Epilogue

After the ball, the rest of the days flew by, and before anyone knew it, it was the end of the school year. All final exams had been taken, and there was a sort of bittersweet excitement building up in the atmosphere.

Draco and Hermione had continued seeing each other, spending many happy hours together in the common room. However, hardly anyone, except the two of them, of course, was happy with this newfound relationship, to say the least. Most had learned to accept it, though, when they saw the couple was strong and was not just about to break down because of displeasure from friends and family.

Draco had a bit more trouble than Hermione, resulting in being disowned by his father, who said Draco was a disgrace to the name of Malfoy walking around with that "Mudblood scum". Hermione was horrified and begged him to see no more of her, for though he said it didn't affect him, she could tell it hurt him deeply. He would hear none of this and told her she was worth far more than the too-high, much of the time evil, standards of his father—and the beatings that came if those standards weren't met.

Graduation came all too quickly for the seventh years, and even some the younger students who had older friends. Soon it was the last night at Hogwarts. Friends were hugging, girls were crying, couples kissing and promising to keep in touch. After diner, the Great Hall was transformed into a party room, and the soon-to-be-alumni could stay there all night, spending those last few hours with those that they truly had, in a sense, grown up with.

There was much laughter and giddiness at finally graduating, but also sadness for leaving Hogwarts, which had been their home for the last seven years. In these last moments together, there were no Houses, no rivalries; only a bunch of young-adults that had grown from kids together and wanted to leave off with good memories of each other. Slytherins mingled with Ravenclaws, Gryffindors with Hufflepuffs, purebloods with muggle-borns. They talked of old friendships, old fights, potions gone wrong, Quidditch matches, duels in the hallway, crazy prophesies, strange rules, and every form of memory they could think of, some happy, others sad.

Draco and Hermione spent the whole night and the following day's train-ride at an arm's length of each other, taking advantage of each precious moment left. Draco had some money saved up and was going to be renting an apartment near Hermione's home until he could get a good-paying job and buy his own house, then the two of the would see where fate took them from there. Marriage was a possibility, though neither knew exactly what road they would take. They didn't know if they'd live happily ever after. All they knew was that they were in love; forbidden at first, not accepted for a while, shunned by some, and definitely not as tragic as William Shakespeare would have set it up, but love nonetheless.

So this tale comes to an end, and I hope you learned about young, forbidden love, and the hearts that made it happen.

Finis.

And there you have it. Review pretty please?