.

EPILOGUE

Hermione

I double checked the doors and set the motion sensors to active; security had been doubled for my safety when we first moved in, and increased tenfold since we'd brought our daughter home. We'd had no issues since Narcissa's arrest and subsequent hospitalisation, but Lucius refused to take any chances.

Reaching into the pram — which had a permanent place at the bottom of the stairs— I plucked out the soft blue dog that had been a gift from Scorpius. He'd been adorably sweet when he met her, shoving the toy in her face and explaining excitedly about the blue dog on the television.

I ran my fingers over the soft toy, smiling at an image of them playing together. It would be a few years before they would be able to, but Scorpius's excitement every time he saw 'gah-pa's baby' was incredibly sweet and pure. I was still his favourite — his bear-hug greetings always made me love him more — but Gah-pa had been credited with having our daughter, since he was the one holding her when Scorpius first met her.

I headed up the stairs, smiling at the murmured voice I could hear in the nursery. It was our new nightly routine. I would feed her and Lucius would bring her upstairs to tell her a story while he rocked her to sleep. I hated to disturb them, but most nights I couldn't help myself and would watch them from the door.

Stopping when I reached the nursery, I peeked through the door that led into the room, taking him in before he noticed me. Lucius was sitting in the oversized armchair by the window. He was reading quietly, while our baby looked perfectly content snuggled against him. Her eyes were wide, staring up at him, mesmerised by the low timbre of his voice and the gentle cadence of each word as he read.

I watched, holding back a giggle, as the baby's arm shot out, tiny fingers fisting the air as she made a wobbly grab for the book.

"We've talked about this," Lucius said in a calm voice, smiling down at our little girl. "We have to take special care of our books. And…" He placed the book on the wide arm of the chair and allowed her to wrap her tiny fingers around one of his. "Mummy will get very cross if we tear the pages, no matter how adorable these tiny fingers are."

My heart skipped as Lucius lifted our daughter's hand to his lips and pressed the most gentle kiss to her fingers. Our baby girl had captured everyone's hearts. But none more so than that of her Daddy. And watching him in these moments with our daughter, I saw yet another side to this man.

Lucius doted on her — I was sure he would move the stars if he thought she wanted them moved. Regina and Lana had assured me that he had been the same when Draco was born, and Draco had said the same of his father's attention to baby Scorpius. I knew I would have been more than happy to spend my days with just Lucius, but since our daughter's arrival, it felt like everything in my life had finally come together. Everything I'd endured after my parents passing seemed like a hazy memory; something I knew had occurred, but had occurred in a different life.

The two people right in front of me — my husband and my daughter — were now all that mattered.

Lucius looked up. His eyes lit up and his smile widened. He beckoned me over, shifting in the wide chair to allow me some space, and I curled up next to him.

It had taken two days after her arrival before we finally agreed on a name, and it was actually Regina who had named her. She'd been cooing over our daughter, telling us both that while she loved her three sons — and her grandson — with all her heart, her wish had always been to have a little girl.

"Lila Grace," Regina said. "I always wanted a little girl named Lila Grace."

"Lila Grace," I repeated, holding Lucius's gaze.

He was nodding. "I think we found a name."

Lila gurgled at me, her eyes blinking slowly, and my heart kicked. My baby's smiles — the genuine ones, not the reflex newborn ones — had become more and more frequent, as had the tiny sounds that melted my heart every time I heard them. I pressed a gentle hand to her belly and smiled.

"Did Daddy tell you a good story?"

Lucius kissed my temple, "We've been learning about strong, independent princesses and the horrible princes who should stay far away from them."

I laughed quietly, "I don't remember fairy tales being quite like that."

"Well, the ones we've been reading are exactly like that." Lucius looked down at the baby, "Isn't that right, Princess Lila? No icky princes will ever need to rescue you. You'll do everything on your own, and you won't ever need a prince in your life."

"Hmm, interesting." I held Lila's foot in my hand. "So you're saying I should have stayed away from you?"

"You, my darling, are not a princess who needs saving." He kissed me again, and then grinned wickedly, "And I am far from being a prince."

"Going by that logic, if she grows up to be strong and independent, which I'm sure she will, she only needs to find a non-prince type to make her happy."

Lucius scowled.

"She's four months old, Lucius. We have plenty of time to prepare for any future princes — or princesses — that might be in her life." I curled my arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek, "Maybe you should stop telling her these fairy tales. I'm sure she loves them, but they're terrifying you."

He squeezed my thigh, frowning, "Maybe."

"Hey, I was just joking." I said gently and pressed my hand over his heart. "What's going on?"

"You're so much more than I could have ever hoped for. Both of you." He lifted the baby, curling her into his chest. Her little hands scratched at his shirt, and she wriggled against him, her eyes blinking heavily. She was sleepy and curled against him as she was, I knew she would be out in seconds. It was her favourite place to sleep — her daddy's chest.

I remained quiet. I'd heard a different version of this several times since our daughter was born. He worried about her future — which I was sure came from the fact he was an older father this time — and he still needed to convince himself I was actually here with him and not a mirage.

"This thing you and I have, is all I ever wanted." He rubbed his hand gently up and down Lila's back, her little fist pressed against her mouth and she made quiet, sucking sounds. "I love my son with all my heart, but his mother… I'm incredibly grateful our daughter has you. That I have you."

Despite Draco's absolute delight at my pregnancy, Lucius had had some concerns regarding his son once our baby was born. His concerns were assuaged the moment Draco met Lila. He was absolutely captivated with her, rarely allowing anyone to hold her — even us — when he was around her.

"We have an arrangement, Lucius, an unbreakable one. So, you're stuck with me. Your son is a good man, because of you, and your daughter already adores you. I love seeing you with her." I brushed my hand gently over Lila's little head, smiling as her eyes finally closed. "Plus, her big brother is completely besotted with her. You know that."

"Am I just being a panicky father?" He shook his head, "Again? "

"No, you're being a normal father, and that's why we love you." I kissed him and then stood, allowing him to do the same. He swaddled her up and placed her in the bassinet, holding his hand against her tummy. "Enjoy these moments with her, Lucius. She won't be this tiny for long. Protect her, worry about her, be this crazy, panicky man who would give his life for her. Be her daddy."

Lucius reached his free arm out to pull me into his side. We stood together watching our daughter sleep.

"What are you thinking?" I asked in a whisper.

"Just loving how happy I am with my life."

I tilted my head up and smiled. "I could make you even happier."

"I'm not sure that's possible."

I took his hand and pulled him out of the nursery and down the hall into our bedroom. We'd only just begun having sex again. He'd been so careful, handling me with such care as if I might break. But I didn't want careful, and I knew I wouldn't break.

I looked at the bed, then at the wall, and back to him. I ran a fingertip across his jaw, tapping gently on his chin. I licked my lips and his nostrils flared.

"Lucius Malfoy," I said, raising one eyebrow. "Do you want to thump a wall with me?"

A/N:

What an amazing ride this has been! The very first ideas for this story were put on paper in 2019. It originally had a different pairing, but I couldn't quite make it work. I shelved it for a while, but the second I swapped Lucius Malfoy in when I finally revisited it, everything just fell into place.

So many thanks to my awesome friend PotionChemist, who has stuck with this fic (and me) for the past two and half years. It's an absolute understatement to say you go above and beyond to assist me. I am forever grateful that you are able to decipher my mad spelling errors and Aussie-isms.

Thank you also to GracefulLioness for helping with the ballet components. And to MotekElm for answering all my medical questions.

To everyone who has read and reviewed this fic: please know, I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the time you've spent reading my words. Your support and encouragement is always welcome and feels like a great big warm hug.

Until next time…