"And I seem to have such strength in me now,

that I think I could stand anything, any suffering,

only to be able to say and to repeat to myself

every moment, 'I exist.'

In thousands of agonies - I exist.

I'm tormented on the rack - but I exist!

Though I sit alone on a pillar - I exist!

I see the sun, and if I don't see the sun, I know it's there.

And there's a whole life in that,

in knowing that the sun is there."

— Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The backyard of the safehouse was filled with an odd mix of Weasleys and Slytherins including Luna as Scorpius hoarded everyone's attention. It had been a month since the end of the war and, slowly, they had begun rebuilding the wizarding community. It had come as a surprise to Draco when the safehouse they had spent most of their time in was given to them. Malfoy Manor was still reduced to rubble and Draco had no interest in living there. He had other properties but it would be a while before his assets were released, a significant portion of which he pledged for war reparations. He had a long way to go in undoing his damage his family had done, but he would own it step by step. Fortunately, for their efforts, Kingsley, as interim Minister, had gifted them the property. It was small and located remotely in the English countryside, but to Draco it was home.

"Nice glasses," Blaise snorted, earning a glare from Draco.

"Hermione likes them," Draco said coolly just as the aforementioned witch wrapped her arms around him from behind and laughed. "You do, right?"

Hermione moved to his side and her grin widened at the flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

"Yes I do," she replied, kissing his cheek. "You look quite the academic in them."

Blaise scoffed, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like swots under his breath. Pansy joined them moments later with a drink and a brow raised.

"There you are." Blaise's eyes warmed as he put an arm around his wife. Pansy returned his smile and attached herself to his side.

"How are the children doing?" Hermione inquired.

"For most of them, we were able to find their parents or family members," Pansy began, "but the rest have been left orphans."

Draco frowned.

"We're already talking with Kingsley about converting one of our properties into an orphanage and supporting them even up until they graduate from Hogwarts so they always have a home to come back to until the end," Blaise added.

"That's wonderful!" Hermione grinned, her mind already turning with ideas to support the children through their post-war trauma and even perhaps starting a special pre-Hogwarts preparation program. She was saved from her thoughts by a light squeeze on her shoulder and amused silver eyes watching her.

"I'm sure we can use your ideas and in fact, the Weasleys have already volunteered to help," Blaise said, taking her by surprise. Hermione did not forget their last conversation with Voldemort about Harry. Perhaps, this was Ginny and Ron's way of healing, of moving forward. It was a start.

"Should we be encouraging this?" Hermione frowned worriedly as Scorpius showed off his "tricks" on his baby broom to the Weasleys who were praising him.

It had been a surprise to Hermione and Draco when Ginny and Ron began making efforts to warm up to Scorpius, even going as far as to win him over with a toy wand. Scorpius waved the wand in the air as George pretended to get struck by him in a dramatic fashion.

Draco chuckled into her hair.

"Us Malfoys are quite adept on a broom."

Hermione sighed. "Why anyone would enjoy riding a broom, I have no idea."

"You seem to enjoy other forms of riding as I recall from last night."

Pansy smirked. "Must be a special kind of broom, Granger."

"The Malfoy kind," Blaise snickered.

Draco let out a laugh at the strangled sound she made and the blush that graced her features. After indulging in more conversation at Hermione's expense, Pansy and Blaise joined Theo and Luna who were sitting on the grass not far from them. Luna was rambling about something that lit up her features as Theo gave her his full attention. The dreamy expression belonged to Theo this time. Nobody missed their entwined hands.

Turning back to Scorpius, Hermione leaned against Draco's chest. With a determined look on his face, Scorpius zoomed as fast as he was allowed to on his toy broom. Sunlight glinted off the gold chain around his neck — one he never took off. Sometimes Hermione caught him talking to the locket and opening it to stare at the drawing of him and Watson during moments he felt sad. On days it rained, Scorpius sat on the porch with a quiet look on his face as he clutched his locket tightly. Draco and Hermione would join him, letting Scorpius decide what comfort he needed that day — whether it was answers to his questions, hugs, or silent company.

"What is Watsy doing now?" His brows were pinched as he broke the silence.

They had found him sitting at the porch again, where no sound could be heard except for the soft patter of rain. His eyes were distant, face furrowed in deep thought.

Hermione cupped his cheek. "Hmm, maybe he's taking a nap or watching you right now from up there. But do you remember what we told you before? Even if you can't see him, you can feel him right? If you just close your eyes and remember all your funniest memories with him, it will be like he's just here with you because he is."

Scorpius smiled, looking down at the locket before placing it to his heart. Hermione shared a relieved look with Draco over Scorpius' head.

"Would you like to draw together? I think Mini can use a few lessons to improve, don't you agree?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically before giggling at Hermione's scowl. Draco smirked as he went off to get Scorpius' art supplies.

Scorpius was not the only one who had moments of grief. Everyone was still mourning, burying the dead, and taking the first steps in moving on in this new world. Moody and a couple of other Order members had not survived the battle. Along with those who fell during the war, Hermione's thoughts often returned to Watson, Delphini, and Harry. The grief overwhelmed her sometimes and held her down. But she was not alone. Looking around her, at the new and old people in her life, she reminded herself that she could always ask for help.

And help was something that was in high demand after the war. To Draco's surprise, Kingsley had not only asked her but him to help rebuild the ministry and society they fought for. They had a long way to go with the wizarding community as it was not simply an issue of rebuilding it. It would take time to heal and create a new system that would uphold the fundamental values governing their society. They had to acknowledge that Voldemort and those who followed him were born out of the ignorance and fears about the muggle world and that these prejudices were allowed to grow through the corrupted systems in place. Villains weren't born evil, they were a product of society. And to prevent another Dark Lord in the future, they had to look at themselves firstly and their role in the war.

Pansy and Hermione had also made good on their promise to return to the brothel and free the workers there. Currently, they were helping them find a place in the new world purely of their own choice, even going as far as to begin planning an educational program for them that Bridgette herself had proposed. Some stayed in the brothel but many left, choosing to help the Ministry as informants on Voldemort's supporters having amassed information over the years through their work. Many Death Eaters and loyalists had fled, but those who had remained careful and quiet of their beliefs remained in the very system itself. Hence, their help was vital in the Ministry's efforts to root out the existing prejudices and break the barriers for real change.

"What's on your mind?" Despite his question, Draco had a knowing look on his face.

"Just making a list of things to fix up, to make this place a real home," Hermione replied. Draco searched her eyes before relaxing, seemingly satisfied with whatever he found.

"Home," Draco murmured, testing the word as if it was new on his tongue and he was getting used to the taste of it. He wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you by the way for bringing the rose bushes here."

It had been her surprise that morning. With Luna's help, she had been able to transport the rose bushes Scorpius and Draco had planted in the other safehouse they had stayed at in the French countryside. It had grown and flourished despite their absence. Out of curiosity, Hermione had run a diagnostic charm on it and found a trace of magic confirming her suspicions that it must have had a little help from someone.

"I have one more surprise."

Draco looked at her curiously but said nothing as she entwined their hands together and pulled him inside the house.

"What — "

Draco stopped mid-speech at the sight of a piano inside the library. .

"When we decided we wanted this safehouse instead of the one in France, I thought it would be a waste not to have the piano," she began rambling nervously. "I know it's not the newest kind and probably needs a bit of tuning but Kings said I could take it — "

Hermione's rambling was cut off when Draco pulled her into a searing kiss. She relaxed, winding her arms around his neck.

"I love it," he said breathlessly against her lips.

"Can you play something?" she asked. The corners of his lips lifted.

"I may have been working on a small piece that I could never quite finish." There was a raw intensity in his eyes as he stared at her. "But I think I know now."

Tugging her beside him on the bench, his hands lifted towards the keys. The melody began slowly and her eyes widened in recognition. It was the same notes she had heard when she first caught him playing, the same melody that wove through her when she was in and out of consciousness during her recovery after Draco and the Slytherins had rescued her.

Draco's fingers danced along the keys, starting slow and heavy, cold and almost disjointed. She understood it now — it spoke of pain and sadness, of confusion and darkness. It was defensive, almost lashing out — afraid.

Then it started to change, unfolding almost tentatively into a sweeter harmony. The music started to swell as if in flight, higher and higher. It spoke of a simple kind of joy, a new beginning — and hope. And this time it didn't stop. It kept going — strongly this time, more sure, more determined. It was his story — theirs. It was about loss. And love. Forgiving and understanding. Hermione felt a single tear slide down her face as the music rose into a crescendo.

"Mama? Daddy?" Scorpius' head poked into the room.

Hermione opened her arms. "We're right here, love."

Scorpius grinned and immediately ran into her arms. She scooped him up onto her lap and rested her chin on his head. In quiet wonder, they listened to Draco play. Scorpius unconsciously held on to his locket, also mesmerized by the melody.

Draco glanced at them and smiled softly before turning back to the keys.

The melody soared higher until it simmered into its denouement. The song resounded around them, within them — a reminder of what they had gone through and what they had found in each other and in themselves. Even as Draco struck the last chords, the song echoed forever — a refusal to die, a promise to live on. In it was the promise of something more — of new beginnings and a life they owed themselves to keep fighting for.

A/N: We made it! Wow — firstly I'd like to thank everyone who has taken a chance on me and my first fic. It has been almost exactly a year since I first began drafting this story. I would not have been able to push myself and complete it without all your love and support. Some of you have been there since the beginning and encouraged me in every single update — I don't usually have time to reply to all your comments but I read every single one of them and it has helped me in more ways than you can imagine.

This fic was definitely challenging and I have learned a lot throughout the process. It was definitely quite emotional and personal as this story and its characters are in some way a manifestation of the things that go through me each day that cannot be expressed so easily. I still have a long way to go as a writer and this is definitely not the end for me but I do need a break for a while hahaha

As for TOoS, some of you may have expected more for this epilogue and I'll admit that even before I started drafting, I had some short bonus pieces in mind about small glimpses of life after the war and even some written from a different perspective of certain events during the story. But I can't make any promises now as life is about to get a bit hectic for me, though I won't bin those ideas. This little family means so much to me and I hope some of you were able to get something out of this story whether it was a sense of comfort, distraction, relief, or understanding. Thank you all again. If you want to keep updated or just want to connect, I'm on instagram @cz_bl!

Yours,

bl