When Lions And Snakes Play Together: A Cautionary (But Funny)Tale

t.w.e.n.t.y: The Long Awaited Wedding

Seven Years Later....

I turned to the right and left on the three-way mirror platform of my closet. I felt silly being nervous since I had been married to Severus for seven years. Lucius sort of acted as co-parent to my son and daughter. Carol was Lucius's daughter, and Gabriel was my son with Severus. When Lucius saw our daughter for the first time, he was over the moon with joy. Draco adored his baby half-sister, and there was no doubt of whose child she was with her blonde hair and silver eyes. She had a mixture of our looks in my nose and lip shape, and her hair's tendency to frizz when she didn't use sleakeazy tonic on it, but other than that, she was all Malfoy; Gabriel had darker brown hair than mine, but he had my complexion and all of his father beyond that.

I certainly wanted more children, but we never actively tried for more because I wanted to pursue my career of working just underneath the Minister of Magic, and my Slytherin lovers respected that decision. I slowly came around to the idea of caring for Lucius more, but I never lost my heart to him completely. I finished dressing in a simple off the shoulder cream dress with my hair in a stylish updo. I briefly looked at my two engagement rings, well, my first one had a wedding band because it was from Severus, which I received at my first wedding after I had Carol and Gabriel and I was back to my pre baby weight.

I heard a knock at my bedroom door, and I called out, "Just a second!"

I answered the door, and it was Draco. He smiled, "I guess I'm losing that bet against you that you decided to play hooky and blow off this vow renewal thing. Gabe bet a whole galleon that you weren't coming. Carol says you went on a coffee run."

I laughed. "I was thinking of coffee just now. It's funny she would say that when her father drinks more coffee than I ever could."

"True. You look great, mum, really."

"Mum. Hmm, I seem to remember a long time ago punching you out for calling me something less kind."

Draco grinned. "Yeah, but I was a spoiled brat, you know that. You make dad very happy, so that's all that matters to me. Are you ready?"

"Definitely. Let's go."

We walked through the stately gothic manor that was Severus's ancestral home arm in arm and chatted away about nothing in particular. We reached the chapel, and Draco turned to me. "You've got this, mum. Now go out there and be saccharine in your love."

"I'll remember that when you get all lovey dovey with your own wife."

Draco nodded, then frowned. "Mum would've loved her so much, despite her dad's strangeness. I..I wish she could have come to my wedding."

I hugged him, and he hugged me back, kissing my cheek. "I know. But.."

Carol burst through the chapel doors, tears streaming down her face. "Mummy, Gabe threw a jinx my way, and my hair is green!"

I flicked my wand, and her hair changed back into the soft blonde curls she had naturally. "There, all better now. Did either of your daddies see to him?"

She nodded her head vigorously. "Mmhm. Daddy did, my daddy, not Gabe's. His daddy was busy with robe stuff. Can Draky pick me up?"

Draco smiled. "I sure can, sissy. Come here."

She ran to him, and he picked Carol up and propped her on his right hip. He kissed her cheek. "I've got this. You go on in."

I kissed my daughter's cheek and smiled at Draco. He smiled back and knocked on the chapel doors. They opened up on the other side, and I almost teared up the ambiance of the flowers in the otherwise solemn but gothic private church, making everything festive and romantic. Pixies flew about the flowers, lending their light to the floating candles, and soft orchestral music played on enchanted musical instruments.