Chapter Fifteen:
Till Death Do Us Part
Ginny arrived at the manor five days before the wedding. Upon seeing Hermione, the little red-head bolted towards her and caught her in a death grip.
"Hermione! I've missed you!" She exclaimed. Hermione laughed.
"You just saw me last week at graduation." Ginny let go and Hermione led her into the foyer. Ginny gasped as she looked around.
"Leaping hippogriffs, Hermione! This place is huge!" Her eyes widened as she peered into the study. "These rooms are three times the size of mine." Hermione felt a stab of guilt as she remembered how tiny the Weasley's house was. She decided to invite Ginny over to stay more often. Draco came strolling down the stairs and Hermione smiled as she saw him. She was never going to get tired of seeing his face every day.
"Hermione, your parents sent us a letter. They're coming up the day before the wedding." Draco handed her the letter. "Hello, Ginny. Welcome to the manor."
"Hi, Draco. Thanks for having me."
"Can my parents, as muggles, come stay here?"
"There's a simple incantation that I could perform so that they would be able to. Don't worry about it, love. I've got it all taken care of." Draco smiled and dropped a kiss on Hermione's forehead.
"Come on, Ginny. I'll show you your room." Hermione picked up one of Ginny's bags. Ginny followed Hermione up the stairs and into the second door on the left. Ginny dropped her trunk when she saw the room.
"By the gods! This is beautiful!" She whispered, looking around. Hermione smiled and put down Ginny's bag.
"I'll let you get settled in. When you're done, just come down to the dining room for dinner. You can just wear your night gown if you want. I usually do so I can go right to bed when I'm done. This wedding planning is exhausting." Hermione left Ginny alone and turned to go to her room. She walked right into Draco.
"Draco, you can't keep standing right where I'm going to walk into you!" He laughed and placed his hands on her lower back.
"Why not? It's easier to kiss you when you're surprised." He grinned before leaning down to kiss her. Hermione let him kiss her for awhile, then pushed him away gently.
"Draco, we have a guest." She nodded towards Ginny's room. Draco sighed.
"Does that mean we have a change of plans for tonight?" He asked, his mouth drooping into a frown. Hermione smiled.
"I'm already pregnant, Draco. Do you want to have twins?" She teased him. He raised his eyebrows and pulled her towards their bedroom.
"I wouldn't mind having twins. Triplets wouldn't be so bad either."
"Then you carry them for nine months and give birth." Draco laughed and eased her down onto the bed.
"I'll let you take care of that, as nature intended." He kissed her passionately and sank onto the bed next to her. She felt herself melting as his tongue worked magic in her mouth. Her hands tangled themselves in his hair and he pulled her closer. His fingers gently lifted the bottom of her shirt and started moving upwards. Suddenly a soft bell rang out, signaling that dinner was ready. Draco pulled away and groaned.
"Can't we skip dinner?" He asked, kissing her cheek and neck. Hermione sighed, enjoying the shivers working up and down her spine.
"We have a guest, Draco. Be a good host." She stood up and Draco followed suit.
"No more, guests, Hermione. Please."
"Everything has to stop when my parents get here, so enjoy this now." Hermione reminded him, fixing her hair in front of the mirror. Draco groaned in disappointment and ran his hands through his own hair.
"When do we get to be alone?"
"Our honeymoon, Draco. Don't forget that." Draco smiled.
"Oh yeah. I can't wait."
Ron stared out the window at the sun. The beautiful day contrasted so drastically to his mood. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and he didn't bother to fix his appearance. He was still in his pajamas and his hair was sticking up in places. A soft knock came at the door, but he didn't answer. Finally the door creaked open. Ron didn't even look to see who had entered his room. It wasn't who he had expected when the person finally spoke.
"Ron? How's it going, mate?" Harry asked, carefully. Ron shifted his gaze to look at his best friend.
"Miserable."
"Come on. Summer is supposed to be fun. Especially the summer after our last year at Hogwarts. Let's go play some Quidditch in the backyard." Harry suggested, but Ron didn't move. He sighed and looked back out the window.
"No thanks, Harry. I'm just going to stay here. For the rest of my life."
"No you're not. Now I've had enough of this nonsense. What is going on with you, mate? I don't care how long it takes, but you are going to tell me what has been bothering you." Harry sat down on Ron's bed and stared at him determinedly. Ron attempted to stare his friend down, but finally he rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I'll tell you." He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm in love with Hermione." Harry's mouth fell open. Ron felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders as he spoke those words.
"How long have you been in love with her?"
"Since the third year. After she slapped Malfoy, I saw her in a different light." Ron answered in a far away tone. Harry felt his throat tighten as thought about his own feelings for Hermione. No. I have no feelings for Hermione. I love Ginny.
"I can't go to her wedding, Harry. I can't watch her marry that piece of shit." Ron spat, his eyes turning suddenly dark as he thought about Draco Malfoy.
"She wants you to go, Ron. Can't you do this for her?" Harry felt bad about putting Ron on a guilt trip, but he had promised Hermione that Ron would go to her wedding.
"I'll think about it, Harry. But not for you, mate. I'll do it for her." Ron replied, just as Harry had hoped he would. Harry left his friend alone to think. And Ron did think. For hours and hours he stared into space, thinking of how to handle his situation. Yes it was true. Ron loved Hermione more than she would ever know. Even though they had fought so many times, he couldn't help loving her still. He had screamed at Ginny for being a part of the wedding.
"How could you support the bondage of your best friend to your worst enemy?" He had shouted at her.
"He's your worst enemy, Ron! I think he's a gentleman to Hermione, and he'll take good care of her!" Ginny had fired back. Her last six words had cut him deep. He'll take good care of her...yeah right. Ron had no reason to trust Draco Malfoy. He certainly had no reason to trust him with Hermione. His mum hadn't been fond of Ginny participating in the wedding, but Hermione's persuasions led her to sending her daughter off to the manor. Harry had been surprised to find himself involved in the ceremony. A few days after graduation, he had received an owl from Draco inviting him to be his best man. Harry found this ironic, since he knew Draco had never considered him a friend, let alone a best man. He guessed he was trying to please Hermione. Maybe he was a good guy for Hermione after all. Harry had sent the owl back, accepting the invitation. Ginny had talked him into accepting the offer. Harry decided it wouldn't be so bad if Ginny was the maid of honor. Harry had declined the invitation to stay at the manor until the wedding. He told Hermione that he needed more time to work on Ron. All of the Weasley's had been invited to the ceremony. Harry wasn't sure how many of them would actually attend. None of them were too fond of Draco, even though it had been his father that had ruined Mr. Weasley's career. Fred and George weren't happy with Draco either. They were sore from Quidditch, and also from the insults thrown their way. Harry decided that he couldn't really blame them. Hermione had mentioned that Charlie and Bill were going to try to make it. She also said that Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had replied that they were coming. Harry had laughed and told her that she was the only person he knew who would invite teachers to their wedding.
When Hermione entered her bedroom, the lights were out. Draco must have been tired. She thought, moving through the darkness towards the bed. She and Ginny had stayed up late making last minute plans for the wedding. It was past midnight when they had finally called it a night. As Hermione pulled her shirt over her head, arms snaked around her waist. She gasped and turned around, only to find her lips captured by Draco's. When he pulled away, grinning, she couldn't help smiling back.
"Do you ever sleep?"
"I have trouble when you're not lying next to me." He replied, kissing her again. With strong arms, he lifted her carefully and carried her to their bed. The silk sheets were cool on Hermione's skin, but her blood was on fire. Draco ran his hands up and down her arms and straddled her gently.
"Draco!" Hermione protested.
"What's wrong with quadruplets?" He asked, smiling at her.
"Going into labor with quadruplets. I promise we can have some fun after our first child is born. I don't mind four children. I mind four children at one time." He sighed, but rolled off of her. She stood up and got into her pajamas.
"You're such a woman, Hermione."
"God meant for women to bear children because men were too weak to handle it." Hermione teased him, sliding under the covers and snuggling up to him.
"I am many things, Hermione, but I am not weak."
"Really?" She challenged him, kissing his neck softly. He groaned out loud and wrapped his arms around Hermione.
"Well, only when it comes to you." Happier than she had ever been in her entire life, Hermione fell asleep in Draco's arms. When she woke up the next morning to the soft bell signaling breakfast, she was still in his embrace. He stirred and rubbed his eyes.
"Morning already?"
"If you hadn't stayed up late last night to seduce me, you wouldn't be tired." She reminded him, kissing his cheek.
"And if you hadn't been so mean, you'd be tired too." He replied, kissing her lips.
"Yes. I'm horribly mean to you, Draco." Hermione agreed sarcastically, getting out of bed. Draco followed her to their walk in closet.
"You are. If you were nice, you'd let me do this." He pushed her into the closet and shut the door behind him. In moments, his hands were on her back and hers were around his neck. He moved her backwards slowly until her back touched the wall. Then he pressed himself up against her and kissed her with intensified passion. His fingers started to slide down the shorts of her pajamas and his lips moved down to her neck. Her shorts hit the floor and his hands moved up towards her shirt. He lifted her tank top over her head and lowered himself to kiss her breasts. Her legs weakened with every kiss.
"You're supposed to be stopping me, Hermione." He whispered as he returned to kissing her neck. Hermione laughed softly.
"I don't want to be a mean girl." She replied, lifting his face so she could kiss his lips.
"I was only fooling, Hermione. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." He bent over and picked up her shorts and shirt. She kissed him on the cheek and redressed.
"Let's go have breakfast. Ginny's probably wondering what happened to us."
"Oh that's right. We still have a guest." Draco mused, holding the door open for Hermione. She shot him a look over her shoulder and he smiled sheepishly at her. Ginny was waiting for them when they came downstairs. She smiled when she saw them.
"Good morning." She chirped. "Draco, the food is fabulous." She commented, digging into her scrambled eggs. Draco pulled out the chair for Hermione and nodded to Ginny. Hermione helped herself to some pancakes and looked over at Ginny.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Better than I've slept in my entire life! Water beds and feather pillows...I wish I could live here." Ginny sighed, glancing around the room. Again, Hermione felt a twinge of guilt as she thought about the Burrow.
"So, Ginny, I think your dress is supposed to be coming today. We'll have to make sure it fits all right."
"Yes! I'm so excited, Hermione! When is your dress coming?"
"Soon. I placed a special order, so they said it was going to take a little longer." Hermione replied. She almost smiled just thinking about her wedding dress. She had wanted to make sure that it was perfect, and so did Draco. He had given her a huge pile of galleons and told her to spend all of it and nothing less. She had spent less though, and Draco had reluctantly accepted the left over galleons.
"We'll put it towards our child's Hogwarts fund." Hermione had said, knowing that anything for their child would make Draco agree.
"How many people are coming, Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"Not many. It's most of my family and friends." Hermione replied shortly, trying not to bring up the fact that Draco had no family and very few friends. He stared down at his food at the question, and Ginny seemed to take the hint.
"Muggle or magical location?"
"Muggle. It's not too far from here. That's why my parents are coming to stay for a night or two."
"Hopefully just a night." Draco whispered so only Hermione could hear him. She smiled at him and he winked.
"I wanted all my friends to come, and they don't know that I'm a witch. It's just easier to have the ceremony in a muggle location." Hermione told Ginny. Then she hesitated to ask a nagging question. "Do you know if Ron has decided to come or not?" The table went silent except for the scraping of silver ware. Ginny played with the food on her plate and Draco was watching Hermione carefully. If Weasley ruined Hermione's wedding day, he'd go over to the Weasley house himself and demand that Ron be present at the ceremony. Hermione stared at Ginny nervously, but already she knew what the answer was.
"I don't think he's going to come, Hermione. I'm so sorry." Ginny replied softly. Hermione looked crushed, and pain seared through Draco.
"Maybe he'll come around over the next few days." Draco suggested, trying to make Hermione feel better. She half-heartedly nodded and returned to her breakfast. When they were finished eating, Draco left the two girls to talk and walked to the study. He pulled out some parchment and a quill. Harry cared about Hermione almost as much as Draco did. He would help him get Ron to go. Draco tied the letter to Poseidon and watched his owl fly away. Maybe Poseidon could come to the wedding. Draco smirked to himself. His only friend was an owl.
Harry took the letter outside where Ron wouldn't be able to see him read it. If Ron knew that he was getting letters from Draco, he would explode. Unfolding the parchment, Harry glanced over his shoulder once more. All clear.
To Harry Potter,
Hermione is extremely distressed that Ron is refusing to come to her wedding. I know that you want Hermione to be happy as much as I do. Unfortunately, I doubt I would be able to convince Ron to attend. I hope that you will be able to persuade him to come. Send a return owl as soon as you change his mind. I won't accept no for an answer.
Sincerely,
Draco Malfoy
Harry sighed. Ron was being extremely distant. He didn't like to talk to anyone about anything, especially Hermione. And if anyone even started to say Draco Malfoy, he went completely insane. So Draco was wise to send an owl to Harry instead of sending one to Ron. Harry heard a door slam, and he quickly pocketed the note. He turned around and saw Ron walking towards him.
"You don't have to hide it, Harry. I know he's been writing to you." Ron muttered sitting down next to Harry. "I might be depressed, but sadness doesn't make me any less observant." Harry smiled sheepishly at Ron.
"I didn't know how you'd react to it."
"I don't feel anymore."
"So you won't feel anything if you go to Hermione's wedding?" Harry tried, feebly. Ron shot Harry a look.
"The only thing I can feel is pain."
"Well we can change that. Look, Ron, it's just one day you have to face it again. One day. Then, I promise we'll have a hell of summer. We'll have so much fun, you'll forget about her completely." Harry was almost pleading with Ron. He knew his last statement wouldn't hold true for himself. There was no way he'd be able to forget about Hermione. There were too many memories. Apparently Ron felt the same way.
"Forget about her? Are you bloody mad?"
"That's not really what I meant. I meant that we'll go into Diagon Alley for a few days and find you a nice girl. Then you can forget about your feelings for Hermione." Harry amended. Ron didn't seem to be convinced.
"There isn't a girl in the world as beautiful or as smart as Hermione." Ron murmured in a distant tone.
"Well we knew that Hermione was the smartest person in the universe already." Harry tried desperately to lighten the mood, but Ron's dark mood was relentless.
"I thought that she was the smartest person in the universe...but she said yes to that ugly prat Malfoy. Now I can't see her being so clever."
"You know what, Ron? You've never given Malfoy a chance. He could be a nice guy if you were a nice guy to him." Ron's eyes flashed.
"He's got you brainwashed."
"Listen to me, Ron. Forget that he's a Malfoy. Just for a moment, forget that he's a Malfoy. Forget that you've had a grudge against him since your birth. Forget every insult. What do you have?"
"A jerk."
"You're not being open minded. If I can't convince you, then maybe you could see it like this. Hermione did all of that, and she's marrying him. He has to be a decent fellow if she wants to make that kind of commitment." Ron bristled suddenly.
"I'll bet you anything that Malfoy got her brainwashed. He must have slipped something in her drink. I can't see Hermione willingly accepting a relationship with the same prick who called her a mudblood! If she wanted a decent fellow, she should have started her search with me."
"What about our promise, Ron?"
"Harry, that was second year. Besides, I only made you swear that so I could have her all to myself." Harry's mouth fell open. Trying hard not to be mad at Ron for doing such a thing, Harry took a few deep breaths and started his last plea.
"Ron, this letter is from Malfoy. He wants me to know that it is making Hermione miserable to know that you're not coming to her wedding. I don't know about you, mate, but I don't want Hermione to be miserable on what is said to be the happiest day of her life." Ron looked suddenly upset. His eyes went soft with an overwhelming sadness. He ran his hands through his hair as he tried to work through his conflict.
"I never want Hermione to be miserable. That's one reason why I don't want her to marry Malfoy."
"Ron, you've seen them together. They're in love. Hermione is happier than I've ever seen her. You know it, mate. You know that she's going to be happy." A tear streaked down Ron's cheek and Harry placed a comforting hand on his best friends shoulder.
"You're right, Harry. I hate it, but you're right. Leave me alone so I can think." Ron muttered, his voice cracking. Harry felt a sense of triumph at the same time he felt a pang of sympathy for his broken friend. He did as Ron had asked, and left to go write a return letter to Draco.
Draco breathed a sigh of relief when he read Harry's letter. He had to reread it a few times to get past Harry's chicken scratch handwriting.
To Draco Malfoy,
I talked to Ron today, and I believe that I finally got through to him. I haven't gotten verbal confirmation from him at this time, but I expect to receive it any moment now. I will owl you when I get it.
Sincerely,
Harry Potter
Hermione walked into the study as Draco hastily shoved the letter into a desk drawer. She eyed him suspiciously.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Draco replied quickly. Hermione raised her eyebrows and approached him slowly. Draco wanted to hit himself for sounding so guilty.
"Nothing?" She clarified, massaging his shoulders and gently leaning into his body.
"Just an old letter." Draco struggled to maintain his innocence. Hermione sensed his weakening, and she kissed him softly.
"Can I read it?" She asked, staring him down with her beautiful amber eyes. Draco shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want her to know that he had been trying to get Harry to force Ron to come to her wedding. He knew she wanted him to come if he really wanted to. Draco had known that this would never happen, so he had instructed Harry to work on the stubborn Weasley.
"It's nothing interesting."
"Then why did you hide it from me?" She asked, her face so close to his, the urge to kiss her was growing unbearably strong.
"I-I..." Draco stammered, then trailed off, unable to find anything to say. Hermione reached for the drawer slowly and her fingers closed around the silver knob. Draco grabbed her hand with his, knowing that he should stop her. She glanced up at him. Then without warning, she caught him in a passionate kiss. Instinctively, his arms wound around her waist. Before he knew it, she had opened the drawer and seized the letter.
"Hermione, please don't read it." Draco tried to get the letter from her.
"Why not?"
"It's about your wedding present." Draco finally found a suitable white lie. Hermione smiled and dropped the letter on the desk.
"Why didn't you just say so? Sorry I had to pull the kissing card out, but I was just so curious." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and left the study. Draco breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stashed the letter in a drawer. Just incase, he turned the key, locking Harry's letter inside.
Hermione slipped into her wedding dress. It was the moment she had been waiting for since she was a flower girl at her aunt's wedding. She had always imagined what kind of dress she would wear at her own wedding. She tried to close her eyes as Ginny helped her zipper up the back, but she kept taking quick peeks.
"Stop looking, Hermione!" Ginny scolded her friend. "But this is simply gorgeous, Hermione. How much did it cost?" Hermione tried not to smudge her makeup as she covered her eyes with her hands so she wouldn't cheat.
"More than enough." Hermione replied, feeling guilty about the Weasley's tiny fortune. Ginny's footsteps were heard crossing the room and returning, holding the veil.
"Crouch a little, Hermione. You're too tall in these heels." Ginny commanded, and Hermione obliged. She felt Ginny placing the white crown on her head and fastening it in place with a simple charm.
"Can I look yet?"
"How about me?" Draco's voice came from the hallway. Ginny shrieked and rushed to the door, slamming it shut quickly.
"Don't you know that its bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?" Ginny snapped through the closed door. Draco laughed and rattled the doorknob.
"You can wipe my memory afterwards. I've waited long enough to see Hermione in her wedding dress."
"You can wait another two hours." Ginny told him impatiently. "Go wait downstairs for Harry. When he gets here, you two get to the church. Make sure everything is going as planned." Draco grumbled complaints, but did what Ginny said.
"You're so bossy, Ginny." Hermione teased her friend. Ginny laughed.
"I'm just gonna make sure that your wedding is the finest wedding that has ever taken place." Ginny returned to Hermione, gently fixing Hermione's hair.
"So can I see?" Hermione asked, growing more excited with every passing second.
"Hold on..." Ginny carefully straightened the veil. "Okay. You can look." Hermione wasted no time in lowering her hands and opening her eyes.
"Oh my-" She stopped, rendered speechless. Her mouth hung open as she examined every inch of the wedding dress. It looked even better on her than it did on the dummy. The bodice fit snugly around her waist and chest, hugging her curves. The bottom flared out into a billowy white dress of smooth satin. Silver sparkles glistened in her curled hair, and the simple crown veil swept down her back, ending at the floor.
"You look beautiful, Hermione. I can't wait to see the look on Draco's face when he sees you walking down the aisle." Ginny squealed excitedly. Hermione couldn't find her voice to speak. It was all so breathtaking. Not just her dress, but the entire thing. She was getting married to Draco Malfoy in two hours. It sounded just as unbelievable now as it did seven years ago. But it was really happening. She was really wearing her picturesque wedding gown. She was really going to a muggle church in two hours. And she was really going to spend the rest of her life with Draco Malfoy. Ginny, herself, was dressed in an elegant pastel blue. It, too, was made of fine satin, and it missed the ground by an inch. Her head of red was pulled into a sophisticated bun that Hermione had done herself. The girls stared at each other for a moment, soaking in what was happening and what was about to happen. Ginny spoke first.
"You two are going to be together even after death. I can tell by the way you look at each other." She smiled at Hermione. "I hope I get as lucky as you."
"You will, Ginny. You're such a wonderful person. You'll find someone who's equally wonderful, and live happily ever after."
"You really think so, Hermione?"
"Of course. Now let's get to the church. The faster this is over, the faster these butterflies will stop making me nauseous." Hermione grinned, ushering Ginny down the stairs and to the boundary between muggle and magical. The limo was waiting for them there, and Hermione slipped inside. She took a deep breath. If you're listening,
"Is he here?" Draco asked Harry, peering at the crowds sitting in the church pews. The entire muggle setting was making him uneasy on top of his wedding day jitters. Harry searched the many faces, but shook his head.
"Not yet."
"But he's coming?" Draco asked, a threatening tone replacing his anxious one. If Ron ruined Hermione's wedding day, Draco would have something to say about it. Something vulgar. Harry sighed.
"For the hundredth time, Ron agreed to come." Draco didn't find much confidence in Harry's tone. It sounded as though Harry was trying to convince himself that Ron would be coming. Draco felt his heart racing as the priest began walking in. His eyes kept darting through the congregation, searching for red hair. Before Draco knew it, it was time for Hermione to enter. He held his breath, waiting impatiently to see his soon-to-be. When he did finally see her, his mouth dropped open slightly. He ran his eyes over her slowly, trying not to miss a stitch. She looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her. The pride in her father's eyes as he walked her down the aisle was incomparable. Draco could say that he never saw that kind of pride in his own father's eyes. But Hermione's father had something to be proud of. Hermione was beautiful, smart, talented, funny, sensitive, and loving. If Draco was her father, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to give her away to anybody. But Hermione's father handed her off to Draco when they reached the alter. Draco smiled at his bride and she smiled back, but he could see that she was nervous. The service was long, but worth everything when Draco finally got to claim her as his. He waited patiently for the priest to read off the vows before watching Hermione intently. She smiled at him, love radiating from her sparkling eyes.
"I do." She stated clearly. And that was all Draco needed to hear. He knew that he was going to accept the vows. It all came down to her acceptance. He had heard stories of brides second guessing their decisions on their wedding days. He quickly thanked Hermione for knowing as surely as he did that they were meant for each other. After he had accepted his own vows, he heard the most glorious words of his life.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Draco was only too eager to lift her veil and kiss her, sealing their sacred vows officially. The audience clapped, but Draco didn't hear anything. They smiled at each other and walked down the aisle as husband and wife. That's when he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of red. Looking happy in a sad sort of way, Ron was watching them. Draco nudged Hermione gently and nodded in his direction. Hermione caught sight of Ron and smiled so widely, her cheeks hurt. When Draco and Hermione ducked into the limo to get to the reception, they both let out sighs of relief.
"Can we go to Paris now?" Draco teased, kissing her. When he stopped, she laughed.
"You have lipstick on your lips." She grinned. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Who cares? I just married the girl of my dreams."
"You're right. The reception hall is another ten minutes away. How much time do you need to freshen up?"
"Thirty seconds." Draco replied, kissing her quickly. They continued kissing until the limo slowed and parked. Draco found a Kleenex and rubbed off the lipstick.
"Better?" He asked, looking at Hermione.
"Much." She replied, gathering her dress to get out of the limo. "How about me?"
"Gorgeous. As always." Draco reminded her, kissing her cheek. Hermione sighed.
"Come on, let's go. I want to show all of my friends the man I used to complain about nonstop."
"And would you believe this all started with a masquerade?"
I've got an epilogue coming too, so be patient!