A/N: Okay, I started this epilogue a LONG time ago, and am just finishing it now…eek…Well, I just got caught up in all the different fanfictions out there, and my favorite isn't even H/Hr now. I'm writing a Draco/Hermione AND a Snape/Hermione at the moment (which might just gross some of you guys out, otherwise you can check them out at ff.net, my pen name's EmzyTrish). Anyway, I went back to my account at portkey the other day and looked at some of my reviews, and thought `I can't just leave this story hanging!' So here I am, writing a short epilogue and a sequel. I couldn't get to sleep last night with all the different plot bunnies hopping around inside my head looking for food. I actually got up at 1 AM and started writing an outline. Well, without further ado, I give you the epilogue of `The Reasons to Live'!
p.s. I just hope that Hermione won't die in HP and the HBP, because that would just really depress me and basically ruin my fanfiction career…otherwise, I might try to add some of that canon into the sequel.
Disclaimer: Not mine…end of story…
Epilogue
"JAMES POTTER! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" A seven-year-old boy ran squealing down the stairs with his older sister hot on his heels. He ran into his room and propelled himself onto his bed, hiding his head in the pillow. His 20-year-old sister walked into the room with an angry expression, steam (literally) coming out of her ears. She encountered a young girl with dark brown hair in two plaits and blue eyes sitting on the bed with an innocent expression on her face, reading a book.
"Where is he?" Lily said with her teeth clenched, the steam coming out turning multi-colored. The girl looked up and stifled a laugh at the steam, before saying angelically,
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"Jackie, tell me right now. I can either hex just him, or hex you both. Tell me." The girl sighed and stood up, pulling a light silvery cloak off from the boy. Lily rolled her eyes and cast a quick spell to stop her ears from shooting out steam.
"You can either tell me who gave you that candy, or tell Dad what you were doing with that invisibility cloak in your room," Lily said, shaking out her curly black hair and putting a hand on her hip. The boy bit his lip and mumbled quietly `frumagig'. Jackie smiled slightly and mouthed `fred and george'. Lily took the invisibility cloak and turned with a huff, walking out the door and shaking her head. She walked up the west staircase of the Potter Manor and up to her parent's room, closing her eyes and opening the door. There came a laugh from inside the room.
"We're not doing anything, honey. Your father's not even here." Said a Hermione Potter, sitting in a chair and reading, not changed much since ten years ago.
"Well, you never know with you two. I swear, it's like you want another kid. Five isn't enough? And speaking of kids, James snuck me some of Fred and George's steaming ear candy, and `borrowed' Dad's invisibility cloak." Lily said, walking into the room and tapping the bottom of the chest of drawers with her wand in an intricate rhythm. A hidden drawer popped open, and Lily put the invisibility cloak in, closing the drawer again.
"Well, honestly! How do you kids figure these out, he must change the place and the spell at least twice a week! And how did James get hold of a wand?" Hermione asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Lily shrugged.
"Don't ask me, he causes more trouble than I can keep track of. Can't imagine what him and Jackie will be like when they get to Hogwarts."
Hermione shook her head and smiled, saying,
"Double trouble, huh? It really pertains to all twins, doesn't it?"
Lily giggled slightly.
"And triplets," she added, thinking of Ron and Luna's triplets: Alec, Andrew, and Abigail, who were all friends with Carissa. They were now 9 years old, James and Jacqueline were 7, and the Potter's 5th child, Sirius, had just turned 4. "So how's the book coming, Mum?" Lily asked, walking over to the bed and sitting on it.
"It's coming along fine, although I'm stuck at the moment. Whoever thought that writing an article on house elf rights would lead me to writing books?" Hermione answered, smiling wryly.
Just then, in quick succession, came a ringing of the doorbell, a shouted greeting followed by a yelling up the stairs of "Matt's heeeeeere!" and another yelling of "Sirius! I am trying to read, so do try to keep it quiet!" Lily smiled broadly before remarking "Never a quiet moment in the Potter home."
Hermione smiled warmly at her oldest daughter. "It would be unnatural if there ever was one, dear. Now go see what Matt's up to, and I'll speak to James about the candy."
"Aye aye, captain," Lily replied with a mock salute before smiling at her mother and exiting the room, walking towards the staircase.
Hermione stood up from her chair with a groan and put the book she was reading for inspiration on the bedside table. "Now, why did I decide to have five children?" she asked herself while walking out.
"Matt's here, Lily!" Sirius yelled as his sister reached the bottom step. She smiled brightly at Matt before walking over to her little brother.
"I heard you the first time, Mr. Sirius!" She said to him, picking the 4-year-old boy up and spinning him around to his delight. She set him down with a groan. "My, you're getting big, Siri. Now go pester Matt." The boy smiled mischievously with an `I've got an idea' look on his face before running towards James' room.
"Lily! He's probably off to get some of my uncle's tricks to play on me now! What a way to greet your boyfriend. Honestly." Lily giggled slightly, walking over to him and putting her arms around his neck.
"Well, perhaps this will suffice as an apology, then." They both moved towards a kiss and Matt placed his arms around Lily's waist, pulling her closer. Lily pulled away fairly quickly and whispered, "Ah ah ah, Matthew Weasley. There are children in this house after all."
"They've probably been disturbed enough by their parents, I suppose." He reluctantly added as Lily smiled warmly at him.
"Now, Mr. Weasley. Come tell me all about how your quidditch games have been going, how you've missed me terribly, and how you refused all those devoted fan girls wanting a quick snog and told them all how devoted you were to me." Lily said with a small smirk, pulling Matt onto the couch where they snuggled together with his arm around her shoulders.
"Oh, is that what I was supposed to do?" He asked jokingly, poking her in the side. She swatted him on the shoulder with a `not funny' look, and said, "No, really, Matt. I want to know how quidditch has been going." He smiled towards her quickly and hugged her closer.
"Quidditch is good, although Coach has been working us mercilessly. I have missed you terribly, though, Lils. I came here as soon as I got home to see you."
"Matt Weasley! How are you? Quidditch going good?" Harry Potter asked, walking into the room with Sirius on his back. Matt stood up to answer him.
"I'm doing good, Mr. Potter. The tour went very well." He answered with a smile.
"Mr. Potter? Just because you're dating my daughter doesn't change what you've always called me, Matt." He admonished quickly, setting Sirius down.
"Oh, sorry, Harry. Just trying to suck up a bit."
Lily smiled at Matt and pulled him back down to sit next to her. "I'm fairly sure that Dad approves of you, Matt." He shrugged at her, the tips of his ears turning red, much like his father's.
"Daddy! You're home!" Carissa Potter exclaimed, walking into the room with a book under her arm. She had grown to be a tall nine-year-old, with straight brown hair the color of Hermione's, and Harry's emerald eyes.
"Am I now? Kids, my memory is truly going," He said, shaking his head sadly. Lily and Carissa looked at each other with identical eye rolls, while Matt smiled slightly and Sirius laughed. "Well, I'm off to find your mother and go over the campaign. Don't be making trouble!"
"I'm twenty years old, Dad!" Lily admonished him, shaking her head with a smirk. Carissa sat down on one of the chairs to read to Sirius, who only seemed to calm down when she was around. Harry left the room with a smile on his face.
"Well, you should probably go see your parents, Matt, if it's true you came to see me first." Lily told her boyfriend, standing up and pulling him up with her.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right, Lils. Do you want to get the gang together tonight, go out to dinner at The Three Broomsticks or something?" He asked her as they both walked towards the entrance of the Potter's home.
"Sure, I'll owl Thomas and Emma if you want to talk to Maggie. And tell her to invite Michael."
"I shall do that. Talk to you later?" He pulled Lily towards him and she nodded. They kissed goodbye and he left the house and grounds before disapparating. She walked towards her room to owl her friends.
In the meantime, Harry had found Hermione walking out of James' room (which was across a bathroom from Jackie's) with a disgruntled expression on her face, which lit up when she caught sight of Harry.
"Harry! When did you get home? I thought you'd be at the ministry until supper at least." She said to him as he wrapped her up in a kiss.
"Ah, the minister-to-be can have an afternoon off to be with his family every once in a while," He answered with a smirk as they walked towards their room, arms around each other's waists.
"A bit sure of your campaign, aren't you, Harry?" She asked with her eyebrows raised, as they reached the stairs.
"Well, the people want a beautiful minister's wife, and it just so happens that I have one of those," he answered, kissing her cheek as they reached their bedroom door.
"Compliments, Mr. Potter, will get you everywhere." Hermione said with a smile, pulling him to her for a kiss as they stumbled into the bedroom.
So despite all that happened to the Potter family throughout the years, they were all together, and they were all happy. To Lily, it seemed that she had always had her father. He had made up for missing eleven years by simply loving and supporting her. When Hermione was sad, it was never for long, for she always had Harry near her to make her happy again. And Harry couldn't have asked for a better life. As for the rest of the Potters…well…that is for another time.
And there you have it, folks. `The Reasons to Live' is over! Hope you all enjoyed it. Now, I'll wait to start the sequel until I've read HP and the HBP, so you should expect the first chapter sometime next week or so. I figure that I'll have it set 8 years after this epilogue, so Lily is 28, Carissa's 17, the twins are 15, and Sirius is 12. There will be some surprising things in it, and it will focus a lot on the children, although Harry and Hermione will definitely have their moments. I think that I'll simply call it `The Potter Family'. PLEASE REVIEW!! I know it's been awhile since I've posted something for this story, but I hope my fans haven't left me! And please look for the sequel!
-Emily
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