Epilogue: A New Chapter

The next day the group went to the Ministry and gave their statements. The American Aurors were already there to take Harding back to the American wizard prison under Alcatraz. Harding's magic was being suppressed by a suppression potion so he wouldn't try to escape. Harry gave his statement to the Auror in charge with Jamie on his lap and Draco beside him at Jamie's persistence.

"You're one lucky guy, Mr. Potter," said Davis. "We've been after Harding for thirty years since he made his appearance at nineteen. He's one hell of a con artist."

"Con artist?" asked Harry.

"Thirty years?" said Draco. "He looks younger."

"Potions, spells, he used everything he could to make himself younger and change the way he originally looked."

"How did he…"

"He would take out wealthy witches and wizards and sweet talk them out of their money," said Davis. "Somehow they sign everything over to him at the moment of their death after a year of dating and an extravagant wedding party. Then they would die or disappear."

"But I had no money when I met him," said Harry. "I gave it all to Ron, Hermione, and the Weasley's."

"He probably thought your fame would have given him all he needed. Somehow down the road he thought you should only have one person and that was him."

"But I didn't. And because he thought I was he…"

"Some people just aren't wired right, Mr. Potter. It's not anyone's fault on how they act."

"Thank you," said Draco looking over at Harry encouragingly.

"Yes, thank you, Auror Davis," said Harry shaking the Auror's hand.

"No, Mr. Potter, thank you," said Davis.

Draco, Harry and Jamie left together while Hermione went to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to pick up her children. Jamie insisted on being carried by Harry and holding onto Draco's hand. It didn't hinder both men as they walked out of the Ministry.

"What do you plan on doing now?" asked Draco. "Are you leaving again?"

"Why would I leave?" asked Harry amusingly. "I have you."

"You had Mary and you still left."

"I didn't have a choice with Mary. She wanted me to leave. I do with you, and I'm choosing to stay with you."

Draco shook his head. "No, if you are going to stay I want it to be because of something other then me. Jamie, your job, the Weasleys, anything other then me. It's not fair if it was just for me."

"Okay, I'm staying for things other then you."

"Good," said Draco and smiled at him. Harry smiled back. "Harry, I have somewhere I need to be. Do you want to come with me?"

"But Jamie…"

"I wanna come," said Jamie. "Please, Daddy."

"He can come," said Draco. "I wouldn't think about leaving this little wizard behind." He ruffled Jamie's Hair and Jamie smiled. "I'm going to St. Mungo's. Meet me there?"

"Sure," said Harry, not seeing the reason to go to the hospital because he already knew. Draco smiled and Disapparated Harry turned to Jamie. "Ready for a ride, little wizard?"

"Yeah," said Jamie with an excited smile. Harry smiled back and Disapparated and appeared in front of the hospital entrance. Draco was waiting for them almost nervously.

"I usually visit here once a month," said Draco. "But I just wanted to introduce you and Jamie to her. I feel I need to."

"Who are going to meet, Daddy?' asked Jamie.

"We're going to met Draco's mummy," said Harry looking at Draco in understanding.

"She lives here?" He pointed to the hospital. Harry looked at Draco for permission and Draco nodded. Harry set Jamie down and knelt to look at his son.

"Jamie, remember when we talked about how Mummy was sick in the body? And how the hospital was going to try and make her better?"

"Yes," said Jamie with a small nod.

"Well, Draco's mummy is sick in the head. She's stuck in her head and sometimes will talk funny. Sometimes she'll get angry and if she does you come to me. She's getting better, so we're visiting her now. Yeah?"

Jamie nodded. "Yeah."

Harry nodded, took Jamie's hand and all three walked into St. Mungo's. Healer Chang met them at the Malady Ward.

"Harry Potter, my goodness! To what do we owe this pleasure?" he asked.

"I'm visiting Narcissa Malfoy with Draco," said Harry. "It that all right?"

"Of course. I'm sure she'll be more then happy to have you to visit. But may I ask why?"

"Draco's my boyfriend." Harry glanced at Draco and smiled at him. Draco smiled back. "I should meet his mother."

"Of course, of course you should," said Chang. "Mrs. Malfoy has been cooperative today, so we allowed her to visit the garden."

"We'll see her there," said Draco.

Change nodded and they went to the Floo Room to travel to the St. Mungo Garden. The garden looked like something out of a biblical picture Eden. Flowers were arranged in a brilliant display and each color was made to compliment the other. Weeping willow, Japanese sakura trees and peach trees provided beautiful shade for the patients and visitors, and lilac bushes grew around the border of the garden.

Narcissa sat on a bench under a peach tree with a leather bound book. Her gown was the same as the other patients and she also wore a soft blue satin bathrobe. Her sun blonde hair had been neatly braided with a blue ribbon and her wedding ring, which had been taken away when she was admitted, was on her left hand and she was absently rubbing it with the bad of her thumb.

"Mother," said Draco and Narcissa looked up at him in amazingly familiarity. She carefully marked her place, gracefully stood and with the same grace, walked over to Draco and hugged him, startling Draco.

"Draco, it's so good to see you," she said holding out her arms to her son. She walked up and hugged him, startling Draco more.

"Mother, you're talking," said Draco in surprise.

"Of course I am. I'm not an invalid." She turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, I never got to thank you for what you did during the Last Battle."

"Nor I you, and please call me Harry."

Narcissa smiled. "Very well, If you call me Narcissa."

Harry back at her. "I'd be glad to."

She turned to Jamie. "And who might this be?"

"James Sirius Williams-Potter," said Jamie nervously next to his father. "Williams is part of my last name. Everyone calls me Jamie."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jamie," said Narcissa taking Jamie's hand in hers. She turned back to the tree she had been sitting and another bench appeared. "Shall we sit and talk?"

And they did. Draco spoke of his classes and Harry spoke of his travels, more open then he had in years. He spoke of his racing career.

"I did street racing," he said. "It was dangerous but the money was good. I kept at if for a year till my ride totaled in San Francisco."

"It sounds very exciting," said Narcissa. "You must put your stories in a book."

"That's what Hermione said," said Harry with a smile.

They talked for over an hour till Narcissa started becoming unresponsive. A sub-Healer told them it was time for them to leave. They Apparated at Hogwarts where they were greeted by Hagrid. When Harry had been found out Hagrid had been upset at being left out of the loop, but he had been quick to forgive and invited Harry to his hut for tea several times.

"Oh, Harry, good, good, I was about to find you. It's starting!"

"What's starting?" asked Harry.

"The hatching, Harry! The hatching!" And before Harry could say anything Hagrid grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the paddocks. "You don't wanna miss it!"

"Hagrid, you're pulling my arm off," said Harry as Hagrid pulled him along. Draco and Jamie followed them.

Hagrid lead them to the paddock where Buckbeak and Goldwing were watching the egg laying on the nest the parents had made for it. It was softly rocking and cracked on the hard shell, evidence that it had been hatching for a while and Hagrid just now noticed.

"How long," asked Harry leaning against the rail.

"Not long," Hagrid said. "I was just checking on the animals and saw it rocking. I was about to find you."

"What is it, Daddy?" asked Jamie climbing up the rail to look at the hippogriffs.

"They're hippogriffs, Jamie," said Harry. Draco leaned on the rail next to Harry. "And they're about to become parents."

"That's your hippogriff, ain't it, Daddy." Jamie pointed at Buckbeak. The grey hippogriff squawked at the visitors, as if warning them off but didn't charge. He was content at letting them watch at a distance.

"Yes it is, son, and he's about to become a daddy."

"Can I keep the baby?"

Harry laughed. "When you're old enough. Till then, how does a dog sound?"

"Yay!"

Draco laughed beside him. "Birth of a creature brings out the strangest things in people."

Harry smiled at him. "And good memories," he said looking down at Jamie, still watching the egg rock. Draco looked to Jamie's excited green eyes up to Harry's identical peaceful ones.

"Do you regret it?" he asked softly. Harry looked at him. "Having Jamie? Did you regret it?'

"I didn't really have a choice," he said. "Mary told me about him a year after he was born. I was worried my fame would put pressure on him and terrify him that's why I kept him secret. I still fear it." He looked down at Jamie. "But I've never regretted it." He looked back up at Draco. "Why do you ask?"

"Pansy's been asking me for a year if I wanted to be a father, but I keep saying no. My family's history was too tainted for me to continue the line."

"Don't say that," said Harry. "Your family history has nothing to do with parenting. Pansy's right. You should be a father."

"But what if I'm no good. What if he hates me?"

"That's what I worry about with Jamie. What every parent worries about with their kids. Just ask Molly and Arthur, or Ron and Hermione.

"If I say yes you'll help me right? Help me raise it?'

"I think you're asking me to move into that large manor of yours."

"I was actually thinking of Godric's Hollow," said Draco and Harry looked at him in surprise. "The manor's big but it's full of dust and bad memories. And Jamie's a growing boy. He'll want friends to play with. Godric's Hollow has that."

"Right, so we move for the kids," said Harry looking over at the egg. "And if you do have a kid, what are you going to name it?"

"if it's a boy, Lucius."

"A good traditional name. and if it's a girl?"

"Mary."

Harry looked at him in shock. "That's not a Latin name, or French."

"I like the name. If it's a girl, it's Mary."

"You would do that? You didn't know her."

"But you cared about her. That's enough for me." Draco smiled at Harry. "I could name her Lily."

Harry laughed. "No, Mary will do."

"Daddy, Draco, Look!"

Harry and Draco stopped their conversation and turned to Jamie pointing at the egg. The cracks were bigger now and a yellowish beak poked through. It squawked. It was another minute before the egg was cracked enough for the chick to tumble free onto the ground. The eagle half was featherless like any aviary animal, but when the sticky membrane slide off the horse half showed a coat so grey it looked silver.

"It's a male," said Hagrid. He had been watching the egg as Harry and Draco talked. "I expect he'll be like his sire."

"What are you going to name him, Jamie," asked Harry looking down at him. Jamie looked up at Harry in surprise.

"I get to name him?"

"I don't see why not," said Draco.

Jamie thought for a moment. "Dasher!" he said/. "I want him to be called Dasher!"

"I don't see why not," said Harry smiling at Draco. Draco shrugged.

"Dasher it is then," he said.

Draco looked at Harry and Harry wrapped his arm around Draco's shoulder. They watched as Goldwing gently rubbed the membrane off with straw and leaves as Buckbeak brought the newly named Dasher dead rodents just for the hatching. Somehow, Harry felt the birth was the perfect start to his new life, a life without running or lies.

THE END

Thank you for reading "Shadow Play". I hope you like what you have read. My next story is speaking to me even now. Hopefully it will be out in the near future.

"You Are My Sunshine" is sung by, most notably to me, Bing Crosby. I don't know who sung it originally.

Thank you for reading!