Two years later...

Graduation day had come again. The years had rolled by quickly and now his little girl was going to be a Hogwarts graduate. He had only known of her existence, only been in her life for a few short years and already she was an adult. It had all happened too quickly.

"He's been great. He's been such a help with Teddy."

"Who has?" Severus looked up at the woman he was speaking with, suddenly aware that he had lost track of the conversation.

"Draco, of course." Andromeda said.

"Draco?" He couldn't help the hint of disbelief and skepticism that crept into his voice at the thought of the woman's nephew being helpful with her orphaned grandson.

"Draco stops by all the time. He's so good with Teddy. He even took him to the zoo last week."

Severus looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head.

"The muggle zoo?"

"Yes, of course."

There was an announcement that the ceremony would be staring soon and people began to move towards their seats, but Andromeda caught his arm.

"He's changed, Severus. He really has," she whispered as the crowd moved around them, "You're going to have to forgive him sometime. My mother was a stuck-up muggle-hating bitch. I called several people a mudblood before I started thinking for myself. He's not Lucius. Don't punish him for the mistakes of his father," she hesitated as if unsure if she should stop there or go further, "and don't punish him for yours."

She released his arm and he took his seat next to his wife, catching her eye in a proud smile as their daughter walked across the platform.

x

x

The ceremony was followed by a family dinner. Harry now lived at Grimmauld place and spent long hours at the Ministry, so getting the family together for a meal had been rare in recent years.

They had finished eating, but all remained at the table, reluctant to finish the meal and break the perfect moment of happiness.

A knock at the door interrupted the laughter and conversation from within. Lily rose.

"I'll see who it is," she left her family and went to answer the door. A few minutes later she returned to the dining room, followed by a well-dressed young man in a black cloak. Severus stopped mid-sentence and stood, eying the young man. Draco did not blink.

"What are you doing here?" the older man growled.

"I told you I'd give her two years."

Violet opened her mouth to say something, but Draco silenced her with an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

"Is there somewhere we can speak?"

"Draco, you are interrupting a family dinner."

"I promised you two years and not a day more."

There was a seriousness in Draco's eyes that told Severus that the young man was not leaving until he had said what he came here to say. Severus motioned for Draco to join him in the other room.

When the kitchen door had closed behind them, Draco reached into his cloak and pulled out a stack of letters.

"I kept my promise to you and until tonight, I have not laid eyes on Violet in two years," he set the heavy stack of parchment down on the table, "I have written her every day and these are all the letters I have received back from her."

Severus eyed the stack of parchment and crossed his arms, but said nothing.

"I have spent the past two years trying to put my family businesses back together, trying to make up for the damage that my family caused."

The door to the kitchen opened and Harry stepped into the room, letting the door swing closed behind him. His gaze darting from one man to the other before he spoke.

"The Ministry has been keeping a close eye on Malfoy. They have been following his every move, listening to his every conversation. Every business deal, every transaction he has made in the past two years has been heavily scrutinized. There is a thick file on him at the Ministry and I have read through it all. He has not even so much as made a derogatory comment towards a muggle or muggle-born. He has done nothing illegal or unethical. His business and personal life have in no way been connected with any of the past associations of him or his family."

Draco stared at him as he spoke in amazement. Harry Potter was the last person he had expected to come to his defense, especially when the object in question was Draco having a relationship with his sister.

Harry cleared his throat before he continued.

"The ministry file also went in-depth into his personal life. There are not many twenty-year-old men who would give up all physical pleasure for a woman they only contacted through letters. And it wasn't that he didn't have the opportunity. There were women who tried…" he drifted off, not wanting to go into details about the thoroughness of the Ministry's surveillance. Needless to say, many young witches were attracted to a rich, handsome young man trying to escape a dubious past. Malfoy had turned them all down.

"There aren't many men like that Severus. Violet is lucky to have one of them."

His step-father remained silent, staring at the blond-haired man for a long time.

"What is it that you plan to do?" he asked finally.

"I would like to marry her eventually and I believe she feels the same about me. For now, I would like your permission to date her."

x

x

A year later...

It was a beautiful wedding. Not overly done, but if Narcissa Malfoy had been alive to see her only son get married, she wouldn't have been too overly disappointed in the whole affair.

Draco took a break from spinning his bride around the dance floor to share a moment with his aunt.

"When my mother died, when my father and aunt were sent to Azkaban, I believed that I would never have a family again. I want to thank you for taking me in, for everything you've done for me."

"Draco, you're the one who has helped me. I don't think I could have raised Teddy on my own. He looks up to you. When my own sisters disowned me all those years ago, I thought that was a part of my family that I would never get back. I'm glad that I got the chance to get to know you."

Across the room, Harry held Hermione in his arms as they danced.

"Somehow it hasn't really felt over until now?"

"What hasn't?" She turned her head to look at him.

"The war."

"Some things take time to really sink in."

Harry glanced around the room, his mother, his stepfather, his sister, his new brother-in-law. His family was growing larger by the day.

"Being with Ginny was a way to be a someday be a legitimate part of the Weasley family. I never had a family of my own and I desperately wanted to be a part of theirs. I have a family now, Hermione. It may not be the perfect family, but I have one. I know that unofficially you're already a part of that family," he smiled shyly at her, "but whenever you're ready to become an official part of it, just let me know."

"Harry Potter, are you asking me to marry you?"

"I'm just asking you to let me know when you're ready."

Harry raised his glass later that night in a toast, welcoming Draco to the family.

"We're all orphans in our own way. I was raised without my parents, Andromeda was disowned by hers, Draco testified to keep his family is Azkaban, Hermione sent hers away for their protection. " His eyes sought out Severus' and his mothers. "We're a family of people who have lived without family, who will never take it for granted."