Hermione and Draco had fallen in love. At first, her friends had been furious when they'd discovered her relationship with the former Death Eater. When Hermione had returned to Hogwarts to complete her extended seventh year, she returned without her two best friends. Both Harry and Ron had decided to go straight into Auror training at the Ministry, at Kingsley's behest, and together they rounded up the last remaining Death Eaters.
Hermione and Ron's relationship had stalled before it had ever truly gotten off the ground. A few weeks after their first kiss, both realized that they were better off as friends. Ron started dating Susan Bones shortly afterwards, and Hermione was happy for him. It hurt a bit to think that a boy she had cared about for years and hoped for a relationship with, was not the one she was meant to be with.
When she returned to Hogwarts, she was given the title of Head Girl by Headmistress McGonagall and Hermione was excited for the opportunity. When she arrived on the Hogwarts Express, those initial feelings of good will were dampened by the realization of just whom the Head Boy was...Draco Malfoy.
Draco for his part, didn't say much the first few months of school. He mostly kept to himself and didn't seem to openly engage anyone, even his former classmates. Most of the returning Slytherin's gave him a wide berth and it seemed to Hermione that Draco Malfoy was an outcast even within his own house. The sad irony was not lost on her.
It was a bit before Yule that Hermione found Malfoy one evening, alone in the Astronomy Tower. He was sitting on the edge of the railing, overlooking the grounds and smoking a Muggle cigarette. When Hermione quietly sat down next to him, he looked at her curiously, but didn't say anything. Hermione reached into her beaded bag and took out a small flask of Muggle Peppermint Schnapps. She offered it to Draco, who looked at her a bit dubiously, but took a sip and gasped at the surprising taste of peppermint and alcohol. Taking another swig, he handed the flask back to Hermione, who took a drink as the two sat in companionable silence.
The ritual repeated throughout the holidays. Hermione had decided to stay at Hogwarts as her parents were still in Australia and the Ministry hadn't located them yet and Draco refused to return home to Malfoy Manor, for obvious reasons. Each night the two Heads could be found sitting side by side on the Astronomy Tower, drinking alcohol and smoking. Eventually the silences gave way to stilted conversations and by the end of the holiday, the two had formed a tentative friendship.
Draco had apologized the night of New Years Eve, explaining to Hermione what life was like living with Voldemort in his home. Hermione listened, didn't judge and nodded where appropriate. Her heart went out to the Pureblood aristocrat, and she felt disheartened when she realized that despite his upbringing, Draco Malfoy had absolutely no choices in regards to following Voldemort.
As the winter gave way to spring, it was a common occurrence to find the two Heads studying for their NEWTS together in their shared common room. Conversations eventually turned towards more personal pursuits and eventually the two fell in love. When they consummated their growing attraction on the final night before leaving Hogwarts forever, both made promises to each other that they would always be together.
When the world in general found out about the Golden Girl and the Death Eater...the response was about what both expected. Hermione's friends didn't understand and Harry and Ron had berated her, and eventually turned their backs on their former best friend. The only ones to stand by Hermione initially were Luna and Neville. Draco's parents had been abhorred by their only son and heir consorting openly with a Mudblood. Lucius had threatened to disinherit his only son, and Draco had just shrugged his shoulders indifferently and left the Manor. He had his grandfather Cygnus' inheritance at Gringotts, and while it wasn't as substantial as the Malfoy vaults, Draco was hardly destitute. He and Hermione got a flat in Muggle London and the two had become inseparable. Draco had even gone with Hermione to Australia to retrieve her parents when they'd finally been located. Richard and Helen Granger were wary of the man at first, often remembering how their only child would come home over the summers in tears over how hateful Draco Malfoy had been. Draco apologized profusely and promised the Grangers that he loved Hermione, and he would never hurt her again.
Eventually he asked Richard's permission to marry his daughter nearly two years later. The man shook his future son-in-laws hand and offered his blessing. Draco wasted no time proposing and Hermione was ecstatic at the beautiful ring Draco had offered her. The Daily Prophet published the picture of Draco proposing and of course, everyone had their opinions. Harry and Ron, who hadn't spoken to Hermione in nearly a year, had let their displeasure be noted...publicly. Lucius and Narcissa didn't speak to their son...a fact that saddened Draco deeply. But his parents had never accepted his choices, and he wasn't going to give up Hermione for anything.
They were married in a small, intimate ceremony. The only ones in attendance were Hermione's parents, Neville, Luna, Minerva, Kingsley...who performed the ceremony and surprisingly George Weasley. The surviving twin had become a friend during their courtship and he and Draco had become close. It was the first real friendship Draco could ever remembered having.
On their fourth anniversary, Hermione had found out she was pregnant and Draco was thrilled. He sent a letter to his parents and was despondent over the response he'd received. His father had made it known that he and Narcissa would never accept a half-blood grandchild and Draco was saddened with the fact his child would never know his grandparents. The Grangers however, were thrilled, offering hugs and kisses to both soon-to-be parents. Draco was grateful for their love and acceptance and told his wife how fortunate they were to have Richard and Helen in their lives.
Nine months later, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was born. His eyes and hair a spitting image of his father. He had his mother's features however, and Hermione was thrilled with how beautiful their son was. Draco was a proud papa, often taking his son for a few hours so his beloved wife could get some much needed rest. In the days and weeks that followed, Hermione and Draco only existed within their small family bubble. Luna and George were made godparents and Hermione was touched by the thoughtful gifts she had received from their few friends. Harry and Ginny had gotten married soon after the war, as had Ron and Susan Bones. Harry was a father to two boys, James Sirius and Albus Severus Potter while Ron had a daughter, Rose. Hermione never spoke with her friends anymore, and it was just as well. They had betrayed her...proving that their friendship was purely conditional when she had sacrificed so much...especially for Harry.
Draco had received his Potions Mastery a couple years after Hogwarts. Professor Slughorn had willingly taken him on as an apprentice, at Minerva's insistence. Realizing the Slytherin Prince was in need of redemption, she made it her mission to help the lad. She was gratified to see the changes wrought in the Malfoy heir. His love for Hermione gave Minerva hope that perhaps...one day...the bridges that divided their Wizarding community would stand no longer.
As luck would have it, Minerva McGonagall was sorely disappointed by the remaining prejudice on both sides of the war. She watched as her favorite former student and the husband she loved dearly, were constantly barraged with ridicule and hatred. After Scorpius was born, the taunts died down for a bit...but started back in earnest when the two would visit Diagon Alley together. People would stare and point and sneer at Scorpius...it finally got so bad one day, Hermione was left in tears and begged Draco to leave Wizarding England behind.
So, bags packed and flat left dormant, Draco and Hermione Malfoy left Britain and disappeared. Only their closest friends knew where the couple and their son had ventured off too. It wasn't until nearly ten years later, just a year before Scorpius was to start at Hogwarts, that the couple returned to England.
During that time, Draco and Hermione had two more children. Twins...Carina and Leo who were born eighteen months after their older brother. Both children were prodigies...Carina was quite adept at controllable wandless magic and could silence her brothers on a whim when they became too rambunctious. It was Leo however, who was the most gifted of the bunch. When Leo was a baby he was often agitated and seemed to be unable to sleep for extended periods of time. Draco and Hermione were both inconsolable when one night Leo had cried himself into exhaustion. Many noted Healers later, they still didn't have an answer until Luna Lovegood came to visit when Leo was nearly two years old. She had just given birth to twins a year earlier as well, Lorcan and Lysander with her husband, Rolf Scarmander.
Luna had always had a different way of looking at things, and when she suggested to Hermione and Draco that their son was a Seer and a natural Legilimens, the shocked looks on both their faces made Luna realize that neither one of them had even considered it a possibility. As time went on, Luna's observation became fact. Leo was incredibly aware of everything. He didn't talk much, but he could sense other people and knew if someone was a good person or not. Draco and Hermione kept him close, and realized that they needed to protect their son from those who would take advantage of him.
When Draco and Hermione returned to Diagon Alley on Scorpius tenth birthday, it was with the express purpose to see whether or not anything had changed as far as the hatred and prejudice was concerned. Scorpius had expressed a desire to attend Hogwarts, but he knew from both his parents that it might be better for him to attend school elsewhere. The family had been living in Australia near Hermione's parents, as they had decided to stay after their memories had been returned.
When the family entered Diagon Alley, no one paid them much attention at first. Draco was holding Leo closely while Carina and Scorpius walked arm in arm. The family headed to Flourish and Blotts and then decided to get some ice cream at Fortescue's. When they made their way over to Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, George was thrilled to see his godson and the rest of the Malfoy's. Ginny was on her way out of the shop and she nodded politely to Hermione, but didn't engage her otherwise.
When they left the joke shop and headed down the alley, Draco's breath hitched as he noticed two people walking from the Leaky with startling blonde hair...It could only be his parents. He squeezed Hermione's hand and nodded in the direction he'd been gazing in and to Hermione's credit, she just shrugged, as if to let Draco know it was his decision to openly engage his parents. He hadn't written to Lucius and Narcissa since Scorpius was born, and they had no idea Draco had two more children. Slowly making their way as a family, Draco's hand was trembling in his wife's while Leo just gave his dad a knowing look.
When they'd reached the older couple, Narcissa's eyes widened briefly as she noticed her son and the children surrounding him. There were two boys and a girl...all with blonde hair and grey eyes. Standing next to Draco was the Mudblood he'd married...her hair much tamer and her clothes much more becoming. Narcissa tried not to sneer in revulsion, but Lucius had no such qualms...looking at his son and his family with nothing but disdain on his aristocratic features. When Draco realized that his parent's weren't going to acknowledge himself nor his family, he nodded politely and made to escort his wife and children away.
Leo stared up at the large imposing man who he knew was his grandfather and sneered at the older man with contempt. Lucius looked at the younger boy and raised an eyebrow in condescension, but Leo just smirked...just like his father and shook his head in disgust at the older man. Draco watched with amusement at the silent exchange between the Malfoy Lord and his youngest child. Leo didn't look away, and Draco could see that Lucius was having a hard time keeping his composure.
"Leo." Draco whispered softly in admonishment to his youngest.
"His name is Leo?" Narcissa asked quietly, while her husband glared at the small boy who was looking at him intently and without fear.
"Yes." Draco offered stiffly.
Narcissa nodded politely, trying to remember that these were Draco's children...even if they were half bloods. "Scorpius has grown." She gestured to the oldest boy, who was looking at his grandparents with open hostility as he clutched his mother's arm tightly. "And who might this young lady be?"
Narcissa's blue eyes met those of the youngest girl, who looked to her father first before answering. When Draco nodded his head once, Carina straighten her shoulders and glared fiercely at the older woman. "Carina Malfoy."
Narcissa nodded, secretly pleased that Draco had chosen to uphold the Black family tradition by naming his children after constellations. Narcissa glanced again at Draco's wife, who had an impassive look upon her face as she made no effort to insinuate herself into the conversation. Draco turned to his wife and Hermione just rose a single eyebrow in response. Nodding to his wife, Draco looked at his parents and bowed respectfully. "If you will excuse us, we were just leaving."
Narcissa nodded and swallowed discreetly, not sure what to do in this exact moment. She had missed her son over these past nearly fifteen years. He had a beautiful family, and it seemed as if he loved them tremendously. Narcissa knew that they had left England some ten years ago...and no one seemed to know where they had gone to. The Malfoy's were still resented by many within the Wizarding community, both Pureblood and not. Lucius and herself had left for France some years ago, and were only here by happenstance as Lucius needed to deal with some business at Gringotts directly.
"It is good to see you Draco." Narcissa offered softly.
"Is it?" Leo tilted his head at the older woman suddenly, watching her with the same intensity as he had been watching her husband. Narcissa's breath hitched at the knowing look in the young boys eyes. Her own eyes widened in recognition of that look, and the young boy just smirked as if he knew what she had been thinking.
"Leo Regulus Malfoy. That is enough." Hermione admonished her son gently, trying not to show her unease at the interaction between her youngest and his grandparents.
Leo turned to his mother, and they seemed to be having some sort of silent exchange, which caused Narcissa to give her husband another look. She then smiled softly at the young boy and said kindly. "It is indeed, Leo. I have missed my son these many years."
Carina, who was just as forthright as her mother scoffed softly. "You do have an interesting way of showing it." She raised an eyebrow at the Malfoy Matriarch, who gave the girl a stern scowl in return. Draco, realizing his children were unlikely to keep their opinions to themselves, took his son and daughter by the hand and nodded at his parents and made to excuse his family quickly. But not quick enough as Lucius started sputtering out insults, only to be wandlessly silenced by his granddaughter, who glared at the older man with a smirk worthy of any Malfoy.
"Carina...unsilence Lucius please." Draco smirked at his daughter, who just shrugged and waved her hand.
Lucius' eyes widened at the display of wandless magic from his only granddaughter. It would seem that his grandchildren were quite formidable. "He deserved it Father...he was about to say something unkind."
Draco chuckled, as did Narcissa and Hermione. "Be that as it may young lady...you can't go around silencing people just because you may not like what they have to say."
Carina shrugged and rolled her eyes. "I think I just proved that I can."
Draco smiled widely at his daughter's quick wit, and was surprised when his father sputtered out a cough...trying to hide his surprise at how cheeky his granddaughter was being.
"If you will excuse us...we really should be leaving." Draco said firmly.
"Of course." Narcissa nodded. "It was lovely to meet you, children."
All three children looked back at their grandmother, but none acknowledged the compliment in return. Turning to leave, Narcissa couldn't let her son disappear again without at least finding out where he was living.
"Are you living here, in London?"
Draco eyed his wife, who gently nodded her head. "No...we are not. We are just visiting, and will be returning home in a few days."
Narcissa nodded and turned to her husband, who gaze was scope-locked on his grandchildren. "Have a safe trip home." Narcissa offered quietly.
"Thank you." Draco nodded once and moved his family down towards the Leaky and back into Muggle London.
Once Draco and his family had left, Narcissa took her husband's arm and together they apparated back to Malfoy Manor. Once they were situated in the study, Narcissa allowed the tears she hadn't wanted to shed for over fifteen years, to finally let go. Her husband watched her, unsure of what to do. He was shocked by the events of today...and he could see his wife was devastated. They had lost their son, due to their own prejudices...and because of that hate and bitterness...they'd missed out on knowing their grandchildren...grandchildren. It had been centuries since the Malfoy line had given birth to more than a single heir. And here was his son, who had three children...all in his image. The Mudblood had given Draco three beautiful and powerful children. Lucius wasn't unaware of magic, and as such realized quickly upon meeting Leo, that the boy was gifted. An Empath, or perhaps a Legilimens...he wasn't sure. But he could sense there was something different about the boy. Carina couldn't have been much older than eight, yet she was proficient at wandless, controlled magic. It was unprecedented for a child to have such control...and she would be a truly powerful witch when she was grown. Scorpius seemed to be quite intuitive and fiercely protective of his mother. He hadn't let go of her hand nor left her side during the entire exchange.
Lucius gazed forlornly at his wife, who was dabbing her blue eyes as she looked at him with a lost expression on her face. Narcissa hadn't agreed wholeheartedly with Lucius cutting Draco out of their lives, but she had mistakenly thought his relationship with the Mudblood was just a phase. Sadly, it was not.
Lucius knew that the only reason Draco had received an apprenticeship with Horace Slughorn was due to the goodwill of Draco's now wife. Merlin...Lucius didn't even was to acknowledge her name. Miss Granger...Brightest Witch of the Age and the sole reason Harry Potter was able to defeat the Dark Lord. Lucius wasn't sad to see the man die...in fact...he was relieved when Potter had finally slain Riddle. Lucius was still embittered and angry over the loss of his stature and his pride at the hand of a half-blood megalomaniac. But he simply couldn't abide his son being involved with a Mudblood...even if she was as formidable as Miss Granger.
Yet his grandchildren were everything he'd ever hoped they would be. Malfoy looks, fierce intellect, strong personalities, gifted and well spoken. They were unafraid and unbowed in his presence. A small smirk formed as he remembered his granddaughter admonishing Draco with her self-righteousness. She was a cheeky little thing.
Narcissa looked at her husband as he was lost in his own thoughts. Her heart was broken at the thought that she had wasted all these years...never once going against her husband, or the beliefs she was raised in, by accepting her son's chosen mate. Narcissa had thought it was some rebellious phase that Draco was going through, and when it passed...he would return home humbled and bowed by his poor choices. Seeing him today, her son looked upon his wife and children with love radiating from his gaze. He had given up his family and his inheritance for love...for the right to choose for himself. Miss Granger had lost many of her friends when she had chosen to get involved with Draco. Mr. Potter and the youngest Weasley...all three heroes of the war, had turned their backs on their best friend...because she loved Draco and saw the good in him.
Narcissa shook her head angrily. How had it come to this? What was more important, the Pureblood traditions of family long since dead? And for what? The Malfoy name was tarnished still...perhaps if Lucius and she had accepted Miss Granger...with her good will and good reputation from after the war, perhaps the Malfoy name might have been salvaged.
And her grandchildren! All priceless copies of her only son. Scorpius had some of his mother's delicate features, but Leo was all Draco. Narcissa remembered meeting a true Seer once when she was a child, and Leo had the same knowing look about him. He could see Narcissa in a way she was sure no one had ever been able to...he looked at Lucius in much the same way...the young boy was not fooled and would not be fooled by empty platitudes and promises.
Carina was a force of nature...and Narcissa softly smiled at the thought of Draco having his hands full when it came time for the girl to openly court a suitor. Narcissa realized she had no idea what Draco did for a living...his inheritance from her father had been considerable, but she couldn't imagine her dragon not wanting to do something more with his life. And despite her abhorrence of Miss Granger's blood status, the witch was quite intelligent and formidable in her own right.
Glancing over at her husband, Narcissa sighed sadly. Would Lucius ever be amenable to openly having a relationship with his son and grandchildren? Furthermore, would Draco ever forgive them for betraying him after the war? It was Lucius' choice to follow the Dark Lord, and as much as Narcissa believed strongly in the purity of blood, she never would have willingly followed that madman, unlike her sister. Shuddering at the memory of Bellatrix, Narcissa had to wonder if Draco had ever made amends with her other sister.
As it turned out, Draco had mended fences with his Aunt Andromeda. It had taken years, starting with owl correspondence and then floo calls. Eventually they met for dinner weekly, until Draco and Hermione had moved to Australia. Andromeda and Teddy Lupin still lived in the same home, and Draco and Hermione were always happy when they could reconnect with family.
Draco shared with Andromeda later the next evening during dinner, about their run in with his parents in Diagon Alley. Andromeda listened to her nephew and internally felt her heart go out to the young man, who had lost and gained so much in the years following the war. She had never blamed Draco for the part he played in the war. Understanding that Lucius would of never allowed his son to walk away from the Dark Lord.
When Draco and Hermione finally returned back to Australia a few days later, they were exhausted but glad to be home. Richard and Helen were excited to see their grandchildren and offered to take the three for a couple days so Draco and Hermione could enjoy some time alone.
Once the children had left with their grandparents, Draco and Hermione spent the entire evening and most of the next day reaffirming their love for each other. In the afters, Draco took his wife's hand and kissed it reverently.
"You know love, I've never regretted once leaving England behind. I may have hoped that my parents might come around eventually, but after seeing them this past week, I've finally realized that Lucius and Narcissa are never going to accept you as my wife...nor our children. The thought used to make me so angry...but seeing them, all I felt was sadness and pity."
Hermione gently pushed Draco's hair away from his face and looked lovingly into his grey eyes. "I know, and I'm sorry that they aren't capable of overcoming their prejudices to want to be a part of our lives. But our children are happy and they have the love of our small extended family. My parents adore all of them, and we have George, Luna, Neville and now your Aunt Andromeda and Teddy. There are times I miss Harry and Ron, but more often than not, I've come to realize that I'm happier without them. Our friendship was always so fraught with tension...end of the world tension, but the lighthearted moments were few and far in between. I expected Ronald to act like a bigoted idiot, but I had really hoped that Harry would have accepted my choice. I'd always stood by him and never left his side...obliviated my parents so I could help him win a war. I think I felt more betrayed by his behavior than anyone...and I will never be able to forgive him for it."
Draco nodded. "I feel the same way about my parents. Sometimes relationships are just toxic, you know? I'd never realized just how unhealthy my relationship with my parents was until we had our own family. I don't ever want our children to think we love them conditionally."
"They don't, because they are far too astute..." Hermione giggled and Draco chuckled.
"So...Hogwarts?"
Hermione shrugged. "I don't think so. Not much has changed in England, and frankly I think our children are better off not attending there. They could attend Nyungar here in Australia. I've spoken with the Headmaster and he was excited at the prospect of having our children attend the school."
Draco snickered playfully. "He just wants both of us to teach."
"Well, they have been on the lookout for a new Potions Master."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I have no intention of teaching until the twins are in school. Besides, we have our own business to run, or have you forgotten about that?"
Draco and Hermione had started their own business when they had gotten married. They opened their first apothecary in France a year after they were married...Phoenix apothecary, and from there opened several more across the continent and in the US and Australia, purposefully staying out of England. Draco had inherited Severus Snape's potions journals and perfected and improved upon many of his inventions. He and Hermione had patented a less addictive form of Dreamless Sleep that actually allowed people to enter REM sleep...it was Hermione's research into Muggle medicines that had helped Draco figure out how to make the potion less addicting. From there, they had created better pain potions, also a calming draught mixed with a pain reliever in a single potion. Their twelve apothecaries were thriving, and they had managed to quadruple Draco's initial wealth from his grandfather's inheritance within the last ten years.
"Well, whatever we decide...I think the children would be happier going to school here in Australia."
Draco nodded and gathered Hermione into his arms. "I agree. I think I can finally say goodbye to England with no regrets."
Hermione smiled softly and burrowed her body into the warmth and comfort of her husband's. "Me too. I love you Draco."
Draco smirked at his wife of nearly fifteen years. "I love you more...Hermione Malfoy."