Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of HP but I do own this little plot.
Author's note: Alright, so that wasn't the last chapter. This is the epilogue, the final chapter! For all of you, who have made this story so fun to write! I love you guys!
Now, now, you didn't think it was just going to end like that didn't you?
From wizard to wizard, let me just give you a few more reminders before you shut this book and never open it again. (Although I sincerely hope that doesn't happen, more on that later in this last page.)
Like I've said before sometime back there in the twelve chapters, now that you've won her over and are in a wonderful relationship with her, you don't just stop there! Keep at it and frequently use all the tips that were given to you in this book. You've tried your utmost to win her heart and now that you have, my friend, the journey for the both of you has really just begun, so don't just stop there, keep making her remember why she wanted to be with you in the first place and I guarantee she'll be yours forever.
Relationships are also about the two of you trying your hardest on your part to make things work, so make sure she's not the one always trying to make this relationship work, neither should you be. Rather, the both of you should be enjoying this partnership together and having fun while trying to make it work.
Now, here comes the crux of this last page. Ready? (Don't we sound serious now?)
Now that you're a wizard who knows oh-so-clearly how to win any witch over with all your wonderful techniques, look around you. Do you see that poor foreign exchange wizard shuffling along there, looking all lonely and forlorn? Do you see your neighbor who's been drinking a lot lately just because his third relationship has failed?
This book has been written to help ALL wizards and now that you, my friend have learnt these lessons well, its time to pass this trove of tips on to another hapless, luckless soul in love, so much so that he will no longer have to flounder his way through the mysterious realms of the minds of witches on his own.
So with that, I leave you with my very best wishes for you and that lucky witch of your dreams and a challenge to make another poor wizard who cannot win his own witch over, just like you.
-12 Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches, Page 176, Author's Last Note (Passing It On).
"Harry?"
The aforementioned Harry turned his head to look at his wife, Hermione who was now sitting in bed next to him, slightly slumped against her pillow, a pensive, almost worried expression in her eyes that made him frown as well in concern.
"Mione?" He set down the Quidditch Weekly that he had been reading on the bedspread, face-down and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his expression slightly anxious as he pulled her closer to him. "What's wrong?"
Hermione sighed, a lone sound that made him feel even more worried. She looked slightly distracted, Harry noted, as her slender fingers began to pluck at the nubs on their creamy bedspreads, a sign of her uneasiness. He picked up her hands from where they were resting on the sheets and laced his fingers through hers such that she was looking at him in the eye.
Hermione attempted a small smile. "It's nothing really Harry."
He wasn't convinced, but instead raised his eyebrows in a gesture that meant he wanted the real truth and not some phony answer. Hermione smiled then, but it faded as she leaned into his touch, talking.
"It's James."
Harry nodded, smiling at the mention of their oldest son, who was currently in fourth year at Hogwarts now and had just returned home after a term there. "What's wrong with James?" He thought back on the behavior of his son when he had returned home, which has proved to be nothing out of the ordinary. But yet, looking at Hermione now, he was compelled to think otherwise. When she didn't say anything, he nudged her slightly, "What's wrong with James?" He repeated with slightly more urgency.
Hermione squeezed his hand absently, "I feel like I'm making kind of a big deal out of this but I think maybe you can help him."
Harry nodded encouragingly. He loved his son dearly and would do anything and everything for him. "Go on."
Hermione took a deep breath and went on. "James likes someone at Hogwarts."
There was a silence on Harry's part for a little while before he broke out into chuckles of his own while Hermione stared at him incomprehensibly.
"Is that all?" He shook his head, still grinning. "You made me think it was something serious. So do you know who she is?"
"It is actually," Hermione looked down at the bed sheets once more, her pensive expression never wavering, sobering Harry almost immediately. "You see, I talked to James and I think he's really bummed about the fact that… that the girl he likes doesn't even seem to know he's alive." She paused and added lamely, "Or so he put it."
Harry was thoughtful for a minute there and Hermione watched him quietly as well. Suddenly, a grin spread across his face and he turned to Hermione, and brushed a kiss across her forehead while pulling back the bedcovers and letting the magazine slide to the floor. "I'm on it. Don't you worry about that anymore."
Hermione could only watch in curiosity and bemusement as Harry then walked over to the chest of drawers that sat opposite their bed, and pulled open a drawer, rummaging through its contents, before extricating something from its depth and with a quick wink at her, watched as Harry walked out of the room, holding something violet and green in his hand. She could not help but frown momentarily, hoping it wasn't a love potion Harry was giving to their son, but yet knew that Harry wouldn't do that.
*****************
Harry walked down the dimly lit hallway of their apartment, his bare feet padding on the carpeted floor as he made his way towards his son's room which was located at the end of the hallway, holding something that he knew would help solve his son's dilemma.
Just then, one of the white washed doors opened and there in its doorway stood a small girl, who was rubbing both the sleep out of her eyes and looked narrowly on the brink of tears. Harry stopped then, feeling a rush of tenderness and worry at his daughter, Lily and knelt down, taking her small frame into his arms. "Lily?" He rubbed her back soothingly, just like how he always did that for Hermione. "What's wrong?"
Lily sniffed involuntarily, rubbing her blue-green eyes with her fists, and Harry could sense that she was about to cry. "Daddy, I had a bad dream." She managed to say, her voice muffled into Harry's white t-shirt, and Harry could feel the wetness of some of her tears soak into his shirt.
"Daddy," Lily's twin, his other daughter, Leyla, appeared at the door, looking worried as well, her dark hair falling over her pale white nightgown and her emerald eyes shining with anxiety . "I was trying to tell her it wasn't real but she didn't seem to believe me."
Harry then took his other daughter into his arms and the three of them hugged, just like that in the hallway, until Harry could feel his daughter's tears subside slightly and then grinning at the both of them, picked them up suddenly, making them laugh and carried the both of them into the room, still holding the book.
He set the both of them down, using a hand to tousle Leyla's curls and his other to ruffle Lily's raven locks as well. "Now, don't you worry about bad dreams, alright?" He directed his words to Lily who was now no longer sniffling but smiling slightly, which sent a rush through Harry as he saw Hermione's smile reflected in the face of his daughter. "Daddy will stay here until the both of you go to sleep so I can chase the bad dreams away when they come."
He saw them both nod, their actions both so earnest and trusting that his heart could not help but melt at the sight of them, which reminded him so much of himself and Hermione. Dropping the book onto a table that was nearby, he then settled Lily into bed and then Leyla, tucking the covers in and turning on the small nightlight that they slept with.
Standing over his daughters and looking at them, sleeping so peacefully in the rosy glow of the nightlight could only make him smile, almost proudly of the both of them. They were both first-years at Hogwarts, but judging from the way McGonagall sent him owls about how well Leyla was doing in Transfiguration and how well Lily was doing in Charms, he was quite certain that they had inherited Hermione's smarts, thank Merlin for that, because he had never been any good at his studies even back then.
He waited there for a few more minutes, listening to their even breathing which indicated that the both of them were fast asleep before picking up the book and exiting the room quietly, leaving the door ajar so that he could check in on them later on his way back. With that settled, he continued towards his son's door and as he could see a silver of light beneath the door, he knocked and entered upon hearing his son's voice.
"Hey Dad." James turned around from where he had been seated at his desk, his quill tip still dipped in ink, a look of curiosity on his face. "What's up?"
James was a refection of his father, James, Harry thought with a smile, just minus the popularity with girls…for now. He shrugged and settled himself on the edge of his son's bed with a grin. "Mom just told me something about you liking someone and her not knowing you weren't alive."
James started, using his other hand, rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit that he'd inherited from Harry. "Why did she tell you?" Harry could practically sense his son's embarrassment about this entire matter and decided to put his son out of his misery.
"She told me so that I could help you." Harry's eyes crinkled up in a grin. "So I'm going to give you something that I think will be able to help you win over whoever that girl is."
And with that, he extended the book he had been holding towards his son, who took it gingerly. The book had been well-used, its flimsy cover slightly folded at the edges and a rubber band had been used to hold together a section of the book temporarily.
"Dad," Harry could hear the slight wonderment in his son's voice. "What is this?"
Harry motioned towards the cover of the book. "Read it, son. 12 Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches. It's not your average book," He continued, quoting Ron's words that seemed so familiar even though it had been such a long time ago. "Its pure gold. Explains all you need to know about girls. Trust me; it's not all about wandwork either."
Harry watched as his son carefully scanned through the book, running his gaze down the lines of advice that had helped him so much over the years to win Hermione over. "Are you sure this works, Dad?" James's voice was filled with slight doubt but Harry could tell that his son was rather interested in all this book had to offer.
Harry allowed himself yet another grin as he stood from his son's bed. "If it didn't, would you be here?"
James shrugged, a smile overtaking his own face, one that mirrored Harry's grin. "Thanks Dad."
"No problem." Harry made for the door. "Don't sleep too late now mind you."
"I won't." James replied, before turning his attention back to the book at hand, flipping to the first chapter to begin reading it.
Harry then padded once again down the silent hallway, stopping once to check on his daughters once again to make sure they were both sleeping soundly, which they were and entered the bedroom he shared with Hermione.
She looked up from her own book as he entered, smiling, but he could see the anticipation in her eyes. "That certainly took long. Had a good talk with James did you?"
Harry settled himself next to her in their bed, pulling her closer to him as he did so. "Nope. I just gave him something which I think would help him charm that witch."
Hermione frowned at that, "You didn't give him a love potion of Fred and George's, did you?"
"Of course not!" Harry pretended to be hurt. "How could you think that of me?"
Hermione smiled then, and leaned into him. "So what did you give him?" Her voice was curious, anticipating his reply.
"Just something that helped me charm you too." Harry looked into her eyes, a tender grin crossing his face as he brushed his fingers slightly across her face. "I love you."
Hermione looked up into his dark emerald eyes and she could only smile back up at him in tenderness and brush a kiss across his lips before replying, "I love you too."
Alright….This is really the end! AHHHHH. so sad. but anyways, a really big thank you to all of you who gave me such wonderful, glowing reviews that always made me smile. I love you all!