Death's Curse Undone

Epilogue

Epilogue

Harry saw Albus onto the train before excusing himself from Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Lily Luna.

Then he turned and strode down the platform. "Astoria.", he nodded to his estate manager and Ministry representative. Due to Harry's multiplicity of titles, it was impossible for a law to pass without his knowledge and rare for it to pass without his approval. Also, the Patriarchal Council found it impossible to acheive quorum without his presence. Since he did not wish to devote his time and attention to these affairs, Harry had looked for someone who could do it for him. Though it had initially caused no little conflict between him and Hermione (who wished for him to actively use his political power to support her policies) Harry had searched for an appropriately trained Slytherin to serve as his deputy. He had found her in the person of Astoria Greengrass. People said that women got into Slytherin because of their ambition to find wealthy husbands. Harry said that those people had never met Astoria. Astoria had been two days from her wedding to Theodore Nott when Harry had formally offered her the job. Nott had promptly thrown a tantrum and asked her to refuse Harry if she wished to retain their engagement. Six hours later, an unengaged, disinherited Astoria Greengrass had turned up at the Potter residence to inform Harry that the job had better come with a decent place to stay. Harry had directed Draco to choose something appropriate and Astoria found herself housed at 12, Grimmauld Place.

Now, Harry signalled Astoria to back off a little and give him some space with his other family. The world believed that Astoria had eventually seen the light and married Draco Malfoy. This appearance was strengthened by the fact that she always appeared on Draco's arm at social functions. In reality, however, Astoria was still single and living comfortably at Black Manor. Scorpius Malfoy was the result of a male pregnancy and the son of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

Harry squatted down to look in the emerald eyes of his third son. Scorpius refused to meet his father's eyes, instead developing a fascination with the toes of his shoes. Harry reached out to tip up his son's chin, "Hey. What's wrong?". "I-", Scorpius shuffled a little, "I'm sorry, Dad! I'll try my best not to... But please don't stop liking me!". Harry was shocked out of his mind at Scorpius' reaction. Scorpius had inherited his restrained public demeanour from his other father and Harry had never seen the Heir Malfoy to betray such emotion in public, not since the purchase of his first professional-grade broomstick at ay rate. Resting his hands on the boy's shoulders, Harry spoke quietly but firmly, "First off, there is nothing you could do that would make me love my son any less. (And yes, I love - not just 'like' but love - you.) Now that we've got that out of the way, mind telling me exactly WHAT has got you so worked up?". "I - Papa told me all Malfoys have gone to Slytherin with a very few in Ravenclaw... I'll try to get put in Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin but if the Hat puts me there anyway - everyone knows you were a Griffindor and that Griffindors hate Slytherins and I can't stand the idea of you hating me!", the young boy cried, all but sobbing outright. Harry hesitated for just a moment before deciding 'Secrecy be damned - his son needed him.' and gathering Scorpius in his arms. "It wouldn't matter one whit to me, brat. The Hat put your Papa there and want me to follow him as well. If you're in Slytherin then you inherited that position from BOTH your parents and we'll BOTH be proud of you, understand?", he held Scorpius off now, looking him in the eyes, "There's nothing wrong with being cunning or ambitious and you're the son of a Parselmouth and the current Duke Slytherin. So long as you avoid the Slytherin penchant for overweening arrogance and hexing others in the back I'll love you and support you no matter what House you get into - understood?". The boy nodded softly, his wet eyes shining with more than tears, "Yes sir.". "Good, now get on that train before it leaves without you."

Scorpius bid farewell to Draco and his godmother (Astoria) and got onto the train, waving madly at his fathers and godmother as he did so.

As the train puffed out of the station, Draco spoke to the man beside him without turning, "If you do not hate Slytherins, then why did you hate me?", he turned to Harry, his vulnerability showing on his face, "You fought tooth-and-nail against being placed in Slytherin. You refused my hand when I offered it. You split me open in our sixth year. Why?".

For once, Harry didn't play with Draco's vulnerability. He understood that this was a turning point in their relationship and he had to give Draco confidence in their relationship. The fact that Scorpius had thought that his House could change how he felt towards him had shaken him badly; and yet he understood why Draco had not been able to give their son the assurances he'd needed - Draco himself had never been given any assurance that what they had was real and permanent.

He slipped an arm around Draco's waist and spoke to him softly, "You insinuated that Muggleborns - such as my mother - had no place in our world. You insulted the first person - that I remember - to ever treat me as a person - Hagrid. You insulted Ron, my first friend; and his family, who were kind to me. You displayed the same arrogance and narrow-mindedness that I associated with my cousin, Dudley.". Harry turned to face Draco, his expression blank, his voice impassive, "Yes, I split you open in sixth year; but I only did it after you attempted to Crucio me. I had suffered the Cruciactus Curse at Voldemort's hands - I decided to match your virulence with mine. I didn't even know what that curse did.".

Harry's face and tone may have been neutral but the very fact that they were so told Draco that Harry no longer held those events against him. They were just that - events. Facts that were part of their history but that now had no emotion attached to them. That no longer held them back from being one.

Draco wrapped his arm around his mate's waist and joined him in looking after the disappearing train.

After a while, Ginny came to get Harry.

A bit later, Astoria removed the privacy wards she had erected around her boss and his mate and led her friend away.

In another dimension, a long-dead soul and Death felt a curse lift.

Death bowed its head in wry acknowledgement, its Master had undone its curse.