A/N: Well folks…this is it.  Final chapter of my story.  Those of you who have read and responded, I thank you all so much for the feed back. I have an idea for a new story but I think it will be some time before I post anything new yet.  I want to see how things fair with this story first. Well enjoy!

"And where are you now,

Now that I need you?

Tears on my pillow wherever you go.

I'll cry me a river, that leads to your ocean

You never see me fall apart,

In the words of a broken hear."

         -Destiny's Child

Epilogue

         "It's been twenty years Draco." I said to the stone monument.  The white rose still stood perfectly un-weathered, sparkling brightly in the moon's silver rays.  Silver, the color of his eyes when he was angry.  He always had such beautiful eyes.

         "I should have visited more often, I'm sorry about that.  But after THAT day, things were always a bit…well…shaky.  We threw a great memorial for all of those who…passed away.  Hermione was still upset over Ron's death, and Harry and Snape over Dumbledores.  I think I was the only one not crying at the funeral.  I knew you hated tears, I remembered how one time long ago you thought they were signs of weakness…or maybe that was me?  I don't really remember anymore…that was so long ago."

         "I never got to fully thank you for all the help and happiness that you brought into my life, no matter how short our time was.  You've influenced me more than you'll ever know, for it was you who was my inspiration when things didn't go right.  To this day I still think 'What would Draco have done had he still been alive?  What would my life be like had he survived that battle?'  Such foolish thoughts, I know, but ones that I can't keep from thinking so often.  It's been twenty years Draco, but in my heart it's only been a matter of minutes."

         "Before I get too sentimental on you, I suppose I should tell you what has happened with the survivors of that faithful night…"

         "Hermione spent the next few months in a great depression.  Harry and I tried to be there for her but we were still battling our own demons so we were not much help.  She still managed to score fairly high in her NEWTS, given the events that took place.  She now works for the Ministry, I'm not sure her exact job but I know it involves researching and finding information for various things…just what she was always good at.  She married too, Terry Boot of Ravenclaw…who would have thought?  After the 'incident' many of the remaining students tried to become close with others who they normally didn't hang out with.  I guess it was so they could share their pain amongst them or something.  Anyhow, they've been married for a good 12 years now and their daughter is going to be going to Hogwarts soon.  She's really adorable…I've gotten to babysit her once and a while when she was younger.  A bright kid, just like her parents.  By the way…did I mention that McGonagall is the Headmistress?  I guess that was kind of obvious…"

         "Well speaking of Hogwarts, Professor Snape retired from teaching.  He married the new Potions Mistress…I'd say about three years after I left school… They have a son and a daughter…both in Hogwarts now.  Snape has his own Potions researching facility in Hogsmeade, and get this…I work for him!  Well only when I'm around that is.  But for the most part I'm there for a couple weeks at a time.  Though we've fined tuned our Avada Kedavra curse potion and have worked on a few others along the way, we haven't had a need for it yet.  It's been very peaceful since Voldemort's destruction, and I'm hoping it'll stay that way for a long time."

         "Well Harry continued to be what we always thought he WOULD be.  He's an Auror for the Ministry, only when he's not playing Seeker for the Chudley Cannons.  His reason was that Ron would have wanted it that way, and I agree, Ron would have been very proud to hear that."

         "Did I mention that Harry and I got married?  No?  Well it wasn't right away…it wasn't even a few years after the battle.  It was over a decade after I graduated from Hogwarts, and it took a lot of convincing on my part.  I've never truly loved Harry, not the way I loved and still love you.  We, well we were soulmates…nothing can ever replace what has been lost.  Harry and I…yes…we love each other, and we get along great too, but it's just not the same.  We're like…close friends who share a past together…but we do care greatly about the other…and for our two boys.  They are my life now…and I would give up everything for their happiness and survival if need be."

         "Well I guess you want to know about me now don't you?  I never went back to my family…I know I should have but I didn't.  I scored fairly well on my OWLS that sixth year, also given the circumstances.  I spent that summer living with Snape at his mansion right outside Hogsmeade.  We worked on the potion and talked about all that was going on recently.  I know he wasn't always the most social teacher…but I guess since we had a connection to one another…it just made it that much more easier to confide in one another.  Snape left at the end of that year…"

         "I got through my last year okay.  Our class size was incredibly small so we covered a lot more material than normal.  But I guess my mind wasn't on my work all that much.  I started writing that year, right after Christmas.  Snape gave me a small black journal…he said it was so I could write out my pain instead of bare it all inside of me.  It worked too…in a way."

         "So after I graduated, still not speaking to my family and they never tried to contact me either, I went to stay with Hayley (remember I mentioned the Sinclairs…well it's their granddaughter who lived in the States).  We split an apartment and there I enrolled into a local university and studied Chemistry and other forms of Muggle Science.  It was very interesting and I enjoyed it greatly.  I even went on to earn my Phd!  How exciting is that?  Dr. Virginia Potter…it has a fairly good ring to it doesn't it?  But anyway after I graduated from the university, by now I was newly married and soon to be pregnant, I came back to England and that's when Professor…I mean Dr. Snape allowed me to work with him at his Potions facility.  We've helped a lot of people since then."

         "God I miss you…so much each day that it sometimes hurts to think about.  Harry understands…even after all this time he understands and I love him greatly for that.  You promised you would never leave and yet you gave your life so that Harry could live…He honors you greatly for that.  He's felt guilty ever since, because of the way he treated you before, he never would have thought that you would save him some day.  I don't think any of us were prepared for that day."

         "Did I tell you I wrote a book?  When Snape gave me that journal in my seventh year of school I decided to record everything that has happened…everything.  Not one detail, however small, went missed.  A few years ago I decided to turn the story of my life into a published piece of work.  It's been a great hit worldwide.  I'm now working on a second on…it's a love story…almost like Romeo and Juliet…almost like us."

         "By the way lover…the story of my life…my first published piece of writing…I entitled it 'A Face in the Shadows' for that is what I was before I met you, Draco Malfoy."

         "Mum?  Dad's waiting for us, dinner will be ready soon." My youngest son called to me from where he sat resting on a bench far off in the clearing.

         "Yes sweet, I'm coming…Just give me a few seconds.  Run along, I'll catch up." I called to him as I watched his dark red hair blow haphazardly in the wind.

         "You were my shining light lover, you were my soul.  Rest in peace."

         Things happen in our world that we have no control over.  We are born, we live, and then we die, that is our great circle of life.  Nothing is ever gone forever, for in our next life…wherever that may be…we will always find the ones we loved, the ones we lost.  In the meantime they are always with us, never far.  We hear their voices in our minds, through their children if they had them, we see their faces echoed in others, and we are reminded that we are never alone, they are always with us.  I was once a lost soul, barely drifting through this life, yes, I was a face in the shadows, but I, like so many others, found my shining light in life, and he kept his promise, for he never truly left, as long as I always kept him with me, right where he belonged, in my heart.

A/N: sooooo?…like? Dislike?  Ready to kill me yet for killing Draco?  Comments, questions, concerns?  Hope you all enjoyed the story…I'm kinda sad to see it end.  However I will try to start another one as soon as possible, though with school this semester I don't know how well that will work…my classes are a bit more demanding than last semester…oh well. Review please! I love all the attention believe me! Tell me what you thought and what I can do different for next time.

~Kandimoon