The sun began to set over the Malfoy Manor gardens, casting long shadows across the perfectly kept lawn. Mia had fallen asleep against Draco's chest after their tickle fight, her small hand still clutching a Magnolia petal. Hermione watched them with a soft smile, though her thoughts kept drifting to the letter that had arrived that morning.
"Dray," she whispered, careful not to wake their daughter. "We need to talk about Harry's proposal."
Draco's grey eyes met hers over Mia's sleeping form. "The teaching position at Hogwarts?"
"Both positions," Hermione corrected. "He wants us both there. You for Defense Against the Dark Arts, me for Arithmancy." She picked absently at the grass beside her. "McGonagall insisted that former enemies working together would be a powerful symbol for the students."
"Former enemies," Draco repeated with a slight smirk. "Is that what we were?"
"You know what I mean." Hermione's voice carried a hint of her old exasperation, but it felt fond now. "The question is whether we're ready to go back. Whether I'm ready."
Draco carefully shifted Mia in his arms and moved closer to Hermione. "You're the brightest witch of our age, love. You've shown that blood status means nothing. What more do you need to prove?"
"It's not about proving anything anymore," Hermione said softly. "It's about Mia. About giving her a normal childhood, not one where she has to live in the shadow of what her parents went through."
"She won't," Draco said firmly. "Look at her, Hermione. She's already talking about playing Quidditch and becoming a great witch. She's not defined by our past; she's creating her own future."
Mia stirred in his arms, mumbling something about golden snitches before settling back into sleep.
"Harry mentioned that Ron applied to be the new Flying instructor," Hermione said after a moment.
Draco's jaw tightened slightly. "And how do you feel about that?"
"Nervous," she admitted. "But also... hopeful? We've all changed, Dray. Even Ron. Harry says he's been asking about us and Mia. He's been working with Muggle-born advocacy groups for the past three years."
"People can change," Draco acknowledged, though his tone remained cautious. "But forgiveness isn't something you owe anyone, Hermione. Not after what he put you through."
Hermione leaned against his shoulder, careful not to disturb Mia. "I know. But maybe it's time. Maybe teaching at Hogwarts and showing the next generation that former enemies can become family... maybe that's exactly what the wizarding world needs."
"You want to accept, don't you?" Draco asked, already knowing the answer.
"I do," she said quietly. "But only if you're comfortable with it. We're a team now, the three of us. We decide together."
Draco was quiet for a long moment, watching the last rays of sunlight filter through the Magnolia tree. Finally, he spoke. "Mia deserves to see where her parents fell in love. Where they learned that blood status is just words, but love—love is magic."
Hermione felt tears prick her eyes. "So we'll go back?"
"We'll go back," he confirmed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "But I have one condition."
"What's that?"
"We get married first. Properly this time, with all our friends there. I want to walk into Hogwarts as your husband, officially. I want Mia to see her parents standing together, equal partners."
"Draco Malfoy," Hermione said, turning to face him with shining eyes, "are you proposing to me again?"
"Every day for the rest of our lives, if you'll let me."
Mia chose that moment to wake up, blinking sleepily at her parents. "Are we having another tea party?" she asked hopefully.
"Something like that, sunshine," Draco said, ruffling her hair. "How would you feel about living at Hogwarts for a while?"
Mia's eyes went wide. "Really? Like in the stories you tell me? With the moving staircases and the talking portraits?"
"Just like in the stories," Hermione confirmed. "Mummy and Daddy are going to be teachers there."
"Can I learn magic too?"
"You'll have to wait until you're eleven for formal lessons," Draco said, "but I think we can arrange for some... informal education."
Mia clapped her hands together excitedly, then suddenly looked serious. "Will Uncle Harry be there too?"
"Yes, darling. Uncle Harry will be there."
"Good," Mia said decisively. "I want to tell him about the Magnolia flowers. And ask him more stories about when you and Daddy were young and silly."
Hermione and Draco exchanged amused glances. "Young and silly?" Draco repeated.
"Mummy says you used to pull her hair because you liked her but didn't know how to say it," Mia explained matter-of-factly.
"Did she now?" Draco raised an eyebrow at Hermione, who blushed.
"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Hermione defended. "All that 'Mud blood' nonsense was just because you couldn't handle having feelings for someone you were taught to hate."
"I prefer to think of it as dramatic romantic tension," Draco said loftily, making Mia giggle.
As they gathered their things to head back to the manor, Hermione felt a lightness in her chest she hadn't experienced in years. Tomorrow, she would write to Harry and accept their positions. Tomorrow, she would start planning a wedding. Tomorrow, they would begin preparing for their return to Hogwarts.
But tonight, she was content to walk hand in hand with her family, Mia skipping between them, chattering about all the adventures they would have. The girl who had once hidden in her dormitory, afraid of hate mail and whispered slurs, was gone. In her place stood a woman who had found love, built a family, and was ready to help shape the future of the wizarding world.
The war was over. Their story was just beginning.