Only Another Beginning (Epilogue)
Well, that's it. I on my part really want to thank all you guys who reviewed and stayed on for the ride until the end once more, you're every author's lifeblood and have made posting this so worth everything. :-) So for the last time: Have fun, and I hope you like how it all ended up!
Title: Only Another Beginning
Chapter: Epilogue ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 )
Authors: leandralocke & narya86
Rating: mostly R with some NC-17 scenes
Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy
Disclaimer: Almost all of those lovely characters are J.K.Rowling's, unfortunately not ours.
Summary: Five years after Voldemort's deafeat Harry runs into his former school nemesis who has been banned from the wizarding world, together with some other Death Eaters. Harry had known that life among muggles proabably wouldn't be easy for them, but discovering that Malfoy works as street hustler was certainly not what he expected.
A/N: Something else I wanted to tell you. If you're interested in music to the story, you can look at the previous chapters again, I finally added some songs in "current music" that - if you ask me - go very well with each chapter.
Only Another Beginning
Epilogue
"And you're saying, Mr Malfoy, that you would no longer engage in the use of Dark Magic, that you've changed your attitude regarding blood-purity and that you will use your abilities responsibly?"
It sounded more like a final admonition than a real question, for it seemed to be quite clear to the twelve members of the Wizengamot that Draco no longer was the same person he had been when he had last sat in this room. Most of the questions had been asked by Timothy Madrigal himself, and Draco had been thankful that he hadn't really wanted to hear much on how exactly Draco had earned his money during those five years. The minister knew about everything, however, because Hermione had informed him, but he was decent enough not to make it a big affair in front of all the people present: Ministry employees, press, curious audience and of course Harry. The Weasleys were there too, and Draco had been surprised to find Mrs Weasley wishing him good luck before the hearing had started. Draco hadn't been involved in the attack that had cost Ron's life more than five years ago, but still it had been his people who had robbed Mrs Weasley of her son. It was even more surprising that she didn't blame him in the slightest.
“Yes,” Draco heard himself reply without hesitation but with a calm and steady voice. And it even was the truth. What should he be doing with Dark Magic now that the Dark Lord was gone anyway? There was no need anymore to think about things like the safety of his parents, or the wishes of his father. Back then he had been sixteen, and if he was honest, scared out of his mind, for which he now had no need anymore. And concerning muggles - he had lived as one of them for five years. If that didn’t help someone change his attitude, he thought a little sarcastically, then probably nothing would.
“Yes, that’s what I’ve been trying to say for the last hour.”
One of the members of the Wizengamot, an old, grim looking wizard whose name Draco had forgotten, snorted with dislike. Madrigal, however, only smiled and nodded.
"Very well. That said I have no reason to doubt you'll be able to find your way back into the wizarding world and be a useful member to this society - probably with Mr Potter's and Miss Granger's help. We do, however, have to stick to the formalities of this hearing. May I ask the Wizengamot to decide on this matter now? Those in favour of revoking Mr Malfoy's ban and letting him re-enter our world shall raise their hands."
For a split second Draco’s breath caught in his throat, but then hands started to go up, and he suddenly felt very light. That was enough - that definitely was enough.
He didn’t even count how many members of the Wizengamot didn’t raise their hands, it didn’t matter. Draco closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in deeply, trying to calm his heart that was beating as if it wanted to get out of his chest.
It was enough.
"Eight to four in favour of the motion," Madrigal announced, smiling. What Harry had said about him was true, he did seem to be a more considerate and just Minister than the previous ones Draco had known. He was still quite young for the position, not even forty yet and - Draco had to admit - even quite good-looking with brown hair and sharp blue eyes that seemed both youthful and wise.
"Mr Malfoy, you are hereby returned full rights as a member of the wizarding world. Furthermore your rightfully inherited property shall be restored. As for your family's gold that has been confiscated by the Ministry you shall make payment to the restoration fund that has been established after the war in an amount yet to be fixed. The hearing is hereby closed."
While the members of the Wizengamot got up from their seatings so did most of the audience, some of them mumbling their disapproval, others nodding contently and even shooting him smiles.
Draco, though, remained seated for a moment, still trying to process that it really was over now. He was back where he belonged, had his magic back, even the manor and his parent’s fortune. Those miserable five years and everything they had brought him were finally over.
He felt a hand on his shoulder the next moment, and as he turned around he saw Harry, beaming brightly down at him, as well as Hermione who stood right beside the black-haired man. "I knew it! I just knew it!"
His features had a life of their own right now, breaking into a smile as he stood up and, without bothering who was still there to see them, drew Harry into a firm embrace. Relief and realisation were still tingling in his stomach, and it was only getting stronger by the second, an incredible feeling of light-headedness.
The Weasleys were there as well, smiling just as relieved even though he had made fun of them because of their poverty so many times as a child and teenager.
"Well, congratulations, Mr Malfoy," he heard Madrigal's voice behind him and drew back from Harry's embrace. "I'm honestly glad that this ended in your favour. I never agreed much with Scrimgeor’s methods when I was still one of his assistants. You might be pleased to hear that we plan to approach the other men who had been shunned from our society in that trial five years ago - as soon as we get a hold of them. I believe Theodor Nott lives somewhere in a small muggle village in Cornwall, does he not, Hermione?"
“That’s what we found out,” she smiled, and Draco nodded. It was good to hear that the other wizards that had been banned with him got the same chance that he had. “I have to thank you,” he said, nodded at Madrigal, but then looked at Hermione. “Especially you. For that potions you gave Harry and… this,” he added. It still felt weird talking to those people he had really despised a few years ago, but it was something he was getting used with quite quickly.
The young woman in front of him waved his words aside with a smile. “No need to, really.”
"Ah, she's always humble like that, isn't she?" Madrigal smirked and Draco thought to see Hermione blush slightly.
"Anyway. I need to get going now. There are still about a hundred petitions I have to go through. Well, as you see, the minister is a busy man, but I'm sure I'll see you around," he nodded at everyone, but his eyes lingered especially long at Hermione before he left the group only to be stopped by a reporter of the Daily Prophet a few steps further.
"Such a handsome and nice man," Mrs Weasley smiled while her husband frowned slightly.
Draco couldn’t help but grin, silently agreeing with her while Harry and Hermione laughed.
“So, Draco,” Hermione turned back to the blond. “Do you already know what you’ll do now?”
A little unsure he shrugged but with a wry grin. “To be honest, I don’t. Probably go home, see what the Aurors have left of the manor… and buy a new wand and some more clothes. I really don’t think my old ones fit me anymore.”
"Oh, yes dear," Mrs Weasley said with motherly concern in her eyes and voice. "You're quite thin. How about you all join us for dinner tonight?"
"That would be great, Molly," Harry answered now. "But there's something else I've planned, you know, I told you about it."
"Oh… oh, yes, of course." Molly's eyes lit up and she smiled, knowingly. "Well, we'll see you later then."
Draco was still amazed that Mrs Weasley was accepting him that easily after all that had happened. It felt strange and a little uneasy, but he had no intention of brushing such an approach off. Hesitantly he smiled at her, but then his eyes turned towards Harry a little suspiciously. “You have planned something?”
Harry nodded. "Yes, I have. And we'd better get going now." Draco could see him glance towards a few reporters who were now approaching them and before he could have prevented it dozens of questions were fired into his direction.
Harry, however, didn't seem to let them hinder their exit. "Yes, we're all very pleased. Thanks, bye," he just quickly said to the reporters and pulling Draco in direction of the door, just briefly waving to Hermione and the Weasleys over his shoulder.
Laughing softly Draco let himself be tugged towards the exit, only once glancing over his shoulder to see that the reporters had now concentrated on Harry’s friends. He couldn’t deny that he was glad to have escaped all the questions, it had been enough for him to have been interrogated for the last hour now.
“Harry, where are we going?” he asked the other, still feeling too happy and light-headed to really care.
"You'll see," the other replied, taking his hand. And just like two weeks ago when they had first Apparated together, he told him to hold on to his hand. A moment later he felt the sensation of Apparition, and when the blinding light around him faded it was replaced by another one: bright, beaming sunlight over a green meadow, framed by trees with the last remaining golden leaves of autumn and beside them a nice, old wooden house.
Puzzled the blond looked around. “Uhm… still don’t know where we are?” he tried with a smile.
"Well…" Harry started, smiling. "Actually we're at the Burrow. But we still have some time until dinner, so - About that surprise. Close your eyes."
Still not sure what to expect Draco raised his eyebrows slowly, but then complied. “Why do I trust you again?”
"Because I'm a trustworthy Gryffindor?" Harry asked, but Draco could hear him walking away a few metres and then something that sounded like a creaky door being opened. Just a few seconds later it was shut again and then Harry's footsteps approached Draco. "Alright, open them."
As he did, the first thing he saw was that big grin on Harry’s face, and the next was that he was holding two brooms in his hands, a comet and a firebolt. And suddenly Draco felt his throat constricting. “Oh God…”
"This here is actually my old firebolt," Harry explained. "I keep it here as there's no use for a broom in the middle of muggle London anyway." And when he gestured in the opposite direction where Draco hadn't looked when he had first had found himself here, he saw a small broom shed beside the garden fence. "And this -" The look on Harry's face, although he was smiling, became a bit melancholy and he eyed the shining brown broom stick for a few moments, caressing the handle with his thumb as he held it, "was Ron's. So don't you dare make any stupid jokes now, or I'll change my mind. I imagine poor Ron tossing and turning in his grave now, anyway. Although Molly said that if he knew you today he wouldn't mind you riding it."
A few years ago and this would indeed have been a situation for Draco to make snide or, as he had to admit today, hurtful comments, but seeing that look on Harry’s face now, that really would have been the last thing he wanted. Quietly he stepped to Harry, laid one hand on the back of his neck and dropped a fleeting kiss onto his forehead. “I’m sorry.”
Harry shook his head softly, still smiling that almost sad smile. "It's okay. It's been a long time since he died. I still do miss him, though." He sighed faintly but then the smile on his features got brighter again. "Wouldn't you prefer being up there already instead of wallowing in sad memories with me?"
Instantly his wide smile was back, an excited tingling in his insides that he hadn’t felt for a very, very long time. “You have no idea,” Draco laughed and took the broom that Harry offered him.
He didn’t have to think about it for even one second, everything was flowing back to the blond young man as he felt his feet leave the ground. This was like breathing to Draco, and there was no chance he’d ever forget how to fly. Thrilled laughter was bubbling in his chest as he quickly rose higher into the air, Harry right behind him, and at that moment Draco thought that he had never felt so free in his whole life - and that was almost all thanks to Harry Potter.
Draco looked over to the former Gryffindor seeker who had caught up with him, and he smiled. He didn't know where they were heading, but he also didn't mind. Whatever the future had in stock for him, life was good again. And it looked like for him, this might be just another beginning.
~ The End ~
(but accompanied by Vignette I)