The Ending of Harry Potter

Chapter 3

A few weeks after our conversation, I was outside picking flowers out of the garden to place on the dinning room table, kitchen counter, and various table and night stands through out the house. Harry was upstairs trying to apparate and Draco was standing at the door staring at me. I turned and noticed him. He gave me a little scare. My face went red because I was singing a Muggle song a little louder than I should have been. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Since your solo." He had that Malfoy smirk on his face. That one that I could have hexed off of him a million times before, but now it just makes me laugh. He walked towards me and took the basket of roses and daises from my hands and sat them on the ground. The smirk had vanished and now the serious Malfoy glare was on his face, "I want to talk to you."

We went and sat on the bench were the three of us had been not too long ago. "Hermione, Harry has asked me to do a lot of things when he's gone. And I told him that I would but I need to know that you'll let me. Because all of the things involve you."

I had a small feeling of what he was talking about. I knew it had to do with that conversation that we had had. "Like what?"

"He wants me to...he wanted me to be...oh, Hermione, when he's gone he wants me to help you raise the baby. He wants me to marry you, to be your husband. And I know that you don't want-..."

I held my hand up to stop him from talking. His lips were moving a little bit too fast. "He wants us to get married after the war?" Draco nodded. "Wait, how do you know about- that's a stupid question. Have you told anyone about the baby?" Draco shook his head. I had wanted to wait until after we had gotten married but sometimes things can't wait. I looked away from Draco. I didn't know what to say.

"Hermione, I'll understand if you don't want to do this?"

"You want to do this?"

"In a way. I think it's mainly because it's what Harry wants, but I do want to be there for you. You have become one of my closest friends and I do love you, and I feel that this love could evolve into the kind that we both share with Harry but I don't want to be in the same position I'm in with him...I just don't want to fall for you and live like this for the rest of my life."

"Draco, I don't know what to say. I mean after Harry's gone I'm going to need all the help that you can give me and I will look to you for most if not all my support. I guess we'll have to see where this goes." I stood up and walked away from Draco. "Why won't he talk to me about this?"

"Because he doesn't want to bring you down.'

"Then why bring you down?"

"He's not bringing me down. Hermione, I'm as far down as I can get. Things can only go up from here. I welcome any conversation I have with him. And if it helps him feel better to talk about it to me then he can wake me up in the middle of the night, interrupt me from anything that I'm doing to get all of this off his chest, then so be it."

"Well, I guess I'll have to talk to him." I turned and looked at Draco. "I want him to talk to me about this stuff too. Draco, I think about it constantly."

"Funny, that's the reason that he doesn't say anything to you, he doesn't want you to think about it constantly."

We both laugh at the irony. I took off my gardening gloves and went to him. I took his hand and kissed his cheek, "How can you do this? How can you stay here and see us this way? Draco it kills me to do anything in front of you-..."

"Don't let it Hermione. It only hurts a little. Once I see the smile on his face and I know that he's happy it's okay. We've talked about it and I told him the same thing. Time is running short. You and he have only so many days left and you don't know how many that is. You have to live each and everyone to the fullest. Hermione once he's gone your going to think about all the times that you didn't have, all the things that you didn't do, that you should've said, that you had chance to say but didn't because I was in the room. Don't hold back because of me. Don't let me stop you from being with him."

Draco was crying. He really loved seeing Harry happy. He really wanted to be with Harry but knew that he couldn't. And I think that hurt me more than doing anything with Harry in front of him. To know that's how he felt, that's how he thought, it was really sad to see those tears fall down that beautiful porcelain face. It was tragic to say the least.

Later that night, after all the flowers were in their place. (Draco helped me.) Harry and I lay in bed. I laid my head on his bare shoulder and he ran his hand through my hair. I had to ask him, I had to talk to him about all the things that he talked to Draco about. "Harry?" I leaned up and saw that he had tears in his eyes. He turned his head and looked down at me, the tears fell down the side of his face and hit the pillow. I wiped them away and smiled sadly. "Talk to me. Tell me why you're crying." He scooted back to prop himself up on the pillow. I sat up in an Indian style beside him. He took my hand and guided me to straddle his lap. He took my hands and held them on his bare stomach. "Hermione, Draco told me what the two of you talked about, and I'm sorry for never talking to you about it but you're always so happy and I never wanted to see that smile fade."

I took one of my hands from him and wiped his tears away. "Harry, I'm about to be your wife. I need you to talk to me about these things. That's why I'm here. I'm to support you and comfort you and love you and have your babies." We both smiled. I lay down on his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. "Hermione, if you need help with anything, I want you to turn to Draco for it. I want him to take my spot. I know that it's something that needs to be planned since we're about to have a baby. And he or she will need a father. Draco would be more than able to give the both of you what you need."

I pulled out of his grip and took my previous position of sitting on him. "Harry, if it's what you want then I'll do it. But what if we fall in love? Draco already told me that he could feel that his love for me would evolve into something...more."

"I would be more than happy if the two of you fell in love. I would rather the two of you be in love with each other than the two of you fall in love with someone else and never see each other again because of your schedules and significant others. You need each other. You know you do."

I lay back on to his chest. His arms went back around me. "There is something that I want to ask of you. And I'm more than alright with hearing 'no' and not doing anything but I knew that if I went ahead and done it and you found out, you'd be furious."

"You want one more night with Draco don't you?"

I pulled away and looked up at him. He was so certain that I was going to say no. "I'll understand Hermione-..." I put my finger to his lips. "Harry, I want you to be happy more than anything. I want you to live everyday to it's fullest...a wise blonde told me that earlier. I want you to have one more night with him before we get married, but after that..."

Harry removed my finger from his lips. "I would never think of cheating on you after were married, never." "Well, then you have 1 month." I knew that if I didn't let them have their night then there was really no telling what exactly would happen. Draco said it himself earlier that day, that he was already at bottom and I'm scared that after it's all done and Harry's gone that Draco was going to go too. I didn't want to lose both of them...I couldn't lose both of them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The wedding was incredible. It was after school had been let out and all the Gryffindors, several Ravenclaws, and a few Hufflepuffs were there. My parents had loved Harry from the moment they meet him and they still loved him. They were crying the hardest...next to Draco and Dumbledore of course. Apparently, the Headmaster had a soft spot for weddings. Kingsley Shacklebolt was the one to marry us. It was rather fitting. Kingsley had told Harry some time ago that he thought that he would marry me one day and here we were, getting married.

Mrs. Weasley had made my dress for me. I was white silk and had no seems. Draco came up with the design. It was sleeveless and had a low back. My hair was swept up and in curls. Ginny had picked fresh flowers for everything that morning. Every bouquet and boutonnière was a fresh Gryffindor red rose, except for our Slytherin counterpart, his boutonnière was a green rose. So picky.

We announced the news of our baby at the reception. Everyone was more than ecstatic about the new comer. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Tonks were already planning the baby shower.

Draco came up to me as I was talking to Remus about some lesson he gave us back in third year. "You don't mind if I steal the beautiful lady away from you do you, Remus?" Remus smiled and kissed my cheek. "Do have fun and please take it easy, no dipping, could harm the little one." Remus' smile was even bigger. Draco and I walked out on the dance floor and began our dance.

He bent down and whispered in my ear, "Thank you, Hermione." He pulled away and those beautiful gray blue eyes were watered up. I knew what he was talking about. "I done it for you more than for him." Draco was shocked at my statement. It was true. Draco needed that night more than Harry and Harry only asked for it so he could give Draco peace. "We both did. Albeit, not knowingly but we did." Draco smiled even more and broke the dance pose and hugged me while we turned in circles. "That's the best thing the either of you could have given me." I smiled and wiped his tears away. "Stop crying. I'm the one who's supposed to be crying not you!" We laughed and smiled. There was no need for words after that. We finished our dance and before we pulled away from each other we saw the man of our dreams standing beside us. "Do you mind if I steal the lovely lady, Dray?" "Actually, I do, but since she is your wife, I guess I can over look it this one time." Draco and Harry hugged each other and Harry took my hands. The band stopped playing the song that they were playing and started a new one. The song that would forever be named 'Harry and Hermione's Song'; 'At Last' by Etta James. It seems that Harry had been trying to think of a really good classic song to be 'our' song and with the help of the lovely blonde known as Draco he found it sifting through Draco's old CD's. It was on the soundtrack to a movie that Draco claimed he never watched...yeah, right...and he couldn't help but fall in love with it at the end... "You smiled and then the spell was cast..." He said it fit perfectly.

But to say that the night ended perfectly would be the biggest exaggeration. I threw the bouquet and Ginny caught it. She ran over to Neville and smiled real big and Neville gave her a nervous look. Everyone was clapping and hooting when it died down and there was still this lone clapping. Everyone turned and found the one making the noise. Ron was standing there. His hair had grown out long and wasn't as vibrant as usual. His eyes were as cold as normal. He had on these black robes that made him very pale and very evil looking. There were many Aurors in the building. They all had their wands drew and pointed at Ron. He stopped clapping and smiled an evil little smile. Harry was standing in front of me and Draco was standing in front of him. Ron took a step into the reception hall. "My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. Beautiful wedding dress, Hermione." I hide further behind Harry. I was too scared for words.

Mr. Weasley walked a few paces towards him. "Ron, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Ron's face grew a little darker, a little more evil. "Ask all you want, I won't go. See, I was there friend for a really long time, 6 years was it, guys? I think I have every right to be here and watch this...joke of a marriage start." Ron noticed Draco. "And look it's my replacement...Draco Malfoy...how your daddy is so proud to have a faggot for a son!" Harry held Draco back. I was outraged. How could he say that...never mind...he was an ass for saying that! I pushed through Draco and Harry. "You little weasel! You still haven't gotten over it have you?!" Harry grabbed my hand and said in my ear, "Hermione, no." I ignored him. "You are not going to ruin the best day of our life! GET OUT!" Harry and Draco both had a hold on my hands. Harry reached his hand to my stomach and said loud enough for Ron to hear, "Hermione this isn't good for the baby."

Ron's face grew a deep shade of red. "Baby? The Boy Who Lived and his little slut are going to have a baby!" Harry began to walk towards Ron and didn't stop, no matter how many people tried too, until he was nose to nose with Ron. "Get out, now." Harry said it with a deep calm voice that I'd never heard come from those lips. "And if I don't?" Harry took a step back and withdrew his wand. He pointed it straight at Ron's heart. "You'll leave me no choice. You will not come here and insult my wife and my best friend because you fucked up!" There was no movement or noise for what seemed like forever. Draco squeezed my hand. He was standing back in front of me.

Ron nodded his head and walked backwards until he reached the door. "Do name the baby after me if it's a boy." He winked at Harry and walked out. I think everyone cast a locking charm at that door and every other way into the hall. I was crying in Draco's arms. I saw Harry and flung my arms around him. He held me tight. I felt another body press in on me and knew that it was Draco. Harry let go of us and walked to a chair. Draco put his arm around my shoulder and we watched Harry take a stand on the chair. He clanked his wand on the side of the glass and everyone stopped talking. "I would like to ask everyone to ignore what just happened for now. This is still a party and we are celebrating something that is supposed to be a joyous occasion so please let's not talk about what went on here 5 minutes ago and let's continue on with the party. We still have cake to cut!" Everyone smiled and clapped and that was their agreement to not talk about what just happened. Harry walked back over to me and wiped the tears from my face. He winked at Draco and he smiled. We walked over to the cake. Everyone gathered around and laughed as we shoved it into each others face.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Unfortunately there was no honeymoon. But we spent the next week in our room, only being disturbed by one person, Draco, and that was when he brought us food that he insisted on making and treated us to. That was his wedding gift: a week of nothing but each other.

After that, with only the baby to look forward too, the next 6 months droned on. There was no sign of Voldemort or any other Death Eater activities. It was like they fell off the face of the Earth. Everyone grew more cautious by the day. Dumbledore had said that it was a scary thing to have them silent then to have them doing their monstrous daily activities. This silence was a sign of them planning. Dumbledore never said what they were planning but it was obvious to everyone...they were planning for the final battle, the final attack. The one thing everyone dreaded. It seemed that Ron's news to Voldemort about the wedding and the baby was something he enjoyed hearing. It seemed that Snape was still unsuspected by any Death Eater but Draco had long since stopped turning up at their meetings on Harry's wish.

Both he and Harry were studying to be Aurors. It was cute watching them quiz each other on various things. I was put on bed rest for the last few weeks of term and they would sit at the foot of the bed and talk to me and the baby. They would put their heads on my stomach and talk to her. Every time she would kick, no matter which one it was. She liked to hear them both and that made me more than ecstatic.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next few years was a happy blur. Haley James Potter was born. Draco came up with the name. He thought that the three of us should have the same initials and she should have something in her name from her father. None of us was too keen on naming her Harriet so James for a middle name was fitting. Draco had pointed out that it was okay for her to have a boys name like that, because of supermodel having the first name of James and he was for sure that she'd be a model.

Harry seemed to never sleep. He was always in her room. He watched her and talked to her while she slept. There were many a nights where I'd wake up to turn off the desk lamp and find both our names scribbled on a sheet of parchment and find him in there with her. I wanted to cry every time.

Her first word was 'daddy'. Once she began to talk and would say anything, Draco stepped in. She would repeat anything that man said. She looked up to Draco just as much as she did Harry. The three of them played constantly. They put a charm on the backyard to make it bigger so they wouldn't run out of places to play hide and seek.

But unfortunately all this passed by too quickly. She was 8 years old when Harry died. She used to be so bright and cheerful and happy and glowing...but after his death all that faded. It faded from all of us, but from her the most.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Molly had kept her. We had to force her to stay with Molly that night. She knew just as well as we did that Harry wasn't going to come home that night and she wasn't ready to let him go. We had tried to explain the Prophecy to her. We had argued over it many a nights. I didn't want her to know, but those two were dead set on telling her. So finally we did. She cried for days until Harry finally calmed her down. He still sat in and watched her sleep.

There were several battles inside the Ministry that night. Voldemort had escaped to his Headquarters in Ireland and we followed. The Order was right on his tail and we were not about to let him get away. We trailed him for miles, leaving scorch marks and burning bodies in our wake.

When we finally caught up to Voldemort, it was dawn. The sun was just coming up over the hills. It was faded a lot by the smoke from the curses cast. Bodies were pilled up on top of other bodies. Many lay dead, and the rest lay wounded and dying.

But there in the distance you could see two figures standing there face to face. Draco and I hadn't left Harry's side until that moment. There was no fighting anymore. Everyone stopped and watched the stand off. Harry knew that if Voldemort killed him, he would kill himself in the process, so Harry didn't draw his wand.

"So, we meet again, Mr. Potter. I see that you're going to make it easy for yourself and the others by just letting me kill you." Voldemort gave a low cackle. "Maybe I should kill the others first and let you watch."

"Your problem is with me Voldemort. Leave them out of this!"

"Fine, I'll just have them killed later, whether you watch or not, they all die."

With that said, Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry, but Harry being the quick-draw that he is pulled his wand out and pointed it at Voldemort. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "You will not harm them!!"

The light that every report talks about shown from Harry's wand. Then it came from the rest of his body. He was this glow of white light that was so bright that Draco and I shielded our faces. We saw every Death Eater fall to the ground in pain. We watched Ron squirm and die like every Death Eater on that battlefield. The light faded after several minutes. We looked up to see Voldemort and Harry fall down at the same time. We ran to him. He had a smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear. He took our hands and said, "Tell Haley that I love her and that I will always watch her. I love the both of you so much. Never forget me and know that I'll never forget the either of you." He kissed us both and then relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes. Harry Potter was dead.

~*~*~*~*~*~

There were at least a billion services that year. All in honor of him. Many raising money to give to Haley for college funds and such. She still has some glow. She got most of that back after Draco and I were married. Draco took our last name. He felt that Harry would have wanted it like that. It seems that everything the three of us do is in his honor and we know that he wants it that way.

~*~*~*~*~*~

He visits when he can. He graces us with his ghostly appearance on special occasions; Haley's birthday, our old anniversary, mine and Draco's anniversary, and the day he died. Haley says that sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night and she sees him watching her. She says she smiles at his smile and says she loves him. He nods and she goes back to sleep. And there have been many times when I'd wake up in the middle of the night and find the Draco's desk lamp on. I'll get up to turn it off and see all three of our names scribbled on a sheet of parchment. Of course tears always come to my eyes and I want to cry because I miss him so much but he's always there so there's no need to cry. But sometimes I do and he wipes the tears away.