A/N: Well, here it is. My very last chapter of Popularity Brings Friends and Enemies. It's taken me a year to get this far and I'm glad and sad about it.
First off, I listen to songs to get me in the mood to type. Those songs are 'The Scientist' by Coldplay, 'Chance' by Big Country, 'AmericanEnglish' by Idlewild and 'Run' by Snow Patrol. Of course, I have to give 'Where the Story Ends' by Blazin' Squad (scoff) a huge mention because just one verse of it gave me the entire idea and moral of my fanfiction...read the lyrics and guess which verse!
Secondly, do not fear...I have a sequel in progress which will explain all the unanswered questions in this fic (there are lots) Like the prophecy for example...I will explain that thing properly in the next one.
Lastly but not leastly, I hereby dedicate this fanfiction to all my lovely ficcers on IMDB who know who they are. Without their jokes, kind words, praise and just plain weirdness (and the fact they ignore my hideous spellings) I would never have published this fiction, let alone ever finished it.
And thank you who have reviewed this or even just read a few chapters...and to those who will in future.
Oliver bordered the Hogwarts Express with a very heavy heart. He followed Marino into a compartment, cradling baby Alex in his arms close to his chest and sat down near the window.
Marino and Percy sat opposite him, holding hands and also staring back at the castle. Their home.
Fred and George entered quietly and sat down next to Oliver, not really knowing what to say.
Oliver hadn't spoken to anyone since last night. Dumbledore had called him to his office and spoke comforting words to him but Oliver had nothing to say in response. Dumbledore gave Oliver Paris' belongings to take home to keep for himself or give to Molly Weasley.
"Goodbye Hogwarts," Marino sighed as the train began pulling out of Hogsmeade station. The three seventh years were now completely free from school but it wasn't a joyous occasion like it should be.
Alex began grumbling and Oliver did his best to soothe him but he just screamed louder.
"Here," Marino said softly, holding her arms out for him. Oliver carefully passed him over and Marino quieted him almost immediately.
Oliver put his face in his hands. He was so tired, he had sat in Gryffindor common room all night wide awake, thinking and regretting and remembering. He felt dead himself, he could walk and breathe but he felt nothing.
He was completely and utterly alone now with a baby. He had no idea how to manage a baby by himself. He could've done it with Paris, he could've done anything with Paris but he was desperately alone.
"Come on mate, I'll get you something off the trolley. You haven't eaten a thing all day," Fred said gently, putting a hand on Oliver's shoulder. He got up and left the compartment with George in search of the food trolley.
Marino was willing Alex to go to sleep, rocking him in her arms and soothing him. Something Paris was supposed to be doing.
Oliver looked out the window at the passing green lands and corn fields and realised once more he would never pass this way on the express again.
Fred and George reappeared a while later with cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties for everyone.
"Checked in on the girls," George said, passing Marino a cake.
"And?" Marino replied, smiling gratefully as she received her cake.
"The same as this morning," George replied, sitting down and blowing out his cheeks.
Angelina, Alicia and Katie had taken the news very hard and had been inconsolable for the whole day.
"Heavens," Marino sighed, using the Muggle phrase Paris always used to say before she got used to 'Merlin.'
When Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross, everyone slowly got up and gathered their things. Oliver held Alex close to him, a big part of him not wanting to get off the train.
Oliver hopped off the train, surrounded by students all rushing to see their families.
"Keep in touch Wood," Roger Davies said as he passed, giving him a pat on the back as he hurried passed. "Good luck."
A couple more good-byes were shared between Oliver and his friends but he just couldn't reply to anything they said. Alyssia gave him a tearful good-bye which made his eyes prick painfully with tears but he blinked them back.
Oliver walked through Platform Nine and Three Quarters with Marino next to him with her arm around his waist. Alex began crying again and when Oliver saw his mother standing waiting for him, his emotion over come him.
Long awaited tears fell down Oliver's face and Marino grabbed the baby as Oliver threw his arms around his mother and sobbed into her shoulder.
Lorraine Wood, quite over-shadowed by her youngest son did her very best to console him, feeling his grief radiate off him.
"I'm so sorry Oliver. I'm so, so sorry," She said quietly to him, rubbing his back. Her usually gruff, eighteen year old son was going to pieces in the middle of a Muggle station and he really didn't care.
Fred and George were huddled against their mother, also crying along with Molly.
Everyone had been holding it in but now it was as if the flood gates were thrown open wide for everyone.
Marino was sobbing again as her mother held Alex with one hand and her daughter with the other. Sapphire and Opal were holding their father's hand, not knowing what to do and just joined in with the crying for good measure.
Percy was not crying but was being hugged by his father none the less.
Marino left her mother and put her arms around Percy and cried onto his chest again as Percy patted her back lovingly and smoothed her hair which she hadn't bothered to style that morning.
Molly had grabbed Oliver and was holding him tightly while he finished crying. He stood up straight after a few minutes and wiped his eyes on his sleeves, looking at Mrs. Weasley as the silent grief engulfed him. He would not cry again for her.
"You go home Oliver, be with your family," Molly said quietly, holding his face in her hands.
"I'm so sorry," Oliver said in a shaky voice. Marino and Percy looked up at him, it was the first time he'd spoken.
"It wasn't your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself. You gave her everything she could ever ask for, you did nothing wrong," Molly said firmly. She looked at Oliver who was just standing in front of her, completely lost.
"Come on love," Oliver's mum said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder and giving Molly a grateful smile.
Oliver looked at Fred and George to Marino and Percy and gave them a small, acknowledged nod before turning and leaving with his mother who was carrying the baby.
Thursday August first was a beautiful day.
Oliver was sat on Paris' bed, looking out of her window and deciding she had a beautiful view of her village from her bedroom.
He reached over and plucked her Head Girl badge from her window sill and turned it over in his hands, feeling the coolness of it. He smiled and put it back, remembering his first day back as a Seventh year and the way Paris had came and greeted him before jinxing Fred. How the first moment he saw her, he let out a sigh of relief because he'd been missing her all summer but the wait had been worth it as she was more beautiful that day than any other day beforehand. From then on, she simply got more and more beautiful in his eyes.
On her desk, there were about six framed pictures. One of the Gryffindor team – the last team picture he and Paris were ever on. Some of her and the twins. One of her and Charlie cuddling and grinning. One of her and Marino pouting and playing up to the camera and one of Oliver himself, grinning bashfully.
Nestled between the pictures was the folded up, crumpled picture of the Mona Lisa Paris always used to carry around. Oliver plucked it from the desk and carefully unfolded it.
He never found out how long she'd actually had this or whether she carried it every day but it was amongst the things Marino had brought down from her dormitory.
Oliver folded it back up and sighed. She'd never seen the real thing, only a picture.
Oliver rested his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands. They had planned to get married today but instead, his bride to be was buried.
The pain was still there, as fresh as that night it happened but apparently, Oliver was dealing with it. How anyone could deal with a death of someone as much loved as Paris was beyond Oliver but he nodded his head anyway and put on the brave face everyone expected to see.
Oliver was entitled to grieve and he would do for as long as he needed. He didn't know what the future held, what would happen to him and Alex. He had been angry at first at Paris, for leaving him then in denial. Now he was going through the painful, miserable, horrible grieving process.
Oliver got up to leave but stopped near Paris' drawers. The top one was open slightly and he pulled out a light pink shirt, feeling the soft material. He brought it to his face and breathed in the familiar smell as deeply as possible.
When Oliver took it away to replace, he felt his eyes were wet. He carefully placed the shirt back in her drawer, touched a silky scarf that was hanging off one of the drawer handles and opened her bedroom door.
With one last look, he left and went down the stairs.
Mrs. Weasley looked up from the worktop as Oliver entered the kitchen and gave him a small smile as he walked over to her.
"Had enough time? You can stay all day if you want," Molly said quietly.
"For today. Erm, can I come back? Please?" Oliver said awkwardly.
"Of course," Molly said, taking Oliver by his upper arms. "You are welcome any time, come as often as you please." Oliver could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke so he pulled her into a hug.
"What did you take?" Molly asked when Oliver released her.
"Nothing. Her things belong here," Oliver replied gently and Molly gave him a brave smile.
Oliver went and took Alex from George, who was sitting with him at the table. He rocked his baby gently and went outside to the back garden for some quiet.
He sat on the garden bench, chattering nonsense to Alex as he looked around the garden.
"It's me and you, kid," Oliver said quietly, laying his son in his arms so Oliver could look down at him. Alex was blinking sleepily in the sunlight.
"We'll manage, I'll take care of you and never let anything happen to you. No-one will ever hurt you or make you feel less than what you are. Daddy will make sure," Oliver said softly to Alex, who was now looking at him with wide eyes. He really did look like Paris, it was almost strange.
Oliver put his fore finger into Alex's tiny palm and his curled his tiny fingers around it.
Oliver smiled at his baby, feeling nothing but love for him. He looked up at the trees surrounding the garden as they rustled slightly in the soft summer breeze. Oliver smiled again as he felt it on his bare arms and face.
"I think Mummy's going to make sure as well," Oliver whispered and got up from the bench and went back inside.
The End.