All's well that ends well
proverb derived from the play by William Shakespeare

3 years later

Hermione has passed her Charms, Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration and Defence against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T's with an Outstanding in all of them and had started her training as a Healer the summer after she graduated from Hogwarts. Her first two years she had been trained and placed at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries but now that her third year of training had started she was placed at Hogwarts, under the watchful eye of Poppy Pomfrey.

The day she married Bellatrix Black had been the most beautiful day of her life. They wed in a small church in the middle of nowhere in the south of England, surrounded by hills behind which the sun set as they enjoyed an open air feast with their guests. Her dress had been handmade by Molly Weasley and her appearance had caused many to blink and a few to shed a tear. Now she cherished the golden wedding band around her finger every day and longed for the moment she appeared in the fireplace of the house she shared with Bellatrix in London.

"I did not expect you home until tomorrow," Bellatrix said when she saw Hermione appear in the fireplace. She looked up from a file she had obviously taken home from the Ministry "Has Madam Pomfrey actually let you out early for once?"

Hermione kissed her wife on the cheek as she fell down on the sofa and pulled up her legs. "How I never noticed the woman is a drill instructor, I don't know," Hermione rolled her eyes "She never lets me have a spare minute. How does she expect I send an owl home if she never lets me leave the Hospital Wing?"

"Maybe I should have a word with Minerva. After all, I cannot tolerate my wife cannot write to me because the nurse has her looking after the patients all the time," Bellatrix giggled as she brushed her hands through Hermione's hair "I am happy to have you home though. So, what have the students been up to?"

"The usual," Hermione rested her head on Bellatrix's shoulder as she thought about the magical related injuries and the spells gone wrong she had seen "Have you heard anything from Harry and Ginny yet?"

"No. Molly said Ginny looks ready to pop any minute now though," Bellatrix thought about Harry and Ginny. Ginny was nine months pregnant and about to give birth to their first child. The last time she saw Ginny was last week and she looked thoroughly fed up with being pregnant and constantly moaned about the size of her body and how her feet were constantly swollen. Harry had simply kissed her on the head and said she was beautiful, whatever she looked like.

"Oh, Cissy said she'll be coming for diner on Sunday. Draco and Tabitha will be going to see Tabitha's parents in Wales so she is alone for the weekend," Bellatrix said as her lips brushed against Hermione's ear.

Hermione smirked. Life had become so ordinary and so normal. The days of her adventures with Ron and Harry lay well behind her. The three of them had grown up and found their own way through life. Ron had married Sarah last summer, in the back garden of the Burrow. Exactly like Bill and Fleur had done but without the Death Eaters this time. Harry and Ginny had married the winter before and announced the pregnancy not much later.

"I didn't know Cissy would leave the school during the weekends," Hermione said, frowning in surprise. "Maybe she bribed Minerva?"

"Did I not mention Minerva is coming too?" Bellatrix smiled and Hermione pulled a face.

Narcissa had started as a teacher at Hogwarts only this year, after having worked for the Ministry for two years. Minerva had requested her to join the staff and Narcissa had accepted almost immediately. She was now the new Potions teacher, since Slughorn thought it time to retire. And much to everybody' surprise Narcissa had the same skills and qualities as Severus Snape once had, only she came with a better personality and cleanly washed hair.

Hermione snuggled herself deeper into Bellatrix's arms and her eyes drifted to the picture on the fireplace. Her parents smiled back at her and she felt a sense of gratitude and warmth. Not a day passed by she did not think about them. Not a day passed by she did not miss them. But she knew they had died to protect her, though they never knew. And it was because of that protection she lay here now, in the arms of the woman she loved the most. This beautiful dark haired woman, with those beautiful deep brown eyes and tender smile, was her wife.

Hermione's hand rested gently on the swell of her stomach. Six months pregnant, three months more to go. She felt the baby girl inside her kick and smiled to herself. Life had become beautiful. And as she felt her little girl move inside and Bellatrix's heart beat in her chest, she realized everything had finally fallen into place.