15. June, 1998.

I didn't plan on writing any more in this diary, but I saw something in the paper today that made me want to write a bit more.

I suppose I should go back a bit, first. Minerva called us all back to graduate the seventh years on 15. May. She really didn't want to let us go out with a battle instead of the graduation celebration we really needed- she wanted Hogwarts to end on a high note for us.

So I really did graduate. That was nice. Then I went home with Andi to help raise Teddy and try to sort out my own shit. It was going so well until I learned this morning, via the Daily Prophet, that Draco is engaged to Miss Astoria Greengrass. I don't know what to say, other than that I'm pretty crushed. I feel like there's nothing left for me to try to sort out. I mean, sorting out my emotions for Draco was a huge part of what I needed to do at home, and now that's not exactly something I've got the chance to do, is it?

All I've got to say is this:

Bloody wanker'd better have a damned good explanation for this shit.

~El.

The wanker did send me a letter today. It's a little late for considerations, though- I mean, it would really be nice if I hadn't found out that my...whatever he WAS, is now engaged to someone else.

L'elly-

I hoped to be able to tell you this in person, but I suppose a letter will have to do. The Ministry is putting pressure on the children of Death Eaters to make a good match and settle in with a family in an honest life as quickly as possible. I have been instructed that it would be wise to get married. For this, I have found Astoria Greengrass. She is a year behind us, yes, so our engangement will last until she has graduated from Hogwarts or so.

I am sorry that I didn't get the opportunity to say this to you face to face.

Draco.

Well, that's a shitty reason to get married. Apparently marrying the daughter of an Order member isn't getting into a good enough family. What shit.

And I don't go by L'elly anymore. It's Ellen these days.

~El.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I'm late...you know, biologically late. Then I got myself tested...and I'm pregnant. Holy hell. The baby is Draco's. There's no one else who I've been with, and seeing as it was just that one time, I can be pretty sure...unless this is a Mary/Jesus kind of deal.

I also moved out about two weeks ago and live in a shabby flat in London...it's actually the same flat that Dad lived in back in the day. It's nice to be someplace that is both mine and still feels like home. I'm on my own, I don't want to move back in with Andromeda, and I'm pregnant.

I won't be telling the Malfoy family...or anyone but Andi, until I utterly have to. I guess I have some thinking and planning to do.

You know, I wasn't planning on writing in this after Hogwarts, but I think there are some things that writing just helps to make clearer and easier to deal with. My ex's engagement, getting pregnant...and being out in the world...these things are things I could handle without writing it down, yes, but it's easier to think about when it's on the page.

Maybe I'll write in this again one of these days.

~El.

Narcissa and Lucius know. I met them in Hyde Park today. I'd been out for a walk and Narcissa spotted me near Albert Memorial. I really do miss her- she was fabulous during the aftermath of the war. She was lovely.

"Lewellyn! Darling, how have you been?" She hugged me. I know she noticed the fact that I've got one heck of a baby bump. I mean, I am four months along and pretty twiggy to begin with. It's kind of hard to hide.

"Hey, Narcissa. Lucius. I'm doing alright, all things considered. What about you?" Notice how I effectively evaded saying anything meaningful at all.

Lucius replied first, "I assume you're aware of Draco's engagement?"

"Ugh. Yeah. I found out from the newspaper."

Awkward pause.

Narcissa spoke first, "He didn't tell you before they published it?"

"No. His letter came the day after. Said it was basically Ministry mandated."

Lucius nodded, "He was under quite a bit of pressure from the Ministry...but he has been handling things quite poorly."

Narcissa sighed, "Can I ask you the obvious question?"

By this time, we had sat down on a bench, "Yeah, sure."

Lucius squirmed uncomfortably, and Narcissa paused before asking, "Is it his?" I nodded; she sighed, "Do you want him to know?"

"No. I'd rather just drop off his radar for now. I feel kind of disposable to him and I'm just going to stay out of his life until he decides to reconnect. I'll write to you when I have the baby."

Lucius smiled, "Thank you, Lewellyn."

After some more chat time, I learned that Narcissa doesn't really like Astoria that much (and she's still in school, so she's leary about all this), and Lucius couldn't care one way or another about her. They both think Draco is kind of stupid to be diving in without questioning the Ministry, but I suppose he's still scared of what they could do to him if he doesn't do what they say.

Draco doesn't have much of a spine, apparently.

I really do like Narcissa and Lucius. Maybe I can manage to keep in touch with them, even if their son is a cad. After all, I am pregnant with their grandson.

~El.

It's been a while since I wrote anything new. It's 1999. Yesterday, I had a son. His name is Remus George. We're calling him Rem, for short. He's a darling little boy, slender and bright-eyed. He's got sandy hair and his father's eyes. He's beautiful.

I'm exhausted.

~El.

It's been over a year since my last entry. Rem is spunky and into everything. He's driving Andi and I crazy, but it's wonderful. We've been bringing Teddy and Rem together for play dates and, even though Teddy is older by nearly a year, the boys get along fabulously and play together well. I even see Don at the flat once in a great while. We've been getting together for coffee every month since last August and our relationship is much different, now that it is adult-to-adult, rather than parent-to-child. He's even met Rem, Teddy, and Andi, and they all get along well.

On another note, I've been getting out of the house at least a few additional days each month because Luna moved into a flat a few streets over. She's been lovely and she does so well with the kids, too, so there are days when Andi and I can leave Rem and Teddy with her and go out for tea together. Occasionally, we all head over to Bill and Fleur's so the boys can play with Victoire, the youngest of all of them- she was born last May.

The children occupy most of our lives and it is wonderful.

I haven't heard anything from Draco. His parents are over every month at least once to see Rem and Teddy. They love playing with the children. Lucius is very good with the boys and Teddy has started to ask for a story from Uncle Luci before they leave each time. It's darling. He sits down in the big armchair by the window and the children crawl up on his lap and he reads from a big book of fairy tales. It's lovely.

I think I'm almost happy.

~El.

We all went to Kensington Gardens today- Andi, Rem, Teddy, Narcissa, Lucius, and I. Apparently, Draco isn't married yet. Narcissa explalined that they were going for a long engagement.

She then said something that surprised me a bit, hence the reason for this entry.

"Ellie, I really wish that Draco had come to his senses years ago. That Astoria isn't exactly someone we're too fond of. I...suppose we just wish it was you."

I hugged Narcissa for that. I don't regret much from the past...but the fact that Draco and I never got the chance to have our Muggle party, that still bothers me.

~El.

I received an invitation in the mail today.

Miss Lewellyn Lupin-Black

You are cordially invited by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy to witness the marriage of their son, Draco Malfoy, to Miss Astoria Greengrass on 4. April, 2004, at 3 in the afternoon.

Lovely. I am not going. I know they wish I would. I know they see that I'm family, but I don't feel right being a part of Draco's wedding when I still think about him with fondness. I will write Narcissa a letter to explain why I am not going to be there. I know she'll understand.

~Ellen.

Andi has Rem today. He's such a spunky young boy. He's started asking questions about his family, just like Teddy has started doing. We had to draw out a chart and it's at Andi's. He points to people on it and asks for stories.

Draco was married about an hour ago. Luna and I are sitting in my living room. I can't stop crying. The fact that I've been drinking a bit probably doesn't help that much.

She is making us popcorn and we're going to watch movies in which things blow up. Hopefully that will take my mind off things.

~Ellen.

Draco has a son. His name is Scorpius Hyperion. Lucius had a picture that he brought when he and Narcissa came over to the flat for storytime this evening. Rem is now seven and he's inseparable from Teddy. Those two boys are going to be trouble when they get to Hogwarts...not that they aren't already, but it will be interesting to see what notes we get from teachers about these two.

~Ellen.

I realised today how much my eight year old Remus looks like Draco. He's got that defined, intense face...and a mop of shaggy mousy hair over it that he refuses to let me cut. He says he wants to be a rock star, just like Lucius, when he grows up. He saw a picture of one of my favourite 80s bands on an album cover in the flat and he decided that the lead singer looked like Lucius. Let's just say that it's been interesting these past few months while he's held that belief. Lucius has tried to tell him otherwise, but they still do have air guitar contests while I have my record collection out.

Rem may look like his father, but he's got that mischievous glint in his eye that says he's not going to be a spineless git. Teddy looks a LOT like his mother, but with his father's eyes. Both boys look like they're always up to something...which is appropriate, considering they usually are.

They certainly don't let us have a dull day!

~El.

It's been two years since I wrote in here. Rem is ten. He'll be starting Hogwarts with Teddy next year. I've had my hands full taking care of Rem! I'm sitting at a sewing machine all evening finishing Hallowe'en costumes for all the kids we're taking out tomorrow night. It will be so much fun!

My boyfriend, Angus (I met him at the art gallery last month), will be coming with us tomorrow night. He is an interesting person- a poet and student at one of the trade schools near here. Rem doesn't really like Angus. Angus doesn't like that I still wear the ring that Draco gave me when we were in school.

Speaking of things Draco gave me, Rem found the locket the other day and recognised his father from the picture- I hadn't told him much about Draco. He knew his father was out of the picture and he knew his grandparents still saw Draco once in a while, but he really didn't ever see much about him or hear much about him. He found the picture and I found him staring at it.

"Mom...I look a lot like Dad, don't I?"

"Yes, honey, you do."

"Why did he leave?"

"He didn't know about you. He had promised to marry someone else."

"Oh. Does he know now?"

"Not that I know of. I don't think he knows very much about us at all. He doesn't talk to Lucius and Narcissa much these days."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. He's made the choices that led him to where he is. You've got a family that loves you, honey. I'm still hoping that he'll want to be a part of that some day."

"Me too. He looks a lot like me."

I toussled his hair. I love my baby.

He asked me later if Draco gave me the ring I wear that Angus doesn't like. I told him yes. Of course, that led to him questioning if I still loved Draco.

I do, somehow.
Damn it.

~Ellen.

The boys came home from Hogwarts. This is their first holiday break, and they are so full of stories! I know, Teddy is my little brother and that makes him Rem's uncle, but this family hasn't ever been really normal...so we just kind of treat the kids all as ours, regardless. It takes a village, you know?

They're so adorable!

And they're going to have more kids around here to play with, soon. I'm going to have twins! They're due next June. Angus isn't as excited as Andi and I are. I told Narcissa and Lucius and they were ecstatic. I think they've decided that, since Astoria refuses to have anything to do with them, I'm their daughter and any kids in my family are automatically grandkids. It's wonderful. We're hosting Christmas dinner together. Astoria doesn't want them around Scorpius. She says they are a bad influence, according to Narcissa.

Oh! I forgot to mention that we're not living in the shoddy flat these days. Rem and I moved in with Lucius and Narcissa. Luna's living in a cottage down the road and there are quite a few visitors around as often as possible. It turns out that it's not too far away from Andi's house, either. Since we're all living near one another, there are visitors crossing between the households on a daily basis and it is absolutely lovely. I think our guest list for the holiday includes the Potter-Weasley-Granger-etc. family all coming over to the large houses here on Christmas Eve so we can all have dinner together on Christmas Day. It is going to be absolutely wonderful!

I have a lot of planning left to do to get things around for the house guests- there are beds to be made and children to keep from entirely trashing this place- good lord, the boys are nuts!

~El.

The girls were born a week ago, on the second. Welcome, Nymphadora Sirius (called Dora) and Lucille Andromeda (called Lucy). Angus left us last month. He didn't want to have anything to do with the children.

To hell with him, anyway. Ginny and Neville have been over to the house frequently to see me since he walked out. I think Narcissa went and told the old guard that I was having a tough time of it, especially since I was going to be having twins shortly after.

I love living in Malfoy Manor. I love the fact that Narcissa just has been such a HUGE help with the children and Lucius is in his element as Granddad. The house is always full of laughter. Ginny has been encouraging Hermione and Ron to bring their children over to play as well and we keep having huge play dates where all the families get together on the lawn out back to picnic and just be happy for a day. Narcissa loves hosting these things and Lucius always looks forward to storytime at the end of the day. He'll sit in his huge, overstuffed armchair that came from the apartment with all the kids around him, the littlest ones on his lap, and he'll read them fairy tales or make up his own wacky stories.

If you had asked me a decade ago if I ever thought I would see Lucius Malfoy surrounded by children, laughing, and patiently answering questions about where the dragon came from or how the wicked queen wasn't recognised or why the dwarves worked so far away...I would have said you were utterly nuts.

Life is good, but we do miss Draco. Apparently, Lucius and Narcissa haven't heard from him since Scorpius was born. He never comes around, he doesn't write, and he never sends anything over for the Holidays. I know he loves Astoria, but isn't this a little much? I mean, his parents are family, too!

Gah. Someday, I hope I'll get an explanation, and the chance to smack him upside the head.

In the meantime, I have the twins to get to know. Dora and Lucy are, right now, sleeping, but they'll wake up soon enough and it will be time for food and time for play.

Peace.

~Ellen.

It's been 15 years since Voldemort died and the DA coin started vibrating today. I wondered at first if it was broken or something, but then Neville showed up at the door and said something about meeting at the Hog's Head pub in the early evening. I brought along the kids. Everyone else, apparently, had the same idea (as in, bring the family). We were some of the only people in the pub. The twins were actually probably on the best behaviour I've ever seen when they met all of the Army and then sat down to play quietly with the other children. It's been so long since I've seen some of those people- like Cho and Seamus. It was nice to reconnect.

15 years.

God, it doesn't seem like it was that long ago.

~El.

It is 2016. The boys have started their final year of school. This is it. God, I feel old.

This past summer, Rem did something I didn't really ever expect of him. He really relates to the stories about his grandfathers, Remus and Sirius. He found out that Harry was living in the house of Black and that the only bit of anything that I had of Sirius' was his coat. Of course, that meant that there was still something of Sirius' at the house of Black. I came home from Luna's one day to find Rem sitting in the middle of the hallway with a large trunk and a huge grin on his face.

"Hey, Mom. How was your visit with Aunt Luna?"

"Fine. Where are the girls?"

"Oh, they're out with the grandparents. They decided that it was time for a nature walk or something."

"You look way too proud of yourself to have been just hanging around the house all day. What have you been up to?"

He patted the trunk, "I've been doing some exploring. Guess what I found?"

I sighed, half expecting him to have Teddy trapped in the trunk or something, "What?"

He shoved his long hair back from his face, "Oh, something awesome and glorious and from London. Was easier to get than I thought."

"You didn't steal it, right?"

"No, actually. I asked and was given. You see, I found out where the house of Black actually was. You've mentioned that Harry and Ginny were living there, so there was step one. I popped over to London, knocked on the door, and shook Harry's hand. I told him that I'd come for some of my grandfather's things and I'd really appreciate it if I could take them home with me."

"What?"

"Mom, this trunk is full of Sirius' clothes. Remus must not have been to much into flashy dressing, because there were only a few really moth-eaten suits left in the attic of his, but there were tons of things that Sirius had left. Harry told me that, after he got out of Azkaban, he had people bring him clothes from all over the place in tons of different styles so he could dress with a flair."

I just stared at the trunk for a second, "Wow. Let's get that into your room, alright? We can go through it and I'll tell you stories, if you want me to."

The offer was accepted and we spent the rest of the day sorting clothes. I know he took a lot of what we found back to school with him. He says that a uniform isn't much of a uniform if you can't be crazy after-hours. I think he found a cut back tails coat in there that he's particularly eager to wear with his John Lennon sunglasses and a top hat.

My darling, crazy, Rem...he's got a lot of Sirius' spunk and spontaneity, that's for certain. I know, he's not blood related...but there's something there that he's grown into. I never thought I'd have a son like him- so completely out of the blue, ready to jump into any adventure, and, at the same time, ready to defend what he believes is right in a heartbeat. It makes me wonder if this is something what his father would have been like, were he not squashed so young.

Rem still wants to be a rock star, but now he knows it isn't Lucius that was the rock star of the family, it was Sirius. Rem's got Sirius beat, though, when it comes to the length of hair. Kid's got a ponytail down to the small of his back.

The girls are also doing well. They're five and they both are bundles of energy, just like their brother was at that age. They can't wait to start at Hogwarts and they are both disappointed that they won't be able to accompany their brother to the train next year. Good lord, there are enough kids in this family that they're not going to miss the train! I mean, Harry and Ginny's eldest, James Sirius, just started this year (Teddy and Rem have vowed to teach him everything they know), and Rose Weasley starts next year, along with Albus Severus. They get a year break, then we've got Lily Luna and Hugo off on the train. Three years later, the girls get their own day in the spotlight. There are always reasons to visit 9 3/4!

The twins are ready to head out to the Victoria and Albert museum- we're meeting Luna and Andi there and making a day of exploring the exhibits. It is going to be a lovely day!

~Ellen.

Rem and Teddy graduated at the end of last month! Teddy is head over heels with Victoire and I think they're hoping to get married after she graduates- how sweet!

Oh, the family is just always expanding and it's lovely!

~El.

Teddy and Rem took the twins to 9 3/4 today and brought home news that Draco's son, Scorpius, was there with his parents. Rem says that he waved, but Draco did not recognise him. Teddy was too busy snogging Victoire before she had to board the train to notice much of anything. The younger children in the family are all twittering about that! It's so cute!

I'd write more, but I think I have to go break up an I'll-be-the-flower-girl! fight.

~El.

Twenty years and all is well.

~Ellen.

2021.

I really thought that maybe, after 20 years, I wouldn't be writing in here again. I've gone back and re-read all the earlier entries before writing this one. It seems so long ago that Draco and I were so close. It's been so long- two decades. We're strangers now. I don't know him and he doesn't know me. Some of the things I was so worried about and so defensive of back in the day just seems trivial now. So what if Professor Snape read my diary? These days, I probably would just blow that off as something he did to try to egg me on...then, I fell for the bait, hook, line, and sinker. God, how we've all changed.

I started writing today, not because of the fact that I got nostalgic and wanted to re-read this diary, but because there was an obituary in the paper today that took Narcissa, Lucius, and I by surprise. Astoria died in childbirth on Christmas Eve. The baby died as well. We're all worried about Draco and Scorpius. Narcissa tried to contact him at his last known address and he'd moved out at least five years ago. Lucius is trying to find out where he went. We're all worried.

I know that Draco cutting off ties was probably the most irresponsible and hurtful thing he could have done, but for some reason, I'm still worried. The human brain is a tricky, bitchy thing sometimes.

~Ellen.

I got a letter in the post today.

Ms. Lupin-Black.

Hello. You don't know me. My name is Scorpius and I am the son of your friend, Draco. Or, better said, a friend of yours from many many years ago.

My mother and baby sister died last month and we have been having a tough time of it in our household. I think that my father is having a more difficult time than I am, to tell you the truth. He hasn't been eating much, he's looking ill, and he keeps muttering things to himself while wandering around the house in a daze. I know this is difficult for him, but it is also for me and life goes on. It has to, regardless of what else happens around us.

I am writing to you to ask you a favour. I know you haven't spoken to my father in many years, but he does still speak of you. I ran across a theatre book hidden in his dresser drawer while filching socks and found a note you had written to him tucked inside of it. I asked him about you and he told me how you two had been so very close at Hogwarts and how you had been the single most important person to him while he was in school. He said that you had kept the book for him when he couldn't be caught with it and you had returned it, as well as his wand, after the battle against Voldemort.

Dad needs someone to encourage him and I'm not able to do it. Could you possibly just write him a letter or something? I don't know how to help him and I thought that maybe hearing from an old friend would do him some good, especially since he believes that you will never forgive him for something (he won't tell me what). If you have any ideas as to how to help, please, let me know. I'm trying so hard to cheer him up, even a little, and I just can't seem to make anything work.

S.H. Malfoy.

I already wrote back to Scorpius, explaining to him that I would do my best and that of course, I would write to Draco. I told Scorpius that, when I knew his father, one of the things we would do to cheer each other up was to read that book about the technical theatre effects and it was one of the very first things we discovered we had in common.

Here's the first draft of the letter I want to send to Draco. I may revise it a bit as I copy it out onto stationary.

Draco.

I am so sorry for your loss. I know it has been decades since we saw or spoke, but I am very worried about you and I hope that you are holding on. You are still in my thoughts, even after all this time. You may not think that you can get through this, but you are stronger than you ever gave yourself credit for and you will pull through this. Your mother and father both miss you tremendously and they are thinking about you, too. We all love you and we all are here for you when you need us. All you have to do is ask.

Lewellyn.

We'll see how it goes over.

~El.

The twins boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time today. I am so happy to see them excited for Hogwarts and still a little sad to see them go and to know that I won't have them around the house until the winter holidays.

I met Scorpius at 9 3/4 today. His father was not with him. He approached me.

"Excuse me, but you don't happen to be Ms. Lupin-Black?"

"Yes, that's me. You must be Scorpius."

"How do you know?"

I smiled, "You look a lot like your father."

He chuckled, "Ah, yes. I just wanted to thank you before I headed onto the train. Your letter really did help. I know he's stubborn and not likely to ask for help, but it did wonders."

I nodded and then Dora tugged on one sleeve and Lucy on the other and I had to turn my attention to my nervous girls. I reassured them, best I could.

Scorpius smiled at them,, "Would you like me to help you out on the train? You can sit with Lily and I." The girls were happy to go with him, especially when the rest of the Weasley-Potter-Granger-etc. clan showed up. Everyone said their goodbyes and they were off. My little ones are growing up.

Rem and I are headed to the movies this afternoon to try to forget about how quiet the house is going to be. We're going to eat popcorn and watch things blow up. We're trying to pick an older movie so we'll be the only ones in the theatre and we can yell at the screen.

~Ellen.

It's been a quarter of a century. It has been a long day and it is late in the evening. Today was a good day.

There was a ceremony/memorial/reunion at Hogwarts for those of us who fought so long ago and our children were allowed to attend. Rem and I entered the Great Hall and mingled with the friends we had kept in touch with over the years. Rem and Teddy spotted each other from across the room and acted like they hadn't seen each other in years...when in truth, they were playing video games at Malfoy Manor last night and woke up Lucius this morning to show him that they had broken his high score. Of course, that meant they had to play for a few hours before doing anything useful because Lucius had to show them that he could still beat them at Halo.

Anyway, we were all milling about in the Great Hall and there is this bar set up so I was sitting at it with Hermione and we were having fountain sodas while the children played and chattered, glad to have a break from studying. Luna joined us with her fiance, Lorcan Lysander, and we pulled up stools to form a little half circle.

Then I hear the following coming from somewhere not too far behind me.

"Draco? Draco Malfoy? I'm Remus George. You're my dad."

Luna paused our conversation, "Well, he certainly doesn't mince words."

I shook my head, "God, no. That man is more to the point than a dagger to the chest."

Draco stammered a reply, "Er...um...really? Who, may I ask, is your mother?"

"Ellen Lupin Black." I held my breath, "She's right over there."

I heard footsteps. Hermione excused herself. Luna and Lorcan wandered off to find the twins. I heard the swish of Rem's trenchcoat and felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Mom?"

I turned on the stool, "Hey, Rem. What's up?"

"I found Dad."

My eyes met Draco's, "Yes. Yes you did."

He stepped back, "Well, you two kids have fun. Teddy and I have to go meet the grandparents at the gate because we promised them we would. We'll be back with Andi, Cissa, and Lucius."

I nodded and he wandered off as Draco settled down uncomfortably on a stool across from me, "So...L'elly..."

"I haven't heard that name in years."

"You don't use it anymore?"

"No. I grew up and started using Ellen. It's alright, though...I like hearing you say it."

He fiddled with the cuff of his jacket, "So...he's my son?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You stopped writing to me and you cut off ties from your parents, to whom I was very close...it didn't feel right to say anything."

More fiddling and a sigh, "Oh." He pointed, "That's my son, Scorpius. Has he ever met his half brother?"

I shook my head, "Probably not. Rem's a bit of a legend, though, in the Potter-Weasley-Granger-etc. family, so I'm sure he's heard of him."

Awkard silence, pt. 1.

"Draco..." I reached out and placed my hand over the one of his that was resting on the bar, "I'm so sorry about Astoria."

He took my hand, "Thank you. I got your letter. How did you know where to write to?"

"Scorpius wrote to me."

"I thought he might have." He paused and glanced at my hand. He brushed his finger over the ring, "You still wear it?"

I nodded, "Every day."

"I'm sorry, Ellen."

I shrugged, "For what?"

He took my other hand, "I left you. The last time we were both in these halls, we were graduating after a war and then I just walked out of your life. I shouldn't have. I loved you. The greatest regret of my life is that I was such a cad after the battle and I walked out."

Heavy. Not what I was expecting to be talking about at this reunion.

My shoulders sagged a bit, "What's done is done."

Awkward silence, pt. 2.

Teddy and Rem entered with Narcissa, Lucius, and Andi. Andi flitted from person to person, hugging and shaking hands. Narcissa and Lucius spotted their son and hurried over to us. Narcissa threw her arms around him and started crying. Lucius waited for his turn to embrace his son and didn't speak. He was trying not to tear up and wasn't succeeding very well. Scorpius came over and Draco introduced him to his grandparents. Everyone hugged some more. Scorpius took his grandparents over to a table to tell them tales of his life, leaving Draco and I alone once again.

"Ellen?"

"You know...you can still call me L'elly, if you want."

He smiled for a brief moment, "L'elly...forgive me?"

I sighed, "It's not like I tried to fight you- I gave up when I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, too...and of course I forgive you. If I didn't, we wouldn't very well be able have that Muggle indulgence night that we planned back in...oh, September of 1997."

"The what?"

"Remember? The things we were going to do when it was all over- get together to listen to music, watch movies, eat junk food, dance like idiots, and play video games. We were also going to throw a first Christmas of freedom bash."

"Oh...yeah. I guess I kind of messed that up, didn't I?"

I squeezed his hands, "Hell, no. Your father has one of the most amazing video game collections I've ever seen and a set-up to match. He and the boys can teach you all they know. We can get together at the Manor for games and fun. Christmas is easy- we do the big family gathering every year. Just start coming to them."

He looked at me, slightly perplexed, "You mean it, don't you? We can just try to start where we left off..."

"Well, not quite. We do both have kids."

Awkward silence, pt. 3.

So things aren't going to be just like they were, but why should that stop us from trying, right? My idea is this- we were so very close and I trusted him with everything I had. I still, somehow, love him. I mean, stomach twitters and everything when I touched his hand...it's all still there. Why should I just throw all that away when I've got one more shot at it, right?

I hopped down and pulled my chair right up next to his so we could sit and watch people and be able to still be close. I angled to him, our knees touching. I smiled and leaned back against the bar. I still have that pixie look, I'm just a slightly weathered pixie. He's aged quite a bit, too, but regally, like his father (damn, that family's got some good genes). I hear Rem laughing as the twins start a tickle war and Teddy, with Scorpius, eggs them on. I finish my drink and stand up.

"Want to go for a walk around the grounds?"

He nodded and followed me. We wandered the grounds, but then it started raining, so we came inside and found our broom closet (it was empty) and then made our way back up to the Astronomy tower. We leaned on the rail and looked out at the rain on the lake.

"L'elly?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a huge favour to ask."

"Ask away."

"Astoria's parents...they don't exactly like me. The house Scorpius grew up in is one of theirs and they aren't too keen on letting me keep it now that Astoria is gone. Is there any way we could move in with you?"

Whoa.

"Well...I live with your parents. You're going to have to ask them. I'm fine with it, so long as they are."

"You live with them?"

"Yeah- the flat wasn't big enough for three kids, the cats, and visitors, so we all moved in with your folks. It's been a blast and the rest of the family is just down the way. If your parents aren't sure, you can always ask Andi. She's got space, even if Victoire moves in with Teddy.

We stayed up in the tower for quite some time in not entirely awkward silence and conversation, remembering all the different things that had happened while we were at Hogwarts, talking about the battle, and dropping in details of our lives apart in the twenty five years since then. As it was starting to get dark, we returned to the Great Hall with the rest of the veterans, had dinner with the students, and then prepared to part ways.

Draco talked to his parents. He and Scorpius move in tomorrow. On his way home tonight, he kissed me on the cheek. I caught him as he was pulling away, darted in, and kissed him on the lips before the family headed home. Lucius and Cissa, of course, teamed up with Rem to tease me about Draco on the way home.

I finally just turned to them, "Oh come on, for hell's sake! You're his parents and you're his son- don't tell me you aren't just as excited to expand this family as I am."

Rem paused and turned to Lucius, "Means we'll have a fourth for game geek night."

Lucius nodded, "You have a point."

Narcissa hugged me, "Of course, Ellie. We're all so happy. Do you think that things are going to work out so you two can finally have your happily ever after?"

I just smiled.

I'm thinking that, from here on out, things are going to be set right in the universe. It's time for some good karma.

~L'elly.