Chapter 9: Epilogue


It had been almost three weeks since the group's last meeting when everyone was in their potions class one afternoon. They had been unable to have a meeting because of Hermione's and the others conflicting schedules of patrols.

About halfway through class, McGonagall burst into the room. She had obviously been running, and was very much out of breath.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you are doing woman?" snapped Severus as the students all turned to look at the rather frazzled Head of Gryffindor.

"I need to speak with Miss Granger. Now!" she got out.

"Professor what is it?" Hermione asked in concern.

"Please come with me for a moment Miss Granger," Minerva replied turning towards the door. Hermione quickly rose and followed her, leaving the room buzzing about the event.

"Back to work," Severus snarled.

Just as everyone had settled back into their work, the doors burst open once more, emitting a distraught Hermione standing slightly behind and to the right of Minerva. "Professor Snape, I'm sorry to interrupt again. But might I have Potter. And both will be absent from the rest of class as well as excused from their work for the next few days," she explained quickly.

Realization dawned on Severus that the Granger's must have gone along with the plan. "Potter, get your stuff and get out."

"Yes sir," Harry responded gathering his things immediately and rushing towards Minerva and Hermione.

"Professor, might I go too?" Ron piped up.

"I'm sorry Mr. Weasley but the Headmaster said only one of you may accompany Miss Granger and she selected Mr. Potter," replied Minerva.

"Oh," Ron replied before slumping down in his seat.

"If that is everything Professor McGonagall I believe these students have a potion they are meant to be brewing," commented Severus coldly.

"Of course, thank you Professor," Minerva replied before ushering the two students away and closing the door behind him.

"Bloody brilliant," Draco muttered under his breath to Blaise.

Blaise nodded in return trying to hide his smile from the Gryffindor side of the room.

"Back to work you two," Severus said appearing next to them. "Ten points for sitting there like a bump on a log Weasley," he continued towards Ron who was still slumped in his seat.

"Yes Sir," replied Blaise once more trying to hide his smile as the class slowly got back to working on their potions.

Potions class quickly passed, and as it was the last potions class for the day, the Slytherins and remaining Gryffindor in their group stayed after, Neville having purposely blown up part of his potion. He had actually managed to get it right for once, and got that part in a bottle before adding the ingredient that would make it explode.

"That was very ingenious of McGonagall and I can't believe how well Hermione pulled that off. Are we sure that the Grangers are alright?" Neville asked after they had placed the silencing charm on the room.

"I have a feeling that Miss Granger didn't know when exactly the letter would arrive, thus making her portrayal of a distraught daughter all that more believable," mused Severus.

"That makes sense...I didn't even know her parents had agreed to it," Neville agreed as he cleaned up his last pile of metal that had been a cauldron. "Can I possibly ease up on blowing up the cauldrons now that I'm doing a little better at not doing that?" he asked with a sigh. His Gran was going to kill him.

"I think that was the idea," commented Severus. "Better reaction if they could catch her off guard and no worries about the cauldron Mr. Longbottom, it was sacrificed for a justifiable reason and therefore will be replaced."

"You mean I don't have to replace it this time?" Neville asked stopping and looking at the man in shock.

"You destroyed the potion and cauldron for the sake of saving the lives of two of your fellow students, Mr. Longbottom," Severus pointed out. "Not only that, you will receive full marks for your potion, which I noticed had been completed and bottled before you decided to blow it up."

"Well that was interesting," Draco mused as they all leaned over to see if Neville was still breathing after he had collapsed to the floor in a faint.

"Good thing I hadn't mentioned the fact that I was considering awarding house points for his work," mused Severus.

"Very good," Draco replied with a smirk.

"So when should we hear something from Granger do you think? Or do we just wait for the article by Skeeter?" Blaise asked as they sat down to wait for Neville to wake up.

"That's a good question," Pansy mused as she sat down next to him. "My guess is that we'll see Granger before the article otherwise the Headmaster will know what's going on."

"Very true Miss Parkinson. My guess would be Miss Granger will be back in only a few days, long enough for her father to 'get out of the hospital'," Severus replied nodding as he thought.

"Well, I suppose we should wake Longbottom and get out of here before anyone comes looking for one of us," Draco began after a moment. "And I'll go let Father know what's going on," he continued looking at the others.

Nodding they all left the room one by one, as Blaise revived Neville and they got him out of the room, only to pass out once more when Pansy let him know about the house points outside in the hall. At which point Severus shooed the students away and took the boy to the Hospital Wing to be treated there.


Over in St. Mungo's things were going rather quietly now. Thanks to recent events, Danica had been confined to her room and for the most part tied down to her bed to keep her from hurting the staff or herself until the new dose of medication kicked in.

Meanwhile, Ginny had retreated into herself enough that she never responded to anyone, including Danica when the girl had still been allowed to see her. The staff had finally started to accept that there was nothing they were going to be able to do for the girls now. Other than be there when the girls needed someone and get them to the psychiatric appointments.


A week later Hermione and Harry returned to the school, with the news that her father was well, and out of the hospital. They were able to give him medications that would keep him from having any problems after the attack, so it was almost as if he never had it. Other than his need to go on medication for his cholesterol, which what the majority of those they talked to did not know he had been put on it anyway, so the only part of the story that was truly a lie was the heart attack itself but it was worth it when the article in the Daily Prophet appeared four days later.

Rita really outdid herself, making sure to not give her source for the information but she did manage to get in touch with someone in Mungo's about the girls being there, as well as a few people who verified the information about male Veela, professors from Durmstrang, a retired professor from Beauxbatons, a few retired Aurors even.

As expected, Dumbledore was furious, especially as he was mentioned out and out right there in the article. He called a staff meeting almost immediately to try and contradict what it had said but even his staff could not exactly believe him. It explained what happened to the two girls better than anything else they had been told.

By the time the group got together after things had settled down a small bit, Minerva immediately pointed out they could gain a few more members of the staff variety.

"And who might they be Minerva?" questioned Lucius. "It was a little difficult for me to tell given the fact that Albus spent the entirety of the meeting glaring at me and the staff kept looking at me."

"Yes, well they were in a bit of shock Lucius…there is nothing like finding out one of your own has a rather rare family gift," Minerva replied carefully.

"Who exactly do you think will join us?" Blaise asked

"It's more of a curse than a gift at the moment," Lucius sighed tiredly.

"I can understand that Lucius," Minerva began. "But, we've been having some rather interesting meetings since the Headmaster talked to all of us and I haven't said anything about our group but unless I'm horribly mistaken, we can ask Flitwick, Sprout, Hooch, and Firenze."

"Filius I can understand, given that Albus used him to get at Danica," commented Severus. "But what makes you so sure about the others.

"Rolanda is a bit upset with him. He went over the heads of two of his Heads of House. What's to stop him from going after a student in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor next? Hooch as well is rather irate that he would do that to students... As for Firenze, it seems he has known about Male Veela all his life and when he found out Albus kept not only one, but two Veela from their mates, knowingly...well let's just say that it is not a pretty sight," Minerva explained quickly.

How exactly do we approach them though?" Draco pointed out.

"Very carefully," Neville said rather sarcastically before stopping and looking at them. "That just came out; I have no idea where it even came from."

"Despite the apparent sarcasm, Mr. Longbottom is right," agreed Lucius. "Along with the knowledge of the Malfoy heritage comes the fear of it."

Then we tell them like you told me. I'll go to them, fill them in on historic information I have with books, then have you two come in and fill them in more. Some of it they will already know from the article...and if any respond badly, we'll just wipe their memory. If the others say anything about it, then we'll make them understand we can't risk Albus finding out for the girls' sakes. I know these people, so do you Severus, and even you Lucius. They are good people and in the end, I can't see them taking it that badly considering everything else that we have been through in our lives," Minerva explained with a slight shrug. "What other choice do we have really? Everything is for those two girls..."

"Ginevra is my life Minerva I will do whatever I must to ensure her safe return to my side," replied Lucius quietly. "And if that means displaying my and my family's history to the prying eyes of the public then that is what I will do...regardless of the consequences."

"I do hope it doesn't go that far. Having to display it to our fellow teachers, people that we have grown up with in various sources is more than enough in my opinion. I can't imagine it being anyone else's need to know information so...in my opinion Lucius, to quote young miss Morgan, they can jump off a cliff for all I care and yes Mr. Malfoy, I did pay a bit of attention to her in class when she would mouth back at me on those rare occasions," Minerva added with a smile at Draco.

Blaise could not prevent the snicker from escaping at Draco's rather gob smacked expression at McGonagall's confession, which was quickly joined by snickers from the rest of the Slytherins and the three Gryffindor students.

"Well I certainly didn't expect that reaction," Minerva mused with a smile as she looked around at the laughing teenagers and Draco's glare that he was levelling at them.

"You can hardly blame them Minerva," commented Severus, a hint of amusement in his voice. "It's not every day that the great Draco Malfoy is left speechless after all."

"Aww bloody hell, are we here to talk about my shock over something or are we here to work on getting our mates back to freedom before that place makes them lose their minds," Draco growled towards the end.

"Watch your tone Draco," snapped Lucius, an unsettled glint in his eyes.

"Sorry father, it wasn't meant to be towards anyone here...It's just the thought of what that place may be doing to them..." he trailed off as he looked across the room.

"It's alright Draco," replied Lucius with a slight nod. "But you are right. We need to figure out the next stage in our fight to bring the girls home."

"For now, I think our first and only step would be to gather our troops..." Minerva began slowly. "Maybe look for another chance to get in touch with Skeeter, maybe she can get into Mungo's somehow... And we can wait to see just how much public support we get..."

"That sounds reasonable," agreed Severus. "I say we let Skeeter run with this story to her heart's content and see what she does with it. She loves a scandal and what better scandal than Hogwarts' esteemed Headmaster locking away students for no other reason than being the mates of Veela and without their parents' knowledge of the real reason behind them being sent away."

"Quite true Severus," Minerva agreed as she stood up. "But we better break up. I'll arrange a meeting with the other teachers and let you know the details. Until then, we can only pray, and enjoy the show of Albus' reaction," she added with a sad smile before turning and leaving the room.

"I hate to say this, but I'd rather be in your shoes than hers." Hermione said softly as she looked at the two Malfoys.

"And why is that Miss Granger?" asked Lucius curiously, his voice tired.

"You guys know you can trust those you love and you know that though they are taken from you now, you will get them back. She's had to face the truth that the man she has loved, for a great number of years, is not the man she thought he was. And when he learns what she has been doing...Can you honestly see him ever forgiving her for betraying him as he no doubt will see this? As much as the knowledge of what Danica and Ginny are going through, what all of us are going through...how much more must she be going through knowing she is betraying the one she loves even if he is wrong?" Hermione said softly as she looked at her hands.

"You are wise beyond your years, Miss Granger," commented Severus sadly. "You were forced, along with the rest of your peers to grow up much sooner than was right."

"That's life Professor," Hermione replied with a slight shrug. "But I have a final to study for," she began as she stood up. "And no Harry, I haven't studied enough already," she added before he could bring it up. "See you all later," she continued before leaving the room.


"Mrs. Longbottom, how lovely to see you again," Diane smiled at the older woman.

"Thank you," she replied before heading off towards the patient rooms.

"Was that Mrs. Longbottom?" Jon asked as he approached the Head Nurse's table.

"Yes, I think she's one of our most faithful family members," Diane replied as she flipped through the sign-in log and added the woman's name. They had long since let her forego that formality so she could have a few extra minutes with her son and daughter-in-law.

"That she is," Jon agreed with a smile.

"So, how are our youngest patients?" Diane asked as she closed the log and looked at him.

"Both have completely withdrawn." Jon replied sadly. "I don't even know now if it's from the medication or they have just withdrawn on their own," he continued with a sigh.

"Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever know," Diane stated softly.

"Question my dear companions in arms," Sarah asked as she and Will joined them.

"What might that be?" Jon asked looking over at the two.

"Didn't we move the Longbottoms to the west wing last week?"

"Yes Sarah, you know that," Diane replied looking at her in question.

"Then why was Mrs. Longbottom heading down the East hallway?"


"Merlin's sake," Mrs. Longbottom groaned as she finally entered the room she was looking for. "I thought I was never going to find you two. But at least they have the two of you roomed together," she continued looking at the two occupants of the beds.

Neither turned or even showed any sign of having heard her speak. Instead they continued to stare out the window on the far wall. Cocking her head to the side, she walked over to the area between the two beds. "Are you guys awake?" she asked looking at them curiously.

"Hello...come on, please talk to me. I have to tell them about your condition, and I can't do that if you guys don't tell me something...please," she pleaded looking between the two.

"What are you doing in here?" Sarah demanded as Mrs. Longbottom turned towards the doorway.

"Visiting," she replied with a half-smile.

"Hold on now, what's wrong with your hair?" Sarah asked as she took a double take at the older women...that was not that much older? "You're not Mrs. Longbottom!"

"Yes I am."

"No, you aren't," Sarah snapped as she placed the face. "What the hell are you doing here Rita Skeeter?"

"Just popping in," Rita replied with a smile as she pulled out an old copy of the Daily Prophet. "Ta ta," she continued before disappearing from the room with a pop.


St. Mungo's rife with Corruption, Albus Dumbledore behind the whole thing!

As the students of Hogwarts read the Daily Prophet Monday morning, laughter broke out among the tables, and quite a few looks towards the Headmaster.

Up at the head table, the staff shook their heads before Dumbledore rose and left the room once more, causing even more laughter to filter through the room.

While everyone else in the Great Hall was laughing at the antics of their esteemed Headmaster, a number of students were trying to figure out their next move. A quick glance between two of them had the two groups exiting the Great Hall one shortly after the other. It was not long before three Gryffindors and six Slytherins were gathered in the Potions classroom behind a locked and warded door.

"What did Rita say in her letter?" Draco asked.

"They're fine," Hermione replied not looking at him.

"Why do I find that hard to believe, Miss Granger?" purred Lucius dangerously.

"Well, I have to be going now. Professor McGonagall has given so much homework, so I'll see you all later," Hermione began as she stood up and headed towards the door.

"You don't honestly think that's going to work do you Mione?" Harry asked with a hint of a smirk.

"Oh hell!" Hermione groaned as she went back to her chair and plopped down.

"Language Miss Granger," Severus reprimanded.

"No offence Professor, but stuff it," Hermione snapped lightly. "After you have my news to give, you can put me in detention for all I care," she continued with a sigh. "All right you nosy pain-in-the-arse members of the male species. I'll tell you what she wrote," she continued before the Professor could speak up.

"She saw Ginny and Danica," she began looking up at the ceiling. "They aren't doing well you guys."

"What exactly do you mean by not well Miss Granger," demanded Lucius, deadly intent entering his voice.

"Neither of them seemed to even know she was in the room. They never responded to her, even when she spoke to them directly. She says they didn't even respond when one of the employees started demanding answer from Rita herself," Hermione explained softly.

"Lucius wait," ordered Severus as he grabbed Lucius by the arm as Lucius pushed past him, cursing Dumbledore's name. "Now is not the time to strike at the Headmaster. We can use this to or advantage. With the Prophet already on the girls' side it won't take much to get the other papers behind us," reasoned Severus before turning his gaze to Hermione. "Tell Skeeter to get the word out to the other papers. Tell her to do whatever she has to in order to get them backing the girls. With enough public pressure, Dumbledore will have no choice but to confess and have the girls released."

"What if he doesn't though?" Hermione asked softly.

"Not very optimistic today are you Mione," Harry whispered.

"No. I'm as optimistic as you are. I'm just facing the reality. We're going up against the one wizard that Voldemort feared. What are we going to do if he doesn't bow to public pressure? After all, he didn't bow to the belief that Voldemort was dead now did he?" she added softly before standing and leaving the room.

"I hate to say this, but what if she's right?" asked Blaise. "What then?"

"I don't know Mr. Zabini." Lucius replied shortly before leaving the room as well.


Years later…

Claire had all but given up
when she and Edwin fell and love
She touched his face and shook her head
in disbelief, she sighed and said

"In many dreams I've held you near
now at last you're really here

Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away"

He asked her for her hand for life
and she became a salesman's wife
He was home each night by eight
but one stormy evening he was late
Her frightened tears fell to the floor
until his key turned in the door

"Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away"

They'd never spent a night apart
for sixty years she heard him snore
Now they're in a hospital
in separate beds on different floors

Claire soon lost her memory
forgot the names of family
She never spoke a word again
then one day they wheeled him in
He held her hand and stroked her hair
and in a fragile voice she said

"Where have you been?
I've looked for you forever and a day
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away
No, I'm just not myself when you're away"

As the gathered family members and friends listened to the song playing as they waited for the ceremony to start. A few members smiled softly as they remembered those very words spoken by two of the women sitting side by side in the front row.

Twenty-seven years ago, fifteen of the gathered members had been reunited outside the doors of St. Mungo's. After far too many months and gathering the support of nearly every member of the Wizarding World through Rita Skeeter's much appreciated contacts and work; they had finally managed to free the two girls. Draco and Lucius had marched into St. Mungo's and promptly followed the man named Jon to the room at the back of the hall. Once there, they picked up their perspective mates, and carried them from the place that had been their private hell for nearly a year.

The girls had slept the entire way through the building, seeming to actually relax for the first time since they were picked up and once, they stepped out in the morning's light, they woke up, blinking as they looked around at the sky. Then, as they looked up at the men that held them, they both smiled and asked where they had been... before promptly falling back into unconsciousness.

It had taken nearly another year for both girls to completely come back to the world. By then Albus Dumbledore had retired from Hogwarts and retreated from public life. His only contact had been Minerva, who somehow found a way to bring back the man she had once known. They had eventually married; years after the events that nearly destroyed the relationship they had nurtured for years. Two years later Albus had left this world, having tried to make a bit of peace with those he had harmed so many years before and while the group had never been able to trust him again, they did forgive him in a small way. But by then they had their own families and children to worry about, they simply did not have the time or the energy to hold a grudge against the man who had made such a horrible mistake.

Danica and Ginny had finished Hogwarts two years after Draco and the others graduated. And the day after they graduated, the friends had gathered for a small, private wedding ceremony that joined Ginny and Lucius, Danica and Draco in marriage. Barely a year later, both women were debating killing their husbands as they prepared to welcome their first children to this world. Ironic enough, at the same time Hermione was also about to bring her first child into the world, although they quickly learned that of the three husbands, Harry was the worst off. A fact Blaise took much relish in watching having gone through his own journey with Pansy just over a year before, although comparisons between the two men always left Blaise the winner of 'he who suffered the most when his wife was pregnant.

The group that had fought so hard to bring back the two girls they loved had never spent more than three weeks without getting together since the day their fight was won. Their children had grown up together, gone to Hogwarts together, and for the most part the families became one rather large family. And now, just shy of Ginny, Lucius, Danica, and Draco's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary; the four were gathered to attend another joint wedding ceremony, although this one had one more couple than the one the friends gathered to watch so many years before.

Smiling softly as the music changed, the five women, Ginny, Danica, Hermione, Pansy, and Millicent watched as Frank, Christian, and Damien took their places at the front of the chapel. Frank Longbottom was the spitting image of his father, with his mother's hair. He was Milli's baby, that was no secret, even to their four other children. But none of the Longbottom offspring felt any less loved because of it.

Christian Malfoy as well was the spitting image of his father, other than the same black and blonde striped hair he got from his mother. That had been the surprise to their group, learning Danica's hair was not dyed as they had long suspected. After Christian, Draco and Danica had another eight children, the youngest being only five. And Chalise had finally been the deciding factor in the contest that the two Malfoy women had been in to see who would have the most children. Although they did suspect Ginny was glad that she would have no more than seven. A fact she reminded Lucius of everyday.

The final groom waiting to marry was Ginny and Lucius' eldest. Damien as well was the spitting image of his father. In fact, when one saw the cousins together, the first question often asked was if they were twins, other than the fact that Christian's long locks were black and blonde striped. The two boys were exceptionally close, so it was no surprise they were marrying together.

As the familiar notes of the wedding march filled the building, the guests rose and turned to see the brides that would be escorted out any moment, none more eager than the women still smiling in the front row. The first to appear was the other Malfoy family member marrying that day, the reason for the third marriage that afternoon. Draco had often reminded his family that his eldest daughter was just as beautiful as her mother; a fact Charity often teased her twin brother about. The only thing Christian and Charity had in common physically was their unique hair, but their commonality in personality was beyond annoying at times, though their families loved them all the more for it. Charity had been the first to fall in love as well, although it had also been no surprise to their families when she and Frankie announced they were dating. In reality, it had been a relief after watching the two flirt endlessly their entire childhood through mid-teens. Draco as well looked every bit the proud father as he led his daughter down the aisle, stopping just in front of the mothers.

Next to come down the aisle was Blaise and his daughter Larissa. Larissa was the perfect blend of her parents, Pansy's shape with Blaise's black hair and her mother's eyes. She had both her mother's style and ability to flirt along with Blaise's sensibility, although surprisingly, she had taken after Hermione more than her parents. She also had Hermione's patience it seemed, because it had taken six years for her to make Christian realize they were perfect for each other. A fact they all teased Chris about to their heart's content.

Last but not least came Harry with Serenity. If Larissa had taken after Hermione, Serenity had taken after Pansy and Milli, a fact that Harry had heard from Hermione more than once during her teen years. But all the same Serenity was still her parent's pride and joy. The Potters had only been blessed with one child, a fact many of the group often wished they had been cursed with as well at times. She took after her grandmother more than her parents. Sirius, Remus, and Severus had all agreed more than once that it was like seeing Lily back from the grave. And from the day she turned sixteen, Damien had been lost. Whereas his cousin had taken years to realize what he found in Larissa, it had taken Serenity years to realize what she had in Damien. But in the end, everyone was happy together, and they had finally reached the day their parents had been waiting for since all of their kids were sixteen and attending their first Yule Ball.

Once the brides were present, and given to their grooms, the husbands returned to their wives. Draco and Lucius both pulled their wives close as they watched the newest generation of Malfoy Veela be joined to their mates. They knew that it would probably not be as easy for the eight other Veela that made up their family. But at least these two would not go through the pain their parents had, and that alone made the four able to truly forget the horrors of their past. As Ginny laid her head on Lucius' shoulder, she could even almost thank Albus for what he had done. After all, maybe if he had not taken that path, they might not be where they were today.