Foolish Hearts

Eleven

Hermione's Pov...

The black marble courtroom was both beautiful and intimidating at the same time. I had only been in it once before when we had to get the horcrux locket off of Dolores Umbrage's toady looking neck. But now that my marriage and life was on trial, the walls seemed to close in around me. Severus looked ahead, but held my hand reassuringly.

"Don't let them see you are afraid," He advised, whispering in my ear. "Let them see that nothing can get to you, and they won't be able to harm you."

"Thank you," I whispered back. He nodded, and when he was called up to the stand, he gave my hand a final reassuring squeeze, and strode forward, his mask of cold indifference in place.

"How long have you known the plaintiff, Headmaster Snape?" The attorney hired by the Weasley's asked.

"Ever since her first year at Hogwarts," Snape answered in a silky tone of voice.

"So, you would say that you know Mrs. Hermione Weasely well?" The defense attorney asked.

"Yes."
"Well enough to steal her from her husband?"

"No."
"No? You seemed awfully cozy with Mrs. Weasley just now."

" 'Cozy,' would not be my choice of word, sir," Severus said, seemingly bored. "Call it reassuring, comforting, or whatever else you like. But cozy would not be one of them."

The lawyer was about to speak, but Severus held up a finger to silence him. "I would like the records to show that Hermione Granger was once a student of mine, and every Professor of any wizarding school, is sworn to protect every student under their charge. When she arrived half dead on my doorstep a year ago, that vow of protection was still laid on me. I was not about to turn away a former student of mine that needed help or protection."

"No further questions, Minister," The defense attorney said.

One of our attorneys stood up and walked over to the stand. "What is your opinion of Mr. Ron Weasely, Headmaster Snape?"

"I found him to be a slovenly, lazy student," Severus said bluntly, "Always coming in late for class, and riding on the coattails of his other friends. I honestly doubt that he would have passed his OWLs if not for his friends. I cannot speak to his life after school, but I can only talk about what he was like during his Hogwarts years."

"And would you say that you would find Mr. Weasley capable of harming his spouse?" The counsel attorney asked.

Severus eyed me for a second, and then he said, "Yes, I do. He is an insecure enough individual to resort to abuse and drugs to validate himself."

"No further questions, Minister," Our lawyer said.

"You may step down, Headmaster," Kingsley said. Severus walked back over to me, and sat down next to me.

Percy and Molly Weasley tried to denounce and defame my character, but Arthur Weasley couldn't support his wife any longer in this venture.

"My son Ron," Mr. Weasley said, "Is exactly as Headmaster Snape says..."

"Arthur!" Molly Weasley shouted, shocked. "You promised you wouldn't!"

Arthur Weasley sighed. "I'm sorry, Molly. But the court deserves to know the truth."

"Go on, Mr. Weasley," One of our lawyers said. "Please continue."

"My youngest son is a shiftless, lazy boy," Mr. Weasley said. "I don't know where he gets it from, besides his mother spoiling him from birth. She had wanted another girl, you see. But instead, we got Ron. My wife threw up her hands in resignation and decided to coddle him. After the war, Ron...couldn't cope, and turned to drugs for solace. Hermione and his friends tried to help him, but Ron got worse and worse. Ron took everything out on his wife. I know I promised I wouldn't say anything, but my son was terrible to his wife."