Chapter Text
Epilogue: the lakes
I want auroras and sad prose
I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet
'Cause I haven't moved in years
And I want you right here
A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground
With no one around to tweet it
While I bathe in cliffside pools
With my calamitous love and insurmountable grief
~`~
Astoria groaned as she slowly unfolded her legs from underneath her. She was tired of being pregnant, even if each little movement meant that her baby was healthy and growing. She was going to be a mum soon enough, hopefully before the next snow storm hit them.
“Everything okay?” asked Draco, and Astoria look up at him as he stood in the doorway, a camera in his hands. She sighed, her little nest of books and notebooks and blankets and pillows all around her, she knew that she was a sight.
Draco had given her the task of picking out a name. And Astoria had taken it on without realizing how difficult it was going to be. They had decided not to find out the gender for their first baby, and Astoria had been fine with choosing two different names.
The first names had been easy, Scorpius for a boy, Cassiopeia for a girl with Cassi as a nickname. The middle names were much harder, and Astoria skipped the baby name books after she found her own name in one. It was just too impersonal.
She turned to story books instead, the hundreds that lined the shelves around the living room and then the ones at the library she was working in until about a month ago. Nothing sounded right, even now.
“What about this one?” asked Draco, picking up her notebook and reading over the notes she had made. She had started reading a few different mythology books just to think about something different and to keep her busy while Draco was gone during the day. “Iris? The rainbow goddess.”
Cassiopeia Iris Malfoy, it was a good name, beautiful even.
“She’s a messenger god like Hermes,” Astoria told him, rubbing her stomach as Draco sat down on the floor with her. He put his hand over hers and wrapped his other arm around her, letting her tuck her face into his shoulder. “Every time she comes down from Olympus a rainbow appears in the sky.”
“Sounds light and airy,” said Draco and Astoria rolled her eyes, but it did remind her of someone else.
“Can you help me up?”
Draco untangled himself from her and got to his feet, lifting Astoria up to get her feet underneath her. She walked over to one of the book shelves and reached up for the one on the top shelf, the one about the Greek Titans.
“Oh!” she gasped, as she felt something inside of her twitch or tear.
She felt Draco’s arms around her before she even fell to the ground, her water finished breaking and drenching her legs. She immediately felt pain rip through her body, tight and throbbing and fast.
“Okay Stori,” whispered Draco, as he helped her lay down, She closed her eyes as pain continued to radiate through her body, sharp and hurting. “Remember the breathing techniques.”
Astoria breathed in and out carefully, just as she had been instructed in the two different classes they went to. She clutched the book in her hand and tried to keep herself breathing, in and out, in and out.
“Come on, it’s okay,” said Draco, picking her up and carrying her to the floo. “I got you.”
Astoria searched through the index of her book, trying to find the name that she had been thinking about. He wasn’t a god, instead he was something older, much older than the gods. He was the embodiment of light, the personification of it if she remembered correctly.
“Hyperion,” said Draco, glancing over her shoulder as he rubbed her back, it was the only thing keeping her pain from becoming overwhelming. “For the baby?”
“Scorpius Hyperion for a boy, Cassiopeia Iris for a girl,” Astoria told him as another contraction ripped through her body, painful and overwhelming. She was ready for the baby to come out of her, for her body to push.
“Perfect,” whispered Draco, and Astoria took his hand and squeezed it hard as pain filled her. She would rather be numb than feel as if all of her nerves were on fire. Anything to calm the pain inside of her.
Draco wrapped his arms around her as she sat up between his too long legs. They hadn’t told either of their parents that they were here, nor Daphne and Blaise. It didn’t matter, they weren’t the right people, they weren’t who she wanted.
“Okay, now I want you to push as hard as you can on this next contraction Astoria,” said her Healer, Ernie MacMillan. Astoria had remembered watching him collapse as a curse shattered his knee. “Just look at my hairline and imagine ripping out as much of my hair as you can.”
Astoria did as he said, screaming as Draco held her, as her baby tried to come out of her. She felt like she was giving away something, like by giving birth, she would be losing a part of herself, even just a small part.
This was what it meant to become a mother.
“Here we go,” said Ernie, standing up and holding a small wriggling mass in his hands. Astoria held her arms out to him, she wanted her baby, needed to feel them in her arms. “Congratulations, it’s a boy.”
“Scorpius,” whispered Draco as Astoria held him carefully in her arms, taking in his little flailing arms and dark eyes. She knew that so much of him would change before this day a year from now, but it didn’t matter.
It didn’t matter because she had a little boy with ten fingers and ten toes. She had a little boy with dark eyes and dark hair that she knew would turn blonde within the next few months. She had a little boy with Draco’s chin and cheekbones and who was so beautiful that she was going to cry every time she picked him up in the next week.
“And what’s his name?” asked Ernie as he handed Astoria back Scorpius, his dark eyes curious as he looked around the room. “My wife and I are about to have a little girl, he’ll be in her year at Hogwarts.”
“Scorpius Hyperion,” said Draco, as he ran his thumb along Scorpius’ little forehead. “He’s the stars and the light all around us.”
Ernie put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh, and Astoria rolled her eyes, Draco was a romantic. Even if she had picked out the names for their baby, she would’ve never had said that to anyone except for him.
“I picked out his name,” Astoria told Ernie, looking down at Scorpius in his arms, “it’s tradition to name a baby after the stars.”
“I think it’ll suit him,” said Ernie, and Astoria smiled down at Scorpius as she relaxed back into Draco’s chest. She had her boys now, and she didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.
“Yeah I think it will.”
~`~
Scorpius clapped his hands and cheered as Hugo’s team made a goal. He had been really impressed with Hugo’s playing over the summer, he was fast and had great footwork and seemed to be in the right place at the right time to steal the ball or get passed the ball.
No matter what, it was impressive, and Scorpius felt honored that he got to play with him over the summer.
“Come on Hugo! You got this!” yelled Ron Weasley from across the field as he paced back and forth in a small six feet section. Behind him, on a large blanket, Rose and Hermione sat together, both of them with a book in their hands.
Scorpius could tell quickly that this must’ve been what a normal Saturday was for them, or at least what a normal Saturday was when they were all together. Hugo playing football with his team, Ron watching carefully, and Rose and Hermione reading or talking and then looking up anytime the crowd cheered around them.
It was what he expected, and also didn’t. They looked happy, and in some way it washed away the last memory Scorpius had of the four of them together.
At the very least, he could hear Hugo speaking in English again.
“Hugo!” yelled Scorpius, feeling himself bounce on his feet as Hugo started running down the field. He dodged the other players as they ran after him, trying to steal the ball back, and continued down the field, somehow picking up speed despite how late it was in the game.
“Yes!” Scorpius heard Rose yell as Hugo made the last goal and the referee blew his whistle to end the game. “Good job Hugo!”
Scorpius smiled as he made the shortcut across the field to where the three Weasleys were. Rose was on her feet, laughing as she wrapped her arm around her dad’s, the sound beautiful and wonderful and perfect.
“Rosie,” said Scorpius walking up to Rose and smiling as she turned to look at him. She let go of Ron and nearly knocked Scorpius over as she jumped into his arms. “I’ve missed you.”
“You came,” whispered Rose, holding on so tightly that Scorpius couldn’t even move his arms. “Thank you.”
“Oh please not the sports drink,” said Hermione and all four of them looked over to see Hugo’s team dump the container of Gatorade on his head. “He’s going to be all sticky in Madam Malkin’s.”
“You can scorgify him in Diagon Alley, ‘Mione,” said Ron as Hugo ran over to them. Scorpius smiled at him as Rose finally let go of him, taking his hand in hers. Hugo smiled at them, and Scorpius reached out to give him a high five.
“That last goal was amazing Hugo,” Scorpius told him, reaching up and running a hand through his curls as he would’ve with Lyla. They were so similar, and if Scorpius had his way, they would best friends already. “Great job.”
“Thanks,” said Hugo beaming and smiling at Scorpius before turning to his parents. “Did you see how I dodged that last guy’s attempt to steal? I jumped over his legs, dad!”
Scorpius smiled as Hugo went on, and on, and on about the game, until they reached the changing rooms and he went inside. He squeezed Rose’s hand and kissed her cheek, completely aware of her parents watching them, him.
“So are we going to do this?” asked Ron, and Scorpius turned to look at him, he looked relaxed despite his crossed arms, and Scorpius knew it was because of his shorts and cheery yellow t-shirt.
“Dad,” said Rose, tightening her hand around his. “We talked already, the other morning.”
“Um,” said Scorpius, trying to put his words together, “Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, I um…I just don’t want to ever see Rose…or Hugo...like I did when they got the news.”
He remembered Rose on the floor, clutching Hugo as if he was her only lifeline, as if he was the only person that could feel her pain, and he was. Hugo was the only one in that house who knew their Abuelo Javier as well as Rose, or well, Rose was the only one who knew their Abuelo Javier as well as Hugo.
“Even if we don’t last the next week or month or until next summer,” said Scorpius, looking up into Ron’s eyes, the exact same shape and shade of blue as Rose’s. “I’m never going to allow her to get that hurt again. I’m never going to cause her that much pain. And I’m never, going to not love her…because Rosie is amazing and she deserves to be happy, whether it’s with me or not.”
Ron nodded and Hermione rolled her eyes as Rose reached out to take her hand. They were both wearing sundresses, Rose’s was blue with little white daisies on it, and Hermione’s was white with little roses climbing up from the hem.
“Thank Merlin you take after your mum,” said Ron, and Scorpius shook his head.
“Mum’s not the romantic,” Scorpius told him, thinking about the box of letters she had been reading the other morning. “Dad is.”
“Well Scorpius,” said Hermione, and Scorpius turned to look at her, the carving on her arm more shocking in person than in the photos he had seen. “If you’re who makes Roslyn happy, then that’s okay with us.”
“Just don’t get into any trouble together,” said Ron, uncrossing his arms to take Hermione’s hand in his own. “I don’t want to deal with Draco.”
Scorpius rolled his eyes, it had been the same thing his dad had told him at breakfast that morning before Scorpius left.
~`~
Draco smiled down at Scorpius as he held him in his arms, he remembered the first time he had held Teddy, and Devansh, and Sam, and Hajari. Teddy had been about fifteen months old, he had been solid and wriggly and searching for comfort, the others had just been small, so small and little and impossible seeming. All four of them had been beautiful, and he had fallen in love with each of them the moment he first held them.
But Scorpius was different.
Draco had been in love with his son since Astoria’s body first started changing, since she told him that she was pregnant. He had fallen even more in love at the first ultrasound, and then when he started kicking and moving and rolling over inside of Astoria’s stomach. And it never went away, never got smaller or any less, even when he made Astoria sick, made her sad or angry, made her tired and needy, made her so big and uncomfortable that she could barely do anything on her own.
But it didn’t matter now, because he was here, all eight pounds and six ounces of him, all twenty-six inches of him. He was all flailing limbs and little helpless cries, but more than anything he was here and he was perfect and he was Draco’s son.
Draco glanced over at Astoria asleep in her hospital bed, her dark curly hair a mess of sweat and tangles he would help her wash out when she woke up, and her hands still resting protectively over her stomach. She was still so beautiful, even as she screamed at him, even as she nearly broke his hand, even now as she slept. Though nothing had been more amazing than seeing her hold Scorpius in her arms, seeing her just stare at him with love and dedication in her eyes.
It was how she had looked at him the day they got married, and Draco knew that he had looked at her the same, how he was looking at his baby boy now.
“Scorpius,” whispered Draco, so low he was sure that no one, even his son could hear him. Scorpius was asleep anyways, so it didn’t matter if he listened to Draco ramble to him. “You have no idea what family you have been born into. We can trace our line all the way back to the stars, the stars your mum named you after and the light that shines all around us every day. Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, you are going to be so loved, you’re going to have a life so incredibly happy, and I’m going to give you everything that matters. I’m going to give you all of the love and forgiveness that my parents held as an award over me, but you’re going to get it unconditionally because that’s how we love you.”
Draco kissed Scorpius’ little forehead and smiled as Scorpius opened his eyes and lifted his arm up block out the moonlight coming in from the window. He opened his mouth but no noise came out, and Draco rubbed his thumb along the top of his head, along his dark curls. He was so beautiful, he looked so much like Astoria already.
“Draco my love,” said Astoria, her voice sleepy and thick. “Let him sleep.”
Scorpius let out a little yawn and put his hand back over his face as his feet kicked in his blanket. Draco sighed and walked over to Astoria’s bed, handing him off and climbing in with her. He was exhausted as Astoria put her head on his chest, and Scorpius in between them.
He had expected that they would have a bit of an adjustment period for when Scorpius finally came, but he didn’t feel it now. It really was as if they were always waiting for him to join them.
“I think a little girl next,” mumbled Astoria as Draco put his face into her hair and kissed the top of her head. “But a few years down the line.”
“Definitely,” agreed Draco, tightening an arm around Astoria as he put his other hand on Scorpius’ back, keeping them both safe, keeping them close to him.
This was perfect.
~`~
Rose ran through the barrier between platforms nine and ten, she couldn’t believe that her summer was over, the crazy unforgivable summer. She had spent so much of it sad and angry and discontent, but she had had her high points, her first kiss with Scorpius, her movie date with Scorpius, dancing with Scorpius at the Society party, even shopping in Diagon Alley with Scorpius and her family had been wonderful.
Scorpius had been her high point of the summer, and he had managed to make all of her low points better, all except for one.
“Rosie!”
Rose glanced back behind her as Hugo and then her parents came through the barrier. She waited for them to join her before she headed over to the Potters, smiling at Al as she stopped her trolley next to his.
“Hey,” said Rose, giving him a quick hug even though they had seen each other the night before at the Burrow. One last family dinner before they all went to Hogwarts again, leaving behind their parents.
“Can’t believe you guys were late,” whispered Al, and Rose rolled her eyes, they were always late to the designated meet up time on September first. Ever since Hugo had started at Hogwarts they never made it out of the house on time, even though they lived the closest to King’s Cross.
“You’re kidding right?” asked Rose, as Auntie Ginny took her camera out.
“Where’s Becca?” asked Ginny, and Rose let Al search for her and wave her over to them, Scorpius with her.
“Alright you four,” said Ginny and Rose rolled her eyes as she stood in front of the train, in between Scorpius and Al, both of their arms around her. She rested her head back on Scorpius’ chest and smiled as her auntie took the picture they took every year on this day for the last five years now. “Fifth year or bust?”
“Mum!”
Rose giggled, unable to help herself. In a few short minutes, she would say goodbye to her parents, hug and kiss them both one last time before she saw them again in December for the holidays. She would climb up on the train with her trunk and Jinx in his carrier, and wave goodbye to her parents and aunts and uncles. And then she would leave Becca and Al to walk down to the prefects’ carriage, hand in hand with Scorpius.
She would be saying goodbye to a summer that she hated and loved more than any summer before. She would be saying goodbye to heartbreak and grief and forgiveness all in one moment. She would be saying goodbye to a season that used and abused her.
But then she would be saying hello to a future that was unexpected and new and everything that she wanted and didn’t know she wanted.
“Come on,” whispered Scorpius, offering his hand to her, and Rose smiled up at him, meeting his grey eyes and lacing her fingers through his. “Let’s go.”
“Yeah, okay.”