A/N: This is the last chapter! Thank you guys so much for sticking along for the ride, it's been a pleasure. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you thought about it!

He was waiting for her when she walked through the fireplace.

"This is a right bit of trash," he frowned, brow furrowed, as he crumpled the newspaper in his hand.

She didn't wait to get into it, "What are we?"

"Pardon?"

"What are we?" she repeated slowly, and stared up at his eyes as she walked towards him.

"We're just two colleagues."

"Is that it?"

"Bullocks, what's gotten into you Granger? Is now really the time to be talking about this when our research has been slandered—"

"Yes. It is. It is the right time because I want to talk about it, and I think it's important and we were deluding ourselves before because it made sneaking around so much easier. But what are we?"

He shucked a hand through his glossy pale hair, and grumbled. "Fuck if I know, Granger? What have we ever been?"

"We've always been something," she edged.

"I know. Believe me, I know. I couldn't ever get rid of you—you know that? Before we were together, you were always in my thoughts. And after? Damnit. I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Me neither," she confessed.

He looked away from her, snarl pulling his lips down. "You know I loved you, right?"

She bit her lip. "I know."

"And I still do. But I know you've got this bloody complex about yourself, about who you should be with and how it shouldn't be me."

She wiped tears off her cheeks with the hem of her jumper.

"It's up to you," he sighed. "But I think you've known my place in this for a long time."

She broke down. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her face into his chest.

"Oh God, Draco. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything, for keeping us a secret and pushing you away. I'm sorry."

He hesitantly rested a hand on her back. "And?"

"And of course," the words bubbled out, "I love you. I always have. This is us. And I couldn't imagine it any other way."

He tilted her face up and kissed her, messy tears and all. "I do have to say, Granger, you look absolutely sporting right now."

"Don't be a git," she chuckled weepily, "But I'm so sorry. Sorry I broke it off before. Sorry I was a bitch when we first started working together. Sorry I wrote the letter. Sorry I—"

He hushed her, and held her close. "We've had this conversation before, haven't we? I suppose it's time we lay the past to rest."

"I'd like that," she smiled. "I'd really like that."

"And while we're at it, we'd better go correct these gits."

"Correct the reporters?" she questioned hesitantly. "About what?"

"Our research, you dummy." Laughing at her expression, he wiped a tear. "They certainly got the relationship part right. I certainly have ensnared this naïve girl in my clutches."

"You arse," she smirked.

"Knowing you, Granger, you think the worst thing in that sentence isn't the way they talked about me, or even that they patronized you. It's that they called you naïve."

She wrinkled her nose. "There isn't a naïve bone left in my body. It's incredibly rude."

He just shook his head, and kissed her again. "Let's go straighten those bloody idiots out, shall we?"

They contacted the papers directly, and scheduled a press conference for 5 pm. In the meantime, Hermione thought it would be best to prepare a couple paragraphs going in depth about the magical gene. That way, she could hand it out at the end of the information session, so the papers would have an outline of what she discussed.

They decided to make a quick stop at the lab, to get their power points and notes, and were surprised to see Dr. Taylor sitting in the center of the lab, waiting for them.

Hermione stilled at the door, and Draco walked straight into her.

"Granger, don't stand in the way—"

"Hello Hermione, Draco," Dr. Taylor's normally quiet voice was strong and forceful. Draco paused, glanced up to look at him.

"Come in, why don't you? Let's keep this to the lab, close the door, why don't you?"

Hermione shuffled in, shutting the door firmly and whispering a silencio to muffle their conversation to the outside world. Completely ashamed and feeling like a child about to be scolded, she took a seat in her chair as Draco pulled his own around the work bench so they could form a small circle.

Dr. Taylor frowned at them both sternly, and then sighed, putting a hand on his face. "I suppose it's not the first time the world hasn't been ready for a new scientific discovery. And it won't be the last."

Hermione tilted her head down and exhaled. "I'm so sorry Dr. Taylor."

"Obviously, it's not all your fault. But did you both really have to announce your relationship at the same time as the research?"

Draco leaned back and shrugged as Hermione jumped to attention.

"We didn't! We definitely did not mean for anyone to know. We weren't even dating until this morning—"

"Please, spare me the details," Dr. Taylor waved his hand.

"How long have you known?" Draco asked calmly.

He looked up at the ceiling, pursing his lips. "I wasn't particularly interested—things like this aren't my business as a boss unless it gets in the way. Though, having my only two grad students dating is definitely not ideal. I suppose I noticed sometime after the Genetics Conference."

Draco smirked, and Hermione blushed. "I'll give it to you, Dr. Taylor, you're very perceptive."

"What were you two thinking, though? You're both very bright, your behavior was completely irresponsible. Sharing a room? Not acting like proper colleagues? The press was bound to notice."

Draco laughed abruptly, and pointed out, "It was actually your fault we shared a room in the first place, at the Genetics Conference."

Dr. Taylor shook his head, and sighed again. "I do accept some responsibility. I suppose I haven't been the most orthodox head of the lab—"

"This is definitely not your fault," Hermione gulped, "you had no idea what you were getting into when you accepted us both as your grad students."

"Oh?" His interest piqued, he narrowed his eyes at the two of them and she tried to wave it off.

"I just meant… well, I suppose…"

"It was bound to happen," Draco shrugged, finishing her sentence. "So, don't feel too bad for the mess we created for ourselves. It's the scientific catastrophe we need your help to fix."

Dr. Taylor nodded, and touched his chin. "Yes, well I've been thinking a lot about that and I have some ideas. I know for the scientific community, many people were very excited and receptive to your research. It's really the bridge between science and non-science that is the difficulty. People can be very afraid of the things they don't understand."

Hermione hummed in agreement, and he continued.

"I think we should contact many of the major scientific magazines, and ask for a spread in their latest issues. Those will come out in a week, so that should help mitigate some of the confusion. Those magazines, like National Scientific Magic, appeal to an audience who understands the basics of these concepts. The people who read that will help change the conversation."

"But we can't just speak to the people who are already in the scientific community," Hermione argued. "This knowledge is for everyone, and it's crucial we get to the people who might misunderstand and take issue with it."

Draco shifted in his seat, frowning. "The purebloods are never going to like this. We are essentially proving that there is no such thing as a pureblood, that everyone at some point has muggle ancestors. That's directly against every concept they take pride in."

"I know," Hermione sighed. "I think I might've been foolish to think I could disprove this blood purity war with science."

Dr. Taylor immediately started laughing. "Oh Hermione. I did think it was an ambitious task you put on your plate—but someone has to do it. Don't sell yourself short. If Galileo could prove that planets moved around the sun, not the earth, then you can too. It's just a matter of time."

Draco nodded gruffly. "Don't weigh yourself down with pressure, Granger. The world will figure itself out. Our only job is to chase after these elusive questions, and tell the world the answers we find."

She smiled bittersweetly. "If only they just understood."

Dr. Taylor chuckled. "Well, then you'd be out a job."

Standing at the top of a podium in the main room of the Ministry of Magic, Hermione smiled pleasantly, Draco by her side. Harry and Ginny were in the audience, two large folders in their hands, filled with papers clearly laying out the research. They had agreed to hand out the papers after the conference, to ensure every major newspaper and magazine that was there would get one.

She took a breath, and began.

"Hello, so I'm certain you're all clear on why we have invited you here today."

The questions began instantly, and Draco barked until they quieted down again.

"We wanted to clear the air on our research. The main point I want you all to understand today, is that mutations are not inherently a bad or good thing. There is no moral right or wrong in genetics—none of us can choose our genetics—so we must attempt to remove bias. There is nothing wrong being born into a so-called pureblood family who inherits the genetic basis for magic through hereditary means. There is also nothing wrong with gaining magic through a novel mutation, being muggle born.

Our research aims at answering the question: why do we have magic? Was it something we were fated to have, or was it on accident? There is no good answer to this question. But it is clear that we have our magic because of the genetic map that is the same thing that gives us our hair color, nose shape, ten fingers and toes. The clear thing is everyone who has magic, is supposed to have magic. It's in our DNA."

A barrage of reporters shouted questions, and Draco began answering.

"What does this mean for squibs?" One asked.

"It means they did not inherit the gene that gives them magic. There is nothing wrong with that, in case that was your next question," he added sharply.

"Do you really think pureblood family trees originated from muggles?"

"Yes, we do. Different purebloods can trace their family trees back to various centuries, but it's clear that they are all also a result of this genetic mutation."

"Is it true that you're dating?" Another reporter shot out.

"That's completely off topic," he answered, and then quirked his eyebrow at Hermione. "But yes, we are."

Instantly, the crowd erupted in chaos.

Draco quieted them with a wave of his hand. "We won't take any more questions about the nature of our relationship."

"But when you write about us, don't say 'ex death eater and war heroine.' Call us scientists," Hermione interjected, and smiled at him.

They continued answering more questions, some ranging from basic genetics to more complicated aspects of their research. Once they were sufficiently pleased that they'd answered everything properly this time, they closed the press conference and packed up. Harry and Ginny walked over, handing their folders back. It wouldn't be the last time they'd have to explain their research, but hopefully it would be better received by the magical world, now that they had more control over who and what people would say.

"You both did wonderfully," Ginny smiled.

Harry hung back, scratching his neck, and Hermione bit her lip.

"Thank you guys for helping," she tried, and moved over to where Harry was lingering and hugged him. "And I'm sorry. Sorry for keeping this from you. I should have bucked up the courage to tell you earlier."

Harry hugged her back strongly, and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "No, I'm sorry. You didn't tell me because you knew how I'd react—rather poorly, if I might say."

He turned to Draco and nodded. "It's time we get to know each other properly—put all the school stuff behind us. Let's grab a beer sometime, Malfoy."

Draco smirked, and shook his head. "Never thought I'd see the day, Potter. If you insist, since I'm sure she'll want to keep you in her life."

Hermione beamed, and hugged Ginny. "This has been one of the most emotionally exhausting 24 hours of my life. Thank you for being there for me."

"Of course," Ginny whispered into her hair. "You know I live for these moments."

As they broke apart, the group stiffened when they saw Theo Nott appear out of the crowd, and approach Draco. Hermione knew he hadn't spoken to any of his old mates from Hogwarts since they left, and she pushed Harry and Ginny away, but hung back so she could be a part of the conversation. She didn't really remember Theo from their school days, other than he was a prejudiced bully as well. But trying to turn over a new leaf, she relaxed into his presence, prepared for the unknown.

Draco, however, bristled visibly at his appearance. "Nott," he nodded.

Nott nodded back, "Malfoy. Granger."

A beat of awkward silence, and Theo scratched his neck. "So, I see you've gone and started to do something with yourself."

"Yes. What of it?" Draco was on edge, but Nott trudged on.

"I just mean, it's good. What you're doing."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

Nott chuckled. "Well, you know, gotta give it to all those bloody old pureblood fanatics. About time, don't you think?"

"I do. I just didn't realize," Draco glanced at Hermione, and then back to Nott, "that you did too."

"Well, with the baby on the way—"

"You're going to be a father?"

"Oh, yeah," Nott paused. "You should keep in touch, Malfoy. Not everyone's as changed as you or I, but it's still enjoyable. Katie would love to see you, too," Nott said to Hermione, and she gasped.

"Katie? As in, Katie Bell?"

"The one and only."

"You're having a baby with Katie bell," Draco repeated, and then shook his head. "It's a jolly strange world, indeed, isn't it?"

Hermione smiled, and finally, she felt like it was going to be okay.

10 years later.

Hermione sat at her desk, in the office she'd secured for herself at Oxford. She was setting up her new research lab, and there were a million different things to figure out. Where would they keep reagents? What did she need to order? How could she ensure her lab flew under the school's radar so that she could do magic related research without them knowing? Luckily Dr. Taylor had another year left before he'd retire, so he stopped by her office frequently for coffee and gave her brilliant suggestions.

It had been a long and exciting road, and now she was finally the head of her own lab, studying magical genetics. After her groundbreaking paper about magical inheritance, and how all witches and wizards had a mutated version of a muggle gene, she'd continued her work. The world hadn't quite been ready for the truth when it had first broke, but after properly explaining it time and time again, people gradually started to understand. The idea that mutations aren't anything bad, but they're a perfectly natural and good way to develop genetic diversity. And there was a natural and exciting diversity in the human race—the presence or absence of magic. Neither was better than the other, but they were two sides of the same coin. And gradually, the wizarding world began to understand their origins better, and appreciate the knowledge that they were all intrinsically human.

And now, she was starting the next phase of the cycle. Instead of doing her own research, she would be helping new grad students complete their research. Acting as a mentor, and a guide in the intersection between magic and science. She smiled thoughtfully.

And then narrowed her eyes at the figure sprawled lazily in one of her office chairs.

"You know, Oxford gave you your own office so that you wouldn't be in mine all the time."

"Did they? Hadn't noticed." Malfoy slowly flipped the page of the journal article he was reading.

Hermione huffed. "Well, they did. I've got real work to do to set up our lab."

"By all means, Dr. Granger, please continue."

"I can't get things done when you're being so distracting." She smirked, and he raised an eyebrow without.

"Hmm, now how could I be distracting, just sitting here reading? It's not my fault if you're hopelessly attracted to my natural charm."

She rolled her eyes, and turned her attention when she heard a knock at the door. A young wizard, no more than 22, nervously peeked his head in and smiled.

"Dr. Granger? Hi, I'm the student who emailed you about joining the Malfoy-Granger lab. Do you have a minute?"

Noticing Malfoy sitting in the chair in the corner, he stood straighter, and nodded to him.

"Dr. Malfoy, hello. I was wondering—"

Malfoy stood and cut him off with a wave of the hand. "I'm heading out—I leave recruiting to her. I'm sure you'll do great in the lab, mate. Oh, and Hermione? It's your turn to pick the kids up from Harry and Ginny's."

Hermione smirked. "I'll be busy recruiting, Malfoy, so I guess you'll have to instead. Say hi for me!"

He chuckled as he walked off, shaking his head and smiling.

Hope you enjoyed!