Chapter 20: Epilogue
She was bloody pissed this time. She had had enough.
"Ara!" Scorp shouted as he exited the library, running to catch up to her. "ARA!"
She ignored him, continuing to stalk down the hallway. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't-
"ARA!" he yelled again.
That was the last straw.
"Don't you dare 'Ara' me!" Ara spun to face him, furious. "You told me that you would wait for me, until I thought it was appropriate to 'go out'. But what do you do? Instead, you snog the living daylights out of Eliane Corner. Honestly, if you expect any form of relationship in the future, you're bloody insane!"
"I didn't initiate it!" Scorp protested, trying to grab Ara's arm, but she wrenched it out of his grasp.
"Doesn't matter! You didn't push her off immediately-"
"I was in shock!"
"Bat spleens," Ara spat. "You reciprocated!"
"That wasn't reciprocating!" Scorp protested. Ara turned on her heel and strode away furiously. "ARA! Why won't you listen to me?" Scorp cried, anguishly tugging on his hair.
"Gee!" Ara snapped, whirling around, her voice reaching a high falsetto. "I don't know, maybe because you've been faking me out for five months now?"
"I thought we had gotten past that!"
"So had I," Ara lowered her voice, glaring at the blond who had caused her so much grief. That was all this year had been so far. A clever game of cat and mouse, both of them with feelings for the other that they weren't sure how to act on.
The two stood there, breathing heavily, the silence between them stretching out infinitely.
Scorp was the first to look away, feeling ashamed. And just like that, the silence was broken. He chanced a glance back at Ara, who was still staring him down, but without as much hatred as before. He hoped that was a good sign.
Ara sighed. "You remember our first year, when I was tickling you during that food fight?"
"Yeah?" Scorp asked hopefully. He wasn't sure if this sudden flashback was a good sign or bad one. He really hoped it was a good sign.
"You swore to me to do anything I asked, one day. I've never used that yet."
Scorp's heart sank.
"Stay away from me."
"Ara, how can you possib-"
"Stay. Away. From me," she stated firmly, before turning on her heel and striding down the corridor.
"Hey."
Emelda looked up from her potions essay, surprised to see the younger Potter boy standing in front of her.
"Albus," she greeted. "Sit down!"
He looked a little torn between pulling out a chair or continuing to stand, but he eventually decided on the former. He awkwardly sat down across the table from her.
"What brings you to the library?" Emelda asked, looking back down on that one sentence she couldn't seem to phrase properly.
Albus mumbled something so softly, that Emelda became worried. He wasn't exactly loud, but he was never this shy.
"You okay?" Emelda asked concernedly, eying him carefully. Albus ducked his head down, the fringe of his bangs just barely hiding his eyes.
"Albus? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Well, no, that's a lie. Everything."
"It can't possibly everything," Emelda laughed, but Albus flinched. She frowned. "Tell me, what's on your mind? Anything in particular?"
"Well," Albus looked around distractedly. "There's this… girl… that I fancy. Like, a lot. And I'm not sure if she fancies me back. And I'm not sure what to do about it. James is too confident, and he hasn't helped me at all. Plus, all that drama with Leonora? Not the best role model. Scorp and Ara are having their troubles, so he's not the best person to go to for advice, either. And well, I'm just… lost."
Emelda suppressed a surge of jealousy for said girl. It's not like she even had a shot, being a Slytherin. It was probably Tara Macmillan, or Evangeline Berrow.
"I think you should ask her to Hogsmeade, which is coming up in a couple of weeks. You might be surprised - any girl would be lucky to have you, Albus. Really," Emelda said earnestly, looking him in the eye.
"You think so?" Albus looked up a little, but then looked away again.
"Absolutely," Emelda affirmed.
He seemed to brighten up a bit.
"Thanks 'melda," he got up from his chair.
Emelda's heart sank as he turned away - but then he turned back to her, chewing on his lip.
"Erm, another question, I promise you I'll quit bugging you. What type of flowers should I use?"
"Well… roses are pretty typical-"
"What's your favorite flower?"
"Daffodil," Emelda answered, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. He was going to use her favorite flower on another girl? So friend-zoned it wasn't even funny.
Albus grinned at her. "Thanks."
Two weeks later…
She hated herself for liking him. For being curious. Because truly, it was none of her business. But she couldn't stop herself - there was no girl standing next to Albus.
"Al," she waved him over.
"Emi," he grinned, a tad bit nervously. "What's up?"
"Have you asked her? How did it go?" she asked quickly. Slower, Emelda, she told herself. No reason to get excited over this.
"Well… no," he trailed off.
"What?" Emelda nearly shrieked. "Today is Hogsmeade! When are you planning to ask her?"
"Right now, actually," Al said after a pause. He pulled his hands from behind his back, holding a simple, but beautiful yellow daffodil. "Emi - d'ya want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
Emelda's eyes widened, looking back between him, and the daffodil.
"Y-y-you… f-f-ancied m-m-me?" she stuttered out.
"Still do," Albus smiled, shifting slightly. She could feel his apprehension.
"Y-yes," Emelda choked out. "I'll definitely go to Hogsmeade with you."
And he gave her the most brilliant smile.
"So, when are you two going to make it official?" James asked, popping a chocolate frog into his mouth.
"Official?" Alden asked, befuddled.
"Make what 'official'?" Rose was also perplexed, making air quotes around 'official.'
"You know-" James gestured between them.
"Do you have any idea as to what he's talking about?" Alden asked Rose, who shook her head.
"Nope."
"You guys are so clueless," James huffed. "You guys are basically a couple, and yet-"
"We are?" Rose interrupted. Alden shrugged.
"I guess you could say that," Alden grinned.
"Sure, we're a couple," Rose turned back to her obnoxious cousin. "Happy? It's official."
"Seriously?" James asked. "That's… th-that's-? W-wow," he stuttered, unable to form a basic sentence. "Wish it was as simple with me and Leonora," he muttered.
"No silly, we've been official for about a year now," Rose stated boredly.
"WHAT?" James shouted, pounding his fist on his chair. "SINCE WHEN?!"
"Last year…" Rose answered, sighing.
"SINCE LAST YEAR?!"
"Mhm," Alden laced his fingers between Rose's. "You were too preoccupied with Leonora to notice, apparently."
The irony was not lost on Rose, who recalled stories of James' grandfather, James, who also struggled in the romance department for a very, very long time.
"I wonder if you knew about Larody?" Rose smirked.
"Lorcan and Melody?" James scoffed. "I might be preoccupied, but I'm not blind."
"Honestly, Rose, I don't understand why you won't even admit that Ryker Anthony is a flipping God," Amelia huffed, sitting next to her roommate.
"Because, first of all, he's not," Rose began. "Second, I am perfectly happy with my boyfriend. Third-"
"Yeah yeah," Clara cut off. "I'm sorry to interrupt what would have been a very eloquent and thoughtful list, but I'm sure even Alden would have to admit that Ryker is rather good looking.
"I'm not actually sure that he would," Albus cut in, sitting down next to the Gryffindor girls. "I mean, he's not exactly gay, and most guys don't pay attention to that."
"Please," Amelia scoffed. "He's gorgeous, and even you know it, Potter."
"Albus," he sighed.
"Since you decided to join us, will you finally spill the beans on what happened between you and Emelda?" Amelia asked, leaning in.
"Can we please not talk about this?" Albus groaned. Clara rolled her eyes.
"Well, I'd like to get the story straight, for once," Clara admitted. "But if Amelia's here, well, you'll just be encouraging the gossip."
"Hey!" Amelia cried indignantly. "I didn't gossip about you and Xavier when you guys were totally on and off for the last few years."
"Bat spleens," coughed Rose.
"How else would Jayce had found out? And given Xavier a particularly dashing black eye?" Clara countered.
Amelia ignored her. "Anyways, if you won't talk about yourself, how are Scorpluen doing?"
"Scorpluen?" Rose asked dryly. "Of all the possible couple names, like Arius, Scora, or anything, that's the couple name you gave them?"
"Better than Rolden," Clara pointed out. "Or Aldose. Sounds like a type of sugar. Personally, I like Rosewood the best."
"I actually have to agree with you on that one," Rose sighed.
"And if you two get married, then you will be Rose Wood!" Amelia squealed.
"Why are you so nosy?" Albus asked exasperatedly. "Honestly, Scorp and Ara are fine!"
"Thank goodness they quit dancing around each other," Clara commented. "It was getting tiring, watching them fake each other out. I can't believe that Malfoy had the nerve to ask out Iridia to make Ara jealous."
"That backfired," Rose laughed, remembering Ara's complete and utter disdain in their fifth year. "Ara truly believed that they deserved each other."
"At that moment, they probably did," Albus snickered.
"So when are you and Emelda going to iron things out?" Amelia tried again.
"For Merlin's sake! I don't know!" Albus threw his hands up in the air. "Seriously, Amelia, would you lay off?"
"Um, how about, no?" Amelia smiled. "I heard that she's actually been a huge third wheel to Athena and Jackson."
"Honestly I'd shit in my pants if I were Jackson, dating Professor Pucey's daughter. Athena's just as intimidating," Scorp chimed in, sitting down at the lunch table with Ara.
"I've been meaning to ask, Malfoy, how do you feel about losing Head Boy to Albus?" Amelia grinned cheekily.
"Amelia," Ara sighed. "We're all friends, of course Scorp is happy for him." Ara elbowed her boyfriend.
"Yeah," Scorp grunted. "At least it's Al. If it were anyone else, I'd personally murder McGonagall."
"Hah!" Rose snorted derisively. "As if you'd murder your favourite teacher!"
"There is no evidence to suggest such a ridiculous statement," Scorp shot back.
"That snort sounded far too like Malfoy," Amelia pointed out to Rose.
"That's what happens when you live with him during Christmas and summer breaks," Rose sighed.
"My deepest sympathy," Ara smirked, putting on an understanding face.
"Oi! You're my girlfriend!" Scorp protested.
"And?" Ara asked, clearly unimpressed.
"Anyways-" Amelia cut in. "Ara and Rose, how do you feel about Ara getting Head Girl?"
"What are you, a bloody reporter?" Albus sighed.
"Honestly, she'd fit the job description to a tee," Ara smiled.
"We're fine, Amelia," Rose rolled her eyes. "It really could have been either of us, though I suspect that Albus and me as Head Boy/Head Girl would be seen as favoring the Weasley-Potter blood, so that's probably why Ara got it."
"That makes sense." Clara nodded her head.
"So have you guys decided what you're doing after Hogwarts?" Albus asked.
"Well, Aunt Kaelyn's been needing someone to look after Emma," Rose started.
"Who?" Scorp frowned, unable to remember an 'Emma Weasley.'" Though honestly, there were so many bloody Weasleys that it was likely he missed one.
"Not a person, her pet dragon! Small little thing, the runt of its litter," Rose sighed sympathetically. "So yeah, I'm going to spend some time in Romania with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Kaelyn, and then I'm probably going to begin training to work with dragons."
"Thrill-seeking Gryffindork," Scorp scoffed.
"What's Alden doing, now that he's out?" Clara asked.
"More about Alden?" Scorp sighed dejectedly. "This is all I hear about at home. That and the latest book she's read. It's usually about dragons. No, actually, it's always about dragons."
Rose glared at him. "Alden's been looking after dragons. He's Uncle Charlie's personal apprentice."
"Interesting career path," Ara smiled.
"You?" Rose asked Ara.
"Well, I know I don't really want to be a healer, per se, but I do like the life sciences. Maybe I'll take after my parents, and head a biomagitech company, or something. I have an apprenticeship right now with the head of the Health MagiCare Department in the Ministry of Magic, so we'll see where that leads me," Ara answered.
"Scorp?" Rose prodded.
"Politicking," he answered boredly. "I'm wasted as anything else. Apprenticeship with Uncle Harry."
"Must be an advantage of your dad marrying Hermione Granger," Amelia chuckled. "Direct access to the Chosen One, and now the Minister of Magic."
"He really didn't want the job," Albus sighed. "He was kind of shoved into it. He'll be done after his term's up. He won't let anyone put his name on the ballot, come the election."
"That's what he said before they elected him," Scorpius snorted.
"I can't believe it's our last year," Amelia sighed nostalgically.
"I can," Rose laughed. "I can't wait to get out of here!"
"Aww, Rose, don't say that," Al nudged her. "You know you'll miss us."
"Sure I will," she scoffed. "As if I don't see Scorp on a daily basis, which also means I'll see plenty of Ara. And we'll always see each other during family gatherings, Al. That's everyone who matters."
"Hey!" Amelia protested, pushing Rose. "I matter!"
"Well," Clara pretended to ponder, and everyone else went along with it.
"Fine," Amelia huffed. "If I do become a staff writer for The Daily Prophet, you lot are my first targets."
"We love you, Amelia!" Clara giggled as Amelia stalked off.
Rose sighed as she stood up. "We better get to McGonagall's office, if we want to be on time to get home for Gavin and Irena's birthday party, tonight."
Scorp, Albus, and Ara got up to follow her. "See you around, Clara," Ara smiled.
"Bet on it," Clara winked.
"I definitely want our girl's name to include Nymphadora Tonks somehow," Hermione said firmly as she flipped through the baby names book. "Remus was already covered by Teddy Lupin, and the rest of the marauders by Harry's sons."
"Nymphadora, though, really?" Draco asked incredulously.
"I'm not stupid, I was thinking of something that commemorates her without being ridiculous. Dora, perhaps. I know that you'd never consent to having her last name intermingled with yours. It's just awkward, too."
Draco nodded in affirmation. "Dora's fine, but as her primary name?"
"Maybe not, maybe I'll change it to her middle name… anyways, would you start looking for boy names?"
Draco smirked. "No constellations, then?"
Hermione looked up briefly from the book, raising an eyebrow. "You're seriously concerned with traditions when a) you've married a muggleborn and b) you're having halfblood children?"
Draco chuckled. His wife had a point. "I figured it might narrow things down, a little bit easier."
"The thought crossed my mind," Hermione sighed, tossing him a list of constellation and star names with every single one of them crossed out. "It didn't help."
"Not even Lyra?" Draco frowned. "I like that one."
"Too typically Malfoy," Hermione sniffed. "I'd prefer to be completely unconventional."
"Well, so long as you don't name her after two flowers, I'll be content."
"Rose Lavender is a perfectly good name," Hermione glared at him. "It's short, nothing monstrous like Hermione, and we wanted to commemorate my late roommate."
"And Weasley's ex-"
"One more word out of you and I'm choosing both babies' names without consulting you," Hermione huffed. "Did you want to pick a name or no?"
"Why not Leo?" Draco asked after a pause.
"Give me the constellation sheet," Hermione motioned to him, without looking up. Sighing, he handed it over.
"Now," Hermione gave him the boy's book. "Go look."
"Italian or French?" he asked as he browsed the table of contents.
"Why?" Hermione looked up, puzzled.
"Well, Italian to commemorate Blaise, or French to commemorate the Malfoys' heritage."
Hermione's mouth twisted, and Draco chuckled. "I figured," he smirked. "Italian it is, then."
"Marcell, Marco, Maximo, Michelangelo… these are atrocious… Rafaello, Ricardo, Rinaldo," Draco snorted. "Romeo, are you serious? Merlin these poor children."
"I was named after a Shakespearean character thank you very much," Hermione looked offended.
"And there's a reason why Krum could never pronounce your name and your daughter is named Rose."
Hermione glared at him.
"No, I'm being serious. None of these are any good," Draco frowned. "Perhaps more traditional names?"
"I'm okay with traditional," Hermione shrugged. "Not that ours are very traditional-"
"Excuse me-" Draco interrupted.
"Your constellations don't count," Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Michael Malfoy sounds so boring," Draco groaned.
"Does it have to be an alliteration?"
"That's where I usually start. Otherwise I begin with the A's."
"Glad you know your alphabet," Hermione smirked.
"Excuse me? Would you really have married an illiterate man?"
"Perhaps Megan slipped me a potion."
"Oh that bloody badger!"
"Yes, yes, Draco, you'll never be able to get back at her for when she turned you into a platypus."
"THAT WAS MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE!"
"What about Damien? Or Gavin? Alexander? Maybe… Anthony?"
"I'd prefer not to name my child after a snotty Ravenclaw who is my wife's ex."
"What? Anthony Malfoy sounds perfectly fine, that's the only reason-"
"-sure."
"Xavier, Jeremiah, Andrew, Christopher-"
"Actually I like Gavin. Or Damien. They sound intimidating," Draco noted the two names on a piece of parchment. "Alexander, too, but we'd over-flatter Alex."
"Oh please, just choose something already," Hermione sighed, exasperated already.
"So how come I'm named Puppis?" Draco mimicked in a small voice. "Because your mother told me to choose something, so I thought I'd stay alongside the constellation tradition and I thought it'd be hilarious that your name means poop deck- OW!"
Hermione had punched him in the arm, with no less fury than she had when he had insulted Buckbeak.
"Don't you dare bloody name our child after a poop deck," she growled.
"On another the other hand, for the girl, we could name her Lyonesse after you!" he snarked, dodging another blow.
"What about Astoria?" Hermione asked suddenly, ignoring his last remark.
Draco tilted his head. "No," he said after a while. There should only be one Astoria Malfoy."
"Alyssa? Alyssa Malfoy is nice."
"Definitely a possibility," Draco affirmed.
"Charlotte? Irena? Elyse?"
"All good."
"Philip? Richard?"
"Not as good as Gavin, Alexander, or Anthony," said Hermione. "Elyse Dora Malfoy? Alyssa Dora Malfoy?" tested them out. "Irena Dora Malfoy? Charlotte Dora Malfoy?"
"The two last ones sound best, though if you dropped Dora, Irena Alyssa or Charlotte Elyse would sound nice."
"That's true," Hermione conceded.
"How about Gavin Alexander Malfoy? Or Anthony, I suppose."
"I like Gavin Alexander better. I really like Irena Alyssa, but I do want to commemorate Tonks…" Hermione paused, torn.
"Let Teddy do his own commemoration if he chooses to. Otherwise, we might be stealing his idea for a baby name," Draco pointed out.
"True. We've decided then?"
"Are you sure you don't want Puppis or Lyonesse?" Draco joked, receiving a slap on the arm.
"Happy birthday to you!" Rose sang cheerfully, hugging Irena and Gavin as they blew out their candles.
"Hey!" Irena protested as one of the candles relit itself. "I already blowed that one out!"
"Blew," Hermione corrected fondly.
"Is it magic?"
"No, Irena, it's actually not," she informed her daughter as Gavin struggled with his candles.
"How does it work, then?" Irena asked curiously. Gavin groaned.
"I'll explain it later," Hermione smiled.
"I don't understand the point of putting candles on a perfectly good dessert," Draco waved away the smoke, annoyed. "Never understood that tradition."
"It's so you can make a wish!" Irena pointed out. "I don't think that's pointless."
Draco shrugged. "I think you should be able to make a wish any time you want to."
Scorp suddenly ran off, a furious Zayden chasing after him.
"What did Scorp do?" Hermione sighed.
"Teased Zayden about some girl he fancies. Ashley, I think," Ara informed the adults.
Scorpius's mocking could be heard throughout the house.
"Ashley, oh Ashley!" Scorp sighed in a high falsetto.
"SHUT UP!" Zayden growled. "HUGO I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU!"
"Sorry!" Hugo snickered. "It just sort of slipped. My bad."
"OH ASHLEYYY!" Scorp mocked.
"I'M GONNA HEX YOU INTO THE NEXT CENTURY!"
"No hexes!" Alex yelled. You are all still underage!"
Draco shook his head. "Kids," he muttered under his breath.
"You're the one with five of them," Blaise chuckled. "Why, your house is almost Weasley-level filled."
"Hey!" Ginny growled from the opposite side of the room where she had been talking to Luna and Pansy. "I heard that, Blaise."
"You were meant to," Rose informed her aunt. "Between Uncle Blaise, Albus, Scorp, Hugo, and Zayden, oh and don't forget James, Lorcan, and Lysander, Gavin is bound to turn out to be a serious trouble maker."
"Oh I expect so," Harry smirked.
"Don't you have a ministry to run?" Draco asked snidely.
"Don't you have five children to control?" Harry retorted.
"Touché," Draco conceded.
"Oh quit bickering like an old married couple," Ginny teased, shooting an amused glance at Hermione. Draco and Harry looked at her, horrified.
"Excuse me, but last time I checked I was married to Hermione with five children," Draco pointed out.
"Besides that's disgusting! " Harry protested.
"Ooh touchy," Hermione grinned.
Eight years later...
"Mum," Rose looked at her mother carefully from behind her veil.
"Yes Rose?" Hermione looked over to her daughter.
"Uhm... this might be a stupid question, but... did you ever love Dad? I mean, my dad?" Rose asked hesitantly.
"There are no such things as stupid questions, Rose," Hermione said lightly, and then grew pensive. "Yes of course I loved your father, Rose. What's brought this on?"
"Well I mean... after Draco? Would you ever have been happy if you had to stay married to Dad?"
"Of course I would have been happy, I never stopped loving Ron. The way I loved Ron might have changed from naive puppy love to family, but I would've stayed happily married to him. Rose, you won't have to worry about that challenge with Alden - I have seen the love between you two. You weren't thrown together in a last ditch you only live once effort, like Ron and I were. Your love has developed, matured as you both have grown. I'm not saying it will be easy, but your love can and will withstand the trials of time."
"Thanks Mum," Rose smiled. Hermione kissed her head briefly before taking her seat and leaving Rose alone.
Draco popped his head into the tent. "Ready, Rosebud?" He asked, offering his arm. She took it glancing down the aisle where her future lay before her. All she had to do now was remember to charm the bouquet so that Ara and Scorp would soon replace the positions Rose and Alden held today.
AN: Guys... it's finished. Can you believe that? I can't. I wrote and rewrote this epilogue, trying to find a way to end my first real story. (Not to mention college apps, which were a pain, by the way. Don't apply to 22 schools with a combination of engineering and early med programs. Sorry it took me so long) And I think I'm finally satisfied. And here we are, a year and 4, 5 months later. I have to thank my friends, particularly Snape'sPaige394, for helping me brainstorm and unstick my writer's block. And of course, I have to thank you, all my followers and reviewers, for giving me feedback and supporting my work. I hope you enjoyed this story, and keep an eye out for The Art of Deception and other stories I'll be working on (Elsa/Jack Frost Fic is coming soon :D :D :D)!