A/N: This is the last one folks! So review and let me know what you think! I hope everyone is pleased—be sure to tell me. Thanks to all of you for reviewing like you did…and all of you who read the story but didn't review. Thanks! Now…here's the last one. (Special thanks to: my roommate and suitemate for the great minor details. To el diablo for the little things you do!)

Chapter 5

"Do you have to go?" Ron whined at me and kissed me.

"Yes. I have a lot of things to take care of and Draco will be this evening. I have to go. But I'll be back." I kissed him as I got up. "I'll talk to you later." I smiled at him at Disapparated.

I stood in the house I lived in with Draco. My world was a complete mess. I loved Ron and I wanted to believe him but there was a part of me that didn't want it to be true. I knew I should cook something for Draco…he'd expect it. So I went to work, playing it all out in my head. Trying to figure out what I'd say and what he'd say. But ever scenario played differently—and none of them really worked in my favor. I only had one option; I'd have to be ready for whatever came.

(sc)

My bags were packed and waiting upstairs. I knew he wouldn't go up there until after dinner. It was what he always did. "Hermione?" his voice echoed through the house. I was setting the table and his voice made me quiver. What was he going to do when he found out? "I'm in here!" I yelled to him.

He came in the kitchen and smiled at me. "Hi babe," he said as he kissed me. "This looks delicious." We sat at the table. "I hope you weren't to bored this weekend." He looked at me.

Does he know something? "No, it wasn't bad," I smiled back.

"I hope you found ways to keep yourself occupied."

I smiled and nodded. I can't do this. I can't sit here through this whole meal and act like nothing's wrong. I can't do it. He babbled on about what he did at work and how much he would have rather been here with me as I sat there, engulfed in my own thoughts.

"Why did you do it?" I blurted.

"What?"

"Why did you do it? Why didn't you tell me Ron came to the wedding to see me? Why did you have Crabbe and Goyle beat him like that? Why did you keep that from me, all these years?"

He looked at me. At first it was confusion, then anger and now, he was looking at me in an odd way. "Hermione…what did you do this weekend?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, someone must have told you these lies. This is all very unexpected."

I glared at him. "Lies? How can you say they are lies? I know the truth Draco. I know how you tried to kill me so Ron would leave me!" I kept my eyes on him. "Are you going to try to deny that too?"

"You saw him didn't you? You spent the weekend with Ron didn't you?" I stood up from the table and went into the living room. He followed behind me. "Was it a nice reunion Hermione? You just couldn't handle being "obsessed with the thought of his touch" any longer, could you?"

"You read my journal?" I yelled, appalled.

"Yes, I did. I came back yesterday to take you to lunch and you were gone. And you're journal was lying there on the bed and I knew, I knew you'd say where you were going. You didn't say it word for word, but you'd mentioned Ron's name enough…I knew you were there. So was it all you'd thought it would be, being back with Ron?"

I couldn't believe he was asking me this. We stared each other down. "You did it didn't you?" I whispered. "That's why you're so mad—because he told me the truth!"

"No, he didn't tell you the truth, not the way it happened anyway; He told you what he wanted you to know!"

"Did you or did you not tell Ron to leave me? Did you or did you not try to kill me? Did you or did you not have those two idiots Crucio Ron and throw him outside on the day of our wedding?" I was screaming at him. Anger really had been consuming me the last few years. And now that I knew, I wasn't going to fall for it again.

"Hermione—"

"Just answer the question!"

He looked at me with sadness in his eyes. "Yes…I did all those things."

"Then how was Ron lying to me?" I huffed at him.

Draco sat defeated in the chair. "Hermione, that was a long time ago, I—I do love you. You know that right?" I looked at him and sat in the chair beside him. "Because I do. I may not have done everything right all the time, and I may have lied to you, but I love you."

"I can't stay here Draco. I'm not in love with you. I love Ron…and that's not going to change. I've always love him really," I explained softly. He took my hand in his.

"I know that. I just thought with time…" My bags floated down the stairs and onto the porch. His eyes were on them the entire time. When they landed, he looked at me. "I don't want you to go. Please, Hermione. Can't we just forget all this and start over? Can't you give me another chance."

I looked into his eyes and kept my gaze there. "Hermione…" Ron's voice called out, interrupting our connection. "I was just seeing if you were ready…" Draco's eyes filled with anger as he looked from Ron to me.

"You don't have to go…" Draco pleaded.

"Yes I do. Please understand…if things were different…I can't stay. I love him. It's not fair to you or to me or to him. This is the best thing Draco."

He glanced back to Ron. "Then you better go." He stood up and I followed. "Goodbye Hermione," he whispered and started to walk away. I kept his hand and kissed him. Ron stood there and didn't move, not knowing what to think or do or say.

(SC…1 year later)

"I can't believe this is all happening," he smiled to me and kissed me. "A new house for us, a new baby on the way…it's a new life all around."

"Yeah and it only a took a little bit of heartache and lies to get here," I said to him. He laughed.

"Let's not talk about that," he smiled as we pulled up to a red light.

"Aren't you glad I gave you that second chance?" I smiled at him.

"Extremely," he said as he put his arm around me. I kissed him on the cheek. He looked at me, about to say something else. "Look out!" I yelled when I saw the red truck heading toward us full speed.

We lay there on the ground, people moving all around us. I could see him, not far from me. Maybe if I reached my hand a little farther I could touch him. "Hermione, baby…" he whispered to me when he felt my hand touch him. We tried to crawl closer, as close as we could get to each other. I was able to lay my head on his chest. There was blood everywhere. But who's blood it was I don't know.

"Do you…do you hurt?" he forced himself to speak to me.

"Yeah…but it's not as bad when you're here with me. What about you?" I whispered.

"It's worse than a—than a thousand Crucios. I love you baby." He said to me.

"I love you too," I said and I felt him put his hands through my hair and tuck it behind my ear. "Is the last time we'll be together?" I asked him quietly.

"No, no we'll always be together. In—in life and in—in death too," he cringed. "I want to—I want to kiss you."

We resituated ourselves as best we could until he could reach my face. He looked at me, smiled and kissed me. It was only a few seconds but it was the best kiss we ever shared.

I rested my face on his chest again. "What about the baby?" I asked him quietly.

"She'll be fine. She's a fighter like you. Healers—they can, they can do anything today. Don't worry. She'll be fine, I promise."

"I love you. I wish—"

"I wouldn't change anything. Nothing—because it gave us this baby, a baby to carry on the legacy." That was the last thing he said to me before we fell asleep in the road.

(sc)

"Here is your beautiful daughter," the healer said, lying her on my stomach. He looked over at me.

"That's the best thing in the world," he whispered. "What are we, what are we going to name her?"

I looked at him. "What were you thinking?" I asked. He looked horrible. They told me they didn't know how long he'd have but it didn't look good.

"I've always liked the name Hallie," he smiled.

"Hallie Grace…that's a good name." He smiled. "Want to hold her?"

The healer put our daughter into his arms and he kissed her forehead and cried. I reached out for his hand. "She'll be okay." I smiled. "I can feel it."

"I love you Hermione, and I love you Hallie Grace." He kissed her again and the healer took her. He kissed my hand and kept it in his hand as we fell asleep together for the last time.