We've reached the end! Thanks to everyone who has read this story and the first part, and see you in my next dramione :)
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Epilogue
Three Months Later
"I didn't think Draco Malfoy would ever be able to set foot in the Ministry of Magic again."
Draco snorted, rolling his eyes.
"No one's going to stop me," he replied, glancing sideways at the Minister. "Right?"
Mr. Weasley shook his head with a small smile on his face.
"You were lucky you only spent one night in the dungeons," he commented, crossing his arms. "Anyone else would have ended up in Azkaban."
Draco looked around. Hermione, Weasley, Marissa, Ginny, and Potter were spread out around the Minister's office, sitting or leaning their backs against the wall.
He couldn't help but smile at the sight of their faces.
"I suppose I have such influential friendships to be thankful for."
Weasley and Potter snorted at the same time.
"You didn't do it the right way, but your therapy is working," Mr. Weasley admitted with a straight face. "Even the Wizengamot couldn't deny that."
"And St. Mungo's soon offered you a position as Healer," Hermione added proudly.
Draco leaned against her side, smiling when she took his hand.
"How's it going at the hospital?" asked the Minister.
Hermione squeezed his hand and he cleared his throat, looking back up at Mr. Weasley.
"I've been working with Neville Longbottom's parents lately."
A gasp of surprise echoed through the office.
"And have you come up with anything?" Potter asked, leaning towards him with interest.
Draco shook his head.
"Their minds are too damaged," he muttered sadly. "My method doesn't work on them."
Mr. Weasley sighed, shrugging one of his shoulders.
"You've done your best," he said, reaching over and patting his shoulder.
Draco thanked him with a nod.
They all turned to the door as it opened and two Aurors stepped through the threshold. One of them looked directly at the Minister.
"Everything is ready."
Arthur got to his feet, leaning his hip on the edge of his desk. The other Auror stood in the centre of the office and cleared his throat.
"Very well. Remember the plan," Roberts said in a deep voice. "The element of surprise is very important. They think they've lost us but we'll be waiting for them."
"What if something goes wrong?" Hermione asked quietly.
"That won't happen," the Auror said firmly. "We'll catch them before they get in. The important thing is that we all," he emphasised the last word, his gaze settling on Draco. "Stick to the plan."
He arched an eyebrow and said nothing. Roberts whispered something in the Minister's ear and the two Aurors left the office.
"See you at the stadium in half an hour," Harry said before following in their footsteps.
Hermione and Draco said goodbye to Mr. Weasley and walked together to the lifts, getting into the first one that opened its golden grilles.
They were both so tense that they chose not to speak. They stepped out at the Atrium and entered one of the larger fireplaces.
"Zabini Manor."
A few seconds later they stepped through the green flames, emerging into the foyer where four people were waiting for them.
Draco frowned as he saw his best friend standing next to Blaise.
"Are you coming too?"
"We have to pretend everything is okay," Pansy clicked her tongue in annoyance. "And I know how to defend myself."
Draco gave her a dark look. He still hadn't forgotten what happened in her mother's shop and he didn't like the idea of her willingly putting herself in danger again.
"Don't worry, Draco," Luna chirped happily with a smile. "We'll protect each other."
Theo smiled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pushing her blonde curls aside and placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Exactly, sweetheart."
Hermione, still at Draco's side, laced her fingers with his and stood on her tiptoes.
"It'll be all right," she murmured in his ear, squeezing his hand.
His face softened as he looked at her, sighing deeply. Draco looked back at his friends and nodded.
All six of them disappeared at once.
They were in their spots when the stadium doors opened an hour before the match was due to start. Hermione, Draco, Blaise, and four Aurors stood at the southwest gate, watching all the people passing through.
They were all under a disillusionment charm and stuck to the walls to prevent people from bumping into them. There was some fog around the stadium, though protective spells prevented it from entering the place and affecting visibility.
Draco's heart skipped a beat as he saw Hermione tense up.
More people were coming in. The perfect time to sneak in without attracting attention.
The faces of three of the people began to change as they emerged from the fog, and all seven raised their wands.
"Petrificus totalus!"
They had no time to react. The three men fell to the ground, and the rest of the people shouted as they tried to run.
The Aurors lifted the disillusionment spell and showed their badges to the audience.
"Calm down, don't panic. Everything is under control."
Hermione crouched down next to one of the men on the floor.
"Wilson," her voice trembled as she said his name. "How could you?"
He stared up at her until Draco snarled and pushed her away.
"You'll pay for this," he assured him, pursing his lips.
A silver stag appeared before them.
"We've got them, Hermione," Harry's voice came from the Patronus. "They had all taken Polyjuice potion."
The Aurors, who were searching the three detainees, vanished all the small bombs they found hidden in their clothes.
Hermione waved her wand, conjuring her own Patronus.
"We've caught Wilson. See you in the VIP room."
The silver otter nodded and sped off in search of Harry to deliver the message. Draco nudged Hermione, getting her attention.
"You have to teach me how to do that spell."
She raised an eyebrow.
"And you wouldn't use it to send me inappropriate messages at work, would you?"
His crooked smile confirmed her suspicions. Blaise shook his head, rolling his eyes, and Hermione blushed as she realised he had heard them.
The Aurors levitated the three men, pointing their wands at them as they walked through the corridors of the stadium.
No one could apparate or disapparate inside the venue. They had made sure of that.
When they reached the VIP lounge dozens of Aurors were waiting for them, including Harry.
Ron, Marissa, Luna, Theo, Ginny, and Pansy stood in the corner of the room, their wands still in hand. Hermione sighed in relief when she saw that everyone was all right.
Harry conjured ropes that held Wilson, tying him against a wall, and lifted the spell that was paralysing his body.
He scanned the room with his gaze, narrowing his hate-filled eyes.
Robert pulled a small vial from his pocket and forced his mouth open, letting three drops of the clear liquid fall on his tongue.
"How many of you are here?"
Wilson gritted his teeth, trying to resist the Veritaserum.
"Forty."
"Are there any members of the Liberators not here?"
"No," Wilson growled, shaking his head angrily, "All of us have come."
Harry walked up to him, folding his arms.
"You're going to spend a few years in Azkaban, Wilson."
"They deserve to die," the man said with a snarl, looking at Draco and his friends.
"That's how Voldemort thought," Harry hissed angrily. "You sound just like him."
Wilson's face paled. Robert silenced him before he could reply and turned to the rest of the Aurors.
"Take them away."
One by one they picked up the suspects and walked out of the room with them in the direction of the Ministry cells.
"How long until the match starts?" Harry asked.
Draco glanced down at his wristwatch.
"Half an hour."
Hermione hugged him, hiding her face in his chest and letting out a long sigh.
"We're safe."
Draco smiled as he saw that the others were also celebrating the success of the plan with hugs and kisses.
"It looks that way," he murmured, pulling her into his arms. "All thanks to your great brain."
She pulled back a few inches to look him in the eye.
"The idea of putting magic microphones in his cubicle was yours."
"I've seen too many Muggle movies," he protested, chuckling as she pinched him in the side. "But covering all the entrances with that enchanted mist was your idea."
"I still remember the Thief's Doom, the Gringotts enchantment that removes any magic used for concealment," Hermione commented with a big grin. "And it was easy to replicate it."
Robert was the last to leave the room. He nodded in Harry's direction and smiled at the others.
"The operation was a success, guys," he patted Ron's shoulder and stepped back. "Enjoy the game."
A few minutes later they reached box eighteen, where Draco's parents were waiting for them.
Narcissa watched them with concern as they approached.
"Everything alright?"
Hermione nodded.
"They've been caught."
Narcissa and Lucius sighed. They both put their wands away and she smiled.
"I'm glad," she said, pointing to the free seat to her right. "Sit next to me."
Hermione sat down, feeling a small blush on her cheeks. Draco took the seat next to her, pulled out a pair of binoculars, and offered them to her.
"I brought a pair for you."
She accepted them, watching him as he pulled out another pair of bean-sized ones from his pocket and enlarged them by tapping them with the tip of his wand.
The stands roared as the two teams took to the pitch. The Bulgarian players circled the stadium at high speed and Hermione smiled at the sight of the Veelas cheering from the ground.
Neither Lucius nor Draco gawked at them, as had happened to Harry and Ron so many years ago. Their magic had no effect on men who had their hearts taken.
Draco wrinkled his nose as the commentator announced the names of the players. It didn't take long for the France team to come out, with dozens of gargoyles flying around them and shooting puffs of fire from their jaws.
Hermione gave him a sidelong glance.
"You don't look very happy."
"Watching your ex-boyfriend play is not my cup of tea," he muttered, squeezing his binoculars a little too tightly.
She burst out laughing.
"Viktor is not my ex-boyfriend," she clarified, rolling her eyes. "Don't be jealous."
Narcissa and Lucius shared a knowing smile and Draco snorted loudly, ignoring them all.
"They've won!"
Hermione was on her feet, clapping as dozens of fireworks exploded high above the stadium.
"Oh, come on, Draco," she leaned her arms on the railing and looked back. "Don't be stubborn."
He was still sitting in his chair with his arms crossed and a pout on his face.
Hermione looked back to the centre of the stadium, where Viktor was waving the golden snitch with a triumphant smile on his face.
210 - 230. This time his team had managed to win the final.
She and the three Malfoys waited until most of the crowd had left and made their way upstairs to the VIP room, where Ginny and Harry would be waiting for them.
The first thing they saw when they entered was the seven Bulgarian players, still wearing their scarlet uniforms.
One of them turned his head and looked at her.
"Herrmuon!"
Viktor turned away from his teammates and advanced towards Hermione, who was waiting for him with a big smile on her face.
Draco stood in his way and the Bulgarian frowned.
"First of all, I want to show you something, Krum," he said, grabbing Hermione's left hand and holding it up. "See this ring? That means she's going to marry me."
Hermione gasped.
"Draco!" she shouted, pulling her hand away and punching his shoulder. "Hello, Viktor," she smiled and hugged her friend. "And congratulations on your victory."
Hermione stepped back, still smiling. The two beaters were raising the cup as the others sang at the top of their lungs.
Viktor glanced back and forth between her and Draco, who pointed to the ring with his chin and waggled his eyebrows. His dark eyes fixed on his parents, as blonde as he was, and he looked back at Hermione.
"Are you going to marry Malorry?"
Harry's laughter echoed around the room. Draco clenched his fists and shot a hateful glare at his old enemy.
"Malfoy," Hermione corrected, holding back her laughter. "Yes, it's a long story I'll tell you later. His parents want to meet you, Viktor."
She introduced him to Narcissa and Lucius, who greeted him by shaking his hand and asking him several questions about his country and Durmstrang.
Hermione glanced sideways at Draco, who still had a smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes and his grin widened.
Draco took a step towards her and curled an arm around her waist, leaning in to speak in her ear.
"You are mine, future Mrs. Malfoy. And I intend to tell everyone."
Hermione wrinkled her nose.
"Granger-Malfoy," she corrected, crossing her arms. "I'm not going to lose my family name."
"Hmm," Draco nibbled on her ear, grinning as she shivered in his arms. "I like the sound of that."
Hermione couldn't help but blush. Harry and Ginny watched them from afar, chuckling under their breath.
Narcissa looked at them and walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"We've invited Viktor to join us for lunch," she announced with a smile. "Are you coming?"
She nodded.
"We have to stop by our flat first, but we'll be right there."
"Don't be long," the woman asked before returning to Lucius' side.
Crookshanks meowed as they both left the fireplace. Hermione walked over to the armchair where he was lying and stroked his ears.
The flat where she now lived with Draco was small and cosy. It had two bedrooms, though one of them was used as an office, and the walls were decorated with paintings by Muggle artists.
Draco's arms curled around her and she felt his breath on the back of her neck.
"Your parents are waiting for us."
He pushed her curls aside and nibbled gently on her shoulder.
"We'll be quick, then."
He spun her around and crashed his lips against hers, stealing her breath away. Draco walked forward, forcing her to walk backward, and they both gasped when they bumped into a piece of furniture.
On it was a picture of Teddy, Draco and Narcissa, all three with platinum blonde hair. Draco looked down at it and sighed through his nose.
"We could visit Teddy this afternoon."
Hermione nodded, stroking his cheek and brushing the blond locks away from his forehead.
"Whenever you want."
Draco smiled and claimed her lips again, kissing her deeply and pushing her until her back hit the wall.
One of the paintings fell to the floor and they both laughed.
Hermione broke the kiss, gasping softly against his lips. She looked up, staring into his grey eyes, and bit her bottom lip in thought.
"Do you think we're safe now?"
Draco stared at her and shrugged.
"I don't know," he admitted softly, brushing her lips as he spoke. "But I'll always protect you, Hermione."
She smiled at him.
"And I'll protect you, Draco," she replied, running her hands through his hair and kissing him again.
If you want to read more, I'm posting 3 dramione right now:
- The Wrong Choice: Veela Draco. 3 chapters left to finish it.
- A Secret That Can Kill: Vampire Draco. Eighth year.
- Cursed Marriage: Marriage Law. Post-Hogwarts
Thanks for reading!
