EPILOGUE

oooooooooo

"I've been thinking about Macnair," said Ron. Draco had an arm wrapped tightly around him and his face buried in the soft skin of the redhead's neck. He could feel soft, short little hairs tickling at his nose and could smell his love's skin - maybe taste it, if he just stuck his tongue out and bent his head a little...

Ron shivered and wiggled closer.

"That's kind of rude," joked Draco. "I've been thinking about you-" An elbow jabbed him lightly in the ribs. "Come on, Ron. We've already discussed this. Dumbledore said he probably got distracted and lost his shield while he was fighting you, or that seven spells was just too much for it."

"Not that," continued Ron. "It's about St. Mungo's. It's almost as if...Well, wouldn't it be just what he wanted? I mean, since he did get caught?"

"What do you mean?" Draco pushed himself up on an elbow and looked down at Ron adoringly. He brushed some hair from the way of the redhead's blue eyes; leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

"I mean St. Mungo's is probably a lot easier to break out of than Azkaban, Draco. Maybe..." he trailed off.

Draco sighed and flopped back down on the bed. Ron moved so that he was laying with his head on the blonde's bare chest, his leg swung casually over one of the Slytherin's. His hips positioned just so.

"It's over, Ron. Macnair's brain is...Hell, he doesn't even have a brain anymore. He's out of it. We don't have to worry about him any more." Ron nodded against him, then looked up to smile at him. "Yeah," he said. "You're right. I'm just being paranoid. I guess I'm just thinking that Macnair is like our own private Voldemort, you know?" He sighed and settled again. "But you're right."

"You know," admitted Draco, looking beyond the four poster they were lounging in and around the Gryffindor seventh year dorm. "I'm glad I didn't go to Hogsmeade."

"Yeah," agreed Ron. It had been over a week since Halloween and the ban on going to Hogsmeade had been lifted (this gave Draco reason to believe that the ban had been in place more for the disturbance Dumbledore had sensed in the barriers than for the station attack), and the students of Hogwarts had been allowed a belated trip. Draco and Ron, however, had given up their chance at going to Hogsmeade in favor of staying in the castle, sneaking Draco into Ron's room, and doing some more...interesting things. "I asked my sister to buy my Christmas presents for me, since I didn't go."

"Yeah?" asked Draco, absently, as he attempted to pull the sheets - which were tangled up in their limbs - closer around them.

"I didn't know what to get-" Ron was cut off by a sudden, sharp knock on the door. The two seventh years had only the time to get horrified and wide-eyed before the door to the dormitory swung open, revealing a small figure dressed in Gryffindor robes - who froze at the sight of them.

It was Ginny.

"I knew it!" she yelled, dropping all of the parcels she was holding onto the floor and pointing an accusing finger at Ron. "I knew it!" She stepped closer to them, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. She poked at Ron's shoulder. "You're gay," she informed him.

The redhead paled. Ginny gawked. Draco yawned and hugged Ron closer to his chest. "No kidding?" he said. "We weren't certain, what with all the snogging and the blowjo-"

"Draco!" squeaked Ron.

"You're gay, Ron!" shouted Ginny. And she poked at his cheek.

Ron groaned.