A/N: I apologize, it has been awhile since I updated this story. I really wanted it to be a long chapter, but it's fairly short and I hope to get another up soon. I know I said 75 chapters was a hard limit, but honestly, who even trusts my outline anymore? I am going to write until this story is finished, and if that's more than 75 chapters then it's more than 75 chapters. Thank you to everyone who has discussed this story on social media or elsewhere, because it's gotten some traction and I hope that it's managed to help y'all in some way.

TW: Grief

"Scarlett caught on quickly."

It was the third week of ballet lessons and Naevia's father tended to hover. Not that Draco blamed him. Peter obviously loved his wife and Naevia was the only part of her he had left. The thought of losing Hermione was unbearable, so Draco understood why he was holding on so tightly. Draco was intimately familiar with the struggle of repairing cracks within a family. The two of them stood next to each other, looking through the window at the beginners class. Sebastien stood on a bench to watch beside them.

"She does that," replied Draco. "She has always had a knack for athletics. Any activity that involves jumping, flying, or hanging upside-down, Scarlett will figure out far more quickly than any child should."

"Naevia is the opposite. She is a happy child, but very quiet. Ballet is the one time she allows herself to shine."

Sebastien said, "She's amazing."

"You think?" asked Peter, trying to hide his smile.

Sebastien nodded.

"Nobody else is fun to watch."

Draco teased, "I will tell your sister you said that."

"She will say I'm boring, too."

"Yes," Draco confirmed, "that is true. She would say that."

"Is Naevia coming to our birthday?!"

"Yes," said Peter, "Naevia is excited that you invited her."

"She is my friend! And Uncle Blaise is making cake!"

"Oh?"

Draco clarified, "Blaise is my best friend and a wicked good chef. He is the reason I know how to work with your daughter's hair, because he had similar curls when we were younger. His husband is amazing, by the way. Great with kids; the kindest person you will ever meet."

"Oh?" Peter repeated. "This is a party for the adults as well?"

"Obviously." Draco laughed. "Not much point in watching your kids celebrate without having a bit of fun yourself."

"Then what should Naevia get the twins for their birthday?" asked Peter. "She really wants to make a good impression. Scarlett and Sebastien are the first friends she has made in … Well, in awhile."

"Seb, what do you want for your birthday?"

"Books!" shouted Sebastien. "And cake."

"Then I suppose we will bring the books," replied Peter.

"Scarlett is not terribly selective."

"Naevia is a surprisingly good gift-giver. A decent gift-wrapper as well."

Sebastien asked, "When is Naevia's birthday?"

"January 7th. It was, um, it was actually the last day we had with her mum." Peter choked up a bit. "She gave Naevia a little locket shaped like a heart. One side has a picture of the three of us, and the other is blank. She told Naevia she was only allowed to put in a picture of her very best friends. It's still fairly fresh, you know? This class is the only time we both forget about the pain, forget that she is gone. I am proud of Naevia for coming back so soon, for not giving up on her dream."

"Scarlett will be happy to have someone to support through this." Draco smiled and said, "From what I've learned, ballet isn't considered much of a team sport. Scarlett will figure out a way to make it one."

"I am glad Naevia has Sebastien for support as well."

Seb insisted, "We're gonna be best friends."

Peter agreed, "I don't doubt it."

Before class ended, Draco told Peter,

"I am happy you are coming to the party because there is someone I want you to meet."

.oOo.

"No." Lucius shook his head. "Absolutely not."

"I agree with your father on this, my son." Narcissa sighed heavily. "Do you not understand the consequences?"

"Again, this is my house. You are welcome to leave if you wish, but Naevia and her father are coming to Scarlett and Sebastien's birthday party here at the manor."

"You plan to have the Ministry charge you with violating the Statute of Secrecy?"

Draco laughed.

"Do you believe even the Ministry is so thick-headed as to ruin a child's birthday party? Not only that, but to come in here and face the wrath of Hermione Granger? Then the public outcry they would face by dragging Hermione in front of the Wizengamot? Absolutely not."

"A fair assessment," Narcissa agreed.

"What does the Granger girl think of this plan?"

"Her attitude seems to be fuck the lot of them. Hermione intends to do as she pleases. She gave them so many years of her life and they used her as little more than a token employee. The entirety of Europe seems to believe I am keeping her under some kind of Imperius Curse, so Hermione could not give any less of a fuck what she is expected to do. Our world has no idea what to make of our family, and all Hermione wants is to finally celebrate the twins' birthday."

"Then who are we to keep that from her?" asked Lucius. "I do not like the idea of having Muggles here at the manor, but if there is one thing I hate more than Muggles, it is the Ministry of Magic."

"What do you plan to say when these people arrive?" asked Narcissa. "Surprise! Magic exists and we are all wizards."

"That is Hermione's area."

"I believe it best if your mother and I are away when they visit. No need to frighten them off."

"Fine," snapped Draco. "Do what you want."

"Why would that upset you?" asked Narcissa. "We believed you would be pleased with our decision."

"You skipped out on Christmas, and now you refuse to attend a party for the closest thing you have to grandchildren? This is what you do. Your hatred of Muggles and Muggle-borns has always overpowered your love for our family. I do not know why I anticipated that would change."

"That is not a fair characterization, my son."

"Correct, father, as I believe that is far too kind an assessment. Take a holiday in France if you wish. I have no care for what you do; be part of my family or choose not to be. It is entirely up to you."

.oOo.

The twins' birthday took place in the ballroom. Draco and Hermione spent the day before decorating, so Hermione ended up with confetti tangled in her hair. Draco spent a half hour alternating between sneaking kisses and trying to get it out. Those moments were his favourite, when Hermione felt comfortable enough to be herself. She wasn't trying to figure out her future or reading a thick tome that was older than Merlin himself. It was just Draco and his girlfriend, who was laughing in his arms as he tried and failed yet again to win a losing battle against her curls.

March 26th.

There hadn't been many great days in Draco's life. The best day of his life was the first time Hermione told him that she loved him. The second-best day was the day Draco kissed Hermione for the first time. The third best day of his life? March 26th, 2001.

Theo and Tracey hadn't wanted to be parents at twenty-one. Everything after the war was nothing more than a series of question marks. Who? What? Where? Why? When will everything feel normal again? Then "normal" became something new. "Normal" was changing nappies and deciding which twin to rock to sleep at which time. "Normal" was nannying newborns so Theo and Tracey could sleep at a hotel for a day. Truthfully, March 26th, 2001 was the closest Draco ever believed he would be to having children. Godfather. Parent-adjacent.

As good as.

That's what Theo and Tracey had always called him. "If we died, you would be as good as their father." Before Scarlett and Sebastien came into Draco's life, he never felt like he could contribute anything good to the world. All he could do was support those people who could. Contrary to what everyone would have guessed, Sebastien was technically the older sibling. He came into the world with a giant head and no neck, looking two-thirds torso and one-third the other wobbly screaming bits. Everything looked a bit swollen, just a bit bigger and redder than a little body should have been. Seb's hands were tinted blue and there was a bunch of goop in the corners of his eyes.

He looked like a baby Mandrake. Draco hadn't quite known what to make of it, then Theo was handing him this ridiculously tiny human in a blanket. Draco stood there with a hysteric baby in his arms as Scarlett Nott came into the world, and the only thing he could think was, "Oh, hell, this is real." The thought of Theo being a dad was different from watching Theo's face when he held his daughter for the first time. (Not that Theo would ever admit to having a favourite, but Seb was Tracey's favourite and everyone knew.) At that moment, Draco realized he was part of a team.

Eight years on, that team was still going strong. The twins' birthday was a celebration of their support system just as much as it was a celebration for them. Which meant the best champagne and lunch for the adults, and as many chocolate frogs as Scarlett could eat. The most significant change would be the guest list.

No celebration was complete without Blaise and Dean. They always showed up first and were last to leave. Trace and Theo were the "hosts" even though the party was held at the manor. Bastien would come, though he would once again arrive without Padma. Draco wondered whether it was straining their relationship, knowing Padma couldn't be at the same place as Hermione much of the time. Draco could hardly imagine seeing Penelope outside of their sessions; let alone at his godchildren's birthday party. Pansy would come, though her girlfriend stayed behind in the Shadows. Gabrielle would be in attendance, because "Auntie Elle" always brightened the twins' day. Little J Potter and some of the twins' other friends rounded out the magical portion of the list.

Peter and Naevia fit in almost seamlessly. Hermione had prepared them for this bit of the magical world, so the shock wasn't quite as intense. The party was fun, with kids zooming around on broomsticks and loudly singing the twins "Happy Birthday." They had a bit of a food fight with the cake before the house-elves put a stop to it. The adults alternated doing shots of Gigglewater, and watching Peter lose his shit after one sip of Firewhisky was the highlight of Draco's day.

Well, it was one of them.

"Gabrielle!" Draco had found her the moment she walked through the door. He pressed a delicate kiss to each of her cheeks then said in French, "There is someone I want you to meet."

She playfully whacked his arm and insisted, "I do not need your help finding love, Draco Malfoy."

"Not a date, just someone who could use a friend who can listen."

"And you do not listen well?"

"You have a special talent for it. When people need love and support, you always seem to be there for them. You always listened to me, never judged me."

"You have a lot of love to give, too, Draco Malfoy. It is the world's fault for making you ashamed of it."

"I gave the world plenty of reasons to shame me, but you were the first person to see past all of it. That is why I pushed you away so quickly, yet you refused to allow our friendship suffer because of it. I think you can do the same thing for him."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I only want you to be yourself, but I believe he needs to be shown certain parts of life are worth living, even if he can't see it right now." Draco nodded to where Peter was standing awkwardly in a corner and waved him over. Draco pivoted to English and introduced him as, "This is my new friend, Peter. He is a Muggle and his daughter, just there," he pointed toward her, "is Naevia. She is friends with the twins."

"Oh!" Gabrielle seemed genuinely delighted by this news and she pivoted to English. She hugged Peter, who seemed a bit stunned, then stepped back. "Draco 'as not told me much about you."

"Nor I you," Peter replied.

"Of course! Peter, this is Gabrielle, my …"

"Old friend," she finished for him.

That was the entirety of the introduction. Draco left them to a quiet conversation just as the fun began. After all the games, the slight food fight, and a rousing second chorus of "Happy Birthday," Scarlett and Sebastien sat down in the centre of the ballroom to open gifts. The one tradition Tracey and Theo established early-on, was that adults were not permitted to give gifts to the twins. All birthday presents had to come from their peers, which left Draco in the awkward position of trying to be the favourite uncle/godfather while not being able to use the one resource always at his disposal: Galleons. Though, if he was honest with himself, it forced him to be present in their lives in a more meaningful way.

There were five magical children present, plus the twins and Naevia. Peter seemed a bit nervous when Naevia offered up her first gift to Scarlett. She tore into the paper, quickly flipped off the lid, and pulled out a purple kit bag with the initials "SN" embroidered on the circular side panels.

"It's for your dance things. My mum used to say you are not a real ballerina unless you have a bag for your tutus. Now you can be a real ballerina!"

Scarlett leapt up from her chair and pulled Naevia into a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She smiled when Naevia hugged her back. "We will be real ballerinas together!"

"You said purple was your favourite colour, so I told my dad to get you purple."

"It's perfect!"

Scarlett eventually let Naevia go, so she could present Sebastien with his gift. Seb was a bit more gentle with the wrapping, but not much. He shot Naevia a shy smile and pulled off the lid to reveal a small wooden box. Sebastien tilted his head to one side, confused.

Naevia explained, "It's a flower press. I know you like plants, so when you find a plant you want to keep, you stick it in the middle, press the top of the box down to squish it, then put it on paper to keep for later. It's like a garden inside a book."

"I love gardens." Sebastien smiled and added, "I love books. This is perfect!"

"Thanks." Naevia blushed. "I really wanted you to like it."

"I love it!"

What struck Draco about the day was how natural it felt. Naevia could not have cared any less about house-elves or magic or the fact that Scarlett offered to teach her to ride a broomstick. Naevia chose, instead, to sit with Sebastien and read one of his children's books on magical creatures. Peter loosened up a bit over time. He had dressed up a bit for the occasion, looking very smart in a jumper underneath a leather jacket. He touched up his beard and wore a new pair of glasses, like this was the breath of fresh air he hadn't realized he needed. Gabrielle was fascinated by him and could hardly be pulled from his side.

"You've got a bit of cake in your braid," said Hermione.

Draco whispered, "Shh … Pretend to speak to me but keep your voice low. I am trying to eavesdrop."

Hermione glanced quickly toward Peter and Gabrielle before her mouth formed a tiny "O" of surprise. She asked,

"Do you believe it will work between them?"

"Men like Peter and myself, we are the foundational sort. We ware attracted to bright, engaging people. The sort whom the world bends around instead of them trying to fit into the world as it is. We are the steady hands, the ground upon which you will grow. I told you I will never try to compete with you. Everyone appreciates the sun, but when darkness comes, the moon is the one left to light the way."

"And you are the moon in this metaphor?"

Draco replied, "Of course, but the moon cannot shine without the sun. Just as I will never shine as bright without you in my life, Hermione Granger."

She did not reply, but her cheeks turned bright red. Draco smiled softly then returned his attention to the conversation happening a few metres away. Both were oblivious to Draco's intent.

"Naevia is such a sweet child."

"Thank you." Peter smiled and said, "That is kind of you to say."

"She must get that compassion from you."

"Perhaps. She has a quiet fire in her, though, and she certainly got that from her mum."

Gabrielle nodded to his wedding ring and asked, "Is your wife at home?"

"No, um," Peter swallowed thickly and replied, "she … She died three months ago."

Gabrielle's face crumpled and she gently patted Peter's arm.

"I cannot begin to say 'ow deeply my 'eart aches for you. To 'elp your daughter through so much pain while dealing with grief yourself? You must 'ave so much strength."

"Thank you for saying that. It has been difficult, but my friends have helped. Naevia is my whole world and I had to be strong for her, but I had good people to lean on as well."

"Is that when you miss her most?" asked Gabrielle. "When my mother died, it was twice as deefeecult because I always went to 'er when I was sad. 'er absence made me sad, of course, but then it upset me that I no longer could go to her."

"Exactly. Losing someone like that, it is like the ground disappears from underneath you and suddenly you're swimming through all these waves, each emotion more intense than the next, and you are terrified all the time. But then you have to be strong for someone else and it seems impossible most of the time."

"But you are getting through eet. Your daughter 'as made new friends. I 'ave never seen Sebastien light up the way 'ee ees when 'ee is with Naevia. She weel be a star one day, in some way or anuzzer. I can see eet so clearly."

Peter agreed, "I can, too. What is it you do for work, again?"

"Je suis avocate. I am a lawyer, focusing on policy and international relations."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Sometimes. I spend 'alf my time in England and 'alf in France, 'opping between Ministries and stopping disagreements before zey begin. 'owever, eet ees not my dream."

"What is your dream, then?"

"To 'ave a family like my sister. She is so 'appy with Beel and 'eer children. They are home to 'er, and all I want ees to find somezing that makes me feel at home like that."

Hermione pulled Draco from his eavesdropping.

"Peter hardly seems to be phased by Gabrielle, certainly not the way most men are entranced by her."

"It's who he is." Draco shrugged. "People who have a deep love for someone, or who are experiencing such grief over a lover, they are immune to Veela charms. Gabrielle is beautiful on her own merit, you will get no argument from me, but Peter is not able to recognize that right now. He needs a friend, and Gabrielle is nothing if not a fantastic, loyal, unwavering friend."

Hermione agreed, "She is."

"So many times, I wondered why we could not make it work between us," admitted Draco, "when the truth was that there is no one who makes me feel more like myself than you do."

"It is the same for me. You see all of me, not only the parts I want you to see."

"And you helped me decorate the ballroom for my godchildren's birthday party. You have given me the opportunity to create a family like I never believed I would have."

"Don't get your hopes up," Hermione replied. "I want to have a child, but we don't even know if I can. The two of us, we need to get married first, really set up our lives—"

"Hermione." Draco tucked a curl behind her ear. "As much as I would love to have a child with you, that is not what I mean when I speak of our family. Look around at all of this. Ginny Weasley is here with her and Harry Potter's son at a birthday party for the grandchildren of one of the most prominent Death Eaters. My family has never truly been based on blood, my family is whomever I choose to be in it. I have chosen everyone here, and they have chosen me. You chose me."

Hermione smiled and insisted, "I will choose you every day for the rest of my life."

"One day, I will be down on one knee and I'll hold you to that."