Disclaimer: This is the last time I will say this…these characters and the situations on which they're based do not belong to me.
A/N:Long author's note here so have fun with my rambling...
Sorry for the wait--working out the details in revising this chapter was more difficult than I thought.
THANK YOU!to everyone who has followed this story, especiallythose of you who've left reviews. I had some really great ones and it means more than I can say! And for those who didn't leave an email address for me to reply to directly, I appreciate your comments and I'm sorry I couldn't let you know personally that I am grateful for them.
For the most part, the point of a songfic is to provide a vehicle for songs and lyrics that really move or touch the writer in some significant way. Once the lyrics have been incorporated the story has served it's purpose. That said, we have reached the end of this songfic. I hope you enjoyed. I certainly had fun writing. And as promised the complete lyrics used are at the end of this final chapter. How many of you earned Chocolate frogs? Grin!
Btw,my next piece is well on it's way, but due to it's length I'm really not comfortable posting it until it's been betaed(the number of errors in this story just goes to show that proofreading your own stuff isn't always enough) so please please, if anyone's interested or knows someone who is lemme know.
11. Conclusion
It was another three weeks before Draco was cleared to leave the infirmary and though he was quite recovered, Harry refused to leave until his fiancé was able to come home. Their small family received numerous visitors and found the time away from the hoopla of victory celebrations beneficial to their emotional recovery as well. It gave them much needed time to talk, to forgive, to heal, and to grow as a family.
Hermione, as the twins' godmother was a frequent visitor, as was the young man who'd matured greatly both in terms of his physical presence and confidence in his abilities, and who'd developed a surprisingly close friendhsip with Harry during the war, Neville Longbottom. After some hard thinking and painful conversations with Draco, Harry had chosen him as godfather. He'd decided that someone who was going to play such a vital role in his children's lives should support his family unconditionally. He'd opened his eyes to some hard truths about his 'best friend' during Hermione's visits and realised that while Ron would always be dear to him because he was his first friend, it had been a long time since they'd been best friends. He still loved the other man as a brother, but he'd matured enough to know that the love a surrogate brother and comrade-in-arms didn't necessitate abiding deep friendship or even a consistent relationship of trust, mutual respect and understanding. Ron, he realised, would always resent him for 'choosing' his love for Draco 'over' their friendship. That resentment would poison their relationship beyond mending over time; better to recognise their boundaries and limitations now than to leave the door wide open for escalating anger and hostility. That wasn't something he was willing to subject the people he loved to--not his future husband, not his children, not his friend.
Four months after they'd returned home to Grimmauld Place Harry and Draco wed in a private ceremony in the mansion's rear gardens. Despite their strained relationship, in honour of their long-standing friendship, Ron stood as Harry's Honour Attendant or Best Man and Hermione stood as Draco's Honour Attendant or Matron of Honour and both managed to have a reasonably good time with each other and the other guests despite their own marital strife. And aside from a few muttered comments and a bit of sniping as they'd dressed, Ron didn't disparage Draco's place in Harry's life (overly much), while it hurt that Ron was unable to put aside his animosity toward Draco for even that one day, Harry relished his friend's company nonetheless. After all they'd been through together he'd have been heartbroken to standup with anyone else.
Two months later, on the 6 month anniversary of their birth, the Potters celebrated the twins' Naming Day. After many talks alone with both Draco and Harry, several hard discussions with her parents and a few deep talks with Molly Weasley, Hermione invited Ron to the twins' Naming Day ceremony as her escort. Sadly, he declined both her and Harry's invitations. The regret and sadness that pricked the hearts of all their family and friends did not keep joy, happiness and good cheer from Abigail Nadezhda Cerise Malfoy Potter and Ailean Elpidius Beathan Malfoy Potter's Naming Day however. The twins were carted around and passed from relative to relative cooing and giggling all the while as their proud parents looked on laughing at both their children's and their guests' antics.
The following year was a good and difficult one. The restoration of war devastated areas was a slow and arduous process. As were the attempts at reconciliation and the subsequent divorce of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger-Weasley. They each had the support of their friends and family however, and while their split was painful, by the end they both realised that their views on marriage, family and acceptance were too different to allow for a life together. The house purchased as their wedding gift became the home of Bill and Fleur Weasley and their daughter Michelle. Ron moved into a flat above Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and began training as an Auror.
Draco struggled to regain his health in the year following the final battle. Snape's heart strengthening potion managed to reverse nearly all the damage caused by his torture under the Cruciatus curse but it took time to rebuild his stamina and with two active children to care for, being fit was a priority even though he and Harry shared parenting duties. They both 'worked' at home. Draco did consulting work for various diplomatic agencies, and Harry did a good deal of behind-the-scenes work in the restructuring of the Ministry. He and Draco had discussed it thoroughly and decided that at some point Harry would become more publicly active in politics perhaps eventually making a bid for Minister, in the meantime however, they would devote their time to their children and projects that interested them.
Draco and Hermione became even closer as the year progressed, as did Harry and Neville. And when the four of them celebrated Hermione's acceptance at one of Britain's premier spellwork research facilities, neither Draco nor Harry was surprised at the congratulatory kiss bestowed by Neville, though it did convince Draco that blush was definitely Hermione's colour and that they'd need to go shopping soon.
On their first wedding anniversary Draco and Harry dropped the twins off with their godparents, who'd recently moved in together, and took off for the only Malfoy property Draco hadn't sold, a small villa off the Corsican coast. He prepared them a sumptuous meal and set a thin sheaf of folded parchment on Harry's plate as he set out the serving dishes.
"What's all this Dragon?"
"Consider it your anniversary present."
Harry sat at the table and unfolded the parchment reading each carefully. The first several were the results of Draco's last physical examination by both Madam Pomfrey and Healer Daniels. Harry folded them back with a relieved sigh. Draco was healthy and his heart was finally fully-healed. As he put the parchment aside Draco placed a glass of champagne in his hand.
"To years and years and years and years of life together."
Harry smiled as his eyes filled with tears. He'd never said, but since the night of the twins' birth it had been his greatest fear that Draco's heart condition would steal him away before his time; that their life together would be cruelly cut short and that he'd again lose someone precious to him to Voldemort's sadism and viciousness, even after the monster had been destroyed. Of course, there were no guarantees, but knowledge of Draco's healed heart lifted a weight from his own.
His husband leaned down and kissed him gently then laid a second sheaf on Harry's dinner plate. Harry quirked an eyebrow at his husband who merely smiled enigmatically and lifted his glass.
Harry read the first of theseparchments carefully as well but nearly dropped his champagne glass as the details of the initial report settled in his mind. He raised shocked eyes to his husband who's raised water goblet glistened in the candlelight.
"To life Harry. To a lifetime together. To the lives our love has created. To our children borne and our child to come."
End.
A/N 2: In various languages, including Scots Gaelic, Old English, Greek and Russian, the children's names mean peace and hope or hope and peace and child of life, except for Cerise which has no deep and poignant meaning--I just wanted something French amd it was the first name that came to me.
A/N 3: I first head this song performed a cappella by a women's chorus and I was moved to tears. When I finally heard the original I thought it was brilliant. I still do. Kate Bush is an amazing vocalist. It's rather annoying that her work on Sensual World has been co-opted by mediocre television shows and movies, but it's still a great song. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find what lyrics I spliced and where…happy hunting! Oh and review please! Please! Please! Mercy Buckets!
Artist: Kate Bush
Song Title: This Woman's Work
Pray God you can cope.
I stand outside this woman's work,
This woman's world.
Ooh, it's hard on the man,
Now his part is over.
Now starts the craft of the father.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking
Of all the things I should've said,
That I never said.
All the things we should've done,
That we never did.
All the things I should've given,
But I didn't.
Oh, darling, make it go,
Make it go away.
Give me these moments back.
Give them back to me.
Give me that little kiss.
Give me your hand.
(I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.)
I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking
Of all the things we should've said,
That were never said.
All the things we should've done,
That we never did.
All the things that you needed from me.
All the things that you wanted for me.
All the things that I should've given,
But I didn't.
Oh, darling, make it go away.
Just make it go away now.