dangerously.

As if through a tunnel, Hermione heard Severus say her name before she faded into oblivion.

to be continued ...