A Room With a View

Punishing Percival

Severus felt he was justified in hating Percy Weasley, and not for one reason alone. Yes, the boy had stolen his memories. He'd essentially banished him from the country. He'd attacked both Severus and Hermione on multiple occasions, rendering each more receptive to that bastardized version of an obliviate spell. He'd kept them apart for nearly seven years.

At this moment, however, Severus hated Percy for an onslaught of memories that he'd experienced in the past fourteen hours. An onslaught that made him want to liquify his grey matter and let it dribble out his ears. It had taken two industrial-strength headache potions just to get him out of bed and he was more than a bit worried that his temper might implode when faced with Percy himself. 

Which he would be. In less than an hour.

"Severus, did you hear a word I just said?" Hermione asked from over his shoulder.

He looked up and caught her eye in the mirror, cold water still dripping from his face from his ill-advised attempt to freeze the headache away. Now he was wet, and his head hurt.

"No. I didn't," he said, shaking his wet hair out of his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Head still hurt?" she asked softly.

He closed his eyes and gave a slight nod.

"Mine too," she breathed. "And he was only releasing a weakened compulsion spell in my case. I can't imagine what your head feels like."

"Like someone is attempting to dig a post hole through my skull with a tea spoon."

"Ouch," Hermione responded with a slight smile. "I'm sorry, love." She pecked a little kiss on his cheek, brushing some of his wet hair back and off his face.

He smiled a little, tilting her head into her hand and enjoying the feeling of her fingers scraping through the wet locks of hair as she combed them back. "What were you saying earlier?"

"I was just asking if you think we should contact Kingsley before talking to Harry. You know, just in case."

Severus snorted, shaking his head. "With you and the Boy Wonder-"

"Harry," Hermione reprimanded him.

"Fine, Harry, I doubt Kingsley will refuse you anything. And this gives him some deniability with the Wizengamot... though why we're working so hard to keep that little fuck out of Azkaban, I do not know," he finished.

"Because, in this case, it's the right thing to do."

With a long sigh, Severus stood up from his bent position at the bathroom counter. "You realize that the right thing is not a terribly persuasive argument anymore. I've spent the vast majority doing the right thing, and rarely have I not suffered for such choices."

Hermione merely clucked and finished fussing with his hair. "Albus Dumbledore gave you a second chance after you'd made a series of errors in judgement. Pay it forward, Severus. Now, come along. Harry will be here soon, and we need to fill him in before Percy gets here."

Severus barely refrained from rolling his eyes, and only because he was positive such an action would result in pain. "Of course, dear. Whatever you say, dear," he groused as he followed her down to the sitting room.

----------------------------------------------

"Damn, Hermione. I thought your S.P.E.W. days were over."

"Hah hah, very funny, Harry. I'm serious. He's just a child... I don't think - wait, Penelope did have the baby, right?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. A girl. They've named her Thalia."