Last Chapter! Are you excited? Sad? Relieved? Doesn't matter, because the Big Reveal is here! (And I ain't talkin' about the inappropriate kind either.)

This chapter took me ages and ages to write. It was kind of a pain in the derriere. But that's only because I am terrible at tying up all the loose ends. Having said that, if something is still unclear after you finish reading, then please do ask me and I will answer all your questions, regardless of how inane/sensible they may be. (Just don't ask me what it is that dogs say to each other because I don't know. I must find the answer to this question asap.)

Well, I suppose we should carry on.

Onwards!

Chapter Ten

While they waited for Percy to come around, Scorpius filled Rose in on what he and Percy had tad talked about just before he'd left the manor.

"My father was supposed to hand over the files on Nott and the Order to your uncle that night," he said from where he was seated at the end of Rose's bed.

"But he didn't." This struck Rose as extremely odd. Draco had gone to the trouble of calling a ministry member to his home – undercover, no less- and then at the last possible moment backed out. And then he'd gotten murdered. Thinking back to when she'd first confronted her uncle, Percy had said just that- that he'd agreed to help the ministry and then called the whole deal off.

"No," Scorpius agreed. "And he didn't tell him about Nott's involvement either. I'm guessing he didn't particularly want to turn in one of his oldest friends."

"Right. And he didn't give you the file on Nott either. Looks like he was trying to protect him. But why? If he collected that information, he'd have done it knowing that he was going to turn in those files."

Scorpius shrugged. "Does it really matter? I think we should focus on bringing down that bastard-"

He broke off as Percy groaned and stirred in his chair. "Mum?" he said groggily, peering up at Rose.

She handed him his spectacles and he put them on, blinking as the world came into focus. He looked from her to Scorpius, bemused. And then the colour drained from his face. "Blimey," he whispered. "Did I really-?"

"Afraid so," Rose confirmed grimly.

"Wait, Rose, I remember who it was-"

Rose interrupted Percy gently. "I know. I read your mind."

Percy spluttered indignantly but Rose ignored him, continuing to talk. "I need you to go to Wizpol HQ. Request backup. Tell them that we've figured out who the killer is and need a team here as soon as possible. Oh, and Percy?" she held out a hand towards Scorpius and he leaned backwards, snatched two files off her bed and handed them to her. Rose held these out to Percy. "Take these with you."

XXXXXXXXXX

Rose didn't really have a plan. But she figured she ought to just go ahead and do it. She had the evidence and Percy would be back with reinforcements any minute. There was no way she was losing this.

She'd already prepared herself to confront him but the sight of him still made her blood boil. He was sitting, completely relaxed, with the others. A fire was burning in the grate though it wasn't cold enough to warrant it and Hokey seemed to have served everyone tea while Rose had been upstairs getting attacked by her uncle.

She approached him casually, even going so far as to smile. "Can I talk to you? In private?"

He smiled back up at her, unsuspecting. "Sure." He set his mug on the center table and followed her to the adjoining room. "What's up? Come to take me up on that offer after all?"

Rose pasted a fake smile to her face. "No, Nicholas, I'm not going to go on a date with you."

He looked saddened by this. "Pity. We would have been good together."

"I highly doubt it. Murderers aren't really my type."

He'd been smirking at her but at this his grin froze in place, making him look slightly manic. "What do you mean?" he asked. He was trying to sound casual, but his tone betrayed him. It was absolutely frigid.

Rose took a step closer, gaze unflinching. "You know what I mean. Why'd you do it, Nick? Why'd you kill your father?"

His face twisted at this as if she'd slapped him. "He is not my father. Father's don't abandon their children. Father's don't tell their children they're too damn worthless to even work minimum wage."

"But he didn't cut you off completely, did he? You knew about his will, didn't you, Nick?"

Rose took another step forward but Nick didn't move. She was smaller than him, but she could see the fear in his eyes. She had him.

"You have no proof," he snarled. "Your baseless conspiracy theories aren't going to hold up in court."

"No," Rose said, unfazed. "But you made a mistake Nick. You used my wand to kill Lorky. One priori incantatem is all it's going to take to prove that. And what about your memories? You can't get rid those of those. Potions and legilimency are just the least painful ways of getting you to confess."

"That's illegal," he hissed. "You can't use those on civilians- you-"

Rose cut him off. "You've got motive, means and opportunity," her voice was hard. "In the eyes of the jury, you've broken the law. Those rules don't apply to you anymore."

For a moment, he remained silent, glaring hatefully at her. His back was almost against the wall now.

He spoke abruptly, changing tactic. "Let this go," he said, "and I'll give you half. You read the will. You know how much money he's left me. You let me walk out of here and I will give you half."

Rose outright laughed at that. "You think you can bribe me? Really, Nick?"

"Fine. What do you want then? Name it and I'll-"

"All I want to know is why you did it."

He was breathing heavily now. Rose had a feeling that he was nearing breaking point.

She continued to stare at him expectantly. "Tell me."

She already knew of course. She'd suspected him the minute she'd found Draco's will in his study. He'd left Nicholas and Mary Williams a total of five million galleons. And from her report, she remembered that Mary had nicked stuff from the manor before. The Kavanaghs didn't have much money. Five million was a sum anybody would kill for.

But Nick didn't tell her any of this. Instead, he grabbed her wrist, but not tightly. "Please," he said, "I don't want to have to hurt you. But I will if you don't let me go."

"You should have known this would happen," Rose said mercilessly. "But confess right now and I will try to get your sentence reduced. Your mother may not even have to go Azkaban. A place like that isn't kind to muggles, Nick."

He'd lost what little colour had remained in his cheeks. "Leave her out of this. She didn't do anything."

Rose willed herself to remain patient. She needed Nick to confess- once he did, once he admitted that he had killed Draco or even Lorky, she could turn him in. But as of now, the evidence she had was all circumstantial and wouldn't hold up in court. Not that Nick knew this. She needed to keep it that way.

"She was an accessory to murder. That could get her up to five years in prison. But prove to me that she didn't have any part in it, and she goes free."

Rose felt wretched using his mother against him like this but there was no other way. She couldn't allow her emotions to cloud her judgment. Nick's grip on her tightened suddenly- tightened enough that Rose knew there would be bruises on her wrist later.

"You're evil," he spat at her. "You think I'm the bad guy because I killed a bastard like Malfoy- but you're manipulating me. You're putting my mother's life at risk for no reason. You don't know what it's like, Rose," Nick's voice shook with suppressed anger. "You don't know what it's like to be hungry every single damn day of your life. To live in poverty because your dad couldn't bother sticking around to support you. And then finding out that the whole time you were suffering, he was living in a fucking mansion with his perfect son and his trophy wife."

Rose stared at him, eyes wide. He was twisting her wrist painfully but she barely felt it. All she could think about was that she felt bad for Nick. He'd confessed, he was a murderer and he was going to prison- there was no doubt about that- but she couldn't help thinking about what he'd just told her and somehow understanding why he'd done what he had.

But that was no excuse to kill someone. Draco had taken in both him and his mother. He'd included them in his will, given them a place to stay. He'd neglected Nick out of ignorance, not spite.

She couldn't find words to respond with. "Let go of me," she said instead, finally noticing how painful his grip was. She fumbled for her wand with her left hand but it was an awkward angle and he noticed. With a snarl, Nick pushed her backwards, knocking her into a table. Her knees buckled at the impact and she fell, throwing out her hands to steady herself.

Rose was almost surprised- she hadn't been expecting him to lash out but she'd been prepared for it anyway. Her wand shot into her hand from where it had been stashed in her sleeve.

"Stupe-"

He waved his wand before she could even raise hers fully and black ropes shot out, binding her wrists together. Her wand clattered to the ground. Rose bit back a scream as she felt the ropes burning her skin wherever they touched it.

"Don't make this worse for yourself," she grated out harshly, fighting off the pain. "The aurors will be here before you can even cross the wards. It's over, Nick. Hurting me isn't going to help you."

"No," he said evenly, stalking forwards and grabbing a fistful of her hair. "But it'll make for good memories when I'm in prison. You shouldn't have messed with me, Weasley. I really did like you."

He raised his wand to her throat. Rose extended her bound hands and before he could react, swept the backs of his knees. He tripped, hitting his knees painfully on her shoulders and landing on top of her. Rose screamed as the cursed ropes dug into her wounds.

She could feel his wand at her throat again. Rose closed her eyes instinctively, a silent tear of pain sliding down one cheek. She was about to die. She- and then mercifully, unbelievably, Nick flew off her of his own accord, crashing into a wall.

Her eyes flew open, taking in his unconscious form, slumped in an awkward position. And then she shifted her gaze to Scorpius' face, looming over her. He looked downright frantic, moving to help her to sit up.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, I should have come sooner- had to let in the aurors- are you okay?" he demanded, looking even more distressed than Rose. "Oh Merlin, your wrists. That bastard! I'll ki-"

Rose cut him off. Her wrists were free now, but bleeding. "I'm fine. I- thank you."

He paused, eyes trained on hers. "You're welcome," he said. "Now, about your wrists-"

"That can wait."

She rose to her feet, ignoring the pain lancing through her back and moved to where Nick was laying. Rose rolled him onto his front, pulling his arms behind his back and clapped on the enchanted cuffs she'd had ready in her pocket.

He stirred under her and groaned, moving his head to the side.

"Nicholas Kavanagh," she said wearily. "You're under arrest for the murder of Draco Malfoy."

XXXXXXX

Rose stifled a groan as she watched the aurors cart away Nick. He was glaring at the ground, ignoring the jeers of the portraits lining the walls and the hostile gazes of everyone else. Mary Williams was escorted away as well, a second pair of handcuffs around her wrists.

Her own wrists still felt raw, though the healed skin was now an irritated pink rather than the mess it had been earlier. She saw Nott glaring heatedly at Nick as the latter passed him. She thought she heard him let out a few crude insults. Rose glanced at Percy questioningly and he nodded.

Percy carefully made a very conspicuous gesture and the aurors immediately sprang into action and seized Nott by the arms, wrestling a pair of cuffs onto his hands.

"What are you doing?" he yelled furiously. "I'm not your guy- you already got that bastard Kavanagh- what-"

Nick who'd just reached the door, turned slightly to watch the ensuing drama and laughed.

This only served to further enrage Nott. "I'm going to sue you for this," he spat, looking directly at Rose. "What have you told them? You promised you wouldn't turn me in." He turned to Scorpius, his tone accusing.

"He didn't turn you in," Rose interrupted Nott. She glanced at Percy and decided not to blow his cover. "I did. What did you expect, Nott? You've been trying to reform the Death Eaters-"

He laughed at that, struggling in his captors' grip. "Death Eaters? I'm not interested in world domination or Voldemort, Weasley. Your father," he was addressing Scorpius again, "promised me he wouldn't turn me in if I disbanded the Order. I agreed."

A thought struck Rose. "Wait. When did you talk to him about this? Was it the night he died?"

"Yes," Nott replied sourly. "During the party. I knew about his relation to Kavangh and I figured he was a muggle sympathizer. Thought he may be working against me." He laughed bitterly. "Turns out I was right."

It finally made sense- Nott had convinced Draco not to turn him in and Draco had told Percy that he couldn't help him. But of course, by that time Percy had already arrived at the manor.

The two wizards holding Nott in place appeared to have become bored by the proceedings and they jerked him towards the door. "Wait-" he protested hurriedly. "There is no Order anymore- you can't arrest me, I'm-"

The wizard to his left spoke up. "We'll let the Wizengamot decide that. Move."

He jerked him towards the door and this time, led him out, right on the heels of Nick and Mary. Percy followed, practically running after them. He waved a hasty goodbye.

Rose nearly sighed in relief as the door finally closed behind the aurors and prisoners. It was over- Case closed. She'd give her testimony and then she'd be done. And hopefully, there wouldn't be too many murders for the next five years at least- she'd really rather go back to busting drug dealers.

Speaking of…she looked over to Blaise. He was white as a sheet and looking even more relieved than Rose. Clearly, he'd been expecting to get busted as well.

"You can leave," she said abruptly. Everyone aside from her jumped in surprise. "I've taken down the wards. You can all leave whenever you're ready."

"Great," Blaise said happily, his relief growing exponentially. "Bye." He apparated away with a crack before anyone else had even moved.

Rose almost rolled her eyes.

To her surprise, Pansy didn't leave right away. She walked over to Rose and looked at her solemnly. "You're not that bad, Weasley," she said after a moment of intense scrutiny. She shook Rose's hand. "Maybe we'll meet again."

And having said that, she apparated away as well.

Rose's astonishment only grew when Narcissa engulfed her in a hug, followed by Astoria.

"Thank you, Rose," Narcissa smiled at her. "I appreciate everything you've done for my family. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon." She glanced knowingly between Rose and Scorpius who'd been loitering nearby.

He walked over to join them even as Astoria turned to Rose. "Yes," she said. "Thank you." She smiled slightly and it was almost warm. "Let's go, Narcissa."

The two women left hurriedly and Rose turned to the only person in the room yet to say their piece.

"Thank you," she said again. "For everything. Especially for the thing with Nick. That was….an experience."

He smiled and she responded in kind. "It was terrifying, actually. I didn't think it would be him. I mean, after you found the will in my father's study, I was suspicious but…"

He trailed off and Rose nodded. Nick had always come across as slightly odd to her, but not…

She turned back to Scorpius, narrowing her eyes. "What was that earlier, by the way?" she demanded suddenly.

"What was what?"

She narrowed her eyes further and he grinned. "I told you. It was a good-luck kiss."

It was Rose's turn to smirk. "You call that a kiss?"

Rose had only one gleeful moment to gloat over his surprise before she closed the gap between them, tugging him down. He didn't exactly offer much resistance as Rose showed him exactly what she considered a proper kiss.

She hadn't intended it to be very intense- but before she knew it, it had become just that. She locked her arms around his neck and he pulled her up, her back hitting the wall. Rose was barely aware of her legs winding around his waist- all she could think about was the way his hands were in his hair and his lips were-

"Master, Hokey is-"

The elf broke off with a horrified squeak as Rose and Scorpius leapt apart, almost falling over from the sudden detangling.

Rose fought the urge to laugh as she saw Hokey with her hands over her eyes and mouth agape. "I- I is sorry, Master. Hokey will be going now."

She practically fled from the room, hands now tugging on her ears and muttering something about murderers and punishments.

"Damn elf," Scorpius muttered, looking torn between amused and murderous.

He turned back to Rose and her heart leapt when he smiled. "So, where were we?"

All she did was grin and answer him.

A/N: It's OVERRRR! *sob* I have now officially finished my second proper fic on this site. I'm becoming such a pro at this.

So, how many of you saw that coming? I know most of you thought it would be Theo- well, that's who i'd originally intended it to be but the facts didn't add up so I revised it before I started writing the story. He did still get arrested though, so you weren't exactly wrong either. And for those of you who picked Nick, congratulations! You are total geniuses. xD (And I know only a few people got it right!)

Don't worry about Blaise, he won't get away with his drug dealing- Rose will get him eventually. (Subplotz!)

Also, in my head, the new Azkaban doesn't have dementors for all prisoners- only for executions/death row. So, Nick is probably not going to die- unless you want him to, in which case, hey it's in your hands from here on. And his mother probably won't get charged with anything at all so don't worry about her.

There will be no epilogue but I may one day decide to continue writing humour stories- so this is probably the last of my 'crime' phase. Everyone who has read this story and given me their support- whether through reviews, PM's or by favouriting this story, THANK YOU SO MUCH. At some points, I'd thought I wouldn't be able to finish but you all are so amazing that I couldn't do that to you.

So, thank you to all those who've stuck with this story from start to end: Missdagane, lilbuddie715, SaruDM, aalizwell, Marianna Stanton, AMessOfPickles, TheCheeryCherry, Calmly Chaotic, Mrs Grint-Cozart-Felton-Horan, whathappenedtotruelove, Punzie the Platypus, random-ju-user, Futterwaken, ronandhermioneismagical, lunalibera, jaime-lannisters, Kittyhawk58, xiLynnx, slytheringirl123, Gabrielav, Carolle Royale, Lizzy0308, SuperShenni, Bookwormlovesharrypotter, English Girl 2309, greenphantomme and stargazer313.

I LOVE YOU GUYS. FO' REALZ.

So, thank you and see you next time!

Notes:

1) Unsigned review replies for this chapter will be up on my profile within a day or two at the latest.

2) If you're curious/concerned about the fate of certain characters, you can ask me what happens to them since I've got that planned out as well.

Goodbye :)