January 2008

Hermione stepped out onto the rug in the sitting room and dusted the soot off her Muggle clothing.

"Mummy!"

She looked up to see a curly-haired blond boy running towards her, his arms outstretched. Crouching down to his level, she caught him and lifted him with one arm, settling him on her hip. She peppered kisses along his neck, relishing in his bright laughter.

"Oh, I missed you, my little love. How was your weekend with Daddy?"

Scorpius giggled again. "Good. We played in the snow. Daddy got all wet."

"He did? Did you have cocoa when you came in?" she asked, her eyes wide as she listened to his story.

"Yes! And Daddy put in extra marshey-mellows in mine."

Hermione laughed, looking up just in time to see Draco walk into the living room with an apron tied around his waist. Pressing her lips together, she suppressed another giggle, not wanting to offend him.

"You're home," he said breathlessly, walking towards her and pulling her into a tight hug. He placed a soft kiss to her cheek and she could smell slightly burnt biscuits on his clothing. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Mummy!" Scorpius protested, trying to push his dad away. His little lip popped out in a pout. "She my mummy."

Draco laughed, ruffling his son's hair. "Yes, she is your mummy. How about you both come to the kitchen and we can show her all of the baking you did today?"

Giving him a worried look, Hermione followed her husband into the kitchen, spotting flour on nearly every surface and more trays of dark circles than she could count. She placed Scorpius in his high chair and went to pick up one of the biscuits. They felt more like the rock cakes Hagrid used to make for them in school.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Draco pulled her in for another hug, his lips meeting hers briefly.

"How was your trip?" he asked, plucking one of the least burnt biscuits and placing it on a plate. "Any luck?"

She sighed. "No. Nothing in Prague, though I went to this bookshop that claims J.K. Rowling wrote part of the series there."

"And? Do they know who she really is? Or where she is now?"

Hermione shook her head, taking a tentative bite and immediately deciding that was a bad idea. "Early 2000s was the last time she was there and she never mentioned anything to anyone about where she lives or spends her time. No one is even sure what her real name really is."

"So another dead end?" he asked. "What about Skeeter?"

"No leads there either. I've reached out to everyone I can think of and no one knows where she's gone. It's been six months since the last book came out and both she and Rowling are missing. There's no way that's just a coincidence."

Draco tucked a loose curl behind her ear and dropped a kiss to her nose. "We'll find them, love. I know it."

April 2008

"Another Potter baby?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raised high.

"Oh, Ginny!" Hermione jumped from her seat and rushed around to pull her friend into a hug. "Are you waiting to find out if it's a boy or a girl?

"Actually," the red-headed witch blushed. "The healers told us yesterday. We're having a little boy."

Draco smirked at Harry and lifted his tumbler of firewhisky to cheers the other man, the ice clinking against the sides of their glasses. "Congratulations, truly. Between our two families, we've almost got a full Quidditch team."

Smacking him as she passed, Hermione settled back in her seat. "Ignore him. He's just sour his recreation team lost their game this morning. Scorpius and I were both very pleased with how well you played, though. Weren't we, Scorp?"

The toddler clapped his hands, mashing bits of peas between his tiny fingers. "Daddy the best Seeker!"

Grinning at his son, Draco puffed out his chest. He didn't care if it was just a recreation league and his biggest fan was a two-year-old, he loved when his family came to his games. They were always dressed in his team colours, and Hermione had created matching shirts for her and Scorpius to wear with his name and number on the back.

On more than one occasion he had asked her to keep the jersey on when they shagged.

Interrupting his thoughts, Hermione asked James and Lily, who were seated on either side of their parents, "Are you excited to have a new baby brother?"

Lily's eyebrows pulled together and her tiny arms crossed in front of her chest. "No! No baby!"

"We're working on that," Ginny said with a nervous laugh. "In hindsight, three kids in four years was probably not our best decision, but I'm excited nonetheless."

Draco asked, "Have you thought of any names yet?"

"We have a few ideas but with the baby not due for another five months, we're going to let it sit for a bit," Ginny replied.

"You know," he smirked. "I hear Albus Severus is a great name. Very popular lately."

Ginny blinked at him, unamused. "Our children are around so I'll refrain from Bat Bogey Hexing you, but please know I intend to get you back for that comment."

Letting out a loud shriek of laughter, James wiggled in his seat. "Do it, Mummy! I want to see bats come out of Uncle Draco's nose."

"Not at the dinner table," she replied. "But maybe later, if you're good."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "So James behaves and I get punished for it?"

"Yes. That's exactly right."

"Alright, fine," he sighed. "Has it ever been explained why the epilogue showed you with three children and they weren't even in the right order?"

Spearing a piece of chicken with his fork, Harry shook his head. "Not sure. There was a lot about Snape and Dumbledore being these heroes, though I'm not sure why. One was obsessed with my mother, and the other one tried to—" He paused and looked at the three children listening intently. "The other one wasn't very forthcoming. Not exactly my idea of brave men I'd want to name my son after."

"Just another thing to add to my list of questions for J.K. Rowling and Rita," Hermione grumbled.

"Still on that?" Ginny asked, cutting a vegetable up for Lily.

Draco squeezed Hermione's leg under the table, his thumb brushing over her knee. He knew how hard this whole thing had been on her; it was one of the few puzzles she hadn't able to solve quickly.

"Every lead turns up as a dead-end. I feel like I've been all over Europe and the most I've come across is a few coffee shops and a bookshop that Rowling apparently wrote in."

"It's alright, love," he said, leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek. "With the books out, there isn't much we can do."

Hermione mumbled something under her breath. Inhaling deeply, she spoke up, "If we can find Rita, maybe we can get the Daily Prophet to stop harassing us for statements. I'd like to be able to take Scorpius to Fortescue's one day without someone stopping me to ask about what really happened at Malfoy Manor. It's worse than right after the war."

"Tell me about it," Ginny added. "Someone on the Harpies asked me a few weeks ago if I was hiding a second boy named Albus somewhere at home."

Harry snorted. "There's barely two years between James and Lily. How on earth would we have had a child between them?"

"Your super swimmers mixed with my Weasley fertility, it's not entirely impossible," she said, tossing a smirk at Draco who looked like he was ready to vomit.

"On second thought, we probably could have if you didn't fill the cupboard under the stairs with all your Quidditch supplies," Harry added, his face unchanging.

Hermione gasped. "Harry!"

"What? Speaking from personal experience, there's room for at least two more kids in there." He paused thoughtfully. "Maybe three if we bend one sideways."

Draco let out a loud laugh, choking on his sip of firewhisky. "I'm glad that after nearly two decades you're finally able to make a joke out of it all."

Shrugging, Harry said, "It's a lot easier to joke when I know that baby number three was conceived in there." At Hermione's second gasp he grinned. "I'm kidding! He was conceived in the—"

"STOP! I don't care. I don't want to know!"

May 2008

"Why are they doing this here, of all places?" Hermione groaned. "Wasn't the Ministry good enough?"

Draco's hand dipped lower, his thumb brushing against the bare skin exposed by her low-back dress. "It's symbolic or something. Ten years after Voldemort's downfall, we're here to celebrate, remember, and honour the fallen."

She looked up at him, her eyebrows pulled together. "Where did all that come from?"

He lifted the programme for the evening and showed her the text written on the cover. "Tonight's theme, I suppose. Ten years is a big deal."

Lifting on her toes to press her lips to his, Hermione murmured, "Ten years since I got you back."

"And I'm never leaving again."

"Good."

Minister Shacklebolt stood on the raised platform where the Head table normally sat, his voice enhanced with the Sonorus Charm. "Welcome, welcome. If you could please take your seats."

Draco led Hermione over to their table at the front where they were seated with Harry and Ginny, Neville and Hannah, and Luna and Rolf Scamander — a man Draco had expressed as being perfectly suited to Luna and her free spirit.

"I'd like to start by thanking everyone for coming tonight to the tenth anniversary of the final battle. Tonight we're here to celebrate our victories, remember the fallen, and honour each and every person who fought throughout both wars. Many of us lost brothers or sisters, parents, children, friends, but we are here together tonight, stronger than we were before." Kingsley paused, allowing the guests a moment to think of their lost loved ones.

"While we wait for our dinners to be served, I'd like to welcome one of our guests for the evening to say a few words. During her years at Hogwarts, she embodied the traits of Gryffindor house; bravery, courage, and determination. When our education system was failing her and her classmates, she rose alongside her peers to ensure that they were properly prepared should a war arise. She showed us that being knowledgeable can be lifesaving, and that there are times when it is better to be prepared before running headfirst into the fire. She has continued to push the wizarding world to change its laws and to embrace the new world, something I know we're all very thankful for. It is my deepest honour to introduce you to Hermione Malfoy."

Everyone stood and clapped, cheering for Hermione as she took to the stage. Draco gave her a quick peck on the cheek and squeezed her hand.

"Thank you, Minister Shacklebolt," she said, giving him a brief hug. "And thank you everyone for coming tonight. It's hard to believe that ten years has passed already. It feels as if it were only yesterday that many of us stood in this very room as the sun rose on a new day, a new era. Over the past decade, I've watched as the wizarding world changed its views to be more accommodating, more welcoming, more forgiving. The students here at Hogwarts have all but put house rivalry behind them, except for Quidditch games, or at least that's what I've been told."

Hermione paused as the audience laughed lightly and she watched as Harry and Draco smirked at each other.

"I'm proud of our community and how much growth I've seen happen over the past four years alone. When I started the Narcissa Black Foundation, I wasn't sure how challenging it was going to be to have laws repealed, but there was support given each step of the way. Because of this, we've been able to repeal all of the laws that prevented werewolves from having proper, well-paying jobs with benefits, and have given house-elves the right to leave abusive homes. There is so much more work for us to do, but I am incredibly proud of how far we've come in such a short amount of time."

She took a sip of her water and inhaled deeply before continuing on. While rehearsing the speech in front of Draco over the past week, her nerves had kicked in and she had begun speaking a mile a minute and she didn't want that to happen now.

"For many of you, this is the first time you've been back to Hogwarts since you graduated, and I urge you to look around and see how much has changed. We must never forget what separation and prejudice can do to our society, especially when we are raising our kids with that mindset. I'm incredibly thankful for Headmistress McGonagall and her initiatives to remove the house rivalry."

Hermione paused again as George and Fred Weasley stood up and cheered for her. "We love you, Minnie!" they called out in unison, much to the rest of the guests' amusement. McGonagall scowled at the pair of them, but the corners of her mouth twitched up into a small smile.

"I am confident that when my son finally boards the Hogwarts Express, he will be going to a school that will teach him not only how to use his magic, but also how to be a better, more accepting person. I'd like to make a toast to each and every person who had a hand in Voldemort's defeat, as well as those who have helped shape this new and better future. Cheers!"

The room filled with the sound of glasses clinking against each other and more cheers and clapping as Hermione descended the steps back to her table. Draco embraced her quickly, his arms wrapping around her waist and placing a soft kiss to her lips.

"You were wonderful," he murmured, dropping another peck before stepping back.

As she was taking her seat, Kingsley announced that their meals were being served, and after that a dance was to follow.

During the dinner portion, Hermione chatted with Luna and Rolf, listening intently to their latest travels and findings. They had visited the Faroe Islands recently and Luna swore that the native elves — which hadn't been seen by humans in centuries — had made an appearance for her. Hermione kicked Draco under the table when she heard him grumbling about how no such thing as huldufólk could possibly exist.

When the plates were cleared and music floated through the room, Draco took Hermione's hand and led her onto the dancefloor.

"One dance," she said sternly. "Then we go to see Ron, and then home to Scorpius."

"One dance," he agreed, pulling her in close and leading her through the steps.

A low whistle echoed through the hall as Draco and Hermione made their way over to where Ron was. The long corridor was mostly empty, though there were a few people who were standing around talking to a few of the portraits.

Ron's was hung at the very end, his portrait slightly bigger than the others. He was dressed in a knit sweater and stood in front of the Quidditch pitch on a beautiful sunny day. The light caught his eyes and made them shimmer like gemstones, his cheeks dimpling with his wide smile.

"Well don't you clean up nice," he said as they approached him. "You're making me regret wearing my weekend sweater instead of my weekday one."

"Isn't that the same sweater?" Draco asked, lifting an eyebrow at the man.

Ron shrugged. "Don't ruin my fun, Malfoy. I've been in this same sweater since I was eighteen — and yes, I know I'm still eighteen. Merlin, I wish my mother hadn't picked maroon. She knows how much I hate this colour."

"I think it brings out your eyes," Hermione said, smiling. "How have you been?"

"It's always busy this time of year. Family members coming up to see their loved ones on weekends and students are preparing for their exams so naturally they're here all the time looking for a distraction or the answers to one of Binns' tests," he laughed. "I told them they were asking the wrong person. Now, chess games are a different story."

Summoning one of the benches, Draco and Hermione took a seat in front of him. It was the first time since Scorpius had been born that they were able to visit at the same time.

"Hard to believe it's been ten years already," Hermione said, her voice low. "Doesn't feel like it some days."

Draco squeezed her hand reassuringly. He had known how hard today was going to be on her, and that was before Kingsley had pressured her into giving a speech. That was part of the deal for being a war heroine apparently — speeches and remembrance balls.

"Honestly, time feels different for me," Ron said. "I suppose that's a good thing though, otherwise the next six hundred years, or more, would feel awfully long. Any chance you plan on sticking around that long? I hear Flamel was able to do it and he was only slightly wrinkly by the end of it."

"Can you...retire? Like if in five hundred years you decide enough is enough, can you come down?" Draco asked. He had never really thought about what it would be like to be a portrait. He knew that they had all the thoughts and feelings of the person that was captured, but no one ever talked about what it was truly like.

Ron gave Draco a pitying look. "You know that I'm not really living as a portrait, right? Not to get all deep on you, Malfoy, but my soul is off in whatever comes next. We're not like ghosts, stuck here for the rest of time and miserable. I know I joke about it a lot, but I actually like being a portrait."

"You do?" asked Hermione. "I mean, you spend all of your time surrounded by others, talking to people. You're alright with that?"

"I grew up at the Burrow," he said deadpan. "This is much quieter."

Draco snorted gracefully. "Have you been to visit lately? There are grandchildren coming out of the cupboards now."

"Oh Merlin, did Fred and Angelina have another? What are they up to now, four? And George and Katie have three, plus Harry's two, almost three… Charlie still doesn't have any right?"

"Not yet," Hermione replied. "Lots of dragons, though. He's tried to convince your mum to let him bring one of his babies home for Christmas but she's not having it."

Ron's eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled. "I can't wait to see that. I'll be happy when this school year is over and I can come home for longer than a few minutes. What's the point in having two frames if you hardly use one of them?"

"Just make sure you warn your mum next time," Hermione scolded him. "She nearly threw a fit when you popped in unannounced last year. That's why McGonagall writes to us for you, so that you don't have to give your mother a heart attack."

"Are we talking about when Mum nearly set your frame on fire because you showed up one morning before she'd had her tea?" Ginny interrupted, laughing. She and Harry were nearly to Ron's portrait and had summoned their own bench to sit on. "Hello, my dear brother. Love the sweater. Is it new?"

Ron flipped her two fingers, scowling. "I see you're practically at a full Quidditch team now."

"That's what I said!" Draco interjected, excited. "What's four more when you already have three?"

"Or," Ginny said. "Or you and Hermione could have a few more and we can share the team."

Hermione groaned, her head falling to her hands. "Of all the people I could have met while in school, why is it that I had to befriend the three Quidditch obsessed people in our year, one of whom married someone else Quidditch obsessed? Couldn't one of you have loved something a little safer?"

"Really? It's the Quidditch part you're questioning? Not the fact that you were almost killed on multiple occasions?" Draco asked, lifting an eyebrow incredulously.

"Or worse, expelled," Ron added, doubled over laughing. "I still can't believe that at age twelve you assumed expulsion was worse than death."

"Honestly I'm surprised you even managed to graduate," Draco chuckled. His wife smacked him lightly, causing him to laugh again. "Okay, maybe not you, love, but definitely Harry."

Harry scoffed. "I had an evil wizard living in my head, sorry I wasn't a top student."

"I don't mean grades, although that's a whole other conversation. I meant that you almost got expelled prior to third year. I'm still upset I had to learn about your aunt from reading those books," Draco grumbled.

"I'm not even sure how that story ended up in the books as it was. I didn't tell anyone but Hermione and Ron."

"What story?" Ron asked.

"The one about Aunt Marge blowing up like a balloon and floating across London like a parade float," Ginny replied, grinning.

Hermione's brow pulled together. "I suppose the Ministry would have logged that incident, which makes me think Rowling works for the Ministry. Although, not everything that happened at your aunt and uncle's house would have been recorded, so that still doesn't make sense."

"Oh no," Ron said suddenly. "I — uh… well I think maybe that might be my fault."

Everyone's attention snapped to the portrait, waiting expectantly for him to explain what he meant. Draco motioned for Ron to continue.

"Well, it wasn't long after I woke up and people from all over were coming to talk to me and ask about what it was like being one of the war heroes. This one day, right before term started, a young woman, a blonde, came to visit. She, well she—"

"She flirted with you," Draco interrupted.

"Yeah," Ron replied, his hand reaching to rub the back of his neck. "Anyway, she spent the whole afternoon telling me about how brave I was to sacrifice myself for the wizarding world. She wanted to know about each of us so I told her. She was really interested in knowing about Harry specifically, but that wasn't unusual."

"What made you tell her the story about Aunt Marge?" Harry asked.

Ron sighed. "She knew about some of your offences with the Ministry and was asking about them. I think I was so caught up in the attention that I must have told her. I honestly didn't think much of it. That's the whole point of this 'Hall of Heroes' isn't it? To tell the stories so they aren't forgotten."

Hermione stood up, her heels clicking against the stone floor as she paced behind the bench. "Did she have a name? What did she look like? How old was she?"

"Merlin, 'Mione, I don't know. She was blonde. She looked like she was maybe twenty."

"Too old to be Rowling, unless she aged drastically in four years. When I met her in 2002 she was in her late-thirties, I'd wager. Maybe this was a relative?"

"She could have been," Ron said uneasily. "I haven't seen a photo of Rowling so I can't be sure."

The tapping sound of her heels filled the silence. Her lips were pressed together and Draco could see the gears in her mind turning.

"She didn't use magic," Hermione continued. "I would have been able to tell, and I'm almost positive it would have alerted the Ministry. Using magic around that many Muggles would have had the Aurors in a frenzy. But if she looked to be twenty, surely Bill or Charlie would have gone to school with her and Bill wasn't able to help me when I asked him about it years ago. Charlie, though… I hadn't thought of talking to Charlie. I could make a trip to Romania next week and speak to him and—"

Draco stood and took his wife's hands, stopping her pacing. "Hermione, look at me," he whispered. Her brown eyes met his, softening instantly. "It's alright. We're going to find them. This is just one more clue to add to the puzzle that I know you can solve."

Dropping a quick kiss to her nose, he pressed his forehead to hers. "Want to go home and see Scorpius?"

Nodding her head, she pecked him quickly. "Let's go."

They stepped apart and turned back to their friends. "It was great to see you all," Hermione said. "Especially you, Ron."

Draco opened the door for Hermione to step through and noticed Lavender walking down the corridor towards them. She was wearing a purple strapless dress, and her hair was pulled back, showing off the scars that Greyback had given her. For the first few years, she had kept them glamoured or covered in some form. Knowing what it was like to cover his Dark Mark every time he left the house, he understood why she might reach the point of not caring about what others thought. It was a lot to keep up appearances.

"Hi Lavender," Hermione said, pulling her into a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm alright. The anniversary is always so hard, especially this one," she responded. "How is he?" She nodded her head in the direction of Ron's portrait.

"Same Ron we knew and loved. Ginny and Harry are in there now but I'm sure they'll be happy to see you as well."

Lavender smiled and nodded before making her way through the open door.

With her hand looped around his elbow, Draco led Hermione back to the Great Hall to say goodbye to a few people before Flooing home. He could tell his wife was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and it pained him to see her this way again. This need to find Rowling and Skeeter was draining her with every dead end.

He hoped the new information Ron had provided would be what she needed to solve the mystery.

September 2008

Ginny sat propped up on pillows, a small blue bundle in her arms.

"He's beautiful, Gin," Hermione whispered, sitting next to her friend. "Does he have a name yet?"

"Ronald Arthur. We hadn't used any names from my family, and I wanted this little one to have a strong legacy like his siblings. Want to hold him?"

"Only if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Ginny said, passing the baby over. "My arms are stiff from holding babies for the past four years. I told Harry, this is it. No more."

Hermione laughed quietly, trying not to disturb little Ronald. Like his namesake, he had a head full of red hair, though it was a darker shade. His eyes were green like Harry's, but he had Ginny's nose.

"I forgot how tiny newborns are. Scorpius was never this small, right?"

"Merlin, no. His head was much bigger."

Nudging her gently, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if Scorpius should have a sibling, but then I selfishly think of all the things I want to accomplish still and I know how hard that would be if I had to take more time off. Is that horrible?"

"Not at all. Besides, he's not growing up alone. He has James and Lily and Ronald, plus all of their cousins. There's no shame in not wanting more, Hermione. Scorpius isn't going to grow up any better or worse for not having biological cousins."

"I guess," she resigned. "I know I always wanted siblings growing up, but I never had any cousins to play with. Scorpius definitely won't have that problem."

Ginny rested her head on Hermione's shoulder. "Stay like this for a bit, please? I just want to nap for a moment before Harry comes back with James and Lily." The redhead let out a loud yawn and closed her eyes.

Hermione held Ronald, watching him sleep, his eyes flickering open momentarily before closing once more. She let Ginny's words sink in and absorb. Did she want another baby? Sure, Scorpius would never be lonely, but he wouldn't have that connection with anyone else the way James, Lily, and Ronald would have with each other. And if, heaven forbid, anything were to ever happen to her and Draco, she wanted her son to have someone to lean on.

She thought of the pain and loneliness she felt when she Obliviated her parents and there was no one there to grieve with. There had been moments when she craved a sibling to relate to, to share in her anger and frustration, coming up short when Harry and Draco just couldn't understand.

There was a quiet knock on the door and Harry peered in, holding a quiet Lily. Draco was behind him, Scorpius tucked against his hip while James stood and held his hand.

"Hi," Harry whispered. "How is she?" He tilted his head towards his sleeping wife.

"Tired. You know how visits from Molly and Arthur are when a new baby is born. They love their grandchildren more than anything in the world."

Ginny stirred, rolling over and blinking slowly to wake up. "Hi."

"Hello, love. The kids wanted to meet their new brother."

"Of course, come here," she said, motioning James forward. He let go of Draco's hand and ran around the bed, letting his mum lift him onto her lap.

Harry walked over to the bed, setting Lily on the mattress at their feet. "Lily, James, this is your new brother, Ronald."

"Like Uncle Ronald?" James asked.

"Just like Uncle Ronald."

Lily reached forward, her mouth pulled down in a frown. "He comes home with us?" She looked up to her father, eyes wide.

"Yes, he's coming home with us," Ginny laughed. "He's going to sleep in the room right across from yours, how does that sound?"

The little girl sighed dramatically. "Okay. No more baby though."

"Even Lily agrees with me," Ginny said smirking at her husband.

Slipping off the bed, Hermione let Harry take her place. She stepped over to greet her husband and son, her heart fluttering at their presence. Scorpius stuck his hands out, reaching for his mum. Taking the toddler into her arms, she felt him nestle against her right away.

"We should let them be as a family right now. Besides, I think I want to spend some time with my favourite boys," Hermione said, pressing up to kiss her husband.

"Book?" Scorpius asked, perking up.

"Yes, we can read a book."

Waving goodbye to the Potters, they made their way home and settled in on one of the bigger sofas with Scorpius snuggled in the middle. He had picked out his favourite book, The Little Dragon that Could, and handed it to Hermione to read. Within a few pages, he was curled up against Draco, fast asleep.

"Good thing it was his nap time," Hermione sighed. She shifted so she was looking at Draco. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

He eyed her carefully. "What is it?"

"I know I've been preoccupied a lot lately, what with work and trying to find Rowling and Skeeter, and I know that I may have neglected our family a bit—"

"You haven't neglected us, love," Draco interrupted. "I know how important it is to you that you get these answers. It's important to all of us."

"I appreciate that, but I still want to apologise for being away so much. I was actually thinking we should go away for a weekend. Maybe take Scorpius somewhere warm so he can play in the water."

Draco smiled, reaching over to take her hand. "I stand by what I said, you don't need to apologise, but I think a little vacation would be great for all of us."

She leaned over Scorpius, careful not to wake him, and kissed Draco. "I was also thinking," she whispered, her voice dropping lower. "That Scorpius might want a sibling one day."

"Really?" he asked, leaning back slightly, his eyes wide. "But, the foundation, and this Rowling thing. Are you sure?"

Pressing her lips together to suppress the bubbling excitement, she nodded. "I'm not saying we start trying now, but soon, yes, definitely."

Author's Note: Only four more chapters to go! I am currently on vacation right now and will be for the next few weeks, so there won't be an update next week. Chapter 21 will post on August 26 :)