EPILOGUE - FRESNEL

Scorpius always knew his fiancée was barmy. Completely, utterly, and undeniably barmy. Why else would she drag him and her very pregnant belly to his parents' house. Willingly. She usually hated the place that contained his uptight and aristocratic parents that didn't approve of her.

"Slow down!" he said to her as they walked up the lane. She was a few steps ahead of him, her long legs and very fast strut making him pick up his pace or be dragged.

"Scorpius I am not in the mood to be chastised for 'moving too quickly for my health' or 'knocking the brains out of this baby' again." She didn't even look at him as she spoke, her eyes intent on the manor that was coming closer every second. Her long red curly hair, one of the things Scorpius loved so dearly, hadn't really changed over the years and was bouncing outrageously with every step. She clung to his hand a little too tight, the only indicator that she wasn't quite as composed as she portrayed.

"No, love. It's not that. The albino beasts are eyeing you up. If you move faster than a leisurely walk they might attack. You're waddling much too fast!"

He sadly knew that from experience. Peacocks were deadly. She turned to glare at him over her shoulder. He knew he was going to get it for telling her she waddled.

"Let the stupid varmints try. I'll wallop the lot of them. And I do not waddle, I walk quickly and decisively."

Scorpius sincerely hoped the peacocks knew what was good for them. His parents wouldn't be pleased if anything turned up dead. . .

Rose banged loudly on the door, not stopping her fist until the door was opened to the irritated face of Astoria Malfoy. She was one of the most snooty ladies they both knew who unluckily happened to be his mother. Already Rose knew that the immaculate blonde was judging her appearance; the rumpled sundress, the very pregnant belly, the messy flyaway hair.

Astoria looked irritated, both at the pounding and finding Rose Weasley at the other end. She hadn't even looked at or acknowledged Scorpius yet.

"Draco," she called with scorn evident in her voice. "Scorpius's friend is here."

And that's all Rose was to his parents: the italicised, overemphasized friend. It actually only became friend in the past few years. Before it was 'that bad influence,' 'the girl,' and 'the charity case.' Scorpius was rather impressed it had become 'friend' at all.

"Hi mum," Scorpius said pointedly. "It's fiancée." It wasn't like he was standing that far to the side for his mum to not notice him. Astoria rolled her eyes and turned around to face him as a small scowl appeared on her face. She wasn't impressed with her son as of late – only about the past seven years or so.

"Oh. Your son is also here with her," Astoria yelled over her shoulder. She told Scorpius, "It's been five years. If you're not getting married it's no longer fiancée." She stood and glared at them as if trying to scare them away from her front step.

"You didn't even call her a fiancée when we first became engaged!" exclaimed Scorpius. Rose patted him on the shoulder to placate him. He seemed to take all the rude things his parents said about her to heart. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside that he cared about her like that, but it was unneeded. She had a thick skin, 'twas necessary.

Tired of waiting for the icy Astoria to make the next move Rose pushed passed her, dragging Scorpius with her into the foyer. "So kind of you, Astoria, to welcome us warmly into your house. Thank you so much for your hospitality. And oh? what was that? Yes, of course we would love to have a quick chat with you in the stuffy and over-decorated drawing room. Two teas and no sugar in either. Thank you for asking."

Scorpius grinned at his mother's shocked expression. Merlin, he had a hot fiancée. She didn't take crap from anybody. Rose detached from his hand and he watched his mother strut to the kitchen, mentally wishing she'd trip so she would thaw a little bit.

"Scorpius," Rose said sharply and he realised she was already halfway to the drawing room. He hadn't yet moved from his spot in the foyer. He ran to catch up to her. For someone seven and a half months pregnant she sure could move fast.

"Sit!" she commanded to him as she pointed to the love seat. Rose was 'in one of those moods' as Scorpius called it and he wasn't about to argue with her. He wanted his parents to be blasted by her full temper. Whatever they did he was sure they deserved it. Rose paced quickly back and forth on the carpet until Astoria and Draco appeared in the doorway, whispering between themselves as Astoria carried two cups of tea. She placed them roughly on the table, letting the hot liquid slop over the edge.

"Weasley, to what do we owe this. . . pleasure of seeing you and Scorpius today," Draco said, his eyes reluctantly riveted on her stomach.

"Oh cut the crap Draco. It's not your pleasure and I don't enjoy being here." She pulled a letter from her pocket and practically threw it on the table. Scorpius raised his eyebrows, this being the first time such a letter was revealed to him. He inched forward in his chair and pulled the letter towards him to read.

"I don't see the problem."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Oh really. Really? You don't see where I'd have the problem of you thinking you can barge into our lives that you've never acknowledged before and tell us – not even recommend or ask nicely – TELL US WHAT TO NAME OUR CHILD AS YOU THREATHEN TO DISOWN YOUR SON AND UNBORN GRANDCHILD? AND IF THAT'S NOT THE TOPPING OF THE PROVERBIAL ROTTEN APPLE, YOU THREATEN TO GET SCORPIUS FIRED! Where have you been the past seven years? How dare you think you have a right to demand anything!"

"We have a right. Your spawn will be our grandchild."

The hot tea that was in Scorpius's mouth was suddenly spit out, and not because it was scalding his tongue. Spawn!

Rose continued her spiel. "You have never acknowledged me as your son's friend, girlfriend, or fiancée. You have done everything you can to try to break us up. You have stormed my parents' house, locked me out of your house multiple times in undesirable weather, tried to get some stupid law at the Ministry passed, and almost got me ARRESTED. Why do you even think I WOULD CONSIDER THOSE WRETCHED NAMES!"

Draco had his eyebrows raised. "I think all this anger is unnecessary."

"Oh? Really? Well you might as well get used to it because it's not going away Draco! I know you don't like me and don't approve of me. That is abundantly clear. But just because Scorpius and I are together does not mean you get to kick him to the curb. You have no good reason to take your anger out on him just because you hold some sort of stupid grudge against me."

Scorpius wanted to blame the pregnancy hormones, but he understood where Rose's anger was coming from when he finished the letter. He didn't even care that his parents would write him out of the will or 'try' to get him fired, the only thing was –

"SERPENS!" he said, standing up and holding the letter accusingly at his parents. There were only a few previous times he could remember standing up to them. This was a worthy addition to the small list. "AND OPHIUCHUS FOR A GIRL! I can't even pronounce that name! Absolutely not! We are not naming our kids these. Rose is right, how dare you even think you have jurisdiction here to demand anything."

To his credit, Astoria and Draco looked slightly jostled.

"Scorpius, honey. You're not at work," Rose murmured.

"It's a ten century tradition for the Malfoy's. As you are the father of this. . . baby. It is up to you to carry on the tradition. And this is the tradition," Draco told his son severely.

Rose stuck her hands on her hips. "Oh, really. We appreciate the blackmail you've enclosed to try to make us carry on that tradition. That makes our choices so much easier. WRONG. You've chosen the wrong person to mess with let me tell you."

Rose stuck out her hands to stop herself and took a few deep breaths.

"In case you have forgotten," she continued, "I'm not a Malfoy!"

"We know," Astoria ground out through clenched teeth. She smoothed her perfectly ironed skirt over her legs and breathed in heavily, her nostril becoming pinched. "But that baby you have in your stomach is a Malfoy."

"Oh? You seem rather certain of that," Rose said. She picked up her tea and took a big drink, looking at his parents with a shrewd look that Scorpius only knew too well. She had a few cards hidden under her sleeve that she was about to play and he was excited to see where it would unfold to. The table was all hers.

Astoria seemed to catch the implication of her statement and paled. "What – what do you mean?"

"As you've obviously pointed out every time we've crossed paths, I'm still a Weasley. NOT a Malfoy. Therefore our baby will be a Weasley if you insist on trying to blackmail your way into our lives. And Scorpius will also take my last name when we get married. The Malfoy name will end with your generation."

Draco's mouth could not have opened wider. Scorpius wished he could take a picture to preserve this moment in time. There was once a time when he was scared of his dad. Ever since he started to fall for Rose, he had something worth standing up and fighting for. He loved Rose and this was his life now; he couldn't ever let someone dictate it or take away what he cared about. Rose didn't let their opinions stop her and he was learning to do that as well.

His parents gazed at Rose in shock, as if they couldn't believe such vile and mutinistic words could come out of her mouth.

"Scorpius are you going to let her just say that to us?" his mother gasped out. Her blue eyes frantically looking around at him, Draco, and then Rose.

Scorpius held up his hands, trying to keep the smile off his face, something else his parents hated for the dimpled cheek that marred his 'Malfoy perfection.' Tradition meant everything to his family. He would happily break it.

"I'll gladly take the name Weasley. It even has a nice ring, doesn't it? Scorpius Weasley." He grinned at his parents, enjoying their discomfort.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy! You were raised much better than - " Draco huffed loudly and stopped talking. He regained his composure and narrowed her eyes. "You two aren't getting married. It's been five years since you've been. . . engaged." He said it like it was a dirty word.

Rose arched an eyebrow. "Yes. We've been engaged a long time. Much longer than yours and Astoria's three month engagement. But that's okay with us. We've been busy, which you obviously have no idea about because you don't want anything to do with me. However you might have just provided enough motivation. How dare you try coercion on us. We've a date set. You just haven't been invited. . ."

Scorpius tried to let no emotion show on his face. They actually didn't have a date set, yet.

Sometimes he forgot they weren't married, for they acted the same every day as if they were. Scorpius knew they were going to be together until death did them apart. When he first proposed after two years of dating, they had tentatively decided to have the wedding after they graduated school and started their jobs. They were already living together in Vienna, paying bills together, and planning for the future.

But then life took over. She was working through school when he first proposed, then working backstage and putting on productions, and now working towards getting published a second time. He had been working part-time touring people around the mountains when he finished his schooling to start working full time as an officer in the Magical Law Enforcement - working the two jobs at the same time. There was almost no time for a transition period or a wedding after school finished. Their jobs didn't even slow down or end when school did.

Then before they realised they should have eloped, it seemed there were rounds of weddings they needed to attend in her family and midnight Floo calls to say a new baby was born. Even though they felt that they didn't have the time or money, they had just attended Albus's and Josef's wedding last year. Even that was stressing because Rose was a bridesmaid and was struggling with all the responsibilities. Now Pippa and James had called for the spotlight next and were planning a wedding six months away.

Scorpius and Rose faded to the background and actually rather liked it. Neither of them really talked about it, but getting married was getting pushed back and back. Not that they really minded, they didn't need a ring and a marriage certificate to be together.

Their lives only briefly slowed down when Rose realised she was pregnant. They took a step back and tried to sort out their future plans. Then Scorpius was picking up a few extra shifts to pay for the added expenses of a new person in the household and Rose had to push up the production date of the play her and Aziza were putting on at the local theatre. They lost a month of preparation because of the baby's due date and so were working extreme overtime hours to be ready for the performance.

Scorpius wanted marriage for Rose. He knew she would never say anything or push, but he knew that she was tired of making excuses to their parents and they were both tired of having to go through lengthy legal processes at Gringotts and the Ministry. No matter how tired they were of attending weddings, they couldn't help but dream of their own. So even if she was widely bluffing to his parents that they set a date, it might actually be enough to get them planning something.

"What do you want Weasley," Draco said tiredly.

Damn she was quick. His dad giving up already! Scorpius's own record was three days of persistent coercion before he gave in. And that was just when he wanted to bring Rose over for supper. His longest record wasn't even over. A few times a year he got into a heated argument with his parents about his relationship with Rose. They still couldn't act decently around her.

"Well first of all, you can start calling me Rose anytime soon. I'm not leaving, or going anywhere."

"It will take some time," Astoria said.

"Oh don't stress yourself. If you put in all that effort, I'll greatly appreciate it," Rose said sarcastically. "I know it's hard to do."

"That's it?" asked Draco, preparing to get off the couch.

"Of course it isn't. I've only just begun. Sit back down. Next condition, you have no say in what we name our child. And I'll save you the disappointment later, our kid is not going to be named after a constellation or a star. And that point is not arguable. You lost that influence years ago."

His mum was already rubbing her temples. Scorpius picked up his tea cup and settled in to watch the show.

"Our child may or may not have the last name Malfoy. You can worry about that for the next few months as I decide if that name is even worthy of our child. So far you're proving it's not."

Oh, his dad was pinching his nose! Scorpius was guessing he'd summon a house elf to bring him a whisky on the rocks. . .

"You also have the next couple months to worry about me becoming a Malfoy, or Scorpius becoming a Weasley. One of them is going to happen and you won't know until the wedding day. That is, if you're even invited to the wedding."

"Sweet Merlin woman! You're blackmailing us now! The Malfoy name is one of the oldest –"

Astoria elbowed him to shut him up. That was good. It meant she was paying attention to what was going on and knew that Rose cared nothing for the supposed prestige of his last name. The more his dad brought it up, the worse it would be.

"Don't deal what you can't handle," Rose said quietly. "You've been trying to manipulate us for too long. That stops today."

Draco snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared. Scorpius grinned behind his cup.

"Single malt scotch. . . Quickly!"

So he was skipping the whiskey. . . Scorpius was going to have to do something really special for Rose tonight.

"Lastly, one of my friends and I are putting on a play titled 'The Brewing Hour.' Performance is at seven. Tickets will be at the front desk when you walk in. It's a muggle venue. We'll see you there and you can be your agreeable selves to my parents because there are no sides in this. We are a family. If you want anything at all to do with our child or wedding, you will watch yourself the next months. Understand?"

It took forever, but Astoria reluctantly nodded. Draco was gripping his drink like his life depended on it and didn't seem capable of words.

Rose finished her tea and set the cup down with a bang on the saucer.

"I think we'll show ourselves out now. You two have been really accommodating to us today. Such lovely company. Just like always."

That was his cue. Scorpius stood up and helped her out of the chair. She winced and kept her hand on her back as she straightened. Then the two headed off.

"Bye Mother. Father. See you in one month!" he said as they were just about out of the drawing room.

He then murmured to Rose. "I don't really want to see my parents very much. Let's keep visits to a minimum."

She nodded as she rubbed her back. "Agreed. That was exhausting. I think I'm going to need a nap as soon as we get back."

They reached the outdoors and started weaving through the peacocks.

"You were wonderful today," he moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, kissing her on the temple.

"Some things just don't mix. That includes my pregnancy hormones and your parents. . . Sorry I was so bitchy."

"No, they've been acting irrationally for too long. It was time someone reminded them of who they weren't."

Rose wrapped her hand around his waist, pulling him closer to her. They strolled out of the Malfoy property and started walking in the countryside, arm in arm. They wandered around, relaxed, for quite some time and just enjoying each other's company. It was rare that they had personal time together and so they treasured the moment. They reached a small creek and Rose was reminded of the jump she did the past spring, a jump into freezing cold water with two loveable bodies beside her.

"Well, shall we go home? Back to our mad lifestyles and messy house? Because I bet you that darn kitten you just bought got into the garbage again," she said. And Merlin help the little ingrate if he so much as breathed on her toad.

"Rose, home is wherever you are," Scorpius said with a cheeky grin and another kiss on the temple.

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't be cheesy."

"Well you know it's true."

She squeezed his waist in affection. "Well I would prefer not to have my home in your parent's backyard."

Scorpius grimaced at that thought.

"Let's go home," he said. They did have a wedding that supposedly needed planning.

~xx~

La fin.

A/N: Aaannnnd, we've reached the end of this 'short' story. I honestly hope you enjoyed it. I covered a huge stretch of time in 7 chapters - not totally dismissing doing an 'after Hogwarts' sort of story with these characters to cover the gap between Act V and the Epi. Hope everyone has a Happy Holidays and is able to spend it with loved ones. :)