Secret Smile. *Complete*

After The War

Hermione gave a rather loud sigh, as she sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor of The Burrow, packing her bag for what would be the final year of Hogwarts. Her letter may have only arrived a week ago and yes there were still 12 days left of the summer holidays but one can never be too organised.

At least that is what Hermione reminded herself as she heard the laughter of the rest of the Weasley clan and Harry of course, outside in the middle of what seemed to be a very long game of Quidditch.

She was so excited about heading back to school to see her classmates, whom she had not seen since the memorial service in June. After the war, the newly appointed Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall and the newly appointed Minister For Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, organised a memorial service for all those lives lost during the war.

The Fallen Fifty as they were now known.

Originally they were to be known as 'The Sleeping Thirty-Seven' but this number never really sat right with Hermione. There were more deaths than those who fought for The Order and in Hermione's eyes their deaths should not go unnoticed. So when she, Harry and Ron were asked to help organise the service, she knew this was her chance to set things right.

There was a bit of drama when Hermione suggested adding the likes of Gregory Goyle and Adrian Pucey to the list. Just as much as there was when Harry petitioned to get Professor Snape's name cleared. Ron was furious and almost broke up with Hermione when she asked for Lucius Malfoy to be added to the list.

But Hermione saw what happened to Lucius. At the end, when his son Draco, threw his wand to Harry to finally put an end to Voldemort's reign, Lucius looked nothing but proud of his son for his actions and he and his wife turned to leave with Draco to escape the final battle. They had accepted defeat and chose the right side in the end.

Hermione couldn't pass judgement on what they did. If she had a child, she probably would have tried to take them away as well. Bellatrix Lestrange, however, could pass judgement and Hermione and Ginny both saw her throw an Unforgivable Curse at her family. Primarily Draco. But Lucius had pushed his son out of the way in the nick of time and took the curse to the chest.

It was heartbreaking to watch as the matriarch of the Malfoy family's hands slipped from his wife and son's as he fell over the edge of the bridge. His lifeless body was lost to the depths below. And the two girls watched as Narcissa Malfoy's heart shattered and she fell to the ground, mourning the loss of her love. Her son apparated away with her.

It was all Hermione could think of when we finally lay down the next day in Ron's bedroom. Narcissa Malfoy's face. Hermione even cried for the widow and at that moment she forgave both Lucius and his wife for their parts in the war.

Ron, however, didn't see it quite the same way.

Harry thought it was a good idea. He had spoken with Draco himself after the war. They had somewhat of a reconciliation and made amends for their 7-year-long feud, which despite what had happened seemed so silly now. After all, if Draco had not thrown Harry his wand, the outcome of the war may have been very, very different.

Ron was not going to forgive easily. He had been hurt time and time again by Death Eaters and their master and since the war had resulted in him losing the brother he was probably closest to, he believed they were all guilty and every one of them deserved to be killed or locked away for eternity.

Hermione and Ron had to simply agree to disagree. Something that nearly killed Ron to do and something he has not forgotten either.

But the names of those Harry and Hermione thought deserved it, were added to the memorial and 'The Sleeping Thirty-Seven' which was a silly name in Hermione's opinion, became 'The Fallen Fifty'.