A/N: Chapter Fifty-Four

It was close to three in the morning, when we relocated to Draco's flat. I walked with him in silence. Most of the others had left hours before, leaving us, as well as Blaise and Astoria to remain. Looking around, I quickly realized I was surrounded by Theo's closest friends (at some point or another). Knowing this, we sat in a circle, across the fireplace, and courtesy of Astoria, passed around a blunt, sharing our fondest memories, watching as tiny embers flickered from the logs and into the air, dancing in the dimness and then disappearing into the void; though not before changing the world in a short, but meaningful way.

Blaise volunteered to start, taking a long drag, leaning back against the sofa, reminiscing about the time he first met Theo aboard the Hogwarts Express. It reminded me a lot of the time I met my school chums, Harry and Ron, in that it was innocent and definitive, all at the same time. Turns out, Blaise couldn't find a seat on the train, and neither could Theo. Both ended up sitting in one of the storage cupboards, where all the sweets and snacks were stored, which ended up being tradition for them. Y'know, until they shot up about six feet and could no longer contort into the cupboard like Tetris blocks.

"That's what that was?" Draco asked, astonished, as though one of the oldest mysteries in the universe had been solved before his very eyes. "I always assumed you were keen on one another, or something."

To this, we laughed, mostly because he was serious.

Next was Astoria.

She took the blunt from her boyfriend's fingertips and sucked back, releasing narrow streams of smoke from the space between her lips. I noticed she still had tears in her eyes, but she did a good job fighting through them. Her story was a lot like Blaise's, in that it involved the first time she met Theo. She was a couple years younger than us, which meant she started school when we were in our third year.

Like the best of 'em, she had managed to get lost during her first week of school and ended up crying in what she assumed to be the girls loo.

Turns out, it wasn't the girls loo.

It was the boys loo, and thirteen-year-old Theodore Nott happened to be there.

"I'd never met someone like him before," she explained, thinking distantly, with a whisper of a smile on her lips. "He was so nice. He conjured a tissue for me. He helped me to class. He didn't tell anyone he'd seen me cry — not even Daphne. He even made a point to wave hello to me in the corridors, which the other girls in my year were insanely jealous about, because, well, he was older and he had that whole sexy scholar thing going on."

Preach.

Astoria smiled fondly, passing the blunt to me. "Anyway…your go, Granger. Make it count."

I took hold of it between my thumb and forefinger, stretching my legs and placing one top of the other. It was difficult to choose one memory, amid thousands, but I landed on a special one. It wasn't the time we hooked up in a broom closet. It wasn't karaoke night. It wasn't even the time he accidentally sprained my wrist during a pillow fight.

It was the time we decided to move in together.

"We were at the pub, celebrating his graduation from Healer School, and I remember getting really, really drunk," I laughed, earning a similar reaction from the others. "Like, to the point that I tried initiating a three-way between him and two girls at the pub, whom he'd offhandedly mentioned were attractive. It worked, for the most part, until I was sick in the loo. Nott being Nott, decided to put his three-way on hold, after which he took it upon himself to see me home. I can't really remember what led up to it, but I think I asked (begged) him to stay and read me an excerpt from Hogwarts, A History, which he did. I then passed out and woke up in the morning (afternoon) to find him making breakfast and reorganizing my cupboards," Again, laughs all around. "From there, it was pretty much decided."

Don't judge.

Being friends with sloppy, disorganized human beings like Ron and Harry — for years — made Nott's organizational skills a beautiful and rare occurrence. Plus, I liked the idea of living in a house with a yard and an actual garden, after living in a flat for the majority of my early twenties.

Finally, it was Draco's turn.

In the time that it took him to decide on a specific memory, Astoria had disappeared into the kitchen and returned to our circle with a round of firewhiskey. Moments later, Draco talked and we listened.

"Early in sixth year, around Christmas, me and Pansy were having a row in the Common Room. I — erm — I'd been caught sneaking around Slughorn's Christmas Party, and she thought I was there to hit on Daphne or something," he explained, receiving a slow nod from Blaise, as though he recalled the night in question. I know I did. It wasn't the party Draco had been interested in. It was his growing anxiety over the task he'd been given, to assassinate Albus Dumbledore. Surprised by his choice in story, I listened. Also, because I'd never heard him talk about Pansy….like, ever. "She didn't believe me and went on some long, drawn out tirade about cheating —" Right then, we exchanged a quick look, one that didn't go unnoticed. "...and, er, anyway. Theo returned from the party with a dopey looking grin on his face, humming some 'light never goes out' tune under his breath. I don't think he properly saw us, or if he did, he didn't care enough to comment or diffuse the tension, as he usually tried to do…"

Through the corner of my eye, I could sense that Blaise's attention wandered to me. It was clear we were on the same page. Nott had been humming "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths.

"Anyway…it's not so much a memory about us, as it is a memory about him, happy. It was the first time I had seen him genuinely happy since we were kids. I don't know what happened to him that night but…it must have been something."

Heh heh.

From there, our circle fell into silence, into more memories, into the short, but meaningful experience that made up life. I turned to the fireplace, watching all the tiny embers flicker and float and fade, cuddling into Draco's arms as he curved them around me, whilst the other couple did the same.

"To Theodore Nott," Blaise calmly, yet movingly announced, raising his glass, the shine in his eyes reflecting the shine in ours. "See you in the next life, brother."

One Month Later

In case anyone is wondering, the cure was championed by Daphne, Harry, and Corvus, as well as myself, and was legalized within two weeks of the funeral. It was a defining moment in wizarding history — one that earned our dear friend a Chocolate Frog Card with his face and name on it, and an Order of Merlin, First Class. I was proud of him, but more than that, I was relieved his hard work hadn't been swept under the rug. What he had done helped thousands of people around the world, and it was due time people recognized him for his dedicated effort, as both a scholar and a practitioner of magic.

But in that time, in the month that I'd been given following the death of a close friend, I came to realize something.

I'd done my part.

I didn't belong in the Auror Office anymore.

There was one thing I'd always wanted to do, one thing I'd never had the time nor the energy to do, one thing Nalini had brought to my attention during one of our sessions.

I returned from that session about two hours later, to find that Draco had catered an incredible dinner out on the rooftop of his building. It was set up like a picnic, with lights dangling above us and a ton of plush throw cushions to lay down on and enjoy the delicious food and drinks. I could tell he had put a lot of effort into it, and I appreciated that, seeing as he was set to leave for Manhattan early in the morning. There were some things in the New York branch that needed his immediate attention, and he couldn't hold it off any longer. I understood and to be honest, I felt we both needed some time alone to reflect and to find truth in what happened on our own terms.

Bearing that in mind, I joined him on the rooftop and indulged in the various food items laid out for me to feast on. Draco watched me with amusement, taking small bites and small sips. I wasn't as delicate, but I had the sneaking suspicion that he liked that about me. It was something I'd picked up from Ron, during our brief stint as a couple. Don't laugh at me. I'm not proud of the person I become when I'm hungry.

"You're beautiful when you have pesto sauce dripping down your chin," he smiled, highly entertained as a beet red blush crept up around my cheeks and neck.

I hurriedly snatched one of the napkins and used it to dab my chin, scowling at him when I noticed there was no such sauce on my person. "You're gonna get it."

"How many times?" he furthered, causing that blush to deepen.

For obvious reasons, we'd refrained from having sex for the past month, which worked for both of us, seeing as we were in neither the mood nor the right frame of mind. I had been busy trying to legalize the cure and he had been busy sorting out the Nott Family Manor. It came to my attention, that Nott had left Draco the manor in his will, as a massive thanks for all the summers he spent over in Malfoy Manor, when they were schoolchildren. Also, the boys were distantly related, as both had ties into House Black, which meant the Nott Family Manor would at least be kept in the family.

I'm sure you're wondering what he left me in his will, and, well…

Draco smoothly kissed me, leaving a trail from my left cheek, down the inner curve of my neck and along my clavicle. I lost all train of thought, caught up in his lips and his warmth. "You…you're in…you're in…trouble…" I breathed.

His mouth turned into a sly smile, right up against the column of my throat, where he slowly brought the kiss, both hands cupping my cheeks. "You know what you need to do?"

My eyes fluttered shut. "Help…help you take your shirt off…?" I guessed.

Again, he smiled, coming up, brushing our lips together and then separating long enough to dispel the touch of reluctance I felt in telling him what I had discussed with Nalini. "You, Hermione Granger, need to go on that world tour."

I blinked, looking at him, smiling back.

You see, back when Nott left London, he had plans to be at peace with his fate and see the world, but those plans were interrupted when he realized he had the chance to develop a cure. Still, the Port Keys and trains and even the hotels were arranged. It was simply a matter of choosing a departure time. Turns out, various people from various places owed him favours. I assumed they were people whose lives he had saved in one way or another, as a Healer, and even though he was no longer able to travel as he had once hoped, he didn't want the chance to go to waste.

To me, he had left his golden ticket around the world.

"What do you say?" Draco asked, combing my hair back. "Leave tomorrow. Come back for the wedding. See what happens."

I arched an eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?"

He glanced down, grinning. It was nice, seeing him like that, without a chip on his shoulder and without an ounce of self-doubt. He'd always been confident, but I wasn't sure he'd ever been secure — until that very moment.

"There was once a time when you let me go to achieve my dreams," Draco explained, turning his head up, to the skies, and then to me. "Now it's my turn to do the same."

"But…"

"I'll wait for you," he promised, brushing his fingers under my chin, bringing me close enough to kiss and then holding it. "Right here. In this spot."

I couldn't help but smile. "You'll freeze up here, all on your own."

"Oh, I don't know. My right hand can think of a few things to keep me warm…"

With that, I burst out laughing. "Now, that, is what I call romance."

Draco chuckled. "Hey, a second ago, you wanted to tear this shirt clean off me. I must be doing something right."

"Maybe I just don't like shirts on you," I furthered, flattening my hands on his chest and shoving him back, against the cushions. "What do you have to say about that?"

It took a moment for him to respond, and when he finally did, I released a soft yelp, fighting the smile that tugged on my lips. He clasped our hands together and brought me down with him, kissing me some more, with both his arms around me, rolling our bodies along the cushioned surface until he was on top, holding his weight above me."Maybe I don't like shirts on you either."

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, now you're definitely gonna get it."

A/N: The End.

Cheers

xo.

(P.S. Kidding lol. Story's not over yet. Still a few more to go!)