Epilogue--Six months later...

It was their last day of school, as the orange glow of the sun setting shone brightly on Jamie's antique crib, set against the white walls of Draco and Harry's room. At the moment, Draco was putting the last of their clothing away into the dresser beside their shabby, worn bed. They hadn't had time to go out and properly shop for a better one (too busy with caring for Jamie and doing their school work), but this would have to do for now.

He couldn't believe how domestic this all was: him, a pureblood wizard, doing manual labor! But Harry had volunteered for nappy duty when they had both smelled the stench coming from their son. Draco glanced back at Harry and Jamie playing (Harry was making faces at Jamie and cooing down at him) on their bed, his expression lightening at the sight. Draco looked at his son; Jamie's hair had grown out some over the last six months, and the blond had the distinct impression that his son had inherited his other father's unruly hair, much to his dismay.

Harry smiled down at his son as he changed him, blowing raspberries on his little round stomach, making Jamie squeal in laughter at the tickling sensations and having to save his hair from the firm grip his son had. Harry was happy he'd be finished with school after today, but felt odd, since he'd grown used to going every year for the last seven years.

They had been given special permission by Professor Dumbledore to spend the weekends at Lupin's cottage to get it ready for when they both finished with school. Lupin had found a nice area just outside of Hogsmeade to live, with the two boys helping to pitch in some money to purchase it.

It had been extremely difficult to finish school with their son tagging along. They had still had to sleep in their separate dormitories: Dumbledore was sympathetic and understood their situation, but he didn't change the rules to give them special privileges just because they'd had a baby. The two of them were just happy to have been allowed to finish school instead of being expelled for leaving without permission. They had barely been able to get a babysitter for Jamie, usually lucky enough to have Ron or Hermione volunteer, just so they could find a little time to shag or just be alone. Their lives had definitely changed with the arrival of their son.

Draco then finished with his duties and moved to sit on the bed, touching Jamie's nose with his forefinger, making Jamie squeal in delight and grab at his daddy's finger, bringing it to his mouth. He was teething now, and already had two bottom teeth that showed clearly when he beamed at his daddies.

"There." Harry said in triumph as he finished changing his son and closed the snaps back together on Jamie's sleeper.

"You ready to go?" Draco asked, picking up their son, who was babbling a bit as his chin rested on Draco's shoulder.

Harry got up from the bed and stretched, nodding as he stood next to Draco and Jamie, the three of them Apparating to just outside the gates to Hogwarts. Harry was relieved to find out later, it had only been the pregnancy that made him sick each time. Once they appeared in front of the gates, they pushed them open and made their way up to the castle for the last time as students.

---

As he shrugged on his robes and prepared to head down to the Great Hall, Remus realized he was happy for the first time in a long time. The only thing that would have outshone this happiness would have been the cure for lycanthropy. This was a very close second, as it was: he and Severus had finally gotten together as a couple about a week after their first kiss in the infirmary.

They had progressed quickly after that, from coworkers to friends to lovers. As it was, their shared kiss in the infirmary was indeed not their last: he was pleasantly surprised when Severus had invited him over a week after their first kiss to discuss his Dark Mark. He had agreed to meet for a glass of wine in between classes, to talk. Remus still blushed hotly at the memory of their first time together in Severus' room.

They had sat across from each other in the worn, black, high winged-back chairs that were placed in front of the fireplace. They had sipped their wine, Remus just savoring the fact that he was here with Severus, glad to not feel as lonely as he once had. He had been studying Severus out of the corner of his eye without trying to be too obvious about it. When he had pulled his eyes away from studying the man's body long enough to note that silence had fallen, he had noticed a worrisome crease in Severus' brow, his hand having fallen to his Marked arm. Concerned, Remus had inquired if it had still hurt; Severus absentmindedly answered, saying it felt better, but not as good as it had in the infirmary that day.

Remus had looked at him, secretly excited and happy, but nervous, too. Had Severus just admitted that he had enjoyed their kiss as well? Remus had watched as Severus' hand had tightened on his Mark, his dark eyes narrowing in challenge, daring Remus to torment him. Before he had known what he was doing, Remus had reached out, touching Severus' arm.

Snape had looked at him then, quiet settling in the room except for the occasional crackle from the fire, and had leaned slowly, tentatively, towards Remus, stopping and staring at him. Remus had then taken a breath and leaned in also, hoping, praying that he had been correct in the signals he'd been getting when Severus suddenly pressed the last of the distance forward, initiating their second kiss.

Remus had been quite surprised to find that he had stood up somehow, not recalling how he had gotten in that position, with Severus still kissing him unrelentingly, making him melt at the passion he felt in their kiss. Severus had pushed him roughly backwards until his back had hit the wall, grabbing at his clothing, pulling and almost tearing them to pieces in his haste to get him undressed. Suddenly he had found himself completely naked, leaning against the wall (or being held up by it since his legs were turning to mush), Severus still kissing him, mussing up his hair, pawing at him, making him feel alive. He'd only ever been with Sirius before this, but they had never done anything more than kiss and hold one another before Sirius had died.

He hadn't been a virgin, but he had never had sex with another man before, either. Severus had finally pulled away from the kiss, only to maneuver him towards the bed, throwing him onto it. Remus had bounced a few times, dazed with lust, lost in being wanted so badly, actually feeling wanted. He had had the presence of mind to quickly grab his wand from the floor as Severus tore his own clothing off and cast the Contraceptive Charm on himself, knowing Severus wouldn't stop once he had gotten started. By then, Severus had finished undressing himself and was stalking towards him, making him sweat at the expression of pure lust and desire on his face. He had gotten onto the bed, making Remus scoot back as Severus loomed over him. Before he knew it, Remus had found himself on his back, legs pressed to his chest, holding on for dear life as Severus pounded him into the mattress into the early hours of the next morning.

No one had questioned why he had decided to stand when he taught his classes the next day, thank Merlin. He'd had no idea Severus could be so passionate in his lovemaking, not to mention so bloody thick.

Remus shook his head at himself as he walked down to the Great Hall; he usually sat near Severus during meals at the teachers' table. Most of the staff knew--though they let the students stew in their own assumptions--that they were together now, since they sometimes walked around the Black Lake, or near the Forbidden Forest, just enjoying each other's company, content.

---

Ron was sitting on the sofa in the Gryffindor common room, nervous, pensive, hands shaking slightly as he waited for Hermione to finish dressing so they could walk to the Great Hall together. Their trunks were packed and waiting downstairs in the entrance hall for after the end-of-term feast. Then they would be on the train, heading back home.

Ron was startled from his thoughts as Hermione came down the stairs; he frowned slightly when he saw tears shining in her eyes. "Hermione, you all right?" he asked, concerned, getting up from the sofa and moving towards her.

"Oh, I'm fine, Ron," she replied, sniffling a bit and waving his worries off dismissively. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and laughed at how silly she was being. "Just...it's the end of school, and we won't know how we did on our NEWTs until August." She knew he was fighting the urge to roll his eyes good-naturedly, instead pursing his lips and nodding once. "Plus, Harry won't be on the train with us for our last ride home." She gave him a sad little smile and rubbed at her reddened nose.

Ron sighed, relieved she was in no immediate danger, and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "Harry's not leaving us, Hermione; he's just moving in with Professor Lupin. He even told us we're welcome to visit whenever we want."

"I know. It's just odd," she said, sighing softly. Clearing her throat, she stood a little taller with determination in her eyes, trying to smile. "Well," she began almost breathlessly, "let's go down to the Great Hall; the feast will be starting soon."

They held hands as they walked past the Fat Lady and down the shifting staircases. Ron and Hermione walked slowly, having a little time before needing to be at the Hall. They just wanted to enjoy their time together, savor it, and reminisce in the place that had held so many adventures and memories, and most importantly, helped bring them together.

---

They walked down the hallway, Harry carrying Jamie on his shoulder as Draco had handed him over as soon as they had entered the school. They had to stop occasionally as students would coo at their son, making a few first year witches squeal in girlish delight at the drool-filled smile Jamie gave them, flirting with them (Draco had never been prouder to call him 'son') before shoving his spit-slicked fist back into his mouth.

Draco looked down the hall, slightly frowning as he spotted Weasley and Granger coming towards them. "Harry," he said, nudging the dark-haired boy's shoulder to get his attention. At Harry's questioning 'hmm?' Draco continued, resentment in his tone, "Here come your friends."

Harry caught sight of his two friends, smiling widely as he met them halfway. Hermione gave Harry a bright smile and light hug so as not to squish Jamie. "Let me see my godson," Hermione greeted with a grin, plucking Jamie carefully from Harry's arms and kissing his cheek as she cooed at him. Jamie babbled happily at her, taking a moment to wave his fists before he continued sucking on his fist, the other hand going to grab the collar of her shirt.

Ron patted Harry's shoulder in brotherly affection, sharing an amused look with Draco at Hermione's overexcited squeals whenever she saw Jamie. He was anxious, freckles standing out more than usual, sweaty hands balled into fists deep in his pockets, smiling occasionally at seeing his girlfriend with their friend's son.

After a few minutes, most of the students made their way through the milling crowd and into the Great Hall. "All right, Hermione, hand Jamie over to Harry so we can go eat. I'm starving," Ron said playfully, smiling at the look she gave him. He wasn't sure if he'd actually be able to eat, as nervous as he was, but he didn't want to give anything away.

"Honestly, Ron," she rolled her eyes and began as she gave up her prized godson to Harry, who cradled Jamie in his arms. "You're always hungry. I have no idea where you keep all the food you eat, since there's not an ounce of fat on you." Ron gave her a knowing smile, making her blush hotly and hurry towards the Hall, Ron following after her, still smiling, though his smile faded a little at what he was planning. How would she react? What would she say? His stomach knotted up even worse; he was sure he wouldn't be able to keep a thing down tonight.

Harry laughed out loud and followed after his friends, talking softly to his son as he went while Jamie babbled incoherently back. Draco followed after, staring fondly at Jamie as he smiled brightly at his daddy from Harry's shoulder, wide, bright eyes following him as he walked in the opposite direction to eat his last meal in the Great Hall with his fellow Slytherins.

---

"...And so ends another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore announced cheerfully from the podium he stood behind, waiting for the claps and cheers to die down. "Seventh years, may your lives be rich and full, and may you find that which you seek in life. Protect yourselves, stay vigilant, and band together against intolerance as you sit with your fellow men and women. Now, eat up and I wish you all luck in your future!" His twinkling eyes were settled directly towards Harry as he ended the speech. Harry blinked at this, looking down suddenly as Jamie leaned forward, reaching for a spoon from the table.

The food appeared then on the tables and everyone happily tucked in. Harry had Jamie on his lap as he ate, occasionally feeding his son little bits of the softer foods from his fingers or a spoon. Though, Jamie got more food on his sleeper than in his mouth, but he enjoyed himself nonetheless, babbling and giggling and flapping his fists every once in a while.

Ron, who was seated next to Harry, would reach out and tickle Jamie's bare feet with a dreamy smile, making the little boy squeal and kick to the delight of the other Gryffindors. The redhead snatched a biscuit from one of the trays and handed it to Jamie, waiting to see what the six-month-old would do. The little boy stared curiously at it a moment, fascinated, before grabbing the biscuit from Ron's hand and trying to shove the whole thing into his small mouth. It was bigger, of course, so Jamie held it as he bit into it, more drooling all over it, crumbs scattering everywhere.

Meanwhile Draco was seated at the Slytherin table, across from Blaise. He looked up occasionally from eating at the happy squeals his son was making, carrying over from the Gryffindor table; a few of his fellow Slytherins muttered insults at this, but they were too low for Draco to hear. He watched in amusement as Ron handed his son the biscuit and shook his head; Harry was going to be covered in crumbs and drool by the end of dinner.

"Have you finished moving your things into the cottage?" Blaise asked between bites of food, startling Draco into turning his attention away from his family and onto his friend.

Draco sighed tiredly, briefly dropping his fork on the remains of his roast. "Yes. After the feast we'll be off," Draco replied quietly, voice masking his nostalgia. "How are things with Longbottom? I heard he's going to be the new Herbology professor."

Blaise nodded and sighed a little. "He's doing better since he first found out Sprout was killed," he admitted, pushing his finished meal away. "It took him a few months to get over her death, her being his favorite professor and all. But he's happy Dumbledore came to him and asked him, especially seeing as how Herbology was the only subject he didn't need my help in."

"It's strange," Draco said after nodding and taking a sip of his pumpkin juice. "I never thought Longbottom would be the one Dumbledore chose to replace her. He really has come a long way, hasn't he?"

Blaise smiled proudly at this, nodding. "Yes, he has. I'll be living with him here at the castle after he comes back from seeing his grandmother over the summer."

"Oh?" Draco began, a bit surprised to hear this. "I didn't realize you two were so serious."

Blaise nodded. "I'm thinking of asking him to marry me, but I don't know yet. With the Dark Lord still out there, I don't think it's a good idea to do so," he replied quietly, not wanting others at their table to overhear. Never knew who was loyal nowadays, the blond was unnerved to realize.

"I see," Draco whispered back just as quietly. He had no clue at all Blaise was so into Longbottom. It was...well, Longbottom for Merlin's sake.

The remainder of their time was spent in silence, finishing their food and lost in their own thoughts of what the future would bring. Draco looked over at the Gryffindor table once more when he heard Harry tell Weasley to stop tickling their son's toes, so he could finish his own meal in peace. Of course the redhead didn't listen, still laughing along with Jamie as he squealed even louder than before.

---

After the feast was over and everyone had had their fill of food and drink, students began getting up from the tables and making their way leisurely out of the Great Hall, enjoying their last night in the school.

Jamie, as expected, had literally been covered head to toe with biscuit crumbs, kicking his little feet in delight. Hermione tsked and waved her wand at Harry and Jamie, cleaning them up. Harry smiled his thanks to her and walked towards the doors where Draco was lingering, waiting for them.

Jamie cried out gleefully at seeing his other daddy, causing Draco to smile and reach for him. "Had fun, did you?" he asked his son, who kicked his legs and immediately reached for Draco's hair. "Uh-uh, no pulling," he scolded him, gently removing his little hand from his hair.

The students were all making their way out of the Great Hall, some stopping to hug their friends who wouldn't be back next year, while others were in little groups, promising each other they'd owl.

Seamus had Dennis wedged in a corner, snogging him in plain sight of everyone. It was the last day, so most teachers decided to ignore them, only breaking in if Seamus got too...intimate with his hands.

Hermione, about to head off with the others, gave Harry a tight hug, kissing his cheek and turning to Draco to kiss Jamie's cheek, since the blond held him.

In the meantime, Ron looked around at the other students milling about, heading towards the exit. He was scared, praying he could do this without looking like a complete fool. What am I going to say? What does she want to hear? Well, she'd tell me to speak from my heart, of course. But I've never been good at speeches. God, what if I talk too long and sound like an idiot and put her off? Merlin, what if she says no? Ron shook away those thoughts, plucked up his courage, took a deep breath, held his head high, and decided to go into it, wand blazing, as he lowered himself to the ground.

The entrance hall went deathly silent suddenly, excited murmurs picking up a little at a time, until it grew louder. Harry and Draco, suddenly bemused by the abrupt change in atmosphere, turned, looking around to see why people had stopped dead and stared, looking down somewhere towards the floor. Harry's eyes bulged at seeing Ron bent down on one knee, facing Hermione's back.

Hermione, seeing Harry's stunned look, turned around in bewilderment and froze, staring down at Ron, a blank look crossing her features before her mouth opened in surprise, wondering what he was doing, but somewhere in the back of her mind she already knew. But for the first time in her life, she felt her brain turn to mush.

A crowd of teachers and students began to form around Ron and Hermione excitedly, Harry and Draco having a front row seat, so to speak. Ron (who was red-faced and terrified, but determined) reached out for Hermione's hand, absently noting it was shaking slightly as well.

Hermione sucked in her lips, biting them, trying hard not to cry--yet feeling the emotion welling in her, ready to burst, to explode--but only a few tears escaped down her cheek. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Ron clearly and firmly asked, staring deep into her eyes, even her soul, "Hermione... will you marry me?"

Hermione couldn't get her voice to work, emotion having frozen her vocal cords. Instead, with a beaming, tearful smile, she nodded her head vigorously in acceptance.

Ron laughed in relief, his eyes stinging with happiness, standing up from his kneel and taking Hermione into his arms, hugging her tightly. The crowd around them began to clap, cheering and whooping and happy (even Seamus and Dennis had paused from their snogging long enough to applaud with excitement).

With a wry grin, Draco muttered quietly to Harry, "Though I don't like him much," he wrinkled his nose a bit as he admitted this, causing Harry to roll his eyes, "I'll say this: Weasley does have style."

Harry smiled, squeezing Jamie affectionately as he babbled happily, arms reaching out to the now ecstatic, smooching couple, and threw an amused glance at Draco's smirk. "That he does."

The End

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Author's Notes: There will be one sequel. But I don't know when it will be out. Hell, it's taken me four long years just to write this story.