4

The weeks flew by. Hermione had fully recovered after nearly three weeks spent in the room behind Zadok's portrait with Draco. Whilst she, herself, was convinced to be well enough to rejoin classes after a few days, Professor Snape had insisted that she remain with Draco for longer. Looking back, she was grateful, for she finally managed a major step forward in her ever-present search to create music resembling the Song of the Phoenix.

It was as if the simple knowledge that she was loved had opened the floodgates to Hermione's musical creativity. The conversation she had overheard between Draco and Professor Snape entered her mind often, yet she was not ready to act. She knew she would approach him eventually, if only to let him know that she cared deeply for him. Whether it was love or not, she was unsure. But, she knew without even a shadow of doubt that she felt safe, comfortable, secure, content, and most importantly, happy in his presence. For now, however, she was driven by some unknown force to concentrate on her music, as if it would drive Voldemort out of this world.

The two friends had been spending all of their time that was not taken up by studying, playing and creating music. Draco had succeeded in charming the harpsichord to sound like a chamber orchestra, and one afternoon, Hermione finally hit the right notes, in the right pitch, in a perfect sequence. When Draco suddenly stopped playing his guitar, now charmed at will with the tones of a grand piano, and started weeping, Hermione looked up alarmed.

"What's wrong, Draco?" she asked, concerned. It was very unlike Draco to have an emotional outburst, seemingly out of nowhere.

Draco was sobbing hard, too hard to speak coherently, and too occupied to weep through the grief that seemed to be hitting him from all directions. All Hermione could do was hold him gently, letting him soak the front of her robes. After a while, she noticed a soft turquoise light emitting from her hands, slowly engulfing Draco's entire body. Eventually his tears and sobs lessened and then finally died as the colour from Hermione's hands faded until it was a barely visible colourless light.

Draco took a deep breath. "Blimey, Hermione, I have no idea what happened," he said, shuddering at the intensity of the emotions he had just felt.

Hermione looked at him thoughtfully. "You've suddenly been overwhelmed with some emotions; or grief; or... I don't know. I have no idea what happened, either." Her thoughts drifted to just before Draco started weeping. "Draco... What were your thoughts when you were weeping?" Hermione was glad that he had long lost any emotional inhibitions where she was concerned. She could not imagine asking anyone else such a blunt question, no matter how Gryffindor she considered herself.

"I was... Suddenly Lucius was in my mind, all miserable and sad, because he can't have closure. He can't rest; and all because I've not been able to forgive him." Draco looked at her now. "And I thought about how utterly stupid and selfish I was. That probably the main reason he died was so that I could live with a clear conscience rather than give in and do his bidding, eventually following Voldemort; just like he had been doing for most of his life. And I realised, he gave his life so that I could become a good person." Tears were running down his cheeks again, but he ignored them and continued to talk. "And I was finally able to forgive him... And then, I thought of Pansy, and how she must feel, like; I've deserted her; just after we realised how much we mean to each other. And, I'm not even sure, for all I know, she might think that I joined Voldemort and that I'm fighting on his side now." He took a deep breath. "I just hope she doesn't think I've betrayed her," he whispered the last words, as if hoping that by denying voice to that thought, Pansy might refrain from thinking it.

Hermione rested her hand on Draco's arm. "As soon as I rejoin classes, I will find a way to talk to her, Draco. That I promise," she assured him and was rewarded with a watery, but genuine smile. Music... Sound... Sound of... Pure unconditional love... Emotions... Forgiveness... Some freak fragments of thoughts flew at her but edged off her consciousness before she could grab it. Hermione shook her head in slight annoyance.

"What is it?" Draco enquired, watching her intently.

Hermione shook her head again. "Oh... Nothing... Just had a thought, but it kind of disappeared before I could make any sense of it," she replied and shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, I see. The train of thought has crashed, eh?" Draco teased her, and both grinned at each other. Hermione was relieved to see her friend recover so quickly after the musically-induced emotional outburst.

"Want to go back to the music?" Hermione asked. Looking at her watch, she added, "I don't think Professor Snape will turn up now. It's pretty late."

Draco picked up his guitar, and Hermione sat back down at the harpsichord. The two played the new sequence Hermione had created earlier in harmony, taking turns with leading the music. Once her "orchestra" was playing the lead, then Draco's "piano" took over, all the while creating different effects of sound and, as both much later realised, triggering emotions.

The two unlikely friends were lost together in the world of beautiful sounds, oblivious to their surroundings. Neither heard Professor Snape enter through Zadok's portrait, neither saw the emotions play on his face as he stood there listening, neither saw his eyes fill with water, and neither of them see or hear him exit the portrait as quietly as he had entered.

**************************************

Once she had moved back to her dormitory, Hermione soon fell into a comfortable routine similar to the one established after she healed Draco at the end of last school year. Classes in the mornings and early afternoons were followed by study sessions, and evenings were spent in the room behind Zadok's portrait with Draco and often Professor Snape.

Nothing had changed. The young woman was still treated like an outcast, either completely ignored by fellow students or mocked, although there was less of the latter now. Some students probably thought they might face the same fate as Lucius Malfoy; if they overstepped any bounds with her. Nobody knew exactly what had happened that fateful afternoon, but many had witnessed the display of colours that had flown out of Hermione's hands as well as Lucius' reaction and consequential demise. They reached their own not necessarily correct conclusions about the Muggle-born witch. She ignored most comments as well as most students outside classes. Spending time with both Draco and her Potions professor was far too enjoyable a substitute for sitting in the common room or her dormitory on her own with nobody to talk to. Draco's musical talents, achievements, and enthusiasm were growing in leaps and bounds, and Professor Snape was always game for a constructive debate, not only about healing and potions, but also esoteric aspects of the healing arts.

Hermione's most pressing task was now to find a way to speak to Pansy Parkinson and let her know in a subtle way that Draco was alive and well. She was grateful that Lavender and Parvati had brought back all her purchases from the last Hogsmeade visit. At least she still had the sweets she had purchased that day. All school visits to the wizarding village were cancelled until further notice after the Order of the Phoenix had learned that the Death Eaters, on Voldemort's orders, had taken a leaf out of Lucius Malfoy's book and were planning to cause havoc on any students visiting Hogsmeade.

One Saturday, Hermione found herself alone with not much to do. Professor Snape had taken Draco on a hike in the Forbidden Forest with the help of Harry's invisibility cloak, which Professor Dumbledore had secured. He needed to harvest some potion ingredients the efficacy of which depended on the first frost. He also wanted Draco to replenish much needed fresh air and natural daylight. Hermione's school work and studies were up to date, so she first went to the library to find some books to read, but it was far too crowded with fifth - and seventh - year students panicking about OWLs and NEWTs later in the year. She deliberated going for a walk in the forest, but the cold weather did not appeal to her in the slightest.

Eventually, the young witch had the idea to try the Room of Requirement, hoping she might find either a quiet space to read or some musical instruments to play. The room kindly obliged and provided her with a sanctuary for the day. As Hermione entered, her eyes fell immediately on the grand piano in the centre, making her heart beat faster. Two walls were lined with shelves filled from floor to ceiling with books of all sizes. The third wall showed a large window overlooking the Hogwarts grounds with the Forbidden Forest in the distance, and one wall displayed various paintings, some resembling Muggle landscapes, others the typical wizard portraits. Scattered around the room were various musical instruments.

Hermione spent the first hour or so simply playing different tunes on the piano and charming some of the other instruments to represent orchestral sounds before moving on to her project that was ever-present in her mind, creating a tune resembling the Song of the Phoenix. She knew she was getting closer when she was overcome with a feeling of peace, serenity, and content. After a short break, she sat down at the piano again to continue playing, only to be interrupted by a sound that did not belong to any of the charmed instruments. It sounded like a sniffle.

Hermione looked around to find the source of the unexpected sound and saw Pansy Parkinson standing in the door, tears running down her cheeks, but her face exhibiting a content if not happy expression. "Gods," she breathed, "that is so beautiful. It's like pure magic what you just played." She looked at Hermione in awe. "I've... I've not felt this content since Draco disappeared," she said with a sad undertone.

"Thank you, Pansy," Hermione replied quietly and moved towards her bag to retrieve the package of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. She handed it to Pansy and spoke hesitantly. "Rather than using subtle Slytherin tactics which I'm pretty useless at, I'll be blunt and simply suggest that you know who this gift comes from."

Pansy opened the package and stared first at the contents, then at Hermione. "Draco..." she whispered and drew a shaky breath. "You mean to say... He is alive?" she asked in disbelief.

Hermione smiled tentatively. "Okay, before I say even one word, I'll have to point out that if you tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, his life will most likely be over, so you will have to offer a wizarding oath before I spill the beans."

"Oh, Hermione, I'll do absolutely anything if you tell me he is well," Pansy pleaded and took her wand out to proceed with the oath.

Once the oath was taken, Hermione told the Slytherin witch what had happened to Draco since he disappeared. The only fact she left out was Draco's location, afraid that Pansy, in her desperation to see her love, might act irrationally and put him in danger.

The two girls spent the remaining hours in the Room of Requirement talking, mainly about Draco, until Pansy asked the Gryffindor witch to play the music again. Hermione gladly obliged, and was surprised how appreciative Pansy was. "I'm not musical, but your playing is so soothing... It's... It's as if the music drives any bad thoughts away," Pansy explained.

Over the next weeks, Hermione noticed a distinct change in the behaviour of her fellow students, especially Slytherins. Nobody was mocking her anymore, and some would even speak to her; or smile at her in passing. She was almost certain it was because of Pansy Parkinson, who had started to openly speak to her on every occasion, as if it was the most normal thing for Slytherins and Gryffindors to be best friends.

And it soon was entirely normal. The two young women had an affinity unlike any Hermione had ever encountered. Whilst she had no doubt that Pansy's initial acceptance of her was entirely due to the fact that she knew about Draco, she realised within days that it was not the only reason that Pansy sought her out.

They talked about everything: school subjects, Draco, cancelled outings and the reasons for the cancellations, Apparition lessons, purebloods, Lucius, Muggles, Slytherins, Slytherin tactics, and again school subjects. What had started as tentative acceptance of each other soon turned into a solid friendship that would last for many years to come.

**************************************

One evening, Hermione and Draco were enjoying what Draco had dubbed a jamming session, a Muggle term Hermione was surprised to hear from her pure-blooded friend. When they took a break - it could have been minutes or hours after they started, Hermione had no idea - both were surprised to see that Professor Snape was present.

Silence ensued, doubly palpable after the music had been filling the room, and Hermione's eyes locked with her Potions master's. Finally, Draco broke the silence with a sigh, and his professor and friend snapped out of their trance.

"I believe," Professor Snape said slowly, "it is time to bottle the essence of your musical creation, Hermione, and see what it can do. If the headmaster's theory is right, we might have a way to defeat the Dark Lord in a most unconventional way."

Both Hermione and Draco stared at him for a while, before the young witch hesitantly replied, "Bottle the essence? Could you explain this in more detail, please?"

"There is a way to give substance to sound by using the Ratum Facio potion. Whilst it is not complicated per se, the process is somewhat laborious in that the music has to be played without interruption whilst the Ratum Facio is prepared. This potion will envelop, or capture, the essence of the music, so it can be bottled and released into the air as and when desired," Professor Snape offered in his typical lesson manner.

Hermione was intrigued. She had never come across this particular potion, nor had she any idea of how her musical creations might help in the defeat of Voldemort. "It sounds interesting! I've never heard of this potion," she said, fascination evident on her face.

Professor Snape smirked at her enthusiasm. "Let's arrange to do it on the weekend then. You and Draco play the music while I make the potion and bottle it. Then I'll release it into the Great Hall around dinner time on Sunday night and we'll see what happens."

Hermione spent a considerable amount of time in the library during the week, trying to find any information on the Ratum Facio potion, to no avail. Eventually she resolved to ask Professor Snape about the potion as well as his idea of defeating Voldemort. She had an idea that he had informed the headmaster of both Draco's and Pansy's emotional reaction to her musical creations and that both professors knew something she evidently did not.

Hermione and Professor Snape met with Draco in the secret room behind Zadok's portrait on the following Saturday to proceed with their plan. Professor Snape set up the cauldron and started to create the Ratum Facio base. The two youngsters started playing as if their lives depended on it, but soon Hermione's thoughts drifted whilst her hands seemed to act entirely on their own. Lucius came to the edge of her consciousness, speaking almost seductively. "Go on, witch, you can do it. Play your music, play your Sound of the Phoenix, and you'll defeat the dark."

When the base was complete, the Potions master proceeded with some intricate wand movements, and it took some minutes before either Hermione or Draco noticed that their playing was suddenly without sound. They stopped almost simultaneously, and looked at their professor's smug expression. "Hm. This should work."

Dinner in the Great Hall the next evening was an interesting affair. Hermione figured that Professor Snape must have released the Ratum Facio potion into the air, when some students were openly crying, even weeping, so overcome were they with emotion. It was like Draco's outburst and Pansy's reaction to her music, only on a much greater scale. Some showed happiness on their faces as if they had only just discovered how to be happy. There was much commotion going on between the houses, students seeking out others to apologise for any misdeed, or even to simply say something friendly to one another. Hermione gaped when Ron Weasley approached her and started stammering an apology for the way he had been treating her. She accepted his apology with good grace, but realised at the same time that it did not mean anything to her. They had grown so far apart, and her life no longer included Ron. It was nice to know that he had gained a conscience, at least as far as his behaviour towards her was concerned, but that was all. To her, spending time with Draco, and most of all, getting to know Professor Snape better now that he joined them often in the room behind Zadok's portrait, was far more important than Ron. So was her new friendship with Pansy. She looked around to see where her friend was and saw her approaching the Gryffindor table.

Hermione excused herself and turned to Pansy. "I didn't hear your music, Hermione, but I felt exactly the same way I did when I listened to your playing in the Room of Requirement. Some Slytherins seem to have gone completely catatonic, though. What's happened?" Pansy whispered.

Hermione motioned for her friend to follow her outside the Great Hall. "I don't want to be overheard, Pansy. Let's find a safe place and I'll tell you."

The two young witches had barely reached the exit when Professor Dumbledore approached Hermione. "Miss Granger, could you come to my office, please?"

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione replied, and turning to Pansy, she said, "I'll see you later or tomorrow, and we'll talk then."

The young witch was wondering what the headmaster wanted as she followed him up to his office. She took the offered seat and Dumbledore immediately came to the point. "You probably know that Professor Snape released the Ratum Facio potion that contained the essence of your music into the Great Hall tonight. And I'm sure you observed the various reactions." Hermione nodded, and he continued, "I've had a theory that I have discussed with Severus, which is what led to his experiment of making the potion and trying it out with the students and staff. Miss Granger, if that theory proves correct, and right now it looks as though it will, then we have a weapon to defeat Voldemort, without even having a battle to fight."

Hermione looked curiously at the headmaster, but before she could ask him to elaborate, there was a knock on the door, and Professor Snape entered. "Ah, Severus, you're here. I've only just started to tell Miss Granger of my theory."

The Potions master curtly nodded and turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, what did you notice at dinner time?"

Hermione took a deep breath to gather her thoughts before speaking. "Umh, suddenly people were extremely emotional." She paused, not sure how to continue, with her mind still half on what the headmaster had said. "Some were crying, some were happy.... And I didn't witness this, but Pansy told me briefly that some Slytherins reacted strangely. She said they were in a catatonia-like state." She shrugged, uncertain what to make of all this.

Both professors looked at her and nodded in understanding. "You see, Miss Granger, my theory was that your music -- I believe you started out by trying to capture the song of a phoenix -- triggers certain emotions, similar to the way healing Lucius triggered his, albeit unconscious, need to finish this wasted life so he could start anew sooner rather than later. When Severus told me about his own reaction, I had a feeling there was something to the music you created," Dumbledore explained, and Hermione looked at the Potions master in surprise. She was unaware that he had ever reacted to her music. "I was then made aware that young Mr Malfoy experienced an emotional outburst, and then later, Miss Parkinson as well." The headmaster paused for Hermione to take it all in.

Severus Snape was getting impatient with Dumbledore's careful wording. "Albus, just get on with it. Miss Granger may have created the weapon to defeat the Dark Lord, and I highly doubt trying her patience will be helpful to anyone."

The headmaster sighed. "You are right, Severus." Then, turning to face Hermione, he continued, "What leads me to believe we are on the right track is Miss Parkinson's observation. The students who suddenly became unresponsive, who went into a catatonia-like state, as she so aptly described it, are the ones we suspect of being active Death Eaters. They are in the hospital wing now, and I'll be checking shortly if they carry the Dark Mark."

Hermione stared at the headmaster, unable to quite follow him. "Sir," she stammered, "could you possible explain this? I'm not quite sure if I understand. How can the essence of my version of the Song of the Phoenix send someone into a catatonic state? And what does it have to do with defeating Voldemort?"

The Potions master's patience was wearing thin. He took a deep breath and said, "Let me clarify what Albus is trying to say in simple terms, Miss Granger. Metaphysically speaking, you have captured a form of energy that triggers certain emotions with your musical creation. For normal people; who have a conscience, who could be considered good, this means they'll have some suppressed memory coming to the surface, which might be in disagreement with their conscience. Their typical reaction is to right whatever they felt they did wrong, such as forgiving someone they had not been able to forgive, apologising for some wrongdoing on their part, or even mourning for the loss of someone they had not allowed themselves to mourn before. However, those who are heavily into the Dark Arts, who have continuously suppressed any conscience for a length of time, such as certain members of my own House, will be overwhelmed. Probably by having their conscience jump-started, they have entered a state of catatonia, because they cannot cope with the sudden onslaught of emotions." He paused and looked at her expectantly.

Hermione nodded slowly in understanding. "I see what you mean. Your theory is to release the potion within Voldemort's vicinity, and hopefully he'll go catatonic. So... What's the plan of action now?" She looked questioningly at her Potions professor, and their eyes locked. She observed the depth of his black eyes baring every emotion he felt. There were awe, admiration, and deep concern; all clearly shown for her to see. She saw anger -- anger at the Dark still holding control over his life by the sheer existence of the Dark Lord. But, she also detected a steadily strengthening ray of hope -- hope to end the reign of Dark for once and for all.

The headmaster's voice catapulted them back to the realms of earth. "Maybe you should continue your soul searching in the privacy of your own quarters," he suggested kindly. "You will need to work closely together in order to succeed with Tom Riddle's downfall, Hermione is of age and will graduate in a mere few months, Severus. I don't have to tell you to be discreet, but know that I will not stand in the way of your happiness."

Hermione looked down, unable to meet Professor Dumbledore's eyes. She felt uncomfortable having laid bare her own emotions so obviously, yet knew there was no point fighting it. As much as she had tried to concentrate solely on creating the Song of the Phoenix, the knowledge that her professor loved her was never far from her mind. She realised at that moment that this simple knowledge was the trigger for her exceptional creativity, and it was so because she loved him.

She barely heard the headmaster dismiss them and silently followed Professor Snape down the stairs towards the dungeon.

When they entered his living room, he motioned for her to take a seat and busied himself starting the fire before turning to face her. "Care for a glass of wine?" he asked.

"Yes, I think I would like that." Her voice sounded brittle and shaky to herself, with a somewhat indecipherable emotion.

Hermione decided there was no reason to try and use subtle Slytherin tactics since both knew a talk was inevitable. Gryffindor bluntness and honesty were the only way to go for her. "I overheard you telling Draco how you feel about me," she started, her voice now mirroring her decisiveness for a straight, honest talk. "And I've been wanting to tell you that I did. It's just... There never seemed to be a right time for it."

Professor Snape sat down opposite her after pouring two glasses of wine and looked at her, his face lacking any sign of emotion. "And now is the right time? Months later?" He raised his eyebrow questioningly, his face still devoid of any expression.

"Now is the first occasion that there is nobody else around," Hermione replied quietly. "I also want you to know that I'm happy. Your words are always on my mind, and I couldn't have created the music the way I did had it not been for that," she continued, looking at him.

"My words came in handy then, did they?" Her professor asked in a voice now laced with sarcasm. "Well, I'm surely glad that I provided you with an aid to your creativity, Miss Granger. Now, if you'd be so kind and see yourself out."

The young witch looked at him incredulously and stood up. "I don't know what was wrong that I said, but if this is how you feel, I'll leave." She picked up her bag and headed to the door. As she opened it, she turned around to look at him again. "Maybe I should keep quiet now that you dismissed me, but please know that I meant every word I said. And I want you to know that I return your feelings. With all my heart." Having said what she had to say and feeling tears well up inside her, she quickly turned back to exit through the door.

Hermione had no idea how her professor managed to cover the distance between the sofa and the door in a split second, but before she could let herself out, she was jerked back and spun around to face the man she had come to love.

"What did you just say?" He asked, his voice so low, it was hardly above a whisper and full of disbelief.

Hermione looked straight into his eyes and said, slowly and deliberately, "I said I return your feelings with all my heart. I love you, Severus Snape. Is it that hard to believe?"

He did not reply immediately, evidently feeling the need to take a few deep breaths, as if deprived of oxygen. When he did speak, it was slow and hesitant. "Yes. It is hard to believe... Hermione..." She relished the sound of her name on his lips. Nobody else spoke her name the way he did. "You are everything I could ever wish for in a partner... You are everything I value... And, you are everything I am not." He took another deep, shuddering breath before continuing. "You are beautiful, both inside and out. Your mere presence is soothing for the soul, let alone your ability to heal anyone, human or creature, magical or not. You have no prejudice; you just accept things -- and people -- the way they are. You are incredibly talented; in the healing arts, in music, and in just about every subject you choose. How can I believe that you might give me even a second look?"

Hermione looked at him intensely. "Because, Severus, you have a beautiful heart; and you are incredibly strong." He snorted at her words, but she continued impatiently, "You are one in a billion, Severus! How many Death Eaters do you know who have turned to the side of Light; when all the odds were against them? I don't know much about your past, but from what little I've been able to piece together, you were literally destined to follow Tom Riddle, just from your upbringing alone. Yet you spent hardly a year on his side. Your conscience got the better of you, even though you knew that if your cover got blown, that'd have been your death. You stood up for me when Lucius came after me, and you would have willingly died to save me. Don't deny it! Stop putting yourself down and start appreciating your own worth! There is nothing wrong with the fact that I love you. It feels entirely right to me." She averted her eyes and studied the pattern on the floor rug, embarrassed by her outburst. I just hope it doesn't always take this much effort to convince him of something, she thought, her eyes firmly on the floor.

Severus lifted her chin up, making her face him once more, and said, "I won't pretend to understand your reasoning, but I'll take your word for it. But... Hermione... We have work to do. If you can think of any way to strengthen the energy of your music, go ahead and do it. In the meantime, with the Dark Lord still getting stronger every day, nobody -- absolutely nobody must find out... about our feelings. I will not have your life put at risk now that I've found you. Let's concentrate on getting rid of the Dark for now, and when all this is over, and you still feel the same way, then let's face a future together."

Hermione thought for a moment. It had occurred to her that although her music was on the right track, there had to be a way to increase the energy force of it. A stronger potion would give Voldemort's demise a greater chance. Of course, it all depended on how those catatonic Slytherins were progressing. For the potion to be effective, Voldemort would have to remain catatonic long enough for the Aurors to find him, strip him of his magic and put him into Azkaban, with sufficient security measures to ensure he would not be able to escape.

"I wonder... If I spend an entire weekend with Draco in his room, just concentrating on music, the energy of it will remain in the room, won't it? So, if you prepare the potion at the end of Sunday, it should have considerably stronger energy than the one you released into the Great Hall."

Severus watched her thoughtfully. "Your idea has merit. However, I think, to be on the safe side, maybe you should spend an entire week in the room. I would imagine that amount of time would generate sufficient energy to make the potion strong enough for our purpose." A motion in the suddenly green flames of the fireplace interrupted their discussion.

Albus Dumbledore came through and asked Hermione to join him in the hospital wing, as the Healer was somewhat lost about what to do with the Slytherins. They had not responded to any treatment whatsoever.

"Maybe your healing abilities will help them, Miss Granger. I cannot think of anything else to try." And turning to Severus, he said, "The ones in the hospital wing all have the Dark Mark, Severus. I'm sorry. But the good news is that nobody else in Slytherin House does. I've had Professor Vector check all 6th and 7th year students."

Severus Snape frowned at the thought of Vector invading his House, but he knew it was better than checking the students himself. Although McNair had publicly called him a traitor, many students whose parents sided with Voldemort were still of the opinion that their Head of House was really on the side of the Dark. His cover might have been blown away completely had he checked students' wrists for the Dark Mark, and then reported to the headmaster.

He turned to face both Hermione and Professor Dumbledore. "I will speak to Draco about our project, then I'll discuss the details with you, Albus. Once the potion is ready, you can decide how to get Potter to release it near the Dark Lord." With a heavy sigh, he added, "And hopefully, that'll be the end of the Dark reign."

They parted ways in front of Professor Snape's entrance, Hermione following the headmaster to the hospital wing, and Severus Snape heading towards the portrait of Zadok the Priest to speak with Draco. Hermione shuddered as she entered the hospital wing. Her memories of this part of Hogwarts were somewhat hazy, but nevertheless decidedly uncomfortable. The new mediwitch, however, was very nice and highly appreciative of Hermione's reputation as a gifted Healer. "Please, dear, just give them healing, and we'll see how it goes from there. I have no idea what else to try; I have considered just about every magical possibility to get them out of their unresponsive state. Maybe they'll simply need some cosmic healing." She looked pleadingly at Hermione. "It is such a shame. They are so young; and already so corrupt, their souls on the way to being destroyed. Well... See if you can do anything... And thank you for trying."

Hermione approached the bed on which Vincent Crabbe was laying; comatose, his body rigid as if hit by Petrificus Totalus. She rubbed her hands together lightly in concentration before letting them slowly wander above Crabbe's body, only to be overcome by the sheer hopelessness that emanated from him. Her hands started to emit a very dark purple, but Hermione felt the colour was more a mirror of the state Crabbe was in rather than one to effect any healing. She was pondering over giving up there and then, when the colour slowly lightened, still purple, but with more reddish hues. Reddish hues that clearly reflected anger -- immense anger. It only seemed to take seconds for the colour to turn entirely red, a most angry red.

The young witch again considered stopping, but the colour started turning anew. This time blue hues interlaced with the angry red before turning entirely blue, an icy blue that made Hermione shiver with cold; as if a dementor was floating above. Suddenly, a yellow as bright as a sunflower crisscrossed the icy blue until the entire ray was taken over. Shaken by the fast, intense change of emotions that came with the different colours, she was unable to stop. Whilst yellow was not a colour that occurred often in her healing attempts, she knew instinctively that this was the colour Crabbe needed in order to trigger his healing. The previous colours emitting from her hands were reflecting his innermost feelings, which, in his unconscious state, he was unable to hide.

She continued holding her hands lightly over his still rigid body and observed the slow changes of colour. The sunflower-yellow intertwined with red, not an angry red this time, but a rather soothing one, almost a purplish fuchsia which then meshed with a deep indigo, producing a most intense, deep purple; only to be woven with a gentle, delicate green, like a sprig daring its way out from the safety of the soil after the last spring frost. Finally, the ray was a steady turquoise; with occasional waves of gold, a combination Hermione was familiar and comfortable with. When eventually the colours deliquesced into nothingness, she felt exhaustion overcome her and slid down onto the floor.

Hermione woke up, startled and unfamiliar with her surroundings at first, until she recognised Draco's room. "How did I get here?" she groaned, her memory woozy from sleep.

"By magic," a silky voice somewhere to her right purred. She turned and looked at Professor Snape. "I'm glad you decided to rejoin the land of the living, but maybe next time you'd like to take less than a week to recover from a healing attempt. It's kind of scary for those who care for you, you know." Although he tried his best to sound disapproving, Hermione not only saw the relief on his face, but also heard it in his voice.

Allowing herself to cherish that feeling of being loved for only a moment, she shook her head to clear it and asked exasperatedly, "You mean, I've been out for a whole week? What the... The last thing I remember is trying to heal Vincent Crabbe, at Professor Dumbledore's request, I might add!" She paused and then shuddered. "And some of the colours were the stuff nightmares are made from. How is he, anyway?"

"He will live," Severus replied, as if not sure how much to say for fear of upsetting her. But he continued, "Crabbe's magic has never been strong, and it's depleted now, although the healers at St. Mungo's reckon it'll only be temporary. Otherwise, he is doing better than can be expected. He is full of regret, weepy, and he's been telling everyone he owes you a life debt." He looked at her, and once again his feelings for her showed on his face. His expression was at the same time wistful and full of awe.

Hermione had to look away. She knew she was not yet up to simply flying into his arms, if only because she had barely come out of a week long recovery sleep. "He doesn't owe me anything," she said softly, studying the tartan pattern of her blanket. "I only did what I was asked to do, and I doubted my healing would have any effect on him, considering the colours that came out of my hands. What happened to the others?"

"Two have woken up, one is still comatose. Crabbe is the best off, really. They're all at St. Mungo's still." Then he looked strict, saying, "And I'll have you know, my witch, you are not to do any more healing on any people who follow the Dark! It exhausts you, and you can invest your energy in better way!"

**************************************

Hermione stayed on in Draco's room, first to completely recover from her healing experience, and then to capture the energy of her music within the room in order to enhance the Ratum Facio potion. Professor Snape would brew it later in the week; once the room held sufficient energy of the music. Both she and Draco decided to forget about schoolwork and, instead, concentrate solely on raising the energy by playing relentlessly. It was very lucky that Draco was as enthusiastic as she was when it came to music, she thought. Without his collaboration, she would never have managed to make such progress.

Finally, one evening, Professor Dumbledore paid a visit to the secret room and almost immediately declared the level of energy satisfactory to encapsulate it in the Ratum Facio potion they hoped would bring down the Dark Lord.

"Excellent job, you two! Severus can now prepare the potion while you play some more, and we'll be all set," he said.

Vincent Crabbe had asked to speak to the headmaster soon after he came out of his catatonia. He told Dumbledore everything he knew of Voldemort's plans to get rid of Harry Potter and as many of his opponents as possible. The wizarding world's most evil man planned to attack Hogwarts with his Death Eaters on the eve of the Spring Equinox. A fake call, allegedly from the Ministry, would ensure that the headmaster be absent at the time of the attack. By the time he returned to the castle, Voldemort hoped to have eliminated most, if not all, of his opponents, leaving him and his army of Death Eaters to deal with the headmaster on their own.

Armed with the knowledge the Slytherin student had furnished, Dumbledore was able to set his own plans in action for the Equinox eve. He left it up to Harry Potter whether or not he would use the killing curse on Voldemort, since the potion would hopefully ensure the loss of his powers in any case. Every member of the Order of the Phoenix was called to Hogwarts for that evening.

The event itself was as big of an anti-climax as the demise of many a Muggle dictator, who wreaked havoc one day and were gone the next. The moment Harry Potter released the potion towards the most evil wizard, Voldemort began to shriek, then writher in pain, and then he collapsed. Death Eaters were similarly affected. Some blacked out in similar fashion as the four Slytherin students had, while others started weeping uncontrollably. Most Aurors reacted to the potion emotionally, but they recovered speedily and were able to make the dream of every Auror come true -- binding and shipping Voldemort and most Death Eaters off to Azkaban.

The wizarding world had become a better place overnight. Harry Potter almost came to enjoy the incredible attention the media was giving him, until he remembered there were NEWTs to be sat and it was high time for him to prepare. Severus Snape felt a mixture of utter relief and a sense of loss. Relief that darkness no longer threatened him and the students of his House, who were affected more so than those of other Houses. A sense of loss because he suddenly had time to do whatever he wanted to do, but simply did not know how. Spying and hiding for some twenty years with very little time for himself did not prepare him for the freedom he suddenly had.

The weekend following the downfall of Voldemort brought a surprise to most students. Most were busy filling their dinner plates, when Draco Malfoy walked in holding hands with Pansy Parkinson. Sounds and comments of surprise were heard throughout the Great Hall. "I thought he was dead," someone whispered, and someone else replied, "Yeah, and good riddance, I thought, too!"

What surprised all even more was that Draco and Pansy walked straight to the Gryffindor table. When they reached Hermione, Draco smiled a genuine smile, and said, "Hey, we haven't had a jam session for a while. Pansy would love to get a dose of Voldi's demise. Meet in the room after dinner?"

Students who overheard his words gaped. And even more gaped when Hermione replied, "Sure, I could do with some music." They grinned at each other, and the young wizard walked off with his witch to join the Slytherins.

**************************************

Professor Dumbledore looked around the Great Hall, noticed that most had finished their meals, and then cleared his throat. "Would the following persons please come to my office after lunch: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Rubeus Hagrid, and Minerva McGonagall. There is a matter I need to discuss with you."

Neville and Hermione looked at each other questioningly, then Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Only one way to find out..."

Harry joined Neville and Hermione, and all three of them made their way up to the headmaster's office, arriving at the gargoyle at the same time as Hagrid and their head of house. Nobody spoke as they filed onto the staircase that took them up to the top where Professor Dumbledore awaited them.

The headmaster came straight to the point. "I have been notified by the Ministry that our Leaving Feast will coincide with the awards ceremony for Orders of Merlin, First Class, seeing that all of you recipients are either students or teachers of Hogwarts." Dumbledore peered over his glasses to see everyone stare at him dumbfounded. "Whilst I wholeheartedly agree that all of you here deserve this honour, I am saddened, though not surprised, that some others have been overlooked."

Once everyone had recovered from the news, the headmaster quickly explained some details of the ceremony, the order in which the awards would be given, and the length of acceptance speech each recipient would be allowed to give.

"Wow, that's quite an achievement, Hermione, isn't it?" Harry said as the two walked past the gargoyle heading towards Gryffindor Tower. "I didn't think the Ministry would be that appreciative!"

Hermione looked at him strangely. "Harry... They aren't that appreciative. I agree with Professor Dumbledore that some people have been overlooked in this!"

"Like who?" Harry asked, ever blissfully ignorant.

"Like Professor Snape. Or Draco Malfoy."

Harry snorted at Hermione's words. "Yeah right. The greasy git and the ferret deserving the Order of Merlin! You can't be serious, Hermione. It wasn't as if they were there when I killed Voldemort! Fair enough, it was with the help of your creation, whatever that was. Dumbledore never gave any detail."

"What do you know, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, looking straight at him. "My parents have been dead for nearly a year, and you have shown absolutely no interest in how I've coped or if I've coped. What do you know? If it hadn't been for both Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy, Voldemort wouldn't be gone, because without either of them, my creation would never have come into existence! Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." She ignored Harry's dumbfounded expression, and with her head held high, she turned off before they reached Gryffindor Tower.

*******************************

Where did I read about that guy and his Order of Merlin... I know I read it somewhere... After spending the entire afternoon in the library, Hermione knew exactly what to do. She had a good hour left before the Leaving Feast started and decided to take a long relaxing bath, during which time she could mentally prepare her acceptance speech.

The Great Hall was decorated in grand splendour, even more so than in previous years. The ceiling displayed a deep blue sky with twilight barely beginning. The space above each table displayed the House banners in vivid colours, each one reaching from one table end to the other. The head table, above which hung the Hogwarts banner in equally vivid colours, had been magically enlarged to accommodate members of the Ministry. The house elves had outdone themselves even more than usual. The food that appeared magically on the tables once everyone was seated made everyone's mouth water.

Hermione found she could not eat much, despite the food being excellent. While playing with the food on her plate, she glanced furtively at Professor Snape who was seated at the head table between Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, evidently enjoying his food. Finally, when the noise in the hall reached the typical level that suggested most had finished their meal, Professor Dumbledore stood up. The hall went quiet very quickly.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, students, you will have noticed that we have guests tonight. The Minister for Magic has come personally to honour some of our members with Orders of Merlin, First Class, for their involvement in bringing down Voldemort." He turned to the Minister. "If you please, Minister..."

The Minister for Magic stood up, looked across the sea of students in front of him and cleared his throat. "Professor Minerva McGonagall, please join me." As soon as McGonagall reached him, he put the medal, hanging on a long black silk rope, around her neck. "You are awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, for your services to the wizarding world. Congratulations."

She smiled as the entire Great Hall erupted into thunderous applause and spoke her words of thanks, then returned to her seat. Next up was Neville. Hermione could tell he was extremely nervous, but thankfully, he held up, accepted the honour, and returned to the Gryffindor table amidst enthusiastic applause.

Hagrid was close to tears as he thanked not only the Minister, but also the headmaster and Harry Potter.

Harry was next. He hurried up to the head table to receive the award amidst thunderous applause from the Gryffindor table and halfhearted clapping from the Slytherin table. He grinned, said "Thank you," and returned to his seat.

"Hermione Granger, if you'd like to step forward," the Minister said and looked towards the Gryffindor table. As soon as Hermione reached her spot in front of the Minister, he put the medal around her neck and repeated yet again his words about awarding the Order of Merlin, First Class, for services to the wizarding world. The students clapped, and Draco and Pansy whistled.

Hermione slowly turned to face the Great Hall. "I thank you for the award. However, I feel there is one person far more deserving of this honour than myself. If it wasn't for this person, I would not be standing here. Draco Malfoy would certainly be dead. Harry Potter's head would have been served to Voldemort on a silver platter. Voldemort would not only be alive but likely rule our world." She slowly took the medal off and walked around the head table until she reached Professor Snape. "Please accept this from me, Professor Snape. The ministry, in their ignorance, might not appreciate your deeds, or maybe they never knew, but I do so wholeheartedly." Hermione lifted her hands and put the medal around his neck. There was absolute silence in the Great Hall. Professor Snape was too surprised to speak. He sat there staring at Hermione, his mouth gaping.

Someone in the Great Hall started to clap, slowly and deliberately, and was almost instantly joined by another. Hermione looked up and saw it was Draco and Pansy. She grinned at them and saw from the corner of her eye someone stand up at the head table and join the clapping. It was Professor Dumbledore, immediately joined by Professor McGonagall and within seconds, the entire Hogwarts staff. Next, the remaining Slytherin students stood up and started to clap. It was as if a ripple, started by Draco, was slowly gripping the entire Great Hall. Hermione now saw some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws who had stood up to join in. She looked over at the Gryffindor table, not surprised to see everyone still sitting down. As she glanced up and down the table, Neville caught her eyes and stood up, clapping. Ginny was next, followed quickly by Lavender, Seamus and the Creevey brothers. Within mere minutes, the entire student body was applauding.

Smiling at the applauding people, Hermione turned back to face her professor who was still staring at her, oblivious to the hall full of people, oblivious to the now booming applause, oblivious to everything and everyone except the woman in front of him.

"Why?" he croaked, not quite having found his voice.

"Because, Severus, it's the truth," she simply said, her eyes still locked with his, both oblivious to the continued applause.

His expression changed to one of incredulity. "But, Hermione, you deserve it! You are the one who healed Draco, you are the one who created the Song of the Phoenix that in the end brought down Voldemort." His still raspy voice turned to a whisper as his hands found her shoulders to grasp. "It is because of you that I am finally free."

She took a deep breath. "And without you, I would never have been able to do it. And," she continued, her eyes still locked with his, as if finding all the world's answers in there, "I want you to know that no matter how long you expect me to think about it, I have not changed my mind about the way I feel about you. I cannot imagine a life without you playing a great part in it, Severus, no matter how or where."

For the first time in her life, Hermione saw Severus smile. To her, it was the most beautiful sight. "You should do that more often, you know," she whispered. He pulled her closer to him and bent his head down towards her, and finally, they kissed.

Both were completely oblivious to the hundreds of students, staff and ministry officials watching their interaction, until whistles got louder and Draco yelled, "Finally, Severus! I knew you could do it!"

The couple broke apart amidst loud laughter from the audience following Draco's remark, both flushed and grinning, and both looking uncharacteristically happy.

**************************************

Three weeks later, some inhabitants of the Forbidden Forest, amongst them one female and one male unicorn, watched a simple hand-fasting between a happy Severus Snape and an equally happy Hermione Granger. The words that confirmed their binding were gently spoken by Hogwarts' Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, witnessed by Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, and blessed by sylphs and other beings unseen by the worldly eye.

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Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. The plot is mine, though, because, let's face it, it is a bit too esoteric for JKR to come up with it.

A/N:

- Phew. I've done it. Completed my first Fanfic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

- I owe a very big Thanks to NSS, not only for hosting this wonderful archive, but also and especially for her corrections and her incredibly encouraging words, which inspired me to continue writing. You rock, NSS!!!