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Fooling Fate sequel to Bound	By : goldhorse Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 44179 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That lucky duck JK Rowling does. I don't make any money from this fanfic. I just play with her toys and put them back in relatively good condition.

Chapter List
- 60
- 61
“Going to stay out here all night?”
James turned to see Melody sit down on the bench beside him. “I’ll stay as long as they do.”
Melody looked out into the pasture, seeing something so heartbreakingly familiar that she couldn’t help but cry. The four remaining Malfoys were gathered in a circle, the Fate’s circle, the place where it had begun decades ago. They hadn’t spoken to anyone since they had regained consciousness. Narcissa, Demitri, and Addie Mae stood off to the side, their faces etched with grief. They dare not interrupt the children. Colton, Lizzy, Emily, and Hugo stood on the opposite side, not willing to interrupt either. This was something the children had to do. They had to say goodbye… and everyone deserved it.
“How are mum and dad?” James asked softly.
“About as well as you can imagine,” Melody said. “Mostly numb.”
“It’s been three days,” James whispered. “Will it ever end?”
Melody shrugged. “I don’t know. When I came back the first time, it had been weeks and Hermione and Draco and Severus were still walking around like zombies. We’ve been together for over twenty years now. It hurts so much more.”
“It had to happen though, right?” James asked sadly.
Melody nodded. “It did. And you saw the aftermath.”
James nodded. It had been surreal. The creatures they had fought with on the plain were all waiting for them at the Ranch. They had been so kind as to revive them all, helping them in the house because they were too weak to move under their own power. They had been thanked and rejoiced and praised for saving precious loved ones, for ending the war. And it was hollow… so hollow.
“Does everyone still have soul mates?” James asked after a while.
Melody shrugged. “How should I know? I haven’t felt this blind in years. But if it makes you feel better, Nemesis insisted that Aphrodite would kill her for separating soul mates.”
“Annabel isn’t my soul mate.”
“Doesn’t matter. You shared something that will forever bond you together. Whether you stay together or not is a choice only you two can make. I told you before, it doesn’t matter if you’re soul mates. It matters if it makes you happy.”
James gave a weak smile. “She does… or she would… if I didn’t feel so empty.”
Melody nodded. “It’s to be expected.”
James sighed. “Any word from Harmony?”
Melody shook her head. “No. She insisted on being away from everyone… in case the turning didn’t work.”
“Not bound to each other,” James said, frowning. “Does it feel odd?”
Melody laughed sadly. “Kind of feels like I’ve lost a limb. It’s scary, really, knowing I could possibly die alone. I’ve always known that when we died, it would be together. Not knowing is… well, it’s a feeling I’ll have to get used to.”
“Why didn’t they take the creature blood?” James asked.
Melody sighed. “What’s been done at the blood level can never been undone sweetheart. I’ll always carry a piece of Harmony with me, even though I won’t feel her magic coursing through me. Lily and Cecil have still exchanged blood, their bound to each other. At least now they have a choice. They can remain friends or become more, but there is no more pressure. Those that Moira got a hold of will never be rid of the wolf. And for those four, they’ll have the worst time of it. They have no reason to wear their bindings any more, but they can’t count on the magic to buffer their strength or their hearing. They’ll have to relearn everything. Everyone will.”
James laughed sadly. “Good thing I was always normal there.”
Melody butted his shoulder playfully. “You’ve never been normal, James. And you’ll have the wolf inside you from now on. But I’d say you’ll have one of the smallest adjustments.”
“If Al and Martin-“ James cleared his throat. “If they could do it…”
“Hey,” Melody said. “We’ll see them again.”
James shook his head. “I saw them explode.”
“Phoenixes never truly leave us.”
James burst into tears. “Then why haven’t we seen them?”
“That I couldn’t say. But we have to keep up faith, James. Without faith, we’ll crumble. Go on back inside. I’ll keep an eye on everyone. Try to get some sleep.”
James nodded and stumbled blindly back to the Ranch. The others would help him there. Melody settled in to watch the children. Their mates were headed back to the Ranch. It was nightfall, time for shift change. Narcissa and Demitri scooped Addie up and zipped over to her.
“You’ll watch over them?” Narcissa whispered.
Melody nodded, giving them a weak smile. “Always.”
Narcissa patted her shoulder and disappeared with what remained of her family in the blink of an eye. She’d taken galleons of sunlight potions just to be with her grandchildren but it had taken its toll. She was weak. She needed to take some time and feed. Demitri would take care of her. It was hard, losing a child. Melody was just glad it wasn’t her… this time.
When all was silent and still, dark as night, the Malfoys broke down. Melody stayed put. Only they knew how they truly felt, from their perspective anyway. No one could comfort them. At least they had a stable bond, blood deep. Melody sighed and pulled her knees up to her chin, rocking back and forth on the bench listening to the sounds of mourning. There would be hundreds of others doing the same now, including them.
Lazarus and Andra had been lost while taking out one of the possessed werewolves. Tatyana had been caught by silver. It was unclear whether she could regenerate or not. The jury was still out. Cecil was ill because he’d had the job of taking out Mary Alice and estranged or not, she was still his sister. Nahuatl and Samuel had died in each other’s arms when they were impaled by a limb protecting the younger walkers. Sad that they had found each other right before death. The wolf pack and the walkers had howled together in mourning.
There were silver linings. They were able to save Elden’s brother. And the leader of the werewolves was going to be fine. Her pack had rejoiced her return. The walkers, with the exception of Sam, had gained their leader back. The fae had recovered a few of their members as well. But it was overshadowed by overwhelming losses on both sides. Melody sighed and cast a perimeter warming charm to keep the children from getting too cold. It was much more difficult than it used to be. She’d have to make new wands for everyone sooner or later. But they would go on… somehow.
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“Found it!”
“What? Tell us. How? Where? What?”
“Shut it and summon them.”
“Tell us first.”
“No. You will spoil it.”
“They are ours!”
“They are free from us, you idiots. And if you do not want that to happen, you will obey me. Now, summon them.”
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“You have to eat some time,” Lizzy whispered as she placed a plate of beef jerky and dried fruit in front of Scorpius.
Scorpius shook his head, as did his brother and sisters. He didn’t care that it had been nearly a week. He made sure that they drank enough to stay alive, but food was the furthest thing from their minds. In his mind, they were orphans.
Lizzy sighed and brushed the fringe out of Scorpius’s face. “Scorp, I know it hurts, but you can’t stop living because of it. They would hate that. They gave up so much so you could live.” Scorpius narrowed his eyes and she flinched but kept on. “What do you think they’d say if they saw you now, mourning your lives away? Hmm? Did they lie down and wallow after the first war? No. They attended funerals, paid their respects, and moved on.”
“There can’t be a bloody funeral!” Scorpius bellowed, springing up from the ground with surprising agility and pinning Lizzy to the ground beneath him. “There aren’t any fucking bodies. And if there were, no one could know about it because what we did never fucking happened!”
Lizzy breathed out a sigh of relief. “Finally.”
“What?” Scorpius sad, frowning.
“Honestly, I expected anger much sooner than now. And I’ve been so worried.” She reached up and caressed his cheekbone. “I love you Scorp.”
Scorpius burst into great wracking sobs, burying his face in Lizzy’s stomach to hide. She allowed it, knowing he needed to let go. They had been holding it in for far too long. As he released his anguish, Colton, Emily, and Hugo inched forward, hoping that Scorpius breaking down would help the others. They were pressed together tightly, watching Scorpius deal with his emotions.
Emily knelt in front of Jacob, her head cocked to the side. “It’s strange, only hearing every third word you’re thinking.”
Jacob frowned. “You can hear me?”
Emily nodded. “Grief clouds the senses.”
Jacob snorted to hide the grimace.
“There is no shame in mourning,” Emily said quietly. “I think those thoughts are the most beautiful, for in death is when we truly remember the good times. Martin’s thoughts were so lovely.”
Jacob gasped and sprang forward and pulled her into his chest. “I… I didn’t-“
She patted him on the back and directed his head to lie on her shoulder. “I made my peace with his possible death the first time. And his thoughts were so beautiful they made me cry. This time there was fierce determination and a strength I’ve never felt from him before. They were… well, I’ll cherish them always, even if I never see him again.”
It was Jacob’s time to break down, though it wasn’t as violent as Scorpius’s release. He was always the more stoic of the two, though his silent sobs were heart wrenching. Emily simply held him and let him be. Ara and Rose clung to each other and watched in stunned amazement.
“I’m afraid we aren’t quite as eloquent as the ladies,” Colton said softly, kneeling down beside Ara.
“But we’ve got bigger shoulders,” Hugo piped in, kneeling and brushing Rose’s hair out of her face. “Your thoughts are so sad. Please let me take some.”
Colton held Ara’s hands as Rose leapt into Hugo’s arms and allowed him to rock her back and forth on the cold dirt. He knew no words would help his love right then. She was too much of a hot head for that. Quiet and calm was what she needed and that is what he would give her. So he sat and rubbed her shoulders and back and held her hands and waited, brushing a silent tear from her face every now and then. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she turned and sobbed into his chest.
“Why?” Ara asked in a strangled voice. “Why them?”
“Why anyone?” Colton said softly. “They took my parents before I even knew them because they thought they had a chance to go bad. At least yours died heroes. And regardless of whether anyone else knows why they died, we do. And we’ll never forget it. Ever.”
There was a loud crack, like the sound of the sky ripping open and a blinding light that terrified the children on the ground.
“Well, I’m glad to know we weren’t forgotten.”
The children stared slack jawed at the sight before them.
“D-d-dad?” Scorpius rasped.
Draco cracked a grin and nodded, motioning behind him for someone to join him.
“Mum,” Ara squeaked.
Hermione beamed and nodded, though she didn’t move.
“Wh-ho-huh?” Scorpius stuttered.
“We were out Slytherined,” Draco said with a smirk and a look over to the side where Melody was racing towards them. “Turns out that when you save the Gods the trouble of a decade long fight, they look favorably on you.”
“And when you use words like if, there are loopholes,” Hermione said, giggling when Melody skidded to a stop in front of them.
“Holy Merlin wearing a tutu and doing the Flamenco! It worked!” Melody shrieked.
“Very cleaver,” Nemesis crooned, appearing out of thin air. “You said if they died, we must take back your gifts and set you free. And they said if they died, then you would be free. So if they were not dead, you are not free. And in doing so…”
Nemesis snapped and the ground shook. The children and Melody doubled over in pain as their old magic rushed through their veins, leaving them dizzy and nauseas.
“And now I must get Fortuna and see that last boon. Good day.”
“Last boon?” Melody breathed. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Hope so,” Hermione huffed. “Took us long enough to negotiate it.”
“Is that why you two stayed away so long,” Melody breathed.
Draco smirked. “Nah. It took us that long to convince Zeus we didn’t want to be Gods!”
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“So let me get this straight,” Harry said, staring at Hermione and Draco as they sat in the floor cradling their children. “When you exploded, you actually crossed dimensions?”
Hermione nodded. “It’s hard to explain. Well, I’m sure Melody has some clue as to what happened but it’s like… I imagine it’s like interdimensional transportation, which is just a theory or a myth in our world. Of course, for the Gods it is an everyday occurrence. That’s why there is a bright light and such a loud crack when they appear. They aren’t just moving through space, they are moving through time and the very fabric of our world. It’s all very interesting.”
Ginny grinned. “Of course it is, you know-it-all.”
Draco chuckled. “Trust me, she drove Athena nuts and that Goddess is all about knowledge.”
“They wanted you to be Gods,” Severus said quietly. He hadn’t said much to anyone since the war so it cause several people to flinch.
Draco sighed and nodded. “They consider it a great honor usually only offered to their children. But I suppose they saw merit in us because they wouldn’t let us leave until we’d heard them out. And since we were technically dead, it wasn’t like we had any place to go anyway.”
“At least you were together,” Celeste said.
Draco nodded with a soft smile and kissed Hermione’s temple. “Yes, they couldn’t take that away from us. Trust me, they tried. And they tried to take our magic when we refused to become like them. That didn’t really go well.”
“And by that, you mean…” Alex said.
Hermione smirked. “We sort of blew up Mount Olympus.”
“No,” their children all said at once, eye wide.
Draco winked. “Never mess with a Malfoy.”
“How did that work?” Melody asked.
“Well,” Hermione said, shifting so she could see Melody and Alex wrapped up in a blanket. “Our magic was bestowed by the Fates. And not only that, we bound ourselves to each other beyond death. We exchanged blood and bonded our minds, souls, bodies, and magic. We are essentially one. And when they tried to take the magic, not only did the Rules of the Gods apply, one being that you can’t actually strip Godly powers, they tried to do it one at a time.”
Melody started cackling. “Oh, oh, oh, that’s brilliant! Your cores flared. How bad did you scorch Zeus?”
Draco smirked. “He had a hard time pointing at anyone for a while.”
“How are your cores?” Harry cut in. “I know mine felt… strange… after.”
“We’re even stronger,” Draco said quietly. “But supposedly, we can be a continent apart now and not feel anything more than mild discomfort. It’s a side effect of absorbing everyone’s powers.”
“Great,” Melody said dryly. “So now they created the perfect weapon.”
“Seems that way,” Hermione said glumly. “We forgot to include a loophole for our loophole.”
“Well, I should think we won’t be called upon for a while,” Melody said.
“Actually, they have a different calling in mind,” Draco said. “They want us to try and start a program in America like England has in place now.”
Colton frowned. “There is a program in England?”
“Of course there is,” Zach snorted. “We’re all required to take classes according to our blood status. We learn the history of both muggles and wizards and not just about the bloody troll wars. We do an in depth study of the war, why it happened, what could have prevented it, if anything. It’s awful for us, simply because we know more about it than most, but everyone else seems to enjoy it.”
“And they seem to tolerate more,” Rhapsody said softly. “No one spews Pureblood doctrine anymore, not even the Death Eater families.”
“It’s a program of tolerance and equality,” Hermione said. “And the Gods want it extended to creatures as well. They want the differences and dangers to come to light. What Moira did was impossible without the help of the Gods. And Hades did have his hands in Voldemort’s designs for the future. Hopefully, we’ve wiped out all the believers.”
“And if we haven’t, the Gods have stripped Hades of his memories,” Draco added. “If they so much as smell a coo, we’ll be sent in to take care of it.”
“So we’re still they’re lapdogs,” Scorpius said bitterly, holding onto his mother’s hand a bit tighter.
“That’s another thing,” Hermione said. “We did manage to get a reprieve for you.”
“You, meaning….” Scorpius said with narrowed eyes.
“Meaning that only the original phenoms and the original pure will be called,” Draco said. “You’re free.”
“Free,” Scorpius said softly. “But not free.”
“Gilded cage is the definition you’re looking for,” Melody said. “It sucks. Royally. But it appears that it will always be our lot in life.”
Cadence suddenly stood up, her eyes wide. “It’s not all bad.”
“Come again?” Scorpius asked suddenly.
“Birds kept in gilded cages have privileges that others don’t,” Cadence said, turning towards the front door and pointing just as it opened.
“Harm!” Melody yelped and tackled her sister before she could even get through the door.
“Didn’t miss me, did ya?” Harmony wheezed, laughing and spinning Melody around.
“Damn, but I was worried,” Melody whispered, holding her sister tightly.
“Care to clue the rest of us in?” James asked.
“I believe I can shed some light on the subject.”
“Philippe,” Alex said jovially. “You’ve gotten a tan.”
“I have,” Philippe said. “I never thought I’d say it, but I’ve missed the sun.”
“Walker looks good on you Dr. Phil,” Melody said with a grin.
Philippe scowled for a second but quickly turned merry when he saw Hermione and Draco. “And it seems as though we’ve returned on a happy moment.”
“Welcome back,” Draco said, grinning at the newest set of daywalkers.
“And you as well,” Philippe said, mock bowing. “Now, if everyone doesn’t mind, I want a fucking meal that isn’t liquid!”
“I’ll second that,” Draco said. “Nectar from the Gods is nasty.”
“Thirded,” Hermione said. “And if I ever eat another honey based food again, I’ll vomit.”
Melody grinned. “Alright then everyone, how about some fajitas?”
Cheers sounded all around.
“Wait,” Addie cried, running to the door. “Wisten!”
Everyone fell silent. It took a minute but they finally heard it, the croon of two birds. They all ran out of the house, yelling in excitement when a gold and a red phoenix swooped down, circling them.
“We’re all here,” Ginny whispered.
“Not everyone,” Draco said, looking down at Addie as she waved to Albus and Martin. “Where are mum and dad?”
“Dey said dey would be hewe as soon as it was dawk. Dey wan out of potion.”
“Well,” Draco said, kneeling down and picking the little girl up, making her squeal as he spun her around. “We’ll have to make sure that they are fully stocked from now on, won’t we?”
“Yep,” Addie said, wiggling a bit in her brother’s arms. “Let’s eat now.”
“Amen,” Melody said with a chuckle. “Everyone man the kitchen!”
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“Welcome back everyone,” Lorna Smith said as she stood tall and proud in the Dining Hall at Salem. “I’m glad to see most everyone has returned. First, let me apologize for all of the trials and tribulations you went through this past year. War is never easy. Walking head long into it unprepared and unaware is worse. Therefore, to ensure that never happens again, there are going to be several changes. I hope you’ll find them satisfactory. First, let me introduce you to your new Headmistress, me. It is unfortunate that we lost Headmistress Whorple and Deputy MacNeeley.”
The family hissed under their breath at the mention of that name. It would be forever tainted in their memories. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
“As next in line, I hope to live up to my predecessors.”
“Not bloody hard, is it?” Scorpius muttered, earning a smack from Ara to remind him to behave himself.
“Now for the upcoming changes,” Lorna continued. “You all remember Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy? They will be teaching a new class, world history. I think we’ve all been suffering from a serious lack of worldy knowledge. Therefore, they will be covering Muggle and Magical history all over the world as well as how creatures fit into that world. And, you’ll be happy to know that your Care of Magical Creatures class is going to be decidedly more hands-on than previous years. Also, Mr. Sanders is no longer with us, so you will have a new Ancient Runes teacher. May I introduce Harmony Belrose.”
The family gave a wild round of applause as Harmony stood, blushing the entire time. Melody cackled and clapped her sister on the back. Harmony scoffed and sat back down in a hurry.
“Mrs. Belrose has only agreed to fill in for the rest of the year, but she is very knowledgeable and I encourage each and every one of you to learn all you can from her before her time is up. Also, you have a new Charms teacher, Celeste Snape. She will also be staying through the end of the year. Mrs. Snape?”
Celeste stood, eyes cast downward until Severus cleared his throat. She stood tall and proud then, green eyes piercing through each and every person in the room. She nodded at the applause from the children and sat back down.
Lorna smile. “And finally, since our nurse has left us, we have two gentlemen who will take turns seeing to your medical needs, Alex Lee and Philippe Belrose. Stand please?” The daywalkers and bowed briefly before sitting down. “And, of course, you know you can always go see Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy should they not be around. Also, as a final treat, and since we’ve had such a huge change in our lives, I have invited Auror Harry Potter here to teach you all a bit about self-defense and combat in addition to your defense teacher’s excellent teachings.”
The entire room burst into raucous applause and cheers as Harry stepped out of the shadows with Ginny in tow and took a brief bow. He sat his wife down before seating himself but the noise didn’t stop. He frowned as he took his seat beside Hermione and then scowled at the table.
“What’s wrong Harry?” Hermione asked.
“You should get the applause,” Harry whispered.
“Sort of equal, mate,” Draco said softly. “I think Sev is the only one who didn’t actually die.”
“I didn’t,” Celeste muttered softly.
“Makes you two the rare ones, I’d say,” Ginny said. “And sadly enough, it makes me the most normal.”
The adults fought back laughter at that.
“Alright,” Lorna called. “That’s enough. I have one more announcement to make… or perhaps two. Since this is the beginning of a new year, I thought to bring back some new life… or well, old life.” The children gasped and shrieked as several ghosts floated through the door, nodding their thanks. “In addition to the ghosts, I’m managed to scrounge up the old paintings that used to hang in these hallowed halls. Feel free to strike up a conversation, for there is as much to learn from the past as there is for the future.”
Melody dashed the tears from her eyes as several ghosts floated by and nodded to them. “She found them,” she croaked.
“Took some time,” Lorna muttered under her breath. “But they weren’t truly gone.”
Melody smiled at her plate. “No. Seems no one truly is.”
Hermione and Draco held hands and surveyed the children, saddened by what they saw. They had all aged several years in the past few months. Two battles and a war would do that to anyone. Their eyes were darker, haunted with the horrors they had seen. They were all still exceedingly jumpy, though they were getting better. They stuck closer together and it was hard for them to speak to anyone not in the family. War had made them all closer and the losses had been hard on everyone. The past months were spent grieving and making markers for the fallen in the furthest pasture at the Ranch. It was full of scraggly trees with a quiet little stream running through where one could catch a glimpse of a few unicorns. It was a perfect place to remember friends and family.
A loud screech filled the air and they looked up to see Albus and Martin fly in through a high window. They boys circled the children, who all laughed and applauded before landing gracefully at the table.
“Ah, yes,” Lorna said. “Children, meet your first subject for your new Care of Magical Creatures curriculum. The red one is called Eterno and the gold, Infinito. They are the Potters’ familiars and I expect you all to treat them with respect. And from now on, Salem Academy will strive to be the best we can and never rest on our laurels again!”
As the cheers sounded, Draco grabbed Hermione’s hand and kissed it. He wasn’t worried about the future anymore. They might be birds in a gilded cage, but being a kept weapon had its perks. He smiled at the children who were busy trying to coax Al and Martin to come sit with them. Yes, perks indeed.

AN: And we've come to the end. It's kind of... strange. In a way, I'm sooo glad this story is over. My muse and I have been going about 30 rounds for every chapter and, well, that's a lot of rounds! And maybe I'll be productive now, like I could actually finish my other novels... or clean my house. *snort* On the other hand, I am sad to see it go. I luff Melody's huge fucked up family. ;) Anyway, thanks to everyone who has stuck it out to the end with me. It's not nearly what it should be, but we got here, didn't we? As always, thanks to those who reveiwed. They kept me going when I didn't think I could. And until the next one... love you guys!
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Fooling Fate *sequel to Bound*

Fooling Fate sequel to Bound