A/N: So, this is it, folks. The last chapter. Hope you enjoyed the story. I adore all of you for reading it, and I especially appreciate everyone who took time to comment on it. It's been a difficult story to write, as I tend to prefer romances, but the story seemed to want to be written, so…

Foodie and I are still discussing what I hope will be the final sequel, which will be about Draco "curing" Adriana. She will be writing half the story, and I will be writing the other half, in interspersed chapters. I won't promise it will be done, as I'm now pretty burned out by these Malfoys, but I think the story could be quite interesting to write, so we'll see.

Anyway, love it, hate it, I'd love to hear what you think. Did it suck? Why? What was your favorite part? Who did you like best? Who did I get totally wrong? Anything. Review at the bottom of the page, or email me at elfflamehotmail.com. I'd love to hear form you.

And thank you all for reading.

Mystic Fire Demon – Glad you enjoyed it. It was a work of love for me. As far as Draco forgiving Lucius goes, for him, it was really all about getting Lucius's attention, and he really DID want him back, but didn't think he could show it. I don't think he's forgiven him 100%, but they're on their way now. They'll never be completely comfortable with each other, tho. The Ministry was never told about what Draco did, so they won't be punishing him. More Adriana's doing than anything, but a blessing nonetheless. I don't have any plans to write more about Narcissa, but I'll never say never.

Dark Angel – Your review made my day, and Foodie's as well. Those lines were Foodie's, and I was worried they were a bit too soft, but they worked, and now I'm thrilled I kept them. :) I'm so glad you liked it. I was worried you would think I was too soft on Lucius, but I couldn't wait to see what your reaction to the chapter would be. I'd love links to any Remus/Narcissa stories you'd recommend. I'm always on the lookout for a few good Het stories, as I tend to read Slash a bit too much (not that I'm repentant in any way. ;) ). I adore Remus, and have enjoyed him in most fics I've seen him in, so I do understand how that could be an interesting combination. I do like her with Sev, but I see it as an unequal relationship, and quite honestly, if there's ANY character in HP who's actually closeted, I'm this close to positive it's Sev. Hopefully this last chapter will help with the reasons he ignored Draco. Sev is just so unrepentant in his attitudes…;) I do understand what you're saying. And in most cases, I'd completely agree with you. But, I really think that there are some Post-Hogwarts stories where Draco just works better as a Traditionalist. Unfortunately, this is one of them. The relationship between Lucius and Draco will always be a bit strained. Too much has happened between them to ever be completely comfortable together. And until Adriana and Draco come to terms with each other, which will take a LOT of doing, they won't be able to be completely open and honest with each other. There is a line there where Lucius is certain he never abused Draco, and Draco gets him to realize that that really was not true, that he had, indeed done the same thing as his father, just in a different form. I'm not as sure how he looks back at Narcissa. Ah, but Narcissa's not an innocent, either. She went out to get the "Best Husband," so she wasn't exactly in love with Lucius either. Not that she deserved what happened to her, but she did make her bed, and didn't do anything to stop him. I don't really plan to write more about Narcissa, but we'll see. Reni's a spoiled brat. Possibly more than Draco was. She's the kind of kid who would do better as an only child, really. And she felt robbed of something when she ended up with two sisters, cause she had to share her parents with them, and she also had to take care of the little brats. It wasn't so much that he missed that first year, but that she bonded better to Sev, and she appreciates him more than Lucius cause he'll let her get away with stuff that Lucius won't. The "missed her first year" excuse is more Lucius's way of explaining it, cause I don't think he really realizes just how much she resents her sisters. Thank you so much for your review, like I said, it made my day. Feel free to drop me a line at my email address with those stories, or whatever. I'd love to talk to you again. You really did help with the finishing of this story. Having someone who had such vehement reactions to the story kept me thinking about Draco's reasoning, and probably made it better in the long run.

Embracing the Dragon

I turned towards the door when I heard a footstep. Snape stood there, just staring at us for several minutes, his expression unreadable. Luicus pulled himself up, and I stood as well, brushing myself off. By this point my anger had rekindled. "Is there something you needed?" I sneered at him.

His eyes flashed. He ignored me and turned to Lucius. "Are you alright, Lucius?"

He nodded. "Draco and I have reached an…understanding, I think," he said as he looked at me.

I glared at Snape, then looked at Lucius. "We…understand each other, I think. But others have things to answer for."

Snape smiled thinly. "You think you're going to ambush me like you did your father, boy? Because I didn't cow tow to everything you wanted? Think again." I'd always admired that sneer, but now it just fed my anger.

"What do you know, you old fool? I was just a nuisance, wasn't I? Were you pleased when I was finally out of your hair? I bet you wish father and I had killed each other, don't you? Then your way would be clear, wouldn't it?"

Snape rolled his eyes. He glanced at Lucius, who was trying to look under the desk to find his wand. "Did you actually put up with this the whole time, Lucius? I'm amazed you didn't gag the boy within minutes."

Lucius looked up and growled at him, but before he could speak, I narrowed my eyes and advanced on the man. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here. You have a lot to answer for. Where were you when I needed you?" I growled.

Snape snorted and turned to me, looking down at me coldly. "I was exactly where you expected me to be, Draco. You knew just where to find me. If you didn't come to me, don't blame me for your little…" he looked me up and down. "…Temper tantrum. I don't coddle my Slytherins, Draco. You know that. If you wanted something from me, you knew exactly where to find me."

"Right, and you would have dropped everything for me? I don't think so."

"You're right. I probably wouldn't have. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have made any time for you, boy. Wake up, Draco. The world isn't a perfect place. Everyone needs to deal with their own problems. Life is hard for everyone. You're nothing special."

I knew he was right. Who was I? No one. But it wasn't though he had done anything for me since I had left the school…No, that was wrong. I took a deep breath. He was right. I'd known where to find him. He'd never shut the door on me, even when he thought I was out to hurt the girls, he'd welcomed me into his office with open arms. I hadn't even tried to see him until he had tried to interfere with my plans for the girls. But I could hardly say that to him. "So I'm just supposed to forget everything that happened?"

Lucius chuckled rustily. "No, Draco. No one expects that. But maybe it's time to let go, and to move on?"

I turned away from them. "Move on to what, exactly?"

"Draco, you were one of the top students at Hogwarts. Surely at least one of those subjects calls to you?"

I closed my eyes as Potions classes came back to me. The ingredients; the perfect, precise measurements; the way they all came together, just so. It was the only time I'd felt truly in my element at school. And, too, I was surrounded by my peers, Gryffindors to sneer at, and…my favourite teacher… I turned to look at him now. The grey hair and the lines in his face stood out to me again. It hadn't been so long since I'd left school, had it? "There was only ever one subject I enjoyed. Well, maybe two."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Two?"

"Well, Arithmancy, of course…" I smirked at him.

He narrowed his eyes. He'd never liked game-playing much. "And?"

I looked at him pointedly, a slight grin on my face. "What do you think? You know me so well, after all…"

"Well, if you want to play games, Draco, I can always offer Miss Granger the apprenticeship position that a colleague just told me about…"

"And why would I want to answer to anyone?"

"Because, Draco. You're good. But inside you know you can be great." His face was bland. "And you know you can't get there without training. And I can get you that position. And possibly a job after. But only if you're interested. And done playing games," he sneered.

"You'd do that for me? Even after all this?"

"You didn't hurt anyone, and I think between your father and myself, we can keep the girls' mother from charging you, or anything more drastic… As long as you try to fix this. We can't do everything for you, Draco. You have to meet us halfway. You have to try. This is your life. We can't tell you what to do anymore. You're an adult. But that also doesn't mean you have to do everything alone." He placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'd be proud to have you as a colleague, Draco. I know you'd make me proud."

I was speechless. This was huge praise from Snape. Even to his Slytherins, he'd always been less than approachable. He was always willing to stand up for us, but he expected us to stand our own ground as well, and praise was nearly unheard of. Even for his favourite student. I could feel my cheeks heat. "Thank you, sir."

"Does that mean you'll take the position?"

I thought for a moment, but really, what was there to think about? I nodded to him. "I'll give it a try, sir."

He smiled. "Good." He turned to Lucius, his eyebrow raised. "Do you need a hand, or are you steadier on your feet now?"

Lucius's eyes narrowed. "I'm fine, Snape." He turned to me. "Could you retrieve my wand from where it rolled, Draco? I can't seem to find it."

I accioed his wand, which flew to my hand, then handed it to him.

Snape turned and started towards the door, leaving us to trail in his wake. I felt odd to be leaving here once again. It felt wrong. This was still home, despite the bad memories, the fact that it had been used by Voldemort for his hideout for a time, the fact that it had been deserted for years…It always would be home. Perhaps I could come back someday and reclaim it. Or…perhaps it was time to move on, like father and Snape suggested. Find a new place to call home. Start a new life.

As we walked out onto the drive, I looked up at the sky. There was only a thin crescent moon, which made the stars stand out much sharper. And there it was. Draco. Pale stars shining in the chilly black night. My constellation. I remembered my father's words… "Dragons are these majestic, powerful creatures. They represent freedom to me. Freedom from chains, able to fly freely through the air." Lucius had learned to live free, like the dragons. Perhaps I could use this new chance to do the same for me.

We're our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.

Tom Robbins