Author's Note: Again, Thank all of you for coming along on this journey. Sorry this took so long to upload…I hate endings! I never want the story to end! Lol
So without further ado, I give you….
Heart of the Phoenix: Epilogue
Christmas:
When Ginny saw the ring, she was so excited that nearly took Hermione's hand off, dragging her around and showing it off to the rest of the inhabitants of the Burrow. Draco watched with an amused glint in his eye.
Molly had a soft smile on her face when Hermione finally made her way to the corner where the family matriarch sat with her knitting.
She gripped Hermione's wrist tightly.
"You know that you are as much my daughter as Ginny is. And I'm going to look at this like I'm not losing a daughter…I'm gaining a ferret."
Draco laughed as he walked up.
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley."
Thick streaks of silver decorated her hair as she grinned up at him.
"I always thought it was funny that they called you that…you know the ferret is part of the weasel family…right?" He took the older woman's small hand.
"I'll take good care of them."
Molly Weasley nodded. "I know you will."
Hermione chose that moment to look pale and rush out of the room.
Ginny followed.
"I didn't think that Mum's approval made you that nervous…"
Hermione was emptying the contents of her stomach. Ginny pulled her hair back.
"Easy now. Do you need a potion…?"
Hermione grimaced and did the spells to clean up.
"No…I feel fine now. I think I must have eaten something bad."
Ginny smiled to herself. It had been years since Hermione had dealt with these symptoms, but Ginny was the size of a small planet…she thought that the symptoms looked very familiar.
But there are some things that are more fun to figure out for yourself…
Draco:
Hermione was sleeping like the dead. He was glad to be back in the same bed with her, but it would be more fun if she spent more time awake…
He grinned down at her. She'd firmly nixed his idea of a New Year's Eve wedding (he was kidding…sort of). They hadn't set a date, but he wanted it to be soon… They were going to Muggle London today to Sype her parents in Australia. He hoped they didn't have heart problems, but surely setting up a video conference was a hint that the news was important…
He'd already signed papers on his new office in Hogsmead, and they were still discussing what they should do about their living situation. He sincerely wanted to move somewhere new, and Hermione didn't mind, but they needed room, with three teenagers who would soon be home for the holidays…
Hermione groaned as he kissed her awake.
"Love, we have to get ready to go to London if we're going to speak with your parents…"
"I'm so tired…"
He smirked and bent down to nibble at her delectable neck.
"mmmm…."
"You think you can sleep though this…?"
She arched her back and wiggled closer to him.
"Not a chance…some days I can't believe that we've been doing this non-stop for months…"
Her oversized brain finally put the pieces together as Draco continued to kiss her.
"Draco…how long have we been doing this?"
He laughed.
"Not nearly long enough, my dear Mrs. Malfoy."
She rolled her eyes.
"We aren't married yet."
He kissed her again.
"I'm practicing."
"But seriously…how long?"
He rolled his eyes and answered "Since November…" as he nibbled his way down from her collar bone to her breast.
"Oh my God."
Draco smirked. He'd barely touched her.
She pushed him off and reached for her wand.
Well, that wasn't her usual response…
He recognized the charm immediately of course…he was a healer after all…
The charm came back positive before the normal two minute waiting period was over.
"Oh my God."
Draco was in shock, but only for a second.
His mouth descended on Hermione's with more passion than he'd ever felt.
August:
Mr. Malfoy?
Draco looked up at the nurse as he smoothed Hermione's curls away from her face.
"Mr. Malfoy, meet your daughters…"
Draco helped Hermione sit up and kissed her cheek softly. They each took a little girl as they cooed over them. "Dear lord, we had mini-Grangers!" Hermione smiled at him.
"I don't know love…they both have your eyes…"
He kissed her again.
"Do you want me to bring in the other children?"
She smiled up at him.
"Hugo, Scorp, Rose…come meet your sisters."
Rose rushed into the room and demanded the baby as soon as she passed him. Within seconds she was cooing and gurgling to one of her sisters. Hugo and Scorp hung back, but Draco could see that his son's eyes still lingered on Rose in a way that was not brotherly.
I'll have to have another talk with the boy…
It would be hypocritical to demand that they didn't see each other, but his son was still a Slytherin…there needed to be some firm ground rules in place before they began their sixth year at Hogwarts.
Hugo was taking his sister from his mother, and he grinned down at her. The little one seemed to grin back at her brother, tracking his movements. Scorp looked over Hugo's shoulder.
"Uggg…come on Scorp, take the other one from Rosie…I haven't had a turn yet."
Scorp grinned at his step-brother. "I'm not into stupid acts of bravery if they're likely to get me killed…and trying to take that baby away from Rose tops the list."
Rose looked up and grinned. "Too right. Mum, what are you going to name them?"
Hermione looked at Draco and grinned. "Your mother asked if we would consider Lyra and Cassiopeia to continue the family tradition…"
Draco smiled down at his wife.
"As long as you promise not to name the next one Cetus."
The medi-witch entered again, looking flustered.
"Mr. and Ms. Malfoy? You seem to have a rather large group of people here to see you…"
Hugo ran to the door and let out a laugh. "Come in!"
A troop of red-headed Weasleys, spikey-haired Potters, two pale Malfoys, two house elves, his former boss, and a rather interesting silver table on wheels crowded into the recovery room.
As the chaos quickly got out of hand, Draco leaned down to kiss his wife again.
"Have I told you today that I love you with all my heart?"
She smiled, but he could see she was tired to the bone.
"Allright you lot! Thank you all for coming, but Hermione needs to rest…healer's orders."
His mother snorted but she immediately offered to take the three oldest children back to the manor, and Dainty grinned and followed…
His father put a warm hand on his shoulder.
"You do realize that I will be spoiling this set of grandchildren even worse than the previous three? You mother and I are more practiced now."
Draco watched as Lucius Malfoy, former death eater, and pure-blood bigot leaned down to kiss his muggle-born daughter in law's sweaty brow. "You have given me such a gift Hermione."
He didn't linger and Potter was gracious enough to herd the frankly shocked Weasley clan out of the door.
Many, many years later:
Hermione stood in the library. She moved slowly now, but she admired the lovely leather-bound copies on the shelves, interspaced with wizarding photographs and the large family portraits that had pride of place on four walls.
This was their legacy, hers and Draco's. The rare books they had gathered from all over the world, the books they had written on magical theory and curse-breaking, the advancements they had pioneered in healing and potions, and most of all the family that they had raised. Her beloved, her partner, her best friend.
The first portrait was painted when the twins were three and their son Severus was only a brown-haired bundle on Hermione's lap. Scorpius had an arm around Rose and her engagement ring was already on her hand…Hugo looked like a carbon copy of his father, Ron. She and Draco looked so young…
The next portrait was larger. Lyra and Cassie were about ten years old, and Rose was holding her first daughter, Narcissa Molly Malfoy. Scorp looked proud enough to burst. Hugo's arm was wrapped around his very pregnant wife, Jasmine Lupin…a seven year old Severus was grinning like he was up to something. Draco was looking at her, with the same expression she saw on his face every morning, even now.
She heard her husband move up behind her.
"I should have known you were in the library." He kissed her cheek and she turned around and wrapped her arms around him. "It is my favorite room in the house."
"Dainty sent me to ask if you wanted to take your tea in here or on the veranda. I believe that our great-grandchildren are in the middle of a Quidditch grudge match…."
Hermione laughed. "Let's go out to veranda then. They grow up so fast…"
This was a legacy they could be proud of.