Hello everyone! I know, I know..I said I would update a long time ago and never did. I am so sorry about that. I don't really have an excuse other than I got an Xbox and that consumed my life. Anyways, I know you all want to read the final chapter so here it is! I'm really happy to finally be done with this story after 7 months of writing it. I'm not sure when I'll have anything new out, but I hope it will be soon. I've yet to decide if it'll be another Dramione or if it will be a Fallout: New Vegas story (which haas become my new obsession).

Okay, on with the story!

June 30th, 1997

It was summer now. The heat was rising and the clouds were scarce. The school year had ended and all the students had gone home.

It had been close to five months since Dumbledore had fallen.

It had been five months since Draco had left Hogwarts forever.

It had been five months since Hermione's heart broke into a million pieces.

Hermione sat alone in her bedroom, back in the Muggle world. She was sad. So very, very sad. Her parents couldn't tell, of course, for she made it seem as if nothing had changed. Besides, she wanted her parents to be happy for the rest of the month. They wouldn't remember her come July 15th. On that night, she was meant to go to the Burrow until the 31st, Harry's birthday.

The months following Dumbledore's death were hard, but they brought Hermione back together with Ron and Ginny. They thought that since Draco was gone, she'd forget about him.

Oh, how wrong they were.

Draco was the only thing on Hermione's mind.

Was he safe? Did he miss her? Did he still love her?

Was he still alive?

Today was the day he was supposed to write to her with a place they could meet. It was nearing nine o'clock and the letter still hadn't arrived.

Hermione lied back against her wooden headboard and sighed. That letter is never coming, she thought. The lights in her room were off and the curtains were open, letting the sun's last bit of light in. She was so tired tonight, but really she'd been tired since the day he left. Hermione's eyes were starting to close. Just as she was about to completely drift off, she heard a small tap on her window.

Hermione leapt out of bed and ran to the window. There sat a beautiful, black eagle owl with a scroll of parchment attached to its leg with a piece of green ribbon.

Draco.

She opened her window and allowed entry to the owl. Hermione untied the ribbon and gave the owl a small treat before it flew off again.

Her hands were trembling as she sat back down on her bed, letter in hand. The sun had no more light, so Hermione turned on her bedside lamp.

She leaned back against her pillows and took a deep breath. Carefully, she unrolled the parchment.

Meet me in front of Gringotts at midnight. Wear something nice. I miss you. I love you.

Don't forget that.

Hermione felt alive for the first time in months. Although she still had three hours until midnight, she started to get ready. Hermione looked in her closet and was immediately disappointed.

"Lovely," Hermione said aloud. She shoved aside old tee shirts and dresses, and saw nothing she could possibly wear. Giving up for now, Hermione went to her bathroom and took a shower.

Draco sat in his bedroom. It was dark. The curtains were closed and the lights were off. A single candle was lit on the table next to his large, king-sized bed. He had already gotten ready to see Hermione and was now just wasting time. He knew it was risky to see her tonight, but he promised he would. His mother knew he wouldn't be home tonight, so she was going to make sure that people thought Draco was ill and sleeping. He was dressed in black pants and a grey, button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He couldn't wait to see her tonight. Ever since he left Hogwarts, his thoughts never strayed far from her. Draco hoped that she was safe, but knowing her, she was probably just as involved in this war as he was himself.

Draco looked at the clock on his desk. It was eleven o'clock now.

Almost time.

Hermione had put on a little bit of makeup and made her hair less bushy. She thought she looked… decent. Returning to her closet, Hermione decided that there must be something to wear in here. After searching and trying on clothes for another twenty minutes, it dawned on her. Hermione had bought a simple, green sundress at a store with her mum only a week ago. It was an impulse buy, but she only thought of Draco when she bought it. It was in a trunk at the end of her bed. Hermione took it out and put it on. She adjusted herself and gave herself a once-over in the mirror. Good enough, she thought. Hermione looked at the clock on the wall. It was 11:45. She decided that she should go now. Giving herself one more look in the mirror, Hermione grabbed her wand and her handbag. She looked once more at the clock; 11:47.

Time to go.

She disapparated.

Draco pushed his hair into place and looked at the clock.

11:47.

Narcissa was sitting in his desk chair.

Draco nodded at her and grabbed his wand and wallet.

He disapparated.

Hermione arrived in a dark alley around the corner from Gringotts. The street lights glowed and the moon was full. There was no one around, since it was only a Wednesday night. Hermione walked around the corner and stood in front of the old bank.

Draco wasn't there yet.

She looked up at the big clock in front of the building. 11:57, it read. Only three more minutes.

Draco appeared in the alley opposite from the one Hermione appeared in. Adjusting his shirt and taking no second thoughts, he stepped out into the moon light in front of the bank.

Hermione was facing away from Draco. He stopped for a moment before she heard him approaching. She was looking up at the moon, and she looked breathtaking, almost like she was glowing. Draco stopped his pursuit and just stared at her. Hermione turned around as she felt someone's eyes on her.

Her eyes locked with his and no words were spoken.

It was as if the world stopped spinning. Everything faded to black except for them. Nothing else mattered.

Draco's eyes took Hermione in, memorizing every detail of her. From her beautiful green dress to the way her semi-tamed hair was becoming very much untamed from the humidity.

And then he was smiling. A true, genuine smile of utter happiness.

His smile spread to her face and the corners of her lips turned upward.

Hermione took a single step forward, as Draco did the same.

They had yet to speak. Words weren't necessary, not yet anyways.

Hermione couldn't stand it any longer. She ran into Draco's waiting arms. He lifted her off her feet and spun her in a circle, her laughter echoing throughout the air.

It was the best sound Draco had ever heard.

He lowered her to the ground and stared into her eyes.

Hermione couldn't stop smiling. She looked from his eyes to his lips and back to his eyes.

Taking the hint, Draco leaned into her and kissed her with all the passion he had. Hermione kissed him back immediately and wrapped her arms around his neck.

It was bliss. Feeling his lips on hers was what she had been dreaming of since he had left. Now that it was finally happening again, Hermione couldn't contain her happiness. But alas, it did.

Draco pulled away from Hermione slowly and looked into her eyes. Merlin, how he had missed her eyes.

After a moment of breathless silence, Hermione spoke.

"I've missed you. So, so much," she whispered.

Draco smiled.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you. You're the only thing that's been on my mind since I left," Draco said.

"Same here. I was beginning to think you wouldn't write to me, it was getting so late when your owl came..."

"I know, I'm sorry. My father wouldn't let me leave the dining room until eight o'clock. I didn't have much time before then to send it."

"Well, at least we're here now. Together," Hermione smiled, "Why did you want to meet here, anyway?"

Draco looked uncertain for a moment.

"There's an inn just down the road from here that I used to stay at with my mother. The owner, Mr. Williams, has known me since I was just a kid. He knows about our…situation, and he promised me a room there tonight without letting anyone know."

Hermione averted her eyes from his. He really went through all that trouble for her? She looked back at him and nodded her head.

"Alright…let's go then."

Draco led Hermione down a dimly lit alley to a door that was hardly noticeable. He knocked three times before it opened just a crack. A man with white hair and a scruffy white beard looked out at the couple.

"Oh..Draco..come in, come in. Quickly now.." Mr. Williams said as he ushered Draco and Hermione inside.

"Thank you for doing this, Mr. Williams. You have no idea how much this means to me…to us," Draco said.

"No need to thank me. You know I would do anything for you and your mother. Here, this is the key to your room, the last one on the left side of this hallway. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the front desk."

Draco grabbed the key with one hand and grabbed Hermione's hand with the other. He led her down the small hall to Room 15. Draco looked at Hermione once before unlocking the door and leading her inside.

At this moment, Draco was starting to have second thoughts. What if she was getting the wrong impression by this? He really hoped not.

Hermione moved further into the cramped room and sat down on the bed. The room was small, but it was nice. There was a queen sized bed jammed into the middle of the room with a warm, red quilt across the top. There was a single lamp in the corner of the room that provided most of the light, other than from the window behind the bed. On the wall opposite the bed there was a large, wooden wardrobe. Cramped, but comfortable.

Draco closed the door and leaned against it. Hermione was looking at the wall in front of her. What were they to do now?

Draco sighed and stepped away from the door. Hermione hadn't moved an inch since she had sat down on the bed.

Draco cleared his throat as he stepped towards her. She looked into his eyes but didn't say a word. He sat down next to her on the bed. Still silence.

Neither said anything for what seemed like hours.

They broke the silence all at once. It was really Draco how started talking, but less than a second later so had Hermione.

They stopped their words and looked at each other, nervous smiles on bother of their faces.

After another moment of nervous silence, Draco started to speak.

"I've missed you terribly," was all he said.

Hermione smiled. She reached over and grabbed Draco's hand in her own.

And that was how they sat. Comfortable silence enveloped the room now. Draco looked over at Hermione. She was looking straight ahead at the wall. She looked so beautiful at that moment. The light in the room made her look as if she were glowing. Her hair, though she had done her best to tame it, was becoming fizzy once more.

Draco reached out to her and gently caressed her cheek, forcing her gaze to turn to his.

Hermione was nervous again. She wanted her reunion with Draco to be memorable and special. Her heart was beating so quickly that she thought it might burst. In Draco's eyes she saw a similar feeling. He was looking from one of her eyes to the other. Hermione figured it was now or never, and she knew she would regret it if she went the "never" way. She closed eyes and leaned in closer to him. Draco seemed to understand what she was about to do and followed her lead. He leaned in and closed the distance between them in the most passionate, loving kiss either of them had ever experienced.

Draco's hand, still on her cheek, moved to the back of her neck, drawing her even closer (if that were even possible).

Hermione moved her body so she was sitting completely on the bed, with her back against the pillows.

Draco moved his body so he was hovering over hers. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Positive," she replied.

Hermione pushed herself towards him. He captured her mouth with a kiss once more. This was the moment. Hermione was to give everything to Draco, something she had never done before. Draco, though he was no longer a virgin, still felt incredibly nervous. He loved Hermione and he didn't want to hurt her.

Draco reached for his wand to turn off the lamps in the room and light the few candles. Hermione moved herself under the covers, Draco following shortly after.

Draco woke up the next morning completely disoriented. His arm was draped across something warm and soft, but the bed was most definitely not his own. He opened his eyes only to be greeted with a brown mop of hair directly in front of him. And then he remembered last night, with Hermione. He smiled at that. She was still sound asleep with her back pressed firmly against his bare chest. Draco pulled her closer to him and drew circles across her abdomen with his finger. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep, he never wanted to wake her.

Alas, she woke up seconds later.

Hermione turned around in his arms and rested her head on his chest. Draco smiled down and the still half-asleep woman in his arms. He could really get used to waking up to her every day for the rest of his life. He thought so before when he had woken up next to her at Christmas, but now he knew for sure that he never wanted anyone but her.

Hermione stretched her legs and rolled on top of Draco. He eyed her suspiciously as she smiled down on him. They stayed like that for a moment, before Hermione leaned down and gave him a quick kiss and started chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Draco asked.

"Nothing's funny, I just couldn't help myself. Last night…all these months…do you realize how foolish we've been? This is so dangerous, and completely against the rules of society, but I really could not give less of a damn," Hermione said.

At that, Draco laughed right along with her.

"So what happens now?" he asked.

"Well, I'm going with Harry and Ron in July to start looking for horcruxes. Once we've gotten those, then the real battle will start. It's going to be a long couple of months. What about you? What happens next for you?"

"I'll go back to the Manor and try not to get killed, that's all I can do. I really wish you wouldn't go with Potter and Weasley…"

"I have to, Draco. They're my best friends."

"I know…just please…be careful."

"Aren't I always?"

"Hardly."

Hermione laughed again. It was going to be so hard to leave him now, now that they were finally together again.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked.

Draco looked at his watch sitting on the end table.

"Almost ten. We should probably get up," Draco said as he rolled himself over so he was on top of Hermione. She laughed and pushed him off onto the floor, where he landed with a thud. Hermione got out of bed a minute later and began searching for her dress, which was thrown away somewhere in the heat of the moment last night.

They dressed and left the room in silence. Draco took Hermione's hand and walked back to where they had met the night before. The streets were filled now, but no one seemed to notice them. They stopped in front of Gringotts.

"This is it then," Draco said.

"This is it," Hermione replied.

They looked into each other's eyes knowing this wouldn't be the last time they could do that. They would be together again. And when that happened, they sure as hell were not going to let anything separate them. They needed each other, and nothing was going to stop their love, not even a bloody war.

To hell with prejudice.

To hell with Voldemort.

To hell with society and standards.

This was the love of a lifetime, and they were not going to waste it.

Hermione grabbed the back of Draco's neck and pulled him down into a kiss full of passion and love and sorrow all at once. Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground.

Yes, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He wanted her to someday be his wife and the mother of his children. He could see it all now: her walking down the aisle, the birth of their first child, growing old together. Everything.

This was how it was meant to be.

Draco and Hermione.

Hermione and Draco.

They fit.

Those few moments of that perfect kiss came to an end. It was time to separate once more, but only for a little while.

Draco took Hermione's chin in his hand and wiped away a stray tear.

"I love you, Hermione. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you, too. Please, be careful."

"I will."

And with that, they disapparated at the same moment, their hearts heavy with love, happiness, sorrow, and hope.

Well that's it! Please let me know if you guys liked it! I want to thank all of my reviewers, and everyone that has favorited this story. It really means a lot to me to know that people actually like what I write. Thanks again!

Until next time!

-kiwilynn13