Hermione spent the night in the Room of Requirement, at the request of Madam Pomphrey. She had been pleased to discover that the room was still functional; only the room of Hidden Things had been destroyed during the battle.
The older witch had a theory on the slowly rising energy levels of her patient, so she was closely monitoring his recovery at different times of the day. Hermione's presence was the next variable to investigate.
Hermione missed the presence of the cranky wizard
Hermione visited the Infirmary briefly, so Poppy could examine any changes. She glanced over at Severus, who was lying unconscious on his chosen patient bed. Winky sat on the end of the bed and waved at her happily.
The conversation was brief and uneventful. Soon, she was on her way up to Minerva's office.
"Are you nervous?" Minerva asked without preamble.
Hermione shrugged, "Not really. I know the content, so I should do well."
"I am sure you will make me proud," Minerva offered.
As the fireplace roared to life, Hermione kept her thoughts focused on her final exam for the year.
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Severus remained aware of the noises and smells of the Infirmary even after Miss Granger left the room. He listened to Poppy mutter to herself while he tried in vain to move his fingers.
He did not want to admit to himself that the presence of the young witch was comforting, even when he could not move.
The willpower which had seen him survive two wars and Longbottom in his Potions class failed to coax a twitch out of a single digit. The approaching lethargy which pushed him into unconsciousness was a welcome alternative to his frustration.
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Poppy noted that Severus was gaining his magical energy back at a rate of approximately one percent per day. There was a slight increase when Hermione was in the room, but she would need more data to draw any conclusions.
Hermione had torn the Library apart in her search for any information on Soul-Bonds, only to come up empty. Everything documented was vague and unhelpful. Had Madam Prince not been on holidays for the summer, she would have been outraged by the swear words which Hermione had used to describe her progress.
Poppy was telling Severus about Miss Granger's lack of progress while she checked his body for traces of the venom which had damaged his body.
Winky looked up at Miss Annoying-Nurse with her big eyes. Something about the expression on the face of the elf made Poppy pause.
"You are looking rather smug," Poppy observed, "Do you have anything to share?"
Winky tugged at one ear, and her cheeky smile turned into a grin, "Master was jealous of his uncle. He cares for Miss Hermione, though he is still in denial at this stage."
"Can he hear us at the moment?" Poppy wondered.
"No; Miss Hermione is too far away. Master is deep in a coma without her."
Poppy continued to question the elf and began taking notes.
Winky could feel the strength of the connection between Master Severus and miss Hermione. Soon, they would have an emotional awareness of each other. Master could deny his emotions to himself, but Miss Hermione would not be so easily fooled.
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Minerva checked the time as she waited outside the examination hall. She scanned the area every few minutes, prepared for the possibility that a supporter of Voldemort had heard that Hermione was taking her final NEWT for the year.
When an unfamiliar wizard headed directly toward her, she had her wand in hand immediately. He was not holding a wand, but Minerva was still on guard. There were a few offices in the area. She waited until he passed through the doorway to the waiting hall.
"No closer!" she snapped.
The wizard halted abruptly and offered a hesitant smile.
"Professor, it's me; Harry."
Minerva thought she recognised his voice, but she refused to put Hermione at risk.
"Glamour of polyjuice?" she asked pointedly.
"Polyjuice," he replied, glancing worriedly at the wand pointed at him, "I'll sit over here until it wears off."
Minerva watched him carefully, "What creature did Hagrid have during your first year at Hogwarts, which led to your detention in the forest?"
The unfamiliar face smiled, "A dragon. Looking back, we should have just informed you. It was a clear OH&S violation."
Minerva lowered her wand slowly, "How long until you are back to yourself?"
"About twenty minutes. Arthur mentioned Hermione was taking her NEWT today, so I thought I'd surprise her. I could take her out to lunch somewhere Muggle, if she's hungry."
"Still being mobbed when you appear in public?" Minerva asked.
"Yes," he sighed, "It's bloody annoying. Where were all those crowds of people when we needed supporters to stand up to Voldemort?"
"Hiding and hoping someone would take care of their problems for them," Minerva mused.
"Magic makes people lazy," he said thoughtfully, "No wonder we're about a century behind Muggles."
By the time the potion wore off, Harry and Minerva were in a deep conversation involving the need for literacy and numeracy classes at Hogwarts.
"And something on Wizarding Culture for anyone who wasn't raised in the Magical world," Harry added as he put his glasses back on, "A decent Muggle Studies course could help for the rest."
Hermione smiled at her two friends, amused that they hadn't even noticed her arrival, "I agree."
"Hermione!" Harry was on his feet and offering her a hug within seconds.
Minerva blinked away a tear at the scene. She considered Hermione to be akin to a daughter and she had felt the same about Lily, which made Harry akin to a grandson.
"We have all been advised not to travel alone until the remaining Death Eaters have been captured," Minerva said as the teenagers parted, "Are you coming to Hogwarts, or heading to lunch Hermione?"
"Lunch at Grimmauld Place?" Hermione asked Harry.
"Unless you want to go out somewhere Muggle?"
Hermione shook her head, "A quiet cup of tea away from crowds sounds perfect."
"Could you escort an old witch to the Floo before you leave together?" Minerva asked with a smile.
"You're not old," Hermione scoffed, "If the Ministry passes a Marriage Law, you'll be trapped in it."
"The cut-off age proposed is sixty," Minerva corrected, "I'm safe by nearly three years."
"You don't look sixty-three," Harry said honestly.
"Thank-you Mister Potter, though I feel every year during the winter."
Harry discovered that while Minerva McGonagall was at his side, no-one got close enough to impede his path.
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Hermione stepped out of the Floo at Grimmauld Place nervously. The last time they had visited, there had been a Death Eater brought along.
Harry tumbled out of the Floo with all the grace of a drunken troll.
"The worst ride ever," he muttered as he groped for his glasses.
"Harry, you need to throw a foot out in front of you," Hermione advised, "You're still trying to gain your balance first, which is a losing battle."
"Hello Master Harry!"
Hermione spun around to see Kreature beaming at the, "And Miss Muggleborn Filth! Would you like some biscuits?"
The absurd juxtaposition of the insult and his happy greeting with the insult triggered an attack of laughter which left Hermione unable to speak.
Harry grinned at his friend and accepted the offer of biscuits.
"It's great to hear you laugh," Harry said as he guided Hermione toward the living room. She was still giggling madly when she fell into her chosen seat.
"House Elves are hilarious," Hermione decided as she gained control of herself.
"So which subjects will you be taking in September?" Harry asked.
"Herbology, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. If Ancient Studies runs, I'll sign up for it," Hermione replied, "I suspect Muggle Studies and History of Magic will be overhauled this year."
Hermione noticed the mirth fall from his face before Harry spoke, "Has, ah, Snape been making plans for Hogwarts?"
"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected automatically, "Actually, I've been speaking to Minerva. Severus is still convinced the Aurors are going to try to arrest him."
"They might," Harry admitted, "If they put him on trial, I will speak for him or share the memories. He's a bastard, and I will never like him, but he has earned a second chance."
"As long as you don't have to attend his classes anymore?" Hermione teased.
Harry accepted the plate of biscuits and pot of tea on a tray from Kreature.
"Kingsley did suggest we could go straight into Auror training," Harry recalled.
Hermione had known Harry long enough to see he was conflicted about something. She waited patiently for him to find the words.
"I don't think I want to be an Auror," Harry admitted. He slumped back against the lounge with a relieved smile.
"And you don't know how to tell Ron?" Hermione guessed.
Harry nodded, "I don't want Ron to miss out on the opportunity. Kingsley implied it would be both of us, so I don't know if Ron could get in if I chose to go back to Hogwarts."
"I spoke to Tonks a fair bit about the training to be an Auror. I doubt Ron could get through it, even with your help. There's a reason NEWTS are required as a prerequisite."
"I think you're right," Harry sighed, "But I don't want to be the one to tell Ron."
"He's already pissed at me," Hermione said as she reached for a biscuit, "I'm sure he'd love to hear my opinion."
"He has been a jerk lately," Harry admitted reluctantly, "He's pissed that you don't want to marry him. He's pissed at George for understanding you and calling him an idiot. I've been coming here daily just to get away from the Burrow."
"Does Ginny come with you? Do I have to worry about finding her bra under the cushion or something?"
Harry shook his head quickly, "No. She wanted to, you know, spend time here and stuff but I just couldn't. Survivors guilt or something."
Hermione ignored the blush crawling up his neck. They had always been close but talking about sex was one step beyond what they were comfortable with.
Hermione reached out to squeeze his shoulder, "You have to be true to yourself before you can help anyone else. You might end up living happily ever after with Ginny; you might decide you want to move to Hawaii and take up surfing. Either way, I'll always be here for you Harry."
Harry drew in a deep breath, "You always know what to say," he whispered in a shaky breath.
Hermione recognised his emotional distress, and knew that for some strange reason, being male made crying unacceptable.
"Harry, I need a hug," Hermione said simply.
Harry clung to Hermione and let the tears fall. She held him tightly, knowing that he could not articulate why he needed her comfort. She was the combination of sister and mother he needed when he was upset. Hermione had given him the first hug he could remember, though she had not realized it at the time.
Harry knew his time in the Dursley household had left him damaged emotionally, and Hermione had helped him to develop the skills to cope.
The roar of the fireplace made both teenagers twitch in surprise. They pulled apart quickly, and Harry wiped his eyes
"Am I interrupting something?" Ron asked coldly.