Epilogue

Two Years Later

No matter how hard they tried to put it behind them, no matter how hard they tried to keep the secret a secret, they couldn't.

They couldn't, for the wheels have been set in motion practically right after the Dark Lord's demise, and years and years of planning and searching could not be suppressed by any of their attempts.

First and foremost, there were the Death Eaters. Despite the fact that Leo disbanded them, told them he came into evidence which suggest there would be no point in tracking the Dark Lord's daughter because resurrection was impossible, and there was a large possibility that Gemini Ridley wasn't the girl they thought she was, they knew too much that they could not simply drop it, and at the same time, they've been immersed in the search for so long that any attempt to erase their memories could be disastrous. He tried telling them that Gemini wasn't who they thought she was, but their seven years of surveillance was more than enough proof: she resembled Gemini Black's mother and parts of the Dark Lord before his first resurrection, the necklace Bellatrix wore, even her bloody name matched the long-lost baby's!

And second, there was the scandal last year when Leo decided to do two things that didn't seem to add up. He publicly stopped using his legal pseudonym, Malcolm Carey, and with the approval of Draco Malfoy, the closest legitimate descendant of the Black family, declared he was going to use his birth name, Leo Phoenix Black. Because of the new laws that stopped pureblood advantages, the process was easy. Most wizards believed he did it in an attempt to restore the name Black, and though it was not the legitimate branch filled with members who weren't descendants of disinherited Blacks, he was going to continue with the family's pureblood views, which he himself openly believed.

Then he openly admitted to seriously dating Gemini Ridley, an orphan with unknown blood purity and was most likely a Muggle-born.

The Death Eaters knew something was up. Why would Leo drop everything, suggesting Gemini was a Mudblood and they were all wasting their time, only to end up dating her, defying the pureblood beliefs he upheld all his life? No, anyone with half a brain could put two and two together and know that any daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange was a Black, and a Black marrying a Black would result in the revival of the once noble house. It became clear that anyone who was a rich pureblood Slytherin knew about the Death Eaters, and to that extent, who they believed Gemini Ridley was. For more than a month, Gemini was sick with fear, the thought of repeating imprisonment for merely being born creeping in her thoughts. She moved in with Leo back to his mansion in Wiltshire less than a year after they started dating, and for more than a month, she was too afraid to leave the house, fearing that she would involuntarily conjure Dark magic that would catch the attention of the Aurors, or someone from the Slytherin community would inform on her. Leo was preparing escape plans wherever they went, ready to protect the one person he cared for more than himself.

But then, there was something they did not expect: the loyalty of Slytherins to their own kind.

Gemini eventually discovered that in a changing wizarding world where being a pureblood was no longer an advantage, Slytherins were highly protective of anything pureblood-related. Unknown to Leo, the restoration of the Death Eaters had been an open secret among the elite circles of Slytherins, but it was so well-kept among Slytherins, who did not want to join yet fully supported their attempts to resurrect the Dark Lord, that it never reached the ears of those who weren't Slytherin, save for that traitorous Ravenclaw who sat in the Wizengamot. Gemini discovered that she too was one of those well-kept secrets. They knew who she really was, even though neither of them said anything. Given that Leo and the Death Eaters were looking out for her, only for Leo to drop everything and eventually be seen with her, everyone eventually figured that there was something they didn't know that Gemini and Leo did, and if Leo wasn't doing anything to resurrect the Dark Lord, then perhaps it was for the best.

The highest circles of elite, pureblood Slytherins was different from what Gemini expected. She expected a world of manipulation and snobbery. She expected to be snubbed on for public reputation as a Muggle-born, as well as the fact that she dabbled in Muggle past times like watching their movies and going to Muggle restaurants. But she found it was better than she imagined. Because Slytherins were often shunned by others, a community of Slytherins always looked out for one another. They frowned upon her Muggle tendencies, but they overlooked it and tried to teach her how their world worked. They were kind, but not in the smothering way other Houses used that didn't have wit or sarcasm or a bit of humor. They protected each other, and while others called it nepotism, Gemini saw it was because Slytherins had no one but themselves, and she had never seen other houses do what she had seen Slytherins do for others.

To the wizarding world outside their small circle, Leo was adapting to a free world where blood purity didn't matter, and when he proposed to Gemini six months ago, it was his way of welcoming the first Muggle-born to marry into the Black family, albeit a different, disowned branch. But to the Slytherins, it was truly the restoration they had been waiting for, because as long as Gemini was married to Leo, then the Black Family still stood. The Weasleys weren't the wizarding world's biggest family so as long as Gemini and Leo had a family of their own. No one outside their circles would know or understand this, but for now, knowing that blood purity of the Slytherin and Black lines were still extant was enough for them.

~0~

Harry looked at the report in front of him incredulously. "Honestly," he shook his head in disgust. "He's as bad as his mother."

"You can't blame him if those were the facts he heard." Ron muttered. "These are quite some coincidences there."

Hermione scowled at her husband and whacked the top of his head with her copy of The Daily Prophet. "Honestly? You've met Gemini, and you've met Rita Skeeter. Gemini's not the easiest person to get along with, and perhaps you've still not forgiven her for jilting Neville's son in that party two years ago, but would you trust the column of Rita's son over her?" Hermione said. "It's a load of rumors, and we all know rumors are mostly garbage."

"I'll have to agree." Harry said, tearing the full-page story, crumpling it in a ball, and tossing it in a bin. Honestly, twenty years and the Prophet still publishes garbage like this. "Raymond Skeeter's grabbing at straws, trying to stay relevant and stir trouble, especially on a day like this. Disgusting, really."

Ron scoffed in agreement. "Remember what he wrote on yours? He claimed you were staying true to your Black family heritage by marring a distant cousin. As if you were marrying my sister for her Black heritage."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort's child? Please, he wasn't even old enough for Hogwarts during the Second Wizarding War. Voldemort couldn't possibly have had a child. Gemini's a lot of things, but I'm sure she's not Voldemort's spawn." He turned to the Auror Magnus. "No, get a public statement that we won't be holding an investigation on this. Gemini interned for the Ministry once, and her background was thoroughly checked before she even entered the Atrium, and we have found and see no reason to disturb her with these…these…empty rumors. I'd tell you to denounce gossip columns as well, but I'm pretty sure everyone knows Raymond Skeeter is rubbish and no one needs a reminder."

Magnus nodded and exited the room. "Skeeter must have gotten his hands on Rodolphus Lestrange's file. Remember when he said Voldemort had a child? He must have found out about it from someone." Harry sighed in exhaustion. "Remind me to put extra security measures on the files of Death Eaters. God knows how much damage control I'll have to do when the slander suits come."

"Gemini's a strong girl, though." Hermione pointed out. "If she can survive Hogwarts as a Muggle-born Slytherin, surely she can survive these false claims."

Harry nodded, but Ron pursed his lips. "I don't know, love. I'm just saying, everything in this article just clicks, doesn't it? I mean, Leo's been working on this floor for years before and we never knew he was a Black descendant."

"I did." Hermione pipped up. "But that law Walburga Black created to re-name disowned branches was almost passed so he had a right to use an assumed name. He mentioned it, but said he'd rather not be known, so I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, well, what about that bit where only Slytherins knew about the secret? You know how those blokes reacted when Kingsley abolished the Half-Breed Regulation Act and the Anti-Werewolf Legislation on the same month? You don't suppose they keep secrets from us."

"Oh I know they do," Hermione sighed. "You can't expect them to turn away completely from their supremacy. But I doubt they could even keep a secret as big as this."

"Plus this isn't the first time Raymond's suggested this, remember?" Harry added. "He wrote an article—obviously smaller and not taking up the entire page—a few days after Leo and Gemini announced their engagement. The Aurors looked into it, of course, seeing the possible threat if he were telling the truth."

"Well of course Gemini would deny it if you asked." Ron said.

"But we didn't ask Gemini, we asked the one person who would know, seeing as he has a lot to lose if Gemini was his cousin: Draco Malfoy." Harry recalled. "If she really was Voldemort and Bellatrix's kid, he'd probably know, and he'd be in trouble, seeing as it's his family's partial fault why Voldemort lost, and Gemini can avenge her father. But no, he said Gemini was just the Head of his company's Potions Division, nothing more. He happened to know about her because Slughorn mentioned her once when he was travelling from Hogwarts after having a question about the donations the Malfoy family had been sending to Hogwarts. We confirmed this claim from Slughorn and Headmaster Flitwick. Malfoy swears it's all just false rumors."

"What if Malfoy's in on the secret too?" Ron countered. "What if—"

"Oh honestly, Ronald, it's like you want these rumors to be true so you can arrest Gemini!" Hermione snapped. "Especially today. You'd just love to ruin it for her, wouldn't you?"

"No I don't! I'm just checking every possible lead!" Ron said defensively. He huffed, leaning back on the sofa in Harry's office. "Still, though, that girl is definitely a Slytherin. Ambitious, I'll give her that. Two years ago, she was some humble kid living in an inn, but then she dumps the guy who gave her free housing and now she's worming her way into the likes of Slytherins like Malfoy."

"Oh, don't be bitter, Ron. It's quite unbecoming on you." Hermione said loftily. "You obviously haven't learned that people aren't black and white. Yes, she broke Neville's son's heart, and she may have chosen a different path we didn't expect her to take, but that doesn't make her totally evil, does it? Don't tell me you've forgotten what she did for you two when she interned for the Auror Office? She nearly died on the job and I gave you hell for it, don't tell me you've forgotten. And besides, I heard from Hannah that Arnold's doing pretty well. I see him often in the Wizarding Library. Being Junior Head of the library seems to suit him."

"Hermione's right." Harry smirked, his mind focused elsewhere. "There are good Slytherins out there, Ron. Good in their own way, I guess, but they mean well."

"Yes." Hermione agreed. "So let's wish Gemini the best and move on with this awful rumor. Hopefully Raymond Skeeter's article won't bother her, but after today, she'll be wealthy enough to charge Skeeter with slander, which does sound entertaining."

~0~

There was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Abigail announced. Gemini was too preoccupied looking at her reflection in the mirror for a bit of self-assurance that she didn't notice the commotion coming from the door until Abigail's voice was getting screechy, and she snapped out of her reverie and turned to see her best friend arguing with someone by the door. "But it's not tradition! It's in terrible form and it's bad luck! No! I don't care if we're in your house Leo, damn everything but don't—"

"Is that Leo?" Gemini asked. "Let him in. I'm sure we have some important matters to discuss before I head down."

Abigail looked at Gemini and then uneasily at the other side of the door. "Are you sure? What about…?"

"I've been lucky this whole time, Abby. I think a few minutes with my fiancé won't make that much of a difference." Gemini grinned.

"Fine…girls," Abigail motioned all the other girls to leave. She turned to Gemini. "I'll see you downstairs. Leo…"

"Abby," Leo nodded as she exited and he entered, but he froze when he turned and looked at Gemini. "Wow. You look…"

She smiled when he was at a loss for words. "You can tell me that later. I assume you wanted to talk about that gossip column." She motioned at her copy of The Daily Prophet next to her desk. Though the Black Mansion had an extravagant library, an office for Gemini's work in Malfoy Apothecary, and an Astronomy room at the top floor, she had a habit of piling books on her desk in her room. "Funny, it would seem the Prophet thinks it has enough money to survive a libel suit."

"I've already asked Cyrus to handle it."

Gemini looked at the mirror on her dresser and adjusted her emerald necklace. "Good luck to your attorney, then. When most of Raymond Skeeter's allegations are posed as questions, there's not much he can do but destroy Skeeter's reputation, though I doubt there's much left to destroy." She turned to Leo. "Are they mentioning it downstairs?"

"Just a few warnings here and there. A couple of suggestions of solicitors who do well in libel cases."

"Yes, I'm sure Slytherins know a lot about libel cases." Gemini smirked.

"Gem, I'm serious." Leo said. He approached her and took her hands in his, leading her to sit with him on her bed. "This isn't the first time this has slipped out. Who knows what he's going to do in the future? When we have our first kid? When every children of ours is sorted into Slytherin?"

"Of course all our children will be in Slytherin. You are, after all, restoring the Black family." Gemini shrugged. "I'd love any child we have, but if they're sorted into any other house, you can tell they'll do something to get blasted off."

Leo looked unsurely at her. "And you're not worried?"

"About the future? I doubt I know what the future holds at this point. As for that article, apart from those who know us, who else is going to believe it?" Gemini smiled. "I may be a lot of things to a lot of people, but Voldemort's daughter? Really? Who's going to believe that?"

"Possibly everyone in our community…"

"…who have everything to lose if the whole wizarding world knew the truth." She assured him. "You're not scared, are you?"

"Of course not. But you know I'd never risk anything that could harm you."

Leo leaned forward and kissed her, but Gemini gently pushed him away. "That's sweet, but we have a lot of time for that later." Gemini smiled. "Anything else that happens, I have you to help me."

Leo sighed in frustration but smiled and stood up, helping Gemini up to her feet. "I love you, you know that?"

"I had a feeling you did." Gemini teased. "Now go downstairs and wait for me."

Fifteen minutes later, Gemini was downstairs at the vast backyard of the Black mansion, everyone's eyes on her as she stood at the end of the aisle. Behind her, Abigail was fixing the edges of the long Elie Saab wedding gown.

"You look great, Gemini." Abigail whispered behind her when she was done. "You nervous?"

"Me?" Gemini whispered from the corner of her mouth. "Hell no."

"Then get up there, queen." Abigail said excitedly. "Good luck."

Gemini walked down the aisle and the choir began to sing. The mansion was slightly smaller than the Flint summerhouse, and didn't have the same vast field behind it, but it was very regal-looking, with lush green hedges around the perimeter, and a hill on one end overlooking a view of nearby mansions. On that day, the entire backyard was draped in green, white, and silver, and Gemini thought everything looked perfect.

At the head of the aisle, she could see Leo trying to appear calm, though it was clear seeing her made him emotional, and seeing her in her room and seeing her walk down the aisle were two different things. She smiled at him, looking handsome and no longer trying to hide his black hair and dark eyes to disguise himself.

Around her, most of the guests were Slytherins. She looked slightly to the left, her side of wedding guests, and noticed Draco Malfoy, who looked back into her eyes. He was considered a blood traitor, yet was still accepted in the elite circles of Slytherin purebloods despite his actions in the Battle of Hogwarts and the fact that he didn't teach his son that Mudbloods were scum. It was partially because he was still one of the wealthiest wizards in their circles, and also because his mother was considered the last legitimate one to carry the name Black. He sat in one of the two rows of Gemini's non-Slytherin friends, seeing as he was one of the few who tolerated them.

Their gaze was a silent one, one no one would take as other than a friendly glance between the CEO of a company and one of his executives, but at that moment, they said everything they needed to say.

Draco knew that she knew the truth. He didn't know how, but she knew, and it appeared she knew for a long time already. And yet, he was surprised that, instead of the rage and fury that would come from a child of the Dark Lord, she made it clear he was not in any trouble and he would be safe, and they wouldn't have to talk about it and had a silent truce. Both of them also knew this would continue, of course, as long he made it clear to the public that he supported Leo and considered him a legitimate Black. Whether Leo appeared in the Black Tapestry in his own right or as Gemini's husband, she knew Leo deserved to be a part of the family.

She reached the end, and Leo moved next to her

"On to our next mission." Leo muttered loud enough for only her to hear.

"Oh don't start on that again." Gemini whispered, smiling knowingly.

Arnold was wrong, Gemini thought as Leo offered his hand. She may have been someone different before being sorted into Slytherin changed her, but that didn't matter. She did get sorted into Slytherin. She did form her views based on the Slytherins she grew up on. She was a Slytherin. He didn't know the beginning of a lot of things she knew, and while she couldn't hold him against it, she could understand why he was wrong. And that was why she chose someone who could understand that was far from perfect, but loved her anyway.

I know who I am, and I know what it is I want. She thought happily. Gemini accepted his hand, putting her hand over his. And I will get what I want.

And when it was over, when she was finally married to her other half and she became Gemini Black once more, she knew she did.

THE END

~0~

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