(A/N): Hello all!!! So I know I told many of you that this would be the last chapter, but as I was writing I decided that there is no way I can wrap this thing up in only one chapter. Sooo there are still a few chapters left to go, no worries!! Thanks always to my faithful reviewers, xHarryxPotterx, wildchild1017, Aswen, and mhaj78!! You guys have encouraged me for so long! Hope you like chapter 13!

Chapter 13-Almost Epilogue…

The usually lively dining hall was as silent as death. Many who used to fill the hall with chatter were gone, never to return, never to grace the hall with their presence again. Even the Slytherins, who were hardly ever affected by trivialities such as death, were moved by the overwhelming somber mood. Those who had the appetite ate in silence, others were too shaken by recent events to even consider partaking in such a human activity as eating when those who had meant so much to them would never again be able to.

Not all feelings were feelings of sorrow, however. There was victory to be found amongst the bleak forest of dismay, hope that sprung anew from the ashes of pain. The Dark Lord had been defeated, all threats were removed.

All, that is, except for one.

Hermione glanced around the room, searching for the trademark shock of white hair that had come to mean so much to her. She knew even before she was done scanning the vast hall that she would not find him there. He had more pressing matters to attend to than school. Where he was going, he wouldn't need an education anyways. No, Draco Malfoy was no longer the person he used to be. He was now the leader of the dark side, the consummation of all that is evil.

He was now their enemy.

And she still loved him.

Hermione hung her head in sorrow, mourning the loss of someone who was perfectly healthy but was farther away from her than all those who had passed away.

Hermione lifted her head when she heard someone clear their throat, demanding her attention. She was grateful for the distraction, desperately needing something else to think about.

Dumbledore stood at the head of the room. He had cleared his throat loudly, although there was no need because there was no noise to interrupt.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes stared up at him expectantly. The empty chairs in between the students made reality even more clear, made this speech even more difficult for him to give.

He sighed, taking a deep breath to regain his composure. He had to be strong for them, despite the fact that he had failed them in their time of need. He had to press on.

"You all have experienced a tragedy… that is far greater than any I have seen in my time." Dumbledore began. "Those who were sacrificed went valiantly, defending their cause even in the threat of the uncertainty of death. Cowards found bravery deep inside themselves, and a small girl found love beyond understanding in her own small heart."

Ron looked away at his words, refusing to let anyone see the emotions behind the seemingly indestructible wall that had crumbled so easily.

Harry clenched his fists, unbridled passion and anger dancing madly in his eyes. She was not gone. He knew it, she was not gone. Not Ginny, she was too strong to be taken down so quickly. He would never believe the lies that this man told him.

"However grieved we are over the loss of those who are dear to us, we must remember the purpose for which they died. Do not spend so much time mourning that you forget about the life they fought to preserve, the cause for which they chose to sacrifice it all. Do not throw their memories away by forsaking the very things they believed in."

A few of the more unaffected students felt hope rising within them at his words. They looked up, their eyes containing the light of life once more. However, those who were directly involved in the events, those who had lost their entire world on that fateful day… to them, they were only words. Meaningless letters carelessly thrown about to form noises, flying straight through their hearts and doing nothing to heal the damage within.

"We are here for you in this dark time. If you feel afraid or upset, feel free to talk to one of us. When no one else will listen, we will still be there."

Where were you when Ginny needed you? Harry felt like shouting. The words burned like acid on the tip of his tongue, threatening to consume him if he didn't release them. However, he bit them back, his logic winning over his passion. This was not the time nor the place for something so rash.

"A memorial service will be held for those who were lost tomorrow evening. If you know someone who has passed away, we suggest you attend. Everyone is welcome, of course. No one who wishes to mourn the lost will be turned away." Dumbledore finished. He looked into the eyes of the students, seeing in some indifference but in others a passion so fiery it would live with them for the rest of their existence. He had nothing more to say, no words could be assigned to the emotions these children were feeling now. He stepped down from the podium, leaving them to contemplate among themselves their own confusing feelings.

XXXXXXXXX

Harry gazed at the vast, expansive lake. The water gleamed invitingly in the sunset, mocking his feelings that were so distant from its beautiful carefree sight. He watched the sun make its descent, the sky burning that same fiery shade of red that had captivated him for as long as he could remember. Stars began to peek out in the darker corner of the sky, watching him, curious as to why this boy was so alone, wondering why he was always alone when he visited this place.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He frequented this area, always at this time, it was one of his few moments of peace and calm. He breathed in the crisp night air, the gentle breeze ruffling his hair. The wind was like cool, slender fingers, the winking stars like the curious eyes of a shy girl whom he had met so long ago. He felt close to her here. Standing, with his eyes closed, he could almost believe that she was real again.

Almost.

He heard footsteps approaching from behind him, breaking him out of his precious sanctuary.

"Aren't you going to the memorial service?" Ron asked in a broken voice. Harry took comfort knowing that he was not the only one experiencing a torrential onslaught of pain, Ron was going through the same thing he was.

"I will not attend a service for someone who is alive. It is pointless." Harry said, cold as a stone.

Ron shook his head. "Harry. Ginny would want you to be there. I… I want you to be there. I don't know if I can face it on my own." He admitted.

Harry sighed. "Face it with Hermione, if you must. Let the others tell stories about her at her grave, but not me. Let them talk about how she will always be remembered while those who claimed to be closest to her sob and cry, but then forget about her existence. You loved her, Ron, she was your sister. Let them talk about her like she's gone, but don't give up hope. Fight for the girl who might be alive somewhere, fight for the girl who fought so valiantly for us."

Ron shook his head. "I had hoped you of all people would understand. She's gone, Harry. You have to face it. Now come, pay your respects with the rest of us."

Harry sat down on the patch of grass he had been standing on. "I am not going anywhere until they have proof of her death. She is alive, I know it." The hope burning in his eyes was almost enough to make Ron cry out of sympathy for the extreme level of denial within Harry. "She is as real as the ground beneath us, the stars over our head, and the sun dipping below that horizon. She hasn't gone anywhere."

"I hope you're right, mate." Ron said as he walked away.

Harry stayed like that for a long time, sitting and contemplating his thoughts beneath the gaze of the watchful stars. He closed his eyes again, drinking in the feel of the wind, soaking up the smell of the fresh morning dew, believing more than anything he had ever known that there was nothing more real than this.

XXXXXXXX

Memories flooded back to Hermione like a wash of icy cold water. Somehow she had ended up skating on the lake, feeling the wind whip by her face, remembering the moment that had started so much.

She could remember perfectly the way he had looked that day. Soaking wet, obviously freezing, his pale complexion trying so hard to hide a hint of blue that crept into his cheeks. A smirk played on his face, mixed with a little confusion. He had glared at her, although now she knew that there was no hatred in that glare.

There was nothing but love in his eyes.

And he had thrown it all away for the sake of a position.

She skated as fast as she could, driving herself further and further, desperately wishing just to leave it all behind. Her feet strained beneath her, her ankles hurt, but she kept going. Wind whipped past her, making whooshing sounds in her ear as her fingers began to numb from the cold. Her breath came in short gasps, longing for a deep breath of air. She kept going, however. With every push, she felt that she was further and further away from the horrid tragedy that was now her life.

Finally, she ran out of energy. Her legs could not measure up to the fire that was within her soul that pressed her onward, and they simply gave out. She slumped to the ice on her knees, not caring about the stinging pain that warned her to get off of the ice and into a more comfortable position. She sat awkwardly, consumed by the weight of her grief. She had held it for so long, she had tried to cage it in and force it away, pretending that it didn't truly exist. But here it was, filling her completely, demanding to be acknowledged.

Hermione cried like she had never cried before. She cried for Ginny who would never see life again. She cried for Harry who would never be with his true love. She cried for Ron who would be haunted the rest of his life because he could not protect his only little sister.

She cried for Draco, the one who was the most lost of them all.

"Draco… why… why did you leave me?" Hermione sobbed in a quiet whisper. Suddenly, her quiet whisper was not enough of an attempt to represent the feelings inside. She was overwhelmed, she was lost, and she couldn't take it anymore.

She threw her head back and let out an unearthly scream, laced with defeat and loneliness. Tears streamed down the corner of her eyes, dripping onto the ice and quickly freezing. The mountains echoed her savage cry for mercy, her desperate plea for salvation. It rang long after she had finished, her raw throat the only evidence that it was ever there at all.

Hermione clutched her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth in a pathetic effort to comfort herself against the relentless terrors that now assaulted her. She shook uncontrollably, and she knew that it had nothing to do with the freezing climate.

"Draco," she whispered weakly, "you promised…."

XXXXXXXX

More than a week past before Hermione was emotionally stable enough to visit the graveyard. It was a difficult week, one that she hoped she would never have to relive. She needed to see Draco, she had to be sure that he was really lost to the other side. Fog laced in and out between graves, much as it had the first day that they had come here.

The day that they had come together.

Hermione knelt at the grave of the poor Unnamed child, stroking its worn edges with more feeling and compassion than those who had placed him there. She traced the outline of the inscriptions, proving to herself that it was all real. The Draco she had seen here seemed so far away now, so unreachable, floating aimlessly in an endless galaxy with no hope of ever landing…

"It's a shame, isn't it?" She heard a voice behind her. She immediately recognized the owner and spun around to face him. However, contrary to her expectations, all she saw was a figure cloaked in black. The hood was pulled over his face suspiciously so that she couldn't see his face, but she didn't need to. She already knew who it was.

Hermione asked, "How so?"

The figure stepped forward, talking slowly as he advanced towards the grave. "A human being lived in this world, looked up to his parents just like the rest of us. He experienced hurt, pain… maybe even love. He cried when he was hurt, and smiled when he was happy. He was just like the rest of us, but he was taken away, taken away to a place from which none return. His parents didn't even care enough to name him."

Hermione observed that he was talking about himself as much as he was talking about his brother. "But… he was never unloved." She looked into where his eyes should have been, pleading him to say the words that she was so desperate to hear.

The figure turned away, uncomfortable under her intense gaze, uncomfortable with the amount of love that he knew he could never have. "That person is dead now, though. He is lost. The person that you knew will never return. It's a shame, it's such a shame…"

"It's not too late," Hermione said barely above a whisper. She was desperate to run to him, to wrap herself in his embrace and reassure him that everything would be okay even if it wouldn't. She needed to hear those words, she needed to know he would always be there, even if it was nothing but a lie.

The figure sighed. "Those who are dead can never live again."

A silence passed between them, filled with the reality that was currently breaking both of them apart.

"I have spent too much time here. I must leave you now." The figure said as he turned. He began to walk away.

All of Hermione's instincts screamed at her to say something, to do something! She wanted to run to him and fling her arms around him, cry into his shoulder and never let go. She wanted to rip off that stupid hood and gaze into the eyes that had been haunting her for so long. She wanted to see him again, she wanted to feel him with her again. She couldn't just pretend that her feelings weren't real anymore.

Who cares how stupid you look? Hermione's thoughts screamed at her, so loud they nearly ripped her apart. Run after him! Tell him you need him! He might think you're pathetic and people might stare, but who cares as long as you get him back? Who cares as long as you are with the one person you are meant to be with? Don't let this opportunity slip away, like so many others. Don't shove aside your feelings for the better good. Take a chance, and follow your feelings.

Follow the one you cannot live without.

"So is this how it ends, then?" Hermione shouted.

The figure came to a screeching halt, wishing that she wouldn't do this but knowing that he should have expected it all along.

He turned to face her. "This is how it must end."

"You promised me, Draco! You promised me you wouldn't betray me. Well, I know we're a bit beyond that, but what do you think this is? I've already said goodbye to too many people that I love, I'm not going to lose you, too. Not when you are the one that I love the most." Tears tickled the corner of her eyelids, threatening to spill over.

"Hermione. Don't you realize what I am now?" Draco asked, a bit of remorse filling his voice.

Hermione shook her head. "I love you, you dolt. I love you because of who you are. I wouldn't try to change you even if I could."

Draco argued angrily. "You don't understand! Don't you see how much risk is involved with this? Don't you see how many people would turn you away, how many people would shun you? Potter and Weasel would dump you in a heartbeat. Aurors would start hunting you because of your connection to me. Even talking to me like this in the open is dangerous. They will hurt you, Hermione, because hurting you means hurting me too. I won't put you through losing your friends, and I won't put you in danger. So stop fighting, Hermione, because I'm only going to say this once.

"It's over."

The tears flowed freely now, almost making him want to take back his words. But it was for her own good, he knew. She would be safe far, far away from him.

He turned and started to walk away again, but was interrupted when a series of shouts broke his destination.

"Stupid! You stupid, stupid, stupid ferret! Don't you think I know about the consequences? Don't you think I realize what I'm getting into? Of course I do! Yes, there will be danger. Yes, there will be pain. But that's nothing that I can't handle with you by my side!! The only thing that I can't handle is trying to live on without you. So why don't you come to grips with your own feelings and admit that you want to be with me too?"

A steady rain began to fall, adding to the dismal mood. Hermione had to strain to hear his words, barely audible above the pelting raindrops.

"I cannot be with you."

She crumpled before him, falling undignified into the mud below. Rain fell relentlessly, but she didn't even notice. She sobbed until every muscle within her ached from the enormous amount of tears that had been shed. She tried to clear out her mind, but she couldn't. She couldn't rid herself of the pain that was so much more real than the Cruciatus curse had ever been.

When she had the strength to glance up again, he was gone.