Time in a bottle

Fin

A/N:  We are finally here!  The end to this wild ride.  A few months shy of a year and I am finally finishing this story!

Also, if you are reading my other works, know that I am working hard on finishing them! 

  Thank you lovely readers for sticking with me through this story and the wait for its conclusion.  Thank you also to the reviewers whom brought a smile to my face every time I read your thoughts.

  So without further ado...

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Epilogue...many years later

Draco had decided that he wanted a new start after the war.  So, it was with this in mind, after many discussions with his new family, he took the last name of his adoptive grandmother McGonagall.  His mothers and the venerable Headmistress couldn't be happier. 

Much to everyone's surprise the former radical blood purist, half-blood began studying both muggle and magical law in the years following the war.  Navigating the muggle world had been challenging, but his brunette mother helped tremendously.

  After finishing his education, the Slytherin male began working for the Ministry of Magic.  Utilizing his degrees and masteries he applied for the muggleborn rights division and after some scrutiny he was hired. Draco felt compelled to push for change after seeing firsthand what blood purity had done to the Wizarding world and both of his mothers' lives.  The news of just how much his adoptive grandmother had helped protect Hermione after the war lit a fire under the young man.  He would see to it that no other muggleborn had any disadvantage just because of who their parents were.

  Draco worked from the ground up at the Ministry to eventually run the department.  Master McGonagall challenged and changed many of the historic prejudiced laws that had been in practice for many centuries, and worked to bridge the gap between muggleborns and the remainder of the Wizarding world that often excluded them.

  He eventually fell in love with a Scottish witch he met on one of his many visits to his mothers in Scotland. His bride-to-be had fiery red hair, and was a formidable witch in her own right.  He had been smitten at their first interaction when, like his mother, literally ran into the love of his life.  Emilia, however had not been as amused as his blonde mother had been with Hermione, and smashed a clay pot on the poor bloke's head. 

After the pair had eventually gotten serious, Draco had taken the girl to visit his parents.  He was confused and amused at the nickname of Merida his Disney loving brunette mother gave his girlfriend, but the Scot embraced it, loving her eventual in-laws at first meeting. 

Draco learned to love his muggle mother, although at times it was a bit odd having a mother the same age as himself, he counted himself lucky to have such loving parents finally in his life.

Together Draco and Emilia had the most adorable strawberry blonde children anyone had ever seen, restoring honor and life into the McGonagall line. 

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Harry and Ron true to themselves  became Aurors, and shared in Harry's godson's life, but did not feel compelled to have children of their own, much to Molly's chagrin.

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Mrs Weasley never got over her hatred of the Blacks and eventually got arrested for attacking the 'family that time built.'  The monicker that the Daily Prophet had dubbed, was for once, not a horrid name.   Molly had been strip searched and found to have an illegal potion, with the intent on harming the happy couple.  For the possession of such a dark concoction and the initial attack she had been sent to a 6 month stint to Azkaban, and probation for 1 year with forced counseling for another 5 years.  The horrid experience was enough to stop her scheming, and through her counseling and contact with her remaining children and now grand babies,  she learned to deal with the deaths of her family. 

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Ted Tonks had been killed 6 months prior to the final battle, and took time to fully grieve her loss before dating again.  Andromeda Tonks neé Black and Minerva McGonagall began dating 3 years after the war.   Although they never officially married they stayed in each other's lives until the elder professor 110 years later, old and grey died in her lover's arms asleep, it was telling how deep their bond was that although still asleep,  precisely two minutes later the brunette black sister left this world,  the healers said she died of stress cardiomyopathy ... otherwise known as a dying of a broken heart.

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Hermione and her Cissy had 2 more children living out their days writing, researching in peace of the Scottish hillside.  True to Shackelbolt's words he sent a ministry official to get their statements and view their memories.  They were cleared of all charges and Narcissa's confessions helped convict many Death Eaters who would have otherwise gone free. 

Hermione never took her wife and children for granted and cherished every day with them.  Narcissa for her part, true to Draconem's words they had truly been reunited with her love.  She had walked through fire for her love and ended up living out her days full of love, once on the other side. 

The now apparent age gap between the pair was never a true issue for the couple, even if Narcissa had made a few disparaging comments on her not so firm skin from time to time.  Hermione for her part had loved her all her life it seemed, and said she like a fine wine just got better with age. 

The death of Hermione's parents in the Great War was something that she felt the rest of her life, but the surprising adoption from her favorite mentor filled some of the hurt she felt.

  Narcissa had not wanted to return to the Black Manor, and since the marriage to Lucius had been deemed invalid she had no claim to the horrid place she reluctantly called home for those long years.  Hermione's parents house, for her part, had burned to the ground in an attempt while she had been on the run to flush out the muggleborn.   So when the offer came from Minerva to take up residence in the large Scottish family castle, the pair couldn't have been happier.  Living in the summers with her girls Minerva enjoyed the family she never thought she would have.  The McGonagall Castle never held more love and laughter, as it did with the Granger-Black's. 

The end