A/N: This was a very difficult piece to write. All questions will be answered, and if not I will be happy to answer any in reviews. This epilogue only reaches to 1980, for obvious reasons. After that you know what happens : ) Read, enjoy, and review <3
EPILOGUE
James asked Lily for her hand in marriage the evening after graduation. It was a tranquil evening in the quiet town of Hogsmeade as crickets chirped and the dew sparkled on the grass, swaying underfoot as he kneeled beneath a blooming oak. Lily immediately accepted and the pair was soon congratulated by the band of friends in hiding at the tavern across the road.
No sooner had they graduated Hogwarts, many of the class of 1978 was invited to join the prestigious Order of the Phoenix, fighting the stealthy war against the evil Dark Lord. All names mentioned in the tale above immersed themselves in this tragic battle- each sacrificing their lives for a greater cause- every one losing their lives to it in turn.
Alice and Frank married June 25, 1978- a mere two weeks after her Hogwarts commencement. Alice's older brother, Trevor, gave her away, and Dorcas was the maid of honor- Lily and Marlene bridesmaids respectively. They bought a flat in London and fought relentlessly in the crusade for light, becoming one of the Order's most skilled teams in combat.
Lily and James were wed September 1, 1978, on the beautiful Potter estate south of Ottery St. Catchpole, unable to wait any longer for the rapidly rising power of the Dark Lord. James had been in love with Lily Evans seven years to the day, and thought no other date more perfect to make her his blushing bride. The marauders stood proudly beside a beaming James, Sirius as best man and grinning just as broadly. Petunia was the matron of honor- Alice, Dorcas, and Marlene the boisterous bridesmaids. She stepped into a ray of shining sun, lighting up her placid features, as Mr. Evans walked his daughter down the aisle, the entire wizarding community weeping tears of joy.
They softly exchanged their eloquent vows, not tearing their gaze away from the other's as the rings were placed upon trembling fingers. A beautiful kiss was shared to melt the hearts of those around them and Marlene caught the bouquet, only to announce her engagement to fiancée Edgar Bones. The crowd below waved joyful farewells as the couple boarded James' broomstick, flying off in to the night as Lily's gown of arctic white billowed in the breeze behind them.
Three weeks after their blissful matrimony, Lily's parents were in a car crash, neither surviving the accident. It is unknown whether the collision was war-related or not, but after the incident Petunia and Lily never spoke again. Many friends were lost that autumn due to the imminent conflict, among them Caradoc Dearborn, Gideon Prewett, and even Benjy Fenwick. The Order mourned the loss of each gallant soldier and honored their loyal services.
Marlene and Edgar resided at the Order Headquarters, the McKinnon family no longer among the living. The pair set to elope after a mission on St. Valentine's Day, 1979, patrolling King's Cross until dawn. However, the platform was attacked by a swarm of death eaters in the early hours of the morning, and Marlene and Edgar never caught their train. They died in one another's arms behind an abandoned barrier- forever knowing love's true embrace.
Edgar's sister, Gwendolyn, never actually dated Peter Pettigrew. On the morning of his absence from breakfast, Peter was meeting with a group of Slytherins in something called "Dark Youth." Predecessors to the 'elite' death eaters association, Peter met with Avery, Knott, Mulciber, and a handful of others who wished to recruit him to their cause. Peter timidly agreed, but only if they would get him a date to the upcoming dance: long-time crush Gwendolyn Bones.
Gwendolyn was confunded for a vast majority of the school year, having no recollection of her sixth year of Hogwarts at all. She did not, in fact, make Peter wear an embarrassing badger hat to the Quidditch match; death eaters hazed Peter and informed him it would be a more convincing charade if he wore it. Gwendolyn was returned to her normal state after Peter graduated, and none of the Marauders were ever the wiser of their fictitious relationship.
Gwendolyn went on to marry Gregory Macmillan (Alice's cousin) shortly after the war, and bore a son, Ernie Macmillan, on August 16, 1980.
Sirius stayed faithful to Dorcas, his wandering eyes glued to the witch he grew to love. They dated for the rest of seventh year and the duration of their time with the Order, paired up on frequent occasion for the most dangerous of missions. On Christmas Eve, 1979, Sirius planned to propose, his grandmother's wedding ring with the crest of the noble and most ancient House of Black seared into the antique gold.
He waited on tenterhooks at Lily and James', during the festive holiday party they held at the Potter estate. He waited and waited, but Dorcas never came. The flaxen-haired beauty was flogged by Voldemort supporters upon her arrival, and was never able to become Mrs. Sirius Black. She never got to hear the joyful news the Potters were ecstatic to give- the birth of their awaited son.
July 30, 1980, Alice and Frank welcomed their only child into the world, Neville Algie Longbottom. The couple continued to work for the Order, fighting side by side until their 'retirement' from the noble organization one year later. The remainder of their lives was spent in St. Mungo's Hospital of Magical Maladies and Injuries- having passed the ultimate test of love for their son and for each other.
Lily gave birth to Harry James Potter on July 31, 1980, the boy who would one day become the savior of all wizard and mugglekind. James was overcome with joy as he gazed into his son's green eyes, an exact replica of the pair he had lost himself in so many years ago. Sirius was immediately made godfather, putting a sparkle back in the muddled gray that had dulled seven months before.
Remus' tale is a formidably sad one- staying romantically unattached by busying himself with the Order, submerged in werewolf recruitment. He sought the love and friendship he desired in the old schoolmates that had always been there for him, and the witches they came to love. He found hope in tiny Harry's eyes, the very same that Lily had, and knew that this was all worth something. After all, as members of the Order of the Phoenix, sworn to secrecy and forever in hiding, in the end, they were all just strangers in the night.
A/N: I KNOW this was terribly sad in places, but it only gets worse from here : ( But you had your happy ending in the last chapter!! No novel is great without sacrifice (not that mine is great, but you get the point) I hope you enjoyed it anyway- it was tearfully happy in some places and deafeningly sad in others. Oh, the ups and downs of it all! Thanks for taking the time to read- I immensely enjoyed writing it and have plenty more where this came from. Review much appreciated!! : )
Much love, lilymione1203