Chapter 60.

Three long years had passed, three years since that bloody battle, since many witch and wizard fell, never to stand back up. For the first year Draco watched his father drink himself into a stupor almost every night, awash with the loss of his Astrid and Everly. He searched for them, or rather, had people search for them, to no avail. They were gone, vanished from the wizarding world. He even had to drag his drunken father from the doorstep of the Burrow, as his father demanded her location from the Weasleys. Draco had apologised, the Weasleys had told him they understood his father's pain, and that they didn't know where Astrid and Everly were. Arthur and Kingsley had arranged a lenient sentence for Lucius, in mind of what he had done, even if it was for Astrid and not the cause. When he wasn't drinking, he was helping rebuild Hogwarts. Not with his own hands of course, but with his own money, and the money of his former death eater comrades. He oversaw the rebuild, he was rather meticulous with details, had an eye for design, and a taste for finger things.

In the second year Hogwarts was completed, and Lucius threw himself into other work, he handed Malfoy Manor over to Draco, it would've belonged to the boy eventually anyway he told himself, did it matter when? With what personal fortune he had left he funded and fundraised for various charitable projects, including one he set up designated for those who lost somebody in the war. Selfishly he hoped Astrid to step forward, and seek the help of the charity for her father and Severus' deaths, but she never did.

Slowly he stopped drinking, and started to become more recognisable as his old self, clean shaven, full blonde locks, his skin no longer tired and dull. He didn't dress as grandly, but the over-the-top robes were not something he missed anymore, he felt much more at home now in a simple black suit.

Draco was proud of how far his father had come since he hit rock bottom, three years on he was almost the man he remembered from before the war, but he knew there was an underlying sadness within him, a longing, a loss. There were also other differences… his father lacked the cruelty he once had, he now possessed empathy, patience, generosity. Words he never would have dreamt using to describe his father before.

"Mother is taking Astoria and I out for lunch, I was wondering if you wanted to join us father?" Draco asked from doorway to Lucius' small study. Sat at his desk, Lucius shuffled through various bits of paperwork.

"No, you're quite alright, I have work to be done for Minister Shacklebolt… do enjoy yourself though Draco, and give Miss Greengrass my best," Lucius half smiled from his desk. Draco nodded, closing the door to the study and made his way to the front of the manor. It looked different, compared to in those dark days, no longer did the manor sit under grey thunderous clouds, shrouded in darkness. No, it was much airier, brighter in these peaceful times.

A knock at the door caught Lucius' attention as he scratched his quill on a piece of parchment.

"Draco, I already told you, I have work to do." Lucius sighed from his desk, but when the door opened it was not Draco behind it.

"Mr Potter… I didn't know the ministry were sending an Auror, here to check up on me?" He asked as he went back to his parchment.

"I'm not here to check on you Mr Malfoy," Harry half smiled as he seated himself in an armchair opposite the wizard who once tried to curse him in the halls of Hogwarts.

"Then to what do I owe your visit?" Lucius smiled, setting down the quill with a sigh.

"I have news… it might be nothing… but I believe it to be something," Harrys eyes flashed to Lucius' blue ones, which grew wider with anticipation.

"Astrid?" Lucius asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"As you know the Avery estate was signed over into Astrid's name six months ago…"

"The place lays empty, I've been, I've searched, she hasn't step foot in the manor." Lucius sighed leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands together.

"Well today, the estate was sold." Harry informed him. "A letter accompanied the sale."

"Where?" Lucius asked, demanding the letter.

"I wasn't permitted to take it, but I looked at it, myself. It was written in Astrid's hand, I compared it to her notes on some of my old school essays. Most certainly her hand writing."

"Well… she's alive at least." Lucius sighed, his lip curling into a small smile.

"The letter gave nothing away, just demanded that the money from the sale of the estate goes to charity… your charity."

"She wants the money to go to the SWWF?" Lucius asked breathily. FWWF stood for Second Wizarding World Fund, his charity that he had set up in the name of lost ones.

"It seems so… which means-" Harry started, but was cut off.

"It means she's keeping in the loop about the goings on in the world, she knows about my good work, she must have heard about it, or read about it."

"Well, that was what I thought, the ink stamp on envelope of the letter didn't give much away about her location, it was from a muggle mail distribution centre in the south west."

"So, we cannot track her down from the envelope? Well, never mind, it was a good find Mr Potter." Lucius said sadly, picking up his quill once more.

"I'm not done Mr Malfoy." Harry lips twitched into a small smile. "I was a bit cheeky, this morning managed to get into the database for all the daily prophet subscriptions… compiled a list of the addresses in the south west."

"Was that legal Mr Potter?" Lucius asked with a small chuckle, dropping his quill once again.

"I won't tell if you don't, being an Auror has it's perks," Harry smiled, reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled a parchment.

"There isn't a lot of wizards living out that way, but there's still twenty-four addresses here, they might all lead to nothing but you will probably want to check them all." Harry said, flopping the list down on Lucius desk. With two fingers Lucius slid the list over to his side of the desk and picked it up between his fingers he scanned the addresses. And then again. And then again.

"I think… I will just check the one." Lucius whispered as his eyes read a particular address four or five times. Lucius folded the parchment, pushing it into his black suit jacket. "Thank you, Mr Potter, you have been most helpful."

"My pleasure Mr Malfoy, you aren't the only one who wants to find her, we all miss her."

"I know." Lucius nodded, "I trust I can hand these over to you, they're for Minister Shacklebolt, if he doesn't get them by the end of the day, I'm afraid he'll chuck me into Azkaban," Lucius joked, handing Harry a pile of papers. Harry accepted them with a nod. "I hope you don't find me terrible rude if I ask you to see yourself out?" Lucius asked.

"Of course not, I did let myself in anyway, didn't I?" Harry smiled making his way towards the door to the study. "Fingers crossed this isn't a dead end, Mr Malfoy."

"I have everything crossed Mr Potter." Lucius said just before he apparated away with a pop.

When Lucius apparated, he had repeated the address in his head, ensuring he arrived at his location without being splinched. 'Clifftop Cottage, Old Wagon Road, Porthcurno' he repeated determinedly, and with a pop he arrived in one piece on a dusty lane side.

It was warm there, a bright sunny July day. Lucius could hear seagulls over head as his eyes adjusted to the sunshine. As his eyes focussed, he was met with the most beautiful sight, from high up on the cliff he overlooked the bay, taking in the sight of its beautiful clear aqua waters, its white sandy beach. The waves rolled in calmly, causing beautiful ripples in the clear ocean. It was more like something from an exotic foreign land, not a sight you'd expect to see in England.

Lucius turned, curious to find the Clifftop Cottage, and behind him there is stood. Lucius smiled at its charm, his memory jogged by its quaint sight, he remembered how captivated she seemed speaking about it all those years ago. He understood why now she would choose a dainty little cottage over a grand estate. Walking down the garden path he approached the cottages sage green door, and to his amusement his stomach flipped with anticipation, a sickly anxiety filling him. With a deep breath he knocked upon it. He waited, and waited, but there was no answer. He moved to windows, peering inside, he saw no movement. With an exasperated sigh he moved back to the door, knocking again. Still no answer. He used his skills as a legilimens to look for minds inside the house, but there was none, no one was home.

With a sigh he turned, and headed back down the garden path which was lined with beautiful roses in every colour. I've missed her, he told himself, she was already long gone. He knew she had been there, could almost feel that she had touched upon this place recently, but alas he figured he was too late, she had already moved on. Her father had been an expert at it… jumping safe house to safe house, undetected, never in one place for too long.

Lucius sighed as he stepped onto the dusty road, ready to apparate back to Malfoy Manor to continue his work. He cursed himself for getting wrapped up in this fool's errand, he almost didn't want to believe it, but Potter had seemed so sure. Over the years he had followed many leads, all of them came back empty… just like this one.

With a deep breath he readied himself, about to close his eyes and picture home, when a distant sight caught his attention. Down on the beach… he squinted his eyes to get a better look… a young woman… blonde wavy hair rippling about her shoulders… ahead of her playing on the sand, a child with blonde straight hair, the girl's laughter could be heard echoing up the cliff face, reaching his ears like music. The child's laugh was like a melody he had not heard in a long time, different to what he remembered, but instantly recognisable. Walking slowly, nervously, he approached the stairway that descended from the clifftop and wrapped around the cliff face to the beach below.

He watched the scene before him as he descended the stairs, the child ran to the sea, laughing, she kicked up the sparkling waters at her mother. The mother chased after the young girl, both of them laughing. The young mothers white cotton sun dress billowed beautifully in the sea breeze as she chased her daughter across the sand playfully. Lucius stepped off the bottom step, and made a start towards the little family on the beach.

"I'm going to get you!" The mother laughed, chasing her daughter in the opposite direction to Lucius.

"Not if I get you first!" The child laughed in return, turning around, she scooped up a handful of water and threw it at her mother.

"That's not fair! I have my hands full!" The mother laughed, turning away from the little girl and shielding herself from the water attack. "Enough! You're going to get your brother soaked!" The mother laughed.

Lucius stopped in his tracks. The woman did have her hands full… in her arms and on her hip, she carried a young boy with dark wavy hair. He was no older than two and a half.

The young woman lifted the boy down, placing him on his feet.

"Can we have a little paddle?" The little girl asked, taking her brothers hand and leading him towards the edge of the sea.

"Paddle!" The little boy cried out.

"We aren't going to get too wet… we have to go back soon, it's almost lunch time," The mother sighed defeatedly, taking the boys other hand the three of them walked through the water, the delicate waves splashing against their feet and ankles, the boy and girl laughed hysterically at the feeling, curling their toes up in the sand.

Lucius swallowed the lump in his throat, and began walking again, he was so close now, he could see the familiar curve of her waist, the shine in her blonde hair.

It was her.

It was most certainly her.

It had to be her.

The little girl turned around, and Lucius' heart jumped a beat.

Everly. His Everly. He saw Astrid in her beautiful button nose, and himself in her pale blue eyes. She had freckles now, just like her mother, and pin hair straight still, just like him. She was tall, even for a girl of five, clearly, she didn't inherit that from Astrid.

Everly smiled at him a toothy grin, even though he was sure she had no idea who he was she smiled anyway. She released her brother's hand and poked her mother hard in the hip, pointing to him on the sandy shore.

Astrid turned, looking in the direction her daughter pointed, she lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she searched the beach, her blue eyes found Lucius not even a second later.

Astrid froze. Her breath caught in her chest.

Not tearing her eyes from the man, she reached down, scooping up the boy, resting him on her hip she held her hand out for Everly to take, which she did happily, and the three of them made their way through the wet cold sand up to where the sand was dry and warm on their feet.

Astrid came to a halt a few meters from him.

"Lucius?" She asked unsteadily. She didn't need to ask, it was undoubtedly him, though he looked much different to the last time she saw him in person.

"Astrid." Lucius spoke, his voice hitched in his throat. He looked over Astrid's face, a few more freckles cast over her nose and cheeks, no doubt from long days playing on the beach with her children. Her hair was longer now, pulled back in a half up, half down style, her mermaid waves never looked better than blowing in the breeze on that white sand beach.

Lucius bent down to one knee, with a sad smile he looked to his daughter, unsure how she would greet him: a stranger.

"Everly," He barely choked out.

"Daddy!" Everly cried to his surprise, and the girl flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulder she buried her face into his neck. Lucius wrapped his arms around the child lovingly, he looked up to Astrid, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"We see your pictures in the paper… we talk about you… often." Astrid explained with a small blush.

"Well… I don't think that's fair… I never got to see your picture in the paper my sweet," Lucius smiled, as his daughter pulled back.

"Well, you don't need one now, I'm right here!" The girl giggled, hugging her father again. Astrid watched as father and daughter had a tender moment, but the wriggly dark-haired boy in her arms was growing restless… and hungry.

Lucius rose to his feet slowly, Everly taking his hand in hers tightly.

"So, who is this little man?" Lucius asked with a small smile, though Astrid detected a hint of sadness in it.

"My brother!" Everly told him excitedly. Astrid smiled uneasily as she turned the boy a little to face Lucius.

"This is Sebastian… or just Seb to us," Astrid said. Lucius could hear her nervousness.

"Nice to meet you Seb," Lucius smiled, shaking the little boy's hand. "I hope you've been taking care of my girls for me,"

"He has," Astrid smiled, smoothing down the boys' dark waves.

"Sebby can't take care of anything, he's not even three yet! I can write my own name and do a handstand," Everly said matter-o-factly.

"Okay show off, why don't you be a big girl and help me make lunch then too?" Astrid asked raising her brows.

"I will! Because I am a big girl," Everly said, dragging her father's hand towards the stairs. Astrid followed after the two of them, Sebastian grumbling unhappily on her hip, he was more than ready for lunch.

"That you are," Lucius smiled down at his daughter as she led him up the cliffside stairs.

"What do you want in your sandwich Everly?" Astrid asked from the kitchen of the Cliffside Cottage as she opened the fridge door. "Ham, or cheese?"

"Cheese!" Sebastian answered, though the question was not for him, he always wanted cheese in his sandwich.

"Jam." The little girl smiled defiantly. Astrid dug around in the fridge.

"You're in luck you little monster, we have jam, come on them come spread it yourself whilst I make your brothers." Astrid invited the girl over to the wooden kitchen island, where she jumped up onto a little step stool and began dipping a knife into the jam jar. Astrid buttered some bread as Lucius watched from his stool on the other side of the island. Sebastian was next to him, in his high chair, whining for his lunch.

Astrid carefully placed some cheese into the sandwich, and chopping into four triangles, placed it in front of the toddler, who immediately removed the bread and took a handful of cheese, shoving it straight into his mouth.

"I will cut my own sandwich!" Everly insisted, as she dragged the butterknife through the bread, it wasn't neatly cut, but it was cut. The girl slapped her sandwich onto a plate and pulled up a seat next to Lucius. She hastily began stuffing her face.

"She's very self-assured," Lucius smiled, eyeing Astrid as she put away the jam, cheese, bread and butter. "Just like you,"

"You think so? She's always putting up a fight with me… like you," Astrid sighed with a cheeky smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"You're not a handful for your mother, are you?" Lucius asked the girl, with mock shock. The girl laughed and nodded.

"And is he… like his father?" Lucius asked eyeing the little boy fondly.

"He's grumpy, and barely sleeps, so yes, I guess he is," Astrid smiled sadly.

"Is he the reason… you ran away?" Lucius asked with a deep sigh. He could understand why she had, pregnant with another mans child… Severus of all people… he would not have reaction graciously, he would not have reacted like this, but he wouldn't have abandoned her, left her. No, he would have raised Severus' child as his own, if only she'd asked.

"No, I didn't even know I was pregnant when I left Hogwarts that day… I just felt I needed…. Time. To recover and heal, get my thoughts and feelings straightened out. I loved and lost so much in that time, I just wanted to heal… and then out popped Sebastian," Astrid smile sadly. "After that I couldn't face going back to you,"

"You could have come back; I would've stepped up… as his father." Lucius said.

"I was scared Lucius, I thought you would be mad." Astrid exhaled, she moved to the sink, taking a clean glass from the drying rack she turned the tap on, filling it with water and raising the glass to her lips she took a long drink. Lucius moved from his seat, stroking down Everly's hair as she ate, he rounded her and made his way to Astrid. He pressed a soft hand to her back as she placed the glass down.

"I still will… step up, if you want me to." Lucius said, his thumb caressed her white cotton dress.

"You would want to? After everything?" Astrid asked, tears stung at her eyes, sad and happy, a confusing mixture of both.

"Of course…. I love you Astrid, I love Everly, and Sebastian… I loved his father dearly, my oldest friend, I would be honoured to raise his son." Lucius told her, cupping her cheek. Astrid stared into his eyes, they practically melted her, along with his velvety words. She was reminded then just how she fell in love with him in the first place. Standing up on her tippy toes she kissed him softly on the lips. Surprised by her actions Lucius hesitated, as she tried to pull away Lucius pulled her into a deeper kiss, one that ignited something in both of them.

"Ewwww! Gross!" Everly laughed as she made cartoonish sickly noises, covering her eyes dramatically.

"Oh, I'm sorry are we embarrassing you?" Astrid asked with a laugh.

"Let's embarrass her a little more," Lucius murmured capturing Astrid's lips again, his hand running down her back to her waist, he held her tightly to him.

"That's enough! Enough kisses!" Everly laughed, covering her eyes.

"What? You mean you don't want any?" Astrid asked as she rushed over to the girl and placed a dozen kisses all over her face, wrapping her arms around the child.

"No! no! no more kisses!" Everly laughed.

"Fine, just one more, for Seb, so he doesn't feel left out." Astrid approached the toddler and placed a kiss upon his head as he happily shovelled cheese into his mouth.

"What's after lunch?" Everly asked as she placed her crusts down on her plate.

"I don't know, what do you want to do after lunch?" Astrid asked, as she returned to Lucius's side. He wrapped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her to his side.

"Let's play a game!" Everly offered.

"What game do you want to play my sweet?" Lucius asked as his fingers tickled Astrid's side.

Everly thought a moment, lifting her finger to her chin dramatically she hummed.

"Let's play..." The girl pondered a long while.

"Whatever she chooses she will likely try to cheat you at it," Astrid laughed, knowing her daughter's cheeky demeanour.

"Shh! I'm thinking!" Everly scolded with a cheeky grin "Let's play…"

The girl narrowed her eyes as she thought, and then it was as if a light bulb went off in her head.

"I spy!"

Fin.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this wild ride! If you have any burning ideas or desires for me to write another fanfiction, send them my way, if something piques my interest I will oblige! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of it all!