Epilogue

"Right this way Mr. Malfoy, Miss Garniar." The rough looking prison guard led the two of them down a long dark hallway.

"Is he already there?" Roxanne asked, holding tightly to Draco's hand to support him.

"Yes, Miss Garniar. He's been waiting for about half an hour."

"Does he know why?" Draco's voice was tight.

"No, Mr. Malfoy. He does not."

Roxanne wrapped her arms around Draco's arm. Her warmth comforted him. "It'll be alright." She said softly. "I'll be right outside the door if you need me."

"Promise?"

She smiled at him. "Of course." She kissed his shoulder gently. She was too short to reach his cheek and she often resorted to kissing his arm instead.

The guard cleared his throat. "Mr. Malfoy. Here's the room. He can't use any magic and he's restrained so he shouldn't be a threat to you. I'll be right outside the door with Miss Garniar if anything goes wrong."

"Thank you, sir." Draco hesitated outside the door.

Roxanne rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. "It'll be alright."

"What if it isn't?"

"Then I'll storm in there and give him a piece of my mind."

Draco laughed softly. He bent to kiss her. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

She patted his cheek before he turned and walked through the door.

Draco looked with pity at the man sitting in an old chair across from him. He was gaunt and haunted looking and dirty. He looked up and gray eyes met gray eyes.

"Hello, father."

"Come to finally get me out of here, Draco?" Lucius Malfoy whispered.

"Of course not, father. You deserve to be locked away in this shit hole."

"So why the fuck did you come back?" Lucius's voice rose. "You're a good for nothing piece of shit! You're a disgrace to the Malfoy name! Run back to your mother before I-."

"I'm getting married." Draco blurted out. "I thought you might want to know."

Lucius fell silent. Then he grinned. "Who'd you pick? The Parkinson girl? One of the Greengrasses?" When Draco didn't answer, Lucius went on. "Which pureblood family did you chose to grace with our name?"

"The Garniars." Draco said proudly. "I'm marrying Roxanne Garniar."

Lucius's face grew angry and it flushed purple. "She was supposed to be dead!"

"Well she bloody well isn't!" Draco shouted. "She's very much alive!"

"She's the daughter of a blood traitor! How dare you sully my blood?"

Draco's jaw tightened. "It isn't you're blood! The blood in my veins is mine alone! It doesn't matter if she's a half-blood, or muggle born! I would marry her if she was a muggleborn. I'd marry her if she was a squib. I'd marry her if she was a muggle. Whatever blood runs through her veins, she's still Roxanne."

Lucius was furious. He tried to stand but the restraints that bound him to the chair were strong. "I won't allow you to do this! Your mother won't allow you to do this!"

Draco smirked. "Mother is quite taken with Roxanne, actually. And considering the fact that Roxanne saved Mother's life, she doesn't have the right to hold a grudge against her because of her blood."

"You're no son of mine. I'll disown you before you can touch a penny of your inheritance. You and that half-blood whore will live in poverty." Lucius sneered.

Draco actually laughed out loud. He laughed full in the face of the man who intimidated him the most. "You'll disown me? Father, perhaps you don't understand the situation. You're the one locked in Azkaban until the day you die. You don't have the ability to disown me, or alter your will or the contract of my inheritance. And surely you know that the Garniars are just as rich as us."

"I'll make sure that the girl doesn't get a penny of her money either."

"Father, you know that Bellatrix and Dolohov killed her parents. She's had full control over her estate since she was fifteen."

"Ah, Dolohov. He escaped the precious Ministry and the Aurors. Have you heard from him? How's he doing these days?"

"He's dead. Has been for a little over a year. Roxanne killed him."

Lucius's eyes flashed. "You're going to marry the slut who killed one of us?" He spat out each word like it was poison.

"I'm not one of you." Draco said firmly. "I never was and I never will be."

His father smirked. "Draco, you killed people and tortured them. You most certainly are one of us. Don't deny your nature."

"I did that to protect Mother."

"But the fact remains that you still did them."

Draco clenched and unclenched his fists.

His father, of course, noticed and sneered. "Am I hitting a nerve there, son?"

"I am not your son." Draco hissed. "You are no father of mine. The war is over. Voldemort lost. Get over your own stupid prejudices."

"This girl has ruined you. You're weak and completely pathetic."

"Would you just listen to yourself?" Draco shouted. "You're so blinded by hate that you don't see the good in anything!"

"What good is there in you becoming a blood traitor? You're a Malfoy. Malfoy's don't marry inferior beings."

"What good is there in it?" Draco was growing more frustrated by the minute. "I'm marrying the woman I love and all you can go on about is how I'm a disappointment!"

"Malfoy's don't love."

Draco's face darkened. "I'm not just a Malfoy. I'm a Black as well. I'm my own person; I don't have to live up to your twisted ideals."

Lucius studied his son. "I want to meet her."

Draco snorted. "Why? So you can verbally abuse her?"

Lucius's eyes flashed in the same manner that Draco's did. "I want to see what kind of woman ruined you."

"No. I don't want you upsetting her. She is quite volitale when she's angry. Not to mention her Old Magic allows her to harm anyone in anyway she pleases."

Lucius face froze. "She has Old Magic? But she's a half-blood!"

"That doesn't matter and you know it."

"She sounds like she's be a good Death Eater, with the ability to harm."

Draco shook his head. "You don't know as much as you think you do, father. She heals as well."

Lucius looked enraged. "What makes you think you're suddenly so much better than me? You're naïve and disappointing and a fool!"

"And you're an old man who doesn't know which battles to fight and when to give up."

"You're going to destroy yourself because of this girl."

"No." Draco said sternly. "Roxanne has done nothing but help me. She was there for me after the war and she supported me when nobody else did."

"You're pathetic." Lucius spat.

"What you think of me doesn't affect me. I don't care about your opinions!"

"Then why did you come here, Draco?"

Draco rubbed his face slightly. "I'm getting married. I want you to know that I'm getting on with my life. I'll probably have the guard tell you when Roxanne and I have kids as well."

"I don't want to hear about your revolting offspring! You're as good as dead to me now!"

Draco sighed. "Goodbye, father." He turned and opened the door.

The door remained open for a few minutes. Lucius watched silently as Roxanne appeared at Draco's side. He was struck first by the girl's fragile beauty. She entwined her fingers with Draco's.

Lucius saw her father's strength in the features that were entirely her mother's.

At the angle of his chair, Lucius could see the girl's face and eyes.

He was completely shocked at how emotional those wide eyes were. The enormous amount of concern and love made Lucius feel a small scrap of emotion. The girl and Draco stared at each other for several long moments.

Then she went onto the very tips of her toes, her arms pulling her up against him, and he bent down. Their kiss was short and soft and tender.

Roxanne looked up at Draco when he walked into the hall, a bit worried.

Draco, are you okay?

They had a lot of these moments. They rarely had to use words to get their ideas and concerns across to the other person.

He nodded slightly.

She raised an eyebrow slightly. Positive?

He smiled slightly. Not really, but I feel better than before.

She reached up to stroke his cheek. I love you.

"I love you." He whispered.

She wound her arms around his neck, pulling herself up. Her toes barely touched the ground. He bent down to press his lips against hers.

"Do you want to get out of here?" She asked softly against his mouth.

He nodded. "More than anything."

She took his hand in hers and led him down the hall, nodded to the guard on their way out. He rubbed his thumb along the back of her knuckles.

The first ring he touched was on her index finger. It was heavy and silver. The sapphires and diamonds on it glittered. The scripted G on it shone proudly.

The second ring glittered daintily on her third finger. It was an antique, made of platinum. Filigree tendrils of spun silver held three small diamonds against an impressively large diamond.

Around the inside of the ring, Draco's own hand writing read: Beauty, Peace & Love. Always.