AN: Just a short fic that I started nearly six months ago. It was an idea that popped into my head, and now here it is. Title taken from a Beatles song - one of my favorites, actually.

Enjoy!

The Long and Winding Road

"Ready?"

"Not really," she admitted with a wry grin. "I don't think I'll ever be."

"That's understandable," he replied, matching her smile

She examined the church's trimmings, pushing aside the stray brown curls that obscured her view. "It's lovely – lovelier than I could have ever imagined."

"It is. You chose well. I'm sure this will be a wedding few will soon forget."

She laughed softly. "There you are most certainly right."

"Who would have ever thought it?" he mused, shooting her a sidelong glance. "A Malfoy marrying someone that isn't a pureblood?"

"A lot has changed since the war."

"True," he said, nodding. "Still, some things never change."

The two were silent for a while, staring wordlessly at the sight before them. The church was luxuriously decorated, but not gaudily so. She had made sure of that. Nothing but the finest materials were used in covering the church from steeple to floor. He had made sure of that. Everyone had been obsessed with the planning – it was to be a big wedding. They had agreed on that. So much would change tomorrow, after two families the wizarding world had long seen as polar opposites on the spectrum of understanding would become one. Even after all this time, even after all these years of silence, some were uneasy, unsure that the two worlds could live together in harmony. But with this impending marriage, they were beginning to hope. Maybe old prejudices would truly finally die. Maybe the old guard would at last see past their archaic ideologies…

"How did your father react?"

"He'll live." Chuckling a bit, he added, "He's not exactly about the prospect of his so-called 'legacy' ending, but he'll live."

"Is he coming?"

"Goodness, Granger, I know Father can be a hideous sort of creature, but he would never disgrace me or the Malfoy name by not showing." He shot her a pointed glace. "Besides, the media would have a field day if he did not appear. They already are with their wild speculations. Clearly, they do not understand what makes Lucius Malfoy tick, even now."

She hesitated. "I'm just worried…"

"Don't be." He turned to look her straight in the eye. "You know I wouldn't let anything happen, Hermione. Not tomorrow. Not on a day that means so much to me… to you."

She let her eyes linger on him a little while longer than she should before tearing them away. She felt her breath catch in her throat, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

"It's funny, isn't it?" she asked. "That we should be here now."

"Ironic, I'd say."

She nodded her agreement. "Who would have thought?"

"Certainly not me."

"Me neither."

"But here we are," he remarked.

"Here we are," she repeated blandly. Taking in a quick breath, she turned to him. "What do you think?" she asked. "How do you things will go tomorrow?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Worried?"

"A little," she admitted. "Nervous, really."

"It will be fine," he said with conviction. "You've been planning this for months and dreaming of this even longer. Everything will go to plan. Since when have any of your plans gone astray, Granger?

"I know, I know," she replied dismissively. "Everyone says that. But that doesn't do much to calm my nerves, you know."

He chuckled softly. "You just want to be nervous, then. You always were a bit of a drama queen, even when we were school children."

She smiled oddly. "Yes, some things never change," she finally said, echoing his words earlier.

He looked over at her. "Good," he said, smiling. "You wouldn't be the same if you weren't slightly neurotic."

"I'm not neurotic!"

"I said slightly. And yes you are. You always have been."

She huffed indignantly which only made him smile.

"What did you think?"

She looked at him, confused. "Think?"

"When it started. When she told you. What did you think? What did Weasley think?"

She laughed. "Ron? Ron threw a fit. He couldn't believe it. At first he thought it was some sort of joke. Every time she mentioned it, he'd just laugh it off… but then…"

"She brought him home." He chuckled. "He told me about that."

"That was a near disaster. Ron started hurling hexes at him. Rose was yelling, Hugo was yelling… it was just general chaos."

"I'm proud to say that Astoria and I were much more civilized when Scorpius brought your daughter home to meet us," he quipped, the amusement obvious in his voice. "In fact, I'd go as far to say that Astoria was rather charmed by Rose."

"Well, you did torment Ron for about seven years. I think he gets something of a pass."

He sat, thoughtful. "Perhaps," he finally said. "I still don't think that excuses Weasley from turning my son into a weasel." He sniggered. "The irony! He was trying to turn him into a ferret and turned him into a weasel."

She laughed with him, recalling the memory. It hadn't been so funny at the time. It had been quite the antithesis of funny. Rose had been so furious with her father, refusing to speak to Ron for over a week. Even Hugo had sided with his sister, causing a rift between father and son. Then she and Ron had gotten into a huge row. She shook her head, remembering the absolute mess that time had been.

"What did you think?" she asked, turning the question on him.

"Me?" He looked at her. "Mostly, I was worried. Scorpius is a bit naïve, very much like how I was at that age. He seemed so certain, I was worried he was setting himself up for a fall. But I wasn't surprised… when I finally met her, all I could think of was how much – how much she reminded me of you."

There was a strange look in his eye.

"I'm proud of him," he said, looking away from her. "So proud."

"You should be," she remarked. "He is an intelligent and charming young man. A vast improvement upon his father."

"He is," he replied much more seriously. "He's much stronger than I ever was… than I ever could be. Braver. Wiser. More of a man than I could ever be."

"You couldn't…"

"No, I could." He laughed dryly, half-heartedly. "And I should have."

"Do you ever think…?" She trailed off, as if afraid to ask the question on her mind. The look in her eyes though, communicated everything to him.

"Always," he whispered.

Silence.

It had been so many years ago, but it hurt still to speak of it. They had been so young and so in love, but she was too idealistic and he was too lost. She believed too much in love conquering all, and he barely believed in love at all. He had hurt her terribly when he said he couldn't go on, and in her youthful simplicity, she swore she would never speak to or think of him again. He, in his anger, swore the same.

But she was older now – wiser. And so was he. Looking over the years that were now a distant memory, she realized how difficult it must have been for him and how much she had taken for granted.

"Do you forgive me?"

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "What for?"

"I didn't… I didn't try to understand what you were saying, what you meant. I should have been less stubborn. I just…"

He cut her off. "There's nothing to forgive."

She smiled softly at him, a smile filled with traces of sadness, regret, and bitterness - sadness over the pain from years ago that was now a dull pain; regret for all the years that had passed; bitterness over what could have been but never would be. Reaching across, she took his hand in hers.

"Mum? Oh there you are! Oh…

His hand pulled away from hers. She sighed softly before turning around. "Yes, dear?"

Rose and Scorpius stood in the doorway, his hand in hers. Her daughter eyed the two of them before exchanging a quick, knowing glance with the man standing next to her.

"We just wanted you to finalize some things for tomorrow," Rose said.

"But if you're busy, we can do it later," Scorpius added quickly.

"It's not urgent."

She looked to him, and then looked to the pair standing in front of her. She and he – they were the past. Their children were the future – a future full of hope and endless possibility. She saw in Scorpius so much of his father – the blonde hair, the grey eyes, the confidence, the charm, and the conviction that the rules didn't apply to him. And her daughter… yes, Rose was very much like her, wasn't she? Rose, with her beautiful auburn hair and bright brown eyes, never stopped asking questions and was never afraid to defy the paradigm. Looking at Scorpius and Rose, she felt as if she had been given a second chance. And perhaps he felt the same. In her daughter and his son, the gods gave them a chance to give their children the greatest gift of all: the life they always wanted but never could have.

"Later, then."

Rose and Scorpius nodded and walked off, secretive smiles on their faces. She turned back to him. Their eyes met, and she smiled.

They were the future. They would have their time - tomorrow and every day after that. For now, she wanted to spend a little more time with the past.

AN: Thanks for reading! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated.