RIDDLE ME THIS

epilogue

six years later.

"tell us another story, Mummy!" Aelius begged.

"that was the longest story ever—right from the first day i walked into Hogwarts!" i protested.

"we want another one..." Scorpius rubbed his eyes.

"i want never gets," i tapped his little nose.

my sons had inherited my straight nose, my olive skin and full lips.

from Draco, they got their white-blonde hair, piercing blue eyes and strong jaw.

it amazed me to look at them —they were the perfect blend of Draco and i.

"come on, you little stinkers," he scooped Scorpius and Aelius out of our bed and carried them into their own rooms.

Isaurelia stared at me imploringly with her Grandmother's face—my face.

her green-brown eyes twinkled as she twisted her dark hair around her little finger.

if it wasn't for Draco's attributes which she'd inherited tenfold, i'd say she wasn't his daughter at all—solely my own.

"please may i stay in your bed?" Aura asked politely.

Nana Cissa, had taught her the difference between 'can' and 'may'.

"your brothers will be jealous," i raised my eyebrows.

"they're smelly boys," she pulled a face. "i won't snore like Daddy!"

"you promise?" i held out my pinky, on which still sat the ring Draco had gifted me so long ago on a rooftop in london.

our daughter nodded feverishly, linking her finger with mine.

"alright then, just for tonight, Aura."

"just for forever!" she giggled, diving under the covers as i tickled her.

"you're so naughty," i kissed her freckle-covered cheeks.

she settled down into bed, her eyelids growing heavy as she stared up at me, her little hand tracing my face.

"one day i'll be as pretty as you," she whispered.

"you're the most beautiful thing i've ever laid my eyes on, Isaurelia." i kissed her fingertips.

Isaurelia—named after my mother, whose grave was always blossoming with flowers, no matter the season.

Bellatrix and Narcissa had sat down long ago with my brothers and i.

they had gathered their friends from Hogwarts, the remnants of the 'inner circle,' Rodulphus Lestrange, Avery Nott and the myth of Regulus Black.

they told us everything about her.

from her effortless beauty to her unyielding courage and loyalty.

the wrong choice, which resulted in her tragic passing.

all of the sick things Father had done to make her fall in love with him, and his gut-wrenching cries when she died.

the way she loved him, her friends, the way she would've undoubtedly loved us...

the void felt by all after she died, and the department her parents had founded in the ministry.

our own mother was the reason why Aurors had been created.

Aura's eyes fluttered closed and her breathing became slow and heavy.

sensing a presence, i turned to see Draco leaning against the doorframe.

"she kicks you know," he nodded at our daughter. "and snores, and very often wets the bed."

i shrugged, putting thoughts of Mother into the back of my mind. "she's cute—she can get away with it."

i stood beside him and he wrapped me in his arms.

"Mother and Father are coming tomorrow. they've got business to discuss."

i nodded, never taking my eyes off of our daughter. "one day it will all work out, and we'll live happily ever after."

Draco kissed my head, nudging me towards the bed.

we crawled under the covers, Aura sandwiched between us.

"goodnight, lovely Lo," Draco said with his hand on the lamp-switch.

"sleep well, darling Draco," i blew him a kiss.

he turned off the light and we were bathed in darkness, but the kind that made you feel warm, safe, secure.

the opposite kind of darkness that my brothers and i had survived in at Scorpius and Aelius and Aura's ages.

the kind of darkness i would never allow them to experience for as long as i lived.

i had my brothers, Tom and Matteo.

i had my best friend, Pansy.

i had four of the most loyal friends i could ask for: Blaise, Reg, Theo and Enzo—who had at last retired that little black notebook of his.

i had my husband, Draco.

and i had my three children.

Scorpius, Aelius and Isaurelia.

i couldn't ask for a lot more, just to guarantee their safety and happiness.

and as the Dark Lady, that was something i was more than capable of.

Riddle Me This:

the rich people want me, wise people know me, the poor people need me, and kind people show me.

i can be an asset, a weapon. a weakness and a strength. i can envelop and consume and kill a person.

what am i?

i am Love.

***   

the end.

author's note

omg this has been one hell of a write.

i'm writing this at 4.30am after surviving writers block more times than i can count, but we made it.

from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, all your supportive comments mean so much to me and it makes me smile reading through them all.

i hope you enjoyed reading as much as i enjoyed writing, YOU motivate me to keep on doing it <3

if you enjoyed Riddle Me This and want to learn more about Isaurelia and Tom's story, make sure to check out my new story 'Wrong Choice' out now.

so much love,
Dilfs789 xxx