The Inquisitor's Son

Epilogue: A Christmas Eve and Two Christmases

It was exactly a week before Christmas Eve. Scorpius Malfoy had dropped by the Potters' house to pay a visit with Mr. and Mrs. Potter. He had purposely waited for a day when his girlfriend wouldn't be there. She had gone Christmas shopping with her cousins. Scorpius was extremely nervous. Lily had turned twenty and he was on the cusp of his twenty third year.

Scorpius had a small box in his pocket that weighed a lot, even though it was physically weighed very little. He knocked at the front door, despite having rarely used it in years. Formal was best for the occasion. He was greeted by Ginny. "Hello Mrs. Potter," he greeted with a smile.

"Come in," said Ginny, returning his smile. "We'll have some tea. Harry is just wrapping up something at the office."

"Yes," said Scorpius as he took off his jacket and hung it.

The Potters knew why he was there. There wasn't any reason for him to be so nervous. He took the small box out of his jacket pocket before taking a seat. Harry came in. "Hullo Scorpius," he greeted as he took a seat next to where his wife would be sitting.

"Hello Mr. Potter," said Scorpius with a nod. Even after all these years, the man still put him a bit on edge.

Ginny returned with the tea. After they had sat down with some tea and biscuits, and after the small talk, they got to the real purpose of Scorpius' visit. He didn't go to anyone to ask advice on how to do this. Scorpius started out by saying, "I love Lily very much. I mean that. Well, I can't say it any other way." He paused, fumbling a bit with his words.

"You have our blessing," said Ginny immediately.

"Wait, don't we deserve him actually saying it?" objected Harry.

Ginny put her hand on her husband's arm. "Ignore him," she said.

Scorpius nearly laughed. He asked Harry directly, "May I ask your daughter to marry me, please?"

Harry looked Scorpius in the eye. He gave a long pause before saying, "Yes."

Scorpius sighed in relief. "You are going to be an ogre of a father-in-law," declared Ginny. "You shouldn't be torturing him like that."

"This was my only chance to do this," said Harry, "and I haven't forgotten what your dad did to me. And Scorpius knew I was just having a bit of fun."

Ginny sighed and asked Scorpius, "Are you sure you want to join this family?"

Scorpius laughed. "I wouldn't let my daughter marry anyone else. And he knows it," said Harry. "Besides, I can't think of anyone who can handle Lily as we well as we can."

"So when are you going to ask her?" asked Ginny. "I'd like to know so I can throw together a celebration."

"Christmas Eve," replied Scorpius. "But I need you both to keep it a surprise until I get a chance to ask."

"Then you should have waited until the day of to ask us," said Harry. He gave a sidelong glance at his wife. "Unless we wipe your memory, Ginny."

"Very funny, Harry," laughed Ginny. "No, I won't say anything. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." She glanced at the clock. "You'd better get going the girls are due back very soon, Scorpius. We'll have a hard time explaining why you're here." Scorpius nodded, getting to his feet. Harry offered his hand and they shook hands. Ginny gave him a hug and he was off.

A week later, Scorpius took Lily out for a sleigh ride around Greenglass Glen and to tour the surrounding grounds. He was so nervous that he had almost forgotten the ring. Then, his grandmother had to remind him to take the picnic lunch with him.

The sleigh was being pulled by the thestrals that Scorpius expertly directed. He could see them, even though Lily couldn't. She sat next to him. He saw her hand was stained with ink from writing. She was a writer. She used to work at The Daily Prophet after she got out of school, but soon found that she rather liked writing fiction. She wrote using a pen name, so that people would buy for her storytelling and not her name. She had gotten published using it, and it was due out the next year. To be a nearly published writer at the age of twenty was a great feat, even if the public didn't know it.

Scorpius was training to be a healer and he was interested in combining Muggle medicine with wizarding healing. He had spent three years abroad, living in the Muggle world with Albus and Fred. However, he kept in touch unlike his dad. It was a long separation for Lily and Scorpius, but both came out knowing who they were better.

Scorpius had waited a while before asking Lily out in the first place. He got to it on his last year and her fifth year. Not that anyone was surprise. Fred had won the pool that had gone school wide, but sadly he didn't get to keep that money. He had to pay back Scorpius because he borrowed money from him.

"Are we there yet?" asked Lily as her fingers went over the necklace around her neck. It was Scorpius' mum's favorite, the one with the lily. It only seemed right that someone named Lily would wear it.

"Almost," said Scorpius. He stopped at a small tent that he had prepared earlier. He jumped off and went around. Lily handed him the basket and he set it down on the freshly fallen snow. He guided Lily down. She was small and slight.

"Are you up to something?" asked Lily. "Did you do something that you need to apologize for?"

"It depends," said Scorpius. "I've been keeping a secret."

Lily frowned a bit. Scorpius hadn't kept many secrets from her. "What?" she asked.

"Well, secret was a bad word. More like a surprise." He guided her into the tent. It was one of those tents that looked like a cabin inside. It was a beautiful tent that made Lily smile. He came up behind her and put the basket down on the table.

"I've been going to Amsterdam to get something for you. It's not a Christmas present," said Scorpius. His hands were sweaty. "I've got a very important question to ask you." He took Lily's hands into his and dropped to one knee.

Lily was stunned. "Are you serious?" she gasped.

"I sure hope so otherwise I've wasted many days going to Amsterdam," he said laughingly. "Now don't interrupt me." He gave her a stern look. "Lily Luna Potter, you are the most amazing person I have ever met. I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather be with for the rest of my life. After everything that's happened, I don't want to wait for the right moment anymore. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Lily as she let go of his hand and tackled him to the floor of the tent.

"Wait, I forgot the ring," sighed Scorpius with Lily on top of him. "This all went wrong. I meant to have the ring in my hand when I asked you and have the box open."

Lily laughed as she kissed him. "I don't mind," she said as she pulled back.

Scorpius managed to get to his pocket and get the box out. He opened it and presented to her. It was a rose gold ring with an extremely rare pink diamond over what was the symbol for eternity. He slid it over her left ring finger. "Perfect," he said. He then flipped her over on her back. "You keep knocking me off my feet, Potter, both figuratively and literally."

Lily wrapped her arms around her now fiancée's neck. "I knew a catch when I saw it. I had to stake my claim, Malfoy," she playfully told him.

"How do you know I didn't know?" asked retorted Scorpius in a drawled. That sent a pleasant shiver down Lily's spine. He kissed her again and she kissed him back. Lunch was all but forgotten.

A little boy with bright green eyes and strawberry blond hair was sneaking around the corner to surprise his dad, who was sleeping sound asleep in bed with his arms wrapped around his mum. He dragged along with him an old stuffed lion that he had only recently started to carry around with him. "Daddy," he said, pulling on the blanket. "Daddy!" His dad continued sleeping. The little boy didn't like it. He pouted. He had his daddy's overly full lips, but the pout never seemed to work on his daddy. They worked on his mummy and everyone else on her side of the family.

"Scorpius," said a sleepy voice. "The baby wants you."

"He's right here already," said an equally sleepy voice. "It's not even dawn yet, is it?"

"Daddy! Happy Birthday! Happy Christmas!" exclaimed the little boy happily. "Time for you to wake up."

Scorpius let go of his wife and shifted his body. In a single swoop, he picked up his son and brought him into the bed. "Baby, it's five in the morning," he told him.

"I know, Daddy," said the little boy. "But today is a very important day. It's your birthday and Christmas, so it's super important."

"I wish he'd talk more like a regular three year old," said his wife, "but he's definitely your son."

"Mummy, kiss!" demanded the little boy and Scorpius moved him so he could get closer to her.

"Where's my please?" asked his mummy.

"Please?" asked the little boy.

"Very well," said his mummy as she gave him a kiss.

"I'm almost four," said the little boy. "One more week and it's New Year's and my birthday." He waved his little fingers in front of his parents.

Scorpius was now wide awake. It had been thirteen years to the day since his life had changed so dramatically. He was still living at Manderlay, but now with a family of his own. His wife was smiling at him through the darkness. Her hair was like a lake of fire on the white pillowcase. "This is a very busy week for us," she said. "Drake, you are absolutely right. It's your dad's very important day." She softened as she saw the look on his face. It was far away as it tended to be on this day. His hand was on his right side, over his scar. It was a habit that had never gone away.

"Lily, do you mind if I get going?" he asked after a few minutes.

"No, not at all," said Lily. She had grown into a breathtaking woman. He kissed her lips and then her shoulder. He claimed that was where his favorite freckles were. Then again, he liked all of her freckles. He stopped to give their son a kiss on his head.

"Where's Daddy going?" asked Drake. "Work?"

"No, sweetheart. He wants to see your grandfather and grandmother today," replied Lily. The day would come one day when they would have to tell him about all those things that had happened all those Christmases ago.

"I want to come," piped up Drake with a very stubborn infliction.

"Soon, I promise," said his daddy as he kissed him again. "I want you stay here and keep your mummy and Nigel warm while I'm gone. Can you do that for me?"

Drake pouted, but it wouldn't work on his daddy who gave him a pout back. "Okay, I stay here with Mummy and Nigel."

With that Scorpius Malfoy got dressed and went out into the snow to visit the graves of his family members as he had done very Christmas morning for the last twelve years. He was now a full fledge healer and had trained at St. Mungo's. He had spent three years in the Muggle world with his best mates, but kept in touch with Lily and his grandmother.

Scorpius had the car that his dad had owned before. He had learned how to drive it from Professor Chang before going on his three year tour. It was a Morgan. A custom built car that his dad had ordered for his last birthday. Scorpius always took it out for a drive on Christmas to the cemetery. It was his time to be alone on what used to be the hardest day of the year for him. It was different now.

The birth of a child changes everything. Drake Harry Malfoy came into the world a week after Christmas. The running joke was that Lily was hoping to have him on Christmas Day, but Drake decided that he wanted a day of his own. In fact, she was about ten days past due, and by the time he was born it was so late into New Year's Day that Scorpius ended up delivering the baby in their house.

While Scorpius was gone, Drake decided to bring up what he had asked Father Christmas for, but hadn't told his parents. Father Christmas had told him that he would have to ask them for this present because he only dealt in toys. "Mummy," said Drake as he snuggled up to his mummy to keep her warm just as his daddy told him. "May I please have a little sister?" he asked.

Lily made a sound that was between a gasp and a laugh. She answered, "Um…why don't we wait and ask Daddy later? Let me know what he tells you."

"Okay," agreed Drake as he looked up at her. "But I really want a little sister, Mummy. I promise I'll be the bestest big brother ever."

"It's just best, Drake," corrected Lily. She kissed his hair. She loved her baby very much. She would have liked another one. Her parents weren't thrilled to be grandparents so very early, but Drake's great-grandparents were over the moon.

Drake stole hearts wherever he went with the smile he got from his daddy. He may have had the strawberry from his mummy and her dad's green eyes, but he was definitely a Malfoy. He took advantage when he had the chance. And he was easily smarter than most of the adults he dealt with. Scorpius was an expert at foiling his plans, even though Drake seemed to enjoy playing around with his uncles. James had fallen for that pout one to many times and refused to baby sit Drake for long periods. Albus, who was his godfather, fared a bit better.

When Scorpius came back, they had the traditional breakfast of gingerbread pancakes and opening presents. Drake liked passing out the presents and it a chore he did right after he had eaten his gingerbread man shaped pancake. His daddy always had the most presents under their tree because they were also birthday presents. Drake didn't know why he only had two grandparents and why the people who smiled at him in the photographs were gone.

After breakfast, they went to The Burrow, which was always a grand event with many people gathered there. Later that night, they were going to Lake Como to have a smaller gathering with Scorpius' grandmother, but she was meeting them at the Burrow. Little Drake had been born in the lake house in Italy. He ran up ahead of his parents as soon as they went through the fireplace in search of his favorite person at the party.

"Granddad!" called Drake. He quickly found his grandfather and latched onto his leg. "I found you!"

Harry grinned and ruffled his grandson's hair. "Yes, you did, Drake," he said as he then bent down to pick him up.

"Gran," said Drake to his grandmother. She came up to them.

"Hello baby," said Ginny as she gave him two kisses. She always gave him two, one for her and one for his other grandmother.

His uncle came up to them. "Hey, little dragon, what's up?" he said affectionately.

"Uncle Jamie," said Drake with a grin that made his uncle smile back at him. He saw something in his uncle's hand that he wanted. "Is that a biscuit?"

"No," lied James, putting his hand behind his back.

"Please, may I have it?" asked Drake with a pout.

James sighed as he surrendered the biscuit. "This is why Gryffindors and Slytherins shouldn't mix," he moaned as he went in search of another biscuit.

"What do you say?" asked Harry to this grandson.

"Thank you," said Drake before biting into the biscuit. Harry held him close. He loved his grandson.

Eventually the rest of the family started to filter in. Albus and his new wife, Naomi, came for a bit late but they had presents for Drake. Louis and Ella came together with some pudding. Fred and his latest girlfriend came along with Roxanne, who was single. James never brought anyone. He said that the day he brought someone was the day he had gone crazy.

With all the family there, there were so many presents for the kids. Drake had dove in, being one of the youngest there. He went through all the presents, but in the end he wasn't very happy. What he wanted wasn't there and Father Christmas was right. Remembering what his mum had told him earlier, he decided to ask his daddy.

He went up to his daddy, who was chatting with his uncles. "Daddy, can I ask you something?" he asked, tugging on Scorpius' leg.

"Yes, sweetheart," said Scorpius. He called him the same terms of endearment of his father had used with him.

"May I please have a baby sister?" asked Drake with a very hopeful pout on his face.

There was a stunned silence as Fred and Albus along with Louis and James stared at Scorpius. "Go ask your mother," said Scorpius.

"I already did. She said to ask you," said Drake.

This conversation drew the attention of everyone else. Scorpius could feel the eyes of the family on him. "Your great grandparents have put you up to this, haven't they?" asked Scorpius. There was a smattering of laughter and snickering at this point.

"No, we didn't," said Arthur, "but we'd like him to have a baby sister, too." Molly and Narcissa, as well as Andromeda, nodded in agreement.

"Why a baby sister?" asked Albus to his godson.

"Because they already have a boy," replied Drake in the same manner that his dad did when the answer was so obvious.

"Why would you want a little sister?" asked James. "I mean they're nothing but trouble." He glanced at Fred who nodded. Roxanne kicked his shin. "They get into your things. They don't listen to you. Then, they grow up and they leave you to marry a boy you do not like."

Ginny shook her head as Harry snicker. Albus added, "But they will give you an adorable niece or nephew that who will love you very much."

"Why did you say that?" asked James. "You ruined my point."

"I finished your point," retorted Albus.

Drake's green eyes were the size of saucers as he looked up at his uncle. "You don't like my daddy, Uncle James?" he asked tearfully. James avoided the child by looking up at the ceiling. Albus smacked him upside the head.

Scorpius knelt down to his son's eye level. "Maybe," he said. "Maybe, you'll get a little sister for next year."

"That means no," said Drake, looking down.

"It means maybe," said Scorpius. He picked him up and gave him a kiss. He looked to his wife, who had spent the entire conversation laughing. He wasn't going to get any help from her on this one. She was like his own mother that way.

"I don't think you two should reproduce anymore," said James. "I can't deal with three of them. I kept saying that no good can come out of a Potter and a Malfoy mixing."

Lily gave up to her older brother and said rather sweetly, "You're just worried that there'll be another person smarter than you in this family."

"Very funny, Lily. See this, Drake? This is what I'm talking about," said James. Drake gave a stubborn tilt as he jutted out his chin. "Great, he's as stubborn as both of you." He gestured at both Lily and Scorpius.

"Please Daddy?" pleaded Drake to Scorpius. His daddy could only sigh.

The sound of crying just before dawn woke both Lily and Scorpius from sound sleep. "Score, the baby wants you," said Lily, snuggling close to her husband.

"It's my birthday," he reminded her. "She wants you."

Lily sighed and rolled out of bed. There was a little bassinet in the room as per family tradition. The baby would be here for at least six months before they moved her to her nursery. Lily couldn't help but smile at the little baby, even though she was crying. Scorpius claimed that she had her mother's lungs. Lily picked her up and she was still crying. "Shh," she hushed her daughter. She gently rocked her, but the baby wasn't having it.

"Daddy, make Vi go back to sleep," said Drake as he came into their bedroom. "I was sleeping."

"You didn't care last year," said Scorpius. He picked up Drake and put him on the bed, and then he strode over to his wife and took the baby from her. "Okay, Violet. I know, I know what you want. I was seriously hoping you'd let me have the morning off."

The little peach head child with a pout and she had gray eyes wouldn't stop crying. Scorpius looked at her and did what his dad had done with him and what he did with Drake. He started to sing. The baby stopped crying and looked at her daddy with those big gray eyes. She reached up and touched his neck. She was only about two months old. Not even two months. She was born on All Souls Day. She already loved to hear her daddy sing more than anything.

Drake was next to his mummy as Scorpius joined them in bed with his baby sister. He was a bit disappointed when she was born because she couldn't do anything, but he was his mummy's little helper. Daddy went work and worked at a hospital. Drake was now between his parents as his daddy sat down. The baby was now wide awake, but she wasn't crying anymore. Drake held out his hand she took one of his fingers. "My baby sister," he said proudly.

Violet looked at her daddy, then at her mummy before settling on her brother. Scorpius leaned over and kissed Lily. Scorpius thought back to what his mother had said to him in that dream, that wasn't a dream, so long ago. His world was a bigger one than the one that his parents had died to give him. His dad was still shielding him just as he would shield his own children. His scar was still there, even though it didn't hurt anymore. It was a reminder. It reminded him that his parents loved him. All was right in the world.

Author's Note: This is the end of the story. It was a very long story. I would like to thank all the reviewers and the people who read this piece and stayed with me through out this long process. It's been quite a ride. I didn't expect it to go this long nor did I expect so much from everyone. There are far too many people to thank in getting this done. After two years of writing this story, it is a wonderful feeling to be able to change its status to complete.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Him and all of the original characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Please use this story with my permission.