Closest To Heaven That I'll Ever Be. *Complete*

31. I Could Have Danced All Night

There were gasps around the room before if fell into silence. Deafening silence. I looked to Draco who looked both embarrassed and broken.

"Do you mean would they be proud of the fact that I found someone who loves me for who I am. Unconditionally, irrevicably and unaplogetically? Yeah I would say that they would. My parents may never have met Draco Malfoy but my uncle did. My uncle knew exactly who Draco was. A boy who had to grow up way too early. A boy who was given an impossible choice. Draco became a Death Eater to keep his family safe. He did what he had to do. What would you have done in his position? It's very easy to judge someone else in a negative way but I belive your judgments about another person say more about your own character than the character of the person you are pointing a finger at. If you knew the Draco I knew, you would understand. We shouldn't judge someone by their past, but by the distance they have travelled from the person they used to be. Draco Malfoy has completely turned his life around. His whole family has. They have owned up to their wrong doings, apologised and are working on bettering themselves. What more can they do to prove that they are good people? I know how hard he has worked. I know what he has had to do and the repurcussions of his failure. I know how scared he was. And I also know how brave he was defying his aunt. For throwing his wand to Harry in the final battle to help him defeat Voldemort. I am damn proud to be his girlfriend and I love him with all I am."

"But he is a Death Eater!"

"And you are igorant. Your point?"

"Are you stupid? He and his Slytherin pals shouldn't even be here. It's offensive!"

"To who? They have just as much right to be here as anyone else. Not one of those people at that table have ever killed or even tortured someone. They are about as evil as a kitten. You don't see them for the people they actually are. You see them as a stereotype. Oh they were Slytherin's, they must be evil. It's bull. Belonging to a house in school does not define you. It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences. Every single person at that table is like family to me. They are loyal, loving, kind and I would happily give my life to keep them safe and happy. There is nothing offensive about them being here. Actually the only offensive person here is you. You who believes himself to be better than others and believes that his opinion is the right one so he insults and bullies those who disagree. I once knew of another man like that - Tom Riddle. You are more like him than anyone at that table."

He didn't get to give me a come back for that one. The whole hall burst into applause at that moment. To be honest I forgot the rest of the hall was even here. That man, with his round belly and very badly applied toupe has really made my blood boil. People gave their lives to try and eliminate century's old prejudice but some people (like Hitler's brother here) would never change their ways.

"Moving on, do you have any more questions? And bare in mind, Miss Dumbledore may be up there but I am right down here and I know quite a few good hexes! Yes, Agatha?" McGongall said scanning the room for more outbursts.

"Your friends mentioned that you are good at potions and worked as a Healer's aid. Do you work in St. Mungo's now or what have you been doing for three years after the war?" A young woman who looked to be olny a year or two older than me asked smilig.

"Well after the war, I decided to go travelling for a few months to see the world, which was amazing. I then came home. I had inherited a house from my uncle and I moved in there. I also opened an apothecary. A's Apothecary in Diagon Alley. I brew potions and tonics for my customers from acne eraser to remedies for illness and ailments."

"So just branched out recently to have another store in Hogsmeade too," Ron added.

"She has also been working on a new machine which will have an huge impact on the medical world and will potentially save millions of lives." Hermione smiled proudly.