Epilogue

"It was like a dream you might have after death in which lost people came back to life, your friends loved you again no matter what you had done, and your failures were unaccountably forgiven."

~.O.~

There was once two fated peoples, bound together by the incomprehensible love they held for one another and blessed by the gods. This dark man, and this woman of the light had fought a long and hard war of Death, and of the soul. Only one would be conquered at this time, and it was that one in which had been as timeless as the earth itself.

The war of Death on the behalf of the girl's beloved brother, and the acceptance that all must die in their own time. But this ending had not concluded as you might expect.

You see, there was once a similar story of three brothers encountering Death who had been cheated by these mere mortal men. These three magical brothers blessed by the Gods themselves with magic, had flouted he who was immortal, and gained three powerful objects in return.

The first brother had asked for a wand more powerful than any other in existence, and so Death had fashioned him one from an elder tree near the river the three might have drowned and left this world if it weren't for their magic. This brother then continued on his own path to a nearby town where an old foe lived, killing him and flaunting his seemingly invincible self to any who would listen. That night Death would take his soul, for another had decided he must be invincible himself, and so slit the brother's throat for good measure. This Elder Wand would then come into both our fated lovers' hands by way of this war on Death, the own brother of the girl never knowing one of the objects he had come to covet by way of this story had fallen into the hands of his own sister. The two loves would then both become Master of this wand in conjunction with one another due to the the shared defeat of the previous owner. This would be the end to the bloody history that had followed the fated wand throughout the many years since it came into existence.

The second brother had then decided to ask of Death an object to recall loved ones from the grave, and so Death begrudgingly obliged by gifting him a stone plucked from the nearby river. Never telling of the fate that would befall those souls called back from the Gods, residing upon the mortal world once more only to wither into cold and sadness like none other. Once this brother had found what Death had kept from him, his delight at seeing his once vibrant and healthy love turned sour and so killed himself so as to join her for eternity. Never to be parted again. Death then took the second brother, and yet not the stone that would be handed down by his remaining living family until it once again came into the hands of one half of our fated couple. Gifted to her by the same brother of the Gaunt family line who had coveted the Elder Wand, who once again was another step closer to evading his ultimate goal of becoming immortal.

Finally, the third brother was gifted Death's own personal Cloak of Invisibility. A Cloak that would allow him to live out his life in full, before passing it on to his son and greeting Death as an old friend, continuing on to the next life as equals. Alas, Death was also not able to take back the third and final object as the third brother's son gifted it on to his, and then he to his own before eventually it fell into the hands of Hermione Granger. The last son of the Potter family line's non- blooded sister and our story's heroine.

The Tale of the Three Brothers had ended, and yet the story of the Deathly Hallows had not. This Hermione girl, the one in who possessed each of the Hallows had not sought them out for herself per say, but for her brother who had feared death for himself and those he loved above all else in the world. Who sought, like the Three Peverell Brothers who had first cheated Death themselves, an end to the weak mortality even those blessed by the Gods were slaves to. Sadly, she had parted from him just as the three brothers parted themselves, and embarked on an entirely new adventure with her own love. So, seeking peace, and the end to the war against Death neither of them had ever thought they would become figureheads of, as one they decided to give Death back his gifts he had parted with so long ago.

With these intentions, they turned the Resurrection Stone thrice in hand, the Elder Wand and Invisibility Cloak held in another, and called the dreaded hooded figure named Death to them. As impressed by these two magical creatures in an altogether different way than he had been by the three brothers so long ago, Death took upon himself to once again gift the three objects to a family who would never part so long as he lived. But, he also gave the couple the last one he would bestow upon those of their heritage and mortal world for the rest of his days and theirs.

Feeling the depth of their love for one another, and grateful to have his long lost possessions back in completely safe hands, Death bound their souls into one, gifting them the power to live forever along with any others of their blood. The goal they had long sought for a master now long dead, depending on your take on the meaning of time, finally achieved. Leaving with them those cursed objects and the responsibility he had once gifted to the three brothers, he left all as it should have been and more.

~.O.~

Shelia and Mark Granger had been blessed with a child, a little girl who could perform magic of all things. In their eyes, unlike most muggles who would fear the child of their bodies in such circumstances, this made their daughter extraordinary and altogether even more perfect than they could have ever imagined. Then came time to send her away to the magical school they would never be able to see for themselves, and as many parents would be, they were a bit apprehensive at first of sending her away from them at such a young age. She had never had many friends in muggle primary school as she was much more mature for her age and preferred books to playing on the swings and slides, but they acquiesced in hopes that maybe she would fit in better with the other children of magic.

It did help that their Hermione girl had taken an instant shine to the oddly dressed dark clad professor the even more oddly clothed Headmaster had told them taught Potions, all the better for muggleborns to meet at least one of their new professors before beginning the school. Their daughter having switched their teacups for reasons unknown to others outside of her own head, the professor had simply smiled down to her with slightly crooked teeth they would have loved to get their hands on so as their profession, and took a large sip from the delicate china. All to the curly haired girl's delight, and the Headmaster's obvious puzzlement if the look on his bearded face was anything to go by.

Once her first year had gone by, they were beyond pleased with their decision. If it ever had been their own seeing as how could they ever have stunted something so defined in their tiny daughter ever since she was an infant moving about her mobile above her with a giggle and wave of a tiny fist? She talked of a Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Draco Malfoy and Ronald Weasley, four boys she had met on the train her very first day towards Hogwarts and hoped they could visit during the summer months. Shelia and Mark simply exchanged surprised yet pleased glances at her mile a minute words and hopeful request, saying that yes, she could have any friends she wished over any time and even their parents as they wished to meet them as well. To get a better feel of the new world Hermione belonged to of course, and hopefully could immerse themselves in at least a tiny bit so as to understand it. Severus Snape was also a feature they were glad to welcome into their home, a man who seemed to be even closer to their girl than any friends she had made of her own age. If they had any qualms about the grown man spending so much time with her, it was quickly overridden by the obvious affection they both held for one other.

They had also gained double the friends Hermione had with this decision, meeting the Potters, Longbottoms, Weasleys, and many others who all seemed to know each other and welcome the Grangers with open arms. Shelia and Lily Potter especially made great friends as Harry, the boy Hermione seemed to be closest with and regarded like a brother, frequented their halls many days throughout the years of her schooling in addition to Draco. Although, they did seem to hit a few bumps along the two women's friendship in regards to Severus' frequent visits to Hermione, as well as their closeness. This was where Mrs. Granger had drawn the line of topics they would rather not speak of and let the chips fall where they may, the red headed woman having attempted to tell her it might be best to limit Hermione's time with the man who she seemed to love just as much as the other woman's son, and the young Malfoy boy. An ugly name being flung at her just over a decade ago, her husband and his magical brothers previous teenage angers, and the man's seemingly obvious dealings within the Dark Arts may not be suitable company for their only child after all. Lily was simply thinking of their girl's safety, and not her own comfort at being around him so often once more.

The curly haired mother's only response was to invite the usually reserved man into their tradition of going to the theater and seeing the Nutcracker during Yule, bringing about an end to any objections from Mrs. Potter. Although, it had surprisingly endeared herself to Narcissa Malfoy who held a special love and affection for the dark man stemming from the man being her child's godfather as well as her husband's closest friend, and helped along her own relationship with the other woman as well. To which Shelia was grateful for as Hermione seemed to care for the other woman as much as Severus did.

As the years had gone by, life with their daughter immersed in the magical world was absolutely spectacular, the things the two muggle parents had seen from their new friends being something straight out of a storybook or fairytale. They never before would have imagined such a thing as a man turning into a dog, a deer, or a werewolf were real, but their daughter had proved them wrong as well when she and Severus had first shifted into their respective forms of a white as snow fox and a midnight black panther right in front of them and their friends. Hermione had run along the backs of Sirius's form, as well as Severus' whose nose she had pawed while balancing on top his large head before grooming him between his ears while he purred, and then scampering along her parent's shoulders to rest on Lucius Malfoy's who she called Uncle at times. Hiding her face in his hair just pale as her fur coat while draped around his neck like a scarf, he had picked her up gently from that position before holding her like a newborn on her back along his crooked arm, her paws coming up to once again paw at his chin much like she had done to Severus' nose.

Lily and the others who had not seen that side of those within the Granger's aquanitence who they considered of the Darker Arts, which seemed to matter very much to them, had seemed shocked they would deal with such behavior from the muggleborn girl. Granted, the two Malfoys and Severus were all much more reserved when around the Weasley family or the Potters and their various friends. Mark and Shelia had once asked Hermione what the fixation was on the Dark Arts within those who practiced magic, the year Severus had switched from Potions to Defense Against the Dark Arts in fact in the girl's third year, and while she had gotten the most peculiar look upon her face she had simply said it was considered the more seductive of the magics. A branch in which dealt more with blood sacrifices, or magics in which one could lose control easier than that of the lighter ones.

"You aren't using that type of magics are you, dear?" They had asked her once she fully explained the difference, to which she gave them a sweet smile.

"Well, not the blood sacrifices of course. Those would require actual human beings or animal sacrifices, but Severus makes sure to limit what he allows me to read of them regardless, and practice. He thinks it is too much temptation." She had rolled her eyes while pouting at Severus who had been listening to their conversation all the while in his panther form before the fire, the man simply yawning widely before blinking lazily at her as she ended the conversation with a hissed word of Hypocrite.

It then was the time when Hermione came to them one year, just days before having to return to Hogwarts for her sixth year with a nervous face and twisting fingers rolling around the pearl necklace Severus had given her years ago around within her fingernails. The pearl that was now stained black for some reason or another the girl had not told them the why of, nor had they gotten around to asking just yet.

"What is the matter, love?" Shelia asked while stirring a pot for their dinner, wiping her hands once she was done to give her child her full attention. Mark looked over his book from where he sat at the table as well, bookmarking it before setting it down once he observed their daughter's nervous tick. "Is it about, Severus?" The man not having been around as much as he usually was after leaving Hermione in a sort of quiet restlessness a few days before, Sheila's motherly instincts had been tingling ever since then.

Hermione looked stricken for a second, giving her mother an almost scared borderlining terrified expression, "Yes." She had squeaked, hands twisting around each other even more, "I wanted to tell you both-," she halted looking up at the ceiling then the ground before darting her eyes to both of her patient parents once again, "Severus rather," she corrected herself before continuing on more of a high speed than normal, "thought it was the best time to tell you both that we have decided to be together. In a relationship. We have decided to be in a relationship together, a romantic one." Silence reigned within the kitchen with the exception of the boiling water behind the oldest female Granger, the two parents exchanging glances as Hermione sees before flinching and attempting to start again, "I know he's still my professor, but- "

Shelia cut her daughter off before she could get herself up into a tizzy once again, saying calmer than a parent shown be in a situation such as this, "You love him."

Mark smiled at Hermione's absolutely stunned expression, "You have always loved him, darling. It's not that much of a surprise that you have decided to spend your lives together, your mother and I have actually been making bets on how long it would take you to see it yourself."

Hermione had sounded completely lost and dazed when she said, "I didn't say anything about spending the rest of our lives together, we haven't even talked about it. Yet."

The three of them had ended up tightly squeezed together in a warm hug, with Hermione's mother whispering into her ear, "I would very much like to see you in a white dress, my love."

This would be the last days they would see of their daughter for many months, indeed even hear from their girl until they once again got a visit from the odd Headmaster they had met only the one time he informed them their daughter would be taken from them. Taken from them and given to the man who she so loved all these years long. But this time, he came with a somber face so unlike the calm joy he had before when telling them of their gifted child's future.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger," he greeted them gravely with a tip of his head and slight jingle of the small bells wrapping his beard into a long tail. They invited him into their home before he continued with his news, declining a drink, "I have come to inform you, that there has been an incident at Hogwarts just days ago. Your daughter, Hermione, and Severus Snape have both disappeared from our school roster as well as the grounds and can not be found."

Mark and Shelia both exchanged familiar glances, once again surprisingly calm in a situation such as the one they have been thrust into much like how they had felt when speaking to Hermione of her love. They knew if Severus was with her, wherever they were on this big earth they called home, that she would be perfectly safe and sane. "What do you mean, Headmaster, that they have disappeared from your roster? Disappeared from the grounds?"

"It means, Mr. Granger, that there has been a disturbance in the magical time line, and Hermione and Severus are no longer considered neither a student or professor. We have searched all about the Hogwarts grounds and surrounding villages, as well as have alerted the Ministry for Magic who is still searching for them as we speak. This is not the first time something like this has happened, I am sure within the next couple weeks they will have something to tell us." He then left them with one more solemn apology and a low respectful bow.

His estimate of when they next would receive news of their child's whereabouts was just about correct, but not in the way he might have expected. News of her and Severus arrived by way of mail given to them by a man of the post in a plain white envelope, a picture that Shelia had just cried and cried tears of joy over.

Hermione, their beautiful little girl turned sharp cheeked woman stood beside her dark man in a sleek silken dress common in the style of several decades ago that covered to her ankles, her curls crowned with an intricate lace veil just as long. But neither of those characteristics nor the beautifully scaled snake around her neck detracted from two very important things. One of which was a small smiling boy giggling up to Hermione's face being balanced on her right hip, waving down to the familiar orange cat that had disappeared just as Hermione and her now husband had. The second, was the curving bump upon her previously flat stomach that Severus' hand rested upon. Being that it was a magical photograph, the picture looped between Hermione and the boy both waving to the camera as well as each other while Severus simply smiled, and Hermione smiling up to Severus while putting her hand boasting a black stone ring upon a delicate golden band upon his arm before he moved his own holding a bulbed bone colored wand towards the curve of her stomach. Crookshanks all the while winding around both his Mistress and Master's feet, and the large shimmering purple and green snake acting as if mimicking a feather boa hissing her long tongue out as well to taste the obvious happiness of the newly married couple.

Flipping the thick photograph around with tears continuing to stream down her as well as her husband's cheeks, pride at seeing their little girl all grown up and with a family of their own, Mrs. Granger was right in expecting Hermione's loopy inked script to greet her on the other side. The last three words greeting them causing the mother to grip the father's arm in a tight grip, betraying the deep but previously unacknowledged fear that they would never see their little love again living within their hearts ever since the Headmaster had told them of them being lost within the years of time.

Hermione and Severus Snape on their wedding day, 1928, with blood adopted son Marvolo Riddle, soon to be born Adelphie Snape, and beloved familiars Kneazle Crookshanks and Snake Nagini.

See you soon.

Days later, they would once again be graced with their daughter's growing family upon the front steps of Hermione's childhood home. A handsome young man with black hair and dark eyes just like his father holding the hand of a beautiful curly haired girl with the same eyes as the men in her life, accompanying their once again with child daughter and beloved husband.

All was well, and as it should have been in the world that had not been graced with another Dark Lord, but with a powerfully intelligent family that would live until the world ended in ash.