BL 28: Rest In Peace (Epilogue)

Hi readersss :) Last chapter of Bloodlust! Thank you all so much for the support- please meet me at the bottom of the page! Enjoy this one xx

You won't find faith or hope down a telescope
You won't find heart and soul in the stars
You can break everything down to chemicals
But you can't explain a love like ours.
-Science and Faith, The Script

(A First Person Narration)

"Do you want this?" Draco called from second floor landing. Hermione, who was sitting cross legged on the floor at the foot of the staircase, looked up. Draco was holding out a grey blanket with frayed edges.

"That- that was my father's." She said, smiling sadly. She squinted in his direction. "It's the same color as your eyes."

He chuckled. "You had to squint to know that?"

She stuck her tongue out at him while tying her short hair up. "It's really old and- dusty- I have many blankets so- you can put it outside." She looked down at the books spread out in front of her. They were at Hermione's parents house, finally sorting through the things- separating what she wanted with what she was letting go of.

Draco frowned and came down the stairs. "You can keep it, you know? There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep it." She looked up at him, sadness but strength in her eyes.

"I already have enough of their things, Draco." She said. "I need to let go. It's what the past year has been about, isn't it?" He sat down beside her and reached out to hold her hand.

"I'm really proud of you for finally doing this, Hermione." He said, squeezing her hand. She smiled at him softly.

"I'm happy I've finally found the strength to do it. I couldn't have done it alone."

"We wouldn't have let you do it alone." He said.

Theo appeared at the top of the staircase, dressed in clothes as old and dirty as the others'. "Are you guys done here?"

Hermione and Draco looked around the living room, devoid of everything but a few photo frames and a coffee table and sofa. She looked at him. "Yeah, I think we are."

Theo nodded. "We have the things you want to keep in your old bedroom and everything else outside in the backyard or front garden."

"Thank you, Theo." Hermione said, standing up. It was typical that she was keeping all the books. Draco helped her gather them and put them into boxes.

They carried the few boxes between them and with Theo's help, took them outside to the front garden.

"Hermione! Hurry up upstairs!" A voice called from the second floor. They entered the house again to see Pansy, paint smeared in her hair, leaning against the railing of the second floor landing, grinning. I smiled at how happy Pansy looked. "The boys are creating a complete mess of the guest room!" The three downstairs hurried up the staircase and I followed them. They were splattered with paint as soon as they entered the guest room.

Blaise, Ernie, Harry and Ron were throwing paint at each other while Pansy stood at one side, trying to shield herself.

"Boys!" Hermione cried. Movement ceased and all eyes turned to Hermione, guiltily.

"Well, you gave four immature boys buckets of paint and left them in a room without supervision, what did you expect?" Draco laughed. I had to agree. The four were as immature as the four year olds at Luna's newly opened orphanage.

"Do you see this place?" Hermione said, throwing her arms out to gesture at the multi coloured walls.

"Yes, it's a masterpiece." Blaise chuckled, his clothes wrecked with paint. Hermione shook her head, a smile appearing on her face.

"You guys are impossible!" She grinned.

"And yet you love us." Blaise passed her and ruffled her hair, putting dark blue paint on to it. Harry, Ron and Ernie laughed, leaving the room as well.

"We're starting with the living room now- hurry on downstairs if you want it to look decent!" Harry called.

"So we have one light blue room, one grey room and one multi-coloured one." Pansy shook her head, trying to wipe away the paint on her bare feet against the plastic covered floor.

The four of them headed downstairs, chuckling. I went with them.

We stopped on the staircase when we heard a loud splash followed by a shrieked out "RONALD WEASLEY!" and then boisterous laughter. And then another loud splash followed by Ron's yelling "WHAT THE HELL, GEORGE?!"

I followed them as they ran outside to the front garden. The grass had been recently redone, with magic of course, and a little lake built at the side. Hayley and Ron were in the water, outraged and completely soaked.

Pansy pulled Hayley out of the lake while Ron stumbled out. Everybody was laughing hysterically by this point.

"We have work to do, you incompetent fools." Draco said loudly. "Get back inside."

"Always the polite one." Harry said, putting his arm around Ginny, who was holding one year old James in her arms and bouncing him while he laughed loudly with the others. I remember when they were discussing names for the little kid and they considered Seamus. Seriously, I was flattered and all but Seamus Potter just doesn't sound right.

"Is this place done?" Blaise asked, wiping his hands on his pants.

"We sealed the boxes that are going to be taken away." Luna said, patting the large box beside her. "We just have to finish painting the first floor and we'll be mostly done."

"Let's get a move on, then." Ernie said, heading back to the house. The others followed close after him. I stopped at the doorstep and turned around to see Ron snag Hayley's wrist and pull her towards him. She looked surprised for a second before smiling.

"Yes, Ronald?" She said. He brought his face closer to her's.

"I'm glad you're back from your trip." He said, his arms tight around her waist. Hayley had gone to visit her aunt in Italy and stayed there for a month, much to the dismay of our very own Ron Weasley. Who would've guessed, huh?

"Missed me, did you?" She asked, tilting her head up until her nose was brushing his.

"Not one bit." He said, moving closer. I smiled and turned to enter the house. At one side, Fred and George were painting James and a six year old boy blue while the two children giggled.

"George, don't you dare paint my son!" Ginny cried from across the room.

"Just make sure it doesn't get in Lance's eyes." Luna smiled, rolling paint over the wall beside the fireplace. I watched as Blaise came up behind Luna and snaked his arms around her waist. She turned to look over her shoulder and Blaise pressed his forehead against her's. The two had been living together since the war ended and started an orphanage with all the children left alone. They had taken Lance in as their own, adopting him and making him a Zabini. When Blaise had asked her if she wanted Lance to be a Lovegood instead, she had simply smiled and said "What's the point? I'll eventually ask you to marry me." It hadn't been done yet but I knew for a fact that Blaise had a ring ready.

Neville was helping Theo and Draco carry the kitchenware packed in boxes outside and Hermione had moved to grab James from Fred and George, who were drawing whiskers on the poor child's face.

"You are not giving my godson rashes!" She scolded. "And for gods sake, paint will you!"

"We are painting!" George said, grinning cheekily. "Just not the walls."

"Can't we just use magic?" Ron asked, entering the living room with Hayley.

"I agree! We've done most of the house the muggle way. Can we please please use magic for the rest?" Blaise asked, splitting away from Luna.

"Pleaseeee!" Ernie wined and Pansy shared a smile with Hermione, who sighed.

"Fine." She finally gave in, throwing her hands in the air. "One floor is good enough."

"Good. I'm starving." Ron exclaimed, heading straight for the backyard where the packed sandwiches were. Some things never changed- one of them was Ron's appetite.

"Is there enough food for us?" A voice said from the door. I turned to see Charley and Evvie standing there. Danny, I knew, was out on a date with Rachel. She had been a great support for him when Carsius had died.

"Charley! Evvie! Of course there is!" Hermione grinned, her fingers brushing her arrow-shaped pendant and she, Draco and Pansy went to hug the two beauticians. Well, ex-beautician for Charley. He worked at the Ministry while Evvie opened a salon in the rebuilt Hogsmead. The two were married and Evvie was expecting her first child in four months.

As everybody headed to the backyard, Hermione stopped Draco. He turned to her questioningly.

"Thank you." She said softly, looking down at her fidgeting fingers. He reached out and stilled her hands and she refrained from fidgeting again just as she had been practicing.

"What for?" He asked.

"Helping me buy the house and-" She waved her arms around the place, "-everything. I never thought I'd be able to do this." Her throat constricted and she was in his arms in an instant.

"Don't mention it." He said. A throat cleared at the door and they split apart. I grinned at the two newcomers.

"You came." Hermione whispered, surprised.

"How could we miss it, dear?" Narcissa smiled warmly and Hermione ran up to hug her. She looked at Lucius, who was looking as regal as ever.

"You came too." She said, smiling.

"Yes, well-" But before the older man could say anything, she hugged him around the waist, causing Draco to release a bark of laughter and Narcissa to chuckle at the Malfoy patriarch's stunned and uncomfortable expression. He awkwardly patted her on the back and she stepped away.

"Thank you. All my friends are here but-" She wiped at the tears gathering in her eyes, "-but you both being here is a thing on its own and- it means a lot to me." It made me immensely happy to see that Hermione was no longer a girl who thought she had no direct family. She was no longer the pre-bloodlust girl who thought that she could sacrifice herself because she didn't have a family to love her like the others' did. This Hermione had not only found a family in her new friends, but the two Malfoys as well. They treated her like their own and she couldn't have been more happier. She really couldn't.

They entered the back yard together and everyone smiled and waved at the Malfoys. Pansy, as usual, hugged Lucius to the point of discomfort- which wasn't difficult in the old man's case.

"Two within a minute." He mumbled. Pansy laughed loudly and turned to Hermione.

"You hugged him?" Hermione nodded, grinning and Pansy high-fived her. "That's my girl!" And those were both my girls. I looked towards Draco and wished that I had a way to thank him. I had told him to take care of them and not once had he not done as I asked. They were safe and I would be eternally grateful.

Hermione, Draco and Pansy had been living together in a three bedroom apartment in muggle London since the war and had grown to depend on eachother even more than before. The girls, along with Luna, had taken serious counseling with a Wizard in the muggle world who had contacted them and though Pansy still had a few sessions left, they were doing much better. They felt safe together, they felt happy together and most importantly, they felt complete together.

"Theo, how's your boyfriend doing, darling?" Narcissa asked, floating up to him. The boy blushed as everybody wolf-whistled. Theo had come clean about his attraction and though it had been difficult for him to face people at first, things had eventually become much easier and he was finally comfortable with everybody once again. "Muggle boy, isn't it? You must introduce us!"

"I agree!" Ginny said, crossing her arms over her chest. "We keep hearing about him but you've never shown him to us."

"He'll get scared away." Blaise laughed, earning a slap upside the head from Luna. "What? It's true! We're bloody insane people!"

Hermione didn't flinch at the word. She laughed with the others. I wished I could hug her.

"Hey, I need to get going." Neville said, his hands in his pockets. He had smile on his face but his eyes were sad. Goodbyes were said and he headed back into the house. Pansy excused herself and hurried after him. I followed them.

"Neville!" She called. He stopped and turned around at the center of the living room. "Hi." He smiled at her. "I really wish you would listen to us."

He sighed and his smile vanished. "I can't- it wont- Pansy, it won't help!" He said, running his hand tiredly through his hair. She walked towards him and came to stand in front of him.

"You're my best friend. I wouldn't ask you to do anything that I thought would hurt you and not help you. I know it's difficult- Merlin, I know!" She said, tears gathering in her eyes. "But you can't just- not do anything. It's been an year, Neville. Moving on was the hardest thing I ever had to do. But I got help and I managed it. I still think about Seamus, Neville." My heart broke and I wished so badly that I could be there for her. "I still think about him but it isn't so painful anymore." I was glad. So glad. "It doesn't hurt as much as it used to. Sometimes it does, yes- that's inevitable. But I'm- I'm okay. And I want you to be okay as well."

Neville stared at her for a few moments before nodding. "Okay."

"Okay?" She asked, a little surprised.

He nodded again before pulling her into a hug. "I'm tired of hurting." She hugged him back, rubbing his back comfortingly.

"I know." She said. "But it'll be okay. I promise." It would.

They held each other for a few more seconds before he released her, kissed her cheek and left. She stared after him. They had grown to become very close and while at first, everybody thought they would turn out to become more, they never did. Neville was too broken over Hannah and Pansy was simply too broken.

"You alright?" She spun around and I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. I smiled. If there was another person I wish I could thank, it was Ernie Macmillan. He had been there for her. It was as simple as that.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," She said and I knew that the smile on her face was forced. He knew it too.

"Okay." He nodded, accepting her lie. It was like this a lot. He didn't push her. Even when he knew that she was lying, he would not push her. He would wait patiently for her to tell him what was wrong in her own time and it was inevitable that she did. He was always there for her. So were the others, yes. But he was there an extra mile. That was the difference between him and Neville, I guess. While Pansy was there for Neville, it was difficult for Neville to be completely there for her- something that Ernie was. Other than that, the other difference was that Ernie loved her.

It wasn't difficult to see. He knew it, she knew it, everybody knew it. They could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her. But he never said it to her- he knew it would put pressure on her and he refused to make anything difficult for her. She was broken and he wouldn't stop until she was fixed. And I knew for sure that he planned on someday putting a ring on her finger. No matter how long it took.

"You'll come outside then soon?" He said, not wanting to leave her alone. She nodded and as soon as he turned, her smile vanished and her lower lip began trembling.

"Ernie-" She choked out. He spun around instantly but didn't move forward. He waited. "Could I-" She fidgeted with her fingers and then stopped as soon as she started.

Her face crumpled and he strode forward and put his arms around her back and pulled her to him. Her arms went around his neck and she just breathed him in, trying to steady her breathing and prevent further breakdown. And as usual, she did. With him, she never failed to. I noticed that everybody was a out to enter the house again but immediately returned to the backyard when they saw the two inside.

Later that day, when the painting was complete and the sandwiches were over- thanks to Ron- everybody stood inside the house, saying their goodbyes and promising to meet again soon. Everybody left until Draco, Hermione, Pansy and Ernie remained.

The latter two were removing the plastic from the floor when Hermione came across the picture she had taken from the house to the Resistance an year ago. It was sitting on the mantle and she picked it up, staring at her parents' faces.

"What do you think they would have said?" Draco asked, coming up behind her.

"About what?" Hermione asked.

"If-" He hesitated a bit before stepped closer, "if they heard that I loved their daughter." Hermione froze and turned around slowly to look at him, her mouth open in surprise.

He smiled slightly. "Maybe your father would hit me with one of those muggle baseball bats. And-"

Hermione shook her head, silencing him. "I know what they would do."

"Yeah? What's that?" He asked softly.

"They would thank you for bringing their daughter back to life." She looked up at him, smiling. He smiled back and slowly and gently pressed his lips against her's for a moment before pulling away.

"About bloody time." Pansy grinned. I couldn't help but smile with the four as well. She suddenly turned her head and looked around and her eyes lingered around the spot where I stood before her eyebrows furrowed. I held my breath.

"You okay?" Ernie asked, worriedly. She stared at where I was for a second more and then turned to Ernie, smiling brightly.

"I'm perfect." She said. And she genuinely looked like she was telling the truth. I looked at the four of them, laughing and teasing each other and I sighed contentedly. Calyx would often ask me what i would want to change about the past but firstly, it wouldn't actually change the past and second, I wouldn't want to change anything. Somewhere in my heart, I wish I was with them- alive. But above everything, I'm content with where I am. I'm happy. And so are they. I know that I fought for a cause. I died for a cause. Nobody is hurting any longer, nobody is in danger any longer. They're safe, happy and alive. That alone is enough to keep me alive- though not physically. That alone is enough to know that my sacrifice was worth it and that alone is enough to help me finally rest in peace.

I dont know how or where to start. I started Bloodlust because of that one scene from Hunger Games where Katniss thinks Peeta is dead and is running through the forest and finally when she finds him, she hugs him and it was just such an intense scene and I SAW Dramione in that. I knew I needed a story where I could have that happen to Draco and Hermione and then I thought- I've been forever looking for a Dramione version of the Hunger Games so why not I write one myself? I started it off just as a one-shot, unsure if I'd continue it and unsure if people will like it but you guys did and I ended up making this 28 whole chapters!

Bloodlust, for me, has been one of the best stories I've written- in terms of characters and scenes and emotions and I actually finished this entire story last year middle because I got so excited with it and had an overload of ideas that I had to finish up the story with while they were fresh in my head. I'm so glad that everything has worked out exactly as I wanted it to and I've said it so many times before but I'll say it again- this would have been IMPOSSIBLE without you all. You've constantly supported me by reviewing and reading and giving me feedback and I couldn't have asked for better readers. I've had a few of you telling me that this is better than the original HG, or that I've converted you to a Dramione shipper, or that I should become a writer when I grow up- honestly, it made me more happy than you could possibly imagine because it all meant SO much to me. So I've gone back from chapter 1 all the way till 27 and got out all your names to thank you and I really hope I haven't missed anybody- if I have, please let me know and I'll put you in asap! It's taken ages to go back and get the names so it's possible I might've missed people :( I love you all so I hope I havent!

Thank you:

Biekatchuu, Kaliana Silver , vickifay , VanillaKisses96,emowifey1 , LadyChatterley , MirandNack, LC003, greendiamond123, morganastark221b , LiveLifeLikeMe , pseidelcenteno12 , Jade-Queen of Fantasy, TheBigBadWolf7491, potterhead997 , DramioneAgainstAllOds, Zeraco GarFelton , Divergent-Slytherin-Victor , Wolness , lovemya2000 , Karen, GakuenLME, MDIlikewhoa, Ranethelonewolf, snowdapple13 , -Lennon , Tina, LiveLifeLikeMe, Legend-waitforit-Harry , Lady Featherweight , charliesunshine , LovelyAshes , Embers and Flame, Mylla-chan , luvjily, 3yo0oshy, kamarooka , MunchkinsNarglesandLuna , Claire, The- artistic- bookworm , .31, MrsBurns , LiveLikeThere'sNoTomorrow74 , dancingmicrobes , Maudie Stirling , feltsmandy , Lady in Red , Chowdowow , Zeraco GarFelton, Ellie , EllaChocolate , mssweetychessgir , Gaia-sama , userofthedarkside , SRFallen , Chacha Cyrus, justanotherfangirl0509 , TheShiningStar, UndercoverFan and all the guests!

I hope you enjoyed Bloodlust as much as I enjoyed writing it and its finally over. Who knows, though, I might end up writing small pieces of what happens after BL and post those as well! I know that the last chapter's first person narration might have come as a slight shock because it was in Seamus' POV but I really just wanted to do something different and I feel like Seamus deserved a chapter in his POV after everything he did for them. I wanted to wrap up not just the survivors' stories but his as well.

So thank you yet again, everyone. I will forever be grateful for all your support. Please keep reading my fan fiction as I keep posting it and I promise I will try my best not to disappoint you! Bloodlust was an amazing journey and I'm glad I undertook it.

Signing-off,
FeltonLewis xx