This is it, people! All good things must come to and end, but I'm thinking about writing a sequel to the sequel! If you want it, you gotta let me know! It's been an awesome ride…thanks for being here with me for it.
Hermione looked out the window of the Gryffindor girls' dormitory. It was graduation day, and she was feeling mixed emotions. Though she was ready to be done with school and begin her adult life, she still had some sadness at leaving the place that had become such an integral part of her life.
Sighing, she shook her mentally and began preparing. Ginny had been kind enough to stop in and help her with her makeup, which she admitted she was hopeless at. "Don't worry." Ginny had told her. "Remus would love you even if you had bird's nests in your hair!"
She had to smile at the thought of Remus. Her parents had written her soon after meeting him, and they both gushed good things. Her father was particularly taken with his knowledge of flora and fauna. She was shocked to learn he had told them about his lycanthropy. Instead of turning him away like some might have, they were curious about it.
He had written her a letter of his own, telling her how much he had enjoyed himself with her parents. "Now I know where your kind heart comes from." He'd written. "Good things really do start at home."
Glancing over at the clock, Hermione's eyes widened and she let out a little yelp. It was 5:45. She had to be down in the corridor outside the Great Hall in 5 minutes.
Remus tugged nervously at the collar of his new suit. The Great Hall was filled with chairs, instead of benches. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the front of the room and took a seat in the first row. Usually, he would have taken a chair in the back row, where he would be unnoticed and by himself, but he'd promised Hermione he would be in the front row, so here he was.
The Weasley family came in, laughing and talking. They sat down behind him, and Molly noticed Remus. "Oh Remus, how are you?" she asked. "I'm doing very well." He replied.
She noticed where he was sitting. "The front row?" she said, somewhat surprised. A warm smile lit the werewolf's face. "I promised." He said simply. Molly had her suspicions about to whom this promise had been made, but said nothing. Remus deserved a little happiness in his life.
Dumbledore came into the Hall, leading the 7th years. As they sat down in their seats, Remus spied Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The two boys grinned at him while Hermione merely winked. He smiled in return.
Once everything was quiet, Dumbledore stepped forward to a small wooden podium. "Parents, relatives, and loved ones, it is my privilege to welcome you to this year's Hogwarts Graduation ceremony. These students have been through many challenges, and not just those of the academic kind. As you are all aware, they have faced the Dark Lord, and have emerged victorious. At this time, I would beg a moment of silence for those who gave their lives to stop Voldemort."
The crowd gathered bowed their heads as one, and Remus could not help thinking about Sirius. He knew his friend would have given anything to have been able to see Harry graduate.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, and everyone was again looking ahead. "Now, it is my privilege to introduce our Head Boy and Girl, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who will tell us about some of the most important things they have learned at Hogwarts."
Loud clapping was heard, and the Weasleys went nuts. He whistled loudly, and had the satisfaction of seeing Hermione blush. She stood behind Harry as he made his way to the podium.
"I'm not much good at speaking, but I'll try my best." He said with a grin. "Over the 7 years that I've been at this school, I've learned so many things that it would be hard to tell all of you everything, so I condensed everything into a set of 10 rules of life that I've learned here. Number 10: Never underestimate the power of good friends. I know this first hand, because I have some of the best friends anyone could have. Number 9: Sometimes you have to wake up and eat some Bertie Botts to know what you're missing." The audience laughed. "You can take things for granted, and something will have to wake you up. Number 8 is the good times don't last forever, so file them away for the bad times. 7: Don't be afraid to be different. Sometimes in finding our own way, we can show someone else their path. Number 6: Try everything. You can learn new things, even about yourself just by getting out of your comfort area. 5: Falling off of your broomstick will hurt! Some things in life DO NOT need to be tried!"
Remus let out a snort at this. He remembered hearing about the incident with the dementors during the Quidditch match third year.
"Life rule number 4: Go with your instincts. Usually we talk ourselves out of the things we know are right. Number 3: Never give up. Things will get better eventually! 2: Dumbledore is always right. Never contradict a man that is on a Chocolate Frog card!" The headmaster bowed to Harry with a good-natured grin on his face.
"And lastly, the number one rule of life I learned at Hogwarts…love lasts forever. Love between friends and family can never be taken away from you. It will always be there when you need it, and nothing can compare to it. Somebody once told me that the people we truly love never leave us. I know there are people who will be with me until I croak. Thank you."
As Harry went back to his seat, several women took out their handkerchiefs and wiped their eyes.
Hermione came forward, looking slightly nervous. Remus leaned toward her, and smiled his most loving, reassuring smile. She shyly returned it, and began to speak.
"Like Harry, I have taken away many life lessons from this wonderful school, but I had to choose some of the ones that mean the most to me. One of those is how to deal with people you don't like."
Ripples of laughter spread throughout the hall. "Some of us never really learn that lesson too well. They might discriminate against someone because they may be muggle-born, a werewolf, half-giant, etc. But it the things that make us different that ultimately make us all the same. We're all trying to forge our own road on the path of life. We begin at the same place and arrive at the same place, but how gracefully we get there is up to us. I have met many kinds of people here at Hogwarts, and, quite frankly, I haven't gotten along with all of them. But I remember that each of them has their own journey and story that goes along with them, and I try to respect that."
Looking out at the crowd, she saw heads nodding in agreement. "I guess that in the end, we're all the same. And that is the most important lesson I have learned at Hogwarts."
Enthusiastic applause accompanied Hermione all the way to her seat. McGonnagall came up and helped Dumbledore pass out the diplomas. Remus whooped and hollered for Harry, Ron, and Hermione most of all.
After the ceremony was over, Mrs. Weasley invited everyone to the Burrow for an after-graduation party. Ron was telling everyone about Remus's motorcycle, which he'd ridden to Hogwarts.
He took them all outside to see it. Mrs. Weasley took one look at it, and then begged Remus to take her for a ride on it! Her children watched, jaws dropped and eyes wide, as their mother climbed on behind Remus and left them in the dust. She came back, her eyes alight with mischief. "It's been too long since I've been on one of those!" The questions her children fired at her lasted until they all got back to the Burrow.
Once the party was in full swing, Remus escaped outside for a moment to look at the sky. The stars were out, winking down at him from above. "It's a beautiful night." Hermione said from behind him. "Yes it is, but there's one more thing that would make it even more beautiful to me."
He turned to her, and said softly, "I have a question to ask you." "Yes?" she replied, hesitant.
Reaching into his suit jacket, he pulled out an old fashioned ring. Getting down on one knee, he took her hand in his. "Hermione Granger, would you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"
She stood there for a moment, not believing that her dreams were finally coming true. "Say yes!" several voices called from the back door.
"Yeah, Hermione. Say yes." Remus teased.
"Since you begged so nicely, Mr. Lupin, I shall have no choice but to say yes." She replied.
Rising to his feet, he slid the ring on her hand, and kissed her. "This ring was my mother's. I wanted you to have it." He whispered. "I love it even more." She replied, kissing him. Yells and catcalls came from the house. "Shut up you wankers!" Remus yelled back. Giggling ensued, and then Hermione and Remus walked hand and hand into the house.
Congratulations were offered to them, and as the women were admiring the ring, Hermione's eyes met her fiancé's over their heads. She could see the promise of future happiness in his eyes, and knew that their lives would be happy ones.