Chapter 72: Start Again

Harry had never thought in a million years that he would be back here. Nor had he ever wanted to be.

Recalling that nippy night sometime in April from nearly 30 years ago, he couldn't recall much of the Malfoy estate from the outside. He, Ron and Hermione had been frogmarched by the Snatchers across the lawn, and much of the property had been pitch dark, anyhow. Anyway, most of the horrors had occurred inside the Manor.

Thank Merlin that Draco and Hermione weren't holding this ceremony inside the manse, at least. Better still, that they weren't holding it in that room. The drawing room where Hermione had been tortured so long ago. Not that Harry figured this mellowed and changed Draco would have ever even considered it. Even so, the Head Auror found himself wondering what had happened to that cursed drawing room, if anything. In all the years he had seen Draco around the Ministry while at work, he had never thought (really, worked up the nerve) to ask him. Harry supposed if he really wanted to know, he would ask his niece, or even better, Scorpius – the lad was a top man, and always known for being honest….

A white marquee tent was set up here on the Manor grounds. The event would be intimate and quiet, with just a smattering of guests. Harry figured that the gaggle of reporters covering the sensational story for the Daily Prophet probably outnumbered the entire congregation. Maybe afterwards, he would track down good old Jimmy Peakes, one of his Ginny's old colleagues and a DA veteran; the intrepid reporter had always been partial to a nice glass of Scotch….

Harry took his place leaning against a post leading into the tent, near the back of the assembly. He watched as a small four-piece orchestra started up the march, the wafting melody signaling Rosie to begin her glide up the aisle. Harry noticed how his niece, the Matron of Honor, was distracted by her pack of little ones, attempting to corral them with nothing but her eyes even as her poor husband tried to get the squirreliest ones to sit still with his bare hands, the whole lot seated in the front row.

Across the way and a few rows back, Harry spotted the golden curls of a glowing Lavender Brown, her stomach voluptuously round and nearly out to her feet. Arms wound about his wife, Teddy Lupin beamed at her and the couple kissed chastely; Harry had to imagine their little bundle of joy would be due any day. It was probably a risk for Lavender to have fallen pregnant at her age, but better late than never. He wished both her and his godson well.

Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom came up the center aisle, arm and arm and grinning into each other's eyes. Loyal Luna looked as devil-may-care as ever, even as her tastes in fancy dress had softened considerably since her own first wedding; as to how Neville was able to stand being a groomsman in the party of a man whom Harry was pretty sure the ex-DA General would still gladly deck, the Chosen One supposed that Hermione had talked him into it.

Hazel green eyes still sweeping the open-air gathering, Harry's gaze finally landed on Daphne.

His Deputy and erstwhile lover was looking absolutely fetching in a forest green dress – a Slytherin through and through, even in her fancy apparel. He felt his mouth unconsciously water. Harry sensed the moment that she saw him, and the pair gazed fairly intensely at each other, before Daphne glanced away in a manner that seemed almost sad.

The strains of the music reached a light crescendo, and Rose turned all the way around in her seat, little Jean squirming in her lap.

In a bit of a break from tradition, the happy couple would be having their first look at the top of the aisle, and would be escorting each other down it. Hermione's beaming smile was one of anticipation, clutching a bouquet while appearing characteristically exhilarated with nerves. Grinning nervously, Draco offered his hand to her; with a smirk, Hermione accepted it and the pair marched down the aisle with a brimming resolve even as from the flushed looks on both their faces, butterflies were having their say, and would up until the moment when they said….

Percy Weasley, balding and looking as officious as ever, called for the congregation to quiet: "Dearly beloved….. we are gathered here today…."

Harry's attention was diverted from Draco and Hermione clasping hands and grinning contentedly at each other when Daphne chose this auspicious moment to duck away from the proceedings. Heart going out to her, a concerned Boy Who Lived went after her, even though the sensible part of him knew he might be courting trouble.

He tracked Daphne down the grassy slope to the carriage house. True, this may have been only the second time he had been here in decades, and still Harry had never had any idea that this place featured a carriage house.

Daphne was turned away from him, clearly wiping at her eyes.

"Daphne….."

"Please don't….." she wouldn't look at him.

Harry tried not to grind his teeth. He would probably get hexed for this, but sod it, he didn't care! He reached for her hand. "Damn it, Daphne….!"

"Not now, Scarhead…." There wasn't the fire in her voice that he remembered, had always admired and secretly loved.

"Tough. I want to sort it out jolly well here and now, so we'll do it here and now!" He steered her into the shadow of the structure. Dipping his head, Harry searched her ice-blue eyes. "Come on. Why is it so bad?"

Daphne averted her gaze into the grass. "You know why….." Her voice was nearly a whisper.

Cupping her cheek, Harry forced her to look at him. "No. I don't think I ruddy do."

"Harry, do we really want to make this family any more complicated than it already is? Than it's going to be, probably within moments?"

He laughed at that. "Daph, if there's one thing I know how to handle, it's complicated families. I've been doing it since I was a year old."

She lifted a prissy eyebrow. "I said complicated families, Scarhead, not abusive ones."

"Yeah, well I'd call navigating abusive Muggles complicated enough."

Back behind them, in the marquee, Draco and Hermione were quietly exchanging rings and vows…..

Daphne's eyes darted about, a part of her feeling trapped and yet another part – rapidly growing - not wanting to even try and escape the trap she was in. "OK, let me see if I've got this right: if you were that daffy enough to want to marry me, then my nephew would be…. I guess step-cousins with his best mate, your son…."

"Yes….." Harry smoothly stole his arms about her slim waist, pulling her closer. It almost amused him how Daphne's pitch seemed to peak in a sort of panic as she continued rambling:

"I'd be sisters-in-law to your…. sister-in-law, or is she your former sister-in-law….?"

"Well, considering she's marrying your brother-in-law, I'd say that about evens it out, enough that she'd still be my sister-in-law….." He mapped out the family tree, by love and expected and possible marriage and…. yes, he pretty well worked that one out…..

"You see what I'm saying? And how do you think my nephew and your niece, who are married with children are going to feel about being stepsiblings….?"

"Daph, last time I checked the laws, stepsiblings can still shag. Course, in any other situation other than two people marrying before their widowed parents do, it would be gross, but then again, it's only family by marriage and not by blood…."

He nearly laughed at the look in her eyes; she was running out of excuses. "Your children will probably bloody hate me! Noble Gryffindors that they are…."

"First of all, one of mine is a Slytherin, thank you very bloody much; and if Al gives his OK, the rest will likely fall in line…." Harry's face was now very close to hers.

"But how on earth would we…..? – Hmmmmmmm…"

Daphne's protests died a peaceful death in her throat as Harry kissed her, long and tenderly. Finally dropping the last of her resistance, Daphne let her eyes flutter shut as she looped her arms about the Boy Who Lived's neck and dreamily snogged him back.

Meanwhile, back at the marquee, Percy was concluding his sermon: "….. I now pronounce these two people man and wife. You may kiss."

Draco seemed almost adorably trepidatious as he lifted his bride's veil. When he hesitated to bend and kiss her, Hermione casually tossed her bridal bouquet aside and, slinging a palm around his neck, closed the gap between them. Pulling the reformed Death Eater's lips down to hers, the former Minister for Magic kissed her new husband deeply. As the newlywed couple embraced and their wedding kiss deepened, neither even noticed how Rosie caught the bouquet with one hand even as the auburn-haired witch raised her wand in the other.

With a simple flick, sparkling of particles of magic, heralded by a gusting wind, swirled about Draco and Hermione, causing the couple to tighten their embrace and pull each other close. The magical tornado caused Hermiones' bridal skirts to billow up about her in what was nearly an unflattering way, and her chestnut curls stand straight on end. She dreamily wove her fingers into her new husband's blonde locks (she couldn't believe it – she was married again! And to the last man she thought she'd enter into vows with, of all people!) and snogged him harder.

And as Draco Malfoy and Hermione Malfoy (formerly Weasley, neé Granger) embraced and kissed, sealing their union and taking the first step into their marriage – the second for both – magical fireworks pealed with a piercing shriek and exploded into the evening twilight above Malfoy Manor, the bright colors bathing another Gryffindor and Slytherin couple heatedly kissing in their glow.

Daphne and Harry broke apart at the sound of the cacophonous booms. Arms still looped about his shoulders, the beautiful blonde-haired witch shyly bit her kiss-swollen lips.

"OK….. yes!"

Harry turned and glanced down at her. "What? What did you say?"

A scared and yet decided Daphne slowly nodded. "Yes! Let's bloody get married!"

Harry beamed, drew her close and kissed her. Smiling into his lips, her own parting sinuously to grant entrance to his tongue, Daphne Greengrass had to laugh at herself as she pondered what would someday soon be here given name:

Mrs. Daphne Potter. She rather bloody liked the sound of that!

Harry and Daphne eventually married in a quiet ceremony, in the living room of the Potters' Godric's Hollow home several months later. When George blessed them, sealing their union, Harry and Daphne solidified it by sensuously embracing and sharing a long, deep wedding kiss, which quickly turned into a rather passionate snog.

Behind the embracing newlyweds, James let out a saucy wolf-whistle. Even in the middle of being gracefully dipped while kissing her new husband, Daphne had no qualms about casting an innocent hex in her now-stepson's direction.