Epilogue
One Year Later
Two vials of incandescent potion sat on the bedside table. Hermione watched as the silvery tendrils swirled into delicate spirals. She picked up the bottles, one she handed to Draco sitting in bed next to her, the other she grasped in her hand. All their work, all the risk and heartache condensed into this tiny vial.
She rested her head on Draco's shoulder, and took in a long breath. He smelled of their potion— of moon-flower seeds, earthy plants and moonstone powder— the smell of moonlight. She sat up and shuffled to lean against the headboard of the bed.
"You ready?" Draco asked, his eyes glowing in quiet excitement.
"Ready," she answered.
They removed the glass stoppers from the vials. He lightly clinked his against hers. "Bottoms up."
She lifted the vial to her lips and felt the chill of the silvery liquid run down her throat. Draco leaned over and kissed her, tasting of the same elixir. Hermione felt the grip of the Cruciatus dissolve from her life. It was the beginning— finally, they would get a torture free, nightmare free sleep— a chance at a new life.
Sliding into the cosy sheets of their bed at Grimmauld Place, Hermione wrapped herself in Draco's arms. Crookshanks carefully stepped on the same spot on Hermione's arm with every foot before stretching his long body across both Hermione and Draco. The permanent headache, the muscle pain, the nausea and twitches in her legs, the months of suffering— dissolved.
The fear of the night was replaced by a calming light that flowed through her limbs. She knew Draco could feel the same thing.
She was nearly asleep when Draco tapped her shoulder. "By the way, I bribed Slughorn to make you my potions partner."
Her eyes shot open for a second. The potion was trying to pull her back to sleep. "I'll kill you tomorrow, Malfoy," she whispered, giving in to the potion.
A whisper in the dark, "No, you won't." She felt him lean over and kiss the side of her head.
As she slipped into slumber with the potion of moonlight working its way through her veins, Draco by her side, she smiled to herself. She had finally found her place in the world and it was alongside Draco making crazy revolutionary potions for a world of Wizards and Witches.
The End
Authors note-I put the last two chapters up at the same time so make sure you read both :)
Hermione Granger and the Potion of Moonlight was my first fanfiction and I've had a wonderful time writing it and sharing it with all of you. This took me nearly two years to finish, I have learnt so much about writing from this story.
I didn't plan for it to be this long but I'm happy and proud of the way it has turned out. I hoped you all enjoyed this story and I want to say thank you to those of you who supported me through comments, likes/ kudos. I'd also like to thank by husband and sister for beta reading some of the chapters for me. Especially my husband who isn't a Harry Potter fan or a reader but still read every single chapter and listened to by strange ramblings about plot holes and magical creatures xoxo.
I think I'm going to try write some shorter fics now, message me if you have suggestions on what you'd like to see in a fic that maybe you haven't seen before. I have a million ideas of my own but would love to hear what people want to read.
Have a great Christmas everyone and to those of you who are or aren't celebrating, happy reading!