AN: Ok, this is the absolute last chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you are interested in more of my writings, check out my story ((coming soon, that is)) called...uhh...oh yeah! True Love Never Dies. yeah so check it out!
Disclaimer: I never got a real flamer, thanks to this disclaimer...sniff it's the LAST disclaimer!!! weeps
Seven months, a wedding, four years, and three kids later...
"Mommy, Mommy!" Alexa Malfoy shouted, running as fast as her two-year-old legs could take her. Hermione smiled warmly and heaved herself to her feet, keeping a gentle hand on her extremely round stomach that was plagued with twins. Just as Hermione stood, the man she loved more than life came around the corner, hunched over like a monster, and picked up his daughter, tossing her into the air, sending her into a fit of giggles. Hermione smiled warmly and waited for the dearest people in her world to greet her on her back porch.
"Are you ready for some dinner?" Hermione asked, wiping off a smudge of dirt from her daughter's fair complexion.
Alexa nodded eagerly, then pulled a crown of wildflowers and plopped it on Hermione's head. "Mommy, when are the babies going to be done?"
Draco laughed and put Alexa on the ground, allowing her to scamper away without a second thought to her question at the smell of spaghetti drifting in cool drafts from the kitchen. "What do you day, another month or two?" Draco said, putting an affectionate hand on Hermione's swollen stomach.
"I wish they'd come out already!" Hermione said almost seriously, but the humor in her eyes betrayed her ulterior motives. Draco kissed her fervently on the cheek as she led the way to the kitchen to feed her family a serving of Alexa's favorite spaghetti and meatballs.
"Mommy, I done. When Abby goin' to get here?" Alexa said, her face spread with red tomato sauce that Hermione had made from scratch.
"They're coming for desert, remember? Abby, Uncle Ron, Aunt Sandra, Tyler, and baby Elizabeth." Draco reminded her, and Alexa's eyes got barely enormous as if she had just received an unicorn for her birthday. Hurriedly she darted from her spot at the table and flew to her bedroom, where she picked out toys that her friends and she could enjoy.
Hermione sighed humbly, thanking once again the Greater Being for the wonderful family she had been given.
"Sweetie, have you heard from Ha—"Draco started, but was interrupted by two pops, revealing Ginny and Harry.
"Gin! Harry! It's so good to see you guys!" Hermione squealed, opening her arms for Ginny to hug her tightly (almost too tightly). "Gin, I'm suffocating here, let me hug Harry."
Harry took his cue and gallantly hugged Hermione, careful of the luggage she held around her middle.
"Oh Hermione, you won't ever believe it!" Ginny squealed, taking a seat and grabbing a piece of Italian bread to munch on. Hermione smiled and encouraged her to continue. "I'm getting married...Hermione! I'm getting married to the Harry Potter!" Hermione's jaw dropped as Harry blushed.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Show me your ring!" Hermione said, taking Ginny's left hand and examining the beautiful arrangement of a huge diamond surrounded by miniature jade stones set on a white-gold band.
"Bet that cost you a fortune," Draco chimed from behind Hermione. Ginny quickly withdrew her hand and cradled her ring finger defensively.
"Not that my ring cost half of your paycheck!" Hermione piped up, laughing as she looked at her ring and all it symbolized. Her own ring consisted of a large diamond surrounded by aquamarines on a platinum band.
"Oh, right..." Draco said good heartedly, stepping to shake Harry's hand in congratulations.
"So when are you getting married?" Hermione asked after a round of hugs was taken care of.
"Oh, we're not sure, he just proposed last night!" Ginny said, taking a seat in the kitchen.
"Well, you might want to cover that rock on your hand because Ron and Sandra should be here any second with all the kids," Draco said, giving a quick snap that ignited the fire one room over.
"Oh!" Ginny said in surprise, quickly covering her hand. Not two seconds later a little girl popped out, quickly followed by a woman holding a baby, and a tall man with red hair, slightly blackened by soot.
"Ronald! You're getting soot all over my freshly waxed wooden floors and my white couches!" Hermione scolded falsely, standing shakily as everyone made his or her way to the barely enormous family room. Ron gave his famous lop-sided smile and hugged Hermione heartily, patting her stomach as if he would a dog.
"They're getting big, aren't they?" Ron asked, moving to give his sister a bone crunching hug and the men a hearty handshake. He couldn't help but notice the extra spark in Harry's eyes.
"Ok, what's going on?" Sandra asked before Ron could, allowing Ginny to hold her 6-month-old Ronny as her daughter, Emaleigh, skipped up the stairs to Alexa's room.
Ginny looked at Harry for silent permission, which he happily gave. "We're getting married!" Ginny shouted, and was immediately engulfed in a fresh wave of hugs.
"Harry, mate, I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever pop the question! I mean, you and Gin were an official couple a week before Hermione and Draco went on their first date! And look where they are now! They have Alexa and the twins on the way!" Ron said, laughing and smacking Harry on the back in a brotherly manner.
"Well, I just had to be 110 that she'd say yes," Harry said, which caused Ginny to give him a loud smooch on the lips.
"Harry, you could have asked me to marry you on the second date and I'd say yes without a second thought!"
Harry grinned sheepishly. "I thought that could have been the case."
"Well, I have cookies in the oven that I'll just get out, so everyone can sit here while I bring out the cookies and milk." Hermione said, waddling her way out of the room and to the kitchen. Sandra stood to help, but Draco held up a hand to stop her.
"If you go help her, she'll be upset for the rest of the day. I learned that she's still her independent self that we all love, even when she's pregnant with twins." Draco explained, and Sandra smiled meekly.
"She loved it when I would go do everything for her," Ron said, getting a playful slap on the shoulder in return. He only shrugged his shoulders and stood. "I'm going to go check on the two peas in a pod upstairs."
Hermione then entered the room, a full plate of cookies, eight cups, and a carton of milk hovering behind her in a perfect line. "I love nothing more than being a witch sometimes," Hermione said, evenly pouring the milk without lifting a finger into each of the cups, then took a cookie and a cup for herself and sat next to Draco, dwindling in the warmth of his comforting arm on her shoulder and his undying love for her.
Hermione watched almost like an outsider as Ron brought down the two little girls, who each took a cookie and began munching on it, talking amongst themselves and sharing their milk. Her eyes then fell upon the fresh love that comes from a newly engaged couple, their love for each other almost illuminating their faces. Her eyes then fell to Ron and Sandra, who were laughing loudly and playing with their baby, the love of a couple that would last a lifetime.
"I love you Hermione Malfoy," Draco whispered in her ear, bringing her back to reality. Hermione felt the familiar shiver race up her back as he planted a kiss on the back of her neck.
"And I love you, Draco Malfoy, with all my mind, heart, and soul."
Ok, I know it was short, and I know it wasn't beta-ed because I wrote a totally different ending, and hated it. I don't like this one either, it seems sloppy to me, but I have a new idea for a story that sprouted in my mind just like two days ago, but I knew I had to finish this one before I wrote the next one! So be looking for my next story TRUE LOVE NEVER DIES.
Ok, as I've promised, I have THANK YOU'S to give!
BiGgEsT tHaNkS tO mY bEtA fOxEr! YoU rOcK!
Ok, now for the rest of yous that deserve a shout...or two!
To those of you who have been with me from the VERY beginning sniff sniff:::
TennisPlaya278, Dracosprincipessa, Invisible2u, Prozacbunny, CitCat299, firehottie, Some12, and NitenGale
Special shouts to those reviews that made me smile ((from the last 3 chapters)):
Rinoa, Star of Dawn, Chico, Mojo the rock chick munchkin, Kou Shun'u, Crimson Enchantress, NotreDameGirlie, sisterhood-of-the-snake, and Aleesha
Special...remarks towards some reviews:
CitCat299: Yes, I know Brit Spears is a lil skank, but i really do love that song. she sucks at singing it...well, at singing a lot of stuff really. but that song means something to me, and i apologize if it totally ruined the whole entire story for you, but i just thought i'd let you know. i performed that song myself and felt it. the words go deeper than the skin ((if that makes sense)).
NotreDameGirlie ((to review for ch. 14)): I know the fortune cookie was a shot in the dark, but hey, they live in a magical world and anything can happen, right? oh, and i do believe i mentioned it being a far-fetched idea, but whatever. hmm...and sometimes the ideas i put really don't have anything to do with the story, but they pop in my head while i'm having an authors block, so i type them down!
Uh...i forgot what i was going to put here....lol
ANYWAY! Thank you ALL for reviewing! You don't know how much it means to me! Be watching out for my next fic ((which I think I'll be posting very soon)). And if anyone would like to help Foxer beta for me, let me know! I think more than one beta is a good thing!!!
Until my next fic...
VBC