Epilogue
A/N: Aww…..It's over. That makes me kind of sad. But not to worry, I have much more going on in my head. (You should all be very, very afraid.) Ok I'm done ranting for now.
Go. Read….Now!
Jessi stretched languorously, cracking her eyes slightly at the early morning sun shining through the bedroom window. She felt Remus move beside her and smiled. She snuggle further under the blankets and shut her eyes tightly.
"Morning, love" Remus said softly, kissing her shoulder. "I know you're wake"
"Morning to you too. So we have to get up?" she asked playfully. She kissed him softly and guided her hands up his bare chest.
"I'm afraid so. You do know what today is don't you?" he asked brushing her hair out of her face.
"I do. And I have to tell you, my feeling about today are quite ambivalent." she said, drawing her eyebrow together in thought.
"Come on Jess, This isn't the first time you've done this." he said comfortingly.
"I know, but Alyssa is my baby" she leaned against him.
"I know, she looks and acts just like you." he grinned at her.
"I'm really starting to dislike September first." she mumbled. "Couldn't we just stay in bed all day?" she looked up at him winking suggestively.
"I'm afraid not, love." he kissed her tenderly. "Tell you what I'll go down and make coffee, and you go check on the kids."
"You're making coffee, my hero" she swooned fakely and hopped out of bed. "Ok let's go then, I bet their all up but Anna though."
"She is her mother's daughter. Ow-" he held the back of his head where she'd thumped him with a pillow. "You aren't a morning person and you know it. We've been married for 17 years and never once, have you voluntarily gotten up before 8 am."
"I have so, it's 7:45 now and I'm up." she gave him a 'You Lose' look.
"I made you get up." he mumbled.
"Go make coffee before I hurt you" she rolled her eyes as she left the room. She was headed down to the end of the hallway to her youngest sons room when a piercing scream followed by giggles came from her youngest daughters room. She hurried down the hall to see her eldest child holding his sister by her ankles tickling her. "RJ what are you doing"
"Al has been panicking all morning I was trying to lighten the mood." the 17-year old said with a grin.
"Don't call me Al" the raven haired eleven year old called from underneath her brother. "And get off, I can't breath"
"How you ever made Head Boy is beyond me RJ." she smiled at her son. "Go finish packing." she smiled at him as he left the room and sat down on the bed.
"Hi Mum" her youngest child said. Alyssa Lupin sat Indian-style at the head of her bed facing her mother. "Mummy?"
"What is it Sweet Pea, what's on your mind?" Jessi opened her arms, and her daughter crawled into them sniffling slightly.
"What if I don't make Gryffindor? What if Lily does and I don't, or I do and she doesn't? What if Lily makes a new best friend? What if I get lost? What if know one likes me?" the unusually small girl rattled off questions in quick succession.
"Your Dad and I will love you no matter what house you are in. If you and Lily aren't in the same house, it isn't the end of the world, you'll still see each other. You and Lily will both make new friends, maybe they'll be the same maybe they won't. You two have known each other your whole lives, you'll always be friends. And I'm sure people will like you. Maybe not everyone but that's ok." she answered the questions one at a time rubbing her daughters back slowly.
"Thanks Mum."
"No problem, Sweet Pea. Are you all packed?"
"Yes." Alyssa said with a smile.
"Alright then. When you're out of your pajama's , and into real clothes go on downstairs. I think your dad is cooking."
"Daddy's cooking. WOOHOO. I love when Daddy cooks, no offense." the girl apologized quickly.
"It's alright, I enjoy it when your Dad cooks as well." she smiled at her youngest child from the doorway before exiting the room and making her way down the hall to her 16-year old daughters room.
Jessi loved the hallway that contained her children's bedrooms. It was short and cramped, filled with pictures of the four youngsters as they grew up, that waved and smiled back happily. It contain hand-drawn family portraits, framed first Hogwarts letters, as well as RJ and Anna's Prefect letters and RJ's Head Boy letter. This hallway housed mementos of every major moment in her children's lives. She smiled at a picture of Anna dressed in too-big heels, and too-long pearls on her sixth birthday, framed next to a picture of the same girl in the same heels and pearls on her sixteenth birthday.
"Anna, it's time to get up Sunshine." she entered the room and was shocked to find the bed already made.
"I'm in my closet Mum." her daughters voice came from the far corner of the room.
Jessi made her way carefully around the clothing strewn bedroom and leaned on the doorjamb of the walk in closet, Remus had magically expanded for her for her thirteenth birthday. She watched her daughter carefully.
"Morning Mum" Anna said jovial, pulling another set of robes from it's hanger.
"Morning Sunshine, How much clothing are you taking?" Jessi asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well everything in that pile," she indicated a moderately sized pile "is questionable, the pile next to it " she indicated a pile as high as their knees "goes for sure, and the small pile is definite no's" she smiled at her mother as she pulled a short black skirt off it's hanger.
"Right. As long as it all fits in your trunk." Jessi smiled.
"Oh it will. Mostly the green stuff is staying because I've recently been informed it's Blockhead's favorite color, and the blue goes because Tris likes me in blue." Anna smiled dreamily when she mentioned her boyfriend Tristain Malfoy a 7th year Ravenclaw she'd been seeing for about six months.
"Anna, don't call James names, and you shouldn't dress based on what others want."
"I know Mum, I know. I just happen to like blue as well. It brings out my eyes." Anna shrugged tossing a blue tank top on the 'definite' pile.
"Green brings out the blue better" Jessi said absentmindedly folding things that were in one of the piles.
"Mum" Anna said exasperatedly "Blockhead likes green."
"I thought you weren't dressing for others''
"This is different."
"Ok, Anna, Why do you and James dislike each other so much anyway?"
"He's an annoying prat, who thinks he knows what's best for everyone, and he's a total man-whore."
"Anna Lynn, that isn't very nice."
"He isn't very nice, I don't know how RJ and Cecily put up with him."
"Anna, I love you, Sunshine." And you and James have more in common than you could possibly know she smiled and kissed her daughters temple. "Come down for breakfast when you've finished packing. Your Dad is cooking.
"Dad's cooking. Snap!" Anna laughed as she went back into her closet.
Jessi smiled and shook her head, she was about to leave the room when she heard shouts coming from the hallway. She opened the door to See RJ chasing her other son, Jeremy, down the hall only to have Jeremy's door slammed in his face.
"JEREMY LUPIN…YOU GIVE THAT BACK" RJ yelled.
"RJ…don't yell." she reprimanded before.
"Mummy" Alyssa came out crying, holding her ears.
"I know, baby" she knelt in front of her daughter. "Shhh….it'll be ok . It will go away in a minute. She wrapped her arms around her daughter talking inaudibly to everyone but her. When the girl stopped crying she smiled weakly at her mother.
"I'm going to go see Daddy."
"Ok, baby." she kissed the top of her head and sent her on her way.
"RJ you know better than that. It's hard enough for your Dad and Alyssa when they're downstairs or outside. And Anna probably isn't to happy right this second either."
"I know Mum, I'm really sorry." he said quietly.
"Just try to be more careful. What are you and your brother fighting about anyway?"
"He stole my letter from Cecily."
"Alright, I'll get it back for you. Go finish packing."
"Yes'm " he hung his head as he walked back into his room.
"Jeremy" she knocked on the door.
"What?" came a muffled voice.
"Let me in"
"I'm busy Mum"
"Jeremy Alexand-- thought you'd see it my way." she said smiling at him as she entered his room.
"Mu-um…" he whined.
"Oh hush." she said ruffling his untidy hair. "Are you done packing?"
"Mostly, I have a few more pra--projects" he corrected quickly.
"Right, I don't want to know. You, Andrew, and David are going to cause some serious trouble this year I think."
"That's right! Mischief Makers version 2.0" he laughed throwing a pack of Wet-start Fireworks in his trunk.
"Don't get into to much trouble. Oh and Give me RJ's letter…now" she looked down at him.
"Aww…Mum" he said handing her the letter.
"Thank you….Dad's cooking breakfast when you're done packing she said ruffling his hair and kissing the top of his head.
"Dad's cooking? Zeus…. the king of the Gods" he looked up hopefully.
"Watch your language. And hurry up with the packing. Hey Jer."
"Yeah Mum?"
"I love you, Kiddo." She exited the bedroom and headed down the hall to RJ's room. She knocked softly before popping her head through the door. She saw her eldest child sitting at his desk writing hastily. She walked up behind him and dropped the letter in front of him.
"Thanks, Mum, You're the greatest." he said looking up.
"Why thank you, Good Sir." she grinned at him and sat on the edge of his bed. "So writing Cecily?"
"Yup"
"You're going to see her in less than" she glanced at her watch " three hours"
"I know. I love her so much. Next year when we're apart. I don't know what I'll do"
"I think you'll manage RJ" she smiled. "Your Dad is cooking when you're ready to eat."
"Dad's cooking. That's so cool." he said happily.
"Why is everyone in this house so amazed by that?" she asked incredulously.
"Mum…Dad never cooks. That's why?"
"Ok ok. I love you RJ. You're Dad and I are both so proud of you." she hugged her son, her baby, her little boy. "You've grown up to become a better person than we could have imagined."
"I love you too, Mum"
Jessi smiled at RJ as she made her way downstairs. Remus was standing at the stove cooking eggs and bacon, while reading the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. Remus smiled at her when he finally looked up.
"I wondered how long it would take you to get down here" he grinned.
"Oh hush, and pay attention or you'll burn the eggs." she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yes, Ma'am." he saluted. "The kids all ready?" he asked turning the heat off on the stove.
"All save one" she said
"Anna?"
"Yes, She had to take all the green out of her wardrobe, because James, or Blockhead, as she put it. Likes green."
"Those two….they're going to be the end of you and Hermione"
"Yes well" she shrugged and sipped her coffee.
RJ, Anna, Jeremy, and Alyssa all eventually made there way downstairs. After breakfast the car was quickly loaded and they set off for King's Cross Station. The four children, each bearing resemblance to one or both of their parents slipped unnoticed through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. The parent's followed slowly after. Once through they came face-to-face with a bright red train. After settling their youngest daughter in compartment with Liliana Potter, youngest child of Harry and Hermione Potter, Remus and Jessi stood back and watch the train pull out of the station. When the train was no more than a dot on the horizon Remus turned to Jessi.
"I love you, you know." he said kissing her softly.
"And I love you." she smiled at him taking his hand as they made their way back towards the muggle side of the platform. "I'm going to miss you more this year than ever I think."
"I'll miss you too, but we'll make it through." he squeezed her hand slightly and looked down at her. "Jess…?" his voice held a nervousness that hadn't been there since Alyssa had been born.
"Hmm…"
"Are you happy?" he rushed the question out quickly.
"Of course I'm happy" she stopped and turned to face him. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just…" he brushed a stray curl out of her face before continuing, "We had RJ when you were so young, and you never got…."
"Hush now" she said softly. Cutting him off abruptly. "If we'd have waited to have RJ we wouldn't have Alyssa. I'm perfectly happy. I have four children who I simply adore, and love whole-heartedly and A husband who I've loved since I was 13" she smiled and kissed him, " Oh yeah and who I can't keep my hands off of" she stood on her tip-toes and whispered the last part against his ear.
"I love you Jessi. I always have, always will."
"I love you too." she said with a smile. They continued out of Kings Cross and headed back towards home. They both sat quietly on the way home. Each secure in their love for the other, knowing together they could face whatever was thrown their way.
Ending Notes:
Ok Time for Thank Yous. I want to thank all my reviewers.
Rogue-soul- My very first review.
RaysOfHope- Who stayed through the whole story.
Roxio- Who gave me one of the best reviews. EVER.
mikomi-nad- Thanks for the review.
IrishChick- My newest reviewer.
RoRo, who read ever chapter (mostly cause I annoyed her until she did)
Squishy, who basically wrote most of Remus, and helped me out of every jam.
B, who inspires me to be a better writer.
Ty, umm…cause you're you. No really, cause even when I didn't want to finish you told me I should.