A/N : As Jim Morrison once sang, This is the end. I cannot express my gratitude for all of the readers, the messages and the reviews. You should all totally check out my new fic, but of course I would say that.

I do plan on going back through the whole story, tweaking and improving, I've done the first 4 chapters so far but I haven't uploaded any of the changes, some changes are very minor, others not so much. (the update is complete, feel free to let me know if you spot any missed errors)

Honourable mentions to mercersburgrachel, ncpfan, alsoknownasmatt, magitech, frederick bismarck, ines lovett, ChazTaylor, Ronin Kenshin, fateburn, firetemplar415, so many, I'm sorry I can't remember you all, but I have tried my hardest to reply to each and every message. Just because I didn't mention your pen name above doesn't mean I don't appreciate everyone who took the time to read and join me in my madness.

The time skips forwards a lot in this chapter, it worked for me as I was writing, I hope it's clear to you as well, and I hope you enjoy it, I hope I've done it justice. Thank you all so much!

Chapter Twenty Three

When they woke up that morning, mother and baby were given the all clear and discharged, Harry was eager for them to get home and catch up on some proper rest. They apparated to Grimmauld place, their daughter was completely unfazed by magical travel and gurgled away happily in Narcissa's arms. With Harry's help she was fighting fit in days and constantly reminded of how compatible they were, he took care of her without ever treating her like an invalid.

They were eager to spend time at Riverbank Castle, but with the constant visits from friends and family, it just wasn't feasible. Andromeda brought Teddy to see them, Hermione came along with them as often as her free time allowed, Ron and his fiancée popped in briefly, he was under instruction from his mother to bring back some pictures of the new addition, relationships were still strained after everything that had happened but they allowed him to, as a sign of goodwill.

Harry chuckled to himself as Astoria became increasingly broody during her visit with Draco, it looked like there would be another child on the horizon. During the second week of being home, they had put the idea of moving onto the back burner for a few months, it would allow them to establish a routine.

A few days later, Druella turned up completely unannounced, she walked in like she owned the place, the furniture wasn't up to her standard, that was the impression given as she vaporised a chair and conjured one of her own, even Narcissa stared at her mother slack jawed, with a click of her fingers she summoned Kreacher and ordered food and drink. Finally satisfied with everything she held out her arms for the child, Harry exchanged a look with his wife and with a slight shake of his head, scooped up the tiny bundle and deposited her gently into her grandmother's arms.

The afternoon passed nicely, even the sun had broken through the thick grey clouds and the weak sunlight trickled into the front room, Harry shouldn't have been surprised by Druella's handling of the baby, she did raise three girls of her own, but he did find himself staring at her. It was during one of these moments that he was acutely aware someone had spoken and was expecting a response.

"So what are you going to call her?

There was a playful glint in her eye as she watched the young man squirm, he looked at Narcissa for help, they had discussed it but hadn't made it official, they had kept coming back around to one name they both liked and she didn't think Harry would mind if she set it in stone now.

"Mother, you hold in your arms Lily Dorea Potter"

Harry smiled at his wife and dabbed at his eyes, it was a name they had kept coming back to time and time again and it was close to his heart, they were equally agreed that they wanted to include some of the Black family's rich heritage, with the inheritance of the wandering island it made sense to honour Narcissa's ancestor. He was obviously eager to dedicate something to his own mother, but he also liked the flower connection, she had liked his reasoning and had kissed him passionately, things had escalated from there and all talk of baby names had been forgotten. It was official now and they would have to take her to the ministry to be registered, there was no doubt that she would attend Hogwarts but paperwork needed to be signed, and the trace would be applied at the same time.

They decided to get it over and done with the following week, things had started to quiet down, the visits from friends and family had dwindled as normal life became more demanding. Harry stepped into green flames and stepped out into the subdued chaos of the Ministry, Narcissa was soon stood beside him, she took his hand as they walked to the elevators.

A few heads turned and whispered conversations broke out, Lily was staring wide eyed all around, the flickering lights reflected in her bright green eyes. Harry leant and kissed her forehead, he was rewarded with a gummy grin. Nobody halted their progress to the registrars offices, the elevator was packed as it was a busy time of the morning, chubby pink fingers tried to reach the inter office memos, she became frustrated at not being able to grab them and made an unhappy sound, just as the elevator bell rang the arrival of their floor, there was a small bang and a woman holding a stack of papers yelped and threw her pile of folders in the air.

Harry apologised profusely and with a flick of his wand cleaned up the mess and returned the paperwork to their owner, Narcissa chuckled and cooed at the tiny girl in her arms. He'd never been to this part of the Ministry before, he'd never had cause and didn't really know what to expect. It was a bright and airy space, there was even a small play area, the counter was occupied by a young looking witch, the look on her face when she recognised Harry was fairly amusing, until she saw Narcissa and their child, she opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. He stated their intent and the poor woman quickly pulled herself together with only a small hint of a stammer.

It was a pretty standard process marred by pointless procedure, they had to present their wands for inspection, then they signed a few rolls of parchment which covered the consent to the trace, school registration and her magical birth certificate. Lily didn't like the spell used to apply the trace and she whimpered a little bit in protest. That was nothing compared to the weighing, a test of her magical potential, it made Harry think of the boat in that cave full of inferi, he shuddered at an imaginary draft, Narcissa slid her arm round his waist. The young Ministry witch nervously held their daughter, she began to cry in earnest as she was placed on the device, the lamps in the room flickered. Harry soothed his daughter's distress while his wife finished up, unsurprisingly she was a very magical child.

Within a year she was crawling and furniture surfing, her accidental magic was a cause for concern but nothing her skilled parents couldn't deal with. As their first anniversary approached Harry had been increasingly busy at work, the Ministry was evolving under Kingsley's rule, he had a dream to turn it into the envy of the magical world. Narcissa didn't mind, she had her hands full with Lily. There was no risk of feeling abandoned or lonely as Andromeda visited most days and sometimes brought Teddy with her, he adored the tiny witch and she was in awe of him as he played games with her and read her stories. Hermione was doing well, but obviously busy during the school term, they made the most of weekends and holidays, her elder sister was slowly healing and it was nice to know that she had someone.

Narcissa had news, Draco and Astoria were expecting a child and they already knew it was going to be a boy, it made her feel broody, Andi just snorted and said that Teddy was more than enough. She didn't need an excuse to visit her youngest sibling but today she was here with a secret agenda, she kept taking furtive looks at the clock when the blonde witch wasn't paying attention, she jumped as the door bell rang, Andromeda didn't and promised to keep an eye on things while she went to answer the door, Narcissa walked out of the room muttering that she wasn't expecting anyone.

When she returned she was almost lost in a vast bouquet of flowers, soft brown eyes watched her manoeuvre around the furniture before depositing them carefully on the sideboard.

"Couldn't you have used your wand?" Narcissa shot her a dirty look.

"It's not like I had the opportunity, the deliverer was a little rude and impatient"

"Lucky for him you were weighted down with flowers, I assume they are from Harry"

"Of course" her blue eyes glazed over as she stared into the middle distance.

"You are loving this, and he still has it bad for you, it's very sweet"

Lily had curled up next to Andromeda and fallen asleep, her Aunt gently stroked her head, the sisters chatted away a few hours. At some point Harry had snuck in and quietly crept in behind his wife, she jolted violently in surprise as his warm hands rested on her shoulders and he kissed her on the temple. Harry had been working on his anniversary gift for most of the year, he knew it would be worth it to see her reaction. He had to pull in many favours and use his fame, he said he was working late some nights, but really he spent his free time on making his plan bear fruit and now it was time. The final piece was getting Andromeda to look after Lily, and that was by far the easiest part. As she had no idea that all this was planned out right under her nose without realising, she was a little annoyed about having, in her words, absolutely no time to get ready, he pulled her close and kissed her pouting lips until she relented.

There was a cough from the sofa that sounded an awful lot like 'get a room' Harry let her go and get ready, he looked far too smug as he pointed out to his sister-in-law that her behaviour was equally questionable, she grumbled something about the unfairness of a busy school term as a red flush crept across her face. He smiled at his sleeping little girl and gently kissed her on the cheek, she had the best godmothers, Ron had been made godfather, it seemed right, he had become a great man and his support for Harry had never wavered.

Narcissa swept back into the room, a vision in red, she gave him a twirl and crossed the room to kiss her daughter and sister farewell, then they departed. Harry was feeling impatient, he so wanted to see her reaction to her present, but he'd secured them a table at a fine restaurant. They ate and drank, relaxing music tinkled across the room and when the last of the dessert had been cleared away he took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. He pulled their bodies close and with a contented sigh she rested her chin on his shoulder. She revelled in his warmth and their closeness as he led the slow dance.

At last the moment had arrived and Harry could feel his own excitement bubbling under the surface, they stepped out into the chilly night air, once in a secluded spot he apparated them to Riverbank Castle, he produced a blindfold and reluctantly she allowed him to cover her eyes and to be led into the building, she tried to recall the layout in the artificial darkness but quickly lost her bearings. After a few minutes they stopped and he moved to stand behind her.

"Happy Anniversary, I love you with all my heart, I hope you like your gift"

With the blindfold removed it took a short time for her eyes to adjust and as she looked around her mouth dropped open and her hands flew up to her face. All of the books she'd lost to the Ministry raids had been returned and organised carefully into the library here, she wandered between the shelves and ran her fingertips along their familiar spines, aside from a handful of the darkest tomes, it was her entire collection, she couldn't begin to work out how he had made this possible, she hardly noticed the tears that had sprung from her eyes. With her fingers splayed across her chest she turned to face him, he was wearing that crooked smile she adored, she stepped out of her heels and ran barefoot into his arms.

"I take it you like it?"

She tried to speak but all that came out was a cross between a laugh and a sob, he kissed her hair and held her tight. As she calmed down she raised her head, kissing along his stubbled jaw and reaching his mouth, they kissed each other breathless and broke apart panting.

"I love you, I can't imagine the lengths you must have gone to, I know enough about the workings of the Ministry and wouldn't have dreamed it possible"

He just smiled and said that he'd do anything for her, her eyes fluttered closed at those words and she bit her bottom lip, when she reopened her eyes he saw a devious glint within them. Standing on tip toes she whispered into his ear that she was wearing his present, but he'd have to wait, she playfully bit his earlobe and moved away, she gave him a salacious wink and called for Kreacher, the summoning must have been prearranged, the elf handed his mistress an ornate box and disappeared with a loud crack.

"This is your main present"

Harry reached out and took the offered item, it was surprisingly warm, it was crafted out of something that looked and felt like bone, carvings lined all of the edges and on the lid was a sun, he carefully removed the lid, the box contained what looked like fine grey dust. He turned his puzzled face to look at Narcissa who just smiled and shook her head as she took the box from his hands and set it on a nearby table.

"I think we might need to stand back a little bit"

After a few minutes there was a visible haze above the contents of the box, a few minutes later there was smoke, then without warning a bright flash and a bang, they shielded their eyes. The box was completely unscathed, the tabletop was charred and blistered, and in the middle of this small scale disaster sat an ugly looking chick, it was fluffing it's feathers and preening itself.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, his name is Solus, he's Fawkes' brother, at least that's what my friend from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures told me"

He carefully approached the bird, trying not to startle it and held out his hand, Solus regarded him with bright inquisitive eyes and then pecked his fingers affectionately, apparently the bird would imprint itself on it's owner and create an unbreakable magical bond.

He'd been rendered completely speechless, he couldn't find the words to describe this surge of emotion, she squealed as he rushed and picked her up, after he'd spun her around he tangled his fingers in her soft hair and pulled her lips onto his own. Narcissa whimpered as he broke away.

"We should be getting back, I told Andromeda I wouldn't take up her whole evening"

"I don't think it'll be a problem"

"Oh?"

"Well, I had no idea what you had planned, so I asked Hermione if she'd come over"

"I see, in that case I don't feel the least bit guilty"

She moistened her lips in anticipation, Harry slowly closed the gap between them, at the last moment he diverted to her neck and sucked hard on her pulse point, she closed her eyes and threw her head back, surrendering to his ministrations. Her right hand grabbed a fistful of black hair and guided him where she wanted him, they staggered backwards until a bookcase gave her a solid surface to lean against.

Warm hands tugged the silky red material of her dress from her pale shoulders, hot kisses peppered across her bare skin as the material pooled around her waist. He stopped to admire her, blue eyes already darkened with lust, her breasts were straining against a beautiful black and red lace bra, see through in places but leaving a little something for the imagination. Trembling fingers grasped the bow and pulled it open, those same fingers ran up her sides from her waist, delightfully ticklish, they slid under the material and cupped her breasts, with a shrug of her shoulders the bra fell to the floor.

The sensation of his warm hands on her cool skin made her shiver with pleasure, he had stooped to encircle an engorged nipple with his tongue as his hand massaged the other, her breathing was becoming heavier by the minute. He ran his tongue from her sternum to her navel and teasingly flicked his tongue into the dip, he knelt down properly and she wiggled her hips to dislodge the dress, she continued to roll her hips seductively, wearing a matching suspender belt, stockings and underwear, naturally. Slowly the final barrier was peeled away, she'd never considered herself to be an exhibitionist but there was no denying the thrill of this and the way he looked at her, it was a different kind of powerful.

A guttural moan escaped her throat as he attacked the soft flesh of her inner thighs, he placed his hands on her buttocks to support her as she lost herself completely to his touch, it wasn't long until she screamed her release and sank down to the floor with him. Harry scooped her up easily and relocated to their bedroom, and after a while they lay happy and spent between cool sheets.

They woke early the following day and after a quick wash they returned to Grimmauld Place, Harry started to make breakfast and Narcissa couldn't help but head upstairs to make sure everyone was there. Teddy had slept in Lily's room, the mattress had been pulled off the little bed he was using and laid next to her cot, his arm was threaded though the wooden slats and Lily was gripping it in her tiny hand, both were fast asleep. She quietly backed out of the room and carried on down the hall, the door to the guest room was slightly ajar, she pushed it open just wide enough to set eyes on the room's occupant. The familiar shape of her sister was visible in the low light, as she stepped back a floorboard creaked causing the sleeping witch to stir, as she did, a pale arm came from beneath the covers and wrapped itself back around her, with a smile Narcissa went back downstairs.

There was something she loved about sitting down here in the warm kitchen, watching Harry cook for her, he had rolled up his sleeves and peered over the top of his glasses each time they steamed up. Kreacher had gone to inform the heavy sleepers that breakfast was ready. Teddy burst into the room and ran into the blonde witch's arms, her sister followed, then came Hermione and a giggling Lily, she was hoisted over the young brunette's shoulder and held in place with one hand while her other tickled her mercilessly.

Seeing both her Mum and Dad she made a bid for freedom and Hermione put her down, she hugged her Dad's legs and ran to her Mum, muscling Teddy out of the way, who just relocated onto his Gran's lap. The morning meal was a loud, messy, jovial affair, by early afternoon it was just the three of them and Lily was having a nap, life was good.

Over the next few years it just got better, Draco and Astoria welcomed Scorpius into the world, Ron married and they all attended, this went a long way to building bridges, only Narcissa noticed a shadow of fear on the young Weasley girl's face as Druella made the rounds, but it was easily dismissed, her mother had that effect on most people. Andromeda and Hermione made their relationship official, McGonagall had presided over that ceremony as well as Ron's. The years after the rebuilding of the school had mellowed her, she had entertained crowds of people with tales of Hermione's strict rule, the young witch shook her head in denial and hid behind her hands at the headmistress' revelations, but was ultimately betrayed by her burning cheeks.

Lily was approaching her seventh birthday, Narcissa had been returning to Malfoy manor while Harry was at work, the ancient building was pretty much stripped bare, all of the items she had wanted to save were safely stored at either Grimmauld Place or Riverbank castle. She had enjoyed turning the castle into their home, Harry was more than happy for her to have free reign when it came to the decor.

The decision had been made to hand the Malfoy's ancestral home over to the Ministry, they would put it to good use, today she was packing away her family tree, the room at Riverbank castle was already prepared and waiting. Lily had taken to running down the corridors and exploring the nooks and crannies. Periodically, Narcissa would take out her wand and check on her with a simple spell, satisfied that all was well she returned to her task.

Lily enjoyed accompanying her mother to the Manor, it was so big and there was a lot of ground to explore, in the beginning it was still furnished and rooting through all of the cupboards and wardrobes had kept her amused for hours. Now it was bare and too cold outside to roam around the gardens, so she stayed in and wandered the halls and empty rooms. In the west wing on the second floor, there was one locked door, she hadn't bothered with it since the first time she came here, but this could be the last time they came here and curiosity had finally got the best of her.

As she pondered on how to gain entry she realised the solution was simple, and Kreacher was more than happy to help the young girl, the lock clicked open, with a short bow the elf vanished with a crack. She lingered outside for several minutes and strained to hear whether or not the noises had alerted her mother to her mischief, happy that the coast was clear, she reached for the handle and stepped into the room pulling the door closed behind her.

She stood in a large square room, there was an impressive looking fireplace in the middle of the wall opposite the door. She noticed that the walls once held pictures, bare nails protruded from the walls at regular intervals, one such picture was leant against the fireplace, it was very large and obscured most of it. Dust covers had been draped over the items piled against the walls and she approached the nearest pile and lifted a corner of the heavy canvas sheet.

A voice complained loudly at the sudden bright light and startled her so much she sat down hard on her backside as she tried to scurry away. A stern gentleman looked out at her from his ancient frame, there were noticeable similarities between him and her mother, she apologised, manners were very important, as she was constantly reminded, a gentle tug brought the covering back down over the painting and a muffled 'thank you' was just audible.

Curiosity won over her initial fear and feeling emboldened began to peek under other parts of the dust sheet, some faces were familiar, others weren't, some were very rude. Then her eyes settled on the picture in front of the fire, the frame looked very grand, she could tell even looking at the back, she pulled it away from the fire to feel it's weight, it was surprisingly light. It was very big and she carefully turned it around and leant it back against the fire.

Her eyes lit up at the painting, the subject in the frame was stock still and their eyes were closed, she hadn't taken in the subtle differences, the colour of the hair, the jewellery and the clothing, and called out aloud.

"Auntie Dromeda?"

Eyes snapped open and rested on the child, she turned to look at her properly, almost jet black irises adjusted to the light and stared at the wide, inquisitive green ones. Lily had sat down and crossed her legs in front of the woman who looked so much like her Aunt.

"If that blood traitor is your Aunt, then your Mother must be Narcissa?"

"Uh huh, what's a blood traitor?"

"Who won the war?"

"What war?"

"Merlin, you are an irritating little chit, you might be Cissy's daughter but you don't seem to have her brains, curious, you don't look anything like Lucius"

Lily sat and listened to the woman arguing with herself.

"Who are you?"

"I would be your Auntie Bella, I'm surprised you haven't heard of me, but that's not important right now, I want to know who you are, I don't believe I have a niece, I used to, but not any more"

When the dark haired lady laughed, it sent cold chills down her spine, she was a sensible girl, her mother and father told her so, this was just a picture, she'd seen them before, she frequently talked to Walburga Black, her Great Aunt, and she didn't find that at all strange or scary.

"I'm Lily"

"Nice to meet you, but I am curious as to who your father is"

"That is none of your business Bellatrix"

"Cissy, you are looking well"

Lily had jumped at the sound of her mother's voice, it was a tone she wasn't familiar with, she only used it when she was angry and having been on the receiving end of it a few times, she did her best to avoid it. She stood up and ran to her mother who scooped her up and held her against her hip.

"So what happened to dear Lucius?"

"He is dead, it's no great loss"

A wicked smile flashed across Bella's face, Narcissa's jaw was set firm as she spoke

"You've obviously remarried, who is the lucky man?"

"Harry Potter" the blonde witch smirked at her sister

"The brat who just wouldn't die, surely you jest?"

"Not at all, it'd like to say its been nice talking to you but I don't like to lie, things have changed since the war and there's no longer a place for you. I won't destroy your portrait Bella but I doubt we'll talk any time soon"

The silencing spell rattled the painting and she turned away as the dark witch's face contorted with rage, she kept her daughter occupied so she couldn't see the muted display of anger, the door clicked shut and they apparated home. Lily sat and played at the table while her mother started dinner, she kept looking at the door, her dad would be home soon.

"Mum?"

"Yes sweetheart"

"Why did Aunt Bella want dad dead? She also called Auntie Dromeda a blood traitor and said something about a war"

The knife she had been chopping vegetables with clanged as she set it down on the side, she crossed the room and sat opposite her little girl.

"It's a very long story, and even though you are very clever, you are a bit too young to understand, many years ago some very horrible things happened, a lot of people died, including your Aunt, believe me, it's much better now, so don't worry yourself"

Bright green eyes narrowed in thought, and like a cloud passing in front of the sun, it was gone, she returned to her drawing, Narcissa kissed her on top of her head and went back to the dinner.

"Daddy's home!"

She had a knack of knowing, and as soon as she spoke the front door closed and they heard him greet Mrs Black, Lily had stealthily moved to the kitchen door, eager to surprise her dad as he entered. On cue, he stepped into the room, he walked to Narcissa and slipped his arms around her middle and kissed her neck.

"Ewwwww, gross"

Harry jumped away like he'd been electrocuted.

"I thought it was a little bit quiet in here, I should have known you were up to something"

He removed his wand and gently levitated his daughter off the floor, she squealed with delight, he plucked her from mid air and gave her a big hug, she squeezed him tight, wrapping her arms around his head and knocking his glasses squint. Narcissa served dinner and they sat to eat.

"Lily met her Aunt today"

"Andromeda went to the manor to help you?"

"Her other Aunt"

"Oh! I see, everything all right?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle, she was surprised to hear of our union"

He chuckled "I'm sure she was"

Four and a half years had passed since Lily had met Bellatrix, her Hogwarts letter had arrived, she would be going when term started. She had grown tall, her black hair hung long and curly, she was the perfect mix of her parents. She moved restlessly around her parents' room in Riverbank Castle, occasionally moaning about how long it was taking for her mum to get ready, her dad leant against the door frame, the excitement she was feeling had begun manifesting itself as small bouts of uncontrolled magic, today they would go to Diagon Alley. That in itself was a source of much excitement, she loved going, but this time she would be getting her wand.

Diagon Alley was packed, she always found it a little strange the way random people would stare at them, some would stop and shake her dad's hand, he always shrugged it off, for a long time she knew her parents weren't like everyone elses. They went into Flourish and Blotts to collect all of the books she would need for her first year, Kreacher obligingly came and took it all away for them, they also visited Eeylops, without any prompting, she selected a beautiful Snowy Owl.

Once they had collected her cauldron, apothecary supplies, quills, ink and parchment they stood outside Ollivander's, She was almost hopping from one foot to the other in anticipation, Harry reached for Narcissa's hand and Lily led them both inside.

The shop had remained unchanged since his last visit, in fact it hadn't changed since he got his wand, it was dimly lit and musty, at first glance it appeared empty, when the door had opened there was a faint tinkling of a bell somewhere at the back of the shop. Lily approached the counter and fiddled with a small pile of boxes, she let out a small shriek when a wizened old man appeared from beneath the counter, his grey watery eyes made huge by the glasses he wore.

"Young Mistress Potter, I had a feeling that I'd be seeing you"

He looked up and greeted her parents, his gaze lingered on Narcissa the longest, and just as the silence was becoming unbearable, he shifted all his attention back to Lily.

"With parents like yours I imagine you will be a very tricky customer"

He wasn't lying and her arm was beginning to ache with all the wand waving, there had been a few minor explosions and a few unexpected fires, the longer it went on the more gleeful he became, she also discovered that she had overtaken her own father in the difficult customer stakes.

The old man seemed to be deep in thought and without a word he disappeared into the recesses of the shop, after several minutes he returned carrying a tatty looking wooden box. Ollivander opened the lid and offered out its contents, she felt something before her fingers gripped the wood, then a warmth she wasn't expecting surged down her arm and through her body, it was a wonderful feeling, the old wandmaker looked equally pleased as he announced it.

"Walnut, twelve and three quarter inches, dragon heartstring"

Narcissa's mouth twitched at the corners and her blue eyes caught those unnerving grey ones for just a second, then Harry was at the counter and completing the transaction. Finally they stepped out into the bright street, the last errand for the day was a quick trip to Gringotts so that she had a little bit of pocket money. They stopped at Florean Fortesque's for Ice Cream, it was another oddity that Lily noticed, they never seemed to pay when they went there.

Summer was drawing to a close, the weather was still warm but the days were definitely getting shorter, Lily had packed her trunk ready weeks ago, and both Harry and Narcissa hoped that her seemingly unlimited enthusiasm would last after a few terms. She barely slept the night before they travelled to Kings Cross station, she had gone downstairs while her parents slept and had breakfast, then a few hours later when the sun came up she made herself some toast.

Harry smiled and shook his head when he walked bleary eyed into the kitchen, he fixed himself a drink and sat down at the table, Narcissa came in not long after, she leaned over her husband's shoulder so they could share a kiss and continued until their daughter's fake retching sounds ceased. Lily was certain they were being slow on purpose, she wanted to get to London and onto the platform as soon as possible.

Kreacher kindly transported her trunk to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, having heard all about the magical entrance, she broke away from her parents as soon as it was in sight and ran fearlessly into the barrier. When they caught up with her she was pacing up and down impatiently, Frost hooted at her from his cage before tucking his head beneath a wing.

The platform was as packed as Harry had ever seen it, the scarlet steam engine looked exactly as he remembered, he even saw the same witch from his day loading on the snack trolley. Narcissa hugged her daughter and desperately tried to hold back her tears, Harry looked just as emotional.

"Remember to write, give our regards to Minerva and our love to Neville and Hermione" she just rolled her eyes at them "I hope you get sorted into Griffindor..."

Narcissa elbowed him hard in the ribs "...or Slytherin"

"Please behave, the school rules are there for a reason"

"Merlin's beard Mother, you and Dad must have been so bloody boring"

"Watch your language young lady"

She smiled at them, held up her right hand and swore that she would try and do as they asked, she was halfway to the carriage when she ran back and hugged them fiercely, and assured them that she would miss them and couldn't wait to be back for Christmas, Narcissa cried then and Harry pulled her into his arms. They watched her board the train and waved until it had pulled out of sight.

That night after the dinner things had been cleared away, they were sitting together in the living room when the fire place suddenly flared to life only to die moments later, in the grate was a piece of parchment. Harry slid out from under Narcissa's legs and retrieved it, he recognised Hermione's neat handwriting, he cracked the seal and unfolded it.

Dear Harry and Narcissa,

Lily was sorted into Gryffindor (sorry Narcissa) she is settling in well, I don't think she will have the time to write tonight and thought you'd like to know.

See you soon

Love Hermione.

It felt good knowing that she was OK, he walked back over to the sofa they had been sharing and knelt by her side, she was sulking, he whispered platitudes in her ear to which all he got was a grunt of dissent. It took him a little while to win her around, insisting that houses no longer mattered, and that it wasn't so bad loving two Gryffindors. He stood and took her hand, then led her to bed.

Lily's first week at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had been amazing, once everyone had found out who she was, she had become the centre of attention. Having always suspected her parents were famous for something didn't prepare her for the truth. Not only had he brought about the end of the second wizarding war with her Aunt and Godfather, her mother had risked everything to save him and every day she was finding out something new, at the first opportunity she wrote a letter home, and couldn't wait for the Christmas holidays

Dear Mum and Dad,

I hope this finds you well. The first week has been amazing, Aunt Hermione kindly sent you a note about my sorting, the hat knew all about me, and you and mum, it was really weird. The lessons are so much fun, I love Charms, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, (the subject seems a bit pointless now, but we will learn to duel and other cool stuff), Potions, pretty much all of them! Hermione is very strict, all the stories were true, but she's very good.

I'm making lots of friends, next week we learn to fly a broom, a girl in my year took me to the trophy room and Dad's name is on so many trophies. Madam Hooch pulled me aside the other day and told me about how you became the youngest seeker for Gryffindor in over a century, she asked me to say hello.

I can't believe you never told me any of this, you wait till I get home! Sorry I ever said you were boring. Which brings me to my final point, we had History of Magic this week, we are studying the wizarding wars, it's very strange learning about your own father as part of the curriculum, I think I understand why you didn't tell me all about it, at least it won't be too hard to get full marks, I'm quite the authority on Harry James Potter, I will try not to let all the attention go to my head.

I love you both, and I'll be back before you know it.

Lily x x

The End