These Dark And Hollow Nights

Epilogue: Always

Epilogue: Always

Four years later

'Higher, Daddy, Higher!' Ariana cried gleefully as Ron threw her into the air. 'Mummy, Mummy, look at me! I'm flying!'

'I see, baby,' Hermione called, smiling. She was standing on the deck, coffee cup in hand. It was a beautiful fall day, some of the leaves darker than Ron's hair. Ron had convinced her to live in the countryside, saying that it was more secluded there. There was no chance of any muggles catching them apparating or doing magic. 'You best be coming down, though. Grandma Cissy will be here for dinner, and you have to have a nap if you want to play with her later.'

Ariana pouted, but she let Ron set her down, and the three of them went into the house. 'I like having three Grammas, Mummy,' she told her.

Ariana was only four. There had been some things Hermione couldn't explain to her, but she'd explained, as best as she could, that Ron wasn't her real father and her real father, though he loved her very much, couldn't be in her life right now. Hermione had had to explain why she had three sets of grandparents (the Weasley's, the Granger's, and the Malfoy's) in a way that Ariana would understand. She had, so far. When she'd first started talking, and she called Ron "Daddy", it had broken Hermione's heart. They'd tried to correct her, explained that Ron was simply Uncle Ron, but Ariana didn't understand. So she called him Daddy. Eventually, both Ron and Hermione had decided that she would call him whatever she wanted to call him, but they wouldn't encourage that she call him "Daddy". And as far as Ariana was concerned, Ron was the only father figure she'd ever known.

'That's good, baby,' Hermione said, answering Ariana at last. They reached the kitchen, where Hermione had sandwiches ready, and the three of them sat down to eat.

'Mummy,' Ariana said, swallowing a mouthful of her sandwich. 'Can Teddy and Victoire come over to play on the weekend?'

Ariana, Teddy, and Victoire were so close in age that it made sense the three of them would become friends. Ariana used to tell people that she and Victoire were twins, and since they were so close and both girls had blonde hair, it was almost believable sometimes. Teddy and Ariana were technically cousins through Draco, but Ariana wouldn't understand that until much later. Narcissa enjoyed seeing both Ariana and Teddy, and allowed both to call her Grandma Cissy. She spoiled the two constantly, and Hermione found it endearing while Ron found it annoying, because there were always new dolls and toys that Ariana would somehow get him to play with later. She was like her father that way—she was very convincing.

'Sure,' Hermione said. 'I'll ask Auntie Fleur and Aunt Ginny can ask Andromeda if Teddy can come.'

Ariana smiled, and continued eating. After lunch, Ron took her upstairs for her nap, and Hermione did the dishes at the sink, which looked out at the backyard. She missed Draco, so much that it was a constant ache that would never go away.

But she didn't regret the decision to marry Ron when Ariana was a year old. She never regretted that decision, no matter how much she missed Draco, no matter how much she wished he were there to watch Ariana grow up. Marrying Ron was the one selfish thing she'd done, because a person could not be alone for the rest of their life, and Ron knew the risk he was taking. He knew what he was getting into when he offered to marry her, by being with her. It had been pure selfishness on her part, marrying him, but she'd married him because she loved him, too. No one could replace Draco, ever, but it was comforting to know that she had someone who would help to protect her daughter, and that there was someone there to hold her when she woke up screaming from nightmares. So no, she could not regret her decision to marry Ron. She also couldn't regret the baby that she was going to have. Another girl, they'd recently learned. Ron was so happy when she'd told him.