Minerva refused the job as Headmistress, she was very content at being deputy, so Severus was to remain as the Headmaster. The day after the students returned home, the defenders of Hogwarts began the repair work for the castle and grounds. Hagrid's hut had been destroyed beyond repair by the Death Eaters and their giants, so he instead moved into the forest, getting approval from the centaurs to set up in the large clearing that Grawp had been using.

The Quidditch pitch had also been destroyed, so as a team, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Draco had been in charge of the upgrading, it becoming even better than some of the professional pitches, so much so that a few teams were coming to the school to ask permission to train there. They were turned away for that reason but during the term players would come to help all four of the school teams to train.

During the last moments of the battle the great hall had suffered damage, a wall all but blown out. When it was repaired, it had large stained glass windows that had the faces of the dead on it, each with a plaque beneath that identified who they were. Seamus had offered to rebuild the bridge he had eagerly destroyed, getting help with it from Dean and the Weasley twins, it wasn't uncommon to hear more explosions happen there but the bridge was built by the start of the next term.

Remus and Sirius returned to their positions as the DADA professors, taking pleasure in gutting the office that had been occupied by Dolohov. But the replacement of a potions professor was different. Seeing as Severus was the headmaster, he didn't have time to be a professor too, so had instead looked closer to home for a replacement.

Those who were or should have been in their 7th year during the Death Eater infestation were given two options. They could either return and repeat or they could take their NEWTs. Most had chosen to return but Mia had decided to do her NEWTs, not at all surprised when she passed with flying colours. The second she got her results, well after getting a congratulatory kiss from her other half, the job as potions professor was offered to her. She had accepted.

The Ministry took longer to recover from the damage, there had been corruption from the top to the bottom. Kingsley had brought in those he knew he could trust, and it had earned him a kiss on his bald head when he'd included Narcissa into that group. She and her sister were a part of the group who would go through every last employee file, interview them and clear them all dark ties, and then went onto the repealing of laws that had been in place for far too long. It was hard work but the blondes loved it.

Severus had followed through with his promise to take Mia to where Cornelius was buried, and had held her as she grieved. Before she left, she had placed a single rose onto his headstone, promising to visit again.

A large group wedding happened before Hogwarts started back up again. Ginny, Harry, Luna, Neville, Lavender and Ron were all wed by Kingsley in front of their friends and family. With all of the losses that they had gone through during the war, the group wedding was the perfect way to remind everyone that love was all that you really needed to get through the hard times.

Mia had found it slightly odd being the professor of those she had attended school with, she was used to teaching them but the position was different now. Thankfully she got over it easily, and there were far fewer accidents under her watch, something that she laughed about with her love.

It had only taken her and Severus a week from their initial kiss to admit that their feelings were love, and even that was enough time for a betting pool, Draco winning it that time. When they found out, the couple had asked just how many pools there were involving them, and laughed with everyone as Sirius and Remus removed a large ledger. It had everything from their first kiss to the name of their firstborn, and all of the family had a stake in it.

Apparently the goblins were holding the money in a vault, it had gotten to be too much to have on hand all the time. Thankfully there wasn't a bet as to when they would have sex the first time, though everyone knew when it did a month after getting together, they were overheard by the former headmaster/mistresses, who had gossiped with the other portraits and it just got around.

The time passed by easily. Ginny and Luna were both glowing at when they graduated, their bumps barely noticeable, while Lavender was struggling with her morning sickness. Neville had been accepted as Madam Sprout's apprentice, he would be teaching the younger students the following term, while Harry and Ron joined the aurors. Draco had begun dating Susan Bones during the year, he was helping her get over her nightmares about her aunt's murder, and they'd gotten close. Both went off together to do their Healer training, marrying a year later in their bright green robes.

Ginny gave Harry 4 beautiful daughters before finally popping out a son for him, though she was happier about that, Harry loved his family however it was. Lavender and Ron a bubbly red haired son followed by a set of strawberry blonde identical triplet boys, the man had toppled over when Draco had told them during their first pre-natal visit. He and Susan were the family Healers, though Mia had delivered their own strawberry blondes when they came.

Luna and Neville were very happy with their little girl, they had been disappointed when their attempts for another failed but realised it wasn't to be. With Neville taking over for Sprout 4 years out of Hogwarts when she received a job for the Ministry that was just what the aging woman needed, Luna had bought the Three Broomsticks from Rosmerta. The woman had been more than happy to sell, she had just married Sirius and they were set on an around the world journey.

Fred, George and their best friend Lee Jordan had a joint wedding to their girlfriends Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet, on the Quidditch pitch. Minerva had prayed the entire time that their children took after their mothers, she didn't think she could handle another generation of pranksters.

All family events for the already large to begin with family were held at Hogwarts after spouses and children were added, nowhere would fit them all. Molly and Arthur were over the moon at their always growing number of grandchildren, Andromeda joining them as Remus and Tonks went on to have another 5 after Teddy, all gaining their mother's talent. Narcissa and Kingsley had grown very close, not marrying but as near as can be gotten, and would sit with the proud grandparents overlooking the masses during their get togethers.

It was a big event that day, one that the family had been waiting for the past 20 years. Mia and Severus had never really talked about getting married, they were happy as things were and very much in love. They had brought their twins Neil Albus and Zara Eileen Snape into the world, the metamorphs had graduated with some of their cousins the previous term. It had been at the ceremony that he had surprised her with the ring, causing a large eruption of applause, over the top of which they could hear Minerva laughing as she took the bank slip for the pool winnings.

Not going with the typical wedding, Severus met his bride-to-be at the entrance doors and offered her his arm, "Ready?"

"Always," Mia answered, the smile on her face as bright as the moment he had first kissed her, exactly 20 years earlier, "My better half."