Epilogue

Behind a small house overlooking a peaceful square, a small thin boy with white-blond hair and vibrant green eyes is playing, chasing a butterfly in the golden sunlight. His peels of laughter are the only sounds audible in this corner of Godric's Hollow.

"Teddy!" a voice calls, and a black-haired man steps out the back door of the cozy house. The child giggles yet again and ducks behind the oak tree, careful to avoid stepping on the lilies growing in the shade, side by side with narcissuses.

"Teddy Remus Lupin!" the man calls again, and the silver A on his red robes glints in the sunlight, almost like a merry wink. He takes a few hesitant steps, and then darts over to the tree, grabbing the boy and tossing him up into the air. Both faces are writhed in smiles.

"Hello?" a second voice calls, and Harry winks at Teddy, to quiet him, and pulls the Invisibility Cloak over the both of them just as Draco walks out the open door, peering questioningly around the garden.

A giggle from Teddy gives away their position, and Harry slips the Cloak off, grinning sheepishly.

"I do believe they taught us better Stealth techniques than that at the academy, Potter," says Draco, but his face is twitching into a smile.

"I'd like to see you do better, holding a squirmy four-year-old."

"An adorable squirmy four-year-old," Draco corrects him, snatching Teddy out of Harry's arms and spinning the child around.

"Dwaco and Hawwy home now!" Teddy announces, and he must have really missed them today, because his hair changes to auburn for the briefest of moments. For one so young, the boy has extraordinary control over his Metamorphmagus powers, and could already alter his hair and eyes to whatever color he wished, although he preferred by far to mimic his guardians.

"Yes. Sorry we're late," says Draco, settling the boy on his hip.

"S'okay. Dobby and I painted. Wanna see?"

"Absolutely," Draco replies, and places Teddy on the ground, upon which the child grabs his hand and begins marching toward the house.

"Hawwy come too!" Teddy commands, and the brunet follows his godson into the den where several finger paintings sit drying. There is one of a cat, one of a vaguely hippogriff-looking creature, and a third one with three stick figures holding hands and smiling- Draco, Harry, and Teddy- and a small elf-sized one representing Dobby on Harry's other side. Sloppily written across the top is "FAMILY."

"That one's my favwite!" Teddy says, noticing where Draco's and Harry's eyes are resting.

"Mine, too," Harry murmurs, and reaches for Draco's hand. He feels his heart swell with joy. "Do you want to hang it up?"

Teddy nods. "On the fwidgewator?"

"No, the refrigerator isn't worthy of a masterpiece like this," Draco says softly. "Why don't you run upstairs and get one of the picture frames, and we can hang it in that?"

"Okay!" Teddy cries joyfully and skips off happily.

After a brief moment, Harry offers, "I talked to Sirius today."

"And?"

"He said it goes against Ministry policy." Draco looks at him, eyes wide, and Harry can't stop the sly grin from showing through. "Then he said 'But when have I ever given a damn about Ministry policy?'"

Draco chuckles and leans forward to kiss Harry happily. "Don't see how he could possibly have refused. We're partners in everything else, why not be Auror partners as well?"

"That, and I'm not sure he'd trust anyone else with his godson. Some of Mad Eye's paranoia rubbed off on him," Harry replies, grinning ear to ear.

"How many times must I explain the difference between 'paranoia' and 'prudent concern for one's safety'? Gryffindors never change, do they?" But this is said teasingly, and Draco's eyes are sparkling with mirth.

At this moment, Teddy comes bounding back in cradling a black frame at least three sizes too large. Harry tries hard not to laugh.

Teddy evidently realizes his mistake, because his face falls and he lets out a very disappointed "Oh."

"Not to worry," says Harry, and with a quick tap of his wand the frame shrinks to more appropriate dimensions. Teddy beams and hugs him.

"What do you think? Above the fireplace?"

Draco nods and moves to take the frame from Harry, slips the picture inside.

"There," he says once it's hung, stepping back to admire the work. Teddy wraps an arm around one of each of their legs.

"It's perfect," the men say in unison, breaking into matching smiles.

... ... ... .. . .. ... ... ...

A/N: If you've come all the way to the end of this, I can only say thank you. Thank you for going on this journey with me. I hope it brings you as much joy and fuzzy fluffy feelings as it does me.

Peace,

AmayaSora