In the end... We only regret the chances we didn't take, the relationships we were afraid to have,and the decisions we waited too long to make.

- Lewis Carroll

"It's weird to think that we'll never walk these halls anymore after we leave", I said, watching the paintings on the wall. Most of them were empty as the inhabitants were still recovering from the war.

"You're going to miss it?" Draco asked, hooking my arm in his.

"Of course, this was my home, my real one at least", I smiled softly. I put my head on Draco's shoulder as we walked through the hallways. Everyone was allowed to stay at Hogwarts for as long as they wanted after the war. To clean up the mess, to mourn the dead and to rebuild the school. Tracey's body had been sent to her family and there'd be a funeral soon, but Hogwarts had held a memorial for the Fallen Fifty just two days ago. I hadn't cried that day.

We walked onto the grounds where the aftermath of the battle was still clearly visible, even though we had been restoring the school for days. The grass around the Great Lake was trampled and scorched in a few places.

"What's that?" I asked as Draco got out a black leather box from his suit jacket. He twirled it around in his hand before opening it.

"It's the original ring my father gave me. I found it when I was clearing out my dorm room", he said, taking out the ring. He was still wearing the one I had given him two years ago.

"Why did you bring it? I expect a nicer one if you're ever going to propose to me", I joked and I smiled for a very short second, but it didn't feel good to smile anymore. It made me feel guilty, because so many people would never smile anymore.

"I'm not proposing to you, at least not yet", Draco laughed. I blushed slightly. Did he want to marry me one day? I knew that we were not even eighteen, although Draco would be in just a few days, but it felt nice to know that that was in our future.

"I want to get rid of it", Draco continued, putting the box back in his jacket whilst he twirled the ring in his hand.

"Why? It's an heirloom", I frowned.

"Yeah, it's an heirloom that stands for power, suffering and pure-blood supremacy. That's not something I want to hand down to my kids or even hold onto myself." We stopped at the edge of the Black Lake and I intertwined my fingers with his.

"Do you want kids?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, I do, do you?" Draco said, looking at me. There was an exciting glint in his eyes that made my heart swell.

"I do too. I want to give them everything I never had", I sighed. "I want them to play in the snow and to run through the hallways and to slide down the stairs. I want them to fall and get back up and I want them to laugh uncontrollably without worrying about how they are presenting themselves. I want to take them to Fred and George's joke shop and I want them to be truly happy."

Draco stared at me, a smile on his lips. He let go of my hand, just to wrap them around my waist from behind, resting his head on my shoulder. He placed a soft kiss on my cheek as I leaned into his touch.

"I'd like that", he whispered. We stared at the lake for a while, watching the sun slowly start to set, colouring the scenery in an orange hue.

"Let's do it", Draco said and let go, looking at the ring one more time. I watched as he swung his arm back before throwing the ring as far as he could, into the depths of the Black Lake.

"I hope the Giant Squid doesn't mind me littering his home", he chuckled before grabbing my hand again. It had been a long time since I had seen him so carefree. There was a lot of sadness, of course, as we mourned over Tracey and professor Lupin and even mourning over the death of Draco's aunt, but he seemed more relaxed. There was no pressure anymore. No one expected anything from us and all that we had to care for was ourselves.

"Draco, do you really want to marry me someday?" I asked seriously. He looked down with a slight frown, but the smile still lingered on his lips.

"Yeah, of course. D'you think I'm looking to replace you?"

"I sure hope not", I bumped his shoulder. I knew he wouldn't. He was ready to give up everything for me. His own life, his beliefs, his family, all for me. There was no one else for him and I didn't feel any shame for admitting that, because there was no one else for me either. Him and I were something for the end of times. We had to let go far too often. I wouldn't let that happen anymore.

"If that's what you want at least. You're the one who's saying yes or no", Draco shrugged, taking my other hand in his as well, tracing the bracelet on my wrist with his index finger.

"It is what I want, but I want to keep my last name", I said firmly. He looked up and frowned.

"You do?"

I nodded. All my life I've felt like I wasn't a true Selwyn, like I didn't deserve the name. I tried so hard to fit the mold and it never seemed to work out. But I've realised something, something important. I wasn't the problem. All along, my parents were the problem. The Selwyn name means power, strength and stability. I think I deserve that. I think that I displayed strength when sticking by my personal beliefs, by not letting them poison my mind. I want to keep the Selwyn name and redefine it. I want to redefine what it means to be a Selwyn. I want to finally stop doubting whether I deserve the name or not, because I do, I know I do. It's my parents who didn't deserve it."

Draco looked at me while I spoke, a look of admiration in his eyes. His thumbs gently rubbed the backs of my hands.

"I love you so incredibly much", he whispered before pulling me close, pressing his lips on mine. I wrapped my arms around him and smiled as his lips fit mine like a perfect puzzle. I regretted a lot of things in my life, but I would never regret choosing Draco over and over again. And I would choose him for the rest of my days.

I heard the familiar sound of apparition and when I looked up, Kreacher was standing a couple yards away, a piece of parchment in his hand.

"Everything okay, Kreacher?" I frowned. Kreacher had led the elves into battle and by some miracle, none of them got seriously injured. He really was a good elf, some people just failed to see it.

"Master has been requested at the Ministry. Your presence is requested for a special hearing."

"When is the hearing?" I frowned. At whose hearing was I supposed to be present. My father would remain in Azkaban for life, exactly where I wanted him. I used to feel guilty about him being there because I thought it was my fault, but it wasn't. He was a shitty person, that was the problem and he deserved to rot in that place.

"The hearing is right now, Master." I sighed and nodded.

"You want to come with me?" I asked Draco, who nodded.

Kreacher grabbed onto our legs as he closed his eyes, apparating us to the Ministry.

"It's right this way, Master, through that door", Kreacher said, leading us through the hallway. I was surprised at the people gathered in the hearing room. On the left was newly appointed Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt talking to Granger and the mother of the Weasleys. On the right were two guards, holding a cuffed and squirming Dolores Umbridge.

"Ah, Eleanor Selwyn, thank you for coming so quickly", Shacklebolt said as he approached me. Granger smiled at me shortly.

"Why am I needed?" I questioned, looking at the toad dressed in pink with disgust.

"There's this woman, Dolores Umbridge, who has requested your presence at her hearing. She claims to be related to you, so she expects you to defend her in court", Shacklebolt said, but something about the look in his eyes made me quite certain that he doubted the truth of her claims.

"Eleanor, you're my niece, you have to help me", Umbridge muttered, her face red and puffy, her beady eyes shooting from left to right.

"Don't dare call me your niece", I spat at her, poking my finger in her chest. "You are no Selwyn. You never have been and you never will be. You can rot in hell for all I care, bitch", I growled. I hated this woman. I hated her almost as much as I hated my mother. She reminded me an awful lot of the woman who raised me. An outsider would think that they actually were related.

"What's to happen to her?" I asked Shacklebolt, who was watching in amusement.

"That's uncertain still. We still have to go through her offenses, but I suspect a one-way ticket to Azkaban." Even that place was too good for that woman.

"Can I murder her? Can I please murder her?" I asked. Draco chuckled in the back, but I was dead serious. This woman was better off dead.

"I'm afraid we can't allow that, Miss Selwyn", Shacklebolt said, surprised by my sudden rage for the woman.

"Then am I at least allowed to punch her in the face?" I asked. The man blinked a few times, looking back and forth between me and Umbridge.

"I- uhm ... I- I guess you could do that", he muttered. Before he had finished his sentence, I turned around and decked the woman in the face. She shrieked loudly as my fist made contact with her face, causing blood to ooze from her nose.

"Thank you for that", I said, suddenly feeling much, much calmer. "Anything else you need from me?"

"No, that will be all", Shacklebolt said, a grin on his face.

I nodded and stretched out my aching hand. It was more than worth it.

"Eleanor, wait up!" Granger called for me on my way out. I turned around again as she walked up to me. She looked at Draco for a short while, but there was no hate in her eyes this time. Everyone knew that he had chosen our side during the war. He didn't join Voldemort, even when he personally requested him.

"You're cool", Granger laughed suddenly. "I've been wanting to do that ever since fifth year and you ... you just did that! Thank you on behalf of the entire Hogwarts student body."

"It was my pleasure", I smiled. I didn't mind Granger. I had never really gotten to know her, but she seemed like someone I could get along with.

"Also, I want to give you this", she said, showing me the locket she had asked me about at the beginning of the school year. "It's the fake one, not the Horcrux, but it belonged to Regulus Black. I was wondering if you could give it to Kreacher. The elf worshiped the man and I'm sure he'd be very grateful."

I nodded, taking the locket and spinning it around in my hand.

"Thank you I will. I'll see you at Hogwarts to finish our N.E.W.T. exams", I smiled before leaving the hearing room.

Kreacher was waiting outside in the hallway patiently.

"Everything alright, Master?" he asked as Draco and I walked out again.

"Yes, everything is more than fine, Kreacher. Besides, I have something for you that I think you're going to like. I think this belonged to your previous master. I want you to have it, Kreacher." I took the locket and stretched it out to him. His eyes grew wide as he looked at the locket as if in a trance.

"Kreacher can not take that, Master", he suddenly said, putting his hands behind his back. "Master handing that to Kreacher would mean setting Kreacher free. I cannot allow you to do that."

"Then I am setting you free, Kreacher", I shrugged. "You are welcome to stay with me for as long as you want, until we die for all I care, but I want you to take this. I want you to be free to choose to stay with me, or to choose to go do anything else."

Kreacher stared at me for a long time as tears brimmed in his eyes. He then slowly grabbed the locket, looking at it in awe as if he had just been reunited with a long lost friend. Maybe in some way, that was exactly what was happening.

"Then I shall stay with you to the day I die, Master", Kreacher said as he put the locket around his neck. "I'll serve you proudly."