A/N: Well, folks, this is it. The final chapter. The one you have all been waiting for. I just want to take a moment and say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for sticking with me, and this story. All of you truly mean the world to me. I will also take a moment to say, that when I went on a major publishing spree this summer, I was laid up from foot surgery, so it was easy for me to write, and to publish. Then, my world got turned upside down in a major way, and my anxiety/depression disorder got the better of me, and made me want to just turn in on myself. Your wonderfully kind words did reach me, and gave me a little bit of brightness in a very dark place. I have just started to feel better enough to write again and to finally edit this chapter to where I felt good enough to publish it. I truly love each and every one of you. I have also published a new update in my saga, Life With the Potters that is holiday based, and am working on a new story centering on Harry and Daphne Greengrass. I hope to have that story completed in the next month, and will begin publishing shortly after that. Again, though thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this all the way through, and have a wonderful holiday season. 3.

April 2005

Draco was in a foul mood. While the remainder of the funeral reception had gone fine, he couldn't believe that Hermione was actually considering speaking to those numbskulls again. He paced the floor in front of the bed quietly as his wife slept, his back to her, trying to figure a way out of it that wouldn't piss of his wife. Suddenly, he was hit in the back of his head by a flying pillow.

"Hey!" He turned around and looked at the bed, where Hermione was sitting up, trying to hold in laughter. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

Hermione rearranged her face into mock indignation. "I woke up and you weren't in bed with me. I am not accustomed to waking up in bed alone, and I thought it was appropriate to express this frustration."

Draco growled, and threw the pillow back onto the bed, narrowly missing Hermione. She frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Draco said shortly.

Hermione crawled to the foot of the bed. "You're lying." Seeing him open his mouth to protest, she spoke quickly. "I've known you since we were 11 years old. You can't pull anything over on me."

Draco sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. "I just don't get why you have to see those tossers again. They don't deserve it." He said frustrated.

Hermione smiled sadly. "It isn't for them, its for me. And besides, weren't you the one encouraging me to meet with Ron just a few days ago?" She asked, arching her eyebrows.

Draco sat on the bench at the foot of the bed. He took her hand in his. "I did. I thought it would be funny, but seeing them yesterday," he paused. "I got reminded how fucking mad they made me on your behalf. And how they don't deserve to have you in their lives. And you are just so good and so forgiving, that I'm scared I could lose you."

Hermione wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing her front against his back, and kissed his cheek. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she said, "You don't have to worry about losing me to anyone. I am yours, and you are mine. And I'm not that good either. Have you forgotten about Marietta Edgecomb and the pimples she will never get rid of?"

Draco smiled. "But I don't like the idea of you seeing them again."

Hermione patted his chest. "Oh, I think you will like the idea." She said in a sly voice.

Draco turned around to face her. "What are you planning?" He asked worriedly.

"Remember when Bill agreed to come and dismantle all the dark magic left over from Voldemort's time in the house, and your mother completely redid that wing after?" She asked.

Draco nodded slowly.

"I thought it might be nice to have tea in the same room that Bellatrix tortured me in." She said with an evil glint in her eyes. "Take back some of the power I lost there, and remind them that they couldn't have survived past 12 if not for me. Remind them that I never needed them, and they lost out."

Draco looked at his wife in awe. "I firmly believe that if it weren't for the fact that you're a muggleborn, you would have made an excellent slytherin." He said. "You are bloody terrifying when you want to be."

Hermione smiled at him, then wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in. "So you approve of my plan then?" She whispered in his ear.

Draco nodded. She moved to the front of his face, and kissed him deeply.

Hermione walked into the formal living space at 1:55. While the curse breaking, and redecorating had helped make the room bearable for her to be in, she still couldn't help but shiver as she remembered all that had happened to her in there. Draco walked in behind her. "We don't have to do it in here." He said softly. "I can get everything moved to the drawing room like that." He snapped his fingers.

"No. I want to do it in here. I want the upper hand." She said in a soft determined voice.

Draco nodded. Suddenly the door opened, and Narcissa walked in. "I am surprised that we have to play host to the blood traitors, and Mister Potter today."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You realize that when your son married me, and you welcomed me into the family, you became blood traitors as well, right Narcissa?" She sat down on a cream velvet covered loveseat.

Narcissa waved her hand dismissively and sat in an armchair. "The Weasley's are one of the purest families blood wise. What makes them traitors are their acceptance of the muggle world encroaching on our own. And don't try to say that Draco's business does that because it doesn't. It improved upon recipes that were already in existence." She said cutting off the argument that had already started forming in Hermione's head.

"Hermione and I eat at muggle restaurants and shop in muggle stores. Surely that would constitute acceptance of the muggle world." Draco said sitting next to Hermione. He winked at her.

"The patriarch of the Weasley family buys muggle gadgets and attempts to make them work in a magic household. You don't do any of that. Additionally, Hermione's acceptance of our world as her true world, proves that we are not blood traitors." Narcissa said, smoothing her skirt. "It's 2:01. They're late."

Hermione looked up at the ceiling. "You don't have to be here Narcissa." She said in a stressed voice. "I only invited Draco because he's my husband, and I thought he might have a pulmonary embolism this morning."

Narcissa stared at her daughter in law in disbelief. "This is the Malfoy Family Hermione. We stand together, especially when facing our enemies. And that is what you are doing today. So you will face Mr. and Mrs. Potter, and Mr. Weasley with the full support of your family behind you. They mistreated you, and they will know that that will never be tolerated again without considerable consequences."

Hermione swallowed. Draco took her hand, and squeezed it. "Thank you Mother. It's good to know we can always count on you." He said respectfully.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and it opened. "The Potters and Mister Weasley, Master, and Mistresses," Squeaked an elf.

"Let them in." Said Draco.

Harry, Ron and Ginny walked in, the two men looking uneasy. None of the Malfoy's stood up, so the trio sat on a sofa opposite of Hermione and Draco.

Hermione spoke first. "You had things you wanted to say to me, so now is your chance."

Harry looked around the room. "Is there another room we could do this in?" He asked. "I don't think either of us are very comfortable being here."

Narcissa sniffed. Draco shot her a look, then glared at Harry. "Sorry Potter, this is the most convenient for us."

"Do you and your mother really have to be here?" Asked Ginny. "I mean, this is between Hermione and us."

"We absolutely have to be here. Hermione is our family, and we would like to hear the explanation for insulting a member of the Malfoy family."

Ron scoffed. "She was closer to a member of my family at the time. And I could think of plenty of reasons to insult a Malfoy."

"Ronald!" Ginny hissed at her brother. "Not helping."

"Listen to your sister Weasel." Draco drawled, leaning back against the back of the loveseat, and putting his arm around Hermione's shoulders.

Hermione shot looks at her husband and mother in law. "I only asked Draco to be here because he has an interest in my welfare. Narcissa is here because it is her house, and she is protective of me. I agreed to talk, but continue to insult my family, and I will end this meeting."

Harry nodded. "Can I ask how this even happened?" He asked gesturing at Hermione and Draco.

"After I left England, I met Draco again, and since neither of us were looked on particularly kindly back home, we became friends, and eventually more." She said smiling at her husband. He leaned in and kissed her gently.

"Your loss was my gain." He said adoringly.

Ron looked like he might throw up. "But he's a death eater Mione!"

Hermione looked at her ex and rolled her eyes. "Please. Harry even testified at his trial that Draco was forced into taking the mark. We were both there when he was declared not guilty."

"And don't call her Mione." Draco said. "Her name is Hermione."

Ron glared at him. "I've always called her that."

"And I always hated it." Hermione responded.

Ginny spoke up, seeing an argument about to begin. "Hermione, we wanted to talk about what happened all those years ago. We shouldn't have acted the way we did." She said.

Hermione looked at Ginny. "Actually, you are the only person who had a reaction I could understand. If I found out that my best friend had slept with Draco, and hidden it from me, I would be furious."

Ginny looked slightly relieved. "We did try to find you a few years ago." She said eagerly. "After Ron came clean to us, Harry and I tried every resource we had to find you."

"And I stopped every attempt you made." Narcissa muttered.

Hermione looked at her mother in law in shock. "YOU WHAT?"

Narcissa shrugged her shoulders. "You and Draco were planning the wedding, both of you were finally moving on in your lives, so I did what any mother would, and protected your interests and your futures."

Draco put his hand over his face. "Mother..." He groaned.

Hermione couldn't figure out what to say. "Are you trying to tell me," she started slowly. "That this all could have been done years ago?"

"Ginny and I wanted to talk things out then." Harry answered. "Ron wasn't involved in our decisions at the time. We were furious with him."

"My question is," said Draco, lowering his hand from his face, "is how you decided that he deserved a sixth chance. From what I've heard, he hadn't ever been a worthwhile person to begin with."

Ron reached for his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione shouted. Ron's wand went flying out of his hand.

Harry looked at Ron, and then back to Draco and Hermione. "He's family. I married Ginny, and the Weasley's have always accepted me as one of their own, so we found it in ourselves to forgive him."

Draco scoffed. "You married Weaslette, not Weasley. You didn't have to."

"Hermione married you, not your family." Ginny pointed out. "And yet, I saw her sitting with your family front and center at your father's funeral. Clearly your mother loves her."

"I only requested that Hermione meet my father once, and that was to inform him of our engagement. After that, he had no involvement in our lives. My mother accepted Hermione, and has even made attempts to move beyond her prejudices, so Hermione, the ever loving and forgiving woman that she is, met my mother halfway. Your brother never made any efforts like that." Draco said snidely.

Hermione shook her head. "Enough!" She commanded, standing up. "Harry, Ginny, I accept your apology. I do not however forgive you. We were friends for so many years, went through a war together, lived as outcasts for a year, lost friends and family together, who followed you and wouldn't leave your side because I believed in you, and yet, when I begged you to believe me, because why would I do anything to jeopardize those friendships, you chose to believe Ron. Ron, who had turned his back on you multiple times, who had treated me horribly more times than I can count in seven years, who lied to your face when he was caught cheating on me. You proved that I was never really your friend." Her voice cracked, and a sob came through. Draco leaned forward and grabbed her hand in both of his.

"I loved you not as a hero, Harry, but as a brother. And you showed that I meant nothing to you. You asked if we could go somewhere else earlier. You know why we really couldn't?" She asked, tears streaming down her face. Harry shook his head, face ashen. "Because Bellatrix was an insane bitch who lived for delivering pain. I wasn't anything special to her. But I thought I was to you. And when you chose to believe Ron over me, I thought my heart would break. I could deal with the rumors, I could deal with the rest of the world hating me, and I could deal with the failed relationship, but I missed you the most. And that was the most painful thing to move beyond."

Hermione finished, and collapsed back on the loveseat, and buried her face in Draco's neck shaking from the sobs.

Draco put his arms around his wife, and gave his former enemies a stare that rivaled Lucius's. "I think it's best that you leave. My wife has done better in her life without you being a part of it. She has friends and family that support her, and know that she has earned the title of cleverest witch of her age. My friends know that she is the best thing that could have happened to me, and that most of us don't deserve her love, and kindness, and most importantly, forgiveness."

Harry stared at the floor. "I'm sorry." He said softly, looking up. "I know that it can't fix what we did, but I hope, that someday, you can forgive me, and we can maybe be friends again." He stood up, and Ginny and Ron stood behind him. Ron went and grabbed his wand, and the three family members left the room.

Narcissa rang a bell that had been sitting on a side table. "A tea tray, and a calming draught and whisky for Ms. Granger." She ordered from the elf that had appeared. The elf snapped its fingers, and the requested items appeared, and the elf vanished.

Hermione extracted herself from Draco's arms and reached for the whisky, downing it in one swallow. "I'm sorry for losing control like that." She hiccuped.

Narcissa put her hand on Hermione's knee. "You have nothing to apologize for. I have heard you talk about that pain before, and I always knew that you weren't fully disclosing what you felt. They needed to know what they had done, and what they lost."

Hermione smiled at her mother in law, then threw her arms around her. "Thank you."

Narcissa patted her back awkwardly. "You are quite welcome. Now please stop hugging me. Neither of were sorted into hufflepuff."

Hermione sat back quickly. Draco put his arm around her waist and pulled her into him.

"So when do you plan to head back to France?" Narcissa asked, smoothing out the wrinkles Hermione's hug had caused.

"I think we'll head back tomorrow." Draco answered. "I have a lot to do before we are anywhere close to being ready for the LA office, and I know that Hermione put a stop on any work matters for this, and she'll have a panic attack if I keep her from work one day longer than I have to."

Hermione chuckled wetly. "Such a sweet, affectionate husband."

Narcissa nodded, and smiled. "Then I shall arrange to have the house closed day after tomorrow then." Seeing her son's confused look, "I have zero intention of staying here alone Draco. I quite enjoyed Thailand, and would like to get back. Now that your father is no longer with us, I am free to do whatever I like for the first time in a long while, and there is a gentleman who I would like to get to know more."

Draco spluttered, and Hermione smiled widely. "Narcissa, you deserve it. I hope he is wonderful." Hermione said.

"He is." Narcissa responded.

The three Malfoy's sat drinking tea, then went to pack up their belongings to go home. Early the following morning, Hermione and Draco stepped into the floo, and went home to France. They went up the stairs and down a hall, and found their bedroom waiting for them, the windows open and the sheers blowing gently in the breeze. Hermione collapsed on the bed, and closed her eyes. Draco crawled on the bed and lay down beside her on his side, tracing patterns on her stomach.

"Thank you for forcing me to go." He said quietly. "I know it wasn't easy, especially for you."

Hermione opened her eyes, and reached a hand up to stroke his face. "You're welcome. And it was good that we went. I finally faced my past. Our future is free and clear now."

Draco leaned down and kissed her gently. "You know," he said, pulling back slightly. "The last time we were in this room, we were in the middle of something and got interrupted."

Hermione smiled, "Well, that's not very good. You know how I feel about finishing things."

Draco rolled over, and leaned above her and kissed her deeply, excited about finally making love to his wife again in their own bed.