August 2055

Draco was buttoning up his shirt as the Healer continued writing something on a chart. He waited until the Healer was finished before asking the dreaded question he had been putting off asking.

"How long have I got?"

The Healer frowned. He swallowed and placed his hands in his pockets and then took a deep breath. "It's hard to say, Mr. Malfoy. It could be six months. It could be six years. Regardless of the length of time…you're going to die a bit earlier than you would've liked."

Draco let the news sink in. He just sat there, gaze blank, and taking in nothing around him. Eventually he came to his senses though. He began to laugh. He laughed loud and he laughed hard. "I would've bet a million galleons I'd die in a wand fight. Not a physical ailment."

"Well, that just goes to show you that you never really know how your life will play out until all the cards are dealt."

"Not even then, Healer Roberts." Draco shook his head. "You never know until all the cards are turned over."

Healer Roberts didn't respond, nor did Draco expect him to. Instead Draco left St. Mungo's but didn't go home. Instead he walked. He walked slowly; not just because he had found out he was dying, but also because his body was beginning to give out on him from lack of energy –some sort of lack of life. Funny enough, both reasons turned out to be one and the same.

Draco had walked so much that he eventually made it to the visitor's entrance to the Ministry. He stared at the entrance that led to the illustrious building and weighed the possible consequences of his future actions if he took them. Despite the fact that the cons outweighed the pros, the pros in Draco's mind were worth it.

And so in he went.

Draco made his way from the ground floor to the Auror Department. The floor was empty which suited him just fine. He would do anything to avoid the awkward stares of workers who were trying to figure out what he was doing there. He walked down aisles, past cubicles, and eventually past offices. He passed one office that had "Harry Potter" engraved on the door. Draco stopped, looked to his right, and just where he thought his office would be, he saw "Ron Weasley" etched onto a gold plate just as Harry's. Draco placed his hand on the doorknob and found it turned. He opened the door fully and stepped inside.

"Nice office,"

Ron looked up from his desk and his eyes grew wide at his unexpected visitor. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you about Hermione." Draco said. "I came here to tell you to stop treating her like crap."

Ron stared at him bemused. "What?"

"What's the matter Weasley? Going a little deaf the older you get?"

"Oh no, I heard you." Ron replied, anger creeping up into his face. He rose from his desk and slowly made his way over to Draco. "Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your arse right here in my office."

Draco smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Because although we're the same age, I'm in much better shape than you."

Ron snarled viciously, but the fight that he had threatened Draco with proved hallow as he huffed and walked away from him and back to his desk. "Get out."

"No," Draco shook his head. "Not until I've had my say."

"You're bloody kidding me." Ron fumed. "You, the son of a bitch who's been trying to steal my wife away from me for years, are trying to tell me how to treat my wife? Screw what kind of shape I'm in. I'm going to kick your arse anyway."

"Look, I'm not here to be a prick. I'm here because Hermione's been crying to me about you for months now."

Ron paused. "…Months?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah." He sighed and moved to sit down in the chair in front of Ron's desk. "Ever since our kids got married she hasn't really been happy. A passing sadness every now and again, but lately it hasn't stopped."

"Why wouldn't she tell me?" Ron asked. He got angry again and frowned. "Why would she tell you and not me?"

"Because you're the person she's upset about." Draco replied. "And I'm her best friend. Always have been. She tells me everything and I've always done the same for her. And whether you want to hear it or not I love her. I'd do anything for her. Me, sitting here in your office and talking to you, should prove that. But I…" Draco halted. He thought over what his Healer said and felt a heaviness in his chest. "I'm not going to be around forever, Weasley. I'm not always going to be there when she needs someone. I need to know that you'll do right by her like you used to."

"…How can I?" Ron countered. "How can I take our marriage back to what it used to be when it was all a lie? She never loved me. She's always loved you. I was…just somebody to replace you."

"No, you weren't. Astoria, my ex-wife, I chose her to replace Hermione. Because of that our marriage ended miserably. But you… Hermione loved you differently than she loved me. I'm not saying that it was more or less. But regardless of that, she was all your own. And when I'm gone, Weasley, she'll be absolutely yours."

Draco took a deep breath and rose from his seat. "That's all I had to say. Just do right by her."

Draco didn't wait for Ron to say anything. He headed towards the door but stopped when Ron had finally gathered his words.

"Malfoy…are you alright?" Ron asked him.

Draco swallowed deeply as he turned his gaze towards him one last time. "Not by a long shot."

October 2060

Hermione had done well. She hadn't shed a tear when a letter from Sophie informed her that Draco had died. Nor did she cry during the days leading up to the funeral. She still hadn't even though she was watching Draco's coffin lower into its eternal resting place and dirt magically cover it. As far as she was concerned everyone was crying enough. Draco needed someone to celebrate his life. Be happy that he had lived a good one. Not moan and groan and collapse onto the ground like others had done. Hermione excluded one person from this criteria and it was Scorpius. And even then he sobbed quietly.

The only other person at the funeral who hadn't cried was Ron. That was to be expected. What hadbeen unexpected was that he had dressed for the funeral without Hermione or Sophie having to ask him. He had simply emerged from the bedroom in his best suit, took Hermione's arm, and disapparated with her.

Despite how massive the funeral had been in terms of guests, what remained now was a small remnant. The "remnant" being Hermione and Ron and Sophie and Scorpius. Astoria and her husband had left only moments ago.

"I'm sorry about your father." Ron said to Scorpius. Scorpius had either blinked back tears or blinked in surprise. Regardless, he nodded to him in recognition.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley."

"…Call me dad." Ron replied as he clapped a comforting hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "It's been long enough."

Hermione and Sophie shared disbelieving looks, but smiled at one another nonetheless. Soon it was just the two of them left in the cemetery after they persuaded their husbands to go to the reception without them. Sophie had wanted to speak with her mother alone and cleared her throat nervously as she began.

"This must hurt you more than any of us." Sophie said hesitantly. "To have your…childhood friend die at an age that no wizard should."

Hermione turned her gaze to her daughter quickly. "How did you-?"

"-Scorpius told me." She explained. "He read it in a letter from his father that he received by owl the day before yesterday. To quote the letter, his father wanted to 'explain some of his actions.' Scorpius was…very moved when he read it. It made him quite appreciative of his father. And you too." Sophie sighed and stared at Draco's grave. "The both of you sacrificed so much… It wasn't until after his letter that Scorpius and I understood why the both you fought so hard for us to get together, to get married…" Sophie looked up at her mother and smiled. "Thank you."

Hermione beamed at her daughter. "You're welcome. You know, I…I'd like to read that letter one day, if Scorpius doesn't mind."

"You don't need to." Sophie said as she dug into her handbag for something. "You've got one of your own to read."

Hermione stared at the letter that Sophie placed into her hands. With that her daughter made herself scarce and it was just Hermione left in the cemetery. With a deep breath she opened the letter and let her eyes gaze upon the familiar script.

My dearest Hermione,

I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what was going on with me, but I did it because I didn't want your pity. I wanted to see you happy, not with sad eyes at my predicament. Because of my actions I was able to live out the rest of my life sharing laughs with you. Dinners, lunches, babysitting, and so much more.

Our lives were never perfect. And our lives were certainly never easy. There were times I wished I could get my hands on a time-turner and tell our past selves not to be so stupid and just go for it. But then I wouldn't have Scorpius. You wouldn't have Sophie. And we wouldn't have our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This was our fate, Hermione. And although I couldn't have you the way I would have liked, I still had you nonetheless.

I love you, Hermione. Even beyond death.

Eternally yours,

Draco xx

Hermione read the letter more than once. She swallowed, folded the letter and placed it into her handbag. Once she removed her hand, she placed it on Draco's tombstone and cried bitterly.

"You owe me twenty galleons."

October 2110

Dying was an interesting experience. Hermione had woken up one morning feeling better than she had felt in recent years. Her body didn't ache nor did it creak. She didn't wobble when she stood, nor did she need help rising from bed. She felt like she could jump through hoops if someone asked her to. It was only after Hermione stretched and turned to make up her bed that she realized that her body was still lying there.

She had stood in her bedroom waiting for the white light that she could walk into, but it never came. Ron did though. The older he became, the earlier he got out of bed. The hardest thing for Hermione to watch was the utter shattering of Ron's face when he realized that she wasn't waking up. The days leading up to her funeral weren't easy to endure either.

On the actual day, Hermione stood among the guests. She smiled at the eulogy both Ron and Sophie had taken turns in saying. She laughed and cringed in embarrassment at the photos they showed of her throughout the years. And she nearly cried at the amount of people who had turned up to pay their respects.

It was as the cemetery was clearing that Hermione felt a sensation from behind her. She slowly turned, amazed at the white light that was glimmering in front of her.

"So that's what you look like." Hermione said to herself. It was a beautiful sight. She began to walk towards it and then stopped when she realized that the white light was moving towards her. She became even further perplexed when the white light turned out not to be a light at all. Hermione could barely catch her breath as the image of Draco became clearer.

"I was beginning to think that you'd live forever." Draco chuckled.

Hermione was speechless. She simply stood there, motionless, and choking on words that were fighting their way out of her mouth. "How can you be here? It's been…years. Decades."

"Oh, Hermione," Draco smiled as he placed a hand on her cheek. "I never left you. I was always there, waiting for the moment that I could finally have you." Draco continued to smile as he one-handedly pulled her in close. "For the moment that you could tell me that you loved me without being afraid to mean it."

Hermione could feel her eyes tearing up as Draco spoke. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly began to nod. "Yes," She said to him. "I do love you, Draco. I always have."

Draco's smile was wider than his mouth could allow as he held her body close to him. He kissed her then. He kissed her with the fervor of decades of missed chances and forbidden fantasies. When he finally pulled away he could see that Hermione was full of embarrassment at the tears that had escaped her eyes. Draco wiped most of them away with his thumb. The last he kissed away.

"What do we do now?" Hermione asked as she rested her head on his shoulder. "You've been dead longer than I have."

"We do what all ghosts do." Draco replied as he cradled her in his arms. "We haunt. My suggestion is the Room of Requirement."

Hermione raised her head in order to look him in the eyes. Her own were wide with excitement as well as her smile. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

Draco nodded and took her hand. "Let's go then. Oh, and Hermione? One more thing,"

"What's that?"

Draco looked at her at a side glance as he led her by the hand away from the funeral. She was expectant at what he had to say and urged him on as the world around them began to dissolve and morph into the Hogwarts scene where they would spend eternity. Draco smirked as they roamed the ancient school corridors. He slipped his arm around her waist, his fingers interlocking with hers as they stood in front of the Room of Requirement. As the doors took form, Draco turned to her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You owe me twenty galleons." He whispered, and Hermione laughed, promising to pay him every penny, and more, in love that was once unrequited.

Author's note: Well, that's the end of the story :). As I told someone in one of their reviews, everyone got a shot at redemption in this chapter. Draco faced Ron and in a way relented Hermione over to him all the while making sure that she would be okay after he was gone. Ron came to terms with the whole situation by not only going to Draco's funeral, but showing his support to Scorpius. Astoria had gotten remarried. And of course, Draco and Hermione finally got to have each other and always will until the end of time.

Now, I don't usually have a "moral" for any of my stories, but for this one I do. No matter what it is, please my dear reviewers, go after what you want. At least try. Even if you don't get it, you can say that you tried and not have to wonder about "what if." You may not get a second chance like Hermione and Draco did.

So, a big THANK YOU, for reading, reviewing, following, favoriting, etc. It's been/is much appreciated. If you're interested/not already reading it, feel free to take a look at a story I posted for the first time last week. It's called "Changing Fate." I'm also still working on "Condemned with Reason," the sequel to "Aurors vs. the Condemned."

-WP :)