Chapter Twenty Four
A gentle breeze pushed the leaves of the trees from side to side, causing sunlight to dapple on the ground. A few white clouds scurried across the blue sky, leaving the sun to shine brightly.
Hermione slid her hand into Draco's and tugged slightly. ''In case it had escaped your notice, we're meant to be there right now. Come on!''
They picked up their pace, walking swiftly across the grassy fields, Draco's arm wrapped around Hermione's shoulders. She turned her face up to his as she had done so many times in the past and was rewarded with the familiar kiss. Hermione felt her heart swell slightly with love, and she pressed her body closer to Draco's, feeling his fingertips trace her neck as she laced her hands around the back of his neck. He pulled away gently. ''And I thought you were in a rush?''
''Shush.'' Hermione walked the final one hundred yards with him, hugged close to him in companionable silence. ''Nervous?''
''Nothing to be nervous about anymore.'' Draco could see the group of people ahead of them now, and skirted quickly towards them.
Harry, Ron, the rest of the Weasleys, and other various members of the Order of the Phoenix were standing in a small group, smiles wide across their faces. Hermione dashed forward and hugged them all, squealing excitedly with them, congratulating and commiserating. Draco settled for nods and smiles, not wanting to overstep the boundaries that he had imposed on himself.
Eventually, the crowd separated, and Hermione nestled back into Draco. Kingsley stepped forward, holding a small urn. Draco looked at it, perfectly aware of what was in it.
''Today we put an end to the terror that has plagued our community for so long,'' Kingsley's rich voice rolled across the field, and Draco tuned out slightly, watching strands of Hermione's hair dance in the breeze.
They had kept each other safe throughout the rest of the war. It had taken one year since the invasion of Number 12 Grimmauld Place for the war to end, and while both of them had their scars and bruises and memories to bear, there was nothing that they had not faced together, and nothing that they had to keep apart. Draco had sat up with Hermione when she woke up screaming from nightmares where he hadn't come in to rescue her from Blaise. She had stayed up with him talking endlessly when his father had been killed, reassuring him that it was ok to love a Deatheater – the Deatheater had been his father after all.
Now, one year on, a couple of days after Harry had finally managed to kill Voldemort, they were burying his ashes in an unmarked place so that a shrine could never be built to them. Draco felt Hermione's small waist beneath his fingers and smiled. There was nothing to separate them now.
True, there was never going to be any danger of him being best friends with Harry and Ron but they could all stand to be in the same room for short amounts of time which was a definite improvement. It probably helped that he had done all he could to help the Order of the Phoenix, bringing in countless Deatheaters, regardless of whether they were family or friends of his family. Many had been imprisoned for crimes against the wizarding community.
Hermione smiled, watching as the small hole was dug for all that was left of Tom Riddle, feeling Draco dropping a small kiss on the top of her head. It was a day like this when she truly appreciated how lucky she was to be alive. The sun was shining and the smell of freshly cut grass was being blown across the fields by the gentle breeze. She would spend the afternoon with the Order, with Harry, Ron and Ginny, and then she and Draco would go over to her family's for dinner. She rested her head against Draco's chest, smiling proudly at Harry.
The small ceremony ended, and they walked away, leaving no sign of what had occurred, or who now rested there. Harry and Ron passed her by, grinning at her and nodding at Draco. She smiled up at her lover.
''Happy?'' he asked.
''Unbelievably.'' She kissed him again.
''Good. That's what I want to hear you say every time I ask you that.''
Hermione winked at him. ''You always will. Come on, let's go.''
Draco slipped his hand in his pocket, feeling the small jewelry box under his fingers, hoping that the ring was still sitting neatly on its small cushion. Maybe he would propose tonight, maybe he wouldn't. It didn't matter, they had all the time in the world. He smiled down at Hermione.
''Yeah, let's get out of here.'' He slung an arm around her shoulders, and together they walked back across the field, the warmth of the sun on their backs.
AN: It's the end of an era! You have no idea how sad am I (but thrilled at the same time) to have finished this story, it has honestly been so much fun to write! I hope that everyone is happy with my fluffy little happy ending…leave me a review to let me know? Many thanks to my absolutely wonderful, amazing, brilliant reviewers who have made me feel so happy with every lovely comment they wrote. For the last chapter, my reviewers were: Xblackdragonx, The Accountant's Daughter, iluv2dance, write-this-song, Tennessee Sweetheart, year1989rocks, pApAw, HarryPGinnyW4eva, Alyssal, breezie, Chrystal Slara, CalisOwnCaliGrown, IloveCheeseyMoments, Lucy Westerna and Silent-Mousie. I honestly cannot reiterate enough how much your reviews have meant to me (god, I'm going all schmaltzy, I need to stop!). So I hope you'll keep an eye out for anything else that I put up, and always let me know if you want me to read anything you've written! All my love…Petitesorciere xxx