A/N: Thank you to RenitaLeandra and Keladry Lupin who save me from my mistakes!

Epilogue Part 2

Hermione Apparated from the Ministry to just outside Hogwarts' property. It amazed her that even in its damaged state, many of the wards had still held. She looked around the bare grounds, strangely empty for this time of year. It still seemed unnatural that there were no students wandering around the grounds, no shouts from Quidditch practice being carried on the breeze. She sighed and made her way to the small cemetery next to the lake. She still walked with a limp, and the cold made the ache in her leg all the more pronounced, yet it did not slow her steady progress as she made her way to the two small rows of headstones. All the people who had died during the end of the war had been buried with Dumbledore; Ron,with Minerva McGonagall,had gotten a special place of honor next to the former Headmaster.

She paused momentarily next to Ron's grave. He was not the reason she had been driven to the cemetery on such a cold, blustery day, but she couldn't come without stopping there first. She carefully brushed away a couple dried leaves that had fallen on the headstone and wiped away a bit of grime from one of the corners.

Since the final battle, she had taken Severus's advice to heart and had visited Ron's grave many times. Once the threat of Voldemort had passed, she had finally found it in herself to grieve for the love she had lost. The first few times had been especially painful as she sat weeping and begging him for forgiveness, both for failing to save his life and also for her traitorous heart that had somehow temporarily forgotten him those few weeks before the final battle. She had sobbed out all her worries and fears in those visits;somehow, through voicing all her concerns, she had finally managed to let go of her guilt and find some peace.

Now, however, she only stood there for a moment, smiling to herself, before walking over to the imposing white tomb next to his. This was the real reason she was here.

"Hello, Professor," she said quietly. She had long since got over any embarrassment of speaking to a grave that would never be able to hear her. "I came to bring you some good news. I've been dreaming of telling you this for over a year, and now I finally can."

Hermione paused and took a deep breath, feeling tears prick her eyes. "Severus is free, sir. Or at least as free as he has been for the last twenty years. It's finally all over, and they let him go home."

She was sure it was her imagination, but it seemed that the wind was blowing a little bit warmer and she saw the sun suddenly peek through the clouds. She smiled. If anyone could influence the weather from beyond the grave, it was surely Dumbledore.

"I knew you would be glad, sir. I know that you have been waiting for this for a long time. I just wish you were here with us to celebrate; even if Severus's idea of celebrating is to spend an evening by himself." Hermione laughed quietly as if sharing a joke with the white tomb and, in a way, she supposed she was.

She stood in silence several more minutes and was just about to turn to go when she heard the distinct sound of footsteps behind her. She turned to see Aberforth Dumbledore standing several feet away, watching her and leaning heavily on a walking stick.

"Hello, Abe," she said walking over to him. She had only seen him a few times since the final battle, when he had testified at Severus's trial and a couple of times when he had sat in the audience, but she had never had the chance to speak to him then.

"Hello, girl," he said, his voice still sounding gruff from disuse. Hermione grinned as she was reminded of the first time they had ever met. She wasn't sure he had ever actually used her name. He nodded toward the tomb Hermione had just been standing in front of. "I come here sometimes. 'S a good place to clear my head. Albus always was a good listener."

His face seemed etched with sadness, and Hermione realized how rarely she considered all he had lost in the war as well. Just because she had never been aware of his relationship to Dumbledore didn't mean that it didn't exist. They were brothers, and it was obvious from the way he looked at the tomb that they had been fairly close.

"Yes," Hermione finally said, once again forcing tears back, "he was."

Aberforth took her arm and led her away from the small cemetery. "C'mon, girl. Let me get you a cup of tea. You must be chilled to the bone there."

Hermione didn't protest and allowed herself to be led the short distance between the Hogwarts cemetery and Hogsmeade and then into the dingy, dim light of the Hog's Head. Hermione had never been back in there since the first meeting of the D.A. back in her fifth year, but it might have only been a day for all that it had changed.

The room was empty, and Hermione wondered if Aberforth actually hired help or just allowed customers to rob him while he was gone. They walked to the bar and with a quick Accio, a surprisingly clean teapot and two cups landed on the bar. One more flick and the tea poured itself. Hermione didn't feel like pressing her luck by asking for sugar or milk and politely took a small sip from her cup. Although she had come to appreciate Aberforth, the reputation of the Hog's Head still made her nervous to accept anything served there.

After a few minutes of them sipping their tea in silence, Aberforth finally spoke. "So, you've just come from the trial," he said, more as a statement than a question. Hermione nodded her head.

"Yes. I wanted to tell Professor Dumbledore the good news."

Aberforth grunted and nodded his head. "He'd have been glad. Albus worried 'bout him. I don't think he was the only one, though." He gave Hermione a long knowing look that reminded her of his brother, and she couldn't help but blush.

"No," she said quietly and looking down into her cup, "he's not the only one to have worried about him." She paused for a moment before continuing. She felt the need to confide in someone, but wasn't sure if she should discuss her worries with Aberforth. "I'm not sure if he wants anyone to worry about him, though."

Aberforth gave her an approving smile. "Y'know, I've known Severus since he was a scrawny third-year. His type always find a way to my place. Timid little boy, he was. Came in here to escape a couple 'a fifth-years that were chasin' him. I let him hide out 'til they were gone and gave him something to drink. After that, he always stopped in for a butterbeer on Hogsmeade weekends. Well, 'til seventh year, that is. By then he was in pretty good with Avery and the Lestranges and he thought he was too important to take advice from the old bartender at the local inn."

This was the first anyone had ever spoken to Hermione about the younger Severus. Even he had avoided the subject when they had had long talks in his cell during the past year. Aberforth appeared to be lost in the past now and continued speaking.

"After he left Hogwarts, I didn't see him again 'til that night when that old bat Trelawney made her prophecy. Well, we all know what happened then. I was disappointed in the boy and told him so right before throwing him out on his arse. Thought we'd lost him to Voldemort forever, Albus and I did. Even after he made that Unbreakable Vow with Albus, I still had my doubts. I even warned Albus about him. I was afraid he'd find a way around the vow and betray the Order. But then the day after the Potters were killed, he showed up at Hogwarts. Albus said it looked like he hadn't slept or bathed in a week. Was real broken up over the whole deal."

"Why?" Hermione asked. "There was certainly no love lost between him and James."

"Dunno," Aberforth said, shrugging his shoulders. "He never said. Best Albus could figure, he felt bad 'bout Lily. They had got on pretty well in their early years at Hogwarts. Not hard to imagine; they were both pretty smart. Awful good at Potions too, according to Horace. They had a falling out 'round their fifth year when Lily got prefect. By the time she died, I don't figure they'd spoken in years. Still, I imagine Severus felt some guilt there. She was the only person outside of Slytherin that Albus ever saw him speak to. Said that Severus was a different person around her."

Hermione stared at Aberforth in shock. In all the time she had spent with Severus, he had never once mentioned his friendship with Lily Potter. When the subject of Harry's parents came up, he either made some snarling comment about James, changed the subject, or ignored it all together. Now everything seemed to make sense.

"He's a different person around you too," Aberforth said and Hermione looked up in surprise.

"I don't know what you mean," Hermione said with a dry laugh, trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart. "He acts the same around me as he does anyone."

"You didn't see him the day he brought you back from Riddle Manor. Kept checking you for injuries. Didn't want to leave you alone. I heard him bully that Bones girl into giving him regular updates on you, too."

"Oh…" Hermione sighed. That was before their discussion at St. Mungo's. "Well, things changed a bit after the final battle. We decided… Well, he said…. Things just got rather complicated."

"Hmph," Aberforth snorted before taking a long drink of tea. "I know better than that. I didn't just tell you all this for no reason. Like I said, I've known Severus a long time. And I spent some time at the trials. I saw the way he would look at you when you weren't paying attention; how he would get all worked up every time your name came up by the Wizengamot. I don't give a kneazle's tail what he told you, Severus Snape is in love with you, girl."

Hermione felt her heart give a sudden jump at Aberforth's words. She had hoped that perhaps once the trial was over Severus would reconsider their relationship, but in the past thirteen months, he had given no indication that he felt anything more than friendship towards her. She swallowed hard.

"Do you really think so?"

"Course I do," Aberforth chuckled. "Why else do you think I would have dragged my lazy old arse out into the cold today to collect you from the cemetery? I thought you might need to have some things explained to you. Severus doesn't just come out and say what he needs to, so you might have to give him a little push. I thought you might understand a bit better if you knew what he was like before all this mess. Poor boy never knew what real affection was, 'cept for Lily. I think Albus'd be real happy to see him get another chance."

Hermione rose from her chair and gave the old man an affectionate hug. "Well, I suppose I've taken enough of your time. Thank you for telling me all this, Abe. Maybe there is hope after all."

Aberforth returned her hug. "Ah, girl, there's always hope," he said, and she smiled before turning back to the door and leaving.

Severus woke suddenly the next morning, a feeling of unease sweeping over him as he gazed out across the dark room. For several moments he thought he had heard the sound of a cell door slamming shut and the shouts from prisoners down the hall. It was only once his heartbeat had returned to its normal rate and his eyes had adjusted to the dark, that he recognized where he was.

He lay back on his pillow and stared up at the ceiling, trying to remember what had woken him. The last thing he remembered was a nightmare where he was back at Riddle Manor. But this time it was he who was the prisoner, and Hermione and Draco were Death Eaters. When they had cast the Cruciatus, he had woken up.

As light slowly crept into the room, he finally rose and pulled on some clothes. As much as he had always hated his small, dingy home, it was luxurious compared to life in Azkaban. He didn't think he would ever take it for granted again.

The sun was just beginning to stream through the windows when he heard a knock at his door. He rolled his eyes and sighed. He supposed he should be amazed she had waited until the next day before checking on him. Even through his annoyance, though, he couldn't help but continue to feel amazed that this young woman would want to be friends with him. Merlin, at one time she even wanted to be more than friends. It boggled the mind.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said as he opened the door to allow the young woman into the sitting room. She looked bright and vibrant, her cheeks were pink from the cold morning air and her bushy hair looked windblown. He privately thought how beautiful she looked before hastily pushing the thought away. It had been over a year since he had walked away from her tear-streaked face at St. Mungo's, and he had no reason to think she would ever consider him again, as much as he might wish it.

"It is a good morning, isn't it?" Hermione said brightly as her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room. "Did you rest well last night?"

"As well as could be expected," Severus said before shrugging his shoulders and conceding, "a great deal better than I have in a long while."

"Good," Hermione said. She continued to stand in the sitting room for several minutes and the silence stretched uncomfortably. Nervously she turned to look at a couple of dusty knick-knacks on a nearby shelf.

Mentally,Severus berated himself as he tried desperately to think of something to say. Why was he always so hopelessly awkward about these things?

"Would you care for something to drink?" he asked shifting on his feet like a nervous schoolboy.

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Hermione said gratefully as she began to remove her cloak. "It's awfully cold out this morning."

Severus opened a hidden door behind a bookshelf that led into a cramped hallway. He motioned to Hermione and, after a moment's hesitation, she followed. The hallway was not very long, and at the end was a dark and confined kitchen, just barely large enough for the two of them to sit at a small, heavily-scarred table. She sat at the table while Severus poured tea into two large mugs and handed one to her before sitting down across from her. They sat in silence for a while, sipping their tea and each one wondering if they should be the one to start the conversation.

"So… ah… how was your evening?" Severus finally asked. Hermione looked at him with a strange glint in her eye.

"Quite good, actually," she said putting down her mug. "I went up to Hogwarts."

Severus raised his eyebrow in surprise. "And what were you doing around a decrepit old ruin such as that?"

"Oh, I wouldn't call Hogwarts a ruin yet," Hermione laughed. "I've heard that the Ministry is planning on rebuilding. From what I hear, Professor Flitwick has agreed to be Headmaster."

"Hmm… The students will eat him alive." Severus looked back up at her. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Oh… I was going to the cemetery."

Severus swallowed hard. Damn! The memory of the Weasley boy was always there. "I see," he said shortly. Hermione smiled and for a moment he wondered if she could read his mind.

"To visit Professor Dumbledore's tomb. I ran into Aberforth while I was there." She was now watching Severus very carefully. "We had an interesting conversation."

"Oh really?" Severus said noncommittally. Inside however, his stomach had begun to churn. Aberforth was as big a busybody as his brother had been and seemed just as committed to seeing Severus happy.

"Yes. About you."

"Hmph," Severus grumbled. "He should be minding his own bloody business."

Hermione just gave him a mysterious smile, but said nothing. After several moments, Severus couldn't stand it any longer.

"What… what did he have to say?" he finally asked.

Hermione took a long breath. The previous night she had lain awake wondering how she should bring this subject up, or if she should bring it up at all. Maybe she should just let Severus figure out his feelings on his own time. Maybe giving him a push was the wrong idea. But, then again, she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor for nothing. If she didn't have courage now, she never would.

"That if I want a relationship with you, I'm going to have to give you a push." Hermione managed to say the words looking straight at Severus. He held her gaze for a long moment before breaking it and returning to stare into his mug. Hermione tried desperately to calm both her heart and her breathing.

"Is that what you want?" Severus asked quietly.

"Yes." Hermione managed to get the word out even though her heart felt like it was lodged in her throat. For a moment, from the look on his face, she thought Severus was going to object and she rushed to interrupt him. "I know all the reasons you had after the final battle of why this would never work, but I've given this some thought, and I just don't think they are still valid."

This caught Severus by surprise. He hadn't expected her to sit and discuss her case as if she were arguing the finer points of Arithmancy theory. He suddenly found himself curious about what she was going to say. Leaning back in his chair, he motioned for her to continue.

"Please, do elaborate, Miss Granger," he said in an almost teasing tone, and she smirked at his formal words.

"Well, you said that we didn't know each other and, I'll grant you, that was true at the time. However, I have spent a large portion of the last thirteen months in your company and, if we don't know each other well now, we never will. You also told me that I needed to take some time to mourn and to heal. Well, I'll have you know that I have mourned until I was sick of it, quite frankly. I have visited the cemetery so much I'm surprised they haven't built me my own little bench out there. And I realize that I still have a limp and yes, there are some pretty nasty scars, but I'm as healed as I can be and I have come to terms with what I experienced at Riddle Manor."

"Have you really?" Severus asked, sounding somewhat skeptical. "Do you still have nightmares?"

"Do you?" Hermione shot back and then immediately regretted the words. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

Severus had felt momentarily annoyed at what he considered a childish response, before realizing the truth in what she said. "Yes, actually, I do still have nightmares. I suppose it was an unfair question on my part, as well. I did not mean to imply that you have not dealt with your trauma."

"Very well," Hermione nodded. "As I was saying, I believe the issues you raised at the time no longer exist, and I would like to know how you feel."

As soon as the words were out, Hermione wished she could take them back. What if he didn't feel the same way? What if Aberforth was wrong? She cringed at the idea that she may have just destroyed a friendship.

Severus rose slowly from his chair and moved his way around to where Hermione sat, kneeling down so he was level with her. Inside, his emotions and thoughts were a mess, and he was having a hard time keeping it all straight. He had purposely kept himself away from this train of thought, and now this had been sprung on him unexpectedly. In his heart, he knew what he wanted to say to her, but, even though she was now ready, he discovered that he was not… yet.

He reached up gently with one hand to brush her unruly hair away from her face and he saw the spark of hope in her eyes. He found his breath caught in his throat and closed his eyes for a moment to compose himself before he spoke. Slowly he reached around with his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her face close to him.

Hermione's heart stopped as his dark eyes were now impossibly close to hers and she was sure he was going to kiss her. Instead, however, at the last moment he shifted and she could feel his breath on her neck.

"Come back tomorrow," he whispered quietly in her ear and, before she had a chance to react, he rose, gave her a smirk, and walked out of the kitchen.