The Internal Devices

Epilogue

"Draco, hurry up! We have to leave in thirty seconds!"

Draco's sigh was audible around the corner. "Hermione, love, I would if I could. But he won't put on the jumper!"

"He's two Draco! It can't be that difficult!" Draco grumbled something too low for her to hear, but a shrill giggle followed, so she assumed they were fine. She chuckled when her husband bumbled around the corner, smiling toddler in his arms. Hermione pressed a kiss on her son's rosy cheeks before stepping into the fireplace.

They flooed from the Manor to the Hogwarts grounds, just in time for the ceremony. Hermione had barely found her footing before she was assaulted by two squealing women, hugging her tight enough to crack a rib. Pansy released her first and turned to wink at Draco. Astoria rushed over to grab little Theo and settle him onto her hip.

"Go ahead dear," Astoria assured her, "we've got him."

Hermione nodded and Draco slipped his hand into hers, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. Today, the Ministry of Magic was awarding them with an Order of Asclepius, First Class. Madam Pomfrey had insisted that the ceremony take place on Hogwarts grounds, as this was where it all began. Over the past five years, avensegium allegiata had taken the world by storm, and hundreds of patients suffering from magical maladies were benefiting. A small percentage of those patients had once endured a curse of dark magic, and they were finally experiencing relief. It was now a common treatment in St Mungos as well as in America.

They had exactly twenty minutes before they needed to be onstage in the Great Hall. Their entire cohort from Harvard would be receiving awards alongside them, and no doubt the Weasleys (plus Harry) were waiting for them inside. There was just one thing they had to do first. Draco dragged her away from the castle, a small smile on his face.

"Come on, Granger. He's waiting for us." Hermione grinned and picked up the pace. They ran across the grounds, hand in hand, both feeling slightly breathless simply by being back at the school. She didn't care about the award and would have avoided the attention if possible. They only came here today for one reason.

They stopped in front of the headstone, still as beautiful as it was the day they made it.

"Hello, Theodore," Hermione whispered. Draco didn't say a word. She squeezed his hand before pulling out her wand. She carefully arranged a bouquet of flowers and placed a stasis charm on them. There were so many things she wanted to tell him, and a glance at Draco's expression told her he felt the same way. She nudged him gently with an elbow. "Go on, love. Tell him about our son."

Draco smiled then, a single tear slipping down his face, but he began to speak. He told Theo of the wily little boy who loved to run, the little boy who was constantly in trouble. He described the cool blue eyes and the bouncy brown curls. He laughed when he mentioned the toddler's strange affinity for music. They held each other tightly and gave themselves a few minutes to grieve. It was a strange thing, feeling so full as they spoke to him, but so empty at the same time. They'd vocalized this countless times over the years and had decided life would never really feel normal without Theo because a key part of who they were was missing. All they could do was remember him, and they did every single day, especially when they looked into the eyes of their son. They poured every ounce of love they contained into their little boy, just as Theo had poured every ounce of his own love into them. They hoped he would be proud.

Draco began humming a low tune, a song from their memories. It was a melody that was born in an old abandoned classroom, a refrain that held a thousand words. Hermione closed her eyes as she listened. It was a tragedy that she could remember his music so well but had forgotten the exact placement of his many freckles or the precise outline of his smile. After years, much of Theo was becoming a blur as time ate away at the image in her mind. One of these days, she would have Draco purchase a pensieve so they could more accurately remember, but it was too early for that. Too raw.

Finally, Hermione sighed. "We'd better get inside. Mcgonagall is sure to throw a fit if we're late to our own party."

Draco chuckled and pressed his lips to hers. "You're probably right," he muttered, but he didn't let go. Hermione peered at him curiously, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. He gently rested his forehead against hers and lightly caressed her cheek. "You know I adore you, right?"

Hermione huffed out a laugh and nodded. "I know, Draco. And I adore you." He wrapped her in a suffocating hug before letting her go.

They rose and slowly walked toward the castle. So much of this life was unexpected and so much of it had been broken. She still had scars that would never truly heal and sorrow that would never truly fade. But with Draco, there was more than that. There was more than her hurts and her losses; there was an entire lifetime of love. With him, she could face anything. It may not be perfect, but it was enough. It was enough.