15 YEARS LATER

Hermione closed the latest Jo Nesbo novel, finally having got round to it after the last few hectic months. She was careful not to leave a mark on the crisp pages with her burgundy nail polish, and pulled the bookmark out, sticking it straight into a battered, leather-bound copy of Shakespeare's complete works. Having read something new, it was now that time again for her to read some of her favourites. It was the simple joys of re-reading a well-loved text that always made her relax the most.

Algarve, southernmost region of Portugal, was a stunning blend of beaches, golf courses, nature reserves, little ancient fishing villages and fascinating Roman ruins. They loved to travel but this was their first time in Portugal and they made sure to reserve 12 days in this paradise. Hermione had already scoured the local historical sites in the first two days of the trip and decided to take it easy this day and just enjoy some sunshine, sea, and her book. Thankfully she had great company in Scorpius' lovely wife, Marcella, who was just as excited to do the tours as she was.

Hermione took to the young woman near immediately, their personalities so similar. She was very proud of Scorpius for meeting his match and knowing when to work hard to keep it. He grew up into a handsome young man. They had a few years of him being a moody teenager but he was always so well-behaved that when he began testing their boundaries and dating a bit more than was perhaps advisable with his workload, they were prepared for it and knew how to make sure he still came out of Hogwarts with excellent grades and ready for the world. And he never disappointed them once, immediately taking on an apprenticeship and working his way into the business sector.

Scorpius took over Malfoy industries at the age of 22, as Draco had no inclination to do so and left it to hired management to look after for years. He did however make sure to mentor his son as his father had and watched him blossom and take responsibility firmly in hand. It was that year he met Marcella on a holiday in Florence, the lovely young woman immediately igniting a spark within him when he met her in her work as one of the guides at the Uffizi. They got on like house on fire and less than a year later, Hermione was proud to lead Scorpius down the aisle to wait for his lovely bride, as any proud mother would.

That thought made her smile. It took a couple of years to finalise the paperwork but once her and Draco were married, Hermione sat Scorpius down to explain and ask he would want to be her son officially. He was then a little first year and despite having her in his life for a few years then, he still held onto her tight as he called her mama for the first time. And when Marcella became their daughter by marriage, Hermione welcomed her with open arms and encouraged her to call them mum and dad, as she had none herself. It was this fact as well that endeared the strong young woman to Hermione, having lost her parents young and knowing the pain and strength it required to just keep going and living life to the fullest while missing them.

Hermione could feel the sun gaining in intensity and see her skin already becoming golden before her very eyes. Reaching for the high factor sun spray, she began rubbing the oil-based droplets into her skin. She made sure to rub some into her belly, smiling softly at the bit of loose skin peaking over her high-waist bikini bottoms.

Her body wasn't what it used to be when she was younger, but she was happy nonetheless. After giving birth to their daughter Sabine 13 years ago, she fell into postpartum depression and didn't feel right in her body for a while. Draco had been supportive through the whole episode but she knew it strained their relationship for a few years. She managed to find her footing once more and decided to embrace the wrinkles, the loose skin on her stomach that never quite was the same again, the breasts that were more bouncy than perky these days, and the greys that began appearing in her hair like mushrooms after rain. She was turning 45 in a couple of months and still felt beautiful, especially when her husband looked at her like she was an absolute goddess.

"Would you mind getting my back, mum?" Marcella asked her, clearly having the same idea as her mother-in-law.

Hermione motioned for her to pin her lustrous dark locks up and gently applied the lotion to her soft back, smiling at the curvy young woman. Scorpius definitely took after his father in his taste for women, she mused with amusement. Speak of the devil…

"How are my two favourite ladies?" he grinned rakishly, handing each of them a small paper cup with a large dollop of ice cream.

"Please tell me it's pistachio," Hermione groaned as she took a small mouthful and indeed the delicious nutty flavour blossomed over her tongue. "Thank you, Scorp," she patted his cheek in thanks and scooted back on her lounge chair to enjoy the small dessert. They always had large breakfast, took some fruit and other nibbles with them to the beach and then had an at least two hour long dinner at the end of the day. That was their way on holidays and Hermione enjoyed it greatly, especially as it allowed for her to have these small treats during the day.

"My pleasure. And chocolate for my beloved," he leaned down to steal a kiss from his beaming wife before sitting behind her to hold her while she enjoyed her ice cream.

"Have you seen your father?" Hermione asked curiously, missing his presence as it felt like he left her side quite a while ago.

"I think he said something about popping up to the villa?" Scorpius shrugged.

Hermione finished her ice cream, put her books into her beach bag and tied the sarong around herself before finding her wand. "I'll go and check on him, you two lovebirds enjoy the beach," she offered before looking around to make sure they were still shielded from the muggles and disapparating on the spot.

"Well played," Marcella grinned at her husband, offering him the last mouthful of the delicious desert.

"What can I say, I'm a crowd pleaser," he winked and chased her down the beach into the beautiful azure water.

Hermione appeared at the door of their villa and walked in, listening out for her husband but the place was very quiet. She frowned and made sure to spell away any sand from her feet before she patted barefoot up the stairs to their room.

She was surprised to find the man she was looking for asleep on their bed in his swimming short, completely out for the count. She smiled at the beautiful flowers set on her night table and read the note attached to it.

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

15 Years and counting…. All my love, D xx

Hermione recognised it immediately as Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, one that was always bookmarked in the old copy of his works sitting in the beach bag beside their bed. It was a tradition, a bouquet of flowers for each year of being together. She always dried the flowers and hung them around the house or made tea from the herbs he always included with the flowers.

She didn't want to disturb her husband, knowing just how exhausted he was when he fell asleep instead of surprising her. They both were to be honest. After a few more years at Hogwarts, they both craved change so Hermione decided to become a lecturer at the London University of Magick, where she taught the complexity of ancient runes in relation to magic, the nature of traditional magicks, and a couple of modules on curation of collections and library management. Being a lecturer was exhausting work but it allowed her to contribute and lead on research, mentor young witches and wizards and inspire them for their future, and it was the most rewarding work she ever did.

Draco decided to take a position Kingsley readily offered to him once he found out the Potions Master was looking for a change. They needed a new head of Research and Potion Development at the Department of Mysteries, so Draco ended up working long hours managing a whole department as well as his own research and experiments. They were a very busy couple, and having Sabine threw even more responsibilities into the mix but with the support of their friends, whom also became family over the years, they were managing to fit in time for themselves. They did need this holiday though, as they were both exhausted at the end of June, so Draco arranged this villa with a friend of his and they invited Scorpius and Marcella who were only too happy to join their parents at this beautiful destination.

She headed downstairs and was just making herself a cup of tea when Sabine came in through their private door, looking bright and tan, her nose already peeling after having burnt it the first day here. "Mum, you won't believe the amazing shop I found," she grinned and set down her shoulder bag, revealing the lovely Canon DSLR camera Hermione bought her a year ago when she expressed a serious interest in photography. "They had an incredible range of vintage and modern Polaroid cameras so I bough one and some film with my left over birthday money," she showed her the hard leather case proudly and the new model of Polaroid Originals 9008. "I can't wait to show Auntie Astrid," she beamed.

Hermione chuckled and kissed her forehead before pouring her daughter some lemonade. "I'm glad you're enjoying exploring this area. Did you take any photos at the beach or are you focusing on the landscape right now?" she asked.

"Landscape, but tomorrow I want to have a day at the beach and capture humanity at it's most relaxed," she chuckled and grabbed the glass for her mum, dropping a quick kiss to her cheek before heading for her downstairs bedroom around the corner to change into her swimsuit for a couple of hours at the pool.

Hermione chuckled fondly after her. While Scorpius most definitely resembled Draco, her had Astoria's gentle eyes. And despite looking like his father, he ended up sorted into Ravenclaw for his thirst for knowledge encouraged by Hermione, and his gentle nature. In the case of Sabine, she looked just like her mother with her wild blond curls, button nose and freckles, but her eyes were her father's sharp grey and full of intelligence and passion. No wonder their daughter ended up sorted into Slytherin. Being so similar in nature to him, she tended to argue with her dad a bit more than she did with Hermione, but that was to be taken for granted now that she was entering her teenage years.

She grabbed her cup of tea and headed back upstairs to their bedroom to sit beside her sleeping husband, and opened her book to a single word. Othello. She smiled fondly, the play making her think of Astrid who dragged her to Paris for a long weekend a few years back to see the play performed by a very talented amateur theatre company. After a few years of teaching at Hogwarts and her break up with Susan, Astrid accepted the position as the Headmistress of Beauxbatons after Madame Maxime retired. It was a demanding job but Astrid always found the time for an extensive social life full of arts, mentoring and patronage for young ambitions ladies that attended her school. She was know as Madame Pie, which translated in English to Madame Magpie, as she always spotted the brightest stars, artists, philosophers and entrepreneurs. They stayed in regular touch and Hermione was often invited to speak at Beauxbatons about surviving a war as a woman, her journey through education and the influencers on her life, to inspire the new students.

Hannah and Neville also kept in touch regularly, their Archie just about to start his 6th year. He most definitely picked up his mother's bubbly nature and his father's green fingers. He was currently at Beauxbatons for summer exchange school with his boyfriend, Louis Wesley. Hannah was ecstatic about his studious nature and Neville was quietly proud. They ended up calling their daughter Patrice after Hannah's great-grandmother, and she was just about to start her 4th year at Hogwarts, a much more quiet and gentle young lady with a love for runes and languages. They were good friends with Sabine despite being in different houses, and she was often around during the summer at their London townhouse. Life was not without its challenges but so far it was working out for them well.

Hermione immersed herself in the play, her heart reaching out to Desdemona and despite having read this many a time, Iago still made her shudder slightly, drawing too many parallels to the real people in her life during Hogwarts. A hand snaked over her thigh, but when she looked down, Draco just shifted to his other side and reached out for her on instinct rather than being awake. She couldn't help herself and reached down to card her fingers through his long silvery locks. After his divorce with Astoria, Draco had kept his hair just about past his chin, cutting off the length he grew during his marriage. He pulled it off easily at that age and Hermione did wonder if he would grow his hair once they married. She wasn't disappointed. The moment they spoke their vows, the hair cuts stopped and the trims began, keeping the hair healthy but still growing until it reached the top of his shoulder-blades. A part of her wondered if Draco would end up looking like Lucius when he was in his forties, but the softness of Narcissa's features kept him from turning into a copy of his father, and instead allow him to age gracefully, the long hair adding a touch of class and respectability instead. Her eyes traveled the length of his back and smiled at how kind the years have been to her husband. He was still tall, lean and toned from long working hours, weekly Quidditch games, and their now bi-weekly work out sessions with a good duel and close combat. They only really stopped while Hermione was pregnant and recovered from postpartum depression. They picked it up once again to connect as they used to when they first started dating, and it helped them get stronger together again.

A few laugh lines were now ingrained into the skin around his eyes and lips, but she only cherished them, knowing where those lines came from. She remembered her mum once showing her a picture of her dad and saying that it was a privilege to watch your partner age with you, because you knew the story behind every laugh, every stress line, every freckle, scar and stretch mark. And it was true, his body was like a map that she knew by touch and memory better than even her own sometimes.

"Has Iago planted the seed of doubt about Othello's beloved yet?" Draco asked sleepily, his fingers tightening on her thigh momentarily as he pulled himself closer and rested his cheek on her soft, dimpled thigh.

"How do you always know?" she chuckled fondly, leaning down to kiss his cheek, her hand reaching to gently scratch his back, knowing he was putty in her arms when she did that.

True to form he near purred, muscles momentarily tensing as he stretched before leaning into her touch. "You always start with Othello, you like Desdemona too much and Iago reminds you of Hogwarts. And you always finish with A Midsummer Night's Dream," he hummed, leaning down to nip her thigh, making her jump.

"That's it, no more scratches for you," she protested but barely had time to set her book down before she was pulled down into his arms and his lips found their way to hers.

"From women's eyes this doctrine I derive: they sparkle still the right Promethean fire; they are the books, the arts, the academes, that show, contain, and nourish all the world…." he proclaimed softly, looking into those beautiful laughing whiskey eyes of hers before claiming her lips again, relishing having the time to just hold her and rest with her without work, children, or other obligations hanging over their heads.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him as they kissed languidly, taking their time with each other, hands roaming familiar landscapes. When he broke off to kiss a path down her neck, she leaned her lips to his hair, breathing in his comforting scent. "I've missed you…" she admitted, the past few weeks especially hectic with the end of the academic year, marking dissertations and for Draco's research testing.

"As I've missed you," he dived in for another kiss to her sweet lips. "Sorry I fell asleep and didn't finish your surprise."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "Nothing to be sorry for. Let's just stay in bed for the rest of the day, the children can occupy themselves," she suggested.

"I like that idea, Lady Malfoy," he grinned, relishing calling her that as often as possible.

And as she got lost in his touch, Hermione held no regret about the decision she made to trust that fates made their paths cross for a reason.

Fin.