A/N: Last chapter! It took 10 years, but its finally finished. I loved writing this story, and I hope you enjoyed reading. If anyone from the beginning has stuck around I want to say thank you so much for your support. It means so much to me. Feel free to write a review/message and I'll reply ASAP as long as you're signed in and I can. But to ALL of the old and to the new readers: Thank you so very much!

Flowers From A Grave
Chapter 18: Found

The first morning I woke up feeling like a weight was released from my shoulders, a weight roughly the same size as Hermione Granger.

I didn't feel eyes on me, I didn't feel intruded upon. I felt alone, they way I had always liked it in the past.

It didn't bother me to spend the day not talking to a single person.

I opted out of volunteering because I'd done my fair share of charity work for Granger over the last few weeks. It had nothing to do with the unavoidable amount of reporters and gossip circling the halls of the Ministry of Magic. I could handle some Granger Gossip, but damn didn't I deserve a break from her?

The only place I seemed to be able to have some reprieve from the girl was at the Muggle cinema, which I decided to visit that afternoon not because it reminded me of Granger (pft, over her dead body) but because I needed a break.

xxx

The second and third days were even better than the first. I had a date, which would have gone well if it wasn't for the girl I ended up sitting across. (Any date with me is a good time, you see.) After fifteen minutes of her babbling on about how a war hero coming back to life was so exciting I had to calmly tell her that Granger was, in fact, not all she was cracked up to be, but was, on the contrary, a coward who was dim enough to get lost for five years in a different country.

I'd like to interject the narrative to explain that my opinion was not due to the fact that Granger had ignored me for three days since regaining her memory, and that I was definitely not put off by her avoidance and abandonment of me, the person who put her back together. Ahem, but none of that really affected me. It was just Granger, after all, and what could I expect?

It was the fourth consecutive bad date, the streak of which coincidentally began as soon as Granger invaded my life. My date (Jemma, Gina... her name was eluding me, since all could think about was Granger the whole date... because of the conversation topic, not for any other reason!) ended up telling me I was ungrateful and should have been more respectful towards the people who "cleared my name"! As if she knew anything about my past.

Even without her hovering in my personal space Granger was still getting in my way.

I had half a mind to go visit her and remind her that the only reason she had her life back was because I helped her. But the memory of the look she gave me in the hospital would remind me that she definitely had no interest in seeing me.

I apparated to my flat after wandering around the city to pass the time. Another night alone.

I started removing my cloak and froze when I heard her voice.

"Two days ago, before the mediwizard restored my memories, the first thing I thought I'd want to do when I got my memories back was perform magic. Any magic. I'd tried after I got back from the Muggle hospital and it was pathetic. You'd have laughed. Can you imagine it? Me unable to levitate a book."

My hair stood up on my neck but it wasn't from the chills from being uncomfortable or cold. It was the warm chills, from feeling surprised but happy.

I turned around, not too fast (I couldn't look too eager), and she was there, just like the first day I saw her in the manor, sitting cross legged on the sofa looking effortlessly comfortable in a place she was never explicitly invited.

"But when I woke up this morning with all of my memories what I wanted changed." On her lap was the vase containing the bouquet I had gotten for her. I'd brought it home from the Manor after everything went back to normal.

"For five years I was alone. I had no idea who I was, no friends, and no place to go. Deep inside I knew I had a home but I didn't know how find it. I drove all around the country alone, looking for whatever I was missing. I never found it.

"When I woke up this morning I looked at Harry and Ron and remembered the nights, and there were so many of them, when I slept in my car on the side of a road and fought with myself to remember, to figure out how to not be alone. I still feel the emptiness in my chest, even though today I regained my memories." Her fingers were touching the petals of the roses, velvet on the pads of her fingers. She could touch something again. I watched, envious of the rose petals.

"You've been alone for five years, too. You weren't lost, but I'd like to think that deep inside your soul or heart also knew you had a place somewhere. We were both looking, whether we knew it or not. And I think that's what caused the spark in our magic." She looked up at me finally and a my mind was screaming not to look away, just in case she disappeared again. I guess I missed her.

I didn't want to tell her she was right.

"You sound odd... your accent." I watched her the corner of her turn up as she started to smile.

"Of course that's all you have to say," said but, but sounded amused.

"Your hair is still blonde, too."

"Deflection, so mature." Now she was rolling her eyes.

The best part about being around Granger was that I didn't have to tell her that she was right – that maybe after five years of being alone I was looking for something too. Somehow she could figure those things out on her own.

"When I woke up with my memories the first thing I wanted to do was touch you."

"That doesn't surprise me... I mean, who could resist me?" I said confidently as I made my way closer to her.

She set the vase on the low table beside her and stood up, matching my destination. When we were almost chest to chest she let out a tiny puff of air and I felt the relief flood through me.

Her hands landed on my chest and I'm sure her heart skipped a beat the same way mine did. I wondered if she felt it.

Kissing Hermione Granger wasn't the worst thing on Earth. Actually, it might have been the complete opposite.

All because of some flowers from a grave.

(Epilogue)

It took a few months of assimilation but Hermione was on track to fulfilling the life she was always meant to lead. She easily found herself a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and was making the impact on the magical world that she always envisioned. She was pleased to learn that even without her leading the force, the ministry had managed to ensure house elves fair living conditions with a law created with her ideals in mind. Apparently it had been Ron who spearheaded the movement in the first place.

Hermione's second stop after reconnecting with Draco was to visit her friends and honorary family that she had made as Christina. She spent three days with them, explaining her situation with a few twists in order to preserve the secrecy of magic. At first, the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophe had insisted upon erasing the memories of all the Muggles involved. Upon the suggested Hermione immediately protested – she had lived without memories of her closest friends for five years and was forced to start anew. She did not fix her mind and body just to erase the last five years of her life again.

Her friends had been understanding, and Hermione vowed to keep them as close as possible, even being far away. She insisted a phone be installed in her new apartment in the magical neighborhood of Mytivia in London. It took some magic on her part, but after a day of research she was set up with a landline that would keep her Muggle friends close.

As if being in the spotlight for returning wasn't enough, Hermione and Draco found themselves the stars of more than a few tabloid magazines and gossip columns. Draco also found himself detained at the Ministry of Magic for destruction of property not once, but twice. The odd couple was quoted curiously:"I've dealt with a stalker for the past month, I don't need photographers following me about!" and "I did not stalk you". While the camera was destroyed, the words could not be unheard and were an easy source of rumors.

The shock of the blooming romance naturally extended to the couple's friends and family. Despite the fact that Draco had, mostly, been the person to help Hermione regain her life there was more than a little objection. Many of her family and friends initially assumed Hermione's "poor judgment" was a side effect of the curse. A few went as far to insist she get reevaluated at St. Mungo's. Hermione quickly reminded those people that she once permanently jinxed her classmate and if they needed a demonstration she was more than happy to use them as an example.

Harry and Ron were easy to accept her choice to be with Draco. After believing her dead and mourning her, having her back in their lives diminished any need to question her personal choices. She was back and they were happy. The trio spent endless hours together reconnecting. The boys reintroduced Hermione to the wizarding world, while Hermione reintroduced herself to the boys. Hermione learned that James, Harry's first son, was named her godson, and speculated that it was that magical bond which had allowed him to see her in her detached state. The revelation brought tears to Hermione's eyes, seeing the evidence that love was strong enough to last beyond the veil.

Draco's mother was disappointed, but after a few months of separation they had rebuilt there relationship to meeting for tie with an air of tolerable tension. Draco's father was murderous. Mr. Malfoy flat out refused to mention his son's name and made it clear he was no longer welcome at the manor. It was hard, but Draco felt like he had gained more than he was losing. He hoped that in the future he would be able to reconcile with his father but he was not holding his breath.

Despite the minor issues with some family and friends, Draco and Hermione's relationship was going fairly well considering the two grew up as combatant enemies. In fact, they could each attest that it was the best and most exciting relationship either of the pair had ever been in.

Did they cease bickering? Never. But did they respect one another? To the end of the earth.

Draco had initially thought taking the flowers had been the biggest mistake of his life, a curse for the thief he admittedly was. But fate had a funny way of working. In the end, after a life full of mistakes and missteps, taking those flowers had been the best decision he ever made.

The End