Epilogue

The next month, Hermione accompanied Remus to Hogwarts to meet with Severus. She wanted to see him before the students came back later that week and thank him once again for his potions. And since Remus’ and Severus’ article in Potions International Magazine had not only caused quite a stir, but had won them a major commission from one of the leading potions suppliers to wizarding England, they had a lot of work to discuss. After a lovely dish of tea with Severus, she left them to talk shop, as it were, and went off to find Professor McGonagall for a nice chat.

“So. You two are ... an item now, I presume?” Snape inquired blandly.

Remus looked at him, surprised. He hadn’t expected the news to travel quite so fast; Harry and Ginny had only just owled them back with their blessing and congratulations. Still, Severus was nothing if not perceptive, so perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised after all. He nodded, answering, “We’re—whatever the younger folks say today. Dating? Ah well. One day at a time, as they say, right, Severus?”

They concluded their meeting, and as usual, Remus held out his hand, which Snape refused to shake, and saw himself out the door. From his window, he could watch as Remus and Hermione made their way back to Hogsmeade, hand in hand. It was about time those two bloody fools acknowledged their feelings for one another. Any idiot could have seen them mooning over each other for almost a year, and yet, given their stupid Gryffindor pride, it would have taken them an eternity to ever do anything about it. He smirked with satisfaction. Neither one had ever realized his part in their little romance, for which he was thankful, as one of them may have actually tried to share the details with him. Dreadful. He fingered his scar. A life for a life. His debt to Hermione Granger had been repaid.

FIN