**The promised epilogue!  Which is also a bridge to what will come next…  look for something in the next week or two.  I'm still lining up my plot pieces.

MetroDweller – You're so smart!  *beaming proudly*  And I was rather fond of that chapter too…  I like a little mush and a little smart-ass mixed together.  Hence the following little scene…  *licking lips*

Shahrezad1 - *blowing kisses*  I can always count on you to bolster my ego, can't I?  As for Harry getting the hint, he's not a stupid boy.  But he is a boy, unfortunately.  (heh heh heh…)

To everyone:  Thank you for reading!  Please stay tuned for the final story in this little series.

Epilogue

Cara was warm and comfortable and she had no intention of moving.  Hence when someone poked her in the side, she growled something rather unkind and very determinedly kept her eyes shut. 

A low chuckle made them pop open another moment later.  She looked up with absolute astonishment at Draco's face, leaning over her.  Her eyes instinctively dropped down to his bare chest, and then she turned a bright red.  She could almost feel the ends of her hair sizzle, she was blushing so hard. 

"I really didn't realize you blushed all the way down to your toes, McDouglas," Draco said in that lazy voice that was just so sexy.  Which made her blush harder, dammit.  "I think I rather like it."

Cara forced herself to glare at him.  "Jerk," she mumbled.  Once again, trying not to look down, past that nice, bare chest…

He chuckled again, and she found herself tucked up against him in short order, him leaning over her just a bit.  His face was serious, and his eyes soft, and she watched him with a bit of awe.  She'd never seen him like this, so open, so, well, happy.

He stroked a finger down the side of her face.  "Good morning," he said softly. 

She smiled, even though she was still red.  "Good morning," she said back, just as softly. 

He was watching her with those silver eyes, warm, liquid silver that she'd drown in any day.  "Thank you," he said, voice still quiet. 

NOW she really blushed.  "Umm…" she mumbled, not really sure how to answer that.  After all, she hadn't really planned on doing everything they'd ended up, well, doing last night.  Ok, maybe the possibility had crossed her mind once or twice, after all, she had gotten that Contraceptive Charm out of Witch Weekly…  but really, that had just been planning way ahead. 

One corner of his mouth quirked at that.  "For that, too," he said, a fairly smug look settling on his face.  Cara resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  Men.  Yeesh. 

"No," he said, looking serious again.  "Thank you for not letting me leave you," he said, intent on her.  Cara wasn't sure she could have moved if she wanted to, not with him looking at her with all that warmth in his eyes, his voice. 

"I love you," she told him. 

He traced that finger over her face again, drifting it across her cheek, the bridge of her nose, tracing her lips.  "Malfoys don't love," he said seriously.  "They marry well, have heirs, have an affair or two for the pure physical pleasure."  He was silent for a moment and Cara waited, a little tense.  She was fairly sure of him and how he felt, but he still hadn't said it…

"But you," he said softly, and she relaxed.  "You make everything different."  She reached up and kissed him then, really unable to resist it.  He was so damn handsome and sincere.  He kissed her quite thoroughly back before pulling away just a bit. 

Draco looked down at her very solemnly.  "I…" he started, and then swallowed.  Cara felt like crying.  She'd wager he'd never said the words to someone before, not with his family.  He took a deep breath.  "I love you," he said in a bare whisper.

She wrapped her arms tight about him and held on, bare skin pressing, hearts beating and love just pouring off of her.  Sure, they were young, and who knew if this would be forever.  But for right now, it was all that mattered.  And some sneaking part of her, the part that had always wondered if Divination wasn't completely a crock, whispered that it was more than that.

For now though, she was content to hold the boy she loved as close as she could. 

**********

Harry Potter sat in a dusty, abandoned classroom on the North side of the castle and stared out the window at the bright sunshine.  Everyone else was doing something, outside taking in one last oddly warm fall day, or playing games with friends, or working homework in the Common Room.  Ron was currently wiping the floor with Hermione in chess, and having a great time doing it.  Hermione, of course, was absolutely positive there had to be a way to beat the Gryffindor chess master, and was probably muttering foul things and planning a trip to the library for books on chess strategy. 

And Ginny was probably egging the two of them on, waiting and watching for Cara to come back from the Astronomy Tower.  As far as he knew, she and Draco were still up there, which spelled good things for those two.  He could even think kindly enough of Draco to wish him and Cara the best of luck.  Not that he was about to get friendly with the prat, but Cara did seem to like him. 

Harry scrubbed a hand over his face and stared out the window.  And here he was, sitting in the dust by himself. 

He hadn't missed Cara pointed conversation last night, he'd known exactly what she was talking about.  Unfortunately for Cara, and Hermione and Ginny, they didn't know everything.  That damned prophesy.  And now, these new powers…

Harry looked away from the window and glared down at his hands.  They hadn't helped him much against Bellatrix.  Sure, his spells were becoming stronger than he'd ever though possible.  Sure, it was starting to make Ron and Hermione notice.  But they'd failed him when it had mattered.  Bellatrix had just been too damned fast and sneaky and, well, crazy. 

Just for the hell of it, Harry pointed at an empty, dusty bookcase.  "Scourgify," he muttered, and watched the grime vanish and a hint of lemon fill the air.  He dropped his hand and sighed.  He'd better not do that around anyone.  He was enough of an oddity already, besides, it was always better to keep things like that to himself.  Someday, he might need the element of surprise. 

Pulling out his wand, he examined it closely.  Twirling it through his fingers, he pointed it at the same bookshelf.  "Reducto," he said.  The case shrunk faster than he could blink, until it could no longer be seen from where he sat. 

Harry's lips twisted.  What good was all this magic if he couldn't harness it?  If he couldn't use it when it mattered?

He could always go to Dumbledore and ask him for help.  Harry snorted softly.  Not bloody likely.  Something had happened between the two of them, ever since he'd been told about the prophesy, ever since he'd destroyed Dumbledore's office.  He just didn't trust him like he used to, not that blind faith that the old man had the answer to every question.  Dumbledore was just as human as the rest of them, and he'd made of couple of clear mistakes as far as Harry could see.  And given the fact that Harry was still more than a little angry over not being told about his own life, he wasn't about to go ask the Headmaster for help.

He sighed and rubbed his face.  That left out Professor Lupin, too, who'd promptly turn to Dumbledore.  In fact, as far as he could see, it left really only himself, especially when you factored in that no one else knew about the prophesy.

At least he'd somehow managed to keep bloody Voldemort out of his head.  He wasn't sure how, but some time during the summer he'd flipped some switch in his head and it was like there was a wall between the two of them.  Which was a great relief.  Sure, he had the occasional nightmare, but it was a hell of a lot better than last year.  Now if he could just get a handle on the way he seemed to see inside people's heads if he looked too hard…

It was all about learning control, he decided as he pocketed his wand.  And it was something he was going to have to figure out himself.  That meant the library, it meant practice time away from the others.  Both of which were going to be hard to do.  Especially the way Ginny had started keeping an eye on him…

He rubbed his head again.  Ginny.  Damn it all.  His lips twisted in a rather uncharacteristically bitter smile.  What was it he'd said to Draco when they'd been smashed that night?  You can't throw love away, it'll come back and bite you in the ass.  Or something along those lines. 

He snorted.  He didn't get that option.  He had to kill bloody Voldemort, and anyone who got too close to him was certain, abso-bloody-lutely certain to be a target.  He wasn't about to put anyone in that position, especially not Ginny.  She'd been through enough already.

He sighed and forced those thoughts away.  He had work to do, he though, and got up, turning away from the window and the bright sunlight outside.  He would have to start now, because he had the feeling that there wasn't all the time in the world left.  Hogwarts would end, sooner or later, and if he wasn't ready… 

It wasn't all that fun, though the Boy-Who-Lived bitterly as he strode down the empty hallways toward the library, to have to save the world.  Not fun at all.