We have officially reached the final chapter. All of the suspense and drama will now come to an end as Harry hovers on the brink of losing who he holds dear.

...

Ron watched everything unfold with an aching in his chest. He watched as Malfoy's carriage pulled away, watched it leaving Harry: broken and helpless, watched Malfoy take Harry's heart with him.

A part of Ron wondered how Malfoy could have had such a hold on Harry. Ever since the two had crossed each other's paths they were like water and oil. From Ron's point of view one only brought misery to the other… but then again, even he had to admit that there had been a change in Harry's demeanor as of late. He certainly seemed happier when Malfoy was around. Whether they were hurrying to class together or he happened a glimpse from across the room Harry's lips always curled into that toothy smile.

Ron was glad for that. Even after all the jealously and heartbreak he had gone through he could not deny that his friendship with Harry would always come first. And now, as he saw Harry kneeling on the ground, his shoulder's shaking, he knew that friendship was needed now more than ever.

Ron began to walk forward, Harry's shivering becoming more visible and his whimpers growing louder with each step. The red head knelt down beside the Boy Who Lived, biting his lip as he watched his friend cry, thick trails of tears glistening on his cheeks and mixing with the dried blood on his lips.

"Y-you were right," Harry said through his sniffles and gasps, taking Ron by surprise. "You were so right, about him. I was so st-stupid!" Ron placed his freckled hand on Harry's shoulder, rubbing it up and down, hoping to sooth his friend. He felt Harry's back shake and could hear his lungs rattle as he gasped for air again and again.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, mate," Ron said with a sigh, preparing to say something he never thought would escape his lips. "You know, as much as it pains me to say this, I was the one who was wrong. That foul git really does love you." Harry coughed and sniffled, turning to look up at Ron, his red eyes wide and mouth agape.

"How did you know…?"

"Please, Harry! It's written all over your face! I'm not that thick." Ron said with a smile, watching his friend stare still bewildered. "In fact…" Ron said, reaching into his pocket, "You should have seen how worked up he got when he gave me this letter. I don't think I've ever seen him that red and embarrassed. Or that uncomfortable. It was fun to watch him squirm as he explained things to me."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, wiping his tears away with the heel of his hand.

"Here," Ron said, holding out a folded piece of parchment, "Just read this."

Harry took the paper hesitantly, his eyes darting between Ron and the note several times before he opened it. Ron watched with a smile as Harry scanned the letter. He had already read it and knew the nature of the contents, despite Malfoy's demands not to. Harry may have thought highly of Malfoy to perhaps respect his wishes, but Ron didn't and he knew he probably never would. Besides, he wasn't about to hand Harry a letter that would add insult to injury.

"Ron," Harry exhaled softly, his teary eyes looking astonished and uncertain. "Is this… Is this real?"

"Yup, every sappy word," Ron answered simply, standing and dusting the soil from his knees. "I'll leave you to your thoughts. See you at dinner, ok Harry?"

"Yeah, sure…" Harry answered quietly, still absorbed in the letter.

And so, Ron began his trek back to the castle feeling oddly at peace having helped his friend in this particular way. He hoped that his good deed might equal more positive karma when it came to getting over his lingering feelings for Harry. That reminded him, he had to tell Hermione all of this. He knew she would never believe it.

As Ron came close to the bridge that led to one of the courtyards, he looked up and saw Blaise, Malfoy's Slytherin friend, leaning against the gray stone. Ron immediately stilled, his hand shifting to his wand pocket. He would not let a possible threat pass by without a fight.

"Relax, Weasley," Blaise said in a bored tone, his hands held up in surrender. "As you can see I am wandless and we both know that you could easily take me in a fight. You did beat me in the wrestling tournament, after all."

Ron relaxed, but only slightly. Blaise's statement did register with Ron and he remembered vaguely facing him in a match. He had been a little preoccupied at the time.

"I was just here to see Malfoy off, but he was too distracted by Potter to notice, as usual," Blaise complained, answering the question Ron had on the tip of his tongue.

"Wait… so you knew? About those two being… you know?" Ron asked stepping over to him, slightly curious.

"Of course I knew!" Blaise grumbled in an irritated manner, "Those two were fools if they thought they were keeping that a secret… at lease to the people who knew them."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Ron said slowly, wondering why Blaise sounded so upset by it all. Probably some sort of Slytherin pride.

"A couple of bloody idiots aren't they," Blaise said, motioning towards the place where Harry still sat and the place where Malfoy once stood. "They had two perfect candidates in front of them and they ended up with perhaps the worst possible choice of partner. It baffles me still…"

"Two… candidates?" Ron asked uncertainly, not wanting to seem out of the loop, but still wondering whom could he be talking about. Blaise looked down at Ron, one eyebrow cocked as if to say 'how could you not know?'

"The two of us, of course," Blaise answered matter-of-factly rubbing his hand against the almost none existent, short hair on his head. Ron's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"Y-you mean you and… Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed, taken aback by this confession. Blaise looked down at Ron with an expression of embarrassment and Ron swore that he would be blushing were it not for his dark skin masking it.

"You know, some might have the same reaction to you and Harry," he muttered, looking away. Ron looked away as well, understanding that that was also true. For a long while the two just stared at the gates that marked the boundary of the grounds, silently contemplating.

"I'm over it though," Blaise finally said, taking the last few steps from the bridge to the grass. "Draco was definitely my taste… but there were also some short comings that I just couldn't over look." Ron felt himself tense as Blaise came closer. He wanted to step away, but a part of him didn't want to be so disrespectful. Which, Ron realized seemed silly. Blaise was a Slytherin and one of Malfoy's friends, yet Ron stayed put. Then, against his better judgment he decided to humor the previous statement.

"Erm… just what were these short comings?"

"Well, he was a little on the short side… plus he hardly ever follows anything through. But I think that the main problem was that I've always had a thing for red heads."

Ron felt his jaw drop in disbelief. He cautiously glanced towards Blaise and felt his heart thump awkwardly in his chest when he saw the sly grin on his lips.

"Not to mention, you were very impressive during that tournament. What do you say to a rematch?"

…

Harry,

If you're reading this then by now I've left Hogwarts. I am sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving, but I only just made the decision hours ago. You see I've been keeping a secret from you. Just recently, the Dark Lord came to me with a plan. He told me that I must get close to you in order to discover your vulnerabilities.

Before you even begin to think that I have been betraying you this whole time I need you to understand that I could never do such a thing to you. We both know that. And I did not reveal anything. In fact, that is the very reason why I have to leave. I convinced the Dark Lord that you had not exposed anything to me and that my staying at this school would be pointless for that very reason.

I need you to trust my decision. I am certain that there is no other way for either of us to remain safe. Not to mention, keeping our feelings a secret for the time being. That being said, I think it would be best for you to also leave Hogwarts next year. The Dark Lord has been scheming to start his attacks on you and your friends very close to that time.

I realize that it's selfish of me to tell you to do all this after my sudden departure however I can't help it. I want to see you alive again after the war that will undoubtedly ensue soon. I will try my hardest to survive as long as you do the same. Don't lose faith in me because I wont lose faith in you. You can believe that.

In fact, I pledge now that I, Draco Malfoy, love Harry Potter unconditionally and promise to return to you as soon as possible. There, now you have it in writing. I hope that this doesn't come back to haunt me later…

Also, despite everything, I am certain that you will be the one to triumph over the Dark Lord. After all, you've done seemingly impossible things before. Like seduce me. And wipe that smile off your face. I know that it wasn't actually that impossible to accomplish.

~Love, Draco

P.S. I hope you appreciate the fact that I have to grovel at Weasley's feet in order to be sure that this letter reaches you. I do not enjoy it nor do I plan to ever do it again. If the words above don't prove my feelings then I certainly hope that doing through such trouble does.

...

The End!

Hooray! A happy ending for both Harry and Ron! Thank you all for staying with me (and my infuriating cliffhangers) for so long and keeping the boys company during their journey. I hope that my future stories will improve and perhaps I will write another Harry/Draco story...

But the fun's not over yet. Still to come is an epilogue and and bonus chapter!

Hang in there! R&R&Enjoy!