A/N: I can't believe it's finally done! It's so bittersweet. I really loved writing these last two chapters in particular and I hope you enjoy it too!

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*Five Years Later*

Draco was sweating.

Again.

"You can do this. You're going to regret it if you're not in there when it happens."

"I know, I know, I bloody well know that! Why does everyone keep telling me that as if it's brand new information?!"

Ginny struck her signature hands-on-hips pose and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh you don't want to get snippy with me today, Malfoy. I'm here to keep you sane, so unless you'd like a quick portkey to the Janus Thickey ward-"

"Alright! I'm sorry, okay?"

Ginny turned her head and put a hand to her ear.

"What was that? Didn't quite catch it?"

Draco scoffed and hung his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"I'm sorry, Ginny."

She perked up, smiling. "Apology accepted! Now, let's go back in there."

With a flourish of her robes, Ginny turned quickly and began to walk down the hall.

"No, wait!" he called after her, but she kept walking.

Panicking, he cried out, "I'm scared, Ginny."

She stopped abruptly and spun around, regarding him with a mixture of delight and surprise.

"Well, isn't this an honor?"

He rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair as she strode back over to him.

"What are you scared of, Draco?"

"I should think that would be obvious."

"You would think so, but for sake of ease let's pretend I'm a simpleton and spell it out for-"

"What if I'm a horrible father?"

The words spilled out so quickly that for a moment he wasn't sure if she'd fully heard what he'd said, but then she closed the space between them and took one of his hands in hers. He didn't withdraw, which surprised even him. After regarding him for a moment with a look bordering on pity, she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you were raised by a man whose heart was corrupted by dark magic a long time before you entered his world. You were used and manipulated and betrayed, and yet here you are, loved and in love, and about to bring not one, but two new lives into this world. If you died today, there would be no question as to what kind of person you were. You are a credit to your father's name, not that any credit should or will ever be applied. You have redefined your family name ten times over and risen from impossible odds. So don't you for one second think that just because he was a sick, twisted, psychotic arsehole that it has any bearing on who you will be as a father."

Something snapped in him as she spoke. Her words, which would normally have ricocheted right off of him and off into the ether, sunk in instead. Once inside, he found them soothing. How had she known to say exactly what he needed to hear?

He felt hot tears prick at the backs of his eyes, but pushed them away, taking a steadying breath.

"You've been hanging around Potter too long."

She smirked. "Or just long enough?"

Draco let out a low laugh and Ginny grinned at him.

"Come here, Weaselette," he said, pulling her into a hug.

"I suppose I'll allow that just this once."

"It's always been a term of endearment. You Gryffindors are so touchy."

"I doubt the 'always' bit, but alright."

He didn't pull away from the hug, keenly aware that what was next was re-entering the birthing room.

"Did Potter also teach you not to pat backs when hugging? We're both doing a good job of it at the moment."

"Now you're just stalling, Malfoy."

She gave him a squeeze and pulled away, motioning for him to lead on. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, allowing her words to reverberate in his mind. He didn't feel altogether calm, but it was certainly an improvement. Anyway, he supposed that some measure of nerves on the day one becomes a parent should be expected.

Before turning the doorknob to re-enter the room, he turned back to her.

"Thanks, Ginny."

"Get your arse in there, Dad."

"They both have your eyes, Draco."

Hermione was dosing, but could vaguely hear her mother-in-law's doting voice in the room.

"The healers said that most babies have light colored eyes when they're born, and that they could change."

His voice still sent a tingle through her, and even more so now. His presence was protection. Reassurance. Love.

She'd had a hell of a time delivering magical twins, and could hardly keep her eyes open. Had she not felt such anchored trust in him, she was certain she'd be forcing herself to stay awake and make sure the babies were alright.

"Well regardless, I'm so glad they're healthy and that everything went relatively smoothly. Do we have names yet?"

"We each chose a constellation."

"And...?"

"Scorpius for the boy, and Lyra for the girl."

"Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Strong names for both, just like their parents." She leaned over the bassinets to observe her grandchildren more closely."

Hermione smiled to herself as she drifted into a deep, contented sleep.

"So, how do you tell them apart?" Blaise asked.

"I don't know, I can just tell," Hermione said as she smiled down at her week-old babies.

"And how is Draco faring? Does he need them labeled?"

At this, Hermione let out a burst of laughter and then covered her mouth, not wanting to wake them.

"Oh dear, I feel treacherous saying this, but yes! Yesterday he thought he had Lyra and I let him carry on thinking that until 'she' needed a new nappie and then…"

Blaise chuckled. "We could really do a number on him if we wanted."

She raised a cautionary finger. "Get that gleam out of your eye, I think my husband has endured enough manipulative plots for a lifetime."

The door to Hermione and Draco's bedroom opened and Neville entered.

"Alright in here?"

"You're just in time, Nev. We're plotting ways to mess with the new father-"

"We are not!"

"Keep your voice down, Mum! We have sleeping babes here," Blaise said in an exaggerated whisper.

Neville looked between them, a wry smile on his face. "I can remove him if necessary, Mione."

Blaise threw his hands behind his head and his feet up on the coffee table. "You'll have to do so forcibly, Nev, and feel free to be a bit handsy while you're at it." He winked.

"On second thoughts, you're stuck with him."

"Dahlia, come sit here and Daddy will let you hold the baby."

Ron led his daughter over to a cozy wingback armchair and helped her get settled.

Her Godfather kneeled beside her, brushing a strand of jet black hair out of her sky-blue eyes. "Who would you like to hold first, love?"

The small girl pursed her lips. "Hmmm… the girl!"

"Very well," Draco said with a smile. "You hear that, Uncle Ronald?"

Ron stood over the twin bassinets, scratching his head. "I did, but that doesn't make selecting the correct one any easier. Why don't you dress them in pink and blue or something?!"

"Don't get me started," Draco said, standing to join Ron in front of the babies. "Hermione is on this whole kick about not 'conforming to gender norms' or some rubbish."

"What the bloody hell-"

"Daddy said a bad word!"

Both men turned their heads to face the smiling little girl, who was proffering a proud hand in their direction.

Ron groaned. "This one is going to rob me of house and home." He then crossed over to her, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a sickle.

"Please don't tell mummy I've added to the swear jar," he said in a whisper, and then kissed her on the forehead as she pocketed the coin.

"Do you really think that will work?" Draco asked with a grin.

Ron stood and let out a long sigh. "Not a chance."

"Parkinson, do you have eyes on him?" Harry spoke into his wristwatch.

Pansy's voice came through the invisible bug in his ear.

"Yea, he just bought a damned ice cream cone at Fortescue's and is now enjoying it in the sunshine. Is this man really linked to the Lestrange's? Because so far he seems as ordinary as that bloke you set me up with last week."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Can we focus on the task at hand, please? We can discuss your disastrous love life over celebratory drinks once we catch this scumbag."

"Fair enough, Potter. I'm going in."

Harry donned his invisibility cloak and moved to a position where he could see the tables outside of the ice cream parlor. Sure enough, the man they'd been tracking was seated alone at one of the small white tables, enjoying what looked like a strawberry and peanut butter cone with unicorn sprinkles.

Pansy sauntered past him, inconspicuously spritzing the air with her patented concoction. Harry knew it had worked within seconds, as the man dropped his magically sparkling cone and spun around to look at her.

She smirked at him. "My place or yours?"

Harry followed closely behind as the man followed her to her flat just up the road. They walked past the "Pansy's Potions" storefront on the way there, and Harry had to hold in a chuckle at the irony of it. The man had no idea he'd already been caught.

Astoria smirked as she saw her business partner pass by the shop. Another mission with Harry, no doubt. She wondered whether he'd just gone by as well, unbeknownst to everyone on the busy street.

"Mrs. Weasley, we're running low on the pre-hangover cure all. Shall I put in an order for more?"

"Please do, Eveline."

Her summer shop assistant spun around to go and complete the task, and Astoria continued reorganizing the shelves at the front. Just then the bell on the door dinged and in walked Gabrielle and Hannah, both looking harassed by the heat.

"I am done weeth zees summer!" Gabrielle exclaimed.

"We're out of cooling charm mist, Astoria. Please have mercy on a few miserable pregnant witches!" said Hannah.

Astoria smirked, motioning for them to have a seat in the small waiting area in the front of the shop.

"Magic acting up again, ladies?"

"Yes! I cannot cast a cooling charm to save my life, and nor can Gabi. I'd ask a stranger to do it, but that would be an oddly intimate thing to ask, wouldn't it? I mean maybe not, but I feel like I would just make it weird."

Astoria chuckled as she retrieved two small spray bottles from the shelf she'd just been organizing; a summer-specific potion display. Hannah did have a penchant for awkwardness.

"Why should we ave to when Astoria ees always ere to elp?"

"Happy to be of service," she said, crossing back over to them. "I know your plight all too well." She spritzed both ladies with the charmed mist and they sighed contentedly, relaxing back into their armchairs.

"Did you see the twins yesterday?" Hannah asked, her eyes still closed in relief.

"Yes, I actually took the night shift with Draco," Astoria said.

"And you ah steel standing?!"

Astoria laughed and then motioned to one of the shelves. "I have plenty of resources to aid in wakefulness."

Hannah opened her eyes wide and sat up. "Oh, but Astoria, you shouldn't be doing that multiple times a week, you need actual sleep!"

Astoria shrugged. "I owe them my child's life, and my own by extension. I will lose weeks of sleep if need be."

The bell on the door dinged again.

"Well hello all! I wasn't expecting everyone to be here!" said Luna.

"What's the news?" Astoria said, excitedly.

Luna stilled, smiling broadly at Astoria.

"What news?" "Hey what is this about?!" Gabrielle and Hannah said at once.

"Well," Luna said, "Hermione won't be the only one of us to be having twins!"

The screaming that ensued was enough to shatter the storefront. Eveline emerged hurriedly from the back room looking panic-stricken.

"Is everything alright, Mrs. Weasley?!"

Astoria turned back to face the girl as her friends danced around in celebration.

"Oh yes, Eveline. Everything is just wonderful."

"Do you know that Luna actually told me she would have twins some day?"

"Couldn't have bothered to mention that you would as well?"

Hermione laughed and rolled onto her side to gaze at her husband.

"Well, she did bother to tell me that you'd been in love with me since we were eleven."

Draco scoffed. "I still maintain that none of that early complaining was due to my actually liking you. It gives young me far too much credit."

She leaned forward and softly kissed his cheek, then snuggled up closer to him.

"Draco, you really had no choice but to hate me. I was so much smarter than you."

"Getting your usual pluck back, I see."

She sat up enough to look into his eyes. "Yes, it's a good thing that that's what you love most about me." He reached up and tangled his fingers in her hair, drawing her in for a kiss. They hadn't been alone together in more days than either of them could accurately count.

When they broke apart, he said, "Do you think the Potters will survive the night?"

"Survive? No doubt in my mind," Hermione said. "Whether they'll agree to take the twins ever again is another matter entirely."

"You're probably right."

She laid back down with her head on his chest and they settled into a contented silence for a while; his steady heartbeat casting a sense of comfort over her entire body.

"It's too bad we can't… you know… this soon after the births."

Hermione grinned. "Actually, Luna and Pansy gave me a gift today."

"What sort of gift?" he said slowly, in a voice rapt with anticipation.

"Oh just a new potion to aid in postpartum recovery."

"Is that so?"

"Mmm hmm."

"And how fast does this potion-"

"Instantly."

She could hear him swallow hard. "And when were you going to tell me th-"

"I thought I'd tell you right now, since it was my idea for Harry and Gin to take the babies for the night," she said as she ran her hand teasingly down his chest and drew circles over his hip bones.

Pulling her up so that she was straddling him, he dragged her lips to his for a fierce kiss. Then he bit her lower lip and said, "minx."

Fin.

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A/N: HUGE thanks to Christine who was Alpha for this story at the times when I was actually patient enough to send her something and wait for feedback. Not that I ever waited long, she is amazing! Thanks so much for your patience and steady love and encouragement. Without you, this all would quite literally not be happening. I never would have gotten into fan fiction if it wasn't for you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart 3

Thanks to my dear friend Grace Helbig for enthusiastically encouraging me to write and being my weekly accountability partner! Your energy and excitement was fuel for my fire, and continues to be. Love you so much, girl!

Thanks to Mark for reading everything I write and giving super detailed and encouraging feedback every time. Thanks for being excited for new chapters always! It's so much fun to share this with you.

Thanks to Melanie for also devouring every new chapter (sometimes in advance of the readers here ) and for always giving me amazing line by line commentary. Love you to pieces!

And finally, thank you to all of the readers! I wanted to name specific user names, but I feel like I will leave out too many people. You that have been here from the beginning on Ao3 know who you are and how much your comments have meant to me 3 And thanks to everyone newly binging the whole story. I look forward to all of your comments as well!

I've posted a number of drabbles and one-shots to my Ao3 account, as well as two WIPs: "Draco Malfoy Gets a Life Coach" and "Here's the Deal" – I'm working on one other Hogwarts professor fic that I started on tumblr and the idea wouldn't leave me alone, but will probably wait until it's almost complete before posting.

I would love it if you went to check out my other stuff! Thanks so much for being on this journey with me!