A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am so glad you guys are enjoying this story so far, and I can't believe we are nearing the end! This will have 44 chapters, and an epilogue. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought about chapter thirty-eight and be on the lookout for chapter thirty-nine soon!

June 6th, 1945

Hermione felt uncomfortably large sitting out on the small patio behind the house, but the sun morning sun felt wonderful on her face. Not too far away, Seamus was lying in the grass in a warm sunbeam, his belly exposed to the sunlight. She couldn't help but smile at the old dog, who'd been an excellent companion to both her and Delphinus. She wasn't blind that he was getting up there in the years.

She took another sip of cranberry juice - something she'd been craving the whole while she'd been pregnant - and felt a hand come and rest on her shoulder. Looking up, she was surprised to see Tom. "What are you doing out here, darling? I thought you and Edmond were making your plans for the summer." It had been wonderful to see that Edmond and Tom were so close, especially now that they were essentially step brothers.

"He went out to visit his girlfriend's family. I think he intends to ask her to marry him shortly." Tom responded. He supposed that Etta wasn't his type of girl, but she and Edmond got along quite well, and they'd been dating for ages. It made sense.

"Is there a special girl in your life Tommy?" His mum asked, her face softening, while she pressed a hand to her rounded belly. "I seem to recall you speaking very...fondly of a girl by the name of St. Martin."

He couldn't stop the blush on his face. Salazar, Melanie made him so mad before he left school. She'd basically rejected him outright and then flaunted the fact that she was seeing other guys right in front of his face. He'd lashed out - predictably - but then, Melanie had actually challenged him on it. Said he'd changed. But, he knew that he hadn't changed, not where it counted. He'd just shown her what was under his carefully crafted facade.

A man who was jealous and unaccustomed to not getting what he wanted.

And Merlin, did he ever still want her. She'd taken up residence in his dreams, all glimpses of soft, brown curls, and wide, doe eyes. The only problem was, he didn't know if she would ever want him again. "She was dating another boy...a Prewett, I believe." Tom said, hoping that his mother didn't take note of how sullen he was about it. Wanting to change the subject, to get it off of him, he tried to refocus the conversation on her pregnancy. "Salazar, mum, you look huge."

Hermione scowled at him, but she knew that he didn't mean it that way. "Yes, I can't wait for this to be over and done with. I have a feeling that the little one might want to come early. I don't remember Delph ever sitting like this." Hermione held out hope that the different way that she was carrying the baby meant that it would be a girl this time around, but she wasn't positive.

Tom sighed. He'd been meaning to broach the topic of his new...stepfather with his mum sooner, but he'd only just now found the time, as he was making arrangements to move to London after the summer was over. "Mum...is the baby really coming early, or is it coming on time?" He asked cautiously. "Edmond suggested that, well you might have already been seeing his father before you got married." He never wanted to talk to his mum about sex, but he needed to know.

She looked into his dark eyes, biting on her lower lip while she thought it over. "Tommy, I...yes, it's true that Radalphus and I had a relationship prior to the marriage. And yes, this baby was...conceived before we were married."

"But, I hope that that isn't the only reason you married him?" Tom pressed her further. "You know that I would have taken care of you. I hate the idea of you being chained to the whims of another man so soon after..."

"No, Tom, I am not chained to Radalphus. I am in love with him, and he with me. I wouldn't have married him just because we were expecting a child." Hermione said, knowing it was the truth. "I just wish I would have married him all those years ago instead of Cygnus. I hope you don't mind that I didn't tell you this sooner."

"I wish you would have told me...I wish you'd trusted me with that..." Tom was uncertain of what he thought, but he tried to put his feelings into words. He didn't like the idea of his mum keeping secrets from him, but then again, he was keeping his own secrets from her...

Before they could talk about it any further, his mum was gasping in pain and clutching her baby bump. "Uh oh, I think that the little one has decided to come now." Hermione said, looking at him, stricken. "Come help me inside and then, can you please floo call Radalphus?" She let Tom wrap his arm around her back, guiding her inside with sure and careful steps. This was it.

June 11th, 1945

Hermione smiled, looking at the way Radalphus stared down at their tiny baby daughter, swaddled in cozy, yellow cotton. Not even a week old, and already he was so in love with their sweet pea. Odette Tempeste was a beautiful baby, with soft brown waves of hair on her head.

Just when she was distracted, her attention was brought back to her newborn son, Thibaut Bastian was born first, after a relatively short labor. They had not been expecting twins, but it quickly became clear that Hermione was still in labor, even after Thibaut was born. It was a wonderful surprise, but it made Hermione curse purebloods and their odd rituals regarding pregnancy that meant performing as few detection spells as possible on the child. How was it possible that the healer had missed this?

In any case, it provided Radalphus and Hermione with a little bit of extra coverage. Of course, there was always going to be discussion about how...premature the delivery was, but twins were known to come early.

"I think his hair might be a little bit auburn." Hermione said quietly, running her finger against Thibaut's petal soft cheek while he nursed.

Radalphus looked up and smiled. "My father had auburn hair as well. It is a fitting tribute, then, to him." They had decided to give their son Radalphus's father's name as a way to honor him, but had chosen the name Thibaut after reading a treatise on arithmancy by a wizard called Thibaut, and they both decided that they liked the name. Odette had been a favorite name of Hermione's since she was a little girl in ballet class, and they'd given her the middle name Tempeste to honor Hermione Millefeuille's mother. It felt a bit odd to honor a woman that Hermione had never met before, but she thought it worked.

To her delight, the older children seemed quite taken with the new twins. Mercedes was a little bit too old to think of them as little living dolls, the way that Dorea had taken to Tommy, but she'd been exceedingly helpful in watching them. "It will be good practice for when I have my own one day." She'd told Hermione, proudly, much to Radalphus and Edmond's chagrin.

Edmond was very sweet and promised that he would always work to protect the two, especially Odette, who he said was sure to grow up into a beautiful young woman. Hermione hoped that he was right, and that she didn't inherit her mother's slightly unmanageable hair. Though, this time around, Hermione knew how to manage her hair...a little. She could pass it on.

Tom was very comfortable around the twins, seeing as he'd already had a little bit of practice with Delph. He'd been quite stricken to see his mum in so much pain before Radalphus arrived, and Hermione was afraid that she might have squeezed his hand a little bit too hard. Still, afterwards, she'd caught him holding a tiny Thibaut, staring at his brother's face with a pensive look. Hermione wondered if Tom had begun thinking about if he'd like a family of his own. She knew that he hadn't had a girlfriend so far as she knew, but she could also tell that he had quite a crush on Melanie St. Martin, no matter how much he tried to pretend that he didn't.

The only person who wasn't excited by the arrival of the twins was poor Delph. He was quite put out to have all the attention pulled away from him, especially so close to his birthday. Radalphus had promised to take him some place special to have some father son bonding time. "I can't wait until the adoption finally goes through." Hermione told her husband, longingly.

They'd tried to do as much as the groundwork without informing the Black family, but they were nearing the point where Sirius would have to be informed. She hoped that they didn't kick up too much of a fuss, especially since Delphinus already called Radalphus 'papa' and they'd grown quite close being able to spend as much time together as possible. And Radalphus was a wonderful father.

"It will be fine, ma mie." Radalphus said soothingly. His family had clout too. "But I can't wait for the day that we can finally be together fully, as a family."

July 1st, 1945

It was no surprise at all that with the highest NEWT scores that had ever been seen, Tom Riddle had gotten numerous job offers. He was the most sought after new graduate, and people were clamoring to give him a job, each with better pay than the next. He'd gotten offers to complete masteries in potions, arithmancy, charms and transfiguration as well. It almost made him want to get the transfiguration mastery just to rub it in Dumbledore's face.

In the end, though, he didn't want to work at Gringotts or various apothecaries, or Borgin and Burkes. No, he had always known that he wanted to work in the Ministry of Magic. It was just the next stepping stone on his way to ultimate political power. He had accepted the post of Junior Undersecretary, working in the Wizengamot. He knew that many people would think that it was beneath his station to work as a glorified stenographer, but he knew that he wouldn't be there long. He was ambitious and would be rising quickly.

However, many pureblood boys typically took a short gap period over the summer, so he wouldn't be starting until September. Instead, he was going with Edmond, Abraxas, Dmitri and Bernard to various areas around Europe. They were starting in Spain, and then would make their way to Edmond's family's estate in Marseille, before heading to Italy.

His mum wasn't too keen on him gallivanting around Europe, what with Grindelwald still on the loose, but Tom wasn't too concerned with the Dark Wizard. He'd never been more confident that he could take Grindelwald on. Maybe he would have to, if Dumbledore kept hiding at Hogwarts. But, he'd eventually convinced his mum that he was only a teenager once, and well, he needed to have a little bit of fun before he was confined to working life.

It was odd to see the way that her face softened at his proclamation. "Yes, I suppose that's true. You're only a teenager once, Tommy." He hardly felt like a teenager anymore, but he supposed it was true. He'd been working so hard for so long, coming up with wonderful plans for all the things that he would do once he was Minister of Magic that he couldn't even remember the last time that he'd spent the afternoon just goofing around with his friends.

He was eager to see what the summer would hold. He could grow closer with the other Slytherin graduates, perhaps try to suss out where they would fit into his plans once he was Minister. And, to his slight embarrassment, he was excited to spend time chasing some foreign witches. He was wondering if that was what he needed to jolt him out of his moping over Melanie.

Tom knew that the other guys were quite excited to meet some witches as well. Abraxas had recently been betrothed to a girl at Hogwarts, though she was only going to be entering her fourth year, so the wedding was a few years off. Dmitri, somehow, had girls flocking to him everywhere he went and with his large physique, Bernard was the same. Tom knew that he had good looks as well, that girls found attractive he just...needed help closing the deal.

Maybe he should ask Edmond for advice.

August 12th, 1945

The news about Grindelwald came while they were in Rome. Tom was cursing himself at having drank the last of his Sober-Up potion the day before, having indulged a bit too much the night before. Dmitri's latest fling - a pretty girl with dark hair and darker eyes - sat on his lap whispering to him in Italian, punctuated every now and again by horrifying little giggles. It was enough to make his head pound.

Edmond, having the smarts not to do anything that would jeopardize his relationship with his new fiance Etta, was the only one looking bright eyed and bushy tailed that morning, and he was the one to hand over a copy of the Daily Prophet to Tom, a grimace on his face. "Well, at least it's over, I suppose."

Tom's eyes roved over the black and white moving photograph of Dumbledore, looking rather smug. "DUMBLEDORE DEFEATS GRINDELWALD!" The headline was emblazoned above the photo, while the article recounted the details of the grueling twelve hour duel that ended with Dumbledore disarming Grindelwald and taking him into custody. The dark wizard was now being held in Nurmengard, it seemed.

"NO!" He slammed his fist against the glass table, sending plates clattering, surprising all of his breakfast companions. "Where does Dumbledore get off thinking he can swoop in and play the hero now? After all these years?" He sneered back at the smiling photograph of his former teacher. "Oh, good and noble Dumbledore can't even kill Grindelwald...he has to go and disarm him." It was enough to make Tom sick.

Bernard frowned. "What's the big deal, Tom? Grindelwald is finally good and done with. Now the wizarding world can move on." He was looking worse for wear after the night they had out, so Tom didn't blame him for being a little bit slow on the uptake.

"It's a big deal because he let countless people die while he stayed in Hogwarts. He only did anything when he knew he'd be able to reap all the glory." He looked around at the table, and found his friends catching on. "And why should he be seen as a hero? We all know that he treated Slytherins abysmally. He was always trying to get us in trouble while we were in school."

Edmond nodded, having been the target of Dumbledore's overzealous practices more than once. "True. It's not fair that the rest of the world thinks he's noble and good. What would they think if they saw the real Dumbledore?"

"Well, I intend to show them just who the real Dumbledore is." Tom said, feeling proud that he could finally start to put all of his legwork to good use. "I've learned all sorts of secrets from Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, while we've been at the Hog's Head. But I will need some help. Abraxas, do you think you could help me get...census records and birth announcements from the Godric's Hollow area?"

Abraxas had by far the largest network within the Ministry of Magic, owing to his father, Brutus. "Consider it done." The blond said with a smirk. If there was ever something that Abraxas and Tom agreed on, it was that Albus Dumbledore needed to be taken down a peg. Or seven.

September 3rd, 1945

His mum had made sure to see him off for his first day of work as the Junior Undersecretary at the Ministry of Magic. She'd checked his immaculate robes more than once, picking at invisible pieces of lint. "Just look at you, so tan from all your travels. You look so handsome in your robes." She'd babbled away at breakfast, though Tom did think that the tan he'd acquired over the summer was attractive.

Really, he knew that she was trying to keep her emotions in check. She couldn't accompany him on his first day, seeing as she was taking a few months off to stay home with Thibaut and Odette. But, when she kissed him on his cheek and wished him good luck, she couldn't keep her tears from her pretty brown eyes. "Oh, Tommy, I am just so proud of you. I know you are going to accomplish great things."

Knowing that he had his mother's respect and confidence told him that he'd made the right decision. Internally, he'd been fretting, wondering if he shouldn't have started in a different department. Most Ministers of Magic came out of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, after all. He could see himself, a young, dashing auror, working his way up the ranks. He wondered if Melanie would prefer him if he was an auror. She seemed to be interested in Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs and they were more the auror type.

But, instead, he knew that working as the Junior Undersecretary, while it might seem humble, afforded him all kinds of advantage to getting the job. Sure, he wouldn't be off, heroically fighting bad guys, but he'd getting advanced notice on all the cases and all the legislation that the Minister wanted to put forward. He'd be able to look into archives that most people would never have access to. He'd be learning exactly how the system worked inside and out.

Sure, he could be an auror, and become Minister when he was in his sixties. Or, he could figure out how to make the system work just for him, until he was the most important wizard in Britain.