Chapter Thirty – Mrs. Snape

"Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" Ron asked in mock disbelief.

"Oh, stop it, Ron," Hermione sighed.

"Did Hermione Granger just say that she didn't want to study for her N.E.W.T.S. any more?" Ron asked, placing his hand over his chest.

"You can really be a git sometimes, you know that, don't you?" Hermione laughed.

"Yes, I can, love," Ron said. "But even you have to admit that I'm a lovable git."

Neville smiled and went back to looking in his Herbology textbook. N.E.W.T.S. started in only three days, and no one could quite believe that they had snuck up like they did.

He stifled a yawn and closed his book. He didn't feel like studying any more. It was a Friday night, and their last quidditch match at Hogwarts was tomorrow.

"We might as well stop," Hermione said. "The library's closing soon."

Neville piled his books in his bag and motioned to Luna, who was sitting across the library with Ginny and Colin Creavy. She packed up her bag and said good bye to her group.

They went to the Greenhouse and Luna practically threw her book bag down on the ground. "Fun couple we are," she laughed. "Spending Friday night studying."

"I know," Neville said, putting his arms around her. "At least I don't have to study again for a while in two weeks."

"That's until you start Healer training," Luna said proudly.

"We don't know that yet," Neville said quickly. "There's still a bit before I get the results."

Luna looked at him with an intense look she sometimes gets. "Why have you been so tired lately?" she asked.

Neville sat down on the ground. The reason was because he wasn't sleeping. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his parents on the Blackpool Pier or Bellatrix Lestrange slowly falling to her death.

"I've been having some nightmares," he admitted.

"What kind?" Luna asked interestedly.

"About my parents…" he said slowly. "And killing Bellatrix."

Luna gazed at him so intensely that it almost made him feel uncomfortable. "I thought we talked about that," she said seriously. "I thought you had accepted that you didn't kill her. That it was an accident."

Neville buried his head in his hands. "I thought I did, too. But why do I feel so awful about it?"

He felt Luna put his arms around him. "For the same reason that Harry was able to forgive Voldemort. Because you are a compassionate, feeling, warm-blooded human being."

Without thinking, Neville looked into Luna's silver eyes, desperately wishing he could believe her.

"You are not a murderer, Neville Longbottom. You didn't stun her with the intent to kill her. Harry forgave Voldemort, you need to forgive yourself," she said serenely, stroking his hand softly.

"You're right," Neville said, feeling somewhat better. He knew he couldn't let Bellatrix' death tear him up inside. He had to move on.

The only question was how long it would take?

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"Gryffindor scores!"

Neville jumped up and down wildly as Ginny scored yet another goal for Gryffindor. It was amazing really, in a span of two years, she had easily become the best quidditch player at Hogwarts.

"To think, when she plays professionally, we'll be able to say we knew her!" Lavender said excitedly.

"Do you really think she could?" Dean asked.

"Of course she can!" Neville replied on Lavender's behalf. "It's just a matter of what team she plays for."

Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff for the Quidditch Cup. Hufflepuff came from nowhere this year to fight for the cup, lead mainly by their new seeker, Eleanor Branstone, who was a fourth year. Some said she was just as good as Harry.

Harry and Eleanor were both frantically searching for the snitch. The two teams were fairly matched at the beater and chaser position. Luckily, Gryffindor clearly had the edge at Chaser. They were currently winning 130-40. But all that could change if Hufflepuff caught the snitch first.

"Come on, Harry!" Luna yelled loudly. She was happily supporting Gryffindor today; wearing her insanely large lion hat.

Neville quickly looked around the stadium. It looked as if every single student from Hogwarts was at the match. In one small section, sat the teachers. Neville couldn't quite get used to the idea of Professor McGonagall sitting where Professor Dumbledore always sat.

There had been an announcement only a few days after Dumbledore's death that Professor McGonagall had been unamiously chosen by the board of governers to be the new Headmaster. Neville wondered if she would ever be as popular and loved as Professor Dumbledore. He also wondered who the new Head of Gryffindor House would be next year. Rumor had it that none of the other professors were from Gryffindor.

"I can't look!" Hermione cried as Ron did a barrel roll to his left to save a goal from scoring. He practically fell off his broom, but managed to stay on.

"Ron's fine!" Neville said, taking Hermione's hands off of her eyes.

"Oh, thank goodness," Hermione sighed. Then loudly shouted, "Good save, Ron!"

"I think Harry's seen the snitch," Luna said calmly, pointing up to the sky, where Harry was diving quickly.

The entire stadium became still as they watch Harry fly quickly towards the ground, his hand outstretched.

"Come on, Harry," Neville whispered under his breath. Luna squeezed his hand tightly, causing him to lose a bit of feeling in his fingers.

Harry pulled up quickly, inches before the tip of his broomstick would hit the ground. He triumphantly held his hand over his head.

"Potter caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup!"

The stadium seemed to erupt all at once. Luna threw herself into Neville's arms, causing her hat to fly off of her head and down onto the quidditch pitch. Nick and Rick Flobrisher, the beaters on the Gryffindor team, picked up her hat and carried it between them over their heads as the team did a victory lap.

The happy mood lasted the rest of the day and into the night. Even Hermione decided she didn't want to study that night so that she could celebrate. The party in the common room was hard to contain. Students kept letting their friends from other Houses join in the celebration. Though this pleased Neville, because Luna got to join in.

While Luna and Hermione started debating various articles from the Quibbler, Neville walked over to Harry, who was unusually detached from the rest of the group. Harry was playing with a bottle of butterbeer.

"Cheers," Neville said, holding his own bottle of butterbeer. He sat down next to Harry, who was sitting on bottom step leading up to the dorms.

"Hey," Harry said, not very enthusiastically.

"Great game today," Neville said.

"I guess," Harry said non-committedly. Then after a moment, said, "Don't you think it's odd that everyone has moved on?"

"Moved on?" Neville asked.

"It's been six weeks since it happened," Harry said. "And everyone acts like nothing happened."

"What were you expecting?" Neville asked seriously.

"I don't know," Harry said. "That it wouldn't be so easy for everyone."

"I want to move on. I want to put this in the past and not let it consume me," Neville said. "I want to leave Hogwarts, become a Healer, marry Luna and have a family. I don't want to dwell in the past."

"I don't either, really, I don't," Harry said. "It's just…battling Voldemort has been a part of my life for seven years."

"I know, Harry," Neville said. "But it's still a part of our lives. There are still all the Death Eater trials. The Daily Prophet is not going to let us forget that."

Neville was pleased to see Harry smile slightly. "I saw that even Rita Skeeter had a byline," Harry mused.

"Now you know everything is really back to normal," Neville laughed.

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The first week of N.E.W.T.S. were brutal. Neville found himself exhausted every evening after the tests. But he also felt like he was doing well. Very well. The written exams were harder than he thought they would be. But Neville thought he was doing great with the practical examinations.

Neville was sitting at the Gryffindor table at lunch on the Saturday after the first week was over. He and his fellow seventh years friends had vowed not to study today. Everyone agreed they needed one day off. And as Ron put it, "If they didn't know it by now, they never would."

He was cheerfully eating his pudding, listening to Harry, Ron and Ginny argue about various quidditch teams, and adding his own comments occasionally when Professor McGonagall stood up.

"I have announcement to make," she said in a clear voice. Most of the student put down their food and looked curiously at the new Headmaster.

"Professor Snape will be getting married this evening here at Hogwarts. All of the students are invited to the ceremony and it will be followed by a feast and then a dance. Dress robes may be worn," Professor McGonagall said quickly.

"Is she joking?" Ron asked under his breath. Neville looked at Professor Snape, who didn't look up for the announcement, and seemed to be very interested in his dessert. He certainly didn't look like someone about to get married.

"I don't think she is," Hermione said.

"How many weddings are there going to be?" Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Fred and Angelina just got married last week!"

"Yeah, but Angelina's knocked up," Ron said. "They had to get married."

Hermione stared at Ron for a moment before shaking her head. "So eloquent," she sighed. "To think that you're my boyfriend."

Neville caught Luna's eye across the Great Hall. She and Draco were sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table. They had been invited to sit with the Gryffindors, but Draco didn't sit with them very often.

About six hours later, Neville was sitting with Luna, and practically the entire school, waiting for Professor Snape to get married. The ceremony was outside, which made sense, because it was absolutely beautiful out. There were hundreds of chairs set up, and Neville saw that a number of adults, who must be friends of Snape and his future wife.

"Your parents are here, Ron," Hermione said.

Ron strained his neck, trying to get a look. "Who is he marrying?" Ron demanded. "My parents wouldn't come to Snape's wedding. They must be here for the girl."

"Ron, please," Hermione said. "It's romantic, though. He lived through the war and wants to get married."

Harry looked at Hermione with wide eyes. "Hermione, I beg of you. Please don't ever use the words 'Snape' and 'romantic' in the same sentence, ever again."

"I just want to know who the bride is," Ginny said, putting her arm around Harry's shoulder.

Professor Snape appeared at the front, with Draco Malfoy standing next to him. Music could suddenly be heard and everyone's head went to the end of the red carpet.

Much to Neville's surprise, Nata walked down the ailse, wearing a light blue dress robe.

"It can't be, can it?" Harry asked.

His question was answered just a moment later when Tonks, of all people, stepped onto the carpet. She was wearing a white dress, with an empire waist, holding the roses that Neville had been asked to provide for the occasion.

A fairly large murmur was heard through the seats. Neville looked over at Harry and saw that Harry's jaw had literally dropped. The noise in the seats grew a little louder. Probably because Tonks looked stunning, and was the exact opposite of what any student would assume would be Professor Snape's bride.

"Tonks and Snape?" Ginny asked softly. "That's just about the oddest thing I've ever heard."

The ceremony was short, but very nice. Professor McGonagall married the pair. A number of students cheered after Snape and Tonks shared their first kiss as man as wife.

"So you really don't think she's under the Imperius curse?" Ron asked, as they all walked back to Hogwarts for the feast.

"Did you see the look on Tonks' face?" Hermione asked. "She looked so happy."

"I didn't see Crabbe, Goyle or Nott at the wedding," Harry observed.

"That's cause in their eyes, Snape's a traitor," Hermione said. "That's why he had to step down as head of Slytherin House."

"Let's not think about that," Ginny said brightly, taking Harry's hand. "Let's concentrate on having a really good time tonight."

The feast and the dance following were exactly what Hogwarts needed. Luna didn't like to dance, except for slow songs, so they spent most of the night talking and laughing with the rest of the group.

Harry and Ron went to get some drinks. After they left, Luna said that she wanted a drink as well. So Neville ran after Harry and Ron to get another drink.

Harry and Ron were standing away from the table, their backs away from the dance floor. Neville walked next to them and saw they were staring at something; their faces were a mixture of amazement and disgust.

Neville turned to check what they were looking at. And then he saw it. Professor Snape and his new bride were kissing passionately.

"That's just so wrong in so many ways," Ron said, a hint of awe in his voice.

"We shouldn't be watching this," Harry added, his eyes not leaving the pair.

"Yet, somehow, I can't seem to look away," Ron said slowly.

Slowly, they turned away and gave the couple their privacy. Harry had a wicked grin on his face. "If that's what they're like now, imagine later tonight-"

At which point Ron closed his eyes tightly and put his hands over his ears. "Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say it…"

"When they're shagging," Harry said, trying to control his laughter.

Ron looked absolutely crestfallen. "You said it. Why did you have to say it?"

"Thanks, Harry," Neville said, shaking his head. "Last thing I want to think about is Snape…"

"Let's not talk about this!" Ron said enthusiastically.

"Good thinking," Neville laughed. And they headed back to the rest of the group. Two songs later, a slow song started and Luna grabbed Neville's hand and they walked to the dance floor.

"Just think," Luna said, resting her head on Neville's shoulder. "This will be us in a few years."

Neville wrapped his arms around her a little tighter. "I love you, Luna," he said softly.

Luna lifted her head and into Neville's face. "I love you, too, Neville Longbottom."

It was one of the happiest nights Neville had had in a long time.

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A/N – Yippee! Snape and Tonks got married! They are one of my all time favorite pairings. Shameless promotion for my Tonks/Snape stories, The Forgiveness Within and Which Witch. I've actually managed to convert quite a few people over to that ship with those stories. They are M rated, but I've had quite a few requests for T versions. Would anyone be interested? I'm thinking of posting a Which Witch T version. But not The Forgiveness Within. I don't think there's anyway I could get that one down to T. But anyways, Snape and Tonks rock! She is exactly what Snape needs in his life.