January 11th, 2012

A/N: As some of you may know, I paired both James II and Fred II with an OC in The Legacy Continues. I've been thinking about pairing one of them with Lila. Even if Rose and Scorpius marry, it wouldn't really be incest, so yeah. There's also the matter of Blaise and Gina's children, should they have any, and I'll take that into account as well. I don't know how much more of this story there is, but there isn't much, and there won't be an epilogue, so thank you all for sticking with me for this long (: I hope you enjoy the sequel and any other pieces of work I come up with.

I've gotten some questions as to how Cat and George's meeting went, so let me know in a review if you'd like a one-shot of that, or another spin-off of this story based on more characters, like Cassie or Gina. I've also received some exclamations about no Malfoy child being in Slytherin. I've already planned all their personalities, and I did want Scorpius to be the first Malfoy to ever be in Gryffindor, so I might put one more kid in there – possibly the eldest – so he can be in Slytherin. Okay?

Props to you who get the slight Hunger Games reference in this chapter.

Thanks to Cat (kitcat234) for beta reading this for me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Twenty Five

The silver, luminescent Jack Russell Terrier entered the room where the sleeping couple lay, and spoke in Ron Weasley's voice.

"Lav's water broke. Took her to St. Mungo's. Get there as soon as you can."

Hermione had been expecting that kind of message for a while – Lavender's due date had been March 23rd and it was now two weeks past that day – so she hurriedly woke Draco and went into the bathroom to get ready.

Draco, though getting out of bed the slowest, managed to reach the fireplace before Hermione. To his surprise, Cassie, who always knew the password to gain access to the floo, started talking.

"Healer Lawson suddenly fainted, and we can't figure out why for the life of us, but there is a Lavender Weasley here about to give birth and we desperately need your help. Please hurry!" was all she said before disappearing again. Well, of course they needed Draco's help; it was four o' clock in the bloody morning!

"Hermione, they need me at the hospital," Draco called. "I'll meet you there, alright?"

"Okay, but you best hurry!"

"Yes, I'd figured that much out for myself, thank you." Draco stepped into the fireplace and was gone, Hermione quickly following his example.

The first thing that could be heard was Lavender screaming at the top of her lungs. Parvati was repeating the same three words over and over again ("Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God") and Ron was wearing down the floor, he was pacing so much.

"What's happened so far?" Hermione asked as Draco rushed into the delivery room, his healer robes streaming behind him.

"What-Why does he get to go in?" Ron demanded. "I'm her husband and they won't let me in!"

"He's a healer, Ron. He's going to make things okay," Hermione said soothingly. "They have a new protocol that won't allow anyone that's not a certified healer in the room while performing surgeries or delivering children."

Ron didn't stop walking up and down the hallway, but he ceased snapping at anyone who dared approach him.

It took ten hours. Ten hours of complete agony. Ron was ready to make the door explode after one hour passed, but Hermione convinced him not to. Arthur and Bill kept close to Ron, as they could reassure him in ways the others could not. Molly held Parvati's hair back as the witch vomited into a garbage bin. In fact, all of the Weasleys save Fred and George could be accounted for.

Well, bugger, Hermione thought, going in search of the missing twins during the third hour. A missing Fred and George meant one thing only: bad news.

She found them laughing about something they had accomplished, and confronted them at once.

"What's got you two in such a good mood when your sister-in-law is giving birth to your brother's firstborn?"

George stopped cold and elbowed Fred in the ribs when he kept chuckling. "Hermione! Why aren't you with the others?"

"I could ask both of you the exact same thing," Hermione said. "I repeat, what's got you in such a good mood?"

"Just a prank we pulled today is all. It went really well," Fred answered smoothly.

Hermione simply stared at him.

"Merlin, Hermione, I thought you'd grown out of your prefect glare," George said. "We were laughing about a prank, honest. Now stop with that look. You remind me of Mum and Gin."

"What did you do now?" Hermione asked.

Fred and George exchanged a look; Fred shrugged, and George launched into an explanation. "We're working on a project to get Ronniekins to be more accepting about your relationship with Malfoy. First step was to get him to agree to attend your wedding. Second step was getting him to be grateful to Draco for whatever reason. Lavender having her baby was actually what inspired phase two."

"Oh heavens, do I want to know?"

"Probably not, but we'll tell you anyways," Fred said. "Healer Lawson really-"

"Isn't-"

"Ill!"

"You can thank-"

"Our Fainting Fancies-"

"For that one-"

"So you're welcome-"

"Granger!"

Hermione understood that the twins were trying to help, so she didn't nag on them about causing a co-worker of Draco's to faint. She was touched they were making such an effort, though, so as she was departing she lightly said, "Just don't let me 'ear of that kind of thing again, alright boys?"

George grinned. "I knew there was a reason we liked Granger."

Teddy jumped into Hermione's arms the minute he saw her after waking up. She kissed his cheek and sat down on a chair, the toddler making himself comfortable on her lap.

"Grandma told me that Auntie Lav is going to have a baby!"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "That she is, Teddy."

"Is the baby going to be as small as Vicky?"

"Smaller," Hermione said, laughing at how wide Teddy's eyes got.

"But that's so small!" he exclaimed in an awed whisper.

"You were the small once, too," Hermione informed him. Teddy's jaw dropped and up until the baby was delivered, he peppered Hermione with questions of all kind. What were his parents like? Who was Voldemort? (She didn't answer that one.) How did Auntie Lav get pregnant? (She didn't answer that one either.) Why was the sky blue? Why was Hogwarts named 'Hogwarts?' How did centaurs become half-horse? Could he become half-horse too? And so on.

It was a good thing Teddy was so curious, though, because his questions kept Hermione from fretting over Lavender, who would be fine, along with her child. Draco was taking care of her, after all. There was nothing to worry about.

Hermione couldn't thoroughly convince herself of that, so she couldn't very well try to convince Ron either. For the most part, everyone sat in a silence that was broken only by Teddy.

Ron was called into the room at last. Draco slipped past him on his way in and received a nod of thanks. He was unable to respond as Ron hurried to Lavender's side.

"The oddest thing just happened," Draco remarked.

"Hm?" Hermione said, rubbing Teddy's back as the boy slept, his cheek resting on her shoulder.

"I think Weasley just looked grateful as he saw me."

Remembering what Fred and George told her, Hermione struggled to keep the smile off of her face. "You did do him a big favor."

"I suppose," Draco said doubtfully. "We're allowed to go visit in about ten minutes. I'll go let the others know."

Lavender named her daughter Destiny. She claimed that it had been her destiny to get pregnant and marry Ron so soon. If anyone had skepticisms about the name choice they didn't mention them. To no one's surprise, Parvati was dubbed the godmother of the child. What surprised them all – including Ron – was that Lavender wanted to give Destiny two godmothers.

"Hermione, would you be her other godmother? Please?"

"Yes, but are you sure?" Hermione asked, hardly aware of Ron's eyes on her. "I'm flattered and everything, but are you quite sure, Lavender?"

"I wouldn't have asked you otherwise. Thank you. You've done so much to help me in the past few months, and I really need to start paying you back," Lavender said as Ron cradled Destiny close.

"There's no need-"

Lavender cut Hermione off. "There is every need. This isn't a battle that you're going to win, Hermione."

Hermione smiled begrudgingly. "If that's the case, let me hold my goddaughter, Ronald."

Hermione clearly remembered the day of Harry and Ginny's wedding. She had given Harry some Sleekeazy's and for the first time ever, his hair lay flat. When he got to the altar, the bridesmaids and groomsmen could clearly hear Ginny whisper "What's wrong with your hair?" to Harry before returning it to its usual unkempt state.

Now, the day before Hermione's wedding, Ginny wrestled with the bride's hair.

"If it worked on Harry, it can certainly work on you," she muttered, picking up a bottle of Sleekeazy's potion from the dressing table Hermione was sitting in front of.

"Ginny, accept the inevitable; my hair is untamable. Draco doesn't care, and neither do I, so I don't see why you should," Hermione said calmly.

"Oh come off it, Hermione. It really shouldn't be this hard…" Ginny fussed for thirty minutes, and simply gave up. "What is it with your hair? I thought it had gotten less bushy over so many years!"

"Let me try," Gina said, stepping forward and getting Hermione's hair to cooperate in a matter of seconds.

"Merlin's pants," Ginny muttered. "How ever did you manage that?"

"My cousin runs a beauty salon and whenever she watched me growing up she attempted to teach me all about hair and make-up. Sadly, some of those lessons did register in my brain, but they do come in handy from time to time, like now," Gina replied. "Hermione, how does this look for tomorrow?"

"It looks lovely, thank you Gina." Hermione did appreciate Gina's effort, but she wanted to get out from under her friends' grasps as soon as possible. They were making a bigger fuss than was called for, and she just wanted to relax before she got married.

"Why don't you go see how Draco's doing?" Gina suggested, reading Hermione's expression correctly. Hermione smiled at her maid of honor.

"Can you handle things here?"

"Of course, now go!"

Hermione smiled at Ginny, Gina, Cat, and Luna and disapparated.

The flat she shared with Draco was mostly empty – the majority of their things were packed up in boxes. As soon as they got back from their honeymoon, they would move into a house they bought in Ottery St. Catchpole, which was a mainly Muggle neighborhood close to the Burrow. It had taken some serious consideration, but neither Draco nor Hermione wanted to live at Malfoy Manor, and even Draco liked spending time at the Weasley household.

I'm getting married tomorrow, Hermione thought happily. She grinned to herself and picked up a stack of her books laying about the living room. One that she knew for sure she finished had a bookmark sticking out of it.

Setting the other novels down, Hermione opened the book up and saw a picture of her and Draco at their engagement party. Draco must be reading this.

It was nice, how they had the same interests, because then Draco didn't care if Hermione left the odd book about. He was also fairly tidy, and learned early on not to leave his dirty clothes anywhere but the hamper.

"Draco?" Hermione called, abandoning the books on the couch. Maybe he's out with Blaise.

"Hermione? What are you doing here? I thought you were going over some last details with the girls," Draco said, stepping out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

"I was, but I managed to escape," Hermione said, kissing her soon-to-be-husband on the cheek.

"So you were having fun, then?"

"Obviously not."

"What a shame," Draco said, and, like Hermione, not sounding regretful whatsoever. "Well, I say we should take advantage of the fact that I'm not wearing any clothes."

Hermione laughed and took the initiative, leading Draco into their old bedroom, which was more or less the same. "For old times' sake, hm?"

"Exactly."

Almost everyone who had attended Hogwarts while Hermione and Draco were at school showed up to their wedding, along with their old professors. Many Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws attended the ceremony, but the majority of the party was made up out of Gryffindors. Very few Slytherins cared to make an appearance – half of those who did only went to get free publicity, as Hermione and Draco's wedding would be covered in the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly. But Draco didn't mind. He figured that the fewer of his housemates went the better.

"Pansy Parkinson's here," Harry told Draco, checking off some list of things Hermione had most likely ordered him to take care of. "She apparently came to wish you well, and she wants you to meet her new boyfriend. Some Irish bloke she met while working."

"As long as she isn't here to object my marriage, I'm perfectly fine with her being here," Draco said. "I didn't think she would come, though. Or any Slytherins other than Blaise. I certainly didn't send out those particular invitations."

"I'm almost positive your mother did," said Harry absently. "I've got to go get Teddy in his suit now. Wish me luck."

"Good luck Potter. You'll need it. That kid's a demon."

"Just wait until you have your own children," Harry said over his shoulder as he walked away, whistling nonchalantly.

Draco hardly paid attention to his own wedding ceremony. He was more focused on Hermione, who looked more different than he'd ever seen her.

For one, her hair was done up in an elegant French twist, and for possibly the second time ever, it wasn't frizzy at all. Her dress was simple but beautiful – just like her and the otter pendant she wore at her neck.

Somehow, Draco was able to remember his vows and performed his part well when it was required of him. Whenever he caught Hermione's eye, the two couldn't help but smile at each other.

After what seemed like an excruciatingly long time, Draco and Hermione were married. The latter pounced on the former the moment the Ministry official said "You may kiss the bride," earning laughter from the crowd. Hermione turned around and beamed at Harry, then her bridesmaids. While she was distracted, Draco caught her hand in his and apparated to the ballroom at Malfoy Manor, where their reception would take place. It had taken some convincing Hermione on Draco's part, but they eventually agreed that the ceremony would be at the Burrow and the reception at Malfoy Manor. It was only fair.

Draco and Hermione were alone, and it would remain that way for mere seconds. Draco kissed his wife soundly on the mouth and wrapped her up in a tight hug.

"I love you," Hermione said as guests started filling the ballroom.

"I love you too, Granger."

"Shouldn't you call me Malfoy now?" Hermione asked teasingly with a smile on her face.

"Malfoy…no, that's just odd. Old habits are hard to break, love, as you very well know," Draco said, kissing Hermione's forehead.

"Mind if I steal the bride?"

Draco was absolutely ready to get protective of Hermione, but it turned out the person asking to steal her was Harry. "Alright, but not for too long."

"Come on mate, you have the rest of your lives to be together, whereas I'll likely never see her again without you there breathing down our necks," Harry said, chuckling. Hermione laughed, and Draco left to find Ginny, whom he had gotten surprisingly close to ever since that one Christmas at the Burrow.

"How does it feel to be married?" Harry asked.

"Oh, but you know all about it," Hermione replied, grinning at her best friend. "I'm quite amazed that you haven't gotten Ginny pregnant yet."

Harry blushed. "Blimey, Hermione, do you really have to bring up things like that?"

"Well, yes, since you react that way," Hermione said, causing Harry to roll his eyes.

"May I cut in?"

Hermione hadn't heard that voice in years. She had invited Viktor, of course, because he was once a close friend and it was the right thing to do, but she hadn't thought he would fly out from Bulgaria for anything other than a Quidditch match.

"Viktor Krum," Harry exclaimed. "How are you doing?"

"Very vell, Harry, thank you. What about you and Hermioninny? I personally thought you were vith that Veasley girl," said Viktor.

"I am!" Harry said at once. "We got married last year, actually. We sent you an invitation. Hermione here got married to Draco Malfoy today."

Viktor obviously didn't think much of Draco, but he didn't say anything other than, "May I have this dance, Hermioninny?"

"Of course."

Harry kissed Hermione on the cheek and wandered away, though he did occasionally glance in Hermione and Viktor's direction to make sure the former was doing alright.

Hermione was ecstatic to see Viktor again. They had both gotten out of the habit of sending letters, so it was nice to catch up. She found out that Viktor had a girlfriend back in Bulgaria he had considered bringing to the wedding, but the girl didn't speak English well, and that that was why he showed up without a date. Also, by the end of the dance, Hermione had gotten Viktor to reconsider his evaluation of Draco.

Just as she made to sit down after being on her feet for so bloody long, Hermione was caught by the waist.

"Draco…"

"Yes?"

Hermione smiled, shook her head, and leaned into her husband. "I love you."

"How many times are you going to say that today?" Draco teased.

"I assure you I'll say it at least three more times before tomorrow."

"Bring it on, Granger. For the past month I've prepared myself for how much of a sap my wife would be."

"In my opinion, my husband is a bigger sap than your wife will ever be."

"Believe whatever you like, 'Mione."

A/N: Two, three more chapters left? That's my estimation. Thanks for the lovely support and suggestions you've all given me, and I'll make sure to Tweet whenever I start the sequel for those of you who don't have me on author alert, or I'll just add an author's note as a chapter on here.

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