Chapter 21
2 more years later
Draco
Draco had a small smile on his lips as he looked at the two photos he was holding and sat down at the desk in his study. From the drawer he took out a piece of parchment and dipped the quill into the ink.
Dear Devon,
How are things in Brazil? Is the newly discovered plant as promising as it sounded and does it finally have a name?
I have good news! The Ministry approved the funding for the Wolfsbane Potion. Any capable potioneer who volunteers to brew the potion for free will be provided with the ingredients. Hermione fought for that decision for weeks. We already have five volunteers who are willing to brew the potion as often as their time allows. That alone means dozens of werewolves will have access to the potion. I am optimistic that there will be more. Father is currently working out a fund the Malfoys will provide for potioneers who don’t have a high income yet. They will receive a certain amount of galleons each time they provide a cauldron with the potion and if they provide it monthly, there will be a bonus. And of course I will continue to brew the potion monthly and donate what I don’t need for myself. Hermione’s next goal is to abolish the werewolf register.
I enclose two pictures of Scorpius. He’s sitting all on his own now and crawling around every chance he gets. Let me know when you’re back in England, we’ll have you over for dinner. Your godson can’t wait to see you.
Draco
He put both the letter and the pictures into an envelope and went to the owlery to send it.
On his way back, he was assaulted by a little girl and a Crup puppy who both flung himself at his leg.
“Draco! The potion is ready to finish!” Cassiopeia’s voice was excited. Cookie, the black and white puppy, yapped happily. Of course Lucius had been unable to say no when his daughter had begged him for a Crup. Narcissa and Hermione made fun of him ever since he had come home with the little bundle in his arms.
Draco now grinned down at his little sister. “Are you sure?” He was teasing her. Ever since he had started teaching her potions a few months ago, Draco had also taught her to read the clock properly, so that when a potion needed to bubble for a while, she wouldn’t ask him every five minutes whether they could continue already.
“Yes! It’s three o’clock. Come on!” She took his hand and with a grin he followed her into his potions lab. Cookie had to wait outside for her own safety. Cassie’s enthusiasm reminded him of himself. He had been around the same age as his sister when Severus had started to teach him about potions and he had loved it just as much as she did now.
The small cauldron containing the Pompion Potion in the making, a potion that turned the drinker’s head into a pumpkin for a short time, stood on a small fire.
“Do you remember what we have to do to finish the potion?” Draco asked the little girl who stood two steps away from the cauldron.
She nodded, a broad smile on her face. “Yes! We have to add the foxglove and stir the potion clockwise until it turns orange.”
“Very good.” They had already prepared the foxglove which he now handed to his sister. “Careful, remember the cauldron is hot.”
She gave him a look that clearly said ‘Do you think I’m stupid?’ and walked over to the cauldron, carefully adding the foxglove and then taking Draco’s wand to stir the potion.
She did well and the potion slowly turned into a bright orange. She didn’t stop until it had the correct colour and then looked up at Draco with a proud smile, which he returned. “Very good, Cassie.” Her smile broadened as she handed him back his wand, with which he extinguished the flame.
“We’ll let it cool down and then you can try it.”
“Yay!” She ran to the door where she was greeted by a happy puppy who furiously wagged both tails. “I’ll have a pumpkin head soon, Cookie!”
Grinning, Draco cleared the room up with a wave of his wand and followed her outside.
“When are father and Hermione coming home?”
Draco shrugged. “Not for two more hours, I suppose. Do you and Cookie want to play something?”
“Yes!”
Hermione
“I can’t believe they agreed so quickly. Especially considering how long it took them to agree to the funding of the potion.”
Lucius smirked at his daughter-in-law. “It seems you’ve worn them down. After the endless discussions for the funding, they probably just wanted this topic to be over with.”
She grinned. “So you’re saying I’m annoying?”
“Your words, not mine.”
They reached the Ministry fireplaces and took the floo home to the Manor.
“Bimsy?”
The house elf popped up next to Lucius and looked up at him expectantly. “Yes, Master?”
“Where is everyone?”
“Master Draco is playing with Miss Cassie outside and Mistress took little Master Scorpius to visit Mistress Andromeda.”
Lucius nodded and they both went outside where Cassie was just throwing a ball for Cookie to retrieve. Draco discreetly used wandless magic to make the ball fly a bit further than it usually would have. Hermione smiled at the sight of the three of them. Cassie was always happy when her brother was home all day for the holidays so she could play and brew potions with him.
When he looked up, they smiled at each other and he came to greet her with a kiss while Cassie ran towards her father. “Father, I made Pompion Potion!”
“Did you?”
“Yes! Draco helped.”
Hermione chuckled. Her love for potions rivalled her brother’s; it was adorable.
“She did it almost completely by herself,” Draco chimed in. She guessed it was a little exaggerated but Cassie beamed at her father’s praise.
Smiling, she turned to her husband. “Tomorrow will be announced that the register will be abolished as of next month.”
Draco’s eyes widened. “So quickly?”
Before she could answer, Lucius snorted. “The Wizengamot is tired of negotiating with your wife.”
“Are they now? I can’t imagine.”
She playfully shoved his shoulder, but couldn’t help grinning.
“You’re amazing.” Draco’s voice was softer now before he kissed her. “You’ve completely changed the life of so many people within just a few weeks.”
“Imagine how many lives she will change once she’s minister,” Lucius drawled.
~End~