Epilogue:

7 Years Later

" Mommy! Mom!" Astoria heard somebody hiss in the darkness, and she turned blearily to see a very small pair of owlish grey eyes looking at her from the side of the bed. " Mom!"

" Scorpius?" She yawned. " What'd- Did you have a nightmare?"

The boy shrugged his tiny shoulders, as if the fact that he was up in the middle of the night wasn't strange enough to merit a reason. " Can I sleep with you and Daddy?"

Astoria barely had time to shrug a response, before Scorpius had already scrambled over her body, and nestle himself between Draco and herself. She tried to stifle a snort of amusement as she heard Draco groan.

" Is that Scorpius?" He muttered bleakly, the sound of despair very vivid in his voice. " I knew it was a mistake to have that bugger."
Astoria snorted. " I distinctly remember it being your idea at the time. Besides. You know you love it, you prat."

Draco rolled over in a sudden movement, upending Scorpius, and scooping Astoria in his arms. He dangled her precariously over the edge of the bed. Squealing, his wife clung to his arms. " Let me down, Draco Malfoy-!" Scorpius was completely convulsed with giggles.

" Who's a prat?" Draco demanded with a groggy grin on his face.

" You are!" His wife tried to say, but Draco had abruptly dropped her on the bed and begun to tickle her relentlessly. " Merlin, Draco- you're such a kid!" She laughed.

" Mm . . ." He sighed contentedly into her shoulder. " I love you."

" I know-" She rolled her eyes. " But I'm tired, and I want to get some sleep. We're going to Olivia and Neil's tomorrow- she wants advice on some new baby patterns she wants to try."
Draco groaned. " You did that last week! Has Lydia really outgrown the dresses that fast?"
Astoria smiled indulgently. " Silly Draco- this one is for the next baby."

Draco sat bolt upright, running a hand through his hair. It fell in long strands around his face. Astoria observed it critically. She would need to cut it again soon. " Next baby? They just had one!"

" Yeah, well, with their track record I don't doubt another one is on the way soon."

Draco murmured something indistinguishable under his breath, and buried his face in his pillow. " You know, Daphne and Addison are perfectly content with one."

Astoria made a small sigh, that she barely registered. " Yeah. I know."

Draco sat up, and put his arms around her shoulders. " I'm sorry, Astoria. That was completely thoughtless of me." Astoria shrugged.

" It's not your fault, I can't have any more kids. Besides, we have Scorpius. And who knows? Healers have been wrong before." Draco winced.

" Astoria . . ."

" Besides, Olivia will have enough kids for the both of us." She tried very hard to sound content and cheery, but Draco gave her a look that told her he saw right through her.

" You know, I've been thinking-"

" Always dangerous," Astoria said, the retort shooting to her lips without her having to think.

" Haha, you're a riot. Anyway, I've been thinking. They don't have wizarding orphanages, but maybe- if you wouldn't mind- we can always adopt. From a muggle orphanage."

Astoria stared at him as if he had grown a third head. " Adopt."

" Mm-hm . . ." He picked at the coverlet. Scorpius was attempting a handstand, and fell, cracking his small foot against Draco's face. " Merlin's beard, Scorpius!"

" A muggle?"

Draco shrugged. " It wouldn't be the weirdest thing to ever happen. Besides, we can ask McGonagall for the school registry. See if any of the registered kids are orphans. Or ask the Ministry. They keep tabs on that sort of thing. Not all orphans are muggles you know."

Astoria was staring thoughtfully into the distance. " It's worth considering. But if we did adopt a muggle . . . wouldn't they feel terribly out of place?"

" Some squibs make great lives for themselves in the wizarding community."

" And your parents- your flawless pureblood line- wouldn't it be ruined by a muggle Malfoy."

Draco stared her dead in the eye. " I don't care, Astoria. Not if it's what you want. Whatever will make you happy. Besides-" He ruffled Scorpius' blonde hair. " I kind of like the little brats." Scorpius pulled his hair hard with a happy squeal. " Or not."

She grinned. " He takes after you, you know."

He pretended to look offended. " I don't pull your hair!"

Astoria fell back against the pillow, her black curls splayed against the pillowcase. " No, but you like it."

" True." He fingered a lock of her hair. " So soft." His eyes lit on her shoulder. " Wait a sec- are you wearing my shirt? Falmouth Falcons- that's my shirt!"

Astoria shrugged. " It's comfortable."

" I'm used to seeing you in . . . nightgowns."

" That was always more my mother's decision. I decided that I've outgrown them. Besides. I like it. It smells like you."

" I like seeing you wear it." He smirked.

Their conversation was interrupted by Scorpius jumping on the bed, over Draco's and then Astoria's body. " Jump! Jump! Jump!"

Draco tackled him, and Scorpius screamed with laughter. Draco pretended to roar, and Scorpius screamed again.

Astoria laughed, her heart a little lighter. " He's never getting back to sleep is her?"

" What about me?" Draco whined. " What if I can't get back to sleep?"
Astoria leaned over and kissed him. " I'm sure we can think of something."

Draco smirked, and leaned into the kiss, but she pulled back. " Merlin, Draco. Not in front of the kid."
" Scorpius. Scram."

" Draco!"

" Good-night, Mommy." Astoria turned to see Scorpius cuddling into Draco's side. Her heart twisted a little. He looked so much like Draco. His face was already thin and pointed, most of the baby fat already disappeared. His white hair was fine as silk, and curled at the ends in a way that Draco's never had. But mainly it was the eyes. Deep and fathomless and far wiser than any four-year-old's eyes should be.

" Good-night, baby." She kissed him on the forehead.

Draco gently settled back onto the bed, his eyes closing contentedly. Astoria sighed happily. This was all she had ever wanted. A family. A child. Her own home.

As much as they had loved the apartment, Draco hated living in a place that technically still belonged to his parents. They had moved a few years ago, farther out into the country then she had been expecting. But she loved it. There was space for Draco to fly, and to teach Scorpius to fly. There was space for Olivia to garden for her, and for Daphne to sunbathe, and for Lydia and Liam, and Mariel, Daphne's daughter, to run around with Scorpius. It was theirs. And it was beautiful.

Draco sat upright suddenly, overturning Scorpius and making him yelp. Astoria's eyes flew open. " What? What's wrong?"

But Draco was staring at Scorpius with . . . fear? She wasn't sure. Scorpius stared up at him, blinking. " What, Daddy?"

" What did you just-?" He stared at his forearm. Then he looked at Scorpius. " Did you just touch-? Don't do that!" The look on his face was furious and terrifying.
The black mark, normally hidden by Draco's careful wardrobe selections, was dark and sharp against his pale skin and the white sheets. His hand was trembling. Draco clenched it into a fist, the muscles of his arm tightening.

Scorpius' lip started to tremble. " Daddy!" A fat tear slipped down his face.
Astoria scooped him up into her lap. " Draco, don't yell at him."

Draco had pulled his arm against his body, covering it with the blankets again. " He can't- He can't know- Astoria." He looked at her, and he suddenly looked very broken. " Astoria, what if he's like me? What if he becomes like me?"

She looked at him, and felt a strong desire to hold him. To comfort him, like she was comforting the crying Scorpius. " Draco. You became the person you were when you were a teenager, because of your father. We won't be like that. We'll be better. The Dark Arts isn't exactly a hereditary trait."

Draco snorted bitterly. " It is in my family. I can't- Astoria. What if I've contaminated him? What if- what if I never really changed. I've always wanted power. I've always wanted more. What if it's not enough, and I end up hurting you two?"
" Draco Malfoy, you're being a complete idiot!" Astoria said sharply, her tone curt. He looked at her, seemingly nonplussed. " You have changed, you ridiculous prat. And I won't have you doubting yourself. Or Scorpius. Now snap out of it."

" Daddy-" Came the tremulous voice of the toddler, and they both looked at him as he climbed out of Astoria's lap, and hugged his father. " Are you okay?"

Draco looked at him as if he were his dying hope. A life preserver tossed out to him in a raging storm. " I'm fine, Scorpius. Thank you."
Scorpius sat on Draco's side, and began to bounce again. Draco groaned and turned over, disrupted Scorpius' play.

" Draco-" Astoria said quietly. " You've changed. Everybody knows it. We'll have to tell Scorpius sometime. You know we will. Before he goes to Hogwarts. But we'll tell him both sides of the story. We'll tell him about you, and about me, and about how we met. And about how our Betrothal changed us, Draco. He'll know about the War, and the Dark Lord, and the infamous Malfoys and Lestranges and Zabinis and all the others. And we'll teach him about the Potters and the Weasleys and the Longbottoms. And he'll know, Draco Malfoy. He'll know that you're a hero."
" A hero-" Draco looked at her, taking his head off the pillow. " Is that really what you think I am? That's not how the world sees me."
Astoria sat up, and stretched her legs off the bed. " It doesn't matter what I think, Draco. It's what I know. And that's how I see you. That's all that matters. Now, come on. You've slept long enough." She gestured toward the brightening sky, a dim beam of light cast across their bed through the filmy curtains. " Look, Draco. Look at the sky. A new day dawns."

The End

000

AN: A completed fanfiction! Man, it feels good to have that under my belt. I'm kind of proud of myself, but it was easier than I thought it would be. Thank you guys so, so much for all of your wonderful, fantastic support and reviews.

Any last thoughts/comments/criticism? You know you're always welcome.

Thanks for reading!