Chapter 1: It's over, finally.

Hermione's P.O.V.

As we left Dumbledore's office, I heard Harry sigh. I turned and asked, "What is it, Harry?" He jumped, as if being pulled out of a daze. "Nothing, just thinking about everything. It's so much to process." He said, shaking his head. "Yeah, I know, mate." Said Ron, pulling his hands out of his pockets and patting Harry on the back. I caught Ron's eye, and we both blushed. I was suddenly remembering all that had happened over the past year, all the glances, all the pain and all the events that had happened. I suddenly realized that I was crying. "Hermione, what is it?" asked Ron, his eyebrows furrowed. "Nothing, just the same as Harry, I expect. Just so much to process." I said, quickly wiping away my tears.

I still couldn't believe that I had snogged Ron, or that he had snogged me back. It had been one of the best moments of my life, but it had been quickly followed by grief for Harry, who had been… No, I don't want to think about that at all. "So, Harry, when are you planning on making up with Ginny?" I said, turning my mind from that subject. Harry blushed very red, almost as red as Ron did regularly. "Um… I-I d-don't know." He said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Hermione, this is my sister we're talking about here! Please could you show a little respect!" Ron said, his ears turning a mottled red color.

"Oh, honestly Ron! It's only a matter of time! Ginny still likes Harry, or so I gather from the little outburst stopping Cho going to Ravenclaw tower with Harry. I also know for a fact that Harry still likes Ginny, because all the while we were away, he kept mumbling her name in his sleep." I said, crossing my arms. They had both turned a very bright shade of fire engine red. "Well, I suppose I could go ask her to take a walk with me now, but I want to get cleaned up and eat a little bit before I do." Said Harry, gradually taming the heat in his face.

"Yes, I rather need a shower after all this grime and blood got on me." I said, glancing down at the cuts and gashes across my body. Ron seemed to be noticing this too, because of what he said next. "Oh no you don't! You're going to the infirmary first!" he said, taking my arm and starting to drag me along. "Ronald! I am perfectly able to heal my own cuts, thank you very much! Besides, Madame Pomfrey has enough patients in worse condition than I am." I said, ripping my arm from his grasp. He now looked exceptionally embarrassed, and his ears were a brilliant maroon. "All right, just don't leave them for too long, they could get infected." He said, shuffling his feet nervously.

Harry, in the mean time, had been laughing silently at our antics, and was now pounding his fist on the wall. Once he saw us looking, he straightened up, and said, "Yes, well, we'd better get back to the Gryffindoor common room, hadn't we?" "I suppose." Said Ron, eyeing him warily. "Sorry! It's just you two are so funny at times! And I'll take my comedy where I can get it!" he said, once again holding back laughter. Ron rolled his eyes and punched Harry's shoulder. It was amazing how much they looked like brothers, since we had all been living together for around a year in such close quarters, they acted like it even more.

Once we were back in the common room, Harry asked Kreacher for some sandwiches, and I went off to have my shower. As I healed my cuts, bruises, and the occasional deep gash, I really appreciated how lucky I was. When I was finally done with my shower, I got out and joined the boys again. Ron and Harry had their mouths full with sandwiches, so they only waved when I rejoined them. There was a gigantic tray of sandwiches before them, and they were already half eaten. "I think it's time for you boys to get a shower, you really need it." I said, looking at their torn, grimy clothing.

"Fine, but don't eat all the sandwiches when we're gone." Said Ron, swallowing a rather large bite of sandwich. As they left, I summoned a blanket and wrapped it around me like a shawl. I then ate a sandwich and stared at the fire for a while. I finally closed my eyes and leaned back on my couch, and went to sleep.

Ron's P.O.V.

Why does Hermione always have to be so stubborn? She won't even let me take her to the hospital wing to heal her cuts! I thought as I stepped out of the shower, and quickly changed into a fresh change of clothes. I met Harry on the stairs on the way back to the common room, and we walked silently back to the common room. When we got back, we found Hermione passed out in front of the fire with a blanket wrapped around her slim shoulders. "Merlin, she couldn't even wait until we got back!" I said, taking a seat next to her on the couch. I suddenly remembered our snog in front of the Room of Requirement, and blushed. "I still can't believe she actually snogged me!" I said, in a stunned tone of voice. Harry nearly choked on a sandwich with laughter.

"I seem to remember you responding with a lot of enthusiasm, even lifting her off her feet." Harry said, chuckling while shaking his head. I blushed. "Well, I wasn't going to pass up a chance like that was I?" I said, ducking my head down and shoving my mouth with a sandwich. Hermione's head suddenly dropped onto my shoulder, causing me to nearly have a heart attack. I looked down at her head as if it was a foreign object, while Harry doubled over with laughter. Suddenly, the door to the common room burst open, and my mum bustled in, my dad and siblings following dutifully behind her.

"Oh, Harry! Ron! Hermione!" she said, nearly bursting into tears. "Where were you! We were looking everywhere for you!" said dad, in a louder tone of voice then he usually used. This caused Hermione to wake up, and take her wand out while jumping into a fighting stance. She sort of stumbled a bit, and said, "Oh, sorry, reflexes." She then put her wand in her pocket and proceeded to look incredibly foolish. "Oh, never mind dear. Sorry we woke you." Said mum, starting to fuss.

Hermione's P.O.V.

"I'm really fine, Mrs. Weasley! I was just having a bit of a nap!" I said, waving off her concerns. "Oh, all right dear." She said, relenting, and then turning on Harry. "Harry, dear! I'm so proud of you! You too Ron, you make us all very proud!" she said, hugging us all repeatedly. I then looked at the rest of the Weasleys, who were all looking very pale. Especially George, though he was trying to hold back tears. "We should all get some sleep, now." said Mrs. Weasley, shooing us all off to bed. "We'll be in the great hall if you need anything." She said, then left with Mr. Weasley, Bill and Fleur in tow.

When Ginny and I got back to the girl's dorm, it was so crowded that we had to summon sleeping bags and sleep in a corner. "How are you holding up?" I asked her, turning on my side. "Fine, now. It was hard for a while, especially when Hagrid came out of the forest with…" she suddenly stopped, and took a moment to compose herself. "But that's all over now, he's still alive, and Voldemort's dead." She finished, obviously saying this more to herself than to me. "Yeah, I had a hard time too when…well…" I said, also trying to gather up my courage as a Gryffindoor and continue.

But, as it turned out, I didn't have to. Ginny finished for me, "When my bloody git for a brother left you and Harry, am I right?" she said, knowingly. I nodded, and felt a few tears make their way down my cheeks. "There, there. He's back now, and from what I heard Luna saying, he likes you enough to snog you in the middle of a battle." She said, patting my arm comfortingly. "Did she see?" I asked, wincing. "Yep, she was passing by when she saw you and Ron going at it right in front of Harry." She said, holding back a laugh. "Well, he had just suggested we do something really nice for the elves, and he had looked exceptionally cute. I actually jumped him and snogged him." I said, laughing nervously.

"Really? Because Luna said that he lifted you off your feet, and Harry had to yell at you quite loudly to get him to stop." Ginny said, grinning like a madwoman. "Somewhere along those lines." I said, nervously. Ginny laughed, and I joined in a moment later. "So," I said, changing the subject. "What was all that about you not wanting Cho to take Harry to Ravenclaw tower?" Ginny blushed, and said, "Yes, all right! I still like him, the git. I'm still not telling him first, though. He has a lot of making up to do." "I agree, now let's get some sleep, we've got a big day of repairing the castle tomorrow." I sad, as the lights turned off.