A/N: Ok here we go, one last time....Thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this epilogue, hopefully sends a tiny ray of sunshine through the clouds.
Chapter 61: Epilogue
***************************Diagon Alley************************
September 19, 1998.
8:00 pm
Harry and Hermione slipped down the street, mostly ignored courtesy of a mild Discouragement Charm, that kept any who they didn't contact directly from noticing them save as another couple out for a walk. The hoopla, that had erupted when they had returned at the start of the school year, publicly commanding Arthur's security detail as he and Molly took their last child to meet the train for her last year at school, had more or less died away. But even so, they really did not want to deal with the press or a well-meaning wizard or witch telling them thanks, or worse, somehow, their condolences.
Their return had also served to somewhat set aside the fervor that had started with the award ceremony, when the pictures of the last Malfoy, even if disinherited, was seen comforting the young daughter of the Minister of Magic. Stories, which had immediately appeared in the Prophet and other publications, speculating that Draco had been a Death Eater, speculating that he had turned against his late father, were rampant. The climax had come, when Dumbledore, in a move eerily similar to one he had made sixteen years ago, had hired Draco as the new Potions professor for Hogwarts. The next day, a front-page editorial had questioned if Miss Weasley was pregnant, and if the position was a payoff to the Minister from Dumbledore. It had also questioned, "Mr. Black's", ability to teach his fiancée.
Dumbledore, who was already ignoring the many, many questions about his return, just added more to his list of questions he would not answer, and forcibly banned any reporter from the mostly-repaired Hogwarts.
As to the rest, those lucky or unlucky ones who had lived through the second Battle of Hogwarts, most of them were trying to move on as they could. Remus and Tonks had taken up their posts in the decimated Auror ranks, Remus' appointment as Chief Auror almost unanimous after Dumbledore had stood in a session of the Wizengamot and said that was what was going to be. Tonks, while still running field assignments, was training new Aurors as much as actually working against Dark Wizards. The activities of such, the Death Eaters that had not been captured and the independents, were noticeably repressed for the time being.
Neville and Parvati had been married in a simple ceremony in an outdoor garden in Pendle Hill overlooking Lavender's white marble marker. Neville had taken the appointment to replace Professor Sprout, as Herbology professor, filling another vacancy left due to the battle or associated circumstances. Parvati had been accepted to the Healer program at St. Mungo's, in London, but they were known to spend every free instant together.
Seamus had sat at Padma's bedside for a week, watching as potions dripped into her, hoping she would wake for just an instant, to see the ring he had slipped on her finger. He had not left even to have his own wounds treated. Finally the Healers had had to stun him to drag him off to get them treated, before they sat him right back in his chair. She had, finally, awoken on that seventh day after the battle, said "Yes" rather simply, and slipped back to sleep with his hand clutched almost painfully in hers.
Hermione's parents had bought a new house, quite similar to their old one, though several kilometers closer to their reopened clinic; though only Roger was currently working, as Jane was staying home with her new daughter. Interestingly, the new house was next to another one that had also been recently been purchased, with new owners named Lupin. Remus and Tonks had rapidly decided, after living full time in Tonks' tiny flat, for two weeks after getting back from their honeymoon, that they might need a tad more space. The magically-reinforced rooms in the basement, along with a potions lab from the previous owner, a Muggleborn who had moved to America during the height of the war, gotten married and decided to stay in his new country, were a welcome bonus.
All of that...noise was really meaningless, however, at least at this moment, as Harry walked down the street on a warm September night, after a leisurely dinner at Hermione's favorite Italian restaurant. Hermione's hand was warm in his; he brought it up to his lips as she spun into his arms. He stepped back, leaning against the wall of Pendleton's Pedantic Pendants, as Hermione leaned into him. She bent her head down into his chest, smiling slightly as she felt his lips on her hair. She looked up and tilted her head slightly, sighing into his lips as he kissed her. A small sound of contentment whispered from her lips as they pulled back, breathing hard for an instant. Happy anniversary, Harry...
You too, Mione, Harry whispered, leaning back in to kiss her again. He groaned softly as she idly worked a leg between his, and slowly rubbed it against his. Happy Birthday, too...I got you something, Harry mentioned, slowly running her hands through her hair.
You didn't need...What did you get me? Hermione smiled, just slightly. She reached up and slowly started to comb her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. Harry started, as the fingers of her other hand, slowly wormed their way under his shirt, pushing it up slightly as she lightly ran her fingers along his stomach.
A home, Harry replied, looking back into her eyes. They widened slightly, Yeah, Mione, the house is fixed. Dobby told me this morning. We can get out of Grimmauld...that's if you want to, of course. We don't have to, we can stay there; I mean London is more convenient to your parents' new place, and work and Diagon Alley...
Hermione laughed softly and leaned up, cutting off his rambling as she kissed him, hard. Harry blinked at her, as she smiled, I will love to get out of that mausoleum, it's not bad, not anymore, but it's not us, Harry...Besides... she trailed off in her thoughts as she fell forward, hugging him close as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. She watched a familiar seeming young woman walk past, though she couldn't place where she had ever seen a grey-eyed brunette before; then shrugged.
What, Hermione? Harry inquired softly, his "voice" amused. He kissed the top of her head idly, watching the crowd slip by, unaware of their presence except as just another couple.
Grimmauld just isn't the best place to raise a family, Harry, Hermione whispered. She glanced up through a fall of hair, pulling back slightly, just enough to find his eyes. She took a breath, as she carefully lowered a shield that she had not realized she had raised before a few days ago, protecting something of great importance. Harry's jaw dropped slightly, as his hand slipped down, rubbing her still flat stomach. You have to wait about eight months for your present; I'm afraid...Congratulations, Daddy...
Harry took a pair of deep breaths; Hermione felt his mind reach out, caressing hers, causing a slight shudder of happiness along her nerves before he slipped down, following the pathway that she had uncovered. She gnawed on her lip absently, watching the emotions dance in his eyes. Hermione reached up, cupping his cheek. He leaned into it, swallowing heavily, Really...he asked softly, even though he could feel a third presence, faint, indistinct, but there. Hermione nodded. Harry laughed loudly and crushed Hermione to him, picking her up and spinning her around.
Several passing wizards and witches looked at them curiously, as their ward failed due to the emotion, but neither of them cared, not even about the flash bulbs erupting around them as a pair of Prophet Paparazzi, trolling for targets, found trophies unexpectedly.
***********************Godric's Hollow**************************
July 31, 1999
2:00pm
A soft breeze blew off the nearby ocean, ruffling a pair of inky mops as they sat under the sheltering branches of an old beech tree. Sunlight briefly glinted off a pair of round lenses, as Harry turned his head, watching a freshly planted, mixed bed of red and gold lilies move in the breeze. The bed surrounded a pair of white stones, marked with the names of James and Lily. He glanced down at the bundle in his arms, and grinned as a pair of bright emeralds looked back up at him, he bent lower, and chuckled softly as clumsy fingers reached up to try to pluck the glasses from his face.
"Harry, don't let her do that, you're just encouraging her," Hermione's amused soprano came from behind his shoulder. Both him, and the infant in his arms, turned towards her voice. She slid to the ground next to him, and kissed his cheek before settling against his side.
"And how, exactly, Love, am I to discourage any child of ours..." Harry asked, and the small face turned from his to Hermione's as if waiting on an answer.
"No idea," Hermione admitted after an instant with a laugh. She reached out her arms, "Give her here, daddy." Harry carefully handed over the small bundle, and wrapped his now free arms around Hermione as she cradled Emilia in her arms. He settled back against the tree, scooting around until Hermione was seated between his legs, leaning back against his chest. "Has she been behaving for her grandparents?"
"Yeah, Mione," Harry muttered as he rested his chin on her shoulder, "we were just talking to them." She smiled softly, and turned her head, kissing him quickly, before looking back to the twin stones.
"Hi, Lily, James," Hermione greeted, smiling as she felt Emilia's fingers pulling lightly on her hair. "Oh...you think that's funny," Hermione laughed softly as her daughter made a soft, happy sound. She paused as Emilia looked up and right at Harry, Hermione followed her eyes, to see Harry looking absently out over the grounds, "Alright there, Harry?" she asked softly, a slightly worried tenor to her words.
Harry glanced down at her, bending to kiss her quickly, "Yeah, Hermione," he whispered, with a touch of surprise, "I am."
Afterword:
This book was almost an accident in many ways. After the clusterfuck that was Half Blood Prince at times, I almost abandoned everything, even the Lions universe, then we all took a shot across the bow with the Interview of Idiocy...But then, a couple of curious things happened, first we started really looking at what the interview actually said, and what HBP said and...then, I decided that the least I could do for Hermione and Harry, was to at least put them back in character, even if it turns out in the end that their creator abandoned them in favor of trying to create a "big happy family".
There are those who thought that this fiction went over the top, that I went too far, killed too many...Sorry, that's the way it is, or would be, or would have been rather, since it is 2006 as I write this afterword. Would I be surprised if JKR chickens out and only kills a couple of characters in book 7, no, nor would I be surprised if she brings forth a bloodbath to put anything I've written to shame. We will have to see. I know who I think she will kill off in book 7, and actually, those were some of the ones I killed off in this book, except the Weasley's for whom it is a best a lottery at best to see which of them dies, except Ron. Unfortunately, I think there are six books of subtext there saying he will die.
As to this book and the events therein, there are still several mysteries to be solved, that the exact solution to was never presented. I may hear cries and wails that I never fully explained Dumbledore's return, or where Narcissa went to, and to a few others that seemingly were never answered. Yep, they are still there, on the surface at least, but here I must actually repeat Rowling...You might want to take a reread, as the clues to some of the mysteries are hidden in the text. For example an object given as part of a vow may hold an importance totally beyond its size. Life is not neatly wrapped up with a tidy bow, and neither is this.
As has often become the case, I have already been asked, repeatedly if there will be a sequel...As those of you who actually read my LiveJournal know there are cookies existing for a sequel, and a plot based on the conscious and subconscious plot leaders I left from this. If one was to seek these out, there are answers to questions in those cookies. Exactly when or even if you will see a sequel is still up in the air. I don't get paid for this...if I did, my car and student loans would be paid off.
In the end, trees burn or can get cut down, while gravity, like the gravity between the Hero and Heroine of a series is undeniable. Gravity is...you can deny its existence all you want, but it will still win in the end.
Thanks to Lady Starlight for the incredible amount of work she undertook to look this fic over from about chapter 2 on, at somewhere in the neighborhood of 420 thousand words just for the main fic, plus the various spin-offs from this that add an entire short story themselves, it was a hell of a lot of work.
I'll be back, if not in this universe, then in War of Shadows, which is still going, and going...
Have Fun,
Mike
Recommended Listening for Harry Potter and the Circle's End.
In no particular order...
Love Walks In - Van Halen
Dreams - Van Halen
Let Love In - Goo Goo Dolls
Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
Duel of the Fates - John Williams
Hedwig's Theme - John Williams
Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Broken - Seether, fet. Amy Lee
Far Away - Nickelback
Saving Me -- Nickelback
When I See You Smile - Bad English
Do the Hippogriff - Weird Sisters*
Magic Works - Weird Sisters*
Falling in Love is Hard on the Knees - Aerosmith*
Here by Me - Three Doors Down
Sweet Sacrifice - Evanescence
The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles*
Fix You - Coldplay
The Reason - Hoobastank
Will I Ever Make it Home - Ingram Hill
Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows
Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
Stay with Me - The Faces
Dirty Little Secret - All-American Rejects
*Song was mentioned in text.