Here it is, the end! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read, review, favorite. I have a couple of other stories in the works, but haven't decided yet when I start posting. In the meantime, make sure to read Starting Over!

May 2, 2018
Twenty years ago, on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, a war was fought. It was war to end tyranny and bigotry, and two emerged as a symbol of the new hope their world gained as that night drew to a close. The lines between purebloods and muggleborns was forever blurred. Now, there were only witches and wizards.

Draco and Hermione Malfoy entered the Great Hall for only the second time since leaving in the early morning hours of May 3, 1998. Molly Weasley greeted them first, taking a fidgety Michaela from her father's arms. She pressed a kiss to each of their cheeks before returning to her family with their daughter still pressed close to her chest. Ron approached them next.

"Glad you came," he murmured, enveloping Hermione in a tight hug. "The kids are around somewhere."

Letting go, Hermione glanced towards the Ravenclaw table and spotted her eldest daughter, Rose. Beside her sat Scorpius. The pair had been placed in the same house; Scorpius having to force the Sorting Hat to put him there. She smiled as she recalled the letter he had sent only hours after arriving at school for the first time. I'll take care of her, he wrote, putting an end to Hermione's fears that Rose would be alone.

Draco slipped his arm around her waist, startling her back into the moment. "Let's go say hi," he suggested, inclining his head toward the children. It wasn't until they reached the Ravenclaw table that Draco let go of her. Rose was the first one out of her seat as she ran into her father's arms. Scorpius sauntered over to hug Hermione.

"She's okay," he whispered, now the same height as his stepmother. Hermione knew that. The letters Rose had written throughout the school year became less about wanting to come home and more about how much she loved all the things she learned in her classes. She wrote about new friends and the time spent with her cousins. Rose was happy.

"And you?" she asked, cupping his cheek affectionately.

"Glad to see you and Dad," he replied.

The kids switched places; Scorpius red-faced and embarrassed as his father hugged him and whispered an "I love you". Rose happily hugged her mother, seeing her for the first time since the Christmas holidays. "Where's Layla?" she asked, looking around the Great Hall. The place was packed with war heroes and their families; their children who attended the school were invited to the celebration also. Hermione pointed to where the Weasleys sat. "Oh, I can't believe I missed them! How on Earth did I miss them?"

Scorpius tugged on a curl. "It's the red hair. You're immune to it," he joked, earning an elbow to the ribs from Rose. The pair wandered over to the Gryffindor table where the Weasley family was seated, leaving Hermione and Draco on their own.

"Would you ever have thought, when we were their age, that this would be our life now?" Hermione wondered, watching as the older children greeted the extended family.

Draco laughed. "You mean did I ever think I would be palling around with Harry Potter and the Weasleys, divorced from Pansy Parkinson, married to a muggleborn, and the father of three children?" he clarified. Hermione nodded, smiling. "No. When I was 11, I thought I would be a professional Quidditch player, Seeker preferably. I would be married to someone who only loved me for my good looks and even more attractive bank account. I'd probably drink too much and my hair would start to fall out."

Hermione laughed. "So, then this life is better," she summarized. He nodded and leaned down to kiss her lips. "You should know, though, that I only married for your good looks. The bank account didn't matter."

"And my hair?" he inquired, the corners of his lips twitching with a smile.

Hermione ran her fingers through the silky soft locks. "A bit thinner than when we were kids, but still great," she replied.

With a mirthful shake of his head, he led her to where their children now sat. Taking Michaela from Molly, he beckoned to the older two. "Come on, I want to show you something," he said. Rose exchanged a curious look with her mother, but Hermione merely shrugged. She was just as confused as they were. They followed Draco out of the Great Hall, passed through the imposingly large front doors, and walked in silence until they reached the lake. Setting Michaela down, he took a seat on the bank and held out his hand to his wife.

"This is where we first met," he told her.

"I thought you first met on the train to school," Rose interrupted.

Hermione nodded. "That is true," she confirmed. "But this is where we first really met. It was the first time we ever really spoke to one another."

The three children sat down, Rose to Hermione's left, Scorpius to Draco's right, and Michaela in her father's lap. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow over the lake. Hermione told them of the night following the battle. It was the first time they had spoken of the war so openly. Wizarding history books were chock full of information regarding the Second Wizarding War, and the involvement of both Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. No child in their world was unaware of the part each played in Lord Voldemort's last stand.

"I didn't fall in love with him that night, but I knew in my heart that he would forever have a place in my life," Hermione concluded. "I just never realized it would turn out like this."

"Did my mum fight?" Scorpius asked, fiddling with a blade of grass.

Draco shook his head. "There were some students who chose not to fight," he responded. He wouldn't tell his son about Pansy's desires to hand Harry Potter over to the Dark Lord just to save her own skin.

"Did you really fall asleep out here?" Rose asked, wide eyed at the thought. "It sounds romantic."

Hermione laughed. "It was anything but romantic."

Once more, Draco moved Michaela to her feet and stood. He pulled Hermione to her feet and kissed her softly. "Where's our tree?" he murmured. With a smile, she led him to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"There's a reason it's forbidden," Rose reminded them, panic in her soft voice.

"We're with Minnie and Dad, nothing's going to happen," Scorpius assured her. Ahead of them, the adults stopped in front of a large tree. Carved into the trunk were the letters D.M. and H.G. With a wave of his wand, Draco added three more sets of initials, S.M, R.M, and M.M, and sat down.

"This is where it all started," he said.

The End.