The party started out nicely. Blaise was the first to arrive, followed quickly by Hermione and Ginny. Ginny helped herself to the snack table as Hermione and Draco helped themselves to the mistletoe.
"Hey, there, red."
Ginny rolled her eyes as she pulled herself away from the extremely delicious food covering the table. "Hey, there, black."
"Are you being racist?"
She laughed once. "That's rich. Tell me: is there anything you actually needed, or are you just being obnoxious?"
He thought about it for a moment. "No."
Ginny nodded. "Alright, then. Well, I see my friend is free. I'm going to go and have a word with her."
"Wait!" Blaise exclaimed, grabbing her by the sleeve of her green Christmas dress.
She raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"
Then he leaned down and whispered some very interesting information in her ear. Ginny squealed. "Oh, my gosh! That is so cute! Now I have to go rub it in her face that I know what she's getting and she doesn't." She began to walk away, but then she turned back for a second. "Don't follow me."
She left Blaise laughing behind her.
"Hermione!" Ginny sang, appearing, to Hermione, practically out of nowhere.
"Merlin, Ginny, you scared me!" She said breathlessly. "I almost had a heart attack!"
Ginny laughed. "Blaise told me what Draco got you for Christmas!" She said excitedly.
"Really?" Hermione asked, eyes widening. "What is it?"
"A secret!"
Hermione grumbled angrily. "Whatever."
Ginny laughed happily and hugged her.
"Hermione I'm so excited! I get to be your mommy when we get back to school!"
Hermione's eyes widened once again, this time out of shock. "Already? It seems like just last week Draco was giving you a bath. And now you're getting married!"
Ginny's expression soured immediately. "Don't remind me. Blaise Zabini annoys the crap out of me."
"Does he now?"
Ginny narrowed her eyes as Blaise slung an arm around her shoulder.
"Get off, Zabini. I thought I told you not to follow me."
"Is it because I'm black?" He said.
"Um, hello," Ginny said. "Why do you keep saying that? Did my year and a half relationship with Dean mean nothing to you?"
"I have suspicions about that kid," Blaise said, his eyes sparkling with laughter.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"I think you don't want me because secretly you do want me."
Ginny huffed. "Do you even hear yourself talking right now. Seriously. Just listen to yourself. Are you listening? Do you hear how much of an idiot you are?"
Blaise laughed.
While they continued to playfully banter with each other, Hermione wandered off towards her boyfriend, leaving the two of them alone.
"Draco's going to propose."
Ginny choked on her drink and looked over to Blaise, just to check if he was being serious. His eyes were trained on his and Ginny's best friends' walking away from them, exiting the Manor entirely.
"Merlin help us."
Across the room, Ron watched them leave the room, planning on getting one of them away in private to settle a few things. But at the moment, he was settling things with Cho and Dean.
He knew where he stood with Cho, and so he went straight to Dean.
"Hey, mate," he said to Dean, who was leaning against the wall beside the snack table, watching his ex girlfriend chatting with some of her Ravenclaw friends.
"Ron," he said tersely.
Ron flinched. "So...I guess you know, eh?"
Dean closed his eyes. "I just want to know one thing."
Ron felt he owed Dean. "Anything, mate."
"How long has this thing between you two been going on behind my back."
Ron's heart dropped to his stomach. "Nothing's been behind your back. We haven't done a thing. I would never have done anything while she was still yours, Dean. Believe me. Nothing."
"Nothing?" he raised his eyebrows. "You haven't been snogging her or anything while you two've been living together?"
"Well...there was one time..." Ron said, feeling as though he might puke. "But it didn't mean anything at the time! And it was just one really small little -"
"Save it, Weasley," Dean said, looking away, off towards a window, where Draco and Hermione could be seen walking hand in hand.
"I swear, Dean, I never meant to -"
Dean sighed. "Fine. You didn't mean it. Whatever. I think I've had enough of this party. The goddamn host can't even be bothered to make a presence."
Without another word, Dean stormed off to the floo and left before Ron could have uttered a word.
He hoped talking to Hermione and Draco went over better than that did.
He looked off across the room. Cho was still chatting with her friends, but she looked over at Ron every few minutes to give him a quick smile. There was a band off in the corner, playing a slow dance, and a few couples were out dancing. Luna was teaching Seamus a very strange dance, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, it appeared that he was enjoying himself. He watched as Neville, blushing bright red, asked Parvati to dance and she, blushing just as much, agreed. Blaise and Ginny were standing off in a corner chatting as well. She rolled her eyes and shoved a laughing Blaise. Ron wondered what he'd said to make her laugh.
Ron watched as Ginny's attention caught on something on the other side of the room. He followed her gaze and saw Draco and Hermione entering the house once again, both looking more happy than he'd ever seen either of them, especially Draco. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Draco look happy in the first place. They separated, Draco heading moving to speak to his mother. Ginny moved towards Hermione, calling out to her.
And then the door crashed open.
"I've been looking for you," a deep voice growled.
Everyone in the room froze in fear, confusion, shock.
Draco shoved Hermione behind him. "Get away, Lestrange," he snarled.
Ron stood rigid. Rodolphus Lestrange. This guy was bad news. He inched his way over towards Cho. She threw herself at him. Ron wrapped his arms around her protectively.
Around him, people were reacting in similar ways. Blaise had Ginny shoved behind his back, and Harry had showed up to pull her tightly against him. Seamus pulled Luna out of the path of Rodolphus facing his nephew head on. Neville and Parvati both pressed themselves back against a wall.
Rodolphus laughed, a deep, growling laugh. "Oh, it's Lestrange now, is it? What happened to Uncle Roddy; huh, kid?"
Draco shot a hex at him. Rodolphus deflected it wordlessly. "Your silly hexes won't work against a Death Eater, kid. You want to fight like a big boy, fine. CRUCIO!"
"No!" Narcissa shrieked, jumping in front of Draco. She had been hiding away in the dining room, but entered when the commotion had started.
"Mum!" Draco shouted as she crumpled. He shot a death glare at his uncle.
"Leave now and I won't kill you," he hissed.
"Hefty threat," Rodolphus said, crossing his arms. "Well, I'm bored. I suppose I could duel for my kill. Who's your second?"
"Blaise," Draco said. Blaise nodded solemnly, stepping away from Ginny, whose arm had been grasping at his sleeve tightly. "And you?"
"Does it look like I brought someone?" Rodolphus spat. "Begin."
"Expelliarmus!"
"Protego!"
The battle was on. Hex after curse after spell was thrown. Hermione finally found her voice and cheered suggestions to Draco.
They kept fighting. Soon, it was a silent battle, all of their spells wordless.
Something inside of Draco snapped. His next spell came out as an animalistic roar. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The spell missed and blew a hole in the wall.
"Why you little fu-"
Just as Rodolphus said this, the clock chimed midnight, drowning out his words and the next curse to be cast.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The spell hadn't come from Draco. The last thing Rodolphus saw was the angry eyes of Hermione Granger, her wand pointed dead center at his chest.
There was silence, and all eyes turned Hermione. She was frozen. Then she collapsed, sobbing. "I didn't mean it!" She cried. "I didn't mean it! Oh, Merlin!"
She was sobbing so hard no sound was coming out. Draco stared, mouth agape, at the crumpled mass that had previously been his uncle, and then turned his attention to Hermione. He knelt down, and slowly wrapped his arms around her. She turned into his chest. "I can't believe I did that..." she sobbed. "I fought so many people with Harry, but I never KILLED them..."
"Sh..." Draco soothed, rubbing her shoulders. "Sh...It's okay. Come on, now, it's alright..."
Draco ignored all of the Slytherins watching Draco comfort a mudblood, their mouths agape.
Finally, he stood, bringing Hermione with him. "Alright, everyone," he called. "Party's over. Come on, Hermione, you can stay with me."
Hermione nodded and took a shuddery breath, finally finding herself. She wanted to be strong, at least in front of all of these people. The two headed up the stairs. "Goodbye, Ginny," she called over her shoulder.
"Bye, Mione," Ginny replied as she stepped into the floo with Ron, who looked like he wanted to comfort Hermione as well, but Blaise was shoving him away. "She's married to Draco, Weasley," he was grunting as he tried shoving Ron.
Harry laid a hand on Hermione's shoulder, and then followed the others into the floo.
"Well, I guess I'll see you later, Blaise," Ginny said, tucking her hair behind her ear just before she stepped into the floo. Blaise nodded and watched her go.
Ron stayed behind a moment, despite Blaise's protests, to say goodbye to Cho once more.
"Will you be at my house for the Christmas Day party tomorrow?"
She nodded. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. Good night, Ron. Merry Christmas."

Harry woke up the next morning with one thought on his mind - "When is the last time I ate something?" He sat up with a yawn and headed down the stairs before he realized what he probably should have been thinking: "What is going on with Blaise Zabini and my girlfriend?"
He was lucky to find Ginny alone in the kitchen, decorating a cake, presumably for the party that would be happening later that evening.
"Harry!" She exclaimed happily when she noticed him. "Are you hungry? I made you breakfast."
Harry kissed her cheek as he passed her and took a seat on the opposite side of her, in front of the plate of pancakes. "Thanks, love." He immediately began to wolf them down.
She grinned. "No problem. I figured you must be starved, since you haven't eaten since yesterday morning."
"It's weird that you know that and I didn't," he commented, watching her carefully ice the edges of the evergreen shaped cake.
She shrugged. "I guess I just notice things like that."
Harry wasn't sure he entirely wanted to bring it up, but he figured he probably should. "Speaking of noticing things..." he said slowly. "I noticed you've been spending quite a bit of time with a Mr. Blaise Zabini. Should I be worried?"
She laughed and kissed Harry's cheek, not even insulted that Harry was suspicious. "Don't be worried, Harry. There's nothing going on. You haven't lost your girlfriend."
Harry was very relieved, and was content to eat his pancakes in peace.

Harry and Ginny were playing chess when Hermione arrived the first time to retrieve her belongings and to take them back to Malfoy Manor, and they were listening to Christmas records when she arrived about an hour later with Draco Malfoy, their first guests.
Then more guests came, and more and more, until the house was completely packed with people. Ron was seated on the couch beside Cho when he noticed Draco making his way through the crowd with his arm wrapped protectively around Hermione's waist.
"I don't know if I trust that Malfoy," he muttered mostly to himself, but also for Cho to hear.
She shrugged. "I think I trust him after last night."
"Excuse me for a moment," he said, standing up and shoving past people. When he'd reached Draco, he tapped him on the shoulder and plastered a smile on his face.
Draco turned himself and Hermione around.
"Oh, hi, Ron," Hermione said. "Is Luna coming?"
"Of course, Hermione," Ron said, not looking at her. "She said she'll be here around six. She spotted a dot nosed by-digger."
Hermione blinked. "A what?"
"Exactly," Ron replied, still staring at Draco. "Could I steal your boyfriend for a minute?"
"Ron..." she said hesitantly.
"I'm not going to kill him," Ron said, finally looking at her with a genuine smile. "I just want to...talk to him."
"Okay..." Hermione said, still suspicious.
"I'll be right back, love," Draco said, kissing her hand. Ron rolled his eyes.
Hermione nodded, and then went off to talk to Ginny.
"Follow me," Ron said, pressing through the crowd, leading Draco out across his yard.
"What do you want, Weasley?" Draco asked when they were outside in the cold, standing by a frozen pond. He didn't mean to sound so rude, but he didn't like being taken away from Hermione to talk to her ex-boyfriend in the cold.
Draco expected Ron to lash out at him. Instead, he took a deep breath, and turned to face Draco.
"Malfoy..." he said, trailing off.
"Weasley..." said Draco, smirking.
"Does Hermione ever...talk about me?" Ron said finally.
"Well, I guess she sort of mentions you in passing..." Draco replied, wondering where they were going with this.
To Draco's astonishment, Ron looked almost relieved.
"Good," Ron sighed. "So she's over me."
"I guess so..." Draco said. "What are you getting at with this?"
"Well...Remember Hermione and I used to date?" Ron said. "Well, she was madly in love with me."
Draco shuffled his feet, uncomfortable.
"And I'm over her..."
Don't kid yourself, Weasley, Draco thought.
"...and there's this other girl..."
Of course there is.
"...and so I just wanted to make sure that if I started dating her that Hermione would be okay."
Draco raised his eyebrows. "She'll live. Can I go now?"
Ron glared at him. "You know how long it took me to work up the courage to tell you this?"
"Why did you?" Draco said. "Why couldn't you ask Hermione? If you and she used to be so madly in love, couldn't you have this talk?"
Ron glared. "I didn't want to hurt her. Unlike some people I know."
"What are you saying?" Draco growled warningly.
"Are you being safe with her, Malfoy? Because I swear to Merlin that if you touch her, I will kick your arse."
"Oh, really?" Draco said. "Then why don't you pull your wand out of yours and let's do this thing. Right here, right now."
Draco watched Ron as he put the pieces together. If they were dueling...he and Hermione weren't being safe...
Of course, they were, but Draco wasn't going to tell him that. Ron's face grew red to his hairline.
"What's the matter, Weasel? I thought you were over her?"
"I still care about her," Ron said, clumsily drawing his wand.
"Oh, do you? And are you going to tell this new girl that?"
Ron glared fiercely. "I might just tell Hermione about this little incident."
Draco lowered his wand immediately. "Come on, Weasley. This is stupid. Let's go back to the house."
"Running to hide behind your girlfriend?"
"Running to keep my fiancée," Draco said, smirking.
Ron's eyes widened. He hadn't heard this.
"Draco, Ronald!" Hermione called from the house. "Supper's ready; come along!"
Draco turned and walked towards Hermione, grinning immediately at her. He felt drunk whenever he saw her. She was so beautiful, the cold wind making her cheeks tinge pink.
Suddenly, Hermione's eyes widened, and Draco heard the sound of a spell leaving a wand, a high slashing sound, filled with power, and he stumbled and hit the ground. When he landed, something cold and slimy slid from his throat and into the snow. Ron had perfected the slug puking hex.

While Draco was vomiting, the rest of the party - at least, those who still had an appetite - was eating supper. Ron didn't return after Draco and Hermione did - he was sent to the kitchen to wash out his mother's bucket.
Blaise entered to toasty house when everyone had finished eating.
"Excuse me," he said to someone walking past the door. "Is this the Weasely's home?"
"Oh, yes!" the woman replied. "Go right on in there."
"Thank you, ma'am." He followed the light and the noise into the family room, where everyone was seated, trying to decide what to do.
"Blaise? What the hell are you doing here?" Ginny demanded.
He smirked. "You invited me, remember?"
"No, I-"
He held up a piece of parchment covered in purple and orange crayon. It read, "My house. A cismas party is on cismas day." It had little Christmas trees and dancing snowmen.
"But I was five when I made that!" Ginny exclaimed. "I didn't really mean it!"
"Little kids always mean it," Blaise said, grinning.
Ginny rolled her eyes and took her seat next to Harry again.
The group sat around, happily chatting, when Ginny brought up an interesting idea.
"Hey, how about we play seven minutes in heaven?"
Hermione covered her face with her hands and Harry looked anywhere but at her or Ron. Ron's arm automatically reached out to pull Cho closer to him, as if he was trying to keep her from getting anyone but himself.
"Not again, Ginny," Hermione said. "I regret ever bringing that up."
"How was I supposed to know you'd get Harry?" Ginny asked.
Hermione didn't like the mischievous grins the twins were wearing.
"I got stuck in the closet with Cedric Diggory!" a Gryffindor girl said. "You were lucky to get Harry!"
Harry blushed deeply and Ginny glared fiercely at the Gryffindor.
"Anyway," Ginny said, still glaring. "My parents just left to go to a ministry Christmas party, and they won't be back until probably five in the morning."
"So let's get this party started!" Blaise announced in a very un-Blaise like manor.
Hermione watched Draco glaring at all of guys in the room, and then a sudden flash of understanding flitted across his face.
"What?" Hermione, who still had her head in his lap, asked.
He looked down at her. "What what?"
"What what what?" Hermione said, grinning.
"Wait, what?" Draco said, looking confused.
Hermione laughed. "Before, you looked like you had an idea. What is it?"
"Oh-Nothing," he replied suspiciously.
Hermione glared. "You're a terrible liar."
"Not true," Draco said.
"True," Hermione replied.
"Not true."
"True."
"Not."
"True."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"No."
"Yes."
"Ha!" Hermione exclaimed. "That settles it."
Draco had a look of concentration on his face as he backed through the conversation. Then, he grinned.
"You sly hippogriff," he said, narrowing his eyes.
Hermione laughed and shrugged.
"So let's start the party!" Ginny said, holding up a hat. All of the girls closed their eyes as each guy dropped a colored piece of paper into a hat.
"How about we let Hermione go first?" Ginny said, holding out the hat to her.
Hermione swallowed hard and reached her hand in.
"Brown," she announced when she pulled her hand out. Ron froze. When Cho saw Ron freeze, she froze. Draco's hands clenched. Everything was extremely uncomfortable.
Ginny tied a blindfold over Hermione's eyes and pushed her into the closet.
Once the door had closed, Ron stood up. "This was a really bad idea, Ginny," he said. "There are so many couples here - let's just take Hermione out of there and play a different game - truth or dare, even -"
"What are you?" Ginny said, smirking. "Chicken?"
Ron glared. "Don't be ridiculous. I mean, I'm pretty sure Draco doesn't want me to go in there and -"
"No, actually, I'm fine with it," Draco replied, his arms crossed. It was clear he was not fine with it. "You're over her, right?"
Ron stared at Draco as if Draco had been his only hope, and he had failed. Then he steeled himself and nodded. "Fine."
He crossed the room and entered the closet. He knew just what he was going to do. It was a hasty idea, and if he had given it a second thought he probably would have realized that it would bite him in the bum if he did it, but it was all he had and at the moment, he just wanted to hurt Draco. Because he did not, nor would he ever, trust that git with his Hermione.
"Hello," he said once the door was closed.
"Ron?" Hermione groaned. "But...but...but..."
Ron chuckled and rolled his eyes. "It's okay, Hermione."
Hermione nodded. He stepped closer to her, which wasn't difficult in the cramped little closet, and began to undo her blindfold.
"Ron," she said, sliding her hands beneath Ron's and doing it herself. She pushed his hands away. "Please."
When the blindfold was off, Hermione saw Ron was nodding sadly. It was very dark in the closet, but what Hermione could see of it was very small.
"So...er..."
He knew he had to enact his plan quickly if it was ever going to happen.
Ron cut her off quickly with a searing kiss. Hermione's eyes widened and she pushed him away angrily.
"What the hell, Ron?" She exclaimed, way too loudly.
"Oi!" Draco yelled from outside the closet. "What's going on in there?"
"Everything's fine," Hermione called, glaring at Ron. Then, quieter, she said, "What were you DOING? Five different people told me you like Cho!"
Ron's eyes widened. He didn't know anyone knew yet. "Who told you?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, Cho, it doesn't really matter. What does is the fact that you just kissed me!"
The last two words left her mouth louder than she would have liked. She heard Draco growl from outside the closet.
"Calm down, Draco," Harry said, surprising Hermione with Draco's first name. "It's the point of the game."
"I was just..." Ron began, starting to look worried. "I was just seeing if..." The plan was not working but, for some reason, he felt the need to pursue it.
"If what?" Hermione asked. She was furious.
"I just wanted to know if I still felt anything," Ron said firmly. "When I kiss you. Hermione, I still love you...and I..." None of this was true. None of it at all. He was mentally kicking himself, but he could not, for some insane reason, convince himself to just knock it off already. He really hated himself sometimes.
Hermione tilted her head, her mouth open in shock.
"I want you to leave Draco for me." That was it. He officially loathed himself.
She snapped her mouth shut angrily. "You didn't just say that."
"Hermione, he's just going to use you. He just wants you as a piece of arse, and then he'll dump you like some slut he picked up on a street corner and never look at you again."
Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "That's not true."
Ron's eyes widened, looking horrified. He wanted to kill himself. He needed to tell her it wasn't true - that he was acting like a mentally unstable person, as was per usual. "Hermione, wait-"
She wrenched the door open and stormed out. "Leave me alone!"
"What? What happened?" Draco asked as Hermione stormed passed them all and out of the room. He caught her by the elbows, but she looked up pleadingly and he let go. Ron slowly ambled out of the closet.
Ginny pushed him out of the way. "Next couple!" She announced. "Rosa, your turn."
An attractive blonde pulled out a card.
"Silver," she called, and then left, blindfolded, for the closet.
"Draco, go in," Ginny demanded, pushing his back.
"No!" Draco said. "I have to go get Hermione..."
"She obviously wants to be alone," Ginny said. "And the only way Rosa can leave the closet is if you kiss her. It's in the magical rules."
Draco growled and stormed into the closet. He came out only a moment later, followed by Rosa, who looked as if she were about to pass out.
Cho had pulled Ron aside from the group, concerned and sort of upset to think of what Ron might have done in that closet. "What did you do to Hermione?"
Ron slapped his hand against his forehead. "Something really, really stupid. Something so stupid I can't even..." He sighed. "I think I hate myself."
Cho smiled. "Well, don't. People make mistakes, Ron."
Ron attempted to smile back at her half-heartedly. Before he could put on a good smile, however, Cho had placed her very soft lips against his.
Ron blinked. "What was that for?"
She pointed up. "Mistle-"
Then she doubled over, as if she were in serious pain.
"Cho?" he exclaimed. "Cho, what's going on? Are you okay...?"
And then he was dizzy, too.
And then, instead of two teenagers beneath the mistletoe, there were two children.
And the games were to start all over again.
THE END.

Wow that probably shouldn't have taken so long!
The Life Project Series is officially over! I feel like I need to cry, but I'm actually happy! I'm just so satisfied with this. Thanks to all who stuck with me! I love you all! *blows kisses*