A/N: So am I FLOORED by the response this story has gotten. I was looking at the stats for it and I would like to take this time to thank the 116 people that have me on their favorites list and the 191 people that have this story on their alerts. Thank you all astronomically. :] I realized that today is also the one year anniversary of this story being published so I thought it appropriate to get this out. This is it. The End. Thank you all again.
Epilogue
The ground was hard beneath their feet as they walked. The large group came to a halt in front of the large wrought iron gates and a smaller bunch broke way from them to continue forward. This group eventually broke off into an even smaller group once they got within sight of the two large marble headstones. When the footsteps finally reached the gravesite, the group was reduced to just one.
Harry knelt down gently and placed the bouquet of wildflowers between the two headstones. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. He heard footsteps behind him again and stood up to greet his two best friends.
Ron put a hand on his shoulder, "You alright mate?"
Harry gave him a crooked smile, "Yeah, I think I am."
"C'mon, you two, we still have more stops to make," Hermione said, linking her arm through each boys arm.
The trio made their way over to the group they abandoned before. This group consisted of Sirius, Lupin, Ginny, Draco, Blaise, and Dumbledore. Dumbledore smiled kindly at Harry when the three reached the group. Harry nodded once and the reassembled troop headed off towards a similar sized group that was huddled in the center of the graveyard.
This group consisted of many ministry employee's and aurors, here to commemorate all those who were lost in the fight against Voldemort. It was decided to have the memorial here at Godrics Hollow because it was where he fell. The memorial was brief. The hot July weather didn't allow for much meandering outdoors. Dumbledore said a few closing words and everyone parted ways. Sirius and Lupin were headed back to the ministry. The battle may have been over, but the work was far from done. There were still many alleged Death Eaters to be questioned. Sirius had been cleared just a few weeks prior and was offered a position as head of the auror department almost instantly.
They had claimed that they could use a man with his talent for elusiveness. Sirius of course, agreed most wholeheartedly on one condition that is: That Lupin be his right hand man, just like he had been in school. The new minister had agreed with a smile on his face and clapped the two joyously on the shoulder. But then again, Arthur Weasley had always been a reasonable man.
Ginny, Draco, Blaise and Hermione were headed back to Malfoy Manor. After his father's capture and life sentence to Azkaban, Draco, being the sole heir to the Malfoy fortune was given control of all his fathers' assets. His mother Narcissa now being free of Lucius evil will, welcomed her son's friends with open arms and the four were spending the holiday at the manor.
Harry and Ron were headed back to Grimmauld place to finish fixing the place up in to a proper bachelor pad. Sirius opened up his doors to the newly graduated Harry and Ron, seeing as Harry was of age and could move out properly, and so was Ron. Ron (after being reassured many times that Grimmauld place was ghoul free) jumped at the chance to be out of the Burrow at last. Harry is toying with the idea of playing professional quidditch and Ron was offered a coaching job. (He would play but due to his sever case of nerves he thought he'd be better off the field.) The idea that Ron may end up being Harry's coach was thought of many a time and was a favorite joke at the dinner table for many nights.
It was on one of the rare moments when Grimmauld place was quiet that Harry received a post owl that would later be described as the one that 'started it all.'
The large eagle owl swept through the room, dropping a heavy looking scroll tied with a green ribbon. Harry was not surprised to find the Malfoy insignia pressed into the wax. Harry broke the seal and scanned the contents quickly before bellowing upstairs to Ron.
"Oi Ron!"
"What?" Came the muffled response.
"Malfoy wants us to come over. Says there's something important he wants to tell us…" Harry trailed off suddenly, remembering the last couple of weeks.
Draco had been on edge. Actually on edge wouldn't adequately describe the state the young Malfoy had been in lately. He was irritable a lot more than he normally was (which was a lot) and jumpy. Malfoy did not get jumpy. He didn't even get this riled up when the Dark Lord was at large. No, there was something going on, something that Harry's subconscious new very well it was coming but hewasn't sure if he was ready for it. And if Harry wasn't ready, neither was Ron.
"Important?" Ron had appeared in the kitchen, a pamphlet about the cannons clutched in his hand.
"Er yeah, he wants us to floo over right away," Harry said, nervously.
A crease appeared between the red haired boys ginger brows.
"What could be so important that he expects us to just drop everything and be available at his beck and call? And why didn't Hermione send for us like she usually does?" Suspicion laced Ron's tone and Harry shrugged, trying to be non-chalant.
"Well whatever it is, we'll find out. Plus, we weren't doing anything anyway Ron," Harry chastised gently, rolling his eyes at his best friend.
Malfoy Manor
"Okay then, out with it, what is going on?" Hermione exclaimed crossing her arms across her chest indignantly. She stared at the tall blonde in front of her with a look that rivaled even McGonagalls most irritated pose.
Draco responded in kind by shooting her a death glare worthy of Snape on his most foul of days and flew her the finger just for good measure as well.
"Real mature Draco," Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Calm down babe, we're all just as curious as you are," Blaise soothed walking up and kissing Hermione gently on the side of her head.
"Yes I quite agree," Molly Weasley admonished, though there was the begins of a smile tugging at her lips.
Draco had assembled every single person that was important in Ginny and his life in the large foyer of Malfoy Manor and since for him, that only included, Ginny herself and his mother, the rest of the foyer was a Gryffindor convention. It was enough to put anyone on edge. Well anyone that wasn't a Gryffindor anyway.
Harry had begun to chew his fingernails and Draco wanted so badly to punch him for appearing nervous. That was his job. He was about to do something heinously embarrassing all because he was in love with a stupid girl. A stupid, beautiful, wonderful girl.
"Draco!" Ginny yelled at him, and Draco froze in his tracks.
"What?"
"You're pacing. Stop," Ginny said.
"Immediately," Narcissa put in.
"Okay, okay," Draco put his palms up in surrender and took a deep breath, "You all are probably wondering why I asked you here today."
"Well, not all of us," Sirius looked at Lupin and Lupin winked.
"Wait, you two are in on this?" Ron exclaimed.
Sirius just put a finger to his lips.
"Ginny," Draco walked up to her and took one hand in both of his.
Ginny's eyes widened suddenly in understanding.
"OH MY GOD!" Ginny yelled.
Molly started clapping enthusiastically. Ginny's brothers still looked confused. Sirius and Lupin were beaming. Narcissa was staring at her son in wonder. Harry looked like he was waiting for a bomb to go off.
Draco got down on one knee.
And then it did go off.
"Holy SHIT!" Fred and George chorused.
"Oh my…" Hermione gasped.
"Ginny, will you marry me?"
Ginny's eyes were glazed over. She was staring at Draco, open mouthed and staring.
A flash bulb went off.
Ginny blinked.
"Wow Gin, your mouth opens really wide…" Colin exclaimed, grinning stupidly.
"Colin! Destroy that picture immediately! I look like an idiot!"
"Uh no Gin, you look like someone that is getting proposed to," Colin pointed out, nodding his head toward where Draco was still on one knee, sweating bullets and looking at her expectantly.
"Oh! Yes, right well," Ginny flustered, suddenly very aware of the many pairs of eyes that were now on her.
"YES! She says yes!" Molly burst out suddenly.
Everyone stared.
"Mum!" Ginny said, flabbergasted at her mother's behavior.
"I believe that is Ginny's line, Mrs. Weasley," Blaise chuckled, then turned to the person in question, "Well Red? You better give the man an answer before his body makes the decision for you. He looks about ready to go into cardiac arrest."
Ginny turned her gaze to her boyfriend of less than a year and smiled.
"Get up Draco."
Draco did.
Ginny reached up to cradle his face between her small hands and stared him straight in the eye.
"Draco Malfoy. I would be honored to spend the rest of my life with you," Ginny whispered.
Draco's face split into a wide grin.
"So does this moment count as a get out of jail free card if I kiss you in front of all your brothers?"
Ginny laughed, and pulled his face down to hers. And that was all the answer he needed.
END.