Epilogue

Harry and Ron were standing in the kitchen of the Burrow, and Ron was having trouble fixing his bowtie. Harry rolled his eyes at his hopelessly nervous friend. "Let me get that for you," and went to adjust Ron's bowtie for him.

"Sorry, mate, just... getting married today and all...." Ron's voice trailed off.

It was exactly a year and a half since that fateful weekend of discoveries and truth. Finally, Ron had raised enough money to buy Hermione the perfect ring, about six months ago, and she had cried and accepted immediately upon seeing Ron, down on bended knee, asking her. It was perfect, Ron mused, while staring out the kitchen window. And then the reward I got later that night couldn't even compare to that time when we-

"Ronald, m'boy!"

Ron was startled out of his somewhat inappropriate reverie by his father's voice. "Son, I'm so happy for you, it's about time you...."

Harry smiled, and turned away from the inevitable 'father-son' talk that was coming. His thoughts wandered all over the past eighteen months, which he could easily have said were some of the best of his life. He and Ginny had moved in together shortly after Ron and Hermione had gotten engaged, in order to give the 'happy couple' some space of their own. Not to say that they weren't a happy couple themselves... quite the contrary. They had almost the perfect relationship; hardly ever fighting, and, once they were both ready... the sex was utterly fantastic.

Realizing that he was being spoken to, Harry turned around. Ron looked back at him joyfully and anxiously at the same time. Harry grinned. "Ready, mate? S'almost time, I'd guess."

Ron laughed nervously. "Yea, let's go."

The two of them turned to the back door of the Burrow, and stepped outside. It was gorgeous early-autumn weather – the sky was cloudless, and a perfect light-sapphire blue, with just enough breeze in the air so that it wasn't stuffy. The garden was filled with chairs (occupied with family and friends of the bride and groom), and there were flowers of every kind decorating the whole place. There was a rose-decorated archway at the head of the rows of chairs, with a white carpet running up to it. Ron and his best man walked up to the archway. Harry grinned broadly at his best friend, winked, and said, "Go for it."

Ron laughed, and stepped into place at the head of the party, while Harry (for what seemed like the first time in their friendship) stepped to the side, giving Ron all the glory he deserved to finally have. The band began to play (oddly enough, starring Neville as the drummer... who'd a thought?), and Hermione stepped out and onto the aisle. Ron's breath caught in his throat; he had thought previously that it was impossible for her to look more beautiful than the way she did every day – he was wrong. She was wearing a pale pink, silk dress that flowed around her like water in a pool. Her face was framed with feathery curls (the rest tied loosely up in the back), touched with only the barest of make-up – the excitement of the day was enough to give her the perfect rosy glow, perfectly accentuating the dress. As she reached the front of the aisle, and turned to face Ron, their eyes met, sparkling with the anticipation and knowledge that they would be together forever.

Harry, despite good intentions, hardly noticed any of this as Ginny had been following Hermione's procession up the aisle. She was wearing a light blue dress which set off the color of her hair nicely, which fell loose around her shoulders. At the front, she stood opposite Harry, and she flashed him the most beautiful smile. He grinned back, knowing that someday soon they would be there in place of Ron and Hermione, and the two of them turned to watch their two best friends partake in the happiest moment of their lives.

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About an hour later, the wedding reception was in full swing, and the band was playing more music (both muggle and wizard songs, seeing as a lot of Hermione's muggle relatives were there), and most of the party were dancing.

Harry and Ginny, however, were sitting in two chairs, slightly away from the rest, simply enjoying each others' company. Her head was resting on his shoulder, as his arm was wrapped securely around hers. Others in the party looked at them, and smiled at seeing such contentment in their features, after a rough few years for the both of them (though, not many knew to what extent those "troubles" had progressed).

Carlyle, Crookshank's son (the mother was some unknown cat he had met at Hogwarts – love finds all!), was running out of the kitchen holding an egg in his mouth, being closely chased by a fuming Mrs. Weasley. "Why, I never..." she sputtered as she jogged, breathing heavily, past Harry and Ginny.

The pair laughed, and Ginny whispered quietly to Harry, "I seem to remember a certain Gryffindor having an affinity for stealing eggs in his fourth year...."

Harry chuckled, at the memory of stealing the egg from the Hungarian Horntail's nest – oddly enough, as Ginny pointed it out, he could see the resemblance between the dragon mother chasing after him and Mrs. Weasley running around the garden after Carlyle.

He turned in his chair so he was facing Ginny, and she lifted her head to smile up at him. Reflecting on all that they had been through together, just sitting there, looking at her face in the sunset's rosy light, Harry was perfectly content – nothing could improve on this moment.

"And in that moment I found myself knowing that in the end it's just all about you and me, nothing smaller or larger. Though dragons are good for the soul, nothing can be better than baring yourself for another... open for scrutiny, ridicule, and indulgence." The band was singing a muggle song, and Harry, surprised to hear his very thoughts echoed in another's words, pried his eyes away from Ginny's face to listen to the song.

"Therein lies the balls, and the mind, and the heart... as fear is truly the Mindkiller.... When nothing is left, everything is gained...." Harry grinned, and turned to look at Ginny again, his thoughts mirroring her own. They leaned towards each other, in one of what was to be many, many more passionate kisses.

"You see, I wish I was a poet, but I know as we go round and round, though endings are never every happy, it's the happy moments along the way, that in the end, make it ok...."

A/N: The lyrics are from the song "Nobody" by Five for Fighting – I certainly didn't write them!! And you should all listen to it cuz it's a great song.

Magsluvsaragorn: thanks, I'm trying to do my best in that class (which honestly isn't very good, but oh well). Good luck on your exams! hope you like this chapter! I hope to write other stuff after break (namely, a missing R/H moment, from this story, or two), so keep reading!!

TeaAndCakeOrDeath: thanks! I updated this as soon as I could – please don't hurt me! Lol, just kidding. But thanks so much for your kind words, it really means a lot to me!! (I actually do aspire to be an author when I get older…. :) )

Lila: Hmm.. there were a full six chapters between the main conflict and the resolution, and though the chapters aren't epics, I think the space in between was appropriate for the story line.

Everyone: Happy Christmahanukwansadan!! Thanks for reading, I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!