I am still alive. And miraculously, many of you are still following this story! Thank you so much, and thank you for your patience! While I did warn that updates would be more infrequent, I honestly did not think that it would be to this extent. However, I now know that they weren't kidding about how hectic university is, and between that and my job I just haven't had the time. Please take comfort in the fact that I didn't have time for many things including reading for fun or even for watching Netflix. What I will do is write several chapters ahead over break but save updates for this semester so that you won't be in the dark as long this time. I also decided to tie up a few loose ends this chapter and not leave another cliffy. I hope that that helps and that you like it. Thank you once again for sticking with me and again, I truly apologize. Now enough from me, I've already kept you waiting much too long! xoxo ~fan

"Thank you Ronald," Hermione said politely albeit stiffly.

An awkward silence settled over the room that was thankfully broken by Blaise saying, "Well at least if all else fails you two have a name to fall back on!"

Wrinkling her nose, Ginny said, "I hope you aren't suggesting that they name their kid Zabini, that sounds way too much like Zucchini."

"Ha. Ha. You're hilarious Weaslette," Blaise pretended to be wounded. I meant Blaise, not that anyone asked your opinion." He elbowed her gently in the side as he spoke to soften his harsh words.

"What if it's a girl?" Ginny asked, eyebrow raised. As usual, she seemed completely unphased by the teasing, the fact that she had grown up with six brothers incredibly apparent in that moment. "What's your solution for that O Genius One?"

"Well I hope your solution isn't Ginny," Blaise mimicked her in a lightly mocking fashion. "Sounds way too much like dummy!"

Ever good natured, Ginny joined in the laughter that filled the room at Blaise's words. Hermione was struck by the way in which they were all interacting; how different it was from their exchanges just a few months ago. There was no other word to describe what was before her other than "friendship." When the laughter had died down some, Harry interjected saying, "You better watch yourself now Zabini, if I know my wife then she'll be getting you back somehow!"

Hermione smiled at how Harry's voice seemed to caress the word 'wife,' how his eyes shone as he said it. It was clear that he loved Ginny every bit as much now as he once had. Just like she loved Draco, she thought as she caught his eye and grinned at him feeling her stomach flip at his intense beaming gaze. He, her husband was so beautiful and he was all hers...For the second time that afternoon, she was jerked from her thoughts which this time had taken a distinctly more inappropriate turn by Ron Weasley's voice which was addressing her once more.

"If it's a girl you're gonna name her Rose right?"

"How do you know that?" Hermione gasped, distinctly aware of how the room had once again grown silent and everyone was watching their exchange closely.

"You told me, remember?" Ron said softly.

"I did, I just didn't expect you to remember," Hermione stuttered, blushing as the memory surfaced. They had been talking about the future, in theoretical terms about what would happen if they got married. She realized now that Ron had taken that talk much more seriously than she had. She was surprised to feel her stomach curl in guilt. Maybe she had been too hard on him...

"Of course I remember," Ron replied, he too blushing as he had never been one for emotional confessions. "You're one of my best friends."

Not knowing how to respond and feeling incredibly put on the spot, Hermione turned and fled the room.

Draco found her in the library, and he had to smile at the predictability of it. She didn't earn her nickname for nothing, he chuckled to himself as he gazed at her endearingly. He frowned however, when he saw that she wasn't reading but instead sitting with her chin in her hands, staring listlessly at the shelf of books in front of her.

"What's wrong Love?" He asked as he took a seat next to her and gently took one of her hands. "Something is clearly on your mind, it's too early to begin blaming the hormones!" He joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Unfortunately, his attempt was unsuccessful, and Hermione didn't even acknowledge his words for several moments until at last she simply said, "Ron."

"Ah yes, that bugger," Draco said knowingly, though surprisingly without even a hint of malice.
Nevertheless, Hermione slapped his arm and scolded him. "Draco!" She couldn't quite mask the laugh in her voice. Draco breathed a sigh of relief, having been unsure of just how much damage there would be to repair.

"Just testing," he said. Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. "Testing what?" She questioned. "Whether or not you still care about him," Draco replied bluntly, not being one to beat around the bush. "Of course I care!" Hermione exclaimed in agitation. "Nevertheless, he was still a bloody jerk and I just don't know if I can forgive what he did."

"He was definitively a jerk," Draco agreed. "However, I have learned from my own experiences that pain can make us do terrible things, and I suspect whether or not you realize it, you may have done some things that your friend Weasel might describe as awful." Instead of blowing up at him as he had expected, Hermione simply examined him thoughtfully, seeming to have taken his words to heart and considering them carefully. Seizing the opportunity to add one more consideration to the many that lay before her, Draco added, "Besides, you're an incredibly forgiving person, I'm sure you'll find it in you if my experience is anything to go by. After all, I can think of another case where you forgave someone who had treated you in a despicable manner and who deserved none of the kindness you showered on him regardless." Winking at her, Draco then got up and with a quick peck, left his wife to ponder his words.

"Could I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione asked in barely a whisper, bracing herself for the response.

"Of course!" Ron replied, jumping up in delight, hardly believing that she was indeed talking to him.
Wordlessly, Hermione turned and exited the pod, hoping that he would follow her. They walked in silence down the hallway and several flights of stairs, through the majestic entrance hall, out the enormous front doors and out onto the grounds toward the Great Lake. When he could no longer bear the silence, Ron burst forth with, "I'm sorry!" Hermione stopped in her tracks and fixed him with a piercing stare. Finally, she spoke. "I know," she said. "And so am I."

Somehow, that was all that needed to be said. The past few months of pain and tension seemed to melt away and as the two friends hugged, both could feel that something imperceptible had changed. For while this cycle of fighting and easy make-ups had always been their way, the tension that exists between two people who like each other but who won't admit it was gone and both felt that maybe, just maybe, this peace might be more long-lasting.

"So." Ron said when they had resumed walking, though this time in a much more comfortable fashion, "Draco Malloy eh?"

"That's nothing new," Hermione laughed. "Try Hermione Malfoy!" Ron roared with laughter and with that, the two began to talk one-another's ear off, making up for lost time.

"I don't have any competition now do I?" Draco joked later after Hermione had thanked him several times for his help and had told him about her joyful reunion with Ron.
"I should think not," Hermione said coyly as she sat on his lap and began to unbutton his shirt. "Definitely not."