A/N - I would like to thank everyone for their wonderful support of this story. Enjoy the Epilogue.
Six Months Later.
Tuesday, December 31st 9.15am.
"Are you sure about this?" Harry asked, pacing the stone floor.
"Yes." Hermione replied from her place at the table. "It's time to put the past behind me and move on."
"I thought you had already done that." Harry said, taking his seat next to Hermione. "What will this achieve?"
"I need to look him in the eye, Harry. I need to show him that I survived, I'm stronger than him." Hermione explained. "I never got a chance before because he never stood trial."
Hermione and Harry were currently sitting in a small room in Azkaban waiting for the guards to bring in Theo Nott. Six months ago Theo had been sentenced to life imprisonment, but hadn't stood trial as the healers said he wasn't stable enough to understand the process.
"But why today?" Harry asked, bemused by Hermione's timing. "Ginny will kill me if you're late."
"I want to see him this morning as it's my last chance. This afternoon my new life is about to begin and I want to deal with my past before then." Hermione tried to explain her need to see Theo to Harry, not sure she was doing a good job. "And I'm sure Gin won't kill you, you're just being dramatic."
"I'm not so sure. Her hormones are making her crazy." Harry said, being totally serious about his wife.
"A word of advice, Harry. It's best not to call your pregnant wife, crazy." Hermione said to her friend.
Before Harry could respond the door opened and two guards entered with Theo in between them. The guards forced Theo into the chair opposite Hermione and Harry and placed magical shackles on him.
"Is there a reason you've come to see me?" Theo asked, looking Hermione directly in the eye. Not for the first time Harry wondered what the healers were talking about when they declared Theo unfit to stand trial, he seemed perfectly sane to him.
"Yes. I've come to put some ghosts to rest." Hermione said.
Hermione was actually using Theo to put a lot of past memories to rest, not just the ones involving him. After the war she had never gotten the chance to look Bellatrix in the eye and confront her for what she did as the witch was killed in battle. But she did have that opportunity with Theo and she planned on putting everything that had happened to her behind her and move on with her life.
"Let's guess, you've come to tell me that you've won. You survived." Theo sneered at Hermione.
"Exactly." Hermione nodded, looking the man who had tormented her in the eye. "I'm moving on with my life and you're stuck rotting in here. Once I leave this room, I'm never going to think of you again. You're nothing to me, not even a bad dream."
After saying what she wanted Hermione stood up and walked straight out of the room, never looking back to the surprised man sitting at the table. Harry smiled at his friends actions and followed Hermione out of the room, after gesturing to the guards to return Theo to his cell.
"That was great." Harry said as the two of them stood in the courtyard of the prison.
"Thanks, Harry." Hermione smiled at her friend. "We should be off, I've got a busy day."
Tuesday, December 31st 1.30pm.
Hermione stood in front of the full length mirror staring at her reflection. She could hardly believe the elegant woman in the long white gown was her, she looked so grown up. Last time she had done this she had wanted to run away from the entire wedding but today she was eager for the ceremony to begin.
"You look gorgeous, Hermione." A voice from the door said.
Turning round Hermione spotted Ron standing awkwardly in the doorway, hopping from foot to foot nervously.
"Thank you." Hermione smiled at her long term friend.
"It's funny. You look so much more relaxed than you did on our wedding day." Ron said, entering the room and shutting the door behind him. "I suppose it helps that this time you actually want to get married, even if it is to Malfoy."
"Ron." Hermione warned, she didn't want anyone or anything to ruin her wedding day.
"Sorry, can't help myself." Ron grinned. "Seriously though, I'm happy for you. I know I wasn't too thrilled at first but even an idiot like me can see how happy he makes you."
"Stop it, you're going to make me cry and Ginny will kill me if I smudge my make-up." Hermione said.
"Wouldn't want to anger the beast." Ron said laughing.
"Ron that's a terrible thing to call your sister." Hermione said, even though she was laughing along with her friend.
"Terrible, but true." Ron said. "Can I ask you something without you getting mad?" He said, suddenly turning serious again.
"You can ask, and I'll try not to get mad." Hermione said, wondering what her ex had to ask her.
"Are you sure you're not getting married too fast? You've only been together six months." Ron said trying not to anger Hermione with his question, he was only asking out of concern. "And you both have failed marriages already."
"I appreciate your concern, Ron." Hermione said, she understood that Ron was just looking out for her and wasn't trying to cause trouble. "But Draco and I have discussed our previous marriages and what went wrong with them. We know what we're doing."
"Good." Ron said, smiling at Hermione.
"Ron, what are you doing here?" Ginny asked, as the door opened and Ron's younger sister entered the room.
"Just talking with Hermione." Ron said. "But I'll be going now."
Ron gave Hermione a hug and a peck on the cheek before he left the room, leaving the bride with his sister.
"He wasn't causing problems was he?" Ginny asked once Ron had left the room.
"No." Hermione shook her head. "Is everything ready? Ryan's not playing up or anything is he?"
"Stop worrying." Ginny laughed at her friends panic. "Everything's perfect, Narcissa and mum made sure of that and Ryan is fine with Draco."
Hermione nodded, she knew that Ryan would be behaving perfectly as always. She also knew he was just as excited about this wedding as her and Draco. Hermione also knew that everything would be perfect and running smoothly as Narcissa and Molly had spent the last month planning the wedding which was taking place in an expensive wizarding hotel on the south coast.
"Are you ready?" Ginny asked, checking her watch. "It's time."
Hermione smiled and together with Ginny she left the room she had been getting ready in and headed to the garden where the wedding ceremony was being held.
Tuesday, December 31st 3.00pm.
Hermione stood looking around the vast ballroom, a large smile on her face. She had only been Mrs Malfoy for half an hour but already she was loving it.
"What are you smiling about?" Draco asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I'm just happy." Hermione said, leaning back in Draco's embrace.
"Good, so am I." Draco said.
The two of them stood watching their friends and family celebrate their wedding. The entire Weasley family was in attendance and Hermione was thrilled that they had taken to both Draco and Narcissa and considered them both family. Hermione was quite surprised that Molly and Narcissa had struck up quite a good friendship, the pair of them had worked flawlessly together to organise the wedding.
Hermione let her eyes wander around the room, taking in everyone she considered special in her and Draco's lives. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Wanda were sitting at a table laughing and seemingly having fun. Draco's best friend, Blaise was dancing with his wife Daphne. The other members of Draco's security squad were also present as were Terry and Cho.
As she watched the room, Hermione's eyes fell on Ryan. He was sitting on Narcissa's knee currently talking away rapidly to his newest grandparent. Narcissa had immediately treated Ryan like her own family and Hermione had no worries that she would treat him any differently than any other children her and Draco would have in the future. Spotting Hermione watching him, Ryan got off Narcissa's knee and ran over to his mother and stepfather.
"Hi, Ry. Are you having fun?" Draco asked, picking his stepson up.
"Yes, can we have cake soon?" Ryan asked, wrapping his small hands around Draco's neck.
"Yes, we'll have cake soon and then you'll have to get ready to go to your dads." Hermione said. Ryan was staying with Ron and Wanda for two weeks while Hermione and Draco were on their honeymoon.
"Can't I come on holiday with you? I heard Nana Cissa say you're going to the beach." Ryan said.
"This holiday's just for me and your mum, you'll have lots of fun with your dad though." Draco said to Ryan.
"I know, but I'll miss you." Ryan said. He was looking forward to spending time with his father but wasn't looking forward to not seeing his mother and Draco for so long.
"How about when me and your mum come back we find somewhere all three of us can go on holiday." Draco suggested, trying to perk Ryan up.
"Disneyland." Ryan cried, loudly.
"What's Disneyland?" Draco asked.
"It's a muggle place. It's based on the cartoon films that Ryan likes to watch, there's rides and shows and you can meet the characters." Hermione tried to explain the best she could to Draco.
"Oh, you mean films like The Lion King." Draco said, deliberately picking Ryan's favourite film to mention.
"Yeah, we can go and see Simba." Ryan bounced up and down excitedly in Draco's arms.
"We haven't said we're going yet Ryan." Hermione said, not wanting her son to be too upset if they didn't get to go.
"Aw, can we go Draco? Please." Ryan turned and pouted at Draco.
Draco laughed at how cute Ryan looked. "Of course we can." He told his stepson.
"Yeah." Ryan cheered. "Can I go and tell Dad?" He asked Hermione.
"Yes, go on." Hermione said as Draco put Ryan back down onto the floor. Hermione and Draco watched as Ryan sped across the floor to tell his father about his upcoming holiday.
"Do you have any idea what you've let yourself in for?" Hermione turned to her husband. "The place will be packed with muggles."
"Well, it's a good job I love Ryan enough to put up with muggles. As long as he's happy and is having fun, it's fine with me." Draco said, pulling Hermione into his arms.
Hermione smiled and wrapped her arms around Draco's neck, playing with the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Hermione was thrilled that Draco loved Ryan like his own but that he didn't ever try to take Ron's place in the little boy's life. Despite Ron and Draco not always getting along neither bad mouthed the other to Ryan. Draco knew that Ron was Ryan's father and accepted it while Ron never made any trouble when it became clear that Ryan loved Draco like a second father.
"I love you." Hermione said, looking into her husband's deep grey eyes.
"I love you, too." Draco said, kissing Hermione softly.
"So you don't regret marrying me, even though it was so fast." Hermione asked when they broke the kiss.
"No." Draco said, with a small smile. "I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you the day you were missing. Them few hours apart were more than enough to make me realise I love you more than anything."
Hermione smiled and kissed her husband again. She had also known that morning that she wanted to be with Draco forever, it was the thought of never seeing him and Ryan again that had terrified her the most that awful day.
Luckily everything had worked out and Hermione was now living the life she had always wanted. She had a husband she was madly in love with, a son she adored with hopefully more children to follow.
"Come on, let's dance." Draco said, leading Hermione onto the dance floor.
Settled in Draco's arms, Hermione couldn't help but think of the irony of Theo Nott's actions. Six months ago he had set out to destroy her and her life but all he had done was bring her and Draco together, making her life so much better.
The End.