A/N: The response to this fic has been absolutely insane and I cannot express how grateful I am to every single one of you who have read this, whether you followed along as I was posting or are reading it now it's all completed!
Every kudos/favourite, comment, and hit means so much to me and I know I wouldn't have been able to motivate myself for over a year to continue writing this without all of your loveliness! THANK YOU!
What I find really funny is that before I edited this whole thing through fully it was 219k words, and now look at what it's at :D
Enjoy the end of this story!
20th November 1980
Hermione awoke to strong arms wrapped around her. She smiled to herself and took a deep breath, letting his scent soothe her. They both had work today, but she took the opportunity of waking early to relax in his hold.
She shuffled back into his body, his arms pulling her tighter to his hard chest. She smirked when she felt his hot, hard cock nestled against her soft arse. Maybe a relaxing morning wasn't what they needed. She rolled her hips back into him teasingly. His hips rocked forward automatically at the friction, the hand he had beneath her twitching. Hermione repeated the action, wriggling ever closer to James. When he responded again, she pushed herself more firmly into him with a slow rolling movement. He met her with each thrust.
"Good morning," James groaned in her ear, sleep and arousal heavy in his voice. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a shiver ran down her spine. He pressed his lips to her hot skin just below her hairline, her hair tied up and out of the way as it normally was overnight.
"Good morning," Hermione smiled, not pausing in her actions.
He shifted behind her, unravelling one arm from around her waist and moving his hips back slightly. She whimpered when he moved, but didn't get a chance to protest before she understood what he was doing. He slid his hand between her thighs, helping her lift her leg and hook it slightly back behind his hips so she opened up to the room in front of her. She keened lowly when James placed his rock hard cock against her slickening folds, teasing her aching entrance with shallow thrusts that did nothing but slide him against her. The arm that was still around her waist – trapped under her still – pulled her against him even more firmly as he kept rocking against her, his head catching on her already throbbing clit with each slide. He kept tracing kisses down the top of her spine and across her shoulders and she arched into his touch when he moved his free hand from her thigh to tease her nipples into firm peaks.
"Fuck, James," She whispered. "Please."
"You tease me, I tease you." He growled into her ear huskily, sliding his hand down her body to spread her lips wide around his fingers. The wet skin tingled when he exposed her to the cool air of their bedroom and she swore she could feel her heartbeat throbbing in her core as her clit begged for attention from those fingers – so close, yet so far.
She sobbed in frustration when he did nothing else, his grip still tight around her waist, large, warm hand spread over the soft curve of her stomach. He ghosted his lips over her shoulders again, interspersing his kisses with nips that sent shocks straight to her core. His hips didn't slow their steady pace, the languid strokes of his cock against her exposed pussy drawing whimpers and begging cries from her lips. She met each surge of his hips with her own, delighting at the feel of his silky hot shaft moving through her soaked folds.
"Oh, thank fuck, yes," Hermione choked out, when his fingers finally moved that final small distance and found her swollen clit.
He chuckled, lips brushing her ear, "You like that?"
She couldn't respond with anything coherent as James drove her wild with his caresses. He matched every brush against her clit with the stroke of his hips, sending her higher and higher. Her body ached with the need to be filled as he languorously massaged her bundle of nerves, every one of his thrusts nearly catching and sliding into her. She twitched and ground into him, a tension building deep within her.
"Fuck, James," She panted. "Please."
James didn't respond, just kept guiding her slowly and surely closer and closer to the abyss as her head fell back against his chest. Finally, he changed the angle of every thrust so that on the next one he drove himself into her.
Hermione moaned loudly, sliding her hand up and round the back of his neck to clutch him close to her as his long, thick cock filled her. Her blood thrummed through her body, sparks of pleasure flowing through her.
He took her leisurely, every thrust into her dripping core deliberate. His strong arm restrained her against him, keeping their bodies flush. Her nerves hummed as he nipped and sucked at her neck, his hand still working her sensitive nub. Before she knew it she was teetering on the edge of blissful oblivion. It didn't take more than a few sweeps of his finger and deep drives of his cock into her to send her tumbling over into a sea of pleasure. Her release dragged his from him, his teeth sinking into her neck as he shouted her name into the room.
They lay together in the afterglow, limp and sated. He cradled her close as he curled his body around hers. They fit together so perfectly that Hermione didn't want to move. They stayed like that, his hot breath tickling the hairs that had escaped her plait on the back of her neck, for a while until her wand vibrated with her alarm for work on their nightstand.
xxx
20th December 1980
Alice took her customary seat beside Dorcas' bed, settling into the comfy chair they'd transfigured a week into Dorcas' stay at the hospital. Her hair was scraped back from her face in a loose plait, wispy fly-aways framing her face where they'd fallen out during her hectic day entertaining her boisterous son. Frank was at Longbottom Manor with him for the evening while Alice took her 'shift' sitting with Dorcas.
They'd worked the shifts out quickly, wanting to ensure at least one of them visited Dorcas daily until she woke up.
Because she was going to wake up.
The only time they'd gone any significant length of time without visiting her had been the week leading up to the final battle 3 months ago – Alice, Frank, and Lily were in hiding and the rest of them had been busy preparing to take down Voldemort.
Alice refreshed the flowers in the vase on the small cabinet beside Dorcas' bed, performing spells until they were as good as new, and then she reached out and took her best friend's hand in her own, stroking the back of it, and watched Dorcas' face for any reaction as she always did.
It had been so long now, but they refused to give up on her. The mediwitches and Healers all said she was likely to wake up, but no one was entirely sure what she'd been hit with during the battle. Alice would patiently wait as long as it took for Dorcas' body to heal enough for her to wake up, and in the meantime she'd continue visiting and telling her inconsequential stories and jokes.
"Hey, Dor." Alice reached out and gently adjusted the sheets around her, and then ensured her silk bonnet hadn't slipped out of place. Dorcas had been wearing her hair natural for a few months before she fell into the coma, and while the three women Dorcas had lived with at Hogwarts had learned a lot about her lengthy and involved hair-care and skin-care routines throughout the years, they weren't experts. They'd made sure to contact the beautician Dorcas and her mum had been going to for years to come in to St. Mungo's and look after her hair and skin for her (and teach Alice, Lily and Hermione) so that when she woke she wouldn't have to worry. "You won't believe what mischief Neville got up to today. Just as I was–"
Alice cut herself off, eyes snapping from Dorcas' face to the hand that had just squeezed her own. Not the normal, natural twitches she'd been making for months.
That was a squeeze.
"Dorcas?" Alice's eyes snapped to her face, scanning for any kind of reaction. Her heart leapt in her chest when she got one.
Dorcas blinked her eyes open slowly, wincing and snapping them shut again immediately at the bright hospital lights. Alice waved her hand, the light in the room dimming with the nonverbal spell.
"Oh my Godric! Dorcas!" Alice whisper-shouted, "You're awake!"
Dorcas opened her eyes again, and after a long moment of silence where Alice let her adjust in her own time, she turned her head to look at Alice.
"How do you feel?" Alice whispered, leaning forward and gently touching her shoulder.
Dorcas licked her lips and opened her mouth to talk, but it was clearly too dry because she wasn't able to get anything except a croak out. Alice quickly conjured a glass and filled it with an Augamenti so Dorcas could have a drink. She helped her best friend take a few careful sips and then summoned a mediwitch to let the staff know Dorcas had woken.
xxx
25th December 1980
Hermione danced around the kitchen, music filling the room from the radio on the counter. She and James had spent the early morning preparing all the food they'd volunteered to make, and once everything was as ready as it was going to get she'd kicked James out to go set the presents under the tree while she baked a cake.
"Happy Christmas, 'Min!" Arms wrapped her from behind and Frank swept her up into a hug, twirling her around and ignoring her shrieks to put her down. She swatted him on the head with her spatula, getting cake batter spread through his dark hair. "Hey!" He cried, plopping her on the floor, and ducking out of the way of her continued swats.
"That's what you get, bastard!" She cried, twitching her hand to direct the spatula to follow him around the kitchen, swatting in his direction as he tried to dodge out of the way long enough to clean the batter out of his hair.
A childish giggle from the doorway stopped them both in their tracks, though it didn't stop the spatula which whacked everywhere it could find on Frank now he'd stopped. Alice was standing in the doorway, Neville laughing happily in her arms at the sight of his father. Frank spluttered when the spatula got him square on the mouth, and banished it back to the table beside the bowl still full with half-mixed batter.
"Oh, honestly. Now you've got to get clean." Alice shook her head, and stepped into the warm welcoming hug Hermione bestowed on her.
"Happy Christmas, Alice."
"You too, Hermione."
Hermione snatched Neville, still giggling, out his mother's arms, and cuddled him close. Neville burbled happily. "And you, my lovely little godson, a very Happy Christmas to you, love." She bussed a soft kiss to his downy forehead, breathing in the still-there baby smell.
"Oh, I see how it is." Frank said with a laugh, gratefully accepting his wife's orders to stand still while she cleaned the batter from him with multiple spells. "Now she's got Neville she doesn't want us anymore."
"Too right!" Hermione grinned, bouncing Neville in her arms gently, "I've got a mini-you and mini-Sirius. Just need to collect the rest of the set now."
Alice laughed loudly, pressing a kiss to Frank's put-on pout, "I've got as much of the batter out as I can, but some of it's really stuck in your hair. Go get cleaned up, honey. I'll help Hermione in here while you do." Frank kissed his son lightly on the forehead and followed his wife's instructions, heading out of the kitchen with a quick swat to Alice's arse as he went. "That man is a menace." Alice shook her head, taking Neville back from Hermione, who handed him over reluctantly, and putting him in a small highchair she conjured beside the counter. She placed protective spells around him so he couldn't get out or injure himself.
"You're the one that married him." Hermione pointed out with a laugh. She banished the dirty spatula to the sink, and conjured a new one to continue making the cake whilst Alice pulled shrunken food in tupperwares from her bag, and started putting them away in the cooling cabinet.
"Well, I just thank my lucky stars he's nowhere near as bad as the rest of them."
"Hey! Watch who you're talking about there!" Sirius protested as he sauntered his way into the kitchen, Remus following after him, both of them bringing smiles and joy with them.
"Oh, of course." Alice wrapped Sirius and then Remus in hugs, leaning back against the counter as Hermione was hugged in turn, "I apologise Remus, you're not as bad."
Sirius pouted, but it didn't last long before he was distracted by James shouting for him and Remus to come "Bloody help with the decorations you lazy bastards!"
Alice and Hermione laughed, "I think you better go help him. I challenged him that he couldn't put all the decorations up the Muggle way this year. He's been struggling a bit, poor deer." She winked when Sirius barked out a laugh at the pun.
"Can I go sabotage him instead of helping?" He was gone before Hermione could agree or discourage him.
Remus rolled his eyes, and placed the small bag he'd carried in with him on the counter. "Peter's just arrived with Lorna, and Lily shooed us out of the flat, said Sirius was giving her a headache and she didn't know why she was with him." Remus laughed at the commiserating look on Hermione's face, "She'll be along in a bit with Harry and Kingsley."
"You're a star, Remus." Hermione hugged him tightly.
"I better go check they're not destroying any priceless Potter heirlooms in their efforts." He rolled his eyes, and then sent Alice a brief significant look that Hermione missed – distracted by Neville throwing his stuffed animal out of his highchair.
"When does Dorcas come out of the hospital?" Hermione asked Alice when they'd been left to their devices for a few minutes. She could hear Lily and Kingsley arriving and everyone greeting them.
"They want to keep her in for observation and monitoring for a bit longer, it's only been a few days since she woke up after 6 months, you know?"
No one but Alice had been able to go see her yet – the hospital had said she needed time to adjust so just one person should come for now.
"I'm just glad she's awake." Hermione said earnestly, pouring the now finished cake batter into the prepared pans and sliding it into the oven. "I've been so worried about her."
"Yea, we all have been." Alice picked Neville up out of his chair and they left the kitchen together, timer set and cake cooking.
Hours later – food eaten and presents opened – everyone gathered in the drawing room. Harry and Neville had been put down for their afternoon naps a little while ago, and the cake had been handed around to enjoy with baileys-spiked coffee.
Lorna had been in awe over the magical decorations and presents all day, and was now happily cuddled into Peter's side on one of the armchairs. Lily had taken over one of the sofas, her head in Kingsley's lap, feet on Sirius'. Hermione and James were taking up the entirety of the other sofa, with her lying against his side, her legs stretched out to the arm. Remus was lying on the floor by the fire and they were all enraptured by the story Sirius was currently telling them about some arsehole he'd shown up at work the other day.
Hermione delighted in the normality of the scene. They were finally out of the war and able to relax and take a break, and joke about their lives and jobs. Hermione had been fighting this war for so long that it was surreal to finally have this time to be the young adults they'd hadn't been able to be before.
"I'm going to get another drink." Hermione said a while later when the conversation had petered off and they were all just basking in the calm before the boys woke later. She pushed herself up from her comfortable position leaning against James, "Anyone else?"
"I'll help." Lily volunteered when everyone accepted the offer.
When they re-entered the room, Lily balancing the tray in her hands, Hermione brought up the rear, following behind her friend and not paying attention until she nearly walked into her.
"Wha–"
"Oh!" Lily jumped out of the way, nearly spilling all the drinks, but just managing to catch herself before she could. Hermione frowned, not knowing what in Merlin's name was going on until she turned and found James standing in front of her, surprisingly close.
"James?" She frowned at the nervous look on his face.
"Hermione." He paused and she watched his Adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallowed. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and shifted.
"Why are you nervous?"
"Hermione Prewett, I have loved you for so long I can't remember what it felt like to not love you." Hermione's eyes widened and she gasped, her hands clasped to her mouth in shock when he sank to one knee in front of her and their closest friends. "We've been together through so much, a war and too much loss. We've had the worse, so now we get to have the better. I know we're betrothed and all that, but it means nothing until you agree to be my wife and let me be your husband. There is nothing in this world that would make me happier. Marry me, Hermione?"
Hermione couldn't get any words out so she nodded vigorously. She held her hand out to allow him to slide the ring – which matched the rest of her betrothal jewellery – onto her finger. She fell to her knees too, hugging him close and then kissing him passionately through her tears of joy. The whoops from their friends were a backdrop as she closed her eyes and let James take her into their future.
A/N: Whilst this main fic is now over (I can't believe it!), this isn't the end. There is already (and will be) more in the So it Goes… series.
Though this is technically the last chapter, there will actually be one epilogue to round off the story. You can stop here and nothing will be missing from the story for you, but I do hope you go on to read the extra chapter (being posted 29th September)!
I have also written some one-shots that will all be posted as chapters to OLT Missing Scenes - the second story in the So it Goes… series - or separate stories attached to the series [so make sure you subscribe to the series/me so you don't miss anything]. I've outlined everything below!
So it Goes…:
PART 1: One Last Try (OLT)(main fic)
PART 2: OLT Missing Scenes;
Chapter 1 – August (Iphemia's reaction to Hermione appearing in her garden – different POV of OLT chapter 2)
Chapter 2 – You Belong With Me (James's prep to propose to Hermione – takes place in OLT chapter 59) (being posted 27th September)
PART 3: Haunted (Gideon and Fabian dealing with the aftermath of the war) (being posted 28th September)
PART 4: Clean (Charlie Weasley's journey of self-discovery 1975-1990)
PART 5: So It Goes… Appendices
I will also be posting The Story of Us about Iphemia and Geraint Prewett and the Black family as a separate story to my account at some point. It fits in the canon of this fic, but can be read separately which is why it's not included in the series.