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Linked by Philyra912
 Books » Harry Potter Rated: T, English, Romance, Draco M., Hermione G., Words: 61k+, Favs: 4k+, Follows: 920, Published: Jun 18, 2005 Updated: Jan 5, 2006
 2,542 Chapter 24: Linked
A/N: Well, here it is, my darlings. Before you lies the last chapter of Linked. I'm sorry it's taken so long, but the holidays have been hectic, and, to be perfectly honest, I had a really hard time writing this. I don't think I wanted to see it end.
I posted the first chappie of Linked way back in June. At the time, I had never reviewed a HP story or exchanged a single word with members of the Draco/Hermione community. I was flying blind with a story that had only one other chappie written and no real direction. I had no idea what I was doing or what to expect. My goal was to have 50 total reviews for the story by the time I finished it.
Well, it's six months later. Linked is now on the fav stories list of no less than 346 people. It is my baby, and has been a significant part of my life for so long that I barely know what to do with myself now that it's over. We are nearing the 1000 review mark. Though your reviews, I feel that I have come to know some of the smartest, funniest people on the planet. I feel truly blessed, and not a little bit awed.
I would like to thank all of you for your unending support, your inspiring words, your helpful advice, and your constant and uplifting presence in my life. Hearing your feedback has improved me immensely as a writer and as a person, I'd like to think. It means so much to me to know that I have people out there who appreciate the passion and feeling I pour into my writing and respond to it with equal passion and feeling. You all mean more to me than you can know.
To my ladies over at the Keys yahoo group: Oh, where would I be without my girls? Bored as hell and lonely, that's where. For months of friendship, support, and laughter, you have my unending love and eternal thanks. Here's to many, many more stories, chats, and reviews in the future! I love you, my darlings!
Lastly, I have to send out a hundred million trillion thank-you's to Lorett. Thank you for being a wonderful beta and muse and sounding board when I needed one most. Thank you for snaring me into your net and taking me into a community where I have found friendship and laughter. Thank you, most of all, for being an extraordinary lady and a precious friend.
Here it is, my darlings. May you enjoy every word.
Chapter 23: Linked
After the third time he searched the room for his Arithmancy book only to realize it was already in his trunk, Draco gave up on his half-hearted attempts to pack and threw himself rather ungracefully on his bed. His mind was not on what clothing and school supplies he would be needing for the two weeks he spent at Malfoy Manor. His mind was instead on a small, rather unexceptional girl who was making him honestly consider giving up everything he'd ever known on the off chance that she could make him as happy as he thought she could.
He prayed to whatever deities might be listening that he was doing the right thing in walking away from this. The doubt gnawing painfully at his heart was probably just his inherent selfishness, trying to make him seek his own happiness at whatever cost. He was doing the only thing he could to keep her safe, he reasoned desperately. He thought back to the nightmare he'd had in which he had been required to save Hermione from himself, and he wondered if perhaps he had a bit of Seer in him.
They had nothing in their favor, he knew. The odds were heavily against them, and that was even assuming that they would both make it through the coming war alive and unscathed, which was almost equally unlikely as having a happily-ever-after ending. The only thing in the world that suggested they might work was this feeling in his chest that it had to work, that it was the only thing in his life that had ever made any sense at all, and what sort of guarantee for the future was that?
