Ring the Bells

By: OurLoveIsForever

Future

"Woah, are you kidding, Mum? Dad did that?" The twelve year old cringed at the word, making a face that told of its disgusting connotations. "And you agreed? What was wrong with you?"

"If I didn't agree, Scorpius, you wouldn't be here."

He paused a moment to let that fact settle in then raised an eyebrow. Asteria nearly laughed at that expression. Yes, he was too much like his father. "But, Mum, you let him trap you!"

"I would never use such underhanded tricks." Draco responded lowly, looking a bit sour at his son's lack of faith which was conveyed in a disbelieving stare. "Why don't you stop analyzing me and get back to opening your presents?" He turned his head toward where Asteria sat in the floor by the tree. "Remind me again why we had him?"

Scorpius looked appalled before smiling before shaking his head. "Oh, Dad, you're too funny." though it didn't sound as if the young boy found anything about his father very humorous. The cynical tone in his voice conveyed that much at least.

"I need to teach him when something's a joke." Draco drawled, catching a package that Asteria threw him from under the tree.

"He has your sense of humor." Her tone was soft, as it always had been, but with a bit more bite to it. Over the years, she had learned to handle Draco's wild sense of humor and sharp tongue with her own brand of wit. After three years of dating and over ten years of marriage, they had nearly become one. And with Scorpius, they were a family. "Scorpius, what's this?" She pulled a small box from under the tree skirt.

Both parents nearly fell over when their son blushed crimson. "That's just a trifle. Nothing, really." He tried to play it off with a shrug reaching for the nameless gift.

"Scorpius—" Draco's warning tone.

"'s for Rose Weasley."

Stunned silence.

-

When the youngest Malfoy had been laid to sleep, underneath his enchanted ceiling of beautiful stars, his parents began to clean up the mess. The silence that permeated the den of Malfoy Manor was comfortable and happy, relaxed and calm. Snow could be seen falling outside and the Christmas tree twinkled gaily in the window reflection.

Asteria jerked in surprise when a simple melody broke the hush settled throughout the house. She turned to see her husband smirking at her with his eyebrows raised. "Are you romancing me, Mister Malfoy?"

"I see no need to." Draco said, in all seriousness. "Do you miss anything right now, Asteria?"

She smiled, glancing at the pictures along the mantle above the fireplace. Her father. His father. A few of his friends and her friends. Did she miss them? No, she didn't because they were with her everyday in one way or another. Gently, she shook her head. "No, Draco, I don't miss anything."

"Good. Now come here, I believe it is time for me to open my presents." She raised an eyebrow. He smirked.

So it goes.

-

Christmas isn't about the presents received nor is it about the flashing lights or magical sights. No, Christmas means so much more than that. It is a time for hope. It is a time for reflection on past events, courage for the current events and hope for future events. Hold those that are dear close to your heart during this beautiful time of the year and treasure each and every moment. Make it count.

As Draco and Asteria have shown us this holiday season: love is the greatest gift of all.

Happy Christmas.

A/N: Yes, as our narrator states: Happy Christmas. This is the final chapter, of course. Thank you everyone for the reviews. I have been too busy to reply to reviews, but I do want to say that I appreciate every word I recieve. Each time I recieve a review, it is like recieving a gift! Thank you all for everything.

I have a New Year one-shot coming soon!

'So it goes' was something I always wanted to use in a fiction. It is a homage to Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five and just seemed to fit perfectly. I wanted it to be a bit a sudden but convincing end. A snapshot of life.