I raced through the halls of Hogwarts intent on arriving at the dungeons to get the necessary potions and bezoars for Professor Snape, who lay petrified by my own wand on the floor of the boathouse. I knew I was panicking; Ron had told me to just leave the miserable git there and let him die. The professor actually looked shocked at the conversation he was hearing (weather it was because of Ron's harsh words or my willingness and want to save his life I haven't the slightest).
Finally, I arrived at my destination and started sifting through all the useless things like failed potions from students and other ingredients that couldn't save anyone at the moment. After what felt like forever, but was only moments, I had everything I needed, plus extra for anyone I might meet afterwards or on the way there.
I began my race back to Snape, trying not to look down and see all the bodies I knew where there, but on the way I heard an anguished cry and voices that sounded familiar and went towards it instead. Rationalizing that the petrificus totalus I cast on Snape would keep him alive until I got back and removed it, where as this person might not have that long.
Turning the corner I was met with a sight I never wanted to see; Fred's unconscious body being held by his twin George, Percy standing to the side trying to help with what little healing knowledge he had, Charlie and Bill fighting off any death eaters while constantly glancing at their broken younger brothers. I hurried over to them shooting a stunner at Rockwell who had been getting closer to getting through Bills' shield. Moving past the eldest of the Weasley brothers and pushing Percy aside, I crouched down and made George look at me.
"George can I please take a look at Fred and try to save him?" I asked, at his nod I checked for a pulse, there was one but it was weak, and from the looks of things Fred had lost a lot of blood. "Okay George, Fred is alive I need to go now, I was trying to save someone else so I'm giving you this..." I pulled out blood replenisher and dittany from my pocket and tried to get him to take it but he was just staring into Fred's face. I don't have time for this! I thought in exasperation, so I reached up and slapped George across the face; this seemed to get his attention along with Percy, Bill, and Charlie's.
The death eaters finally immobilized they all looked at me and I smiled sheepishly and said: "George I don't have time for your shit right now" they all looked so surprised that I swore but I knew what I said next would shock them more... "I'm on my way to save Snape from Nagini's bite so I have to leave. Heal all the major bleeders with this, then give him this, and take him to the Great hall to be healed. Understand?" I had finally gotten him to take the dittany and blood replenisher. He nodded slowly and turned his attention back to his twin.
I stood and got ready to run again. The other three brothers looked at each other and as if by silent agreement Percy ran off to fight other death eaters, while Bill went to help George and look out for the enemy, and Charlie turned to me.
"So where's professor snake food?" He asked, I turned and began to run back the way I came, with him following whilst stunning, hexing, and jinxing along the way to help where he could.
We made it to the boathouse, I was immediately by Snape's side and shoving bezoars and every anti-venom potion I had down his throat before removing the spell to see if it worked. Charlie had stood by the door to make sure nobody followed us. All of a sudden there was a loud voice that seemed to hiss filling all of our ears. It told all the death eaters to retreat and Voldemort was giving us time to collect our dead, and then telling Harry to go sacrifice himself in the forbidden forest. I hardly paid any mind as I continued with my work on Snape's body.
It seemed not all the death eaters wanted to go to the forest though as two of them ended up at the boathouse and were instantly on Charlie. I went to take my wand out but it wasn't there, I panicked, but Snape had already lifted his wand and stunned one as Charlie did the other.
"Foolish know-it-all." Snape rasped out. I glared at him until he got the point and downed the potion I was holding to his lips. I continued to feed Snape potions with the help of Charlie, after he tied the two dark followers up. Time seemed to stand still as I tried to make sure he didn't die. All of a sudden we heard the shouting of "Harry Potter is dead!" from Voldemort. Already knowing the plan I relayed it to the two dumbstruck looking men and continued my work like my best friend wasn't just announced dead.
There were more explosions and what I guessed was fighting so Charlie went to stand guard again while I finished my work. When I was done Snape looked normal if a little paler than normal if that was possible, but was still extremely weak. There was cheering and I knew Voldemort was dead as Snape screamed out and his dark mark faded to grey. He was still weak, I had to get him out of here, but I also needed to see who had died and if Fred was okay. I went with doing the former and telling Charlie to do the latter then come to me and explain everything. I also gave him orders to tell everyone I was okay. Charlie turned to go after nodding then stopped and asked where I was going. That was a tough one...
"Grimmauld place." I told I'm firmly. "Tell Sirius and Remus but no one else I don't want anybody trying to kill him after all that hard work." Charlie nodded but scratched his head and asked:
"What about Sirius he will try to kill him then you for taking him into his home?" Snape pulled out three letters and handed them to me then pointed to Charlie with a weak hand.
"Dumbledore wrote them before his staged murder, the murder he forced me to commit with an unbreakable vow, explain later, give one to aurors, one to the Order, Sirius in this case, and one to the interim Minister. It explains my part as a spy for the light." He rasped out in a voice that sounded as if he swallowed rocks.
"I knew it! I knew you weren't a real death eater, not anymore at least!" I yelled then blushed looking down. Charlie was snickering and Snape was smirking and looked amused when I looked up. I glared and shoved the letters in Charlie's hand; grabbed Snape's and disappeared to Grimmauld.
The weeks that followed saw Sirius, Remus, Charlie, Snape, the twins, and I staying at Grimmauld. Harry was staying with Ginny and Ron at the Weasley's; I was of course invited to stay as well but honestly I was avoiding them. None knew what happened at Malfoy manor and I planned to keep it that way. At least here I could put up silencing charms and not be questioned.
Each day for the ensuing weeks following Voldemort's fall Sirius and Remus went to Hogwarts to meet with Harry and help repair the castle. George and I would go to rebuild the shop while Snape and Fred, who had to take things easy for a while, worked on product replenishing. Soon would be the grand reopening, we were all excited; well except Snape but he had seen the empty store across the street and was thinking of buying it so he could be happy soon as well. We may have been a strange sight but we worked, despite Ron's rude comments about Snape every time we saw each other.
As odd as it was all seven of us had formed a close bond and Snape was even invited to stay and live there. He had acted like it would be the worst thing ever, but conceded that he had no other options. Here we were all a close knit family that actively avoided questioning one another as we all knew the others had bad memories they didn't want to share from the war, and that's why we lived here and not the burrow. Though we still had to live with the Sunday dinners for all Weasleys, honorary Weasley's, and spouses. We all hated it, and it usually ended up with six drunken men and me who they refused to give alcohol to as I was 'too young'.
They had all become abnormally overprotective of me. It was odd; the twins always made sure I was comfortable and offered to help with anything. Sirius made sure I would want for nothing as he had bought me a whole new wardrobe after hearing most of mine was destroyed or torn. Remus and Snape never let me leave the house unless someone was with me. They were all like my older brothers and were already closer to me in three weeks than Harry and Ron had been in seven years. It was probably because they didn't judge and Sirius had grown up during the war. When I told them they were all like overprotective older brothers one night at diner all had stopped eating put there forks down and said in perfect unison
"Not overprotective, just making sure of your happiness." That, somehow, became the new house motto.
The old Hermione would've probably felt suffocated and angry that they saw her as useless and unable to protect herself. The new Hermione however; the one who had always looked after everyone before herself and sacrificed so much for this war, she loved their suffocating ways... most of the time.