Epilogue – The Dream Come True

In Callum's arms I felt safe. I felt the world was right again. I felt judgment fade away into nothing, and this extraordinary emotion had come full circle. I looked to my right and saw my father watching us from his table. In his black tuxedo that had been crisply pressed for the occasion, he looked quite devastating. My step-mother sat beside him in her lavender linen suit jacket with matching skirt, poking at the vanilla cake that my father had set before her, though refusing to eat it. My father smiled broadly at us and sent a shower of gold sparklers into the air that fizzed and crackled like fireworks, mixing with the stars.

The dance floor was laid out in the open air. The tables surrounding the floor sat under canvas tents thin enough to see the stars. The air was filled with the scent of flowers and the general splendor the lanterns cast over the backyard of Malfoy Manor made it illuminate with a warmth I doubt it had ever known before.

My entire family was here. My aunts and uncles, cousins and extended family had come to see me walk down the aisle towards my future. Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny came with James, Albus and Lily, who each brought their wives and husband.

Daisy was married to James, she was a darling girl with yellow blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She laughed carelessly and had a sparkle to her manner that I could tell my cousin was madly in love with. They had brought their daughters, Ivory and Chloe ages twelve and ten. Ivory boasted the same hair colour as her mother, wearing it cut at her shoulders, while Chloe wore her raven-black hair down past her shoulder blades.

Albus had married a wonderful girl named Casey. She had a sweet face with her hair in a boyish, pixie-cut. She held a more serious tone than Daisy, but she matched Albus's mood so well. He had always been more of brood than his brother and sister. They had brought their son, Joey, who was eleven and took after his father in more than one way.

Lily and her husband David had made a special trip from Ireland for the wedding, which I was doubly glad for. I had never been extremely close to my cousins, but from what little I could remember as a child I was always closer to Lily than James or Albus. David was a fine man, handsome, and he adored Lily and their twin seven-year-old sons, Tate and Whatley. They were like their mother, carrying on the redhead gene.

Uncle Ron had come as well. I was really hoping he'd be able to make it. He'd been such a dear man to me when I was a child. I hoped that he could come to forgive my father eventually. There had always been something of a rift between the two, during school, and then afterwards with the affair between my mother and my father. At the time my mother had been married to Ron Weasley. The torrid affair had split them even further apart and as a result he had always been Uncle Ron and never a step-father to me. That didn't matter though. He hadn't blamed me for the fault of my parents, which I admired him for. He'd come to the wedding with both Hugo and wife, and Rose.

Hugo's wife Kimberly had pale blue eyes and long brown hair. I could tell she was very fragile from the way she held herself. Their son Blake, thirteen, was likewise fragile. I had heard that Kimberly had suffered a few miscarriages before Blake had been conceived. He had been premature and sickly. He was very healthy now however, with gorgeous brown hair and lively blue eyes just like his mother. Already I was very fond of them. My half-brother had always been dear to me, and now his wife and child would be likewise.

Rose had come as well, wearing a graceful blue sun dress with matching blue hat. She held the hand of her daughter, Violet, who wore a yellow dress with a yellow ribbon in her hair. Rose was five years old.

I had watched earlier as Rose had entered the church and her gaze had brushed the crowd curiously before falling on my brother who was talking to Callum at the altar. I looked down at Violet, my niece, and at my half-sister, Rose, and asked them both to be a part of the wedding party. Rose became one of my bridesmaids and Violet became my flower girl, with her strawberry-blonde curls bouncing from side to side and her blue-grey eyes jumping excitedly at her new role.

"Mama, Mama," she squealed, "look at all those people. Who's that?" she pointed towards the altar where Scorpius stood now staring at the floor.

Rose looked at me knowingly and then at Scorpius before putting her attention back on her daughter. "That man," she said, her voice cracking slightly, "is your daddy, sweetheart." I let out a small gasp and Rose's eyes brimmed with tears. "When you reach the end of the aisle, little one," she continued, "I want you to put down your flowers and go take his hand, ok?"

"Okay!" Violet said excitedly.

Rose looked over at me. I heard her thoughts then, speaking to me, seeping in through the now non-existent barrier that my brother had broken. She asked me if what she'd just said was alright. I nodded, "Of course it's alright. Why wouldn't it be alright?"

"Belle might—"

"Belle might never find out let alone care, Rose. She's not here. Scorpius divorced her seven months ago."

"Really?" Rose looked down the aisle hopefully.

"Really," I replied. Buzzing through my sister's head were thoughts of passion and ecstasy, moments that had brought her Violet.

I had blocked her out then and started pining over whether my dress looked alright. I smoothed the front down and started biting my lip. The orchestra flutes started up a soft wedding march before the higher instruments joined in. It was soft and loud at the same time. Loud because it echoed against the walls of Malfoy Hall, and soft because my heart was beating so faster and so loud that I could barely think of anything else. Violet led the way, then my bridesmaids, and by the time it was time for me to start walking I could do nothing except brace my father's arm, clinging like all hell. I was so nervous.

We were halfway down the aisle when my father leaned over and whispered, "Relax, you're beautiful. Look at him."

My eyes met Callum's and the nervous butterflies that crowded my stomach disappeared. I wasn't marrying everyone else. I was marrying him. There was no reason to be as tense as I had been. He smiled back at me and I nearly broke out into a run to get to him. My father held me back. "Patience," he chuckled. We were at the altar and he lifted my veil and kissed me on the cheek. Winking at me he said, "Go get 'em," before going to sit beside my step-mother who's lips were pursed, looking very stern.
Callum took my hand and we turned towards the Reverend. I didn't feel the least bit of unease about having a traditional muggle wedding. Callum was good with magic, but we wanted this experience to be about the both of us. The wedding was traditional but it was agreed that the reception would have a few extra bits and bobs to add a little magic to the celebration.

The words "man and wife, you may now kiss the bride" echoed in my head and we turned to face one another again. He lifted my veil and we took equal part in bringing our lips together and sealing this ever-sweet deal. Life with Callum was the best thing I could ever have hoped for. We turned and I gazed out over my family. They all clapped, the children screaming excitedly, tears brimming in their eyes and I felt my heart overflow with joy.

It was so beautiful and so majestic. And so complicated. The complexities of our family complicated themselves once again, but I held no fear for the future any longer.

I felt a kiss on my forehead and I landed back in my reality, Callum holding me close as we danced to the music. "Tell me what you're thinking?" he asked.

"I was thinking about my family. I'm very happy for my brother."

"He seems happy himself. Rose is a good-hearted woman. And Violet is a darling," he replied.

My brother and Rose were dancing a few feet away from us, their bodies close together, swaying to the beat. I could hear screams of laughter in the background and I saw a train of seven children running through the white clothed tables. Whatley appeared to have a snake on the end of a stick and was chasing the others. I laughed at the sight.

"I think seven is just about perfect," Callum whispered into my ear.

"Seven what?" I asked.

"Children."

I pulled back to look at him, "For whom, may I ask?"

He pulled back his lips to give me a wide toothy grin. "For us. Don't you want children?"

"Yes, of course, but…seven?!"

"You're right," he conceded and I let out the air in my lungs with relief before he continued. "Eight is probably better."

"Eight! Goodness gracious. You're trying to kill me."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He twirled us in a circle.

"Could you really love eight children?" I asked.

"I think I could manage quite nicely," he admitted.

I snuggled under his chin. "Mhmm, eight children, all of whom would be able to do magic, and all of whom would come home every holiday during school and turn tea cups into gerbils and snakes. That does sound heavenly, I must say."

I looked up then, catching my tongue between my teeth and watching Callum's face wash with concern. He looked almost frightened at the picture I'd just painted for him. He gulped once. "Uh…on second thought, maybe two would be better."

I giggled, "Mhmm. Better, safer, not as many gerbils, not as many to gang up on you."

Callum laughed before stopping abruptly, "Wait…gang up on me? You wouldn't?"

I looked towards the sky and shrugged. I spun away from him before he could interrogate me further, but not before he caught my rear end with the flat of his hand, spanking me as I retreated. I made my way to my father's side laughing. I sat down and he handed me a plate of cake. "Oh, thank you. I'm famished." I scooped it up without the decency of using a fork and shoved it in my mouth.

Father laughed, before holding up the forgotten fork, "Manners, Christiana?" he said.

I smiled with a mouth full of cake before swallowing the cake and then grabbing the fork. I watched the spectacle in front of me as I devoured the rest of the cake. Rose and Scorpius still danced, as did a half dozen other couples that had been invited. Some were friends of my parents and some were friends of Callum, but all dear to my heart on this particular evening.

"Violet is the most peculiar child, isn't she?" my father inquired innocently looking out over the sea of tables that surrounding the dance floor. Violet and Blake were on the opposite side of the dance floor sitting around a table. Blake was eating a piece of cake and Violet was trying to steal it.

I knew what he was thinking. He could no longer keep secrets from me. He was an open book as far as I was concerned, though I gave him his privacy most of the time. This was not one of those times. "Dad, you can see the resemblance."

"The eyes," he admitted. "And the hair; it's a perfect mix of hers and his."

"Already he loves her," I said as I watched Violet in her yellow gown run up to Scorpius and Rose. Scorpius caught her with open arms and tossed her into the air playfully.

"I used to do that to you when you were that age," he said. "You were as light as a feather."

"Did I run to you like that Dad?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, shaking his head up and down, "you were very happy to see your father a lot of the time." He stopped then and I watched his brow furrow. He was contemplating. "I hope I have not deprived you of anything, Christiana."

"Deprived me?"

"Yes." He shook his head. "I'm trying to find the best way to say this. I…I hope that the choices I have made in the past, with your mother for instance, have not caused you any grief."

I smiled and remembered back to a night when I was only two-years-old and my brother's voice filled my ears.

Now many of your friends in school, when you're old enough to attend of course, will tease you or make up rumors about you, baby girl, because of how you were conceived. Two people, who were already married to others, got together and conceived you out of pure love…And even though Uncle Ron was married to your mother, he is not your father. It may be confusing for a while. But two previously married people had an affair and the result: you. You are called a love child, baby girl, a child born out of wedlock. Your parents were not married, but baby girl, they loved you so.

I looked back towards my father just then and shook my head, "No father. You're decisions never caused me any grief. Scorpius said that I would be teased, but truth be told, I never was. I was never a Granger. Not really. I was always a Malfoy. I have never wanted to be anything else."

"Cut me to the quick, Mrs. MacArthur." The voice came from behind me. Arms wrapped around me and a kiss was delicately placed on my cheek.

"I'm still a Malfoy, love," I told Callum, "I just have a different last name now."

"Fair enough. Dance with me?"

"Why not?" I replied, getting to my feet. I went over to my father and leaned in close. I kissed his forehead and said, "You've given me everything, Daddy. And I love you."

As Callum led me out on to the dance floor and swung me into his arms, I listened closely to the thoughts of those around me.

Scorpius felt love and affection towards Rose and his daughter. I was over the moon about his finding happiness. Just shy of forty I knew for certain that he would never again waste another second chasing me around a London alley. He had more important matters to fill his days. Such as making up for the five years he'd missed out on his daughter's life, and finding unequivocal bliss with Rose.

Astoria felt shame towards my chosen husband. I couldn't help but shrug off this feeling. Astoria had tried her darndest to be a good mother to me. But she could never replace the mother that I knew and loved in my heart. The woman who would have welcomed Callum like a son even before I'd said he was my fiancé. Astoria would just have to live with her shame because she wouldn't take my love away from me.

Rose felt an overwhelming sense of joy. The past five years, living with the knowledge that Scorpius might never again be happy had nearly driven her to distraction. The impending doom on his wedding day had forced her to make a decision she would never regret: Violet. Violet had given her hope. She had intended to tell Scorpius one day that Violet was his. It didn't take a lot of thinking to figure out that Rose, the unmarried mother of a five-year-old beauty with strawberry-blonde hair had been the lover of Scorpius Malfoy. I would have guessed it if Rose hadn't beat me to the truth.

Callum felt love. It radiated off of him like light from the sun. He was thinking about the day and how beautiful I had been when I walked down the aisle. He was going over the first dance, the cutting of the cake, and the look in my eyes every time I looked at him. I'd have to tell him later that I could hear everything he was thinking. He might have figured it out in the last seven months, but I couldn't be sure. He never let on. Then again, he did repetitively think 'I love you, I love you, I love you…' and so that might have been a defensive tactic or it could be the real McCoy. At the moment I couldn't care less. He loved me, magic and all, and was willing to love me forever.

I found my fathers thoughts, quiet and reserved, and tears welled up in my eyes. He was still sitting in his chair, watching Callum and I dance around the floor. It was hard not to cry at what he was thinking. It was hard not to search for his eyes. When his steely-grey eyes met my chocolate brown ones I heard a resounding declaration that seemed to consume my father. I love you, Baby Girl. And that says it all.

Author's Note: And there you have it folks. : ) I really hope you liked it. I especially hope that those who are fans of Baby Girl II are glad to see Rose and Scorpius back together and their little girl, Violet. I wanted to bring the entire family together for this one, so we have Hugo, Rose, James II, Albus II, and Lily II...goodness that's a lot of II's. I went back and worked this one through a few times to add in all the little details of the wedding night. Let me know your thoughts. I'll be getting started on a few new stories soon. Also finished a few old ones. Haha! Please leave a review! Thanks a million!