It was September first and usually at this time of the year they would be making their way back to Hogwarts, but this year was very different.

Draco was standing beside Sophie who was carrying Alastor who was about to turn eight months old, they were bidding farewell to Riley, Spencer and Joshua, who were going to Hogwarts for the first time this year.

Harry was there with Katie, waving his brother and sister off, while supporting Katie, she was a mess over the loss of her sister, mourning her family. It was a hard day, and Katie only just managed a watery smile at Samantha and Jonathon as they waved their goodbyes.

Mackenzie was back in reality, she had been chemically induced into her coma, but she needed to come back by herself, she needed to feel fixed emotionally and physically.

Benjamin and Oliver were slowly healing from the loss of their father; Hermione was doing the best she could, as was Maggie with Benjamin, and in all honesty it wasn't something Maggie and Hermione were unaccustomed to. Maggie had lost her father when she had been abducted by Deatheaters, and Hermione had practically lost her both her parents when she had to leave them behind when the war had started to get worse.

Molly and Arthur Weasley were there as well with Ron and Pansy, bidding farewells, to Ginny, Blaise would have iloved/ito have joined them, but he had started law school that morning and it would have been awful of him to skip the first day.

It was not long before everyone who was meant to be was on the train, and they were watching as the train pulled away from the station, and back to Hogwarts once again. It was strange to know that this portion of their life was over, but as they had grown to realise leaving Hogwarts did not necessarily mean leaving Hogwarts behind.


They were all at the Evans Manor, the Weasley's and the Order as well, they were having a proper feast and celebrating the outstanding marks most of them had received and the moves they were making in their lives.

"I heard you're new business has taken off Draco, how did you do it?" James asked as they walked beside each other towards the kitchen, James had to admit he was impressed, Draco had taken to looking after Alastor really well, as well as setting his family up for a brilliant future. It was probably helpful to the new parents that Draco just happened to take over a baby supplies store (he had gotten the idea when he had found out Sophie was pregnant), and was currently looking at other businesses.

"Well, I took over the PR campaign, I mean when I was a kid my parents brought everything from Merlin's, I figured that it was going under because most people were too scared to have children with everything going on, so I turned it into a sort of safe haven, reassured parents as such," Draco explained to James who looked impressed. "I got a new researcher in as well as a production manager, so it's all running more smoothly over at the factory, and I employed ten new workers, and security staff."

"Sounds like a good thing, what does Sophie think about it?" James asked curiously, he knew that Lily got frustrated with him when he worked after Harry was first born.

"Not an awful lot I don't think, she's happy we have a stable income, but really I don't really do a lot in the way of office work or anything… I took the building that is used as the Merlin HQ when I took over the company, but I don't spend much time in my office, and I really just oversee everything rather then get involved, plus the whole PR thing really isn't for me, it was just that I had an insight to it this time," Draco explained with a quick shrug of his shoulders, James nodded along, if he was honest he didn't quite get it all, but Draco seemed to know what he was on about. "Can I ask you something James, something I'd like for you to keep a secret?"

"Yes, of course."

"I want to ask Sophie to Marry me, and I'm not sure if she'll prefer for me to ask her fathers permission or not… She likes to think she's independent, but I was brought up with the understanding that things like this should be done traditionally, clearly it hasn't quite worked out that way, but still… I'm not sure what I should do that would make her happy."

"Do what you feel is right Draco, and whatever happens I'd like you to know I think that for all your previous downfalls that you have turned into a brilliant young man."


"Well, I want to tell you all this, I cannot believe how much you have all gone through, from loses and personal challenges, I have seen the scale of horrors within this family, and no matter what you seem to continue on… It's hard and heartbreaking, and so unfair… And I could never be prouder of any of you." Lily said as she stood at her place on the dinner table, ad the head beside her husband James. "From changing your very beliefs to overcoming generations of feuds, we've come together, and this is our family, those at school right now are never without us or we without them, because we're connected in a way that cannot be broken by physical distance, and remember that, you'll never be alone while you're part of our family."

Everyone raised their glasses and drunk from them before Lily sat back in her chair, and grasped her husbands hand in her own smiling at him with warmth and love. James grinned back at her before his eyes flashed to someone else, and immediately Lily knew something as about to happen.

"Er, I'd like to interrupt this meal for just a second," Draco said suddenly standing up from his chair about halfway down the table, Sophie who was sitting to his right looked at him with great confusion. "I want to do this now with most of our family and friends before us, and now seems like a good time."

Draco smiled at James briefly and then at Nathan who nodded at him with an expression that was almost delighted, but seemed to be tinged with regret. Then before everyone in the room Draco knelt down until he was before Sophie on one knee and smiling at her with a look so breathtakingly loving.

"I love you endlessly, you've taught me things that I never realised I needed to know, you've made a better person, and brought my son into this world, I cannot imagine a world without you to light up my day, so I am asking you Sophie Taylor Longbottom if you would Marry me?"

There was silence for the shortest of moments as Draco opened the small velvet box, revealing a platinum ring which nestled the most beautiful single diamond she had ever seen, the light that shone upon it created rainbows so beautiful she was amazed, and completely lost for words, and yet she needed to say something.

"Yes, yes… I'll marry you Draco; of course I'll marry you!" Her words were breathless, and drowned slightly by the unstoppable tears that ran joyfully down her cheeks, as she flung herself into his arms, and watched with fascination as he slipped the band onto her ring finger, before picking her up in his arms and kissing her so lightly with kisses so full of passion it took her breath away. She noticed that it was not just her who was crying but the man she had agreed to spend her life with, it was perhaps one of the very few times she had ever seen him cry, and she wondered if she could possibly love him anymore. And there in front of everyone as they stood still, their foreheads against each other and eyes looking into each other so intently she almost forgot that someone needed to be in on this moment.

She took Draco's hands in her own, pulling him quickly to the highchair in which their beautiful son sat watching them like he just knew what was going on, a bright smile on his face, they picked him up together and held him, and felt so totally complete.

Claire had tears falling down her cheeks as she watched her daughter agree to marry this man, like she had suddenly realised her daughter was no longer the little girl who was so unbelievably brilliant at everything she did, and so assumingly collected. She felt a hand taken her in its own, and looked to see her husband smiling softly at her; he did not seem as surprised as she thought he might be.

"I told him it was okay, I told him that he had proven himself," For some reason the tears only came harder down Claire's cheeks as she realised this, and she found herself clinging to her husband, feeling the same mixture of joy and regret as her husband had written on his face… Were they loosing their baby too soon? Then again as they both looked at Sophie, her blissful expression, and the way she looked at her fiancée, they realised that it would always have been too soon.


"I can't believe Sophie is engaged to Draco, I mean, they're the same age as us, their nineteen," Harry said as she lay on his back next to Katie one night just a week after the engagement.

"I'm surprised that you're so surprised by it, I mean, for all his families faults they're very traditional, if you get a girl pregnant you better be prepared to marry her or pay her off," Katie replied, looking at Harry with a weird expression.

"What?" Harry felt the rush of panic as he mistook her expression. "You don't want me to ask you to marry me do you?" Katie's response was to promptly fall off the bed.

"Don't you even think about it! It might be right for Sophie and Draco, but seriously Harry, I'm only just turning twenty, marriage certainly isn't something I'm considering right now," Katie told Harry sternly, looking at him like he might just be insane.

Harry let out a sigh of relief, as Katie cautiously got back on the bed beside him, and lay back down; they looked at each other before grinning.

"I love you Harry, but don't scare me like that again... Not at least for another couple of years," Katie said, leaning over and kissing him lightly on the lips, Harry grinned as he kissed her back, but was careful, since Katie had lost her parents, she'd been reluctant to be physical with him, and it wasn't that he was bothered by it, but he didn't know if he was pushing his luck as he leaned over further, gently pushing Katie on her back and hovering over her.

He paused, not wanting to upset her, he was surprised then, when she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him with a force he hadn't experience form her in a while.

"You've been really patient with me Harry, but right now, will you just get on with it," Katie purred into his ear before resuming her attention to his lips, and Harry had to restrain himself from ripping both their clothes off.


"It's lovely that you came to visit, you look good," Lily said politely as she led Narcissa Black towards the stair case, together they ascended until finally they reached a door along the hall way.

"Thank you for letting me visit, I realise my presence could put some people on edge, but I really am here to simply congratulate my son, and see my grandchild, I have a feeling that I should not bide my time."

Lily was confused by Naricssa's word, it was like she was expecting something, what Lily was not sure, but she had no chance to question it as the door opened and Draco appeared, he smiled at his mother before bowing his head to her.

"Mother, it's a pleasure you could make it, I'd love for you to properly meet my fiancée," Draco said politely, Draco was rarely rude, but Lily was shocked by the manner in which he spoke. "Thank you Lily for escorting my mother to my room."

"That's alright, well I'll leave you to it, remember dinner is going to be served in an hour or so, please feel free to join us Narcissa," Lily said before leaving her old rival to talk to her son, and realising she should probably talk to James.

"James, honey?" Lily called as she walked up the staircase once again reaching the third level and looking around, she walked to their room and looked in, there she found her husband lying on the bed and fast asleep.

Lily sighed, she had realised James was working a lot, but clearly she had missed just how much it had taken out of him, he was clearly exhausted, but he was doing a good a job as anybody else could even attempt to achieve, he was amazing and she loved him, and even as she felt that she should talk to him about Narcissa, she just didn't have the heart to wake him up. Later she told herself.


"I'm afraid I can't stay, I really should be getting back, I have something to give you... Something I would like for you to give to Draco, could you do that for me Lily?" Narcissa voice was so soft, and Lily was scared for this woman, as she accepted the small package Narcissa placed in her hand. "I'm sorry for everything, for what my husband and family have done... I should have stopped it at some point, but I just wasn't- I wasn't you, I don't have your strength, I so wish I was as strong as you are, but we've all got our faults... Just will you please make sure he gets it?"

"Why can't you give it to him?" Lily whispered, looking down at the package and then back to the beautiful woman before her, knowing already that perhaps it was too late, and this was a goodbye.

"We all have our time,"

And she simply walked away, Severus walked into the room from another door, he looked at Lily and the retreating form of his old school friend, he had just popped back to the house with a message for James form Dumbledore, and he saw this.

"Lily?"

The redheaded woman he had once loved so looked at him with tears streaking down her cheeks, looking so beyond anything he'd ever seen before.

"You have to stop her... you have to stop her... She's going to die, and I don't know what to do!" Her voice cracked under her words, she was shaking, and looking like she was about to faint, and the words just wouldn't register in his head. "GO! Severus she's going to die! She doesn't deserve what they are going to do to her! GO!"

He ran, not caring that he had other things to do, he chased her out into the garden, but she was already gone, he swore angrily, why could his brain not work faster, why couldn't he move faster, without hesitating he moved on the spot until his vision blurred and the air was pushed from his lungs, and he stopped in an old room, one that had clearly not been lived in for a very long time.

"CISSA!" he screamed, sending echo's throughout the aged house, he heard nothing and quickly moved on, but was met with force as he apparated to the next place he could think of, and was instantly and painfully pushed onto the grounds rather than the house.

He heard the noise however, the unmistakably screams of horrifying pain, pain that could make you go insane and drive you to the brink of death and leave you toppling never ending into its grips but never quite allowing you to be caught.

He ran, not waiting to hear the pops that would allow him to feel the reassurance that his back up was arriving, but simply running in the mere hopes that he could find his old friend.

And then as he reached the doors, the blinding emerald light shot from a window and above the building, staining everything with a sickening green light over the immediate area, and all sound stopped for a second and the sounds of many pops, and everything stilled. It was like the world stopped for a moment, everything froze for an instant, and then, like bringing life back to the world bird sung in the distance and a light shone through the clouds, dimming the green.

And it was all over.

Tears dropped from his eyes, down his pale cheeks, he bowed his head, his dark hair falling forward and covering his face, his body shook, and his knees gave way, and he could not stand, and he was on the floor, sobbing into the ground.

He did not hear the arrival of the backup, he did not hear the yelling, or the running, he did not hear anything, nothing but the sound of rushing blood, soaring through his body...

"Come on Severus, let's get you back to the house," Her soft voice sent a jolt through his body, and he slowly looked up and saw Lily crouching beside him, looking at him with wide eyes. "Come on, I'll take you back with me."

He felt himself being pulled to his feet, and away from the house, he barely noticed as the remaining air in his lungs was forced from his body, or when he feel onto the floor of the Evans manor. Everything was going on around him, and he seemed to take in none of it.

What was possibly most painful was simply knowing that she hadn't been part of it, she hadn't been a Deatheater, and yet they still killed her for betrayal, a betrayal she never committed because she never involved in the first place, she was an innocent bystander, and this is what they did to her? How was he meant to face Draco again? Knowing that they had both been part of this conspiracy.


When he looked into the silver eyes of his son everything seemed so simple, there was nothing out in the world to fear, because his son was content and that was all that mattered, he was gleefully clapping as he yelled 'da-da' and was sitting without anyone's help… he was a glorious creature, and it was hard for Draco to acknowledge that there was anything in the world that could possibly ruin that.

His orange sippy cup was sitting beside him, looking ghastly against the expensive wooden floors, and Draco had no motivation to move it as he sat with his legs crossed in front of his son. They were in the Malfoy Manor, it looked much the same as it had done before, but with slight differences, firstly the curtains had been pulled across their rails, letting light flicker across the floorboards, and the ancient windows had been pulled open, much to their protest.

"I could take this on as a sort of pet project," Sophie mused as she walked around the room, her fingertips tracing the elegant wood panelling. "A bit of paint here and there, if I did it magically I might actually get this place ready in a month or so… But then again, this place is just so huge…"

Sophie looked at her fiancée who was watching her movements around the ornate room, with their son sitting before him.

"This place is huge Draco; I can't imagine it being ideal for just the three of us." She had a point; the house was beyond huge, and it was far too big for the three of them, but they both liked it.

"We could let Blaise stay here and Pansy and Ron, I mean Blaise has been crashing at the Evans manor, but he knows this place, it might be nice to have him around and Ron and Pansy might want to stay, I dunno…" Draco said trailing off, he hadn't really thought it through, and if he was really honest he wasn't keen on the idea of having non-Malfoys in this house.

"I think this is our home... or rather it will be, I think to try and get anyone else in so early takes from that," Sophie said slowly, looking at Draco with a small smile, and then walking towards him and Alastor, and picking up the baby. She smiled down at him, smoothing down some of his blonde fuzzy hair; it wasn't curly but managed to stand up on end straight up. It almost looked like a golden halo surrounding his head, mixed with his abnormally pale skin which he inherited form his father but with the rosy cheeks that every baby had, Alastor had the ability to like an angel.

"Maybe we should just have more kids... that will fill the house," Sophie looked at Draco with an astounded expression before giggling, copied by Alastor.

"Did you hear what daddy just said?" Sophie asked her giggling son, he was nearly eleven months old, and she knew he understood what she was saying, or that at the very least she was laughing about daddy. She placed him back on the floor, holding his hands and walking towards his daddy, and pointed at his sippy cup and waited for Draco to give it to him.

"Is it so awful that I want more children with my fiancée?" Draco asked as he handed Alastor the sippy cup, as Sophie lightly held his shoulders so that Alastor was pretty much standing on his own, until he fell back onto his bottom.

"Not awful no, but Draco you've only just turned nineteen, and I won't be for another month, it's just early for us to try to have another one, especially since we're not even married yet," Sophie pointed out as she sat down beside Draco.

"I guess that's true, we can always wait."

"Draco, we have forever."