8. You Can Count On Me

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to JKR. I am just playing.

A/N: Well, Southern, it's been another fun ride! Thanks for being the best beta anyone could ask for, and thanks for coming up with this wonderful challenge!

You Can Count On Me

After the Christmas holidays, Harry seemed to slowly ease back into his friendship with Hermione. He just stayed after class one day and began talking to her like old times. Hermione could not have been more thrilled. She'd missed her friend.

Sunday teatime usually brought Harry, Ginny, and Ron to Hermione's quarters for tea. Sometimes they would go to Hagrid's, but most of the time, they stayed at Hermione's. She'd begun to notice subtle changes in Harry and Ginny's relationship. She was almost positive they had been intimate. She was happy for her friends. She even told Ron that he was welcome to bring Lavender if he wanted to. Ron was relieved to hear this, as his visiting without his lover every Sunday had been causing problems in his relationship.

As they were having tea one Sunday, Hermione brought up her binding ceremony. The girls started chatting excitedly while the guys said nothing. Noticing this, Hermione made a bold move. She informed Harry and Ron, "I would really like the two of you to be a part of my ceremony. You have been my best friends since our first year and are like my family. I love you both, and it would mean a lot to me to have you guys standing there with me." She chuckled lightly and said, "Besides, we have always taken our adventures together!"

Ron agreed immediately. He loved Hermione and wanted to see her happy. Besides, agreeing to be a part of Hermione's binding ceremony would prove to Lavender he did not still hold any romantic feelings towards his ex-girlfriend.

Harry was more reluctant. He truly wanted to be there for her, as she was like his sister, but she was marrying Snape! He sighed. "I will try, Hermione, but just in case, can Ginny be my stand in?" He looked at her with sad, hopeful, green eyes.

Bothered, but not wanting to admit it, Hermione said, "Sure, Harry, but promise me you will try, all right?"

"I will do my best. That is all I can promise." Not wanting to spoil the day, Harry quickly changed the subject, but it was too late. Everyone felt uneasy. Not even twenty minutes later, the four friends left Hermione to go back to their common room.

~~_~~_~~_~~_~~ ~~_~~_~~_~~_~~ ~~_~~_~~_~~_~~

The months passed quickly, and before they knew it, the N.E.W.T.s were upon them. Harry and Ron felt that they were as ready as they could be and were both very happy to have finished. Mostly, they were looking forward to finishing school.

Hermione and Severus continued to get closer. It was hard for them both to believe that they had fallen for one another. Severus would have never guessed that he would have ended with the resident know-it-all, even with the slight attraction he'd had in the beginning, and Hermione surely never expected to fall in love with the greasy git of the dungeons.

In the beginning of their courtship, she thought of that saying about opposites attracting, but Hermione didn't think they were all that opposite after she'd learnt things about him. They were both intelligent people who loved to read and learn on many different subjects, they both enjoyed the same kinds of activities...especially the ones in the bedroom...and they both enjoyed going to the same kinds of places.

Severus felt that they were very lucky to have found each other. He thought himself especially lucky because he figured he would never find anyone that he thought he could live with.

As they were making the final arrangement for their binding ceremony, Hermione asked who else he wanted to cast the circle. Harry had still not given her a definite answer, but she was still holding out hope that he would consent to stand with her.

"I have given it a lot of thought and have decided to ask Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Those were the two men with the most faith in me after all was said and done. I am sure they will agree."

Hermione was relieved. She liked both of these men and was also sure they would do it. It saddened her that Professor Dumbledore would not be able to perform the ceremony and that some ministry official would have to do it. She supposed that as long as they were married in the end that was all that mattered.

Severus decided he wanted to have a very small reception at Grimmauld Place. He and his love had discussed Spinner's End, Severus' home, but they'd both decided that with the amount of work that needed to be done they would just have it at Grimmauld Place. Severus also decided they were going to do the least amount of work needed to repair his home so that they could sell it. His home did not hold a lot of fond memories for him, and Hermione was looking forward to buying a place for them together...a new start. When she thought she'd found the perfect place and showed it to Severus. It was a small cottage in the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

Severus agreed upon seeing it and told her, "We need to repair Spinner's End quickly and sell it. I want to have the Galleons to secure the cottage before someone else beats us to it."

Hermione nodded, saying, "I want to also begin looking at furniture soon as well."

While they were in Diagon Alley one evening to check on furnishings, Hermione wanted to have a look in the tapestry shop. Her grandmother always had a tapestry hanging in her front room, and every time Hermione had gone to visit her, she had spent hours looking at it.

The saleswizard told them, "In the final portion of the tapestry, we see the wizard who caught the snidget being presented with a bay of gold."

Severus glared, "Do we look like huge Quidditch fans to you?"

Embarrassed, the saleswizard stuttered, "Um, no, my apologizes, sir, this tapestry is new, just arrived today, and I have been fixated on showing it."

"No worries," Hermione assured him. "Perhaps we will just browse around ourselves."

Relieved, the saleswizard left them to help other customers.

Noticing the time, Severus decided they needed to leave for Hogwarts. "It is growing late, love. If you wish, we may come again another time. The evening meal will soon start."

"Of course," Hermione replied. "I would like that very much."

~~_~~_~~_~~_~~ ~~_~~_~~_~~_~~ ~~_~~_~~_~~_~~

With N.E.W.T.s over, everyone was able to relax again. Everyone was leaving the next day, and during the next week, Hermione and Severus were getting married. The only rain cloud on her ray of sunshine was that Harry would not commit to being in her ceremony. The bushy-haired girl wanted to pull her hair out, or better yet, she wanted to pull Harry's hair out.

"Just give him time, Hermione," Ginny assured her. "He'll come around. He loves you, you know. He truly does want you to be happy!"

"Ginny," Hermione groaned, "time is what we don't have! The binding is next week! He just has to be a part of it. Harry, Ron, and I have done everything together since fist year. I really don't want to do this without him, but I will if I have to."

"You won't. I really don't think he will let you down, but if he just can't, I'm not so bad, am I?" Ginny was trying to tease Hermione to get her in a better mood. It worked.

"No," the nervous bride-to-be answered. "I suppose you'll do in a pinch." She quickly ducked as her flame-haired friend threw a pillow at her.

Laughing, they made their way to the Quidditch pitch to watch the guys play one last fun game before they had to leave Hogwarts the next day.

~~_~~_~~_~~_~~ ~~_~~_~~_~~_~~ ~~_~~_~~_~~_~~

The day of the binding was beautiful. Hermione was anxious because Harry still wasn't there. She had resigned herself to the fact that he was not going to show. His absence, along with Professor Dumbledore's, was depressing. The bride decided not to dwell on it; she had Severus waiting for her.

She wore wedding robes of the palest ivory and a crown of flowers on her head. Severus wore wedding robes as well. However, his were black. Just as she stepped in the circle and the Ministry Official started to speak, Harry ran into the circle as Ginny backed out.

"Sorry for the disruption and that I'm late." He smiled at Hermione and nodded briefly at Severus. "Please, continue."

Hermione felt like a weight had been lifted. She beamed at her lover, and he grinned at her. He was happy Potter was here, but it was only because of the joy it had given his witch.

As the final words were spoken, a Phoenix flew from the trees and burst into song. After it was finished, the Phoenix flew away through the clouds. It made Severus feel that maybe Dumbledore was there after all.

During the reception, Hermione left her parents talking to Severus and made her way to Harry and Ginny. She gave Harry a hug and told him, "Thank you so much for being there, Harry. You don't know how much it means to me."

"Of course," her best friend replied. "You can count on me, Hermione. Always."

Epilogue

Today was their twenty-year anniversary. Hermione smiled to herself. She loved him even more today than she had twenty years before. Not that they never had any bumps along their path, but they always worked through them.

The couple's fifteen-year-old daughter and twelve-year-old son were arranging a surprise party with the Potters. Severus had grumbled about having to spend an evening with the Potters, even if it was in his honor. Hermione told her grumpy husband to hush and bear it, even if he didn't grin while doing so!

Hermione smiled as she thought about the years that had passed. She was glad they both had continued to teach. Severus was now Deputy Headmaster. Minerva was still going strong as Hogwarts Headmistress, a fact that warmed her heart, as Hermione dearly loved her ex-Transfiguration professor and Head of House.

Mrs. Snape was also pleased that Bill Weasley decided to take the Defense Against the Dark Arts job after Fleur decided to continue to teach Transfiguration. Hermione was happy there had been no friction between Fleur and her when Minerva made her prized ex-pupil the Head of Gryffindor during her second year of teaching.

Surrounded by friends and family, Severus thought back to the events that brought them to where they were, and he decided he wouldn't change anything. Life had gone on in the aftermath of a horrific war, and his destiny had led him to Hermione. Even though nobody could tell by looking at him due to his fake scowl plastered upon his face, he decided he was most happy indeed.

Christy's Notes: Well, there you have it! The end of Aftermath. I hope you enjoyed it! Be on the lookout for my next fic, which will be a response to Ladyofthemasque's YLC challenge! (I do love those challenges, don't I?)

Southern_Witch_69's Notes: Well, I'm glad it's a happy ending, and I'm equally happy that Harry came to his senses.

Quote from Quidditch Through The Ages: In the final portion of the tapestry, we see the wizard who caught the snidget being presented with a bay of gold.