Hello my lovelies! This is my final chapter, I hope you liked the ending, I just couldn't bear to kill them. However, if any sadists out there so choose, I can write an alternate ending where they are not so lucky. You can PM me with your morbid or whack it in a review and I will sort it out for you. Thank you to all those who have read and reviewed, you have made my day on many an occasion. And special thanks go to fallingstar93 who has been my biggest reviewer! Right, last time it needs to be said - none of this is mine, Jk you own it all. xxx

Chapter 9

The hall was transformed. The perfect marble walls were now scarred and full of holes from misdirected spells. The floor was stained red in places, but Hermione couldn't be sure that this was a new addition. Broken furniture had been piled into a far corner and a medic tent set up on the very spot she had decided to save Harry and Ron.

"Hermione!" She heard someone squeal. She was almost knocked out by the charging red head. Hermione hugged girl close to her.

"Miss me, Ginny?"

"Hermione! Don't you ever leave ever again! We thought you had just gone home, so when your message turned up it caused quite a stir, I can tell you. We were mobilised and leaving headquarters within half an hour! I don't even know who most of the people fighting alongside us are."

Hermione smiled and pulled back, still griping the girl's shoulders. She could see Ginny's eyes filling with tears of relief, despite her happy chattering.

The doors Hermione had just walked through crashed open and she heard Ginny gasp. There was a flurry of Wizards and Witches of all ages drawing their wands and Hermione turned around to see a battered, filthy but still smirking boy walk towards her.

"You had to make an entrance"

"Of course, didn't want you forgetting all about me so soon."

"After the amount of time I have spent with you in a small room, you will be forever ingrained onto my psyche."

"Just for that reason? Remind me to show you how truly unforgettable I am sometime." He smirked even more than ever, if possible, as a faint blush crept into Hermione's cheeks. "Now dear, could you please ask these lovely people to stop pointing their wands at me and possibly ask the Weaselette to stop gawking quite so much, it's not very ladylike?"

Hermione looked around and, for the first time since Draco had entered the room, noticed various members of the Order staring at her in sheer disbelief. Hermione silently cursed that damn boy and that annoying ability he had. She cleared her throat, not that she didn't already have everyone's attention. "Draco is not a threat. He has offered to become a complete informant. This means no-one will lay a finger on him," she glared at a few members she thought likely to ignore that point, "And in return for safety and our lack of hostility, Draco will be humble and polite. And he will start by apologising to Ginny, unless you want to be referred to as Ferret Boy for the rest of your life."

There was suppressed laughter across the hall after that. Draco's eyes flashed in annoyance at Hermione's overly smug face, but he caught her eyes and couldn't help but smile as he dipped into a low mocking bow. He mages to look chivalrous even when he is blatantly insincere, thought Hermione. "I am at your beck and call Miss Granger, and I will try my best to be polite, although you may need to refresh my memory about the exact meaning of the word." Again there was scattered laughter around the hall. Could it be possible that he was on the verge of being like? "And you, Ginevera Weasley, you have my deepest apologies." He walked up to the madly blushing girl and kissed her hand, as a true knight should. A pang of jealousy tore through Hermione as his lips touched Ginny's freckled skin, but she couldn't repress a smile as her best friend stared dumbstruck at Draco. "I still plan on calling your brother a Weasel, just so you know." Draco whispered into Ginny's ear, just loud enough for Hermione to hear.

"That's quite enough of that, thank you." Draco chuckled softly at Hermione's sharp outburst. Damn him, he must have pulled that stunt just to annoy her. Hermione looked at him again. Despite his arrogance, he was looking worryingly pale and a bit shaky. "Can someone take Draco to a medic tent please?"

Professor McGonagall appeared beside them suddenly, causing the still bewildered Ginny to jump. Hermione smiled her thanks as her head of house led Draco away. The Professor smiled back, her happiness at seeing Hermione back in one piece obvious in her face.

Hermione was checked over as well, but much quicker than Draco, as her wounds were only superficial. She had only gone because of Ron and Harry's persistent nagging and Mrs Weasley's firm and final command. People kept asking questions about her captivity and, more difficult to answer, her fellow captive. She busied herself sorting out the hall, helping wherever she could, avoiding all the questions possible. She could have happily married Tonks by the end of the day. Every time someone new came to badger her, Tonks would change her appearance and chase them off onto a pointless errand. These little errands became more and more ridiculous as the day went on, that eventually neither girl could stand; they were laughing so much at the idiots around them.

"Oh, Hermione I am hurt! I lay close to death in some medic's tent for all you knew, but instead of worrying yourself to pieces I find you enjoying yourself."

Hermione's heart leapt as that silky drawl floated towards her.

"Draco! You're ok!"

"No thanks to you, you should have been at my bedside."

Hermione ran to him and embraced him, kissing him quickly but deeply.

"Does that make up for it?"

"Hmmm, I would have preferred to have been fed grapes, even more preferably with you in a nurse's uniform, but that can wait for a later day."

"Draco! Behave!" She turned to see Tonks looking everywhere but the young couple. "I expected you to have some decorum." She kissed him again as he pulled her closer.

"I do apologise," he murmured into her neck. "By the way, I presume you are happy telling everyone we are, now, how shall I put this, that we are courting?"

Hermione looked up at him. "Courting? You don't need that much decorum. And of course I am happy. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I thought you might be less enthusiastic when surrounded by friends, some of which might as well be family, who have some slight prejudice, to put it politely." He looked away, his eyes caught by a small group of Gryffindors who were staring at them, no at him, rather vehemently. Hermione grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her.

"Don't think like that! You are the most frustrating boy ever, just stick with the arrogant thing and you will see yourself from my point of view! And give me some credit; I'm a big girl now. I can cope if they don't understand, but I love you far too much to let you go. They will just have to accept that. Is that ok with you, my lovely ferret?"

"Yes ma'am!" The playful grin appeared as he saluted her. She laughed at him, unable to take her eyes off him, and musing that she could get used to being called ma'am every now and then.

"Hermione," Professor McGonagall tapped her on the shoulder. "You need to be debriefed back at headquarters. You will be taking Draco with you; it's safer for him there. There is a group at the front entrance waiting to accompany you home."

"Thank you Professor."

Thank you for sending me home, thank you for not saying anything about Draco and me, thank you for saving my life.

Hermione and Draco walked hand in hand to the main entrance hall, grinning at the open mouthed wizards they passed. When they reached the hall, a huge, fantastic marble affair, Harry and Ron were waiting.

"You are our guides and protectors?" scoffed Draco.

Hermione nudged him quite hard in the ribs, feeling rather satisfied as he winced. Old habits die hard, especially those where you enjoy the pain of others. She smiled warmly at Harry and Ron. "Pay no attention to him. Are we all set to go?"

"Just waiting for Mad-Eye to set up the Port-Key. Lets head outside, I don't like this place."

"Must be the walls and complete ceiling, damn these rich comforts," Draco muttered darkly. Hermione sighed. This was going to be fun. Draco strode ahead of the boys, his arm firmly around Hermione's waist. He had loved the jealousy in the Weasel and Potter's eyes as he grabbed her and pulled her closer. He did love Hermione much more than he hated them, but for the petty school boy within, this was far too good an opportunity to miss. They walked slowly to the main doors, he turned around, winked at Ron and grabbed Hermione's arse. The doors burst open for Draco, as they were charmed to do, and out walked a blushing Hermione and a smirking Draco into a glorious sunset.

She turned to him, "I will not be used to get at them, I'll make that clear now."

"I don't have a clue what you are on about my dear, I simply felt the impulse to appreciate your rather lovely derriere." He sounded so sincere, he could have fooled the pope himself. Good job he was going out with Hermione Granger and not a member of the clergy. "Oh, just shut up and kiss me Malfoy."

"Gladly."

They stood together in freedom. He gazed at his saviour, his lioness, as the light from the setting sun streamed through her hair.