A/N: Sorry guys—I know this took way longer than expected. It's finals week, you see…

Epilogue

Two years later…

"'Mione! Over here!"

Hermione smiled.

Ron was waving at her from a table in the corner of The Three Broomsticks, his bright orange sleeve flapping enthusiastically. He rose as she reached the table and held his arms out. "Do I get a hug?"

Hermione threw her arms around him. "Of course you do!" She kissed him on the cheek as he put her back down from the bear hug he'd swept her into. They both sat, and Ron pushed a tall glass towards her.

"A butterbeer and firewhisky with a dash of cinnamon. Just the way you like it." He himself already had a half-empty glass of firewhisky, which he picked up and sipped.

Hermione's face lit up as she pounced upon her favorite drink.

"So, how was work today?" he asked.

Hermione beamed. "Been very busy at the Ministry. Mounds of paperwork! And then there was Lenny…"

"Again? How many times have you apprehended that lousy Lethifold?"

"Well, it's more of the boys at the department doing the apprehension…I'm more of the brains behind the operation." Hermione replied happily.

Ron shook his head. "Only you, Hermione, could be so happy about a rogue Lethifold."

"It gives me stuff to do. So, how was practice, Ron?"

"Great! We're playing the Magpies next week—I'll get you guys tickets. Dean's doing good for his first week on the team—I didn't know he could play Chaser that well! And we just got news that our manager's…" Ron went into another long story.

Hermione smiled and nodded as she twirled the umbrella in her drink.

"…and then I tried that thing from fifth year—you know, hanging off my broom one-handed?—and blam! Wasn't a fluke this time!" Ron smoothed his flaming hair. "Tell me I'm not the world's greatest Keeper, 'Mione."

"OK—you're not." Hermione laughed at the expression on his face. "I don't want your head to swell too much. Where's Harry, by the way?"

"He's at King's Cross, picking up Ginny." Ron looked a bit disgruntled.

"Oh, so The-Boy-Who-Was-Gutless is finally taking action?" Hermione was amused. Even though Harry had liked the seventh Weasley child for years already, he'd never been able to do anything about it.

"Watch it—that's my baby sister."

"I heard that," came a new female voice. "Don't you dare, Ronald."

"Hi Ginny." Hermione gave her dear friend a hug. "How've you been? And hi, Harry!"

Harry, who had been holding Ginny's hand, released it, his face a bit flushed, patted Hermione on the back as a hello, and went to sit next to Ron, who immediately started lecturing Harry on what he could and couldn't do with Ginny.

"Very well," Ginny replied. She cocked her head in Harry's direction and grinned. "How could I not be?"

"I'm so happy for you, Gin."

They both sat as a bored-looking Harry signaled for a glass of oak-matured mead and a butterbeer.

"That's right—no hard drinking for you, Gin," Ron said in a satisfied voice. "Good Harry."

Ginny looked peeved. "Ron!"

"Ron, she's of age, and she is not a child," Hermione said patronizingly.

"She's my sister, and therefore a precious jewel," Ron replied.

"Thanks for the precious-jewel comment, but I would like to remind you that I can take care of myself," Ginny shot back.

While Ron and Ginny bickered, Hermione turned to Harry. "How was Lenny?"

Harry rubbed a hand over his face (upon removing his glasses). "Horrible. We weren't sure which one was Lenny, so we had to keep attacking each other's cloaks." He gave a martyred sigh as he accepted his drink from Madam Rosmerta. "Honestly, why don't they just outlaw black cloaks and make everyone wear Day-Glo?" He stared briefly into the golden depths of his mead before taking a swig. "So…he's not here yet, then?"

"Yes he is."

Hermione's fiancé was striding towards them, his black robes billowing behind him. A smile danced upon his smooth, refined features.

"Hello dear," he said, bending down to capture Hermione's lips in a brief kiss before seating himself beside her and signaling for a firewhisky.

Ron and Harry cringed. The couple had been at it for years, but it didn't make it easier for them to bear.

"Hello Draco," Ginny said evenly as she uncorked her butterbeer.

"Evening, Ginny." He acknowledged her with a nod, and smirked as his gray eyes fell on the other two boys. "Potty and Weasel. How nice to see you. Chaperoning tonight?"

"Draco," Hermione groused with a sigh. Some things never changed.

Ron glowered as he downed his firewhisky. Harry simply smirked right back.

"At least I didn't scream 'Get it off! Get it off!' like a sissy girl and think my cloak was a Lethifold."

Hermione gave up. Turning to Ginny, they began discussing the menu.

xxxxxxxxxx

All in all, it was a very normal dinner. Hermione and Ginny played referee a considerable number of times to more or less the usual stuff like preventing Ron from dumping his soup over Draco's head, stopping Harry from charming Draco's cloak into sliding over his head and making him shriek (indeed very much like girl) loudly enough for the whole restaurant to hear, and chastising Draco for pouring hot sauce into Ron's and Harry's drinks. The evening ended on a rather comical note, with a drunk Ron falling face first into his chocolate gateau.

Harry tsk-tsked as he drew up his best friend from the depths of his dessert. "Why don't you…and you go on, Hermione? Gin and I better bring him home."

"Are you sure, Harry?" Hermione looked worriedly at Ron.

"When it gives him the chance to snog Miss Weasley without interruption, of course he's sure," Draco drawled.

Harry sighed and shook his head. Draco sometimes got his point way too easily and it bugged him so. "Yeah, and I'm sure you don't just want to have Hermione to yourself for that reason."

"Potty, I can snog her just as easily in front of you."

Hermione and Ginny sighed. "Boys, enough."

They each grabbed their respective love interest's hand and went their separate ways: Ginny and Harry outside to Apparate Ron back home and Hermione and Draco to get the bill.

Draco counted out the Galleons, plunked them upon the table, and waggled his eyebrows at his wife-to-be. "What do say to a little adventure?"

"Draco—"

"Come on!"

Hermione allowed herself to be dragged outside, bemused and curious as to what Draco had in mind. In the years they been together, he had never failed to surprise her—even though one of those surprises had involved a loose Acromantula and a Harry covered in webs.

They got onto Draco's old Nimbus Two-Thousand-and-Five, and zoomed off.

When their destination came into view, Hermione was quite surprised indeed.

"Hogwarts? I was expecting Paris!"

"Why not our dear school?" Draco landed before the gates and disembarked. "After all, here was where it all began."

As he reached up to knock, a sleeve—his left sleeve—fell back, revealed the rendition of an ugly skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.

The Dark Mark.

Draco looked down upon it, his face hardening. Hermione felt tears come to her eyes as she looked upon the castle which had for so long been her home. It still stood strong and tall, but it bore the scars of the War. The way Draco did.

"It's never going to come off, is it?" she whispered.

He shook his head. "No. Never." The he gave her a lopsided smile. "Guess I should've just brought you to Paris."

"No…this is good." Resolutely she pulled his sleeve back down.

A loud clicking sound suddenly interrupted them.

"Not again." Draco muttered.

Hardly daring to look, Draco and Hermione turned slowly.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

A spider the size of a small house was right behind them. Quickly, they got back on the Nimbus and zoomed as high up as they could go.

"I take it back, Draco," Hermione gasped. "Next time, take me to Paris!"

THE END

A/N: Well…this is it. The end.

First off, I would like to thank GOD once again, for giving me everything I needed to accomplish this fic—this and everything else in my life.

Also, to my best friend Pannikittypiggyphant, who as always, continues to put up with me. Wherever you are, Pig, you are always in my heart…awww. :))

To my friends GUI, Reba, Teabag, Xima, and Abbie for the inspiration, advice, support, and funnies.

And of course, to every single one of my reviewers, thanks so much. I really appreciate that you guys took the time to read and review this little tale. Thanks for the helping me. :)

To the musicals, books, movies, and TV dramas that have inspired me: Thanks too!

For those who have read Don't Go Breaking My Heart, this is the moment you've all been waiting for: Yes, the sequel is next!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."—Psalm 118: 29