A/N: Thank you all so much for reviewing, favoriting and following this fic. I can tell you, there aren't very many of you reading, and I appreciate each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. When I started this fic, it was so difficult to get into, but as I went along, everything flowed so much easier. Theo in particular was a revelation, and this iteration of him has a lot of myself in it. Anyway, enough sappiness - I think this epilogue has enough of that. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions. I'll also be posting some of the stuff I have coming up in 2019 soon, so hopefully you will come back :)

Anyway, please let me know what you thought of the story. I hope you enjoy it. And, I hope that you have a happy holiday!

Theodore Alfred Nott had many happy memories.

When he was a child, he never in his wildest dreams would have guessed that he could find this sort of happiness, especially after his mother had died. To think that snotty little Daphne Greengrass, who once promised that she would hate him forever, was responsible for most of those happy memories, was even more unbelievable.

She had taken to motherhood like a duck to water. Cora was a very sweet baby, who had stolen the hearts of both of her parents the first time she'd opened her little eyes. Now that she was three years old, gaining her own personality, Theo found himself even more in love with his daughter than ever before.

Her hair remained his light brown, though if she ran around enough outside in the summer, it would lighten to a blonder color. Her eyes had darkened from their initial blue and were now the same color as her mother's.

Theo would often be disturbed in his office by his sweet little girl opening the door to his office, sticking her head in to grin up at him. She would run over to him, eager to be picked up, not caring that she was certain to get sticky little fingers all over his robes. With Cora on his knee, she would eagerly regale him with everything she had done that day while he was at work. She had fantastic tales of what she'd done in her imagination and even more stories of teas with mummy and Aunt 'Toria and Grandmama Tina and Ella. He soaked up each and every story that she wanted to share with him.

Then, she would look up at him with those big doe eyes and ask what he did while he was at work. Theo was only too happy to share stories with her in return, telling her about what he'd worked on. It didn't take much to keep her interested, just a couple waves of his wand to simulate the lights of spells, and she would be completely enthralled by what he'd gotten up to.

On a rather ordinary Tuesday, Theo was not surprised to hear the pattering of Cora's little feet down the long hallway to his office, the click clack of Felix following behind after her. "Papa!" she called out when she stuck her little face inside, clambering up into his lap the moment she got to his side. Felix joined them shortly, his forked tongue flicking out to lick at Cora's toes.

He was nearly unable to stop the laughter when he saw the crup's appearance. He was absolutely covered with tinsel, shimmering in Slytherin green and silver. "Hello my love," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "What in Merlin's name did you do to Felix?" he questioned.

"Gave Felix a bath," she said proudly.

He reached down to give one floppy ear a rub and made a noise of approval purely for Cora's benefit. "Oh yes," he said in agreement. "Felix is very soft. You did a good job. And how did he get all covered in tinsel?"

"Mummy and I...mummy made the yule tree," she said, struggling to find the right words.

"Oh?" he questioned. It was nearly Yule, so Daphne had been hard at work decorating the whole manor beautifully, like she always had done. It would be a nice tradition to have Cora help her. "I will have to go look at the Yule Tree before dinner. Will you show me?"

Cora was more than happy to show her father her handiwork. Carrying her all the way to the main parlor, Theo was surprised to see that Daphne was still hanging more tinsel. Felix barked happily, running around his feet, to announce the return of the tiniest Nott. Closing the distance between himself and his wife, Theo pressed a kiss to Daphne's temple. "Cora was just telling me about how she and Felix were helping you. Seems Felix is nearly as decorated as the tree!" he said with a laugh.

Daphne laughed along with him. "Our little princess had her first bought of accidental magic today," she said proudly. "But, unfortunately for Felix, I haven't been able to remove the tinsel yet. I was hoping a certain curse breaker might be able to assist me."

"Hm, I might be able to pencil you in," he said in response.

"Cora, love, please go see Opal to wash your hands before dinner," Daphne instructed to the little girl. "Papa and I will be there in just a few minutes." Once their daughter had toddled away in the direction of their elderly house elf, Felix at her heels, Daphne turned to face him. "I have something to tell you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face to his chest.

She still made his heart pound away in his chest every time he was near to her, even all these years that they had been married. She made him feel like he was falling in love forever. "What is it?" he asked, hoping that he didn't sound too much like his breath was being stolen away.

Daphne gave him a shy smile. "I'm pregnant," she said proudly. "I'll be due in the end of summer," she added.

Theo's heart skipped a beat when he heard the words. Of course, he loved Cora dearly, but he was over the moon at the prospect of expanding their tiny family by one more. He hugged Daphne tighter against him, before pulling back so that he could capture her lips in a passionate kiss. "Thank you," he said, letting her see just how excited he truly was. "Oh Merlin, I'm so excited!"

Daphne just laughed at his enthusiasm, grateful to have a partner like Theo in her life.

...

Daphne stared down at the little bundle in her arms and wondered how her heart hadn't just burst from joy yet. She hadn't imagined that their little family could get any more perfect than it already was, but then she and Theo had welcomed their son into the world. "He's perfect," she whispered to her husband, her fingertip grasped by tiny fingers. It was just about the only thing that she could say.

In the months prior to giving birth, she and Theo had spent a lot of time talking over the name for the newest Nott. It hadn't been difficult to come up with a boy's name at first - Gareth, after her father, for the first name, and Theodore for the middle.

But then, she'd found out that Astoria was expecting at the same time as her. It had taken one very delicate discussion with her little sister to determine what she and Draco were planning on naming their little one if they should have a boy, and Daphne hoped that they wouldn't step on any toes. To her joy, Astoria and Draco had chosen the name Scorpius for their son, keeping in the Black family tradition of naming their children after stars or constellations. And, she chosen to give the baby their great-grandfather Hyperion's name for the child's middle name.

And so, Gareth Theodore Nott was welcomed into the world one month after his new cousin, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.

"He has my hair," Daphne said proudly, her hand cupping the back of her new baby's small head. While Cora was a very pretty little girl, Daphne was pleased to know that at least one of her children would be blessed with her blond locks. It was a bit vain, she knew, but she was proud of it nonetheless. "But I hope that he will have your eyes," she added.

"My mother's eyes," Theo said with a hint of melancholy in his voice. "It's the only bit of her that I had. I always wondered if she hated me because of how much I looked like my father." The relationship between Theo's mother and father was something that they had always tiptoed around, mostly because it seemed like Theo didn't like talking about it. Really, this was the first time that he had brought it up all on his own. "I always hated how much I looked like him."

Daphne felt a little gasp escape her throat. "Theo, I don't think you look like your father," she said with a frown marring her face. He looked at her like he didn't believe her. "No, it's true. Of course you might take after him, but I have never once thought that you looked exactly like him. You smile, you laugh...you aren't your father, Theo."

While her husband did not look totally convinced, she could see glimmers of hope in his face. "I was worried that I might end up like him. Miserable and mean to everyone," he added.

"Well, you certainly don't need to worry about that, either," Daphne promised, feeling her heart ache to know that Theo had been carrying these worries around for Merlin knows how long. She supposed that it must have been difficult to grow up as a child with only old Mister Nott around for any human interaction. "You aren't mean...and I hope you aren't miserable."

Theo smiled down at the little boy that she held snuggly in her arms. "I will be a better father to him than my father ever was to me," Theo promised.

She wasn't sure who he was making the promise to - baby Gareth, her, or to himself. But, no matter who it was for, she knew that he was already a better father than Alfred ever could have been. "I know you will," she told him, hoping to validate what it was that he was feeling. "You are already an amazing father to Cora. She adores you. I couldn't ask for a better father for my children," she said, honestly. Sometimes she couldn't believe how misguided and stubborn she had been when she was a teenager, certain that marrying Theo Nott would be the death of her social life and happiness. Now, she couldn't imagine life without him by her side.

"Speaking of Cora," Theo said with a grin, before standing up. "I should go get our little princess before she drives Astoria and your mother spare. I am sure that Astoria is overwhelmed enough as it is."

Daphne agreed, knowing that he was probably right. Astoria had been anxious all throughout her pregnancy, utterly convinced that something was going to do horribly wrong. Now that Scorpius was here, she had relaxed a small fraction, but was still very high strung. Daphne had wondered if she had been like that with Cora, but her first pregnancy was too long ago to remember that well. And, she had to deal with her husband being in a magically induced coma for over a month, too, she reminded herself. She had other things to deal with at the same time.

By the time that Theo returned with Cora in tow, Daphne had moved over in the bed so that her little daughter could climb up beside her, propped up in the pillows. Very delicately, she handed over the sleeping baby to her daughter. "This is your new brother, Gareth," Daphne told the four year old with a smile. "You have to be gentle with him."

"Like grandpa?" Cora asked, looking up at her mother with wide green eyes.

"Yes, just like grandpa," she told her, feeling her heart swell with love at the sight of the two of them together.

Cora stared reverently at the baby. "Okay, little Gareth," she said, her face solemn and serious. "I will be gentle with you," she promised, even though Gareth was unable to respond to her.

When Daphne looked up at Theo, he looked like he was barely able to stop from laughing at how earnest Cora sounded. She certainly took after her father in that regard. When he regained his composure, he cleared his throat. "I'm just going to get the rest of the family," he said quietly. "Let them know that they can finally meet the baby, or else I will never hear the end of it."

...

"Gareth, if you don't sit still, papa won't be taking you to see Puddlemere next weekend," Daphne scolded her four year old son, who seemed intent on jumping around and irritating all the other parents who had gathered to watch the ballet recital. "It's your sister's big day, and we don't want to ruin it for her."

The muggle sitting in front of them turned around and peered at them. "Puddlemere? What kind of queer little county team is that?" she asked, sounding quite rude.

Theo, ever the calm one, answered the muggle before his wife could say something snide back to her. "Just what you said, a county team," he countered with a fake smile. He knew that the muggle thought they were discussing football, so he didn't try to explain that Puddlemere United were essentially the best Quidditch team in the league.

"Why don't you support a proper football club?" she asked, haughty chin pointed up in the air. "Like Chelsea."

Gareth looked like he was ready to explain to the muggle just how proper Puddlemere really was, seeing is they were his favorite Quidditch team of all time. Instead, Daphne grabbed him and set him in his chair so that he would sit down. "Don't talk to strangers, Gareth," she cut him off astutely, only to glare at the other woman. "Or no match next weekend."

The threat got their middle child to be quiet. The thought of not getting to go a Quidditch match with his father, cousin and uncle was almost too much to bare. He crossed his little arms against his chest and tried desperately not to move a muscle.

The muggle did not do as well at keeping quiet. Instead, he grumbled to his own muggle wife about how disrespectful people were, as though he didn't start an argument about football at a children's ballet recital. Theo gave Daphne a fond squeeze, hoping to get her to stop from saying anything else to him. While he knew that she didn't think muggles were inferior, she wasn't shy about complaining about how nosy they tended to be.

He would have to remind her how much she enjoyed all the muggle fashion. Coming into the muggle world for Cora's dance lessons had become an elaborate dressing up game for her, one that she was not afraid to admit she enjoyed, especially not after Fleur and Hermione had taken her and Pansy out shopping.

It had been an unlikely partnership, but a necessary one. After the ever cool Victoire Delacour had signed up for ballet lessons, Cora had begged and begged until she'd been allowed to take the class as well. This year, Hermione's daughter, Nina Krum, and Pansy's daughter, Rose Weasley, had joined the class as well. It was an odd little grouping of children but it made it easier for them to go into the muggle world together.

This year, the trope was putting on the Nutcracker, a classic even in the Wizarding world. Nina and Rose were each playing little snowflakes. Cora had been selected to play a flower and had been wearing her costume around the house for approximately two weeks now under the guise of practicing for her routine. Victoire was very put out to not have been asked to be the Sugar Plum Fairy, but she did get to have her own solo during the divertissements.

"We're back," Pansy called out, announcing her return with Theo and Daphne's younger son in her arms. "Sir Tristan and I just had a look at the ladies in their costumes and they look amazing."

"Oh, Pansy, please," Daphne begged. "I've asked you not to call him that." Ever since Pansy had put two and two together that their sons shared names with Knights of King's Arthur's court, she had been certain to mention it at every chance, and Gareth lapped it up. Besides, Daphne couldn't help that her family could claim to be direct descendants from the famed knights.

Theo just laughed. "Alright, hand the little knight to me," he said with a grin, reaching out for his son who was peacefully sleeping in the other witch's arms. Once Tristan was safe in his arms, he looked down at the sleeping boy. Unlike Gareth, Tristan had been born with dark hair. Now, a year on, it wasn't showing any signs of getting blonder. It seemed that he might end up looking the most like a Greengrass out of all of their children.

Daphne leaned over Gareth's head to get a look at her youngest child, he baby. "What do you think he is dreaming of?" she asked with a happy sigh.

"Probably of fetching a fair maiden to wed his King," Theo teased back, knowing that their baby's dreams were nowhere near as complex as all that. If anything, he was probably just dreaming of getting his grubby little fingers on a biscuit.

"Oh, not you, too!" Daphne groaned, pressing a hand to her face.

Theo leaned over to press a kiss to her temple. "It's just a tease," he promised. "We won't have to worry about fair maidens for another...ten years at a minimum."

Hogwarts seemed so far away for Tristan, only just born. But, it was odd to think that his little princess Cora would be heading to the magical school in less than three years. He wasn't sure if he was ready to let her go. It didn't seem that long ago that he was headed off there, eager to put some needed distance between himself and his father. At least he could be certain that Cora's time there would not be marred with the same kind of sadness that he had faced while he was in school.

Before he could dwell on that thought too much, the small orchestra was beginning to play and the lights were coming up, signaling the beginning of the much anticipated ballet.

...

Pressing a kiss to Cora's forehead, Daphne couldn't believe her daughter was already off to her first year at Hogwarts. It seemed like only yesterday that her sweet girl was in her arms for the first time. Now, more than eleven years on, Cora was eager and excited to make her mark in the world, just like she had been when she was a girl.

With her long, toffee colored hair, it was easy to see that Cora took after her father in looks, but she was more like him in personality. She was quiet when you first met her, but once she got to know you better, she would blossom into a fun, sweet child. Daphne just hoped that she would be able to make friends easily once she got to school, and wouldn't retreat too much into herself. At least she would have Victoire Weasley to help guide her along if anything went wrong, even if Daphne thought it was unlikely that Cora would end up in the same house with the Gryffindor girl.

"Be sure to write us once you get settled in," Daphne begged her eldest child, unsure of how she was going to get through the next four months without her. "We can't wait to hear which house you end up in."

"What if I don't end up in Slytherin?" she asked, looking somewhat panicked.

It was then that Theo swooped in - papa always got to save the day where Cora was concerned. He pressed his hands to her shoulders and bent down so that he could look her in the eyes. "Hey, the hat will place you where you will do best," he promised, hoping to alleviate some of her worry. "And, if it's not Slytherin than that's okay."

"But all of you were in Slytherin - you and mum, and Aunt Astoria and Uncle Draco...and Grandma and Grandpa," she rattled off nearly their whole pedigree. "I don't want to be the odd one out."

A crooked smile came back on his face. "My darling girl," he said softly. "You don't need to be a Slytherin to be in this family. You already are. And we will love and support you no matter where you end up. Hogwarts is about forging your own path, making your own decisions. Don't let this worry you. Everything will be fine."

"Okay," Cora said, though she didn't look wholly convinced. Still, she tried to put on a confident face.

"Come say goodbye to your brothers," Daphne said, blinking back tears of how proud she was for her girl. Daphne took her youngest daughter, Melia, from Gareth's arms, before watching the two brothers hug their older sister goodbye. Gareth was shooting up like a weed and was probably going to be as tall as his father one day. His hair was still as blond as the day he was born, and he was certain to be a good looking child. Tristan, now age four, had kept his dark brown hair and Theo's blue eyes.

The train whistle blew and Daphne knew that they could put Cora's departure off no longer. Watching her head off to the new chapter in her life made Daphne sad to let her go, but so proud of the young woman she was going to become and excited to see what her daughter made of her life. Once the Hogwarts Express had pulled out the station, she turned to face her two boys. "Should we all head home and make some biscuits together?" she asked, having enjoyed picking up cooking a few things, even though she left the majority of the work to their house elf. "It will help keep me busy until we get our letter from Cora!"

The boys were excited enough and rushed head of their parents, with Gareth keeping a hold of Tristan's hand. "She will be alright," Theo said, sensing the concerned way that she was feeling. "More than alright. She will be great."

"I know," Daphne responded, knowing that there was nothing else to do now except to let Cora spread her wings. She snuggled her infant daughter closer to her chest. "But at least I still get to keep you, my sweet baby Melia for many more years before I have to relinquish you to Hogwarts," she cooed. Melia was a pretty baby, who took the most after her. She didn't understand what he mother said yet, but she smiled and laughed all the same.

"You know," Theo said, with a teasing lilt to his voice. "It's not as if we can just keep having children every time we have to send one off to Hogwarts."

Daphne rolled her eyes at him, knowing that he thought he was so funny. "Of course not," she agreed. They had spoken after Melia was born and decided that they were done having children. Four was quite a handful, especially when they had such differing personalities. "Besides," she smirked up at Theo, knowing that she would be able to scare him a bit. "By the time that Melia goes to school, Cora might be giving us grandchildren."

She laughed in utter delight at the horrified face that he made. It was over ten years off in the future, but he was still quite protective of his daughter, especially after the suggestion that she might one day leave them and get married and start a family of her own. "Don't worry, Theo," Daphne added, wanting to give her husband a bit of a break. "That won't be for many, many years yet. She will still be out little girl for a while longer."

That seemed to do the trick and Theo was nodding in agreement. By the time that the trio reached the boys, they were nearly buzzing with excitement at the prospect of biscuits. The family apparated home, determined to spend the day with one another, if it would help ease the knowledge that they had one less Nott under their roof.

...

Theo had retired from curse breaking once Gareth had gone to school. The profession always carried a risk of danger, and he just found that he wasn't up for it any longer. Daphne had rejoiced that day, bringing out some champagne to toast his "retirement." But, she hadn't been able to pull him away from working completely. He would still consult with Gringotts on occasion.

He had been coming home from such a consult when he walked by his oldest daughter's door and heard the familiar, brassy melancholy of his mum's old records coming from inside. Pausing, he peeked in the open crack, seeing Cora looking very upset sitting on her bed, with her legs pulled up to her chest, watching the rain pour down outside. The site made his heart stutter, needing to get to the bottom of what was bothering her.

"Princess," he alerted her to his presence, stepping inside the room, crossing the room so that he could sit on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong?"

Cora gave him a smile while she wiped furiously at the tears on her cheeks. "You haven't called me princess in years, papa."

Theo was too smart to be confused by her trying to change the subject. "Come on, Cora, tell me what's on your mind," he said, giving her knee an affectionate squeeze. "It must be something if you are in here listening to this."

"It's just boy trouble," she said with a frown. Cora was due to return to Hogwarts for her seventh year at the end of summer, where she was a Ravenclaw. Gareth, due to start his third year, had been over the moon to be sorted into Slytherin with his cousin, Scorpius. "You see, there is this boy who I really like, but...I don't think he thinks much of me at all. Or, maybe he just thinks of me as a friend."

"Who is he?" Theo demanded, surprised by how gruff his voice sounded. Of course, Cora had inherited her mother's good looks, but it was no secret that she took more after him in personality. She was quiet and sweet, prone to periods of being alone, and the thought that she was pining after someone who didn't think of her the same way hit close to home.

Cora's cheeks turned bright red while she tried to decide if she was going to tell her father about who she had a crush on. "It's Eric Flint," she admitted finally, unable to meet her father's eyes.

Theo's eyebrows rose in surprise when he heard the name. Marcus Flint had never been a good looking bloke, and further, he had always scared the wits right out of him. The thought that someone related to the burly man could make his daughter swoon was a surprise. But, perhaps Eric took after his mother - Katie Bell, if Theo remembered correctly. "Well, if he can't see how special you are, then, it's his loss," he said, knowing how hard it was to be a teenager, body full of hormones and overwhelmed with emotions.

"I'm never going to have a great romance, not like you and mum, or grandma and grandpa," Cora moaned, a fresh round of tears in her eyes.

Theo and Daphne had never really told their children the whole story of their marriage. "You know, there was a time in our lives that your mum couldn't stand me," he revealed, feeling like he was destroying the great story Cora must have come up with. "When we were children, she said that she would never be friends with me."

"So how did you get her to fall in love with you?" Cora asked, her head cocked to one side, obviously not knowing anything but the deeply loving relationship her parents had had her whole life.

"Your mother and I were actually betrothed," Theo told her. "My parents...they never had a good relationship with one another. My mum, who you are named for, was worried about how I would grow up with my father as an influence. So, she arranged for me to marry her best friend's daughter." Theo had never revealed the truth of his own mum's death to the children, thinking that it would be too much for them to deal with. "Your mum and I, we were never really thrilled about the idea...it felt like our choice had been taken away in the matter."

"But, if you were betrothed then...how did you fall in love?" she asked, her voice sounding small and unsure.

Theo rubbed at the back of his neck while he tried to think about what he wanted to say next. "Well, after school we got married. We didn't love each other yet, but we were friends and we grew closer," he explained. "Eventually, we realized how much we had come to love one another."

"So there wasn't a great romance?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

"Not exactly," he said, wearing a crooked smile while he thought back on those earliest years of his and Daphne's relationship, all the hurts and all of the mistrust. Maybe it was a great romance, just...their own. "But we still grew to love one another deeply. And even though we might have hurt one another when we were younger, I wouldn't pick another woman alive than your mother. She gave me you, and all your siblings."

Cora no longer seemed like she was going to try. "So, you mean to say that...great romance could grow out of just friendship?" she asked, hope shining in her sea green eyes.

Theo grimaced, realizing that they were still talking about Eric Flint and his supposed friendship. "What I mean to say is...your mother and I didn't want any of you to do through what we did. We wanted you all to be able to find your own way in the world. Someday, you will find your own great romance," he said, gathering his thoughts. "And that might be with a friend. But what is most important to me, is that you are happy."

It took a moment, but it seemed as if his advice eventually sunk in for Cora. He doubted that a few words from her father would be enough to erase an imagined slight from Eric Flint, but he was sure it was enough to cheer her up a bit. "Now, come on, let's go downstairs to see everyone else," he encouraged, standing up from his spot and offering a hand to help Cora up. "You know Melia is obsessed with everything her older sister does."

That made Cora snort, but she stood up nonetheless. Melia was very much a Daphne look alike, though she had his eyes, who wanted to be just like her mum. But, there was an appeal that the cooler, older Cora had that Melia could not deny.

When they got downstairs, the rest of the family was waiting for them. Melia, Tristan and Gareth were playing a game of exploding snap while Daphne looked on. Theo pressed a kiss to Daphne's temple.

"Everything okay?" she asked, seeing the remains of Cora's earlier tears.

"Yes," Theo said, feeling confident. "Just some boy problems, but don't worry, I've got them sorted."

Theodore Alfred Nott had many happy memories and they all had one common thread among them. Love.