A/N this is the Very. Last. Chapter. *sob* im really going to miss it...

She turned around and chocolate eyes met silver ones. She gasped in shock. Draco couldn't help but stare at how different his girlfriend looked. There was a fierceness in her eyes, a strength and hurt that wasn't there before. Her hair was longer and wilder and her face and body was skinnier and grungier. He didn't know if he wanted to scream at her in rage for leaving or cry with relief for her safe return. She looked to be having the same internal struggle.

He settled for pulling her into his arms. She was absolutely shaking with tears and he could feel his own tears leaking from his eyes. She was sobbing and he could feel her body tremble.

"Hermione." He whispered. "Hermione."

He couldn't help but say her name. It was beautiful and right now, it felt like a prayer.

"Let's give them some room." Harry muttered to Ron and they left. Draco didn't even see them go; he was so wrapped up in seeing his true love again. He remembered what was in his pocket and slowly let go of Hermione to bend down on one knee in dusty and destroyed hallway. There was bangs and screams, but Draco could hear nothing but Hermione's breath.

"Hermione, I-I love you and the year we spent apart was agony for me. I was in hell every day! Being apart was so painful it stole my breath. I couldn't go a second without thinking of you or wishing to see your face again. I never want to feel that hurt again so, Hermione, will you... marry me?" He whispered.

She stood there stunned for a second then her face broke out into a huge smile. "Yes!" She screamed and launched herself into his arms. She was crying again, but this time from joy. He slid the ring onto her finger and she touched it gently.

"It's lovely." She said.

"It's an old family heirloom." He replied.

There was another massive crash and the castle shook. "Let's get out of here!" Draco cried, pulling Hermione behind him.

"Is there any chance of you staying hidden in Room of Requirement until this is all over?" Draco asked, not really expecting the answer he wanted.

"Not a chance!" She cried.

"Yeah, didn't think so." He said sadly but not altogether surprised.

They raced down the hallways, trying to avoid spells and overturned columns and other dangerous debris. They saw McGonagall charming the suits of armour to protect the school and Professor Sprout muttering dangerous plants. Then two Slytherins stepped out in front of them.

"Way to go, Malfoy! You caught the mudblood!" Crabbe shouted eagerly.

"Let's give 'er to the Dark Lord!" Goyle said, reaching for Hermione's arm. She jabbed her wand into his face and glared fiercely at him.

"Filthy mudblood!" He cried.

"Don't you dare all her that!" Draco growled.

"What's wrong with you? It's just Granger." Crabbe said, confused.

"It's not just Granger! I didn't expect you two morons to get it." He said, exasperated.

"Morons, are we?" Goyle said stupidly and pulled out his wand. But Draco was faster and stunned both of them before they had time to even blink.

Draco stared at them in disgust. He couldn't believe he had ever thought of those two idiots as 'friends'. Well, he never actually trusted them and to be a friend, you probably should trust people. He and Hermione kept on fighting and watching each other's backs. It was very different fighting beside someone you trust; you can always count on them to protect you. Filch past them by, leading a group of students to safety. All the students were being evacuated as the Death Eaters invaded. They passed a window and Draco saw acromantula scurrying through the grounds. Giants and other frightening creatures were smashing and killing wizards – people from the Order and Death Eaters alike.

A Death Eater sent a killing curse far too close to Hermione. The spell singed her hair as it went by her ear. Draco froze for a second, shocked at how close Hermione came to death. Then he promptly sent a stunning spell towards the Death Eater. Voldemort's voice suddenly surrounded them, demanding that Harry come to him. Voldemort explained that he would spare everyone else's life if Harry came to him in one hour. Hermione paled.

"He'll go. I know he will. He'll think that he's being noble by sacrificing himself for the sake of everyone else. I can't let him go in there alone!" She cried.

"We'll find him." They raced down the hall past screaming people and small explosions. Hermione kept running into the Great Hall but Draco stopped when he felt something touch his arm.

"Who's there?" He asked sharply, looking around the hall.

Harry pulled off his invisibility cloak and faced him looking worried, resigned and anxious.

"Potter! Everyone's looking for you! I'll get Hermione – she's not letting you face the Dark Lord alone!" Draco said to him, because no matter his own personal feelings for Potter, he was Hermione's friend and Draco would do anything for Hermione.

"No, shut up before anyone comes out here. I'm going into the forest to end this! Someone has to before anyone else is killed. But I wanted to let you know, that Voldemort's snake needs to die." Harry said seriously.

"Nagini?" Draco asked, "Why?"

"It's a long story – Hermione will explain later. But the snake has to die. As soon as you have an opening, kill it. Use the Killing Curse or a Baskilisk fang or the Gryffindor sword or something. Use something that will definitely kill it." Harry turned to go, but Draco held him back.

"Wait! I just wanted to say I'm... sorry for the way I treated you throughout school. It was childish and stupid." Draco said, embarrassed but truthful.

"It's okay. I was a prat as well." Harry smiled in an embarrassed kind of way.

"And I wanted to tell you that Hermione and I are getting married." Draco said, lighting up when he said it out loud. It was really true. He was really getting married to her. He smiled.

"Oh, congratulations! I'm so happy for you both! Please take care of her and always protect her." Harry said solemnly.

The bang shook that castle and startled Harry and Draco out of their conversation.

"So, um, good-bye, I guess." Harry said awkwardly. "Take care of yourself and Hermione. And Ginny please. Please protect her for me. Tell her I love her. And don't forget the snake!" He called over his shoulder as he ran towards the forest.

Draco walked into the Great Hall where he knew Hermione was and felt completely shocked with the room. The dead were laid out in a row in the middle of the room while the injured were near the front getting healed. Hermione was with the other Weasleys' but Draco couldn't see what they were all crowded around. He got closer and stumbled. Fred Weasley was laying still and pale on the ground beside his family. Hermione was crying silent tears and Mrs Weasley collapsed against Fred's chest and was sobbing hysterically.

Draco put his arm around Hermione and she immediately snuggled closer to him. Being close to her gave him strength, he wondered if she felt the same way about him. George Weasley was staring at his brother in complete shock and Ginny was crying as hard as her mother.

Draco leaned over and whispered to her, "Harry loves you."

Surprisingly, her tears stopped and she nodded. It looked like she knew that Harry had given himself up and she had accepted that. Besides her slight shivering, she was holding up pretty strong.

A little while later, they heard a sound like a cow screaming and the beat of many footsteps. Everyone ran outside and started screaming.

"Harry!"

"Oh, my God!"

"Please, not Harry!"

"HARRY!"

Harry Potter lay dead in Hagrid's arms as the half-giant carried him towards the castle, tears dripping down his face onto Harry's robes. The 'cow screaming' sound was Hagrid's sobs.

Ginny had succumbed to her tears and was screaming with rage and pain. Draco thought that he saw Harry's face flinch but he must have been mistaken. Bellatrix was laughing manically and Hermione was clutching onto Draco and sobbing into his shoulder. He tried to be strong but emotion overcame him and he felt a few tears slide down his pale face. Hagrid laid Harry's body on the ground by Voldemort's feet.

Neville Longbottom raced towards Voldemort, attempting to hit him. Someone put a body freezing spell on him and Voldemort laughed.

"Oh, who is this little brave warrior?" Voldemort said cruelly, but amused.

"That is Neville Longbottem , my Lord." Draco's aunt said.

"Oh, really? Well, Neville Longbottom, you show bravery and you come from noble blood. You would make a good Death Eater." The Dark Lord said silkily.

"I'll join you when Hell freezes over! DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY FOREVER!" He shouted, punching his fist into the sky. A million voices cheered for him, including Draco's.

"Very well." The Dark Lord waved his wand and the Sorting Hat fell into his arms. He put it on Neville's head and lit it on fire. Neville's body was frozen and he was screaming with absolute pain.

Draco saw Nagini by her master's feet, ignored by everyone but him. He took advantage of the distraction Neville caused and lunged forward screaming, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"NO!" Voldemort howled and the spell on Neville broke. He whipped off the hat and threw a curse at a Death Eater. The fight started again. It was even more deadly and gruesome than before. And somehow, Harry's body had disappeared.

Draco focused on keeping Hermione protected, but he also kept Ginny in the back of his mind as well. He wouldn't break his promise to Harry. A scream shook his focus.

"We're sisters, Bella, sisters!" Narcissa cried with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"You're now sister of mine! You traitor!" Bellatrix screamed and sent a killing curse towards her sister.

Narcissa managed to avoid it and sent a stunning curse back Bellatrix's way, but it was a very weak spell. Draco could tell she wasn't trying as hard as she could. Obviously she felt she couldn't hurt her sister even though Bellatrix was doing her best to kill her. Draco didn't feel such sympathy.

He tried to stun her and she whipped around gleefully, "Oh, Draco." She almost purred, "Are you trying to win against your Aunt Bella?"

He sent another spell towards her and Narcissa put a shield around him.

"NOT MY SON, BELLATRIX! THIS ENDS NOW!" She shouted. The continued to fight with such an intensity, they hardly seemed human. Bellatrix sent one final curse to her sister when Narcissa hit her squarely in the chest.

Narcissa looked down at her older sister's dead body with a strange expression in her eyes. Something like sorrow, anger and regret.

"Hello, Tom." Someone said from the front of the hall. Draco turned to see it was Harry. Some people screamed. Some people shouted 'Ghost!'. Draco wasn't sure he was seeing correctly.

"How dare you use my filthy father's muggle name on me? How do you even know it?" Voldemort seethed.

"I know a lot of important things, Tom. Like, this war is over tonight. And you and I both know I'm going to win. You have no more Horcruxes, no more shields to hide behind. You are a mortal, just like me. You can be killed." Harry said quietly.

Voldemort shouted 'Avada Kedavra' just as Harry was shouting 'Expelliarmus'. Somehow, the killing sure rebounded off of the disarming charm and in a split second, Voldemort was dead on the floor. It took a good thirty seconds of silence for that fact to sink in with everyone. At once, everyone started shouting. People were crying with relief and shock.

Finally, people settled for sitting and enjoying their new found freedom with their loved ones at the house tables. Draco took Hermione's hand and they took a walk around the lake, basking in the rise of the new sun. Today was a new day. And he and Hermione could spend it together.

A/N Oh. My. God. Its really over! Please please please review because this one is the last one ever! This story was so important to me and i want to thank all of you for reviewing and adding my story to your favourites. I really wouldn't have finished the story without you guys. So please review and keep writing! PS, theres an epilogue coming, ;p