The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and anything you recognise belongs to the talented J K Rowling.

Quick note...I apologise for the delay in getting this up, but I've found it much more difficult to write as I get closer to the conclusion. This is totally unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own, but I figured you would rather it be up now than in a week or so. With real life duties and the upcoming holidays, I anticipate at least two weeks between updates from this point on.

Chapter 10

Hermione started to wake up, then quickly sat upright when the unfamiliarity of her surroundings confused her. After taking a few seconds to calm down, she looked around and noticed the cold damp walls, small window on one wall, and the toilet in the back of the room. She found it hard to believe that she had slept so soundly last night that she had almost forgotten that she was now back at Azkaban. She might have slept well because it was the first night in almost a week that she did not need a pain potion, or more than likely it was because she would never have to see Marietta Edgecomb ever again.

Harry had come back to the hospital and told her that Marietta was under house arrest, pending an investigation of the events that led to Hermione's hospitalization. The worst case scenario was that Marietta would lose her job as prison guard, and the best case scenario was that she herself would have to serve a sentence. Hermione did not care as long as she never had to see Marietta Edgecomb ever again.

She quickly rose and put on a second robe to combat the chill in her cell. She reached under the mattress to pull out a book, and then paused when she heard the voice outside her cell. "Granger, you have visitors."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione followed the guard down the corridor with growing anticipation. She had never been allowed two visitors, and she was fairly confident that it must have something to do with the situation with Marietta.

She was lead into the visitation room, and then patiently waited for her visitors to come in as the guard used a shackling spell on her wrists and ankles. As the two visitors walked towards her, she couldn't contain her squeal of delight.

"How- how were you both able to come right now? I'm not allowed more than one visitor at a time."

Her visitors smiled at each other, then at Hermione, before the older woman spoke in her familiar Scottish brogue. "There are going to be changes at Azkaban after your attack, and this was just the first concession that the Minister has made." Minerva turned to Harry, then continued after he gave her an approving nod. "Your attack did not reflect well on the Ministry, and the public was outraged that a war heroine was attacked by a Death Eater."

"What?" Hermione had a confused expression on her face. "When I was convicted, the Ministry had the full support of the Wizengamot, and it seemed that the general Wizarding population was behind my sentencing as well. There was no uproar when I was convicted. Why would my attack change anything?"

Harry shook his head and grimaced. "I know it seemed that way at the time, but there were quite a few of us that were upset with your sentencing. Kingsley couldn't go against the Wizengamot's ruling- he didn't have enough power since he was only an interim Minister. But trust me, he was furious about your sentencing. None of us were vocal about it at the time, but now that all of this has become public knowledge- not only your attack but conditions here at Azkaban, there is quite a bit of public outrage."

"To save face, the Ministry is now reviewing all convictions that have taken place since the end of the war," Minerva added. "And that includes yours."

Hermione had tried very hard to not get emotional as Harry and Minerva had spoken to her, but when she thought about possibly being released early, she couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes.

"Harry, is that really a possibility? I don't want to get my hopes up, but-," her voice trailing off as her shoulders started shaking with the emotion she was feeling.

"Yes, Hermione, it really is a possibility. I wouldn't have even mentioned it if it wasn't. Even before your attack, Kingsley had brought up the conditions here and the lice outbreak. Your attack was the turning point that finally convinced the Ministry to take another look. They are seriously going to look at retrials, paroles, and pardons."

Hermione started to smile, then it faltered as a new thought entered her mind. "What about Severus? Would his sentence be reviewed as well?"

"I believe so," Harry replied confidently. "He was also sentenced after the War, so it should be included."

As the guards started walking towards Hermione, she knew her time was up. But for once she felt no sadness as her visitors prepared to leave. "Thank you so much," she spoke softly to both of them as she was led back to her cell.

-ooOOoo-

It had been almost a week since Harry and Minerva had visited her, but there were already changes taking place in Azkaban. The first change she had noticed was that the warming charms had been either enhanced or recast. Her cell was no longer so cold that she had to double layer her robes. The second change was that she was now allowed a weekly shower...and that the water was actually warm.

She settled into her room and pulled the worn out paperback from under her lumpy mattress. She had now read it quite a few times, but she had not seen Severus since her attack, and that had been almost two weeks.

She had started to doze off as she reached the halfway point in the book when she heard the voice outside of her cell. For once, it was a friendly voice, and it surprised her.

"It's time for your one hour recreation break, Miss Granger," the friendly feminine voice had spoken outside her door. She had never had a guard speak to her so kindly, and never had she actually been called her own name without malice.

Although she had never been brave enough to talk to a guard in the corridors, something about this friendly looking female had made her brave. She swallowed quickly, then spoke before she lost her nerve.

"Isn't it too cold to go outside? I've never been allowed outside when it is below freezing."

"Oh, is that so?" The guard gave her a questioning look. "This is my first week here, and I was transferred from the Auror department just last week. We were told to cast a localized warming charm in the courtyard to make the temperature more comfortable."

"Oh," was the only response that Hermione could formulate. She was stunned at how polite the guard had treated her, and even more in shock from the content of the conversation. They continued to walk in silence until they had reached the end of the final corridor.

The wind cut almost like a knife as the gate to the courtyard was opened. Hermione watched as the guard performed a series of wand motions, and the wind stopped almost instantaneously. As she walked towards the familiar patch of dead grass, she noticed that the air was noticeably warmer as well.

Although she pulled out her book to read, she had hoped that Severus would be outside so that she could finally thank him for saving her. She had not seen him or even spoken to him since her attack, and she had hoped that he had recovered enough to be allowed outside.

She had reread the first page for about the sixth time when she saw a familiar pair of shoes approaching. She looked up and couldn't help the beaming smile that appeared on her face.

"You came!" She exclaimed in an excited and breathless voice. Before she could even think through her actions, she threw her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug. "I owe you so much and I will never be able to repay you."

It was obvious as he tensed slightly with the embrace that he was uncomfortable, yet he did nothing to stop her show of affection. Hermione noticed just the slightest tinting of his cheeks before he spoke.

"Nonsense, Hermione. Isn't that what friends do?" His voice was kind, and it gave her an unfamiliar warmth in her heart to hear him speak. "Your thanks are not necessary," he added as he pulled away from her embrace.

"Severus, you ended up in the infirmary. You risked your own life to save my own, so I do believe that I owe you a great deal."

She watched as he tensed slightly, obviously uncomfortable with the praise that she was heaping on him. She didn't want to keep making him uncomfortable, so she quickly changed topics to a subject that they both would enjoy. She pulled the battered book out of her robes and gave him a sheepish smile.

"I'm hoping that you have seen Minerva recently because I don't think this book will survive another reading. I do believe that the binding has seen better days." She handed the book back to him and watched a smile form on his face.

"Of course. Minerva would never visit without bringing books, or else she would have to face my wrath," he smirked slightly as he spoke. He pulled out a book and handed it to her, watching her eyebrows rise almost to her hairline as she took it.

"You have finally surprised me," she stroked the cover of the book as she spoke. "I would never have expected you to own anything written by Austen, especially this," she waved Sense and Sensibility in the air to emphasize her point.

"I needed a change," he shrugged his shoulders slightly as he spoke.

Although the air around them was warm, they sat close together as they began to discuss the book. Their knees and shoulders touched slightly as she leaned in to hear him discuss the book, and Hermione could sense that something about their relationship had changed. Her smile grew larger as his hand slightly brushed her own as he flipped a page in the book. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him blush slightly at the contact. She couldn't help but sigh slightly as she realised that they were both happy at the new direction their relationship seemed to be heading.

A/N...I had to throw in the Sense and Sensibility reference. I could practically drool over Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon.

We are now just a few chapers away from the ending...about five or so if I stick to my outline, and I find it more difficult to write as I approach the end. So thank you for being patient with the long delays between chapters.

As always, reviews are appreciated.