"Guilty . . ."

-X-

"Harry" Draco said, wrapping his arms around the emerald eyed teen's slender waist from behind as he placed a gentle kiss to messy raven locks.

"Mhmm" Harry murmured, placing his hands atop the blonde's and sighing at the comfort the other radiated.

"You don't have to, and I won't if you won't, but do you want to go today?"

Harry looked down at his and Draco's matching silver rings, his with an emerald stone set in the center and Draco's with a ruby, and smiled softly. Turning to face his fiancé with a determined look in his eyes he placed a gentle kiss on pale lips. "I think we should go, closure and everything."

"Alright" Draco smiled, glad Harry was moving on. "I love you"

Harry smiled, relaxing into the comforting and familiar touch as he leant up for another kiss, "I love you too"

-X-

Blaise sighed; running his hands through curly brunette locks as he tenderly looked down at the resting teen in his lap. He smiled something that had become a lot more common for the usually calculating former Slytherin. Idly he glanced at his coat on the rack, focused on the pocket that held the ring that Neville would hopefully accept later that week.

He chuckled softly, if someone had told him a few years ago that he'd one day be asking Neville Longbottom to marry him, he would have suggested they take a visit to the mental ward at St. Mungos. Now, he didn't know what he'd do if the shy teen left him. They had been through so much together, and hopefully they'd be able to get some closure.

"We should be going soon" he murmured, noticing the slight worry in chocolate eyes.

"I know" Neville said, closing his eyes. "I just . . . don't know if I'm ready."

Blaise leant down, kissing him softly, offering his comfort and silent support, before pulling away slightly and whispering against rosy lips. "I'll be with you the entire time."

-X-

"I want to go" Dean said abruptly, turning slightly in his place nestled between Seamus' legs on the couch to look the Irishman in the eyes.

Seamus stared at his boyfriend for a moment in well concealed surprise, searching for any signs of doubt in dark eyes, but only finding determination. Nodding once he smiled softly, relieved that Dean was showing progress of moving on. The teen needed this, they both did. "Are you sure?" he asked, just in case.

Dean nodded, swallowing slightly, "Yeah, I'm positive. I . . . I want to get over this, and I think, I think this will help."

"I love you" Seamus said, "and I'll be right there with you."

Dean nodded, closing his eyes for a moment, "Promise?"

Seamus smiled, leaning in so that their lips were just barely touching, "Promise"

"Thank you" Dean breathed, pressing their lips together and reveling in the warmth and comfort his boyfriend provided.

"I'll always be there for you" Seamus said, "And, I want to make this official, because it's already permanent."

Dean looked at him with questioning eyes, not daring to get his hopes up.

Seamus sighed, smiling softly as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small gold band with rubies lining the edges. "Dean Thomas" he said, looking intently into now wide eyes. "Will you marry me?"

"Of course" Dean breathed, smiling wider than Seamus had seen him do in a long time as he slipped the ring on his finger.

-X-

"Ready?" Ernie questioned as he rested his arms delicately around his husband's thin waist.

"Yeah, I think so" Justin said shakily, placing a light kiss on Ernie's lips, seeking comfort. "It's just . . . I'm having mixed feelings about this" he murmured as he pulled away. "Merlin, they were our friends, I still can hardly believe they did this."

"I know" Ernie nodded, "We don't have to go you know."

"I want to" Justin said earnestly, "I want closure; I want this to be over with. I want, Merlin, I just want to move on."

Ernie eyed the teen carefully, "You know what St. Mungos said, minimal stress and all that . . ."

"I know" Justin said, smiling at his husbands concern. Husband . . . he could still hardly believe that his best friend since Second Year had proposed to him after graduation. "The baby and I will be fine."

Ernie nodded, some of his nervous tension relaxing. "I just can't believe Romilda actually made a male pregnancy potion. If she wasn't so . . ."

"Evil? Mental?"

"That" Ernie said, offering a small smile, "She could be a brilliant potions mistress."

"Yeah, too bad she injected me with her brilliant potion as some botched up form of torture, and is now in Azkaban and all that . . . We should get going" he sighed, though Ernie could see a bit of hesitation and worry seep into determined blue eyes.

Ernie leaned in, capturing supple lips in a tender kiss. "I love you, and I'll be right there with you."

"I love you too" Justin said, melting into the comfort of his husband's embrace, "Thank you."

-X-

Padma reluctantly opened the door, blinking in surprise as she saw Theodore standing before her with a grim look on his face. "Come in" she murmured, ushering him inside.

"Are you going?" he asked as soon as the door shut behind him.

"Um . . . no" she said, shaking her head resolutely. "I know they say it's good, for closure and everything. But I just can't do that. Are you?"

"Yeah" Theodore said, "Yeah I am. I need closure, I need to go."

"Oh" Padma replied, looking down. "I'm sorry, say hello to everyone else for me, would you?"

Theodore sighed, but nodded, fixing her with an intense gaze. "Are you okay?"

She regarded him for a few seconds before looking down, pursing her lips in thought. "No, I'm not. I don't think I'll be for a while. But, hopefully it gets better."

"It does" Theodore said firmly, smiling at her in brief reassurance. "Trust me" he said, turning to leave.

"How . . ." Padma said softly, stopping him in his tracks. "How are you getting better?"

Theodore turned slightly, thinking. "I've . . . found someone, who helps. He's . . . amazing. He understands, though you wouldn't have expected him to. It's odd really. In a way, he's been through things to. Not the same, and maybe not as severe, but he gets it, and though we officially met just after the trial, I think he may be the one, as crazy as that sounds. I never would have thought that I'd end up with him of all people, but . . . I'm happy, and I'm healing."

Padma smiled at her friend, genuinely happy for him. Then her smile widened. Maybe, just maybe she'd be alright.

Her eyebrows drew together slightly in confusion as a thought crossed her mind. "Theodore, who is it?"

Theodore smiled to himself as he pulled open the door, stepping out onto the porch, "Viktor Krum"

-X-

The nine friends stood silently in front of the large door that hid what they had come there to witness within the Ministry of Magic.

They were all there, nine friends that had endured so much together. They shared understanding looks and small smiles, offering silent support.

"Ready?" Theodore asked, looking each of them in the eyes as he gripped the handle. At receiving nods from each, he opened the door.

All nine stood witness as the dementor's kiss was administered to people who they had once called friends. It was horrible, and hard to watch, and yet it provided each with a sense of closure, and the ability to finally move on.

They knew that together, with their partners, and with their friends, they would make it through this. They had each been through so much, and they had been made that much stronger. They knew, as they exited the room twenty minutes later and seemed to simultaneously breathe a sigh of relief, that they could make it, that they would be happy.

AN: Wow, I can hardly believe this is over. I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you all enjoyed reading this. You all are awesome with all your reviewing and I hope you all liked this chapter enough to review. Sorry if it sounds odd, I wrote this when I was really tired at like one in the morning, but I'm pretty happy with it and hope you all like it. Thanks so much to my awesome beta and friend eternal-depths-of-emerald, and Sev's Little Girl, who without this would have taken a whole lot longer to finish. Merry Christmas and happy Holidays!

Reviews are Love! =D