Chapter 10

A/N: This was a very difficult chapter to write. I have recently lost my beloved bulldog, so I had to take a small break to keep my own sadness from affecting my chapter. I hope you like the outcome. RobisonRocket is my comma hero!!

Chapter 10

Hermione and Severus both left Grace's room to allow the rest of the Weasley family to visit the ailing girl. Severus was a bit disgruntled when Molly insisted on allowing Harry entrance to the room, but his wife ushered him away, reminding him that he needed to speak to Neville.

"Potter has no business in there, Hermione. I don't want him around my daughter," Severus said with a scowl as he watched Harry and Ginny enter the room.

"Last time I checked, Severus, she is also my daughter. Please, don't do this right now. Grace is all the Weasleys and Harry have left of Ron. Don't make a scene; Molly is barely standing as it is."

Sure enough, when Severus looked over at the Weasley matriarch, she was a complete mess. They had just exited Grace's room, and Arthur had to practically carry her back to the waiting area.

"You know, I think I'm going to go up to the tea room and get her something," Hermione said. "You go speak to Neville. And, Severus, try not to be a complete arse. He's no longer your student, nor is he a child."

Severus nodded and watched her until the elevator closed. He made a mental note that his wife was one of the strongest witches he'd ever known. Her ability to think of others at a time like this was astonishing to him.

He shook himself out of his reverie and made his way to the nurses' station. He recognized the squat little nurse sitting behind the counter as the same one who had checked on Grace whilst he and Hermione were in the room with her.

"Excuse me, I am Severus Snape, and my daughter is Grace Weasley Snape. I need to speak with her Healer. Do you happen to know where I would be able to find him?"

"Yes, Professor Snape. Healer Longbottom told me that you or your wife might be asking for him. He told me that he would be in his office. It's right down the hall and to your left," the kindly witch said as she motioned which way to go.

Severus nodded his thanks and followed in the direction she had pointed. Once he'd reached the door, he saw that Neville was standing with his back toward him, looking over some notes on a clipboard. Severus took a moment to study the man before him. Neville was a tall and slender man now, not the dumpy boy he'd once terrorized.

"Would you like to come in?" Neville asked with his back still to Severus.

Severus smirked. "I see your perceptiveness has changed, Longbottom."

He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. When he turned back to face Neville, he noticed that he had turned around and held a small smile.

"Professor, I hope that you can see more than just my perceptiveness has changed. Have you and Hermione made a decision?"

"I have some questions for you first, Longbottom."

Neville gestured for Severus to have a seat, which Severus took, and then Neville sat down behind his desk.

"Before we go any further, Professor, I would like for you to call me Neville. I won't be so bold as to presume that you could call me Healer Longbottom, or even Doctor, as I'm known in the Muggle world, but I think I would prefer that you call me Neville rather than Longbottom."

"My apologies, Neville; I guess some old habits do seem to take their time to dissipate. My first question is how long would the operation take?"

"Approximately four hours, sir. My staff is trained in both Muggle and Magical medicine, so you won't need to worry about inexperience," Neville said confidently.

Severus regarded him for a moment and then leaned forward. "It is not the experience of your staff that concerns me."

"By that I gather that you're concerned with my abilities. Let's pretend for just a moment that I was never one of your students, Professor. Let's also pretend that you are a concerned father whose daughter's life is at stake, and I'm a highly qualified Healer. I won't go into Muggle medical jargon with you. Your father was a Muggle, so it's not as if you don't know anything about that world. The truth of the matter is you don't like me, and you never have. And, frankly, you used to scare the hell out of me, sir, but not any more."

"So, it hasn't even crossed your mind that there's some sort of poetic justice of having my daughter under your care?" Severus asked slyly.

"I'll have you know, sir, that I would never put my integrity on the line just because my patient's father bullied me as a child. That fact notwithstanding, however, do not forget that the patient in question also happens to be the daughter and goddaughter of very good friends of mine, which is why I personally took her case. I knew that she would not get the care that she deserved by anyone else. I will save her life, Professor Snape. It's the very least I can do for the daughter of the man who saved mine," Neville finished with a furtive look at his former professor.

"I'm sure that Ronald Weasley would be very pleased to know that you are repaying a debt by playing with his daughter's life," Severus spat.

Neville stood from his chair and leaned forward. "I was referring to you. You saved my life, Professor, when you cast a protective shield against Bellatrix. You probably didn't even know it was me you were saving, but you did. I don't play with lives, Professor: I save them. Grace's time is running out, so I suggest you try to put aside your hatred of me and make a decision because, right now, it is you who is playing with her life."

Severus froze. In all his life, he'd never believe that Neville Longbottom would have the audacity to speak to him in such a way. He cleared his throat and stood from his chair. "You will do the surgery."

Severus made his way to the door. Before he left, he turned toward Neville and said quietly, "I knew it was you."

Neville nodded in understanding, and Severus left the office.

Hermione was exiting the elevator as Harry and Ginny were leaving Grace's room, and as Severus rounded the corner. There was an uncomfortable silence as Severus side stepped the Potters and entered Grace's room with Hermione on his heels.

"What did you tell Neville?" Hermione asked as they approached Grace's bed.

Severus moved the hair back from his daughter's face and whispered, "I told him to do it. It will take a few hours, so I think you should get some rest."

Hermione gaped at him. "You told him to do it? I can't believe it. Thank you, Severus. Thank you so much for trusting him. I thought I was going to have to fight you on this."

He pulled her tightly to him and allowed her to cling to him for a moment.

"I think you need rest as well, darling," she whispered.

"No, I have something I need to take care of. I will see you in a bit." He kissed her on the cheek and gave Grace one more kiss on the forehead before leaving the room.

Severus left the hospital without a word to anyone as to where he was going. He walked swiftly to the Apparation point. With a quick glance around to make sure there were no Muggles, he Disapparated.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Grace was looking around her, not knowing where she was. The last thing she remembered was being attacked at King's Cross. She had just met up with her brother, when a woman appeared out of nowhere.

She took in her surroundings and noticed that she was at the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. The moon was bright, casting a soft glow over the grounds. She looked around her and realized that she wasn't alone. She saw, in the stands, the distinct red hair of a Weasley, namely Ron Weasley.

She stared at him in disbelief and noticed that he was motioning for her to sit with him. She knew she should be afraid, but she wasn't. She felt a sense of calm wash over her as she walked up the flight of stairs to sit with her father.

"Hello," she said nervously.

"Hullo," Ron said back with his goofy grin plastered on his face.

Grace felt immediate warmth spread through her. That goofy grin is what her mother had always told her she'd missed the most about her father. He patted the seat next to him, and she sat down.

"So," she started, "does this mean I'm dead?"

Ron chuckled. "Nah, you're just kind of in the middle, I reckon."

"Then, why am I here? Why are you here?"

"I guess you're the reason we're both here. You're not sure if you want to stay with me or go back. I'm here to tell you that you need to go back. You're young, Gracie, and you have an entire life ahead of you. Even if it is with a Malfoy." Ron scowled.

Grace laughed. "How did you know about that?"

"I know about everything that you do. Your mother was right: I'm always with you," Ron said. When Grace blushed, he added, "Well, not always. I do give you privacy, of course."

"I knew you were. I could always feel you with me, even though I couldn't see you. Mum said that wherever you were, you were proud of me. Is that true?"

Ron nodded his head. "Hermione has always been the smart one. By the way, that ring looks pretty on your finger. I really wanted to give it to your mum, but, well, I didn't get the chance."

"I know," Grace said sadly. "Devon had a ring for me, but Mum told him that you would probably prefer that I have this one because it was the one meant for her. She'd kept it in the box all of these years, just for me."

"Well, I'm glad she gave it to you. The Malfoy kid would have given you one of his family rings, I'm sure. Blech!! I'm so glad you didn't get one of those. It would have been jinxed for sure." Grace knew he was having her on. She could see the mirth in his eyes as he spoke to her.

Grace had so many questions running through her mind for the man that she'd only ever heard stories about.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you. I've always wondered what my life would have been like if I had you to grow up with as my father instead of my dad. I know that sounds corny, but I just wanted you to know that."

Ron grinned at her. "That doesn't sound corny. Honestly, it sounds like something I would have said. You're a lot like me, you know. But, thankfully, you're more like Hermione than me. You probably wouldn't have had such high marks if I had raised you, so be glad of that."

"I'm not sure that marks are all that important. I know Uncle Harry would give up everything if he could have his parents back," Grace said.

"Yeah, but Harry didn't have any parents. You've got two really great parents. Snape's been good to you, yeah?"

"He has, Father; he has been really good to me. I think he has a hard time with his feelings sometimes, though. You know, he'd never really had a family until he took in me and Mum."

"He had a tough time of it, growing up like he did. He had to play spy for the Order the whole time he was a Death Eater. I can't even imagine what he must've gone through all of those years," Ron replied.

"So, you're not angry with Mum for marrying him?" Grace asked.

"Nah, they're good for each other. I know he loves her, and she can read all her books to him. Your mum has always been a stickler for academics and stuff. I probably never would have gotten through any of my classes if she weren't around fixing all of my mistakes. She's pretty great, your mum."

"Yeah, she is. Listen, I need to know something: Were you angry with me for changing my name?"

Ron grabbed her hand, and Grace was surprised to find that it was warm. She looked into his eyes and noticed they were bright with unshed tears. Her heart constricted with the idea that she'd made a mistake all of those years ago.

"Grace, what you did was the mark of a true Gryffindor and a true Weasley. I could never be angry with you for honoring a man you had come to see as your father. Snape earned the right to give you his name when he married Hermione, but he never pushed you. You had to do it on your own, which made it even better. That was the best gift you could have given him, and in your own way, it was the best gift you could have given me."

"What do you mean? How was it a gift to you?" Grace asked, suddenly very confused.

"By taking his name, you allowed me to pay back a debt that I owed him. It's kind of hard to pay up when you're dead, you see. But, you took care of that for me," Ron told her.

"What debt did you owe him?" Grace asked.

Ron gaped at her as if she'd grown an extra head. "I owe him for lots of things, really. He stayed with me in the clearing that day, he delivered all of my messages, and most importantly, he's taken care of you and your mum. He's raised you right, Gracie, and that's worth a million debts."

"All of this time, he's thought he's owed you something for allowing him the chance to take care of us," Grace said with a watery smile. "Thank you, Father, for telling me all of this."

"You're welcome. There is one thing that Snape and I have disagreed on, though," Ron said pointedly.

"What's that?" Grace asked.

"Malfoy? He's letting you marry a Malfoy? Honestly, I just don't get it: a Weasley and a Malfoy," Ron rolled his eyes dramatically, and Grace giggled.

"Listen, come with me; I want to show you something," Ron said.

Ron grabbed her hand, and they stood from the bleachers and started walking together. She didn't even notice when the pitch had turned into a graveyard – his graveyard.

"Why are we here?" she asked in a panic.

Instead of answering, he pointed to his grave. "That's where your mother let me go," Ron said with a tinge of sadness. "I loved her so much, Gracie. I wanted you to know that. I still love her, if that's even possible. When she finally let me go, I was so proud of her for being so strong. I tried to let her know that I forgave her, even though there was nothing to forgive."

"I told her that you did," Grace whispered.

Before Ron could speak again, there was movement out of the darkness. It was Severus Snape.

"What's he doing here?" Grace asked, suddenly very frightened. "Oh, no, is he dead, too?"

"No, he's not dead. He's here to see me," Ron said.

Before she knew it, they were standing right next to the headstone where her dad had knelt down into the soft earth. Grace was shocked to see the man she'd known to have the ability to scare even the ghosts of Hogwarts was crumbling before her eyes. She tried to reach out to him, but Ron stopped her.

"Don't. He can't see you, but you might stop him from saying whatever he came to say. He's going to blame me, I just know it. Don't stop him, Gracie; he needs to do this."

Grace watched in horror as Snape raised his pale, tear-streaked face to look at Ron's headstone. He stared in silence for several moments until he finally spoke.

"You unimaginable bastard. Why are you doing this to me? Not even I deserve this sort of punishment. Have I not done what you've asked of me, Weasley? Oh, dear God, I can't take this kind of pain. I have served you to the best of my ability. Is this my punishment for falling in love with Hermione? I would change things, if I could. I would rather not know what her love feels like if it would save that little girl. Are you angry with me for loving them both? Are you feeling slighted that I've had so much time with Grace, and you never got the chance to know what it's like to be her father? Please, Weasley, I'm on my knees, begging you not to take her away from me, yet. If I could take her place, I would."

Snape began to sob into his hands. Grace looked on with a mixture of pity and fear. Ron, however, looked nonplussed.

"You can't allow him to think this has something to do with you, Father, please. Nor can you let him think he's being punished. You must do something. Push him over or something," Grace said desperately.

"Shh, Grace, he will get there. We have to give him the chance to figure it out on his own," Ron said soothingly.

Snape sat back on his heels. "I love her, Weasley. Grace is mine, now. I've put up with a lot in my time with them. I've never asked to read that bloody letter that you gave Hermione, yet she keeps it in her little box and reads it every so often. I did not ask her to let you go, so please don't put that on me. I would give anything if she could belong only to me, but I would be a fool not to believe that a part of her will always belong to you. I can't compete with you, Ronald. I'm here at your mercy, my friend. Please, don't take her away from me. I beg you."

Severus put his hands on the smooth surface of the tombstone and sobbed again.

"You see why you have to go back, Gracie. They need you with them. I am always with you, so you don't need to worry about me. You and I will be together again someday, but not today," Ron said to her.

She closed her eyes in the still air, and when she opened them again, she and Ron were back in the stands of the Quidditch pitch.

"I think I want to go back," Grace said sternly. "I want to live."

"That's my girl. Now, when you are better, I want you to do something for me," Ron said.

"Okay," Grace responded apprehensively.

"I want you to tell your mum to let Snape read the letter I gave her. You should both read it. And, I want you to tell Snape that I appreciate everything he's done for you, your mum, and for everyone. And, tell him that all debts are paid in full, and that they have been for a long time, so he can actually enjoy the freedom he helped create. Tell them that for me, okay," Ron pressed.

"I will tell them, I promise," Grace said.

"Oh, and tell Harry thanks for taking care of my baby sister, and tell Gin thanks for taking care of him. He's a good bloke, your godfather," Ron added.

"I will. Um, will you be at my wedding, Father?" Grace asked sheepishly.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world – even if it is a Malfoy," Ron said pompously.

Grace looked down for a moment and when she looked back up at Ron, she was biting her lip.

Ron smiled. "It's been a long time since I've seen that look. Only it was the one your mother used to give me and Harry when she had an idea that she wasn't sure we'd agree with. So, come on, out with it."

"Do you think – I mean, is it even possible that we could play a game of chess before I go back?"

The grin that spread across Ron's face would have lit up the entire castle. "You're on!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The waiting room was packed with Grace's family and a few friends. Severus didn't tell his wife or son where he'd gone when he'd left. They both knew better than to ask him.

Harry sat quietly next to Ginny, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. He avoided eye contact with Severus, not wanting to get the older man riled up again.

Moments later, the door opened, and Neville appeared. The smile on his face was the only thing the occupants of the waiting room needed to see.

Hermione jumped from her spot next to her husband and threw her arms around Neville's neck. "Tell me, Neville. Tell me that she's going to be alright."

"She's going to be fine, Hermione," Neville said, hugging her back. "The operation was a success. It's up to her now."

There was a collective sigh of relief and exhaustion that filled the room. Devon buried his head in his hands, finally letting go of the tears he'd been holding, while his mother put her arms around him.

Severus stood, albeit a bit shakily, and walked toward Neville.

Neville eyed him apprehensively until Severus offered his hand. Neville took it in a firm handshake and gave Severus and appreciative smile.

"Thank you, Healer Longbottom, for saving my daughter's life. I don't know if I can ever find a way to repay you," Severus said.

"There is nothing to repay, Professor Snape," Neville responded.

"When can we see her, Neville?" Hermione asked.

"She should be awake in a couple of hours," Neville said. "She will need some recovery time."

Hermione nodded and hugged him again before he could be dragged away by the rest of the family. The chatter in the waiting area had escalated now that Grace was out of danger.

Brian stood and motioned for Harry to join him.

"Where are you going?" Severus asked his son.

"Harry and I need to go to the lobby. There is an Auror down there waiting to go over our written statements, but Harry told him he'd have to wait until we knew that Grace was going to be okay," Brian answered. "You should come with us, Dad, so you can hear everything that happened."

Severus nodded his head stiffly and followed.

They rode the elevator in an uncomfortable silence. When it came to a stop, Severus exited first, followed by Brian and Harry.

Once the Auror had spotted them, he gestured for them to follow him into a quiet corner of the lobby.

"Hello, Jack," Harry said. "This is Grace's brother, Brian Snape and their father, Severus."

Jack Palmer, a rookie Auror, nodded to the other gentleman as he shook Harry's hand. "I take it that Auror Weasley Snape is going to be alright?"

Harry grinned and nodded. "She's going to be fine, Jack."

"That's wonderful news. Okay, Mr. Potter, this is just procedure, you know. I want to go over the statements that were owled to us earlier in the day, to make sure that everything is in order." Jack scanned the parchment in his hand. "It says here that you accompanied Auror Weasley Snape to the train station to meet her brother, Mr. Brian Snape," Jack said, nodding toward Brian.

"Yes, that's correct. Brian was returning home from a weekend with his Muggle grandparents. Grace and I were having lunch together, and she asked me if I'd come with her to meet him. She wanted to be the first to tell him that she was getting married."

"At which point was Auror Weasley Snape attacked?" Jack asked, making notes on his parchment.

"Right after Brian stepped off of the train, Grace and I greeted him, and I left them to retrieve his belongings from the luggage compartment. I was only a few feet away from them when I heard someone shout something. I turned to see a woman with her wand drawn, so I drew mine and ran back to Grace and Brian. I was too late, though. She had already thrown the hex," Harry said sadly.

"You weren't too late," Brian interrupted. "You were brilliant." Brian then turned his attention to the Auror. "As soon as that lady tried to hex my sister, Harry pushed her out of the way. If he hadn't, the hex would have gotten her right in the heart. And, I'd also like to add that Harry threw a shield charm in front of me at the same time that he pushed Gracie because I was standing right behind her. When he pushed her out of the way, the hex might have gotten me, but Harry threw up the shield before I even realized what had happened. He even took a blow to his arm in the process. Before that lady knew what had hit her, Harry had Stunned her," Brian said breathlessly. Then, looking right at his father, he added, "He saved both of us, and he could have been killed doing it."

Severus was in complete shock from learning the circumstances of the day's events. His pride would not allow him to meet Harry's eyes.

Brian broke the silence. "Who was that lady, sir?"

Jack sighed. "Her name is Lucy Creighton. Her husband's favorite hobby was torturing Squibs, that is until Auror Weasley Snape had him locked up in Azkaban. I guess Lucy was a bit angry and missed her husband. She won't be missing him anymore though, because she's in Azkaban with him now. Fortunately, they didn't have any children to carry on the family tradition. Well, I think I have everything. Thank you for your time and give my best to Auror Weasley Snape."

Jack put his parchment in his briefcase and left.

"Well," Brian said, breaking the silence. "I'm going up to see if Gracie's awake."

"Alright," Severus said. "I'll be up in a moment. Potter, may I have a word with you?"

"Yes, of course," Harry said with a small wave to Brian.

Severus watched his son enter the elevator then turned back towards Harry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't really give me a chance," Harry replied, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"Listen, I –" Severus started.

Harry put his hand up to stop him, "Save it, Snape. I don't want to hear what you have to say. I just want you to listen to me for a change. I love Grace as if she were my own. If you think that I didn't blame myself for this as much as you blamed me, then you're wrong. I should have talked her out of being an Auror, but I knew deep down that nothing I could have said would have changed her mind."

"I owe you, Potter," Severus said.

"You owe me nothing," Harry said quietly.

Severus looked at the ground and then back into Harry's emerald eyes, so much like his mother's. "I owe you an apology. I seem to owe a lot of people that these days. I don't know what came over me, Harry. I felt so empty."

"I understand, Severus, I understand. You were just being a concerned father. It happens to the best of us," Harry said with a smile. He gestured to the elevator. "Let's go see how our girl is feeling."

Severus nodded and smiled for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

A/N: I hope you like this nice, long chapter. The line, "So, it hasn't even crossed your mind that there's some sort of poetic justice of having my daughter under your care?" was inspired by a review from sinbad. Thanks, sin, for the great idea!! Hope you don't mind that I used it. One more chapter and then the epilogue. I know that I've said that before, but there is something I couldn't fit into this chapter, so it will have to go to the next.

cheers! ~*potterbrat*~