Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in the headmaster's office after looking through Severus' memories. Hermione felt smug, she'd been right the whole time. Harry and Ron sat dumfounded and shocked at the realization that they were wrong about Severus the whole time. Finally getting into Gear Hermione stood up from the floor uselessly dusting herself.

"I'll go to the shrieking shack." She decided on her own. Ron and Harry stood and were about to protest. They weren't quick enough and she was already out the door. Hermione remembered the secret passageways that would take her out and around the castle to the shrieking shack. No need to be hampered by the raging battle. It didn't take long for her to climb through to the room Severus lay in. The room was dark so she cast a charm the caused floating lights orbs. Quickly she made her way to Severus side and placed her hand on his neck. There was still a pulse though faint. Quickly she cast one spell to draw out the poison. Next she poured a potion down his through to reconstruct the damaged veins and muscle from within. Next she knitted together the torn flesh then poured a blood replenisher down his throat.

For a moment she did nothing but wait with her left hand on his pulse. After a moment she could feel it strengthening and color returning to his skin. Satisfied with her work and confident she wouldn't hurt either, Hermione apparated both to his chambers in the dungeons. Voldemort had destroyed the barrier-preventing apparition in and out of Hogwarts. Quickly, Hermione scourgified Severus and called for Aya, one of the many house elves.

"Aya, can you transport him to his bedroom please?" Aya took his hand and popped both to Severus bedroom. A moment later she returned to Hermione's side.

"Aya has done as miss has asked." She said with her impossibly sweet voice.

"Thank you, but I have one more request. Protect him; the only other person allowed in here is me. Understood?" she asked looking Aya in the eyes.

"Yes, miss. Aya will protect." Hermione nodded her head and grabbed her wand and set out to join the battle. She fought off death eaters to finally make it to Ron's side. It was there that she thought Harry was in fact dead only to watch him jump out of Hagrid's arms and grab Draco's wand. She watched as Harry fought Voldemort and finally saw as his dead body hit the ground. It was finally over the light had won and now everyone new of Severus' true loyalties. Hermione consoled Harry as he sat a few feet from Voldemort's dead body crying. There were no words said for a while but then the tears subsided.

"Where's Ron?" he asked between sniffles.

"Fred was killed, so he's with his family." She whispered. For a moment he said nothing then looked at her.

"Who else have we lost?"

"Remus and Tonks, those I know so far."

"And Severus?"

"He'll be okay. He's in a safe place resting. I was able to heal him, the poison hadn't killed him yet by the time I got to him." She explained. Harry and Hermione stood and made there way in to the ruined castle to console the living and count the dead. A few hours later Hermione was able to slip away and made her way down to the dungeons to Severus' side. He still slept but she could see that the house elves had changed his clothes to pajamas and placed him snuggly in bed. Hermione smiled but found his bathroom. Luckily the shower still worked and she was able to finally, after almost a year on the run, take a proper shower.

She stayed in for as long as she could take then stepped out and dried herself off. For a moment she stopped and stared at herself in the mirror. She was much thinner than she'd ever been but she was battle ridden. She had the body of an underfed warrior. She was proud of her strength but vowed to eat as much as possible. Quickly she turned away to find that the clothes that were in her endless purse had been washed, repaired, and folded on the bathroom counter. She got dressed putting the clothes back in and made her way to Severus' room. She pulled up the chair that was in the corner and cast a diagnostic spell over him. After five hours he was back to his normal self. But there was one change, the dark mark was gone. She took his wrist in her hand and took a closer look but she felt him gently pull away. Hermione let go as she looked up to his face. He was awake and looked thoroughly confused.

"Aya!" she called. Aya popped in to the room.

"Yes miss?"

"Is the kitchen functioning?"

"Yes miss."

"Can you bring dinner for two please?"

"Yes miss." Aya popped out.

"Welcome back Severus." At the pronouncement of his name Severus furrowed his brows. Who was this little chit to call him by his given name? It was then he realized she probably no longer cared and technically he wasn't a professor anymore.

"What happened?" he rasped out. His throat was dry.

"Please try not to talk. I healed you as best I could given the situation. I was able to pull out all the poison then repair you from the inside out and knit together the wounds." She said as she looked at his neck. "I must say I did a good job there is barely any scarring. Are you in any pain?" she asked looking him in the eye. Severus shook his head no. "Good. Now to fill you in. Voldemort is dead, Harry is alive, a good amount of the death eaters are dead or have been arrested, Bellatrix is among the dead, but there are still a few who got away. Malfoy senior has been arrested but Narcissa and Draco are free and have returned home."

Severus let the most important of information get through. Voldemort was dead and Harry was not. Hermione watched Severus visibly relax at the information. "Does he have the wand?"

"Yes, he's used it to fix his wand and plans to use it to help rebuild Hogwarts then destroy the wand."

"No, he needs to give it to Minerva to fix Hogwarts she is Headmistress and knows the required spells. She is also the only one who can destroy it properly." Hermione took note of this as Aya popped in to the room and placed the platter of food on the nightstand.

"Thank you Aya. Don't leave yet." Finding a parchment and quill she quickly wrote down what Severus said then handed the note to Aya. "Give this to Harry but whatever he says do not let him find us."

"Yes miss." Aya popped out. Hermione returned to Severus' room to find him eating his plate of food and guzzling a glass of water.

"Hungry much?" she asked with a smile. Hermione grabbed her plate and they sat and ate in silence. Once done Aya returned for the plates and glasses then disappeared again. "Is there anything you want to know?" she asked as she stood to leave.

"Yes, whom have we lost?" he asked solemnly.

"Remus, Tonks, Fred Weasley, Lavender Brown, Colin Creevey, about fifty others whom I don't know, but Neville chopped off Nagini's head." She answered looking at her feet. For a while they stayed still in silence.

"Thank you Ms. Granger." Severus whispered.

"No, thank you, and call me Hermione for once in your life." She said with a half smile.

"Your welcome, Hermione." The sound of her name rolling off his tongue made her smile.

"Goodbye Severus." and with that Hermione left.