The days that followed Christmas passed by in a vague blur of parties, hearings and plenty of Mrs Weasley's home cooking. Harry and Hermione had both moved into Grimmauld Place with Sirius, Harry because he wanted spend time with Sirius and Hermione because she said she felt 'awkward' staying at the Burrow now that she and Malfoy were apparently 'involved.' They were invited to over to the Burrow for many meals however and through all the hubbub Harry found that he had barely had a minute to himself.

Strong salt air wafted into his nostrils as Harry stared out at the rolling dark blue waves of the North Sea and leant against the railings of The Floating Cavalier. The boat rocked gently in the water underneath the naked light of the bright winter sun. In his hands he rolled the old snitch between his fingers.

The silence that echoed around him was clear and freeing empty of the heavy threat of dread and duty. He took a breath and put the snitch to his lips.

"The end has come." He whispered. The shell broke open and revealed inside a tiny black stone with a jagged crack running down the middle.

The Resurrection Stone had cracked down the vertical line representing the Elder Wand. The triangle and circle representing the Cloak and the stone were still discernible.

With shaking hands Harry turned the stone over three times in his hands. He knew that it had worked when over the rush of waves he heard the light tread of footsteps on the wet deck behind him. He turned.

They were neither ghost nor truly flesh, he could see that. They resembled most closely the Riddle that had escaped from the diary so long ago, and he had been memory made nearly solid, less substantial than living bodies, but much more than ghosts, they moved toward him, and on each face, there was the same loving smile.

James was exactly the same height as Harry. He was wearing the clothes in which he had died, and his hair was untidy and ruffled, and his glasses were a little lopsided, like Mr. Weasley's.

Lily's smile was wide and loving. She pushed her long hair back as she drew close to him, and her green eyes, so like his, searched his face hungrily, as though she would never be able to look at him enough.

"You've been so brave."

He could not speak. His eyes feasted on her, and he thought that he would like to stand and look at her forever, and that would be enough.

"You are did it, you survived" said James. "We are ...so proud of you."

"I…I thought I was going to die." Harry admitted "I thought I w…would be with you again."

"And you will be…someday" Lily told him kindly raising an insubstantial hand to cup his cheek "But not for many more years to come."

"Now is the time to live son." James said. "Not to dwell in the past."

And he knew they were right, there would be no more ghosts, no more visions shared with dementors or Voldemort…he would never see them again. He had a sudden selfish urge to keep hold of the Resurrection Stone and stay with his parents forever.

"You are stronger than we ever could have hoped for" Lily whispered "Live…and love Harry."

"I'll miss you" Harry said feeling tears prickle his eyes

"You will see us again…one day." James repeated.

"We love you" Lily promised and then they were gone and Harry was left with a hollow ache in his chest. He felt as if something both important and suffocating had been taken from him.

He heard footsteps rise from below deck and quickly wiped his eyes with the cuff of his jumper.

"Everything ok?" Ginny appeared from below.

Harry nodded, he fingered the black stone in the palm of his hand and before he lost his nerve threw it over the side of the boat. It landed in the water with a 'plop' and sunk beneath the surface.

"What was that?"

"Just the past" Harry answered putting an arm around his girlfriend and feeling at peace.

Two hours later they had pulled into Scarborough dock and tied off the boat securely. They found Aunt Marge and Colonel Fubster eating lunch in a quaint seaside hotel named The Daisy Garden. Harry had barely time to be surprised to see the no-nonsense Marge and staid Colonel sipping tea from flowered china tea cups on frilly doilies before his aunt was charging at him wearing a thunderous expression.

"You dare… you lying, thieving, ungrateful little brat!" she snarled, Ripper followed in her wake growling menacingly.

"I didn't lie but I am sorry." Harry said guiltily.

"Do you have any idea what you have put your aunt through boy!" The Colonel got up to stand behind Marge in support.

"Harry didn't have a choice, you see my brother was captured and Harry had to rescue him from the…" Ginny trailed off from her defence apparently remembering that they were in the middle of a muggle hotel and Colonel Fubster knew nothing of the magical world.

"I really am sorry" Harry said and he handed the Colonel the engine key to The Floating Cavalier. "It's moored in berth 12 in the harbour and fully stocked. You find it just as you left it."

"And I suppose you think that makes up for stealing a boat and leaving your aunt and I stranded?" Fubster demanded stonily.

"No, I know it doesn't." Harry quickly agreed and he addressed Marge "I know you don't believe me but I really did want to keep you safe, that's why I didn't say anything."

Marge did not respond she merely crossed her arms and fixed him with a medusa like glare.

"I…Anyway it doesn't matter, it's over now, Voldemort is gone." Harry said and he handed her a piece of paper "The Dursleys are safe now; this is their address although I imagine they'll be back in Privet Drive soon. None of you ever has to see me ever again."

More silence, Harry had expected not to be forgiven what he had not expected was to be disappointed by it. He bid them goodbye and turned to leave.

"Potter!" A crisp voice stopped him "You don't get off that easy!"

"I…uh…" Harry stuttered wondering if she actually would call the police.

"I will not be blamed if you degenerate into vagrancy again." Marge said crossly "I will expect you at three on Sunday afternoon, you can wash the dogs." She looked Ginny up and down with judging eyes "Your rude girlfriend may come too."

"I…um…ok" Harry agreed, not really sure what had happened but trying not to smile all the same.

oOoOoOo

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Draco asked again.

She was back in Azkaban although after Kingsley had removed the dementors from the prison it was more like a dismal drafty castle than a terrifying fortress.

Hermione nodded more confidently than she felt "I…I just want to put this whole thing behind me."

She could tell Draco did not really understand but he pretended to accept all the same and kissed her on the forehead "Come and get me if you need me."

Hermione nodded and watched as he went with his mother to visit Lucius Malfoy. Mr Malfoy's trial was scheduled later in January but with all the gold the Malfoys had been donating to pet causes of the various members of the Wizengamot Hermione could not see him staying in Azkaban for long.

"Are you ready?" Tonks asked her hand on the door of the chamber that had been set aside for visitors "Do you need a minute?"
Hermione shook her head and steeled herself as she entered the room. It was bare but for a plain wooden table in the middle at which Rabastan Lestrange sat, his wrists in manacles chained to the chair. It was the first time Hermione had seen him in daylight in months and the change was something of a shock.

His cheeks were hollowed out and he had lost weight, there were deep bags around his eyes which had reddened and his hair had grown long and untamed.

"I did not think you would come." He told her in a voice bare of arrogance or humility.

"I won't again." Hermione told him shortly sitting down on the opposite side of the table.

There was a long pause before "I should thank you; I owe you my life you know." Rabastan's words were earnest but there was a certain twinkle in his eye that was not and it made Hermione feel uncomfortable "The Dark Lord had sentenced me to death, I was to die after siring a son – you and Potter saved me."

Another pause, Hermione did not know what to say to that.

Rabastan gave a dry laugh "Of course it was your trickery, your escape that sentenced me to death in the first place" He gave her an almost fond look "I should have known you were too clever for a squib."

"We talked of muggle history. The words I spoke to you could have been said by any squib or muggle." Hermione responded coldly.

"I used to wonder what it would be like if you were a witch." Rabastan spoke if he had not heard her "Not a pure blood one of course – you were never elegant enough for that. Perhaps a half blood working at the Ministry, I might have seduced you… made you my mistress."

"I'd rather swallow Gubraithian Fire."

Rabastan smirked "You can play the noble mudblood all you want Miss Granger, the righteous friend of Potter but we both know you were fond of me."

"You destroyed my friend's life, you tortured his parents into madness" Hermione spat "You kept me locked up as a slave."

"I saved you from that beast Crabbe, from the horrors he and his son inflicted on you."

"You won me in a card game like I was a prize, an object – an object you didn't even want." Hermione reminded him angrily.

"And yet you felt safe with me." Rabastan declared and triumph gleamed in his eyes when she did not deny it "Draco is a boy, no matter how much you have enthralled him he will never understand what Crabbe did to you because he did not know Crabbe like I did. He was not there with you every day in the immediate aftermath when I took you from that place – I was. I protected you and I am the only one you feel safe with because I am the only one who will ever understand."

"Shut up!" Hermione shouted, her skin crawling with his every word. His sentences dug into her bones and lodged themselves there "You have no idea what you are speaking of!"

"Don't I?" He challenged.

She panted heavily and felt sick at the look of victory in his eyes. She slowed her breathing and looked at him levelly meeting his purple eyes straight on.

She spoke calmly "You don't know me; you didn't even know my real name. I plotted and escaped with Sirius and Draco under your nose for weeks and you didn't notice a thing."

"You could have left at any time Maud." Rabastan continued to bait but Hermione couldn't let it get to her "You ran only when Snape showed up, you liked being with me."

"I feel sick every time I think of you." Hermione told him icily "But I won't anymore, I'll leave this prison and never think of you again. Your brother is dead, your mother will die soon and I'm sure Aelfraeda Selwyn has already moved on. You will rot in these cells for decades with nothing but the ghosts of those you have murdered torturing you."

She got up and before she left told him "I hope you live for a very very long time."

When the door clanged shut she rested on the stone wall of the corridor and caught her breath.

"How did it go?" Tonks asked sympathetically rubbing Hermione's arm as if she hadn't been watching through the iron barred window in the door the whole time.

Hermione stepped into the older auror and hugged her, burying her eyes which were beginning to cry into Tonks's leather jacket. "Shh, there, there…" Tonks muttered meaningless words of comfort as she patted Hermione's head.

Hermione let go of her and wiped her eyes on her sleeve "Tonks, do you…do you think I could…that I could talk to you about…well that I could just talk to you someday?" She asked quietly.

"You name the time and place and I'm there." Tonks promised firmly.

"Um…how about tomorrow…somewhere, somewhere there aren't…people." Hermione stuttered.

"How about my flat?" Tonks suggested "I'll make some hot chocolate and kick Remus out."

Hermione nodded tentatively.

"And Hermione…we don't need to talk about everything tomorrow. Not if you don't want to." Tonks said kindly "We have all the time in the world"
"Thank you."

Tonks chuckled and put a comforting arm round her "Not at all. Now let's go find my strangely attractive cousin and see if he can put a smile back on your face."

Hermione gave a half giggle and the pair went off in search of Draco.

oOoOoOo

Dear Mr Weasley,

The handwriting in the letter I have just received is abysmal. Whilst I am barely able to make out the scrawling mess across the parchment I assume it must have come from yourself being as it was delivered by that most calamitous of creatures – the Weasley family owl. I really do suggest you put that bird out of its misery once and for all, one more journey and it is liable to kill itself or its intended recipient.

In the meantime although I appreciate that you have been rather busy for the past few months that is no excuse for sloppy quillwork and I shall expect better when you return to Hogwarts in January.

Within the child's splodge of black ink there appeared to be some suggestion of a chess match. I do not pretend to understand your predilection for self-imposed misery Weasley but I have no objection to humiliating you again. I shall be in the Defence Against the Dark Arts office on your return to Hogwarts. I have no desire to suffer the tedious complaints of staff, governors and students any more so Professor McGonagall has relieved me of that tiresome burden of the Headship – she seems to think I will find infinite more enjoyment cursing the students for a living.

Regards

Professor Snape

"He's still not very nice is he?" Luna commented. When Errol returned with the letter they had been sitting on the bed in Ron's bedroom reading the new version of the Quibbler (which was read You Know Who Dead – Or is He? Mrs Biggins of Halifax spots the dark wizard in her local fishmongers.) The Weird Sisters played quietly in the background over the wizarding wireless and the noise was broken only by an occasional croak from the large fat toad in the tank in the corner.

Ron, his Dad and Charlie had spent many hours coaxing, charming and corralling the ghoul from Ron's room and back into the attic. The family had then spent an exhaustive few days fixing and redecorating the Burrow after it's trashing by the Death Eaters. It was now as warm, cosy and eccentric as ever with an over decorated squashy Christmas tree by the fire and Mr Weasley's collection of rubber ducks back in the bathroom. Throughout the house wafted the smell of Mrs Weasley's delicious rhubarb pie.

"Eh…he's alright." Ron shrugged folding up the letter and putting it on his bedside table "Hey Luna?" He addressed her as though he had only just thought of something and not spent hours mulling over the words "Would you like to go out with me sometime?"
Luna frowned "Do you mean on a date? Is this a trick?"

"Yes…No…I mean yes on a date and no it's not a trick." Ron clarified his mouth going a little dry as he waited for her to answer.

"OK" Luna shrugged simply "Should we kiss now?" she asked brightly.

"Um…err….alright" Ron stuttered trying not to grin.

A few minutes later Luna was lying on top of him and Ron's tongue was rummaging around in her mouth in a way that was much more enjoyable than it had been with Lavender.

"RON! Your friends are here!" Mrs Weasley screeched from downstairs.

Ron groaned, his head falling back onto his pillow.

"Oh goody – friends!" Luna squeaked excitedly jumping up. A second later he was following her downstairs and into the back garden where the others had already assembled.

Ginny was handing out broomsticks and Hermione was shaking her head firmly "I am not playing, I'll only make a fool of myself."

"Come on Granger." Malfoy wheedled "You can be on my team, we'll crush Potter."

Harry frowned "Since when have you ever been able to beat me in quidditch?"

"I'll join you ferret" Ron offered "You can see what it's like to be on the winning side for once."

Malfoy grimaced "Wait till we're back at Hogwarts Weasley." He countered "And Granger and I are beating you in every test going as usual."

"No luck Malfoy, he and Harry probably aren't going back to Hogwarts." Ginny piped up.

Hermione who had been looking at the broomstick she had been handed with deep suspicion snapped her head upwards "What?!"

Harry and Ron gulped as she fixed them with a demanding stare "Well you see Kingsley offered us this Auror trainee thing…"

"…and there's not much we were going to get out of Hogwarts anyway…"

"You are not going back to school?" Hermione hissed dangerously.

"I have an idea." Luna suggested "If Harry and Ron's team beat Hermione's they can join the Ministry, if Hermione plays and her team beats theirs, they have to go back to school."

Ron stared at Luna gobsmacked.

"Right!" and before he knew it Hermione was grabbing the quaffle decisively and launching herself in to the air.

"Excellent." Malfoy grinned looking thoroughly delighted at the turn of events.

"Wait Hermione!" Harry and Ron called jumping on their brooms and racing after her.

Soon all six were in the air laughing and taunting with nothing so important on their mind as a game of quidditch until the sun started to set and Mrs Weasley called them in for tea.

The End.

.

Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read this story, especially those who have been kind enough to leave a review. It's meant a lot and I'm very grateful.

Please let me know what you think of the ending and story overall (all criticism welcome.)