A/N: I am so sorry for the wait. It took me such a long time to finish it because I so badly wanted to end it well, and I think maybe I just didn't want it to end at all.
As always, HUGE thanks go out to my amazing betas: Disenchantedglow and inandoutlikethesea. You are both wonderful and your support of this story has helped me more than words can ever say.
To each and every person who has read, left kudos, commented, and subscribed: Thank you so much. I am so overwhelmed by the love and support this story received. When Resistance popped into my head 9 years ago I never imagined it would turn into this, and when it did, I never imagined that it would be so well received. It has truly been my baby and I am so overcome by every emotion possible now that it is completed! I am eternally grateful to all of you!
This is the end, folks. I hope I do it justice.
Draco stared at the blonde couple for several seconds before his feet carried him around the mass of celebrating witches and wizards to stand before his parents. There were tears in his mother's eyes as he stopped before her. His father looked somewhat torn, and Draco felt his stomach clench painfully at the prospect of being rejected by them. "Hello, Mother… Father," he greeted hesitantly.
In a flash, his mother stepped forward and threw her arms around her son's neck. Draco was surprised by his mother's public display of affection, but returned the hug, his heart soaring. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, feeling hopelessly childish but not caring in the slightest. Tears pricked at his eyes and he did his best to push them back.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and lifted his head to see his father gazing at him with a tight smile. His mother broke the hug and rested both of her hands on his cheeks. "Are you hurt?" she asked, her eyes dancing over his face.
Draco shook his head. "No, I'm…" his voice broke. "I'm fine." The tears were threatening to fall again and he looked down, unable to bear their scrutinizing eyes. What could he say to them? He had turned his back on everything they had raised him to believe. He had abandoned them to the wrath of the Dark Lord when he ran away. He had denied them at the Manor and in the courtyard. He wanted to explain everything to them, but the words wouldn't come. He opened his mouth in the hopes of telling them what had happened to him last June, but instead all he said was, "I'm so sorry."
"Oh, darling," his mother sighed, pulling him into her arms again. "You're alive. We all are. That's what's important."
His father, though he retained his gentle grip on Draco's shoulder, still seemed to be fraught with conflict.
"Father," Draco began, afraid to ask the question, but needing to know the answer. "At the Manor you said…" He couldn't bear to ask. His throat tightened.
Lucius frowned, something akin to guilt crossing his face.
"I don't expect you to agree with my choices, but I am your son. I'm the only child you have. I hope… well, I hope, with time, that we can come to understand one another again." Draco's heart was pounding. He could live his entire life without ever going back to the Manor and be perfectly happy, but he was still a Malfoy, the last of the line, and there were a lot of expectations that came with being the heir of one of the richest families in Wizarding Britain. Expectations that he had been groomed to meet, and now, ones that he hoped to use to help change wizarding society for the better.
Lucius dropped his arm to his side. "You are my son," he said definitively. "As such, you are expected to act according to the standard of a Malfoy. From this moment forward, I expect you to remember that."
Draco's heart sank. It was clear that his father would not accept Hermione as Draco's chosen partner. His eyes flickered over to her. She was standing with Potter and Weasley, smiling broadly and holding on to each of their hands. Her eyes found his and she beamed at him. He did his best to return her smile, but his heart was in a vice.
"Are you serious about her?" his mother asked gently. Draco tore his eyes away from the grinning brunette to look at his mother. She was looking at Hermione with curiosity and fear.
"Very," Draco said firmly.
"She's a mud...muggle-born?" Narcissa asked.
"She is."
Narcissa chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment. "Not yet, but perhaps in a few weeks, I would like to meet her formally. We could have her over for tea," she suggested.
"Narcissa," Lucius hissed. "He cannot continue to fraternize with her. Draco, I will not allow you to besmirch the proud Malfoy name. We have remained pure for a thousand years. You cannot…"
"Father," Draco interrupted. "Do not ask me to choose between her and my duties as the Malfoy heir. You will not like my answer."
Lucius's mouth gaped open for a moment before snapping shut. With a scowl, he turned away from his wife and son and moved to sit alone at one of the far tables.
"So dramatic," Narcissa tutted, rolling her eyes. "He'll come around."
"Are you certain you approve of this?" Draco asked skeptically.
Narcissa tilted her head to the side, her blue eyes darting over to Hermione once more. "Not really, but if the choice is accepting it or losing you, I'll get used to it. I thought I lost you last year," she said, placing a gentle hand against his cheek. "I never want to lose you again."
Draco wrapped his arms around his mother again. He had never been so grateful for her compassion. She could be a cold woman, yes, but she loved him fiercely. After a moment he pulled away, once again trying to suppress his threatening tears.
"I'm going to go talk some sense into your father," Narcissa said. "Will you find us later?"
"Of course," Draco promised.
With a final gentle smile to her son, Narcissa walked across the hall to stand intimidatingly before her husband. Draco grinned. His mother had always been the only one who could come close to controlling his father. Perhaps falling for strong-willed women was a genetic trait of the Malfoy men.
A sudden clap on his shoulder made him jump.
"Sorry, mate," said Blaise with a grin.
Draco smiled at Blaise and Theo. "I can't thank you both enough for what you did tonight," he said.
"You're such a sap," Blaise teased.
"It was worth it to see my father's face right before I petrified him. I'll remember it forever," Theo said, closing his eyes to replay the moment over again in his mind.
"You're sick, Theo," Blaise chuckled.
"The bastard made my life miserable for seventeen years. He deserves to sit in a cell, miserable, for a few years of his own."
Draco glanced at Hermione. She was surrounded by Weasleys once again, but he found that the sight didn't irritate him as much as it once had.
"Uh oh," chuckled Theo. "Do I hear wedding bells?"
Draco turned back to his friends to see them both smirking wickedly at him. "What? No!" he protested, but something sparked within him. Some hope for a future he never imagined he would be lucky enough to get. "Well, not yet at least."
"You've got it bad, mate. How the hell did that happen?" Blaise shook his head.
Draco shrugged. "It's a long story."
"And you don't care that she's a mudblood?" Blaise asked.
"Watch it," Draco growled menacingly.
Blaise raised his hands defensively. "Alright, I'm sorry. But you've called her that more than anyone!"
"I know that." Draco turned back to Hermione. Someone had just made her laugh. She tossed her head back and closed her eyes, the lovely peals of her laughter dancing around the Great Hall. "But I intend to spend the rest of my life making up for that."
Theo dramatically pretended to gag. "Let me know when Draco Malfoy gets back, will you? His friends miss him."
Draco shoved Theo with a scowl. "Piss off," he grumbled. Blaise and Theo just laughed.
He glanced back at his parents. Kingsley Shacklebolt and an Auror were talking to them. His stomach dropped. Would they be arrested for their actions during the war? He could cope with his father's imprisonment, but his mother...well, he could only hope she wouldn't have to endure Azkaban. "I'll catch up with you two later," Draco intoned to Blaise and Theo. The two Slytherins looked surprised at their sudden dismissal, but upon seeing Draco's parents they nodded their understanding. Blaise clapped Draco on the back as the blond walked across the hall towards his parents.
Another Auror blocked his path. "Please give the Minister a moment with Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," he said sternly.
"Minister?" Draco queried, raising an eyebrow.
"Kingsley Shacklebolt has just been named interim Minister of Magic."
"Are my parents being arrested?" Draco asked the Auror. At that moment, Kingsley began walking over to him.
"No, not yet. We are taking them to a detention center at the Ministry for questioning, but they will not go to Azkaban unless they are convicted at their trials," said Kingsley. His robes were torn and dusty. He had a smudge of blood on his right shoulder. He did not look like a politician at all, but maybe that was for the best.
"When will they be tried?" asked Draco. His parents were still sitting just out of earshot. They were holding hands and looking very solemn, but they did not look afraid.
"We can't be sure yet," said Kingsley. "You will be notified." The newly appointed minister looked at the Auror next to him and nodded. The man took a few steps away from the two wizards. Kingsley frowned at Draco. "First, I would like to thank you for your actions over the last few months. From what I've heard from Mr. Potter, you were a valuable asset for him and the Order. I hope that you know how appreciative we all are. That being said, would you mind answering a few questions for me about the events of last June?"
Draco's stomach plummeted. "Of course," he said, feeling ill. He was going to go to prison. After everything he had done this year, it still wasn't enough to absolve him of his sins.
"It is my understanding that Severus Snape killed Albus Dumbledore, is that correct?"
Draco nodded.
"And the Death Eaters accessed the castle through a Vanishing Cabinet that you worked to mend."
"Yes, sir," Draco said honestly. This was it. He was going to be arrested for his actions last year. It didn't matter that he'd switched sides and fought for Potter. In the eyes of the Ministry, he would always be a villain. A marked man. A Death Eater.
Kingsley nodded with a frown. "I would like to see you at the Ministry this Thursday for formal questioning."
"Yes, sir," Draco said again. Was his voice shaking as badly as his nerves?
"You were underage when the events took place, so I cannot see you being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." The Minister placed a reassuring hand on Draco's shoulder.
"Am I being taken to the Ministry with my parents?" Draco asked.
Kingsley shook his head, his eyes empathetic. "I see no reason for that. As far as I'm concerned, you have more than proven yourself to be an upstanding individual whose past actions were coerced, but I have to follow protocol. I cannot show favoritism. You are not under arrest, but please do not leave the country."
"Yes, sir. See you Thursday."
With a cordial handshake, Kingsley walked away from Draco toward a stunned and bound Death Eater who was beginning to regain consciousness.
With a heavy heart, Draco turned back to look at his parents. They were surrendering their wands to a tall Auror.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione standing next to the body of Bellatrix Lestrange again. He approached her cautiously, unsure of how to tell her that he might be imprisoned.
She was crying softly. "I murdered her," she breathed when he came to stand next to her.
"She would have killed you if you hadn't killed her," Draco said.
"I know that. I'm not sorry that she's dead, I just...I stabbed her. I didn't have to do that," she sniffled.
"You didn't have your wand," Draco reminded her.
"Well, I didn't have to stab her twice."
Draco didn't know what to say to her to absolve her of her guilt. She had taken a life, but it certainly wasn't an innocent life. He could think of no one who had deserved it more than Bellatrix had. Still, Bellatrix had been alive at the beginning of the battle, and now she was dead because of Hermione.
"I killed Greyback," Draco confessed.
Hermione gazed up at him, her chocolate eyes wide in shock.
"He was threatening you," Draco explained. "I didn't even plan it, I just…" he trailed off. Perhaps he should feel guilty for killing the werewolf, but he didn't. The man was a monster. The world was a better place without him in it.
"How did you..?" Hermione asked hesitantly, grabbing hold of his hand.
"Killing curse. First time I ever used it."
Hermione turned away from Bellatrix's body to look up at Draco. "Well, I guess we're both murderers," she said darkly.
Draco's mind reeled at the thought. Murderers. He didn't think of himself as a murderer. And looking at Hermione, it was impossible to think of her that way too. "Self defense isn't murder, Hermione," he said sternly.
She hummed somewhat dismissively and turned her back on the pale, dead witch. She pulled his hand and he followed her away from the dead to where the survivors were gathering.
Perhaps she just didn't want to discuss it right now. Perhaps, after everything that had happened to her over the past few months, she just wanted to live in the bliss of victory for a few moments longer.
Draco and Hermione approached the Weasleys hand in hand. Fred was lying on a cot, and his left leg was gone below the knee. So why did he look so cheerful? Everyone else was looking at him solemnly.
"This is terrible!" Fred moaned dramatically. "I can't stand to be without my leg!"
George grinned. Molly, who seemed not to have gotten the joke, wiped away a fresh wave of tears.
"Oh come on," said Fred. "It's going tibia okay!"
Ginny rolled her eyes and groaned. "Madam Pomfrey gave you some pain killers, huh?" she asked with a smirk.
Fred nodded languidly. "Some really great ones!"
"Fred…" Molly chastised.
Fred reached out and grabbed his mother's hand. "Lighten up, mum! I can always work at the Leaky Cauldron...as a bellhop!" George burst out laughing.
"You're a real leg-acy!" George joked.
Half of the Weasleys had descended into giggles now. Even Molly was doing her best to suppress a smile. "That's not funny," she insisted.
"Oh mum, I for one find this pretty humerus," Fred said with a grin.
"That's in your arm," said Percy.
"You're right. I guess I don't have a leg to stand on!"
"That was terrible," chuckled Ginny.
"Is this what you're going to be like now? Awful puns and jokes forever?" asked Bill.
"Definitely," grinned George. "At least everyone will be able to tell us apart now."
"They could already do that since you lost your bloody ear, George!" said Ron.
"Yes, and he made some real shit jokes about it too," added Fred.
George scoffed. "As if your leg jokes are any better!"
Fred sat up in mock indignation. "I don't have to stand for this!"
Everyone laughed, and for a moment all of Draco's troubles seemed far away.
"Psst, Hermione," a voice hissed from behind them.
Draco and Hermione turned, but no one was there.
"It's me."
Harry. Under his cloak.
"Get Ron and follow me," Harry requested.
Hermione glanced at Draco. "You go on," he urged.
"Come find me in a few?" she pleaded. He nodded and she squeezed his hand appreciatively.
She moved away from him and placed her hand on Ron's shoulder. The boy followed her away from his family and out of the Great Hall to where Draco knew an invisible Boy-Who-Lived was waiting for his two best friends.
Draco approached Hermione as Potter and Weasley walked back toward the castle. She stared out over the lake, looking equally content and forlorn. She smiled weakly at him as he settled next to her. She interlaced her fingers with his and rested her head on his shoulder.
Draco could scarcely believe it. Voldemort was dead. Bellatrix was dead. The Death Eaters had either gone into hiding or been arrested. Most importantly, he and Hermione had both survived. For the first time in several years, perhaps the first time in his life, he felt free. Thoughts of the future weren't clipped short in his mind.
"Hey," he murmured, turning his head to press a kiss into her hair.
"Hey," she parrotted back to him.
"My mom wants to meet you," he said.
She pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes fearful. She looked past Draco and toward the castle as if expecting to see the Malfoy matriarch hovering nearby with an unapproving glare. "She does?" she asked hesitantly.
"Not yet. But she mentioned having you over for tea in a month or so."
Draco thought this news would put Hermione at ease, but if anything, she appeared more panicked. "I...I can't go back to the Manor," she breathed.
Heart sinking, Draco nodded. Of course she didn't want to go back there. Truth be told, he didn't want to go back either. It was his birthright, yes, but he would sooner see it burn to the ground than ever live in that house again. "We could meet in Diagon Alley. You never need to go back there. She'll understand," he promised.
She smiled, buried her face in his chest, and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
They stood quietly for several moments. Draco looked out over the lake. It was so quiet that he could almost imagine that they were on the run again. As if he could turn around and see their tent waiting for them up the hill. Just the two of them in their cozy tent in the woods. What would they do now? What couldn't they do now?
"Now what?" he asked with a sigh.
Hermione chuckled. "Well, I've been thinking about that actually. I think I'll go to Australia. Try to find my parents, restore their memories if I can, and bring them home."
"I think that's an excellent idea," Draco said. His heart was sinking like a stone. He could not go with her. Kingsley had told him not to leave the country. The thought of being parted from Hermione was almost as frightening as the prospect of spending years in Azkaban.
"And then I want to come back and finish my schooling properly," she added.
"You know you could probably get any job you wanted even without your N.E.W.T.s right? You're a war heroine now!"
Hermione shrugged. "I want to finish. I'm not interested in any job that I haven't truly earned."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Draco droned, rolling his eyes.
"Will you come back too?" she asked hopefully.
Draco thought for a moment. He had hoped to never return to Hogwarts when they had run away last year. Yet here they stood; and while he didn't exactly relish the idea of sitting through Charms classes next year, he knew he would follow this witch anywhere. "If you're coming back, I will too," he promised, pressing another kiss into her hair. If I'm not in prison, that is.
"I love you, you know." It was barely a whisper, but he knew she had heard him.
She smiled and looked up at him. "I know. I love you too." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
He cupped her face in his hands, and her bright eyes danced between his own. For the first time since they'd run away together, he thought about the possibility of a future. A future with her. Looking into her eyes, he swore he could see the next sixty years of his life.
He had so much to say, and he was afraid he would lose his nerve if he didn't say it now, when his relief of being alive was far outweighing his fear of baring his soul to her. "I know things won't be easy for us just because the war is over, and I know we've been through a lot. I just want you to know that I don't give a shit about what people are going to say about us, or what they think."
Hermione beamed at him. "Neither do I."
He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. There was one more thing that had been thudding persistently in his heart for two months. Since the miscarriage. It hadn't seemed like the time to say it when the wounds were still so fresh, but now, in the dawn of the future they were about to build together, he couldn't keep it in. "And I want a life with you...a family with you. One day, when the time is right, I want a whole mess of curly-haired rugrats."
Hermione grinned at him. "Even though they would be half-blood?" she asked.
Draco shook his head. "I don't care about their blood status, as long as they're yours."
Hermione's eyes were swimming with tears, but she was smiling at him adoringly. "Maybe we should go out on a proper date first?" she suggested cheekily.
Draco grinned. "After nearly a year of living together and several months in a relationship? Yeah, that's a good idea, actually. What, oh, what should we do for our first date?" He looked around dramatically as if seeking inspiration for romantic date ideas. She was smirking at him wickedly. "What?" he chuckled.
"You said relationship," she pointed out.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Seriously? That's what you're going to fixate on?"
"What? You never talk about our relationship."
"I've told you that I love you and would one day like to have babies with you. I think it's safe to say that you're my girlfriend, Granger."
Hermione beamed, "Alright, boyfriend, I'll drop it. Come on, let's get back to the others."
Draco grumbled and Hermione laughed at him, looping her arm through his and walking next to him back to the castle. "Don't worry," she said with a grin. "You'll have me all to yourself again soon."
After the battle, Draco and Hermione, along with Harry and several other young Order members who had nowhere else to go, settled at Grimmauld Place. They were planning to stay there for the summer until they returned to school. It had been less than a week, but Harry was already renovating the house and preparing to begin the Auror training program with Ron.
That week had been a whirlwind of dinners at the Burrow, repair work at Hogwarts, and interviews with The Daily Prophet. Draco was exhausted and desperately wished to return to some sort of normality, something he had not had in over a year now. But with his interrogation at the Ministry looming, and Hermione's trip to Australia fast approaching, normality was unlikely to be achieved any time soon. Then again, Draco wasn't even sure what normality looked like anymore.
The sun had shone every day since the end of the war, but Thursday morning arrived with rain, reminding them of their return to reality.
Draco awoke in Hermione's embrace for what would likely be the last time for several weeks. Her portkey would be departing at ten o'clock for Australia. He figured it would surely take her at least a few days to find her parents. After that, it would take her a great deal of time and skilled spell work to restore their memories.
She had been in contact with a healer in Australia who specialized in memory restoration after spell damage. He agreed to meet with her once her parents had been located to help her reverse the memory charm.
Draco wouldn't be going with her. His meeting with Kingsley was scheduled for half past ten. He hadn't told Hermione. He knew she would have stayed if he had told her. Her task was more important. He didn't want anything to stand in the way of her finding her parents.
So at quarter to ten, he stood by the fireplace at Grimmauld place to see Hermione off. She would Floo to the portkey office before her appointment and then leave for Australia from there.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" She offered, hoisting her beaded bag a bit higher on her shoulder.
Draco reached up and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. "I'm sure. Your parents are going to want to spend all of their time with you once you find them. They don't need your ne'er do well boyfriend hanging around while you're just getting reacquainted."
Hermione smiled, but there were tears in her eyes. "I'll miss you," she offered, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest.
"I'll miss you too," he said, his chest clenching painfully. Would he be imprisoned by the time she returned? "You'd better go. Write when you get there. Update me as much as you can."
"You write me too. Promise me. Harry and Ron always said they'd write, but they never…"
"I promise I'll write," Draco chuckled. "You've made it easy with your clever little Protean charm. I'll take my notebook everywhere."
Inspired by her Dumbledore's Army galleons from fifth year, Hermione had charmed two small notebooks with a similar spell. The distance between England and Australia made owl post nearly impossible, and obviously not contacting each other at all was out of the question. The notebooks were small enough to fit in their pockets so that they could be taken anywhere.
Hermione smiled. "Make sure you do. I'll see you before the summer is over," she promised.
Draco nodded and kissed the top of her head gently. "I love you," he mumbled.
Hermione pulled away to wipe her eyes with a watery smile. "I love you, too." She kissed him tenderly, lingering a little longer than usual before pulling away. "Be good," she said with a grin. "Don't kill Harry while I'm gone."
Draco chuckled. "I'll do my best not to. Good luck with your parents."
With one final smile at him, Hermione disappeared into the Floo in a burst of green flames.
Draco's meeting with Kingsley lasted until noon. He had been surprised to meet with the Minister himself, but Kingsley had explained that there was still a great deal of confusion within the ranking Ministry officials, and the best way to proceed with these criminal cases was for him to handle them himself. Draco was interrogated about his involvement with Voldemort, the events of the night that Dumbledore was murdered, and everything that had happened since then. Draco spared no detail that he thought might be helpful to his case. His attorney, Mr. Bradshaw sat next to him. Bradshaw had advised him not to answer Kingsley's questions, but Draco had chosen not to take his advice. He didn't want to hide anything. If the Wizengamot believed that he should face trial for what he had done, so be it.
Listing everything that had happened over the past year or so was oddly cathartic. After everything he had done in his sixth year, it was sometimes hard for him to think of himself as anything but a villain. But going over everything that had happened since he ran away with Hermione, the Horcrux hunt, Godric's Hollow, the Manor, Gringotts, the Battle, he felt lighter. Perhaps he had broken laws, but he felt...proud. Proud of the man he'd become despite all the odds.
"Very well, Mr. Malfoy. We have your testimony on file. We have a few character witness interviews to conduct. After that, your case will go to a small committee that will deliberate and determine if criminal charges are to be filed. Your will receive the results tomorrow afternoon," said Kingsley.
"That soon?" Draco asked in surprise.
Kingsley nodded. He did not smile, but his eyes were kind. "It should be very quick."
"And if charges are filed?" asked Draco.
"If the committee decides that they would like to press charges against you, a formal trial would be the next step. I wouldn't worry about that yet though." Kingsley rose from his seat and gathered the notes from the meeting into a file folder. "Thank you for coming in and for being so forthright with your testimony."
"Of course," said Draco, shaking Kingsley's free hand.
Mr. Bradshaw closed his briefcase and rose from his chair. "Minister," he said stiffly, shaking Kingsley's hand.
Kingsley gave the two wizards a cordial nod before escorting them to the door. Draco stepped out into the hallway and nearly ran headlong into a very angry bushy-haired witch.
"Excuse me, miss," grumbled Bradshaw as he brushed past her to walk down the corridor.
"Hermione," Draco gasped. "What are you doing here?"
Her eyes were dark as she answered him. "Well, I was at the Portkey Offices when Harry stopped by to see me off. Imagine my surprise when he said he was getting ready to come speak on your behalf at your questioning, especially considering that I had no idea said questioning was even taking place."
Draco glanced behind Hermione to see Harry sheepishly looking at his own shoes. "I didn't know you hadn't told her," Harry said defensively with a shrug.
"Hermione, I…" Draco began.
Hermione cut him off with a glare. "No, you don't get to talk to me right now. You were just going to let me leave for Australia while you were possibly facing trial? You were going to let me leave knowing that you might be in prison when I returned?"
"I…"
"Shut up," she snapped. "Did you ever think that I might be able to help you? That my testimony might be what makes the difference between your imprisonment and your exoneration? We're in a relationship, Draco. That means that I stand by you through good times and bad. That includes this."
"What about your parents?" he asked.
"I rescheduled my portkey for next week. My parents don't even know I exist. They won't know the difference. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go in there and save your stubborn ass." With one final withering glare, she marched past him and into the interrogation room, closing the door with a snap behind her.
Draco couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's ferociousness.
"Sorry, mate," said Harry. "I thought she knew. In the future, if we're pulling a ruse, just let me know, yeah?"
Draco chuckled. "I don't think I'm ever going to keep anything from her again."
"That's smart. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of too many of Hermione's lectures. I had enough of that at Hogwarts."
"Listen, thanks for giving your testimony," Draco said appreciatively.
"Don't mention it," Harry replied with a wave of his hand. "You don't deserve to go to Azkaban."
"Thank you, but actually, I meant your testimony for my mother." Harry had spoken on behalf of Narcissa on Tuesday. His testimony had been the crucial component leading to her exoneration. There was little to be done about Lucius though. Even with the evidence that some of his crimes may have been committed under the influence of the Imperius curse, there was still too much against him to keep him from being charged. His trial was scheduled for mid-July.
Harry blinked. "Yeah, of course. She really did save my life, you know."
Draco smiled. "She's a good person, deep down."
"I'm sure she is," Harry offered with a nod. "Have you had any luck convincing her to meet Hermione?"
Draco shrugged. "Not yet. But I'm not pressing it too much right now. With my father's trial coming up and my questioning today it didn't seem like the right time to challenge her deep-seated prejudices."
Harry nodded and glanced at the door, beyond which they were sure Hermione was delivering an impassioned speech about Draco's redemption. The Boy-Who-Lived smiled slightly. "Well, if anyone can change her mind, it's Hermione."
Draco smirked. "She changed my mind. I can't imagine her being any less successful with my mother."
Draco and Hermione fought all day after her testimony, and she was still cross with him most of the day on Friday, but as soon as he received his owl from the Ministry her anger disappeared and she stared at him wide-eyed, awaiting the results.
No charges filed.
Draco read the Ministry letter three times to be sure he hadn't misread. The committee had decided that his actions did not merit a formal trial. He would not be imprisoned. He was free to leave the country if he so desired.
"I won't be tried," he announced, dumbstruck.
"Really?" Hermione breathed.
Draco nodded and held out the letter for her to read. "No charges filed," he said as Hermione's eyes darted over the parchment in her hands. When she looked up her eyes were full of tears. She let out a shuddering breath and then she was crossing the bedroom with determined steps.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth, the letter falling from her hands as her fingers clutched at his hair. His arms encircled her waist and he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. Her kiss was hard and desperate and he returned it earnestly.
"I'm still mad at you for lying to me," she said quickly before kissing him again.
"I know," he mumbled against her lips.
"And we're definitely going to continue discussing it later," she continued, trailing kisses across his jawline and down his neck.
"Mmhmm," he hummed, turning them and walking toward the bed.
"And if I hadn't testified, you would probably be facing trial," she chastised, her teeth nibbling his earlobe.
"Yes, I owe you so much," droned Draco. "Now shut up and kiss me again, witch." He lowered her to the bed and leaned over her, relishing the darkening look in her eyes. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before arching up, seeking his touch.
Her lips met his as her fingers darted to the buttons of his shirt. She was breathing hard already, a warm red flush spreading over her neck and chest. He ran his hand along her heated skin, from her jawline and down her neck to palm her breast through her shirt.
Hermione finished the last of his buttons and pushed his shirt over his shoulders. He shrugged it off while she sat up enough to pull her cotton shirt over her head. "Take your trousers off," she demanded, reaching around her back to unclasp her bra.
Draco's cock twitched at her words and he smirked. "Yes, ma'am." He stood up to unbutton his trousers and let them fall to the floor along with his pants. Meanwhile, Hermione was shimmying out of her skirt and knickers and tossing them aside. Then she reached out to grab his hand and languidly laid back against the pillows.
"Merlin, I fucking love you," he said, burying his face in her curls to trail hot, open mouthed kisses down her neck.
With a moan, Hermione threw her head back, her hand reaching down to grasp his hardened length. He thrust against her hand as his lips found one of her pert nipples.
"Draco," she gasped, arching against him and giving him a torturous squeeze. He groaned and reached down to ghost his fingers against her slick folds. He circled her sensitive bud until she was keening beneath him.
When he finally pushed into her, she let out a gasp. He had to close his eyes to keep from losing control as she rolled her hips against him. With a groan, he thrust forward sharply and she cried out. He began a slow and steady pace, all the while adorning her face and neck with heated kisses and gentle caresses. She snapped her hips up to meet his with every thrust, her fingers gripping his hair roughly.
He reached between them to make quick circles against her center as he increased his speed. He could feel the familiar tightening that signalled his impending release, but he knew he could please her first.
His thrusts were becoming a bit erratic, and he could feel Hermione's walls beginning to flutter around him. He loved watching her face as she came undone. Her brows furrowed in deep concentration, her teeth drew in her bottom lip, and then her eyes and mouth flew open wide in ecstacy. Her back arched off the bed and she stilled for a moment before shivering and quivering around him with a moan and a sigh.
Three more thrusts and he followed her over the edge with a grunt. He collapsed forward, panting. Hermione's fingers raked through his hair as they both recovered.
He kissed her with a smile before shifting off of her. He pulled her against his chest, pressing lazy kisses into the crook of her neck. She chuckled and nestled against him. "How do you feel?" she asked.
"Like a free man."
August 1st, 1998
Draco arrived to the Australian Ministry with a rush of dizziness and a throbbing in his knees from the force of the landing. The spent portkey clattered to the ground next to him and a witch in teal robes rushed forward to retrieve it. "Welcome to Sydney, Mr. Malfoy. Would you care for a potion to help with the disorientation?" She offered him a small phial which he took gladly. As soon as it passed his lips the dizziness subsided.
"Thank you," he choked out.
"We just need to check over your travel permits and then you can be on your way," she explained.
Draco handed over the documents he had gotten at the British Ministry and the witch looked them over carefully before handing them back with a smile. "Everything seems to be in order. Enjoy your stay."
It had been over two months since Hermione had left for Australia. Despite his freedom to travel internationally, Draco had decided to stay to allow her to have the initial reunion with just her parents. He had never spoken with muggles before. He was terrified of saying something that would offend them while they were just trying to regain their memories and re-acquaint themselves with their daughter.
According to Hermione's updates, it had taken her three weeks to locate them and then five weeks of diligent work with the memory expert to reverse the damage done. They were back to normal now, save for the occasional small memory lapse, and Hermione couldn't wait to introduce Draco to them. It would be a few months more before the Grangers packed up their life in Sydney and moved back to their home in Kensington, so Hermione suggested that Draco take a week to visit them here. He couldn't be more nervous.
She was there when he exited the office and greeted him with a warm smile and a tender kiss. "I missed you," she sighed.
"I missed you, too."
"Come on. My parents are at a café down the street. They can't wait to meet you," she said with a grin as she pulled away from him and began to walk toward the exit.
Draco hesitated. "Do they...did you ever tell them about me? You know...before?" He could imagine Hermione in her younger years, writing angry letters to her parents about the mean boy at school who called her horrible names and thought he was superior to muggles.
Hermione frowned. "They may have heard a few stories," she admitted. "But they won't be meeting that boy today. They're much more interested in meeting the man who I fell in love with. The one who saved my life." She reached forward to place her hand against his cheek adoringly.
Draco thought about that for a moment. Surely she had been the one to save his life. He wasn't going to correct her now though, not when she was smiling at him like that. Not when there was a diamond engagement ring back in England just waiting for Hermione's father's blessing and the right moment. If she thought he had saved her, he was perfectly content to let her believe that forever.
He nodded and she stood on tiptoe and gave him another kiss, her arms encircling his neck to pull him closer. "They're going to love you," she promised as she pulled away.
And then she grabbed hold of his hand and they walked together into their next adventure.
A/N: And there it is! Let me know what you think. If you like it, tell your fic-loving friends about me! I love hearing things like "a friend told me about this fic." That's one of the biggest compliments a writer can get!
This is the end of this story, but I have several other stories in the works! If you like my writing, subscribe to me here and follow me on Tumblr: HGinny25 to find out what I'm working on next.
These new stories include a dark war fic which will be told from Draco's POV, and a fluffy, smutty post war fic that I think will be very fun for all! I'm also dipping my toe into the pool of fests! So stay tuned for all of that over the next few months.
Seriously, thank you all.