A/N- This is the last chapter and it also includes the epilogue! I really hope everyone enjoyed reading Blood Bound and will also love the ending! Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed! It honestly means so much to me! Thanks for all the love!

Shananigans xox

Chapter 12

Ginny was standing beside one hospital bed that contained both Hermione and Malfoy, they would live, thank Merlin, and at the moment they were sleeping, clutching each other tightly.

Hermione's stab wound hadn't been dire, and she had only passed out because of the loss of blood she experienced. She was weak, and Draco followed suit. Hermione's wound had been healed, leaving behind an angry red scar that would hopefully disappear in time. Draco had to have many wounds healed, as well as bruises and some internal injuries, leaving behind many marks on his pale skin; the healers were quick to do their jobs and fix the two without asking too many awkward questions. They were used to people coming in looking as though they had been tortured, especially in these times. Draco nor Hermione had woken up yet, not even when the Healer forced blood replenishing potion down their throats.

Pansy's voice could be heard in the corridor, yelling at some innocent bystander to tell her where her best friends were, and Ginny popped her head out of the door while the male nurse spluttered incoherently.

"We're here, Pansy, Harry."

The two rushed forward and into the room, and Ginny immediately let them know that everything was fine.

"This is my fault," Harry said, gazing down at his best friend and her husband.

Pansy threw her hands into the air, obviously she had had enough of his moping.

"For Merlin's sake, Potter, did you send Weasley out there to give up our house!? No! So stop whining, already. He obviously got the information from his family members when they were invited to visit, and who would have honestly expected this to happen? It's no one's fault but his and I'm getting really tired of hearing you take the blame. Plus, Ginny just said that they're going to be fine, so cut it out!"

Blaise moved forward and embraced Pansy, who was obviously taking the attack harder than anyone realized, since she immediately broke down and started sobbing into his chest.

"They'll know everything now."

Blaise said it as a statement, and before anyone could answer him Lucius and Narcissa burst through the door, followed closely by Dumbledore and Severus.

"Oh, my children!" Narcissa whimpered, moving to the bed and gazing down at her son and daughter-in-law, tears in her eyes.

"The stab wound?" Lucius asked the room at large as he stared at the hospital bed.

"Non-threatening and healed."

"Draco's injuries?"

"Also taken care of. Blood loss is what caused them to faint. They're fine other than some scarring, apparently they just need the rest."

As Blaise said this, Draco's eyes fluttered open and he immediately sat up straight, staring down at Hermione.

"You're both fine, son," Lucius said.

Draco nodded, but looked relieved nonetheless.

"They know everything now," Blaise said again, this time looking at Dumbledore. "Why did they leave us and apparate away, empty handed?"

"I'm not sure, Mr. Zabini, but I'm sure they had their reasons. Maybe they were just surprised to see so many of their comrades fallen, but I'm not sure."

Hermione groaned and Draco jumped from the bed, grabbing a goblet and pouring a glass of water from the pitcher on the side table. She opened her eyes and sat up and Draco thrust the water into her hands. She looked at him gratefully before taking a sip, and then grinned.

"I'm so glad everyone is alright! That was slightly terrifying."

Ginny almost giggled at her words, and figured it must have been because she was so relieved.

"Slightly terrifying?" Pansy moaned into Blaise's chest, her tears subsiding.

"How do you feel?" Draco asked, staring at her.

"Fine, actually. You?"

He let out a breath.

"Good. Glad you're okay."

"You can't go back to your home, Mr. Malfoy. They know where it is now and we can't take that chance. Although, I honestly feel like this is the beginning of the end."

"I'm sorry, you guys. I was a total let down. I was so terrified it was just like I forgot everything we learned…"

"Don't apologize, we weren't much help. We let ourselves get captured much too easily."

Blaise reached into his pocket and moved to the bed, handing Hermione and Draco their wands. "A Death Eater dropped these before he disapparated, which is also strange but at least we don't have to get new ones."

"I'm sure you know that you can't return to your home either," Dumbledore said, looking at Lucius and Narcissa.

Lucius nodded.

"I'm sorry I blew our cover, Severus, I just couldn't let anything more happen to my daughter-in-law, and then they started to bring my only son in, and I lost it."

Hermione was mildly surprised to hear him say that.

"I completely understand."

"We should go," Dumbledore said, striding to the door. He stopped when he realized no one was following him, "All of us, now."

"Where are we going, Sir?" Harry asked, leading Ginny, who still seemed to be in a slight state of shock over her brothers' betrayal, to follow.

"Hogwarts, of course," he answered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Draco helped Hermione from the bed as his mother watched his actions closely with love in her eyes.

The group cleared out quickly, flooing to the headmaster's office in Hogwarts.

/

Each couple was given their own room at Hogwarts, they weren't anything special but it was enough to make them happy, for the time being. Hermione couldn't help but agree with Dumbledore about the attack on the beloved home she shared with her friends being the beginning of the end. Voldemort knew everything now. He knew that she and Draco were married and that two of his Death Eaters had defected and betrayed the rest, and it wouldn't have been hard for him to figure out who those two were. Especially when Lucius only returned home for mere moments to retrieve his wife, and neither had gone back.

A few days after they arrived at Hogwarts, Hermione walked into the Great Hall, which had just one table in it at this point, for breakfast. Harry gave her a slightly apologetic look before he handed over the Daily Prophet. Hermione rolled her eyes, conveying that she didn't believe anything that paper wrote anymore.

"Just read it," Harry said.

Hermione glanced down, eyes widening the moment she read the headline.

"Draco Malfoy marries muggleborn and betrays He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!

Our very own Rita Skeeter has discovered a shocking truth about the Malfoy heir. He and none other than Hermione Granger, muggleborn witch and best friend of the Chosen One, Harry Potter, have been married for over a year! The Malfoy patriarchs are apparently well aware of the situation, and have been for the entire marriage. Another shocking truth is that Lucius Malfoy, as well as his son Draco, and good friend, Severus Snape, have been working against You-Know-Who from the inside- Story continued on page 4."

"Well… it's definitely out of the bag, now."

"That's going to be quite the scandal, once the war is over," Harry said, almost laughing at her.

"People are definitely going to be surprised," Hermione said, quietly. She looked around the table and saw Lucius and Narcissa hunched over the paper together at the end, both looking surprised.

"How did she find out?" Harry said, more to himself.

"Obviously back to her old ways," Hermione answered irritated, "Oh, I'm going to get so much hate mail from all those witches with dreams of marrying into the Malfoy fortune."

Harry laughed and Pansy grinned at her from a few seats down.

Hermione's prediction about the hate mail wasn't false, but instead of reading them she just instantly threw them into the fire, instructing everyone else to do the same if they came across any letters addressed to her from unknown addresses. Howlers about how she was unworthy would explode at random intervals throughout the days, but Draco would just grip her hand and tell her to ignore them.

The Weasley family were in shock since the moment they had found out about Ron's betrayal. A ministry employee contacted them the day after the fight, after they had cleared Malfoy Manor Junior of bodies and identified everyone. They held a small funeral for him to pay their respects to who he had once been. Harry, Hermione and Ginny didn't attend, mainly because they felt it would make them vulnerable and open for an attack. Also, since Ron had, once again, almost got Hermione and Draco killed, never mind the fact that he gave up Harry's location to be captured and taken to Voldemort, disregarding his own sisters safety… she didn't feel like any of them really needed to be paying their respects. Harry and Ginny were both taking his betrayal hard, and apparently Molly and Arthur were having a hard time coming to terms with everything that had taken place.

"We found it!" Harry screamed to his friends, who were training in a classroom far from everyone's chambers, late one evening.

"Found what, Harry?" Ginny asked, stepping closer to her boyfriend and taking his hand while everyone else gathered around them in a loose, half circle.

"The last horcrux."

"What was it?" Hermione gasped, intensely interested in the dark magic that Harry had been battling for the last couple years.

"It was ridiculous, to be completely honest, and it was in this freakin school the entire time! Tom Riddle was much too arrogant for his own good. He hid the lost diadem of Ravenclaw, which was never really lost at all, in the Room of Requirement, for Merlin's sake. He thought he was the only one who knew anything about this bloody castle."

The students all started talking at once, excitement cutting through the air at the significance of Harry's proclamation. Voldemort could be killed, now.

The group took to hard training again, feeling as though they had failed miserably during the last attack. They couldn't afford to do that again; they needed to remember how to work seamlessly as a group again. It didn't take them long to get back into the swing of things but Hermione was concerned about the way she had frozen last time. If she did that again she would certainly be killed, her and Draco were almost as much of a target as Harry was, at this point.

"We can do it," Draco told her whenever he sensed her doubts.

The snow was melting again, winter passed by quickly in a haze of learning and fear; fear caused by lack of word about Voldemort. He hadn't tried to seek them out, and it unnerved everyone. Since the school was closed, the entire Order was now residing in the castle, and the lack of students gave them the space they needed to train properly; at any point the youngsters could be seen running through the halls or grounds, half on the attack while the other three were on the defense. It helped them learn the area even more than they already knew it, which, in the long run, was life-saving.

The Weasley patriarchs, for the most part, avoided the children. They still treated Ginny the same since she was their daughter, but Hermione noticed that Mrs. Weasley hadn't tried to speak to her once, unless it was during dinner, since they arrived in January. Hermione was grateful that all of the Weasley children seemed to be the same and treat her and Harry as they used to, even though so many things had changed over the last year and a half.

Hermione's doubts about her power and their fluidity as a group cleared as time passed, and Draco was glad he didn't have to reassure her anymore. She was the most talented witch he knew and he was secretly getting tired of having to remind her of that on a regular basis.

"What are you doing out here?" Draco asked her one summer evening, sitting on the steps at the front of the castle in the warm air. It was beginning to get dark, the large full moon bathing the grounds in an eerie glow.

"Just thinking."

"What are you thinking about?"

She gave him a look, he could have easily entered her mind and listened to her thoughts if he had wanted to, and then she realized that she was extremely grateful he didn't. Just because he had the power to do it, he wasn't abusing it and taking advantage of it.

"I'm just ready for this to be over. I want to have a regular life with you, I want to have a family and be back in our beautiful home, which probably isn't so beautiful anymore, and just be happy. The stress from waiting around for this war has left me feeling drained and somewhat sick a lot lately. I want it to be done."

"We will both be twenty soon enough."

"I know. I feel like we have grown so much – can you believe we've been bonded almost two years already? We've matured way beyond our ages."

Draco was nodding along, agreeing with her.

"It's hard to be immature when you're surrounded by the threat of death."

"They'll come after us personally."

"I think so, too. I betrayed them in the worst possible way, and they know it."

Hermione sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I don't regret it."

"Regret what, Hermione?"

"I don't look back on our blood bond with any regret. I never, ever expected that I would be so happy with you, so happy and secure."

Draco chuckled.

"I know what you mean, but I honestly don't regret any of it either. It's so wonderful to have real friends now, other than Pansy and Blaise, and I truly do consider Harry and Ginny to be friends of mine. I never thought it was possible, and it changed my parents' lives too, you know? They've accepted everything pretty gracefully, and I'm really proud of them for that. I love you Hermione Malfoy, more than I ever thought I would."

"I love you too, Draco, so much that it scares me sometimes."

"Bush-bush," Draco said, laughter in his eyes as he patted her hair.

"What?"

"What?" Draco asked back, innocently.

"Why do you randomly call me 'bush head' or 'bush-bush'?"

"I remember when I was younger, I would look at you and all I could see was your hair, it was so bushy and frizzy and made you look larger than you were. I had a hard time thinking of insults that didn't involve your hair, and then as I was growing up I realized that your hair was getting smaller and I was still an arse. I look back on it longingly, I never liked you, but I did admire you. I can just picture myself sitting there, moaning about your hair to whoever would listen because that, and the fact that you were a muggleborn, was the only things I had to insult you with. But you know what? I love your hair, and I love that you're a muggleborn. Since I don't think you would be overly pleased if I referred to your blood status in a joking, yet still loving and longing way, I will comment on the hair."

Hermione had no idea what to say to that.

Draco just smiled.

"My life is completely different than I ever expected it to be," He said after a few moments, "but I can't imagine it being any other way."

"What is that?" Hermione asked suddenly, without answering Draco as she stood up, looking toward the front gates. Draco stood up a bit too, following her gaze.

There was a blue light that seemed to hit the gates and spread out in a misty glow numerous times. He watched as it happened four times in a row and suddenly came to the conclusion that someone was trying to force the gates open, despite the protective enchantments cast around the school.

"It's them," he breathed, standing up fully and reaching for Hermione's hand.

Hermione squeezed his hand and felt movement around her, aware of her friends and the Order members joining them on the entrance steps.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry.

"Dumbledore could tell the enchantments were trying to be breached."

"This is it then," Draco spoke firmly and calmly, almost happy that either way, tonight it would be over.

"Remember your training!" Dumbledore said sternly.

The six friends nodded and moved off of the stairs, farther into the grounds; they didn't seem afraid at all, something that the adults in the Order of the Phoenix found amazing, as they too moved away from the castle.

Hermione and Draco broke away from their friends and went to the right together as the gates at the entrance were finally broken open, admitting at least a few dozen Death Eaters. It seemed that Voldemort wasn't able to recruit many people since Lucius and Severus decimated his henchmen in Draco and Hermione's home many months before.

At least their numbers were more evenly matched now, Hermione thought to herself moments before she heard hair-raising howling coming from behind the black robed figures.

"Werewolves," Draco breathed, clutching her hand tightly.

Hermione shivered slightly, the sound the werewolves were emitting was enough to curdle her blood.

A large group of Death Eaters immediately began advancing on Draco and Hermione as their companions headed straight for the adults at the front of the castle. Draco looked around and saw that Blaise, Pansy and Ginny were nowhere in sight, and then he glanced at Hermione and flashed a grin before thrusting his hands out in front of him and shooting icicles at the Death Eaters who were advancing on them. One screamed as his arm was impaled all the way through, falling to the ground. Hermione countered his attack and started shooting her tell-tale firebombs, they floated meaningfully toward the enemy and upon contact exploded.

The Death Eaters were caught off guard by this type of attack and fell back quickly, unfortunately they fell back right into Ginny, Pansy and Blaise who were waiting for them to retreat, as they figured they would. The three made quick work of the six Death Eaters, this was war, after all, and the three cast their killing curses efficiently.

Hermione heard more howling and vicious snarling as the werewolves came farther into the grounds, she looked to Draco with fright in her eyes and suddenly the ground was shaking. Hermione looked back toward the gates and saw giants flooding through, followed closely by trolls.

"Oh my…"

"We knew he would use everything he could."

Hermione opened her mouth but before she could get any words out she saw many people materialize into thin air, people who were there to aid in the war against Voldemort and his followers. Obviously the wards on the castle were completely knocked down, now.

Hermione was suddenly wrenched to the left as a werewolf lunged at her and Draco pushed her ahead of him, running back toward the castle and away from the new threats. Hermione glanced back and saw a familiar wolf lunge at the one who tried to attack her.

"Looks like Voldemort wasn't able to convince all the werewolves to take his side," Hermione yelled to Draco over the noise of the battle, and he glanced back in time to see Remus Lupin viciously rip out a dark werewolf's throat.

"Gory," he yelled back to her, pushing her closer to the castle a bit more before slowing and taking in their surroundings.

Draco and Hermione donned their wands and moved forward, but split apart as they jumped into the now full-fledged fight between the Order and the Death Eaters. Things were getting ugly, fast, and Hermione watched as a Death Eater ruthlessly struck down Dedalus Diggle. Hermione screamed in rage and stupefied the offending Death Eater before moving on, trying to find Harry. Hermione and Draco had agreed beforehand that they had to keep Harry as safe as possible, and with their power they could do that.

Draco, I want to practice the shield one more time!

Seriously, woman?

Please!

Hermione saw a Death Eater running straight for her, screaming out loud at her.

"You turned my brother-in-laws family, you little mudblood bitch!"

"Defodio!" She yelled, aiming at Rodolphus Lestrange's broad chest.

"Protego," he said quietly, quickly followed by, "Crucio"

Hermione barely blocked the curse, but she just managed to before it hit her, and then Draco was at her side. He grabbed her hand and since their emotions were in such a high state their magic was electrifying.

They raised their wands and simultaneously yelled, "Protego!" as Lestrange tried to attack them again, and they conjured such a powerful shield that it could easily be seen by the naked eye, glimmering slightly in the night air and reaching at least twenty feet high and equally as wide.

Rodolphus stumbled away from them before he was attacked by Hestia Jones, causing Hermione and Draco to turn around and dive back into the fight.

In the moments they had been distracted by LeStrange, the fight had intensified, but they noticed that there was many more Death Eaters and creatures fighting for the dark littering the ground than Order members.

Just as Hermione was wondering why Voldemort hadn't shown himself yet, she felt the air grow cold and knew that Dementors were on their way into the grounds.

"Expecto Patronum!" she called and heard many other's yell the same spell, concentrating their energy on happy thoughts while the dementors were all driven out, far away from the castle. Their distraction paid off though, the Death Eaters had managed to strike down a couple more Order members, and Hermione knew that Voldemort would show himself soon. Thinking about him made her remember she was trying to find Harry, and she took off running again, Draco hot on her heels.

They entered the castle and dodged curses while running up the main staircase, searching for Harry.

"Harry!" she yelled, seeing his unkempt hair above his glasses, which were reflecting the moonlight from a nearby window on the second floor, and he turned to her as soon as he struck down the Death Eater he was fighting.

"Harry Potter," a voice hissed, seemingly from all around them. "Give yourself up, Harry Potter, and save your friends and family. So many have died already."

"Don't listen to him, Harry!" Draco yelled as Harry's face fell slightly.

Pansy, Blaise and Ginny came streaking down the hallway toward them and skidded to a halt in front of them.

"We know this castle and its grounds like no other, Harry," Pansy said, reaching out to him, "we have trained here for months. We can beat them!"

"All six of us together, we can do this!" Blaise exclaimed.

Ginny stepped forward and kissed Harry lightly on the lips, "Don't let him get to you. Everyone who is here wants to be here, they want to fight for us."

Harry nodded, looking relieved that his friends were still sticking with him.

"Crucio!"

Hermione suddenly fell to her knees as Draco let out an anguished yell, spinning to face the Death Eater who was cursing his wife. Harry disarmed the man quickly and the curse broke, Hermione's cries stopped and were replaced with deep breaths. Before anyone could do anything, Draco advanced on the man, thrusting out his right palm, since his wand was in his dominant left hand, and shot an icicle straight into the man's heart.

He looked surprised for a moment and looked down at his chest, confusion donning his features.

"Rot in hell," Draco said darkly, before reaching his palm out again and impaling the Death Eater right between the eyes. He dropped back and moved no more.

"Nice one," Harry said, as the group ran forward to join Draco before they all took off down the hallway to jump back into the battle.

"Stay near us, Harry," Draco warned at the top of the stairs. They looked down the steps and Pansy and Blaise ran forward and joined into the battle, fighting brilliantly, each countering the other's spells like a seamless team.

Hermione summoned her power from deep within and suddenly jumped off of the balcony, Draco cried out and ran forward, looking down. He watched her land on her feet before dropping harshly to all fours, and when she did this the floor beneath some of the werewolves suddenly burned bright red; the werewolves howled in agony as the smell of burnt fur and flesh filled the air. The werewolves were aflame, and began running around frantically, trying to rid themselves of the flames.

While they were distracted by their flaming bodies people fighting for the light struck them down systematically, decimating the werewolf numbers.

Draco watched the ensuing chaos and felt a surge of pride toward his wife, especially when he saw that there were a few bloody masses on the floor, obviously humans who had been attacked by werewolves, and he was unable to tell whether the people belonged to the light or the dark.

He turned to say something to Harry and the dark haired boy dashed away from him, heading down the stairs. Draco cursed and chased behind him, confident that Hermione would find them after she was done burning werewolves. There were battles still happening outside the castle, and Draco heard Pansy yelling at someone before Ginny struck the offending person down.

Draco was almost enthralled and forgot about what he was doing temporarily while he watched Blaise, Pansy and Ginny fight seamlessly as a team. Their training had really paid off. He was brought back to his senses as he was hit from behind by a curse. He fell face forward hard, his back on fire.

Literally.

He quickly extinguished it with his elemental power and stood up, facing the Death Eater that would attack someone with their back turned.

Amycus Carrow.

"Sectumsempra!" Draco shouted, going straight for the brutal curses, but unfortunately it missed the Death Eater and he retaliated quickly, shooting hexes at Draco quickly. Draco put up a shield and maintained it, blocking all of the curses that were being thrown haphazardly at him. He decided he had had enough and was going to use his elemental powers, but before he could even lower his shield Blaise was there, attacking Amycus with all of his might.

"Avada Kedavra!" Blaise yelled, as Ginny and Pansy put a shield charm around Blaise to help him deflect the curses the nasty Death Eater was firing at him and Draco in turn. He may have been stupid but he was quicker than they had anticipated. Blaise's killing curse struck the fat man directly in his chest, killing him before he even hit the ground with a ghost of his insane smile still plastered across his face.

"Thanks, mate!" Draco yelled, running to catch up with Harry again, his friends following.

"Draco!" he heard, and turned quickly to see Hermione running as hard as she could toward him, her face blazing with anger. "Where the hell is Harry?" she yelled, and then stopped abruptly beside him, clutching a stitch in her side.

Draco gestured in the direction Harry was running before he got caught up with Amycus Carrow and everyone looked in that direction. Harry was running back toward them all off in the distance and they ran forward again, meeting him beside the greenhouses.

"These fucking Dark creatures are taking over the grounds," Harry seethed, gesturing out with his hand and Hermione gasped as she realized that there were acromantula fleeing the forest, which was billowing great clouds of smoke from deep within.

"What were you doing?! Why did you run out here like that?"

"I'm trying to find Voldemort! I want to finish this!"

"Well don't take off without us anymore," Draco seethed, annoyed at the brunet.

Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, followed by other Gryffindor students Hermione had graduated with were running out of the greenhouses, lobbing plants that looked suspiciously like devils snare at the offending creatures and people. Neville aimed one at a Death Eater who was getting a little bit too close, and he dropped to the ground, writhing around as the devils snare tightened its hold, eventually squeezing all of the air and life from him.

Everyone cheered and headed toward the castle with armfuls of dangerous plants, following Neville's lead.

Draco and Hermione shared an incredulous look and the six friends took off in their wake. They were close to the castle when Harry stopped suddenly, clutching his scar in a way that Hermione hadn't witnessed in a long while.

"Harry Potter," a cold voice hissed, and they all turned to see Lord Voldemort standing there with his wand pointed at Harry, smiling.

"Oh and the betrayer and his lovely wife," he sneered, his cold, red eyes landing on Hermione and Draco.

Before any of them could make a move Draco lifted his hands and Voldemort hissed in pain, wrapping an arm around his chest as though he was having trouble breathing.

"That's right, a betrayer, and you should remember that I have no fear of you," Draco said, dropping his hands as Voldemort looked at him incredulously, seeming to be at a loss for words momentarily. He was suddenly engulfed in a tornado like mass; it wasn't moving his body, but it was whipping around him in a frenzy, burning his skin slightly. Hermione wasn't going in for the kill, so to speak, she just wanted to show Voldemort what she was capable of.

The tornado stopped and Draco was smiling wider, "Nor does my wife," he added, extremely glad that the Order were keeping the Death Eaters busy far away from the area they were in. Voldemort looked angry now, angry at being humiliated by children.

Hermione grabbed Draco's hand tightly, and this time she let her power get a little out of control, her hair whipping wildly around her head as her eyes began to glow eerily, closely followed by Draco. Voldemort started moving his mouth and both students shouted, "Protego!" and the shield was so powerful that Voldemort flew backward and landed on his back a few feet away.

Terrified by what he just witnessed.

Death Eaters started advancing once they saw their Master on the ground, scrambling to his feet, but there weren't many Death Eaters left now, not that many Order members were alive either.

The Death Eaters stopped abruptly when they saw what was happening with Draco and Hermione, they were shocked and also slightly put off, how could they manage against a force so strong?

At their distraction Harry advanced and Voldemort's eyes widened by the brazenness of the boy, Harry lifted his wand, but even after all of his training practices he still wasn't as quick as Voldemort, who lifted his wand and shouted "Avada Kedavra."

Right as the curse had left Voldemort's wand, someone jumped in between the boy and the Dark Lord, absorbing the curse into his chest before he gracefully fell to the ground. Hermione and Draco's energy snapped off and they almost fell to the ground as Draco let out a hoarse, anguished yell.

Voldemort seemed to be surprised by the night's events and this was the moment Harry chose for his attack. He knew that Draco wouldn't be any help to him now, and Harry quickly shouted the killing curse as everyone was distracted and Voldemort was battered to the ground moments after he killed a man.

He did not fall nearly as gracefully as Lucius Malfoy did when death took him.

The Death Eaters were all trying to escape, now that their leader had fallen to his demise, and Hermione took a page out of Draco's book; pushing her grief aside she focused on trapping the enemies in their own fiery cages. They formed in the air like glowing spears and buried themselves in the ground in a tight formation around each Death Eater. They were unable to apparate out of the grounds, as Dumbledore put the wards back in the place the moment Voldemort was slain, and they couldn't put the fires out with their wands, they were trapped until Hermione felt fit to release them.

She turned away and picked her way through the bodies, back toward Draco, who was kneeling beside his father. He wasn't yelling anymore, but he was shaking slightly, his hands in his hair. Harry was being clapped on the back by the remaining Order members, but he seemed much too sombre to accept the pats. Hermione turned her gaze, looking for her other friends and saw them all sitting on the steps to the entrance of the castle, where Hermione and Draco had been sitting mere hours ago, relatively happy. Ginny looked as though she had blood on her face and hands, and she was crying. Blaise looked singed, as though he had been on fire at some point and Pansy was trying to console Ginny, but didn't look too hurt in any way.

Hermione was relieved that her best friends, the most important people in her life, were all at least alive. She moved to Draco and put her hand on his shoulder, looking around for Narcissa and anxiety twisted her stomach when she didn't see her. She turned the other way and saw her finally, off in the distance, on her knees with her face in her hands.

Draco stood up suddenly and turned, squeezing Hermione in his arms tightly, his face bowed into her neck.

"Your father died a hero, Draco," Harry said, coming up beside him and putting his hand on his arm, "I want you to remember that. If he hadn't done what he did, I would have died for sure."

Draco lifted his head and stared Harry right in the eye. He let go of Hermione and turned to the raven-haired boy before he pulled him into a hug. Something that was totally unexpected by both Harry and Hermione, and Harry's eyes widened in surprise, but Draco dropped his arms quickly, backing away and looking for his mother.

"Thank you for saying that, Harry."

Harry nodded as Draco walked away, and then his eyes met with Hermione's and they shared an incredulous look before splitting up. Harry went to Ginny and Hermione followed Draco to Narcissa's side to try and console the poor woman; she was half way to them when another sob filled the air, and she whipped around to see Harry leaning down over a few bodies. She felt her chest tighten and hurried over to Harry, fear in her chest.

Molly Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks were laying amid other order members, and Hermione understood why Harry was taking this so hard. Molly was like a parent to him, despite everything that had happened with Ron, and he and Tonks were almost like kindred spirits, he had spent much more time with her than anyone else their age.

Hermione paid her respects to the two bodies on the ground, as well as the rest, Death Eaters, acquaintances and Order members alike, as she made her way back to her family. Hermione helped Draco get Narcissa to her feet and move her to the castle, where they waited for the Ministry members to come and take the captured Death Eaters, who were still residing in their fiery cages, to the Ministry. The Minister would have to reinstate the Dementors at Azkaban before anyone could be taken there for their crimes.

"I just want to go home," Narcissa whispered heavily.

"I know, Mum," Draco said, tears in his eyes, clasping Hermione's hand tightly in his own.

Epilogue

Hermione walked into her house, finally being allowed back in it, and slipped off her black flats.

"I'm glad that's over with," Draco said, following her into the house and undoing his tie.

"It was beautiful, though. The ministry really went all out."

"It was nice, and they did but I think everyone deserved it. I hope mother will be okay by herself."

"She refused to live here, Draco. I even took her aside and tried to convince her but she said no. She said she has her house elves there with her and since the ministry went in and did away with all the Dark stuff… she just wants to be where your dad resided."

"I know, I just want her to be alright."

"I understand. We'll make sure to visit her often. I hope Ginny is doing okay, maybe we should do a dinner this weekend. Try and move everyone passed this."

"You seem to be doing well," Draco remarked.

"I'm upset about your father, but that's about it. I know I should be sadder about the rest of them, but I'm just much too happy that you survived, and that Harry, Ginny, Pansy and Blaise all lived. I really can't ask for much more than that. The people we lost aided a good cause, since Harry won, and Harry was right, your father really did die a hero."

"I know," Draco sighed, taking Hermione into his arms, "but that doesn't make it hurt any less."

"Of course not, only time will do that."

"Yeah."

"Well, I have something to tell you that might cheer you up, and I know for a fact it will cheer your mother up," Hermione said, smirking in a very Malfoy-ish way.

"Oh yeah? And what's that? I was thinking maybe dinner before you said it would cheer up my mother too."

"Always a man, thinking with his stomach," Hermione joked, leaning away from him so she could see his face, "But in all seriousness, I'm pregnant."

Draco didn't say a word, he just stared at her, wide eyed and terrified looking.

For a moment, until he managed to clear his throat and say, "Pr… Pregnant?"

"Yes."

"How pregnant?"

Hermione laughed, of all the things and questions to hear come out of his mouth, she was not expecting him to use quite those words.

"Two months."

"Two months?! You mean you were fighting in that damned war while pregnant?! Have you been to a healer? We need to go to a healer."

And Draco actually started to retie his tie and move to the door.

"Draco! It's 6 PM, there's no healer we can go to right now, and of course I went to a healer, I'm not a moron."

"You fought a war while pregnant!"

"A couple weeks pregnant. Everything is fine!"

Draco seemed to be on one track though and continued toward the door, mumbling about going to see the healer. Hermione sighed and put her flats back on quickly and followed him out of the house, grabbing onto his arm before he disapparated to St. Mungos.

"Oh, should you even be apparating?" he asked aimlessly, before moving forward to the desk and demanding to see a healer for his possibly pregnant wife.

"Name?"

"Draco Malfoy."

The receptionist raised an eyebrow at him, "Her name?"

"Hermione Malfoy."

"My records state that she was just here yesterday, and her healer was… Mr. Williamson. He's on shift right now, if you'll just take a seat he'll be with you as soon as possible."

Draco wandered over to the waiting area and sat gracefully on a couch, still freaking out slightly. Hermione was unsure what he was getting all flustered about, just the fact that she was pregnant, or the fact that she was two weeks pregnant while fighting in the war. She sat beside him but didn't say a word until Healer Williamson ushered them into his office and turned to face them.

"Back so soon, Mrs. Malfoy?"

"My husband seems to be having a slight breakdown," Hermione said, trying not to laugh.

"Do the test," he said, wide eyed.

Healer Williamson didn't usually take orders from patients or waste hospital time and supplies, but he agreed to redo the test. Hermione laid back on the table and bared her stomach and the doctor leaned down with a potion in his hand, not a potion to be consumed, but instead he rubbed it on Hermione's stomach, and it immediately glowed white.

"White means pregnant, Mr. Malfoy," the healer said seriously, turning to look at him.

"And how do you know how far along she is?"

At his question a 9 burned in the air above her stomach.

"Nine? Nine what?!"

"Nine weeks, Mr. Malfoy," Healer Williamson said while Hermione took a deep breath.

"That means you were three weeks pregnant during the war! How can we tell if everything with the baby is okay?"

The healer took his wand in his hand and an image appeared in mid-air, a tiny organism, probably only a couple centimeters, was flickering in the air.

"As far as we can tell at this point, everything is fine. Honestly, Mr. Malfoy, if anything wasn't fine, your wife would have miscarried."

Draco seemed extremely relieved all of a sudden and a large grin broke out on his face.

"Here's a pamphlet to keep you informed, as well as the major do's and don'ts of pregnancy. Mrs. Malfoy, we need you here in another four weeks for another checkup, just to ensure that everything is going smoothly."

"And what about our blood bond? Will it affect anything?"

"No, Sir."

"And is Hermione allowed to apparate?"

"She can for now. That information is in the pamphlet, but I will let you know it will be safe for her to apparate until her third trimester."

"Thank you, Healer Williamson," Draco said sincerely, as the man excused himself.

"My mother is going to be beyond excited. If only my father were here to be a grandfather…"

Hermione pulled down her shirt and moved to her husband, putting her hand gently on his shoulder. He leaned his face down and kissed her tenderly, trying to put as much emotion into it as he could, letting her know how happy and excited he was.

They broke apart and Draco grinned down at her.

"If someone would have told me that after such a sad morning, surrounded by grieving people at a war memorial that the ministry made to honour those who had fallen, I would be so beyond happy, I would have given them my trademark sneer and called them a moron."

Hermione laughed slightly and took Draco's hand, leading him home.

"Something isn't right," Draco said, the second they were standing outside their front door. He held Hermione behind him with one arm as he opened the door and was instantly relieved to see his four best friends sitting in their living area, draped on the couches as though they lived there.

"Don't scare me like that!" Draco snapped, stepping in and again, loosening his tie, "I've got precious cargo here, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Sorry, Draco."

"Precious how?"

"My wife is pregnant, and she will now have to deal with the overbearing husband I'm going to be, because I will not let anything happen to her."

"Pregnant?" Harry said, almost reminiscent of Draco an hour earlier.

Both Pansy and Ginny squealed loudly before jumping up and pulling Hermione into a tight hug.

"Wow, good job, mate!" Blaise said, with such gusto someone would think a man had never impregnated his wife before.

Draco beamed.