Author's Note: Thank you for enduring all the way to the almost-end, readers! There will be one more chapter after this and then we're done. Welcome to a few new readers who have been binging to catch up; your timing is impeccable! As always, JKR is definitely not a squib.

...

The slow, plodding hustle and bustle around them was slightly uncomfortable. People left and right were shooting them confused, amazed or sometimes suspicious glares as they went about their business. For his part, Draco just tried to avoid eye contact, or hide his nervousness behind a mask of arrogance. In other words, he tried to look like he owned the damn castle, an expression he had received much practice with in his younger years at Hogwarts. He saw Blaise stick his tongue out a bit immaturely once or twice to shock passing whisperers, and shook his head in frustration.

"Cut it out, Blaise! Do you want them to turn us over to the bloody aurors?"

Blaise chuckled.

"Not my problem, friend. I'm an innocent bystander helping poor little first years escape. You're the big bad Death Eater."

"Don't remind me," Draco drawled crossly, glaring down at his forearm. He didn't know why he had been expecting the ugly mark to disappear at Voldemort's passing. He had hoped it would maybe fade or something. But other than becoming a bit greyer than it had been before, it was still a horrific reminder of where he had stood not too long ago. He didn't really blame some people for sneering at him distrustfully as they paced in front of him. He wasn't exactly welcome, especially by those close to Hermione. There had been a few murmurs of disbelief and disdain when the fight had concluded and the princess of Gryffindor had thrown herself into his arms of all people. While most of the hall had erupted in celebration of the victory, he had been surprised by a mass of curly hair descending on him and almost knocking him over as she sobbed into his chest. He must have held her there for an age, just rubbing her back and whispering soothing words into her riotous mane, pressing comforting kisses to the soft spot of skin just below her ear. He had needed the moment of comfort just as much as she had. That last confrontation with his father had been intense and had ripped all the energy and spirit from him. And then there was Tilly…

Draco shook his head sadly, remembering the way Hermione had cooed the little elf's name mournfully as they had embraced in the middle of the entrance hall, while others cheered and applauded around them, oblivious to their pain in that moment. Eventually Harry had managed to push his way through the crowd, looking for his best friends. He had shared a quick, very sad moment with the Weasel where they seemed to communicate with each other in silent intensity before the red head re-joined his family. Then the boy who lived had turned to Hermione. He grimaced when he saw her huddled in Draco's arms, shuddering with tears. Draco had exchanged a quick, knowing glance with him, before shaking the witch to get her attention, and then carefully unwinding her arms and transferring her to her friend. When she had noticed Harry she had immediately thrown herself at the messy haired boy just as she had earlier with Draco. He gasped a bit for breath, chuckling in her ear as she squeezed him. Around them he could hear the excited chatter of voices, occasionally disrupted by agonised wails or moans of grief or loss. It had been the most bizarre atmosphere, with no one really sure how to act, or what to say. And it had only continued to become more and more surreal as they collected the dead and wounded and moved into the Great Hall to sort out all the mess.

"They lost a lot," Blaise commented darkly, and Draco's mind was pulled back to the present where he and the other Slytherin were sitting off to one side of the hall. He was surprised by the uncommonly dark look on his friend's face.

Draco scanned the room with hooded, tired eyes.

"Yes, we did," he agreed quietly.

Hermione had left him a while back to huddle over in one corner with the Weasleys. They were mourning their losses just like everyone else. One of the twins – Draco wasn't exactly sure which one – had been killed in a blast. It wasn't a pretty sight. The whole family were gathered around in a bundle of arms and teary words of disbelief at the tragedy. The remaining twin was inconsolable. He saw Hermione hugging one of the other older brothers, and then Arthur Weasley, but she kept glancing a bit guiltily to the side. Then he followed her eyes and saw Ron keeping a rather stiff distance from her, clearly still sulking about losing her, and he grit his teeth in anger. The git could at least put his petty problems aside in a moment like this to support each other.

He did another sweep of the hall, hoping to see Severus lurking somewhere around, but a feeling of foreboding had settled upon him when his Godfather was still nowhere to be seen. He pushed the growing thought from his mind, not wanting to face it yet. Draco also noticed that Harry was missing from the gathering of gingers, and he frowned in confusion. He wondered where the saviour of the wizarding world had gone in this time of grief and elation.

At that moment his thoughts were interrupted by the surprise arrival of Neville Longbottom. The previously round-faced Gryffindor boy was striding over to the two Slytherins sitting slightly apart from the rest of the mourners. He was surprised to see the wide, toothy grin spread across Longbottom's face. Most of the other younger people there who knew them from school had been scowling over at them as if they were interrupting something, or their mere presence was an offense. But the now wise looking boy approached with more confidence than Draco had ever believed he possessed. He thrust his hand forwards and stood patiently while Draco contemplated the gesture quietly.

Eventually he reached his own hand out and the two of them shook. A few eyebrows around the room rose in surprise, watching the interaction curiously.

"Malfoy. You saved my life," Neville said in a sincere, humbling tone as their hands remained connected briefly.

"It wasn't…I was just-"

"It's alright," he laughed, seeing Draco's stumbling excuses already forming on his lips, "You don't have to be ashamed of saving a Gryffindor. We're not all bad."

Draco chuckled and shook his head.

"It's not that. I just think it was second nature. You would have done the same for me."

"Maybe," Neville said with an impish smile, "maybe not. Nevertheless, your actions saved me from becoming snake meat. I don't know how I will repay your courage."

"That's…fine. I hope you're not too hurt from that bloody hat."

Neville laughed again and rubbed the back of his head self-consciously.

"I'm a bit singed in the hair department, but otherwise it was mostly just a crucio disguised to look like flames."

"I thought so," he said with a nod, and Neville gave a cavalier sort of smile that made him look as if torture was no big deal. Beside him, his friend made a snorting noise of disbelief.

"Alright, that's enough!" Blaise interrupted and put his hands up, palms open, looking a bit comical with his wide eyes, "Who are you, and what have you done with the real Neville Longbottom?"

Draco rolled his eyes at his friend's lack of diplomacy. Luckily, Neville just laughed, shaking his head with amusement at the comment.

"Hey, that's a bit rich!" he retorted with a grin, "Your friend Malfoy here is clearly involved with one Hermione Granger – Gryffindor muggleborn and best friend of Harry Potter. That's a more shocking turn of events, don't you think?"

Blaise shot him a sly look.

"That's true," he admitted dryly, "I guess there's a hell frozen over somewhere that resembles this."

Neville chuckled again, while Draco blushed a bit.

"Yeh! So uh…what's up with that?" the Gryffindor boy asked, but Draco just shrugged and tried to look casual about it.

"It's a long story."

"I'll bet. So are you her…boyfriend now?"

He tried to repress a smile, but it still managed to creep its way onto his face.

"Yeh…I guess I am," he said, feeling rather pleased with himself. Blaise slapped him on the back with a laugh.

"Please don't get him started," his friend groaned, "He'd such a poncy sap where she's concerned!"

Neville only looked more and more curious, but wisely stayed quiet and didn't ask any more questions.

The three of them turned and looked over the room when they heard a sudden wail of despair. Draco felt a clenching of something, maybe remorse, when he saw Nymphadora Tonks – his newly met cousin – howling in grief as Madam Pomfrey pulled a sheet up over the face of the man lying near her. Draco peered over just as the sheet was being dropped and recognised the face of his old Defence professor from third year; Lupin. He remembered again hearing Bellatrix whining about how her niece had married and had a child with a werewolf. He felt oddly sad, which only increased when he looked over at Hermione and saw a fresh wave of tears cascade down her face when she realised what had happened. The man's injuries had obviously proven too much, and they had lost him.

"Oh no, poor Tonks!" Neville murmured forlornly, his brow creasing up in sympathy. Draco sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He didn't even really know his cousin, they had literally met a few hours ago, but realised with a horrified start that her and his aunt – Andromeda – were now the only family he had left living.

Some kind of strange force within him drew Draco to his feet. Ignoring the queries of the two boys with him, he felt himself weaving his way through the people milling around and towards the crouched, hunched over figure of his cousin.

When he got there, he paused for a moment in uncertainty. But then he felt his courage rise up and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. Tonks looked up, blinking blearily through her tears to see her comforter. Her brows raised in stunned surprise when she saw him. Draco watched in trepidation as she rose to her feet on shaky legs and stared at him through wet eyes. He thought for a moment that she might slap him or tell him to fuck off, but she didn't. Instead she suddenly threw herself into his arms just as Hermione had done not long ago. He let out a little huff of surprise when she barrelled into his chest and it took him a couple of moments to figure out that he should put his arms around her. Draco held onto her tightly, looking over her shoulder and seeing Hermione give him a shaky, sad smile and a nod of encouragement from where she stood further away.

He stood there with his cousin for a long time, studiously ignoring the baffled looks on the faces of those who thought he was still an evil Death Eater. But after a while they turned their gazes away and continued with their own grieving, accepting that he wasn't trying to cause any trouble.

"I'm really sorry, Tonks," he murmured quietly into her hair as her sobs subsided. She pulled back after a moment to look at him. Her eyes were bright red from crying, and her face was flushed. Her hair had turned a dull mousy brown colour, and hung limply around her face.

"Oh Draco…" she sniffled croakily, wiping her eyes and rubbing her nose on her sleeve, "You were so…so brave out there."

He nodded and smiled, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked gently.

"Um… I need to contact my mum. She needs to bring me…the…the baby…"

Draco nodded quickly and asked her a few more questions to help him. The look of relief and gratefulness she gave him as she hugged him once more was so strong that he felt a bit nervous to receive such affection. It didn't take long to organise her request. He sent off an owl message from the front of the slightly demolished entrance hall a short time later, asking his aunt Andromeda to come as quickly as she could to the castle. He had left Tonks in the capable hands of Professor Flitwick, who had been her old Head of House when she was at school, and he was doing a good job of consoling her now.

He sighed and took a deep breath of the crisp morning air that blew into the front entrance. He looked out on the grounds where people were still dragging the bodies of Death Eaters to one side for the ministry to deal with. Other than the stench of corpses and fading magic in the air, it was really quite peaceful here. He thought of poor Tilly's body lying with those other poor souls back in the hall. She had been laid down with her rainbow blanket, and the other house elves had made a wreath for her. Draco just hoped he could do the right thing by her soon, and take her back to his cottage to be buried properly in her favourite garden. She had grown to love her little herb garden out the back these last few months. Just as she had grown to love Hermione.

"Pssst…"

Draco frowned, looking around him but seeing no one in the nearby vicinity. He heard the sound again and looked more closely, jumping a bit in shock when he saw who it was. Potter's head was floating in mid air in front of him, at the top of the front steps. He blinked a couple of times, his eyes roving up and down to try and see his body, but it was really just a head. Draco remembered seeing the golden trio disappear during the battle earlier underneath a cloak, and he became suspicious. He had always thought that Potter had access to something that made him invisible. He'd been complaining to Snape about it for years. And now his theories were confirmed.

"Potter," he grumbled, "What the bloody hell are you doing hiding out here?"

"I'm not hiding!" the boy argued, but Draco just gave him a quirk of one eyebrow in a wry expression, looking down at his invisible body. "Alright, fine," he admitted a bit petulantly, "I just wanted a bit of time alone to get some things done."

Draco snorted.

"What, slaying the Dark Lord wasn't enough?"

"I suppose not," he replied with a self-deprecating smile, "I had to have a quick chat to a portrait, and then put my old wand back together."

Draco bristled a bit at the mention of a wand, and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Yeh, about that," he sneered, "What did you do to my damn wand exactly?"

Potter's smile faded a bit, looking quite sheepish.

"Oh…you heard that. Of course you did," he rubbed his reddened scar a bit nervously, "Sorry. But I guess it all worked out in the end, didn't it? Thanks to you, anyway. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't lied to Voldemort…"

"I know what would've happened," he drawled, "You would've been eviscerated."

"Yeh, I suppose. Well, thank you. And for the snake. You turned out to be pretty useful in a sticky spot," Potter smiled a bit mischievously, clearly goading him.

Draco glared at him for another few seconds before he decided to let it go. He dropped his shoulders into a more relaxed stance, and huffed softly.

"You're very lucky that you're everybody's heroic knight in shining armour, otherwise I'd beat the shit out of you."

The other boy grinned and shuffled on his feet.

"Actually, I think I should be the one threatening you."

Draco cocked his head to the side.

"Oh, really?"

Potter's smile twitched a bit and dropped.

"Hermione is like a sister to me…"

Draco groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh Merlin, here we go-"

"Hey! I'm serious. She's my family. We're family! And you're not exactly the number one person I would have chosen for her."

"No kidding," Draco drawled, "I guess you'd prefer it if she was with your Weasel friend."

Harry smiled a bit grimly.

"Actually no. To be honest you're probably a step up from Ron for her…"

Draco felt his mouth drop open in surprise, and Harry quickly rushed to explain,

"I mean, I love Ron too, he's my best mate, even if he can be a bit…stubborn. But they just don't suit each other. He'd probably drive her mental and she'd make him feel insecure, and they'd argue all the time until it would eventually just implode in their faces and ruin their friendship."

Draco's brows shot up high on his forehead.

"Well…that's unexpectedly insightful of you Potter."

"I have my moments."

There was a slightly awkward pause between the two boys. Then Harry rubbed at his scar again – it was obviously a nervous tic of his – and sighed out a long breath.

"Look, Malfoy…Hermione is the only one who stuck with me through everything. I was absolutely devastated when we couldn't get back into the manor to rescue her that night. And I thought she'd been… well, it almost destroyed me. Even with all the people close to me who have died, that was the worst. I didn't think I'd be able to keep going. Sorry, I'm rambling…"

Draco shrugged, for the first time in his life not really feeling irritated at Potter for his overly sentimental drivel. He was surprised to realise that it actually felt kind of nice, knowing that Hermione had a true, loyal friend in Potter. It seemed he had underestimated the scruffy haired Gryffindor boy and his dedication to her. That didn't mean he and Potter were about to become pals or anything, but at least there might be a mutual respect; something that he hadn't thought was ever possible between them. Potter continued speaking once he gathered his train of thoughts.

"What I'm trying – rather poorly – to say, is that Hermione deserves the best. And if you change your mind, or end up hurting her or being a coward about this, I will hunt you down and make you pay. I'm pretty good at that, you know. Chosen One, and all."

Draco let his lips curl up into a genuine smile of amusement, watching Potter closely and seeing just how serious he was about this. He truly believed that the Gryffindor boy would harm him if he broke Hermione's heart.

"Listen, Po…Harry," he started stepping up closer to the Gryffindor so that they were both standing next to each other and looking out the front doors down to the lawns below, "I don't exactly like you or anything, but you do deserve to know the truth. And…well…the thing is I fell in love with your friend sometime during fifth year…" he said, feeling extremely awkward saying the words so candidly, and it didn't help when Potter's jaw dropped open. His cheeks flushed a bit and he shuffled on his feet as he continued, "I know, it sounds crazy. But I did. So when the three of you were brought to Malfoy manor, regardless of what happened or the personal risk of trying to keep my cover, Hermione was always going to get out of there alive. I would have died for her. Last night I almost did."

Potter stared at him completely dumbfounded for a few moments. His mouth was gaping open and closed like a fish, before he finally snapped it shut and gave a whimsical little smile.

"Wow," the Gryffindor murmured, his smile turning into a wry smirk, "Well I guess that answers a lot of questions."

"Such as?"

"Such as why you seemed so damn pleased after you poisoned Ron in sixth year."

Draco squirmed a bit, before allowing a little smirk of his own to grace his lips again.

"It was an added bonus," he agreed vaguely.

Potter shuffled a bit with a chuckle, running his hands through his messy brown hair and they fell into a comfortable silence. They both stared out at the grounds for what seemed like an eternity, solemnly taking in the serenity of the castle after the storm. After a long pause where he contemplated the battle earlier, Draco suddenly remembered what had been bothering him, and he turned back to Potter with a reluctant look, dreading his own question before he asked it.

"Oh Merlin, I'm a selfish idiot," he muttered to himself quickly, "Potter, tell me…what the bloody hell happened to Snape? The Dark Lord didn't…"

He trailed off nervously and his fears were confirmed when Potter looked intensely guilty for a second.

"Oh shit…"

"I'm sorry, Malfoy. Voldemort killed him in the Shrieking Shack. He was trying to become the master of the bloody elder wand. Snape didn't stand a chance. I didn't realise it at the time, but now…I wish there was more I could have done. So many people hated him in the end but really…he was a hero."

Draco felt the lump in his throat grow uncomfortable and he tried to swallow it. He had firmly put off asking about Snape earlier that morning at the end of the battle, because deep down he had known the truth. A part of him thought if he didn't ask, then it wouldn't be true. But he knew that if Snape had been alive, he would've been fighting right there beside him and Potter. Instead, that snake-faced bastard had murdered him.

Fuck.

He wished for one insane moment that the evil wanker would rise from the dead once more just so Potter could obliterate him from existence again.

"Fucking bastard!" he yelled a little too loudly and it echoed unpleasantly across the entrance hall.

Draco dropped down to sit on the front step, lowering his head to rest in his hands tiredly, so exhausted from grief already. Severus Snape was one of the only ones who had believed in him, who had known he was better than his upbringing. He had fostered a love of learning and a sense of morality that Lucius had never bothered with. And even though during their years at Hogwarts their relationship had become strained, he had made a true difference in the end. To think of him killed so barbarically, so coldly before the real battle even began, was just depressing. Poor Snape. His life had sucked right up until the moment he died. Draco wished the older man could have had another chance at life after the war. That he could have become something greater than just a spy for two masters he resented.

He felt a slight pressure on his back between his shoulder blades, and almost groaned with embarrassment as he realised it was Potter patting his back in what he supposed was meant to be a comforting gesture. Instead it just felt awkward.

"I'm sorry," Potter said again, but Draco just shrugged him off.

"I shouldn't act surprised," he drawled, his voice muffled in his hands, "I knew he was dead. I just…he was my godfather. He saved me."

"He saved us all," Potter said quietly.

Draco nodded and sniffed a bit, really wishing that the scrawny Gryffindor git wasn't here to witness his moment of weakness.

"Draco?"

His head perked up a bit at the sound of Hermione's voice, and he turned around to see her walk up to them from through the Entrance Hall. Her eyes were wide with concern; no doubt confused by the little scene they were posed in. Potter had removed his cloak and was crouching to pat his back while he cried on the front steps. It couldn't possibly look more surreal to her.

"Oh my god, Draco!" she whispered worriedly, "What's wrong?"

He ran his hands through his hair and sniffed again.

"Snape's dead," he said quietly, ignoring Potter in favour of staring up at his beloved witch, so beautiful even though she was caked in dirt and dried blood. Hermione nodded sadly, her eyes widening in remembrance, and she hurried forwards to sit next to him, looking wretched.

"Oh Draco…I'm so sorry. With all that's happened, I completely forgot to tell you. I'm a horrible person…"

She was so dismayed, her face falling completely, and her eyes starting to well up with tears. Draco instantly leaned closer to her, brushing his thumbs across her cheeks to wipe away the few drops that fell.

"Shh, don't cry, Hermione," he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers, "There was so much loss last night. You were overwhelmed by it, we all were. I didn't even ask Potter until a moment ago. Don't feel guilty. Please."

She sniffed away her tears and blinked a couple of times as she gazed at him.

"I'm sorry about your godfather. But he wasn't alone when he died. We were there. Harry and me. For the first time in his life he actually seemed happy to see Harry, if you can believe it."

Draco smiled softly, pulling her into a firm hug. He let his hand drift up to stroke his fingers across her wild curls that had become an absolute mess during the fight. He felt her sharp little nails dig into his back, but he didn't mind the mild sting. He liked having his brave lioness there, holding onto him.

"I'm just…gonna go back inside then," Harry muttered awkwardly from off to the side, but neither of them answered him, too wrapped up in giving each other that intimate support that only a lover can provide. Draco heard Potter's soft footsteps tapping on the stone quieter and quieter until he had gone and they were alone.

"You didn't hex each other," Hermione whispered teasingly into his ear after a while, and he smiled.

"I have no desire to be shipped off to Azkaban for cursing the Chosen One."

Hermione giggled, her breaths tickling the skin on his neck.

"You know, when Kingsley got his report off Harry to deliver to the ministry a little while ago, Harry made it perfectly clear that you were not to be arrested. He threatened to humiliate them by openly declaring his contempt for the ministry if they dared try to take you."

Draco leaned back to look at her in surprise. Hermione's smile was wide, and a little smug.

"Really?" he asked dubiously.

"Mmhmm. I heard him."

Draco whistled lowly, raising his brows and staring at her in bemusement.

"Wow. That was pretty decent of him."

"Maybe Harry's not so bad after all," she joked.

Draco smiled, thinking about their bizarrely cordial conversation a second ago, and how much the boy clearly cared for Hermione.

"Maybe not. He's… an annoyingly good person."

Hermione's smile widened at his statement, until she was beaming. Her face was bright with excitement and hope, making her incandescently beautiful to him. It obviously meant a lot to her that he was able to get along with her best friend.

"I love that you're trying," she whispered in a throaty voice, "that you want to keep the peace with my friends. That you stayed and fought for what you believe in. I love that you saved Neville Longbottom. I love that you told Lucius the truth, and how deeply you cared about Tilly. Draco," she paused and he saw her swallow, grabbing his hands and holding them tightly, looking at him earnestly, with open honest eyes, "I've fallen in love with you too."

He felt his heart stutter and almost stop for a moment, before it began to pound painfully fast again. He gazed at her in momentary disbelief, before his lips stretched into a manic smile.

"Really?" he asked, as boyishly excited as a child unwrapping a gift on Christmas day, "You…uh…really?"

Hermione looked a bit flustered, but she bit her lip hard and nodded.

"I'm such an idiot, Draco," she groaned, "I should have told you last night before I left. I kept thinking about how I had made this huge mistake. What if something happened to one of us during the battle and I hadn't told you? But then everything got out of control, and it was too late."

"You're really serious, aren't you?" he asked in total incredulity.

Hermione stared at him a bit crossly.

"Of course I'm serious. You don't believe me?"

Draco laughed a bit manically.

"Of course not! How could I? You're…well…the most amazing witch I've ever known. And I'm-"

"A hero," Hermione interrupted with a sweet little smile that made him want to kiss her hungrily. Unable to repress the urge, he did, grabbing her face and pressing his mouth to hers hard. He tilted her head sideways, sucking on her moist bottom lip like a man dying of thirst. Before he could get too carried away he pulled back to stare into her slightly dazed brown eyes.

"Say it again," he demanded, a bit childishly, but she gave him an indulgent, knowing smile.

"I love you," she repeated in a croaky voice, her eyes flickering down to look at his lips since he had just kissed her breathless.

"Oh Merlin help me, I love you so much," he responded before he sealed their lips again, kissing each other desperately. It felt like weeks had passed since they had both felt this together. He slid his fingers into her hair and coaxed her mouth open to bruise her lips with kisses, wishing he could just forget the destruction around them and whisk her home to their cottage. Their cottage. He'd keep her trapped there, taking her again and again until she couldn't walk properly. The thought made him moan and nibble on her bottom lip voraciously, desperate to coax those soul-bending whimpers from her that set him on fire…

"Uh…excuse me?"

Draco released Hermione quickly, a bit surprised that someone had managed to walk right up to them without them noticing. But then again, they had been rather preoccupied. He caught his breath quickly and turned to squint up at the figure standing in front of them, hidden a bit by the sunlight shining across the lawn. He got a bit of a fright at first, thinking that the woman was his Aunt Bella come back to life or something, but then he realised what that must mean. He shot to his feet, smoothing down his hair and giving the woman a slightly nervous grimace.

"You must be Andromeda," he stammered, looking the woman up and down who reminded him so much of Bellatrix, but in many other ways he saw his mother there too. She was looking exhausted, her eyes sunken with black rings beneath them, and a worried expression on her face. He instantly felt bad for the woman. She, in turn, passed her eyes over him, resting on his pale blond hair.

"And you must be Draco," she murmured tiredly, "You sent me the letter…hello Miss Granger," she added, looking over at Hermione who had stood as well, and was looking a bit embarrassed to be caught snogging heartily out the front of this still smoking battle zone.

"Andromeda," Hermione nodded politely, clutching onto Draco's hand. He finally snapped into action.

"Nymphadora is just inside. She said something about the baby-" he added, looking down and seeing that Andromeda was clearly not carrying an infant.

"This is no place for little Teddy," the woman sighed sadly, "I left him with a friend. Now if you'll excuse me, my daughter needs me."

Her posture and voice were quite haughty, just like his mother, but as she swept past them to go inside, he saw her pause and turn around to face him again.

"Maybe when there's more time…we can have a chat," she suggested softly, watching him to gauge his reaction. Her eyes were much kinder than either his mother or his aunt. She looked like she genuinely wanted to see him again. He swallowed and nodded, feeling surprisingly curious about getting to know some of his other family who had been forbidden to him before. It might help to fill in the aching hole in his heart where his mother had been.

"I'd like that," he said firmly, with a very slight hint of a smile to let her know that he was being genuine, and she looked instantly relieved. Maybe she had been worried that he would be too much like his father. But surely seeing him snogging the princess of Gryffindor had dispelled that notion. Regardless, she gave him one last warm smile before turning and heading inside with what was clearly a heavy heart.

"Draco? Are you alright?"

He realised he must have been staring after the woman for a while, because when he turned back to Hermione, she was looking at him in concern. He smiled reassuringly.

"I'm exhausted," he admitted, leaning in and placing another gentle, almost chaste kiss on her bottom lip, which was still a bit swollen from their earlier passion, "I can't wait to get home and sleep for days."

Hermione smiled, leaning against him tiredly herself. They supported each other with an arm around the other's waist.

"I know, it's hard to be around here after everything. There's so much sadness. I just want to close my eyes and forget it for a while."

He smirked and trailed his hand lazily across her jaw.

"I love y-"

"Merlin's fucking pants, Draco!"

They both groaned and turned to watch Blaise leaning out of the Great Hall, his expression one of intense frustration and his hair a bit messed up.

"I'm sick of these bloody Gryffindors! They're insufferably noble and annoying pains in the arse. Can you get back in here and balance out the room a bit please?"

Draco sighed in resignation. But then a little impulse struck him and he straightened and turned back to Blaise with a thoughtful expression.

"Actually...no."

"What?"

"No. I can't. We're going home."

Hermione looked up at him in surprise, unable to hide the hope in her eyes.

"We are?"

He looked down on her in adoration, pushing a few messy curls off her face so he could meet her stunning brown eyes.

"Yes. I'm sure Harry won't mind," he said quietly, and Hermione's eyes swam with sudden wetness, as if she had been desperate to leave but too noble to say anything. Blaise was right. Bloody Gryffindors. "You've done enough for now, Hermione. You've done more than enough. We can come back after some sleep to keep helping."

"Thank you," she murmured softly, leaning her forehead against his, "Let's go bury Tilly properly."

He felt his eyes prick as well at her gentle words, and even Blaise didn't try to tease them or argue when he saw their sweet little moment together.

"Are you sure?" he asked, just to be certain that this was what she wanted. Hermione lifted her chin to look up at him, and he could see her love for him shining through her gaze. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared down at his witch. She gave him the softest, barest hint of a smile.

"Yes. Take me home, Draco."

….

Aw. Yes there's still one chapter to go to wrap up this story. So keep reading until the very end! I appreciate all your lovely reviews; you have made this story very easy to keep writing with such positive encouragement.