Disclaimer: Not mine, not yours.
Note: Sorry about the wait again - I am awful. I offer no excuse except my own inability to let go of a fic I start however long ago. I might not seem that long to you but this is the only ending I was satisfied with - so I present Epilogue #13:
Epilogue
He had been here before. He had felt these emotions before - only this time they were much more awful. Worry, grieve, anger, sorrow and some others he couldn't name but were just as bad. It seemed like yesterday that himself and Maria were waiting for news about Mark after the New Years Eve 'Party'. Harry had felt as if it couldn't be any worse back then - clearly he was wrong.
A calm man would sit twiddling his thumbs (like he had done when he was waiting for Mark) but Harry was anything but calm at that moment. Dumbledore and Hermione were yet to return though Hermione talked to Ron via Floo powder only to tell them that they were safe - Ron was forced not to say anything about Ginny because of the head-healer breathing down his neck.
So he was being sheepishly comforted by Mark (Maria had disappeared and Harry couldn't sit still), who, through Ron's tears, managed to get the message that he had only just made it up to his sister and now this had happened. Mark, like Maria before him, had drunk half his body weight in tea and coffee and defended Ron from a barrage of nurses and healers wafting chocolate before them.
Harry on the other hand was all twitches and nervousness but was comforted with one thought - she was alive. Just barely but alive all the same. They all had plenty of theories about how exactly she had survived - Lucius was weak, it had only just caught her and she was wearing that jacket were some of them. And, as Draco had mentioned slyly before he vanished, Harry wanted her alive.
The hospital hadn't change - Harry could have been gone for a year, an hour or a week after he left with Mark and it would have been the same. True - it was only eight in the morning and there weren't as many people this time but the floor was still squeaky and the healers had this amazing ability to lie about how long it would take them to see her.
None of them looked like they had crawled out of bed like they had last time and there weren't as many workers around because there wasn't a lot of people hurt. Last time it was Deatheater but not this time - there was Lucius but no one was particularly cared if he pulled through or not. Harry had a horrible feeling that he would somehow.
All three of them had sat in silence ever since Maria disappeared except for Mark asking every two minutes if either of them wanted a drink. It was the same reply every time - no. Maria was the only one that could tease any conversation out of any of them at this time. And now she had vanished. So had Draco but he only had three days head start at the most -
"I'm going to find Maria," Mark muttered suddenly, when Ron looked a little better, "She's taking a very long time with those drinks,"
Harry smiled wearily despite himself and to the side of him, Ron grinned weakly with his head leaning against the wall while he sat down. Feeling suddenly tired, and guilty not being a friend, Harry collapsed on the lumpy seats next to Ron.
"Sorry," he whispered after a moment and for a second he thought Ron hadn't heard because there was no reaction at all. He just blinked slowly and removed his head from the crème walls,
"Sorry?" he questioned a little sharply, "What about?"
Harry made a vague hand gesture in front of him,
"Stuff. Everything."
Ron copied the gesture and looked enquiringly at him. Harry sighed.
"Getting you all in to this. Getting you hurt," he explained hoarsely, running his dirty fingers through his hair again, "Getting Ginny hurt," he added miserably.
Ron sat silently for a minute,
"It's okay," he said tragically though grinning, and sighing like it was a huge deal, "I was seriously bored anyway and," he smiled secretly, "Ginny's going to be fine. I'll let you off again Harry Potter,"
A Healer passing looked up suddenly from a trolley and slowed down; taking as long as possible to walk and it wasn't until Harry caught her eyes did she remember herself. Either that or the door banged open announcing the presence of not the most liked person in the area,
"Potter!" somebody hissed with suppressed anger, "You seem to like getting me up early don't you,"
Even Ron was on his feet now. Harry was dreading this meeting - the meeting with his boss - and remained silent as he advanced on him. Adam Smith this time didn't look like he'd crawled out of bed but looked like he'd seen better days. Or better mornings. He pointed a finger in-between Harry's eyes,
"Explain," he ordered, "and it better be a damned good reason to get me up on the one morning I get to sleep a little later,"
"But its well past eight -" Ron piped up, obviously not used to Smith who turned on Ron as he spoke,
"And who are you?"
Harry coughed nervously and moved in-between them smiling brightly,
"I can explain sir-"
A different voice interrupted all of them from the doorway,
"No need Mr. Potter, I'll save you the trouble - I believe Miss Weasley has recovered enough for visitors,"
Harry didn't hear much else after he said that Ginny was recovered. He just smiled as he and Ron rushed past Professor Dumbledore and a smiling Adam Smith.
~*~
Ron, Hermione and Harry were all crowed around Ginny's bed - Harry and Hermione on the left and Ron sitting down on the chair holding his sister's hand, red-eyed. Hermione was the better out of all of them (she had almost slept through the whole thing) and told Harry how she had sent Malfoy's wand to them. She wasn't at all surprised that Ron had almost blown their cover.
Harry had managed to get some sleep earlier on but wasn't as dead on his feet like he was with Mark - and like Ron was now. Mark quietly came into the empty ward and stood next to Harry - still minus Maria.
"Smith says congratulations," he whispered, grinning softly, "They've been wanting an excuse to get Malfoy for years,"
"Which one?" Hermione muttered, walking round to Ron, who had fallen asleep, and stroked the hair out of his sleeping eyes, "You aren't going to take Draco in - I know he's not the nicest person but he did help you,"
A stifled cough came from one of the curtained cubicles at the end of the ward. Mark frowned and walked down to it - they had been told the place was empty. Neither Hermione nor Harry were particularly bothered and were too worried about Ginny. Harry shuddered when he looked at her.
She was so pale in the weak morning light - the few freckles she had stood out from her skin and her red hair seemed even brighter against the sheets. The nurses said she had a mild case of hypothermia (though that had been dealt with almost at once, she was still unnaturally cold) and some concussion from being thrown across the room. Her hair around her shoulders and neck like a scarf and one of her hands was by her side while the other remained under the cover.
Harry sighed again and rubbed his eyes to try and disguise the tear that was threatening to spill down his face. Luckily, Ron woke up with start, distracting Hermione and almost knocking her over the table with some plants on.
"Hey watch it," she grumbled though smiling, and taking his hand to help her up.
Ron smiled jadedly and apologized croakily letting Hermione sit down now. They seemed in danger of slipping into silence again but the dirty white curtains around Ginny's cubicle were pulled roughly open and Maria walked in looking between guilt and embarrassment. She scuttled over to Hermione and perched on the side of her chair not looking at anyone.
It was explained when Mark pushed in a dishevelled Draco Malfoy in next looking extremely at ease compared to Maria. Mark stood the other side Harry - furthest away from Draco who was clearly still not his favourite person in the world.
"Aren't you supposed to be running?" Ron asked with barely traceable civility. Draco ran his fingers through his hair to keep it out of his eyes,
"What the point of running when," he looked at Maria who, unlike most people Harry knew, glared right back at him, "no one is chasing you,"
Mark coughed as if stopping himself from doing, or saying, something else. Harry elbowed him,
"Whatever happened just forget it," he whispered, taking advantage of Maria not listening while Hermione was talking to her, "It was three people maximum in here and if the nurse hears us or Ginny wakes up-"
"Too late," Malfoy interrupted from his other side.
On the bed, Ginny's eyes fluttered open slowly.
~*~
This is the more or less the end. This is the end of this chapter in Harry's life - but a new chapter in both his and Ginny's life, together. As soon as her eyes opened, as soon as they left the hospital ward, as soon as Harry felt the laughter of friends again it started.
Hermione insisted that she knew it all along - she knew how it would end. She even doubted that there was even a time when it didn't exist. The reader also may find it interesting that Hermione Granger no more - the previous information was given to Ginny after one-too-many glasses of wine on the night of her hen party. Hermione Weasley now regrets having a hangover on morning of her marriage to Ron.
She and Ron have now moved out of London completely (they hadn't moved before in case Harry came back - turned out that was right) and now living in a house in Staffordshire. She is now the Deputy Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is looking for a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher if you, or any one you know, is interested.
Mark, Maria and Harry are all still in the Aura department (for legal reasons, there exact department name cannot be disclosed) and although all have been promoted, Maria still remains the superior.
Draco Malfoy has inherited the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire along with all other Malfoy properties/land, including the certain lair in Yorkshire, and has moved in. He also allowed Ministry officials in to 'de-evil' several areas of the place to use as evidence against his father. Maria Edwards was a leader officer in these efforts. Of course, she was especially asked for and volunteered her and her team right away.
Recently, he had sold the land in Yorkshire to the Department of Magical Games and Pastimes, which is now building a Quiddich training school.
Lucius Malfoy now has his sons' cell in Nyper's Peak. Draco had to pay a warden more then three galleons to tell his father what he had done to other properties that they had previously owned. He still retains extensive land and houses outside of the Manor and would offer them to friends if they all weren't in prison for life.
Draco's mother, died (investigation is no underway to find out exactly how she tripped down the stairs) a few years ago and Lucius never told his son where the grave was. Draco, however, is adamant he cared for his mother little more than he cared for his father.
It turned out that even though she didn't hurt her son, she never looked after or protect him.
Ginny has reclaimed her job as a journalist for the Daily Prophet and now has her own column on page two - if any on you are interested.
There was however, a little trouble explaining to her brothers that she was alive. Fred and George vowed to play pranks on her every 12th March when she was supposed to have died. Ginny wasn't phased at all, in fact she was glad that all of her brothers (except Percy) had joined in this deal - she took it as a sign they had forgiven her. She did, though, regret it when the twelve of March came around.
It seemed two years was a lot for Ginny to miss out - Bill had finally married and, despite the various bets and wagers going on through the family and close friends, he had done it with long hair. Harry, far from his expectations and wishes of never being contacted by any of the Dursleys ever again, received a wedding notification (not invitation) from Dudley clearly fishing for gifts.
The Twins offered some new and improved Ton-Ton Toffees when the tongue shrunk in a couple of minutes They spent the next week wondering and laughing at how the hell would marry Dudley and how he would treat the unmark toffees in equal turns.
As I said before, this is pretty much the end of the story - or at least this part of it in Harry, Ginny and everyone else life. I suppose though, as always, the readers have questions. Questions that should be answered. But, unfortunately, from here on in, these answers tend to be long and very tedious.
While Adam Smith is left to wonder how exactly no one recognised James Redwood as Harry Potter after all the clues that Harry didn't manage to cover, the reader probably cares more about how Harry's character changed. How Ginny self-confidence grew. These changes, however, are not so much tedious, just subtle and hard to measure. There's just no simple answer.
There is never a simple answer.
If there was to be an answer, it would as surprising as the contents of the Malfoy Manor before the 'de-evil'- ing. Which, for all those not in the 'loop', gave Lucius Malfoy eight life sentences before any other evidence and witnesses were brought up.
But, it would be tiresome to go through all the many changes of all of their extremely different lives. Instead, the reader will have to content themselves with one last scene almost a year and a half after Ginny's eyes opened in the dingy, Ministry cubical.
~*~
The sound of splashing water filled the summer air - lots of bottles of cooled Butterbeer (and regular beer) were festooned in various magical cool boxes. No one was drinking them - not at the moment anyway. All the people here were sleeping, reading or swimming in the lake.
Bees flitted from flower to flower making anyone who looked at them feel sick with them being so hot. For once, the summer was actually a summer. The weather forecast in the background on the radio told them to expect clear skies and hot temperatures for the rest of the week. Anyone looking up at the cloudless skies and drinking all the water they could get their hands on could have told you that.
Maria was with Draco and they had disappeared somewhere (none of them thought it wise to disturb them), Mark was sleeping on a rug, Hermione was resting her head on Ron's chest and Ron was reading some book on Quiddich. Everyone was enjoying himself or herself.
Harry was no exception. Neither was Ginny.
Ginny was sitting on the bank, overlooking the lake, and fiddling idly with a flower while staring into space with a little smile on her face. Harry grinned to himself as he kept himself afloat in the current trying to sweep him away.
It was so hot that more than one person (Ron and Mark to be exact) had jumped straight into the water fully clothed and ten minutes after coming still complaining it was too hot. It was the last of the few weeks Harry got off work and still he was smiling.
There was everything in the world to smile about.
Ginny started to pick each petal off the flower slowly before throwing them into the gentle breeze that had appeared muttering something under her breath.
Someone appeared by his side in the water and woke him out of a daydream,
"And just what do you think you're doing in my lake Potter?"
Harry laughed and pushed a grinning Draco Malfoy under the water,
"The only reason its yours," he said, tearing his eyes away from Ginny, "is because no one can be arsed to chase you. Not because of your charm and money. Or the fact Maria more than likes you far more than the rest of us"
Draco snorted and muttered something about that making sense. Harry didn't say anything and instead chose to listen to the water in the nearby stream flow. A frog croaked somewhere in the distance,
"I have to say your girlfriend looks terribly good in a swimsuit, Potter," he commented glancing at Ginny when Harry didn't respond. This time Harry merely grinned and only agreed in his head but wouldn't give his friend the satisfaction. Malfoy was a little put out for some reason,
"This is the part where you're supposed to say the same about mine,"
Harry looked up at Maria who was talking with Ginny as they walked down to the little jetty to get in the water. This had to be a trap - why would Malfoy ask him how is girlfriend looked unless he wanted an excuse to beat him up?
"Er, your girlfriend looks nice,"
Draco smirked irritatingly and began to swim off to the jetty after calling out,
"See, it's easy when you try!"
Harry sighed and swam over to Ginny, who, unlike Maria who was completely submerged thanks to her boyfriend, was sitting down so only up to her knees were in the water.
He pulled himself out of the water and sat next to her. Seemingly not bothered by the fact he was utterly and completely drenched, she found his hand and squeezed it for no reason and smiled at him.
This was surreal - he had loved people, he did love people, but he had never been in love with a person.
He just couldn't explain it.
He couldn't think of anything to say - he was completely lost for words - but neither of them was particularly bothered. On his part, her eyes were saying more than he could ever explain or say in return.
She was so beautiful right then - he would never forget it. Whatever possessed him right then he couldn't explain, but he leaned forward, regardless that they were surrounded by people, and kissed the woman he loved.
They had kissed before, they would kiss again but the memory of this day would always start with thoughts of this kiss. He had opened up to her in a way he had opened up to no one before. And she understood him. She loved him.
She loved him back.
His hand automatically went up to her face and stroked his thumb across her face slowly.
"The water's lovely," he said finally, breaking away from her, letting his hand linger for a second longer and looking over where Maria and Draco where splashing each other like two year olds, "You should come in,"
"Nah," she replied, kicking her legs and making ripples across the water, "I like it here better,"
The End
Authors Note:
*Gasp* This time it is the end. I mean it. You wanted happy - this is so happy to can almost can't breathe because of all de goddamn fluff.
Do you have any idea how strange this is to me? The only other fic I've finished is this really sad, sad, sad one that didn't end at all well for the main character. Which was Ginny.
I finished it at like two in the morning on the computer in my bedroom and had to wait five and a half hours to post it. I was going crazy but it gave me time to make it even better. This is on the eighth page so is this long enough? No? TOO BAD!
REVIEW PLEASE.
Any question leave in your review and I will answer them in an after word if requested.
Note: Sorry about the wait again - I am awful. I offer no excuse except my own inability to let go of a fic I start however long ago. I might not seem that long to you but this is the only ending I was satisfied with - so I present Epilogue #13:
Epilogue
He had been here before. He had felt these emotions before - only this time they were much more awful. Worry, grieve, anger, sorrow and some others he couldn't name but were just as bad. It seemed like yesterday that himself and Maria were waiting for news about Mark after the New Years Eve 'Party'. Harry had felt as if it couldn't be any worse back then - clearly he was wrong.
A calm man would sit twiddling his thumbs (like he had done when he was waiting for Mark) but Harry was anything but calm at that moment. Dumbledore and Hermione were yet to return though Hermione talked to Ron via Floo powder only to tell them that they were safe - Ron was forced not to say anything about Ginny because of the head-healer breathing down his neck.
So he was being sheepishly comforted by Mark (Maria had disappeared and Harry couldn't sit still), who, through Ron's tears, managed to get the message that he had only just made it up to his sister and now this had happened. Mark, like Maria before him, had drunk half his body weight in tea and coffee and defended Ron from a barrage of nurses and healers wafting chocolate before them.
Harry on the other hand was all twitches and nervousness but was comforted with one thought - she was alive. Just barely but alive all the same. They all had plenty of theories about how exactly she had survived - Lucius was weak, it had only just caught her and she was wearing that jacket were some of them. And, as Draco had mentioned slyly before he vanished, Harry wanted her alive.
The hospital hadn't change - Harry could have been gone for a year, an hour or a week after he left with Mark and it would have been the same. True - it was only eight in the morning and there weren't as many people this time but the floor was still squeaky and the healers had this amazing ability to lie about how long it would take them to see her.
None of them looked like they had crawled out of bed like they had last time and there weren't as many workers around because there wasn't a lot of people hurt. Last time it was Deatheater but not this time - there was Lucius but no one was particularly cared if he pulled through or not. Harry had a horrible feeling that he would somehow.
All three of them had sat in silence ever since Maria disappeared except for Mark asking every two minutes if either of them wanted a drink. It was the same reply every time - no. Maria was the only one that could tease any conversation out of any of them at this time. And now she had vanished. So had Draco but he only had three days head start at the most -
"I'm going to find Maria," Mark muttered suddenly, when Ron looked a little better, "She's taking a very long time with those drinks,"
Harry smiled wearily despite himself and to the side of him, Ron grinned weakly with his head leaning against the wall while he sat down. Feeling suddenly tired, and guilty not being a friend, Harry collapsed on the lumpy seats next to Ron.
"Sorry," he whispered after a moment and for a second he thought Ron hadn't heard because there was no reaction at all. He just blinked slowly and removed his head from the crème walls,
"Sorry?" he questioned a little sharply, "What about?"
Harry made a vague hand gesture in front of him,
"Stuff. Everything."
Ron copied the gesture and looked enquiringly at him. Harry sighed.
"Getting you all in to this. Getting you hurt," he explained hoarsely, running his dirty fingers through his hair again, "Getting Ginny hurt," he added miserably.
Ron sat silently for a minute,
"It's okay," he said tragically though grinning, and sighing like it was a huge deal, "I was seriously bored anyway and," he smiled secretly, "Ginny's going to be fine. I'll let you off again Harry Potter,"
A Healer passing looked up suddenly from a trolley and slowed down; taking as long as possible to walk and it wasn't until Harry caught her eyes did she remember herself. Either that or the door banged open announcing the presence of not the most liked person in the area,
"Potter!" somebody hissed with suppressed anger, "You seem to like getting me up early don't you,"
Even Ron was on his feet now. Harry was dreading this meeting - the meeting with his boss - and remained silent as he advanced on him. Adam Smith this time didn't look like he'd crawled out of bed but looked like he'd seen better days. Or better mornings. He pointed a finger in-between Harry's eyes,
"Explain," he ordered, "and it better be a damned good reason to get me up on the one morning I get to sleep a little later,"
"But its well past eight -" Ron piped up, obviously not used to Smith who turned on Ron as he spoke,
"And who are you?"
Harry coughed nervously and moved in-between them smiling brightly,
"I can explain sir-"
A different voice interrupted all of them from the doorway,
"No need Mr. Potter, I'll save you the trouble - I believe Miss Weasley has recovered enough for visitors,"
Harry didn't hear much else after he said that Ginny was recovered. He just smiled as he and Ron rushed past Professor Dumbledore and a smiling Adam Smith.
~*~
Ron, Hermione and Harry were all crowed around Ginny's bed - Harry and Hermione on the left and Ron sitting down on the chair holding his sister's hand, red-eyed. Hermione was the better out of all of them (she had almost slept through the whole thing) and told Harry how she had sent Malfoy's wand to them. She wasn't at all surprised that Ron had almost blown their cover.
Harry had managed to get some sleep earlier on but wasn't as dead on his feet like he was with Mark - and like Ron was now. Mark quietly came into the empty ward and stood next to Harry - still minus Maria.
"Smith says congratulations," he whispered, grinning softly, "They've been wanting an excuse to get Malfoy for years,"
"Which one?" Hermione muttered, walking round to Ron, who had fallen asleep, and stroked the hair out of his sleeping eyes, "You aren't going to take Draco in - I know he's not the nicest person but he did help you,"
A stifled cough came from one of the curtained cubicles at the end of the ward. Mark frowned and walked down to it - they had been told the place was empty. Neither Hermione nor Harry were particularly bothered and were too worried about Ginny. Harry shuddered when he looked at her.
She was so pale in the weak morning light - the few freckles she had stood out from her skin and her red hair seemed even brighter against the sheets. The nurses said she had a mild case of hypothermia (though that had been dealt with almost at once, she was still unnaturally cold) and some concussion from being thrown across the room. Her hair around her shoulders and neck like a scarf and one of her hands was by her side while the other remained under the cover.
Harry sighed again and rubbed his eyes to try and disguise the tear that was threatening to spill down his face. Luckily, Ron woke up with start, distracting Hermione and almost knocking her over the table with some plants on.
"Hey watch it," she grumbled though smiling, and taking his hand to help her up.
Ron smiled jadedly and apologized croakily letting Hermione sit down now. They seemed in danger of slipping into silence again but the dirty white curtains around Ginny's cubicle were pulled roughly open and Maria walked in looking between guilt and embarrassment. She scuttled over to Hermione and perched on the side of her chair not looking at anyone.
It was explained when Mark pushed in a dishevelled Draco Malfoy in next looking extremely at ease compared to Maria. Mark stood the other side Harry - furthest away from Draco who was clearly still not his favourite person in the world.
"Aren't you supposed to be running?" Ron asked with barely traceable civility. Draco ran his fingers through his hair to keep it out of his eyes,
"What the point of running when," he looked at Maria who, unlike most people Harry knew, glared right back at him, "no one is chasing you,"
Mark coughed as if stopping himself from doing, or saying, something else. Harry elbowed him,
"Whatever happened just forget it," he whispered, taking advantage of Maria not listening while Hermione was talking to her, "It was three people maximum in here and if the nurse hears us or Ginny wakes up-"
"Too late," Malfoy interrupted from his other side.
On the bed, Ginny's eyes fluttered open slowly.
~*~
This is the more or less the end. This is the end of this chapter in Harry's life - but a new chapter in both his and Ginny's life, together. As soon as her eyes opened, as soon as they left the hospital ward, as soon as Harry felt the laughter of friends again it started.
Hermione insisted that she knew it all along - she knew how it would end. She even doubted that there was even a time when it didn't exist. The reader also may find it interesting that Hermione Granger no more - the previous information was given to Ginny after one-too-many glasses of wine on the night of her hen party. Hermione Weasley now regrets having a hangover on morning of her marriage to Ron.
She and Ron have now moved out of London completely (they hadn't moved before in case Harry came back - turned out that was right) and now living in a house in Staffordshire. She is now the Deputy Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is looking for a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher if you, or any one you know, is interested.
Mark, Maria and Harry are all still in the Aura department (for legal reasons, there exact department name cannot be disclosed) and although all have been promoted, Maria still remains the superior.
Draco Malfoy has inherited the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire along with all other Malfoy properties/land, including the certain lair in Yorkshire, and has moved in. He also allowed Ministry officials in to 'de-evil' several areas of the place to use as evidence against his father. Maria Edwards was a leader officer in these efforts. Of course, she was especially asked for and volunteered her and her team right away.
Recently, he had sold the land in Yorkshire to the Department of Magical Games and Pastimes, which is now building a Quiddich training school.
Lucius Malfoy now has his sons' cell in Nyper's Peak. Draco had to pay a warden more then three galleons to tell his father what he had done to other properties that they had previously owned. He still retains extensive land and houses outside of the Manor and would offer them to friends if they all weren't in prison for life.
Draco's mother, died (investigation is no underway to find out exactly how she tripped down the stairs) a few years ago and Lucius never told his son where the grave was. Draco, however, is adamant he cared for his mother little more than he cared for his father.
It turned out that even though she didn't hurt her son, she never looked after or protect him.
Ginny has reclaimed her job as a journalist for the Daily Prophet and now has her own column on page two - if any on you are interested.
There was however, a little trouble explaining to her brothers that she was alive. Fred and George vowed to play pranks on her every 12th March when she was supposed to have died. Ginny wasn't phased at all, in fact she was glad that all of her brothers (except Percy) had joined in this deal - she took it as a sign they had forgiven her. She did, though, regret it when the twelve of March came around.
It seemed two years was a lot for Ginny to miss out - Bill had finally married and, despite the various bets and wagers going on through the family and close friends, he had done it with long hair. Harry, far from his expectations and wishes of never being contacted by any of the Dursleys ever again, received a wedding notification (not invitation) from Dudley clearly fishing for gifts.
The Twins offered some new and improved Ton-Ton Toffees when the tongue shrunk in a couple of minutes They spent the next week wondering and laughing at how the hell would marry Dudley and how he would treat the unmark toffees in equal turns.
As I said before, this is pretty much the end of the story - or at least this part of it in Harry, Ginny and everyone else life. I suppose though, as always, the readers have questions. Questions that should be answered. But, unfortunately, from here on in, these answers tend to be long and very tedious.
While Adam Smith is left to wonder how exactly no one recognised James Redwood as Harry Potter after all the clues that Harry didn't manage to cover, the reader probably cares more about how Harry's character changed. How Ginny self-confidence grew. These changes, however, are not so much tedious, just subtle and hard to measure. There's just no simple answer.
There is never a simple answer.
If there was to be an answer, it would as surprising as the contents of the Malfoy Manor before the 'de-evil'- ing. Which, for all those not in the 'loop', gave Lucius Malfoy eight life sentences before any other evidence and witnesses were brought up.
But, it would be tiresome to go through all the many changes of all of their extremely different lives. Instead, the reader will have to content themselves with one last scene almost a year and a half after Ginny's eyes opened in the dingy, Ministry cubical.
~*~
The sound of splashing water filled the summer air - lots of bottles of cooled Butterbeer (and regular beer) were festooned in various magical cool boxes. No one was drinking them - not at the moment anyway. All the people here were sleeping, reading or swimming in the lake.
Bees flitted from flower to flower making anyone who looked at them feel sick with them being so hot. For once, the summer was actually a summer. The weather forecast in the background on the radio told them to expect clear skies and hot temperatures for the rest of the week. Anyone looking up at the cloudless skies and drinking all the water they could get their hands on could have told you that.
Maria was with Draco and they had disappeared somewhere (none of them thought it wise to disturb them), Mark was sleeping on a rug, Hermione was resting her head on Ron's chest and Ron was reading some book on Quiddich. Everyone was enjoying himself or herself.
Harry was no exception. Neither was Ginny.
Ginny was sitting on the bank, overlooking the lake, and fiddling idly with a flower while staring into space with a little smile on her face. Harry grinned to himself as he kept himself afloat in the current trying to sweep him away.
It was so hot that more than one person (Ron and Mark to be exact) had jumped straight into the water fully clothed and ten minutes after coming still complaining it was too hot. It was the last of the few weeks Harry got off work and still he was smiling.
There was everything in the world to smile about.
Ginny started to pick each petal off the flower slowly before throwing them into the gentle breeze that had appeared muttering something under her breath.
Someone appeared by his side in the water and woke him out of a daydream,
"And just what do you think you're doing in my lake Potter?"
Harry laughed and pushed a grinning Draco Malfoy under the water,
"The only reason its yours," he said, tearing his eyes away from Ginny, "is because no one can be arsed to chase you. Not because of your charm and money. Or the fact Maria more than likes you far more than the rest of us"
Draco snorted and muttered something about that making sense. Harry didn't say anything and instead chose to listen to the water in the nearby stream flow. A frog croaked somewhere in the distance,
"I have to say your girlfriend looks terribly good in a swimsuit, Potter," he commented glancing at Ginny when Harry didn't respond. This time Harry merely grinned and only agreed in his head but wouldn't give his friend the satisfaction. Malfoy was a little put out for some reason,
"This is the part where you're supposed to say the same about mine,"
Harry looked up at Maria who was talking with Ginny as they walked down to the little jetty to get in the water. This had to be a trap - why would Malfoy ask him how is girlfriend looked unless he wanted an excuse to beat him up?
"Er, your girlfriend looks nice,"
Draco smirked irritatingly and began to swim off to the jetty after calling out,
"See, it's easy when you try!"
Harry sighed and swam over to Ginny, who, unlike Maria who was completely submerged thanks to her boyfriend, was sitting down so only up to her knees were in the water.
He pulled himself out of the water and sat next to her. Seemingly not bothered by the fact he was utterly and completely drenched, she found his hand and squeezed it for no reason and smiled at him.
This was surreal - he had loved people, he did love people, but he had never been in love with a person.
He just couldn't explain it.
He couldn't think of anything to say - he was completely lost for words - but neither of them was particularly bothered. On his part, her eyes were saying more than he could ever explain or say in return.
She was so beautiful right then - he would never forget it. Whatever possessed him right then he couldn't explain, but he leaned forward, regardless that they were surrounded by people, and kissed the woman he loved.
They had kissed before, they would kiss again but the memory of this day would always start with thoughts of this kiss. He had opened up to her in a way he had opened up to no one before. And she understood him. She loved him.
She loved him back.
His hand automatically went up to her face and stroked his thumb across her face slowly.
"The water's lovely," he said finally, breaking away from her, letting his hand linger for a second longer and looking over where Maria and Draco where splashing each other like two year olds, "You should come in,"
"Nah," she replied, kicking her legs and making ripples across the water, "I like it here better,"
The End
Authors Note:
*Gasp* This time it is the end. I mean it. You wanted happy - this is so happy to can almost can't breathe because of all de goddamn fluff.
Do you have any idea how strange this is to me? The only other fic I've finished is this really sad, sad, sad one that didn't end at all well for the main character. Which was Ginny.
I finished it at like two in the morning on the computer in my bedroom and had to wait five and a half hours to post it. I was going crazy but it gave me time to make it even better. This is on the eighth page so is this long enough? No? TOO BAD!
REVIEW PLEASE.
Any question leave in your review and I will answer them in an after word if requested.