Final Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the plot.

Epilogue

Harry sat in his room staring at the wall in front of him. He sighed.

A soft tapping sound brought him out of his trance. Looking to his right, he saw a very large, very well-groomed owl hovering outside his window. Curious, he got up and opened the window. The owl flew in gracefully, landing on Hedwig's perch with ease and stuck it's twiggy leg out to reveal a letter attached to it.

Harry removed the letter, giving the owl one of Hedwig's treats and watched as it flew away. Opening the letter, Harry began to read.

His heart stopped.

As the letter was finished being read, his hands trembled with anxiety. He began to become dizzy and weak in the knees.

And then he ran. He ran with as much speed his scrawny legs could give him. God only knows the number of people he left scattered on the floor from bumping into them. But he didn't care. He needed to get to Dumbledore… now.

When he had first taken off, he failed to remember to bring the letter. Laying on the floor of his room was a piece of parchment with neat handwriting.

It read:

Hermione,

I broke the most important promise I have ever made to someone before I even made it. I promised you that I wouldn't leave you behind when my sole intentions of this journey would end up in an inescapable death.

I won't be returning to you. I won't be seeing your sweet face ever again. I'm sure by now you probably have figured that out. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I know we had both agreed to have no good-bye's said, but I know I would have died with regret had I not bid you farewell.

My death will not be in vain. I finally achieved something in my life that I had been deprived of for so long, I had forgotten it existed.

Will.

I have the will to live. I have the will to go on. You gave me the power and my greatest fear is that you will never realize it. You created a world for me that I wanted to stay in.

Fear had ripped me out of your love once before, and I couldn't let that happen again. That is why I chose to come back to the Manor and refuse my invitation to the Dark Lord once and for all, even if it means death.

Hermione, you are mine. You have captured the frozen heart dwelling in me and turned it into gold. You are so special it pains me to do this to you. After time I pray you will understand.

I've broken many promises. I know it may seem inadequate for me to ask one of you now, but I must.

Please don't let yourself die. Don't deteriorate into the person you once were. I beg of you to mourn my death, but not let it cause you to die yourself.

Please… Hermione, MY Hermione…

Please don't die…

Rightfully yours forever,

Draco