After they Apparated to Number 12, Grimmauld Place, Hermione went into the sitting room with the rest of the Order. Snape and Dumbledore were there with Draco's mum.

'Where's Draco?' Hermione asked anxiously.

'He's fine, Hermione,' Snape answered. 'He's just being hidden elsewhere for the time being.'

'Thank goodness,' Hermione breathed out. 'My parents? My sister?' she remembered, looking inquiringly at Dumbledore.

'Also under protection. I believe they will be here soon. Here they come now, in fact,' he said, motioning to the fireplace.

Hermione turned and embraced her parents, who were covered in soot and ash from the fireplace on the other end. They never could remember to have the chimney sweep come every year. Tonks stood to the side, smiling softly. She had gone to fetch them as soon as the alarm was raised at Hogwarts.

'I love you two,' Hermione said, her face buried against her father's chest. She released him, hugged her mother, and then her sister, and turned back around.

'Hermione, there is someone whom I believe you should meet again, properly,' Snape told her. 'May I present Hermione Granger to you Narcissa? Hermione, this is Narcissa Black, previously Narcissa Malfoy.'

Hermione wiped the soot from her hands.

'I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Black,' Hermione said politely, extending her hand.

'And I you, Hermione' Narcissa said, shaking her hand. 'And please, call me Narcissa.'

Ron and Harry looked sick at Snape's uncharacteristic behaviour. The adults introduced themselves to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, except for the Weasleys, who had already made their acquaintances.

When introductions and other such formalities were over, Mrs Weasley shooed them all into the dining room.

The table was set with a dark blue tablecloth, and shiny silverware with gold plates and crystal glassware.

'Welcome, to the Order of the Phoenix,' Dumbledore said grandly.

Hermione was stunned, as they all were. Then she smiled and hugged her friends. Harry and Ron whooped and were clapped on the back by Mr Weasley and Remus. Mrs Weasley hugged each of them.

'I'm so proud of you all,' she said, beaming at them.

Then Fred and George arrived, shouting raucously, which created even more of a din in the crowded room. Dumbledore seemed unfazed by it all and merely stood there, with a twinkle in his eye once more. Snape and Narcissa were the only quiet ones, and stood by themselves to the side of the room. Hermione went over to them.

'Truce, Professor?' Hermione said, extending her hand cautiously.

'Call me Severus, Hermione,' Snape said. 'Of course, not in school. The other students will think I've gone soft,' he added wryly.

He shook her hand. Narcissa nudged him.

'And we wanted you to be the first to know. And Draco, but we don't know when he can come,' he said. 'Narcissa has agreed to be my wife.'

The room fell completely silent.

Mrs Weasley was the first to come over to profess her congratulations to Snape, and best wishes to Narcissa. Next Tonks and Mr Weasley came over. Remus and Moody stayed where they were and just raised their glasses to them. Harry and Ron, ever mature for their age, gawped at their professor and ex-arch-enemy's mother until Ginny gave them a severe glare. Then they went over as well.

After everyone had settled down and the meal was complete, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Fred, and George helped to clean the dishes. The boys, incidentally, ended up just as sudsy as the dishes. Then, it was time to go up to bed.

'Professor,' Harry called to Snape, as the elder wizard was leaving the room.

'Yes, Harry,' Snape said, probably for the first time using Harry's given name.

Harry extended his hand.

Snape shook it. 'I look forward to grading your essay,' he said.

'Essay?' Ron and Harry yelped.

Snape laughed something none of them had ever heard, except for Dumbledore, who remembered the sound from long ago, when Snape and Lily had been together. The Headmaster smiled softly. Snape had finally found contentment again.

'No essay,' Snape said. 'But I will continue to hold you two to the same standard I have come to expect from your Potions work.'

Snape laughing. And making a joke. Will the world never cease to amaze me?

She showed her parents to their room, and her sister to her room, then went to bed herself. She heard Fred and George whistling in the hallway when, presumably, Harry and Ginny kissed goodnight in the hallway. Needless to say, Ginny hexed them. Hermione smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

Several days passed as the Ministry rounded up the rest of the Death Eaters. The Order refused to allow Hermione, Harry and Ron to help even though they were legally of age. They were being kept under strict house arrest until the wizarding world had settled down a bit.

The fourth morning after Voldemort's defeat, Hermione groggily rubbed her eyes and swung her feet out of bed. She glanced over at the bed in which her sister slept. She was still slumbering soundly. Hermione pulled her house robes on over her spaghetti strap top and pyjama pants, without clasping the robes shut, and she Apparated into the kitchen.

'Coffee?' asked a voice.

'Draco!' Hermione cried, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, embracing her tightly.

'I'm so glad to see you,' she laughed. Her lips met his, and they kissed.

'Feels like I haven't done that in weeks,' Draco said, as they drew apart.

'Same here,' Hermione said. 'But it's only been a few days,' she whispered. Draco grinned, raised his eyebrows, and kissed her again. They broke apart some time later, after Fred and George Apparated into the kitchen.

'Finally,' said Fred. 'You two have always had that unresolved sexual tension going.'

'And now you're resolving it,' George finished.

'Was it really that obvious?' Draco asked.

'Well, I'd say you beat Ginny and Harry on the snog-scale, so yeah, it was quite obvious,' Fred said, pretending to look serious.

'You know what I meant,' Draco said with a huff.

'Oh yes, you were always looking at each other in school, I'm surprised that it took you two this long, actually,' George said. A door slammed upstairs. 'And that would be our dear sweet Ginevra, up at last.'

'We'd better go prevent her from going back to bed in another room' Fred said, and they both Apparated.

'Alone again,' Hermione said.

'Hermione,' Draco said suddenly.

'Yes?' she responded, looking at him curiously.

He got down on one knee.

'Will you marry me?' he asked, looking deep into her eyes.

'Yes,' Hermione agreed, smiling.

Draco pulled the ring out of his pocket, an elegant gold band, with a diamond set between a ruby and an emerald. He slid it onto Hermione's finger. Then he got up off the floor, and sat in a chair.

Hermione smiled contentedly and situated herself on his lap.

'Remember the first time you sat in my lap?' Draco asked.

'Ginny came in and stopped whatever would have happened,' laughed Hermione.

'Ten to one she does it again,' said Draco, tilting his head to kiss her.

Sure enough, Ginny came in the door that very moment. Hermione, unsuccessfully, tried to get up off of Draco. Considering the fact that her parents would soon be down, and her father didn't need a heart attack from seeing all of this close contact, Hermione whispered something in Draco's ear so he would let her go. He grinned and released her.

'You naughty girl,' Ginny scolded teasingly.

'I was just sitting on his lap, Ginny,' Hermione defended, pouring some coffee.

'I was referring to whatever you whispered in his ear,' Ginny said. Hermione smirked. 'See, I knew it was naughty.'

'What was it?' Ginny asked.

'Ginny! That why I whispered it, so you couldn't hear!' Hermione exclaimed. 'I'll tell you later,' she muttered as she passed Ginny on her way back to the table.

'I heard that,' Draco said.

Hermione just stuck her tongue out at him, and Ginny left the room again.

'Heard what?' asked Fred, walking in.

'All of those things Ginny said to Harry?' asked George. 'Not to mention all the things Harry said to her...'

'What did Harry say, to whom?' Mr Weasley inquired, as he came in.

'Good morning Mr Weasley,' Hermione greeted, in an attempt to redirect the conversation.

'To whom?' Mr Weasley asked. 'And why shouldn't it be mentioned?'

'He was saying something to Ginny and George was being sarcastic about the other bit,' Draco spoke up.

'Oh. Can't believe they said anything at all to each other. I saw them snogging at the end of the hallway,' Mr Weasley said.

Draco looked rather shocked that Mr Weasley didn't seem to care about that.

Mr Weasley saw his face and chuckled. 'Never have I been happier now that Ginny and Harry are dating. I do wish they would be a bit more discreet, but what with yesterday's events, I can overlook their rendezvous in the hall.'

Mrs Weasley came in and began making pancakes. 'Arthur, dear, you need to have a word with Harry...'

'They can hardly get married until after Ginny graduates,' Mr Weasley told her.

'Yes, well, I do wish that they wouldn't hide in the hallway and scare me half to death when I open a door,' Mrs Weasley said.' Hermione, could you set that table, please?'

Hermione busied herself with this task, and went over to the cupboard to get out some plates.

'And are there wedding bells in your future?' Mrs Weasley asked casually as Hermione passed her with the stack of plates.

'Well,' Hermione said, as she placed the dishes on the tables, 'We haven't picked a date yet, since we haven't told my parents. Draco will speak to my father when we Floo my parents back home.'

Draco choked on his coffee. Hermione flicked her wand at him, and muttered, 'Anapneo.'

'When will the all clear be given, by the way?' she asked Mrs Weasley, ignoring her startled fiancé.

'Today. The last Death Eater has been either killed or captured, which is why Severus brought Draco here,' Mr Weasley told her.

Just then, Harry came in, talking to Remus.

'So, Hermione, we're going back to school next week,' he said, somewhat grumbly.

'We've all still got to finish NEWTs,' Hermione reminded him. 'We need them to become Aurors.'

'And, we've got your wedding to plan,' Ginny said. 'With my help of course.'

'Of course, Gin,' Hermione murmured. 'Where's Ron, by the way?'

'Sleeping,' Harry said.

'Fred,' Hermione said. 'Why don't you go wake him up?'

'Brilliant idea,' he said, grinning, and Disapparated with a pop.

'I'll go get my parents and my sister,' Hermione said.

'Are we taking them back home directly after breakfast?' Draco asked.

'Yes,' Hermione said. 'And we are going to tell them about us.'

Later, while her parents said good-bye to the Weasleys, and Snape and Narcissa, Hermione went to find Draco, who was pacing, alone in the kitchen.

'Hey,' she said softly. 'Nervous?'

'Me? I don't get nervous,' Draco denied, running a hand through his hair.

'Oh, really?' Hermione said, raising an eyebrow. 'Come on, my dad won't get mad, or anything like that. My parents know about the prophecy. And even if my father did get mad, we'd still get married. It will be fine,' she assured him. She took his hand in hers, and they walked over to the fireplace, where everyone was waiting. Mrs Weasley had already thrown Floo Powder on the flames.

Hermione went through after her parents and sister. 'Granger residence,' she said clearly.