Months passed, then years. Harry defeated Lord Voldemort and, at the age of nineteen, had fulfilled his life's work. He studied to be an Auror, determined as ever to wipe out all trace of Voldemort.
Hermione dated Ron for a while. She knew how it would end up, with their fights and their different ways of thinking. It would be too much. She did count on them being friends afterwards, though. When Ron refused to forgive her Harry tried to help them both. But in the end she lost him too.
She was living in a dorm at a Muggle university when Blaise was released. He had served time for being a willing assistant to the Dark Lord. But not as much as he might have. He had power; he had converted before the Dark Lord fell. Draco would be in for life. She saw all this in the news and tried not to care.
Then he came to see her. It was a Friday. She squinted up at him after hours of study, and didn't recognize him.
"Can I come in?"
"No."
He pressed a hand to his chest. "You wound me."
She stared. She shut her eyes, and opened them again. "Blaise," she said.
"Can I come in?"
She stepped back. "Of course."
He followed her. "Is this it?"
"After a prison cell, I would have thought anything would be an improvement."
"Not how it works, love." He sat next to her, taking her hands as he did. "You know I have a place."
"Mhmm."
"Do you want to move in?"
"You hate me," she said, before she could stop herself.
"Don't be silly, I love you."
"You don't even know me."
"I know," he murmured, "every contour… every corner, of your body." She smiled a bit at that.
"That's not me."
"I don't know where I find you people. Sure it is."
"Confess," she said, "how many 'people' have you got?"
"Lover, you mean? Only one. And she's a lot more trouble than she's worth."
"You don't love me." She was more sure of herself this time. He let out a gusty sigh and pulled away.
"Okay, okay. Enough. I don't love you."
They sat next to each other. She curled into him and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her, and kissed the top of her head, and whispered,
"Will you let me try?"
It was as much as she had ever had. And more than he had given. It was worth a shot.
"Okay," she said.
"Okay."
"Okay."
They sat there, together, for a few moments longer. Quiet after the busy world had closed its doors.
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FIN.