This is the final chapter...thank you to all the kinds souls who have taken the time to read and review...this story is nominated for the Granger Enchanted Awards...check it out and vote if you feel so inclined! I am planning a sequel of sorts...if you're interested in reading it, send me ideas of what you might like to see included...happy reading!

The following month was a whirlwind and before Hermione knew it, she was in labor screaming at her husband that she was going to hex his bollocks off for getting her up the duff...Draco just smiled fondly at his little witch, held her from behind as he wiped her brow and fed her ice chips. The labor was long and arduous and on January 13, 2003 at 11:13 in the morning, Scorpius Malfoy was born screaming his lungs out while Hermione and Draco both cried tears of joy.

Hermione's happiest moment was when she watched her Father hold Scorpius for the first time, his forest green eyes watching his grandson closely. Scorpius had Draco's grey eyes, and it was likely they would stay that color...he also had the Malfoy blonde hair. As Tom gave his grandson the once over, he looked over at his daughter and smiled. "He looks nothing like you Daughter."

"Well, Father...I don't look much like you either, but it didn't stop me from inheriting your penchant for control and world domination. Perhaps Scorpius' Gaunt Family traits are more of the intellectual variety."

"Hey!" Draco admonished. "I'm plenty intelligent thank you very much."

"Of course you are dear." Hermione smiled tiredly at her husband. "You were second in our class behind me after all."

Draco scoffed and sat down next to his wife, giving her an exaggerated eye roll. "No one stood a chance against you love...it's patently unfair I should be held to such standards. If I was in any other year, I would've graduated top of the class."

Hermione placed her hand on Draco's cheek and then patted it. "If that's what helps you sleep at night, love."

Lucius and Narcissa were chuckling as they were fawning over their new grandson. Marlene was helping get Hermione adjusted so she could start nursing Scorpius, the baby's whimpering letting everyone know he was going to want to eat soon.

As Hermione gazed around the room she thought back on all she'd gone through to get to this moment in time. There were hard times and hard choices...she still missed her Muggle parents, but that ache was less and less as the years went by. She knew they were safe and happy and that was all that mattered.

Meghan Burke had written in her journal just the other day that she and Micah wanted their Hermione to know magic...and when Hermione was ready...they were willing to sit down and talk about the future.

The future looked bright, and Hermione was grateful to have her family whole and happy. As she watched Nagini curl herself at the bottom of her bed, lifting her head up and taking in the newest addition to the family, Hermione felt her heart clench. Nagini had finally shared with her just a few months ago whom she had really been once upon a time. Hermione had gone to her Father to confirm it, which he had. The tears that Hermione had cried that night had been awful and she lashed out with her magic as her anger didn't want to abate. Tom had been afraid for his daughter, but eventually Nagini had calmed Hermione down and told her that despite being a Maledictus, she loved Hermione as much as she would've had she still been Merope. Hermione had hugged Nagini and made her promise to always take care of her children and Nagini had agreed.

Hermione didn't know what the future would bring, but she trusted that it would all work out the way it was supposed to. After all, she thought, it already had.