A/N - Well, this is it. I have no idea whether anyone is still following this story but I'm glad it's finally all posted. That completes a trilogy and I'm comfortable with leaving it there.. There is potential to do a sequel to 'For Love is as Strong as Death' but there would be a lot of OCs in it because it would happen mainly in the children's generation and I'm not sure how many people would actually be interested in that.

Epilogue

"Is not this the fast that I have chosen?- to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free" Isaiah 58:6

It took until the end of the semester to convince the legal authorities and finalise the paperwork but finally Archimedes had the authority for the youngster's release just as Winter was turning the landscape frosty.

Luna knew that Archimedes had been visiting Jasmine regularly at Azkaban and felt quite smug about having shoved him in the right direction on that score. She was sure that without her teasing advice he would never have thought to actually show the girl that he loved her. Luna had visited once or twice herself taking messages from Jinty and it had done her heart good to see the faint gleam of happiness in Jasmine's tortured eyes when she saw Archimedes' broad shoulders appear in her cell doorway.

Luna herself simply liked basking in the gentle, warm glow of the man's emotions for the girl. It was such a pleasant feeling to be able to read for once. Mostly the emotions she picked up on were the very strong, unpleasant ones such as fear or anger or malice or vengence or suffering. She reflected that Archimedes love for Jasmine must be very strong indeed if she could read it so clearly. It reminded her of the strength of feeling between Snape and Hermione although that was of a different quality altogether. Snape's love for Hermione was fierce and complex like flame but Archimedes' love for Jasmine was uncomplicated and gentle, like a steady cool light. She wondered curiously how Draco's love for her would feel if she could be outside it but knew it was useless speculation, she would never know.

If she'd asked Archimedes he could have told her immediately. Draco's love for her was still but deep, as deep as a well with no bottom.

* * *

Luna had not told Jinty of the Ministry's plans to release the young Death Eater prisoners in case there was a hitch and she had built up her hopes only to have them cruelly dashed. The day Archimedes told her that he had the paperwork in his hands she had grinned at him and said, "you can go and rescue your damsel in distress and I'm going to go and tell her sister right now! We'll meet back at Dumbledore's offices. I don't want Jinty exposed to Azkaban when she's still so young," Luna said as though she was not just barely 20 herself.

Archimedes had curtly nodded his agreement but his eyes were already focused inward and Luna knew he was thinking about nothing more than getting Jasmine out of that hellhole as quickly as he could.

Luna interrupted Jinty's Potions class and took the girl into the Hogwarts quadrangle. There was another Slytherin boy with a brother in Azkaban and Draco was currently breaking the news to him.

Luna grinned at Jinty. "Well, how would you like to see Jasmine today?" she asked without preamble.

"Am I allowed to go and visit Azkaban?" Jinty said hopefully.

"You don't need to go to Azkaban. Jasmine will be in Dumbledore's office in just under an hour," Luna said, checking her watch.

Jinty's eyes grew very, very wide. "Really? How? I thought they were never allowed out," she said faintly.

"They aren't, if they're still prisoners. Of course, if they've been released for good, it doesn't matter," Luna said triumphantly.

Jinty's mouth was open in amazement. "They're going to let her out? Forever? For good?" she whispered, hardly daring to hope.

"Yes! Archimedes and Dumbledore have been working on the Ministry and the legal authorities for all the young Death Eaters to be released. Anyone who had been a Death Eater for less than a year leading up to the discovery of the Gillamoor camp has been pardoned!" Luna explained, tears in her eyes.

Jinty put her head down and burst into tears. She sobbed and sobbed, and Luna held her close smoothing her glorious hair comfortingly. "I don't know why I'm crying," she hiccupped. "It's such incredible news. I never would have dreamed this could happen."

"It was Archimedes idea. He's a good man," Luna said with certainty. After all, Luna thought, may as well get the girl used to the idea of Archimedes as she was sure he would soon be Jinty's brother-in-law.

* * *

Archimedes ducked slightly to get into Jasmine's cell. Other people from the Ministry were currently releasing the other young prisoners but Archimedes wanted to tell Jasmine the news himself. Jasmine's tall, too- thin frame was leaning against a wall. Her bare arms were clutched around her and she was staring at the floor. When Archimedes came in, she looked up and almost smiled.

"I have good news Jasmine. You can leave Azkaban today." His gaze, while not exactly gentle or caressing was softer than its usual strict gravity as it rested on her.

"The papers have come through?" she said, barely above a whisper.

"Yes. Here is a Patronous Cloak. There are new robes waiting for you and the others at the prison entry," he said, holding out the filmy white cloak.

Hesitantly she took it from him as though afraid it was really all a cruel delusion. Her hands were shaking so much she couldn't get the robe on so Archimedes deftly helped her. Once it was on, the worst of the effects of Azkaban were lifted and suddenly Jasmine smiled up at him. Archimedes stared down at her feeling something he couldn't put a name to even if he had wished to. Unexpectedly he felt a cold, thin hand press his and without thinking he took it and held it in a firm, warm grip.

* * *

Draco didn't think he'd ever seen so many tears in his life. This place is going to be flooded, he thought with alarm as Jinty and Jasmine cried and cried as they held each other. Even Luna was crying a bit, he observed with surprise. Luna wasn't the sort of girl who cried when she watched sad movies. "There are enough things to cry about in real life without crying over a damn movie," she'd once said to him. Now that things were happy, here she was crying. Women are a mystery, he thought with resignation.

He had shaken hands with Crabbe and was genuinely glad to see him out of Azkaban. Draco had never seen him looking so thin. Delius Snout, the young first year Slytherin that Draco had the job of telling that his brother was now free was crying too and trying very hard not to. His older brother was all he had left in the world now with his parents still both in Azkaban. Having his brother released meant he had a family again even a much shrunken one.

All in all there was around half a dozen released prisoners. Only Delius' brother and Jasmine had younger siblings to greet them.

"All you young people have Archimedes to thank for your release. It was his idea and his hard work that brought you out of Azkaban," Dumbledore had said gravely, once the tears had dried up a bit.

Archimedes tensed. He did not like being the center of attention even for a moment. He was too caught up in trying not to betray himself by watching Jasmine like a hawk or following her around the room to make sure she was alright. Just cleaned up and dressed she immediately looked much better. Pomphrey had given them all Pepper-Up Potion and she now had some colour in her face.

By the time they were all calm enough to have a cup of tea, Jasmine had dragged Jinty back over to where Archimedes was and sat like a queen with him on one side and her sister on the other. Much to Archimedes embarrassment, the girl discreetly slipped her hand back into his but he wasn't about to let it go. Luna smirked happily to herself when she saw it and Jinty observed it with interest then looked pleased. Archimedes saw Jinty's pleased look and let his breath out in relief.

Draco sat with his tea thinking how he hated it that Luna was always right about these things and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in approval.

* * *

"Do you know they're engaged already?" Luna commented one evening about a month later.

"Who?" Draco said vaguely as he had been distracted by contemplating Luna's red tartan mini-skirt which was his personal favourite.

"Archimedes and Jasmine, of course! Jinty is thrilled. She's going to live with them after she finishes at Hogwarts this year," Luna said, gently swinging one shapely crossed leg.

Draco was sure Luna did these things on purpose to distract him and dragged his eyes from the length of slender, stockinged leg. "That is pretty fast," he agreed, his eyes returning to the mini skirt again.

"I suppose there was all that time she was in Azkaban that he was visiting her. That's nearly 6 months," she mused. "Still, 20 is awfully young to be getting married," she added with a worried look.

"It's not really," Draco disagreed. "Plenty of people get married that young."

"Mmmmm," Luna mumbled, frowning and taking another sip of her drink as she got lost in thought.

"He's a fast worker," Draco mused aloud, talking more to himself than to Luna.

"No, I think he's chivalrous and a gentleman. He probably proposed marriage before he proposed anything else," Luna said, one dark eyebrow raised in amusement. "Especially as he's slightly older than her although not much," she qualified.

"Would you have liked me to be such a gentleman?" Draco asked insinuatingly knowing perfectly well what her answer would be.

"Certainly not," Luna replied without hesitation or apology. "I'm not that patient, to be frank. I want what I want and I want it now." Draco grinned one of his rare grins. "Having said that, I still waited around for you for 2 months longer than I should have," she teased. "Maybe if I'd gone out with Roy sooner, I might have got what I really wanted more quickly," she added slyly, her green eyes dancing.

"Oh, nothing like playing to win," he drawled, returning her look then smiling to himself feeling rather pleased. "What age do you think it's appropriate to get married?" Draco asked, changing the subject abruptly back to something she'd said earlier that had bothered him.

Luna shrugged and didn't reply immediately. "I've never thought about it. Why, have you?" she asked worriedly.

"I guess not but 20 isn't too young," he reiterated. There was silence as she stared into the fire, her face blank. "You wear that skirt to drive me crazy, don't you?" he stated dryly a couple of seconds later. Luna smiled slowly.

* * *

"It's a disease and everyone's getting it," Luna said the next week after she and Draco met up at the Manor after the day's lectures.

"What's that?" he asked absently, sorting through his mail.

"Ron and Padma, they're engaged now. They're getting married next summer," Luna said incredulously, rolling her eyes.

"Do you feel left out?" Draco asked teasingly but actually really wanting to know the answer and rather hoping it was 'yes'. Draco did not want to get married anytime soon more because he felt there was no rush about it than because he was adverse to it. In Luna he had found someone that he could actually imagine being married to but they had plenty of time to settle down. He was happy not to do so until their late 20s, until they were ready to have children.

"Uhhhhh, no," Luna said, as though he had suggested she might feel left out of something rather awful.

Draco looked up from his mail and considered her seriously from under his fair brows. She was not looking at him however, she was warming her hands in front of the fire. He didn't understand her odd, reluctant attitude to marriage. Her own parents were not divorced so she had no reason to be cynical. He wanted to find out more but didn't want to press the issue as yet. After all, they had been going out for only around a year or so and he was not in a rush. "Have they set a date?" he asked casually as he went back to the mail.

"Nah, just sometime in July," Luna replied.

"I wonder if Snape and Hermione will get married," Draco mused realizing that those two had been together for well over a year.

"I think they're happy the way they are," Luna shrugged.

"Snape would want an heir, I imagine," Draco said lightly, watching her surreptitiously again.

"Yes," Luna replied vaguely then went and got her books to do some study before dinner in the library.

Draco bit the inside of his lip worriedly as he watched her go.

TBC..

A/N - All chapter titles are from Jewel's album - 'Pieces of You'.