A Victorious Draw

Ron stood near the bar and watched as Severus and Hermione danced their first dance as husband and wife. To the general public and almost all in attendance, theirs had been a whirlwind romance, but for those who knew them, it had been six years as professor-student, followed by seven years as colleagues and war heroes in the making.

Six months after seeing Hermione and Severus arguing in the hallway in the bowels of the Ministry,and five months after Hermione confronted the Minister of Magic, had made her proposal for a new course of studies at Hogwarts. The Minister, loathe to meddle in Hogwarts affairs, recommended that Hermione make her pitch to the Board of Governors at a special session that he would call.

Life for his best friend had taken a turn for the better by then, Ron noted. Harry had stepped up to help both Hermione and Severus, as Ron had known he would. He didn’t feel bad in letting Harry in on the big picture. Harry couldn’t keep anything off his face, and if there were two people on this Earth that could squeeze information from Harry, it was the couple currently indulging in a kiss on the dance floor.

Ron looked across the room and saw George standing in the middle of a group of Ministry officials that had been invited to attend the wedding of the century, and his eyes misted once again, as they always did at the sight of George these past few months. Severus had approached him four months ago, inquiring after George. Ron had been sitting in the bar of a hotel, downing a well-earned pint, when Severus quietly asked if he could join him. Ron nodded and had been surprised when Severus ordered a pint, as well. Sipping slowly and waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop, Ron was startled when Severus instead asked after his brother. Ron, heart-sick over the steady decline in George’s health, answered Severus truthfully, that George was slowly dying.

Instead of rebuking Ron, as so often happened, Severus instead began explaining the tests that had been run on Fred and George back and school, and the results of said tests. Before Ron could faint from the weight of the news, Severus had gone on to explain what the results had meant at the time the tests were taken, and the precautions that had been undertaken.

Severus had assumed since Fred’s death, his family would have taken the necessary steps to prevent George from deteriorating further due to the soul wrenching. When he’d learned that nothing had been done and George was in the late-stages of detachment, he’d taken the necessary steps to secure the ingredients needed for the reversal of George’s condition. Severus hadn’t made promises since George had been suffering for so long, but Severus was the pre-eminent Potion Masters in all of Britain, and to the Weasleys’ everlasting gratitude, George had been making steady improvements.

And it all came about because George had gone through the Floo to protect Ron from Hermione’s wrath.

How well everyone played this game, Ron thought a trifle smug. He couldn’t have been more pleased with the results, for everyone involved.

Harry had played his part as Bishop to the hilt, crisscrossing the board, facing off greater and lesser foes than himself, yet managing to retreat for another battle. Foes including Hermione, Severus and Ginny, Ron remembered with a small laugh.

George, as Knight, rushing in to save the damsel, much has he, himself had done all those years ago at school.

Severus, himself played Bishop as the role he’d been born unto, and it was where he exceeded. Together, he and Hermione had seen Hermione’s true place in their world, helping new Muggle-borns become familiar with all things Wizard. For theirs was a greater challenge than those of mere wizards learning Muggle studies.

Hermione was currently writing and overseeing the production of the first three levels of books. Being a Muggle-born witch of exceptional ability, she earned the respect and cooperation of the school’s Board of Governors, including that of Draco Malfoy, the most recently installed Board Member. After hearing her presentation, the Members agreed that it would be to everyone’s best interest for Muggle-borns to learn the most basic of concepts in the Wizarding world, and by doing so, have the opportunity to teach their peers as well of the Muggle world, by comparing and contrasting what they have learned and applying it to real time situations, both in the Muggle world and Wizarding world.

It was a short time later that Severus and Hermione came up to Ron as he was talking with Pansy, his date for the wedding. Severus drew Pansy into a quiet conversation regarding her time on the Continent so that Hermione could speak with Ron.
She and Ron walked arm in arm to the small alcove near a window in the ballroom where the wedding reception was being held. She’d turned to him and threw her arms around him, squeezing hard. Taken by surprise, he could do no more than wrap his arms around her and hug her back. As she drew back, a radiant smile graced her features.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” Hermione said, and for a brief moment, Ron felt as if she knew what he had done, but then realized the foolishness of that thought.

“For what?” Ron asked, amused.

“For pointing out that something was missing in my life. Of course, no one could have predicted that Severus and I would have ever ended up together…” and as Hermione went on thanking him for helping her to see what it was that she needed, and explaining that Severus was looking for someone, and all the rest, Ron thought how incredibly lucky they all were.

The outcome of his game was exactly as he had predicted; Severus and Hermione gaining what they needed, neither losing themselves in the process.

A victorious draw.