SUMMARY: "It's awful," Pansy blurted. Hermione wrinkled her nose. "What is?" "Death Eaters are teachers," Blaise intervened. "For Defense. And our first...our first lesson was..." he swallowed. Draco's eyes met Harry's. "Crucio a first year." His face was cold but Harry saw the pain and fear as clear as day in his eyes. ~ A new take on Deathly Hallows - Draco, Blaise, and Pansy run from Hogwarts, the Dark Lord, their parents, everything and escape to Grimmauld Place where the Golden Trio is already hiding.

TAGS: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ron Weasley Friendly, Ron Weasley is a good friend, Possible OOC like Slytherin Characters, Possible OOC Choices, Author tried to stay accurate to characterization & story, Possible Dumbledore Bashing, Potter Anger/Rage, Maybe Black Anger/Rage too?, Hermione ships it, Hermione is a Good Bro, Ron Weasley is a Good Bro, Eventual Apology, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Wandless Magic, Parsletongue Harry Potter, The Potters are Wizarding Legends, Parselmouth Harry Potter, Pureblood Dynamics, Potter Manor, Draco Malfoy fascinated by Muggle things, POV Draco Malfoy, Self-Deprecating Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy needs a Hug, Idiots in Love, Oblivious Pining, Mutual Pining, Mind Manipulation, Heartache, Insecure Draco Malfoy, Horcrux Hunting, Intense Torture, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Torture, Sassy Harry Potter, Potter Sass, Harry Potter Book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter Book 7 AU, Harry Potter Book 7 - Canon Divergence, Slytherin ish Harry, Slytherin Like Harry Potter, Good Narcissa Malfoy, BAMF Narcissa Malfoy, Temporary Major Character Death, x2, Draco & Hermione friendship, BAMF Hermione Granger, love confessions, eventual love confessions, Sentient Hogwarts, Hogwarts Magic, Pureblood Family Magic, BAMF McGonagall, McGonagall knows all, Good Slytherins, Good Daphne Greengrass, BAMF Neville Longbottom, Occlumens Draco Malfoy, Soft Love, Ginny Weasley is a Good Bro, Ginny doesn't get the short end of the stick, Nah we don't do that here, Luna Lovegood is Draco Malfoy's cousin, Draco Malfoy is bad at feelings, (ran out of tags I think for ao3 0.0), Semi-Redeemed Severus Snape, Blood Magic, Sentient Magic, ish

WARNING: This is it. The end. :)

DISCLAIMER: As much as I do not support JK, I do not own Harry Potter and probably never will :(

LAST CHAPTER : The Final Battle

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Dingdingding!

"Harry James Potter if you ring my bell one more time I'll hit you!" Draco barreled through the back door of his shop, racing over to the counter to yank Harry's hand off the gold bell he placed there for assistance. He fumed at his boyfriend who cackled like a child. "You're impossible."

Harry gave another gleeful laugh. "How'd you know it was me?"

Draco huffed, stepping around the corner to kiss Harry's cheek and then head for an unfinished unpacked box. "There's only one adult who has the audacity to come in here and ring the bell like that just to annoy me." Draco rummaged around in the box and pulled out three charmed dragon statues and placed them on the shelf. He turned to Harry who was giving him a look.

"That," he added, reluctantly. "And the wards told me."

Harry smirked.

Draco scowled. "Why the bloody hell are you so sensitive to magic again?"

"Oh y'know, traumatic abused past," Harry beamed sarcastically but there was a cloud in his normally green eyes that Draco recognized and he was quick to change the topic.

"As much as I love you and Madelyn enjoys you gracing her presence -" Draco started, wiping his hands back and forth together as he walked back towards the counter.

"Harry's here?!" A voice from the back with the stocks squealed.

"Why are you here?" Draco continued as Madelyn scampered out and launched at Harry, launching forward at him to give him a hug. Harry swept her up, laughing about how tall she looked and making silly jokes like that while she blew him off. Draco smiled fondly at the interaction.

Madelyn - like most of the teens he hired - was muggle but probably by far his favorite. He loved them all like his own kids - practically knew them like they were his kids (Madelyn gets huffy around her maths, Sam likes his tea with three sugars, Quincy has terrible asthma and his mum doesn't have the money to get him a great inhaler, and so on and so forth) and he loved watched Harry interact with them. Harry was great with kids unsurprisingly.

"Hey Rabbit," Harry smiled, patting her on the back. Draco made a face. Harry was terrible with nicknames. "I'm just coming in to take Dray home. We've got to get ready for the party tomorrow."

Madelyn made a face. "But that means I need to go home." she huffed haughtily, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yep," Draco nodded. "It does."

Madelyn pouted, petulantly - childish for someone who was 15. "Aw can't I stay a bit longer? Please!"

Draco shook his head. "Nuh uh, Christmas Eve is tomorrow and your mother will have my head if I try and keep you any longer tonight." He nodded at the darkening street outside. "'specially since it's almost dark."

"Oh bollocks!"

"Madelyn!" Draco barked and Madelyn squeaked.

"Sorry!"

Harry laughed.

Draco sighed and rubbed his face. "When do you need me home?"

"Well considering we're hitting the road tonight, I'd say now," Harry remarked easily, twiddling with some of the key chains at the counter. Draco frowned, racking his brain to remember where they were going.

"Damn, alright," Draco blew a strand of blond hair out of his face. "Well, give me a minute to let William know I'm headed off. He knows the routine, so it should be easy." Harry hummed in response and leaned over to plant a kiss on Draco's lips. Draco hummed back and pecked Harry again before going back to the storeroom where he was before.

The muggle magic shop Draco owned had become his pride and joy. Eighth year at Hogwarts had been eventful but quiet compared to the year they had beforehand. Draco had taken Muggle Studies that year with Hermione and from a few private discussions, he had found that the magic from wizards actually affected muggles quite a lot.

So, after mucking about in a Ministry job for a bit, Draco realized he wanted to give something back to the community he had hurt so much. A magic shop. Actual items that had been spelled and magicked but disguised as wind up toys or battery operated so that the Statue of Secrecy couldn't get him.

It also didn't hurt that Hermione found the idea wonderful and worked her high position job in the Ministry to help him keep it a secret.

He still wasn't quite sure what exactly Hermione was as she seemed to be everywhere. Blaise had decided he wanted to work in healing and was working his way up to Head Ward in St. Mungo's. Pansy had gone on to be a reporter - which Draco wasn't really sure why he had been so surprised at her career choice, she was always a terrible gossip - and had worked for the Daily Prophet for a bit before switching to the Quibbler and working with Luna.

Ron was still an Auror and Harry had been for a time until his nightmares got so bad that he was breaking Draco's nose in his sleep with accidental magic . And around that time, he had some sort of incident on a mission that had shaken him to his core. Draco could draw any sort of story about what had happened out of him but from the way Harry was spooked for days, Draco realized that Harry just couldn't be an Auror.

It had taken a few months after that for Harry to actually quit. It had actually become quite a big fight between them. Draco just couldn't understand why Harry was so insistent on being an Auror even though the job clearly made him miserable and turned his magic into an uncontrollable force. It was only through Hermione - and even Ron - that Draco was able to figure out that Harry was just scared because being an Auror was all he had ever known.

And once he realized that, he was able to help Harry so much more. Harry took his advice quite easily and it only took a few more weeks before Harry quit and was able to take up the Defense Professor position at Hogwarts. And ever since, Harry had completely changed and was so much happier.

Draco smiled lightly, reminiscing as he waved goodbye to William and Madelyn. He let the glass door close behind him and hopped down the steps, walking over to the car Harry had parked just outside the street his shop was on. "I thought you said I had packing to do," Draco slid into the passenger seat, gesturing to the bags packed in the back, amused.

Harry shrugged, a guilty smile on his lips. "I got impatient while waiting for you, so I did it all myself."

Draco frowned as Harry pulled off. "What do you mean?"

Harry blinked and then laughed. "Draco, love, you were supposed to be home at four thirty. It's almost six,"

"Oh shit," Draco gaped. "I hadn't even -"

"I know," Harry smiled lovingly at him. "You tend to lose track of time in your shop."

Draco considered retorting but decided to just smile in Harry's direction, perhaps a little guilty. He did tend to do that. He liked being able to look at his shop and think about how he built this up himself. He made his shop something that kids loved running into and watching the dragons breathe fire and the toys skate along the trapeze wire he set up. He was the one who made a point to make everything as magical as possible. It was his .

"I'm thinking of stopping by the Manor," Harry broke through his thoughts. "Before we head off and meet up with the Weasleys."

"Sounds good to me," Draco situated himself in his seat. Shortly before eighth year and after cleaning up Grimmauld, Draco had convinced Harry to go to Gringotts to see if there was a Potter Manor. And lo and behold there was. And if Draco thought that he could get lost in his Manor, Potter Manor was a goddamn maze. It was nestled in the far off countryside and the only way to get there was by portkey.

It was a huge mansion of winding hallways, spiral staircases, a whole grand library that had Hermione nearly crying, and an actual home Quidditch Pitch in the back. Harry had nearly thrown a fit, complaining with mystified hysteria on how exactly he could use all of this. It was then that they decided they were going to stay in Grimmauld Place and leave the Manor for now - deciding what to do with it later.

They had only taken one thing from the Manor and that was the portrait of James and Lily Potter. Draco had found it on an off day. He'd decided to go around cataloging all the rooms in the Manor when he stumbled upon the portrait hall and met all of Harry's ancestors before finally meeting his parents. He'd taken the portrait back to Grimmauld where he found a Sirius - and even Regulus - one and it became a birthday gift for Harry.

Draco furrowed his brow, suddenly. "Wait…where are we going? For the party? After the Manor?"

"Uh," Harry yanked out a map from the glove compartment and pulled the rubber band off it with his teeth. "I canf remember exactly but - pah! - your mother suggested it. Apparently it's a summer home you guys own - on the Malfoy side."

Draco hummed, thinking for a moment before nodding. "Ah - France."

"France!?" Harry exclaimed. "Wait - you're French?!"

Draco laughed. "On the Malfoy side, yeah."

Harry opened his mouth and then shook his head. "Actually, I don't know why I'm surprised by that. You literally sing me French lullabies."

Draco rolled his eyes fondly. "Only because you respond terribly to the English ones."

Harry huffed, before fluffing the map and parking the car to the side. "Gimme a minute," Draco hummed in response and once Harry stepped out and ruffled around with the portkey before disappearing, he crawled over the seat and into the back.

He only got a few seconds to rummage around though before Harry was back and he was quickly fumbling to get back in his seat. Harry slipped into the car and gave him a raised eyebrow. "What did you do?"

Draco smiled secretively.

Harry huffed again. "Alright, be that way."

"Did you get here alright?" Hermione messed with his tie worriedly. "Your plane seemed to be late -"

"Everything was fine, Mione," Draco assured her, taking her hands off his tie. "Harry had something he needed to finish up at Hogwarts and I ended up staying late at the shop but we got to our plane on time and the driver picked us up right from there to take us here," he gestured to the old estate room they were in. "Well, not here here obviously, but you know what I mean."

Hermione smiled, relieved and nodded. "Alright. I'm just all worked up lately," she let out a nervous breath and Draco eyed her.

"I can see that," he agreed, frowning slightly. "Are you feeling alright?"

"A bit peckish, actually," Hermione sniffed. "Luckily Mrs. Weasley is cooking. And your mum. She's quite good,"

Draco pulled back a bit to study her. "Yes she is." He considered something for a moment before shaking his head and moving on, "Do you happen to know when Pansy is getting here?"

Hermione blinked. "Oh, sorry, she's spending this Christmas with the Lovegoods - apparently her and Luna are dating."

Draco chose a bad moment to take a drink.

"Yeah," Blaise came up behind him and thumped his back. "We had the same reaction."

Draco spluttered. "That - that can't be professional! Luna's -!"

"It's not like the Quibbler has many other writers," Hermione remarked, ringing a hand through her curls. "And they're practically partners at this point, Draco." She laughed suddenly. "During work and during bed."

"Circe's tits, what did I walk into?" Ron stopped abruptly at the archway into the room they were mingling about in until dinner, bewildered.

Hermione laughed again. "Oh nothing, love,"

Ron eyed her for a second before shaking his head. "Mum wanted me to let you lot know that there's five minutes left before we're all expected to be at the table."

"Sounds good," Blaise nodded. "Anything I can help with?"

Ron perked up. "Set the table with me mate?"

Blaise chuckled a bit but patted Draco's arm and went to go help Ron. Draco turned to Hermione again, "Who else from the Weasley clan is here?"

Hermione hummed. "Charlie's still in Romania. He hardly ever leaves but a dragon is about to have hatched eggs and he wanted to be there. Percy's got to get some stuff cleared up at the Ministry but then he'll be here in a bit. Same with Fred and George and Angelina with their joke shop. Bill and Fleur just came this morning obviously -"

"Yeah, obviously," Draco echoed, nodding. Fleur and Bill had greeted them along with his mother and he annoyed Harry fabulously when he dived into a rapid fire French conversation with a very pleased Fleur.

"And then -" Hermione continued before getting interrupted.

"And then there's me!"

Draco turned around and smiled brightly. "Hullo Ginerva,"

Ginny beamed back at him. "Hello Ferret boy," Draco rolled his eyes but returned his fist bump. Him and Ginny had surprisingly gotten along incredibly well since the Battle. There had been a lot of ignoring and awkward fumbling to begin with but eventually they got the hang of it. It was easier too when they insulted each other. 'Ferret boy' for him and 'Ginerva' for her as she hated her full name.

"So where's your better half?" Ginny continued, flicking a strand of red hair over her hair.

Draco opened his mouth to answer before frowning. "Honestly? I'm not sure."

Ginny smirked, eyes glinting. "Good."

Draco's eyebrows raised and Hermione huffed. "Ginny, shush, you're not supposed to say anything!"

Draco whipped to look at her with a frown and confused expression while Ginny shrugged. "I'm not." She patted Draco's shoulder. "Wait till you try mum's pudding. I don't think she's made it for you yet and I reckon you'll like it," she winked and Draco gave an easy - maybe concerned - smile back and she disappeared towards the kitchen.

Draco turned to Hermione. "Well, it seems as though everyone is fleeing to the dining table." He held out his arm. "Care to join me?"

Hermione smiled, easily taking his arm. "Of course. That's helplessly old school by the way,"

"What, the arm holding? It's not terribly old school. It's respectful."

Hermione laughed. "Whatever you say Draco."

Draco smiled again and hummed while they walked into the dining table and into the chaos in the other room. Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley were setting up the table and lighting the Christmas tree respectively. Ron and Blaise were helping with the decorations on the table and Narcissa was taking food out with Bill and Fleur.

Fred, George, Angelina, and Percy had showed up and the twins immediately began to cause trouble by shouting and joking. They released some of the presents too causing things to start flying around and causing Mr. Weasley to start shouting back at them.

Draco caught a glimpse of Harry in the kitchen as well, chatting with Draco's mother and Professor Lupin who had joined them. Hermione settled into a chair next to Ron and Draco took the moment to head into the kitchen. He kissed Harry's cheek, who startled slightly. "Want me to find you a seat?"

"Get the good one," Harry replied cheekily and returned the kiss with a peck. Draco rolled his eyes but headed out back to the dining table while scooping up the corn. He placed the corn on the table and sat down, listening to the Weasleys all chat and shout with each other.

This is his third Christmas with them and he still wasn't used to the liveliness of it. Any dinner or Christmas at Malfoy Manor had been mostly silent - especially when he grew older. Lucius hadn't been all that fond of screaming and jumping up and down in excitement or loud noises.

With the Weasleys everything felt so alive. When he remembered his days with his original family, everything felt emotionless. Not dead but not alive like this either.

Harry nudged his side and Draco shook his head lightly before turning to him. "Hey,"

Harry's smile shined like diamonds. "Hey yourself. We can finally eat,"

"Thank Merlin," Ron said loudly and the clan laughed before digging in. Mr. Weasley and Lupin were chatting something about rubber ducks and Hermione started talking to Blaise about Blaise's Healer duties. His mother and Harry were talking about the house and Fleur had joined the conversation with Lupin and Mr. Weasley while Mrs. Weasley kept pestering Bill and George about getting kids.

Draco could help but lean into that conversation, mulling about that idea himself. He knew about some potions that could make him or Harry pregnant and somewhere in him really wanted a son.

But first I've got to ask about this , Draco thought nervously. His fingers rolled the box around in his pocket and he sighed to himself, knee jerking.

"- naming her Rose -"

"What?"

Draco startled from his thoughts to find everyone staring at Hermione and Hermione blushing like mad.

"Oh um, yeah," she cleared her throat, smiling nervously. "I'm pregnant."

There was a beat and then Mrs. Weasley tapped her glass and gestured to Bill. "See?! If Hermione and Ron can do it, why can't you?"

Bill groaned loudly and pushed his head into his hands while Fleur snorted around her glass and began to laugh. The rest of the table fell into laughter soon after and Draco chuckled.

Harry jabbed his side.

"Ow," Draco dramatically winced and laughed when Harry huffed and rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

Harry bit his lip. "Have you thought - thought about - you know, having kids?"

Draco's eyes widened. "I mean…yeah. There's some…potions that could help."

Harry's mouth dropped a little. "Oh," he laughed, a bit delirious. "I thought - if you did, you would wait until we were…you know…married or something," he laughed again and his eyes darted towards Hermione. Draco didn't see her expression though - he was a bit busy with his heart starting to beat.

"Harry," Draco asked slowly. "Can we…do you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

Harry stared at him. "Um. Yeah. Sure."

He hesitated slightly but followed after Draco, who headed out the back doors. He wiped his hands, going over his speech in his head for a second, reminding himself of what he wanted to say as they stepped outside. The cold bit at his cheeks and he shivered a bit, wondering if maybe stepping outside was a bad idea when Harry suddenly blurted, "I know this might be really early but I started talking to Hermione and she thinks it's a good idea and even Pansy said it was a good idea too so do you wanna - you know - marry me?"

Draco stared at him. "What?" he croaked, any rational thought and everything he planned previously gone from his head like Harry wrapped it up in a bag and tossed it out a window.

Harry's face fell to a heartbreaking state. "You don't want to get married."

"What?!" Draco shrieked. "No! Wait - no not no no - no I - wait a minute!" Harry's green eyes went wide while Draco fumbled in his pockets. "You can't ask me! I was supposed to ask you ! I - I asked Arthur and everything -"

"What?" Harry breathed. "Wait - you got a -"

Draco pulled out the case from his pocket and bit his lip.

Harry's eyes widened. "But - wait so - why did you ask -?"

"Because he's - well - he's like your dad isn't he?" Draco blurted, mouth drying. "And…I wanted to ask for his blessing because…he - well they're like your family, aren't they?"

The cold settled around them, snow glinting around behind them as Harry just stared. And then his glimmering green eyes began to well with tears.

"Yeah," he choked out. "Yeah, they're my family. That's - that's so sweet Draco…"

"Yeah," Draco cleared his throat and smiled wetly back, drawing Harry into a hug and kissing the raven-haired wizard's forehead. "Just wait till you see the ring,"

"What's so special about the ring?" Harry sniffed and Draco handed the case to him. Harry opened it up tensely and rolled it around in his fingers. "Wait…is this…"

"A ring laced with the memory of our…well, our first kiss," Draco nodded, a little shyly.

Harry gaped at him and then laughed, before fishing out his own ring. "Looks like we had the same idea," the rings were almost identical - platinum silver with a shimmering memory string looping around the top. The only difference was the gemstones placed on the top of it. The one Draco gave to Harry was golden and Harry had given him a green one.

"For my sly Slytherin," Harry said softly.

"And my brave Gryffindor," Draco returned and smiled before drawing him into a kiss. Harry hummed and they huddled close to each other in the middle of the cold patio, the sun setting behind them. Draco opened his mouth to deepen the kiss when he heard the door open. "Gah, you guys can't pick a better moment?!"

"So didja do it Harry?" Ginny grinned, ignoring Draco.

Mr. Weasley's brow furrowed. "I thought Draco was asking."

Hermione, Ron, Ginny, George, Fred, and Angelina looked at him, bewildered while Lupin, Blaise, Bill, Fleur, and Narcissa nodded along with Mr. Weasley.

"What?" Hermione frowned, looking confused. "But…I thought…"

"Yeah," Narcissa put in, talking over Hermione's whispering. "He told me that he was going to ask Harry - but more to the point, did he say yes, darling?" Narcissa turned to Draco, encouragingly.

"Yes," Harry and Draco said in unison and then they giggled and Draco threw his hands in the air.

"This is why we need to coordinate with friends better," he teased, laughing.

"What does that mean?" Fred asked, scratching his head.

"We both asked!" Harry yelled back, exasperated and waved his finger. "He got me a ring - I got him a ring - and then we both said yes,"

"Oh," Hermione blinked and then laughed. "Pansy's going to love this story."

"We are not telling Pansy!" Harry and Draco retorted together and the family dissolved into laughter again. Congratulations began then and Hermione and Ginny squeezed him with a hug and the festivities continued on and Draco just couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the night.

Later in the night, when mostly everyone had gone to bed, Harry was leaning on Draco's shoulder on the couch, snoring softly. Draco was watching the fire, feeling at peace when Lupin came in through the side door.

He smiled at Draco and Draco gave him an easy smile back. "Need anything?"

Draco glanced at Harry and trailed a hand down his side. "Nah…I think we're good. You?"

Lupin studied them for a moment and then his smile turned weak. "You're a good kid, Draco. I could tell. You deserve Harry…don't ever forget that,"

Draco's smile turned pained but it wasn't because he felt guilty. It had gotten easier to believe that he really did deserve Harry. He'd managed to get over his past within the years after Hogwarts and the Battle. Sure he still had nightmares and his doubts some days - but so did Harry. And somehow - from where they began - they ended with this. Being in love and being able to support each other and remind themselves that they were meant to be.

"And just," Lupin hesitated. "Be happy. Make each other happy."

Draco paused for a second before giving a wry smile. "That…that'll be fairly easy actually."

Lupin gave him another grin and then yawned before heading into a different room. Draco shifted slightly to get more comfortable and kissed Harry's head. "I love you," he whispered, lips still pressed to Harry's forehead.

Harry murmured something that could've been an 'I love you' and Draco closed his eyes, falling into an easy sleep with a smile playing on his lips. It would be an awkward position to wake to but with the calming crackling fire and the dancing heat washing over them, Draco only had one thought:

All was well.