Aftermath

I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story. I'm coming to the end of it. I'll most likely have one last chpter and maybe an epilogue after this.

Thank you for your patience in waiting for this chapter. My wonderful beta June was in the hospital for a few days, but she is home and doing very well.

Thank you June for taking the time from your resting to get this chapter ready for me to post.

All canon characters belong to JKR.

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Chapter 18 – Aftermath

Voldemort was gone. There was nothing left on the spot where his mansion once stood. On the surface, it was as though the Riddle family had never existed.

Albus and Harry made their way to the Ministry in order to begin the process of getting the captured Death Eaters sent to Azkaban. Besides the Death Eaters who were caught at the Riddle estate, there were others being brought in from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, and several more who had been stationed in Muggle London.

Lucius didn't care about captured Death Eaters. Instead, he sat in one of the waiting rooms at St. Mungo's, hoping to hear something from Arthur about Ginny. She had been taken to St. Mungo's after she fainted, as Arthur wanted to make sure Voldemort's plan to siphon her magic hadn't worked in any way. She remained in an agitated sleep for several hours, alone with her dreams and thoughts. All the while, she believed Lucius to have died in the vortex that inhaled Voldemort and his mansion.

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Back at Hogwarts, Severus and Hermione were waiting to change back to their adult selves. As soon as they'd gotten back to Severus' rooms they changed into some large nightshirts and decided to lay down in bed.

"I'm so tired," said Hermione as she lay on her side, with her head on Severus' small shoulder.

Severus yawned and looked at her.

"So am I. This last week and a half has been quite an adventure."

Hermione lifted herself on her elbow and looked down at Severus. By his earlier estimations, they would be turning back into their adult forms in another five minutes. They hadn't had time to discuss what they would do now. Severus admitted his love for her, but Hermione wondered, what now?

"Severus, did you really mean what you said back there?" she asked, unsure.

"Back where? At the Dark Lord's estate?" asked Severus.

"Yes," affirmed Hermione.

"No," said Severus. He noticed Hermione's crestfallen look and turned to stare soberly at the ceiling. "I really don't think I will need any therapy."

His face was met with a very large pillow.

"Severus Snape, you are such an ass!" Hermione began beating him with her pillow, as Severus' child-like laughter filled the bedroom.

"I answered your question, didn't I?" he asked, knowing that wasn't what she had been fishing for.

"You know very well what I meant when I asked you," she said with a pout.

"Hermione, are you always this easy to bait?" Severus sat up and looked at the clock sitting on his nightstand. 'Just a few more minutes,' he thought.

"Stop teasing me, Severus. Please, tell me if you meant what you said," she asked softly.

Severus lay back down and studied her face and wondered.

"Do you think," he paused and began twirling a strand of her hair in his small fingers. "Do you think that when we have a daughter she will look like you?"

Hermione stared at him, wondering if she'd heard him correctly.

"Why, I don't know. I...uh...suppose it's a fair assumption to say if we did have children they would look very much like one or both of us. I mean statistically speaking..."

Severus rolled his eyes and sat up once again.

"Hermione, I didn't ask about assumptions or statistics. I just want to know if you think our children will look like you or me?" He felt his body begin to go through the change of becoming an adult again, as he looked at his visibly nervous companion.

"I...I think they might have a bit of both of us. The girls might look like me, and the boys like you. At least, I would hope so; you really are such an adorable little boy, Severus." She smiled as she realized they were changing back.

It took less than a minute for them to become adults again.

"Then I believe," Severus said as he pushed Hermione back gently against the mattress and began lifting her nightshirt. "We should both put that theory to a test."

"Oh, you do?" asked Hermione amused as she wiggled herself into a comfortable position, with an aroused Severus between her knees.

"Yes, I think that you should marry me. And furthermore I think we should do so this weekend. We are after all going to be parents very soon, perhaps in just a few minutes from now, and I don't want our children to be born out of wedlock."

Hermione laughed. "You can't ask me to marry you any better than that?"

"You don't like my proposal?" he asked smirking. He felt her welcoming warmth begin to tighten around his hard length.

Hermione gasped as she felt his slow intrusion. "Actually, I love your proposal, and I accept."

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Lucius waited at St. Mungo's for word on Ginny's condition for almost two hours. At one point Arthur came out to let him know that Ginny still hadn't returned to consciousness, although the healers had determined her magical powers were intact. He told Lucius to go home and get some sleep. It had been a long day and they both needed rest. Arthur needed to get to the Ministry and work with Albus and Harry to straighten out the mess that was there. There were Death Eaters who needed to go immediately to Azkaban, and others who would be held until they had a trial.

Lucius didn't want to leave without seeing Ginny, but realized that if her own father felt comfortable leaving, then it would be okay if he too went home. He'd decided he would get a change of clothes at home, then perhaps spend a few days at Order Headquarters. He wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to spend time there, but subconsciously he felt it was because Ginny had been there. Lucius hoped that she would be released from St. Mungo's soon, so that they could continue where they'd left off.

As Lucius was home preparing to spend a few days away from home, Ginny woke up to find herself alone in a cold hospital room. She slowly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She thought back to what she'd last witnessed. Voldemort was gone; he along with his home was sucked into some vortex of energy. She remembered that Lucius had gone after Albus, Harry, Severus and Hermione. She also remembered little Severus running back into the house after escaping to look for Lucius.

Suddenly it hit her. Lucius was dead. All of her hopes and dreams had gone into that vortex. She shook her head, trying to forget the memory of the Riddle house imploding in front of her. Deciding she wanted to do nothing more than go to Order Headquarters and be alone for a few days, she looked around the room for her clothes and got dressed. It was easy enough to check herself out since healthwise she was fine; besides, the St. Mungo's personnel were busy with the more seriously wounded, and she knew her father would be at the Ministry. She realized that Molly would have her head on a plate for not coming by the house first. But she wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone. Not now.

Ginny quickly Apparated to Headquarters and sent her mother a note through the Floo. After walking through the rooms making sure everything was picked up, she went to her old room – the same room Lucius had spent his time in. Ginny undressed and crawled into bed. She could still smell Lucius' scent on the sheets as she began to cry herself to sleep.

Lucius finally made it to number twelve, Grimmauld Place before two in the morning. As soon as he walked into the living room he noticed something different: the mess was gone. He walked around the house and noticed a lingering scent. Ginny was there. He smiled and quietly walked up the stairs.

Ginny's dreams were restless. She kept seeing Lucius' face and hearing his voice calling to her. As Ginny struggled to keep her visions of Lucius from leaving her, the real man was slowly walking to her bedside. He looked down at her with worry in his eyes. She let out a whimper and he could see her shivering. Lucius sat on the edge of the bed and gently placed his hand on her hip as she sobbed his name.

"Lucius," she cried.

"I'm here, Ginny," Lucius said as he wiped a tear running down the corner of her eye. "Don't cry, love."

Ginny felt a soft caress as she began to slowly wake up. She opened her eyes and tried to focus.

"Why did you leave me?" she asked the image in front of her. Lucius smiled at her. "I wanted to be with you, Lucius. I wanted to be with you forever."

Now Lucius frowned.

"And now you are lost to me." Ginny began crying.

"Lost to you?" Lucius looked at her with confusion as he continued to softly wipe away the tears running down her cheeks.

"I can feel you. It's like you are still alive, Lucius."

Lucius pulled his hand away from her face and stared at her.

"Good lord, Ginny, do you think I'm dead?" he asked.

"Aren't you?" Ginny sat up now, very surprised.

"I most certainly am not. Didn't anyone bother to tell you that back at St. Mungo's?"

Ginny launched herself towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Lucius!" She kissed his neck, his cheek, then his forehead and finally his lips. "I woke up alone. No one was in my room. I was feeling well so I checked myself out. Nobody bothered to tell me you weren't dead, but oh Lucius, I'm so happy, happy, happy you are alive, and here." Ginny held the amused wizard tightly against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly as well.

"Ginny," whispered Lucius as he kissed her neck lightly. "My Ginny." He felt her begin to unbutton his shirt as he moved to lie down with her. He toed his shoes off and pulled down the blanket covering her.

"I thought I would never feel you again," said Ginny as his mouth covered hers.

Lucius took hold of the edge of her nightgown. He brought it up over her hips, exposing the delicious pale flesh of his soon-to-be lover.

Ginny swung her leg over his hip and pulled him closer to her.

"You belong to me, Ginny." Lucius stood and used his wand to divest himself of his clothing. He then positioned himself between her thighs and looked into her eyes.

"You started something earlier, Lucius." Ginny shifted her body down the bed slightly, until she could feel the tip of his cock at her entrance. "Finish it."

They both knew they needed to be cleansed of the memory of what happened in the Riddle mansion, when Voldemort ordered Lucius to rape her. Lucius, determined that this time would be different, entered Ginny slowly. Ginny sighed as she felt him stretch her to accommodate his girth.

"I thought you would hate me for what I did to you," Lucius held her face between his hands and kissed her gently.

"You had no choice. I heard you the entire time. Your voice is what gave me hope that we would survive." Ginny moved her hips in tune with Lucius' movements.

As he moved against her body, feeling the softness of her skin against his, he whispered a vow.

"I will never allow you to leave me, Ginny." He kissed her temple. "You belong to me; say you will be my wife, have my children." Lucius looked into her sparkling eyes, still filled with tears. "Give me the chance to have a family again."

Ginny smiled and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I will give you whatever you ask, Lucius, and more."

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Once again I must apologize for the lemon aid when I wanted to get some lemons. But maybe one day I'll get over my discomfort at writing smut.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading.