Epilogue

Lily Luna Potter was well aware how rude it was to listen at doors, but as her older brothers were trying to listen over her shoulder, she felt rather justified in the act.

"Are the two of you mad?" Grandmother Weasley's voice carried through the door.

"Mother, please, compose yourself." Lily could hear the edge in her own mother's voice.

"Compose myself?"

"Mrs. Weasley, you know we love our Lily more than anything, we'd never do anything that we didn't feel would be completely in her benefit."

"You're sending her out into the world alone!"

"She won't be alone, Mother."

Lily grimaced at the familiar warnings in her mother's tone indicating that she was nearing her breaking point.

"Perhaps we've listened long enough," Albus suggested, but James shook his head and motioned for Albus to be still.

Lily agreed with James. After her father announced that Lily would be spending the next year in Europe with her friend Miss Rachel and the Scamander twins, her grandmother had cried she would never hear of such a thing. It was at that moment her father had rather pointedly asked Lily and her brothers to step out of the drawing room for a moment.

"I wish Grandfather and Grandmother Potter weren't in America right now." Lily sighed. "They would know the way to reason with her."

"Grandmother shan't persuade Mother and Father to not let you go, Lils." James whispered and leant closer to the door.

Lily prayed her brother was correct as she listened further.

"Dear," Grandfather Weasley's voice had taken on its soothing quality that Lily had come to recognize. "Lily is nineteen, and she's very bright. These young men are going with her along with their men, and her friend with both their ladies. I'm sure that they will be well respected and that they will be wise in their travels."

"You as well Arthur? You are willing to go along with this absurdity? You had sense enough with our daughter but none with our granddaughter?"

"Our daughter was perfectly safe when she traveled with her husband. I'm sure our granddaughter will be equally well off among her friends."

"Oh, may my ears be mistaken!"

"Mrs. Weasley, my opinion is such that it has been far too long that we have denied women the ability to have sway over their own lives and I intend to ensure my daughter sees a better life than all those that have come before her so that she will also give more to those who come after her. Lily has traveled with myself and Ginny, she is well prepared to lead this European tour with her friends, as is her desire."

Lily smiled at her father's interjection, and his words gave her courage. She pushed aside her brothers and opened the door.

"Grandmother, I'm going and I'm not afraid."

Her grandmother turned on her. "Child, you aren't old enough to know to be afraid."

Lily bristled, but then James and Albus were behind her.

"Grandmother, you must know that Lily's the brightest of us all." James chuckled and put his hand on Lily's shoulder. "Surely, you can't think of a better lady to lead the charge of women into the future?"

"The heir to the British throne is the Princess of Kent, Grandmother," Albus added. "England is on the precipice of having a queen as her reigning monarch. Shall we not show the world that the women Princess Alexandrina may soon represent are the beacons for all to follow?"

Lily smiled up at her brothers, both touched and anchored by their resolve of her character.

Grandmother Wesley looked helplessly at the three, then held out her arms for Lily.

Lily rushed her grandmother for the embrace she knew would render her incapable of drawing breath for its duration.

"You must promise me you'll be safe. You must come home whole in every capacity. Oh, my Lily, my heart could not bear if any ill befell you! Promise your poor grandmother you won't do anything foolish. Promise me, my Lily!"

Lily smiled as she disentangled herself enough to look at her grandmother.

"You have nothing to fear, Grandmother. I'll be home again before you've had a proper moment to miss me. And I shall write to you often. I shall write such letters that you will surely wish to accompany me on my next expedition into the world."

Grandmother Weasley pulled Lily close again. "Oh, may the Lord bless my poor old soul that I never need travel further than Godric's Hollow to see my sweet Potters."

Lily caught sight of her parents; her father's arms wrapped tightly around her mother. They smiled at her with all the love and pride she'd ever seen in their gaze. And Lily knew that while she may not truly be representing all of England as Albus had suggested, she was carrying the title Miss Potter with her into Europe, and she knew then that the Potter's were happy to be represented by her. With her parents' foundation beneath her, Lily felt certain she could move forward, breaking new ground much the same way they did.

A/N: Here is the end of this lovely little story that I have completely fallen in love with. I might even say this is my favorite Hinny piece I've written. I hope you've loved it. I hope it's made you smile. And I hope that it's brought a bit of happiness to you. And a special thank you to deadwoodpecker for requesting this because until you did, I had never read or watched anything from Austen or the Regency Era in general, and I adore it now. So thank you, darling! =)

Till the next story my friends. =)