A/N – This is officially it. The last of this story. I can't believe it's over. I rewrote this chapter/the epilogue a good three times and I'm still not sure I got it completely right.

Thank you again, MQIE, for trusting me with your baby.

Thank you, Ms Rowling, for creating the original characters and world for us to reimagine and enjoy.

Thank you to all of you delightful readers who came on this journey with me.

Enjoy!

Chapter 15 (Epilogue) – Wait Till You See Her

Hermione sighed and leaned back against Draco, staring into the dark water of the Black Lake, her thoughts swirling about in her head. They had just graduated that day, and school had officially let out for the summer, but her family was staying at the castle for the time being.

"You can't stay upset with them forever," Draco eventually said, breaking the silence between them. "It's hardly their fault."

She knew he was right, of course. But it did nothing to soothe her irritation. "Technically…" she began, frowning as he chuckled.

"That's stretching it a little," he chided, amused by her implication nonetheless. There was another short span of silence and she felt him make a move to stand. "It's getting late. We should return to the castle."

She shook her head. "Just a little longer? We'll be leaving for uni soon enough, and I'm going to miss it here."

Draco's intended reply was cut short as a black-clad figure approached from over the crest of a hill. "I suspect your stalling has come to an end." He pressed a kiss to her cheek when he felt her tense. "This conversation is long overdue, 'Mione, and it's one you should have in private. I'll go and find Mother."

She bit back the plea for him to stay as she knew that she had monopolised enough of his time away from Narcissa, and that the woman would soon have to return to Malfoy Manor to allow another troupe of Aurors to scour the property for her estranged –and criminally Wanted- husband. The searches were near constant, but the property was huge –larger than the Snape plot by far- and Lucius was wily. He'd be Kissed for certain when he was caught.

Draco kissed her lips chastely and stood up just as his Godfather reached them. He gave the older Slytherin a cursory once-over, noting the exhaustion that lined dark eyes, and nodded his greeting before taking his leave. He would talk to the man later.

Hermione bit her lip as Severus sat down on the grass beside her, "Hi Dad," she acknowledged him softly.

He put an arm around her shoulders and drew her against him, causing her to smile. Over the course of the year, he had become much more comfortable with being tactile. "I apologise for missing the ceremony," he told her, knowing that he'd hit the nail on the head when her body stiffened. He kissed the top of her head. "I've just viewed Albus' memories. I am extremely proud of you. Your closing speech was nothing short of Outstanding."

Hermione nodded, but remained silent. She knew she was being unfair to hold onto her resentment, given the circumstances, but she couldn't bring herself to let it go. He didn't say any more, though, waiting for her to broach the subject. Typical Slytherin.

"When I was little," she eventually found herself confessing, knowing by now that Severus would drag it out of her one way or another, "I used to beg my parents for a younger sibling. Obviously I know now that there were deeper issues at work preventing them from having more children, but at the time…"

"Go on."

"Dad would always tell me the same thing." Hermione stared out across the lake, watching a tentacle lazily snake out of the surface before disappearing again. "He'd say that they lucked out with me. That I was everything they needed in a child and then some. That they didn't want to share me with anyone else."

She felt guilty for feeling mixed emotions about Remus' pregnancy and her sibling (he'd been adamant that they not find out the gender until the birth, which she personally thought was ridiculous, but Remus was the impulsive, romantic type.) However, it wasn't until earlier that day –when her Papa had gone into labour a few hours before the ceremony was to start- that her resentment had truly manifested.

Something had snapped inside her. It was as though she'd realised that this was the beginning of her parents replacing her for a 'real' child, rather than the complete stranger and near adult whose life they'd had no true input into until it was too late. It would start with missing her graduation for its birth (which she knew couldn't be helped) and would soon extend to postponing visits to her University or her visits home, to only seeing her on birthdays and holidays – and, even then, things between them would be awkward and strained because they'd be back to being strangers.

Draco had predicted she'd feel this way. When she'd broken the news to him, he'd immediately asked how she felt, and tried to reassure her that her parents weren't going to replace her. She'd laughed him off at the time, more concerned about how her parents' new and tentative relationship was going to survive the stresses of a surprise pregnancy and a baby as she hadn't wanted to see either man hurt. But Draco had still told her that it would be normal to feel as though her spot in her family was being usurped –he'd felt that way when Hermione had told him that Severus was her Dad, after all- and had urged her to talk to her parents about the changes that were coming.

But she hadn't, and now she felt like a selfish, silly child as she basically told her Dad that she didn't want to share her parents. She'd only just found them, damn it all!

"I worried that you might feel this way," Severus replied, the arm around her shoulders giving her a squeeze. "We should have spoken about this much earlier."

She turned her head and observed him out of the corner of her eye, hearing regret and weariness in his tone. "I know I'm being ridiculous," she admitted, "And I would have denied feeling this way if you had confronted me."

"You do seem to have inherited a number of my more…pernicious traits." He glanced down and gave her a teasing smirk. "You may be fortunate enough to physically resemble the Wolf, but I find it greatly satisfying that your personality reflects my own more than could be attributed to coincidence. Until it comes time to confront you, at any rate."

She sniggered lightly.

His smirk became a gentle smile momentarily before he sobered. "Hermione, I love you. Had it not been for you, I would still be a bitter, jaded, lonely, greasy dungeon bat, and would likely have remained as such until the day I died. I never anticipated that I could easily or happily confess any feelings of affection for anyone –not any children, and certainly not any lovers. When Remus told me he was pregnant, I was hardly impressed. I felt just as your...as Granger told you: I already had the perfect daughter. I didn't want, nor need, another to come along, to vie for my attention and disrupt the family that I had only just started to reconstruct." He swallowed, "To be honest, I still felt uneasy about it this morning."

"Really?" Hermione asked, her insecurities starting to fade.

Severus nodded. "I don't believe that raising an infant is going to be easy, and I'm certain I will make a number of mistakes as a father to one so young and malleable, but when I held your sister in my hands, I-"

"Sister?" She interrupted, unable to help herself. It was all well and good to think of her sibling as a genderless entity residing inside her Papa, but another altogether to be told she had a baby sister. She suddenly felt guilty for not even asking after Remus, too wrapped up in her selfish thoughts. The man had just gone through labour, for Merlin's sake, and given her a sister. And if Severus Snape was showing outward signs of exhaustion, she hated to think how Remus was faring. "That's…wow. How's Papa?"

"He's recovering well."

She made move to stand, "I feel awful. I should go see him. What sort of daughter igno-"

"I assure you, Remus will understand. Your feelings are valid and it is natural that you'd be upset that we were unable to see you collect your Top of Subject awards," she'd collected all but two; Potions (which went to Greg, who had also claimed Care of Magical Creatures, not one of her electives) and DADA (Harry), the irony of which, given they were her fathers' subjects, wasn't lost on her, "give your Head Student speech and graduate." Severus pulled her back into a hug. "And I will take this opportunity to reiterate just how proud of you I am."

Hermione smiled up at him, warmed by both his words and his continuing embrace. "Thanks, Dad." She wrapped her arm around his waist, feeling more calm and rational than she had since she'd helped rush Remus to the Hospital Wing that morning. "For what it's worth, I think you and Papa are going to do a wonderful job. I think the crux of my problem is that I'm jealous that she's going to be your baby -your little girl- from the start, and I only really got a year." He moved to interrupt her, but she held up her hand to stall him. "But I was someone else's little girl, and I'm glad that you're going to get the opportunity to experience what you should have to begin with. And I love you, too."

Severus smiled, another action he'd become more comfortable with over the course of the year, and easily rose to his feet, offering his daughter his hand, "Come; Remus, Narcissa and Draco will be expecting us."

She took his hand and followed him to the Hospital Wing, feeling light, happy and loved.

Inside the Wing, she greeted Narcissa again with a kiss to each of the blonde woman's cheeks, and allowed Severus to pull her into Remus' curtained off room, knowing Draco and his mother would allow them a few minutes of privacy before they followed.

Remus looked tired but otherwise happy, and she offered him a sheepish smile and leaned in to kiss his cheek, her eyes drawn to the bundle of yellow blankets clutched against his chest.

"Congratulations on graduating," Remus said, slurring a little as his pain potions wore off. "I'm so proud of you. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I-"

"It's okay," she brushed him off, realising that she was being completely honest. "I think, given the circumstances, you can be excused."

The bundle shifted and a tiny pink, wrinkled hand wormed it's way out of the swaddle, drawing a gasp from the young Gryffindor. Remus smiled at her and tilted the bundle forward. He glanced up at his lover while Hermione tentatively inched towards her sister. "Did you tell her?"

Hermione paused, her hand extended as if to touch the soft, pink skin, eyes darting between the two men. "Tell me what?"

Her parents shared a look before Severus met her gaze, "We had hopes that perhaps you would like to name your sister."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

Really, she could see that it was quite the tactical move on her parents' part. By giving her the opportunity to name her sibling, they would pretty much guarantee her attachment to the little thing. She wondered, idly, if it had been Severus' idea. Nonetheless, it was quite the honour, and proved that her parents loved and trusted her beyond measure.

Severus nodded and, after exchanging yet another look with Remus, took the baby from him and deposited it in Hermione's arms. It was as though a switch flipped in the teenager's mind, and any lingering resentment that she might have had for the little girl who would receive the childhood that should have been her own evaporated, and instead she found herself enamoured. The tiny, squirming creature looked to have inherited a completely different set of physical traits to her own: the baby's head had tufts of fine, black hair peeking out from under a knitted woollen beanie, and her nose was clearly going to grow to resemble Severus'. The wide eyes that peered up at Hermione were dark and would likely turn obsidian, where Hermione's were very much like Remus'.

"Persephone," she said without hesitation, and Remus beamed at her, while Severus' eyes widened in surprise.

"You realise that was at the top of my own list of suggestions," the Potions Master informed her. "Like your own name, it derives from Greek literature…" He found himself unable to continue, feeling overwhelmed by emotion.

"It's perfect," Remus agreed. "You're a matching pair."

"Will you give her a middle name?" Hermione asked, before offering, "You know mine is Jean. After my Muggle Mum's mother."

Remus nodded. "I rather like Eileen. Severus' mother's name."

This time it was Hermione's turn to share a look with Remus, studiously ignoring the choked sound that her Dad emitted. "I think it's lovely," she agreed. "And it also matches with mine rather perfectly. One might think you planned it that way." Of course, Persephone had been her own suggestion, and she hadn't even made the connection to her own name when she'd said it. It had just felt right.

"Can we come in yet?" Draco asked, poking his head through the curtain, only looking mildly startled at the raw emotion still on his Godfather's face.

The older Slytherin gave himself a rough shake and schooled his features into his usual impassive mask. "Of course," he nodded, "I believe it's time she met her Godmother." He smirked at the surprise on Narcissa's face. "Turnabout being fair play and what have you. Of course, you'll have to share the honour with Potter."

It was obvious that he and Remus had compromised, but Severus was pleased to see the happy expression the admission evoked from Hermione. Harry and Remus had become extremely close over the course of the school year, the younger man fascinated by his pseudo-Godfather's pregnancy, and surprisingly supportive of his relationship with Severus himself. "He should be returning to the castle momentarily."

The blonde woman smiled and took the baby from Hermione, and Severus officially introduced her now that they had decided on a name. Draco's arm wrapped around Hermione's waist and he listened as they explained how the name had come to be chosen. Later, he would tell Hermione that he thought her choice was beautiful, and that it boded well for any children they might have in the future, but for the moment, he pressed a kiss to her cheek and whispered in her ear how glad he was to see her issues with her parents finally resolved.

When it was Draco's turn to hold Persephone, he marvelled at how light and yet remarkably solid the baby felt in his arms. There must have been something in his expression, though, as he looked up to find his mother looking on in amusement, while Severus glowered.

"I remind you, Draco, your mother and I are too young to be Grandparents. Remus as well, I suppose."

The werewolf swatted at his lover. There was barely six months between them and Severus knew it. "We can always use a babysitter, though. That would be enough to put them off having their own for a while."

Hermione rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I assure you, perfect as she is, Draco have every intention of graduating University and becoming gainfully employed first."

"Well, I don't necessarily have to work," the younger Slytherin reminded his girlfriend, earning himself a patented Snape scowl from the girl. "And neither would you, should we marry…"

She huffed and looked away, folding her arms across her chest. She knew he was deliberately riling her up; they had argued about this topic a number of times over the year. "If that's your idea of a proposal, Malfoy, the answer will always remain 'no'."

Her parents and his mother chuckled, all aware that she would certainly agree to marry him if (or, rather, when) he officially proposed, regardless as to how the question was posed. Even Draco himself smirked, knowing the same to be true.

He gave her a teasing peck on the lips and swatted her backside. "I'll wear you down at some point, Lupin-Snape. You mark my words." It didn't hurt to allow her some dignity, after all.

"I'm relatively certain you've worn everyone down, Drake, and I don't have any idea what it is you're talking about," Harry's voice interrupted as he, too, entered the curtained off area, moving directly to Remus and giving him an awkward, but gentle, hug. "You had to wait until after the train had well and truly left before actually giving birth, didn't you?"

Harry had known Remus was in labour as Hermione had told them all that morning, but when the baby had yet to make an entrance by the close of the graduation celebrations, Harry and Greg had been convinced to leave with the entire Weasley clan, which now included Lavender and her newborn son, Brian Weasley. (Ron had –in his usual dramatic fashion- vowed to do a Blood Adoption ritual and proposed to Lavender when the boy's Muggle father had sent back an owl denouncing his paternity and all rights to the, at the time, unborn baby. Molly had initially blown a gasket, before throwing herself into the role of Grandmother with vigour. The whole family was now extremely happy, and little Brian couldn't have been more loved and spoilt if they tried.)

Remus gave Harry an unapologetic shrug. "She is half Marauder and half Snape, Harry. It was only natural that she'd be difficult and do things on her own schedule."

Harry's eyes lit up and immediately zeroed in on the sleeping bundle in Draco's arms. "She?" He echoed.

"Yes, Potter," Draco sniffed haughtily, knowing that his would-be sister-in-law was about to be snatched from him, "You have a Goddaughter."

Green eyes widened with shock and immediately flew to meet bemused ("Thank you, Draco, for stealing my thunder.") obsidian. "Really?"

Severus gave the brat (who still gave him appraising glances when he thought he wasn't looking) a long suffering sigh and a nod, running a hand through his cropped short hair and rubbing the back of his neck: a rare nervous tic of his. "Narcissa is, naturally, her Godmother."

Harry surprised everyone by wrapping his arms around the Potions Master in his exuberance. "This means so much to me," he confessed, voice wavering slightly. "Thank you, Severus. Remus." He pulled away quickly, cheeks flushing when he realised exactly who it was he'd accosted. Turning to Draco, he extended his arms, "Right. My turn. Hand over…what's her name?"

"Persephone," Hermione answered, nudging Draco to comply. "Persephone Eileen Lupin-Snape."

Harry beamed, finally getting the tiny, pink, wrinkled baby situated comfortably in his arms. He took in her defined features and nodded. "It's absolutely perfect. Beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

He asked how the name came to be and Remus told the story again, yawning as he finished.

"Well, I'd say that's my cue to leave for now," Harry declared, carefully transferring the baby to Severus. "Congratulations again. Both of you." He gave Remus another hug. "Rest up. I'll come back to visit in a few days, when you're all properly settled."

Narcissa also said her goodbyes, and Draco as well, telling Hermione that he would walk his Mother to beyond the anti-apparition wards and would return soon. This left the Lupin-Snape family alone again.

Hermione expected to feel jealous as she watched her Dad sit beside the bed and cradle her sister with a look of unbridled awe on his face, but she was, instead, suffused with warmth and love. Her Papa had already drifted off into a well-earned sleep and she smiled fondly at the picture they made, committing the moment to memory.

-?-

"A Mastery in Transfiguration, another in Arithmancy and a Diploma of Spell Development," Draco bragged, pride practically oozing from his pores, "Hermione Lupin-Snape, how you managed to find time for all that, and your family, and -most importantly- me, I will never know."

It had been five years since they graduated Hogwarts and Hermione had, as expected, thrown herself into her university studies with relish. She had just graduated with her three separate degrees (well, two and a Diploma, but she wasn't about to get too technical) and Draco wanted to celebrate privately before attending dinner at Snape Manor with her family and friends.

"I might have set a record," she blushed, ducking her head. "The Dean said nobody in the history of the University has ever achieved a dual Mastery in under six years, and that's ignoring the additional Diploma."

"You did dedicate a lot of time to it," Draco nodded. They'd argued about her ambitions during their first year of tertiary education, and had even broken up for a time, but by the time their second years had begun, their issues had been resolved and Hermione had set herself a goal of five years instead of her original four. Draco would graduate the next year with his own dual Mastery –Potions and Runes- and he wasn't at all disappointed that she had overshadowed him so spectacularly.

"Hermione," he started again, "I'm so very proud of you."

She looked up at his serious tone, inhaling when she found him kneeling before her, a velvet box extended in his hands. "Draco…"

"Marry me?" He asked. On some level he knew her answer would be a resounding yes, but he was still nervous. Even more so when he realised that he hadn't sought her parents' permission. Hopefully, they would be so happy for them that they (read: Severus) would overlook his transgression.

Hermione nodded and gaped as a very large diamond was slid onto her finger. Typical Malfoy, she thought fondly.

Lucius had finally been caught by the Aurors during their third year of university, allowing Draco to return to the Manor and properly claim his property. Though he had had control of the Malfoy finances since his eighteenth birthday, the wards had needed to be reset on his official Manor before he could claim any of the others. Since then, Narcissa had delighted in travelling the world and Draco had convinced Hermione to move in with him. It had caused quite the scandal amongst the old Pureblood grapevines, given that they weren't even engaged, but neither Hermione nor Draco could bring themselves to care about propriety or tradition. They were happy, and that had been all that mattered until they felt the time was right for them.

And now was apparently the right time.

"Draco, it's beautiful," she breathed, taking a moment to admire the jewel adorning her finger, "Thank you."

"Thank you for agreeing to be my wife," he replied as he rose to his feet, "and not leaving me sitting here looking like a right git."

She grinned and closed the space between them, drawing him into a sensuous kiss. "I couldn't have that," she agreed.

-?-

They arrived to the party at her parents' house fashionably late, having enjoyed a small private celebration of their own (which wouldn't have been at all safe for prying eyes). Harry gave her a knowing look as he pulled her into a hug once her Papa, Dad and sister (who had scampered away to play with little Brian Weasley as soon as she'd let Hermione go) had taken their turns.

"Congrats on graduating, 'Mione. And with so many accolades!"

"Accolades, Potter? Could it be that Goyle's academia is finally rubbing off on you?" Severus snarked, but his tone lacked any venom.

Harry batted his lashes at his former Potions professor. "Greg does a lot of rubbing off on me, Severus."

Behind them, Draco and Greg snorted with amusement, the latter covering the ears of a three year old boy. "Love, innocent ears around, remember?"

Harry had the decency to look a little guilty. "Sorry." He frowned, looking down at his son before arching his brow at his husband, "Why isn't he off playing with the others anyway?"

"Bry and Perce are at that age where they think they're too grown up to play with a three year old." Greg answered.

"But they're only five!"

Greg only laughed and shook his head. "To us it's not a big difference, but to them James is a baby and they're big kids."

Harry looked across the room to where a heavily pregnant Lavender Weasley was talking to Ginny. "Hmm. Well I know Perce usually enjoys playing with him, so maybe I should have a chat with some Weasleys…"

Hermione shook her head, placing her right hand on Harry's arm, vaguely aware of Draco gesturing for Narcissa to join them. "Well, before you do, Draco and I have some news."

Four sets of male eyes were suddenly observing her keenly. "News?" Severus echoed, pinning Draco with a firm stare. "Pray tell, Hermione, what sort of news?"

Harry was practically bouncing with excitement. "Are you finally having a baby?"

She swatted at him as one might a fly. Ever since he and Greg had conceived their son, he had been nagging her to do the same so their kids could grow up just as close as they had. It had become more a running joke now than an actual desire to pressure her into having children.

"I'm not pregnant, Harry," she told him, watching her parents (namely her Dad) sag with relief out of the corner of her eye. They still maintained they were too young for Grandchildren. She beamed brightly and thrust her left hand forward, "But I am engaged. Draco proposed earlier this evening."

Narcissa squealed, drawing the attention of the other partygoers scattered around the room, and grasped at her hand, inspecting the ring with scrutiny. Draco found himself meeting his Godfather's (soon to be Father-In-Law's) gaze with more confidence than he actually felt.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask your permission first," he said, offering Remus an apologetic glance before focusing back on Severus, "It was more impulsive than I had originally planned."

"But it was perfect," Hermione assured him, tucking herself into his side as her arm wound around his waist. "And it's not as though anything or anyone in our family has ever subscribed to tradition. Right, Dad?" Remus was practically radiating his excitement over her announcement, so she didn't bother trying to smooth him over.

Severus smothered a sigh, having anticipated such an announcement for quite some time. His daughter –his first born- was well and truly and adult now, and, while he still enjoyed treating her as a child, he was pleased to see she was happy. Draco had kept his word –even during the time he and Hermione had been separated- and had only ever acted with her interests in mind. He had no doubt that their marriage would be a lasting one.

The Potions Master pulled his daughter into a hug, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Congratulations," he said quietly, "I'm sure you'll continue to be quite happy together."

Hermione beamed. "Thanks Dad," she replied, squeezing him just a little bit tighter. "I think so, too. Just like you and Papa."

They shared another look as they pulled apart, and Severus nodded, only just refraining from patting at the ring box in his own left trouser pocket which he was holding on to until the right moment.

Just like he and Remus indeed, he thought, a contented smile pulling at his lips.

FIN