Epilogue

Epilogue: or, the tying up of loose ends because Severus insisted, and what Severus wants, Severus generally gets . (He's not quite as bad as Lucius, but Lucius couldn't give a fig about such trivialities, so if we were relying on him, we really wouldn't find out all those little things that keep niggling at us, would we?)

Lucius came to enjoy breakfast-time very much indeed, even once the three of them had managed to get past the 'staying in bed until noon, returning for an afternoon “nap”, ahem, and spending a very brief part of the evening up and dressed' stage. No more cup-throwing for him. Or at least, not very often. Gone were the days of wishing for perfectly turned-out icy blondes, willowy redheads, and lush raven-haired beauties. In their place was one very attractive young woman who disclaimed all responsibility for anything her hair might do, and frequently came to the table wearing whichever dressing-gown came to hand first, and a lamentable pair of fluffy bunny slippers. She also insisted on drinking coffee in the mornings, and took out a subscription to The Guardian. Severus frequently squabbled with her about who got to do the Sudoku puzzles. He was also, after the judicious application of blackmail, induced to let Lucius in on the secret of the biro, so that Lucius no longer had to do the Times crossword in his head.

*

Hermione spent the three months following Christmas searching for a new job. It wasn't easy: she was over-qualified; she didn't have enough experience in the field; she'd pissed off her prospective boss in her role as aide to the Minister; the job turned out to be utterly tedious.... And so on. Until the morning she threw down yet another rejection letter and expressed the opinion that it was hopeless and she would be Arthur's flunky until the day she died.

“There's no need for you to look for a new position at all, Hermione,” said Lucius, barely raising his eyes from his paper.

“It's kind of you, Lucius, but I'm not going to be a kept woman,” she said firmly. “I need to have my own role in life.”

“Didn't I tell you? Either of you? Severus, stop giving her that approving smile – it makes you look half-witted.”

“Tell us what?” they said.

“You're both partners in Malfoy Enterprises, with special responsibility for blue-skies research.”

“And when did this happen?” asked Severus.

“About two months ago.”

“Hermione, do you want to hex him or shall I?”

Lucius' hands went protectively to his hair.

Hermione handed in her notice about half an hour later. Severus, ever one to finish a job properly, stayed at his self-imposed task at Number Ten for another three years, until even he was convinced that the last traces of Voldemort's schemes had been removed from public life.

*

Hermione's first piece of research involved the neutralisation of Narcissa's shoe charm. Having sat on one too many cunningly placed stiletto heels, she set to work tracing the character and anchor-totem of the spell, which she then annotated, neutralised, and patented. Well – Narcissa wasn't about to do so, and it might come in useful for something, some day.

Her own shoe habits remained frugal. When she fell in love with a pair, she wore them until they fell apart. It was a sad day when the boots Severus had given her disintegrated, but a good one, too, as he was prepared for the event with their replacements ready and waiting. She allowed Lucius to keep her in good riding boots. Neither of them could persuade her to abandon the horrible slippers.

*

Lavender and Molly's book was eventually published as the flagship oeuvre of The New Domestic Magic-User series, part of the Library of Mock, Snipe and Grumble, a lesser-known subsidiary of Malfoy Enterprises. It was a runaway success.

*

The Duchess was 'retrieved' without mishap. She and Sir Guy de Malfoi managed to scandalise the other portraits to such an extent that they were eventually moved to a room of their own and only allowed out on special occasions.

*

The Prime Minister did indeed leave his job in a cloud of glory, and with an approval rating such as had never been seen before. He quit politics entirely and took a position as consultant to Malfoy Enterprises.

*

Hermione eventually gave in to the cajolement of her husbands and had children, whom she adored but resolutely refused to bore on about unless specifically asked to do so. By the time she decided that her family was big enough, there were two Granger-Snapes, two Granger-Malfoys and one (both St Mungo's and the Dept. of Mysteries were eager to know how she had achieved this) Granger-Snape-Malfoy.

This child had a mass of curly, white-blond hair, snapping black eyes, a beaky nose, and a fierce intelligence. She was sorted into Hufflepuff.

*

Lucius' Patronus is a rockhopper penguin: small, cantankerous, and sporting a wild hairdo.

http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/f/fl/florian-e/759479_rockhopper_penguin.jpg

*

The End