A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to get this epilogue up, but life has been hectic. Thank you to each and every one of you beautiful readers for following me through this. I've enjoyed writing as much as I hope you've enjoyed reading this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

It was approaching 3 years since the Battle of Hogwarts. The world in many ways had changed drastically. In others, it hadn't.

There was still need for the Ministry to pass law after law to encourage unity and reinforce the equality that had been paid for in blood; though, slowly but surely people were changing. Respectful nods, extended invitations, the efforts to assimilate Muggleborns early on into the Wizarding world and efforts to extend this world into the Muggle world had flourished.

Muggle technology for one had become slowly but surely integrated and bringing with it wealth and advancement in a society that had been relatively stagnant for centuries.

At least that's how Draco had initially sold the idea to Lucius when an investment opportunity opened up with a Muggle Communications Corporation.

He couldn't help the smirk that stretched across his face at that. And what a turnover that had generated. Lucius's face after seeing the results of the first quarter profits had filled him with a deep sense of satisfaction.

At the time, he hadn't had much going for him. He was on restricted magic use following the battle that his Healer had told him was a necessary precaution following such a close call of having his very core burn out.

He'd needed it. He could appreciate that now. He'd spent those months leading up to the battle surviving on pure adrenaline and little else.

Regardless, he'd hated it. So in between studying, he'd begun looking through some of the investment options Malfoy Industries had. It had certainly yielded impressive results.

Though it had also made Lucius believe he was interested in immediately joining the company upon graduation.

The truth being he didn't know what he wanted to do.

He'd started his potion's mastery simply because he couldn't think of anything else he wanted to learn. It had been too much at first. So many expectations. So many people trying to pull him into different directions. He'd slipped.

Hermione had told him to get some space, re-evaluate. He'd rushed from action to action for so long he hadn't had time to reflect on himself or what he wanted in a life that didn't include war.

And he'd tried in a way, but in time he'd done what he'd always done slipped away.

Only this time, not even Hermione had taken his shit.

She'd thrown a few brochures about schools in France and told him to figure something out because she couldn't watch him continue to sabotage himself.

It had been torture being away for 3 months for a summer semester abroad, but he had come back refreshed in many ways. But he'd missed so many things.

His family.

Her.

Especially her. She'd treated his time away as a break in their relationship, and he hadn't truly understood at the time what that would mean. At least, not until he began sending letters and she'd return them unopened with a note telling him to find her when he was finished.

Looking back, he could tell that was her way to add fire to his motivation. She was right to think so, which shouldn't surprise him.

Despite it, he'd only made one true decision. The potion mastery, even if everything in him was calling for him to go into healing. He wasn't ready...not to accept he might lose a patient and not ready to forget his irrational fear about the luck he brought.

It was enough for now, and when he finally did return he'd gone straight to her little apartment and presented her with a token.

He'd told her before.

She was it.

He followed it up with a proposal just a few months ago, which she'd accepted with a kiss that had turned into wandering hands that had ended in her bedroom.

Despite her eager acceptance, she still hadn't agreed to set a date.

Though, he thought, he knew why that was.

Which brought him to this…

He let out a breath before pushing open the gates and walking on the path that led to the ornate front door of the Black Estates.

After the war, Sirius had left Grimmauld opting to live somewhere he could stretch so to speak. His aunt, not wanting to intrude on Remus and Tonks had gifted them her house and moved in with his father. Both, likely grateful, that they wouldn't have to be alone.

And Grimmauld had gone to Potter, which was fine with Draco.

If anything, Potter had brought new life and light to the house that it had been severely lacking for decades.

He twisted the knob of the door, murmuring the spell to allow him entry, and stepped in.

Potter taking Grimmauld had also allowed him to narrowly avoid another awkward decision he'd had to make.

Heir to two houses, it was only proper he pick a family property to live on if he didn't want to live with Sirius or Lucius and his mother.

He hadn't wanted to choose.

Sure he'd flipped his surnames from Black Malfoy to Malfoy Black, but he'd agonized over the decision not wanting to upset his dad or his mother and father. To pick one set of family properties over the other...he didn't think it was right. So, with Grimmauld out of the picture and the other family estates on either side being too far from the city and his classes, he was free to simply purchase his own home in London.

Hermione had helped him pick, a fortunate outcome really. He wanted her to like it, since he of course, wanted her to live there.

Which she would only do when they were married.

He grimaced.

And that was the crux of his current problem. Why she wasn't ready to plan the wedding even if she was ready to be married to him.

He rounded the hall heading toward the back office and couldn't help the slight grin that broke across his face when he heard the sound of two voices bantering back and forth coming from the room.

"You could try to flip Gallant." he heard Sirius say, "He's holding his vote out to see what he'll get for it, the greedy bastard."

"I got Gallant last week. It's Fawley who switched." Lucius replied.

He heard Sirius laugh, and some muttered comment he couldn't make out.

"You're both missing the obvious solution." A third voice drawled.

Unconsciously, he felt his lips pull into a wryly smile.

"Appeal to Burke. It'll get back to Macmillan who will do just about anything to remain in the running to replace him. He'll flip the whole house for you."

He bit his lip as he heard shuffling and someone clear their throat.

"Quite right Severus." Lucius said.

Draco shook his head before knocking and entering the room.

He found Sirius lounging at the window sill, Lucius was at the desk, and Severus was in one of the large chairs near the shelves of books on the left wall.

It was quite the picture, considering a few years ago he hardly thought it possible. It hadn't been a quick development, and at times he still felt that there was an unspoken tension...at least between Lucius and Sirius.

Though, as time went on it seemed to ease. They met from time to time, and with both men in the Wizengamot now their meetings had become more frequent.

Whatever awkward friendship had formed it was to his benefit.

The conversation between the three ceased as he stepped fully into the room.

He cleared his throat. "Well thank you all for coming." He said. He folded his arms, unconsciously he bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating how best to present the scheme he'd come up with.

At his silence, Severus raised his brow. "Are you going to tell us why you've gathered us all together now?"

He let out a breath.

"I know why Hermione won't set a date."

He saw Sirius open his mouth to speak, but he rushed to continue. He needed to get this out before, well, before he decided he didn't want to go through this scheme of going behind Hermione's back.

"I also have a plan that involves each of you."

Hermione let out a breath and filled away the last case she'd had thrown at her desk this morning. She leaned back in her chair a sense of deep satisfaction rushing over her.

She'd graduated from the Academy of Magical Studies that summer with double degrees in law and transfiguration. Immediately after, she'd accepted an offer at the Ministry. It had been a dream first job. After all, she had so many ideas and goals to accomplish when it came to new legislation.

It had been a few months now, but everything seemed to be moving at a snail's pace so to speak.

Perhaps she'd been naive, or rather, she hadn't stopped to consider the amount of bureaucratic nonsense that went on in the Ministry.

She was loathed to admit it, but Draco had been right when he'd told her she wouldn't be satisfied with the desk job each Ministry lawyer was given regardless of what department they technically belonged to.

He'd teased and said it might be better for her to start her own firm and take on her pro bono cases by direct suit to the Wizengamot, but she'd fired back that learning the in's and the out's of the Ministry if she expected to hold one of the family Wizengamot seats one day.

He'd shrugged, telling her that she very well might be Chief Warlock one day, but that he had a feeling her heart would lead her somewhere else even if her ambition pulled her in that direction.

She had to admit he knew her well. Maybe even better than she really knew herself.

Chief Warlock.

She'd have to first officially be married to Draco before she could even be in the Wizengamot. Until then, the most she could possibly attain was running for a seat in the People's Representative Council, a radical new body of legislature created after the war to mimic muggle parliament's House of Commons.

She sighed dropping her gaze to the ring that now decorated her finger.

An elegant silver band that house a diamond flanked by two white sapphires that managed to appear eye catching without being gaudy, a fact that she loved dearly.

It was perfect, and if she ever got around to seriously planning it, the wedding would be perfect too.

Though…

She swallowed thickly.

How could it be perfect if her own parents...whom she still only barely spoke to, ended up coming as guests just to keep up appearances.

She shook her head.

There was still time. She'd figure out a plan to help fix her relations with her family.

Just not today.

She stood up and set about righting her desk before grabbing her things and heading out the door.

She was meeting the girls later to get dinner and drinks. Though she was tired enough that she wished she was simply heading home to fall asleep, preferably with Draco holding her close to his firm chest.

Even if she did blow off the girls, Draco wouldn't be around until late when he said he might spend the night.

He was in the middle of an important paper he was hoping to co-publish with one of his professors. His deadline was Friday, so he'd told her in advance not to expect to see him too much this week until it was over.

They were going to celebrate on Friday with a small family dinner, and Draco had hinted that they would have other reasons for celebrating as well.

She smiled slightly as she slipped into a simple black dress and picked out a pair of shoes.

She was hoping Draco was going to announce he'd been accepted into the London School of Magical Medicine. She'd seen the odd brochures despite the great pains he'd obviously taken to keep his interest quiet.

His hesitance was understandable. He didn't want to disappoint anyone, especially when everyone around him had remarked on his abilities in healing magic before.

She glanced at her reflection once more, fixing her hair one last time before turning and flooring to the restaurant that Pansy had suggested for the evening.

They were quite an interesting group now, but postwar Wizarding Britain was a new world with infinite possibilities it seemed.

Pansy had been the first snake she'd befriended and then slowly she'd added Tracey and Daphne and with Ginny and Luna rounding out the group they'd formed their own unique social circle.

Pansy and Tracey had already arrived by the time she made it. Almost immediately she noted the beaming smiles on both their faces and slowly her eyes caught the gleam of a ring on Tracey's finger.

"Oh my goodness." She said softly as she sat, "Oh Congratulations Tracey.:

The girl in question blushed as her grin widened. She held out her hand affording Hermione a better look at the solitary diamond on the carved silver band.

"It was just yesterday." She said, the blush still staining her cheeks.

"It's lovely." She said with a small smile of her own.

The action was repeated as the rest of their group filled in, and Hermione couldn't help but feel grateful that the attention was off her for once.

She just wasn't in the mood to field off the endless questions of when exactly she and Draco would be tying the knot.

Her wish was granted as Tracey became the center of attention for the night. By the end of it, she'd thought she was safe when she announced she was departing only for Pansy and Ginny to announce they would be leaving too.

Inwardly she winced as they made their way to the restaurant's floo room, waiting for one of them to break the silence.

In the end it was Ginny who cleared her throat before turning so they they were all standing in a small circle facing each other.

"Hermione can I ask you a question?"

She bit her lip before nodding timidly.

"Is the reason," Ginny began softly, her eyes drifting to Pansy before coming back to settle on her, "that you won't set a date your family?"

"Because if it is," Pansy continued, "you don't have to hide it. We all understand if you'd like to wait for everything to settle between you all."

She blinked, her eyes stinging as she focused her gaze on her shoes. She closed them for a moment taking in a breath that rattled the inside of her chest.

She raised her chin slightly and blinked her eyes open.

"It's partly that." she said lowly, unsure she could maintain her composure if she spoke any louder. "I mean, they've barely met Draco. It was a coincidence that he ran into them when they were dropping off a few of my old things after they'd started cleaning out the house closets."

She bit her lip again.

"They haven't even asked to officially meet him, and how can I get married when they don't even care to meet my future husband or be involved in…" she clenched her jaw unable to continue her sentence without her voice cracking.

"Oh Hermione." Ginny said pulling her into a hug, "I know it doesn't exactly make up for your tense relations with your parents, but you know you're basically an adopted Weasley right? Mum would love to have another wedding to fret over."

She tightened her grip before pulling away. "I know Gin, but I still want to wait. I'm still hoping they'll come around."

"And you know we'd do anything to help with that." Pansy said then. Hermione smiled, warmed by the other girl's sentiment.

She nodded.

Pansy smiled in return. "Just." She took a breath, "Tell Draco. I think he's worried that maybe he rushed you into accepting the proposal."

Immediately she grew defensive ready to voice her thoughts when Pansy stopped her with a small laugh.

"I know. I know. You both are sickeningly in love, but what's he supposed to think if you don't give him a reason?"

She couldn't argue with that.

She ended up hugging Pansy, an action that had shocked the other girl more than anything before hugging Ginny once more and saying her goodbyes.

In truth, she was glad the two had confronted her. Having spoken her thoughts out loud after having kept them to herself for so long was liberating in so many ways.

It had also served a second purpose.

Motivation. Motivation that overcame her fear of being outright rejected by her parents.

The thought of that nearly made her shake her head in disbelief, because if her parents were going to cut her out of their lives they would have done so when she'd first restored their memories. Not 3 years later.

Resolved, she settled into bed with her most recent purchase from Flourish and Blotts, content that she would break all to Draco when he came home that night.

Time went on as she grew engrossed in her book, and before she knew it her lids had grown heavy and she drifted off into a light sleep.

She couldn't say how much time had passed before soft footsteps made their way into the bedroom.

She stirred slightly at the feeling of the weight in her arms disappearing as a whiff of Draco's cologne caught her nose. She murmured something, struggling to open her eyes when she heard him shush her softly.

"Don't wake up love." he murmured, kissing her shoulder as the bed dipped beneath her.

She kept her eyes closed but unconsciously turned toward him and sighed contently as his arms wrapped around her.

"Love you." she breathed.

"Love you too." he said softly as she happily drifted back to sleep.

The week flew by.

She'd been hit with another round of case files and been given her first chance to appear before a court on one of her cases. She grew lost in her preparation and then the actual preliminary hearing on Thursday had taken much longer than she'd thought.

She hadn't gotten the chance to speak with Draco either. He'd been in late every night, leaving early in the morning the next day. She was sure he was exhausted and she couldn't wait to finally have him to herself over the weekend.

She smiled slightly as she thought about the dress she was planning to wear to dinner.

Between his paper and her case there was a lot to be celebrating tonight.

She straightened at the sound of a door opening and a low sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Hermione?"

Well speak of the devil, and the devil will come.

She grinned as she answered telling him where to find her.

He gently knocked at her bedroom door before peeking his head through.

"Hey." he said softly.

She smiled, forcing it to remain on her face despite the concern she now felt. He looked more than a little haggard, lines around his face and the slightest of blemishes beneath his eyes with a slight wheeze tinging each of his breaths.

She walked over to the door, opening it fully and wrapping her arms around his waist.

He relaxed into her hold, letting his head rest in the crook of her neck. He let out a puff of air, tickling her skin as his hold around her tightening.

She pulled away slightly and pressed her lips gently to his.

"Hello." She breathed as she pulled away.

"Mmm." He answered in reply, his eyes still shut.

The corner of her mouth twitched as she kept her arms around him and led them both to fall onto her bed.

"This is nice." he mumbled balling a bit of her covers in his hand as he shifted his position.

"We still have some time before dinner." she said, "More than enough for a quick kip. I can wake you when it's time to get ready."

It was a testament to his exhaustion that he didn't protest her abandoning him in the bed. Though it was probably more impressive that he was fast asleep by the time she'd gotten out of the shower and begun to fix her hair.

It turned out he didn't need her to wake him. He'd slept for all but 30 minutes before he was up and asking if it was alright if he just got ready at her place instead of flooing back to his.

She was just about done, having just slipped into her dress, when he emerged from her bathroom dressed with his hair only just wet from the shower he'd taken earlier.

He looked much better to her relief, but the expression of shock on his face as his eyes darted down the form fitted dark grey dress she'd chosen for the evening...well, she couldn't help it.

She laughed, an action that was enough to pull him from whatever fantasies his mind had led him toward.

"Beautiful." he said, taking two steps before pulling her in for a kiss.

"I am going to have so much fun taking that off tonight." he murmured pressing kisses down her jaw.

"Draco." she said, ducking away from him, hoping her cheeks weren't too flushed despite the heat she felt was now radiating off her.

She pulled her coat from the closet and turned back to him.

"Keep it together. We're going to see your family." she chided before brushing past him, swaying her hips just a little more than normal.

"Behave until after dinner," she turned her head to catch his eye, "and I promise it will be worth the wait."

A cheshire grin spread across his face before he bowed his head formally.

"As the lady wishes."

Draco apparated them right to front door at the Black estates and out of formality he knocked before letting them both in.

They were barely through the front door before the sound of heels and Narcissa appear before them.

"Oh you're both early." She said before kissing Draco on the cheek and pulling her into a hug.

"Hermione dear you look lovely." Narcissa said complementing her dress.

She thanked her, straining her ears to make out the home of voices and fleeting sound of familiar laughter drifting from a room further into the house.

"We had to push dinner back since Andromeda stepped out with Nymphadora today and they ran late getting Teddy from the day camp. Everyone else though is in the back parlor." Narcissa said, her gaze briefly drifting to Draco.

For a moment, Hermione was sure she was going to say more before she announced she wanted to check on one last thing in the kitchen, leaving them both to escort themselves to the parlor.

She didn't have much time to dwell on it though as Draco led her down the hall and to the right to a larger though comfortable appearing living room. Really a stark contrast from the more formally decorated rest of the house.

She was about to say as much to Draco when she froze at the sound of one of the voices...or rather the face to the voice that had pulled at her memory the moment she heard laughter when stepping into the house.

Seated, just done laughing at something Sirius had undoubtedly said that even had Lucius smirking to his right was her father and to his right...

"Mum." she swallowed roughly before her eyes darted away to her father. "Dad."

She vaguely registered her body moving forward and Lucius and Sirius excusing themselves.

She was just before them when she realized that they too had stood to meet her half way.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Oh darling." her mum said, her eyes shining as they slid briefly from studying Hermione's face to just past her shoulder. "Your fiance came to see us last week."

She turned her head to look at Draco who nodded, appearing nervous for perhaps the first time before her.

"He formally introduced himself to us and over this past week he and his family." Her mother stopped to clear her throat, "They've been showing us everything you've been trying to tell us for these past few years."

"They showed us all these memories that your Professor Snape made into potions for us to see." Her father finally spoke, stopping only to glance at her mother to verify he'd named the correct individual.

"And darling." her mother continued, "some of it was so...so horrible." she shuddered, "and the rest...we've missed so much."

Hermione blinked as her eyes stung, but despite her efforts twin tracks of tears slid from the corner of her eyes down to drip of her cheeks.

Her mother seemed to crack at the sight and before she could blink she'd been pulled into her mother's chest and sandwiched between her parents as they embraced for the first time since maybe her fourth year.

"I've missed you both so much." she murmured unable to stop the tears as she shook.

Her mother hummed in agreement, stroking her hair in a manner not unlike she used to do to calm her down to fall asleep.

They stood like that, content in each other's embrace for quite some time before she finally pulled away and reached out to grab Draco's hand and pull him closer.

He came hesitantly and his unspoken question was clear on his face.

Was this alright?

And she understood now why he'd been nervous.

He'd been worried that she'd be angry at his actions behind her back, but truthfully with her parents now in the same room as her and more than a few tears still left in her she couldn't even comprehend a situation where that would be the case.

She smiled in response as she brushed away a few of her tears with the back of her hand and pulled him into her side.

She cleared her throat. "I suppose you've all met and everything, but..." She turned to her parents, "Mum. Dad. This is the man I love." She stopped as a few more tears escaped her.

Her mother laughed lightly, brushing them away with the pads of her thumbs.

"We know love." she smiled before her eyes drifted to Draco, "And we think we're going to love him too."

After that the evening was utter perfection.

Everyone was getting along, and her parents seemed to be quite taken with Narcissa and Sirius and for a moment she even caught Lucius and her father joking.

Andromeda, Tonks, and Remus had arrived later with Teddy in tow and Snape had arrived after dinner, unable to get away from Hogwarts until then.

It was all quite beautiful really. How her family had easily been accepted and how well these greatly different personalities seemed able to not just play nice, but genuinely enjoy each other's company.

Hermione could honestly say she'd never felt more happy...more at peace than in that moment.

It was at that moment, though, that she noticed Draco was no longer at her side. Instead he'd drifted to the front of the room and was clearing his throat to draw attention to himself.

The room fell silent, and even young Teddy was quiet as he kept his large eyes fixed on Draco.

"I know that I originally planned this night as a reunion for Hermione and her family." he paused for a moment, straightening, "But I have some news I also wanted to share, and it's not about the paper that I'm co-publishing on Monday."

She held her breath.

"A few months ago I applied to London Med."

She heard Narcissa gasp, and she could see out of the corner of her eye Sirius, Lucius, and even Snape's shock clearly written on their faces.

Draco smiled slightly, no doubt amused at their reactions.

"I heard back two weeks ago. I've been accepted to start in June."

"Oh Draco!" Narcissa gracefully darted to her feet before rushing and embracing him.

She couldn't help but laugh, smiling so hard it hurt as Draco accepted congratulations before she shyly made her way to stand before him.

"I'm so proud of you." she murmured as she hugged him. He answered by hungrily kissing her, keeping it brief though. He leant his forehead against hers.

"Thank you." he murmured before turning them both to face the rest of his family.

"I'm not sure if I'll practice when I'm finished." he said, biting the inside of his cheek, "but it just...it seemed right."

The evening wound down quickly after Draco's announcement. Her parents had to make their way home and Teddy was long past his bedtime.

Draco led her to the floos and when they finally were alone in the living room of her flat he pulled her to stand in front of him with her hands held firmly in his.

"You're happy then? Not upset that I went behind your back?"

She shook her head. "So incredibly happy. Draco, what you did was amazing."

He sighed, his shoulder slumping as though a weight had finally lifted.

"I'm glad. I just figured." He cleared his throat, "I figured that that was they reason that you've been so...distant."

His thumb glided across her knuckles.

"But if that's not the reason...if maybe I rushed and you're not…"

"Draco." she silenced him.

"I want you, yourself and nasty, for the rest of my life." she said, "and with everything as perfect as it is now...I don't want to put it off any longer. I want to make it perfectly clear." She took a breath, pulling her hands from his to cup his face, "I'm ready for the rest of our lives."

His mouth was on hers before she'd even finished her sentence.

And she grew lost, as she always did when his hands drifted down her sides and his tongue was toying with hers.

"Oh thank Merlin." he mumbled against her lips.

They were married in December. The ceremony itself was small though the reception afterward was larger to accommodate their both rather impressive guest lists.

They took a month long honeymoon in Italy and it wasn't until then that Hermione realized she was late.

Their pair of twin boys, practically identical except for their names, were born that September.

Cadmus Malfoy Black and Caelum Black Malfoy were beautiful blonde handfuls that she loved with every piece of her soul.

She'd especially loved the look of shock on both Lucius and Sirius's faces when Draco had announced that his children would ensure the continuation of both of his houses.

She'd never seen Lucius Malfoy so close to tears until Caelum was in his arms.

They went on.

Hermione quit her job at the Ministry and opened her own firm that had enacted reform after reform through their many cases they brought forth directly to the Wizengamot. By the time the twins were 7 and she'd given birth to her beautiful daughter Lyra, she'd stepped away, turning her company into a non-profit and retiring to a more comfortable position as the Hogwarts Transfiguration professor and later the Headmistress with ideas to enact better primary schooling for magical children and assimilation of muggleborns earlier into the world of magic.

And Draco.

He graduated as a healer and worked at St. Mungo's for 2 years before opening his own clinic and research company as part of Malfoy Industries just about the time Scorpius, they're last child, was born.

And of course, more free to set his hours, she found him dedicate more and more time to their children as that bit in him that always seemed distant, even after they'd married, seemed to settle.

And they were happy.

And their lives were beautiful.

And challenging.

But full to the brim with love.

Amor Omnia Vincit.