Disclaimer: Any characters who seem familiar, do not belong to me. They belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. Further, I own neither the play nor the movie musical, Grease, so any familiar lines or plot scenes are not mine.
Epilogue: You're the One That I Want
"I better shape up, 'cause you need a man
I need a man who can keep me satisfied
I better shape up, if I'm gonna prove
You better prove that my faith is justified
Are you sure? Yes I'm sure down deep inside"
She walked along the boardwalk, the wind blowing her hair every which way. She came to a stop next to the railing and closed her eyes, leaning against the damp wood and breathing in the scent of salt and brine. Gulls cried in the skies above, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore combined with the noise of hundreds of voices were all lost in the roar of the wind. She listened to it all, let the beach overwhelm all her senses, and for the first time in a while, she felt at peace.
It had been a year since she'd last been here, but in a way, it felt like no time had passed. The beach had a way of making everything feel still, as though time ended with the never-ending horizon. No matter what happened elsewhere in the world, and in each individual's life, the waves would always crash against the shore, and rocks and shells would always be broken down to create new sand.
The shrill cry of a lifeguard's whistle cut through the air and she felt a small smile form on her lips. Memories of the previous summer shot through her head, images of James on the stand, aviator glasses on and his hair even more crazy with the combination of salt, sand, and wind. So much had changed since that time.
An even louder and sharper sound cut over the lifeguard's whistle: the rumble of an engine. She opened her eyes and turned around to see a shiny red motorcycle idling on the curb behind her, the rider straddling the seat in dark wash jeans and a white t-shirt. He pulled off his helmet to reveal square-rimmed glasses and a smirk.
"Hello."
She bit her lip, trying to fight back a wide grin. "Hi."
"How are you?"
It had been a month since the end of the school year. She hadn't seen James, the Marauders, or any of the girls since the last day. She and Alice texted occasionally, but it felt like Hogwarts had been a lifetime ago. "Pretty good. I see Sirius has lent you his bike."
James grinned, running his hands over the handlebar. "The four of us all worked on it, so it's not really just his." He looked up at her, his hazel eyes bright and twinkling with mischievous excitement. "Felt like going for a ride."
She fiddled with the skirt of her blue sundress. "Well, I hope you have a good ride. It's a beautiful day for it."
James smirked. "Care to join me?"
She hesitated. Things with James had finally been resolved, with the pair of them deciding that time apart was the best thing for them. Too much had happened between them, and she still hadn't been ready to trust him with her heart again. They had both silently acknowledged that there was the possibility of never seeing each other again, but she had always felt in the back of her mind that they would find one another again. It felt fitting that they had found one another where it had all started.
She knew accepting a ride did not mean that they were instantly dating, or that she wanted to start things up again. There didn't have to be any kind of symbolism in her getting on the back, and yet…
James took her hesitation as fear of riding a motorcycle. "Don't worry. I've got a helmet, and I'll drive slowly if that'll make you feel more comfortable."
James grabbed the spare helmet from the small compartment under the seat, and held out the helmet to her. She gnawed on her lip, and considered it. He still managed to make her heart pound in her chest, even while just looking at her with a neutral expression. She flipped her hair and took a step towards him. "I'm not sure," she started, stopping just short of the helmet. "I want to be sure my faith in you is justified."
James's expression changed, his eyes widening as he realized she wasn't talking about his driving skills. He swallowed hard, glancing at her sincerely. "Well, I've been trying to shape up. I'm not sure if I'm there yet, but I think I'm getting better at it."
She reached a tentative finger out, tracing it over the smooth plastic of the helmet. "I want you to be sure." She looked up to see James watching her intensely. "I don't want you to regret anything."
She tilted her head. "Do I need to brace myself for regret?"
James shrugged. "There's never any guarantee, but I'd like to think you don't." He looked away from her for the first time, his shoulders drooped in shame. "I fucked up twice before, but I want to be better." He looked up at her, his eyes intense and serious. "I want to be better for you. I love you, Lil, and I swear to do everything in my power to try to be better for you. But you need to be sure you want this too."
Hearing his words, hearing that he still loved her, she knew it was no longer a matter of being sure. It was a matter of being brave, and taking a risk. She'd taken this risk before and it had been one of the most painful experiences of her life, but every time a person opens their heart she or he runs the risk of getting hurt. Her heart had never truly closed to James, and the way she flushed, the way her toes tingled, the way her stomach became a house for butterflies, she knew her choice was already made.
"I'm sure."
She grabbed the helmet and pulled it over her head, unable to prevent a giggle from escaping as James's grin lit up his whole face. She swung a leg over the side of the bike, perching herself on the seat. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and buried her face in his neck, kissing the sweet scented skin tenderly. "I love you too."
James reached a hand down, twining his fingers with one of hers and squeezing. "Where to?" he whispered.
There were so many answers she could give, so many places she wanted to go with him. "Wherever, so long as we go there together."
James nudged her head lightly with his, like deer nuzzling one another, and revved the engine. She took one last look at the beach before it all became a blur as James sped away.
Author's Note:
Thank you to everyone who has read this fic. I am so excited, this is the first ever multi chap I've written! A special thanks to ElizabethAnneSoph who read and commented on every chapter, and another thank you to anyone who reviewed, as they were a great help. I hope you all enjoyed this story, and if not, hopefully you'll find something else of mine to enjoy in the future!
xoxo Evie
