A/N: Sooooo sorry this took me so long to get out. I had it written then I broke the Flash I had it on. I had to write this out from sloppy notes that I had in my head. I really hope you like this ending and we can all finally put this story to rest. Thanks for all the great reviews and recommendations. I have the best and most supportive readers on the planet.
Epilogue
The sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, illuminating the ground beneath that was covered with the fallen golden leaves, signaling the start of Fall. A group of men on their horses stood in a semi-circle surrounding two creatures, arguing, disturbing the peace of the forest.
"It went that way," the centaur said.
"No, no, no, the tracks show it went that way," said the hippogriff, nodding in the opposite direction the centaur pointed.
"I know this forest, the stag went that way," the centaur persisted.
"I too know this forest and I'm telling you it went that way," the hippogriff did not back down.
Ron sat upon his horse and sighed impatiently, looking at his friend seated on his horse. Harry rubbed his forehead in irritation as if trying to impede the progress of the headache that was slowly building. They had been stopped here for nearly twenty minutes listening to his two friends argue.
Neville was on his other side, newly returned from his honeymoon. He had married Miss Ginevra, Ron's little sister. It was about time, Harry had thought. He had wondered if his friend would ever get around to asking the fair maiden. The wedding was a joyous occasion held at the Gryffindor castle and he recalled fondly presiding over the binding of his friend to the lovely young woman.
Not as lovely of course as his queen.
He drifted away from the argument in the forest to the wonderful image of Hermione kneeling before him as he placed the Gryffindor crown on her head, properly claiming her as his queen, although he had already "claimed" her as such on many, many occasions before. She was crowned in the Great Hall of Gryffindor, where his ancestors had been crowned, finally claiming what was rightfully his, what had been stolen from his family line so many years ago.
She looked beautiful in her white beaded dress, empire waist and a train made of some sort of gauzy material. Her lovely brown hair tumbled down her back in soft curls and he remembered the feel of them as he later tangled his hands in them that night. How long had he dreamed of this, having her by his side. Ever since he had discovered and accepted his fate that he would be King, there was only one woman in the world he wanted by his side as his Queen. He wanted it so badly that he fought battles for her, murdered (or attempted to) her king, brought down the False King's kingdom to have her. Was it selfish? Maybe. He was a just a fair King, but he was also human. And desperately in love with a woman that, at that time, was unattainable to him.
But she was by his side now and every time he woke up next to her, every time he touched her, every time he made love to her, he was grateful for that moment. Grateful that he had chosen the woman, the Queen who would rule gracefully by his side. His friend, his lover, his council.
The Kingdom of Gryffindor was restored somewhat. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff enveloped easily into it but Slytherin, although it remained loyal to the new Kingdom and it's royalty, was its own independent land. There were still pockets of areas in the former Shadowland that still harbored dark creatures and those faithful to the long lost False King. Skirmishes with them were thankfully small and few but like Dumbledore said, there is always a balance in this world, there cannot be good without some evil.
The sound of galloping hooves broke Harry from his thoughts and his men drew their swords, Firenze and Buckbeak became tense and silent. But the horn was sounded and a rider bearing the Gryffindor banner burst from the trees, signaling that he was friend, a messenger sent from the castle.
"My lord," he addressed the King. "It's the Queen!"
Harry needed no other words as Hedwig broke from the circle and raced through the forest. He heard the others following behind. Hedwig sped along, bringing her master to the white-stoned palace of Gryffindor where crimson banners hung down from the balcony's and their flags waved proudly from the spires.
"Where is she?" Harry asked as he dismounted. Ginny ran to him.
"She's in the bedchamber," she said. "We sent for you right away."
He ran through the castle halls until he skidded to a stop in front of the bedchamber doors where a loud moan made him hesitate to open the door. But he summoned up his courage to do so and the sight of his wife on the bed, knees bent greeted him.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!!" she roared at him.
"I…I…" he stammered uselessly. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and cried out in pain again. Harry made himself move to her side.
"It's almost time," Minerva said to her. "On the next pains I want you to push."
"Oh, Harry!" she reached out to him. "I didn't mean it my love. I love you."
Harry smiled endearingly down at her. "I know, I know," he whispered and kissed her forehead that was damp with sweat. "Hold on to my hand," he said as she wrapped her delicate fingers around it.
Moments later those delicate fingers squeezed so tight that he was nearly brought to his knees in pain. Though he refrained from voicing that aloud as his wife cried out again.
"A slow and steady push," Minerva coached gently.
"Yes darling," Harry croaked out, still in pain. "Push." She eventually released his hand and he shook it out behind her back. Ow, that hurt!!
Hermione was brave and she was much tougher than he was to endure what she had to do to bring their child into this world. But with more painful grasps of his hand, more tears and more sweat and with a final push…
"It's a girl!" Minerva exclaimed.
"A girl!!" Harry whispered excitedly, eyes on his beautiful daughter. He moved to be immediately by the babe's side, leaving Hermione to flop helplessly on the pillows behind her. Hermione laughed lightly, exhausted from the effort, knowing that she had lost her husband's affections to another.
"Is she okay? You're handling her too roughly! Is she warm? She's cold, wrap her in a blanket! Why is she crying?" Harry fired these statements off at Minerva, hovering over her shoulder.
Minerva wrapped the baby and handed her to Hermione, bringing her tiny head to her bosom. The babe cried and wailed in protest. Hermione looked up at Harry, beaming only to see that he had a worried look on his face, biting his lower lip.
"Would you like to hold her?" she offered and Harry reached out to bring the swaddled bundle in his arms.
She stopped crying immediately.
And has she watched Harry gaze down at his baby girl, Hermione knew that his heart was lost. There would be nothing he would deny her.
"We have to give her a name," Harry said softly, offering his pinky for her tiny hand to grasp.
"Lily," Hermione said softly.
Harry looked at her and smiled. "Jane. Lily Jane."
"Lily Jane it is," she consented.
Harry bent down and kissed his wife. "I love you," he said. "Thank you. Thank you for Lily."
~*~
The nursery doors opened and Ginny and Luna jumped up from their seats, looking eagerly at Harry.
"Is mummy okay?" little James asked with worry on his face.
"Yes," Harry replied looking at his pint-sized twin. "She's doing just fine."
"Baby?" Sirius asked, looking up at him from the floor.
Harry scooped up his youngest son, named after his godfather. He had his mother's large brown eyes but still had his father's unruly hair.
"You two have a little sister," Harry announced and Ginny and Luna squealed with delight.
James wrinkled his nose. "A girl?!!"
"Yes," Harry repeated, laughing inwardly at the scowl on his son's face. "An adorable baby sister that I fully expect you to help watch over with your brother."
James' face softened into a thoughtful expression as he took in his new duty as the oldest child.
Ron and Neville were also in the room with their wives. Ron was holding a young little boy with red hair and his mother's blue eyes.
"Congratulations!" he said to his friend.
"Yes, Harry, congratulations!" Neville added.
Ron ventured off into a daydream of what the upcoming feast would be like. There was so much food and ale when Sirius was born, now that Harry had the daughter he had been longing for…oh the possibilities. His stomach grumbled hungrily at the thought.
~*~
There were things in life that Harry would regret, actions taken that he wished he could undo, things he had done that he wished he could take back. But as he sat in a chair by the fire, slowly rocking his daughter who slept in his arms, he suddenly realized that all of those things led to this moment. And that, given the chance to do it all over again, he wouldn't change a thing.
Hermione was resting peacefully in their bed, two lumps representing his and hers hearts and souls were sleeping next to her. Her arm wrapped protectively over her two sons, even in sleep.
Or so he thought.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly. Harry got up and put Lily down in her cradle by the bed before going to his wife's side.
"How much I'm in love with you at this moment," he answered. "How happy I am right now."
"You deserve it, Harry," she whispered. "You deserve to be happy."
He reached out and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "We, Hermione, we deserve to be happy."
"Sometimes, I feel like this is a dream and I'm waiting for someone to cruelly come along and wake me," she said.
"I feel like that too, and then I wake up and see that you truly are sleeping by my side."
Tears filled her eyes. "Harry, I…I'm so sorry I…"
"No, shh, don't," he cradled her head and kissed her forehead, his thumbs brushing away the few tears that had escaped. There was always a profound sadness and guilt that overcame her whenever she thought about her brief time as Draco's queen.
"You're here now," Harry whispered. "You're here now."
A piece of him always died whenever she had left him, first to return as Queen to Ravenclaw and each time she returned to Slytherin. He was devastated when she became his bride and wanted to die when he thought she did. But she had also paid the price for their love, she was torn apart every time she left him, escaped from the clutches of his greatest enemy where she was to be tortured only to return to save him when he was captured. In all this turmoil, their love was their constant, the one thing they could rely on. He had brought the battle to the False King's doorstep, Hermione brought the army.
But above it all, love had truly triumphed.
And as Hermione lay in bed, her sons in her arms on one side of her, her husband and love of her life sleeping on the other, her baby girl slumbering comfortably, she felt at peace. She did not fear the future because whatever fate would throw at them, she and Harry would rise above it.
True love conquers all.
The End.
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