Authors Note: So this is the end. The last chapter. I'm thinking I might touch back on this story again, finding them later... or maybe the prequal...but for now the story is over. So much love to my beta's Alicia & Alexandra who helped me throughout the entire fic, sorry to you both for the lack of smut. lol. I do have other stories waiting in the wings though. lol. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It makes me warm and fuzzy to have so many notes from people in my inbox each day. Please look out for my next stories. I have 4 beginnings being sent to Beta right now, and don't forget about the other 4 stories I currently have up ;)

Chapter 12 The Gift

Lucius stood silent and still as a statue and I waited. I refused to be the first to speak after sending Harry from the room.

I didn't have to wait long.

He practically pushed the girl over to me, she stumbled and I caught her slight form in my arms. She was lovely, really, and she smiled at me with perfect teeth. I let her go and she stood on her own, more graceful then before and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.

Her lips were different then Harry's, fuller and sticky. I realized at once that I would have lipstick on my cheek. I smiled at her and then turned to my father, again, waiting.

He finally spoke, and looked more confident than he had when Harry was in the room. Most people would not notice the subtle shifts in his mood, but I could. His posture was slightly more relaxed and his head tilted to the right, just so.

Lucious was confident I would take this girl to be my bride, produce an heir, and live a proper wizarding family life.

I hated to disappoint him.

Well… I used to hate disappointing him. Now, I really didn't care either way.

I learned many years before that there would never be an instance when Lucious would be completely proud of me. I stopped seeking his approval the minute that discovery hit me.

"Well, son, what do you think? She's perfect isn't she?" he asked, calmly, sure of himself.

I smiled and looked at the girl lovingly. "Yes father. She is perfect… well almost perfect."

A slight frown tinted my father's features in that moment, barely noticeable by anyone who hadn't been trained by him directly. "Almost?" he asked, as if anything I said would be something he could adjust.

I gave him my best serene mask and looked him full in the eyes, gray eyes that matched my own. "Yes, almost. The main issue you see, dear father… is that she has no cock."

Lucius blanched and the girl gasped, putting her hand over her mouth to hold back a snicker.

"You see father, try as I might, I still seem to be gay," I continued. "I like cock… very much in fact."

My father's face turned an aggressive shade of purple and he started to shake slightly with rage. He raised his wand and aimed it at my chest. "No son of mine will speak to me that way," Lucius snarled.

My face hardened and I glared at him, not even bothering with my own wand. "Then I suppose I am no son of yours," I stated simply. "Because no proper father would try to pawn off some imitation of the love of my life," I spat.

"Love," he scoffed. "You speak of love, but you know nothing of it. You had a fling with a boy ten years ago and he left you. Where is he now Draco? Dead? Still hiding from you? He was probably ashamed of the lifestyle he forced you into and fled."

I laughed, and it was sharp and wicked. "He didn't force anything on me, father. You are the only one who has ever tried to force my hand at anything," I pulled the fabric of my sleeve up to reveal the faded dark on my forearm. "Forcing your sixteen year old son to be branded by a Dark Lord must have been a very proud moment for you, Lucius," I spat his name.

Lucius paled. "Draco, see reason," he said after a long silent moment, "we can fix things, we can be a family again. Think of your mother," he breathed. "If you were able to work things out with Potter, I would leave you be, let you be happy… but you don't even know where he is."

He was lying and I knew it with every fiber of my being. He was trying to placate me, make me think he was being reasonable and I was being stubborn. But I could use him.

"And if I knew where he was? If I were to win him back?" I asked.

A subtle sneer broke across his pale features and he nodded. "I would allow it. As your father, I want nothing for you but happiness," he lied smoothly.

I smiled triumphantly. "Well it just so happens I know exactly where he is," I said.

"Oh?" Lucius asked, his face paling slightly. "And where has our hero been hiding all this time? Where is Harry Potter?"

"Right here."

I smiled widely and in slight shock as the cloak slipped from Harry's shoulders. I shouldn't have been surprised in the least, but that was Harry, always keeping me on my toes.

Harry sauntered over to me and smiled, pressing a kiss to my lips. It was a chaste thing, but it still made my heart beat wildly. He frowned though, as he saw the lipstick on my cheek and rubbed at it with his thumb, still sulking when it didn't seem to come off.

My father's eyes were wide and angry as he looked at Harry. I could see the wheels turning in his mind, slowly piecing together what he saw now, to what he recalled of the boy ten years ago. I looked over at Harry, and he was helping him.

The scar slowly reappeared on his forehead like an emblazed tattoo of victory.

Lucius growled. "So you have been with him this whole time?"

Harry and I nodded in unison. There was no need to fill him in on the fact that we had just repaired things.

"Is that why you took this job to begin with?" Lucius asked, obviously outraged.

"No," I said quickly. "I didn't know he was here when I accepted the job… but I believe it was part of the reason the position was extended to me in the first place."

My father's eyes flickered dark, almost black and he scowled at us. "I will not have my own son besmirching the Malfoy name!" he shouted, through gritted teeth.

"But father, just a moment ago you said-"

"I don't care what I said. This. Will. Not. Happen." He bit out each word as if it were an individual pain, stabbing him in the heart, which I suppose to him it might have been just that.

He raised his wand and leveled it at my chest. "Avada Ke-"

He didn't get to finish the spell because his lungs were suddenly out of air and he clutched his chest, fighting for breath. Harry only smiled serenely, having seemingly done nothing aside from twitching his index finger.

My father fell to his knees, one hand on his throat, as if willing the air to speak, call for help, and the other hand outstretched to me. I took a deep breath and thought quickly about what I wanted. I could say nothing and let Harry keep up the spell that would quickly kill my father, leaving me out of his grasp forever, or I could stop him.

Harry wasn't looking at my father, writhing and kicking on the floor, he was looking directly at me, his green eyes boring into my own. He was waiting for my instruction. Waiting for me to stop him, hoping, I was sure, that I would stop him. Harry wasn't a murderer, but I knew in that moment that he would kill for me.

Even if Lucius had only tried to kill Harry, his punishment would have been less severe, but he attacked me, and Harry would kill him for it… if I let him.

"Harry," I whispered, taking his warm hand into my own. He smiled gratefully to me and let the spell drop. As Lucius sagged on the floor, gasping air into his lung, Harry flicked his hand and bound him with his magic.

A moment later McGonagall was bursting into the room, with Hermione and several other staff members in tow. They took one look at the scene and sighed in collective relief.

"Do you have everything under control Professor Evans?" she asked, coolly.

Harry nodded at the headmistress. He glanced at me and I nodded, knowing instinctively what he was asking permission to do. "You might want to call Kingsley and let him know we have a captive Death Eater who just attempted to murder his own son," Harry snarled.

The headmistress nodded and bustled from the room.

"Are you alright, James?" Hermione asked, her eyes then flicked to me. "Draco?"

We both nodded. "Hermione, could you talk to Minerva about arranging an emergency staff meeting?" Harry asked her.

She nodded. "Of course, Harry." Then she too left the room.

He kissed me tenderly on the forehead and ran his fingers through my hair. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

I nodded, not trusting my voice just yet.

"I told you the invisibility cloak isn't all bad," he joked.

"So I see," I muttered. "It appears I will never be able to have a private conversation with my father," I laughed.

He shrugged. "I doubt they'll let me accompany you to Azkaban wearing the cloak."

"Like they would deny Harry Potter anything," I scoffed.

He smiled sadly. "Ah, yes… but I'm only the lowly professor James Evans, remember?"

"How could I forget," I sighed.

He gave me a terse smile and squeezed my hand. We both looked over at the young girl my father had brought in and nodded to her. She smiled and bowed and left the room, steering clear of Lucius, still bound on the floor.

Apparently there was no such thing as a normal day when you were dating Harry Potter or his pseudonym.

--

The seating at the head table was the same as at any dinner, but this meal was still special. A few guests appeared at the tables, people who looked familiar, but that I hadn't seen in ten years or so.

Ron was there; he didn't have far to travel, only living in a cottage with Hermione in Hogsmeade. Ginny and the rest of the Weasley family were there too. The part that disturbed me most was the Ministry officials and the press. I took a deep breath and made to stand, but Minerva beat me to in, squeezing my arm slightly as she did. She gave me a subtle but reassuring nod and walked to the podium, which was usually only there at the welcoming and farewell feasts.

She cleared her throat and smiled at the waiting students and guests. "Thank you all for coming here today, though some of you had no choice," she chuckled lightly, eyeing each of the students. "But those of you who did have the choice, Thank you."

"As I told you when I asked you all to be here tonight, we have discovered the whereabouts of Harry Potter."

Gasps resounded from the student body and the press began murmuring to their quick quotes quills.

"A select few of us have known all along, and have kept Mr. Potter's secret these ten long years, hoping that one day, he would decide to step up and take his mantle of hero among the wizarding world."

I rolled my eyes. That was not at all what I was doing, or why I was doing it.

Kingsley shot me a brief wink and I smiled. He had been called in after I told the staff the truth about my identity. He promised me immunity from charges of faking my identity, and let me keep my Auror training degrees. He seemed just to be happy to have his Ministry poster boy back.

Whatever it took I guess.

The reporters were still scribbling furiously and I was happy to see that no one was looking up at me yet; no one had seemed to figure it out.

I looked over at Draco, who never looked happier. He squeezed my hand under the table and gave me a brilliant smile.

That was why I was doing this, for him. I wanted to make him happy, and I wanted to give him everything he wanted, and what he wanted was Harry Potter. It was within my power to give it to him, so I would.

"… has been a professor here for the last eight years. He's been the students' favorite professor and a brilliant role model."

Suddenly the students at least caught on to who Minerva was talking about and all eyes were on me. Whispers and excited murmurs flooded the room. Minerva looked over her shoulder at me and smiled serenely.

"Without further ado, I present the man that most of you know as Professor James Evans, but that I have been pleased to know as Harry Potter," she finished to an uproarious applause and Draco squeezed my hand with a reassuring smile.

Minerva held out her hand and I made my way slowly around the table and up to the podium to take it. She pulled me into a fierce hug and I blushed even deeper than I had already been.

I took my place at the podium and smiled tersely at everyone. I hated public speaking. I waited until the crowd slowly let the volume die and then I spoke. "Er… Hi." I said feeling utterly embarrassed. The crowd laughed but quieted quickly for my next words.

"I know some of you feel cheated and deceived, but I assure you that was never my intention," I began, taking another deep breath. "The war was hard on me, as it was on everyone, and after I defeated Voldemort," I paused to let the crowd have their shudder in response to the hated name, " I needed to get away from all of it, the death, the sadness… even the celebrations were too much for me to handle."

"Then the longer I stayed away, the harder it was to come back. The world mourned the probable death of Harry Potter, and I thought that would be an easier truth for you all to accept."

I looked around the room, everyone silent in rapt attention. "A single voice finally broke through, after all these years. I'm sure my dearest friends and family, the only people who saw through my new persona, are still angry that it took a Malfoy to make me come back," I laughed and shot a small grin to Hermione and Minerva and out to the crowd where the Weasley's were sitting.

My voice broke slightly and I tried to laugh it off. "I hope I caused no harm in hiding for these last ten years and I hope you will all forgive me."

A cheer broke out in the assembly and I smiled. I turned to Draco and mouthed 'I love you'. He blew me a kiss and I blushed. Apparently some of the reporters caught the gesture as his face lit up with camera flashes. I rolled my eyes and returned to the waiting crowd.

" I didn't really want a bunch of fanfare, but I thought this would be better than to allow rumors to trickle out about my resurrection from death, portraying me to be even more powerful than reports about me already do," I said scowling slightly at the horde of reporters closest to the podium.

"I do not wish to be a celebrated hero. I was only fulfilling my destiny when I won the war, and I was content to do that for the safety of the wizarding world. But I was not the only person to fight that war, nor do I want to be the only person recognized for it. I just want to live peacefully as the Defense Professor, with my friends and family by my side."

Looking back at Draco, who was grinning like an idiot, I had to laugh. I loved that man more than anything, and I would even tolerate public speaking for him.

I let my glamour drop for the last time, and my scar became visible on my forehead. Camera's flashed again and whispers spread throughout the crowd, as if now they finally believed my words.

Glaring sternly at the student tables I addressed them directly. "From now on it's Professor Harry Potter," I said. They looked slightly worried until I flashed them a smile.

I turned around and made my way back to my seat, where Draco was standing, waiting for me. He grabbed my face between his palms and leaned in to whisper against my lips. "You're such a show off, Potter."

I grinned. "You know you love it, Malfoy," I replied.

Draco laughed lightly. "Fuck yes I do," he whispered as he kissed me.

Letting the whole world drown out around us I threw myself into the kiss, melting against him and pulling him closer. Our tongues tangled together and –

--

"Okay, okay we get it," said the thin blonde boy across the table.

"Seriously dad, can't you get through even one minute of the story without grossing us out?" asked the ebony haired girl beside him.

Harry and Draco both chuckled, leaning into one another, their hands intertwined under the table. "It's sort of impossible to tell without the details," Draco said, backing up his husband.

"Well, there were way too many details," the blonde said, rolling his eyes.

The girl laughed but nodded in agreement. "It really was just a simple question of how you decided to have us," she said plainly. She was a lovely girl and they were celebrating her seventeenth birthday at her favorite wizarding restaurant. Her hair was long flowing black ringlets and she had a pale face and dark gray eyes.

Draco rolled his eyes, but his smile was still warm. "Lucia, you know we didn't have you. At least not in the traditional sense."

Her friendly sneer was an exact replica of Draco's and it always made Harry laugh. "Lucia Narsissa Potter, you behave yourself," Harry scolded lightly.

The blonde laughed. He was twenty now, and had hair almost as pale as Draco's tan skin and emerald green eyes to match his other father's eyes.

Draco looked smirked at his son. "Evan James Malfoy, so you think that just because you're a professional seeker now that you are above being called out like your sister?"

He laughed slightly. "Yes, of course I do. You always told me that being a Quidditch star made me better than everyone else."

Draco blushed and turned to Harry, who was scowling. "I never said that," he muttered, his hands up in the air in surrender.

"Of course you didn't. You would never say a thing like that," Harry replied sarcastically.

Draco shrugged and smiled, turning back to his children. "To answer your question the short way, Lucia, we wanted a family, both of us. Loathe as I was to do my fathers wishes, I always did want an heir and it made your grandmother very happy, and Harry always wanted a family. It was his deepest desire… after me of course," he finished smugly.

"Of course," the other three said in unison, laughing.

Harry smiled at his love and kissed him on the cheek. "We found an agency that experimented with magical DNA signatures and voila," he said.

"You were practically custom designed, the both of you. Which is why you're both so beautiful," Draco added.

Lucia rolled her eyes. "That had to be a fortune," she whispered. She always knew she had been adopted just never to exact circumstances. She wasn't blind and could tell that she and Evan each looked like a perfect mix between their parents, but that was physically impossible.

It had been her birthday present to receive the full story. Though she didn't know how her brother got to cash in on it as well.

"You should know that nothing is every out of reach for a Malfoy or a Potter," Draco replied, Harry nodding beside him.

"It was only the overall look that we were able to alter. It was simply a potion that your mother's drank that Draco helped design that imbued the genetic traits we wished to pass on to each of you. Personalities we didn't touch, we just selected a mother who was an acceptable surrogate," Harry told them.

"So that's the story of the great Harry Potter and his love Draco Malfoy?" Evan asked, chuckling.

"I prefer to think of it as the story of the Magnificent Draco Malfoy and his love Harry Potter," Draco replied.

Harry laughed. "I don't really care what you call it, but it was really only a small part of our story."

Draco nodded and squeezed Harry's hand. "True. We did a lot before and after that, but without those weeks, there wouldn't have been you two."

Lucia smiled. "Thanks dads."

"Yeah, thanks," Evan added, rolling his eyes.

The whole table chuckled and Harry and Draco moved closer together, their bodies still fitting together like two missing puzzle pieces. 'I love you' was whispered by both, low enough not to earn scowls from their embarrassed children, but loud enough that they each knew it was true. Forever.

Authors Note: Please review!! pretty please with Harry and Draco on top