The Affair

Chapter Thirty: The Dream, An Epilogue







There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved. – George Sand







It took three months for the courts to declare the divorces final. Hermione and Lucius spent those months in quiet bliss safe within the walls of his villa in Piombino on the Tuscan shore. They would sit on the veranda and share a bottle of wine while he read to her letters that Napoleon had written to his mistress from nearby Elba. The media continued to print stories about the ‘scandal’ for several months. Narcissa was always too happy to give them a comment but Ron kept to himself. According to Harry he eventually went to therapy and overcame his grief for Oliver and the demise of his marriage. He took a job in Romania running the auror’s precinct. He was currently engaged to a woman who worked with his brother Charlie.







They returned to England just before the holidays to finalize their paperwork. They ignored the gossip rags and the stares of others as they went about their business. They visited Potter for a bit and then Oliver’s grave, but no one else was ready to see them, including Draco. They moved to the Shetlands where they were married at the end of January in a private ceremony and by the end of the summer their home in Dover was ready.







It was large but nothing like the historic manor that he had grown up in. It was warm and inviting with rich colors and comfortable furniture and an amazing library. It was a home to be proud of, a home where a man could live without fear of touching something. He was a happy man it seemed according to the letters Draco received weekly without fail. He had yet to respond to any of them but every Friday for twelve years a letter would arrive by eagle owl. Every birthday a gift would be delivered and a deposit made to his account at Gringotts and the same every Christmas.







Draco had a difficult time resigning himself to his parents split. He felt that he owed his loyalty to his mother, she was the injured party after all and if he didn’t look after her who would? Of course he needn’t have worried, it hadn’t taken long for his mother to attach herself to an obscenely wealthy wizard named Pascal and move to Paris. Every time he thought about contacting his father he couldn’t find the words. What do you say to the man you have ignored for over a decade?







He stood, hidden slightly behind a shelf as he watched his father standing in the center of a little shop in Diagon Alley. The old man hadn’t aged a bit, the lucky bastard, though Draco had to admit that he looked good, happy and relaxed. He was tapping his cane against the floor with one hand and with the other he was holding the hand of a young boy with sandy hair clutching a teddy bear. Draco knew from his letters that the boy was three and his name was Clayton. A little girl stood in front of him, no more than six years old she had long blonde hair and a cherub’s face, her name was Ariella. Her angelic appearance appeared to be a deception however as he listened to the interaction between his father and little sister.





“Ari, your mum told you that we weren’t here to shop for you today. We came to get your brothers ready for school.” Lucius said sternly.







“But Daddy, I didn’t ask mummy to buy it for me, I asked you.” She batted her eyes up at him and pursed her little lips into a pout and Draco had to laugh. “I want you to buy me the dolly, Daddy. It’s more special that way.” Oh she was a master manipulator that one, a Malfoy to the core, Slytherin for certain.







Draco couldn’t contain his laughter when he saw his father reach into his pocket and pass a handful of coins to the little sprite that dashed off to pay for her prize. Lucius looked up at the sound of his son’s laughter. His eyes immediately went misty and Draco became choked with emotion. Had his father ever been this happy to see him?







“You’ve gotten soft in your old age.” Draco said, smiling softly in the direction of the little blonde purchasing her doll at the counter.







“How are you, son?” Lucius had never been so happy to see anyone.







“I’m good….it’s so good to see you, Father.” He found himself lurching forward as Lucius embraced him, not caring that they were in the middle of a public shop. He had missed his son terribly and was just so damned happy to see him. Draco embraced him in return, his face tucked into the older man’s shoulder as he tried not to cry. “I’m sorry.” His words were muffled.









“Don’t. It’s done, over, it never happened.” Lucius said squeezing him tight before letting him go. “You look amazing.”







“So do you. You look happy. Apparently your second chance agrees with you.” Draco said softly.







“Thank the gods I am a wizard, if I were a muggle I would never be able to keep up at my age.” He looked down at Ariella who had returned with her doll and was staring up at Draco. Lucius bent down and scooped the little boy into his arms and rested his hand atop the little girl’s head. “Ari and Clay, this is Draco.”







Clay popped his thumb from his mouth and extended his hand. Draco eyed the slobbery digit and delicately shook the little hand holding only his fingertips.







“Big brother Draco?” Ariella asked, her pretty little head tilted to the side. Draco looked at his father, touched that his little siblings knew about him.







“Yes, Ari, this is your big brother Draco.” Lucius said, watching his daughter as she sized him up.







“Do you like sweets?” She asked, stepping forward and raising her arms for Draco to pick her up. He obliged, lifting her delicate little body into his arms. It was strange to hold a child who was related to him yet a stranger. Stranger that she didn’t seem to have any qualms at all about wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling at him. “I like sweets, would you take me to Honeydukes?”





“Honeydukes? The new shop just opened around the corner…I suppose I could take you if Father doesn’t mind.” Draco heard himself rambling, completely mesmerized by the charming little witch.





“And another man falls at her feet.” Draco looked over to see Hermione join them. She was accompanied by two identical boys with white blonde hair and amber eyes, perfect little replica’s of him when he was eleven. “Hello, Draco, it is good to see you.” She said.





She hadn’t changed all that much from when he saw her last. She was still rather plain but there was a glow to her cheeks and something in her smile that made him see what had drawn his father to her. He noticed the slight bump beneath her shirt and looked up at his father.





“Another one?” Lucius smiled and reached out to pat her protruding belly affectionately. “I always wanted lots of children. I so enjoyed your childhood.” He said softly. “This is Owen and Grey, they are heading off to Hogwarts next week.”







Draco looked at the twins and shifted Ariella in his arms. He extended his hand to the twins and smiled.







“Hello boys, I am Draco.” They took his hand, shaking it in turn. “Which is which?”







“I’m Greyson Harry. Mum calls me Draco Jr. though.” He smirked. “She said I act just like you.”





“I’m Owen Draco; we look like you….you look like Dad, does that mean we are going to look like Dad when we get old?” He asked.







“I don’t know…Draco Jr., eh?” Draco chuckled, amused by his little hoard of siblings.







“Is all well?” Lucius asked Hermione.







“Now it is. Olivander’s is now set back to rights after your sons decided to have a duel after choosing their wands.” She said with a tight smile.





“Why are they MY sons when they are naughty?” Lucius asked, frowning at the boys who didn’t look the least bit repentant.







“Because they don’t get those tendencies from me. You breed Slytherins apparently.” She said.







“I recall you being rather Slytherin yourself despite being sorted into Godric’s house.” Draco said laughing.





“Shush, Draco. Don’t listen to your brother, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Hermione teased.







“Draco was going to take me to Honeydukes.” Ariella said, smiling at her mother.







“Was he now? I see you ended up with the doll even when I told you no. Daddy?” Hermione narrowed her eyes at Lucius who looked away, feigning innocence. “Be careful of that one, Draco, she will have you bowing to her every whim like this big marshmallow over here in no time if you don’t watch it. It’s good that this one is another boy, your father can’t seem to stand up against little girls.”







“I tried to tell her no.” Lucius defended.







“And she pulled the “But I love you best, Daddy” card on you didn’t she? And you caved, just as you always do.” Hermione laughed as Lucius’s face flushed.







“It is wonderful to see you so happy, Father. I have missed seeing you.” Draco said softly. “I am sorry to have missed out on so much.”







“Come to dinner on Sunday, Draco. We are having a send off dinner for the twins and we would love to have you.” Hermione said. Lucius put his arm around her and pulled her against his side, kissing her cheek. “I can’t promise you that it will be a calm or quiet affair. The last big celebration we had resulted in your brother’s swinging from the light fixture and Cornish pixies caught in Harry’s hair, but we would love for you to come. It will be nice to have the whole family together.”





“Oh please come, Draco!” Ari pleaded, turning her big blue eyes on him and pouting prettily. No wonder his father couldn’t resist her. She was going to be one dangerous witch when she grew up.







“Oh, please! Dad says you were a seeker and he just bought us Firebolt 4.5’s! We can play out back!” Grey said excitedly.







“We can show you the new dogs! We have a dozen but only four actually live in the house.” Owen added. Draco looked over at Clay who was sucking his thumb and clutching his bear, his head resting on their father’s shoulder.







“What about you, Clay, would you like for me to come to dinner?” He asked his little brother. Clay lifted his head and pulled his thumb from his mouth.







“Do you haf a beaw?” He asked, showing Draco his well loved bear.







“No…I never had a bear….but I had a blankie.” Draco said, flushing slightly.







“Will you bwing it?” Clay asked, excitedly.







“Erm….I don’t know where it is….” He had gone to bed with his blanket on the eve of his eighth birthday and when he woke it was gone. His father had told him that it vanished because he was a big boy now and didn’t need it any longer.







“It’s in the attic in a black box labeled with your name. At least that was where I put it.” Lucius said, smiling. He hadn’t been able to destroy the worn and stained excuse for a blanket.







“Then yes, I will be at dinner on Sunday, with my blankie.” Draco said. “Thank you for inviting me, Hermione.”







“You are always welcome in our home, Draco, you are family. Now, shall we venture over to Honeyduke’s for some sweets?”







She took the twins by the hand and led them out of the shop, Draco following behind her still carrying Ari in his arms. Lucius cuddled Clay closer to him and with a smile on his face he followed his family out the door thinking it was impossible for a man to be any happier than he.











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I just want to thank everyone for reading. I know this wasn’t an easy piece to read, it wasn’t easy to write either. I KNOW that things almost never turn out for the best in such situations but this was where the muse directed. I don’t know if it was something inside me that needed to work out my own personal angst or what, but this is the result of it. So thank you for coming along on this rocky road. Now…how about something more normal for me….something funny…..=)