June, 1998

Severus Snape was propped up in the small double bed in Hermione Granger's childhood bedroom. Luckily, the room was inoffensively decorated in shades of pale yellow and white, it was light and airy, and probably larger than most of the upstairs in Spinner's End. Hermione's upbringing had obvious been worlds apart from his own. Over the weeks, Hermione had moved most of his possessions from Hogwarts and his house here, and there had been many occasions recently where he had wondered how on earth he had been so lucky. It was, to be fair, only fairly recently that he had regained the mental capacity to think much at all, and even now he tended to sleep far more than he was awake and struggled to concentrate for any length of time. It was increasingly frustrating, both Poppy and Hermione had pointed out that this was undoubtedly a good sign, but that didn't make it any less so. This was the most time he and Hermione had ever been able to spend together, and he was struggling to be conscious for enough of the time to enjoy it. It was a little over a week since he had first been allowed to speak again. His first thought and been to tell Hermione he loved her, but at the last minute he'd not been able to face saying it in front of Poppy, and so had mumbled a rather anticlimactic 'hello' instead. His voice had sounded horribly damaged, but it was slowly improving, and unless he overdid it, he was without pain for the most part. With hindsight, he wished he had held his nerve, Hermione deserved so much more from him - she had saved his life, and was by his side almost constantly, thrilled by every little thing he achieved, always giving him praise and affection he struggled to believe he deserved. And hearing his voice, even grating and harsh as it was, had made her burst into happy tears and hug him tightly. She didn't hide their relationship from Poppy at all, and to be fair to the Mediwitch, she didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed by any of it. He was fairly sure that she had no real need to visit twice a day anymore, but she still did so without fail, sometimes simply drinking tea with him and telling him about Hogwarts or reading from the Daily Prophet. She did still work on his neck from time to time, it was an ugly mass of raised scar tissue, and from the grim look Poppy often had on her face when she dealt with it, it probably wouldn't improve much. Hermione didn't seem to care at all though, and she took every opportunity to touch it, to caress and sometimes even kiss it. A part of him could barely stand it, but another part felt glad and relieved that this new scar obviously didn't bother her. The Mediwtich had apologised to him, he had told her that it was unnecessary, seeing as the whole point was to make it look like he was loyal to the Dark Lord, and they had left it at that. From what Hermione had told him, Potter had shouted about his true loyalties while duelling The Dark Lord, and though this invasion of his privacy did trouble him, he knew it had surely done his reputation some good, and he would need that. Hermione had carefully avoided talking to him about their future, he knew she and Kingsley were working on something, but that was it. He hadn't thought much about the future at all, really, and now he was recovering, he knew if it wasn't for her, he would begin to panic soon, and run not long after. But Hermione had said she was handling it for now, and he trusted her.

And he was alive. He had a future, whatever it might look like. Severus could hardly believe it. The terror he had felt when he'd had that final conversation with the Dark Lord had been so severe, fear of breaking his promise to Hermione, fear that Potter would not do what needed to be done, fear that they would lose, the agony on Hermione's face had caused him almost as much pain as the bloody snake – he suspected he had a lot of trauma to deal with, sooner or later - that it seemed impossible it had all ended so well. Potter was even alive, through some quirk of old magic and the Dark Lord's blood and his Mother's love and a children's story. And Neville-bloody-Longbottom of all people had killed Nagini, destroying the last horcrux. He couldn't remember exactly how he had reacted when Hermione had told him that part of the story, but whatever his expression had showed had made her laugh, hard, and he had smirked back at her, bemused in the extreme. He was thankful that he had been periodically dousing himself with antivenom, and that he'd had potions ready, so he had been able to keep his promise to her. Her face had been filled with wonder when he'd told her of the careful precautions he had been taking, then she'd looked guilty, and apologised for not doing the same, but his death had always been more likely than hers, and seeing as they were both still here there seemed little point in dwelling on it. She was at Hogwarts, now, helping with the restoration, and would be pleased when she came home and found him awake and upright. Hermione was apparently guarding him very fiercely, from what Poppy had said – with no small amount of pride in her voice – she was the only one Hermione allowed to come and go as she pleased; no one else knew his location. Hermione's protectiveness was something he cherished; he wasn't sure there had ever been anyone in his life who so obviously desired his safety and wellbeing, it was a rather nice feeling. Potter would probably want to speak to him about his Mother at some point, which he certainly wasn't looking forward to, but seeing as the boy had vanquished the Dark Lord once and for all, Severus thought he just might entertain the idea ... someday. Hermione had also told him that both boys now knew about their relationship, Weasley only vaguely as he had been too angry to do much listening, but Potter knew the extent of it, and was apparently even accepting, pleased that his friend was happy. Severus was torn between annoyance that this aspect of his life was now also known by Potter, and gratitude that Hermione wanted her friends to know, that she wasn't ashamed of him. Severus had realised, as he'd lain on the floor of the shack, and witnessed Potter's concern, Potter's sympathy, that perhaps the boy wasn't completely like his Father, perhaps Dumbledore had been right all along, and his true nature was closer to that of his Mother's. Severus had no desire to ever spend much time with the boy, but perhaps, someday, for Hermione's sake, the two of them could be … cordial.

A crack of apparition outside the bedroom door alerted him to Hermione's arrival, and instantly he knew something was off – she usually appeared by his bed. The sound of a deep male voice put him further on edge, and he gripped his wand tightly. Hermione entered the bedroom a few seconds later, looking tense, but her face softened into a smile as her eyes met his.

"Hello," she said softly, "you're up. Kingsley is here, he wants to talk to us, are you up for a visitor? I've told him he can't stay long."

Severus nodded, and his apprehension must have shown on his face, because Hermione came and sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand, leaving the Minister for Magic stood on the landing.

"It's okay," she said, her face gentle, "he's here to tell us about what might happened going forward. What might happen if we decide to go to trial. I've told Kingsley if there is even a whisper of Azkaban we'll both leave the country and never look back, but he believes a trial would be the best option for you, and I said we would listen to him. Is that okay?"

Severus nodded again, and reflexively squeezed Hermione's hand, thankful that she was here with him. He hadn't thought much about any of this, but he supposed it was inevitable, and having a war hero and the Minister on his side was more than he would have hoped for.

"I'll go get him." She paused, and conjured him a fresh drink of water, which he sipped as she left the room, willing himself to be calm.

"Severus." Kingsley shook his hand, then sat himself on one of the small armchairs. Hermione sat down on the chair next to Severus' bed. "Hermione has told you why I am here?"

"Yes." Said Severus, wishing his voice sounded stronger. "To discuss the future."

"Quite." Said Kingsley. "So before we get started, I want you to know that to all intents and purposes you are under house arrest with a member of the Order of the Phoenix, no one knows where you are, you are not being monitored or watched in any capacity, and your finances have not been frozen and will not be frozen at any time. You are permitted to leave the house to go food shopping or to go to the bank. This arrangement would continue if you agree to go to trial and during the trial, and if at any time I felt that things were not going as planned, I would inform you immediately, and you could easily leave the country. This would normally cause problems for the person who was tasked with monitoring you, but since Hermione has made it very clear that she would be going with you, this hardly matters. The trial would focus on the death of Albus Dumbledore and the issues that occurred at Hogwarts this last year, as I have said to Hermione, I believe it will be more about public opinion than the letter of the law, as these are very unusal circumstances. Everyone in the Order is ready to speak on your behalf, Harry has made it very clear you have his unwavering support, and there are almost a dozen members of staff and students who also intend to speak for you. Hermione cannot be one of them, do you understand why?"

Severus nodded, as soon as Hermione had said about trial, he had known she mustn't be involved, it would do them both far more harm than good. If their relationship was ever to become public, it would have to be several years into the future and only if his reputation was not so damaged.

"Good," said Kingsley, looking relieved, "there are also the memories you gave Harry, these have been authenticated and can be used in your defence - only the Wizengamot will see them, they won't be made public. A device will be in use during the trial that will alert the courtroom if the person testifying tells a lie and I am currently in the process of getting the portrait of Dumbledore's testimony included. I don't see how a trial could do you anything but a huge amount of good. That said, justice must be seen to be done, so while I believe it would certainly restore your reputation, there probably would be some sort of punishment. I believe this is likely to be a lifelong ban from teaching and a prolonged period of house arrest, perhaps a year. You would be free to brew and write during this period, and afterwards, you would be free, completely. And vindicated. I want to see that happen."

Severus leant back against his pillow as he considered this. Running away was hugely tempting … but… He looked over at Hermione, she was frowning slightly at her hands. There was a chance for a life here, with her. She could stay where she belonged, with her friends and her reputation and a promising career. And a part of him did want the public to finally know the truth of him, to be vindicated.

"What are you expecting to happen to the other Death Eaters?" He asked, taking another sip of water.

"Their situation is completely different to yours-"

"Humour me."

"Fine." Kingsley sighed. "Trials begin soon. Most will be straight forward, Yaxley, Rockwood, Mulciber, Crabbe, Goyle and the Carrows will all get life in prison without the possibility of release. I expect Umbridge will get the same, and others like her, taking away their ability to lie will make this all a lot easier. Other cases will be more complicated."

"Like the Malfoys?" Severus asked. He had stopped thinking of them as friends years ago, but he couldn't pretend not to care what happened to them, Draco especially.

"Yes." Kingsley replied. "I don't know what will happen."

"And if you had to guess?"

"It will depend on how they answer at trial I suppose, if they regret what they've done, and for the right reasons. All three will serve time in Azkaban, while no one seems to remember them actually fighting in the battle of Hogwarts, they served as loyal Death Eaters for some time. Narcissa lied to Voldemort's face – she told him Harry was dead when he had survived – but this was likely motivated by the desire to get to her son rather than any real change in loyalties. If I had to guess…" Kinsley frowned. "Life for Lucius, with the possibility of release sometime in the future, perhaps 15 years for Narcissa, and 5 for Draco, maybe less if he is willing to serve time under house arrest."

"Then why do you think I would get away with such a light sentence?"

Kingsley blinked at him.

"Because you weren't a loyal Death Eater, because you worked for light even when it was thankless and painful and no one even knew. Because you don't believe the pureblood rhetoric and haven't for years. Because you served Dumbledore unfailingly, no matter what he forced you to do! Because you did impossibly brave things, things many others could never have managed, purely because it was the right thing to do! Because you are absolutely nothing like them!"

Hermione swiped at her eyes and Severus had to swallow against a sudden tightness in his throat. Never had he imagined someone would speak so passionately in his defence, not counting Hermione.

"Thank you." He said quietly, embarrassed, scowling, but pleased. "What do you think the worst-case scenario would be, Minister?"

"Kingsley." Kingsley corrected, smiling slightly. "The absolute worst-case scenario … as far as I can tell no one thinks Azkaban is appropriate, but there are a few who are … scared of you, I suppose. 5 years house arrest with 10 years of magical suppression is the worst thing I could realistically imagine, and I seriously doubt it will be anything close to that severe. There are plenty on the Wizengamot who – like me – think you should cleared entirely, so I must stress how unlikely that scenario is. And I will be in a good position to gage the general feeling, I could easily warn you ahead of time of things weren't going as I expect them to, and you could leave."

"Would you give your word, that you would tell us ahead of time?" Severus asked.

"Yes." Said Kingsley, without hesitation. "I give you my word."

"Very well-"

"No," Kingsley interrupted, "think about it. May I return next week, if you have come to a decision?"

"Yes," Severus replied, "of course."

Kingsley stood and shook his hand once again.

"I hope you continue to recover, Severus. Thank you for all you have done for the Light."

Severus nodded, feeling wrongfooted and uncertain.

"I'll be right back," Hermione said softly, placing her hand momentarily on his, then escorting the Minister away.

Severus waited for her return, unsure of what he was feeling. There were apparently a lot of people who wanted to speak on his behalf and no real possibility of Azkaban, which was shocking and amazing … and yet … he was afraid. Afraid of having his life displayed before a court and judged accordingly. Afraid of being found to be the worthless, disgusting little Slytherin he had always wanted to escape from.

"Would you like to talk now, or rest first?" Hermione's voice startled him: he had not heard her return.

"Now, I think." He answered, already feeling a heavy exhaustion creeping over him, but wanting to discuss this before he succumbed to it.

"I'll fetch tea then." She said gently and returned a few minutes later with tea and angel slices she'd been delighted to realise he enjoyed. "How are you feeling?"

"I – I don't quite know." He answered honestly, and watched as her eyes darted down to his hands. They were shaking - he hadn't realised.

Hermione moved the tea tray aside and came to sit next to him on the bed, taking both his hands firmly in hers. After a moment, she released him, and pulled him towards her so her arm was around him and his head was resting against the crook of her neck. He breathed in deeply, smelling dust and honey, and held onto her as he fought for calm.

"It's a lot to take in," she said softly, "I'm sorry to have sprung this on you all at once. Just give yourself some time, Severus. As much time as you need."

She always floored him with her patience and understanding, and she stroked his arm, kissed his head and began to tell him about her day. About which corridor she had been working on, about some joke Potter had made, about the nonsense Lovegood had sprouted, and he felt honoured to have her in his life, just as he had so many times before. With time, he sat himself up, and Hermione summoned the tea tray, but remained sitting beside him.

"I want to go first, if that's okay." She waited for his nod of acquiesce before she continued. "This is your choice entirely, Severus. I don't want you to consider me, or what you think I want or what you think would be best for me. The Dark Lord is gone, and so is Dumbledore, you can decide what you want to do now. And whatever you decide, I will support completely. If you want to leave, we'll go, no regrets. You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with anymore."

Severus swallowed and blinked, lacing his fingers with Hermione's as he forced him to breathe deeply and remain calm. What he ever done to deserve this?

"You have no preference?" He asked quietly and was pleased when Hermione frowned and considered the question.

"I don't think so." She answered eventually. "On the one hand, I do want your name cleared and I want you to be entirely free, but I also don't want you to have to go through the trauma of a trial. I know how private you are and how much you'd hate the whole thing, and whatever Kingsley says, it is still a risk. So, I really don't think I do have a preference."

"You'd leave your whole life behind, just like that? Just so I didn't have to have my life and decisions examined?"

Hermione turned and blinked at him.

"Severus, of course. You've been through enough, this is our after, and I want it to be everything you hoped it would be and more. I'd leave with you tomorrow."

"Not today?" He teased weakly, feeling suddenly sure of what he wanted to do.

"Absolutely not, you need a nap – you've had a big day."

Severus scowled, but the effect was surely ruined when he yawned soon after. He really was exhausted. Hermione smiled affectionately at him and helped him to settle back down, smoothing his hair away from his face and kissing his forehead.

"I love you." She said softly, her eyes warm. "I'll have dinner ready when you wake back up."

Severus smiled and nodded, feeling suddenly at ease. He would go to trial. He would let them ask whatever they wanted, he would let others speak on his behalf, he would go through every sordid detail of his miserable life and hope that the good outweighed the bad, just enough for them to be able to stay. Hermione clearly did not require it of him, and that made him want to do it, for her.

Monday 7th September, 1998

The trial itself took place 4 months after the final battle, a bright and clear September morning. Severus had mostly recovered from his injuries, though he still had a tendency to get tired and quiet in the evenings, and his spells weren't as powerful as they had once been, but Poppy had said this too would return to normal with time. Hermione and Severus couldn't go to the trial together, but Hermione had insisted he arrived and left with others, partly to boost his image in the eyes of the public, and partly because she knew how nervous he was, whatever front he put on. She caught sight of him stepping into a lift flanked with Harry and Minerva and willed herself to find calm. Poppy, Severus and Kingsley had all impressed upon her how important it was that she stayed on the side-lines and didn't draw any attention to herself, Kingsley hadn't wanted her to come at all. At least he had Minerva next to him. The new Head of Hogwarts had cornered Hermione a few weeks ago and demanded to see Severus. Hermione had refused without asking Severus first, knowing full well how difficult Minerva McGonagall had made his life this last year, but to her surprise, Severus had readily agreed. The Headmistress had apologised, ashen faced and obviously sincere, and Severus had forgiven her, with a quiet request not to doubt him again that had made Hermione want to cry and punch something. And the two of them had rekindled their tentative friendship, they had become warmer and more tolerant with each other, and Minerva even made Severus laugh sometimes. Hermione sighed slightly as she walked, as much as she did want Severus to be cleared and to be truly free, she couldn't help but wish, in some small part of her brain, that he had decided to flee instead. She was sure he was currently a lot more fragile than he was letting on, even to her, and she feared what this process would do to him. Even this morning she had recognised the cold shields of occlumency in his eyes and felt her anxiety rise.

"Hermione!"

She turned, surprise making her eyebrows rise high onto her forehead as the tall, ginger haired form of Ron Weasley sprinted over to her.

"Ron," she said quietly, "we can't really talk here, I need-"

"I won't be long," he interrupted, his eager, open face making something under her sternum ache, "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. I acted like a git. It was just such a shock, and I really hoped-" he stopped and sighed, pushing his hair away from his face. "Well, I realise now it never would have worked out. Harry and Ginny have talked to me a lot, made me realise what a plonker I was being. And I want you to be happy and … and Harry reckons you are, so that's good. I want us to always be friends, Hermione. I really am sorry."

Hermione blinked and stared at him, surprised, pleased, but mostly just wanting to get to the trial to support the man she loved so dearly.

"Ron," she hugged him, "thank you."

And they headed down to the depths of the Ministry, together.

Thursday 10th September, 1998

In total, the trial had lasted 4 days, with the outcome being declared tomorrow. It had been gruelling for Hermione; she couldn't begin to imagine what it had been like for Severus. They had arrived home each evening, eaten and fallen into bed not long after. He had been quiet and removed from her in a way that hugely worried her, even flinching away from her affection again. She wasn't sure he had slept at all; she fell asleep while he was still awake and woke up after him. The exhaustion and stress was clear to see on his face, and she had wished that the pair of them had run, far away more times than she could count. The first day, Severus had taken the stand himself, gone over every aspect of his life since he had joined the Death Eaters, answered every question the Wizengamot had thrown at him, spoken of his beliefs, his change of heart, Lily and Dumbledore and his horror and helplessness this last year. It had taken every ounce of strength Hermione had possessed not to cry, not to go to him, not to take him away. The council had then dismissed the courtroom and retired to view Severus' memories. The next few days had required less from Severus though he was still called to answer more questions on occasion, as Minerva, Poppy, Molly, Slughorn, Harry, Neville, Luna, Ginny and several others had all spoken on his behalf. They had recounted information he had given the Order which had proven vital, incidences where he had stopped the Carrows from causing even more harm, occasions where he had taken the students to the hospital wing himself. Dumbledore's portrait had also spoken, and at the end of each day, Severus had left with Harry and members of the Order, shaking their hands for photographers and listening with a bowed head as they defended him to the press. His quiet submission throughout this whole ordeal had truly shaken her, she would have preferred him to be angry, indignant, upset even, and if it hadn't been for the second night, when he had come into the bathroom and sat on the floor while she had taken a bath, she would have worried he was pushing her away. That night, she had watched him, sitting staring at his hands, silent, but needing to be near to her, and realised he was simply trying to survive and had no reference for having someone by his side as he did so. And so, she had stayed as close to him as she could ever since, not pushing him to talk, not forcing affection on him, just being there. She had been his shadow as much as possible, she just hoped it had helped a little.

They were sat on the sofa now, waiting for Kingsley to come and tell them what the general feeling was - the outcome was due to be announced in the early afternoon tomorrow. Her hand was resting on top of Severus' and he was gazing vaguely into the middle distance. Perhaps he hadn't realised how invasive a trial would be, how much of his life would be placed under scrutiny, or how much it would trouble him. Seeing how much he was suffering made Hermione wonder what on earth had made him decide to go through with this.

A sharp crack saved her from her musings, as Kingsley appeared before them and sat on an armchair.

"Well, nothing is set in stone yet, deliberations will continue tomorrow morning," he began without preamble, "but it's all gone well, very well, and there's a lot of admiration and sympathy being expressed, I would be extremely surprised if the outcome isn't favourable, as we have discussed."

"Sympathy." Said Severus, his voice barely above a whisper, his demeanour detached.

"Yes." Said Kingsley, looking over at Hermione who shrugged slightly. "This is good news."

"Yes, it is." Hermione said firmly, standing and shaking Kingsley's hand. "Thank you."

The Minister nodded, glancing over at Severus again, before he turned on the spot and disappeared.

"Severus." She said quietly. "Severus, this is good, you should try and relax a little."

He looked at her blankly, not the cold blankness that meant he was shielding, blank like he simply didn't understand what she was saying.

"Can you try to tell me what's going on in that head of yours?" She asked lightly. "Or at least tell me how I can help?"

If anything, his expression went yet more blank and he shook his head, looking confused.

"Would you like me to read to you?" She asked, relieved when he gave a slight nod. This was the only way she had managed to bring him some measure of relief recently, and as the evening wore on, he allowed her to guide him down to rest with his head against her lap, and Hermione tried not to worry too much as her fingers wove through his hair. Tomorrow, this would all be over, one way or another.

Friday 11th September, 1998

"These are difficult and unique circumstances," Kingsley's voice travelled easily around the courtroom, "the Wizengamot has taken the unprecedented decision to put aside the laws and statutes that govern this land, and deal with this case as we see fit - the law cannot clearly guide us on this occasion. Severus Snape has provided ample evidence that he worked tirelessly for the Light, unrelenting in his determination to see Voldemort defeated, no matter how difficult that task was, no matter the personal cost to himself. Albus Dumbledore's death was a tragedy, but it was brought about in the way he wanted, at the time he wanted, and allowed him to serve the greater good until the end. What has taken place at Hogwarts since that time is terrible, a failure of society as a whole to protect our children, a failure that must never happen again. We all dread to think what might have come about had a loyal Death Eater taken the role of Headmaster. That said, a great wizard is dead and many students at Hogwarts have suffered torture they will never forget. The Wizengamot feels the need to acknowledge this appropriately, which leads me to the outcome of this trial."

The courtroom was absolutely, deathly silent. Hermione felt as if her heart was beating loud enough for everyone to hear it. Severus was sat on the chair in the middle of the room, his back ramrod straight and his eyes fixed firmly ahead. Luna, on her left side, bumped her leg gently against hers.

"There will be no declaration of guilt or innocence here, nor a sentence, instead, an attempt to recognise and rectify the wrongs that have happened. Severus Snape, you are hereby banned from teaching any student under the age of 17 for a period of 10 years, effective from this point onwards. You are also hereby banished from Great Britain for the period of one year, effective from Monday at midday. When you return, we hope to welcome you with open arms, and you will be free to join and help shape the society we so nearly lost. On that note, on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, I would like to thank you for everything you have done for the Light. In recognition of your work, and in thanks of the risks you have taken and the pain that you have endured, we would like to award you with an Order of Merlin, Second Class-"

The spectators burst into applause, many members of the Wizengamot joined in, and Hermione clapped as loudly as she could, fighting tears, this was better than she had even hoped for…

"The cash prize is already in your bank account and you will be awarded with the medal in a ceremony on your return." Here Kingsley stepped down and walked over to Severus, who also stood. The two men shook hands, Kingsley smiling warmly. "Thank you for everything, Severus. We look forward to welcoming you back, soon."

Harry, Minerva, Poppy and Mr and Mrs Weasley were quick to follow, the men shaking Severus' hand while the women pulled him into hugs which he took with only a slight scowl. More Order members headed over, along with several members of Dumbledore's Army, and Hermione stood frozen, elated, and yet upset she couldn't share this moment with Severus.

"Come on." Said a light voice, and a gentle arm led her out of the courtroom and up and out to a quiet corner of the Atrium.

"Thanks, Luna." Hermione said weakly, feeling as if she'd very much like to cry.

"No problem, I can't imagine how hard it must be having to pretend like this."

"Who – who told you?"

"Oh, do other people know? That's good." Luna said, in her sing-song voice. "I saw the way you looked at him on the first day, and then it all made sense. All those times you disappeared at Shell Cottage, and how scared you were in the battle. And Professor Snape angles his body towards you, wherever you're sitting. This whole thing must have been so hard on you both."

Hermione blinked several times, then hugged Luna, closing her eyes as the enormity of what had just happened finally hit her.

She stood awkwardly in the lounge, waiting for Severus' return. It wasn't surprising there was a wait, what with jubilant Order members and the press surrounding him, but it still made Hermione nervous and she fidgeted with her sleeves. Finally, he appeared with a crack, and instantly, Hermione knew something was wrong.

"I'm sorry." He said miserably. "I'm sorry I've been so useless these last few days and I am so sorry this was the outcome. Banishment! You mustn't feel that you should accompany me-"

"Severus," she interrupted "Severus, stop it! This is exactly what I wanted, I'm the one who should be sorry." She sighed and felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she looked into Severus' face. The confusion she could see didn't hide the worry and the pain in his eyes. "I spoke to Kingsley about banishment months ago - I thought you'd hate house arrest – but it hasn't been used since the late 1800s so he wasn't sure they would go for it and I didn't want to say anything and get your hopes up."

"You wanted me to be banished?" Asked Severus, incredulous, anger stirring in his dark eyes.

"Yes!" Cried Hermione. "It's perfect, don't you see? We said about going on holiday when this was all over, and my parents are in Australia, I thought we could go there first and restore their memories, then we can travel around and explore, maybe pop over to New Zealand as well. I thought I would just get a nice easy muggle job, at a café or a library perhaps, and you can brew to sell to local apothecaries. And you can write a book!"

"A book?" Severus' face was suddenly expressionless.

"Yes." Said Hermione firmly. "'The Rise and Fall of Tom Riddle, the Wizard Known as Lord Voldemort' we'll need a history book about all this, and it should be accurate, told by someone who was really there, I can help, and I'm sure Harry and the Weasleys will too. Plus, it will help to solidify your status as a War Hero. And I'd love to show you France, I know some of it quite well and there's an absolutely thriving wizarding community in Paris. Then I thought we could explore some of the rest of Europe too. A year will go so quickly, Severus. It's the perfect chance for us to take a well-deserved break. When we return, we can have a look at getting a house or a flat somewhere, and I think I'd like to get a job at the Ministry and help with the reforms. I thought you could maybe write a decent Defence textbook too, and Minerva was already talking about getting you a contract to brew for Hogwarts, and goodness knows St Mungo's needs a decent Potioneer."

"But," said Severus, his brow furrowed deeply, "your life is here, you were helping to rebuild, and your friends-"

"It's only a year, Severus! And don't you think I've helped enough?! The Dark Lord is gone, my friends and the wizarding world should be able to cope without me for 12 months! I need to go and sort out my parents anyway, and we said we'd go on holiday. Don't you see, Severus? This is it! This is the end of all the shit we've been through. And" she took both of his hands in hers, "this is finally the start of our after. This is our beginning!"

Severus was staring at their joined hands, then he raised his head and, for the first time in over a week, he smiled. Hermione's heart leapt at the sight. Slowly, he bent forwards and kissed her, gently, but full of love, of hope.

"I see now," he said quietly, the smile still on his face, "this is just the beginning."

- The End -