AUTHOR'S NOTE:

All of you who've read the previous chapter probably were floored when I wrote Draco Malfoy, of all people, giving a speech that said "You go, Hermione!" Well, guess what, the idea was a surprise to me too, when I first thought of it. But upon further reflexion, the idea made perfect sense.

First, let me say two things up front. One, I don't buy into the DRAMIONE 'ship at all. I think Draco at Hogwarts had some kind of crush on Hermione, which he did not know how to express, but Hermione felt nothing but loathing towards Draco. Secondly, I still think that Draco at thirty-seven is more evil than good; all I've done is to continue the process that JKR started, of increasing what little good is in Draco's soul.

Teenager Draco was unable to bring himself to kill Dumbledore. Whilst cowardice explains part of Draco's unwillingness to kill the headmaster, I think that Draco hesitated to kill Dumbledore because Draco realised: Dumbledore did not deserve to die. Similarly, when Bellatrix tortured Hermione by cutting "MUDBLOOD" into her arm, Draco realised, Hermione did not deserve such treatment. Hermione was not merely some nameless muggle-born, or probably Draco would have overlooked her torture; no, Hermione was a muggle-born whom Draco had attended years of classes with, so Draco knew Hermione. Draco knew that Hermione did not deserve what Bellatrix gave her.

Yet by the rule of "Purebloods are better than everyone else" that Draco had been taught by his father, the inescapable logical conclusion would be that there was nothing at all wrong with a muggle-born being tortured, simply because she was a muggle-born.

When Bellatrix tortured Hermione, Draco saw a conflict between pureblood logic and his conscience. Surprisingly, it was his conscience that won this battle. I believe that the hour that Bellatrix carved that word into Hermione's arm was the hour that Draco rejected the "Purebloods are better" teaching.

The other thing, I believe, that changed Draco's beliefs after Hogwarts, was seeing how Harry Potter was treated after the Battle of Hogwarts. Forgotten by the wizarding public was "Harry Potter is the Heir of Slytherin" and "Harry Potter is a coward who tried to avoid participating in the Tri-Wizards Tournament." No, after 1998, Harry Potter was the wizard who fought Voldemort one-on-one and killed him. After the Battle of Hogwarts, I'm sure Harry Potter was golden—everyone wanted to be near Harry Potter, to hear his words, and to bear his children. Meanwhile, after the battle of Hogwarts, nobody wanted to be near Draco, to hear his thoughts, or to have sex with him. It would have been humbling to Draco to realise that the only reason that anyone had ever acted nicely to him at all was because they feared Draco's father, the big man—and when Draco's father no longer was a big man, Draco was treated like any other whiny, cowardly, conceited bully.

Even more humbling to Draco would be the realisation that a year after he died, he would be completely forgotten; whilst a hundred years from now, bronze statues of Harry Potter would be standing about Wizarding Britain, with flowers and coins left at the statues' feet.

Furthermore, bronze Hermione-statues might well be standing next to those bronze Harrys.

So the cunning thing for Draco to do now would be to make amends with Hermione before she realises the power she holds.

So now in 2017, Draco tries to make amends with Hermione; his motives are a mixture of atonement and expediency.

Chapter 8
Friday, Part 2

Within the Wizengamot chamber, amongst the seat-holders

Still standing up, Hermione said, "Chief Warlock, wizarding law allows for two grounds for contesting a divorce and thus shifting the misfortune to the ex-spouse: adultery and potioning. I publicly declare that I suspect my ex-husband, Ronald Bilius Weasley, of cheating on me, and I will prove today that he potioned me!"

Chief Warlock Greengrass said, "I will hear your case. Please sit down in the Witness Chair closest to the centre." Which was also the Suspect Chair closest to the centre; but for witnesses, the chains on the legs and arms of the chair would not wrap around the person who was sitting in the chair. Greengrass continued, "Lady Dagworth-Granger, I must warn you that whilst you are contesting your magical divorce, you shall not be treated as a seat-holder in this chamber. I shall address you, and refer to you, as 'Hermione Granger.' "

Hermione said, "This is acceptable, Chief Warlock." As she was bending down to unlatch the waist-high door, Molly yelled out from the gallery, "BE SURE SHE MAKES A VOW! MUDBLOODS HAVE LOOSE MORALS, SO THEY LIE A LOT."

Hermione sat down in the Witness Chair, then raised her wand and lit it. "A point of order, Chief Warlock. Whilst at this time I am here as a divorce-petitioner, not a seat-holder, is it acceptable behaviour for someone in the visitors' gallery to insult someone here with a racial slur?"

"No it is not!" Greengrass said. He looked up and glared at Molly. "Mrs. Weasley, I command you to show decorum with your words and speaking volume, or I shall eject you from this chamber. Am I clear?"

Molly muttered an apology and a promise to behave. Molly caved, Hermione knew, because no way would the loud, ginger-haired cow miss out on what she expected to be Hermione's and Harry's public humiliations.

Greengrass then turned his attention back to Hermione. Hermione gave her "I won't lie during today's testimony" vow; then Hermione told her story, beginning with Monday morning when she woke up to a blinding headache.

"...Then Healer Longbottom told me that the reason I was feeling so ill was that I had Love, Loyalty and Indifference potions in my body, I had been re-dosed with those potions for twenty years, but now the potions were wearing off."

The Wizengamot chamber was silent; even the very nervous Weasleys in the gallery were silent. Hermione glanced over at Arthur Weasley; he looked shocked.

Greengrass asked, "Why do you think the potions were wearing off, after twenty years of them working as they should?"

Hermione said, "I suspect that some lazy person"—she glared up at Ron—"waited too long to re-dose me. But the lazy person never got his chance to re-dose me, because by then I was enjoying the protection of Longbottom Manor." Hermione smiled at Neville.

Greengrass asked, "What proof do you have of your claims?"

"I have no proof of my claim of adultery; only that three people told me that Ron was seen in public with the buxom blond witch Fuchsia Brown. No, those two aren't coworkers."

Ron gasped.

Hermione continued, "As for my claim of being potioned, Healer Longbottom dicta-quill'd a detailed written record when she examined me. She is up there in the visitors' gallery with the parchment of my examination."

Greengrass looked up at the visitors' gallery; Luna was looking down at him with a dreamy smile. Greengrass said to her, "Healer Longbottom, come down here and take the second Witness Chair."

Two minutes later

Luna was saying, "...I detected in Hermione Weasley's body, degraded Love, Indifference and Loyalty potions. Following standard procedure, for each potion I recorded every HMST—that means Hufflepuff Magical-Signature Text, an alphabet-soup string of ten letters that represent a magical person's unique magical signature. But immediately I noticed something odd."

"What was odd about Hermione Weasley's potions?" Greengrass asked.

Luna replied with a dreamy smile and a guileless voice; Hermione knew that nobody in the chamber would even slightly suspect that Healer Longbottom was working a hidden agenda to crush her friends' ex-spouses. Now Luna replied, "Those three potions should each have had three magical signatures: one for the person brewing the potion, one for the person to be affected, and one for the person to whom the potion is keyed. But for each of the three potions, the HMST of the potion-brewer was ten X's—the potion-brewer had hidden his or her magical signature."

"Do you know how such a thing can be done, Healer Longbottom?"

"No, I don't; such a thing is not taught at Hogwarts, even in seventh year. Perhaps someone with a mastery in Potions would know," Luna said helpfully.

Molly Weasley had a mastery in Potions, Hermione knew—and probably other people in the chamber knew this fact as well.

Greengrass asked, "Can you tell us anything else about the potions that were given to Mrs. Hermione Weasley?"

Luna said, "By good luck, I was able to examine Harry Potter the same day I examined Mrs. Weasley; and I discovered that the HMST for Harry Potter exactly matches the HMST of the magical signature that Hermione Weasley's Indifference potion was keyed to. In short, Hermione Weasley was potioned to be indifferent to Harry Potter. Also..."

It took a full minute before Luna could speak more, because her previous announcement evoked such loud talking in the chamber.

Wearing a dreamy smile, Luna continued, "Also, whilst I was waiting in the visitors' gallery, I secretly measured the HMSTs of my three former neighbours, the Weasleys. Chief Warlock, if you would indulge me a moment?"

Molly Weasley started to bluster. Chief Warlock Greengrass shot out his hand toward her, with palm facing forward in a Stop gesture, before Molly had said three words. Molly instantly quieted.

Meanwhile, Luna had drawn her wand and had called out, "Accio HMST parchment!" From a corner of the chamber, a short (half-foot) parchment flew into Luna's hand.

Still smiling dreamily, Luna said, "Chief Warlock, if you would indulge me a little more?" Hermione's medical-examination parchment that Luna held, had been bookmarked with a pink ribbon; Luna opened that parchment and compared whatever was written there with what was written on the short parchment.

Luna looked up and smiled at everyone in the chamber—seat-holders, reporters and the evil Weasleys. Luna said, "It's official. The Love potion that on Monday morning was in Mrs. Hermione Weasley's body was keyed to Ronald Weasley."

One second later

Molly yelled, "You can't do that, examining us without our knowledge. It's against medical rules!"

Luna replied calmly, "I didn't examine you. I can't say whether you've ever had broken bones, or if any of you has dragonpox now. I only recorded your HMSTs."

Luna added, "Molly, I took your HMSTs to gather medical evidence of a possible crime. Healer-rules allow me this."

Greengrass asked, "What is the possible crime?"

Luna showed her guileless smile again. "I did mention, didn't I, that Monday evening I examined Harry Potter? I found seven potions in him.

Greengrass choked. "Seven?"

Harry Potter thrust his lit wand up then. When he was recognised, he said, "Chief Warlock, I ask that you judge my divorce-petition against Ginevra Weasley at the same time that you judge Hermione Granger's divorce-petition against Ronald Weasley. The two petitions share common facts."

Ron Weasley called down from the visitors' gallery, "Meanwhile, so what if I did slip love-potions to Hermione? Potioning a mud—a muggle-born is legal."

Greengrass reluctantly agreed. "And I have never questioned such an oversight, but now I am beginning to."

Greengrass raised his voice. "Lord Potter-Black, please take the third Witness Chair; I remind you that you temporarily lose your privileges as a seat-holder. I shall address you, and refer to you, as 'Harry Potter.' "

A minute later

Luna was saying, "...Harry Potter's Doormat potion from twenty years ago was brewed by someone other than the three Weasleys I scanned today, and was keyed to an unknown person. Mr. Potter and I suspect the potion-brewer was Severus Snape; and Mr. Potter and I suspect the potion was keyed to Albus Dumbledore."

This news was met with a few murmurs in the chamber.

Luna continued, "Harry Potter's six recent potions all had the HMST of the potion-brewer masked with ten X's. I cannot say for certain whom the Loyalty potion was keyed to, but Harry Potter and I suspect that the Loyalty potion was keyed to the Weasley family."

As people in the chamber murmured at this, Hermione glanced over at Arthur Weasley. He looked horrified.

Luna smiled dreamily, then shoved a scalpel into the reputations of three Weasleys: "The three recent Doormat potions in Harry Potter's body were keyed to Molly Weasley, Ron Weasley and Ginny Weasley. Mr. Potter's Indifference potion was keyed to Hermione Weasley. His Love potion was keyed to Ginny Weasley-Potter."

Bang! Chief Warlock Greengrass pounded his gavel once, then he pointed an angry finger up into the gallery. "Aurors, arrest those redheads for the crime of potioning a Head of House. Arrest the redhead women for a second charge: Line Theft!"

As Aurors poured in through the visitors' gallery rear doors, Molly Weasley yelled, "YOU CAN'T PROVE A THING! WE'LL WALK OUT OF HERE BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY, YOU WATCH!"

Greengrass laid a silencing charm on the evil Weasleys and on the Aurors arresting them; the visitors' gallery went silent. Then Greengrass looked at Arthur Weasley and asked, "Lord Weasley, do I have permission for the Aurors to search your house for evidence of illegal potion-brewing?"

Arthur looked up at his wife, who was looking back at him and was clearly yelling at him, but no sound was heard. Arthur then looked at Greengrass and sighed. "Permission granted."

A Senior Auror pointed to two other Aurors, then all three Aurors rushed out of the chamber.

Chief Warlock Greengrass banged his gavel again. "Hermione Granger, I find that you were potioned in your marriage, to the benefit of your ex-spouse, Ronald Weasley. I lift the 75-percent magical block from you and place such a block on Ronald Weasley." Greengrass flicked his wand.

In the visitors' gallery, Ron, who was surrounded by unfriendly Aurors at the moment, opened his mouth in a muted scream and collapsed to the floor.

Hermione, meanwhile, felt her magical binding disappear. It felt like four people who were giving Hermione too-tight hugs, suddenly released their holds.

Greengrass continued, "Hermione Granger, I grant you custody of your minor children. All monies and real properties that were held jointly in the marriage, I now transfer to you, even those now held singly by Ronald Weasley."

"Shit," Ron mouthed from the gallery.

Greengrass banged his gavel again, and made a similar pronouncement for divorce-petitioner Harry Potter. Harry got the Potter ancestral properties back, the House of Potter millions of galleons back and was awarded custody of his children; whilst Ginny was stuck with the 75-percent divorce-binding.

Chief Warlock Greengrass said, "Lord Potter-Black, Lady Dagworth-Granger, please take your seats. Healer Longbottom, you are excused."

Then Greengrass banged his gavel. "Bring out the three accused!" Aurors brought out Molly, Ginny and Ron—Ron still was dressed in his Auror First Class dress robes—and plopped the redheads into the chairs that Hermione, Harry and Luna had just left. For the redheads, however, the chairs' chains wrapped around the Weasleys' arms and legs, holding the evil redheads in place.

Greengrass announced, "Normally in criminal trials, a seat-holder is appointed to study the evidence and to act as prosecutor. Since evidence is scanty and still is coming in, any seat-holder present may question the accused."

Molly looked at Harry and Hermione and sneered, "You can't prove anything against us. So you were potioned? So be it. But can you prove any of us three slipped you a potion? Can you prove any of us brewed a potion? No, you can't."

"Actually," Hermione said, "three days ago, Ron tried to force me to drink a blue potion at wandpoint; our son Hugo was a witness. Also, Hugo complained that the air in that room had a strange smell." Hermione grinned at Molly.

Greengrass asked, "The strange smell did not affect you, Lady Dagworth-Granger?"

She answered, "I flooed into the house already wearing the French version of the Bubble-Head Charm. By the way, Ron tried to cancel the spell with finite incantatem, but those words didn't work. Ron was surprised."

Then Hermione looked at Ron, and grinned. "When you tried to potion me on Tuesday, my Head of House ring detected the potions. I understand that trying to potion a Head of House is considered rude?"

"Azkaban-level rude," Draco said to Ron, grinning widely.

Ron yelled, "I didn't know she was a Head of House on Tuesday! She sure wasn't one, two days earlier."

Draco laughed. "I'm so sad for you, Weasley."

Molly glared at Ron and said, "I want to yell at you." Thirty-seven-year-old Ron cringed.

Harry looked at Molly and Ginny. "Well, Ron can forget seeing sunshine again. As for you two, once some Veritaserum is dropped on your tongues—"

Ginny laughed at Harry. "All three of us are purebloods, moron."

Molly grinned at Harry. "The law says Aurors and the Wizengamot can't give Veritaserum to a pureblood without his or her permission. Do we look stupid enough to give that permission, when the sentence is life in Azkaban?"

Arthur Weasley said timidly, "Avoiding Veritaserum isn't right, Molly. We're Weasleys; we always tell the truth."

Molly said, "Did I say you could speak, Arthur? Be quiet."

Arthur hung his head. "Yes, dear," he said.

Hermione heard the whispers of the seat-holders all about her: "The bloke's been potioned."

The three Aurors who had left earlier, now walked back into the chamber. The youngest of the three was carrying a cardboard box; the Senior Auror handed a parchment to Chief Warlock Greengrass.

Greengrass announced to the chamber, "A search was performed at the residence of Arthur and Molly Weasley, with the permission of Weasley Head of House, Arthur Weasley." Molly turned her head and glared at Arthur.

Greengrass continued, "Potter Manor, which was then the dwelling of accused potioneer Ginevra Weasley formerly Potter, was searched. What was then the dwelling of accused potioneer Ronald Weasley, was searched. The results of those searches were as follows—"

Greengrass spoke louder: "No evidence of potion-brewing, legal or illegal, was found at the Ronald Weasley residence." Ron looked relieved.

"No evidence of potion-brewing, legal or illegal, was found at the Ginevra Potter residence." Ginny looked relieved, but Molly looked scared. Now it was obvious that whatever was in the cardboard box, came from her house.

Greengrass continued, "At the residence of Arthur and Molly Weasley, in a storage room off the kitchen, Aurors discovered a school trunk that was monogrammed "MP" and that was hidden inside a Fidelius ward. Inside the trunk, Aurors found equipment for preparing potion ingredients and for brewing potions; curly black hairs in vials, curly brown hairs in vials, and four vials containing straight, red hairs. With the cutting boards, potion knives, cauldrons and vials, Aurors found ingredients for brewing calming draught, dreamless sleep potion, Skele-Gro, polyjuice, Love potion, Indifference potion, Loyalty potion, Doormat potion and Veritaserum."

The Senior Auror spoke up and said, "Chief Warlock, we are in the process of determining the magical signatures of the six sets of hairs in vials."

"Very good," Greengrass said. "Do any of the accused, or do Lord Potter-Black, Lady Dagworth-Granger or Lord Weasley care to make a comment?"

Arthur was weeping now. "I knew nothing of any of this."

Molly said, "Maybe it was Arthur who brewed illegal potions at my house. Or my daughter-in-law Fleur brewed them. My son George also is good at potions. You can't prove I brewed those illegal potions."

Hermione knew that the Wizengamot, when acting like a criminal court, required only that the evidence of a crime be "strongly suggestive," not "beyond a reasonable doubt." Hermione suspected that Molly's goose was cooked, but that Molly did not realise it yet.

An Auror First Class whom Hermione knew only from Yule parties, walked into the chamber and handed a parchment to the Senior Auror, then the new Auror turned to leave. Close to where Auror First Class Ronald Weasley was chained to his chair, the new Auror First Class stopped, looked Ron up and down and gave Ron a disgusted look. Then the new Auror left.

Meanwhile, the Senior Auror was announcing, "A search of the residence of Arthur and Molly Weasley found six vials with sets of hairs in them. Those sets of hairs have the magical signatures of Hermione Dagworth-Granger, Harry Potter-Black, Arthur Weasley, Ginevra Weasley, Molly Weasley and Ronald Weasley."

Arthur stood up from his chair and desk, as he lit his wand. "Chief Warlock, may I directly address my wife?"

Greengrass said, "You may."

Arthur pointed his wand at the ceiling. "I, Arthur Weasley, Head of House Weasley, declare my marriage to Molly Prewett Weasley to be ended. If I am being magically swayed or compelled, may this declaration be ignored. So mote it be."

Arthur glowed brightly for a second; immediately afterwards, he screamed in pain as his magical core was 75-percent bound. Meanwhile, the three Weasleys in chains were staring at Arthur in horror.

Bang! went Greengrass's gavel. "Arthur Weasley, as Chief Warlock, I find that you were potioned in your marriage, to the benefit of your ex-spouse, Molly Prewett. I lift the 75-percent magical block from you and place such a block on Molly Prewett." Greengrass flicked his wand.

Molly, who still was chained in place in her Suspect chair, screamed loudly.

Greengrass continued, "Arthur Weasley, all monies and real properties that were held jointly in the marriage, including ancestral properties, I now return to you."

Then Greengrass said, "Now let us return to the criminal trial of these three accused potioneers. Again I ask: Do any of the accused have anything to say, or does anyone in the chamber have anything to say to the accused?"

Harry lit his wand, was recognised, and stood. "Ginny, tell me, why did you give me all these potions? Why have you cheated on me with other men? I gave you everything!"

Ginny sneered, "Nice try, Harry dear! It looks pretty sure that Mum is going to Azkaban, ditto Ron, but nobody can pin anything on me, unless you use Veritaserum. Which, since I'm a pureblood, nobody can force me to take! So I'm not going to admit to a bloody thing."

Harry's voice took on a deadly tone that Hermione had heard only when Master Auror Harry Potter had been describing Auror raids on the most evil of wizarding criminals: "So this is your final word, Ginny? We can't convict you of anything without your confession, we cannot make you confess, and you refuse to confess on your own?"

Ginny grinned at Harry, as Hermione seethed. "You bet. In the next few minutes, I will walk out of here a free woman—poorer, yes, and magically weaker, yes, but free! And since I still have my looks"—Hermione snorted—"and I know what men want but I also have maturity, within a year I'll remarry, again to a wizard with a big vault."

Harry said, "You claim you'll go free because we've no proof of your crimes. Ah, Ginny, I know one way to get that proof—"

Harry's voice shifted from dangerous to formal: "Ginevra Molly Weasley, harken! I demand your payment in coin or service for your Life Debt to me."

Hermione saw Ginny stiffen, and saw the redhead try to stand up straight like a soldier (but the chains prevented this). Ginny's smug look of only seconds ago now was replaced by a frightened face.

Meanwhile, Harry was explaining to everyone in the chamber, "You have just heard me speak the ritual words to claim payment for a Life Debt. At the end of Ginny's first year at Hogwarts, I saved her from being killed by the image of Tom Marvolo Riddle, a.k.a. Voldemort. Anyway, soon I shall speak the words to end the payment-claim ritual. Between now and then, I may investigate what is the best way that Ginny can repay me, so Magic shall compel Ginny to answer my questions completely and honestly."

Harry took a breath and said, "I've questions that I've been wondering about for eighteen years."

Harry asked, "Do you realise that you might have been given fewer years in Azkaban if you'd confessed your crimes voluntarily?"

"Yes," Ginny said. She was weeping now.

"Do you realise that if you had answered my questions voluntarily, I never would have called-in your Life Debt?"

"Yes. Now I feel like a fool."

"You are a fool." Harry's voice turned cold: "Did you ever brew a Love, Indifference, Loyalty or Doormat potion?"

"I've helped Mum brew Doormat potions many times, because Mum and I needed four doses of that potion every month."

"So you brewed some Doormat potions, whilst your mother brewed all the other potions that were slipped to Arthur, Hermione or me?"

"Yes."

"Ron didn't brew any potions?"

Ginny laughed scornfully. "We needed for the potions to work." Hermione saw Ron's ears turn red.

"Who slipped the potions to Hermione?"

"Ron did, most of the time. Mum did, when Ron and Hermione were visiting the rest of the family."

"Who slipped potions to me?"

"I did, most of the time. Mum did, whenever you ate at the New Burrow."

"Who slipped potions to Arthur Weasley? And what potions was he given?"

"Mum has given Dad both Love and Doormat potions since I was six years old. And probably much earlier."

"Now let's talk about your cheating. Whom have you slept with, since you and I married?"

"Merlin, you expect me to remember all of their names? Dean Thomas did me a few times, beginning a month after we married. I shagged Barnabas Yaxley last Saturday."

"Do you regret at all any of the things you've done that brought you here, to being put on trial today?"

"Honest answer? No. Being married to you brought me fame, galleons and more galleons, a big house, and parties. Between the bad boys I've shagged, and you whilst under the Doormat potion, I'm sure I've had more orgasms in the past eighteen years than everyone else in Wizarding Britain. It amused me that you became quite skilled at licking me in fun places, even whilst you clearly hated what I made you do."

"I see," Harry said without emotion. He turned to look at Hermione, who was sitting elsewhere among the Wizengamot seat-holders. Harry's look said: If I nuke Ginny, will you still love me? In reply, Hermione gave Harry a cold smile and drew a finger across her own throat.

Harry turned back to face Ginny. "Ginny, you carried out this whole big scheme so that you could marry well. Because you are divorced, theoretically you are free to again marry well. No, not happening, I shall prevent such a thing. Ginevra Molly Weasley, in payment for your Life Debt to me, I demand the following—

"You shall never brew a potion again. Your hands shall never even touch a potion again, even to treat your own ailments. Also, anytime anyone seventeen or older, whether man or woman, pays you a silver sickle, you are his or hers to command sexually for sixty minutes thereafter. The sexual acts you will be compelled to perform shall include: live sex shows, anal sex, oral sex including anilingus, and vaginal sex. This shall be your payment for your Life Debt, so mote it be."

For a second, panicked-looking Ginny glowed yellow.

Harry smiled coldly at Ginny and said, "Now, Ginny-Winny, nobody will buy the cow because they can get the milk for a sickle."

To Hermione, it was anticlimactic when the Wizengamot seat-holders voted five times, then all three evil Weasleys were sentenced to life in Azkaban. Because Molly was convicted of two counts of Line Theft, she was sentenced to life in Azkaban in solitary confinement.

As soon as the Wizengamot session ended, Hermione stood up from her plush chair, turned around, and locked eyes with Parvati in the press box. By gestures, Hermione sent the message of You. Me. Harry. We talk.

This took a while, because everyone in the Wizengamot chamber wanted to speak with the crow's-feet version of the Golden Duo. But eventually Parvati was standing in front of Harry and Hermione.

Parvati gushed, "You weren't kidding, Hermione! Tomorrow's Daily Prophet will be amazing to read."

Harry said, "Here's something else that will be amazing to read: Hermione and I"—Harry reached over and took Hermione's hand—"will marry soon." He pulled two Potter betrothal rings out of a pocket of his robes, slipped the smaller betrothal ring on Hermione's finger, then put the bigger betrothal ring on his own hand.

Parvati squealed, then exclaimed, "This is brilliant!" She hugged Hermione, then hugged Harry.

Draco Malfoy walked up then, with his hand out to shake. Hermione saw Harry, unlike twenty-six years ago, shake Draco's hand. The blond man said, "Congratulations, you two. Want to grab some lunch? Arthur, Neville, Luna and Parvati, you lot are invited too."

The other seat-holders, plus Luna, led Hermione and Parvati to the Executive Dining Room, which was on Level Five of the Ministry of Magic. Minutes later, while the other five were deep into a discussion of "Magicproofed computers, are they a fad?", Parvati leant over and said to Hermione, "You are grinning like a fool."

Hermione said, "Of course I am. My mind is clear, I'm free of a bad marriage, and I'm a Head of House." Hermione waved her right hand, with its potion-sensing ring, for several seconds. "Being Head of House gives me some nice coin, but mainly it grants me a seat in the Wizengamot, where I have a vote and a microphone."

Draco asked, "What's a 'microphone'? That's a muggle thing, right?"

For answer, Hermione smiled at Draco, as she reached over and put a hand on Harry's arm.

Hermione turned back to Parvati and said, "But the thing that has me quite happy, dancing-in-my-head happy? I'm going to marry Harry Potter, the best man to come out of Gryffindor Tower since Godric Gryffindor himself."

Parvati said, "So for you, all is well."

"Better than that: all is bloody brilliant." Hermione's grin lit up her face.

It was in the Executive Dining Room, during dessert, during a discussion with Arthur and with Draco, when Harry and Hermione casually kissed.

Such was the depths of their longstanding friendship that neither Harry nor Hermione realised that this was their first kiss.

Everyone at the table gasped when the kissers glowed.

THE END