Disclaimer:- I neither own nor earn anything from this story. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and associates.
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A/N:- Well dear friends, here we are, finally at the end of the story. I know that this conclusion has been a long time coming, and for that I apologise. I must admit that real life and family illness is much to blame, but I also have to say that I became really bogged down in what to include and what to leave out of this chapter once I decided that it would be the last one.
I have really enjoyed telling this story and reading your opinions and views and once again I thank everyone who has reviewed, or added an alert for this story, you have made it my most popular story, thank you. I am happy that so many people have read and enjoyed it. Well, on with the last chapter…
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Chapter Thirty Five – The Years That Followed
It didn't take long for the threesome of Hermione Granger, Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy to become a rock solid family and extended family. They became a true triad, and this was a state of affairs that all three of them wished to make a permanent thing.
Therefore, once she had recovered from Georgina's birth Hermione started putting her considerable research skills into finding still existing laws that would enable them to be publically bonded and married to each other in the eyes of the British wizarding public.
The other reason for wanting to make their relationship a legitimate marriage was that for some time Lucius had been receiving overtures from the Slytherin factions on the Wizengamot for him to take a more political role in things. In short that wanted to sponsor him as the next minister of magic, as Shacklebolt had worn his welcome out with more people than just Severus and Lucius. It appeared that there was a growing movement of people becoming critical of Kingsley's handling of the Harry Potter problem and his general nepotism, and he was becoming very unpopular within the ranks of the Wizengamot and not only with Slytherins.
Hermione and Severus thought that Lucius would make a splendid minister and even though the next election was still years off they instantly threw their support behind him, and to this end Hermione started her research.
The Malfoy library proved to be the best source of references, not only did it have detailed martial records of the entire pureblood population—triad arrangements only tended to happen in pureblood society—but it had a surprise installed for Lucius. A participant in a successful triad had been one Hyperion Malfoy who had from 1731 until his death in 1756 had maintained a successful and legal triad relationship with a witch and another wizard.
To his companions surprise Lucius laughed when he heard this. "And he was still shot in a duel over someone else's witch," he told them between bouts of laughter.
"How do you know that?" Hermione wished to know.
"Because I've met my kinsmen. Hyperion haunts one of the little used parlours in the west wing."
"Well, lead the way then, he will be able to tell us what we need to know," Hermione declared.
Looking up from his work, it was Severus' turn to laugh. "So, you're just going to march up to a Slytherin—especially one who is two and a half centuries old—and demand that he tell you what you want to know?" One of his raven eyebrows rose in question as he spoke.
That took the wind out of her sails. "Oh! Umm, yes… I guess not."
Lucius had been leaning over her shoulder looking at what she'd found and he now pulled her out of her chair and up against him. "Don't worry, I know how to deal with him," and he proceeded to dance her out of the library and down the hallway with her laughing merrily. "Are you coming, Severus?" Lucius called as they disappeared up the hallway.
The Potions master grumbled and made a couple more amendments to the parchment he was writing on, but got up and followed them smiling at their antics, and also showing that his complaints were good-natured. "Yes, I'm coming, but I also want to get back to my submission for the St. Mungos board for the end of business."
Now Severus had finished at Hogwarts he was enjoying his freedom, but the challenge set by research was a big lure to him, and he was currently vying for a prestigious contract.
"It won't take long, Sev," Lucius said, light heartedly, "and it will give pet the direction for her research, won't it, love?" and he pulled them to a stop and cast an affectionate look upon the woman in his arms before kissing her smiling lips.
This gave Severus time to catch up, and they both took in the woman they adored, her milk-laden breasts rising and falling sharply after her exercise. Lucius smirked, and gathering both his lovers to him he apparated them to the little used western corner of the manor.
Hermione noted as they started to walk that even this little used area was clean and dust free regardless of its lack of use. The house elves were very thorough where they were confident to go into the rooms, even unused areas. Unlike the threats in Abraxas' rooms Severus and Lucius had told her about when they first returned to the manor, and she shivered slightly. Looking around she remembered that these particular rooms had been Lucius' grandmother's rooms and he'd told her that she had been a gentle lady, and the decorations were very feminine. She was brought back from her thoughts by the sound of Lucius' voice.
"Hyperion, you scoundrel, are you here?" he called as they entered the parlour.
"Ah, the current lord of the manor," the silvery figure who had just swept through the picture above the fireplace said. Then his astute eyes took in Severus and then landed on Hermione. "Oh and with such delightful company," and he offered Hermione his hand.
Knowing it was polite to accept a ghost's hand even it did feel like being grasped by ice water, the Gryffindor witch extended her own.
Hyperion reverently placed his lips on her knuckles and kissed them as his eyes leered at her. "Is this your esteemed lady, my lord?" he asked Lucius without looking away from Hermione.
"She is the greatly esteemed lady of us both," Severus offered waspishly, wrapping his hands around Hermione's waist in an act of possession.
Understanding dawned on the face of the ghost and he laughed. "A triad, a long honoured tradition," the ghost replied. "My apologies, dear sir," and he bowed his head slightly to Severus.
Lucius went to stand behind them, with a hand on each of their shoulders. "In fact both of these good people are my partners, as I am theirs," he stated.
The ghost's eyebrow rose. "Then a true triad, are you also by chance, pure-blood, half-blood and muggleborn?"
"We are," Hermione stated defensively, but was surprised by the ghost's reply.
"Ah, good…good, even more power you will have then." Hyperion could see that he'd lost them with his talk. "A union between three such people is blessed, you will prosper magnificently."
"Oh!" Lucius gasped, slightly taken back by his kinsman's opinion as well.
"Do not look so surprised, Lucius, this family has not always been pure-blooded bigots. I believe the rot only set in two generation ago." He motioned around the room. "Your grandmother was a potent but gentle woman, and we had some wonderful conversations, but why do you think she never left these apartments?"
"I've never thought on it," Lucius admitted.
"Andromeda Malfoy was a powerful witch, but she disagreed with her husband's, your grandfather's, opinions on blood purity. This was her prison, the locket she wore, did you ever see it?" He watched Lucius nod. "It was given as a present, your grandfather gave it to her in…" the ghost raised his eyes to the ceiling and tapped his middle finger on his chin in a thinking poise. "Nineteen sixty six, I believe." His eyes then turned to the three listening. "However, as soon as he put it on her she found that it was also to be her jailer, your grandfather had had it spelled to contain her magic and she couldn't take it off."
"That's barbaric," Hermione all but yelled.
"It was an effective way of silencing her regardless," the ghost replied coolly, taking offence at Hermione's tone.
"It's wrong," Hermione defended angrily, and started to draw her wand.
"Unfortunately these things happened more often than we're told about," Severus said quietly, trying to placate her. "I have similar stories my mother told me," he added as he glanced at Lucius.
Lucius stepped in between the ghost and Hermione. "As do I," he agreed, with a scowl on his face at the look of pure devilment now evident on his relative's pale face, he'd forgotten what a delight this ghost had in taunting people he disagreed with.
After her experiences, discrimination and mistreatment were hot issues with her, and she was ready to defend her statements. "And these are the people we're worried about appearing proper in front of, people who easily sat by while things like this happened and while I was victimised by a so called war hero. Neither of those idiot boys would have lasted to see the final battle had it not been for people like us looking after them, and what thanks do we get. You two stayed away for ten years until things died down, and I was persecuted for my trouble."
Hyperion was ignoring Lucius and Severus' displeasure and was still watching avidly, his eyes alight with mischief. "Firecracker, isn't she?" he commented, not knowing the circumstances.
Lucius turned on him quickly. "I'd zip it if I were you, you do not know the state of affairs and our Hermione is a very powerful witch who shouldn't be angered. She has a few spells that could make your afterlife decidedly less than pleasant," he warned, as he saw Severus still trying to soothe their angry love as her displeasure turned to pain at the deeds perpetrated on her and this made him bristle further. "Perhaps if you two start back, I will find you after I've gained the information we require," he added, and watched Severus nod his understanding.
Severus guided the angry Hermione from the room. Her anger was still—even after all their coaching and care—heavily laced with distress at what had happened to her, and this still made her very highly strung and emotional. Both men had resigned themselves to the fact that that might never change, and they would always support and protect her from it as best they could. It was getting better, she was learning that she would no longer be victimised, but the plight of others set her off just as easily as what had happened to her, and as she dissolved from anger to tears Severus held her close and comforted her. No one could blame her for any of it she had suffered too much before they'd returned.
xox
When he came back with the information they needed, Lucius found that neither of his partners were in the library so he want looking and found them in their big bedroom with Georgina. Leaning up against the door frame he watched them. Severus had his back to the door, watching Hermione feeding their baby. Lucius was in no doubt that the raven-haired wizard knew he was there, but he kept quiet and just watched the now calm witch holding the eyes of her child with her own as the infant suckled.
Without warning she glanced up from Georgina and looked from Severus to Lucius. "I hope you know exactly how much I love both of you. Do you realise that this last year has been the most fulfilling year of my life so far?" She detached Georgina from her breast and brought her up to her shoulder to burp her.
Their little girl was almost two months old now and was a joyous addition to their family. Lily and Albus both doted over her as they did Lucy, and as Albus put it. "I'm a lucky big brother having three little sisters now."
In answer the Hermione's statement Lucius meandered into the room and curled his arms around Severus' waist as he murmured to both of them. "Being with you two is the most content and settled I've ever felt. I know without a doubt that at last I am home."
The wizards watched Hermione glance up and smile at them both and then use her nipple to tease Georgina's mouth to open wider so she would latch on correctly, and they both sighed at the picture of bliss before them.
"You did the right thing to centre her once more," Lucius whispered into Severus' ear.
Severus turned and smirked at him. "I know of no better way to calm our Mya than to have her spend time with her baby, and our dear one conveniently required feeding when I took Hermione to the nursery to get her. We came in here for some privacy, I still cannot be completely at ease around all the others and I wanted to watch Mya breastfeed Georgina."
Lucius nodded against Severus' shoulder. "I know you still find it a little confronting, but you are doing very well with it, Sev," he praised and leaning around he captured his lips. They set a leisurely pace as they started kissing while Hermione watched as she finished feeding Georgina.
"You three are my family," the dark man stated before giving in to Lucius' kisses.
Hermione cast a gentle gave over them both, but commented, "Nice to see that you two have found an occupation while I'm busy," she giggled quietly after some time, and glancing down she noticed that Georgina had stopped feeding and was now dozing.
Their eyes returned to her and they both smiled, and Lucius murmured, "We thought you might like the show," while he continue to litter the skin of Severus' neck with open mouthed kisses.
"Mmm," she commented, and started edging towards the side of the bed trying not to wake the baby.
Seeing Hermione getting up and feeling Lucius' hand sliding around towards his crotch, Severus pulled away gently. "I have one thing to do before the end of the day, now you're here to be with Mya I want to go and owl my submission off to meet the deadline. I've finished bar a few minor details, so I won't be long." Giving them both a lingering kiss and the baby a tender peck on the head he headed back to the library.
Lucius shed his clothes as he watched Hermione easily settle Georgina into her crib for a nap and adjusting the wards so that Violet could get in from the hallway but not through their room. Of course Severus could get in when he returned, but only the three of them had access to their room when the locking wards were in place.
As she locked the door behind her, Hermione turned to find Lucius waiting for her. He gently pushed her blouse from her shoulders. "Come," he murmured. "I need you in our bed," and he was removing her bra while peppering her face with kisses. Wriggling her hips she shed her own shorts and stood before Lucius in nothing but see through red knickers which he pushed down to pool at her feet.
She watched him perusing her body and she shivered deliciously as a spike of arousal shot through her in response to his eyes on her. Since she'd had Georgina, she didn't quite look the same, but she knew that neither Lucius nor Severus were complaining about that. The once light, rosy pink flesh of her nipples and nether regions had darkened to a more intense shade, and her wizards agreed that it was like she'd deepened in life somehow through her struggle to bring their daughter into the world, and they told her repeated they were both intensely proud of her.
Despite having just emptied her breasts feeding Georgina, Hermione felt milk starting to leak from her as she became more aroused by Lucius' kisses and his hands caressing her body, and she moaned softly.
Lucius noticed the thick, pearly-white liquid gathering on her nipples and he licked his lips and reached forward for her hand to pull her onto the bed. "Kneel here between my legs, my beautiful girl." He didn't take his eyes off her as she complied, and he watched her placing her hands on his shoulders.
She knew what he wanted, she had done this for both of her men, and Hermione shivered deliciously as Lucius' hand cupped her breast and she moaned quietly as his mouth closed around the nipple.
This stirred her in a way that Georgina never would and she took it as a wonderful—albeit temporary—by-product of breastfeeding her baby. After a moment she slid her knees further apart opening her legs more in invitation for him to stimulate her further.
Hermione had healed well after Georgina's birth, and the three of them had been almost back to normal now for a couple of weeks, but Lucius knew at the moment that she needed to feel loved and pampered nothing more, his needs could wait for another time.
Lucius smiled with his mouth full of delicious breast, and slipped his other hand down over her belly ghosting through the curls that she had decided not to shave anymore and into the moist heat between her legs. Sucking heartily he slid two fingers inside her and set his pace to match what his mouth was doing.
Hermione closed her eyes and threw her head back as pleasure started to build within her. Then she felt the other side of the bed dip and she knew that Severus was back. Smiling she didn't open her eyes, even as she felt the second tongue gathering what had escaped from her other breast while Lucius had been concentrating on his side.
Severus' mouth closed around the neglected nipple and one of his long fingers joined Lucius' ministrations, circling her clit as he sucked.
They were both watching her face as they brought her to her climax and Severus was the first to speak as she shuddered and groaned. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, watching as she collapsed into Lucius' arms and leaning across he captured her lips.
"Yes, and she loves us doing this so much," Lucius replied, while she and Severus kissed, he then helped Severus to lay her sated body between them.
Snickering gently, Lucius kissed her forehead. "Our sweet, beautiful, pet," he murmured once they had her settled between them. "Sleep, we'll be here with you."
Severus kissed the other side. "Yes, you're tired you need a rest. Remember, even though you feel well, Poppy said it would take a lot longer to be truly recovered."
Hermione smiled sleepily at them both. "I love you both," she murmured and closed her eyes as she was indeed tired.
xox
The trio went from strength to strength, and after much hard work and planning from all of them, the next spring the three of them held a small ceremony to celebrate the inclusion of Lucius into the Snape marriage.
It was a fine day and the ceremony was held by the lake on the Malfoy estate, half way between Malfoy Manor and Wood Cottage.
After searching throughout England for someone who knew the specific binding ceremony for their situation, in the end the threesome imported a celebrant from America to perform the ceremony.
The laws had been hard enough to trace even with Hyperion's help, but finding a celebrant proved impossible. Triads were far more common amongst the more progressive American magicals so that was where they searched. After what the ghost had said about their union being blessed, they wanted to get it right and also make the day to be the best it could be.
The day dawned perfectly and at three o'clock in the afternoon Hermione, Severus and Georgina walked from Wood Cottage. Hermione wore a lacy cotton gown with a light frothy veil that wafted in the breeze around her and with her head adorned by a garland of pink roses. Because it was an outdoor celebration Hermione also wore ballet flats so she was comfortable.
Severus carried their daughter in one arm with his other arm occupied by Hermione, and both men had decided that it would be a low key affair and they were dressed similarly to Hermione and Severus' midsummer wedding.
Lucius then approached from the manor. He was carrying Lucy and had Lily by the hand with Draco next to him and James and Albus in front.
The children young and older were dressed in the same styles and were involved because not only were the three adults bonding, but they were forming an entire family, so their bonds with the children would be strengthened by their participation in the ceremony as well.
The little girls worn delicate garlands of flowers in their hair, pretty white, pintucked cotton dresses and Lily threw rose petals along the path from a little basket Albus held for her as they processed along.
The participation of the Potter children in the ceremony was not designed in any way to lessen Ginny's claim on them as their mother, but Lucius had legally adopted them and wanted them to share in the family experience. Although Ginny would not be present—as she had not been invited—she surprisingly had no objection to them being involved.
Hermione hoped that this meant that she wanted the best for her children, but then Lucius, ever the Slytherin had picked his moment to ask her carefully, just before he signed the cheque for her monthly allowance, and she had agreed.
Today however, it was all about them, and Lucius cleared his thoughts as he approached Hermione and Severus.
As the three adults and their children drew nearer to one another those watching the ceremony could see arcs of power palpable in the air between them and the atmosphere became charged with magic.
When all three were in front of the celebrant, Severus handed Georgina to Draco and Lucius did the same with Lucy. Albus and James stood in front of Draco with Lily.
Having rehearsed the ceremony before hand, each of them knew what to do when prompted. Standing facing one another each raised their wand hand with their wand held by their thumb across their palm and formed their raised hands into a triangle where each hand was touching the other, and the jovial old celebrant, whose name was Vernon Antwhistle, spoke to the group as a whole.
"Today two will become three and a new family will be born, it will be the intent of their magic that will bind them securely, this is a silent ceremony after the declaration and it is bound strongly by magic so I will ask all grown witches and wizards here to concentrate with these people."
As he finished speaking he placed his wand tip at the apex of the joined hands and crossed wands and nodded to them after he'd murmured a spell.
Severus was first to speak. "Hermione, I who love you with all my heart," he said looking at his wife. "Knowing this fact is fundamental to me, I have also found room there in for Lucius." His gaze shifted to the blond wizard. "Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, I Severus Tobias Snape welcome you to our union," and a golden band wound around their joined hands.
Hermione repeated what Severus had said to her and then the same to Lucius, this time a rose gold coloured band entwined with the first.
Then it was Lucius' turn. "Severus Tobias and Hermione Jean Snape, I love you both as my own flesh, and I willingly accept admittance into your sacred union."
A third band of shining silver wove through the other two and the intensity grew. A steady light started to wash over them. Then the tendrils of the light arced out from their joined hands and recognise the children.
Draco was first, his father's silver light enveloped him strongly and became green tinged as his maternity was recognised. The light then shifted adding James, and it became a strong silver once more before tinging purplish.
This continued until all the children were recognised in the varying tinges of silver light, and finally Georgina being the youngest was added to the family in vivid gold and rose coloured light.
Then to everyone's surprise a wisp of silver light circled and caressed Hermione's stomach as well and became rose tinged. It was then she knew she was carrying a child and that child was being recognised as Lucius'.
Before the rays of light faded completely two more shafts of rose coloured light appeared momentarily on Hermione's abdomen, one tinged with gold and one with silver, but then they disappeared.
There were no words spoken after the binding, and had anyone cared to notice the three adults all now wore a trinity of the three colours in the form of a ring. All those present understood the reverence of the commitment being made by the three adults and how the children were being included either by means of birthright, as in the cases of Draco and Georgina, or by binding adoption like, James, Albus, Lily and Lucy, and it was an awe inspiring sight.
Wedding guests and carefully selected members of the media then shared an outdoor feast at tables set out under the willows by the lake. It was of true medieval proportions.
Later, Vernon explained to Hermione, Severus and Lucius that the two lights that appeared and then left are souls yet to come, and he congratulated them on the soul who would arrive within nine months.
"But I thought that if I was breastfeeding…" Hermione stated, confused.
Vernon laughed happily. "You are muggleborn, remember you are equal parts of both heritages, and I believe that this is what has happened here." He grinned at the three of them. "It's wonderful, isn't it?"
All three agreed that it was.
"Now, go," the old American encouraged. "Express that love I have seen encompass so many today. All your children are safe and have gone home with their carer, you must to, consummate your love," he told them.
"Wood Cottage?" Lucius questioned looking at his lovers.
"Yes, Violet will know where we are if she needs us," Hermione stated, "and I expressed earlier for Georgina should she need it through the night."
"Well let's bid our guests good night then," Severus added.
"Thank you, Vernon," Hermione said, "You have made me a very happy witch."
Vernon patted her arm and then shook the extended hands of both wizards. "You're very welcome, good night, friends."
xox
Hermione, Severus and Lucius bid good night to their guests and Lucius charged Draco with making certain everyone went away happy, and arm in arm the three of them walked the moonlit path to their hideaway.
The whole day had been so charged emotionally for all of them and especially throughout the binding ceremony the power coursing through them had left them on the edge of arousal for the remainder of the feast. Now as they were finally, blissfully alone that latent feeling was starting to spill over.
As they walked the two men were touching and caressing Hermione, and once they were in the woods completely she pulled them to a stopped and sandwiched herself between them. "I need you both," and she was running her hand up and down Severus' hard length while rubbing her backside against Lucius'.
Severus captured her lips in a heated kiss, and she freed him from his trousers but continued to push back against Lucius. Still being wedged between them she moaned into Severus' mouth as she felt Lucius rucking her skirts up.
"Oh, you cheeky thing," he murmured, leaning forward and kissing her neck when he discovered she was bare under her dress.
Severus already knew she had little on under her dress and he also skimmed a hand between them to experience that. He groaned as he'd navigated the front of her dress to be greeted by her unencumbered warm wetness.
As Severus' fingers explored her she pushed further back against Lucius, her message obvious, and he complied without hesitation rubbing his himself up and down her wet flesh and then sinking into her welcoming heat.
Hermione kept her hand on Severus' erection, stroking it until her mind started to give in to the pleasure they were bringing her and her grip went slack. Moments later her muscles clenched around Lucius and the situation drove him over the edge.
Lucius unashamedly emptied himself into her with a shout, not caring that he had only lasted moments. As he staggered back to rest on a tree he saw her turning and offering the same to Severus.
The raven-haired wizard walked them forward until she was against Lucius before he took her from behind as well. Severus lasted only a short time longer than Lucius had, and he felt Lucius' arm pulling him close, and also pulling Hermione off to the side so he wouldn't fall on her.
By the time Severus was spent Lucius had recovered enough to pull them both close. He explored both their mouths one after another and then apparated them to their destination where they all gratefully sank down onto their bed still kissing and touching one another.
After a time they went quiet for a moment and that was when Hermione touched her stomach and looked at it in almost awe. "We're going to have another baby. Oh, isn't it wonderful?"
"Yes," Severus agreed magnanimously. "Well done, Lu. Georgina will have another brother or sister." He patted Lucius on the arm and leaning across offered him a kiss before looking back to Hermione. "This will make us a true triad."
She smiled and nodded, but also yawned. "It's been a wonderful day, thank you both, but I'm very tired," she told them.
"Yes, you need to rest, but first we wish to make you comfortable," Severus said, glancing at Lucius.
A wave of the blond man's hand and they heard the bath starting to fill, and almost immediately the scent of sandalwood and roses wafting through the bathroom door.
Hermione felt Severus removing her dress and once she was naked scooping her up bridal style. She happily snuggled into him and allowed him to carry her.
When they arrived in the bathroom they found Lucius already waiting for them, standing in the tub ready to take her from Severus while he undressed, and between them they cared for their witch.
Hermione for her part settled between them knowing she was home. Afterwards they dried her and settled her back into bed between them. The fact that she had fallen asleep with a smile on her face while they cared for her told them that she trusted them completely and it made them both very happy.
xox
During the next year many new opportunities were opened up for the trio, and Severus in particular received the research grant from St. Mungos. The one he had applied for when Georgina was two months old.
Infertility had become a large problem in the wizarding world. It seemed that they had finally realised that an inbred pureblood society was a bad thing because many pureblood couples were now unable to conceive without help, and although Draco and Astoria had not had any trouble many of their peers had been unable to have children.
St. Mungos had turned to Britain's Potioneers for answers. Severus' submission had won the grant with a combination of wizarding and muggle research to back it up, and once the wedding and honeymoon was over he started researching the topic in earnest.
Lucius on the other hand became a sort of ambassador for inter-blood marriages. This coming from the staunch head of a notable pureblood family made other formerly bigoted purebreds take a lot of notice of him, and a great deal of change was the result.
Georgina had just celebrated her second birthday when Severus began the testing phase of his infertility potion, and he had quite an arsenal of couples wishing to become test subjects.
Then four months after Georgina's second birthday Hermione had her second child. Hillary Jean Malfoy, who was born in almost identical circumstances to her sister.
Life was now flourishing for the Granger-Snape-Malfoy family, but it didn't finish there for them. Once Severus had ensured the safe passage of the next generation for all the couples on his list he turned his mind to making a potion that would produce twins to boast the population.
He made some modifications to this potion once it had been tested, and in its final form it allowed both Lucius and Severus to fertilize one of Hermione's eggs in a potion induced double ovulation. This meant that three years after Hillary and with the aid of his special potion and midsummer celebrations, those last two wisps of light came into being. Twins Sebastian Richard Snape and Claudius Augustus Malfoy arrived eight and a half months after the midsummer celebrations.
This time even Ginny came to call with the well-wishers. Over the years since the breakup, things had gone from open hostility between Severus and Ginny to strained civility. One thing Severus Snape excelled at was holding on to the principle of an issue and also honouring those he esteemed, and of course the fact that Ginny had hurt Hermione stuck in his mind.
From Lucius' point of view that whole deal with Ginny was still very awkward. However, as it reached the point of Hermione's final pregnancy they finally seemed to be able to spend time together with the children without it erupting into nastiness.
They were never going to be as close as they had been, but they could now have family picnics together without it turning into a heated argument. Most of the animosity was on Ginny's side after all her outburst had only been a cry for help. She had been emotionally stunted by the controlling magic that Harry had used on her for all those years, and they had needed to see that.
The only cure for it was time and appropriate treatment, and Severus regardless of his views about her personally had also gone out of his way to help. There were certain mind enhancing potions that could be utilised and he happily brewed them for her. Lucius—through Violet—made certain that she took them, and they helped her mature as she always should of. In fact Lucius even allowed the children to stay in France with Ginny during holidays if they wished to, as long as Violet went along.
However, the greatest benefit to Ginny was her freedom, and once she realised that she had it, she settled into exploring it in her own way.
Severus' main sticking point in the whole business was that he maintained that she should not have listened to, or been so easily led, her mother. However, even he came to see as the years went by that in her under-developed state of mind, it was only natural for her to listen to her mum, and take it out on the nearest thing, which unfortunately had just happened to be Hermione.
Privately Lucius agreed with him, and he was careful that the two witches were both kept happy when they were all together. Mind you, nothing got past Severus' eagle eyes and Ginny knew that Severus would quickly retaliate if there was any trouble.
xox
The year Albus and Frank both entered Gryffindor and Adela Malfoy, Scorpius' sister became the first Ravenclaw in four hundred years in the Malfoy family, another very special event took place. The wedding of Bill Weasley and Penelope Clearwater, and this was a whole family celebration. It had been a long and bumpy road for them both, but they looked incredibly happy as they were joined in wedded bliss in the tiny church in Ottery St. Catchpole.
This event also marked a milestone for Ron, he had been tentatively accepted back into the family fold after going back to live with Charlie, and now he had met a Romanian wizard at the dragon sanctuary, and Bill and Penelope's wedding was their first public outing as a couple.
Boris had messy black hair and clear green eyes, and Ron appeared to adore him. Every one suspected quietly that Molly had been a little disappointed that Ron hadn't miraculously become straight, but if she was, to her credit she never said anything. Molly Weasley had realised—with the help of her long-suffering husband—that what had broken Ginny and Lucius up was how Ginny had reacted to what she had told her.
It was also suspected that Molly never did understand Severus, Lucius and Hermione's relationship either, but she wisely kept that opinion to herself on that matter as Lucius had the authority to stop her from seeing her grandchildren.
Another thing that happened as time went by was that the last remnants of the Notice-me-not spells and enchantments disappeared from Hermione and Molly seemed to reconnect with her tentatively. No one was ever certain why Molly was so effected by the enchantments, and none of them could work out why she had acknowledged Hermione the night Severus saved Ginny, and yet she could be influenced so much as to say things against her to Ginny just before Ginny and Lucius broke up.
Severus' theory was that strong emotion overcame the spells, that is, Molly had been very upset that night at the Burrow, yet she should have been almost as upset the day she came to find Ginny after the attack in Diagon Alley. All they could put it down to was a mystery that perhaps they would never know the answer to.
xox
There was something else important that happened at the same time and Albus Potter started Hogwarts, Lucius became the leader of the British wizarding community when he was elected minister of magic in a landslide victory.
This happened just after his former wife Narcissa had married the then current minister Kingsley Shacklebolt, so Lucius finally got his revenge on his ex-wife as he replaced her deposed husband, with Hermione and Severus and all their children standing around him.
Mind you, how that came to be, is entirely another story.
-/ Finis\\-
Note:- I have a sequel to this story on the drawing board. It is called 'The Balance Of Power', and it is the story of how Kingsley Shacklebolt is deposed and Lucius is installed as minister of magic in his place. I do not know if it will ever turn into a publishable story, we'll just have to wait and see.
Thank you for reading, I have often been moved by your reviews and comments. :D, and I do appreciate them all.