.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me…
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind, but now I see.
.

EPILOGUE

September 1st, 2017

Rose Weasley had been tapped to be this generation's cleverest witch even before stepping foot on Hogwarts property - that despite her father's obvious lackadaisical attitude about all things of scholarship.

Ronald Bilius Weasley may have been an Auror and best friend to Uncle Harry - 'The Boy Who Conquered,' he was jokingly called - but her dad was definitely not even half as ambitious or clever as the now-missing third-part of 'The Golden Trio' that she'd read about as a child in Hogwarts, A History, her favourite book. No, Rose clearly got her penchant for reading and learning from her mother's Ravenclaw genes. Amanda Brocklehurst-Weasley may not have been top of the class, either, but she'd ranked in at number five before the war had thrown the education system into a tizzy for a few years.

Well, and to be truthful, Rose did have a little bit of hero-worship for the long-deceased war idol, Hermione Granger. If even half of the things she'd read about the witch were true, she'd been amazing! Growing up, listening to stories of the woman's exploits alongside her dad and Uncle Harry, Rose had been star-struck by the witch's bravado, intelligence, and compassionate nature. She'd spent much of her formative years trying to emulate her ideal superwoman, voraciously studying up on all things magic so she'd be prepared once she achieved her first wand.

And now here she was, entering the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts, ready to be sorted! It was all so magical and confusing and wonderful!

As they passed the giant wooden doors into the Great Hall, Rose looked up. The ceiling was enchanted just as her favourite book had stated! In a sweeping glance, she took it all in: the cheery fire roaring in the huge, stone hearth on the far right of the room, the teacher's table set at the front before a set of tall stained-glass windows, and every eye in the room on herself and the other first years walking single file between the tables for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. She listened attentively to the names of her fellow witches and wizards being called by the Deputy Headmistress, Aurora Sinistra, to finally meet the infamous Sorting Hat at the front of the room.

They were almost half the way through the list of names when Rose noted that boy - the one her father had pointed out to her at King's Cross Station - looking at her again. He was four people ahead of her in line, but he kept turning back and glancing at her, throwing a combination of infuriating smirks and scowls.

What the bloody hell was his problem anyway?

A strange heat began gathering in her chest, and Rose rubbed at it, conscientious that each time the young wizard with the platinum blond hair and the silver-eyed gaze stared at her, the warmth became more intense.

"Scorpius Malfoy."

The weird, stalker-ish boy in question walked up to the front of the room and took a seat on the stool with cool arrogance. Rose's father's conversation about him at the Station flashed through her mind again…

"Blimey, he looks just like his brother, don't he, Harry? Even down to the ferrety face and hair! Looks like age didn't stop ol' Lucius and Narcissa from gettin' squicky again."

"The Malfoys needed an heir. Guess they tried again after…"

"Yeah. Seems so."

The Sorting Hat was only seated on that rakishly-combed head for a second before it declared the boy's allegiance: "SLYTHERIN!"

With a smarmy smirk, Scorpius - what kind of name was that, anyway? - made his way to his cheering table, high-fiving some of the members of his new House. Rose rolled her eyes at such immaturity, and focused instead back on the list as it continued: Corwin McLaggen - Gryffindor, Xander Nott - another Slytherin, Albus Potter - sent to Gryffindor, of course, Christopher Pucey - Hufflepuff, Brian Rickett - Hufflepuff, Lorcan Scamander - Ravenclaw, Lysander Scamander - Gryffindor, Daniel Stretton - Ravenclaw…

"Rose Weasley."

Taking a deep breath, Rose made her way up to the stool and sat down, her eyes taking in the room, connecting with and stopping on the Malfoy boy. He salaciously grinned at her, and she narrowed her eyes at him in distaste.

The hat plunked down on her head a second later, cutting off all sight. "Yet another Weasley," it drawled. "Oh, ho! But this one is not like the others! Hmmm… Studious, brave, crafty, generous. You remind me of another girl I once sorted. Oh, dear, dear… where shall we put you, though?"

"Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," she stated with firm insistence. "I'd prefer either House over the other two."

"Is that so?" the hat seemed intrigued. "Well, since you put it that way, we might as well not break tradition. GRYFFINDOR!" it announced, and the hat was removed from her head an instant later. Rose hopped off the stool and took her rightful place amongst her own cheering table.

The rest of the night was a flutter of activity - enjoying the feast, talking to her cousins and Teddy Lupin, most of whom were in her House, too. Yet, despite the excitement of the celebration, Rose's eyes were continually drawn across the room to a particular head of platinum hair and a pair of taunting, grey eyes that seemed as familiar to her as her own soul.

X~~~~~X

"Tonight, beloved?"

Helena watched the interplay from the corner of the Hall between the Weasley girl and the Malfoy boy. They were so similar to their previous incarnations that it was almost like looking upon her former friends once more.

She looked down at the intertwined locket and dragon pendant necklaces cradled in the palm of her hand and sighed with sincere relief. Her duty would end anon. "Yes, tonight when they are abed and enjoying flights of fancy, we will open the wings and allow them their memories back. And tomorrow, I shall hand both over to them and we will explain their confusion away." She glanced at the young wizard and witch, smiled, and tucked the jewellery away in an inner pocket of her robes. "I envy their courage," she admitted, leaning back into her husband's strong arms. "They did what we could not, and now they are rewarded. Their souls will be together again." She glanced over her shoulder at Hugh Black, the man she had loved for almost ten centuries. "Perhaps someday, when we are both ready, we might embark upon the same journey, beloved?"

Hugh's warm embrace engulfed her and he nudged his chin for her to look up. Above them, enchanted mistletoe curled lazily downward, capturing them in its mischievous snare. "Perhaps," her enigmatic lover offered, one hand slipping around to cup her hind and pull her intimately up against his hard arousal. "When a thousand more years have passed, and I have properly atoned for all the centuries of neglect you endured, then we may pass on together. I intend upon granting you, my wife, much love and many blessings before then, as Lady Granger once bid us do."

He bent his head and swiftly captured her lips in a kiss that made Helena's toes curl and her spectral heart pound. Only her Baron had ever made her feel anything in the afterlife she had chosen to inhabit… and thanks to the amazing grace of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger she now understood why.

As the mistletoe's spell broke with an audible 'pop,' Helena sneaked a quick look over her lover's shoulder, noting that no one was paying them the slightest attention. "Every minute and every action counts, my husband," she reminded him.

Her Baron lasciviously chuckled. "As you wish, my angel."

Taking her hands in his, Slytherin's ghost led them out of the Great Hall and down into the dungeons to the room he had taken over for his use a long time ago. There, upon his fluffy, captured cloud, for the next several hours, he proceeded to make good on his promises.

.

~FIN~

AUTHOR'S FINAL NOTES:

Thank you for taking this journey with Ghost!Hermione and Ghost!Draco. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this series, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Did it surprise you? Had you expected things to go in this direction? PLEASE REVIEW and let me know, yeah? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I am sorry to say that there will be no spin-off or continuation. I feel the story is complete as it stands, and it leaves the future open to you to use your imagination to reveal how Rose/Hermione and Scorpius/Draco will interact once they discover the truth, and how they will fall in love again. Will it be a difficult journey for them, or will they give in to the feelings of their previous incarnations? You decide.

.

Musical Selection for this story: "Viva Forever" by the Spice Girls.

Do you still remember how we used to be?
"Feeling together,
believing whatever,"
my love has said to me.

Both of us were dreamers -
young love in the sun.
(You) Felt like my saviour.
My spirit I gave you.
We'd only just begun.

Hasta mañana...
always be mine.

Viva forever.
I'll be waiting...
everlasting...
like the sun.
Live forever,
for the moment,
ever searching for the one.

Yes, I still remember every whispered word.
The touch of your skin,
giving life from within,
like a love song that I'd heard.

Slippin' through our fingers,
like the sands of time.
Promises made,
every memory saved
has reflections in my mind.

Hasta mañana...
always be mine.

Viva forever.
I'll be waiting...
everlasting...
like the sun.
Live forever,
for the moment,
ever searching for the one.

Back where I belong now.
Was it just a dream?
Feelings unfold,
they will never be sold,
and the secret's safe with me.

Hasta mañana...
always be mine.

Viva forever.
I'll be waiting...
everlasting...
like the sun.
Live forever,
for the moment,
ever searching for the one.