Disclaimer: All hail Jo Rowling for giving us Harry and his world.

A.N. What happened to all my readers! Are all you guys mad at me for what I've written in the last chapter? Granted, it was rather cold-hearted of me to kill Hermione without any warning to you all whatsoever, but, even if you are all pissed off at me, you could have at least let me know! Anyways, here it is guys. The last chapter. I basically sat around all week dreading actually sitting down and writing it, because it makes me sad to see another one of my fics finished. Well, that and the fact that since I know what I want to finish it with, I know I'm probably going to end up crying myself. Grab your tissues, guys, I've got mine handy, and I know you sure as hell are gonna need them. Thanks for all your reviews and your faithfulness in keeping up with the story. You have no idea how much it means to me. Just, set your anger aside at me, and hit that little "Go" button at the bottom and leave me one last review for old times' sake. THANKS GUYS! YOU'RE THE BESTEST!

Come What May

Chapter Seventeen

The weather couldn't have been any more perfect. It was a warm spring day; the wind was soft on the skin, the sun warm on the face, and there was not a cloud in the sky. It was hard to believe then, that the whole of Hogwarts stood in a solid black mass around Hermione Granger's final resting place: right alongside her parents.

Her beautiful white casket sat in front of them all, reminding them all of what happened to the brave and prideful in the face of evil.

Draco, Harry, Ron, and Ginny stood at the very front of the black mass, waiting for Professor McGonagall to speak. Ginny was crying quietly into a white handkerchief clutched in her hands. Ron was blinking furiously, trying to quell his tears. Harry would give a tremendous sniff ever so often, and his shoulders shook from the sobs he was trying so hard to hold back.

Draco didn't know what to do with himself. He looked completely lost. His face was as pale as it ever had been, and his arms hung lifelessly by his side. A part of him had died with Hermione, and a part of him would be buried with her. It killed him to think of what could have been, had he been able to somehow overthrow the curse. His father had taken away everything he had ever wanted out of life: happiness, independence, the ability to think and choose his own path in life, and now, the only person that had ever truly loved him.

He stared at her casket. Her sweet, smiling face seemed to float before his eyes. Every good thing that had happened between them during the year. He remembered how he had abhorred the idea of them sharing a common room when he found out that she had been made Head Girl. Every taunt, every harsh thing over the years echoed in his ears.

He wished he could take it all back.

Professor McGonagall had come to stand in front of them all. They had never seen her express so much emotion before, except, perhaps, at Dumbledore's funeral almost exactly a year ago. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her voice shook as she spoke to them.

"It is hard to imagine that such a selfless, sweet, brave person could be taken from us all. It is even harder to know that Hermione was taken from us fighting the fight that we have all been working so hard against for so long. How could evil actually prevail over Hermione's good soul?

"For that, we may never have an answer. Some of you may not have known Hermione Granger, still others," she broke off here to glare almost reproachfully at the few Slytherins who were looking bored and uninterested, "may have ridiculed her in the past. But I think that not one of you can deny that she fought a hero's fight and faced it head on until the very end. Hermione would not give up. I think she taught us all a valuable lesson. Walk tall and stand shoulder to shoulder with those you once counted as enemies," she looked at Draco as she said this, "and so long as you fight ceaselessly, one day, good really will prevail over evil."

A single tear ran down Draco's cheek. He watched as the only person he had ever loved in his life was lowered slowly down into the ground to rest forevermore. He walked slowly over to the edge of her grave and looked down. He could hear her final words as he dropped the single red rose he was holding on her casket.

He turned and walked away. The silent mass of students parted to make a path for him. He looked neither left nor right as he walked through they all. He had only one thing left to do now. He would make everything right again.

Harry, Ron and Ginny followed him down the same path that had been cleared.

Draco stopped once he was far enough away from everyone. He turned to look back one more time upon all those who had betrayed him, who had thought he was guilty for everything that had happened the previous year. His eyes came to rest on the three who were following him. They stopped and looked at him, his grief mirrored in their faces.

Harry knew, without having to ask, what Draco was going to do. He could see it in his eyes. It was the same look he knew that he had in his eyes when he went after Bellatrix Lestrange in the Department of Mysteries when she had killed Sirius. It was the look of intense hatred and rage, the look of grief and revenge.

"God have mercy on you, Draco," he murmured quietly.

Draco spun on the spot and Disapparated, leaving behind the only three who he had actually come to trust in the past months.

Ron turned to look at Harry. "Where has he gone?"

He sighed, bone weary and feeling the oldest he had ever felt in his life. "To put things right."

Ginny clapped a hand to her mouth, looking terrified. "You don't mean. . .he hasn't gone to. . .?"

Professor McGonagall approached them, closely followed by Lupin, Tonks, the rest of the Order, and Hagrid.

"Where has Draco gone, you three?" McGonagall asked.

The three exchanged looks.

"To take his revenge," Ginny whispered.

The professor looked alarmed. "Dear Lord, he hasn't. . .!"

"My god," Lupin said. "He's gone on a bloody suicide mission!"

"He wanted to make things right," Ron muttered, realization dawning on him.

"By getting himself killed? Killing himself won't bring her back!" Tonks cried.

"It's his final duty to her. The last thing he could think of to right his wrongs, to prove that he is nothing like his father." Harry said sadly. "We never wanted to see what he could have been before."

They stood in a quiet huddle, their thoughts with Draco as he embarked on the most important journey of his life.

&&&

Draco reappeared just outside the gates to the family manor. He knew his father was there. He also knew that Nemesaris was there. Lucius would do everything in his power to make sure that a fugitive from the law was safe so long as they were involved in his cause.

"The cause ruined my life. Her life. Our life together," he muttered as he walked through the gates.

He did nothing to hide himself as he walked boldly and deliberately up the front walk to the door. They would have already known he was there.

He walked through the front door and looked around. There was no sign of life on the first floor.

'Mother's probably out buying more liquor," he thought with derision.

He listened closely for any sign that his father and Nemesaris were in the house. He walked slowly up the stairs to the second floor, missing the stairs that squeaked.

He crept down the hall towards his father's study, a sure place to find him if nowhere else.

Muffled voices floated down the hall from the door that stood slightly ajar. Draco caught snippets of their conversation.

". . .putting the dirty Mudblood in the ground today."

". . .a matter of time before the Ministry comes calling again. . ."

". . .would have been well shed of it all if Draco would have killed her in the beginning. . ."

Draco walked right into the room. Lucius was seated behind his desk, Nemesaris on the couch along the wall.

"Hello, Father. Miss me?"

Lucius looked calmly at him, the intense hatred for his son carefully hidden away.

"Well, well, well. I was wondering when you were going to grace us with your presence. I've been wanting to have a little chat with you since you so rudely left here on Christmas holiday."

"I had no tolerance for dealing with the person who was trying to destroy the only person I have ever loved. But in the end you succeeded. Mind telling me why you took this away from me now?"

Lucius surveyed him closely. "Sit down, Draco."

He sneered at his father. "I'll stand, if it's all the same to you."

Nemesaris leapt up from her spot on the couch. "How dare you defy your father!"

"Shut up you stupid woman!" Draco roared. "If it wasn't for you, my father wouldn't have gotten into the castle that night and raped my girlfriend!"

Nemesaris drew her wand so fast it was hardly a blur.

"Going to kill me?" Draco asked almost bemusedly.

"I'll make you suffer, you ungrateful little brat," she hissed. "Cru-"

Draco whipped his wand out before she could finish. He knew what he was going to do. He remembered his dear Aunt Bella telling him that you had to mean an Unforgivable Curse.

"Avada Kedavra!" he cried.

In a flash of green light, Nemesaris fell to the floor, dead. Draco turned to his father.

"Whatever it is, say it. Watching the love of your life be put into the ground damages your patience."

Lucius glanced at Nemesaris' body on the floor. "I see dear Bella has taught you well."

"The only thing that I ever cared to know about the Dark Arts," Draco said simply.

"None of this would have happened if you would have followed the plan all along, you know," Lucius said coldly.

Draco glared. "Ah, but that's the difference between you and I. You see, Father, there's this thing called love, and it's rather a magnificent thing. For the first time in my life, I felt like I actually belonged. She cared for me more than you or Mother have ever truly showed. You don't love me. You never have. Hermione did. And I felt like I had a purpose."

"You have a purpose, Draco. It was predetermined even before you were born!"

"And I have hated every moment that you have forced me to endure. I wanted nothing to do with your lifestyle. I am not the sick, cold-hearted bastard that you are! I don't get off by killing people for the fucking fun of it!" Draco yelled.

Still, Lucius did nothing. He merely looked at his rage-filled son. "Are you done having your little fit?"

"Don't pretend to be all calm with me, you bastard. I know you're just itching to curse the hell outta me! What are you waiting for? A damn invitation?" Draco spat.

Lucius stood and walked around the desk to face his son. He glared down his nose at the younger man.

"Don't pretend like you know anything of what goes on, Draco. You say you despise the way I live? Then how could you know anything about what goes oh? Eh? You're just another ignorant little boy who needs to be educated about the ways of the world."

"I went to those fucking Death Eater meetings! I saw your stupid Dark Lord with my own eyes. I see the hatred in yours every time I look at you! You claim you know the ways of the world? All you know is death and destruction! You live just to ruin somebody else's life! You destroyed Hermione's when you killed her parents! But apparently, that wasn't enough, now, was it? You couldn't rest until you had fucking killed her too! But that's not all! You've destroyed my life too! Denying me everything that I ever wanted out of life! You took away my happiness! You took away my right to think for myself and to be independent! AND NOW YOU'VE FUCKING TAKEN AWAY THE ONLY PERSON THAT I HAVE EVER FUCKING LOVED IN MY MISERABLE, FUCKING LIFE! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!"

Draco held his wand ready, knowing he had pushed his father's buttons just a bit too hard.

"I gave you a choice," Lucius hissed. "I gave you the chance to be happy. But you didn't accept my offer. You are what you have made yourself, Draco."

"No, Father, I am what you created. A true product of my environment."

Lucius drew his wand. "What is it that you've come here for, Draco? Surely you didn't just want to have a little chat with me."

"I came to make things bloody right again. It was the last thing I could do for her. Since she can't get her revenge on you herself."

"Then we duel," Lucius said simply before launching his attack.

It wasn't for nothing that Draco wasted his time in those Death Eater meetings, watching the Dark Lord punish the foolish and weak followers he had gathered. He had watched the duels between the Death Eaters, picking up tips and strategies in case he ever needed them. He rolled, dodged, and otherwise blocked most of his father's curses.

He was firing them back at his father as fast as he could get the words out of his mouth, in between trying to keep himself alive.

He was wearing his father out with his dodging and ceaseless movement, Draco could tell.

'Just a few minutes more, and I'll have him, just hold on a few minutes more,' he thought.

But then, Draco made a mistake. He wasn't fast enough to throw up a Shield Charm to protect himself against another curse.

"Sectumsempra!" Lucius cried.

Pain erupted from Draco's chest as though he had been stabbed with a white hot knife. He fell to the floor, gasping, his wand dropped and forgotten.

Lucius kicked him over onto his back to look into his son's face. The only heir to the Malfoy fortune. No longer apart of the family for his defiance. Lucius would make him pay dearly for that.

"So you thought you could defeat me, Draco? Did you really think for a second that you could actually kill me?" The Dark Lord's right hand man? Who knows just as much as the Dark Lord himself on how to stay alive? Is that what you thought, dear son of mine?"

Draco stared up at him. His fight was fought. There was nothing more he could do now.

I tried, Hermione. I tried so hard.

He glared up at his father with as much hatred that he could possibly feel. As his blood ran free from his wound, he spoke.

"I. . .hope. . .you. . .rot. . .in. . .hell. . .for. . .everything. . .that. . .you've. . .ever. . .done. . ."

As his father raised his wand again, Draco allowed one last conscious thought.

'I'm on my way, Hermione. We'll be together again soon.'

"Avada Kedavra!"