12 YEARS LATER

No matter how often I made this trek through the ministry, it would continue to feel as odd as it did the first time. As I passed the employees seated at their desks, I continued to insist that there was no need for them to rise to their feet to greet me – greet us. Really, they could simply carry on with their work and pay no attention to me, but they refused to listen to those words.

Continuing through the ministry towards Tom's office, I cast a glance at the woman seated at the desk just outside my husband's office. The older witch, busy with the paperwork that littered her desk, glanced upwards as I cleared my throat.

Before she could do the same as her colleagues and rise to her feet, I asked, "Is he in?"

"The minister's currently handling some important matters with the muggle Prime Minister," she admitted hesitantly and paused slightly, clearly remembering the reason she was currently seated in her position.

Tom's last secretary – a witch who I was certain was trying and failing to steal my husband from me – had claimed that Tom was too busy for guest and had made me wait outside until he was free. Tom himself emerged from the office not even 10 minutes later and upon seeing his heavily pregnant wife waiting outside, he had promptly dismissed the witch. No one thought to question the unlawful firing of his assistant and I had felt too smug to stand up for me. Merlin, Tom was rubbing off on me.

"On second thought," she said slowly. Gesturing towards the shut door. "Why don't you head right in?"

"Thank you," I said with a smile, brushing past her desk and adding, "Congratulations on your new engagement."

"Oh! Thank you!" she called out after my back as colour rushed to her cheeks.

With a smile, I pushed the door to Tom's office open hesitantly and peered around the door slightly to see if he was busy. He didn't appear to be. Sitting at his desk with his head pressed against the back of his chair, Tom had his eyes closed for a few moments of rest. I was tempted to leave Tom to his peace because if I didn't know just how stressful these last few months for Tom had been, then who else would?

He lifted his head from his seat before I could act on my thoughts and the moment his eyes settled on me, he was smiling, and all signs of fatigue eased out of his features. Silently, he gestured for me to approach him and I went to his side, letting him take my hand and lift it to his mouth.

"Where are the boys?" he asked, looking around his office and realising that I was alone.

"Running amuck somewhere," I said rolling my eyes. "They were getting rowdy at home and wanted to see you. I'm sure once they've gotten as many sweets as they can from the doting ministry employees, they'll eventually be led back here."

My eyes softened, staring down at my husband; one of the youngest Ministers of Magic in the history of the wizarding world. And maybe, when Tom had begun to focus on his political career I should have told him to give it a couple of years. Balancing the responsibilities of the entire wizarding world was bound to be too much for any one person to handle, but he didn't complain. As if he could read my thoughts – and I didn't doubt that he could – Tom dropped my hand to wrap his arm around my waist and pulling me towards him. I stood a little awkwardly pressed against the armrest of his chair, but I remained without a word as he furrowed his face against my stomach and took deep soothing breaths. Running my fingers through his hair, I cast a glance to the name plaque on his desk.

Tom Marvolo Riddle-Burke, Minister of Magic.

One night during the few remaining days of the run up to our wedding, Tom had asked which surname I was planning on using after marriage. At first I believed him to be joking because I would be taking his, surely. But a short discussion revealed that he was against the idea because he didn't want any remaining connection to the man who had abandoned his duty to his wife and unborn child. Except I also felt no connection to my surname. Despite my attempts to try and become a Burke, I couldn't. Neither of us felt like part of the families that our surnames supposedly linked us to.

There was one thing we knew for certain; I was his and he was mine. There was no doubt to that and the double surname had been Tom's rather unconventional suggestion. This way we would form our own family in all sense of the word. There were no expectations based upon a surname and we were just simply the beginning of hopefully, a long line of wizards.

Upon leaving Hogwarts, Tom had accepted one of the multiple Ministry positions offered to him and had moved into the Manor, occupying his own wing until we decided it best to marry once I graduated from Hogwarts. During our year apart, Tom worked his way up the ranks slowly but the moment he bound himself to me, acquiring the promotions suddenly became much easier for him. One weekend as he sat on the sofa, reading a newspaper whilst I sat on the other side with my feet in his lap, he had commented on how fickle purebloods were when it came to status. I had simply looked up from my own book to remind him that he'd bound himself to one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and he muttered that my marrying a half blood might have made the Burke family lose that status. And that was fine with me, as I had made it my goal to abolish the connected the Burke family had to Dark Magic.

But regardless of this seeming loss in status, Tom had managed to 'snatch up' the last remaining member of one of the oldest wizarding families and the ministry officials suddenly couldn't get enough of him. He was very popular amongst his superiors who eagerly pushed for him as Minister, but it was the support of the general public that got him to where he was. They saw in him a man who, though a little cold, would lead wizarding Britain towards a brighter future and within months of stepping into office, he accomplished things that other ministers had only talked about in their campaign speeches.

Of course, that was because he faced little opposition; most of Tom's former minions had also settled themselves into their high positions in the ministry. And with most of the top positions occupied by men still loyal to him, there was little for Tom to worry about. The occasional opposition he did face, somehow disappeared without a trace but no one felt the need to question it. Above all, he was a good minister. Regardless of what methods he used to get his results.

There was a knock on the door and Tom grumbled against my stomach, having dropped off slightly during his rest. He straightened up in his seat, forcing himself out from the early stages of slumber and looking towards the door. As I went to step away from him, he reached out for my hand, holding me against his side.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, revealing the face of his secretary who was holding the door open for Tom's very important guests. My sons – practically carbon copies of their father, walked into the room with an air of importance which just told me that they were going to have the most horrendous egos when they grew up. They walked into the room wearing that mysterious smirk that really belonged on their father's face, but they'd learned it after studying one of his speeches.

"I believe you've forgotten something," I called out, eyes on the seven-year-old and three-year-old who stopped guilty in their steps.

Glancing back to Tom's secretary with winning smiles, they thanked her for bringing them to their father's office and then ran to said father. Our youngest son, Edward, crawled instantly into Tom's lap whilst my eldest son, Alexander, hovered by his father's side because he was 'simply too old' to be held by his parents.

I stood off to the side, watching my boys talk and catch up about their day when suddenly, Alexander spoke up. "Lucius is getting a new sister – are we going to get one too?"

"Where did you even hear that?" I asked incredulously, shaking my head.

"When Mrs Malfoy joined you for tea, last weekend," my son answered steadily, and Tom turned to me with raised eyebrows.

"Abraxas has no idea?" he guessed, and I nodded slowly, watching as Edward began to play with his father's tie. Our conversation meant nothing to him; even if his best friend was getting a new sister.

"Well?" Alexander looked between me and his father. "Are we going to get one?"

"You see," Tom began steadily, "little sisters take a long time to get, Alex. You'll have to be patience if you want one."

"Only if you give birth to the next one," I added pointedly, when Tom turned his falsely innocent eyes towards me. "Otherwise, that's not going to happen."

"Don't listen to your mother," Tom said to Alexander who frowned heavily at my refusal. Helga, Tom was spoiling the pair of them by giving them whatever they wanted at the drop of a hat. And as he was Minister, he could fulfil even their most ridiculous demands. "Once I've sorted out this business; I'll make getting you a little sister my biggest priority."