A/N from ZiBl: Holy fricken A! It's actually FINISHED. I seriously had my doubts some days. Well, I more than upheld my end of this bargain: I finished writing before Christmas! Now if Samwise could just stop getting grounded long enough to edit and upload, I think we're fine.

A/N from samwise: hahahahaa…..didn't take forever to edit….but it's here! And it's done and beauteous! It may be almost February, but at least we got it done before spring…right? Anyways, enjoy!

Dancing With the Dragon
By Samwise-Dragoneyes and ZiBl, two insane idiots
Chapter 10: When All's Said and Done
June mornings always seem to dawn bright and sunny, and the morning of Hogwarts' graduation was no exception. Classes released at midday, and everyone except for the happy seventh years changed into their best robes. At two o' clock, the students meandered outside to where Dumbledore had set up a good deal of chairs in a giant half-circle around a stage. The seventh years, wearing their Hogwarts robes for the last time, sat in the very front middle. Parents and family friends had been apparating, flying, and port-keying in all morning, and everyone invited was at long last present. Dumbledore quickly strode to the center stage podium and cleared his throat. The crowd, which had burst into enthusiastic cheering at his entrance, settled down eventually. That is, all except for the Weasley twins, who were standing on their chairs and madly cheering for their 'ickle Ronnikins'.

"Attention, please!" Dumbledore called out with a twinkle in his eye. The twins reluctantly settled down after one final yell. "Thank you. Now, we all know why we're gathered here today, I should hope. But for those as absent-minded as myself, I shall say a reminder. We're here to honor these fine students, who are now ready to enter the world at large. I know everyone is looking forward to the splendid feast at the end of the ceremony-" He was here interrupted by more cheers from the Weasley twins. Smiling, Dumbledore raised his voice over theirs. "So we shall try to keep this short and sweet. First, may I present this year's Valedictorian and Salutatorian: Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy? Please step forward." The crowd burst into applause once more as the two students stepped onto the stage to receive their awards, and to each make a short speech. Hermione practically bounced up to the podium. To everyone's surprise, she actually kept her speech short.

"I'd just like to say, to everyone, Thank you. To mum and dad, who always pushed me to do my very best. To my boyfriend Ron, and my best friend Harry, who always kept everything entertaining. Sometimes even a little bit too entertaining. To all the teachers, who led me to excellence. And especially to Dumbledore, the best Headmaster anyone could ask for. Thank you, everyone." She made her way back to her seat amidst cheers.

"Thank you, Ms. Granger, I'm flattered. Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore smiled as the pale boy stepped up to the podium. A hush fell over the audience. Nobody was sure what to expect out of the ex-Ice Prince of Slytherin. Draco purposefully cleared his throat, and began.

"If I were standing before you one year ago, this speech would most likely consist of nothing more than how glad I would be to get out of here. But a good deal about me changed since then, all thanks to one person. Many people here deserve gratitude: Teachers, family, friends. But for me, no one deserves thanks and gratitude as much as Ginny Weasley. Ginny, thank you for changing my life." He calmly walked back to his seat as first one person, then another, began to applaud. The Weasley twins once more leaped onto their seats and began cheering, only stopping when Mrs. Weasley threatened to curse their ears off. They settled back down after one last yell of "Yeah, Ginny!"

"Thank you for that moving speech, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said kindly, smiling at Draco, then at the furiously blushing Ginny. "Now, I believe each class head has a few words to say to their students." The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. Once the house heads said their speeches, Dumbledore read off the names of each graduating student. As each name was called, the student would troop onto stage to receive their Wizarding diploma, along with a handshake from the headmaster and their house head. Finally, with all the diplomas delivered to their respective owners, Dumbledore once more took the podium. "Well, what are you all sitting around here waiting for? There's a rather excellent feast over there that is getting colder by the second."

All assembled burst into loud shouts of delight as mass pandemonium ensued. In all the chaos, Draco felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a flushed Ginny Weasley, eyes sparkling. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her.

"Draco, you... Did you have to include me in your speech?" she asked crossly.

"I only spoke the truth up there, Gin. By the way, you look magnificent today. Everyday, really. Just…extra special today." Ginny blushed again, and defensively crossed her arms across her chest. Hastily, she changed the subject.

"You're all ready for the ball tonight, right?" The seventh year ball was a grand affair, as only seventh years and their dates were allowed to attend. The Great Hall would be turned into a Grand Ballroom, complete with a marble floor and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Draco had, of course, invited Ginny to be his date.

"I was born ready for fancy affairs." He replied to her inquiry loftily. "I am, after all, a Malfoy." Ginny promptly ruined his haughty expression by tickling him.

"Hey, Draco!" Both of them turned at the call, to find Blaise striding up, looking as buoyant as ever.

"Why, hello Blaise. Congratulations on graduating. There were times when I was quite sure you'd never make it." Draco flashed his best friend a hint of his smirk.

"Silence, Dragon-boy. Not all of us can be salutatorians." Shooting a mock-disdainful glare at the pale boy, he turned to Ginny. "Umm… Is Kagome around anywhere?"

"Yeah, right behind you. What's up, Blaise?" Blaise jumped and turned around, startled. Kagome stood behind him with a wry grin on her face.

"Well, I uh… Recently noticed that I was absolutely partnerless for the ball. Would you care to come with me?" Blaise asked, blushing slightly. Ginny merely raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the question; Kagome, however, turned beet red an started stuttering.

"Uh… Er… That is…"

"She'd love to." Ginny quickly rescued her best friend, knowing that Kagome had a major crush on the heartthrob Slytherin. Her and half the school…

"Great! Let's go get cake." Blaise grabbed Kagome's hand and went to find the dessert table. She cast one last half-desperate, half-thankful glance at Ginny, who smirked and waved.

"I take it she likes him?" Draco asked. Ginny laughed.

"About as much as I like you."

"Yikes. That much, huh?"

"Mmhmm. And I take it Blaise likes her?"

"About as much as I like you." Ginny grinned.

"Draco!" He turned with a smile as his mother's familiar voice called him. Since Lucius's arrest, she seemed so much happier. But Draco's smile froze when he laid eyes on the somehow familiar figure at her side: A teenage boy with medium length blond hair and laughing light blue eyes.

"Orion…" Draco whispered the name. The next second, the two reunited brothers were laughing and hugging each other. "How did… But I thought… What?"

"Hiya Draco." Orion's voice sounded almost exactly as Draco remembered it, only deeper and more grown up.

"I thought you two would be happy to see each other." Narcissa's voice radiated joy at her sons' reunion.

"But mom, I thought Lucius had Orion killed."

"Where in the hell did you get that idea?" Orion asked, shocked. He wheeled on his mother. "You and dad always said in your letters that Draco knew exactly where I was! And here he thought I was dead? And DAD killed me?"

"I overheard Mom and him talking once. He said that if I didn't shape up, he'd do the same thing to me that he did to Orion. I always thought you were murdered, but that made me think it was him…" Draco turned accusingly to Narcissa. "And you knew I thought he was dead!" She shifted uncomfortably.

"I am so sorry, Draco. But Lucius wanted you to think that. He wanted to make you immune to emotional pain. He hoped to crush all your emotion in one swift blow. I dared not tell you as long as he was still around."

"Well…" Draco struggled to find something to say. Finally, he turned to his younger brother. "Where have you been for the past seven years?"

"Boarding school in America. Dad said that if I was there I couldn't 'Besmirch the family name.' But mom says I can finish my education at Hogwarts. And are you ever going to introduce me to your friend there?" Draco glanced at Ginny, to find her looking oddly at Orion.

"You… I had a dream with you in it once." She sounded puzzled. Draco's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had forgotten about the night he'd caught Ginny sleepwalking and she had described Orion to him.

"My American headmaster had a knack for dream walking. She gave me special lessons in it because she said I showed great talent at it." Orion sounded smug. "I used it to keep track of Draco."

"So why were you in my dream?" asked Ginny.

"You appeared so often in Draco's dreams that I got curious."

"Oh, really?" Ginny grinned at the flustered Draco, who quickly changed the subject.

"Come on, let's go get some food. I hear they have cake at the dessert table!"

"I'll go with that!" Orion laughed and left, with Narcissa following. Draco started after them, but Ginny called his name and stopped him.

"So even before we became friends, you dreamed about me, huh?"

"Whether I'd admit it to myself or not, I liked you since you helped me cut my hair on the train." He grinned as he made the confession.

"So it wasn't just me feeling like that, then?"

"I guess not. Come on; let's go get dessert before Blaise and Orion eat it all." Ginny laughed.

"Hey, I'll race you!" Without waiting for an answer, she dashed off.

"No fair!" Yelled Draco as he started after her, his liquid-silver eyes full of absolute happiness.

"All's fair in love and war!" She called as she took a glance back at him, her smile impish and her chocolate brown eyes merry.

From the shade of a nearby tree, a pair of lazy blue eyes watched the happy couple gallivant across the lawn. "Ah well." Sighed the newly graduated Dane. "Time to go get me some lovin'." And with that, he wandered off to go find a Dance Dance Revolution machine.

THE END

A/N from ZiBl: ah, yes. Love. DDR. Cake. All the great joys in life. I'm so glad you all took the time to read this story. It took a few years, and many late nights and sore wrists, to actually finish this. I hope you all enjoy. Thank you, to ALL our readers. We love you. 3

A/N from Samwise: Ah, love. 'Tis…um…lovely. And such. But yes, we had great fun writing this, despite the countless tongue-lashings I received for not editing quickly enough. I love love love love you all! Even if you hated it, you still read it. And that actually means something.