"Draco, please, I'm trying to study!" I hissed.

"Sorry," he murmured, looking affronted and un-wrapping his arms from around me. "But you're going to do fine. You don't even need to study!" This statement was met by a deadly glare, and he decided it was best to leave me alone.

It was the day of our N.E.W.Ts. Ginny had been telling me to relax, to think about the upcoming ball. Draco had been telling me to unwind, that I was going to pass everything and do totally fine. But I couldn't think of anything except sitting in the exam hall with a quill and parchment in front of me...and failing.

Our first exam was Charms. I went in with my stomach feeling like it was about to explode with butterflies, but I even surprised myself with what I decided were pretty good results when I came out. Draco was whispering words of comfort in my ear as he held my hand tight and we headed down to the dungeons.

Potions went, like, really well. Draco and I worked together on brewing Amortentia and the Draught of Living Death, which we both had practised a lot in class. Slughorn even told us as we were leaving that he was proud of both of us, and would be surprised if we didn't receive an Outstanding grade each. I was practically shining when we left the dungeons, which wasn't something that happened often.

Then it was Herbology. Draco spent most of the time trying to get the Venomous Tentacula seeds efficiently without it biting his head off, but I think I did pretty well considering he was swearing under his breath every time he was bitten and almost got removed from the exam for being 'so disruptive'. That almost made me burst out laughing, I had to admit. Ginny looked as though she was ready to fail Herbology at that moment just to make fun of Draco, but thankfully decided against it.

Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts was difficult for all of us, but Draco and I both felt we did equally well, and I was just happy I was able to produce a Patronus on demand. I'd never been particularly good at that spell. 

Ancient Runes and Arithmancy were much the same. I was sure I'd made a few mistakes, but I was happy with the overall outcome, and rejoined Draco and the rest outside in the courtyard, cheering and shouting like idiots when it was all over. Fireworks were set off, despite it being hardly dark yet, and students ran off all over the place, throwing hats into the air and hugging as though we'd just survived another wizarding war.

The most perfect thing happened afterwards.

Draco pulled me along to the black lake and, just as my favourite kind of spinning magical fireworks were going off overhead and showering us with sparks, he kissed me more amazingly than I'd ever experienced before. His lips and mine connected as explosions rocketed around above us and Ginny fist-bumped Luna, who I could have sworn handed over several gold Galleons.

I shook my head mentally. It was just like Ginny to bet on my love life. To be honest, I didn't care. My attention was wholly focused on Draco, and in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to stay there forever. To stay with him forever. Now I had the ball to look forward to, the end of the year to celebrate...

And then what?

My life after Hogwarts...I hadn't really thought about it. That all depended on my grades after my N.E.W.Ts. I could probably get any job I wanted, supposing my exams had all gone well. But what about Draco? After such a magical year together, we couldn't just part ways and go back to how we had been before...pretending like we didn't care about each other? 

He wasn't ready to forget me just like that, was he, just so that he could marry some pure-blood witch, just like his father had wanted?

Hey guys! 500 reads I AM FREAKING OUT! Only 6 more chapters to go of this amazing story, thank you guys so much for the journey you've taken me on with all the reads and votes, it's been epic. I never dreamed that anything like this would ever happen to me and I'm so happy. Don't forget to read and vote, the conclusion to this story is going to be good! :)