~*~*~*~
To Be A Malfoy
by: Daphne Li
Epilogue
~*~*~*~
***FIVE YEARS LATER***
~*~*~*~
//Draco:
For once, I am writing for a specific reason! Can you believe it?
I am scheduled to come to America for a conference next week and it will last for at least two weeks. The problem? Ginny has already made plans with Hermione to go on vacation to Scotland (just the two of them), leaving Lily and Curtis (Hermione and Ron's son) with their grandparents. Unfortunately, I promised Ginny that I would watch James during this time, because of the fact he needs some *alone* time with his dad.
Here is the complication. I have to be in meetings all day, and won't have time to watch him. Any ideas?
If you have any, I would really appreciate it!
Yours as a stressed out father,
~Harry//
~*~*~*~
//Harry:
He could stay with us. You both could. We have plenty of room, and I'm sure that Jason would enjoy the company. He gets a bit lonely with only the girls around all day, and Kaitlynn says that she would be more than willing to watch James.
So there you are. Your solution. Will you take it, or leave it?
Waiting for your reply,
Draco//
~*~*~*~
~*~ONE WEEK LATER~*~
*DING-DONG!!!*
"I've got it!" Kaitlynn called, rushing down the stairs and past me on her way to the front door. I chuckled and followed her, watching as she flung open the door. Outside, stood two figures, one of which I knew quite well.
"Harry! Come in! You must be exhausted!" Kaitlynn exclaimed, ushering the two inside. The little boy was hidden slightly behind his father's legs, so it was hard for me to catch a glimpse of him.
"Thanks, Kaitlynn." Harry laughed, as he rolled his eyes at me. I grinned and shook the hand that he extended.
"Long time no see, Potter."
"Same to you." He muttered, sending me a teasing glare. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Kate, who was shaking her head affectionately.
"Draco, why don't you show James to the playroom, while I take Harry to his room." She suggested, picking up the small duffel-bag that the little boy had been carrying. As he moved out of his father's shadow, I took in a breath.
The boy was a complete and utter clone of his father, just like Jason was a complete clone of me. He had messy black hair that refused to stay put, and bright green eyes that stared up at me calculatingly. He did not wear glasses, but according to Harry, it would not be long before he would most likely need them.
"Welcome, James. Jason's been looking forward to meeting you all week." I informed the five year-old, as we climbed the stairs. For a moment, he was silent, and I thought that perhaps he was a little shyer than Harry made him out to be. But that idea was squashed immediately.
"Is he my age?" The boy asked in a slightly demanding voice. I held back a chuckle.
"Yes. Just your age. He has two sisters too, but they are younger." I informed him. James groaned loudly, and I grinned. Just like a brother to dislike the idea of more girls.....
"Here we are. Jason? James is here." I called into the playroom, as I opened the door. Inside, I could see a small boy with white-blonde hair sitting in the middle of the room, playing with a group of large dump- trucks. His Prussian-blue eyes looked up eagerly, and stared as James stepped cautiously into the room, staring back.
"Jason, this is James Potter. James, this is Jason. James will be staying with us for a while, alright?" I said, addressing my son. He nodded, his eyes still on James.
"Do you like trucks?" He asked bluntly, narrowing his eyes at the new boy. James, however, seemed unfazed and nodded eagerly. This seemed to satisfy Jason's conscious, and within a minute, they two boys were happily playing bumper-cars with the trucks. I watched them for a moment, then left the room, moving towards the twins room. The four year-olds had had a long day, and both had fallen asleep on their prospective beds.
I stared at them, once again awed by how different a pair of twins could be. In fact, most of the people within our acquaintance had dubbed them the, 'night and day' twins. There was no doubt as to why, even at first glance.
Jasmine, the older of the two by six minutes, was the 'day' twin. She had curly white-blonde hair like her mine, and warm blue eyes like her mother's. She had peaches n' cream skin, and was rather chubby, though adorably so. Jasmine also seemed to thrive on being outside the majority of the day, and one of her favorite past-times was playing with her friends in our large backyard. She was a happy and open child, outgoing and energetic as a girl her age could be.
Serenity, however, lived up to her name, in both looks and personality. She had wavy auburn hair like her mother's, and bright blue-grey eyes like mine. She was pale, with just a touch of roses in her skin. Her lips, however, were a startling red, that never ceased to amaze me. She was a bit slimmer than her twin, and seemed to prefer going out at night and quietly gazing at the star-lit sky, rather than playing with her sister's friends. She was quiet, shy, somewhat naive, and not as energetic or outgoing as her sister. But she had a sweetness and understanding about her that never ceased to amaze all those who knew her.
As I looked down on my two girls, I noticed that Serenity's eyes were now open, and gazing calmly at me, as though she knew just what I was thinking. She slowly climbed out of bed and walked over to me, indicating that she wanted to be picked up. I did as she asked, and held her silently, marveling over how light and small she still was, despite her age.
"Alright, daddy?" She asked softly, her blue-grey eyes staring up at me as she put a small lily-white hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes at the sensation of her warm hand touching my skin, and smiled.
"I'm fine, love. But guess what! We have a guest. His name is James, and he's going to be staying with us for a while." I informed her. She seemed to think this over for a while, then nodded.
"Ok, daddy." Was her answer. She wriggled slightly and I set her down, watching as she walked silently towards the playroom. Out of all my children, I believe that I have the strongest emotional bond with Serenity. Sure, I have strong bonds with all of them, but with Serenity, it's different. It is as if she knows exactly what you need, right when you need it, and she alone knows how to give it to you.
I watched her open the playroom door and silently crept after her, wanting to see how the boys would react to this intrusion. When I cautiously peeked around the door, I noticed that she had silently walked up behind them, watching their game with seemingly utmost interest. It only took a moment, however, for Jason to realize that an unwanted someone was now in the room.
"I thought you were asleep, Reni." He complained, causing James to turn and stare at the girl. They all were frozen in that moment for a while, Jason staring annoyed, at his sister, James staring at Serenity, assessing her, while Serenity did the same with James.
Then it was over.
"I was." She answered in her little-girl voice, before turning and going over to the other side of the room, where the doll area was. I noticed that James stared after her with obvious curiosity, then turned back to Jason when the other boy demanded his attention. I sighed with relief.
Usually, Jason would complain until his sister(s) left the room. Today, however, I realized that he was too wrapped up with making a new friend, that he didn't seem to care much that she was there. I smiled and turned away. Perhaps having James here would be a good experience for all of us.
~*~*~*~
James stayed for two weeks, while his father went to meetings and conferences around the area. He and Jason quickly became good friends, always agreeing on things to do, with few arguments. There was something that happened during his stay, that surprised me above all else, however.
Jason and James began to include the girls in their games. It had begun with the boys playing 'Knights and Dragons', and them agreeing to let the girls be princesses. Then, they had moved on to 'Hide and Seek', and 'Tag'. Even Serenity was starting to open up a bit more, laughing loudly and sweetly as she watched her sister get tagged and begin to run after Jason, who had tagged her.
Harry had also noticed James's growing openness towards his new friends.
"Back in England, James has several friends that he sees occasionally, but none of them are girls, unless you count Lily." Harry murmured, one night when we had retired into my study.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Orion Black, Romulus Lupin, Curtis Weasley, and Max Biederon. They are all close, but I've never seen any of them open up to anyone outside of their circle of friends, unless you count family members." He murmured, taking a drink of the tea Kaitlynn had brought up for us. I thoughtfully closed my eyes.
"I'm glad they have gotten to know each other better, though. Perhaps a Malfoy/Potter friendship union would be just the thing to stop the Malfoy name from dragging in the dirt." I said teasingly. Harry grinned.
"Maybe."
~*~*~*~
The next day, Harry and James left.
None of us could have guessed at that time, that this visit would spur more consecutive Harry/James summer vacations, starting with the next summer, and going on till the boys turned thirteen.
Nor did we ever imagine that James and Jason would become such close friends, and that James would also come to be close to the rest of the Malfoy children.
But that, is another story in and of itself.
So I will leave it at this.
I, Draco Malfoy, have found myself and my life. I have found the path that I was to take, and have taken it. I am living my life to its utmost, and loving every moment of it. I have a wife, two sons, three daughters, and four cats. I have friends and an in-law family who love and care for me. And above all, I have made a enemy into a friend, and that has made all the difference.
This is my life, my future, my all.
This is what it is, to be a Malfoy.
~*~*~*~
To Be A Malfoy
by: Daphne Li
Epilogue
~*~*~*~
***FIVE YEARS LATER***
~*~*~*~
//Draco:
For once, I am writing for a specific reason! Can you believe it?
I am scheduled to come to America for a conference next week and it will last for at least two weeks. The problem? Ginny has already made plans with Hermione to go on vacation to Scotland (just the two of them), leaving Lily and Curtis (Hermione and Ron's son) with their grandparents. Unfortunately, I promised Ginny that I would watch James during this time, because of the fact he needs some *alone* time with his dad.
Here is the complication. I have to be in meetings all day, and won't have time to watch him. Any ideas?
If you have any, I would really appreciate it!
Yours as a stressed out father,
~Harry//
~*~*~*~
//Harry:
He could stay with us. You both could. We have plenty of room, and I'm sure that Jason would enjoy the company. He gets a bit lonely with only the girls around all day, and Kaitlynn says that she would be more than willing to watch James.
So there you are. Your solution. Will you take it, or leave it?
Waiting for your reply,
Draco//
~*~*~*~
~*~ONE WEEK LATER~*~
*DING-DONG!!!*
"I've got it!" Kaitlynn called, rushing down the stairs and past me on her way to the front door. I chuckled and followed her, watching as she flung open the door. Outside, stood two figures, one of which I knew quite well.
"Harry! Come in! You must be exhausted!" Kaitlynn exclaimed, ushering the two inside. The little boy was hidden slightly behind his father's legs, so it was hard for me to catch a glimpse of him.
"Thanks, Kaitlynn." Harry laughed, as he rolled his eyes at me. I grinned and shook the hand that he extended.
"Long time no see, Potter."
"Same to you." He muttered, sending me a teasing glare. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Kate, who was shaking her head affectionately.
"Draco, why don't you show James to the playroom, while I take Harry to his room." She suggested, picking up the small duffel-bag that the little boy had been carrying. As he moved out of his father's shadow, I took in a breath.
The boy was a complete and utter clone of his father, just like Jason was a complete clone of me. He had messy black hair that refused to stay put, and bright green eyes that stared up at me calculatingly. He did not wear glasses, but according to Harry, it would not be long before he would most likely need them.
"Welcome, James. Jason's been looking forward to meeting you all week." I informed the five year-old, as we climbed the stairs. For a moment, he was silent, and I thought that perhaps he was a little shyer than Harry made him out to be. But that idea was squashed immediately.
"Is he my age?" The boy asked in a slightly demanding voice. I held back a chuckle.
"Yes. Just your age. He has two sisters too, but they are younger." I informed him. James groaned loudly, and I grinned. Just like a brother to dislike the idea of more girls.....
"Here we are. Jason? James is here." I called into the playroom, as I opened the door. Inside, I could see a small boy with white-blonde hair sitting in the middle of the room, playing with a group of large dump- trucks. His Prussian-blue eyes looked up eagerly, and stared as James stepped cautiously into the room, staring back.
"Jason, this is James Potter. James, this is Jason. James will be staying with us for a while, alright?" I said, addressing my son. He nodded, his eyes still on James.
"Do you like trucks?" He asked bluntly, narrowing his eyes at the new boy. James, however, seemed unfazed and nodded eagerly. This seemed to satisfy Jason's conscious, and within a minute, they two boys were happily playing bumper-cars with the trucks. I watched them for a moment, then left the room, moving towards the twins room. The four year-olds had had a long day, and both had fallen asleep on their prospective beds.
I stared at them, once again awed by how different a pair of twins could be. In fact, most of the people within our acquaintance had dubbed them the, 'night and day' twins. There was no doubt as to why, even at first glance.
Jasmine, the older of the two by six minutes, was the 'day' twin. She had curly white-blonde hair like her mine, and warm blue eyes like her mother's. She had peaches n' cream skin, and was rather chubby, though adorably so. Jasmine also seemed to thrive on being outside the majority of the day, and one of her favorite past-times was playing with her friends in our large backyard. She was a happy and open child, outgoing and energetic as a girl her age could be.
Serenity, however, lived up to her name, in both looks and personality. She had wavy auburn hair like her mother's, and bright blue-grey eyes like mine. She was pale, with just a touch of roses in her skin. Her lips, however, were a startling red, that never ceased to amaze me. She was a bit slimmer than her twin, and seemed to prefer going out at night and quietly gazing at the star-lit sky, rather than playing with her sister's friends. She was quiet, shy, somewhat naive, and not as energetic or outgoing as her sister. But she had a sweetness and understanding about her that never ceased to amaze all those who knew her.
As I looked down on my two girls, I noticed that Serenity's eyes were now open, and gazing calmly at me, as though she knew just what I was thinking. She slowly climbed out of bed and walked over to me, indicating that she wanted to be picked up. I did as she asked, and held her silently, marveling over how light and small she still was, despite her age.
"Alright, daddy?" She asked softly, her blue-grey eyes staring up at me as she put a small lily-white hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes at the sensation of her warm hand touching my skin, and smiled.
"I'm fine, love. But guess what! We have a guest. His name is James, and he's going to be staying with us for a while." I informed her. She seemed to think this over for a while, then nodded.
"Ok, daddy." Was her answer. She wriggled slightly and I set her down, watching as she walked silently towards the playroom. Out of all my children, I believe that I have the strongest emotional bond with Serenity. Sure, I have strong bonds with all of them, but with Serenity, it's different. It is as if she knows exactly what you need, right when you need it, and she alone knows how to give it to you.
I watched her open the playroom door and silently crept after her, wanting to see how the boys would react to this intrusion. When I cautiously peeked around the door, I noticed that she had silently walked up behind them, watching their game with seemingly utmost interest. It only took a moment, however, for Jason to realize that an unwanted someone was now in the room.
"I thought you were asleep, Reni." He complained, causing James to turn and stare at the girl. They all were frozen in that moment for a while, Jason staring annoyed, at his sister, James staring at Serenity, assessing her, while Serenity did the same with James.
Then it was over.
"I was." She answered in her little-girl voice, before turning and going over to the other side of the room, where the doll area was. I noticed that James stared after her with obvious curiosity, then turned back to Jason when the other boy demanded his attention. I sighed with relief.
Usually, Jason would complain until his sister(s) left the room. Today, however, I realized that he was too wrapped up with making a new friend, that he didn't seem to care much that she was there. I smiled and turned away. Perhaps having James here would be a good experience for all of us.
~*~*~*~
James stayed for two weeks, while his father went to meetings and conferences around the area. He and Jason quickly became good friends, always agreeing on things to do, with few arguments. There was something that happened during his stay, that surprised me above all else, however.
Jason and James began to include the girls in their games. It had begun with the boys playing 'Knights and Dragons', and them agreeing to let the girls be princesses. Then, they had moved on to 'Hide and Seek', and 'Tag'. Even Serenity was starting to open up a bit more, laughing loudly and sweetly as she watched her sister get tagged and begin to run after Jason, who had tagged her.
Harry had also noticed James's growing openness towards his new friends.
"Back in England, James has several friends that he sees occasionally, but none of them are girls, unless you count Lily." Harry murmured, one night when we had retired into my study.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Orion Black, Romulus Lupin, Curtis Weasley, and Max Biederon. They are all close, but I've never seen any of them open up to anyone outside of their circle of friends, unless you count family members." He murmured, taking a drink of the tea Kaitlynn had brought up for us. I thoughtfully closed my eyes.
"I'm glad they have gotten to know each other better, though. Perhaps a Malfoy/Potter friendship union would be just the thing to stop the Malfoy name from dragging in the dirt." I said teasingly. Harry grinned.
"Maybe."
~*~*~*~
The next day, Harry and James left.
None of us could have guessed at that time, that this visit would spur more consecutive Harry/James summer vacations, starting with the next summer, and going on till the boys turned thirteen.
Nor did we ever imagine that James and Jason would become such close friends, and that James would also come to be close to the rest of the Malfoy children.
But that, is another story in and of itself.
So I will leave it at this.
I, Draco Malfoy, have found myself and my life. I have found the path that I was to take, and have taken it. I am living my life to its utmost, and loving every moment of it. I have a wife, two sons, three daughters, and four cats. I have friends and an in-law family who love and care for me. And above all, I have made a enemy into a friend, and that has made all the difference.
This is my life, my future, my all.
This is what it is, to be a Malfoy.
~*~*~*~