Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Series (1997-2007) and any characters and original locations within the books belong to JK Rowling. I own my original characters and my plot twists. I am not trying to pass any of these characters or copyrighted ideas off as my own and therefore it isn't plagiarism or copyright infringement.

Chapter Eight – Cold Feet

Leo sighed as he met up with Charley Weasley on the Romanian Dragon Reserve, "When did he show up here?"

The redheaded dragon tamer shook his head, "I'd say about a couple of hours ago. I don't know why he thought he could hide here. It didn't work the last time he tried it, and surely he had much better reasons four years ago. I mean your whole family was facing full trials before the Wizengamot. Isn't he a bit old to be running away from his future?"

"I'm only his younger twin; I don't pretend to know what goes through his mind. Now Mr. Weasley, if you'd take me to my sulking other half, I'd greatly appreciated it. Our brides are counting on me returning him in one piece and with a proper state of mind. Frankly, I don't want to face my quarter-Veela fiancé's wrath."

A low guttural laugh burst from the older wizard's gut, "Yes, I am quite familiar of the fiery temper of those Delacour witches. I'm sure you remember what my dear brother Bill had to put up with while Fleur was pregnant with Victoire?"

"Yes, you're bother Bill will be my brother-in-law soon and I can't wait to count that lovely little witch as part of my family. Victoire is just so darling. Have you noticed how her eyes focus on my cousin Teddy whenever they're in the same room together?"

Charley cleared his throat, "Yes, Mum's quite certain those two will end up together. She just has to make sure she doesn't say anything about it around Severus. That man is quite adamant that his son is far too young to have people speculating about his love life."

"Yes, well you'd think he'd concentrate more on little Eileen. Did you hear the news that Dora is expecting again? I mean those two are breeding like rabbits. They were both only children and as far as I know Uncle Sev has proclaimed his hatred of children," Leo stated following the remaining single son of Molly and Arthur. "Speaking of children, when are you going to settle down with a nice witch and have a family yourself?"

Charley blushed, "Well, I fear there'll be no nice witch for me. I've been dating a nice wizard for a couple of years now. I've just haven't figured out how to tell my parents that I like blokes you know."

"I'm sure they'll love you just the same. I'm sure Molly won't worry about you not having any future children. I mean everyone else in your family is married and I believe that Percy will be a father within the next year. You should really bring this wizard with you to meet your parents. I'm sure they're observant enough to suspect something."

Charley cleared his throat, "Well, he's in there. You might want to watch it. He was quite antisocial when he arrived and blasted me with fire when I tried to greet him. I don't know why he thought I wouldn't recognize his unique grey eyes. Iron bellies normally have red ones after all."

"Thanks man. How about you bring that wizard with you to our double wedding tomorrow? I'd like to meet him and what a perfect event for you to come out. I mean the Malfoy double wedding is surely to be the social event of the year. Well, only because the Potters and Weasleys were married last year."

"Yeah, a double Malfoy wedding would never stand up to that media frenzy. We'll be there tomorrow. I wish you luck in talking him down from there." The ginger wizard shook his head before walking out of the building.

Leo looked up at the rafters of the building where a far too large dragon was perched, "Draco, get your bloody arse down here and change back so that we can speak face to face. Stop being such a moronic prat and get down here. You love her don't you? You wouldn't have asked Astoria Greengrass to marry you in the first place if you didn't love her. We've been planning this wedding for a bloody year, you barmy git. What's got your nickers in such a twist? Are you afraid that she'll run away from you as soon as she finds those silky nickers you like to wear instead of proper pants?"

The dragon puffed steam from his nostrils before landing before the long-haired blond and transforming back into the ever familiar Draco Malfoy, "Excuse me dear brother but I believe it's Gabrielle who has to worry about finding your nicker collection. What is it with you French Wizards and preferring the constricting feeling of a tight pair of nicker?"

"Well, I'm glad to see your smiling face. Now, why the hell did you run away the day before the wedding? What's got you running scared?"

Draco's grey eyes narrowed, "I wasn't running scared. Why would you think such a thing? I just couldn't take another minute of Mother's fussing to make sure everything is perfect for tomorrow. We'll be standing before so many witches and wizards who didn't give a damn about us right after the war. Many of them had protested our release and spat Death Eater at us for well over a year. It took so much work for us with charities, you becoming a healer at St. Mungo's, and me becoming an Unspeakable researching the magical genetics."

"Are you afraid that people will look down on Astoria for marrying you?"

Draco's shoulders slumped and his head bowed, "She's such a beautiful person on the inside and out. I'd hate to see her suffering because she married such a failure like me."

Leo didn't hesitate as he pulled his brother into his arms, "You know that's not true. You were just a victim of circumstance. If you were a failure, you wouldn't have brewed that antidote that saved our Godfather's life and you wouldn't have saved our cousin Dora from our horrible Aunt. Dora and Uncle Sev wouldn't have married and Teddy would've been left without a mother as well as his birth father. Instead he has his mother and his loving stepfather. Things have turned out for the better and because the Weasley twins witnessed our connection they were able to strengthen their own. That was how George was able to save Fred from that blast. He pulled on their mind connection to pull him through a forced apparation at the appearance of the blast. You've assisted with many things including saving Blaise and Goyle from that burning fire. We weren't able to save Crabbe but he was an idiot, so I really don't feel that much sorrow."

"Thank you, Leo. I really don't know where I'd be if you hadn't forced yourself into my life our fourth year with that horrible French accent." He pulled away and quickly wiped his eyes. "I guess we've got that dress robes fitting appointment to get to. We should probably make our way there. Why have you always been the optimistic one?"

Leo shrugged, "I've always blamed our different childhoods. I always felt safe and secure in France, whereas, you were always forced into the limelight as the Malfoy heir. Father forced you into a cookie cutter form that didn't really fit you. He tried to mold you into the perfect pureblood Slytherin, however, you've always had too much of Mother in you to be a perfectly cold blooded Malfoy. I also believe that father never really was what he wanted everyone to think of him. Grandpa Abraxas drilled that behavior into him as much as he attempted to do it to you. I believe that Father has learned his lesson and would never want you to follow his example as a father. You were afraid of that too, weren't you? You were afraid that when Astoria had your first child, you'd turn into Father from your childhood. Do you know why that would never happen, Draco?"

He shook his head in what looked like an attempt to quell any further forming tears of frustration and fear, "I never want to be that cold hearted bastard who thought about killing one of his children because he was sickly."

"You will never become anything like that because you have me. You have Astoria, Dora, Sev, and even Mother to keep you in line. None of us will allow you to follow such a path. You're lovely fiancé is so much like Mother and she will love your children no matter what. Cousin Dora and Uncle Sev are breeding like Weasleys or rabbits as muggles would say. If Uncle Sev could be such a doting father after experiencing the childhood he had, then surely you can show your child the love that he or she deserves."

Draco laughed a bitter laugh, "You'll be the one having daughters Leo. Surely you remember that Veelas are a female race. I fear that I will be cursed with the one son or twin sons. Then again we were quite rare, weren't we? There hadn't been twins in the Malfoy line in well over 100 years."

Leo nodded taking his brother's arm in preparation for apparition, "That's true; however, it was because of the fertility potion Uncle Sev created. Mum had the infertility issues that affected everyone in her generation. Bella couldn't have any children, but that might have had something to do with her fawning over the Dark Lord than her actual husband. Aunt Dromeda only had Dora even though they tried to give her a sibling, and then Mum had to resort to a fertility potion to even conceive us. Not to mention the complications she faced afterward."

Draco nodded before he felt the sickening pull of apparition. "I've been studying the genetic backgrounds of the Black family. It seems that a cruse was brought upon the family by a very unhappy family member. I believe we can blame our Weasley aunt who was disowned for marrying Septimus. She gave them a couple of generations to change their ways or the Black name would die out. Great Aunt Walburga was too entrenched in her ways to even heed it. Then again she paid the most since she was the only one in her generation to have sons. If one had lived, then the name may have survived instead they both fell at the hands of the Dark Lord she was so proud to have Regulus join."

"Yes, well surely we've broken that curse. If we hadn't, wouldn't Dora be having difficulty having children rather than working toward her own Weasley brood? "

Draco nodded as they entered the room where the tailor awaited them, "Yes, but I really don't see Uncle Sev having too many more. He really didn't seem the type to like children."

Leo nodded, "I think a person feels different when the child is his or her own. Eileen is still quite young but she already has him rapped around her little pinky. Part of me wonders if it has something to do with her inheriting Dora's metamorphic ability and her preference to auburn hair and almond shaped green eyes."

He gasped as he pulled on his formal robes, "How could she know about his love for Lily Potter?"

Leo shrugged into his blue robe made from the same silk his Beauxbatons' uniform had been made, "I don't know, but if you believe in reincarnation, it makes sense."

"Are you telling me that Eileen Lily Snape is Potter's reincarnation?" He laughed for a moment, "Next you're going to attempt to convince me James Sirius Potter is the reincarnation and that the two will end up together even though she is almost a year older than him?"

"Yep."

The morning of the big day arrived and the twins found themselves standing before the white lilies adorned alter. The gardens of the Manor were the perfect place for a mid-summer wedding. The chairs were all white and the garden pathway was filled with white pave stones Pops of light blue and yellow made up the wedding colors. The brides were in white dressing gowns, the grooms were both wearing the light blue silk robes, and groomsmen were in white and the bridesmaids were in yellow. The two of them turned when the music changed and the two brides were escorted by their fathers. The two blondes stood across from their proper twin.

Minister Shacklebolt stood before the alter, wearing simple white robes instead of the usual exotic ones he was known to wear, "Wizards and Witches we're gathered here today to witness the joining of the Malfoy, Delacour, and Greengrass houses. As we continue to rebuild our world, we're always delighted when another young and loving couple decide to join their magic and contribute to the future." He turned to Leo, "Healer Malfoy, do you take Ms. Delacour as your wife? Do you promise to cherish, protect, and honor her for as long as you both shall live?"

Leo nodded, "I do Minister."

"Ms. Delacour, do you take Healer Malfoy as your husband? Do you promise to love, nurture, and honor him for as long as you both shall live?"

Gabrielle smiled, "I do Minister."

Minster Shacklebolt turned to Draco, "Unspeakable Malfoy, do you take Ms. Greengrass as your wife? Do you promise to cherish, protect, and honor her for as long as you both shall live?"

Draco quickly rubbed his eyes before croaking, "I do Minister."

"Ms. Greengrass, do you take Unspeakable Malfoy as your husband? Do you promise to love, nurture, and honor him for as long as you both shall live?"

Astoria whispered, "I do Minister."

Minister Shacklebolt turned to the two groomsmen, "Wrap their joined hands with the golden sash and step back while I perform the magical bonding for the two couples." Bill rapped the cord around Gabrielle and Leo's entwined left hands while Severus did the same for Draco and Astoria. "Magically linked twins are quite rare and thus require their marital bonding to occur at the exact same time since their magic signature is identical. We will face the same thing when Fred and George Weasley are married next month to Alicia and Angelina. I need all for of you to keep the bounds hands unmoving."

The two couples nodded in understanding and Minister Shacklebolt moved his pointed wand back and forth across the joined hands, while chanting in Latin. The gold sashes started to glow as the Minister's dark eyes turned the same matching shade. The chanting ended as soon as the two couples were surrounded in a gold light before it exploded outward with a magical thrust. The garden's flowers all started to bloom even though many of them were out of season, the birds started chirping, and unicorn walked out of the surrounding woods toward the couple. The arrival of a unicorn was seen as a blessing on any union.

The minister staggered back for a moment, "I have not experienced such as strong magical melding since I started performing these ceremonies. Each couple will have very strong children and I can't wait to see the mark they make on our world. It's time to declare the opening of the feast and first dance of the two couples. We must watch out because they will soon feel the strong need to consummate the bond. Do not forget contraceptive charms if you're not ready to start that family." He winked before walking away from the altar.

The time for their older children to go to Hogwarts had come. Leo and Draco decided to take one vehicle together since Draco still had yet to learn how to drive. They all got out of the vehicle and walked toward platform 9 ¾. Draco's eldest son Scorpius had an eagle owl in a cage on top of his trunk with a carrying cage with a kneezle next to it. Leo's eldest daughter Rosemary was the owner of that kneezle. They were busy speaking with one another before sending the two eleven year old cousins on the train.

Leo's attention was caught when he saw his friend Harry Potter busy speaking with his second son Albus, who seemed afraid of where he'd be sorted. Leo shook his head thinking about how much James Potter was like his namesake. He continued to look into the theory of reincarnation when he had time. He was a very popular and successful Healer after all, which didn't allow him too much time. Albus' large green eyes widened as his father seemed to share a secret with him. His second daughter Apolline and Draco's daughter Athena were set to start the following year. Leo's youngest son Pier wouldn't start for another couple of years.

It didn't take long for the twins who both resided at Malfoy Manor with their wives and children to approach their cousin and godfather, who were sending off their last child to Hogwarts, a wizard named Remus. He was the youngest of their five children. They really did bread like the Weasleys without twins. Leo spoke first, "I can't believe that time flew by so quickly."

Severus nodded, "I really do feel old, but I never thought I'd live past the war. I never thought I'd find someone who could fill the void that Lily left, and I never thought I'd have the ability to be a good parent. I'm just so happy to have been proven wrong on all three accounts. I really do love Dora, and I couldn't imagine my life without any of them. I only wish that my little Eileen would stay away from that blasted James Potter."

Draco laughed, "Yeah well Leo has this theory about reincarnation, which he has yet to prove. Basically he believes that she was Lily's reincarnation and James is actually his grandfather. So, how do you feel about having your once hated enemy as your future son-in-law?"

The scowl on Severus Snape's face caused the two twins to bust up laughing. In the end life had been good to them. For only with trials and tests can true happiness emerge. Sometimes it took overcoming the desires of a Dark Lord to unite the family, but once a family like the Malfoys is united they could never be separated.

A/N: The end! It has been a long time coming but I agreed that ending it was for the best. I have left the last year open for a possible sequel when I find the inspiration to write it. I hope that everyone who's been following this story enjoyed it.