Hermione, Ron and Harry all went back to Hogwarts for their 8th year. The Ministry had cleared them to finish their last year of school along with some of the other older students. It had been decided that while the Carrows were in the school, no real learning had been done and any student that returned would have to complete two years of school work. Hermione wanted to take her N.E.W.T's since it would be required of for any job that she wanted to take. Hermione prided herself on her knowledge as it had saved her friends lives many times. Hermione had mentioned to Severus Snape at an Order meeting after the War about what a shame it was that they couldn't take their last year's tests over. He had thought it over with Hermione, all the while forming a decision and had preceded to open the discussion to the Board of Governors to allow the students back.
Hermione stepped into the Great Hall and walked to the table where her friends were sitting. She sat down next to Ron and smiled across the table at Harry. Ron was babbling about the wedding plans he had for Lavender. He wanted to propose to her before they got out of school this year, so that they could get married right out of Hogwarts. Across the table, Ginny and Harry sat making silly, love-filled faces at each other. Hermione couldn't stand the sight of P.D.A, but who was she to judge? Harry had some of the roughest eighteen years of life out of everyone she knew, of any age, really. Since he had a rough life, he was allowed to act like a normal teenager for once and his best friend wasn't going to hold it against him.
When Lavender came into the room, Hermione decided to look around the Great Hall. She looked for familiar faces: There weren't many. Draco Malfoy sat holding court at the Slytherin table and Luna Lovegood was reading the Quibbler at the Ravenclaw table. Hermione sighed herself, and looked up to the Teacher's Table. Some of her friends happened to be her teachers; most of them had become quite close as they had been working in the Order of the Phoenix together. Hermione looked from her Transfiguration teacher to her Headmaster. Hermione had become fairly close to Severus Snape while he was a spy and she a student, but once the War was over and Severus had to account for his sins, Hermione had stood up for him in court. Hermione believed that the Headmaster was a good man and most people just didn't know it. Hermione still didn't know what to think about the whole Lily Evans part of Severus. He had been in love with her best friend's mother for over 20 years. Hermione didn't know how anyone could compete with that, so she decided to herself that she wouldn't ever try. Hermione smiled to herself as she remembered, Severus sitting in one of Arthur's worn armchairs by the Burrow in the fire. He had been terribly drunk and he had smiled at Hermione. It was so out of character, that it had touched her in some way she didn't recognize. {Maybe add a flashback here? It seems like a superb place for it.}
Hermione snapped out of her day dream, because her friends were getting up from the table. She stood with them and with one last look back toward the teachers table, she left the Great Hall. Severus had been noticing someone staring at him. In this recent climate, it was normal when someone looked at him, but that feeling had been quite different. He had looked around the Great Hall and noticed Hermione Granger starting off into space behind the Teacher's table. Severus bid Minerva good morning again and left the Great Hall. He walked through the halls to the Headmaster's Office. Once he got there, he walked into his office and sat down at his desk. He noticed Albus' portrait on the wall smiling at him. Severus turned toward the dead Headmaster and settled in for their morning talk. Since his death, Severus and Albus had gotten phenomenally closer to one another. He trusted the old man and went to him in times of need. Severus listened as the Headmaster recounted the happenings in the castle. Severus was only half paying attention until he heard Hermione Granger's name. Hermione had been asking Irma Pince's permission to use the restricted section—without a note from a teacher. She had told the librarian that she needed to do some research on something but wouldn't tell her what. Albus coughed just then and started off on a different tangent about something completely different.
Severus said "Excuse me," to the Headmaster and went into his quarters. He needed to grab something from his rooms. He walked into his bedroom, walked to the cupboard, and pulled out the locket. Inside was a picture of Lily Evans, taken right before their third year. Severus had taken the picture and given Lily this locket. She threw it back at him during their fight in fifth year, when he had called her Mudblood. Hermione was a Mudblood, but she couldn't even compare to Lily. Severus continued through his day and right before he was due for dinner in the Great Hall, he sat down at the fireplace and had a quick glass of fire whiskey. He had been thinking a lot today and Hermione Granger was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Lily Evans had been such a big part of his life, but she was dead. Hermione on the other hand was very much alive. She had been there for him, with his complicated life problems. He had been a spy, she knew and accepted him in spite of it, and had even defended him in front of the entire magical world.