Between Fine Lines

Thirty-three (Epilogue)

Three years later

"Can somebody explain to me why we are practicing for a wedding? Is this a muggle thing?" Theo questioned with a whisper.  After Molly had tasked them non-stop for the last few days, Theo was ready to never step foot at The Burrow again. 

"The only plus side to this is all the notes I'm taking to effortlessly make Hermione and I's wedding that much grander. I have to show Sirius up somehow," Regulus chuckled, reaching for Hermione's hand, intertwining their fingers together, his thumb running over her knuckles, playing lightly with the engagement ring on her ring finger.

"First off," Theo informed him, "Draco and I are getting married before both of you," (Draco blushed a bit at this, as if he were still surprised after all this time that Theo loved him so much,) "And if you think for even a second, that your wedding will be bigger than ours, that Narcissa Malfoy would ever allow such a thing-"

Regulus cut Theo off at this. "I'm the favorite cousin, you can just ask her and she'll tell you," he smirked and Hermione and Draco gave each other a look, knowing exactly where this was going.

"I'm about to be her favorite and only son in law."

"You say that like Draco won't divorce you, Narcissa and I are blood."

"And it's a miracle the two of you weren't married- Draco would never divorce me!"

"Well technically everybody thought I was dead..."

"honestly I don't think that would stop anybody in your family, mate,"

Draco turned his head at this,  " A bit incestual but we don't go that far!"

" At least we aren't related," Theo insisted, kissing Draco's temple. Hermione laughed at this,  "you're both sacred twenty eight, you may be, " she teased with a wink,  causing Regulus to laugh, Theo grumbling under his breath about know it all Gryffindors.

"As we were saying, with all of the things you and Granger are too busy doing, changing the world and all that, do you even have time to get married?"

After the war, Hermione and Regulus dedicated a lot of time to helping with the reconstruction of Hogwarts. The castle had once been a home away from home for both of them and after the war there wasn't a single wealthy family that hesitated in helping fund the rehabilitation.

What could have been a long battle with the ministry over Regulus' reappearance turned into one of the very few times Harry would ever wave his chosen one card and the matter was quietly and quickly handled. Hermione and Regulus had travelled to Australia the moment he was cleared, restoring her parents' memories, but Helen and Richard found that they enjoyed their new home much more than expected and decided to stay permanently with promises to visit.

Harry and Hermione both took jobs within the Ministry, Harry as an auror and Hermione working in the department for the regulation and control of magical creatures. She had already been there for one year and she was already turning the department upside down, petitioning bills and laws to give many magical creatures better lives. Hermione had just successfully gotten her bill passed to give werewolves better rights and more of the same opportunities as the standard witch or wizard. She and Regulus were now working on a new proposal called Kreacher's law, which would prevent the abuse of house elves everywhere. (It didn't hurt to have three of the most influential families on the wizengamot on her side, either.)

After Sirius got tired of Regulus moping around Grimmauld when bored, the younger Black brother and the Malfoy heir decided to open up their own hybrid book and potions shop, periodically having lessons for students of all ages to come in and learn how to brew every day potions or refine their skills.