A/N: I think this is a good time to say the name of the song that inspired me to write this story…Whitney Houston's "I wanna dance with somebody". Listen to it, as you read the epilogue of "A Strike Upon the Hour"…please enjoy. :D
Epilogue: Wait and Hope
The sun's rays shone bright and warm, but the refreshing coolness that permeated the air, foretold of the impending oncoming of fall. A sudden gust of wind picked up and swirled the leaves, which had already fallen on the rails and around the station, As it happened, the air was also full of another noise - that of a chattering crowd, moving chaotically on the station beside the Hogwarts Express
A man, seemingly in the latter part of his third decade of life, was leaning against the wall, looking out towards the scarlet steam engine he remembered from his youth. The wistful gaze in this man's green eyes, framed in circular glasses, was following the movements of a teenaged boy, being hassled by his mother about something - probably a pair of socks he had forgotten to pack.
Yes, Harry Potter's life had taken a turn for the better, as he himself reflected, looking on to his wife, Hermione, and his son, James. Then, quite unexpectedly, a pair of flailing arms over the crowd caught his eyes.
"Daddy!" a girl of approximately fifteen shouted at him. "I love you! See you at Christmas!"
"Love you too," Harry called out and waved goodbye to his daughter, as she hopped onto the train, closely followed by several girls in her year.
Harry strode quickly over to where Hermione and their son were still arguing.
"Mum," he was saying vehemently, "I will not break the rules, I promise! Will you let me go!"
"I don't want to hear about you scaring the Bloody Baron out of his wits again, understood!" Hermione's strict voice continued talking on.
"I promise, I promise," James replied hurriedly. "Now let's go, or I'll be late!"
"He should hurry, love," Harry said complacently to Hermione, as the conductor on the station called for the train's departure in ten minutes.
"Go say goodbye to Andromeda," Harry told Hermione, "before the train leaves, and I'll help James with the trunk."
"Alright," Hermione agreed, "but don't you hurry off with him either!"
Harry smirked mischievously, and levitated James' trunk with his wand. "Come on," he said.
They weaved their way to the crowd, James in front, towards another group of third years.
"There you are!" another boy, about James' age said, "thought you weren't showing up."
He had bright red hair, a trademark of the Weasley family - and it was, indeed, Ron and Luna's son, Sirius, named to honor Harry's long passed godfather.
The youngsters delved into their own discussion, and Harry did not bother to follow it, as he saw his best friend and Luna coming in their direction.
"Harry," Ron greeted him with a smile, "it's that time of year again."
"Yeah, it is," Harry responded with an equally large grin, "hey, Luna."
"How are you, Harry?" she said serenely.
"I'm well…very well," he answered happily.
Ron and Luna had aged with time too. White streaks of hair appeared in Ron's mane, but Luna's blonde hair had retained its shine. Their faces were more lined, but also looked wiser. Regardless, they still were brilliant in appearance - instead of exhausted, tired and grouchy, Ron was just as he had always been - still jovial, full of life and immaturity. Luna had also kept her dreamy exterior, and her character remained as vague as before, though she also exhumed an attitude of focus and attention.
Hermione had, in the meanwhile, arrived to join Harry.
"Ron! Luna!" she exclaimed in delight. "Hello!"
"Hello to you too, Hermione," they answered her jovially.
"Hermione," Harry asked her, "is Andromeda alright?"
"Yes, she is," she told him, "and on her way to fifth year."
"Good," Harry smiled.
"Luna," Hermione said, a glint appearing in her eyes, "do you remember what we talked about the other day?"
"Ah, yes, I do," the serene blond replied with the same purposeful tone of voice.
Hermione nodded, and the plan she and Luna had previously arranged, and of which the author had never even received a hint, was given a start.
"Oh! Sirius! James!" Luna suddenly called out, just as they were boarding the train.
An audible groan of annoyance sounded from the troop of third years.
"Go ahead," Sirius told the rest of their friends, "and save us a seat," he added, before he turned to his mother. "Yes?"
"I forgot to kiss you goodbye," Luna said sweetly, and bending down, she kissed him on both cheeks, to the sound of the group of snickering friends.
"See you later, mum," Sirius said through clenched teeth, and pulled himself free. "Oy, shut up!" he called to James, as they were turning around to go back to the train.
Only, Hermione caught James' arm and stopped him in his tracks. He turned back to Hermione questioningly.
"It's your turn," she said, just as sweetly as Luna had.
A minute later, thoroughly embarrassed, James and Sirius boarded the train without a word, looking mutinously towards their friends, and not daring to send a gaze backwards.
"Mission accomplished," Hermione said with mirth. "We'll see them at Christmas."
Luna nodded in agreement, and smiled, while Harry and Ron were also smirking in the rear. They felt it was necessary for the boys to appreciate their mothers, and purposefully did not intervene. As well - Mrs. Weasley bestowed with a similar ritual during their Hogwarts years, and the tradition could be continued…
There was a sudden commotion behind them, and Harry turned around, scanning the crowd for the source of the disturbance. It soon manifested itself, in the shape of one Draco Malfoy, quickly ushering Ginny and a boy of about sixteen, in front of him. Behind him, an elderly Mrs. Weasley was advancing rapidly, and Mr. Weasley was behind her, striding as quickly as he could at his age.
"Three minutes to departure!" called a magically amplified voice over the crowd.
The Malfoy son had inherited the best features of his parents; he had Draco's eyes, but Ginny's hair, and he was not quite as pale as his father - all in all, a handsome lad who had already attracted considerable attention from Hogwarts' female population - and other girls around the station could be seen sending covert glances in his direction.
"Hurry now," Ginny was saying to her son, "don't forget to write and for Merlin's sake, pluck up the courage to ask Andromeda on a date, won't you!"
"Mother!" he answered, scandalized.
"I love you, dear, and so does your father," Ginny said rapidly, but with affection. "Go now, quickly."
"See you, father," Regulus replied, and turned towards the train.
"Take care, son," Draco called after him, "and listen to your mother!"
Regulus, however, did not have the time to turn back, as he managed, barely, to jump through the door of the car, right before it closed. Standing at a window, he waved goodbye, as the train roared to life, and slowly began to roll forward, incrementally gathering speed and momentum.
Seconds later, they were facing an empty station. Eyes were set on the trail of white smoke that grew fainter as it traveled further, tracing the way of the Hogwarts Express towards the magical school. Silently, they stood, watching the plume shrinking towards the horizon…
When, at length, no hint of the train remained, the company of eight that was left behind, turned to leave King's Cross.
"Harry?" Hermione said quietly.
"Yeah?" he answered her somewhat distantly.
"Do you really think they'll be alright this year - you know, after that close call last June?" she went on anxiously.
Harry closed his eyes for a second, and sighed. "Yes, Hermione, I do. After all, all we can do, right now, and in the future, is hope they can deal with the trouble fate throws at them - just as we did once."
"Of course," Hermione agreed. "They'll always have us on their side."
"Definitely, and we will do all we can to protect our children."
"Yes, Harry," Hermione said, more calmly. "That is all we can do."
"Hmm, yes…" Harry replied thoughtfully, and taking Hermione by the hand, he led her to through the Muggle side of King's Cross.
It was indeed all they could do…wait and hope.
A/N: Yes…we are done this adventure at last, but…there is this idea of a next generation sequel brewing in my head, and I am wondering about it…this epilogue would lead nicely into it, or it could stand by itself as the end of this story…tell me what you think. :D
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