To all of you concerned that Hermione's going to get captured again, don't be worried! Actually, the fight scene ended the way it did because of the way I wrote it in 'Normal.'

Okeydokey, so I got a veritable jackpot of reviews this morning.

Lily gets the super-quick reviewer award for Chapter 11. Ruby Malfoy was right behind her and I'd like to give a special little hug to Ruby for adding my stories to her website. That's so flattering; thank you, hon! Joots and Hippiechick, thanks for your reviews as always! I never get tired of hearing from you.

Ed, you get the super-quick reviewer award for Chapter 12! Lickety-split, I tell you. Hand3, if you hexed me I'd never finish the story, would I? But here's an earlier-than-usual update just for you.

So it seems my server was lagging which is why I thought I had no reviews for Chapter 11. Again, many thanks to all of you who review my stuff!

So…chapter 13.

--Aimes

Ow. My head feels like roadkill.

"Poppy! She's awake!" That didn't help. Hermione cracked her eyes and immediately regretted it as light attacked her optic nerve. She let out a small grunt and experimented with moving, turning her head to the side. Silvery blue-grey eyes gazed back at her and she flinched involuntarily before registering that it was Remus, sitting next to the bed and resting his head on her pillow.

"I'm alive."

"So it would seem," came another, silky voice. Hermione raised her head and saw Severus reclining against a wall, watching Callah, silent and still in the next bed.

"How did I get here? Who won?"

"I brought you and who do you think?"

"Hey, my head feels like it got sledgehammered alright? I'm entitled to some obviously stupid questions." Snape raised an eyebrow at her and seemed about to speak.

"Shut up." He smirked.

"Stop smirking." He sneered.

"Stop…ah hell, never mind." He's entirely too difficult to deal with in the morning. Is it morning? Well it is for me.

As though in response to her unspoken thought, Snape nodded to her tersely and left. Hermione looked at Remus, who continued to watch her silently. "Remus?"

"Hm?"

"You're very quiet."

"I was just watching you."

"I noticed. See anything particularly exciting?"

"Your eyes opening just about made my lifetime." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Remus," she whispered. He rested his forehead against hers and kissed her lips lightly. Hermione felt the thrill of electricity shoot through her.

"You should rest," he murmured against her lips, darting his tongue out to lick her.

"Bloody tease," she grumbled. He pressed his lips against hers once more, gentle and longing, before caressing her face gently and leaving the infirmary. Ah hell. Messiness alert.

"Methinks you're finally gonna get laid," came a ragged voice from the bed next to her.

"Callah?"

"Yeah, I woke up just in time to see Remus molesting you in public."

"Shut up, wanker. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, other than the samba pounding itself out in my head and the fact that breathing hurts like hell, I'm peachy."

They fell into silence for a moment.

"It's over then," Hermione said softly.

"Yeah," Callah agreed. "Harry annihilated Voldemort and we finished off most of the Deatheaters, Dementors, and other creepy crawly uglies in pretty good time once the binding spell kicked in."

"What happened to you?"

"Bad pumpkin juice."

Hermione looked over at her with incredulity. Callah shrugged and managed a weak grin.

"Just kidding. Imperius and a window." Hermione shot her a shocked look even as Callah began to drift off. They forced her to jump out a window? Ouch…

"Well," she said dreamily. "'Night then." Hermione watched her breathing even out then struggled into a sitting position.

"Miss Granger, I am glad to see you feeling better." Hermione started slightly as she noticed Dumbledore at the foot of her bed. Sneaky, for one of the over-hundred set.

"Thank you sir." He handed her a scroll. "What's this?" she asked.

"It is a list of the dead. I thought you might want to see it," he said solemnly, the twinkle vanished from his eye.

"Thank you, sir," she murmured. She picked it up and began to skim through it, the names burning themselves into her mind alphabetically. So many dead. The giants were decimated and so was the lycanthrope population. They'll get going again quickly enough. Several centaurs…damn, Firenze? Not as many as I thought, though.

She looked up at Dumbledore. "Did we get all the Deatheaters?"

"No. Very nearly, but there are still some out there."

"How many?" All that and we still didn't win. Not completely.

"We cannot know for certain, but I would guess at least thirty or forty. Most of them were lesser supporters of Voldemort, but we believe that at least seven of his inner circle survived."

"I see," she sighed heavily. "That's it then? Two hundred and fifty four of our people dead, and we didn't finish the job. Then again, we didn't really expect to, did we?"

"No. But do not fear. We shall rid our world of the others in due time," he said reassuringly. "I wanted to thank you, Hermione. You are up for an Order of Merlin First Class, you know."

"Don't thank me for getting two hundred and fifty people killed," Hermione replied. "And I think Severus deserves that Order of Merlin a hell of a lot more than I do."

"He too has been nominated for the award. Along with Ronald, Remus, and Minerva. And Harry, of course. Miss Riese has declined the honor on the grounds that she is not technically a witch."

"I see. Do you know, for the rest of my life I will be able to recall every single name on this list?"

"Yes. And that is as it should be, Hermione. You planned and helped lead one of the greatest incursions in wizard history. That makes you responsible for the failures as well as the successes. But do not make the mistake of thinking the losses outweigh the victories. In the end, the lives saved far outnumber the lives lost."

"Tell that to the families of the dead," she replied tiredly. He nodded silently, understanding. At least he didn't try to feed me that bullshit line about it not being my fault. I led therefore I am at fault if those I led died.

"'Mione!" She looked over to see Harry jogging towards her with Ginny and Ron in tow.

"Harry? Ron? Ginny? You're all okay?" They're alive, they're alive, they're alive.

"Yeah, we're fine. Bumps and bruises is all. Gin got a wicked scar though, check it out!" effused Ron. Dumbledore had quietly taken his leave during their approach.

Hermione saw the scar running diagonally on Ginny's high cheekbone. "It'll fade," she told Ginny reassuringly.

Ginny nodded and smiled slightly.

"Ginny, how'd you defeat Shiv?"

"Trade secret," Ginny said with a smile. "Shiv was a meta-demon. She took form based on your worst fears, or greatest desires, but if you feared nothing and desired nothing, she could not exist. I just drew upon some personal tricks to joy her to death."

Hermione nodded, smiling. That was not the whole story, she could see it in Ginny's eyes, but it was her choice what to reveal.

"Where's Draco and the other Slytherins?"

"Draco's still in bed, like you, and the other Slytherins are watching over him. We only came cause you regained consciousness. We heard Remus shouting for Madam Pomfrey," replied Ginny.

"Um. I know this is going to sound a bit…odd, but…what happened to Narcissa? Malfoy," she added hastily, just in case.

"Because there are so many other Narcissas around," Harry teased. "Strange, that one, I tell you. She saved Neville from becoming very dead and was hit by a stray curse that sent her flying into you. She's with Draco right now, in between helping out with the other wounded."

"Ah, gotcha. She's a character, that one." Character indeed.

"Seriously," Ginny agreed. "Married one hell of a crazy bastard, though. Did you know she's got an advanced degree in Arithmancy? Not quite the vacuous blonde people make her out to be."

"Not by a long shot," Hermione said dryly. "How's everyone else?"

"Um, well, Susan, Parvati, Colin, Dennis, Michael Corner, Trelawney, and Seamus didn't make it," Harry said quietly, the mood sobering instantly. "And Lavender." Yes, I saw those names on the list. Kingsley didn't make it either, nor did Mad-Eye. I know every name on that list.

"Neither did Blaise," Ginny whispered. I know.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry," Hermione said gently, wrapping an arm around the suddenly teary Ginny.

"Bill and Fred didn't make it either," Ron said stoically. Hermione looked at him in sad horror.

"I'm so sorry," came Callah's voice, unexpectedly. "I tried so hard to make it to Bill on time. I was so close…and I failed completely."

"I know," replied Ron. "It's not your fault, Callah. Narcissa said the same thing about Fred…she tried to save him but there just wasn't enough time."

"Oh, Ron," Hermione breathed, pulling him into her embrace. Ron trembled for a moment then crumpled when Harry placed a comforting hand on his back. Ginny and Ron cried brokenheartedly against Hermione who locked Harry's haunted gaze, motioning to him with her eyes. He climbed onto the foot of her bed and rested his head on her lap, beginning to cry himself when Ginny and Ron wrapped their arms around him. Hermione held them all, dry eyed, sad.

They're so young to lose so much, see so much death. This is Ron and Ginny's first real experience of it. They were there when Sirius died, but that was so different. So painless and quiet. So detached—it happened to Harry, not really to them. And now Bill and Fred are gone. Victims of a war they should never have had to fight, against a madman who should never have survived the first war. And what of George? How will he survive without his other half?

But that's life, I suppose. None of us have ever really had a choice, we just take what's given to us. And now it will be left to us to rebuild as well. As though fighting the war were not enough.

Hermione sighed aloud, tiredly, and Ginny looked up.

"Oh, 'Mione, you should sleep, sweetie. We need to check on the others anyways." Hermione managed a wan smile.

"I'll be fine, hon. You take care of yourself. And let me give you all some advice." They looked at her raptly. "Talk to someone. Whether it's each other or a therapist, talk. And if you want a therapist, I know a woman who's phenomenal."

"We'll think about it, 'Mione," Ginny murmured. "Now get some rest," she sniffled, pulling herself together. She took Ron and Harry by the hands and led them away.

Hermione looked over at the other bed.

"Why did you try to save Bill?" she asked with no small amount of trepidation. "And please don't think I'm questioning your actions, I just want to understand you better."

"I know. He didn't deserve to die."

"Is that why?"

Callah sighed. "Yes. And because every dead soldier on our side was a small victory for the other side."

"So it was all a game to you?"

"It was all a mental exercise. That doesn't make it any less important that I saved lives or any less terrible that I killed people, I'm sure, but does it matter why?"

"Maybe it does, I don't know," Hermione replied honestly. "Or maybe I should take Severus' advice and simply accept that you generally do the right thing for whatever reason."

"It's your decision," Callah replied neutrally.

"What comes after this?"

"You have to decide what to do about Remus. I'm going to Italy to work with the Italian secret service for the next few years. I'm thinking of renting or buying a villa. Establishing a life. Maybe. You know, there's an Institute of Archaeological Studies in Italy, close to where I'm going to be. I'm sure they'd kill for a smart witch to teach excavation procedures to."

"Italy," Hermione said dreamily. "I love Italy. I always told Mum I wanted to live there for awhile after school."

"If you'd like…"

"Thanks," Hermione smiled warmly. "You know, I think I could like living in an Italian villa with you."

"I really do consider you a friend," Callah said sincerely.

"I know," Hermione replied confidently. "I consider you a friend too." She smiled. "I've got to break this to the others…I doubt they'll like me bailing so soon."

"Break what?" asked Narcissa Malfoy.

"You!" Hermione said gleefully.

"Yes, I made it. And switched sides, I suppose. Now that my son's involved with Harry Potter, I suppose some changes are in my future. I'll stand trial but since I helped in the end, they probably won't be too harsh on me. Lucius was a dangerous man to cross. My son and Harry are apparently going to travel for the next few years before settling down. Ronald Weasley is being recruited by the Chudley Cannons. His little sister still has a year at Hogwarts, if I'm not mistaken. That sweet young boy, Neville? Wants to become an Auror. He'll be fine at it, I think," Narcissa chattered as she fixed Hermione's pillows and handed her some potions. Hermione gazed at her in astonishment.

"You hear a lot when you're being a makeshift nurse."

"Yeah, apparently," Hermione laughed.

"Go to sleep, the potion should be making you drowsy. That guy with the silvery eyes will be back soon to watch over you, no doubt." She smirked as she moved away. Hermione shot her a wilting glare as the potion took hold and she slipped into a gentle sleep.

First I've got to deal with Remus. Lovely.