Unofficial Portkey Archive

Author's Note: And so we are at the final chapter. I know it may seem somewhat sudden, but I wanted to bring it to an action packed climax. Hope you enjoy!

(Side Note: There is a bit of Latin in here that was most likely badly translated via Google Translate. Please excuse it, and if you happen to know the correct translation do share!)

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CHAPTER 25: The Truth About Destiny

To everyone else standing the parlor, the sight of an ash covered Harry Potter suddenly swaying in their presence was a combination of absurd and wonderful. From Harry's perspective, everything was all the more absurd as he was greeted with the bewildered gazes of his friends partnered with the smug look of Tom Riddle, who strode about the room unseen. When did daily life become so surreal? he wondered. And if he was honest with himself, it had all started when the Dursley's home was being pelted with Hogwarts letters delivered by owls.

He shook his head clear of this memory, and in the process a cloud of dust came from his hair and he wondered if it would be appropriate to ask them to reconvene once he'd had a proper shower. Of course, he never had a chance because he was quickly bombarded by a series of questions from all direction.

"Are you alright Harry?" Asked Ginny.

"Did you have any luck with the Bloody 65th?" Asked Luna.

"Do they have any potions experts in the Bloody army?" Asked Draco.

"Why shouldn't I just kick your arse back to Canada right now?" Asked Ron.

"Are all your friends such utter morons?" Asked Riddle.

The only one who didn't ask questions was the person who was typically the most inquisitive of them all. Hermione stood silent, not even looking at him and he felt a pain far worse than that of the poison spreading through his veins. He tried to push the feeling away and took a deep breath. "I realize I have a lot of explaining to do… to all of you. But one thing at a time. Draco, I need to talk to you first."

There was a look of anger in Ron's eyes and pain in Hermione's, but Harry tried his best to ignore both of these. "I guess we'll just leave the two of you to it then" Ron growled, and the rest followed as he stormed from the room.

"For the hero, you sure seem to have a lot of people unhappy at you" Draco joked once they were alone.

"That's part of being the hero" Harry responded, his voice sounding impossibly tired. "You'll have to learn that if you plan on becoming one."

"Who said I planned on that? I am perfectly satisfied being the reluctant ally."

"You may have to step up from that role. I know of a way to stop the poison, but it's complicated and it will require all of your finesse with potions."

Draco's eyes lit up. "And how, per say, did you come across this gem of knowledge?" Harry glanced sidelong, as though looking at someone else in the room, and Draco quickly surmised what was happening. "You've been talking with Riddle again, haven't you?"

"I needed his help with something and it turns out he also may know a thing or two about this sort of magic."

Draco found himself struggling with an alien feeling of concern for Harry. "This is why you didn't want Hermione in the room. You knew she'd disagree if she found out…"

"She doesn't need to know" Harry argued.

"Oh fuck that" Draco spat. "I've already seen what happens when the two of you keep secrets from each other. You're telling her, or I'm not helping."

"Right Malfoy. I'm to believe you'd sooner die than keep a secret from Hermione? Now I've seen it all."

"I'd rather not see you be a coward Potter. I've seen you be many things, but a coward is not one of them."

Harry sat down. His whole body felt weak in a way he had never experienced before. "You're right… I know you're right…"

"Riddle is fucking your head up again. I'm glad if he has a solution, but you know it's self serving."

At this Tom Riddle stepped from the shadows of Harry's mind. "Ah, perhaps Lucius' son isn't as incompetent as his father was."

"Shut up" Harry muttered.

For a moment Draco thought Harry was talking to him, but then he realized he was talking to the phantom that had haunted him all of his life. Draco knelt in front of Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder; drawing his attention away from the agony he had blanketed himself in. "Make him go away Harry. I know you can do it. You've done it before."

Harry looked into Draco's eyes for a moment and then moved his gaze to Riddle, who appeared standing by the hearth. Always young, always cold, always evil Harry thought to himself.

"What young Malfoy doesn't know is that you don't want me to go away this time. That there's no you without…"

Before Riddle could finish his sentence, Harry pushed him away from his mind, and the vision of him disappeared. Once more he was alone in his mind and it was a lonely feeling. He focused on Draco again. "I'm going to describe the process to you and you'll need to start getting set up immediately. We don't have much time left."

"I know" Draco said, standing slowly with a look of pain.

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"I can't believe that git!" Ron shouted, pacing about Luna's room. Luna had half dragged him here after Harry's demand to speak with Draco alone. "First he upsets Hermione, then he chooses MALFOY for his confident without so much as a `how do you do?' to the rest of us…"

Luna shut Ron up by kissing him. "Listen Ron, I know you have your reasons to be upset with Harry, but he is your best friend. He's like a brother to you. It will all get sorted out in due time."

Deciding that kissing her was infinitely more satisfying than whining on, he pulled her to him once more and they resumed the snog that they had previously enjoyed in the cold fields. As things proceeded to get hot and heavy, a knock came on the door and he groaned as Luna moved away to answer it.

"Hey Luna I need to talk with Ron" said a voice that clearly belonged to Harry.

"How did you know he's here?" Luna asked in a falsely sweet tone.

"Ginny guessed as much."

Ron scowled and moved towards the door. Ginny is such a nosey little thing. "What d'yah want Harry?"

Harry would have laughed at Ron's clearly messed up, post snog hair-do, but he knew his best mate well enough to tread carefully. "We need to talk about the Bloody 65th."

"No, I think we need to talk about Hermione and how you upset her."

"And I think I need to um… get a bite to eat" Luna lied. She had already eaten several times that day just as a method of avoiding awkward confrontations.

Once she was gone Ron stepped out into the hallway, his arms crossed across his chest in a hostile posture. "I know you can be a bloody idiot Harry, but honestly… I thought you loved her."

Harry looked as though Ron had sucker punched him. "Of course I love her."

"Funny way of showing it. Telling her to go away, telling her you don't need her, don't want her." Harry felt suddenly dizzy and he staggered back, turning away and making his way to the wall for support. "Don't walk away from me Potter!"

Ron moved to grab Harry's arm, but the motion set Harry off balance and he fell to the floor. Only Ron's quick assistance kept him from cracking his head against the hard marble beneath them. Ron helped Harry maneuver so he was sitting upright and there was silence as the color returned to Harry's face. "You're right Ron. I fucked up. I don't know that she can forgive me, and I don't know that I even want her to."

With Harry half leaning against him, both of their backs to the wall, Ron suddenly felt terrible for attacking his best friend- even if it was warranted. "You're dying. I suppose that can do funny things to a man's brain."

"Yes" Harry panted. "Yes it can. But it's not an excuse. I have so damned many things wrong with me Ron. Part of me has known I've loved her for such a long time, but part of me also knew I didn't deserve her, that I could never be whole enough for her. I wish I had listened to that second part."

"Don't say that" Ron said, shaking his head. "She will forgive you Harry. She already has. She already missed you and you were barely apart. She loves you. It's almost like she's your destiny…"

Destiny. The word rang in Harry's ears. Riddle thought the two of them were destined to be intertwined for eternity, Ron thought being with Hermione was Harry's destiny, Draco thought Harry's destiny was to help him find redemption, Damon thought it was simply Harry's destiny to die, as all men do. What is my destiny? he wondered, slowly regaining his strength.

"She's next on my list of people to talk to" Harry told Ron, sitting up straighter now and rubbing his neck as he thought.

"She should have been first."

"Do you think I didn't want to talk with her first? Every second I'm stuck here with you is a second I'm wasting with her. So let's get on with it. The Bloody 65th has agreed to help us fight Damon. I understand that Luna has been able to locate Damon's camp, so we will be headed there as soon as possible. There may be a ritual that will save Draco and I, and then we'll strike after that. The Bloody 65th will need to be debriefed on the enemy and learn as much about Channeling as possible in a small time frame."

"How small are we talking here?"

"I want to attack as soon as Draco and I recover. That could take anywhere from a day to a month, I really don't know."

"This cure sounds… uncertain" Ron noted, not sure how else to phrase it.

"It is. But it's the only shot we have and we're running out of time."

"I think you've said that sentence to me a half million times in our friendship."

"Well, we have a pretty good record of coming out on the other side, so let's hope that luck holds out."

Ron couldn't help but smile at the truth of the statement. "So you need me to gather up Harry's Army and start training the reinforcements?"

"You got it."

"Not a problem. Only one small thing. Where IS the Bloody 65th?"

This time Harry smiled and having regained his balance and stood up and took a few steps over to the large window at the end of the hall, gesturing for Ron to join him. When they looked out they could see half of the grounds of Malfoy Manor covered by tents and low burning camp fires. "They're on the lawn."

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Hermione paced around the room where she and Harry had spent the night before they left to find the Bloody 65th. Just as she knew so many unspoken things about Harry, she knew that he would find her here. She wasn't sure what to expect when he did come, and that not knowing made her insanely anxious. Just when she was about to leave and go seek him out herself, a knock came on the door- hesitant, nervous.

"Come in Harry" she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. It was a conversation she was afraid to start because she wasn't sure how it would end. She heard him enter the room but she did not look up from a small scuff on the floor. She was unready and unwilling to meet his gaze, but he did not speak. Finally she looked up at him and saw him by the door looking at her with a mixture of fear, uncertainty and hope. All at once she was reminded of the little boy with the broken spectacles on the Hogwarts Express.

Her reservations left and she moved to him quickly, embracing him with such ferocity that he had to lean back against the door to stay standing. She ran her hand along the stubble of his chin and guided his mouth towards hers, kissing him in a way that she would communicate every unsaid thing between them. I forgive you. I love you. I need you.

He responded in kind and slowly they made their way to the bed where he eased himself down so that she was half lying on him, her head rested on his chest when their embrace ended. For a long time they laid in silence, and that seemed best. When she finally spoke it was with a reluctance to leave the comfortable bubble they had built. "We haven't found a cure" she said, deciding it was best to start with the conversation topic she dreaded the most.

"I might have" he told her, and she sat up quickly, looking into his familiar green eyes to confirm she hadn't imagined the words he had just spoken. "Listen, before you get too excited I need to be forthcoming with where I got the information from. You're not going to like it." She shifted so that he could sit up as well and she took a hold of his hand to let him know she was ready to hear it. "I had to call upon Riddle to defeat to ijiraq. He told me he might know of a ritual that can cure both Draco and I."

"Harry, you can't trust him…"

"I know. But he wants to survive more than he wants me to die. I believe this to be true. But there's more… I've realized something about myself. Part of me has been tied to Riddle for so long, I can't be trusted with any of his influence. True I needed him to defeat the ijiraq, but I also WANTED to call upon him. Part of me… I don't know… missed him? Or maybe it was more like missing a part of myself. It's all so twisted up inside of me."

She could see that just admitting this to her was causing Harry great pain, and she wrapped her arms around him, hoping to soothe him, hoping to provide him with something stable to cling onto. After a moment she felt him press something cold and metallic into the palm of her hand. She pulled back to see the pendant that held what remained of Riddle in it. Just holding it made her shudder.

"I need you to hide it somewhere I can never get it… or destroy it if you can."

"But Harry… you need his strength to defeat Damon."

Harry shook his head. "Riddle told me something and I can't stop hearing the truth in it. There will always be other battles to be fought, and it will become too easy for me to reach to him for strength. And the more I do that, the harder it will be to learn how to be me without him. I will have to face Damon without Riddle's power. But I won't be alone."

She realized that he was staring at the pendant that was still in her hand like a drug addict eyeing his next fix, so she put it in her pocket, removing it from his range of vision. She guided his gaze to hers. "You're right Harry. You won't be alone. We'll all fight beside you."

Harry responded with a small smile as though something she said was funny. When she quirked her eyebrow in askance he responded. "Ever since I was kid I always thought I would end up alone, that is was somehow my destiny. And it's a funny thing about destinies. The truth about destinies is, they are what you choose for them to be." As he leaned towards her he whispered one final thing in her ear, "I choose loving you to be my destiny."

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Draco looked around at the candles surrounding them with a look of great discomfort. "What if you misremembered something Potter?"

"If I did it's because Riddle did. Riddle doesn't misremember things. Well… he doesn't misremember spells anyways."

"Hmm, well I for one still don't feel comfortable placing all my faith in a murderous mad man."

"Well, can you maybe try to place your faith in a murderous mad man to defeat a murderous mad man?"

"Is this really what our options have become reduced to?" Ginny sighed, carefully pouring a potion into a large black bowl that sat between Harry and Draco.

"What if this doesn't work?" Draco asked, standing up now and pacing around.

"Then we both die" Harry said flatly. There was no point in sugar coating it. He was in intense pain and he knew he was rapidly approaching his expiration date. It had taken them several days to sort out the intricacies of the ritual that Riddle had described. It was nearly complete, and it wouldn't have been possible but for the tireless support of Ginny, Luna and Hermione.

"Aren't you supposed to be giving me a heroic pep talk?" Draco drawled, badly desirous of a glass of firewhiskey. Even pacing was an exhausting task, but it felt better than sitting and waiting for the potential slaughter.

"I'm here… I'm here! Don't start without me!"

"It's an ancient ritual Weasley, not a Quidditch match" Draco barked as Ron finished sprinting down the steps and into the dungeon.

"Yeah, well it looks like an orgy is about to take place" Ron wheezed, pointing to the candles that formed concentric circles on the cold dungeon floor.

"Don't get all excited Weasley."

"I'm not excited, I'm winded because this place is fucking massive. If this is the last time I have to come down those slimy dungeon steps I will be all too happy."

"Everything is ready" Hermione said softly, bringing a halt to Ron and Draco's banter.

"Time for the final goodbyes then" Draco said. "I have a will written out in the library. I'll have you know it leaves nothing to any of you, but does stipulate some rather specific instructions about the creation of my commemorative portrait...."

"How is it that even when you're dying you're such a bloody git?!" Ron howled, and Draco sniggered, walking off down one of the tunnels to give the others a moment alone.

"It's going to be fine" Harry said, and even Ron looked deflated by Harry's lame final words. Harry strode over to Ron and clapped one hand on his shoulder, walking him over to the corner for a private chat. "Listen Ron, I have no idea if this is going to work. But then again, I'm always doing shit for which I am clueless of the outcome. You need to have a little faith, and if not for me do it for her."

Harry didn't need to explain who he was talking about as their eyes drifted over to Hermione who was busy triple checking everything. "But just supposing this doesn't work out… I know you'll be there for her, so I'm not going to ask you that. What I'm going to ask is that you still live your life to the fullest. There will always be bad guys, and I'm not going to tell you what to do about that if I'm not around to help fight. But remember that there's also good. I know you've found it with Luna."

Ron was humiliated to realize he was blushing at the sound of her name. "What do you know about me and Luna?"

"You've never been good at hiding your `secret snog sessions' Ron" Harry said, and at this they both laughed.

"Did you want to speak to Hermione before you… yah know… try to cheat death again?"

"We talked last night" Harry told him, although "talking" wasn't quite the right word for it. True, he was tired and weak most of the time, but he had found plenty of strength to make sure that what might potentially be his last night with her was put to good use.

They wandered back to the group and Harry gave Luna and Ginny each a hug before turning to Hermione and giving her a kiss so tender that the others felt a need to avert their eyes. "This is going to work" he whispered in her ear, half for his own benefit.

"I know. It's your destiny." He half smiled at this and then kissed her once more before calling for Draco to rejoin them. Draco entered with a cocky swagger, but he was immediately caught off guard when Ginny Weasley forced a hug upon him.

"Oh, what the bloody hell is this then?" Ron shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. Luna stepped in to hug Draco as well and Ron's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Oh come on Weasley, I know you want one too" Draco jeered, gesturing towards Ron, who nearly gagged.

"Good luck Draco" Hermione said, and Draco turned to give her a nod of appreciation.

"Well, let's do this thing then" Harry said, stepping back into the circle of candles. Sitting cross-legged with Draco across from him he was reminded of Draco's lessons in meditation and emotional control. It seemed like ages ago that they had been enemies bound only by an unbreakable-fucking-vow. They locked eyes and began the chant. Uti hoc vinculum ad resonum pietas aurita sacellum… Use this bond to mend…

After having defeated the ijiriq, Riddle and Harry had spent sometime discussing several matters, one of which was Damon's curse. Riddle had hypothesized that the same unbreakable bond that had gotten them into the situation could be leveraged to break the curse. It would involve another ancient blood ritual, but he felt quite certain it could be done. There is great power in unbreakable vows Riddle had said. Or were those my own thoughts? Harry mused over this as they chanted. He was still having trouble distinguishing where he ended and Riddle started.

They each reached for the dagger beside them and cut their hands open once more. This time, instead of making contact with each other as they had for the unbreakable vow, they allowed the blood to drip into the potions bowl placed between them. Upon contact the drops of blood dissolved into the fluid, turning it from a dark, murky color to a brilliant white that filled the room with bright light.

Well, at least it seems to be working thus far Harry thought. As long as…

He didn't have time to finish the thought because just then the light seemed to shoot through his body and he couldn't see, hear or feel anything but an excruciating pain that made the cruciatus curse feel like a tickle. When the pain vanished he felt a strange sense of existing without time or space, as though he was a bodiless entity floating in oblivion. In that moment, a shred of panic ripped through him. What if this whole thing was a trick? What if Riddle figured out a way to steal my body, and now it's MY soul trapped in the pendant?

Luckily his panic was short lived, because a moment later he found himself bombarded by a roller coaster of memories that were not his own. It was much like when he had first tried to access Riddle's memories; feelings, moments and fleeting impressions blurred together so he was unable to grasp any one sensation for more than a split second at a time. Then, bit-by-bit, it slowed until he realized whose memories he was seeing.

He is looking into the bespectacled eyes of an eleven-year-old Harry Potter and holding his hand out in an offer of friendship. His heart is swelling with excitement- he's waited so long to go to Hogwarts and escape the dreary confines of his childhood home- but he is also filled with fear- what if he's not sorted into Slytherin? What if he shames his family name somehow?

He's completed his first successful potion and Snape gives him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. It is the first kind gesture of support he's ever known.

He hovers on his broom far above the quidditch pitch and watches Harry Potter celebrate catching the snitch in a crowd of crimson and gold. A feeling of hatred and humiliation boils in his stomach.

He's lying on his bed in the Slytherin dormitory, the curtains closed tightly around him for privacy. He's contemplating who to ask to the Yule Ball. Pansy Parkinson has been nagging him about it, but he wishes he had someone he actually liked to ask. More so, he wishes someone else actually liked him.

His face is stinging from the sudden slap of Hermione Granger, who is shouting at him, her bushy brown hair blowing in the wind. He feels too shocked to be angry or upset, he simply stands there, watching as the "Golden Trio" trod off.

He is sitting next to Astoria Greengrass in the quidditch stands, her hand warmly pressed in his as the sun rises above Hogwarts in magnificent shades of yellow, orange and purple.

He is staring at his hands, or more specifically, at the Malfoy crest that adorns the ring on his finger. It is a welcome distraction from the hideous face of Lord Voldemort, who is striding about Malfoy Manor like he owns the place. He never wanted any of this. He wanted to make his family proud, but now all he feels is fear and emptiness. There is no pride in what is being plotted.

He is pleading for his life as a Death Eater holds a wand to his head at the Battle of Hogwarts. All he can think is "please don't let it end like this".

And then it all began to speed up once more so that Harry could catch just little glimpses- his parents blood trickling across the cold marble floors of Malfoy Manor, screaming at Harry Potter with a feeling on rage, Ginny Weasley smiling, the pain of poison burning in his veins…

Harry awoke with a gasp, the dungeon spinning around him wildly until slowly it began to calm. He felt like he might get sick so he didn't move for a while, allowing the cold floor beneath him to sooth the fiery heat he was radiating. When he was finally able to sit up he saw that Draco was across from him, struggling to do the same.

"What the hell just happened?" Draco panted, his silver hair uncharacteristically messy.

"I don't know" Harry muttered, slowly realizing that everyone in the room staring at them with a mixed look of confusion and horror. "Did it… did it work?"

"Only one way to find out" Draco replied, slowly removing his shirt. With a collective sigh of relief they realized that the poison was gone.

"Bloody hell" Ron whispered. "Riddle was actually useful for once."

As Ron said these words Harry felt a strange tugging sensation from deep inside, a sort of longing that couldn't be described. To his surprise, Draco was giving him an understanding expression, and he realized they had much to talk about.

"Come on, off to Madame Pomfrey" Hermione said, helping Harry to his feet. "You do seem to be better, but we won't know for sure until she does a thorough examination."

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The one they called Jones was on his ass again and Ron couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I thought you Bloody 65th soldiers were supposed to be tough!"

"Fuck off" Jones growled, stumbling back to his feet with a sour expression on his face. "You've had far more time to practice this Mental Channeling bullshit."

"True. But you don't have that luxury. Tomorrow we head to battle, and you need to seriously improve your game if you're going to survive."

"I can pick up from here" Jiao offered, entering the training room in her typical quiet manner. Ron had been getting to know Jiao fairly well over the past week. He had dated many beautiful women in the past (and was currently dating a blonde who he found to be very cute indeed), but there was something about Jiao's type of authoritative beauty that made him feel like a clumsy teen all over again. He was reminded of his embarrassing debacle with his now sister-in-law Fleur Delacour.

"Thanks" Ron said, willing himself not to blush. "Don't go easy on him!"

"I wouldn't dream of it" Jiao responded with soft smile that made Jones look very nervous indeed.

Ron felt the need to check in on Harry, who had only been recently released from Pomfrey's care, along with Draco Malfoy. The ritual that had healed them had also left them quite weak for days, and Hermione had felt that they were rushing into battle too quickly. Nevertheless, Harry had a way of being persuasive when he wanted to- even with the ever-stubborn Ms. Granger.

Ron wasn't concerned about Harry's physical strength as much as his mental state. The others seemed to ignore it, or at least passively accept it, but Ron wasn't sure what was happening with his best mate. He often found Harry spacing out mid-sentence, his eyes losing focus as though he was lost in some far distant memory. Hermione had explained that Harry had tasked her with ridding him of the pendant, but Ron could not understand why that would have such a dire effect on The Boy Who Lived.

He found Harry wandering around alone in one of the many empty rooms in the Manor. "Whatch'yah doing mate?" Ron asked, trying to sound casual.

For a moment Harry looked startled, as though he had not expected Ron to find him. "I don't know" Harry admitted. "I was looking for something…"

"Well, no matter. The training is just about done. Well… it's as good as it's going to get with such a small window of opportunity."

"We can't afford to let Damon slip away. If he knows…"

"Yes, yes, we've been over this a million times" Ron sighed. "I think I could rehearse the battle strategy in my sleep."

"Good."

"Yes, I suppose it is good. But you have to admit, we're our best when we're just making shit up as we go along."

Harry laughed at this and followed Ron out of the room, his previous search disregarded. As they made their way through the vast hallway they literally ran into Hermione, who was half running down the corridor.

Harry instinctively grabbed her after she collided with them, straightening her out. "Where are you in such a rush to?"

"I need to talk to Pomfrey about final preparations for medical wing, and there's a matter of getting Jiao some information about previously observed spells from the enemy, and then I told…" Harry cut her off with a short, playful kiss, and for once Ron did not feel uncomfortable. It had taken him a bit of time to get used to seeing his best friends in this new romantic role, but that was mostly because he had once dated Hermione. In truth, little felt changed about their dynamic.

"Five points from Gryffindor for running in the hallways, and five points for a public display of affection" Ron chimed in, and the three of them laughed.

"Oh come here, both of you!" Hermione said, throwing her arms around their necks and pulling them into a three-way hug. "Do you know just how much I love you both?"

"Enough that it's hurting me" Ron responded, pretending to be crushed by her embrace.

She kissed his cheek and suddenly the mood shifted to a far more serious tone. "We're going to get through this. Together."

"Together" the boys replied in unison, and she couldn't help herself but hug them once more.

Afterwards, she immediately resumed her half-jogging pace to finish the tasks of the day. As she made her way to the makeshift medical wing she heard a commotion in the armory and she paused to look inside. Nobody could find the armory without being given access to it by a Malfoy, but there were many strange guests at the house thanks to the Bloody 65th, and she was concerned that someone might be ransacking the Malfoy family's many heirlooms.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing through the room. She heard a scuffling sound in the back and a moment later Ginny appeared, walking briskly towards the exit. "What are you doing in here?"

"Do I need a hall pass?" Ginny asked, her voice squeaky and defensive.

"What? No… I…"

"I'm late for leading a training round with the Bloody 65th" Ginny said, quickly making her leave.

That was odd Hermione mused, left alone in silence. A moment later Draco came sauntering into view, a smug look upon his features. Hermione scrambled to put the pieces together. "Are you… was she…"

"Don't worry yourself about it Granger" he grinned. "Are you looking for something?"

"No I just thought I heard a sound…"

"What sort of sound?" Draco asked, and she realized he was toying with her.

"Never you mind. I'll be on my way."

"Wait Hermione-- one quick thing I wanted to show you."

She thought to make a snide comment in return, something along the lines of "I have an idea that you may have already shown Ginny plenty", but she bit it back. There was something about the way he said her name… something familiar. It struck her as odd, but she had no time to explore it as she suddenly realized that she was being levitated off the ground.

"Are you Channeling?" she asked, her voice hopeful and astonished.

"Yes" he said, looking quite proud of himself as he set her neatly back on the ground.

"How? Why now?"

"Didn't Harry tell you about how we were able to see into each others lives during the ritual?"

"Yes but--"

"Well, my biggest block to Channeling is that I spent so much time repressing my emotions that I couldn't use them to summon my powers. But Harry, well, he's just full of emotions isn't he?"

She wasn't sure how to feel about this. "You're using Harry's emotions to fuel your ability to Channel?"

"Yes." She couldn't help but wonder just how much of Harry's inner thoughts and personal memories Draco had seen, and she suddenly felt quite uncomfortable under his gaze. He seemed to read this instantly, which only made sense. He had Harry's memories; he could probably read her quite well now. "Listen, I didn't see everything. In fact, most of it was a blur. More like scraps of thoughts and impressions overall."

She let out a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. "I'd imagine it was still quite a powerful experience. Frankly, I'm glad I didn't go through it. It must be odd- knowing someone's internal workings like that."

"It is odd" Draco admitted. "But it's also wonderful. It makes you appreciate life more I guess. It makes you appreciate life more when you realize that the world doesn't revolve around you."

Hermione laughed loudly at this. "Of course it would take a near death experience involving an ancient ritual to make YOU realize that the world doesn't revolve around you."

He smiled at this and for once it wasn't a smug grin, but a genuine smile. "So, I've been in Harry's head, isn't there anything you'd like to ask?"

She paused for a moment, not having considered this. "No… no, I think I've gotten close enough to spending time in his head already. If there are things I don't know about, I look forward to having a life together to find them out."

Draco nodded, not expecting this answer, but somehow understanding. As she left he held back the one thing he wanted to tell her; that of all the emotions he had experienced through Harry's memory; fear, anxiety, pain, loss, hope… love was the greatest. And of that love, it was Hermione, always Hermione, that stood out like a burning beacon in his thoughts.

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Everyone stood assembled on the lawn of Malfoy Manor. They all had their part to play, and this time Harry decided no morale boosting speech was needed. Each and every one of them knew the plan, and they knew the score. The sun was just starting to rise and he was reminded of Draco's memory of watching the sun come up over Hogwarts.

It had been determined that he, Draco and Jiao would take point in seeking out Damon. Others had been designated as squadron leaders in a plan that combined military tactics and the intel they had been able to gather about Damon's Children. Their previous two encounters with the enemy had been disastrous, but they had also been ill prepared. Not this time however.

As Harry watched the sun rise, Ginny Weasley stood with her mother and father, thinking about a strange occurrence the previous day.

She was finishing a training routine with some members of the Bloody 65th when Draco had appeared in the doorway. At first she didn't notice him as he stood there, leaned against the doorjamb in a casual position of studied indifference. When she did see him there and they locked eyes she assumed he would make some sort of teasing remark about her skills as a great warrior. Instead, he was looking at her in a way that made her face grow hot and her focus become divided.

"What do you want?" she asked when the training was finally over, the members of the Bloody 65th limping out of the room.

"You need to grab your armor for tomorrow" he said.

"Oh right" she muttered, having entirely forgotten about the dragonhide armor that Draco had lent them in the previous battle. It had saved Hermione's life, so she wasn't about to forgo it. She followed him to the armory and he was surprisingly silent for once. When they arrived at the row of ancient sets of armor Draco wordlessly levitated a set down from its stand and she looked at him in surprise. "You can Channel!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, because of the ritual Harry and I performed things are somewhat different for me now. And there's something else, something I want to do before we go into battle." Without another word of explanation he pulled her towards him and kissed her. It was unlike any kiss she had shared before; it wasn't sweet and shy like the kisses she had shared with Harry, nor was it wild and untamed like the embraces of lovers she had known before. Draco kissed her in a way that spoke of controlled passion, carefully placed desire. His mouth tasted of mint and any reservations she had about her odd attraction towards her family's former enemy dissolved as she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands found their way to her hips. He pinned her against the wall as her fingers found their way into that soft silver blonde hair that she had been dreaming about touching.

There was a sudden sound from the doorway and they broke apart quickly. Before he had a chance to explain she quickly left the room, unsure of what had just transpired.

She didn't regret their encounter… far from it. In fact, she could not stop thinking of it. Nevertheless, she didn't know what any of it meant. Was it a momentary physical response, an inevitable outcome of repressed sexual tension? Or was there something between them? She wasn't sure how she felt about him still, but she supposed it didn't matter. If she was about to face her potential death, snogging Draco Malfoy pre-battle wasn't the worst way to pass some time.

She was suddenly snapped back to reality as the signal was given for her squadron to portkey to the battle location. She said a little prayer to no deity in particular, and then they were gone.

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The first tactic of the battle strategy was to silently flank Damon's camp, and so far that was going quite well. Hermione was crouched beside Luna and Ron, waiting for the attack signal. It felt strange being on the offensive, but she hoped that this time the results would be better than past attempts. Outsmarting an immortal enemy was quite a bit trickier than it had been to outsmart Voldemort as eleven year olds. This time there were so many moving pieces, so many soldiers and strange spells. She could hear her heart beating loudly in her ears and she slowly calmed it, gazing up at the massive trees around them. This would be so beautiful under different circumstances she realized, watching a fluffy white cloud drift across the clear blue sky.

She looked at Ron and Luna who were holding hands so tightly that she could see their knuckles turning white. Since Luna could not Channel, Ron had not wanted her in the battle. He had tried to declare that her abilities as a medium were far too valuable to have her out there in harms way, but the former Ravenclaw student would have none of it. She was stuck to Ron's side like glue, and while it was a match that Hermione never would have predicted it also made perfect sense to her.

For her part, she had tried to convince Harry to see reason in having her face Damon by his side. She was quite a strong Channeler. In fact, now that Harry had put Riddle's pendant aside she was just as powerful as him, and she had proven that in a duel once he was feeling healthy enough. Still, he had made a valid argument regarding the need to have her present in other parts of the battle field. Even the "soldiers" they had gone into battle with last time were nothing more than a collection of friends with a mixture of disciplines ranging from aurors to Quidditch players to low level ministry employees. Some of them could Channel quite well, while others still required the assistance of their wands. On the other hand, the members of the Bloody 65th were seasoned warriors, but they had only just begun to learn to Channel. In short, Hermione was needed to lead in other areas of the battlefield, and so they just had to have faith that when the dust settled they'd both be alive still.

I choose loving you to be my destiny.

When the attack signal came, she was as ready as she could possibly be, and yet far from being truly ready. They rushed towards the camp at full speed and it was immediately clear that this time they were not expected. Damon's Children poured out from their tents in a frantic manner and initially tried to apparate away, but wards had been put up to stop them. Hermione had already stunned five of Damon's Children before they managed to start firing back. The enemy responded with harsh and angry spells, going for the kill each time. She dodged one spell and the next knocked her off her feet and behind a tent that was immediately set on fire. Coughing she scrambled away from the hot flames and stunned the nearest soldier, looking around to gain her bearings.

She saw that Luna had fallen but Ron was helping her up so she focused her attention back to the battle, moving ever further towards the center of the camp, all the while looking for any sign of Harry or Damon. She wasn't sure if it took her mere minutes or several hours to battle her way to the center of the camp, but when she got there she saw that those of Damon's Children who had not been stunned, wounded or killed were huddled in the center of the camp, trying to make one last desperate stand as Hermione's allies closed in on them. There was a brutal exchange of spells for some time, and then finally they began to surrender.

When each of their enemies were safely stunned and bound as prisoners, those still standing on her side went about putting out fires and tending to the wounded. There were dozens of casualties on their side, but even more were missing as they had used their emergency portkey to evacuate back to the medical wing after being injured. She wondered how many more might be dying on a cot at Malfoy Manor, and that thought finally stunned her to a point she felt she could no longer go on. Everything was done, the battle was over, but there was no sign of Harry, Draco, Jiao or Damon. Ron and Luna were also missing, and Hermione imagined Ron must have gotten Luna back to safety, but she had no idea what condition the girl might be in.

Girl. That word echoed in her mind. She was just a girl, in fact, most of these "soldiers" were practically children. They had seen so many battles, so much blood shed. It looked like the day had been a victory for the side of good, but could there really be a victory in the wake of so much loss?

She sat in the ashes of the battlefield and one of the soldiers from the Bloody 65th approached. "Okay there Miss Granger?" he asked, kneeling before her with a look of concern.

"No I'm not okay" she admitted. "I'm really not."

He helped her to her feet and pressed an extra portkey into her hand. "We're nearly done here" he told her. "Why don't you head back to the Manor and check on things there. You fought bravely ma'am."

She nodded dumbly and disappeared as the Portkey pulled her away in a dizzying fashion. She felt she should wander the woods in search of Harry, but her mind felt fuzzy and she couldn't focus, so she simply followed orders like a good soldier. As she walked the halls of the Manor she found herself unable to go to the medical wing just yet. She thought about Harry's story of slaying the demons. Each time I killed them I gazed into those empty eyes and watched as in the very last moments their souls returned. As their blood dripped down my hands and they took their last breath I was looking into the eyes of a human being- not a monster but a regular fucking human being.

She hadn't killed anyone to the best of her knowledge, but there had been deaths on both sides and now she felt the same sense of emptiness that had followed her after the Battle of Hogwarts. What was it all for? she wondered as she perched herself by a tall window overlooking one of the Manor's many overgrown gardens. As she pressed her forehead against the glass there was a ripple in the reflection and she turned quickly as she realized someone was behind her.

"Harry" she gasped as she saw him standing there, fully alive but impossibly dirty. She flung herself into her arms and he caught her, clinging to her as though she was a lifeline, and in that moment she was. She was filled with so many questions, but there in his arms, none of them mattered. He was alive and she found herself sobbing uncontrollably- tears pent up over months of hiding, fighting and avoiding death.

When the tears passed he said three simple words, "Damon is gone" and she kissed his ash smudged face over and over, as though through physical contact she could express sympathy for the strange emptiness and pain she knew he was experiencing. They walked hand and hand to the medical ward then, finally ready to face the true damage of the day.

The scene they walked in on was a busy one, but it lacked the chaos of their previous battle with Damon and his Children. They had been better prepared this time, and the Bloody 65th had brought their own resources to help mend the wounded. They found Ginny helping heal Fleur Delacour's broken leg and they were able to confirm that all the Weasleys had made it out alive. They found Ron gathered with Luna, who had suffered an internal injury that was mending "just fine" according to a medi-wizard from the Bloody 65th.

Ron wrapped both of them in a quick hug before returning to Luna's side. "We made it through again" he said with crooked smile that somehow seemed sadder than any tears.

"We did" Hermione said, leaning against Harry as she took Ron's hand in hers. Luna awoke then, looking drowsy.

"I'm alive" she said, sounding confused.

"Yes, you're alive love" Ron responded, his voice thick with emotion. "And now that it's all over I've been meaning to ask you… will you go on a date with me?"

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6 MONTHS LATER

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Ginny and Hermione sat on the deck of Hermione's cozy home, sunning themselves and enjoying a few glasses of Singing Mermaid cocktails. The sweet beverages reminded Hermione of Caitlin O'Rourke, Harry's former partner who had died trying to save her and the Weasleys during the attack of the Burrow. It was bittersweet to think of the fiery auror, but in a strange way sharing this drink felt like she was honoring O'Rourke's memory.

"I don't think it's really anything more than sex, but it's been bloody fantastic…" Ginny trailed on, snapping Hermione back to reality.

"Ugh, if I have to hear another gross detail about you and Draco Malfoy I swear to Merlin I'll tell Ron."

"You wouldn't dare!" Ginny gasped, tilting her sunglasses down to shoot Hermione a look of indignation.

"Wouldn't I? You're lucky he hasn't figured it out yet."

"He's too busy being sickeningly in love with Luna" Ginny sighed. "If they're not married and popping out kids by this time next year I'll be surprised." Hermione laughed and took another sip of her drink. "What about you and Harry? Plans to pop out kids anytime soon?"

Hermione blushed at this and looked away. Her and Harry was a difficult topic. Ron and Luna had found solace in each other after the battle with Damon was ended, and even Ginny and Draco seemed to have found some strange (and horribly kinky) way of moving on. But it hadn't been as easy to Harry and herself. He was damaged in ways far deeper than Ginny and even Ron realized. She had been doing her best to help him recover, but she was haunted by her own demons. After a far too long pause all she said was, "I'm much too busy with work to think about a family right now."

It wasn't entirely untrue. Once the truth about Damon and his Children had been divulged to the wizarding world there had been an endless number of legal issues in determining how to try and incarcerate his followers. She had been adamant that she be a part of every committee dealing with the details of these proceedings, as she did not trust them to be handled fairly and adequately. After all, the Ministry did not have the best track record for properly prosecuting wrong doers, and there was the further issue that Damon might still have sleeper agents at any level of the government. It was all truly exhausting, and yet hard work was therapeutic for her.

Harry had no such respite. He had taken an extended leave of absence from his role as an auror, claiming that he was still healing from the poisoning debacle. Only Hermione, and perhaps Draco, knew the truth of the matter. Draco had mostly been in hiding lately, returning to is habit of sulking around the Manor as he figured out what to do with his life now that he had gone from villain to hero. His only guests were Harry and Ginny, but that seemed to be all he wanted for now.

"Well, I best be headed out" Ginny said, standing up and stretching. "The media has been in an absolute frenzy over my return to the Holyhead Harpies. Have you seen the headlines?"

"Yes, `Warrior Witch to Return to Quidditch Pitch'" Hermione quoted. "They really are obnoxious about the rhyming thing at the Daily Prophet."

"Tell me about it" Ginny said with a roll of her eyes. "Well, give Harry my best, I'll see you both at the Burrow for Sunday dinner?"

"Of course" Hermione responded. Harry had been adamant about footing the bill in the reconstruction of The Burrow, which had been totally burned to the ground. Thankfully, with the best magic money could buy the house was nearly perfectly restored to its former wonderful strangeness.

Once Ginny was gone Hermione sighed and decided it was time to go inside and find Harry. As she entered the house she was once more struck with the sense of happiness at being back home. She had to admit; she did not miss living at the Manor one bit. Here she had all of her favorite books, her comfortable furniture, her beloved kitchen and her massive bed that she no longer slept in alone.

She found Harry wandering around in her study and she sighed. This had been happening all too often. Since his separation with Riddle he would tend to lose focus at times, and always seemed to be searching for some unknown object he felt that he had misplaced. It was truly heart breaking.

He looked up at her and she was surprised to see that he did not have the usual lost look in his eyes she had grown accustomed to. Instead, there was a look of mischief that she had not seen in some time. "What are you up to?" she asked warily.

"Nothing" he shrugged. "Take a look in your desk drawer."

She raised an eyebrow at him and walked around to take a look. When she opened the drawer there was a single brochure lying on top of her neatly filed stacks of parchment. "What is this?" she asked, opening it to see beautiful scenic pictures from all over the world.

"Why Miss Granger, have you forgotten how to read? And here I thought you were supposed to be the most brilliant witch of your age."

He laughed and she nudged him in the ribs, unable to believe how good it made her feel to hear that laugh again. "I can see that it's a brochure for a world tour vacation, but what's it doing in my desk?"

"I bought us two passes. It's a muggle trip so it'll take a month, but we'll be able to see all of these places… and not because we're chasing evil, but because we're on a normal vacation. You know, the kind where you go swimming at the beach and get drunk and visit all sorts of historic sights that I'm sure you'll tell me a billion facts about…" she opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. "I know what you're going to say, you're swamped with work right now, and that's okay. It's open ended; whenever things calm down we'll go. I mean, that is, if you want to go."

Tears pricked at her eyes. "That's not what I was going to say. I was going to say that this is so wonderful and I can't wait." She kissed him them, unable to wait another moment, and he deepened the kiss, lifting her up onto the desk so that he was positioned between her thighs as they continued to get carried away in each other.

When they broke apart he began to speak. His tone was incredibly soft and gentle for a man who had been through all of his life experiences. "I'm sorry things have been so crazy this year, and I know I haven't always been… present. But Hermione… I love you. I've always loved you, and whether we're fighting evil or just being a normal boring couple arguing about what to make for dinner, I'll always love you. I'm sorry it took me being possessed by a lunatic to realize it, and I'm sorry that it required another series of near death experiences for me to express it, but I want to spend the rest of my life making that up to you."

"And you will" she whispered in response. "We choose our own destinies."

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**Author's note***

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And that's a wrap! I know it leaves certain questions unanswered (such as, what happened to Damon in the battle? What did Hermione do with the pendant? Etc…). However, I wanted to leave some mystery to the story for two reasons 1) because life never wraps up perfectly neatly and 2) in case I decide to write a sequel.

I already have many ideas about the sequel, but I don't want to make any promises, as I've been incredibly busy as of late. So hopefully this is a satisfactory enough ending, but if the reviews claim the contrary I'll consider an epilogue.

My great appreciation for reading along with this story, it's been a lot of fun to write and I'm so happy to have been able to complete it. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts!

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