'You're a good boy.' Draco smiled, any other time he would have hated a remark like that. But any other time his mother wouldn't have made it. 'Drop the stone,' the ghost whispered.

'I can't,' Draco whimpered, on the verge of fresh tears.

'Be strong, Draco. Let me go.'

Draco closed his eyes, about to drop the stone when a warm hand took it from his. He opened his eyes to see Dumbledore stood where his mother had been moments before.

'I sensed you were ready,' he answered Draco's unasked question, 'I have further use for it,' he added but offered no further explanation.

'Professor,' Draco began as they walked, 'What should I do?'

'The right thing,' Dumbledore replied, annoyingly wise as usual.

'But what is that?' Draco asked desperately.

'I think, in this case Draco, only you can decide,' the old wizard said.

xxx

They apparated back to the outside of the Hogwarts grounds and walked in silence to the scene where his mother's body still lay, protected by Ginny and Professors McGonagall and Snape.

'Draco, I do not wish to push you but you need to decide what is to be done with your mother's body,' Dumbledore stated in a respectfully quiet tone.

'I'd like to bury her somewhere peaceful,' Draco decided.

'Of course. By the lake?' Dumbledore suggested.

'Yes,' Draco confirmed.

'And do you want your father and aunt to be present?' Dumbledore asked.

'No!' the distraught boy shouted. Dumbledore nodded his white head calmly.

XxX

'Ginny!' Hermione squealed as the tired girl stepped into the common room, almost knocking her over as she ran to her. Ginny didn't reciprocate the girl's hug.

'I'm tired, Hermione,' she explained weakly, noticing Harry and Ron stand up behind Hermione. 'I just want to go to bed; I need to be strong for Draco in the morning.'

'The hell you do!' Ron growled. 'I forbid you to see him Ginny.'

'Who do you think you are Ron? Mum? No! You can't tell me who to see!' the flame haired girl fired up.

'But you can't actually like him, he must have you under the Imperius Curse,' he retorted, speaking as though his sister were mad.

'And how would you know how I feel, how he feels Ronald? You have no idea what he's been through. You have no idea about anything!'

'But-'

'No! I love him and there is nothing you can say or do to change that!'

With that Ginny ran to her room, away from her brother's maddening inquiries.

xxx

'I just want to see her Potter, that's all.'

'No chance Malfoy, you've done enough damage.'

'Damage?' Malfoy screeched hysterically, 'What damage have I caused her?'

'Nothing. Yet. And you won't have the chance Malfoy,' Harry spat.

Hermione stood behind Harry surveying Draco while Ron merely stood close with his wand in the air, probably trying to look threatening. She noticed he looked tired, ill, stressed. More so than ever before.

'Draco, what's happened?' she asked tentatively. They had been told nothing of what had happened with Ginny and Malfoy during the past week.

'How dare you talk to me you mudbl-' He stopped suddenly as Ginny stepped out from behind the Fat Lady's portrait. 'Ginny,' he smiled.

'Draco, were you about to call Hermione a Mudblood?'

'No I...' he sighed in defeat as she raised an eyebrow. 'Yes. I'm er, I'm sorry,' he said, more to Ginny than Hermione. Ron's mouth dropped open giving him a rather gormless look.

'Hermione asked you a question Malfoy,' Harry stated, trying to regain the Slytherin's attention. 'What has happened? If Ginny has been hurt in any way-'

'Harry, do I look hurt to you?' Ginny interrupted. Harry looked like he wanted to create a fuss but gave in and shook his head. 'Right. Now I appreciate your concern but Draco and I need to talk,' she decided, taking Draco's hand and leading him off.

Harry turned to the other two.

'We need to see Dumbledore,' he said firmly, also turning to walk off.

'Yeah, Dumbledore. Good idea. Just what I was going to suggest,' Ron mumbled hurriedly. Hermione and Harry both looked at Ron incredulously. 'What?' he shrugged.

'Come on!' Harry sounded exasperated.

XxX

'How are you?' Ginny asked an extremely quiet Draco. He looked at Ginny, his face empty. 'I'm sorry, that was a stupid question,' she apologised.

'Not at all,' he attempted a smile, but failed, 'You're just concerned. And i do appreciate it,' he added.

They stopped walking and sat by the lake. Draco stared at a single white lilly on the ground next to him.

'Is that-?' Ginny stopped, not wanting to upset the fragile boy. He just nodded. 'You haven't marked it?' she asked rather than stated.

'No. My family isn't exactly well liked,' he explained, 'I didn't want any harm to come to her body, vandalism etc.'

'I understand,' she whispered, taking his cold hand.

'Ginny, you do know all I want is to take care of you, yes?'

'Why do I feel a but?'

'We can never stay here.' His words made Ginny frown in confusion.

'But everyone knows about us now. Surely we're safe?'

'No,' Draco shook his head, 'as long as the Dark Lord is still at large we will never be safe. Not to mention my parents. Father,' he corrected himself reluctantly, 'and Bellatrix. Your family hate me. Then there's Harry. It's obvious he is in love with you Ginny, that doesn't help his hatred of me. Plus they all think I'm still evil.'

'You're not?' she asked quietly.

'No. I can never be that person again, which is why we need to go into hiding. Preferably in the muggle world,' he added with a slight grimace.

'I'll stand by you Draco,' Ginny promised, still holding his now unusually warm hand.

xxx

Dumbledore put Draco into hiding until the war was over and only he and Ginny knew where he was. After the war Ginny married Draco and they lived alone in the muggle world for Draco's protection. When Ginny was 23 she gave birth to their first child, a girl whom they called Poppy Narcissa Malfoy. The Weasley's never quite loved Draco but they came to accept Ginny's relationship with him in time. Draco never saw or contacted his father again. Rumour had it he committed suicide after Molly killed Bellatrix.

When Draco died at the age of 87 Ginny visited his grave every day until she too died at the age of 91. Their daughter delighted in repeating her parent's life story to her children, and they to theirs and so on.

THE END.

A/N well that's it; Emily has just finished this fanfiction off beautifully. On behalf of the both of us I would like to say a very big thank you for every single review, it was so lovely to hear that you were all enjoying this. I'm quite sad this one is finally over if I'm honest…but don't worry we have some more stories coming up; keep an eye on our collab account…

Disclaimer: We have never claimed to own anything from this fanfic…why would we start now?