Epilogue

Hermione stood before Madam Blythe with Mrs Weasley holding the trunk containing her wedding dress.

'You're ready for me to put it back,' she said quietly. There was deep sympathy and concern on her features.

'I need it adjusting,' Hermione corrected with a small smile.

'Adjusting?' Madam Blythe asked, putting her quill down. Hermione stepped back from the counter, turning slightly. 'I see.'

'Can you do it by next week?'

XXXXXX

Once again Hermione found herself stood before a mirror, looking at the dress, this time in the bedroom she shared with Lucius. Madam Blythe had worked wonders. She'd made room for the bump, and unfortunately took in some places too.

'Child, you're going to have to let mummy keep some food down soon,' she whispered down to her stomach, pushing the material tight against the bump. Hermione was okay for the better part of the day, it was the evenings she suffered with sickness, and all her eating was for nothing, even four months along.

The door to the bedroom was flung open and Lucius ungraciously shoved in by Ron. Keeping good on their promise, the Weasleys were not letting Lucius out of their sight. 'One prepared groom,' Ron announced before shutting them in.

'At some point we will have to have a discussion about boundaries. My appreciation for his help will only extend so far,' Lucius said, straightening out his dark grey jacket. He stopped when he caught sight of Hermione.

'You can get that idea out of your head right this minute,' she warned with a smile, moving to straighten his cravat. Once done, she held on to the lapels of his jacket. 'We need to have a discussion too.'

Lucius held her wrists gently, still concerned over her weight loss, even after the Healer and Andromeda had assured him all was well. Even though Hermione was suffering with hypermesis gravidarum, and while the stress hadn't helped, the baby was strong; healthy.

'I need to know that you're marrying me because you love me, not out of guilt or doing the right thing. You'll still be her father, whether we're together or not,' Hermione told him firmly.

'Of course I love you. I wouldn't do you a disservice to marry you for any other reason.' He bent down to kiss her gently, groaning when the door swung open again.

'Mum wants you both downstairs,' Ginny said with a smirk, the dark plum coloured dress floating delightfully around her pale skin.

XXXXXX

As promised by Andromeda, the morning (evening) sickness eased up as Hermione entered her sixth month. With it her energy came back, some weight back on her frame, and a very prominent bump.

She sat on the couch in the living room balancing her teacup on the bump, nudging Lucius to be duly impressed.

'If she kicks, I'm not cleaning it up,' he said sardonically.

'She needs to stop growing. I don't think I have anymore room,' Hermione sighed, handing him the cup so she could sit up.

They'd never bothered to find out what Hermione was having. They'd cornered Aurélie at the wedding, asking if there was truth in what she'd told Draco. She was, in her words, 'an infrequent Seer', who had seen a Malfoy girl born to Hermione Granger on the day Lucius had personally gone to offer the job. But down to their cores they both knew it was a girl, even without this confirmation.

'I'm home!' Draco called from the foyer.

Considering the bump, Hermione got up faster than Lucius. 'Quick! Tap the frame!' she told Lucius as she left the room. Draco was finally bringing Astoria to visit.

XXXXXX

Hermione was stood at the bottom of the staircase, a small bag in hand, her eight month belly sticking out proudly, when Lucius came through the front door shaking the snow off his jacket. He froze for a fraction of second at the sight, then smiled genially at her. 'Going somewhere?'

'Yes. We're going to St. Mungo's. Time to evict her.'

Lucius looked up from brushing the few snowflakes still lingering on his jacket. 'She's coming?'

'Not yet. But we're magical. They can take her out. She's had plenty of time to grow.'

Lucius gave her a sympathetic smile as he walked over to her. 'I know you've had enough, and I know that your hormones are talking at the moment, but to be clear, you know that isn't how it works?' He gently took the bag, turned her round, and helped her walk up the stairs.

'I hate you,' she muttered.

'Of course you do,' he said, kissing the side of her head.

XXXXXX

Hermione was stood up by the window watching Draco opening Christmas presents with Astoria on the couch. She daren't sit down because she no longer knew if she'd get up again. Besides, she couldn't get comfortable anyway, so she may as well remain standing. When she sat, there was always an appendage from the baby digging in somewhere it didn't belong.

Rubbing her aching lower back, she walked (shuffled) around the couch to see why Lucius was taking longer than two minutes to make the one coffee she was allowing herself. The only present she wanted.

'Do you want me to massage your back?' Astoria asked, seeing Hermione suddenly lean forward, a hand on the door handle. Astoria had been the only person she didn't mind being around the past month. The rest of them had been getting on her last nerve.

Hermione stood up straight with a hiss. 'Christmas day. Really?' she asked her bump breathlessly.

Draco jumped up. 'She's coming?'

'No,' Hermione snapped, pointing at him. 'No. She can come after I've had my coffee.'

Astoria jumped up too, an excited look on her face. 'Quick, get your father!'

XXXXXX

The baby came quickly, with a lot of shouting (Lucius to Andromeda) and swearing (Hermione to Lucius). An hour after that first sharp pain, Elena Aurélie Malfoy arrived, her little fists shaking in the air at the audacity of having to be born.

Andromeda put the little bundle of blankets containing Elena into Lucius' arms so that she could make Hermione comfortable. Lucius looked down at his sleeping daughter, a full head of dark brown hair already, and felt like he was drowning in love for this little person.

'You will do great things, little one,' he whispered.

When Hermione was ready, resting on the bed, Lucius joined her. Setting Elena into her arms, he put his arms around both of them. The world had handed him a daughter, the one thing left he'd ever wanted, and surely that meant he was forgiven. For the first time in his life, Lucius Malfoy finally felt at peace. The best Christmas present he could've ever asked for.

A/N: It took me a long time to finish this, most of which was recently. I hope you enjoyed reading it.