Last chapter of this story!! I'm almost crying!! I really really REALLY hope you all like it! I have enjoyed writing this SOOOO MUCH! I'd like to dedicate this (once again) to Miriamimus for being my first reviewer and...just for everything! I'd also like to dedicate it to q8iya because I love her so much and she is just so cool and she always made me feel so good about myself whilst writing this story! And last, but definitely not least, I'd also like to dedicate this chapter to Love2Love cos she's just SO AWESOME! And I can't help but giggle at her! I love all of you guys so much, and that goes for all of you reviewers! Thank you so much for making me feel good about my writing, and on my first story too! I love you guys so much! And I have a really good idea for my next story which I will be writing VERY SOON so...stay tuned! I love you guys so much! THANK YOU ALL!

Hannah Longbottom,
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Hermione Granger sat on her bed with her trunk open and all her things packed. She looked down at the slightly teetering pile of Horcrux books that she had just summoned from Dumbledore's office. Tears started to fall down her cheeks again as the name sprang to her mind. She couldn't believe that Albus Dumbledore was really dead. It just seemed to unreal. In fact, up until the funeral, she'd had a suspicion that she was just having a terrible nightmare, but she had seen it. She had seen the whole funeral. And that had been, unmistakably, Dumbledore's body.

Suddenly, she heard the door being opened, and Ginny walked in. Hermione didn't know this because she hadn't bothered to turn around.

"Hi," she said, in a surprisingly shaky voice. Ginny sounded so upset that Hermione turned around. She wasn't crying, but she didn't look very happy.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, walking over to her.

"Errm," Ginny started, still in that shaky voice. "Harry just broke up with me."

"Oh," Hermione gasped, putting her arm around Ginny. "Ginny, I'm so sorry. Did he say why?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, fighting back tears. "He said it was because You-Know-Who would probably try and get to him through me."

Well," Hermione started, slowly. "He is right. I mean, Voldemort did that once before and that was just because you were-"

"I know!" Ginny burst out. "I know! Because I was only his best friend's little sister! He said all that! I know he's right! But what if I don't care? That's what I said to Harry! What if I don't care what You-Know-Who does to me? I love Harry, and that's all that matters to me!"

"Yeah, and you being alive is all that matters to Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "Harry wants to be with you more than anything in the world, Ginny. That's why he ended things with you! Because he loves you too much for anything to happen to you! He'd never forgive himself!"

"I know you're right," Ginny said, after a long pause. "It's just that I love him so much!"

"I know," said Hermione, soothingly. "He loves you too. That's why he did it. What else did he say?"

"Basically that we'll be together after he's killed You-Know-Who."

"Oh, OK."

"Hey, I saw you with Ron earlier on!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Hermione, sheepishly.

"Oh come on, Hermione! He was stroking your hair!"

"He was just being friendly!"

"Exactly my point! Since when is Ron ever that friendly?"

"Oh yeah! That is true!"

"So what are you going to do?"

"About what?"

"About my loser of a brother!"

"Like what, exactly?"

"Like...looking gorgeous at Bill and Fleur's wedding!"

"Oh! Look who's had a change of heart about Fleur marrying Bill!"

"I know! But you saw her in the hospital wing. She did look pretty genuine."

"Yeah, she did. And what about Lupin and Tonks!?"

"I know!" Ginny exclaimed. "I did not see that coming! Although I had noticed that Tonks had been looking rather depressed lately."

"Yeah, so did I."

"So, you'll be doing your NEWTs next year! How weird is that?"

"Actually," Hermione said, slowly. "I won't be coming back next year."

"What?" Ginny asked, shocked. "How can you leave Hogwarts? What brought this on?"

"Well, Professor Dumbledore left Harry, Ron and I a sort of job to do."

"What is it?"

"I...can't really say. Sorry Ginny."

"It's OK. But, just to let you know, Mum is going to go mental. You're going to have a job convincing her to let Ron go. And what about your parents?"

"Oh, I'll sort them out somehow," said Hermione, not letting on that she already had a plan.

"OK. Well, I'm going to go. I have loads of packing to do. Are you coming on the Hogwarts Express?"

"Yeah, I'll see you there."

"Oh, and by the way," Ginny said, stopping on her way out the door. "I asked Luna to Bill and Fleur's wedding."

"Oh, really! Is she coming then?"

"Yeah, she said she'd love to! And she's coming with her dad."

"Oh, I've never met her dad! Do you know anything about him?"

"Nope. All I know is that he's got some really weird, long, complicated name. What was it again? Xegotilius? Xenogigius? Something like that anyway."

"Oh, he sounds interesting!" Hermione laughed.

"Yeah, just like Luna," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

About five minutes after Ginny left, the door opened again and Lavender walked in. When she saw Hermione, she gave her a small smile. Hermione very weakly returned it. Lavender started packing, her back to Hermione. Neither of them spoke to each other. Hermione tapped her fingers on her desk and Lavender seemed determined not to look at Hermione. With a sigh, Hermione decided to make the first move. After all, she didn't know when she'd see Lavender next.

She cleared her throat. "Errm..Lavender?" Lavender turned around slowly, apparently surprised that Hermione was saying anything. It was the first time she had spoken directly to her willingly for nearly a year.

"Yes?" she said, meekly.

"I just wanted to say...to say..."

"Hermione!" Lavender interrupted. "Please don't apologize."

"What?" Hermione asked, very surprised. Lavender had spent almost the whole year either upset or angry with Hermione, and now she insisted on not receiving an apology?

"This is all my fault," she went on. "I behaved horribly. I don't blame you at all for not speaking to me."

"But, you and Ron.." Hermione stuttered. "I mean, you and him broke up because of me!"

"It wasn't really because of you," Lavender sighed. "I mean, me and Ron would've broken up anyway over something else."

"But-"

"Hermione, he was always yours," she said, calmly. "You two are meant to be together. It's the way it's supposed to be. And I just got in the way, and I shouldn't have. My behaviour was...inexcusable. And I'm sorry." There was a long pause.

"Thank you," Hermione said, softly. "Thank you so much. And I am sorry."

"Hermione!" Lavender exclaimed. "Please, please don't be sorry! The last thing I want is for you to be sorry."

"Well, for the record, it's OK. You're completely forgiven. You're a really good friend, Lavender."

"I have been nothing but a terrible friend this past year!"

"Yes, but your apology just now. It must've taken a lot of courage for you to do that. Thank you."

"It's OK," said Lavender, and the two girls hugged.

"Right," Lavender said. "Now that that's over, can you two do us all a favour and go out with Ron?"

"What?"

"It's so obvious! You two are meant to be together! Now stop slowing it down and just go for it!"

"But you and Ron just broke up!"

"So? I'm with Seamus now."

"What? Oh, yes! Ginny and I saw you and Seamus in the library yesterday!"

"Did you?" Lavender asked, flustered. She had turned a bright shade of pink. "That's embarassing!"

"No, you guys look really good together! You looked really happy!"

"Really? Well, I am happy! Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"Between you and me, Hermione? I think I'm falling in love with him." Of all the things Hermione expected Lavender to say, this was not one of them.

"Really!?" she asked. "Since when?"

"Since...I don't know. Even when I was going out with Ron I felt something for him. I mean there were times I wondered why I was with Ron instead of Seamus? It just didn't make any sense to me."

"Yeah, you're not the only one!" Hermione laughed.

"So, when I was in the library with him, it finally made sense. I realized how much I really love him. And he told me he loved me as well."

"Wow! I'm really happy for you, Lav!"

"Thanks! I'm really happy too!"

"It's just such a shame that you two never got a chance during this whole year, though."

"Yeah, I know. Me and Seamus talked about that and we decided we're just going to do all we can to stay in touch over the summer. You know, send owls, meet up in Hogsmeade maybe, and Seamus and I are going to ask our parents if the other can stay!"

"Well, that's good!"

"Yeah. So, what are you going to do over the summer."

"Oh, well. Ron's brother, Bill and Fleur Delacour are getting married, so I'm going to be going to The Burrow for the wedding. And then, me, Harry and Ron are going to do a little bit of...travelling."

"Oh. Where are you going to?"

"I don't know really. Everywhere, I guess."

"Oh, OK. I probably won't see you over the summer, so Ill see you next year then?"

"Actually, no you won't." Lavender froze in the middle of packing and turned around.

"What?" she asked. "Your're leaving Hogwarts?"

"Yeah. Harry, Ron and I have some...stuff to do. It's really important."

"More important than your NEWTs? Oh my goodness! Hermione Granger is going to skip her NEWTs? Seriously!?"

"Yeah, well, there are more important things. Even more important than NEWTs," she said, as Lavender opened her mouth to argue once more.

After about half an hour, both girls were packed and changed, ready to leave and catch the train.

"Coming?" Lavender asked, opening the door.

"Yeah," said Hermione, panting because she had just lifted her extremely heavy trunk off her bed. She took one last look around the room, not knowing the next time that she'd set eyes on it. The two girls walked all the way to the platform with their arms linked, laughing merrily. Hermione felt very happy and very sad at the same time. She was happy to be on speaking turns with Lavender again, but she was also upset about leaving Hogwarts and Dumbledore's death. She was half-listening to what Lavender was planning to wear if she could go to Seamus's, but she was also thinking about something that Lavneder had said: "You two are meant to be together. It's the way it's supposed to be."

Maybe she was right. Maybe her and Ron were supposed to be together. I mean, Lavender hadn't been the first person to say so. Well, if that were the case, if it was meant to be, it'll be. She would be with Ron someday. Maybe it will be now, or maybe later. But they would be.

"So have you really always loved Ron?" Lavender asked, suddenly. "After all this time?"

"Yep," Hermione said. "I love Ron. I always have, and I probably always will." Lavender squeezed Hermione's hand gently and Hermione smiled. "Thanks, Lav."

"No problem," Lavender replied.

And as they walked, arms linked, towards the scarlet engine that was the Hogwarts Express, Hermione let herself get lost in thoughts of the red-haired idiot that she loved, as she stared up and up into the bright blue yonder.