Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the positive reviews that I've gotten on this story so far. You guys really know how to make a girl feel special. You wouldn't love my story nearly as much, however, if I didn't have RobisonRocket to beta for me. Cheers, RR!!

Chapter 7

The day of graduation had finally come. Most of the students had gone home for the holidays the previous morning. Severus and Hermione were still in their quarters, preparing themselves for Grace's graduation, which would take place promptly at noon.

Severus was sitting in his chair, reading the newspaper and sipping his tea. He was trying to ignore his wife, who was rushing in and out of their bedroom, muttering to herself. He hadn't even noticed when she stopped in front of him until she cleared her throat.

He dropped his paper and fought the urge to laugh out loud at the woman before him. She had one high-heeled shoe on, her hair in disarray, and her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Is there a problem, my dear?" he asked innocently.

"Yes, Severus, there is a problem. Our daughter is graduating in three hours, I can't find my other shoe, I can't find my earrings, and you are sitting there without a single care in the world. Tomorrow, she will be going straight for Auror training with Harry, and I won't have a chance to tell her... to let her know... Oh, Severus, my baby is leaving me." Hermione finally broke down into a heaving mess.

Severus stood from his chair and wrapped his arms around her. "Shh... Hush now," he soothed. He guided her over to the sofa and pulled her into his lap. He allowed her to sob into his chest for a few moments longer until she started to quiet.

"Now, are you a witch or not, Mrs. Snape? You shouldn't have any problem finding your shoe and your earrings if you use your wand. Grace is not leaving you, my love. She might be starting her life, but she isn't leaving you out of it. You knew this day would come, darling. We have done the best we can in raising her to be the fine woman that she has grown to be."

Severus took her face into his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears as Hermione nodded in agreement with him.

"I know, Severus, I know. I'm just worried about her. I'm so afraid she's going to get hurt," Hermione said.

"This is true, but you can rest assured that she will not be in any more danger than you got yourself into when you were just a child. Would it make you feel better if I threatened Potter's life if anything were to happen to her?" Severus asked, half jokingly.

Hermione nodded her head. "Would you, please? Tell him that you will use some really nasty hexes on him if she so much as breaks a nail."

Severus chuckled. "It will be my pleasure. You are quite frightening, my dear. Now, find your belongings and do whatever it is you do to tame the wild beast that is sitting atop your head."

Hermione slapped him on the arm. "You are a complete arse, Headmaster."

"Yes," said Severus. "But, you like my arse."

She removed herself from his lap. He stood up as well and grabbed both of her hands. "I'm going to go check on Brian and make sure he's getting ready, and then I'll find Potter and have a little talk with him. You are going to finish getting dressed and then pop in on Grace to make sure she's getting ready."

Hermione nodded again. "Don't forget to threaten Harry when you talk to him."

"I wouldn't dream of forgetting such an important request from my lovely wife. I must assure you, however," Severus added with mock sincerity, "I will deliver your message to the boy with absolute reluctance and regret. I can't promise nastiness, but I will try for you, darling."

Hermione giggled as Severus kissed her on the forehead before leaving to fetch Brian.

An hour and several lipstick checks later, Hermione was finally together – physically, that is. Emotionally, she was still fighting the random onslaught of tears. She checked herself in the mirror once more before she headed to the Head Girl's dormitory.

Upon arrival, she stood in front of the closed door for a few moments, gathering her courage. It wouldn't do to have Grace see her as such a mess. Taking a deep breath, she knocked softly on the door.

"Come in, Mum," Grace said from the other side of the door.

Hermione opened the door to see her daughter standing in front of her mirror, straightening her robes.

"How did you know it was me?" Hermione asked.

"I was expecting you, and I'm actually surprised it has taken you this long. How do I look?" Grace twirled around for her mother, who immediately started to tear up again.

"Mum? What's the matter?" Grace inquired, moving to her mother's side.

Hermione waved off her concern. "Oh, nothing, I'm just being silly. You look beautiful, Grace. We are so proud of you, you know. Severus is walking around as if he is personally responsible for you graduating at the top of your class. You must have some pretty impressive test scores."

Grace paled. "Has... has he seen them yet? I was sure that I wouldn't get my scores back for another week."

"No, he hasn't seen them. An official from the Ministry dropped the graduation certificates off with us this morning and congratulated him with the news that you are at the top of your class."

Grace beamed, trying not to look too relieved that the secret of her name change was still unknown. The thought of that caused her face to fall as she considered the man that she'd been thinking so much of lately.

At Hermione's look of concern, Grace asked her, "Mum, do you think my father would be proud of me, too? I mean, I know he would be happy, but from what everyone tells me, he wasn't much for academics."

Hermione sat down on her daughter's bed. "Come sit with me, Gracie."

Grace did as her mother asked and sat gingerly on the bed.

"I could probably sit here and tell you exactly what you want to hear: that Ron would have been so proud that his daughter made such high marks and that she's the top student of her year. But, I'm not going to do that."

Grace looked at her mother with confusion and something akin to sadness, which broke Hermione's heart.

"God, you look just like him when you look at me like that. Gracie, I think you misunderstand me, darling. Ron would have been proud for everything you've done. If he were alive today, he would have entered the Great Hall walking a little taller and holding his head a little higher than everyone else. He would have driven everyone insane with stories about you just to emphasize how brilliant you are, and by the time he would finish, there would be no question as to why you deserve such honors. He would have fiercely boasted that you were not only the smartest witch in Britain, but the smartest witch in the entire world."

Hermione closed her eyes and smiled.

"I can see him so clearly with his blue eyes sparkling with so much happiness and his chest puffed out with pride. But, we're not at your graduation. We are at The Burrow, and you have just received your first toy broom. You're zooming around and giggling with your hair flying in the wind. Now, I can see Ron with his goofy grin watching you beat Draco Malfoy in chess."

Hermione opened her eyes to see Grace smiling at her with tears in her eyes.

"So, you see, Gracie, Ron would have had pride in everything you did, whether it be graduating at the top of your class or saving your tenth goal against the Slytherins."

"Do you really think so, Mum?" Grace asked quietly.

"I know so. I also know that the reason I can see him so clearly is because he is always there. He's with you, Grace, wherever you go. He cheers you on when you play Quidditch, and he stands in the shadows watching while you play chess. He will be here with you today as well, standing in the background with that silly grin plastered on his face."

"Thank you, Mum. I don't mean to be so melodramatic; it's just that I have a lot on my mind today."

Hermione gave her a tight hug. After pulling away, she wiped Grace's tears that had gone astray.

"Think nothing of it, sweetheart. Graduation day can be a very emotional time for all of us who are involved. I even asked Severus to threaten Harry to make sure that you stay safe when you become an Auror."

Grace gasped. "You didn't?"

"I did. I was a weeping mess this morning. But, don't you worry about it. I know Harry would look after you even if he didn't have a threat to his life looming over him."

Hermione checked her watch. "The ceremony starts in less than an hour; are you all packed up?"

Grace looked around her mostly empty room and shook her head. "I've got a few odds and ends that I need to take care of. You go on, Mum, I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall soon."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit." Hermione kissed her on the cheek and left.

Grace followed her mother to the door and watched her until she disappeared from sight. Closing the door, she leaned against it and sighed. In less than an hour, her parents would find out what she'd done.

They would know that she changed her name on her N.E.W.T.s, which would subsequently appear on her diploma. She would go into the Auror program as Grace Weasley Snape. She had a feeling that her mother would understand, but, would her dad? Surely, she thought, he won't be angry that she wanted to use his name. But, would he angry at her for not asking him first?

She looked around her room again. There were a pair of shoes next to her bed and a few items still scattered on the bedside table. Her eyes focused on the photographs that she had yet to pack.

She walked slowly over to the bed and sat down. She regarded the photos with a smile. One of them was of herself being chased by her little brother taken just a couple of years ago. There was one of Devon standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her; her dad hated that picture.

She placed both of the photographs in the trunk which lay open on the floor next to her bed. She reached for the next one. She was very small, and she was being held by her dad. Next to him, her mother was smiling up at the camera, holding Brian, who was only an infant.

Tears blurred her vision at the sight of the only other picture on the table. She'd heard the story, of course. When her mum told her father that she was going to have a baby, her Aunt Ginny was ready with a camera. Grace watched, entranced, as her father smiled at the camera and then got on his knees to kiss Hermione's belly. He had wrapped his arms around the back of her legs to hug her tightly to him.

Grace smiled as the magical photograph replayed his movements over and over like a small movie. When he looked at the camera again, Grace saw his blue eyes sparkling with happiness, just like her mum had described moments before. She could almost hear his laughter as he dropped to his knees again.

"Oh, Father," Grace said, using the moniker she had always used to separate him from the man that had raised her. "Are you going to be there today? Are you going to swell with pride and cheer me on just like Mum said you would? Are you angry with me for changing my name? Do you feel betrayed? I pray that you can forgive me, Father. I pray that, wherever you are, you are laughing with that sparkle in your eyes."

Grace allowed a tear to fall onto the frame of the photograph before she wiped her eyes. "There are so many questions that I have for you. There is so much that I want to know that can't be told in stories. What did you want to do with your life? Did you have dreams for me?"

Grace lightly stroked the tip of her index finger across his face, knowing her questions were in vain; the answers would never come. She sighed miserably and placed a kiss on his face in the photograph, letting another tear slide down her cheek at the thought that a photograph is all she would ever be able to kiss.

She smiled through her tears and whispered, "I've got to go now. I know I won't see you at my graduation, but somehow I know you'll be there."

Fifteen minutes later, she was all packed up and on her way down to the Entrance Hall. She was running behind and thought she'd be lucky to get there in time for one more hug from her mum and brother. She knew that her dad would already be stationed at the podium in the Great Hall.

Just as she'd thought, Brian and Hermione were waiting, somewhat impatiently, for her.

"There you are! You're late, Gracie," scolded her younger brother.

Grace rolled her eyes and, without a word, kissed both of them on the cheek before rushing into the Great Hall to take her seat.

After all the guests and graduates took their seats, the Headmaster cleared his throat and began his introductory speech. The entire time Severus was speaking, Grace's heart was pounding out of her chest.

Devon, who was sitting behind her, gave her a small squeeze on her shoulder. She turned around, and he winked at her, which made her feel slightly less sick.

Her dad's voice was like an echo to her as he continued his end-of-term speech. After all, she'd heard it every year since he had become Headmaster. She looked around her to see if there were any faces in the crowd that she could recognize. She saw Devon's parents sitting next to her Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. Behind them, she saw the sea of red hair, which represented the Weasley family, and felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't even considered their feelings. Before she could dwell on her new found feelings of misery, it was time to stand.

Severus called the names, one-by-one, to receive their graduation certificates. She knew that she and the Head Boy, Michael Knott, would be the last to receive their diplomas. She glanced at Michael, a Slytherin whose father was a friend of Devon's father, and gave him a small smile. He was very nice, but she had never thought of him as Head Boy material. She had always thought that Devon would have been made Head Boy, but suspected her dad had something to do with the appointment of Michael.

She was shaken out of her thoughts by her dad's voice, congratulating the students for their accomplishments. Here we go, Grace thought to herself.

"Now we are at the moment in which I present the Head Boy and Head Girl. I am especially pleased," Severus added to the crowd, "that our Head Girl, who also happens to be my daughter, is this year's top student."

He cleared his throat. "I present to you: Michael Aaron Knott," Snape said aloud. Michael reached the podium and shook Severus' hand as he accepted his certificate.

Severus stood straight again, and Grace felt her heart stop beating.

"I now present to you: Grace Ginevra... "

Severus froze, staring at the certificate. Slowly, he raised his head and locked eyes with Grace. For several heartbeats that felt more like a lifetime to Grace, they were the only two people in the Great Hall.

Grace was only vaguely aware of the whispers surrounding her. She couldn't move, but she couldn't look away from him either. She could see her mother moving towards the podium where Severus still stood frozen to the spot.

As she reached the podium, she looked down at the certificate and then looked up at Severus. It wasn't until she squeezed his arm that he took his eyes off of Grace and looked down at Hermione.

Grace watched her parents as if they were moving in slow motion. When Severus looked down at Hermione, she smiled at him with tears swimming in her honeyed eyes. He placed his hand over hers that was still lying on is arm and then turned to face Grace again. When she saw his smile, she let out a breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding. Suddenly, everything around her zoomed back into place, and the voices in the Great Hall seemed to eclipse.

Severus cleared his throat loudly again and held up his hand. The chatter ceased instantly.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to present our Head Girl: Grace Ginevra Weasley... Snape." He spoke the name with his voice reverberating off of the walls so that nobody would misunderstand him.

Grace walked slowly to the podium to accept her certificate. She glanced toward the Weasley family, and her heart leapt when she saw happy tears falling from her grandmother's eyes.

With her legs shaking, she stepped onto the podium and reached for her certificate. However, Snape didn't hand it to her. He seemed to be having an inner battle with himself as he regarded her as if seeing her for the first time. Suddenly the battle was over; he'd made up his mind. A pin drop could have been heard throughout the Great Hall as he swept her off of her feet in an emotional embrace. Severus Snape – former Death Eater and evil bat of the dungeons – was crying.

A/N: I have already started work on Chapter 8, so by the end of the Christmas holidays, I should have it out for you. I wish all of you a very happy holiday and a Merry Christmas. May you be blessed with love and family this holiday season! I hope Santa brings you what you ask for. As for me, I just want that snarky Professor that we all know and adore! ~potterbrat~