A Marriage of Inconvenience

Chapter 9: Epilogue

The nursery at St. Mungo's was sparsely populated with babies that night, but a gaggle of witches and wizards stood admiring one of the three infants behind the glass. Some would have considered it a strange sight to see Harry Potter standing beside Draco Malfoy, with a wan-looking Lucius Malfoy standing behind them. The older man had been released from Azkaban on compassionate grounds, due to an incurable magical malady that would shortly take his life. Seeing his grandson was one of the last reasons he'd had for clinging so tightly to his life.

His wife, Cissy, held his arm with one hand, her other holding the wrist of Jean Granger. Both grandmothers were equally teary-eyed by the sight of their adorable little Scorpius, with the wisps of silvery-blond curls on his head, and eyes they knew were a rich brown—when he bothered to open them.

Right now, little Scorpius slept soundly, as though aware some of the most powerful witches and wizards were oohing and awing over him, and that he wouldn't lack for defenders.

Or friends. Little James was asleep in Ginevra's arms, and Ron had his hand resting on the swollen stomach of his wife, Padma. Their whirlwind relationship had shocked everyone, including Ron, who would have sworn she would never speak to him again after the disastrous fourth-year Yule Ball.

Even Professor Snape had come to visit his godson's son, having congratulated Hermione on her blessing in what had seemed a very heartfelt and sincere way. He stood near Minerva and Poppy, who were dabbing their eyes discreetly.

Hermione, sitting beside Scorpius' incubator as they awaited a final checkup from the Healer on duty before discharge, met Draco's eyes through the glass and smiled. Her grin widened when he mouthed, "I love you." She knew.

Sometimes, she thought they had always loved each other, even in the midst of their worst rivalries. They might not be the real heirs of Gryffindor and Slytherin, but they had found a way to unite the houses that no one had ever expected. Muggle-born blood and pure blood had mingled to create the perfect little boy at her side. Once more, she was thankful for Draco's scheming that had brought them to this point. Blowing him a kiss, she turned to greet the Healer as she entered, more than ready to return home and continue their lives together with their baby son.