Chapter # 35- New Beginnings

"In these past seven years at Hogwarts I have learned many things both inside and outside the classroom. Each of these lessons is one which I will take with me as I move beyond my life here at Hogwarts and into the real world. A life beyond Hogwarts may seem scary to many of us who sit here today, but with the strength and skills that we have learned over the past seven years, I am confidant that each and every one of us are ready to take our next steps into the world. We must have faith in ourselves and in others because you never know what a person may surprise you. Out years at Hogwarts are full of many wonderful memories and friendships that we will carry forth into the next chapter of our lives. Congratulations to each and everyone of you and good luck on your future endeavors." Applause filled the Great Hall as Rose finished her speech. She smiled widely at Scorpius and returned to her seat next to him.

The headmistress then announced that the reception was to begin and with a flick of her wand, buffet tables appeared around the edges of the hall. Scorpius took Rose's hand and lead her out into the dance floor in the middle of the room.

Ron and Hermione walked around the crowded great hall for the first time in many years. They spotted Harry and Ginny off in a corner talking with Charlotte's parents, who still had looks of awe at the enchanted castle in which they stood. Harry locked eyes with Hermione and nodded towards the dance floor where Hermione saw her daughter and Scorpius Malfoy embraced in a sweet kiss.

"Hermione, what are you-" Ron stopped mid sentence when he saw the sight before him. His jaw dropped and he imitated a fish for a few moments while he tried to find his voice. Harry laughed in the distance at the expression on his best mate's face. "She... He... but... how... what... Malfoy..."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the dumbfounded expression on her husbands face. The song ended and Rose spotted her parents, dragging the reluctant blonde towards them with her.

"Congratulations sweetheart." Hermione told her daughter.

"Is dad alright?" Rose asked her mum, while Ron still stood there mouth hanging open, unsure of what to do with the new information he just gained.

"Oh don't mind your father, he'll find his voice eventually, I reckon he needs a few moments to process this new development."

Draco Malfoy was currently being dragged through the Great Hall by his wife searching for their son. Draco wasn't exactly thrilled to be back at Hogwarts after all these years, but he was proud of his son for making a name for himself away from the dark past that came with the Malfoy name. He stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted his son in the middle of the dance floor kissing Rose Weasley before being dragged over to her own parents. Draco was speechless, it wasn't that he didn't like Rose, she was a lovely girl it was more her family that he was unsure of. With all the bad blood in school between him and her family he wasn't sure how the group would get along. Astoria too had spotted her son and dragged her resisting husband over to the Weasley's.

Astoria greeted Hermione warmly as Ron and Draco just stood there glaring at each other.

"Daddy" Rose said, placing her hand softly on to her fathers shoulder. Ron looked at his daughter and then to the young Malfoy who stood beside her, clasping her hand as if his life depended on it and he sighed.

"Break her heart and mark my words you'll regret the day that you were ever born Mal- I mean Scorpius." Rose broke into a wide smile and hugged her father.

"Thank you Daddy! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Ron smiled at his daughter, she was no longer the little girl who would crawl into his lap and he'd read stories to her, she was all grown up and ready to start a life of her own and he felt a twinge of something that he couldn't quite place before swallowing his pride and sticking his hand out to his old school enemy reminding himself that he was doing this for Rose.

Draco looked at Ron's hand skeptically for a moment before awkwardly shaking it. "Well Malfoy, looks as though we're going to have to learn to tolerate each others presence." Both men grimaced before plastering fake smiles onto their faces.

"It would appear so." Draco told Ron coldly. With that Scorpius and Rose excused themselves and went to find Al and Charlotte leaving their parents to awkwardly say goodbye.

As Ron and Hermione walked away from Draco and Astoria, Hermione turned to her husband, "That was very mature of you Ron." She told him.

"I still don't like it Hermione. Out of every bloke in this entire school my daughter had to pick Malfoy's kid." Hermione laughed to herself and shook her head. She knew that Ron and Draco Malfoy would probably never like each other, but at least they'd be able to be in the same room with each other. "What?"

"Nothing." She responded. She decided to wait until later to point out to her husband that it was more or less his doing that Rose and Scorpius had become friends in the first place. "Come on, lets go find Harry and Ginny."