Chapter 14

"Good morning, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley," the receptionist greeted, when they stepped out of the elevator.

"Good morning," they chorused.

"Any change?" Harry asked.

The witch smiled. "Oh yes, she's waiting for you. I believe she's eating breakfast now."

Harry nearly knocked Ron over as he turned the corner.

"Hermione!" Harry greeted, before he even entered the doorway to her room.

"Good morning, Harry!"

He entered the room and gave her a hug. "I've missed you! We were so worried about you."

"You know me. I couldn't stay away for too long."

"I'm so glad you're back. How are you feeling?"

"Tired already," Hermione replied. "But otherwise, alright. I'm not allowed to do any magic yet. The healers said now that I'm conscious, my magic should return quickly."

"How long do they think you'll be here for?"

"One of the healers mentioned that I need to get out of the 'danger zone.' It's based on a theory that magic can safely recover on its own above eighty percent. Once it's reached eighty, then it's not in danger of falling."

"So what are you at?"

"Healer Thurts said I'm somewhere between sixty and sixty-five this morning."

"That's good news," Harry replied.

Hermione nodded. "How are you? How was the spell? I'm so glad it worked."

"I'm alright. The spell had some…unforeseen effects, but look," Harry said, and pulled the hair away from his forehead, where only a faint outline of his scar remained.

"It's nearly gone!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Madam Pomfrey said that with a bit of scar salve, it should completely disappear. All of the scars that were made by Voldemort have faded away," he told Hermione, when there was a knock at the door and Ron's head appeared around the corner.

"Hi…Can I come in?"

Hermione nodded.

"I'll let you two talk over things then," Harry said and slipped from the room.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron greeted hesitantly.

"Hello, Ron."

He took a few steps forwards. "I uh…" Ron rubbed his arm. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I was such a huge git to you. We've been through so much together, and after all our years of friendship, I go and do something really stupid.

"I was so worried that our last memories together would be of us fighting. I'm really glad that you're alright…I just can't imagine if you weren't," Ron paused. "I'm really, really sorry."

"I was wondering when you'd come around," Hermione said. "You can sit down, I don't bite."

Ron sat in the chair that Harry was occupying earlier.

"I always figured it would be the two of us together, but then I realized it would have—I would have said something already."

"You know Ron, just because you see two people together, doesn't mean that they're actually together."

Ron stared at her. "Hermione, even I'm not that blind."

"Then it's really going to surprise you to know that we're not together."

Ron continued to stare. "What? He's a bloody moron."

"Ron-"

"Alright. I'm shutting up now. Harry!" Ron called. "You can come back in! We've made up."

Harry poked his head back in the room. "It's about time."

Harry joined Severus waiting in the waiting room a few doors down from Hermione's room. Angelina and Ginny stopped in to see their friend, and neither wizard wanted to stick around for long. Only a few minutes passed in silence, when Harry turned to the Potions Master.

"So Professor-"

"Severus," the Potions Master interrupted, his brow furrowed. "I am no longer your professor and seeing as how you like to ask invasive questions when we're alone, it feels weird."

Harry blinked a few times. "Thanks, Pr- Severus." Then Harry grinned. "Hermione will be so happy. Speaking of Hermione, have you talked to her yet?"

"Obviously."

"No, I mean talked to her."

Severus turned back towards him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Have you talked to her about, you know," Harry paused and then whispered the rest, "the thing you have together?"

"Pardon?"

"I thought you would have at least done it before the battle! I figured that's why you were avoiding her."

"Potter-"

"Not that I'm a hopeless r-"

"Oh Harry, there you are!" Mrs. Weasley came bustling in. "Charlie's just woken up!"

Harry bounced up. "That's great!"

Severus couldn't believe his luck and quickly excused himself to get tea.

Hermione blinked a few times. Severus was still next to her bed reading.

"Oh…I dozed off again."

He closed the book.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"It's just eight-thirty now."

Hermione's hand wiped down her face. "I'm such a bore."

"Your levels aren't going to rise with you sitting up and chatting all day."

She sighed. "I know. I'm just so tired of being tired."

It was quiet for a few moments.

"Can I ask you something?"

Severus nodded slowly.

"While I was…not awake. I don't want to say unconscious, because I remember some things. But I'm not sure if they're real. I haven't really had the chance to sort through them yet.

"I remember nightmares, but at times, they felt incredibly real."

"That was probably my fault."

"So I did have them?"

"Yes. You started showing physical signs of the nightmares shortly after I woke up. They started becoming more intense, so I went in to see if I could stop them."

"You used legilimency."

"Legilimency extends beyond the spell and eye contact, if you have a natural proclivity. It was not my intention to intrude on your privacy."

"Did it help?"

"Yes. I tried to do it as sparingly as I could. No one wanted to see you suffer anymore."

Hermione looked hesitant.

"I don't use legilimency, unless I need to."

"It's not that, I trust you." Hermione looked like she was trying to work something out. "Sorry, I'm trying to sort out what was a dream, what I heard, and what I remember."

"At the battle," she began. "Yaxley wouldn't stop knocking me back. I lost my wand, Voldemort was coming towards you…And I remembered that I had the spell."

"And you used it."

"Yes," Hermione said, ignoring the tone in his voice.

"You gave Potter the chance he needed to cast the curse."

"It was like an extreme adrenaline rush and it was hard not letting it all go. It felt like I was screaming. I kept blacking out afterwards. I thought I messed up. I thought I was going to die. And then you were there."

"Distracting the Dark Lord was not something we planned on happening, but it was what we needed…I just had hoped it wouldn't have been you." Severus took a deep breath and looked right at Hermione. "I meant what I said when the battle was over."

"I remember," Hermione replied softly. "I fought to come back for you."

"I didn't want to say anything at the hospital."

"Well, I'm glad you did." She smiled. "And here I thought you were hanging around only to fight off the nightmares."

"They did give me the excuse I needed to stay."

"You could have just glared at them. That would have worked too."

"Someone once told me that if I wasn't careful, my face would get stuck that way," Severus replied smoothly.

"They must be really smart, for you to remember their advice. I'm sure that smart person would advise you to let me take you out for your birthday."

"That's not how this works-"

"Sure it is. Once I've been given the all clear, of course."

Severus stared at her; Hermione did not look like she was going to back down.

"Fine."

"You can even pick the place."

"Thank Merlin. The last time you chose, we nearly had to slip out the back door."

"That wine was worth it."

"I'll let you have that, but don't get used to it.

Hermione yawned. "Not again. I'm sorry, Severus."

"Don't apologize. You've had a revolving door the last few days."

"Since I'm going to be no fun in a little bit, you should go back to the castle and get some sleep."

Severus gave her a look.

"You can't possibly get sleep in a hospital chair. Go get some sleep and then bring me back one of your favorite books."

He nodded. "Fine. I'll bring back a few options for you."

"Good. And get a few older papers."

"Would you like Hogwarts: A History, so you can write the next sections of it too?"

"Ha. Off with you. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good morning, Hermione!" Harry greeted the next day. "McGonagall has Snape for the morning to do some ward work. She was very glad she didn't have to drag him back from here. I brought you some things!"

Harry set a bag on the bed. "I had Dobby collect some stuff for you."

Hermione opened the bag. "Clothes, a brush, chocolate, and papers!"

"Oh yeah, Sn-Severus handed them to me as I was walking out of the hall."

Hermione nearly dropped the papers. "What did you just say?"

"Hall."

"Harry-"

"Severus."

"Are you alright?"

"Oh yeah. We're best mates now…I'm only joking! But he did ask me to call him Severus."

"You know what, I'm not even going to ask." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Molly said that they had a bag of my stuff here already."

Harry shrugged. "I know you said that you wanted a brush, but we didn't see a bag anywhere. Maybe it was lost in the shuffle."

"I'll ask Molly again when I see her."

"I'm sure she's going to find the room overwhelming soon. Fred and George closed the shop today and are stopping in to see Bill and Charlie."

Severus returned to St. Mungo's shortly after lunch. He was about to turn down the corridor outside of Hermione's room, when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. A peculiar flash of curly brown hair something. Severus sighed and turned on his heel; Merlin forbid she could wait to do her daily walk.

He swiftly walked down the corridor and turned the corner when he saw her.

"Hermione."

She stopped.

"What are you doing? You're not supposed to be up yet."

As he got closer, he furrowed his brow. There was no way that she could be standing for so long this quickly, but it was definitely her back.

He reached out to grab her arm, when she turned around and punched him right in the face.

All of the years as a Death Eater became apparent when Severus barely stumbled backwards and had her in a vice grip in a flash.

"Molly!"

Severus turned 'Hermione' around to face him and looked at her; her eyes were different. They were the same color, but the warmth was gone.

"Who are you?"

Faux Hermione grinned at him.

Molly came running from around the corner and gasped. Harry turned the corner and nearly ran over Molly.

"What are you doing to Hermione?" He exclaimed. "Snape!"

Mrs. Weasley tried to grab Harry, but he was already bounding down the corridor.

"Harry, Harry!" 'Hermione' shouted. "Help me!"

"Who are you?" Severus said forcefully.

"Snape, what are you doing?" Harry yelled when he ran up to the pair.

"He's crazy!"

"Harry, that's not Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

"Yes, I am! What are you doing, Severus?"

Snape made eye contact with her and the pair paused for a moment.

He growled and pushed 'Hermione' against the wall. Harry made to move forward, but Mrs. Weasley's hand shot out and blocked him.

"Alecto, I knew it would take a certain type of crazy to pull this stunt."

'Hermione' hissed at him.

"Impersonating a war hero in a hospital crawling with Ministry officials, Aurors, and Order members—you truly are mad," Severus said carefully.

Harry flicked his wand and the false Hermione was bound.

"Potter, send a patronus to Kingsley. He's patrolling the lobby."

Harry nodded and quickly sent the message.

"You're the one who's been nicking her stuff," Harry accused. "The missing clothes…her hairbrush."

Severus glared at her.

"Good to see you Severus," she hissed. "Alive after all."

"Too bad I can't say the same."

"Does the mudblood mean something to you, Severus? I don't think I've felt so dirty-"

Snape whipped out his wand so fast, Harry barely had time to disarm him, as Kingsley came running down the corridor. Severus looked at Harry with blazing eyes and Alecto laughed. In a flash, Severus grabbed Alecto and brought her face to face with him.

"Harry…Severus…What's going on?"

"Alecto is disguised as Hermione," Harry replied.

"Severus, I have it from here," Kingsley said. "You can let her go."

Alecto, still looking like Hermione, smiled as Snape dropped her to the floor.

"Here's your wand back, Professor," Harry said and handed him the wand. "I'm sorry I did that, but the last thing you would want to do is something you'd regret."

Severus took the wand without a comment, turned on his heel and walked straight back to Hermione's room.

When he turned the corner, he saw a frantic looking Hermione with Ron standing over her bed.

"What is going on?" Hermione nearly shouted. "Harry ran passed my room and I heard shouting about me and people yelling at you!"

"She tried running out of the room," Ron said. "I uh…I had to put her back in bed."

Hermione crossed her arms. "And you!"

Harry stopped when he entered the room.

"Someone tell me what is going on!"

Severus thanked the gods after he relayed what happened to Hermione and she didn't interrupt him once.

"I thought Snape was going to blast her through the wall," Harry added once he was done.

Hermione stared at the three for a few moments. "I want to go home."

"Everything is taken care of," Mrs. Weasley said, as she walked back into the room. "Alecto is now in the hands of the Aurors. There will be a mediwizard here soon to-"

"This wouldn't happen at Hogwarts," Hermione said. "I want to leave. Today."

"Hermione-"

"She's right," Severus said. "There were rumors that Alecto had gone a bit mad before the battle and she's been sneaking into the hospital for several days now. I'm going to talk to them."

"Thank you," Hermione replied.

He nodded and left.

"We would like you to stay," the head healer said an hour later. "Your levels have not come out of the danger zone."

"What are they?" Hermione asked.

"They're hovering around seventy-five percent."

"I don't see how it's any different if I sit in a bed here or at Hogwarts. Poppy Pomfrey is at Hogwarts."

"Here, you're confined to a bed with monitoring. Can you honestly tell me that once there, you're not going to venture out?"

"If it would get me out of here, then yes."

Healer Thurts stared at Hermione for a moment and then motioned towards Severus. "He has ensured me that your activity will remain minimal, until your levels have improved. If we can agree on some terms, it would make me feel better releasing you."

Hermione nodded.

"First condition, your activity remains minimal until your levels have improved to eighty-five percent. I know eighty is the bar, but I want to make sure. Your levels will still need to be checked three times a day and Poppy Pomfrey will see you daily."

"That's fine," Hermione replied.

"Good. Condition two...You can resume doing simple magic once you're at ninety percent. Also at ninety percent, I want you to start walking around the castle. Absolutely no doing apparition until you're fully healed. If you need to go somewhere, side-along or flooing is fine."

Hermione nodded.

"I want you to remember that you've been confined to a bed since January first. It's going to take a bit of time before you get back to where you were. We have been giving you muscle strengthening potions, but you will feel winded climbing a flight of stairs."

"Good thing for fireplaces, then," Hermione replied.

"If there are no objections, I'm going to get a list of your potions and a few vials to send home with you. Would it be acceptable to you that I show him how to cast your level check spell?"

Hermione nodded.

"Great. Sir, if you could please follow me? I'll have the papers drawn up while we're gone."

"Honestly," Hermione said at dinner the next day. "I can't believe he sent a babysitter for me."

"Can't I come see my friend?" Harry asked.

"I thought Ginny was coming for dinner."

"She still is. She'll be joining us any minute," Harry replied.

"Oh Harry, I don't want to ruin your night with Ginny."

Harry waved her off. "A bit of normalcy would be nice. Ginny was very excited and she's bringing dinner with her."

As if on cue, there was a knock at Hermione's door. Harry jumped up and opened the door to reveal Ginny holding several bags.

"Hermione! I'm so glad you're back here. I hope you don't mind that I brought dinner."

"I hope you don't mind that I interrupted your dinner," Hermione replied.

"Nonsense. We were going to have dinner in the Great Hall and catch up with Remus and Tonks."

"How is Tonks doing?"

Ginny looked towards Harry for an answer.

"Oh! She's doing much better. I ran into Remus this afternoon. So what do you have for dinner?"

Ginny held up one of the bags.

"Is that from that muggle pub we went to months ago?" Hermione asked, as Ginny took out a container and handed it to her.

"Yes-"

"She's obsessed, Hermione. You've created a monster."

"I'm not going to apologize for that one," Hermione replied. "Not when I get these fish and chips."

"I think we should celebrate once Hermione's better," Ginny said. "You know, in our own way. I'm sure the Ministry is going to plan some outrageous function we're all going to be forced to attend."

"And you want to celebrate at that pub?" Harry asked.

Ginny shrugged. "It's perfect. No one will know us. No cameras-"

"That's right!" Hermione interrupted. "Sorry, Ginny! How is the press?"

"Awful," Ginny said. "Until McGonagall fixed that ward, they were constantly hanging around the castle's gates. The wards still held on Hogsmeade, and wouldn't you know, the residents don't want them down yet. The atrium at the ministry is crawling with them."

"Ginny's got the inside on the tabloids," Harry said.

"So what rubbish are they spilling now?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, the usual. Someone got a glimpse of Ron going into St. Mungo's last week. So Charlie and Bill are tragically on their death beds. They're a bit split on you. Depending on which one you read, you're either hanging onto life by a thread or you've left all responsibilities to go gallivanting around the country on a whirlwind romance with Harry."

"Wonderful."

"I don't think anyone's given a full statement about what happened," Harry said. "I know McGonagall and Kingsley have given bits and pieces, but-"

"They don't want to hear from them," Ginny cut him off. "They want to hear from you. I keep telling him to sit down with Luna."

"I scheduled it already."

Ginny blinked at him. "You what?"

"Yeah. I wanted to wait until Hermione was alright. She wants to talk to all of us. She's coming by next week. McGonagall said that I can say whatever I want, as long as it gets the press off her. Luna wants to feature different people in each issue."

"How's Luna doing?" Hermione asked.

"She's doing better. I actually thinks she likes wearing the cast on her leg. The spell damage is slowly healing. Neville has been waiting on her hand and foot. She actually sent him away the other day."

"So how are you doing, Hermione?" Ginny questioned.

"Also better. I'm glad to be back here and out of St. Mungo's. I don't constantly need to be on the watch for someone to walk through the door. I don't particularly like people watching me sleep."

"Was that Snape I saw at St. Mungo's?" Ginny asked innocently.

"How could you not see him?" Harry blurted.

Ginny elbowed him. "I was going to give Hermione a chance, Harry."

Hermione looked between the two.

"Well?" Ginny questioned.

"Well what?"

Ginny gave an exasperated sigh.

"Yes, he was with me in the hospital."

"More like he never left," Harry muttered.

Ginny pinched Harry's leg.

"You're killing me, Hermione! Spill it!"

"We talked a bit before I left St. Mungo's-"

"Just talked?"

"Yes-"

"Bummer."

Hermione continued on like she hadn't heard Ginny. "We talked and have both expressed...interest in each other."

"Merlin, Hermione. Can you say that any more formally? Is that how the conversation went?"

"What? Did you want me to say that I pulled him down and snogged him senseless? In front of Harry?"

"Yes! Did you?"

"No!"

"Well, why not?"

"Uh…" Harry interjected. "I-"

"Zip it," Ginny replied. "You're the one who pulled him off to the side and asked him in the hospital."

"You what?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Er...We just had a friendly chat in the waiting room."

Hermione groaned. "Harry..."

"So has he been here the whole time?"

"I don't grill you about Harry," Hermione said.

"Anymore," Ginny retorted.

"Can't I just eat my dinner in peace?"

"I'll stop as soon as you answer the last question."

"I made him leave last night, because he would have slept on the sofa."

"That's no fun-"

"He's taking this magical level thing seriously."

Ginny nodded. "There's been stories about people that exhausted their magic and had to live as squibs. None of the endings were happy. It's something that some parents use to scare their children growing up. A dip in magic levels is taken very seriously by a lot of people."

"Ginny, I think we need to work on your bedside manner," Harry said. "Let's talk about something more cheerful! Did you hear about how the twins tried waking up Charlie with a bunch of small explosions?"

"You're kidding me," Ginny replied.

"Your mum walked in right in the middle of it and absolutely lost it. You could hear the screaming down wing."

"No wonder Charlie didn't wake up. I wouldn't get up if I heard my mum screaming either."

Hermione and Harry laughed.

"I'll be back in an hour," Severus said a few days later. "We're retesting the anti-apparition wards."

Hermione nodded.

"I can trust to leave you in the library?" They were at Hermione's place.

"Yes, Severus. I will not go to my lab. I promise. For the tenth time."

"I didn't mean-"

"You can make it up to me later by taking me to the memorial."

He frowned.

"I'm a little short of one hundred percent. A walk outside will not kill me and will save your sanity," Hermione said.

"My sanity?"

"Yes, because you will not want to deal with me if you say no again."

"Fine. That is agreeable," Severus replied and walked towards the door.

Hermione smiled. "Have fun with the wards. Don't splinch yourself," she called as he left.

A little over an hour later, Hermione and Severus walked across the cold ground to where the memorial was situated. McGonagall thought that it would be best to place the area a little inside the Forbidden Forest. Of course, that part was no longer forbidden and there were charms put up preventing anything unwanted to wander in and any students from wandering out. She believed that it would be a peaceful place and would be a nice place to visit in the summer, once all of the plants bloomed.

They walked down a small, winding path through the trees and made a left into the area. Through the bare trees, the lake and the castle were visible. Hermione clutched the flowers closer to her chest when she saw the first few names engraved on the stone.

"I can't believe it," she murmured. "So many…" she trailed off, as she looked at the several large memorials.

"I didn't bring enough flowers." Hermione slowly walked into the memorial. "Seamus…Percy…Pomona…Filius…" She read out loud, as she slowly walked down the path and put a flower in front of each block that bared their names. "Harry's parents…Sirius…Dumbledore…"

Severus followed her as she placed flowers in front of everyone's name that she knew. "Cedric…Cormac…Alicia…" Hermione continued, trying to fight away the stinging sensation of unshed tears in her eyes.

When she ran out of flowers, she stood still, staring at the marble stone in front of her.

"Hermione?" Severus asked softly.

She looked up at him, silently crying. Suddenly, she threw her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she finally said after a few minutes. "I didn't expect to react so strongly."

"There's no need to apologize."

She took a deep breath. "Alright. I think I'm ready to head back now."

Twenty minutes later, they were back inside Severus' quarters. Severus handed Hermione a cup of tea and sat on the other side of his sofa. He watched her curled up body hold her tea cup and stare blankly into the fire.

After a few minutes, he reached over and took the cup from her hands and set it on the table.

"Hermione?"

He silently hoped that she wouldn't start crying again.

"Do you want a book?"

"No," she replied quietly.

"Papers?"

"No."

"Wine?"

She shook her head.

"I can't give any answers or explanations. They might be gone, but they'll never really die. Those who meant something to us are always with us."

Hermione was silent for several moments. "Do you really believe that?"

"In some ways, yes. There have been more than enough accounts to have plausibility."

"I'm talking about you, Severus," she said and the fire crackled in the silence afterwards.

"Yes."

"What about Lily?"

He sighed. "Lily would never have stayed with me like I wanted her to. After everything that happened, I should have never expected it for the first few years. It took me a while to…comprehend that. Potter would always be the one. Besides, Lily ended up being a selfish love. After I left the Dark Lord, I had a lot of self-reflection. Lily is nothing more than a painful memory."

"What about your parents?"

Normally, the topic of Severus' parents were unspokenly off-limits, but Hermione was sure that if she asked anything right now, he would answer.

"They're both gone. My father passed during my fifth year and my mother right before my seventh."

"I'm sorry, Severus."

"Don't be, it was a long time ago. My mother was the only one that mattered anyways."

Hermione frowned, he was alone. His parents, Lily, Dumbledore, losing his spy position - she was surprised that he made it to the Final Battle. She was glad that he started to talk to Remus again and Minerva always had a watchful eye on him. And if Hermione had anything to do with it, Severus and Harry would be on cordial terms soon enough.

Hermione realized in that moment how strong he really was, and that she was the only reason why he was sitting next to her. That in itself spoke more than words.

She finally looked at him. "Let's watch a movie."

"What?"

"A movie."

"A movie," he repeated.

Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "We'll go to my place. I have a room isolated for entertainment. We could order dinner then too."
Severus didn't say anything as he allowed Hermione to drag him to the fireplace and then disappear in the roaring green flames.

They were now sitting through their second movie of the night. Hermione had dragged Severus to the local pizza place to pick up dinner and tried to put on a movie while they ate that he would enjoy. He would never admit that he actually enjoyed the movie, but he couldn't say the same for the second one. Hermione claimed it was one of her favorites, but she had fallen asleep shortly after the movie begun.

Severus glanced over at Hermione, who was curled up on the sofa next to him. If someone told him that he'd be alive after the war and in his current position, he would have promptly turned on his heel and walked away. He wasn't quite sure how everything happened up to this point, but he certainly wasn't going to question it anymore. If Severus learned anything from the last few months, it was to just let things happen.

As Severus closed his eyes and let his head rest against the back of the sofa, he hoped that one day, he could finally stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.

A/N: Thanks again for all of your continued support! All of the main scenes until the end are written, but I'm just filling in the gaps now. Let me know if there's something you'd like to see! There's still a good bit left to go!