I'm so sorry that I've neglected this story; I've been neglecting all my stories, honestly. My muse has been avoiding me, and I've been busy with school, so fanfiction has really been put on the back burner.

Anyway, this is the last chapter of the story, as I feel like ending it with the defeat of Voldemort seems appropriate. I have a few extra scenes I'm considering posting, from later in their lives...would you be interested in reading those? Please let me know, it'll help me decide whether to finish and post those or not. Either way, FIRST TIME CLICKING THE "COMPLETE" BUTTON ON A MULTI-CHAPTER FIC! WAHOO!

Thank you all so much for reading, I absolutely adored writing this story and am so appreciative of all the feedback and praise I've gotten for it. You're all wonderful.

This was it. October 31, 1981 - the day Hermione had been dreading since she first arrived in the past. Everything depended on this night; defeating Voldemort, keeping Lily alive, and preventing Peter's escape and Sirius' wrongful imprisonment. Though the Marauders had been drifting apart from Peter over the past few months, due to his frequent absences, they still made him the Secret Keeper for the Potters because Dumbledore told them it was vital to the plan.

They had prepared for this night first by finding and destroying all the horcruxes, and then by tactical planning with a few select members of the Order. As she flooed into the Potter home in Godric's Hollow, she noticed she was the last designated Order member to arrive. Dumbledore, who she hadn't expected to be there, was off in a corner speaking with a white-faced Marlene McKinnon.

"Why's Dumbledore here?" she whispered to Remus, upon noticing him in the kitchen.

"From what I can hear, it sounds like something's happened to Marlene's family, I'm not sure," he replied solemnly.

She nodded to him, and then headed back into the sitting room to go over the plan with everyone one last time. Thirty minutes later, they were set up in their positions, awaiting the arrival of Voldemort. All six of the Order members present stood in an arc facing the front door.

"The wards have been breached," Lily announced nervously from the kitchen, and they all got their wands at the ready.

The door was blasted open. "Hello, Tom," Fabian called out. "Surprised to see us?"

Voldemort raised his wand towards the man who dared call him by his given name, but before he could get out a spell,

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Sirius shouted, glad to finally be avenging the death of his best friend. Tom Riddle fell to the floor, lifeless. Remus went to the floo to alert Moody, and soon there were Aurors swarming in the house, dealing with the aftermath. Sirius, Marlene, Remus, Gideon, Fabian, and Hermione all joined Lily in the kitchen, where she was sitting quietly.

"What happened earlier, with Dumbledore?" Remus asked Marlene quietly. "Is everything alright?"

Marlene's eyes went wide and tears gathered in them, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she shook her head no. "My family..." she whispered hoarsely.

"Oh Marls..." Sirius grabbed his girlfriend up in a tight hug, shushing her while gently guiding her head onto his shoulder and running his hand over her hair.

Everyone else looked away out of respect. Hermione turned in towards Gideon. "Gid, can we go home please?" she asked, her voice choked with unshed tears.

Gideon had a silent conversation with his brother, who went out to the living room to see if Moody would give them the all clear to leave. When he returned, he gave him a nod before telling him he'd go tell Molly the news before heading to Emmeline's. Gideon turned back to his girlfriend and put his hand on her shoulder to lead her to the floo. "Come on, love, let's go to my place."

-oOo-

Gideon and Hermione were cuddled up on the couch in the sitting room of his apartment, after she had finished all the crying she had stored up over the past year.

"I can't believe it's over," Hermione said quietly. "There's so many things I want to do with my life now; get my potions and transfiguration mastery, develop a better Wolfsbane potion..."

"What about getting married?" Gideon interrupted. "Is that anywhere on your list?"

"Of course it is, someday," she replied.

"How about someday soon?" he asked, reaching into his pocket.

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as he slid off the couch and kneeled in front of her. "Hermione Jean Granger, you are the strongest, bravest, kindest, and most loving woman I've ever known, and I would like nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

She beamed as she threw herself at him, kissing him fiercely. "Oh Gid, nothing would make me happier than being your wife."

Posted: 11 October 2012
Word Count: 686