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A Secondary Education	By : Thunderbird Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 27880 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated characters. I make no profit from this story.

Chapter List
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A/N: It's done! I can't believe it. I definitely have mixed feelings about this story coming to a close. It was a lot of work but I have loved sharing it with you, and I will miss these guys and all the other characters too. I've put so much of myself in this story and so all of your positive responses have been all the more gratifying for that. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Not sure about everything that's next for me and my writing. I have some original work that has been neglected, and I hope to return to Unstoppable as well. I may also write some extras for this, fun one-shots or something to continue the story. We shall see! For now, here's the epilogue and Harry and Draco's happy ending. Hope you like it!
Epilogue: A Continuing Education
5 Years Later
“What I’ve discovered,” Raisie McNeal said, watching the surface of her bubbling potion avidly, “is that I need to allow the dragon scales time to fully dissolve before I add the liquid Asphodel. That’s what was going wrong before.”
“Mm,” Draco hummed, watching her work. “Might be that the keratin in the scales was negating the effects and needed time to break down.”
“I think that’s probably the case,” his apprentice agreed.
“How will you know when the scales are dissolved?”
“I watch the potion,” she replied, her brow furrowing. “Very, very carefully.” She bent over the cauldron, almost blocking Draco’s view of it. He pulled up a chair, sitting so that his gaze was at a low enough angle to see properly. Raisie did not take her eyes off the liquid, her entire face pinched in concentration. It was an expression Draco had become very familiar with, especially during these two most recent years, with her as his apprentice.
She had changed a lot, and yet, in some ways, not at all. She hadn’t gotten taller, really, only filled out a bit, so she looked more like a woman than a girl. Her hair was the same sandy blonde, which she wore in a knot on top of her head most days she worked at Hogwarts with him, to keep it out of the way. It showed off the delicate features of her face that had sharpened in adulthood. Still, she looked very similar to how she had at fifteen.
But she had grown considerably in other ways. Her confidence as a potioneer had solidified, and she had a thoughtful, considering approach to almost every problem she tackled. This was rounded out with enough humility to keep her grounded, something Draco had worked hard to instill in her as much as the confidence. She remained, to this day, Draco’s very favorite student, and he always felt a sense of paternal pride swelling within him when he thought about how far she had come.
“It’s ready,” she said in a decisive tone, reaching for the small vial on the table next to her. She popped off the cork and emptied the vial into the cauldron. The potion within immediately began to bubble more enthusiastically, forming a lavender-colored foam along the surface.
“That’s interesting,” Draco remarked.
“An annoying byproduct,” she said. “The foam has to be skimmed off repeatedly during this next phase of brewing, so the potion can oxygenate. But we’ll wait until it gets a little thicker.”
“Have you tested it?” Draco asked. “The foam, I mean.”
She looked at him blankly.
“To see if it has any useful properties of its own. I was just curious. Sometimes these byproducts can be unexpectedly useful in their own right.”
“I haven’t been saving it,” she admitted, looking chagrinned. “I’ve just been tossing it in the bin.”
“Ah, well, can’t hurt to keep some, run some diagnostics,” he said. “I’ll fetch us a bowl, shall I?”
He found one readily in his supply closet and returned to her.
“This is why you’re the master and I’m the apprentice,” she said with a sheepish smile, using a charm to swipe a layer of foam off the top of the potion and levitating it into the bowl. “I never would have thought to preserve this stuff.”
“You can’t say that for much longer, you know,” he replied with a smirk. “You are literally weeks away from completing your mastery.”
She sighed. “Don’t remind me. There’s still so much to do between now and then.”
“Like finishing the conclusion to your thesis?” he replied archly.
Her mouth twitched as she skimmed more foam out of the cauldron. “That’s the least of my worries. I’ve always been an efficient writer.”
“True,” Draco agreed.
“I’m much more nervous about my defense. I’m convinced I’ll get tongue-tied and not be able to answer a single question the panel has for me. I just know I’m going to forget something important.”
“I’ve seen the list, and you have very fair-minded masters for your panel,” Draco assured her. “They’ll likely throw some easy questions at you first, to let you get settled in. But you know your research back to front to upside-down. There isn’t anything you can’t answer, I know it.”
She sighed, continuing to skim. The foam collecting in the bowl was already starting to settle back into a liquid, and Draco found himself curious as to what it was. More of the same potion that was in the cauldron, or something entirely different? He was looking forward to doing some experimentation.
“It’s just intimidating,” Raisie said, calling Draco’s attention back to her. “Going before the most brilliant minds in Potions to justify nearly six years of work.”
“Funny, because you never have any problems explaining your ideas to me,” Draco said, grinning. “I suppose it’s that I’m just not brilliant enough for you to be properly intimidated.”
“You know that’s not what I meant,” she said, her mouth breaking into a real grin of amusement. “I found you quite intimidating at the start of my fourth year, in fact. But now you know me. You’ve watched this whole process and you know everything I’ve been through. The panel, on the other hand, will be a bunch of strangers whose sole job is to determine the merits of my work based on the results alone. And if they don’t like them, then that’s it. I must start completely over, mustn’t I?”
“What in the world makes you think they won’t approve of your work?” Draco asked, genuinely flabbergasted. “You’ve invented a universal antidote that counteracts almost a dozen of the world’s most common poisons. There isn’t even the slightest chance that they won’t be completely blown away.”
“It’s only for the most common poisons, as you point out,” she said softly. “Not for all of them.”
Draco snorted. “You really are too hard on yourself. Although, I suppose it’s one of your greatest virtues as well as greatest faults, that you’ll never stop pushing. It’s why, some day, you’re bound to invent an antidote that really will counteract all poisons.”
Rather than take the praise, she merely looked at him soberly. “Maybe I could. But then it pops into my head that anyone with enough determination to do harm could invent a new poison that isn’t counteracted by the antidote. And then what would I do?”
“Alter the antidote to counteract that one as well.”
“And if they invent another poison?”
Draco shrugged, indicating his answer was the same.
“The work never ends, is the point you’re making, I suppose.”
“The point I’m making, if I’m trying to make one at all,” Draco replied, “is that there will always be those who are determined to do harm. Which is why it’s so important for there also to be people who are determined to prevent them from doing so, to the best of their ability. And your ability is quite great, so I like our chances.”
She snuck a demure, pleased glance his way, as if wondering if he was being serious. “You’re being quite complimentary today,” she pointed out.
“And you’re being quite glum,” he replied. “Which isn’t like you.”
She gave a small shrug, staring into the cauldron. The foam had stopped forming, and so she turned down the heat and began stirring the potion counter-clockwise.
“Feeling nostalgic at the end of your mastery?” he ventured. “You did tell me once that Hogwarts was the only place you were properly happy.”
“That may be part of it,” she said. “I suppose I just have a lot of things to consider. About what happens next.”
“You’ve heard back from Lindsey Bergeron, I suppose?”
The glance she gave him was knowing this time. “You know I have. You two talk regularly enough.”
It was true. Draco had kept quite a strong professional and friendly connection with Lindsey over the years, though she was still based out of Toronto. They owled regularly, sharing thoughts on the latest potions research as well as the day-to-day details of their lives. Draco was especially thankful of this, since he had been worried early on that the short-lived but intense relationship he’d had with her brother would dampen their friendship permanently.
But that hadn’t happened. It probably helped that about six months after their breakup Kyle had discovered that one of his coworkers was harboring a quite substantial, secret affection for him, and had been since Kyle started at the Ministry. They fell madly in love after only one date, according to Lindsey, and were now happily married. And so any animosity either Bergeron sibling had once felt towards Draco was utterly gone, much to his delight.
“She told me she’s offered you a post,” he admitted to Raisie. “But she said nothing about whether or not you had accepted.”
“That’s because I haven’t. Yet.”
“Do you think you will?”
She bit her lip. “Most people would tell me I’d be a fool to turn it down. She’s brilliant, and what she could teach me… not to mention the access I would have, the resources… the means to really explore what interests me. It would be incredible.”
“Yes, it would.”
“If it were solely… if I…” She paused, finishing the stirring of her potion and removing it from the heat altogether. “If the only considerations I had were regarding my professional life, I would take the offer in a heartbeat.”
“So there’s something personal holding you back, then? Your family?” Draco knew it was hard enough on Raisie’s parents, her being magical while they were not. It already cast them into different worlds. To have her move overseas might feel like even more of a trial.
She shook her head. “They would support me, though they would be sad to have me so far away.” She met his eyes over the cauldron. “Cole’s asked me to marry him.”
Draco hesitated, wondering what about that would be an obstacle to her plans. “Have you accepted him?” His eyes fell automatically to her left hand, which was devoid of a ring. But that didn’t necessarily mean anything. She never wore jewelry when she brewed.
“I haven’t yet given him an answer,” she murmured, gaze falling to the cauldron once more. “Because I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you want to marry him?”
She didn’t reply for a few seconds. “I love him,” she said.
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I know it isn’t,” she said. “But it’s the best I have. Because I know what marriage means to him and to both our families. And it feels strange to be considering that and my professional future at the same time. It feels so… dissonant. That’s the only way I know to describe it.”
Draco thought about that, staring into the iridescent surface of the potion between them. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems Lindsey’s and Mr. Hammond’s proposals have linked themselves in your mind. Do you think you cannot have one if you choose the other?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t think it’s that simple. Although I’m not sure how Cole would feel about me accepting his proposal and then telling him I’m moving to Canada.”
“Is there some reason he can’t come with you? Quidditch is quite popular in Canada, as I understand it. And he’s quite good. I’m sure there are teams who would happily take him on-“
“I can’t ask that of him.”
“And why not?”
She looked at him incredulously. “He has his own career that he’s building here. There’s talk of him making the reserves for the international team, which is a big step. How can I ask him to put that on hold for my sake?”
“So you’ll put yours on hold for his?”
Her face tightened. “I have options. Lindsey’s offer was not the only one I received. There is a lab in London… it doesn’t have the same funding Lindsey’s does, or the same reputation. But I could be happy there. Or I could live off of the money the patent for this potion will likely bring in, fund my own research. I would still need a mentor, of course.” She looked up at him hopefully.
“And I will always be honored to fill that role, as you know,” he replied gently. “But is that what you really want?”
“I want conflicting things at the same time,” she said. “I want… well, in truth, I want Cole to not have asked me yet.”
Draco snorted. “Well, that tells you something.”
“I’m only twenty!” she cried. “That’s all I meant. And he’s only twenty-two. Really. We have our whole lives. I just don’t see why we can’t wait. It would just… simplify things. It wouldn’t make it seem so strange for us to be long-distance for a little while. We could each get what we want from our careers and then move towards marriage, a family. I mean, Merlin, children. I can’t even imagine having children right now. There’s so much else I want to do before then.”
“Marriage doesn’t mean having to have children right away, you know.”
“There’s been talk,” she grumbled, “amongst our families. Since before the proposal, even. My parents, his parents, they don’t understand my work. They don’t understand how much time and commitment it takes. They think I ought to just work around having children – or stop working altogether, would be their ideal. They don’t expect the same from Cole, of course. Someone has to bring in the gold. And, of course, it ought to be the man of the household...”
Draco was quiet, unsure how to react.
“I’m sorry,” she said, deflating. “I didn’t mean to spring all of this on you today. I suppose I have a lot on my mind.”
The blond chuckled. “Indeed.”
“I love Cole. I really do. I like the idea of being married to him, someday. But I want to do it sensibly, in way that will let us both get what we want. Like how you and Professor Potter did things. At your own pace, marrying once you were settled in your careers, not having a child until you’d had some time to be married. It sounds quite nice.”
“It works for us,” said Draco. “But not everyone has to go about it in the same way.”
“Perhaps not. But that’s the way I’d like to do it.”
“And is Mr. Hammond aware of any of this?”
“No, not really,” she admitted softly. “We haven’t talked about it. I don’t even really know how. He was quite sweet when he proposed, talking about how he knew I was meant for him the first time he kissed me, how excited he is for our future. It was all…” She sighed. “It was so very sweet. There’s really not a more wonderful man to be found anywhere, to be sure.”
“And yet you hesitate. Because of timing, or is there more to it?”
Her eyes widened. “That’s a frightening question.”
Draco nodded. “Then it’s probably a very important question to ask yourself. Perhaps the most important.”
She shook her head. “I don’t even know how to.”
Draco watched her a moment. “I can’t tell you the answer, obviously. Only you can know it. But I can tell you from my own experience that it must come from you and you alone. While there are many choices in life that are best made with the desires of others in mind, there are some that must be made with consideration of your own needs and desires first. I believe marriage to be the latter. Happiness rarely comes from marrying when and who others want you to and against your own wishes. It can lead to resentment, regret, a wondering what could have been if you had followed your own path. I wouldn’t recommend it. Of course, marrying even when you are absolutely certain doesn’t give you guarantees or leave you free from hardship either, but at least you know you chose it for yourself. And that’s worth a lot.”
“It does sound like you know from experience.”
“My marriage to Harry is my second marriage. Did you know that?”
Her answer was written on her face before she gave it aloud. “I didn’t.”
“I married at twenty-two, the same age as your Mr. Hammond, to a nineteen-year-old pureblood woman my parents picked out for me. Needless to say, it didn’t work out.”
“You just didn’t love each other in that way?” she guessed.
“No, actually. We did grow to love each other. But, in the end, it wasn’t enough. Because it wasn’t our choice, there would always be… there were certain things that got in the way of true commitment. It made the marriage unsustainable, much to my disappointment at the time and my great happiness now.”
She smiled. “Because you found Professor Potter.”
He smiled back. “Precisely.”
“And you made your own choice.”
“Yes. Many times over, for every step of our relationship. We made them together, openly and honestly.”
“So, is this your way of saying I ought to figure out what I want for myself, or your way of saying I need to speak openly and honestly to Cole about everything I’m feeling?”
Draco laughed. “I believe it’s a bit of both, in fact.”
She grimaced. “I figured as much.”
He laughed some more. “You are grown now, Raisie. Far be it for be to tell you what to do when it comes to the matters of your heart. I’m only… asking the questions you seem afraid to ask. And sharing some of my personal experience, as little or as much as that may be worth to you.”
“It’s always worth something to me, Draco,” she said. “You know that.”
Draco couldn’t help the warmth kindling in his chest. While he called her by her first name exclusively now, she usually called him “Professor” when they were working together, and only “Draco” in social settings. He never insisted upon this distinction, but he imagined Raisie did it out of respect for him as her teacher.
That distinction was nearly irrelevant now. She would complete her mastery in a few shorts weeks and he would no longer be her teacher. Their age gap would mean that she would likely come to him for advice more often than the other way around, but it would be much more informal, come July. It would be more like a friendship and less like a mentorship. Draco found himself both happy and melancholy at the prospect.
He helped her bottle the finished potion, turning the conversation back to her unfinished thesis and what sort of questions she could expect from her mastery panel. He placed some of the dissipated foam in vials for himself for future testing, promising her he would owl her the results, if anything interesting came up.
“My stomach’s grumbling,” she said, when everything was put away. “Seems we’ve finished just in time. I think I’ll pop down to the Great Hall for lunch, eat at the Gryffindor table with some old friends. Care to join me?”
“I would, but I’m expected in my quarters for lunch. A weekend tradition, you know, when neither of us is on duty.”
“Of course,” she said. “I’m sure it’s especially hard to fit family time in, with the end of the school year approaching so quickly.”
“It’s not so bad as when exams start. But this is our last weekend together before the chaos. Must enjoy it while we can.”
“Certainly.” She embraced him. “Say hello to your boys for me.”
“I will.”
They parted ways outside of Draco’s Potions classroom, Draco making his way up a flight of stairs and turning down the Defense corridor. He rubbed his stomach, suddenly famished. He and Raisie had been brewing all morning, and he hadn’t noticed he was hungry until just now, when he didn’t have work to distract him. He hoped Harry would have already ordered some food from the elves for them, or perhaps whipped up something quick in the small kitchen they now had in their shared quarters.
When he opened to the door to their rooms, however, he found them empty and quiet, much to his confusion.
“Harry?” he called out. “Scorpius?”
He expected a muffled reply from another room, or perhaps a squeal and the pattering of small feet coming towards him. When no such answer came, he crossed the sitting room towards the bedroom door, only pausing when he noticed a bit of parchment lying conspicuously on the coffee table. There was a message on it, in Harry’s writing.

D-
Scorp was absolutely climbing the walls waiting for you, so I thought some time spent outside might be in order. I hope that’s all right. I’ve asked the elves to pack us a picnic lunch and I’m taking our boisterous (uncontainable) son to the lake. Our usual spot. Join us when you can.
Love,
H

Laughing, Draco folded up the note and put it in his pocket. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. It was a beautiful day and their toddler rarely liked being cooped up inside for long. Deciding a relaxed picnic by the lake sounded just about perfect, Draco shed his teaching robes to reveal the much cooler Muggle clothing underneath. Considerably better suited for the sunny weather.
When he arrived in the entrance hall, he encountered a whole flock of students making their way to lunch. He looked around, wondering if Raisie was among them, but quickly spotted a distinct head of bright purple hair instead.
“Teddy!” he called.
His young cousin stopped and turned, causing his group of friends to pause as well. Draco made his way over to him.
“Hi, Draco,” Teddy said, grinning. His fellow Hufflepuffs smiled behind their hands. They were always a mixture of amused and awestruck by how casually Teddy was allowed to address their Potions professor. He was expected to call Draco “Professor” in class, of course, but sometimes even then he forgot, which always caused a round of giggles. “Coming in for lunch?”
“Meeting Harry and Scorp by the lake, actually,” Draco said. “But I wanted to remind you about you coming to ours for dinner tonight.”
“I remember,” said Teddy, rolling his eyes. This made his older cousin give him a pointed look.
“Your godfather is looking forward to it. He’s hardly seen you for the past three weeks, outside of class.”
“I know,” Teddy said, having the decency to look sheepish. “I’ve just been busy, you know… studying and all.” His neck twitched subconsciously as he cast a quick glance at his friends, many of whom, Draco couldn’t help but notice, were very pretty girls.
“Mm-hm,” the blond replied. “Studying. Of course.” Teddy was very popular, unsurprising given his natural social intelligence and innately kind nature. But he was also, at thirteen, starting to prove himself a bit of a flirt, and Draco couldn’t help but feel that it might get him in trouble one day soon. “But you’ll be there tonight, half-six sharp, yes?”
“I’ll be there, I promise.”
“And if you’re late, you know I’ll come right to the common room and drag you out by your ear. And we wouldn’t want that, would we?”
“No,” Teddy said, grinning again while the students around him giggled.
“Very well. The three of us will be at the usual spot all afternoon, by the way, if you care to join us.”
“Um, that sounds nice,” Teddy said, glancing back at his friends again. “But I should probably study. Exams do start tomorrow, you know.”
“Indeed they do,” Draco said, arching a knowing brow. “Enjoy your studying, then. I’ll see you tonight.”
He said goodbye to Teddy with a wave, shaking his head to himself as he made his way out of the entrance hall. The boy was still as much of a rascal as ever, though somehow still all the more loveable for it. It was probably for the best, he realized, that Teddy could be so nonchalant about the fact that he basically had two of his parents teaching at his school. For a more self-conscious child, it could get difficult to navigate, but Teddy had taken it all in stride since his arrival at Hogwarts almost two years ago.
I wonder how Scorpius will handle it, he thought as he made his way across the grounds. That is, if Harry and I are still teaching then.
They had another nine years before they’d have to worry about that, and a lot could change in a decade. At the same time, though, the life they had created for themselves here at Hogwarts was such a wonderful one, it was hard to imagine wanting to change anything. They both continued to love their work, and Draco especially felt he was becoming a better teacher with every year. They finally had Teddy here with them, much to Harry’s delight, although it was getting harder, as he entered adolescence, to get the boy to spend time with them rather than with his friends.
“At least we get to see him every day,” Harry had said when Draco brought it up to him. “At least we get to watch him grow. That’s what I always felt like I was missing before.”
Draco had to concede the point. And, despite his cheekiness and his tendency to put his social life first, Teddy was doing very well at Hogwarts. He made a strong showing in all of his classes, though he seemed to be developing a special affinity for Defense and Charms. He was already a burgeoning Quidditch star for the Hufflepuff team, though he’d only been a reserve Chaser for this, his second year. But he’d gotten to play in a match against Ravenclaw when one of the first-string Chasers was out with an injury, and it seemed a given that he would be making full Chaser next year.
And, of course, there was the fact that he was happy and healthy, which Harry cared most about, above all the rest. Draco too.
Having Scorpius also added to their delight in being at Hogwarts. Draco had to admit himself a little nervous when they’d first decided to have a child, despite how committed he had been to the idea from the beginning. He worried if parenting would feel like too much to handle on top of all of their duties. He worried that their marriage would suffer as a result as well. But he and Harry both badly wanted to be parents, and they had decided they were ready. It was worth the risk and the extra work.
Thankfully, his anxiety was alleviated quickly when he saw just how much support they would have. Minerva allowed both Draco and Harry to cut back on their hours for that first year with their new son, hiring guest professors to cover their lower year classes. She even encouraged Draco to leave off taking on a new apprentice, though he chose not to follow the advice, since Raisie had just graduated and was looking to start on her Potions mastery. He was certainly not going to let her go to a different master for that pivotal phase of her education.
But it had all worked out, helped on by the fact that they were not the only couple who were now parents at Hogwarts. Francesca and Neville had their little Emilia, only about six months older than Scorpius, plus another baby on the way. And with Flitwick retiring there was a new Charms professor being hired who had a five-year-old and one-year-old of his own. There would soon be plenty to justify a small nursery school at Hogwarts for the children of staff members. It meant there would be someone to care for Scorpius during the day while his fathers were teaching. And he would have a chance to be socialized with other children, on top of the excess of attention he received from the staff and the Hogwarts students, who loved to moon over him when he joined Harry and Draco in the Great Hall for a meal.
It wasn’t a bad place to grow up, really, Draco decided. There was plenty to explore, and as Scorpius loved to explore, it was all to the better. Harry often speculated that by the time he was of age, Scorpius would know more of the secrets of Hogwarts than the Marauders and the Golden Trio combined. Draco had a tendency to agree.
Naturally, their summers were still spent away from the Scottish castle, and were full of traveling and seeing the friends they had missed during the year. They were settled primarily at Malfoy Manor, though Scorpius certainly had a room at Grimmauld for the rare times they stayed there. Mostly the old Black house was used for Harry’s apprentices, who put the third-floor training facility through its paces with daily practice. Harry popped in occasionally to answer questions and give workshops, but was content to leave them to themselves. He found his family and friends far too enjoyable to be away from for long.
Summers always flew by when Harry and Draco were together, and Draco knew this approaching summer would be no different. They had their anniversary to celebrate right at the start, with Draco’s birthday only a few days later. Then there was a trip to Tuscany planned for mid-June, Scorpius’ second birthday in early July, and Harry’s at the end of the month. By then it would be August, and they would be wondering where the time had gone and already preparing for a new school year.
He considered idly, as he wound down the grounds past the greenhouses, what they would decide to do for each of their birthdays. For the last few years Harry and Pansy had insisted on throwing Draco a large party, which he secretly loved, and he hoped they’d made similar plans again. He likely wouldn’t know until a few days before; they always liked to keep it secret for as long as possible. Which was silly, really, but Draco let them have their fun.
Harry, on the other hand, seemed to change his desires each year. Sometimes he wanted a large gathering with everyone he knew, while other times he wanted it small and intimate, out at a nice restaurant or some picturesque outdoor venue. He usually managed to decide with enough time for Draco to plan accordingly. In truth, Draco hoped his husband would choose something similar to last year, when they’d had a party at the Burrow in the afternoon and then left their one-year-old with Ron and Hermione for the night. It was their son’s first ever sleepover and, more importantly, a much deserved private sleepover for Harry and Draco. They’d barely left the bed that evening, talking, cuddling, and making love for hours, only pausing to eat some takeaway in front of the television at Grimmauld Place. Some people might scoff at the simplicity and ordinariness of such a celebration, but those people weren’t parents and clearly didn’t understand how precious some alone time with one’s spouse could be. For Draco, it was one of the happiest nights in his recent memory.
He lingered on those memories with a smile as Greenhouse Five came up on his right, but was distracted when he caught sight of the figure inside through the cloudy glass windows. He paused in the doorway to get a proper look at Neville Longbottom, who was hunched over something in a flower pot, examining it carefully.
“Didn’t think you’d be working today, Nev,” he said. Draco had assumed that, like himself, he’d want to be spending his final free day before exams with his spouse and child.
Neville turned to him, grinning. “The lignum margarita was due to bloom this weekend. I’ve been checking every six hours since Friday.
“And?” Draco asked, suddenly much more excited. The fact that Neville and one of his apprentices had managed to get their hands on a few miniature Pearl Tree specimens over the summer had only made the man grow in Draco’s esteem. And they already got on pretty well, considering their shared passions.
Neville’s grin widened, and he took a step back for Draco to have a look. “See for yourself.”
Draco stepped further into the greenhouse, bending over the small, twisted tree that was no larger than a bonsai, and which had hanging from its delicate branches iridescent blue spheres contained inside dark purple blooms.
“Incredible,” Draco breathed, studying their size. “This is just bloomed? How did you get it to produce such large pearls in this climate?”
“Very closely moderated temperature control. Hathaway has been obsessive about it, bless him.”
Hathaway Leeds was the apprentice that had helped Neville collect the plants in the first place, and, Draco always guessed, Neville’s favorite student. He was always around Hogwarts, helping Neville in the greenhouses, not unlike how Raisie always seemed to haunt Draco’s potions lab on weekends.
“They’re gorgeous. Perfect. The potions we could make with these…” He could do an entre unit on this single ingredient with his NEWT students. “How many trees did you say you have? A couple dozen?”
“Enough for our 6^thyears to practice harvesting the pearls next school year, with plenty left over for breeding. They should be fully ripe come October.”
“That’s perfect. Once they’ve harvested them I’ll have the class practice making Transparency tonics. They’re so hard to come by it’s unlikely the students have ever even seen one.”
“That was my thinking as well. It would be the perfect challenge for them, coming just off their OWLs.”
Draco clapped Neville on the back for a job well done. He was quite grateful for the man, after five years of working with him. Not just because he made his dear friend Francesca very happy, but also because he’d helped Draco develop an interdisciplinary curriculum for Herbology and Potions that had made each of their departments at Hogwarts the strongest of all the European schools and were producing more mastery students than ever. There were even some who, when unable to decide which subject they loved more, decided to double-master, which was an altogether new concept in their fields. It was exciting though, and, as their headmistress always insisted, a testament to how well they worked together.
Draco never would have thought that Neville Longbottom would become one his closest and most valued friends. But, then again, his younger self never could have dreamed up any of this life, which only proved how little imagination his younger self had had.
“I’ve just got to spray them down, adjust the temperature, and leave them to themselves. They’ll do the rest.”
“Now they’ve bloomed, the worst is over,” agreed Draco. “Impressive work, really.”
“Ah,” Neville said, batting the compliment away. “Hathaway did the most difficult bits. All the nighttime sprays, cleaning the leaves…”
“But you trained him.”
Neville shrugged. “Got to spend my nights at home, tucked in bed, though, didn’t I?”
“Considering you have a two-year-old and a pregnant wife to care for, no one can blame you.”
Neville considered that, then shrugged again, clearly conceding the point.
“Hard to believe the first of June is nearly upon us.” That was Francesca’s due date, and there was an informal wager amongst the staff at how close to that date the baby would be born.
“I know,” said Neville, eyes widening with a sort of terrified happiness. “I’m not entirely sure we’re ready for it. The school year has distracted us and we’ve hardly considered what an adjustment it will be.”
“Ah, you’ll manage. You’ll always have us to help.”
“I’m hoping she’ll hold off at least an extra week, although I don’t know if Francesca feels the same way. But it would be easier if we could get ourselves back to Tuscany first. Can you imagine, a baby born at Hogwarts?”
“It would be historic, to be sure,” said Draco. “But perhaps the baby will wait, and he’ll be born on my birthday. Then you could name him after me,” he suggested with a wide smile.
Neville laughed. “Still so sure it’s a boy, aren’t you?”
“I just have a feeling,” said Draco. There were many who disagreed. There was a wager going amongst the staff about gender as well. “If only you’d let the Healers tell you and put us all out of our misery.”
“And ruin the surprise? Not a chance. Although I do quite like the idea of a boy. To have one of each, you know.”
“That’s how Harry and I feel. We’re hoping our next one is a girl, though of course we’ll be happy either way.”
“It’s decided, then?” Neville asked. “When last you two mentioned it, it seemed only a possibility.”
Draco felt his mouth twitch in a smile. “We’ve a meeting with Alexandra scheduled for right after my birthday.”
Alexandra Marchand was the witch who had been so kind as to be Harry and Draco’s surrogate for Scorpius. With two children of her own already and a genuine admiration for both men, she’d been very happy to help them. They were thrilled when they discovered, only a week or so ago, that she would be willing to carry for them a second time. Though Draco felt strongly, as Harry did, that love rather than blood was what connected a family, he liked the idea that his two children could have the same birth mother. With Draco as the biological father of Scorpius and Harry as the intended biological father of their second, a common surrogate had a nice symmetry to it, he thought.
“That’s wonderful,” replied Neville. “More children for Em and Scorpius to play with.”
“Indeed. And the other staff children that are coming next year.”
“I envy them. I always wanted siblings,” Neville said wistfully.
“So did I.”
They were each lost in their own thoughts a moment, staring at the Blue Pearl Tree. Draco was roused quickly, however, by a painful rumbling of his stomach, which reminded him of where he was supposed to be.
“Must be off, actually,” said Draco. “I’m meeting Harry and Scorpius at the lake, and I’m sure they’re wondering what’s taking me so long.”
“Oh, well then you shouldn’t keep them waiting. Say hello for me,” Neville replied.
“I will. You should finish up here and get back to your wife as well. I’m sure she misses you.”
“She misses my foot massages, more like,” Neville said with a grin. “Not that I can blame her. Pregnancy really seems a right inconvenience, by the end. I don’t know how she manages it.”
Draco laughed. “Because the results are worth it.”
“Yes, they are.”
The two men said their goodbyes and Draco was off again, this time determined not to let himself get distracted. He was not only anxious to get to his lunch; all this talk of children had him craving to see his son again as well.
He finally came upon the lake and curved to the right, making his way to the flat bank and little copse of trees that had became “their spot.” It was Scorpius’ favorite place to play and Harry and Draco’s favorite place to lounge together and enjoy the outdoors when the weather was nice. It also happened to be not at all far from the place where Harry and Draco had gotten married four years earlier.
It was tradition for Malfoys to be married in the gardens at the manor, and Harry had made it clear that he was fine with that, if it was what Draco wanted. Draco decided quickly, however, that he hardly wanted his wedding to Harry (and certainly not his marriage) to be a repeat of the same he’d had with Astoria. He wanted a different venue, a place that they could revisit with fondness and was entirely theirs.
Of course, one could argue that Hogwarts was not theirs at all, but belonged to many. But in a way, Draco thought, it was theirs. It was the place where they’d had nearly all of their tumultuous rivalry and eventual relationship. Hogwarts, more than the manor, more than Grimmauld, was their home, and Draco couldn’t think of a better place to mark their commitment to each other.
So they’d found a nice little clearing with plenty of room for seating and a lovely view of the lake, and they’d invited all of their loved ones and all of the Hogwarts staff and students to attend. Not everyone stayed behind for the ceremony that took place only a few days after the spring term was over, but many did, and Draco found it rather joyous to get to share this with his students as much as with his friends.
The school had embraced Harry and Draco’s relationship fully from the beginning. Yes, there had been a lot of gossip early on about the two professors, but most of it was positive, and in the end the students were nothing but supportive. The staff even more so, especially since many of them had already suspected that something was going on between them even before they’d seen it in the papers.
The biggest surprise of that day for Draco had been seeing his mother in attendance. While they’d been in communication via owl all that year, it didn’t seem as though much progress at all was being made towards Lucius accepting the relationship. With that in mind, Draco had sent them a wedding invitation as a courtesy more than anything (and perhaps, if he was honest with himself, as a bit of a “fuck you” to his father), not expecting them to show. Lucius was absent, but Narcissa was there, if briefly. She stayed for the ceremony and for the reception in the Great Hall afterwards, and took care to spend at least a little while with Harry, trying to get to know him. She had declined an invitation to stay a few days at the manor, citing a need to return to France immediately. In that was implied a need to repair the damage she had obviously caused with Lucius by coming in the first place.
Though the visit was short, Draco had found himself gratified by the gesture. She was not willing to miss such an important moment in her son’s life. And that was progress, to be sure.
More progress had been made since Scorpius’ birth. It seemed having an actual living grandson was the final straw for Narcissa, and she could no longer condone Lucius’ attitude. (Draco suspected that the photos he and Harry had sent directly after the birth, of the two of them looking teary-eyed and overjoyed whilst holding their tiny newborn son, had some hand in it, though Narcissa never admitted as much.) She came for a visit that August, dragging a reluctant Lucius along with her, and forced father and son to sit in the same room together and be civil. It hadn’t been exactly… comfortable, but both of them had borne it with as much grace as they could muster.
Since then, Lucius Malfoy seemed to understand that, whether he liked it or not, this was the life Draco had chosen, and if he was going to have the opportunity to know his grandson at all, he was going to have to be tolerant of Draco’s life choices and of his partner. It hadn’t been an easy road, and there was a long way to go. But at least Draco wasn’t fully estranged from his parents. And his mother was quite warm now towards Harry, and doted on Scorpius like any grandmother ought to. For now, that was enough.
He finally came upon his destination, and it was Harry he saw first, lounging on a blanket under the trees and looking out towards the lake. At the sound of footsteps and the rustle of branches, however, he turned his head and immediately smiled. Draco smiled back.
“Scorpius!” Harry called. “Look who’s here!”
The toddler was crouched at the very edge of the lake, digging for something with his hands. But upon hearing Harry’s voice he looked up with wide eyes.
“Daddy!” he squealed as he caught sight of Draco waiting for him. On small, slightly wobbly legs he ran towards the blond, who opened his arms and scooped him up as soon as he was near.
“Hello, sweet boy,” Draco murmured to him, kissing him all over his pudgy cheeks and making him giggle. “I missed you.”
“Miss you, Daddy,” replied Scorpius, staring at him with hazel orbs so much like his birth mother’s.
He was an even mix of Draco and the chestnut-haired Alexandra. There was much of Draco to find in the shape of his face, though the nose, he thought, was hers. His hair was a straw blond that Draco was sure would darken as he got older, and was thicker than Draco’s had ever been. He would never be the “ideal” (platinum-haired, gray-eyed) Malfoy heir that Lucius had wanted Draco and Astoria to create, but that hardly mattered. To Draco and Harry, he was perfect.
“Are you hungry?” Draco asked his son. The boy nodded, though reluctantly, making Draco chuckle. Scorpius would always rather play than eat, so much so that it was often difficult to get him to finish a meal. His picky eating habits didn’t help much either, but they were working on that. “Good, because I’m starving.”
He made his way over to the blanket where Harry sat, setting Scorpius down before sitting himself.
“Hi,” Draco said to his husband.
“Hi,” Harry replied, eyes twinkling.
Draco leaned in for a kiss, interrupting Harry’s preparation of Scorpius’ lunch. He was making what he always referred to as the “toddler jumble,” bite-sized pieces of the random foods they knew they could get Scorpius to eat, all together in one bowl. Today it appeared to be roast chicken, pasta with broccoli mixed in, and sliced strawberries.
Harry obliged him, of course, humming as Draco lingered against his lips.
“Sorry it took a while,” he said. “I kept running into people on my way here.”
“No problem,” said Harry. “We’ve just been passing the time lazily. Or I have anyway. Scorpius has been very productive, of course.”
“I can only imagine,” the blond replied with a grin.
“I sit your lap, Daddy?” Scorpius asked, getting back Draco’s attention.
“Of course, love,” said Draco.
“But washing up, first, remember?” Harry said, pulling out his wand. Scorpius dutifully held out his muddy hands, giggling softly as the magic of Harry’s scourgify charm washed over him. When his hands were mud-free Harry grabbed them in his and kissed them soundly, turning Scorpius’ laughter into a happy shriek. “All clean,” said Harry, smiling. “You can go to your dad now.”
Scorpius settled himself in Draco’s lap and Harry handed over the bowl of jumble before starting to prepare plates for the two of them. He asked after Raisie and Draco filled him in, mentioning her conundrum over Lindsey’s offer and Cole Hammond’s proposal.
“I don’t envy her that decision,” Harry said with a small sigh.
“Nor do I,” said Draco. “Of course, I know what I would do if I were her, in hindsight of my own experience. But it’s much harder to make when you’re her age and you have your whole life ahead of you, and you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Harry handed Draco his plate, which he set beside him on the blanket, since Scorpius was taking up all the room in front of him. “You’d take the job, is what you mean.”
“Yeah, I would. Knowing what I know now… If I could do it all again I would have prioritized my career over marriage. Because it’s hard to know, when you’re that young, what you really want out of a relationship. I just think if she chooses to marry Hammond and stay in the UK, she might regret it. Or she might resent him, later on.”
“Maybe,” said Harry. “I think you’re right that a person is more likely to be ready for a relationship when they’re older. But then I look at my parents… I mean, they were married right out of Hogwarts. My mum was the same age as Raisie when she had me. And not that… there were any guarantees or anything, but they really loved each other, and I’d like to think that they would have stayed together, that they would have had a good marriage, if things hadn’t…” He trailed off, avoiding the subject of their death. It was probably more for Scorpius’ benefit than for his own, though Scorpius didn’t appear to be listening. He was more interested in his strawberries.
“I’m sure they would have, Harry,” Draco replied gently. “But they chose each other. Like you said, they loved each other.”
“And Raisie doesn’t love Cole?” Harry countered with a lopsided smile. “They’re not you and Astoria. You have to remember that.”
Draco sighed. “Yes, fair point. I know have a bias, a stake in her decision. She’s just so brilliant, exceptional. And I don’t want anything to stop her from continuing to be exceptional. She could change the world, if she wanted to.” He kissed the top of his son’s head, then reached for a piece of bread to munch on.
“You think Cole holds her back.”
Draco looked at his husband. “Yeah. I do.”
“Maybe he does. I don’t know. It’s not… the most obvious pairing, I’ll give you that. But lots of people said that about Ron and Hermione. And look how good they are together.”
“People have said the same about us.”
“True. And they’re dunderheads, of course,” Harry said, grinning. “We’re perfect.”
Draco laughed. Both men knew they were far from perfect. They argued just like any married couple, more than Draco ever argued with Astoria. Then again, Draco was also about a hundred times happier being married to Harry than he ever was with Astoria, even on their best days. And they talked and discussed more than they actually fought, which Draco counted as a win.
“In our own way, we are, actually,” he said. He stroked his fingers through his son’s hair and gave him another kiss before meeting his husband’s eyes.
Harry was looking at him tenderly, but rolled his eyes when they caught Draco’s. “You sap,” he said. “And at the most inconvenient times too, when I can’t properly snog you.”
“You love it,” Draco replied, making Harry snort.
“Yes, I suppose. And you.”
Draco didn’t get a chance to reply, because Scorpius had suddenly turned around in his lap and was trying to press a piece of chicken into Draco’s mouth.
“Mmph,” Draco said, tightening his lips and pulling away. His son continued to hold the chicken out to him. “No thank you, Scorpius,” he said patiently, knowing this trick. When there was a bit of food Scorp didn’t feel like eating, he tried to pawn it off on someone else. “That’s not for me. It’s for you.”
Scorpius didn’t reply, only stared at him a moment with a furrowed brow.
“For you to eat,” Draco repeated, tapping his son on the lips.
Turning back around, Scorpius held the piece of chicken out to Harry instead.
“No, that’s not for Daddy either,” Draco said. “It’s for you. Daddy has his own lunch, see?”
Harry held up his plate and took a bite of chicken, to demonstrate. Draco leaned over, watching his son as he considered the situation. Finally, Scorpius put the piece of chicken in his mouth and then reached for a piece of pasta from his bowl. Both men let out a relieved breath, their eyes meeting over Scorpius’ head.
“Small victories,” Harry said quietly, and Draco smiled.
“I have juice, peez, Daddy?” Scorpius asked Harry after he’d swallowed his food. The brunet handed over the boy’s charmed no-spill cup, which he drank from immediately, only pausing to take a loud breath before resuming.
Draco laughed. “Thirsty boy,” he said.
“You’ve hardly eaten anything,” Harry observed to his partner, glancing at the still-full plate next to him. “Let me take him for a bit, so you can actually eat.”
“No, thanks. I’m all right for a little while longer.” He was hungry, but he was content to have his son near, the small weight of him in his lap a comfort more than any food could be. Nothing felt more right than this. He bent his head, burying his nose in Scorpius’ hair a moment before giving him another kiss on the head. When he looked up, Harry was giving him a soft and knowing look.
“Eat a little something, then,” he encouraged. “I just heard you say you were starving. It’s hard for me to concentrate, knowing that.”
Fully aware of Harry’s issues around hunger and starvation, Draco obliged, picking up a sausage roll from his plate and taking a large bite. He moaned happily as he chewed. “These are good.”
“Thank the elves. They put together our favorites for us.”
“I’ll miss this,” said Draco, looking out at the lake.
“We can have plenty of picnics in the park this summer if we want,” Harry pointed out.
“Yes, but nothing’s as nice as being at Hogwarts. And you’re a very good cook, but there’s something about the food the elves make…”
Harry smirked. “You’re just going to miss Hogwarts in general. You always do.”
“Yes, all right,” Draco admitted. “I do always miss Hogwarts. Though I like seeing all our friends and I like not having a full schedule of classes every day.”
“And don’t forget Tuscany,” Harry interjected.
“And I love visiting Nev and Francesca in Tuscany,” Draco agreed.
“And all three of our birthdays to celebrate.”
“Yes.”
“And our anniversary.”
“Which reminds me,” Draco said, holding up a finger. “We need to finalize our plans. They’re holding a private dining room at Voyage for us for our usual time. Do you want to keep it or not?”
Harry didn’t answer, as Scorpius was starting to squirm in Draco’s lap, clearly feeling done with lunch and distracting them both. He handed Draco his small bowl and made to stand.
“Let me see,” said Draco, looking inside to determine how much his son had eaten. He was surprised to find most of the food gone. “Well done, Scorp,” he said. “You liked that pasta, huh? We’ll have to remember that one.”
“Yeah,” said Scorpius, not too interested in that observation. “I go pay now?”
“Sure, love, go play. Stay at the edge of the water, though, ok? Don’t go in without me or Daddy.”
“Ok, Daddy,” the boy replied, before running off. Both men followed him with their eyes, making sure he did as he was told. He looked back at them before settling himself on a little patch of dirt not far from the water. Draco returned his attention to Harry, satisfied.
“Voyage?” he prompted.
Harry fiddled with a crust of bread before setting his entire lunch plate aside. Draco took a bite of chicken and watched him.
“I’m torn,” said Harry.
“Would you like to go somewhere else? I thought you liked the tradition. But we don’t have to-“
“No, I love Voyage, you know that. It’s, you know… it’s our place. The problem is, the food is so good that we end up eating a whole lot of it, plus all the wine we drink, and by the time we get home we’re stuffed and a little drunk and not really up for sex. And that didn’t use to be a problem, because we could have sex whenever we wanted. But now we have Scorp, and this is one of the few nights we have to ourselves, and… frankly, I have every intention of shagging you senseless. That’s my main priority. And a dinner at Voyage interferes with that, I’m afraid.”
Laughing, Draco nodded his head. “You have a good point. It would be a shame to waste the alone time.”
“Not that dinner with you is a waste, that’s not what I-“
“I know it’s not what you meant. I know what you meant,” Draco answered, looking at Harry warmly.
“I know just takeaway at home or something isn’t very festive…” Harry said. “Obviously I want it to be special.”
Draco considered the dilemma. “How about this: we push the reservation back an hour and also leave Scorpius at Ron and Hermione’s earlier than we planned. That would give us a few hours before dinner to shag each other’s brains out. We work up an appetite, go to Voyage, enjoy ourselves without any guilt or pressure, get a good night’s rest, and have even more sex in the morning if we feel like it, before we go retrieve Scorpius.”
“Hmmm…” Harry’s mouth twitched, fighting a smile as he thought that over. “That sounds just about perfect, actually.”
“Thought so,” Draco said, pleased he’d solved the problem. He scooted closer, leaning in for a kiss. Harry rested a hand on Draco’s neck, holding him there.
“That will feel like enough of a celebration for you?” Harry asked when Draco pulled away.
“Quite. I’ll have you all to myself, so I’ll be happy.”
Harry kissed him again, his hand venturing down to rub along Draco’s chest and stomach. “The things I’m going to do to you,” he murmured. “Just you wait.”
“Harry…” Draco replied, feeling his cock stirring in his pants. “You know the rules. No getting hot and bothered when there are children present.”
Harry pouted but pulled away. “Yes, I know. Not that Scorp pays much attention anyway.” They both turned to look at their son, who had returned to digging in the dirt with a stick, babbling happily to himself all the while.
“And if a student out for a walk stumbles upon us talking dirty to each other? What then?”
“Then we’ll only confirm what the student body already assumes: that we’re totally hot for each other. They’ll be quite gratified, I’m sure.”
Draco laughed. It was true that since their relationship went public, the students seemed to love to discuss them and what their relationship was like. He supposed that two relatively young, good-looking professors could generate that kind of buzz, particularly amongst the older students. It didn’t help that many of them attended the wedding, meaning they heard Harry and Draco’s marriage vows and got to witness just how deeply in love they were. The two professors had yet to cease being a hot topic when it came to gossip.
“No need to feed the fire,” Draco pointed out. “Particularly because it’s also feeding mine, without any promise of satisfaction anytime soon.”
“Hmmm,” said Harry, his hand teasing Draco’s thigh now. “Maybe Scorpius will be worn out from all this playing today and we can put him down early. Then I can help you take care of your little problem.”
Draco gasped as Harry’s hand brushed lightly along his hardening cock. Even now, after four years of marriage, Harry knew exactly how to get Draco going. “Bloody tease,” he growled, nipping at Harry’s bottom lip.
The brunet grinned. “Is it teasing if I fully intend to follow through?”
“Don’t forget we have Teddy for dinner tonight,” Draco reminded him.
“All the better. He loves to play with Scorpius. He’ll wear him out even more.”
Draco shook his head, kissing Harry firmly. “We can only hope.”
“Daddy!” they both heard Scorpius squeal. They turned their heads automatically, since they both answered to that name from their son. The boy was running towards them, something clutched in his hand. “Look what I have.”
“Let’s see, Scorp,” said Harry. The boy opened his hands to reveal a small stone, white, with lines of shimmering gold running through it. “Wow, love. That’s beautiful. We’ll have to add it to your collection.”
“Yeah,” said Scorpius, grinning. “You have it, ok?”
“We’ll keep it safe for you,” Harry promised. “Can you find even more?”
“Yeah. I go get more,” Scorpius agreed, running off again.
Both men looked at the stone in Harry’s hand.
“It is a nice one,” Draco remarked. They both chuckled. Scorpius was always bringing them little “treasures” he’d found outside. Some were much prettier than others, but they all ended up in Scorpius’ collection in his room, for further examination before bedtime.
Harry put the stone in his pocket and conjured a couple of cushions for them to lie back against as they watched Scorpius play. Draco followed Harry’s example, lounging back and putting an arm around him. They were quiet for a few minutes, just enjoying the moment. Then Harry turned over, resting a hand on Draco’s stomach and getting his head comfortable in the crook of Draco’s shoulder.
“I heard from Alexandra this morning,” he said. “We’re all set to meet on the 8^th.”
“Oh, good,” said Draco. “I mentioned it to Neville a little while ago. I ran into him on my way here. I hope that’s all right.”
“Of course,” said Harry. “It wasn’t a secret. Ron and Hermione already know.”
“True.”
“Though Ron’s thoroughly warned me that a second child changes everything,” Harry added, amused.
“I think we can handle it,” said Draco.
“I think so too. We’ll have plenty of help.”
“Yes, we will. Plus Hugo is especially a handful, so it’s no wonder Ron is feeling overworked.”
“And who says our next little one won’t be a handful as well?” Harry asked, tilting his head to meet Draco’s eyes. “Toddlers are rarely easy.”
“Yes, but hopefully ours is a girl. Girls are easier, and sweeter.”
Harry snorted. “I don’t know about that. I think it depends on the personality of the child, rather than the gender. Scorpius is plenty sweet, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Yes, he is, but he’s also… What’s the word you used in your note this morning? ‘Uncontainable?’”
Harry laughed against him. “I did write that, didn’t I? Well, it’s true, I suppose. It’s just that he wants to be outside all the time. But when he is, he’s plenty good at entertaining himself. Hugo, on the other hand, is one of those children who requires a lot of attention. He always needs someone to play with.”
Harry had a point. Hugo was a burgeoning extrovert, who got attached to new people very quickly and was always looking for others to interact with. Scorpius was very happy on his own, though he also got along well with Emilia Longbottom when they played together.
“He just loves to be out in the world and discover things,” Harry added with a contented sigh. “Maybe he’ll end up in Ravenclaw.”
“Hmm, maybe,” said Draco, trying to picture that. It made sense, though the thought of how Lucius would react to such news made him huff in amusement. “My father would just love that, I’m sure.”
“Oh, of all the things to care about,” said Harry. “Would it really bother him that much? Better than Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, at least, right? Ravenclaws are supposed to be highly intelligent. I thought he’d value that more.”
“Ah, but he would argue that it’s all about what kind of intelligence,” Draco answered. “And he prefers the cunning to the intellectual. That’s what Malfoys are supposed to be at any rate. Malfoy heirs especially. Slytherin is the only place they could belong, he would say.”
“Yes, well, as far as what Malfoy heirs are supposed to be, that shipped has sailed, don’t you think? After all, Malfoy heirs are supposed to be pureblood as well.”
“And not have two dads,” Draco added.
“And not be named after Gryffindor war heroes.”
“Indeed,” Draco agreed sardonically, remembering how incensed Lucius was when he’d learned his grandson’s full name: Scorpius James Potter-Malfoy. Not exactly what the Malfoy patriarch had in mind. “They also aren’t supposed to play in the mud and get their hands dirty before lunch.”
“Now that’s just sad,” Harry said.
“That was my childhood,” said Draco, his tone wistful. Harry’s arm around him tightened. “Which is why it won’t be Scorpius’. I let go of ‘supposed to’ a long time ago.”
“And I’m very, very glad of that,” said Harry, lifting his head to give Draco a kiss.
Draco kissed him back, smiling, before Harry rested his head on Draco’s chest again. Draco lifted a hand to stroke through his husband’s hair, thinking how glad he was as well that he had been able to let go of those kinds of expectations. Everything was so much sweeter, so much better, without them.
It wasn’t always this easy. There were days when work felt like too much or Scorpius was acting out, days when he just wanted a proper night’s sleep. There were days when his father’s behavior made him so angry he could scream, or days when some residual tension from their shared history would rear its head between him and the Weasleys. But he always got through it. They got through it together.
And there were so many times like this, when he could just relax, just be, with Harry wrapped around him and his son happy and exploring and bringing them little treasures. There were days of family and joy and celebration, of friends and good humor and acceptance. There were days where his heart felt so full that it almost hurt.
It was a beautiful life, and he had built it himself. He was free.
The End.
Aya-chan: Thank you so much! I love your description of my characters as “evolved.” That means a lot to me :)
Well, I tried to be quicker with the epilogue, but as you can see it still took me a few weeks. I hope the content makes up for it, considering I was able to fit Raisie in plus a glimpse into their parenting. I’m hoping to do some bonus one-shots for this (like side stories and deleted scenes), so I will take your desire for a Harry-Narcissa meeting into account as I plan those <3
goddess-of_dragons: Lol yeah, that was a long one :) I mean, I knew it was taking me a while to write it, but I was really shocked when I saw the word count. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I hope this one feeds your need for children and some details about the wedding. I’m sad to see this story end too but I’m looking forward to writing some extras for it and hopefully get back to Unstoppable as well!
And now that I’ve finally posted this, I can read your latest chapter! Yay!
Shaymarsh640: I was smiling from ear to ear when I read your list of your favorite details from the last chapter. You basically hit on everything I liked most about it. It’s the little things, I’ve realized, that make a story come alive for me.
Finishing this story has been very bittersweet. It’s taken a lot out of me and I will be happy to get a little bit of a break, but on the other hand I’ve really loved living inside this world, and I’ve gotten pretty attached to these characters. I don’t think I’ll be able to leave them behind completely. I’ve got some ideas for side stories and deleted scenes that I want to write, and I still have some of your suggestions from a few reviews ago that I will probably use as inspiration :)
Speaking of which, I’m so happy to hear that you felt the suggestions I have taken on so far feel seamless. I like getting feedback and giving readers what they want whenever I can, but I never want to lose sight of what the story is about for me. I think sometimes listening to too many voices can lead a writer off-track. Luckily for me a lot of the suggestions I received were very much in line with my vision, and I think made the story even richer, in some cases.
Well, life is still crazy and this epilogue didn’t exactly fall onto the page effortlessly as I was hoping, but I got it done anyway. I really hope you enjoyed it! <3
Jan: Thanks! I really like how this Ron turned out too. It was definitely my intention to defy expectations with both him and Hermione and have them be more open-minded about Draco than we might assume they would be.
Lucius is more accepting now, but that’s still not saying much. We’ll see what happens with that, if I end up writing more. Hope you enjoyed the epilogue! <3
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A Secondary Education