Chapter 54

Five Years Later

Tiannah held her daughter's hand, the owner of said hand practically dragging her mother forward. Tiannah turned around and gave Oliver an incredulous look, to which he chuckled.

"Imogen," Oliver called out, coming to his wife's aid. "Slow down, honey – your mother isn't quite as fit as she used to be."

Tiannah glared at her husband. It wasn't true, of course – that was just what Oliver liked doing: teasing his wife.

"Fine," Imogen grumbled. "But I don't believe you, Daddy. Mummy would beat you in anything!"

"That's my girl," Tiannah laughed, ruffling her daughter's hair.

"You've been brainwashing her," Oliver deadpanned, his eyes twinkling. She shook her head innocently.

"Of course not! She's just a smart girl," she said, with an expression of faux innocence plastered on her features.

"Nah, if she was smart she would side with me."

"Dad!" his daughter exclaimed, eyes narrowed. Oliver chuckled.

"You look so much like your mother when you do that," he said softly, smiling at her.

Imogen pouted and turned away from her father.

Today was the day that Tiannah and Oliver were bringing their daughter to her first Quidditch session at the league formed by Puddlemere United, the same place where Tiannah and Oliver attended when they were five years old, the same age as their daughter was.

Five years. Tiannah marvelled at how time flew by. The world had changed so much in the past five years. Everything seemed to be restored to the way that it was before Lord Voldemort took over, with a few changes. People were constantly vigilant these days; there were few crimes because of this. People took better care of what they had and appreciated it more, because the terror of previous years was still fresh in their minds, occasionally revisiting them during nightmares and on anniversaries of destruction. Both Tiannah and Oliver knew that they would never take their freedom for granted again, nor the fact that they lived in a safe world where they could raise their daughter. Their daughter, who was a bittersweet reminder of the day that the war ended, but with so many costs. Her namesake being one of them.

Tiannah saw it fit to name their daughter after Benny's friend. For the short time that she had known Imogen, Tiannah grew close to her. She was the girl who had made Benny happy during those months of misery at Hogwarts, the girl who brought happiness – however brief – to Tiannah and her family, and the girl who had changed Benny, forever.

Five years. They were a good five years, Tiannah reckoned – five years of rebirth, five years of change, five years of reconstruction – in more ways than one.

Tiannah checked her watch. Today was a special day for more than one reason. Not only was it Imogen's first training session, but it was the day that Hestia was to give birth to her first child. After Tiannah dropped Imogen off, she was going to St Mungo's hospital, where Hestia had been admitted the night before.

"We're here," Tiannah said to Imogen, smiling. Imogen smiled back at her mother, showing off her gap-toothed grin. For a five year old, Imogen was tall, just as her parents had been. She had wavy brown, shoulder length hair, that was currently pulled back into a ponytail, ready for Quidditch training. Her skin was paler than usual, which brought out her freckles. Her eyes, which were an unusual combination of brown and blue, were wide as she examined the building and its grounds. Imogen clutched her broomstick tighter, and looked back at her parents, who were smiling kindly.

"Here, we'll take you in," Tiannah said, knowing that the minute Imogen saw people her age, her parent's presence would be all but forgotten. The thought made Tiannah's lips twitch upwards, in a small smile which she exchanged with Oliver.

They had already seen their daughter fly before, and it was evident that she had inherited Oliver's talent, or so Tiannah put it. However, Oliver insisted that it was Tiannah's talent that Imogen had inherited.

"She looks so much like you," she said to her husband, to which he shook her head.

"Nah, she looks like you."

Tiannah rolled her eyes and grinned.

Inside, the Quidditch league was scuttling with children Imogen's age. She looked back at her parents, who were signing her in, and waited for them.

"Mummy, Daddy, can I go now?" she pleaded, eyes wide, body shaking with excitement.

"Not before you give us a hug," Tiannah said sternly, picking her daughter up in a hug. She kissed her forehead tenderly and brushed the stray pieces of hair away from her eyes.

"Have fun, Immy," she said, handing her to Oliver.

"Tell us which position you are best at this afternoon," he said, ruffling her hair. "I reckon you'll be a Chaser, like your mother," he added in an undertone.

"I beg to differ," Tiannah said, smirking. Oliver set Imogen down and she ran off, not before calling out, "Love you!"

"Love you too," the couple chorused.

"I reckon she got the obsessive gene," Tiannah said, as they walked out of the league, hand in hand.

"I reckon you're right," Oliver chuckled. Once they were out of the driveway area, Tiannah faced her husband.

In a rush, all the memories of herself and Oliver went through her mind. Playing Quidditch together, leaving each other before as they began first year, those summers when they were reunited, when they didn't speak to each other for two years, when she came to Hogwarts, those months of denial, when they finally got together...

Tiannah felt tears well in her eyes at this point, as the memories continued to rush through her mind.

Their first time, when they broke up, those months of sadness, winning the Quidditch Cup and winning each other back, those years out of Hogwarts; the fights, the changes, the marriages, the murders...

Tiannah didn't know why all these memories were flooding back, until she locked her blue eyes on Oliver's.

Quidditch had been where everything had begun for them. Quidditch had been what united them together, what strengthened their friendship, what made them the people that they were today. The people who had been through love, hate, betrayal, friendship and heartbreak. But Quidditch had been... their lives. And now that their daughter was starting out where they had started out, everything seemed... cyclical. As though everything had turned out the way that it was supposed to. Through all the hardships and triumphs of life, everything had turned out... not perfectly, but... right.

They had come full circle.

Tiannah wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck and kissed him lightly.

"I have to go to the hospital now."

A reminder of how a circle has no beginning. That Tiannah and Oliver's tale wasn't over, but the focus was to be directed onto others that they loved: both Hestia, Ken and Imogen.

"Okay. You're going to be a godmother!"

Tiannah grinned. It was just like the predicament that both sets of their parents had gone through – two sets of best friends became godparents to their best friend's children. Another reminder of the fact that they had come full circle.

"And you're going to be a godfather."

Oliver smiled and kissed Tiannah, deeply and tenderly. When he pulled away, brown eyes burned into blue, as though he too had had the same revelations as Tiannah had about this day.

"I love you," he whispered, bringing Tiannah back to the innumerable times when they had exchanged that phrase.

"I know," she replied, bringing a hand to his cheek, marvelling on the years that they had spent together, and the hardships, fights, love and good times, "and I've never forgotten."


Disclaimer: The last time that I will say it: I don't own Harry Potter. Man, these disclaimers irritated me, but I feel somewhat sad that I'll never be writing one in this story again.

Author's Note:

This will be a long note. I have a lot to say, which is natural, considering that this story has been around ten months in the making.

Okay, let's start. This story has been a huge factor in my life. I would say that this year has been the most... interesting one I have ever had. I lost my best friends, I made new friends, I got my best friends back, but in a different way. Change is good, I have now realised. Without it, I wouldn't have gotten with my boyfriend, who will and always will be my best friend. I guess that in this fanfic, I've tried to put across the importance of friendship, because it's been such an all-consuming factor of my life this year, for good or for bad.

See, this story has always been my refuge. I had a bad day at school; I would come home and immerse myself in my writing. The fiction became real for me. And it helped me get through it, so of course this piece of writing is real and important to me, and always will be. Maybe I shouldn't be guaranteeing everything with the word always, but I know this: I will never forget this fanfic, nor the response it has met, unless I get some sort of amnesia or something.

Seriously, you guys are the best. 45 favs, 71 follows and 145 reviews, as of the twetfth of October 2014. I know that this certainly isn't the biggest story on here, and nor is it the best written, but I'm proud of it. I'm proud of every single word of this fanfic, whether you have enjoyed reading it or not. I'm proud of the fact that despite the fact that I've had stuff going on and with being the queen of procrastination, I have found the time to finish this story. This fic isn't my refuge anymore, nor is it my life, as it used to be, but the least I could do was finish what I started.

This whole note may seem overkill, but I get so caught up and invested in things that I have to let go like this. I actually started getting teary when I finished this, however cheesy that may sound. I cling to the things that make me happy, and writing this and receiving the response has made me happier that you could imagine.

Thanks to my first reviewer, Austin Tyler, without whom I would never have finished this fic.

A special thank you to sarahmichellegellarfan1, givemepotter and MsRose91 for being my three most faithful reviewers. You guys rock!

And thanks to anyone else who has followed, faved or reviewed... your input is greatly appreciated!

I just have to replace some chapters that had typos in it, but I am officially done, because I've edited all 54 chapters.

Seeya, readers!

...and since this is the last chapter, it's your last chance to review, anyone who is reading this. Please?