Based on the suggestion of SerenityEmrys, I will conclude this piece with an epilogue. I'd love to hang around these two all day and watch them but I'm not quite sure I can run them through another year at Hogwarts…hmm…unless I bring in someone on her side now…hmm…a male assistant of some kind perhaps…any suggestions? Send 'em if ya got 'em.

As always, Albus made sure to keep things as quiet as he could.

And as always, the entire school knew the events of Milinda's departure within a week.

Milinda was sent to Azkaban where they reversed the spell she was under so she would know why she was being locked away. She protested and screamed that it should have been Hermione and Severus locked away because of their behavior while she was still a student but no one paid her any attention.

Hermione was the happiest she'd been in years. She was at home around her friends and family again and teaching students who somehow managed to always put a smile on her face. And now that Milinda was gone, she was free to love Severus and spend any amount of time with him she chose.

Severus was his same contemptuous self as he lurked about the halls, scowling at students, scaring them and sneering as he took away points. He was still distant in his classroom, expecting perfection from all and assigning detentions for anything less. And even though everyone knew of him and Hermione, he still kept a professional distance in front of students, pretending as if they didn't know.

Behind closed doors with Hermione though, he was a different person. He could finally allow his guard down and permit some emotion into his life; emotion that he'd once had and lost and was determined to never lose again.

After seven years apart, it had remained.