Author's Note: Here's the epilogue. I hope you enjoy. As far as what's down the pipe line…I have a couple of things started, and ideas for others. I think I'm going to try for some multi-chapter non-novel length things for right now. Here's what's on the way:

* Alone in a Crowd—I'm thinking this will be 5-10 chapters; the first chapter is posted. Hermione stared down at her drink, contemplating her life. They'd broken off into the obvious couples after the War. Saving the world made you feel pretty damn good about life. It didn't last.

* Send Off—Probably going to be 1-3 chapters. George tries to wrap his head around losing Fred.

* Seamus/Hermione 8th year fic—I still want to write this, but I'm thinking it's going to be a big undertaking for what I have in mind, so for right now…not yet. But I may still write some shorter Hermione/Seamus stories.

* Plot Ideas—I like the idea of Luna becoming Ollivander's apprentice. I don't know if this would be a main story idea, or part of another story. Neville and Harry one shot (not romantic) on burden of expectations. Possible one shot or short story involving Draco's son getting bullied and going to Neville for advice.

* Something Original—one of my goals this year is to make some headway on an original story. Ultimately I really want to write one and it's something I struggle with.

Epilogue: Stocking

The house was full to bursting. The table creaked under the weight of a Christmas Eve feast set for sixteen.

Fleur and Bill sat at one end of the table, with Victoire pulled up alongside in her high chair. Charlie, Percy, George, Neville, and Ginny lined one side of the table. Draco, Hermione, Harry, Narcissa, and Andromeda sat across from them, with Teddy's high chair pulled up between the two sisters. This was the first Christmas Narcissa and Andromeda had spent together since they were girls. Arthur and Molly were at the head of the table, beaming at the whole army of guests. As much as she would have liked one of the boys to bring a nice girl home, she couldn't help beaming at Ginny sitting next to Neville. She wasn't sure if the boys weren't seeing anyone, or if they simply hadn't wanted to bring them home. She'd have to do some digging. For now, it was enough that her children were here with her. Neville and Harry had taken time away from Hogwarts to come home for Christmas.

Dinner went on. Chicken, potatoes, beans, corn, and gravy were all passed around. Christmas crackers developed by George—with a few special treats inside that Draco helped with—were set out around the table. No enchanted mistletoe this year though. That was okay—Draco didn't need mistletoe to kiss Hermione now. Admittedly, he wasn't super keen on doing it in front his mother.

Teddy was mashing up his chicken with the end of his spoon, and was sporting red hair this evening as he peered around at the faces across from him. George's hair had grown out long enough for a ponytail. He didn't look quite so much like the Fred they remembered. For form's sake, Molly scolded him on the need for a proper haircut as a flourishing businessman, but she didn't really mean it. Still, if she didn't fuss, they might think she didn't care. George and Bill exchanged a meaningful look and a shrug that said quite plainly: Mothers. What can you do about it?

The dinner table conversation continued. Updates on jobs and life. Nosing for information about girlfriends or possible engagements or babies on the horizon. No one was giving anything away on that front. Ginny steered the conversation to Neville's quite busy, but rewarding and fulfilling job at Hogwarts. She loved him; she wasn't in any hurry to get married. And babies were the last thing on her mind when she still trying to work her way onto a major league Quidditch team.

"What Meredith and all the others doing for Christmas?" asked Arthur.

"We thought it was best to let them celebrate themselves tonight. We try not to make it feel like we're wardens. We try to make sure they have whatever they need, but that we don't hover too much," Hermione said. She helped herself to one more roll from the basket in front of her.

"The garden is flourishing, and they're able to grow a lot of potions ingredients and a fair amount of herbs and vegetables for the table," Neville pointed out. "The greenhouse and gardens were pretty impressive when we arrived and it didn't take much to tailor them for their needs."

"The Christmas stockings you knitted were lovely, Mrs. Weasley," Draco added. "We hung them up across several fireplaces last week." There were too many stockings to fit over a single fireplace. Fortunately, the Manor had fireplaces to spare.

"Lessons are going quite well with the younger ones. I feel for Jareth though. I'm tutoring him but it's a hard place for him to be. He'd never manage to come in as a sixth year with spell work next year, and he's too old to be a first year. I think private tutoring is his only option. It's not fair on him. And it's hard for him to be settled in with the younger children when he's so much older," Molly said. "If I had a better option for him, I'd give it to him."

Hermione looked thoughtfully down the table at Mrs. Weasley. "I'm sure we'll think of something. It's only been a few months. McGonagall has agreed that if we can get them up to speed on reading and writing by the time they are eleven, she'll take any of the younger ones with magical talent."

Narcissa's lips were pursed. "I wonder if we might…apprentice him somewhere. He'll need at least another six months to prepare him. Quite possibly longer. But I would estimate in about six months, he might be ready to take on a few hours a day of apprenticeship duties somewhere. Maybe an apothecary I know. We'll need to get him out into the open more of course. And I'd need to find someone willing to accept his…necessary absences. I'll make some visits."

It was all Hermione could do not to grin. Narcissa had an instinct for these things. She couldn't help but wonder where the woman would have been now if she hadn't fallen in with Lucius all those years ago. Then again, who knew? Maybe that was where she'd honed her skills.

Draco let a hint of a smile drift onto his face. "I think an apprenticeship would do nicely for him. He's got a lot of energy and isn't taking well to being cooped up at the Manor. I've taken him flying a couple of times. He seems to have a taste for that. We should let him stretch his wings a little more."

Dessert was brought out—mince pie, bowls of pudding, and a large chocolate and caramel cake. If everyone was full after dinner, they were nearly bursting after dessert.

The whole troop went into the living room for a while to listen to the radio and watch a fireworks show put on by George and Draco. Fireworks weren't a passion for Draco like they'd been for Fred, but he thought they did him proud. As the evening went on, Bill and Fleur called it a night early—they had to get Victoire to bed. Andromeda took Teddy home around the same time. For old time's sake, Ginny got a game of Exploding Snap going with her other brothers.

Narcissa demurely said her goodbyes a short time after Andromeda and Teddy left. She'd see Draco and Hermione tomorrow. She'd sat through a Weasley Christmas Eve. Though she'd been offered a room and Christmas morning breakfast, she'd rather go to bed and have a quiet cup of tea when she woke up in the morning. As she said goodbye to Draco, she whispered quietly, "I left your stocking under the tree."

"Merry Christmas, Mother."

She smiled at Hermione and looked back at Draco. "Hers is under the tree too."

One by one, the others drifted off to bed until only Draco and Hermione were left downstairs. Hermione rather guessed that Neville and Ginny would be spending a bit of time in her room before he went upstairs to join Charlie for the night. Hermione was in no mood to go upstairs and interrupt them. Harry and Draco were staying in the twins' old room again.

"The last ones standing."

"Looks like it."

He smiled at her, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear and kissing her. "There's something cozy about the tree and the fireplace. The tree's a bit lopsided. The couch is lumpy. But…it's inviting. Does our cottage feel like this to you?"

"It's different. But it's home. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"My mother left us stockings." He knelt down by the tree and found the two labeled in his mother's handwriting. He stood up, dusting off his knees and sat on the couch with her. "You first."

"I didn't get your mother a stocking, just a gift for tomorrow. I should have thought of it."

He chuckled. "You've had a lot of on your plate. Go ahead, and open it."

She felt in the stocking for a long, thin box. It was lightweight. She unwrapped it, frowning curiously. She peeled up the paper and found a hinged box. Inside, was a silver and green bracelet. Lightweight. The sort of slim design she could picture on Narcissa's wrist. "It's beautiful. I'm…a little surprised. I don't really wear jewelry. But it's gorgeous." She looked up at Draco's face and caught something there. He was smiling, his mouth slightly opened, as if surprised but happy. She arched an eyebrow. "This means something you're not telling me. Spill."

He clipped the bracelet onto her wrist and brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "This is not some random piece of jewelry my mother picked out because she thought it looked pretty and would make an appropriate Christmas gift for my girlfriend. This is belong to my great-grandmother. And my mother thought you should have it."

This sent both of Hermione's eyebrows up nearly to her hairline. "From a woman who was barely tolerating me this summer?"

"I daresay you have sufficiently impressed her."

Hermione looked at her wrist. Narcissa was finally welcoming her into the family. She'd been working fairly closely with Narcissa ever since they'd brought Meredith and the others to the Manor. She knew her well enough by now to know that it took a lot to impress Narcissa Malfoy. And it was an impression that meant something. "The feeling is mutual." She breathed deeply. She'd wear it tomorrow when they went over for dinner. "What's in your stocking?"

He held it up to his ear and rattled it. "Can't tell. It doesn't feel like there's anything in here. Maybe she doesn't think I've been good."

She grinned. "Well, open it."

Draco stuck his hand in the stocking and came out with a folded piece of parchment. He read it to himself, and then read it again, laughing.

"What is it?"

He handed her the page. Hermione smoothed it out on her lap and read it. It was a spell for preventing house-elves from Apparating into a given area. There was a handwritten note from Narcissa on the top of the page. "You may want this for the bedroom. I wouldn't recommend elf-proofing the entire cottage; Pinky and Micky make excellent breakfast omelettes."

She couldn't help shaking her head. She had to wonder if Narcissa had had it the whole time or if she'd gone out hunting for it. She suspected Narcissa had had it and hadn't wanted to share. "This is going to be put to very good use." There hadn't been another house-elf incursion since they moved, but…it was really only a matter of time. She might even take Narcissa's advice about leaving the kitchen open. Maybe. Or maybe not. "Shall we do our stockings next? Or leave them for morning?"

"Tonight. I was thinking…we should open them on the stairs."

"Where we first kissed?"

"You read my mind." He kissed her, just for good measure, and went to get the stockings from under the tree. Side by side, they started up the stairs, stopping at about the spot where they'd first kissed, a year ago. "You want to go first?"

"No, you."

Draco picked up his stocking and weighed it in his hand. "It's heavy."

"Well, open it."

Draco unwrapped a coffee mug that said, "Ssh. Don't tell my boss this is really wine." He chuckled. "Cute. Now yours," he said, a mite impatient.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Draco always liked to watch her open presents. He'd brought a crystal vase home a few weeks ago just because. She reached into the stocking and pulled out a small velvet box. She stared at the box, still closed, for a beat. Draco started talking.

"I love you, Hermione. I'm a better man since you came into my life. There is no one else I want by my side, every day for the rest of my life. When I got sentenced, all I wanted was old life back: my magic, my manor, my mother. You taught me to want more. To give myself the chance to be something different. I'm becoming that man. Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"

"Yes. Yes, Draco," she leaned in and kissed him—far better than a "nice" kiss.

He kissed her back, chuckling when they pulled apart. "What? Yes, just like that? You haven't even looked at the ring." The box was all but forgotten in her lap.

"It's not the ring I want. It's the wizard."

He picked the box up off her lap and tried to hand it to her. "Wear the ring anyway. I want everyone to know you're mine."

She chuckled. "That seems a little outdated."

"Wear the ring because it's pretty then." He rolled his eyes. Since she wasn't opening the box, he opened it for her, and slipped it on her finger. They had a lifetime of love and work ahead of them. And they had a lifetime to do it in.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Author's Note: I hope reading this story has brought you as much joy as writing it has brought me. It's a relief to have finally feel like I've given Hermione and Draco the ending they deserve, after all their heartache. Growing isn't easy, but I think they did it. My husband kept saying, "Can't you say they all lived happily ever after?" For the last 4 years, I keep saying "not yet." Well, they finally got there.