The Lost Malfoy

Chapter nineteen; the court;

After hours of clean up, Asteria sat in Charlie's lap outside, staring at the Black Lake. Draco and Harry sat next to them, curled up together to her left, and Ron and Hermione to her right, the sun was beginning to set all over again, and she finally felt at peace. She leaned her back against Charlie's chest, and let her head rest on his shoulder, looking at the sky.

"What now?" Of course, it would be Ronald who summed it all up in one question. 

"Elegant, Weasley." Draco chuckled against Harry's shoulder.

"Well, I didn't expect to survive this long, so I have no idea." Harry supplied nonchalantly, and she watched Draco's eyes darken for a moment, before disappearing.

"McGonagall offered me a teaching position." Asteria supplied, thinking back to an hour ago when the new Headmistress offered her the position as the new DADA position or even Potions, as Professor Slughorn decided to return to his retirement.

"Are you gonna take it?" Hermione asked, and Asteria shrugged.

"Don't know yet. But probably, I don't really have any other plans."

"Shacklebolt offered me an immediate place in the Auror's department." Harry supplied.

"Aren't you done with fighting the bad guys, Harry?" Charlie asked, and Harry laughed.

"I might be, but I should probably finish school before I decide."

"McGonagall said we could all return without issue for our seventh year, said we'd just get a separate dorm probably with the rest of the returning seventh years." Draco supplied, looking at the lake. "I'll probably do that, mind you."

"What about afterward?" Ron asked, looking at her brother curiously.

"I don't want to fight or teach honestly." Draco supplied, looking curiously at Ron. "The Malfoy business isn't as lucrative as it looks, nor is it really useful in the scheme of things."

"What about a healer?" Hermione asked, and Draco looked thoughtful at the suggestion.

"I like that idea, Granger. Maybe."

"I think I'd like to go into something at the Ministry." Hermione supplied, and everyone laughed.

"Not surprising there, Granger. You'll be the next Minister of Magic in no time." Draco laughed as Harry nodded in agreement.

"But you'll all be returning for your last year?" Charlie asked, and received nods in response,

"What about you, Charlie? Gonna return to Romania?" Ron asked with a curious glance at Asteria, who had tensed up slightly.

"Probably not, McGonagall offered me a teaching position as well. Apparently, Hagrid wants to leave to travel some, and she needs a new Care of Magical Creatures professor." He supplied, kissing Asteria's shoulder softly, as she released the tension.

"I need to buy a new house," Asteria added, with a chuckle. "And of course, Harry, Draco you are welcome to live with me while you attend your final school year."

—-
It had been a week since the battle and Asteria was standing at the Ministry, watching Harry recount his story in the Forbidden Forest, requesting that her mother be cleared of all charges. She had assisted them in the Manor during their hunt, she had full-on lied to Voldemort about Harry being dead, and had protected him. She'd been shocked slightly when Harry had told her and Draco the story. But unlike her younger brother, she didn't know if she could hold out on hope. She sat in front of the entire Wizenagot, and watched Harry go over in explicit details, what happened in the forest, she flinched as he recounted the Killing Curse, his time in the space between, and how he came too, with Narcissa hunched over him, asking if her children lived. Kingsley sat at the head of the others, listening to the proceedings, as Asteria gripped her brother's hands. Harry stepped down, and returned to his seat beside Draco, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.