A/N: This chapter rated M for some mush!

BethAnn: Here's the update, so be nice and don't send another Howler grin

Catsrule_Dogsdrool: Look, if Hermione got tired of Sevvy, I'd be first in line, not you! grin

Those Who Want More Romance™ : Yes, there's some in this chapter…



Part 13

Harry, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall turned wary gazes towards at Voldemort's wand that lay on the floor, gleaming with its own dark light.

"The thought of picking it up gives me palpitations!" Professor McGonagall muttered.

"I would not advise it" Dumbledore said sombrely. "Who knows what traps would await those other than Voldemort who touch it? No, it must be sealed away for all time." He raised his wand and after murmuring a spell the section of the black floor the wand lay on rippled oddly, then the wand abruptly sank down through the floor as if into quicksand, vanishing from sight. Dumbledore spoke another few words and then the floor returned to normal again – though it seemed that a certain part of it was blacker than the rest.

"I don't know about you, but I'm leaving this place!" Professor McGonagall grumbled and marched back through the mirror-portal, Professor Snape & Hermione stepping aside to let her through. Dumbledore smiled to himself and followed her, then paused and looked back. Harry was gazing about him at the mirrors that radiated outwards and on for apparently forever, an intent look on his face.

"How big is this place?" Dumbledore heard Harry mutter to himself, and Dumbledore sighed ruefully. "Harry, this is not a place in which it would be wise to linger. Come along.."

Harry pulled a face, but followed the Headmaster back to the room, his face tightening when he saw Hermione and Professor Snape standing far too close together, in his opinion.

Professor McGonagall was standing by her desk, a look of gleeful satisfaction on her face. "There is much to be done! The Ministry of Magic and the rest of the wizarding world must be informed of Voldemort's death, his followers sent to Azkaban, of course!"

Dumbledore smiled. "Of course. We have waited for this day for many years, haven't we, my dear Professor? I shall also decree that all students shall have the rest of the day off."

Harry grinned at that and there was even relief on Hermione's tired looking face.

"As I mentioned before, this will be a day long remembered in the wizard world!" Dumbledore said in quiet gladness.

"Tonight shall see a banquet as never has been seen in the history of Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall added enthusiastically, clapping her hands together and looking unexpected girlish. "We must make this a real celebration."

Dumbledore beamed. "An excellent idea!" he said. Then he looked thoughtful. "Hmm…I think we will need a more permanent memorial of this day. I will have a bronze sculpture commissioned of our heroes."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. "A sculpture?? But we don't…you can't…" she said faintly. Professor Snape looked as if he did not know whether to look flattered or appalled. "A...bronze sculpture?" he whispered.

Dumbledore looked sheepish. "Ah, yes, that is a silly idea, isn't it?"

Professor Snape looked faintly relieved and Hermione relaxed. She would never have lived it down if a bronze sculpture had been made of her and Severus, no doubt in some wildly dramatic pose (it just made her cringe just thinking about it!).

Dumbledore continued. "Bronze would not be fitting – marble it shall be instead!" he beamed.

For once Hermione and Professor Snape were both lost for words and they stared at other in horror.

Dumbledore looked fondly at them both. "Now listen to me – I want you both to rest for the remainder of the afternoon. I will not announce it until later that you were both the defeaters of Voldemort, it will be merely stated for now that he is dead, without any possibility of resurrection. The Avada Kedarva curse is not something even he would be able to overcome! Also, I would not be surprised if you are both to receive an Order of Merlin…"

At those words there was a satisfied, triumphant gleam in Professor Snape's eyes.

Harry looked politely at Dumbledore. "If you will excuse me Headmaster…"

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course. However, I trust you will be….discreet in what you discuss with your friends for now."

Harry nodded in return. "Yes, I will." Then he gave Hermione an unreadable look. "I'll see you later, Herm."

"All right" Hermione said softly, though she felt uneasy at the thought that no doubt Harry would be rushing off to tell everyone about her and Severus…..well, she would deal with the fallout when it happened. She had survived a battle with the darkest wizard in recent history; she would cope with hostile reactions from her friends.

Harry left the room without a backward glance, followed by Professor McGonagall who was muttering happily to herself about "such a day this has turned out to be!"

This would be difficult to say…Hermione looked at Dumbledore with some trepidation. "Professor…the Invisibility cloak you gave me – Voldemort destroyed it, I'm afraid."

Dumbledore gave her a gentle smile. "It's a small price to pay, I think. Besides, I bought two in the end."

To her chagrin Hermione found herself yawning and she flushed. During a battle you ran on adrenaline – then afterwards you inevitably felt like collapsing. "I'm sorry…."

Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at her. "Perhaps the sickbay…"

"No!" Hermione said hastily. She had seen the sickbay enough times in her years at Hogwarts! "I just need to sit down for a while, really."

"Come with me" Severus said firmly, taking her arm and looking down at her with concern on his face. "I know just the potion for you….besides, I think the sooner we leave this room the better." Turning his head to look at the Mirror of Erised he said firmly "Mirror – close the portal and do not open again unless directed by me or Hermione. Furthermore, I wish the Hearts Desire spell to be deactivated."

"As you wish" the Mirror of Erised murmured…and then it was just an ordinary-looking mirror with only a faint hint of magic about it.

"You must tell me more one day about how you achieved that" Dumbledore said speculatively, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "But now...run along, both of you. I'm sure you will both find things to do" he added innocently.

Hermione and Severus looked at the Headmaster suspiciously, uncertain as to whether they had seen a twinkle in his eye.

Never had Severus felt so much relief on leaving a room as he did now as the three of them walked out into the corridor. Dumbledore hurried away to his office, leaving Severus and Hermione to each others company as they headed off to the dungeons where his office and quarters were.

Despite his mental exhaustion he felt as though a huge weight had left his shoulders, for with the death of Voldemort he felt free, as he had not in years. There would be no reason to see the Death Eaters again (except to hunt them down) and with their leader dead they would be disorganised and panicked.

He, Severus, would be known as the greatest Slytherin in history – with the long coveted Order of Merlin to his name no less – and with Hermione at his side there would be nothing he felt he would not be able to achieve. It gave him an unusually heady feeling to know that if he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, she would not pull away, nor strike out at him in revulsion…

But first….she would definitely need one of his restorative potions for as he gave her a sidelong glance as they walked along (or perhaps 'trudged' was a better word as he was restricting his pace to her slow one) he noted how pale and tired she looked.

However, when she noticed his glance she lifted her chin and smiled at him, a glint in her eyes as if she was daring him to comment. Well, then.

"As I said before Miss Granger, I know just the potion for you" he said silkily.

Hermione pulled a face. "What will it do besides taste bad?" she inquired, feeling since the battle that she could talk to the Potions master as an ally. An unlikely ally…a friend…and more than a friend? Also, right now it felt easier to banter rather than think about their narrow escapes from death before..

Severus obviously felt the same way for he gave her a haughty look through narrowed eyes (that had a faint gleam in them). "My…potions do not 'taste bad' as you crudely put it, it is just that people these days are…fussy."

Hermione snorted. "Yes, they like to know what's in a potion before they drink it!"

"Do I detect…impertinence?" Severus murmured.

"Who, me?" Hermione said in mock offence.

"Yes you…Miss Know-It-All!"

"Over-grown bat!"

"Chatterbox!"

The corridors were empty due to students being in their classes – though that would change when it was known that Voldemort was dead, the rest of the day free to all, Hermione thought as they walked on. However, the people in the portraits seemed to know something had changed, for groups of them were often found congregating together in one frame, whispering to each other…

On reaching Professor Snape's office Hermione shivered, for it was cold and dark. Severus casually pointed his wand at the empty fireplace and a bright fire flared into life there to Hermione's amazement, for it was known that one of the Top Ten Ways To Get Detention with Professor Snape™ was to ask for a fire in the chilly Potions room.

Severus sniffed. "I must be getting soft" he observed. "That, or you're a bad influence on me. I suspect the latter."

He opened the door that led to his quarters and Hermione paused on the threshold, looking around in curiosity. No one had ever seen the rooms where he lived, though there was a lot of speculation as to what they were like.

"Just like a jail cell!" Harry had muttered.

"A bed of nails!" Ron insisted.

"Furniture made of bones!!" the Weasley twins crowed.

"Um, a really scary place?" Neville whimpered.

"The finest in Slytherin luxury, you stupid Gryffindors!" Draco had sneered.

What she saw was a sitting room whose walls were painted dark green, the floor covered with an antique-looking Persian carpet. There was a faded black couch with a small table in front of it covered with books as well a bookcase nearby literally sagging with thick volumes of magic. A shelf held various oddly shaped bottles with liquids ranging in colours from red to purple. On one wall there was an empty fireplace, Severus pointing his wand at it to summon a fire. On another wall a cuckoo clock beautifully carved in dark wood ticked quietly. Two closed doors on the far wall presumably led to a bedroom and bathroom, Hermione thought. She was surprised at how cosy the room looked.

Severus turned and looked at her ironically as if sensing her thought. "Looking for the blood stains? What a shame, I've just spring-cleaned."

He was about to get a potion from his shelf that he knew would help her regain strength, Hermione moving to sit down on the couch, when a idea flashed into his head and he blinked. Could it work? Perhaps…

"Come here, Hermione" he said softly.

Thanks to the phoenix tears she had given him he felt as though there was an excess of magic surging through his body, seeking an outlet. But maybe through the link between them he could channel some of the extra energy into her to restore her strength.

"Forget the potion, I know a….swifter way to help you" he continued.

Hermione looked up at him in puzzlement as she approached him, her long hair rippling gently around her. Severus raised his hands up before him, palms outstretched. His eyes locking with hers he whispered, "Touch me" - his words an invitation, a caress that raised the hair on her neck…and a plea.

She hesitated…then deciding to trust him, she raised her hands and placed them against his bigger ones, his skin warm to her touch. He closed his eyes and focussing on his excess power, bent it to his will. The power surged through his body and gathering at his chest where he could sense the link running from him to her, split into portions, part of it invisibly surging through the link into Hermione, the rest soaring through his hands clasped against hers.

He concentrated on pouring the energy into her, willing it also to convey to Hermione his love for her, his desire for her, to touch her and make her his and to be loved by her in return.

Hermione gasped as she felt energy rushing into her, could see in her inner eye the green/black Slytherin power travelling through her energy channels. She could almost taste its 'flavour' of wild/dark/cool/proud/cunning/sly, sense love there as well from him, feel her body recovering its strength. At length she cried "Enough!" and the power flow stopped abruptly as if a switch had cut it off.



"Thank you" she whispered, feeling close to her usual self again. Both of them were unable to take their eyes away from each other and his breathing was faster as their hands slowly intertwined together.

"I love you so much" Severus said hoarsely, his eyes like pools of dark fire.

"I love you too" Hermione said shakily and then they were in each others arms, by turns kissing the other tenderly then fiercely, two souls delighting in finding a mate in each other at last.

* * * *

After classes were over the corridors were abuzz with students who had heard the news about Voldemort's death.

Harry caught up with Ron on the stairs. "Have you heard!?" Ron said gleefully. "You-Know-Who is dead – dead, at last, though I haven't heard how…by the way, where's Herm?"

Harry smiled, though his eyes were cool. "Have I got a story to tell you…."



A/N: Next – what happens when S/H's relationship becomes public – and will they avoid having marble statues made of them? (probably not!)