Title: On the Wings of Redemption
By: Aina Song
Fandom(s): Harry Potter/ Yu Yu Hakusho
Genre: Yaoi
Rating: NC-17
Warning(s): Some Het; Language; OOC; Depression; Attempted Suicide; Vampiric Action.
Pairing(s): Yeah, like that's not obvious.
Reviews: Yes, please! For the love of God, someone give me a cookie!
Author's Note: Standard Disclaimer. This story was not written for money. Compliant with the book series. Guest-starring a character from Twilight.
Another Note: This story, unbelievably, took me little over two years to complete! *whew* It has, by far, become the longest project in my arsenal. Writer's block was a constant dark cloud over my head, and many chapters had to be re-written. But I feel very proud of myself for having stuck through it, and I eagerly await the response of my readers. Enjoy!
Teaser: Leave the past where it belongs. Let its hurts wash over you, accept them, but then let them go. Do not turn back. Keep moving forward. Time heals all.
Epilogue
(Eighteen Years Later…)
The Potters emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist into which young James Potter already disappeared.
"Where are they?" Little Albus asked anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.
"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly. But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud. The pretty redhead subtly bit at her lip, her hands gripping the shoulder strap of her purse to still their sudden trembling. She fought down a sudden urge to flee.
A gentle hand rested at the small of her back, and warm lips kissed the side of her head. Her nerves calming somewhat, she looked up and met the understanding look in the dark emerald eyes of her husband.
Harry Potter smiled encouragingly.
"Oh," Albus gasped, drawing the attention of his parents.
A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, Albus, and their daughter Lily had drawn right up to them.
"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.
Rose Weasley, who was already wearing her brand new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.
"Parked all right, then?" Ronald Weasley asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."
"No, I didn't," his wife protested. "I had complete faith in you."
"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him," the other whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Albus' trunk and owl onto the train. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."
Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother, having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.
"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron. "But no pressure."
"Ron!"
Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.
"He doesn't mean it," both their mothers comforted, but Ron was no longer paying attention. Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.
"Look who it is."
Jasper Hale had written to Harry once or twice over the years, but even that could not have prepared him for seeing the blond demon again.
Draco Malfoy stood proud and confident, the very picture of aristocracy with a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His white-blond hair had taken on an almost silvery sheen, and the lines of his face were harder, more angular. An illusion of age, Harry knew. But the man was not alone. Standing to his side, almost as tall as he, was a woman whose classic beauty was apparent even from where Harry was standing. Her long honey-blonde hair fell behind her back, and even the mist could not hide the golden-amber sheen of her eyes.(14)
Malfoy's head turned almost suddenly. His steely silver eyes landed on Harry, and the darker-haired man felt himself instantly awash in a wave of warmth and a love more powerful than words could ever define. Malfoy let his gaze wander away the next moment, and the feeling fled with it, even as the memory of it lingered like a whisper in Harry's heart.
Harry dropped his own gaze to the boy at Malfoy's side, distracting himself with picking out small details. Jasper's letters had also mentioned this child, who was in truth a very young demon half-breed the family of vampires had adopted into their number for Malfoy's sake. A soul needing the love, support, and protection that Draco Malfoy had more than enough to offer.
"So that's little Scorpius," Ron muttered under his breath, breaking Harry's train of thought. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."
"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half-stern, half-amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"
Harry sighed, his mouth tugging in a small smile as he paid better attention to his family and friends and let Malfoy slip again to the back of his mind.
~o~
Late that night, a small sound whispered Harry from a sound sleep. Blinking his eyes open, he lay in bed and listened. A handful of seconds passed in comfortable silence, but then he heard it again. He sat up, briefly checking that Ginny had not been disturbed, then tossed the blankets aside and left the bed.
Number twelve, Grimmauld Place, had undergone many changes over the years. Small tweaks here and there in which Kreacher had delighted in assisting. The house was no longer so dark and gloomy, its numerous exposed wood fixtures polished and gleaming with a coat of finish to give it a more modern, lived-in feeling. But the most noticeable change was in the library.
Ginny had wanted to put in large French doors, far to the back of the room, and of course Harry had indulged her. He opened them now, stepping out into a secret enchanted garden which his wife happily tended to every morning. Many of the plants here were extremely rare, gifts from their friend Neville Longbottom, all of them mysterious and beautiful. Some nocturnal blooms gave a soft, gentle glow, illuminating the garden.
But there was another light in the garden, high over his head, and Harry tilted his head back to stare up at the night sky. In a backdrop of the stars, growing softly brighter as it drew steadily nearer, floated a ball of fiery smoke. And then returned the sound that had first woken Harry… a softly powerful trilling melody that sung of life and renewal.
Harry caught a hand to the locket he was never without, but of course the music had not come from there. As though in answer to his wonder, the illuminated ball of smoke burst apart in a soundless explosion of fire and warmth. Blinking quietly to adjust his eyes, Harry felt them burn with sudden tears as he stared at the miracle before him. Reaching an unsteady hand forth, he carefully stroked his fingers over feathers of scarlet and gold and looked into sharp black eyes.
If ever Harry Potter had doubted, if ever he had felt even the tiniest sliver of fear of being forgotten, it was now banished from his heart forever. For he knew now with concrete, unshakable certainty that the promises of long ago would never rest until given their chance.
"Fawkes…"
14) Rosalie Cullen makes a cameo appearance! Well, after all, someone had to play the role of Draco's "significant other."
THE END
Author's Note: Yes, I stole a bit from the last book's epilogue for my own. No, I do not claim it as original or profit from my thievery. I simply tweaked it to my own personal preference. *shrug*
Last Word: Two years! *confetti!* There's something to be said for persistence, after all! Or just a bull-headed stubborn refusal to quit. Oh, well. At the very least, someone will enjoy the fruits of my labor… Review, review, feed me those digital cookies, I'm starving for it after this one!