Chapter 22
The air was filled with dust, smoke, slightly burning embers and blood...so much blood. The fight was over. The war was over. Harry had come back from the dead, thanks to the ressurection stone that Dumbledore had placed in the snitch, and finally defeated Voldemort once and for all. Now, it was time to recover what was lost, and regroup as a winning side.
Hermione and Draco stepped into the Great Hall, looking around at the destruction, the number of fallen witches and wizards, and the number of survivors. Hermione held back her tears as she spotted bodies of students she had become fond of. She needed to be strong now. Those who survived needed her now more than ever.
She glanced over at the Weasley clan, relieved that they had all made it out with just a few cuts and bruises. Even though she and Ron had parted ways, they were still part of the Order, so she was grateful for their survival. She spotted Luna next, walking over to Harry, who was currently grateful that no one was harassing him for any details of what he had gone through for the past year. Harry, seeing Luna walking up to him, ran the remaining distance and scooped her up in his arms, kissing her soundly, bringing a wide smile to Hermione's face. Hermione, however, did not fail to notice the harsh glare that Ginny Weasley shot at Harry and Luna.
"Finally." Draco said softly.
"Yes...finally." Hermione sighed and looked up at Draco. The word meaning more to them than anyone would ever understand.
Hermione turned back to the scene in the hall as her eyes zeroed in on the bodies of Tonks and Lupin. She shook her head in disbelief as she ran over to their bodies, dropping to her knees as her pent up tears finally began to fall.
She cried for her life having turned out the way it had. She cried for the loss of her childhood. She cried for the loss of the adolescence. She cried for those who had lost their lives to a war that shouldn't have happened in the first place. She cried for those who probably still believed some of the garbage that Voldemort believed in. She cried for the young Teddy Lupin who would now grow up never experiencing the love from his parents first hand. And then she cried for joy. It was all over.
Draco had dropped to his knees, his arms encasing Hermione in a warm cocoon as she cried her eyes out. Their actions had caused every eye in the Great Hall to turn towards them. To see the Slytherin Prince holding the Gryffindor Princess was uncanny. To see the son of a Death Eater embrace a muggle-born was confusing to say the least.
Harry moved over then, staring down at the man who had also been a father to him. He had made his peace with Lupin before Voldemort tried to kill him the first time, but seeing his body now brought about a new set of emotions.
"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried as she reached out to grip Harry's arm. "What about Teddy?"
"He's my godson...so I will take care of him." Harry insisted reassuringly.
"We will take care of him." Luna said softly as she placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"That boy will be loved by his aunt Hermione and uncle Draco as well." Draco said loud enough to cause a few murmurs around the hall. "He will know who his parents were and what they fought for, but he will never be without love."
"I want to go get him now." Hermione said suddenly as she stood up. "I don't want to be here anymore."
"Agreed." Sirius said as he stepped away from his spot next to Shacklebolt. "Let's all go home."
Harry nodded his head as he rose from his crouched position. He pulled Luna towards him as Sirius, Hermione and Draco began to leave the hall.
"So no one is going to question why the fuck that death eater is still here and not arrested!?" Ron's voice broke through the silence that had descended upon the great hall.
All eyes began to flit from Ron to Draco as no one really knew what to say to that. Most people were well aware that Draco had returned to Hogwarts with Harry and Hermione, fighting on the side of light. However, no one knew why, how, or even when he had switched allegiances.
"Draco has always been on our side." Harry finally said after a long sigh. "I was hoping to have this discussion another time since now is the time to grieve and try to figure out how we will all be moving on in the future after today. However, since you seem incapable of waiting, Ron Weasley, I shall say my piece now."
He turned to Shacklebolt, taking a deep breathe.
"You may retrieve my memories or give me veritaserum after this, but I ask for those procedures to be conducted at another time. I will like to get to my Godson as soon as possible." Harry stated, knowing that most likely, Shacklebolt was the next in line for the Minister of Magic position.
"I don't think that will be necessary, Harry." Shacklebolt stated. "You may have to repeat what you say here at trial if others wish to have Mr. Malfoy arrested though."
"Draco Malfoy has been secretly working for our side...for Dumbledore's side...since the beginning. He portrayed himself as a evil git for the safety of himself, his mother, and his reputation among the other Slytherins whose parents were working for Voldemort." Harry explained. "Draco has saved me...Hermione...and almost everyone in this Hall many times over, in secret. The only reason he didn't come out sooner was because his role was vital for information we received about the Voldemort's side. Not to mention, his insane father who could easily have killed his mother if Draco showed any sign of weakness. I may have defeated Voldemort, but it never would have happened without the significant help of Draco."
The expressions on everyone's face, with the exception of the Weasleys, changed instantly as they now saw Draco in a new light. Ron, in particular, was shaking with anger, his mind unable to accept or believe what Harry was saying.
"You're lying." Ron seethed out.
"Test me." Harry said evenly. "My mind will show the numerous secret meetings among Hermione, Draco, Snape, and myself as we figured out each step of this war. TEST ME!"
Numerous people slowly began stepping away from the Weasley family then as Ron's grip on his wand tightened. Draco, seeing where Ron's hand was, watched as Ron slowly lifted his wand, pointing it at Harry once his back was finally turned. A coward move.
"Expelliarmus!" Draco shouted as his own wand was quickly pointed at Ron.
Ron's wand flew out of his hand and into the air, sailing towards Draco, but it was Hermione who caught it. Hermione's eyes were dark with anger as she glared at Ron.
"How dare you!" she snapped. "Are you so blinded by jealousy and prejudice that you will attack the person who saved us all from the Dark Lord!?"
"You!" Ron's anger suddenly turned to the young witch. "You...you're with him!? Is he the reason why you refused to be with me?!"
"No, Ronald. You are the reason I refused to be with you." Hermione said as her expression softened slightly. "I never loved you in the first place. I cherished the friendship we had because we've been through so much together since first year, but as we grew up, you changed into someone who couldn't look past their prejudices and I became someone who learnt to look past mistakes and faults. You know nothing of my history with Draco, because what you and everyone in this hall saw for the past 7 years was the fake Draco Malfoy. Only, Harry, Snape, myself and a few select others knew the truth. The whole truth. But despite the truth, you still won't open your heart or your eyes to see what everyone else sees now. A man who's strong, brave, courageous and capable of loving someone beyond anything that I thought was even possible. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I hope...sincerely hope, to never have to speak with you on this subject again. I do not love you. I never loved you. Accept it and please just move on. You can gain nothing from pestering me or Draco."
With that, Hermione dropped Ron's wand on the floor, entwined her fingers with Draco's and followed Harry and Luna out of the hall with Sirius. The pride that radiated off of Draco was a silent one as he didn't want to show those around him how he truly felt after Hermione's little speech. However, one look at Hermione and he knew that she was feeling the same sense of pride. She was right though. They didn't know what their future held now that everything was over.
As they reached a safe enough point from the castle to apparate, Draco suddenly stopped and pulled away from Hermione's grip. As much as he wanted to follow his friends to retrieve his nephew, he knew that he had one stop to make. A stop that he dreaded making.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked as she looked up at him.
"I have to...go elsewhere." Draco said softly.
Realization dawned on Hermione as she turned to look at Harry, who instantly knew what was wrong.
"I'm going with him." Hermione stated.
"No!" both Draco and Harry shouted at the same time.
"No, he might be there and he will try to kill you." Draco insisted.
"Am I mistaken, or have we all just fought in the same battle?" Hermione frowned before turning to cup Draco's cheek. "I am yours now. No longer just privately, but publicly. I am going with you, because after everything that's happened, she's now my mother as well. I will defend myself against Lucius if I have to, but considering that it will probably be two against one in his case, I think we will fair victoriously. Don't you agree? Besides, if you think I'm going to be without you for one minute after everything we've been through for the past 7 years, you are sorely mistaken. I no longer wish to be apart from you any longer, Draco. We will fight battles together for the rest of our lives. Beginning with Lucius."
"You can't really argue with her after that, mate." Harry smirked. "Send me a patronus, Hermione, if anything happens."
"We'll probably return to Grimmauld place once we've retrieved Narcissa." Hermione explained.
Harry nodded and pulled Luna into his side before apparating away with Sirius. Draco sighed and looked down at Hermione with affection in his eyes.
"I might kill him if he does anything to you." Draco said softly.
"Do I expect anything less?" Hermione smirked playfully.
It was a look that he hadn't seen for a long time. A pure, playfully look of innocence. He was relieved then that after everything they'd been through, his Hermione was still with him. He leaned his head down, pressing his forehead against hers before capturing her lips with his, in a earth shattering kiss. Hermione instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him...to this moment...before it disappeared. The longing they both felt for eachother was clear to anyone that had seen their shared kiss.
"I can't wait for this all to be over." Draco murmured against her lips. "I've waited for you...for us...and as much as I don't mind waiting as long as we have to...it doesn't change the deep wanting I have for you."
"I assure you, my love...the feeling is mutual." Hermione breathed against his lips. "Shall we get this over with then?"
"Yes." Draco nodded as he stepped back slightly but kept his hold on her arm.
He closed his eyes and visualized the home that had been his lifelong hell before quickly apparating to it. They arrived unharmed with a loud pop that was drowned by the helpless screams of Narcissa coming from the drawing room. Draco tried to run towards the sounds, but Hermione held him back, placing a finger to her lips. She knew that they needed a plan before barging in there.
"You allowed him to become the traitor he is!" Lucius voice rose. "Once I'm done with you, I'm going for him next. You think you saved him? Just you wait, Cissy. You've only led him to his demise! Crucio!"
Draco, unable to hear anymore pulled himself out of Hermione's grip and ran into the drawing room, pointing his wand at his father. Hermione, on the other hand, conjured her patronus and sent it to Shacklebolt with a brief message before stepping into the drawing room, behind Draco.
"So...you've brought the mudblood into my home?" Lucius snapped, spotting Hermione instantly. "I'm going to make you watch as I rip each limb from her pretty little body. Tell me son, have you at least fucked her yet, or is she still...intact for me?"
Draco only saw red as he began firing spell after spell at his father, who was easily dodging them.
A/N
I hope you all liked this chapter. Let me know your thoughts! I apologize for the delay, but I've been very sick for the past few weeks. I'm only now recovering and errands for Christmas is overwhelming me a bit.