CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

The fancy bra under my gown was digging into my back and pushing my breasts up uncomfortably and in a way I wasn't used to. My neck chafed from the heavy jewelry Esme had lent me, the sleeves of my dress had stuck to my arms from all the sweat and my hair was swaying dangerously atop my head each time I turned around.

The ceremony-banquet-thing, held in honour of the to-be-announced Order of Merlin awardees, was set up in a massive ballroom filled with round tables (the muggleborn in me was snickering at this) that were all made up fancy, a stage with a podium, and a place to dance. All the witches and wizards wore dress-robes and ball-gowns, and I'd had to take two Calming potions when I arrived (and promptly freaked out despite all the preparation I'd talked myself through). Isobel had easily handed over the potions she'd had the foresight to bring with her, along with a warning that it wasn't healthy to have more then four doses a week.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and fanned myself with the pamphlet that had been lying on my chair. The ballroom was packed and the traditional flaming torches on the wall were giving off too much heat, and when you then added the constant flashing bulbs of the magical cameras, I was sweating like mad and thoroughly relieved that Alice had had the sagacity to use waterproof make-up.

"Are you okay?" Hermione Granger asked me, from where she was sitting opposite me. I was on a table with her, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley and Luna. I felt honored sitting with the heroes of the Light, even though I was aware it was Luna's odd little friendship with Harry that was responsible for our seating arrangement.

"I'm fine," I said with a weak smile. "Although I was under the impression saunas came with plunge-pools."

"I could conjure you up a cool breeze," Luna offered sweetly and I gave her a horrified look. "I was joking, Bella." She giggled and I laughed uncertainly, while breathing a silent sigh of relief. One could never be sure with Luna, and the girl could get away with murder she looked so innocent.

A sudden blast of trumpets snapped my attention to the center stage where a number of important-looking people gracefully entered from the wings to sit down in a row of stuffed chairs.

"Who are they?" I whispered.

"The ones in the red robes are the Wizengamot Elders," Neville is the one to answer, quietly. "Gran used to sit there but, well," his face turns pink, "I'm sort of Head of House Longbottom now."

"What about the other ones?" I ask.

"The ones in green, purple or white are previous awardees of an Order of Merlin. Green is First Class, purple is Second Class and white is Third Class." Hermione says in a hushed voice, peering over at them in interest. "I read about the awardees still alive while researching the Order of Merlin, as well as traditions for the ceremony. Did you know the first Order of Merlin was given out in the 15th century?"

"Well I do now," Ron said with a roll of his eyes, but despite his harsh-sounding words, I could see the teasing look on his face, and Hermione smiled back at him while Harry snorted, amused, the three of them sharing in some private joke.

With a sigh, I fanned myself some more and wriggled in my dress. Isobel, apparently not trusting me to dress appropriately, had had it sent, along with strict instructions that I didn't have a choice but to wear it (Alice was very disappointed she couldn't dress me up herself, but her mood lifted when I let her do my hair and face, and then Esme had come over as Alice was doing the finishing touches of my make-up, with her opal jewellry and a sweet, shy smile- I'd blushed fire-truck red when I realized that my almost-mother-in-law was offering her probably priceless opals for me to wear). The gown was black, the bodice made from some sort of lustrous silk and chiffon sprinkled with rhinestones, while the sleeves were pressed velvet and the skirt a mass of ruffles and lace. My wrist was still wrapped tight in a bandage, but my sleeves mostly covered the dressing.

Isobel, remembering many past experiences, decided not to bother attempting to get Luna something to dress in, but Rosalie had actually had some success dressing my best friend, meaning she looked far more normal then anyone who knew her would have expected, clad in an off-the-shoulder indigo dress with billowing sleeves and a cinched waist, the fabric of the skirt flowing out in lacy tufts. She also sported long, fingerless gloves the same shade of indigo as her dress that covered the pale scars decorating her hands and arms from Malfoy Manor.

And then, because she was Luna, she threw normal out the window and finished off her outfit with orange radish earrings and a 'diadem'- a recreation of her father's recreation of the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw, to be exact. It was an odd headdress by any, every and all standards; two objects that resembled golden ear trumpets curved out from about an inch above and a half inch back from her ears and delicate leather straps spelled gold and sparkly were attached with tiny pairs of glittering blue wings and orange radishes. I personally thought she looked perfect. Rosalie, surprisingly enough, had seemed to agree.

The awards ceremony started, and after a glance at the pamphlet I realized that First Class awardees would be going first, followed by speeches and posthumous awardees. Dinner would be served, and then the Second Class and Third Class awardees would be presented with their medal. With a bored sigh, I slid down a little further in my chair and fiddled with my engagement ring.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Molly Weasley, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, Auror Shacklebolt and Aberforth Dumbledore were all awarded an Order of Merlin First Class. After that, one of the old Order of Merlin First Class members began a speech that honestly just wasn't worth listening to and I leaned back in my chair, bored.

"Don't worry," Hermione looked at Luna and I, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes, her gold medallion with its green ribbon hanging just below her breasts. "It's going to get very exciting once the speeches are over."

She was right. Auror Shacklebolt started reading out the next list of names, the posthumous awardees. Everyone who had fought and died in the Battle of Hogwarts was awarded Third Class, including Sue and Lisa Turpin, followed by Second Class awardees, which included Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, little Colin Creevey, who it turned out had died while saving the lives of eleven people, Fred Weasley and...

"Free Elf Dobby, who died saving the lives of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley from capture, is awarded Order of Merlin Second Class." Auror Shacklebolt read, not even changing his tone, but the sudden uproar had him pausing to wait for the noise to die down.

I actually started crying (just a little. Okay, more then a little). Dobby had saved Luna's life, and I owed the little guy more then I could ever repay him. Being the first non-wizard to be awarded an Order of Merlin was something the little elf deserved- Dobby would go down in history, no one in our generation or the two generations before us still alive would forget his name.

"That was quite the mischief," I said to Hermione, trying to dab at my eyes without ruining my make-up with the edge of the velvet sleeve, not bothering to whisper with all the noise. She tipped her head back and laughed.

"Oh, that's only half of it, Bella."

"Now I really can't wait," I admitted, and she laughed again, though I noted a hint of nerves in her eyes.

"Our First Class Order of Merlin posthumous awardees are as following," Auror Shacklebolt began to read them out. Some of the names, like Madam Amelia Bones, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Susan's mum, and Sirius Black, an acquitted war criminal who had managed to escape Azkaban, something that was supposed to be impossible, were familiar, while names like 'Emmeline Vance' and 'Hestia Jones' I hadn't heard of before.

And then the bombshell.

"For his eighteen years serving as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, saving countless lives, including that of our savior, Harry Potter, and staying faithful to the Light until his death at the wand of Voldemort himself on May 2nd, 1998, during the Battle of Hogwarts, we posthumously award Order of Merlin First Class to Severus Snape."

Dead silence for almost an entire five seconds, and then people started shouting and screaming in protest and anger.

I look over at Hermione who gives a weak smile. So this was the 'mischief', though that seemed like an understatement. Turning to Neville, I saw he looked grim but calm- I was fairly certain he'd been warned beforehand. Ginny's hands were clenched in fists and her face was pale, but she also remained silent, a steel in her eyes.

Harry stood up and made his way to the stage. His presence alone was enough to silence the angry crowd, and he looked calmly out over all of us, gathered.

"Everyone has heard of how Severus Snape was a spy since Voldemort threatened the life of his childhood best friend and woman he loved, Lily Potter née Evans, but no one truly understands the sacrifices that man made. I've seen those meetings Voldemort held, where he tortured his own followers and had them torture each other. Severus Snape returned to those meetings, over and over, knowing that any one could have been his last, that at any point he could have been discovered and tortured to death. He was forced to do terrible things in the name of the bigger picture. Even during the years Voldemort was without a body, Snape was in service to Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort would return, and that he would need to be able to return to Voldemort's service. Snape sacrificed his dreams to stay at Hogwarts, to be the professor all students had to hate except the Slytherins, never having the chance to fall in love, to marry, to have his own children. He killed people. He tortured people. He was Headmaster over a school where scum like the Carrows were allowed free reign. But every day, he did his best to keep students from being harmed."

"It's true," Ginny stood up, looking pale but determined. "I was caught trying to steal Gryffindor's Sword from his office. He could have turned me over to the Carrows- he should have, they were supposed to be in charge of punishment. And if you were tortured with the Cruciatus for freeing a first year hanging by his thumbs in the dungeons for forty-eight hours, then I don't even want to know what the Carrow's punishment for breaking into the headmaster's office and trying to steal from him would have been. I don't know if I would have survived it. Instead, he sent me out to the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid, a punishment given to first years back when Professor Dumbledore was Headmaster."

A woman stood up who I didn't recognize, and she had tears running down her face, but when she spoke it was with a steady voice. "My sister, her husband and two daughters were in the wrong place at the wrong time during a Death Eater raid, and paid the price for it. One of my nieces, Connie, managed to hide, but Betty, Walter and Emily were all killed. One of the Death Eaters there was Snape, and Connie recognized him from the newspaper- she's just nine years old. Walter was killed while they were being captured, but little Connie told me how one of the Death Eaters used the Cruciatus on her mum until she died," the woman has to pause, taking a gasping breath before she can speak again, "the same Death Eater started torturing Emily- she was only twelve years old. He said he wanted to see if she'd outlast her mother. Snape used the Killing Curse, ending Emily's life instantly and painlessly. He killed my niece, and I'll hate him forever for doing that, but he saved her from a terrible death."

"Like I said, Snape killed people and tortured people," Harry spoke up again, face grave, "but every time he did it, he lost a part of himself. When he killed Albus Dumbledore, on Dumbledore's own orders, he knew that he'd be the second most hated man in Wizarding Britain, after Voldemort himself. Snape died giving me the information to defeat Voldemort, expecting to be remembered a villain, with everything he'd sacrificed—including his life—never known. I refuse to let this happen to the bravest man I know. I did not like Snape, but he died so that I could live to defeat Voldemort and save us all. I wouldn't be standing here, in front of you all, in a world free of Voldemort, without him."

Harry's gaze swept over the room, his startling green eyes burning with a fierce conviction, and in that moment I felt awed just to be in his presence.

"Thank you," Harry nodded to Auror Shacklebolt, before moving back to our table. Auror Shacklebolt cleared his throat.

"The next Order of Merlin First Class is awarded posthumously to..."

I zoned out, instead turning to Luna who mouthed 'after'. I nodded, before turning to look at Harry. Ginny was kissing his cheek and he looked awkward.

"I wasn't too horrible, right?" he muttered to our table.

"Oh Harry," Hermione sighed exasperated, "you're a born public speaker, of course it wasn't horrible! You just made a hall full of war heroes accept a man they universally hated as an awardee of the highest honor in Wizarding Britain." Harry smiled sheepishly at her.

"I guess I'll take that as a no, I wasn't too horrible." He said, and I bit back a laugh.

The dinner wasn't as terrible as I'd been expecting, and then the Second Class awardees were being called forward to received their acclamation, and then finally the Third Class awardees. I could feel nerves twisting violently in my stomach and I was pretty sure I was about as pale as I felt because Ginny patted my hand sympathetically while Hermione gave me a commiserating smile and Luna kissed me on the cheek before standing to go collect her medallion, which I thought looked sort of like an oversized chocolate coin.

I clapped for Katie, Isobel and Morag as they went up and then, at long last, Auror Shacklebolt read out my name. "For her part in battling Death Eaters on three separate occasions, her selfless sacrifice while dueling war criminal Bellatrix Lestrange and her fierce loyalty to the DA organization, founded by our savior Harry Potter, Isabella Swan is awarded the Order of Merlin Third Class."

After the long (and, for someone who wasn't used to either heels or a floor-length gown, rather frightening) walk to the podium I was awarded my own chocolate coin with its silky white ribbon, that was lowered over my neck by the old man who'd given the speech. I was blushing pretty heavily as I made my way back to my table.

When the last of the awards had been presented, it was dessert and then dancing. I was served a slice of strawberry tart that I nearly fell in love with. Unfortunately, I ate it before any true feelings could be formed, and then took up Ginny's dare and tried to champagne. It tasted awful, but I was stubborn and managed to drink the whole glass- it didn't taste as bad as scotch, after all, and at the red-head's cajoling I drank a second.

Two glasses of high quality champagne wasn't enough to get me drunk, but I certainly wasn't sober, so when it came time for dancing and Luna started coaxing me out onto the dance-floor I actually agreed. I did, however, have enough sense to realize that there was no way I'd ever be able to dance in the high-heels I was wearing. My dress was long enough though, I decided, that it would hide my stocking-clad feet, so I toed off the heels, tucking them under my seat. Hermione, Ginny and Luna all laughed. "What? I don't fancy a broken ankle- or two of them!" I defended myself before starting to laugh too.

Ginny, still laughing, dragging a reluctant Harry to his feet. "Let's dance." She said, tugging her boyfriend over to where couples had started spinning. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott, two Hufflepuffs in the year above me, came and stole Neville, and Ron was asking a pink-cheeked Hermione to dance. I heard him say something about the Yule Ball and Hermione's cheeks turned even pinker, but she leaned forwards and kissed him, softly.

"Better late then never," she murmured as they parted, and he led her to the dance floor.

Luna leads, and we ignore the looks we get from some of the more traditional Purebloods, not that they dare say anything, as we gently sway together to the slow-paced orchestra.

"So, I guess Harry is the one we should go to about our... guest." I say, and Luna nods.

"Harry will be fair," she agrees. I lean my head so my cheek is resting on her shoulder.

"I'm tired," I tell her, with a sigh, "all my muscles hurt and my side feels like I've poured candle-wax or something on it while stabbing it with a bunch of pins." Luna turns her head so she can press her lips against my forehead.

"You're much more honest when you're tipsy."

"Yeah? Then let me take this as an opportunity to say that while I'm seriously not happy that you're in some sort of relationship with Draco Malfoy, I do want you to be happy, so I'm not going to make an issue of it. But I want him out of Charlie's house, Luna. I can't have him staying with my muggle dad."

"Can he stay with the Cullens?" Luna asks, quietly, after a moment. I think about it for a second, mouth twisted unhappily.

"He has to give you his wand." I say, finally. Luna nods gravely.

"He will abide by your terms." She says, and there's no doubt in her voice, or in her silver eyes. "Would you be very angry at me if I stayed with him at the Cullens?" she then asks, hesitantly, and suddenly her eyes are full of doubt. I make a huffing sound.

"You know me better then that, Moon Girl." She laughs, the sound silvery and bright.

"You haven't called me 'Moon Girl' since we were thirteen," she says, and I laugh too.

"Well it felt weird after those boys in the Tower started calling Fleur Delacour—well, Fleur Weasley now—the Moon Goddess."

"Her hair does look like liquid moonlight," Luna notes, spinning us lightly so we can see Fleur. She's smiling at something Bill's saying, and her hands are both lightly settled over her abdomen as his hands are resting lightly on her lower back, the two of them moving gracefully in time to the music. She's as beautiful as any vampire, her silvery hair rippling free down her back, and her slender form clad in pale blue silk.

"She's going to make a wonderful mother," Luna murmurs, and I blink, taking a closer look at the couple, this time noting properly the slight curve of her stomach, where last time I saw her there had been a smooth, lightly muscled abdomen, and the way her hands are cradling, protecting, the tiny bump.

"Huh." I say, unable to think of anything better. Luna hums her agreement.

It's nearly midnight before we get the chance to speak to Harry. Luna easily gets him to slip away from the ballroom with us, murmuring something to Ginny that has her nodding before turning to drag her older brother George to dance with her.

"What is it?" he asks, looking concerned. Luna turns to me, apparently happy to let me explain it. I glare at her for throwing me under the bus then turn back to Harry, shifting uncomfortably.

"It's sort of a long story," I mumble, "but... well, Snape's alive." Harry looks at me, blankly.

"What?"

"Snape's alive," I repeat, "he's in a medically induced coma in a locked room on a three story building with a window that doesn't open and has been charmed unbreakable and without any access to a wand." The Cullens thought that I was being paranoid, but Luna had agreed completely and she'd mentioned later that even Malfoy had agreed that Snape was cunning enough that it was better to be safe then sorry.

There's a long silence where Harry just sort of stares bug-eyed at me, before he manages to regain usage of at least a portion of his mental functions.

"How?" He asks, weakly.

"Like I said, long story," I sigh, "I sort of somehow managed to end up at the Shrieking Shack. You, Ron and Hermione actually passed me, like a foot away, as you were heading back to the castle. I saw Snape on the ground as well as all the blood and had a bit of a meltdown, healing him up so that if we won he could face proper justice and be fed to a Dementor, or if we lost I figured they'd just kill him again, seeing as, you know, they already tried and almost succeeded once. I left him unconscious and tied up in the shack before going back to the castle. After, Luna and I went and fetched him before returning home. My almost father-in-law is a doctor, so he fixed Snape up the best he could then put him in a medically induced coma, partly to help him heal, but mostly to keep him, you know, a prisoner without the whole shackles and barred window extravaganza."

"Why didn't you hand him over to Madam Pomfrey, once you learned he was innocent?" Harry asked, and I motioned towards Luna.

"It was safer for him to be a dead hero of the Light then a live one." She said, quietly. "Without the full truth out there, he'd be treated like a Death Eater by the Light, and like a traitor by the Dark. Either way, neither prospect was promising for his survival."

"This is going to be a nightmare," groaned Harry, raking a hand through his dark, messy hair. "Merlin's beard, I had to fight so damn hard to get them to award him that posthumous award, they'd never have given it to him if they knew he was alive."

"I have a suggestion," Luna says, thoughtfully, "perhaps he should stay dead."

"What?" Harry asks, startled. I stare at Luna, wondering if she's actually suggesting we kill Snape.

"Well, Snape was a spy for over half his life, he can certainly manage assuming a new identity," Luna explains, and I think Harry looks as relived as I do that Luna wasn't talking about Snape's actual death, rather she was talking about keeping up the ruse. "There are several countries isolated from Britain- I've heard Australia is quite lovely. After all," she shoots me a mischievous look, "the Hogwarts Magical Birth Register is the only means in Britain of definitively noting the birth of witches and wizards born who are eligible to attend Hogwarts- the Ministry has no way of knowing themselves when a magical person is born, let alone who they are and who their parents are." I blink, recognizing Mei-Xing's words, and how they'd prompted me to make the fake identity of 'Marie Masen'.

"That's a terrible system," Harry says, appalled, "I'm not even a politician and I realize that!"

"It is remarkably short-sighted," Luna agrees, "but it will help you get Snape a new identity and then he can vanish like the ghost everyone believes him to be."

"I'll talk to Ron and Hermione, but that seems like the best plan," Harry says, thoughtfully. "Do you think you could keep him until we've got everything organized?"

"He's still in the process of healing, so he can just stay in the medical coma until it's all ready for him to disappear." Luna confirms.

"Thank you, Bella," Harry says, turning to me. "Thank you for saving him. I owe Snape my life, and now I actually feel like I'm on my way to repay that debt."

"Defeating his almost killer and saving the entirety of Wizarding Britain wasn't enough?" I ask, amused, and Harry grins sheepishly.

"Well... maybe. I'm still glad he's alive."

Watching as he leaves, heading back to the ball-room, I take a few seconds to admire him, and no- not his body, just him as a person, before turning back to Luna.

"Are you tired?" I ask.

"A bit," she hums, "You?"

"I feel like I could sleep through the next two days." I tell her, and she giggles.

"I hope not- you've got finals starting tomorrow."

"Why does everyone keep reminding me of that?" I ask, despairingly. She just giggles again.

Edward is waiting for me at my front door when we get back, and he helps me out of the lacy, uncomfortable ball-gown and all the other bits and pieces (including the damn push-up bra that's been hurting me all night) and into my pajamas. I'm grateful for his help, because I feel like a giant walking, talking bruise with a head still foggy from champagne.

We happily moved to the bed, me tucking up under the covers, while he sits up, leaning against the headboard. I feel like an overly affectionate cat almost, and run my cheek against the hard muscle of his chest for amusement.

I fall asleep to Edward humming my lullaby as he gently picks the pins out of my hair.

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the two updates! Next chapter should be up in a week, and then it's Easter holidays so I should have some extra writing time on my hands.
~Cheshire Carroll