Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly, but my own twisted thoughts and this story and any characters I choose to add to it. This being the last chapter, there are no more of those. Zane is alone.

Zane: Oh right. *snorts* Me, alone. As if. So you said yourself in chapter.... 4?

Me: Cho said that, well... she implied it. And Draco thought it in chapter 9. Ah! I still haven't fixed the Cho thing .. Sorry all, slipped my mind. Anyway though, yeah, last chapter. I send a special thanks out to Jocelyn Padoga and Sexy Jess for their encouragement and enthusiasm about my writing. Also, to all my reviewers, thanks much and I'm glad you like my fic. On with the fic!!

Chapter 10

Draco stood before the train, before the last time he'd ever ride it, and felt a pang of regret. He'd wasted so many years hating this train, this school, these people. He'd wasted so much of his life being a Malfoy instead of being Draco. People swarmed past him, some even waving to him with friendly smiles. Oh how things had changed. Draco felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned slightly meeting the greens eyes Harry. "Are you ready?" the dark-haired boy asked. "Are you?" Draco replied. "Your father will be waiting for you," Harry reminded him solemnly. "We are out of school now. You could just leave home." "Father won't be waiting for me," Draco headed onto the train, Harry close behind. "There'll be an empty car there for me with a banishing letter cursing my existence. And then an envelope hidden somewhere with some money in it from my mother." "He really disowned you?" Harry looked amazed as they found an empty compartment. "No not really, but until I "cease my senseless meddling with that mudblood" he refuses to see me," Draco shrugged flopping down in a seat. "You don't seem bothered," Harry said cautiously. Draco just shrugged and Harry took the cue to leave. Draco sat alone in the compartment for a while just thinking about everything. He'd waited years for this day, the day he got to strike out on his own. Now that it was finally here, he finally realized that he was nowhere near ready. Really, he was scared as hell. But he had forever right? Forever to think about the rest of his life. But even if he didn't. If forever didn't want to wait for him, then he still had Hermione right now right? And that's all he needed, right now. He thought some about his family, and how his mother would now be defensless against the onslaughts of his father. He did regret that. He'd write her though, keep in touch with her. The train began moving and his thoughts wondered some more. He didn't notice the slight figure in jeans and a T-shirt that crept in and shut the door. Not until she slid into his lap and ran her tongue across his jaw. "So are you taking the job as an auror with Harry?" Hermione grinned at him. "Not right off I don't think," Draco replied kissing her chastley. "Will you?" "No," Hermione shook her head. "So... what about your father? He sort of... disowned you right?" "Sort of," Draco sighed. "I've already had mom rent an apartment for me in the muggle world," Hermione persisted. "You could stay with me you know." "I won't be far, love," he promised softly. There was a little pause, a small silence in which they just gazed at each other. What was it about her that felt so right? About having her so near in his arms? "It's never going to be the same, is it?" Hermione whispered. "What won't?" his brow furrowed. "Anything," she said. "Ron, me, Harry, Ginny, you -" "Us," he finished for her. "No it won't. Not ever. But we have forever to work it all out." "But what if we don't," a slight panic crept into her voice. "What if your father does more than just disown you? He could really hurt someone, Draco. My... my mom or dad... What if... if we - this relationship - doesn't work out at all. If -" "If, Hermione," he stopped. "That's if. If forever away it all goes to hell -" "Stop," she whispered and he looked at her curiously. "I said the exact same thing to Ron when you were knocked out by that bludger." Draco smiled and kissed her lips. Hermione sighed into his mouth and accepted the assurance the warmth of his lips brought her. She wasn't ready and neither was he, not the for the "world beyond Hogwarts". But they had each other, and they always would. If forever didn't matter, not right then. The rest of the world was at their fingertips, but right then all they wanted was each other. Even if they didn't have forever. The train could crash right then and they'd both die, it didn't matter. All forever was, was an assurance of becoming what you were always meant to be, what you would have been anyway. They were meant to fall in love, and they would have even if it wasn't then, tommorrow, or in some other life. If forever never came, they still had each other. If the rest of the world didn't like it, it didn't matter. A mudblood and pureblood, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. It was going to be ok, it was going to work out, because forever didn't matter, and neither did anyone else.
THE END