A word of thanks.

Thank you, Martee98 for the amazing job of cleaning up my fic from head to toe, it was a titan work but you did it great and your support is still massively appreciated.

Thank you to Green Eyed Lana, our partnership was shortlived but greatly appreciated as well.

Last but not least: Thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers. I came to the ending point of this fic, a mastodont of 61k words for a first-time author. It was a journey of trial and error, some paths truly unexpected giving me a taste of what I can handle (or not). Yet, many of you shared your thoughts with me, giving me the fire to continue.

Alas, for Five Years, I don't see how I can continue without doing injustice to a fic that I love. It's better to end it on a high point, methinks.

And how can I end it better, than with the appropriate amount of fluffy, smut and fluff once more?

If you want a new Marriage Law fic, I've started "Searching for the perfect husband" with a completely different point of view - speed dating, a beauty pageant and a job-shadowing house-elf test! - check it out, share your love there too, if you want.

Again, thank you for your readership and for joining me in my Five Years journey!

Chapter 30: Renewing Vows.

Rows of white chairs lined up side by side, at the inside towards the aisle, linking each row, was a bow of fabric and a small bunch of white roses attached to each seat. Luna, somehow, succeeded into bringing an impressive flock mix of Song Thrushes, House Sparrows and Nightingales filling the entire gardens with the chirp of birds.

Not one seat was available, the chattering was kept low, maybe because Luna increased the volume of the chirping magically to interfere with any gossip.

All the invitees, dressed in colourful robes - following the implied dress code - waited impatiently for the arrival of the bride. The groom, the only person allowed to attire grey, paced back and forth.

This time, it was so much different than a year half ago; inside their tent with only the Weasleys and his own parents. The singing, the murmurs, the bright garments and the broad smiles stood out massively in contrast with the forced talks and well-wishes from back then.

This time he would say I do, wholeheartedly, acknowledging that she was his future. Proud of the woman she became, of the battle she fought to crawl out of her darkness.

In the past two months, they traded Tobar Nalt steadily for an extended stay at the Manor until they moved permanently, refurbishing it from head to toe; the walls decorated in new shades of paint, or some even torn down to make room for a modern setting. Nearly all but one room were included in this massive makeover. The nursery remained untouched.

The brighter his birth home became, the more Hermione blossomed, just as his mother did. Two nights before the official move-in, the three laid the ashes of Lucius to rest inside the family tomb, in silence. Giving their souls the closure they all needed, saying goodbye to the proud father, the loving husband, and during a short period of time, a pleasant father-in-law. Narcissa held both of them tightly in her arms; now it was she the one who needed comfort. Now almost four months ago, when she witnessed the fall of a man, she respected, and see in its place, the rise of a madman.

Between the silent walls of her bedroom, Narcissa fell asleep with tears in her eyes, the only moment she allowed her emotions to roam free. Outside Hermione's knowledge, but upon the insistence from Draco, Narcissa also attended a few healing sessions with Henry. The man made her see it was natural to feel loss and grief, Lucius had shared a life with her, in better times and during the most daunting moments; denying her pain was only a mere postpone.

Everything fell into place afterwards, Narcissa commandeering a portrait in the hope to be rejoined once again with her lost love unless it was the lunatic who returned - in that case, she promised Draco to destroy the picture herself. Depending on its new resident, the place of the frame was still to be determined, momentarily it would remain inside her private quarters.

To this celebration, Draco was forced to reign his mother in. Use to hosting extraordinary events, she wanted to open this vow renewal to all and everyone who meant something inside the Wizardry World. Hermione had listened in panic, lacking the courage to deny her mother-in-law her pleasure; Draco, however, set his foot down and cut through the guest list with a scythe reducing it to a quarter of its original number. Which led to zero negative RSVPs and full attendance.

The orchestra began to play the wedding march.

All guests rose to their feet and held their breaths for just a second before they unanimously started to laugh at the adorable sight before them.

A proud walking Krops, dressed to the ninnies in a yellow three-piece suit, levitated the mini-me version of the groom, who drooled all over his robes thanks to a growing tooth. Scorpio's hair styled just like his father's, the baby was the spitting image of Draco when he was this young, including the chubby cheeks. He was admired by all and rewarded the audience with a curious look, head turning from left to right so he wouldn't miss a thing, stealing the spotlight effortlessly.

That was until Arthur cleared his throat, proud to walk down his other daughter, stepping forward straight as a peacock. Her hand rested in the crease of his arm and was covered by Arthur's own hand.

Arthur had to fight for this honour, as Harry wanted to be the one taking her to the altar. But Arthur won it, thanks to his age, remarking that is was not done, to have a youngster lead the bride down the aisle if the girl in question was older than him. The valid point sealed the deal.

The bride wore this time a cream coloured dress - not a dark blue gown as in the first time - the gown shining brightly from the number of crystals and sequins adorning the garment. Narcissa suggested, at first, pure white, but Hermione drew the attention towards Scorpius, having her own son lead the way, didn't combine well with the virginity symbolism of a white bridal dress.

For jewellery, she wore her sapphire pendant.

The last few steps before reaching Draco were taken painfully or teasingly slow, depending on how you saw it. The shared looks withheld promises for later, of the kind to be fought inside private chambers. Blaise coughed too much foreplay and rubbed the sore place where his wife Cho struck him.

"Son, make this woman happy."

"I plan to do so, with my whole heart, Arthur." The men shook hands.

Ron spoke up, "We are all gathered here to celebrate the vow renewal of this lovely couple, Hermione and Draco Malfoy."

He had surprised Hermione and Draco a few weeks before, by showing them his licence to be a wedding officiant. When he heard about their plans, he grew this idea, and not one soul could have stopped him from being the one to preside over their ceremony. Now that Ron claimed his place, Harry felt a short pang of jealousy.

Hermione beamed at his manners, this was the Ron she knew, the one who wanted to please others.

"I don't have to explain to you which are the duties of a husband towards his wife, or the other way around. If there is a couple that has shown the world what it is to stand by each other and be each other's rock in a savage sea, then it's the two of you. Fate played a nasty trick on you, and yet, we see both shine."

The bride and groom shared a heart-melting look.

"Let's look head-on to the boring part of this ceremony. Draco Malfoy, do you take your Hermione Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." Clear.

"Hermione Granger, do you take this man, Draco Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

No room for doubt, "I do."

"Hermione, will you read the vows you've written for Draco?"

She took a deep breath, "Last year when your name popped up as my match, I've cursed you into oblivion. You were my tormentor, the boy who made my school career a hell, calling me the worst names, never letting me forget that I did not belong in your world, my origin was inferior to yours. Never did I imagine, that instead of shackling my life to the worst possible man, I would find my soulmate. Our path was not the easiest one, but today I don't regret any moment of it, because my nemesis from before is my anchor today. My tormentor became the best partner a wife can wish for. Draco you are an amazing father and an even better husband. I love you."

Draco needed a moment to regain control before he started, as almost everyone else, moved with Hermione's words. Weasley sniffed.

"My love, how can my speech even equal yours? You rose the stakes, I can only do with what I have." He cleared his throat, "Hermione Granger now Malfoy, the reason why my heart beats, the sun in my blue sky. A courageous soul. Time after time you astonish me with your willpower, the amount of love and forgiveness you have to give. I didn't believe in the beginning, us to be the perfect match, as those old bats foresaw." His thumb caressed her face, their surroundings a blur.

"Yet, I cannot think there's another woman out there, who could love me the way you do, seeing through my flaws and antics, knowing the man behind the mask. You are my wife, my other half, my best friend and an amazing mother. I'll be the man devoted to making your life the happiest possible because I can't live without you. You are my everything, love. You're my world. I love you, Hermione."

With both hands cradling her face in their hold, he placed a kiss on each eye, drying the escaping tears; followed by the tip of her nose, to end with a passionate kiss on her lips.

Behind him, Ron remarked, "Kissing the bride happens later, friend." Their audience chuckled, but the couple never noticed, lost inside their private bubble.

The exchange of rings followed, and Ron finished the ceremony, "You have already kissed the bride."

"Not yet thoroughly." Draco snatched his wife, kissed her once more heatedly leaning over her, much to the delight of their attendance, which erupted in loud applause. He released her lips with a plop, Hermione batting her eyelashes to return back to her reality, and hiding her face in his neck, emotional.

Their loved ones crowded them to congratulate them with the ceremony, their closest friends hugging them tightly.

"Malfoy, remember the iceberg?" Harry grinned, "Is it still where you get your warmth from?"

"Decent men tell no tales." Both wizards watching the brunette laugh with some remark from Pansy. "Never did I expect her to be this amazing."

"It's who Hermione is, she loves unconditionally."

"She even forgives a soul like me, after I abandoned her with Harry." Ron introduced himself into the conversation. "I have to thank you, Malfoy. For never giving up on her, when she needed you the most. I hate to say this, we're still frenemies and all, but I'm glad she has a strong man at her side, that she has you."

The blond coughed fakely, "Weasel, you and I friends?"

"Nah, forget it, temporary brain malfunction." They exchanged a moment of male bonding, despite their words. "Make her happy, Draco."

"It's my plan all along, Ronald."

Harry embraced both wizards, "The happy ending." Both shoved Harry away, shaking their heads, feigning disgust.

-oOo-

She looked out the window, to the remainings of decorations, flying with the gentle breeze of the night. He watched her, the light of the moon gave her an angelic glow; approached her silently and caressed her shoulder with a gentle kiss, "This should have been our first wedding night. We have to make up for the loss."

His hands stroked the skin of her arms, lifting and bending one so it could reach his neck, to have free access to the side of her breast, which he palmed and kneaded. Her breath faulted.

Draco focussed his attention on the zipper and buttons on the back, pushing the full gown down until it fell as a puddle at her feet, admiring the sight before him. She was left in a bodice in the same cream colour as her dress, in see-through lace. The globes of her arse perfectly in view, with a simple thread of the thong connecting the small triangle at the front with the rear.

The bodice was tied together with ribbons, and he took his time releasing knot per knot, licking the freed skin. She shivered at the anticipation.

Finally, the entire garment joined with a plop the gown on the ground, the only remaining piece of cloth on her body, were the tiny knickers at her waist. Both hands palmed roughly her globes, massaging them, patting them. A single digit ran along the slit until it found a source of wetness, and it entered without previous advice. She gasped and jerked.

He growled against her arse, biting in the firm flesh. Turning her around and pushing her against the window, Draco undid her from the mountain of fabric at her feet; rose up, burying for a moment his nose in her pussy, licking it in one stroke; before continuing his travels towards her parted lips, stopping at her perked nipples and sucking one at the time deep inside his mouth.

Hermione moaned and held on to wherever her hands could reach, mostly his hair, giving it a pull when the jolts of fire were too much. "Draco."

He picked her up, bridal style, and brought her to their bed, lowering her perfectly in the middle and demanding his place between her spread legs. His signature smirk displayed in on his face, he let his eyes feast on her wet core, separating her nether lips for a better view of her engorged nub, and the glistening entrance.

"Perfection." Husky voice. Draco latched on her clit like a thirsty man, sucking, biting gently, lapping it as his favourite candy. His fingers found her quim and entered her heated core slowly, turning and retreating before pumping back and forth. She watched him intently, see his blond hair between her legs arose her to no end, especially his heated grey eyes focus on her face, searching for every sign of pleasure.

Thumb replaced his mouth and drew little circles, alternating the pressure on her engorged clit; his tongue lapped at her, licking and penetrating her, savouring her juices. He chuckled against her core, as his fingers returned to their merciless attack, fingering her relentlessly until she uttered incoherent words, legs flexing and stretching, drunk of the heated sensations running through her body. "Love, come for me. You're so beautiful, Hermione, cum in my face."

She arched her back and cried out her release, hips jerking uncontrollably only held back by the hand that kept her in place. He drunk from her well, never shifting his gaze away.

Propping himself up above her, he looked down at her blushing face, smiled and possessed her lips, giving her a taste of herself. Impatiently, her hand snaked between them, rubbed the tip of his head over her slit, before guiding him inside, gasping loudly when he stretched her in such a familiar way.

He rocked his hips against her, at a slow pace, delighting in her hot and sensitive walls. But Hermione wanted none of that. Hooking her legs around his waist, she forced him to increase the speed, hungry for a rough rutting instead of slow and languid thrusts. He complied, bed cracking under the force of his pumping. "You want hard and deep, love? Does my girl want to be taken roughly today?"

"Yes, Draco. Yes!"

He grabbed her leg under the knee and pulled her leg backwards, getting a new angle and hitting that special place inside. The slapping of skin against skin, his grunts and her moans sounded around their room, sweat running down his spine. He demanded her mouth, sucked on her nipples, while the other arm kept his chest upright, muscles straining from the effort.

But it was worth it, so worth it, to feel her come undone once more, squeezing his cock inside her walls, drawing out his own release and milking his hardness for every drop. He jerked multiple times, consumed by pleasure and prowess. This wildcat was his to keep. His to love and his to worship.

One last spurt of seed and Draco felt spent, falling on top of her for a moment, to regain some strength. He peppered her face with kisses, between his heavy breaths and smiles.

Hermione looked up and flashed him her most Slytherin of grins.

His eyebrow rose, "What is your brain cooking up?"

"I still have a present left." Many were the times she almost spilt her beans, but Hermione was proud of herself, for having self-control.

"And?"

"It has to do with memories."

"Which ones?" Draco kissed a finger at the time.

"Not multiple, only one we created."

"Which one?" He cradled her against his body, hand playing with her curls, admiring the blush on her face, the sign of a thoroughly satisfied woman.

Hermione caught his hand, and brought it to her belly, "This one, Draco. The one we created to erase the bad memory."

His breath sped up, face frowning, relaxing and smiling as if he was still catching up with her words. "Are...you...sure?"

She looked giddy in her answer, "If you want, I've studied the spell to know its gender."

"How? When?" He shook his head lightly, incredulous.

Hermione wanted to frame his face forever, its youth revealing the eagerness and the slight fear to be misunderstanding her. "Well, how, I know you know how, you just performed more than satisfying. When? I'm certain it was on the ground, after a scary but pleasant flight around the Manor."

"Hermione Jean Malfoy." He pushed her on her back, lowered until his face was at her belly, and kissed the slightly raised bump with reverence. "You mean the world to me." He cupped it with both hands, "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Do you want to try that spell?" Her nod was barely finished, or he raced after his wand and told her to guide him. The pink glow brightened his face, "A little princess." He kept repeating the movement, bathing in the light shining in response, "The very first Malfoy princess."

"Cassie."

"What?"

"When we were searching for a name for our son, I looked over the girls' list, thinking of a plan-B in case Samantha was wrong. I came across Cassiopeia, which I shortcutted in my head, Cassie."

"Cassiopeia Malfoy. I like it."

"I rather go for Cassiopeia Narcissa Malfoy. Or will your mother not survive the cuteness."

"Love, Nana Cissa with Scorpio, she's one and all cuddly and pampering. She'll lose it with a namesake. Love." He inched closer to her face, palm stroking over the left side, bringing her gaze to his. "We're having a little girl."

-oOo-

The newest family member arrived later than planned, driving her mother nuts, who was exhausted of carrying all that extra weight and raising her fathers' anxiety to an unseen level. The labour itself ran smoothly according to the numbers, and the waiting room filled with smiling people.

When the proud father entered the room, baby safely wrapped in a pink blanket knitted by Molly, the oh's and ah's floated around the entire floor of St. Mungos. Scorpio watched the whole picture from his place in his godfather Harry's arms, pouted lips at the loss of the attention. A pudgy finger pointed at the bundle, "Asie?"

Draco smiled, "Yes, Scorpio, this is your sister Cassie." The huff that followed made everyone laugh aloud. The toddler was an exact copy of his father, including the feel for drama and antics, much to his father's desperation and hilarity of his mother and Nana.

Later they became thick as thieves and the reason for the early grey hairs on Draco's head, especially when a third boy was added to the equation, Severus. The youngest Malfoy was much more serene, devouring books as his mother, watching his father closely at his potions table from the moment he could stand on a chair.

The three grandchildren were Narcissa's most significant treasure and the delight of grandpa Lucius, who loved to watch the tots play from his high spot above the hearth. To everyone's relief, it was the man they used to love who returned.

Five years was their beginning, not the ending.

Not for the Silver Prince and his Golden Queen.