A/N – As promised, the second chapter in one day (albeit late in the day lol). Alright folks, this is it, the final chapter! Now you know I haven’t asked anyone to review in the past (though I greatly appreciate those who choose to) but I’d really love it if you’ve read this story if you could review now. As I said in the very first chapter, this was my first attempt at fanfiction, and I’m dying to know how I did. Alright, with that said, I hope y’alls enjoy!

Disclaimer – need I even bother?

Chapter 15: Finally

Draco sat on his bed, his head resting against the cool wall and his eyes closed…waiting. He had just finished an extremely light lunch and knew Pansy or his father would be coming any second now. He had taken an extra dosage of potion just before lunch, just to be sure, but he was still extremely uneasy. His sole consolation was that Ginny was up safe in Gryffindor Tower, protected by the “no-boys-allowed” charm and Potter’s cloak. He only prayed it would be enough.

He heard an almost timid knock from the door leading to the Slytherin Common Room and squeezed his eyes shut a little tighter. Taking a deep, steadying breath he remembered Ginny’s words from that morning. You’re gonna need everything that makes you a Malfoy. He wiped his face free of emotion, except the usual signs of smug superiority and annoyance, and walked to the door.

Surprise, surprise, Pansy Parkinson stood before him. “What could you possibly want with me, Parkinson?” he drawled, making himself comfortable in his usual persona, the one that had been permanent before Ginny had so invaded his existence.

She offered him a sickly sweet smile and pushed her way into the room. “I just want to be with you Drakie, it’s been so long since we were just together.”

“I, for one, am not saddened by the truth of that,” he snapped with a bored yawn, lying back gracefully onto his bed.

He didn’t miss the streak of anger that flashed across her features before she composed herself into what he assumed was meant to be her charming façade. He also didn’t fail to notice the nervous glance she cast towards the clock on his wall before smiling at him again.

“So Drakie,” she purred, “why have you been spending so much time with the Weaselette lately?”

So, she was stalling. Must not be time yet. He resisted the urge to stiffen at the mention of Ginny. He knew she was looking for that. Instead, he gave a short bark of laughter and said, “She’s incredibly amusing. Trusting beyond belief. I’ve been having an infinitely interesting time playing mind games with her these past few weeks.”

She raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?” she asked suspiciously. “Mind games?”

He eyed her with one eyebrow raised. “What did you think? That I actually liked the littlest weasel?”

“It’s good to hear you have not entirely forgotten where your loyalties lie,” an unmistakably cold voice murmured from the corner.

Now Draco did stiffen as he slowly turned to see his father, Lucius Malfoy, standing there.

He feigned surprise and stood. “Father,” he greeted rigidly.

“Son,” Lucius nodded, matching his rigid tone. “How have you fared these past months since I’ve seen you?”

Draco had to stifle the urge to sneer. As if he didn’t know. His face betrayed nothing, however, and his gray eyes were cold and blank as he said, “I’ve done well, Father. My grades are as good as ever, and my standing in the house has not faltered.”

Lucius nodded, studying him. “Do you know why I’m here?”

Draco shrugged his shoulders. “No.”

Lucius’ lips curled into a smirk. “Well, I’m here to complete your training, Son.”

It took all of Draco’s willpower not to start hexing his father into oblivion. Training my ass, he though angrily. “Training, Father?” he inquired, keeping his voice bland with just enough curiosity to make his reply believable.

Lucius just smirked and whipped out his wand, clearly enunciating the spell Draco had heard earlier in his potion-induced travel through time. A purple light shot out to wrap around Draco, and he felt a curious tingling, but then the shimmering light seemed to grow weak and slide off him.

Draco arched a brow at his father. “What was that, Sir?” he asked, his voice mostly innocent but adding in a healthy amount of anger and indignation.

For his part, Lucius stood looking completely confused and frustrated. He tried again, to the same effect.

“Pansy, leave,” Draco ordered, wanting to be alone with his father.

Pansy’s eyes narrowed and she started to protest, only to be silenced by Lucius. “Ms. Parkinson, I thank you for your efforts, but I can handle it from here.” She pouted angrily but did as she was told. “Now, Draco, would you care to tell me why my spell is not working?”

Draco shrugged, maintaining his bored cover as he leaned against the wall with arms crossed. “No, I don’t think I do care to, Father. I will, however, tell you why I took those measures. I don’t appreciate being controlled, Father. Not. At. All.” He said it casually, but he no longer attempted to hide the fire blazing in his silver gaze.

Lucius regarded him coolly for a moment. Draco knew he was trying to consider his options and decide the best way to proceed. Lucius was calculating. That was fine. So was he.

“So, you do know why I’m here after all, I gather,” he drawled out eventually. Draco suppressed his smirk. He was trying to find out how much he knew. Draco would give him nothing more than he had to. So he simply nodded his head to indicate a “yes.”

“And you obviously disapprove.”

“Obviously,” Draco answered. After long moments of neither speaking, Draco decided to elaborate. “Father, did you honestly think I wouldn’t notice huge spaces of time missing in my memory?”

Lucius sneered. “No, I knew you would. What I didn’t expect was for you to figure out what was happening. How did you manage that one?”

“I’m me,” Draco stated with a shrug as if that should explain everything. He was usually not so bold with his father, but these were not usual circumstances, either.

“I’m assuming you also know, then, what you’ve been doing under the…spell.”

Draco nodded stiffly, being sure to keep his face carefully blank of emotion.

“And how do you feel about that?” Lucius asked after a moment.

Draco sniggered. “What are you, my therapist?”

“Answer my question, boy,” Lucius snapped with narrowed eyes.

This is it, this is the defining moment. This is what it all comes down to, right here, right now. This is where I choose, Draco thought. He could say something insulting about Ginny and pretend to play along with his father long enough to figure out a way to keep Ginny safe, but risk hurting her in the process…or he could finally stand up to Malfoy Senior. The choice wasn’t too difficult to make.

“I’m disgusted, Father,” he announced, raising his chin in his most arrogant manner. He had to do all he could to keep the upper hand in all of this. Right now he would have shock value, but he needed to seem superior, calm, better.

His father’s eyes widened a bit in surprise before quickly snapping back into their usual expressionless state that Draco had learned so well. “Are you telling me you feel for the Weasley?” he asked, voice dangerously quiet but none-the-less smooth.

He snorted. “Hardly,” he snapped. He couldn’t risk Ginny being used against him later.

“Then why are you…disgusted?” Lucius asked.

“Need I answer that, Father?” Draco asked, his voice filled with scorn. “You had me torture some random, helpless girl for no reason other than she was a convenient pawn, and you have the audacity to question me as to why I’m disgusted?”

“Such feelings, such…mercy, are weak, Draco,” Lucius snapped. “How many times have I told you that?”

“They’re not weak, Father. They’re human,” Draco answered coldly.

Lucius sneered nastily. “I’m assuming all of this means you will not be willing to finish what you’ve started?”

“I refuse to finish what you’ve started, Father,” Draco corrected harshly.

A slow smirk slowly spread across Lucius’ features. “Very well, my son,” he said quietly, completely calm. Draco grew nervous. Something was not right. “If you’re not strong enough to do the job, I will.”

Draco’s eyes clouded with undisguised fury. “What?” he hissed, voice barely audible.

“I’ll go play with the little Gryffindor for awhile, and then I’ll kill her. You just remember Draco, if you had complied, her life would have been spared. Unfortunate that you’re being so difficult, is it not?”

As his father turned his back to walk out the door, Draco felt like everything inside him had snapped. A million and one thoughts whirred through his head at a blinding rate. He was going to kill Ginny, he was going to torture her and rape her, then he would kill her. Just like so many other victims…just like she was nobody. The ideas and emotions coursed through his veins, blinding him and confusing him, but two words came to the front of it all. Two words were the only stable things in his mind, hanging almost tauntingly before his eyes and resting eagerly on his tongue. Two words he had always wanted to say. Two words he had never dared say. Now, with Ginny’s life in question, he didn’t hesitate, didn’t allow himself to consider what he was doing, didn’t allow himself to consider consequences.

“Avada Kedavra!” he shouted, wand raised and trained between his father’s shoulder blades.

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Ginny was rocking back and forth beneath Harry’s cloak, obeying Draco’s instructions. Well…almost obeying them. She wasn’t in her room. The quiet was driving her insane. She had had to come down to the common room to distract her. She watched as her fellow Gryffindors went about their daily business, getting ready for Hogsmeade or just returning, all without a care in the world. It was enough to drive her mad. She needed to be with Draco. His last words kept running through her mind. If things go badly and I don’t see you again, I just want…need…you to know …I love you Gin. More than I ever thought possible. More than I ever dreamed I could.

She shivered. He had finally willingly admitted his feelings for her when his judgment wasn’t clouded by anger. She’d wanted to hear it for so long. But the words before that, those were the ones that made her want to break down into tears. If things go badly and I don’t see you again. She could hardly believe it was a possibility. All this because of his stupid father and the stupid Death Eaters!

She saw Harry step into the common room, look around, and then she swore his gaze settled on her. She had to swallow and assure herself she was mistaken. He couldn’t know; she was under his damned cloak after all. She hoped he didn’t know anyway…she hadn’t exactly asked permission for it.

To her absolute surprise he walked directly towards her and sat down right next to her on the loveseat. He absently picked up a textbook without glancing at her and she thought maybe it was all just an awfully big coincidence until he whispered, “What are you doing, Gin?”

He was using the textbook so that people didn’t know he was talking…that would have looked odd.

“How’d you know?” she hissed back.

“I saw the cushions moving, obviously you’re moving around a lot. I just saw Ron and Hermione. I couldn’t think of anyone else who’d steal my cloak just to sit in the common room.”

“Draco told me to stay in my room under your cloak,” she murmured, taking care to keep her voice near silent just as Harry was doing.

“You’re not in your room,” Harry pointed out.

“Really!” she exclaimed sarcastically.

“Hey, c’mon.”

“Sorry,” she grumbled. “I couldn’t stand being alone. Just waiting for him to come calling saying it’s all over is killing me. You know I’m not that type of person, Harry.”

She saw him smile to himself. “No, you’re certainly not,” he whispered so quietly she had to lean very close and still strain to hear his words. He sighed and slouched down into the chair, still holding the book in front of his face. “Gin, just go to him. Take my cloak, and go. You’re going to drive yourself insane here.”

“Do you think I should?”

“I don’t really know, Ginny, but if something does happen to him and you were just sitting here talking to me, you know you’ll never be able to forgive yourself.”

Ginny thought over what he said. He was right. He was most definitely right. “Thank you, Harry,” she whispered. “You’re right, I’m going.”

And with that she stood and strode from the room, hoping no one noticed the portrait hole opening and closing seemingly of its own volition. She jogged all the way to Draco’s room via the secret entrance and whispered the password before quickly slipping in.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that met her eyes. Draco stood, wand pointed at some invisible target before him, panting heavily and seemingly frozen in place. Lucius Malfoy lay at his feet, motionless, and Ginny had a feeling she knew why.

She let the cloak slip off of her and whispered, “Oh Draco, you didn’t.”

He spun on her, eyes wide with everything from surprise, happiness, and relief to panic and anger.

“What are you doing here! I thought I told you to stay!”

“I couldn’t help it,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “What…what did you do to him, Draco?”

Draco’s gaze slowly tore away from her and down to the limp form of his father. His eyes grew hard and he said, “Only what should have been done a long time ago.”

“So he’s…he’s really…” she swallowed, looking for the word, “gone?”

Draco nodded, still gazing at him. She sighed, running a hand through her hair and biting her bottom lip. This was not good. “Draco…why?”

“He was going to kill you,” he said simply, voice low and eerily calm. It didn’t take a genius to see that Draco Malfoy was in shock.

“Draco…we need to…um…we should…tell someone…err…something,” she stuttered. What the hell did you do when your boyfriend just killed his own father?

“Snape. He’ll know,” Draco stated simply.

She nodded. “Alright, Snape. C’mon…let’s go.”

But he didn’t budge. Ginny frowned and tried to take his hand, but he was rooted to the spot. She groaned and looked around the room as if looking for the answer. What now? Finally she picked up the cloak and told Draco to wait there, not to move. He just nodded absently.

She ran all the way to Snape’s office and started banging on his door with both fists the second she reached her destination. The door swung open to reveal an irate looking Severus Snape.

“Weasley,” he sneered, “why, may I ask, were you practically beating down my door in such a rude fashion? Isn’t it bad enough I have to see you in class?”

She shoved past him, ignoring his rude remarks, and slammed the door shut. She cast a quick silencing charm and sobbed, “Draco killed him! He killed his own father!”

Severus’ sneer suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a very grave and serious expression. He strode over to a cabinet and came back, shoving something into her hands. “Take this. Calming Draught.”

She sniffed and drained the vial, instantly feeling soothed and clear headed. “Draco’s father came to him today. I was supposed to stay in my room, but I couldn’t take the waiting so I went down to see what was going on. When I walked in, Draco still had his wand held in a casting position and Mr. Malfoy was lying at his feet. Draco said something about him coming to kill me. He’s a mess, Professor. I couldn’t get him to budge, and he barely acknowledges me. I said we should get help and he said you’d know.”

Snape’s features had clouded and he snapped, “Very well, Ms. Weasley. Let’s go.”

The two strode back to Draco’s dorm to find everything exactly as Ginny had left it.

“Malfoy!” Snape barked instantly, “Snap out of it and sit down!”

Draco’s gaze immediately snapped up to his godfather’s black one and nodded, falling into his desk chair.

“Now, Draco, please explain to me what in the bloody fucking hell you were thinking,” Snape ordered, his voice smooth and calm as ever despite his coarse language.

Draco’s eyes hardened considerably and he glanced at the body of his father in his room. “I finally told him I was disgusted by the things he did…the things he made me do. He didn’t like it, and said he was going to go play with Ginny, then kill her. I-I didn’t think. I just acted.”

Snape sighed and leaned against the door, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do you have any idea how serious this is, Draco?” he asked softly.

Draco nodded. “I do,” he answered confidently.

The Potion’s Masters’ gaze snapped up to Draco’s. “I don’t think you do, or you would be a lot less calm right now.”

“I know that I’ll probably be sent to Azkaban for murder. I know that even if I don’t get sent, Voldermort will probably kill me anyway for costing him one of his very favorite Death Eaters. I know my fate is sealed,” he answered in return, voice never wavering.

Finally, Ginny could stay silent no more and she shrieked, “WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM! How can you be so damned calm Draco! You said it yourself, you’re basically as good as dead yourself!”

He looked up at her and his fierce silver eyes pinned her to the spot. “It was worth it. You and I aren’t the first people he’s hurt, and we most certainly wouldn’t have been the last. Imagine how many lives I’ve just saved. I have no regrets. I hated the man, always did. I don’t care what blood says, he was never my father. Most importantly, you’re safe from him now. That’s all that matters.”

She started sobbing heavily. “No, that’s not all that matters! What about me? So what, you go off to Azkaban or die, if there’s even a difference, and I get to stay here all alone? Draco…I-I couldn’t stand that. How could I live?”

He didn’t say anything, just pulled her into his arms and cradled her against his chest. He held her like that for several minutes before he acknowledged the silent figure of Professor Snape on his bed.

“Sir, what happens now?”

Snape sighed and rubbed his eyes. “During that touching little scene I just remembered something. We might be able to get you out of this.”

Ginny’s head shot up. “How?”

“I know for a fact the Dark Lord intended Lucius to go on a raid against a certain troublesome Auror this very night. I can speak to the headmaster who can in turn speak with the Auror and we may be able to cover this up, make it look like the Auror had killed him in the line of duty,” he answered, still rubbing his eyes.

“Do you think the Headmaster would go along with that?” Draco asked quietly.

Snape turned his gaze to his. “I’m sure he would. As you said, Draco, this man was no innocent. Forgive me, but the world is a better place without Lucius Malfoy.”

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A week had passed since the events in Draco’s room, and he had been cold and distant from everyone – Ginny included. It wasn’t that he was sad about killing his father. No, the man deserved it. It was more the fact that he had killed period. The taking of a life was not so simple as he had imagined, and the reminder of it seemed to follow him around constantly.

The story had already appeared on the front page of The Daily Prophet several days ago. Lucius Malfoy was killed by such-and-such Auror after an attempt on the Auror’s life. He was verified as a Death Eater, and the Auror in question was commended for his excellent efforts that night.

Draco was, essentially, off the hook. He figured that Voldermort might still come calling, asking for Draco to continue in his father’s footsteps, but he also knew that Voldermort would most likely wait until he had graduated and was away from Dumbledore. That gave him a little over a year, at least.

Still, despite how incredibly well things had turned out, he couldn’t help but feel…not right. He had killed a person.

“Mr. Malfoy, may I have a word with you?” the familiar voice of Dumbledore asked behind him. Draco jumped and spun around.

“I was about to go have breakfast, Sir,” he muttered, pointing to the doors of the Great Hall, really not wanting to speak with Dumbledore at all.

“I think it can wait,” he said softly, steering him towards his office.

He sat down and gestured Draco do the same. “Lemon drop?” he offered calmly.

Draco just stared at him incredulously. Dumbledore sighed and muttered a “very well then” before putting the bowl of candies away.

“My dear boy, I believe you and I need to speak of the events of about one week ago. I’m sure you know to what I am referring.”

“Yes,” came the tense reply.

“Mr. Malfoy, I realize you are…strongly affected by what you had to do, but the fact remains that it was, indeed, what you had to do.”

Draco just nodded. Ginny had told him all of this already. He had pushed her away too. He just couldn’t handle sympathy right now.

He heard a great sigh escape the old man across from him, and when he looked up he was surprised to see a much more tired and older-looking Dumbledore than he was accustomed to seeing. “Draco, you are not a bad person. I’ve killed, as has Severus, and Minerva even. The act in and of itself is not what makes a person evil. Admittedly, it does affect one deeply, and that is what sets us apart from the Death Eaters and Voldermort. They can torture and kill without it fazing them. We cannot, and I should hope that I never grow comfortable with taking lives. But sometimes drastic situations call for drastic measures. You cannot allow your own life to end as well. The taking of a life is not something one should take lightly, and not something one can recover from in just a week. But what you are doing is not healing. You are just itching an already irritated wound. Allow Ms. Weasley to help you, Draco. Try to go on with your life. It will be hard, but if you make the effort, you’ll find that the weight you must always carry from this point on will become less…noticeable.”

Draco stared at him for long moments, the truth of his words seeping in. He really hadn’t been trying to heal. He’d just been beating himself up, telling himself he was no better than any of Voldermort’s followers, refusing even Ginny’s company because in his mind, he no longer deserved someone so wonderfully pure and innocent. Maybe he should try to continue his life. Maybe it would get better.

“Thank you, Sir,” Draco said softly, standing up and leaving without permission. He walked back to the Great Hall and stepped in. His eyes swept over to Ginny who was laughing at something that Colin had said. His heart seemed to leap at the very sight of her. God he missed her, missed her smile and her laugh, how she felt in his arms and how she touched him. He realized what a mistake he had been making. And he knew just how to make it up to her.

He walked over to her and he saw as her eyes rose to his and then widened in surprise. He reached down a hand to her that she accepted and he pulled her up.

“My father’s dead,” he said.

She just stared at him as if he had finally lost it and said, “Yes, Draco. I know.”

“No, you don’t get it. My father is dead.”

“Draco,” she said reproachfully, “what are you getting at?”

“Well, now I can do something I could never do before,” he answered.

“What’s that?” she asked quietly, but he could see understanding was beginning to dawn in her eyes.

He just smiled and pulled her flush against him, then kissed her passionately, right there in the Great Hall for all to see. He was blatantly proclaiming that the two of them were so much more than friends…and it felt amazing. She brought her arms up around his neck and kissed him back, and just then time stopped for the two, and, in their minds, they were the only ones left in that Hall, and everything was suddenly okay again.

Finally Draco broke off the kiss and rested his mouth against the top of her head. “I love you, Ginny,” he said loud enough for those around them to hear.

She looked up and smiled a radiant smile at him. “I love you too, Draco,” she whispered, eyes brimming with tears.

He kissed her softly again and said, “I’m so sorry for how I’ve been acting. It’s just…hard. I’m not over it, not even close. I’ve got a long way to go before I’ll ever be over it. But if you want, I’d like you to be there with me while I work on that.”

She just smiled sadly and said, “Of course, Draco. Always.”

Suddenly, the room around them exploded into applause. Not everyone, of course. Ron was quickly turning several shades of purple, Harry was looking like he didn’t know what to do, and Hermione was distracted by trying to restrain Ron. Most of the Slytherins were glaring daggers, as well as some of the more close-minded Gryffindors. One really couldn’t expect anything more. But most people were clapping, and girls were crying and “aww-ing” away, and Ginny just laughed at it all and buried her face in his neck to hide her blush.

Draco chuckled and lifted her up into his arms as Ginny’s legs automatically went around his waist and her arms clung more tightly to his neck. Then she whispered something in his ear, just loud enough for him to hear, that made his eyes go wide and set his heart racing.

“Draco, I know you’ve been waiting for me to be…ready…ever since that first night you told me you loved me. Well, I finally am now.”

He swallowed very hard before he whispered back, “Are you sure, Gin? Don’t feel obligated or anyth-”

She cut him off with a short kiss and she said. “I’m ready. I want you to be the one.”

Draco didn’t need any further encouragement. He kissed her one more time firmly on the mouth in front of everyone, eliciting another chorus of applause and “aww’s”, and strode from the room, carrying the woman who had changed everything in his arms.

They both knew it wouldn’t be a “happily ever after” or that this was the end. Neither was that foolish. Draco would still have to deal with Voldermort in the future, and there would always be those unwilling to accept their union, and there would probably be a hundred other problems that no one could foresee, but right now, Draco was fine with that. For the very fist time in his life, he was content to simply…be. Just like Ginny had always wanted. And for right now, that was more than enough for both of them.

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A/N – I hope I didn’t disappoint in the grand finale! Aww, I'm actually a little sad it's all over. I'm almost hesitant to post this hahaha. Like I said, I usually hate begging for reviews, but I’m dying to know how this story went, so please review!

Oh and thanks so much to all of you who reviewed in the past, you have no idea how much you inspired me.