Epilogue

The Wolfsbane simmered beautifully, and Violet leaned back against the counter to watch it. It seemed that her changes the month before had worked, but now it was time to test them again.

A knock on the door brought her out of her musings. She pushed herself up, then walked around the corner. The person waiting for her was quite possibly the last she'd expected. "Professor, what a pleasant surprise! Won't you come in?"

"Thank you, Violet. I'm sorry to drop in unexpected like this. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything." McGonagall's slight burr came out a bit more than her usual during the school year. She must have visited her family, Violet thought absently.

"Nothing that can't wait, of course." Violet waved her hand to cast the stasis charm on the potion, then picked up the tea kettle. "Would you care for some tea? And I do believe that we've still got some of Mrs. Hudson's shortbread left from yesterday."

"Well, I wouldn't turn that down."

The two women settled down with their tea cups and small talk. But after discussing Harry (playing at the Longbottoms), Sherlock (on a case with John), and Hogwarts (in for rather a lot of changes come September), Violet set her tea cup down. "I know you didn't come for a social call, Professor, so why don't you tell me just what you did come for."

A rare smile quirked McGonagall's lips. "Straight forward then, as usual. As you know, Professor Dumbledore has decided to retire, since the threat of Voldemort has been so handily taken care of. The school governors have asked me to become the new Headmistress. As such, I plan on making a few changes. I've just come from Black House, where both Remus and Sirius have agreed to teach next year, Defense Against the Dark Arts for Remus, and Transfiguration for Sirius."

"Oh, that's lovely!" Violet gushed, happy for her friends. But she knew that wasn't why her old teacher had come to visit.

And McGonagall knew it. "Yes, I think they will be brilliant teachers. And since Riddle is taken care of, I do believe his jinx on the Defense post will be taken care of, as well. But on to you. Severus Snape has been teaching Potions for the past four years. But he isn't… the most personable teacher. I was hoping I could convince you to take the post, instead."

Violet's hands slipped to her rounded belly, almost without thought. "I've got my children to think of, and I couldn't expect Sherlock to watch them by himself. Not to mention, they would see far too many dead bodies that way."

"We'd be willing to work with you, of course. You are the best Potioneer to pass through Hogwarts in years, along with Lily, and don't think your tutoring of the younger years escaped my notice."

"Nothing ever did," Violet laughed.

In the end, McGonagall agreed to wait until the baby started primary school. "I could do some tutoring in the evenings and weekends, probably. And I will keep supplying Remus with the Wolfsbane," Violet assured. "I can't trust Snape to not poison him."

"To be honest, I'm not sure I blame you."

…

"Come say hello to your little sister, Harry," Sherlock said gently, lifting the boy to his lap so he could see the tiny bundle in Violet's arms.

Harry sat for a long moment, entirely intent on the new arrival, who slept blissfully unaware of his scrutiny. "She's so little," he finally said, looking as though there was something wrong. "She's too little, Mummy."

"Because she's smaller than Rosie, you mean?" Violet guessed, knowing her son well. He did tend to measure the world against his Rosemud. But he nodded, and she explained, "It's because Camellia's younger than Rosie. Rosie's two now, and Camellia was just born last night."

"It's like how Daphne's bigger than Astoria, since she's older," Sherlock continued, using a frame of reference the boy could understand.

"Oh, okay," Harry said, pushing his glasses up his nose to peer at his sister better. Just then, she yawned, and then opened her eyes. Camellia looked directly up at her big brother, and then grinned. The adults knew it was probably gas, or some other reflex, but for Harry, it was a triumph. "She smiled at me, Mummy! Dad, did you see that! Hello, Camellia! I'm your big brother, Harry, but you can call me Ree. Tha's what Rosemud calls me, and you can, too. I'll teach you loads, and we can play together, and pull pranks on th' uncles, and I'll make sure you're always safe, 'cause tha's what big brothers do. Tha's what Uncle Moft said, and he would know, he's Dad's big brother."

…

"I'm torn between wanting to do something like you and Sherlock, just quick and dirty to get it done with, and having the most over the top wedding Wizarding society has ever seen," Cissa sighed, playing with the simple ring on her third finger. It suited her far better than the gaudy monstrosity Lucius had given her. "On the one hand, what on earth has anyone else done to deserve getting to be a part of our wedding? But on the other, I don't want Remus to get the wrong idea."

"Like somehow you're ashamed of him?" Violet asked knowingly.

"Exactly. That man has the worst self-esteem issues I've ever seen, and I grew up in the Black House. Honestly, a part of me wants to keep just living together, keep him as sort of a kept man, just to thumb my nose at the whole ridiculousness of society and their rules. But I know if I tried something like that, he would take it to mean that I'm ashamed of him, or that I don't think he's good enough to marry."

Violet nodded, thinking for a moment. Until a wicked grin crossed her lips. "So, we make it the most exclusive event of the year. Everyone will know about it, it'll be all over the Prophet and Witch Weekly, even the Quibbler, if we can swing it, but only invite those you actually want to be there. It'll be perfect!"

…

"Now, remember love, at school, you can't call the uncles Moony and Padfoot," Violet reminded, straightening Harry's tie for the fourth time in the last half hour.

"But you could probably get away with Professor Padfoot," Sherlock added with a grin.

"Does that mean I have to call you Professor Holmes?" Harry asked, identical grin crossing his face. "Or should it be Professor Mum?"

"If you want to," Violet conceded.

Remus pulled his little family over to the Holmes bunch. "Neville's saved the boys a compartment, and it's time for them to get on the train," he said, hand resting lightly on Draco's shoulder. Cissa bookended Draco on the other side, holding Leo's hand tightly. The little boy had a remarkable tendency to wander off, usually taking Camellia with him.

"Time for last hugs," Cissa demanded, and Draco responded. Harry did the same, though both Hogwarts students teased their teacher parents for it.

"I'll see you tonight at the Sorting," Harry laughed.

"It won't even be a whole day," Draco added.

"Yes, well, every other parent gets to say goodbye at the train, so I get to, as well," Violet replied, adding a big sloppy kiss to Harry's cheek in retaliation.

Sherlock and Remus helped the boys get their trunks on the train, then the boys, along with Neville, popped out the window to wave as the train pulled away. "Five galleons they both get Slytherin," Cissa said, after making sure Leo and Camellia were distracted with chasing the train for as long as they could.

"Harry'll be Gryffindor," Remus said, seconded by Violet, reluctantly.

"At least he'll have Sirius as his Head," Sherlock reminded her.

"Which never ceases to amaze me. I'm still not sure what McGonagall was thinking, put him in charge of a whole House like that," Cissa said, jokingly shaking her head in amazement.

…

"I can't believe Rosie's a Fourth Year," John sighed as the train pulled away.

"The boys are Seventh Years," Cissa complained. "I swear, it was just yesterday that they started at Hogwarts."

"Between the three of them, we've got Head Boy and two prefects, though. That's something to be proud of," Remus reminded.

"And yet, Rosie and Cam still have those boys wrapped around their little fingers," Violet laughed.

Sherlock smirked. "They just know it's best to listen to strong-willed women."

…

"I told you there was no one better for Rosie than Harry," Sherlock whispered in Violet's ear. She'd just danced with the groom, and managed to keep her tears at bay the entire time, but now that she was back in Sherlock's arms, she couldn't hold them back any longer.

"And you were right, of course," she beamed up at him. "And now you and John are officially related, sort of."

"Who knew when they married that our son would marry their daughter?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if our daughter followed suit soon enough."

Sherlock glowered. "Neville had better ask me before he asks her."

Violet laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "He's a good boy. He knows better. And besides, he had Harry as a guide in what to do when proposing."

"You know Draco's going to propose to the Granger girl tonight. He's got the ring in his pocket."

"He could do far worse than someone who constantly pushes him, challenges him."

"He couldn't do any better than someone like that. I would know, after all."

AN: And that's officially the end! I'm sort of having a bit of a panic attack at finishing this. I've been working on it for so long that it's sort of surreal to finish. But I want to thank you all for going through this journey with me and Violet. It's been fun, writing someone so utterly different from myself. We do still have a few one-shots, the first of which I'll post next week. I'm not really sure what I'm naming them just yet, and I won't be adding on here when I've got it up, so just follow me to get the update. And I swear, I'm not just bribing you for follows, because I don't even know how many followers I've got as a writer. I do know that this story has been gotten the most astounding response, far beyond what I could have ever thought, and I thank you all for it! You've been amazing readers, and I love you all!