A/N thank you all so much for following this story! This is the second last chapter and im so happy that some of you have stuck with me this whole time!

Year Seven:

Hermione walked along the narrow corridor in the Hogwarts Express for the last time. The Final Battle had ended finally yesterday, and they were taking all the kids home today. The adults were staying back at the castle to clean things up and take care of the wounded. St. Mungo's was incredibly busy. She, Ron and Harry had wanted to stay back and help but everyone said no, that they needed their rest.

So now, Harry was sitting in a compartment with his arms around Ginny and Neville and Luna sitting across from them. Ron, Percy, and George and just left to talk about the last few years and catch up, as well as talk about Fred. The compartment was silent, but in a comforting way. It was like the skies finally clearing after the storm. Hermione had left the compartment to stretch her legs and leave Harry and Ginny and Neville and Luna in peace.

She was walking down the aisle and as she passed by the glass windows of different compartments, she saw people crying and people laughing. She saw people sitting in silence and people playing games. If she made eye contact with anyone, they were eager to shout out, "Hi, Hermione!" even if they had never spoken to her before.

Hermione was very tired and sad, but also relieved that it was finally over. She kept walking until she walked by a compartment where a man was sitting alone and staring out the window. She knocked gently before letting herself in.

"Hi, Draco." She said softly. He looked up at her, and she could see no malice in his eyes. He looked tired but relieved, just like she felt. He wasn't wearing any gel in his hair and his black dress shirt was un-tucked and rolled up to his elbows, probably to cool him off, for it was very warm out. When he saw her glancing down at his arms, he sat up straight and yanked down his sleeves.

"No, no." Hermione said, moving to sit beside him. "It's alright." She pushed his sleeve back up, and as her fingers graced over the ugly black scar, he shivered.

"I don't want you to have to see it." He muttered.

"It doesn't matter anymore." She said soothingly, for she had no hatred for him. She wasn't angry at him for teasing her when they were young or for being a Death Eater. The war had cleared her head; she could see things in a new light.

"It matters to me." He said, turning away from her.

"You wouldn't have killed Dumbledore." She said softly, he flinched. "And you wouldn't have given us away when we were in your Manor. And back in fourth year, you warned me to stay away from the campsite at the Quidditch World Cup. You... protected me."

He finally looked her in the eyes. She was startled to see tears in his beautiful silver eyes, "I'm so sorry." He said, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm just...so sorry. For everything."

"It's over." She said. "It's a new day."

He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"My parents are still at the school." He said slowly. "They are helping, I believe. They are ready to begin again. And so am I."

"I'm glad." She said honestly. "You're a good man."

He smiled again and she couldn't help but notice how different his face looked. He almost looked... handsome.

"Do you remember riding the train to the school back in first year?" He asked eagerly. "We ate chocolate frogs and quizzed each other on Goblin Revolutions."

"Of course!" She laughed and he smiled again. "You were the only person in our year that was real competition for me. Academically, at least."

"Do you ever wish that things had turned out... different?" He asked her slowly. "I mean, do you ever think about how different our lives would've been if we had... stayed friends?"

"You sent me away, remember?" She said gently.

"I know." He said, smiling ruefully. "And sometimes I wish I hadn't."

"Really?" She asked in surprise. "I always thought you hated me."

"No, no I never hated you." He said, looking pained. "I just-"

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" The matronly trolley witch asked. Hermione and Draco both jumped in their seats.

They glanced at each other, both smirking. But it was Draco who answered the elderly witch. "We'll have four pumpkin pasties, six chocolate frogs, two liquorice wands, and two cauldron cakes."

Hermione reached into her pocket to retrieve a couple of Galleons to pay for all this, but before she could, Draco stopped her. "I've got this." He said, surprising her.

She smiled, confused. He settled in beside her and they shared their candy. She felt surprisingly light as she sat on the train next to him, like everything was finally alright.

"I've got Merlin again." Hermione said, enjoying the feeling of being childlike again, after so many long months of worry and fear. "Want to trade?"

There was a long silence, and then Draco said very softly, "I've got Dumbledore."

He turned to look out the window, but Hermione could practically feel his emotions rolling off of him in waves. He was sad. And regretful. And guilty. She just wanted to wrap her arms around him, but didn't. Instead, she lightly touched his arm.

"Hey," She whispered gently. "It's alright now. It's over."

He pulled away from her, and when she looked into his eye, she could see nothing that could indicate he was upset.

"I've also got Newt Scamander." He said. "I'll trade you him."

She agreed and pretended not to notice when he slipped the Dumbledore card into his pocket. They ate candy and traded chocolate frog cards in easy companionship. Even though she was eighteen and had just fought in a war, she was enjoying acting like a kid again. He then brought out a hovering chess board and they had an intense game. He beat her, but she was convinced he cheated, she made him play again. He obliged her and she won the next round. The third game was very close, but she beat him.

She was grinning and had a triumphant gleam in her eyes, "I am the chess queen! This is awesome! This proves that I am smarter than you!"

"It proves nothing!"

"Yes it does! Chess is a game of wits-"

"You just got lucky!"

"You wish!"

Their bickering was interrupted, by the youngest Weasley child.

"Hermione," Ginny said. "We're almost here."

She raised her eyebrow and smirked at Hermione as she walked back out of the compartment. Hermione knew she would be forced to answer a lot of questions later.

The little cabin was quiet again.

"Well then," Hermione said, standing up. "I guess I should-"

"Hermione!" Draco exclaimed in a strangled sort of voice. "I-I just wanted to tell you that, I am... grateful that I met you and that I do hope to... maybe... get the chance to be your friend, in the future." He looked suddenly embarrassed and slightly angry at his outburst.

It seemed like he had wanted to tell her that for quite a long time.

"I would like to be your friend as well." She said, smiling at him.

She walked out of the compartment, and looked back to see him watching her exit with a funny sort of smile on her face. When Harry asked her where she had been, she just said, "With an old friend."

A/N oh i am so sad, i do love this story. But there is still the epilogue! Please please please review! It would make my weekend! I thought this was a fitting end, they're back where they first met. It came full circle. Thats just my opinion.