Draco spoke the password and stepped into the Slytherin dungeon to begin his repeat of seventh year. After the war, Headmistress McGonagall and the Ministry had agreed that all students would be invited back to retake the year that had been lost to darkness and chaos.

He dropped onto the emerald-green couch in the Slytherin common room, eyes locked on the flickering fire, lost in thought. The world had changed, but he wasn't sure yet how he fit into it.

His brooding was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder.

He looked up to see Daphne Greengrass standing beside a girl with long brunette hair and bright, curious eyes.

"Oh. Hey, Daphne," he said flatly.

"Hey," she replied with a mischievous smirk. "So, I owe my sister a favor, and she cashed it in. She wanted me to introduce her to you." She motioned toward the girl beside her. "This is Astoria. She would've been a sixth year if it weren't for this repeat-the-year rule." The smirk widened. "She's fancied you for ages."

Astoria's eyes widened in horror. "Daphne! I told you to introduce me, not humiliate me!"

"What?" Daphne said innocently, twirling her wand through her hair. "I'm just being your wing-girl."

"That doesn't count! You still owe me a favor! You weren't supposed to say I liked him!"

"Relax, sweetie. The way you stare at him in Potions, it would've been obvious anyway."

Draco leaned back with a leer. He hadn't realized he had a thing for sisterly banter until just now.

"Ladies, ladies," he drawled, "There's no need to fight." Even as he said that, a beast inside his chest purred for more.

He turned his gaze to Astoria, and his tone softened. "If what your sister says is true... I don't think it'd be too forward to say I find you attractive. How about we do this properly? A real date. Next Hogsmeade trip—Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?"

Astoria blinked in surprise, then straightened, her shock turning into playful confidence.

"Alright. But let's make it interesting—whoever can down a bottle of Firewhisky fastest doesn't have to pay."

Draco grinned. "I like you already."

Astoria slid onto the couch beside him, and Daphne walked away with a satisfied little strut.

--

Years later, that first date blossomed into something far more serious. Eventually, they exchanged vows and rings at a beautiful ceremony where Luna Lovegood stood proudly as one of Astoria's bridesmaids.

In time, Xenophilius Lovegood found it in his heart to forgive the Malfoys for the role they played in Luna's kidnapping. Draco's quiet kindness during Luna's captivity, and the way he'd supported her afterward, hadn't gone unnoticed.

As for Luna and Harry—they eventually married and had a few children of their own. Though their personalities and passions sometimes clashed, they found harmony in compromise. Harry became an Auror, chasing down dark wizards and restoring order, while Luna stayed close to home, studying magical creatures and writing for The Quibbler. Once Harry was ready to retire (sooner than expected), they traveled the world together, documenting rare magical species and rediscovering forgotten magical lore.

Draco, having inherited the Malfoy estate, never needed to work—but told Astoria he'd go mad sitting in that manor all day. The two of them bought out Borgin and Burkes, not to expand its shadowy legacy, but to redeem it. Draco became fiercely protective of the dangerous artifacts, ensuring none of them ever ended up in the wrong hands again.

As the years passed, the wizarding world began to heal. The fear that had once gripped it slowly faded, like fog in morning sunlight. Voldemort became more of a whispered name in history books than a looming shadow in the minds of witches and wizards.

The war was over.

And while the scars would never fully disappear, love, laughter, and new beginnings took root in their place.