WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF DEATH BLOOD, GORE, VIOLENCE, TRAUMA AND EMOTIONAL DAMAGE FOR THE READERS

Sunday, May 2nd:

HOGWARTS BRIDGE:

They had won.

They'd finally won.

Neville told Artemis all that happened after Narcissa tried to get her to flee back to England, – because she had lied about Harry being dead – she instead stayed to help the many injured class-mates and aided them alongside Madam Pomfrey. Draco couldn't leave his wife and helped.

Aurora ushered a few more injured students to the Seramore mansion, which was officially named the safe haven and apparently, it gave Celeste the idea of starting up a fund for an orphanage to help wizards and witches with no place to go.

It was sweet, but it would definitely take a while to start up, considering the ministry would no doubt get involved... once they find a new minister that wasn't incompetent and got rid of all the other corrupt workers... so yeah that can't be hard right?

Clearing his throat, Nevile turned back to the Seramore witch with a sheepish smile.

"Soo...I heard you know parseltongue."

She shrugged after sending a 3rd year off after helping him find his friend, "I dabble."

"You figured out to kill the snake," he added, not surprised in the slightest.

"The one you killed."

"I try," he replied, making the both of them laugh. "Not sure if you heard this today but I'm proud of you."

A warm feeling settled in her stomach, "The feelings mutual," he bashfully looked away, "I mean it Nev, you avenged your parents Neville and with that bloody sword," she smiled when he held it up, not caring that the blood smothering it belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange. She wondered how Narcissa would take the news of her older sister's death.

"Would you like to come we me to visit them, it's not like I can tell them everything – they can't understand what I'm saying half the time but it would be nice for them to see a fresh face," he nervously proposed.

"Of course, I'll go with you," she beamed and he bashfully smiled. Until then she didn't notice how good-looking he became over the past year. He's never been ugly or unappealing...just Nevile. "I would be happy to go."

"Brilliant."

They began walking, "and I'm also glad I'm going because I was thinking about becoming a healer," she said and glanced up at him.

His eyes widened, "Really?"

"Something I've been thinking about for a while," she informed, "but I would have to finish my final year. Something I feel like I need to do you know?"

"You also need to have a pretty strong stomach."

"That too," she nodded with a smile.

"Madam Seramore," he joked, making her smile widen.

"And what would wanna do?"

"An auror I suppose." He said, wanting to honour his parents, but he never felt like it was the right occupation for him.

She made a face, "I always saw you as a herbology teacher."

His face lit up, "Really? You think?"

"You'd be the best Nevile."

"Thank you," he happily said, then noticed her fiddling with the jagged wand in her possession.

"I need to get rid of this," she cringed at the amount of time she was holding it.

"You're... wait that isn't yours."

She shook her head, "Wormtails actually, took it after you know... I off'd him."

He awkwardly looked around, "Oh right."

"Yeah."

He looked past her and caught a familiar face... faces, "Oh Harry's other there, maybe he would wanna break it considering what that treacherous git did to his parents," he suggested.

She nodded, "Hmmm, good idea."

Lifting the sword, he motioned to it, "I guess I'll see you soon... need to return this, if they let me return it, with it being covered in her blood and all," they exchanged a smile one last time. As she went to turn on her heel he didn't have time to think before he pulled her into a gentle embrace, startling her, nevertheless, she sunk into his embrace, not caring how badly they looked or smelt, Salazar, even his arms got bigger. "Bye... Arty."

"Bye Nev."

He took off not long after in search of Professor McGonagall, leaving Artemis to look out of the damaged bridge, seeing how much the battle ruined the beautiful Scottish Architecture.

She didn't realise how much he took for granted until that moment, it was funny how many fallen friends, mentors and even favourite spots in the castle it took for her to realise that. Looking up she noted that the Astronomy tower was severely ruined, rendering her even more dejected. She knew that the Quidditch field was nothing but rumble, the Great Hall turned to dust and the room of the requirement – not what she could give monkeys – was entirely destroyed... her doing but oh well.

Turning she heard the sounds of footsteps heading towards her.

She could see that Draco wasn't wearing his blazer as he neared with the golden trio not too far behind.

Artemis smiled up at her husband, the two shared a chaste kiss, one that would earn a disgusted look from Ron which neither of them cared about. Harry almost couldn't help but smile at that, even Hermoine wasn't bothered by their happiness.

The married couple linked their arms as they turned to face the others.

"Potter," Draco greeted for the first time without malice.

"Malfoy."

It didn't sound right, which they all knew, but didn't dwell on the matter, they had bigger fish to fry.

"You threw me your mother's wand," Harry held it up, in his other hand was the elder wand which he acquired after defeating Voldemort and watching his body disintegrate.

Draco nodded, "I did."

"Why'd you do that?"

Artemis chuckled, "he's not that evil."

"Well..." Ron objected.

Hermoine made a face, "That statement can be countered by years of examples you know?"

"Buckbeak would definitely beg to differ, poor bird."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Well that poor bird, scratched me."

"After you provoked it."

Artemis hummed in agreement, "I did tell you not to do anything stupid," she said looking up at him.

"It killed meh! It killed meh!" Ron mocked, earning snickering from his friend, even Artemis couldn't hold back her amusement.

"Then I heard you got a slap from Granger over here," she nodded to Hermoine who covered her laugh with her hands.

"A slap that was deserved," Hermoine pointed out, glancing at Draco who clenched his jaw.

"And a powerful one at that," Harry added.

"Well, Arty gave me another one, not even a couple of days after so there's that," Draco hadn't forgotten how many injuries he'd been subjected to during 3rd year.

"What?" Ron groaned, "Why didn't you do it where I could see?" Harry nudged him, "Where we could see?"

"I will next time," Artemis suggested, drawing the biggest smile she ever saw on Ron's face.

"Thank you for the support," Draco spoke with faux annoyance.

"You're welcome," she winked at him.

"Alright," Draco surprisingly didn't disagree and looked back at Harry, "I could've let you suffer for a little bit," he said getting back on topic, regarding throwing him the wand.

Artemis nodded, "He was debating it."

Harry grimaced, "I'm sure you were."

"Another statement to add to that list of evil endeavours," Hermoine murmured, making them all crack a smile. "Oh and Artemis I just wanted to say that... the riddle about the snake... in parseltongue was ingenious."

"Thank you," Artemis beamed at the compliment, feeling odd that Hermoine had that much influence over her, "and I wanted to say... well something that I could never deny... or admit aloud...you're brilliant Hermoine."

Hermoine couldn't help but grin, "Thank you."

Neither of the wizards knew what to do at the exchange, finding it odd that the smartest witch and the most cunning witch they knew were getting along after 7 years of competing. They'd glare, roll eyes and even curse at each other for just existing and there was the whole cannabis argument, what a mess, but now, they could see each other in a different light.

So Ron awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "Yeah, you're not half bad Seramore."

Artemis dramatically gasped, "You complimented me, I guess the world is truly ending."

"Shut up."

Draco smirked whilst the others laughed.

That's all they could do.

Draco finally got his mother's wand back, whilst Ron gave him the actual wand he kept since their escape from Malfoy Manor.

Artemis spoke up, "I was thinking, we lost a lot of people today and since Cedric has a shrine in the Trophey room, perhaps a medal or some memorabilia should be placed, not necessarily in there but somewhere... you know, for the rest of them?"

"Sounds good, great even," Harry said enthusiastically.

"Yeah it is," Ron nodded in agreement, thinking of Fred, making Hermoine gently stroke his arm.

They'd lost so many people, it was hard to keep track.

"And that reminds me. I saw Snape's last memories, he wasn't what I thought," Harry mentioned.

"And what did you find?" Draco inquired, after feeling his wife tense.

Harry started, "That night when my parents were killed, he wanted to get my mother and me out of there but Dumbledore..."

"Didn't want to help? Shocking," Draco wasn't surprised, neither was Artemis who just thought back to the last words Snape said to her.

Harry stiffly nodded, "he'd tricked one of the darkest minds for years. He was the bravest man I've ever known. Now I know why Dumbledore kept him at his side and even claim to trust him despite the controversy."

"He's a bastard," Artemis spoke up after a while, "well not that everyone will know or even care to hear another perspective on the matter."

Hermoine was the first to disagree, "I'm sure Luna will consult her father about Dumbledore and his crimes. Xenophillius would probably be glad to cover The Quibbler with facts," she announced firmly, "of the malignity of his actions – the people he hurt and lives ruined."

"Wait... you believe me?" Artemis was shocked when they all nodded.

Hermoine said "Well I -" Ron cleared his throat, " - we do now."

"Making sure your father didn't die in vain wasn't hard to discover," Harry began explaining, "We went to his old office in London just before breaking in Gringrotts –"

Ron interrupted, "-- How we managed to do that in time was a bloody mystery –"

" – most of it was off bounds out of respect."

"But we found most of his research," Hermione continued, making Artemis gulp. "Half of it was moulding but from what we could salvage it was clear of what he was trying to accomplish. His handwriting was clear – clearest I've seen any wizard write – I knew he was intelligent but the things he managed to deduce, I doubt I could've, well –"

"-- 'Moine." Ron nudged her.

"-- oh right, sorry," she winced, but Artemis just smiled.

"He was trying to help me..." Harry trailed off, "Well he didn't know me, he knew of Dumbledore's plans. Smart man. Not only that but he wanted to help Regulus Black, you were right about that and Sirius... your dad wanting to get him out of Azkaban."

"I always wondered why Dumbledore never helped him despite knowing he was innocent," Ron mindlessly spoke and shrugged at the look Hermoine gave him.

"Harry would've had a better foundation and social skills – sorry Harry," Harry waved off Hermoine and continued to let her speak, " – if he was put into Sirius' care. Well I think he would've, but we will never know now..."

"You were right," Harry nodded at Artemis, "you can say I told you so now."

Artemis didn't hesitate, "I told you so."

Ron pointed at her, "See, I knew she would say it."

"If she didn't I damn well would," Draco muttered.

Artemis added, "Well the rest of my father's research is at home, I've never seen it, and neither has my mum – well that's what she's said, but I doubt it. They never hid anything from each other. She just didn't want to move a single thing out of place, you know, so it would look like he never left."

They all looked at her with sympathy which she finally accepted after years of hating those types of looks.

"But what I can't wrap my head around is that we were able to find his research, I'm sure your family keep their precious items wrapped up in some sort of box... or in some room, hidden within the school..." Hermoine trailed off, attempting not to talk about the elephant in the... damaged bridge.

"You saw the one in Mente Striae didn't you?" Artemis dared to ask, knowing it was on her mind.

Draco cursed at the fact they knew the room excised.

Ron rapidly nodded, still slightly in awe, '"We did and we need to talk about that room –"

"Ron," Harry did want to discuss it, but not at the moment.

"What? It was right under our noses, imagine if the twins saw it..." he sadly chuckled at the thought, all while Artemis glanced down at the mention of the fallen twin.

Clearing her throat at the uncomfortable silence, Artemis said, "Getting back to my father's research...well the lot in the London Office, I guess he wanted you to find it, I never could. Not like I was looking."

"Surprisingly," Draco murmured, staring down at her.

"Weren't trying hard enough then," Harry jabbed, making her roll her eyes.

Draco glared, "Careful."

"Wind your neck in Malfoy," Ron eyed him.

"Right, before you lot start," Artemis held out a wand for Harry to take, much to all of their confusion, "It's not mine, obviously," she nodded to how ugly it looked, "as if such a thing would choose me," she tried to not gag at the thought, "it's Wormtails." Harry immediately straightened up, "He tried to kill me you see, but I got to him first, with some help." she recalled, watching how he listened intently, "he used this to murder Cedric... so it was only right I did the same to him."

"Bloody hell," Ron wasn't surprised about how calm she was about death or murder.

"Do whatever you want with it considering what he did to your parents."

Harry reached out with a sneer when he touched the wand and without hesitation, he dropped it to the floor and stomped into it was nothing but pieces.

"You okay, Harry?" Hermoine asked.

Breathing out a deep sigh, he said, "Never better," no one believe him, "speaking of wands, this belongs to you."

Artemis' eyes widened at the sight of the elder wand, she hadn't seen it since the night she almost killed Dumbledore. 15 inches of elder wood with several gaps in between. Aesthetically it looked perfect but the responsibility and the burden of it... was it worth it?

"It never belonged to Snape. That night in the Astronomy tower...Voldemort knew Snape killed Dumbledore, so in his eyes, Snape would be the rightful owner and not him."

"And that's why he killed Snape," Artemis inhaled sharply. The death of her mentor was still active in her mind, well, of course, it happened hours before. "He thought he was the rightful owner.

"But he didn't disarm Dumbledore that night. You did."

She swallowed the knot at the back of her throat, "So that means..."

"You're the rightful owner Arty," Draco looked at her in amazement. For some reason he didn't stop and think what disarming Dumbledore truly meant that night, they had other things to think about that day. "If Salazar could see this he would be smiling, I think he would be, I would be surprised if the bastards capable of it."

Harry nodded, "Even when I caught it after defeating Voldemort, It didn't feel right, not like my own, it felt... off."

"Wow," when she took the wand in her hands, a shiver travelled down her spine, it belongs to me, "It's mine."

"It's yours."

"Oh great," Ron jokingly said, drawing an eye roll from Draco, "only you would end up with a weapon that drives everyone mad."

"It's a lot of responsibility. One of the deathly hallows in your grasp," Hermoine tried not to sound so expressed, but to hell with it.

"I think," Artemis looked up at everyone, "I don't think that I should keep this."

"What?" Draco breathed out.

Ron bobbed his head at him, "Yeah, what he said."

"The price of owning it is far too grand and I want to try and live a life, a proper one this time. Not having to think who is out to get me because I have it in my possession."

"Darling, they won't say anything, will you," Draco turned to them expectedly, but she interrupted before they said anything.

"I would want to find my wand if it somehow survived the fiendfyre, which I doubt, but still there are people to heal and wands to fix and a whole school to restore, so I guess I can use it for that, but once that's done, I believe it would be better if you had it," she held it out to Harry, who reeled back as did the rest of them.

"It's not a bloody quaffle," Ron exacerbated because in his mind they were acting like it was a game of Quidditch.

"I agree with him," Draco cringed at his words, but then looked down at his wife, "but I support you if you're sure that's what you want."

"It's what I want," she said, lowering the wand after realising Harry hadn't taken it. "Harry?"

He blinked back his shock, because she called him his name for the third time and because he was taking everything in.

"I think you broke Harry," Ron snapped his finger in front of his best friend before Hermoine slapped his hands away.

"I-I think if belonged to me and I kept it, someone who easily try and steal it and face it if I placed it in Gringrotts it won't be safe."

"Got that right," Ron snorted.

"Then what do you suggest Harry?" Hermoine asked.

"Your family room," Harry suggested.

Draco shook his head, "You're out of your bloody mind, dying must've done something."

"No, he's always been like this," Ron blurted out, ignoring the offended look he received from Harry. 

"What? No one apart from us knows it exists, and the rest of your friends," Harry explained.

"And presumably your family," Hermoine continued, not finding an error in the suggestion.

"But with loud-mouth Weasley and Know-it-all Granger –" Draco wheezed when he was harshly elbowed in the stomach, to which he shot a glare at his wife.

"I'm a know-it-all, you know that right?" she said in the muggle-borns defence, making Hermoine smile so hard her cheeks when red, "it's not a bad idea to keep it in Hogwarts, especially because only someone with Seramore blood can open it."

"See!" Harry exclaimed much to Draco's aggravation.

"With that in mind, I have a question," she turned back to Harry, "How did Voldemort die anyway?"

"Oh yeah, I downed the blood as you insisted and once the spell was cast at me, it wasn't long before he disintegrated. Like it was seconds, he screamed like a banshee," Harry scratched the back of his neck, "I think he said someone's name actually," neither of the Golden trio missed how the married couple shared a look, "can't remember it though, too busy trying not to die. It was shocking though, a bit scary too, it's not like I didn't think the blood thing would work, disgusting by the way."

"And why is that, why did the blood work anyway?" Ron intrigued.

Artemis waved them off, "Long story."

Ron sighed, "Seramores and their bloody secrets."

"Speaking of secrets, no one needs to know of my involvement in this whole affair," Artemis stated.

They were rendered speechless...

Well, not for long.

Ron squinted his eyes, "She's lost it, truly, must be the air."

"But why would you want it to be kept a secret, you helped us, and you deciphered something even I couldn't, then translated it into a parseltongue and a riddle!" Hermoine's voice rose, making them all wince, "into a riddle!"

"Alright Moine, she knows," Harry tried to calm his best friend down.

"And are you sure about that as well?" Draco questioned his wife, though, she knew he was tired of all the attention and was overwhelmed by everything, she, just like him needed time to heal.

"I'm sure."

Harry still wasn't convinced, "You don't want them to know, really, anyone?"

"That is an accomplishment that I want to be kept a secret." Artemis didn't doubt that Neville would keep it a secret also, only because it was her, the boy had a loud mouth.

Everyone looked around after hearing her confession.

"Wow, you've changed," Harry breathed out.

She shrugged, motioning to his lightning scar, "There can only be one chosen one Harry."

"No one will know what you've done for them."

Artemis confidently nodded, "Well keep it that way. Us Seramore's like to stick to the shadows you know?" she teased, making them all smile.

"Who knew we would need up being friends?"

His question directed at Artemis had Draco grimacing and Ron cringing.

Artemis playfully rolled her eyes, "Do you want me to start calling you Harold again?"

"No."

Draco glanced behind the trio, still seeing dozens of people trying to find their friends, family or just people they knew through the rubble, it was horrifying.

Artemis noticed his expression and squeezed his arm, before turning back to Harry.

"Then goodbye, Master of Death."

Harry pondered for a moment, "Goodbye, Master of Shadows."

"Shadows huh, I like it."

"Well, it's about time you like something I do."

"Yeah yeah."

Turning back to Artemis after gossiping with Hermoine, Ron spoke teasingly, "Shouldn't we call you Mrs Malfoy or something? Considering you and him... you know."

Artemis sighed and turned to Harry, "You told him."

He raised his hands in defence, "It was a big thing to keep to myself."

"You lot better keep Mente Striae's to yourselves."

"Of course," Hermoine agreed whilst the others hesitated, making Artemis start to glare, "boys."

"We won't say anything," they muttered.

"What was that?" Draco pressed a hand to his ear.

"Alright fine, it's a secret," Ron muttered begrudgingly.

Harry stiffly nodded, "Yeah, a secret."

Artemis decided to add. "If it gets out, I was informed by my grandfather, a hex befalls on those who go against the current masters of the room."

Draco held back a smirk, knowing she was lying through her teeth.

"That's a load of dog shite," Ron exclaimed, throwing out his arms.

Hermoine wasn't convinced, "What hex is it then?"

Artemis was quick, "Considering the room is about serenity, it would inflict the exact opposite,"

Ron rolled his eyes, "You don't expect us to believe that do you?"

Draco snorted, "It's your funeral if you wanna risk it."

"But–" Ron got distracted by a sudden figure behind the married couple and ran to them, "Dean?"

Everyone followed his gaze when they saw the Thomas boy, he was in new clothes and looked like he had a shower, unlike the rest of them.

Ron and Harry both hugged the boy, then Hermoine, and then when Dean turned to Artemis and Draco with the biggest smile on his face.

"Well?" Artemis asked.

"Dean?" Draco pressed, hating the silence.

"Blasie's alive!" Dean excitedly told them all, making the trio let out a sigh of relief whilst Artemis and Draco looked as if they wanted to cry.

"He's alive?!" she asked.

"Yes, he's awake and—"

Artemis turned back to the trio, "We have to go!"

"Tell Zabini to have a speedy recovery," Ron wished as did his best friends.

"Thanks for helping him Ronald," Artemis added, knowing if he didn't catch her cousin when he did, they wouldn't be anything to recover.

Ron just smiled at her.

"Cheers to being alive," Dean yelled happily as he, Artemis and Draco started to run.

"Cheers to making it through the war and via the revolution!" Artemis screamed.

The Golden trio repeated from a distance, "Via the revolution!"

"—whatever that bloody means," they heard Ron say.

Dean gripped his friend's hands, "And oh, by the way, Blaise told everyone you guys are married."

The married couple froze, "What?!"

"Blimey, you could've spared as an invitation."

"Oh we're dead," Artemis muttered just as they were about to apparate.

Draco sighed, "Already 6 feet under. Blaise, barely alive and already being a grass."

Dean just laughed, taking them back to England where chaos awaited.

***

a/n:
  neville should've killed bellatrix in the films i don't know why he didn't. also i made sure that harry didn't break that damn elder wand, there was plenty of work to do especially when it came to fixing wands or even the skl and he just broke it and threw it away? nope, he will own in but it's in the seramore's family room.