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AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, fav'd, and followed. It means a lot to me. Thanks to Parvati48, without whose encouragement; I may not have written this. Hearts to my new friend. Thank you

HP Not Mine.

Chapter 2: Wizarding War II, After the Battle:

Harry stumbles through the castle, or more correctly, the ruins of the castle. He looks at the people, the damage, the death, the blood, the waste.

He spots the Weasleys, but he doesn't go to them. They are grieving, and while he grieves with them, right now, he doesn't feel as if he is truly a part of them. They need to be a family right now. He wonders if Kreacher will bring him a sandwich.

Then he remembers one more death, one more loss, someone with no one to mourn him. He turns sadly to make his way to the Shrieking Shack. As he walks through the tunnel, he reflects on the man he is surprisingly going to mourn the loss of. He never would have thought that 6 months ago, or even two months ago.

He remembers the doe Patronas, and how he didn't even think of who could possibly have a doe as their Patronas, who would be able to lead him to the sword of Gryffindor. He hadn't given it a thought.

As he gets to the Shrieking Shack, he hears voices, and slows his approach. No one should know that Professor Snape is here. Well, except Ron and Hermione, and they wouldn't be here. As he quietly makes his way in, he hears the voices distinctly. And, he recognizes them. It is Hermione's voice, and Draco Malfoy's voice. He draws his wand, and carefully peaks around the corner.

Hermione is pointing her wand at Professor Snape's body, which is floating in air, and Malfoy is muttering spells, also pointing his wand at Professor Snape.

Could this night get any weirder?

Harry walks in, so they can see him. Hermione looks up, with tears in her eyes. "I can't save him, Harry. These spells should work, but they aren't."

Harry looks at Malfoy, who has tears freely flowing down his face, as he concentrates on his mentor, his godfather, his closest friend, and a father figure for his entire life, and desperately tries to heal the wounds.

Harry pulls out the Elder Wand, points it at Snape, and starts repeating the spells Malfoy is saying. The light that flows from the wand is red, followed by blindingly bright white light, which engulfs Snape's body. Hermione keeps her mind focused on holding Snape's body in free levitation, while Harry and Malfoy keep whispering healing spells. The light starts pulsing, and slowly, the wounds start closing, and Nagini's venom is neutralized. Tissues are repaired, and finally, Professor Snape's breathing becomes regular, and his muscles start twitching.

Hermione had already used the healing potion she had, pouring it liberally over Snape's wounds. They levitate him back through the tunnel, and down to the dungeon, to his living quarters.

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Two months later, After the War:

The Ministry is trying to repair the damage to itself. No one trusts anyone. The Order members have trust within, but no one else trusts anyone. As the Order starts having meetings and discussions, they start putting the structure back together. Kingsley Shacklebolt is elected as the Prime Minister, and Arthur Weasley is his Deputy.

They quickly realize that the Ministry cannot exclude all the pureblood families, nor the children of former Death Eaters in official ministry positions, if they are going to unite and heal the society. To divide the society, to punish an entire part of it, is to invite the discord and malcontent that could once again unite rebellion and war. They begin a foundational structure where one member of the Order is partnered with a pure-blood son or daughter. And so the restructuring of wizarding society begins.

The trials of the death eaters are open to certain members of the public, but not the press, and the entire family of a given death eater is invited to attend the trial. Draco Malfoy's trial, which is also attended by Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who both testified on his behalf, is one of the few which does not last for days. He received a sentence of 3 years of community service, to be served to the Ministry of Magic, during which time he would be evaluated as to his rehabilitation, community contributions. He ended up partnered with Harry Potter. Harry would have preferred Ron, who was also a pure-blood. But, Ron ended up partnered with Theodore Nott, whose father was also a death eater.

Severus Snape's trial was postponed, then cancelled; all charges were dropped , based on Harry Potter's testimony. And, as Severus Snape was known to have served the Order of the Phoenix, he wasn't on any kind of probation. He returned to his position as Potions Master at Hogwarts, and worked on restoring his health.

Hermione has spent hours and hours nursing Professor Snape back to health. Draco Malfoy has been there almost constantly, at times a help, at times a thorn in her side, and at times, like right this moment, just a post to lean on, as they slump together in exhaustion. Professor Snape is not the most patient of patients. He snips at them at times, stares belligerently at them, and at times, tries to intimidate them. It works with Hermione. Draco is used to Severus' moods and attitudes. He just looks at his godfather, and stares him down. Which makes Hermione the easier target. Which makes Draco feel as if he has to protect her. Severus wouldn't have healed without her help, and they all know that.

This is how Ron finds them as he walks in, unexpectedly, to pick up Hermione. Ron takes one look at the two sitting on the floor, leaning back to back, with their legs bunched up, and the back of their heads leaning against each other, and blows a gasket.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron yells.

Hermione jumps up, which unsettles Draco, which irritates him. And, it wakes up Severus, who had just gotten to sleep after a tiring round of doing physical therapy exercises. And, that really pisses off Draco. The school is set to open in a few months, and Severus will be taking on his old position, and assisting Hermione in hers. And, they are all just damn tired. Bloody Weasel.

"Ron, I wasn't expecting you." Stammers Hermione. She looks over at Severus, who is staring groggily at all three of them.

"Yeah, obviously." Ron's eyes narrow, and his breathing gets faster. He gives Hermione a glare before turning a deadly look on Draco, and reaches for his wand. His face is turning red.

Hermione steps in between them, and holds her hands up, trying to ward off a fight. Draco jumps up off the floor, sweeps his arm around her and pulls her behind him. Hermione scrambles to the other side of Draco and, great, two wizards with their wands drawn, in her living quarters in Hogwarts, and both look like they are out for blood.

"Ron, Draco, both of you calm down, right now. Draco lowers his wand. He knows any skirmish with this "war hero" is going to look bad for him. Hermione glares at Ron, "Put the damn wand away, Ron."

He does, slowly lowering it, but keeping it pointed at Draco the entire time he is lowering it. He directs his unspent anger at Hermione. "I came here to see you, wanted to take you to dinner. What the hell was going on with Ferret-Face?" He snarles.

Ron's face is now purple. Draco doesn't take his eyes off the Weasel. What the hell does she see in Beet-Boy?

"What?" Hermione looks puzzled. She looks at Draco, who is doing some snarling of his ow. Merlin, watching these two argue all the time is like watching a kidney bean and a Lima bean bouncing around in a pot of boiling water. She just sits back down on the floor, too tired to deal with this.

"That was a pretty cozy cuddle you two were in." Ron snaps at her.

"Ron, we had just gotten finished with the exercises, and got Severus down for a snooze. We just sat down."

"You were going to take me to dinner?" she suddenly realized what all he had said. Ron never takes her out. He usually just takes her to the Burrows, which had been rebuilt, sort of.

"Yeah, mom's cooking dinner tonight." He said, still sullen. He wanted Malfoy to leave. They were all in her quarters, not Snapes, and WTF is Malfoy doing in her quarters?

"Oh. Well, I wish you would have given me some notice. I am really beat, and I still have an essay on defense against curses due." Severus was giving her homework assignments to get her ready for her first year teaching. And, he didn't cut her any slack because she wasn't really a student. But, she didn't mind. He was trying to help. And, he graded them. Before the school year started, he was going to grade her as if she had been his 8th-year student, so she would be totally qualified.

"Never mind." Ron answered. "Just go back to whatever you were doing. I'll find someone to take with me." And he turned around and stomped out.

Hermione watched him go, and started crying. Draco watched Weasel-head go out her door, and crouched down. He put his arms around her shaking shoulders, and pulled her in for a hug.

When she quieted down, he asked, "What do you see in the Weasel?"

"What do you see in the Pug?" She countered.

Draco gave a half-smirk, "She gives good . . ., she has her finer skills." Just couldn't come out and say that outright to her. Draco has to work with Potter. Not a good idea to start that off on the wrong path. He has no desire to begin his service with Potter itching to hex him.

"So does he."

"Really? And, what would his finer skills be?" He gave her a full smirk now, full-well knowing that Hermione had spend less time in the Weasels company than would be needed for them to be talking about the same thing.

"He is loyal, faithful." She huffed back at him.

One eyebrow rose slowly at that comment. "Lavender is such a ugly color for a red-head to wear." He reaches over and gently brushes a tear off her cheek.