Old Sins, Long Shadows

Epilogue

If (excerpt) by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too.

Crookshanks purred in her lap. The sun partially bathed her flat in its light. Sipping at her coffee Hermione reminisced over the past several weeks. Nothing she had done before or since measured up to the excitement and, to be honest, the danger of the maelstrom that was her collaboration with Severus and MI6.

As when Tom Riddle was destroyed by Harry, she felt nothing but relief that Dolohov was finally dead. The Lestrange brothers were less likely to escape as Azkaban had been brought into the 21st century with modern conveniences like electricity and closed circuit tv and replacement well-vetted Aurors.

Vladimir Dolohov had been taken into custody by MI6 and was never heard from again. He had not even attended his brother's funeral. But to be fair, no one had...except Hermione, Harry, Jaya and Olivia. They were only there to make sure the cremation went off without a hitch. 

She asked Olivia, on that occasion, what had been done with Vladimir. The older woman's eyes never left the coffin,  "Do you really wish to know, Inspector?" Looking back at the coffin suspiciously, Hermione decided she did not. She told herself whether he was locked away in some MI6 maximum security facility or about to enter into the  fires of hell with his brother, she could not have cared less. And she felt absolutely no remorse in that fact.

She fixed on the memory of Neder grabbing hold of her arm and their sudden appearance in the warehouse. The grasping of the talisman around her neck had been reflexive.

She thought of Severus' injuries in the final showdown. A tear broke free when she remembered the horror of seeing her partner strung up like a side of beef, beaten nearly to death. It had almost broken her concentration in the ensuing rescue. Too much like the Shrieking Shack as Professor Snape lay dying, gasping, blood pouring from his throat and his mouth as he desperately gave his memories to Harry. She shook her head roughly to fling such images away.

Like with Professor Snape all those years ago, Severus had saved her by being cruel. Without his ability to do his duty no matter what, she too would have been captured, likely tortured, abused, killed. She was ashamed that his words had affected her so that she had abandoned her partner, running away like a frightened child. 

The remarkable thing was, it had made her stronger. She remembered his 'apology' later with fondness, 'Toughen up, Granger, sticks and stone'. 

The experience and knowledge she had gained from their partnership was immense. Catching asinine neo-Death-Eaters and other moronic dark wizards seemed almost child's play now. She could step back, survey a crime scene, identify the most nebulous of clues, calculate the physicality of the perpetrator, determine means, intent and even often predict a criminal's next move. And no amount of verbal abuse could turn her from her duty.

She had visited Turin a few times to check on him. Regaining his strength, Severus would soon be back fighting the bad guys. Neder was taking fine care of his friend... their friend...as he always had in the past.

After a couple weeks convalescence he was able to go out and even show her his beloved Turin, the city as well as the surrounding mountains and countryside. It was all so very beautiful and so very different from the wizarding world back home.

Hermione could not deny Severus was like no other man she had ever met. They had agreed to continue their personal relationship as 'Life didn't grant too many opportunities for happiness and to turn a chance away would be a sin against...everything', as Severus had told her.

Olivia had made the offer of full-time operative for MI6 but Hermione had turned it down much to Director Patel's elation. She did accept an offer as freelance and to be loaned out whenever MI6 needed her. Patel agreed to that arrangement also.  

 Dolohov had been cunning and elusive. Severus had been calculating, measured and amazing. She longed for the phone to ring or be called into Director Patel's office to be given a new assignment from MI6, in collaboration with Commander Snape. The thought brought a smile to her face and warmth in her chest.

A rhythmic knock interrupted her thoughts. Opening the front door she grinned. Severus smiled at seeing her,

"Hello, Granger. Ready for a new adventure?"

                                                                                          The End