𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑

epilogue

"veni
vidi
amavi."

•

SKYLAR FIREGOLD WAS losing her mind early in the morning of September 1st, 2017. Her youngest son was going to Hogwarts and her house would be empty again. Not that she minded any of it-after sixteen years of raising three whole children who didn't even look like her, the quiet might be a relief; it's just Skylar wasn't sure when her youngest son had grown up enough to go off to Hogwarts. "Regulus! Get down here and bring Scorpius—We are late!"

Draco Malfoy chuckled from where he sat with his mug of coffee. It was a rainy autumn day in London and the weather was too cozy for anyone to be fretting as much as his wife did. He peered out of the window that overlooked the little cobblestoned streets that wove through the heart of London and stared at the rain splashing against the ground. His coffee was calling out to him,and his memories were a jumble.

"You're unnaturally quiet today?" As he sat on the sofa in front of the muggle tv in his living room on a cold, cozy January of 2001, his fingers ran through his wife's red hair; she sat on the ground, her back leaned into the sofa. As the completion of her Auror Training neared, the level of difficulty increased more and more and than Draco liked to imagine. His Healer Training wasn't easy either but that was a brainwork. Draco was good at brainwork. "What's wrong?"

"We have never talked about this Draco," she began. A cold wash of water went through his skin. "And I have no easier way to say it—"

"What is it?" Draco pushed. He didn't like playing around with words and Skylar never played with words. Whatever it was, must be serious, lest Skylar would never—

"I fainted at the Auror Training today," she said quietly, and Draco felt her tense under his touch.

"Why?" Draco asked. It wasn't likely for Skylar to show signs of weaknesses like this. She always ate her meals and got full six, seven hours of sleep before going to work.

"I'm pregnant."

It wasn't like they were trying to have a child that young. Skylar was twnety and he was twnety-one; sure some people wanted to have children that young but honestly, Skylar and Draco never really talked about children before. At the same time, they weren't actively stopping the process of pregnancy either, with all those mindless sex without protection it was likely to happen sooner or later.

"Draco!" Skylar snapped. Her hair was held up in a bun with her wand sticking into it. She had already changed into her Auror uniform, her red cloak fastened properly around her waist. "Is the Floo ready?"

"Yeah," Draco said quickly, aware to not panic an already panic-stricken woman. "The train doesn't leave for another forty minutes. We'll be there on time."

Just then, a boy of sixteen with silvery blond hair and cool grey eyes appeared at the foot of the stairs. Regulus was almost the same height as Draco now, with the same pride and the same jump to his feet like he was the prince of the world. "Scorpius is putting on his robes already. I told him he needn't until we were near Hogwarts, but he's nervous, I presume."

Skylar rolled her eyes and wondered what had happened to her sweet little boy who used to climb trees and mend butterfly wings. Regulus had the same magic as her—all her children did—but he also had the conniving curiosity that came with being half of Draco Malfoy. "You did the same thing when you were off to Hogwarts."