Hermione looked out the window onto the Black Lake. She had a very good view from up here. Hagrid's hut was still there. Nobody had lived in it in decades and the staff used it for the Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

They had all left now at the end of term, and Hermione was nearly alone in the castle. The sun was standing high and its reflection glistened on the lake's calm surface. There was only one place that she could think of right now, and she left her Headmistress Office to walk down into the dungeons.

Clemency and Draco had lived in the Head of Slytherin Chambers for the better part of their life. The new Head of Slytherin was Norma Avery and Hermione could have not picked a better person to do the job. She was pleased with herself.

She felt a little bit rogue just going into her staff members chamber, but she missed the view.

Walking into the chambers she sighed in content. The light still did its game, connecting all the objects in the room, playing with the colours and shadows and reminding her of her youth.

"You miss him a lot, don't you?"

Hermione had felt her daughter approaching the rooms and turned around to smile at her. Epione was the splitting image of her father. Just her nose was straight and her eyes a tad lighter. Nobody would ever have eyes like Severus.

"I do", Hermione said and tears filled her eyes.

It had been a long time, since Severus had passed, but there hasn't been a day she had not missed him with all her heart and all her soul. He had died at an early age for a wizard, most likely the result of all the torment in his early life, Epione had just started her second year at Hogwarts when it had happened.

"Merlin, was he mocking me about the fact that all three of you were in Slytherin", she smiled sadly.

"Well, you have two grandchildren now in Gryffindor, mum", Epione said.

"And three in Ravenclaw, and two in Hufflepuff. And the first great-grand-child will be sorted into Gryffindor as well, I can tell you that much!", she said. "You know what makes me laugh every night?"

"What?"

"Thinking of the face that your father would have made had he lived long enough to see that the Slytherin-gene didn't get any further than the three of you!"

Epione laughed and beckoned her to leave.

"Let's get home, everyone is waiting for you."

Epione dropped her at the cottage. Hermione could still apparate by herself, but she liked the company.

Epione and her husband had taking over the Apothecary, and Pistis's son Joshua was working with them too. They looked after Hermione's apothecary garden and vegetables whilst she was at Hogwarts. When she was back over the summer, they often came to visit her, but Hermione didn't mind when she was by herself. It gave her some time to think about the past without needing to justify it.

"I will pick you up tomorrow before lunch then, alright?", Epione said and gave her a kiss.

"See you then, darling", Hermione waved her daughter goodbye.

She went inside the house and slowly up the stairs. It took her a bit longer now at her age, but she still made it.

Taking off her purple robes, the ones that Severus had loved so much, she slid into her dressing gown. Her long, bushy hair had grown thin and was hanging over her shoulders in light grey curls.

The bedroom was exactly the way it had been always, Severus's pyjama bottoms nicely tucked under his pillow. Of course she washed them from time to time. He had gotten her a muggle washing machine for her sixtieth birthday.

Smiling, she went back downstairs and outside to enjoy the warmth, sitting down on the bench in front of the house. One elbow-rest was quite worn down where Severus always used to lean with his arm, but Hermione didn't have it in her heart to repair it.

"I miss you, Sev", she whispered, patting the wood next to her. "I miss you quite a lot."

She sat on the bench for a long while, feeling tired and looking at the garden. The trees on the fields had grown mightily and the kids had great fun picking all the fruits when they came to visit her during the summer.
Her wild roses had made their way around the annex and covered most of the fence on one side of the garden gate, and the vegetable garden produced enough to feed a whole army.

She stretched her legs and wiggled her toes in the grass.

The sun was very bright and it made her feel quite energetic. Getting up from the bench was quite easy and she walked towards her raspberry bush.

When she heard some birds tweeting she raised her head, a view she hadn't had in fifty-two years conjured a relieved, delighted smile onto her face.

Severus came out of the house into the garden. He spotted her and the adorable, rare smile lit up his face. He stretched out his hand towards her.

"Welcome home."

To everyone out there who has followed my story…. You are my heroes.

I have been so self-conscious and worried, not only about my writing, but about many things throughout all of my life. What you have given me with your support is more than you can imagine.

I know that a few of the things in the story have not been resolved or dealt with. Personally, I think the character of Septima Vector is one that bothers me most. I used her absence in the later chapter as a metaphor for all those people in the world that do good and righteous things without ever being recognised. As much as I wanted her to be more involved in Severus's and Hermione's life, it didn't feel quite right.

I hope it sets a reminder, that more often than not, the best people don't get nearly enough gratitude or attention as they deserve. Not because they are being overlooked or ignored by other, but because they decide for themselves that it is not necessary to shout out all the things they have done.

There are other things, that are still open, but that is what life is like sometimes. Things don't always work out or resolve the way we'd expect them to. Sometimes you never hear of an incident again, sometimes the smallest drop in the ocean can cause the biggest waves.

I wish that this story has inspired some people to think about out social and moral norms, to think about the impact certain actions can have, and to cherish the immeasurable value of being kind. Of loving your neighbour, of being helpful and humble, but never to take any shit that is served to you.

We are all born wonderful, wonderful people. We have beauty and grace inside of us, and nobody should make you feel worth any less than that. We are all incredible human beings, capable of so much love and we should give as much as we can to each other, every day in our lives.

Thank you everybody. Stay happy, healthy and kind xxx