Hey, thanks so much to all of you who waited so long for the epilogue. I am not sure whether or not to write the wedding story line under this same title so it is easy to find or to start fresh. So after you read this, write to me and let me know what would be best! Thanks a million Rollingstone
The Third Option: The Epilogue
Harry checked his watch; they were going to be late. Why had he let her stop at their house first? They should have just gone straight to the Weasley's and then eloped. Molly would kill them though, so maybe an engagement would be a better idea. "Ginny what are you doing up there?" He hollered up about three flights of stairs.
She answered, "Where is all of your stuff? Are you moving and not telling anybody?"
Harry had forgotten all about telling her of his plans, he sighed and made his way up the stairs to the room where she was. "Gin, do you remember that I had a lot of luggage at Hogwarts, during the wedding?"
"Yeah," Ginny said suspiciously.
"And you know how there is no reason for me to stay at the ministry if there is no Deatheaters or anything to capture."
"But Harry, their will always be bad guys-"
"And I'll let somebody else deal with them. Unless it's an absolute emergency, I do not want to deal with any of it. I've served my time there, and I have killed enough for an army."
Ginny looked up and understood, "So you're going to go back to Hogwarts?"
Harry laughed, "Well, they still need a defense against the dark arts teacher."
Ginny smiled, "That's great and all, really it is… But what am I going to do? Is there a job open there for me as well, or are we going to have to work far apart?"
"Of course, because you see I kind of have some connections there, and I know a few people are seriously considering retiring."
Ginny laughed, "Really, you think those teachers have finally had enough?"
"Oh, I'm sure they could handle another Voldemort in a heartbeat. But you know there is another generation of Weasley's coming up. And I heard a rumor that a pair of them will be twins."
"Yeah, Bill and Fleur will definitely have their hands full." Ginny said as she turned to close the closet door. "Its no less than what they deserve really."
Harry laughed, "Be careful what you say; we might get a handful ourselves."
"Right..." Ginny said as she turned to face him, "So, do you have a ring for me or what?"
Harry choked, where was the ring? He had been so happy just to be in her presence and not have her hate him. "I'll be right back."
Harry darted up another set of stairs, in a room, ran to a bookcase, then he pulled a special book way at the top. The case turned into a door way and then Harry bolted in, pulled open a drawer, pushed back some papers and took out a tiny ring box, it had been his mother's. Lupin had showed it to him years ago. He ran back with the box in hand, down the stairs and to where Ginny was, he was completely out of breath and tripped. Luckilly her back was turned and it appeared that he was on his knee for her when she turned around to face him.
"Oh, Harry, its gorgeous!" The ring was sensational. A fine delicate platinum, goblin made band with a glittering princess cut, canary yellow diamond bordered by two, charming white pearls. The jewels had been placed by faries. It was a masterpiece to look at and was absolutely flawless on Ginny's finger.
"This is so beautiful Harry."
"Yeah it was my mothers, made by goblins and faries."
"Thank you Harry," Ginny said as she kissed him, "Now we really should be going."
"Yeah," Harry said, as he suddenly grew very nervous, they were going to butcher him, her brothers were going to sit him down and give him a huge lecture, the one he used to be a part of whenever Ginny brought a guy over to meet the family.
"Well let's go," Ginny said as she apparated
Harry followed her and met her quickly at the entrance to the Weasley house. For some strange reason Harry landed right in front of her, blocking her from the view of anybody standing directly in front of him.
The door flew open and Mrs. Weasley appeared. "Harry, how DARE you return all by yourself? DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?"
Fortunately for Harry, Ginny stepped out of his shadow quickly enough for Mrs. Weasley to simmer down enough to engulf the both of them in a monstrous bear hug. "Arthur, BOYS! THEIR HERE! THEIR HERE! THEY ARE FINALLY HERE."
Harry gulped, all six Weasley brothers stepped menacingly out of the shadows, followed by their smiling significant others. Hermione ran up to Ginny and began screaming and giggling in a manor that was most unusual for the pair of them in front of people. A pile of other women there crowed around Ginny to see her ring and to ooooohhhhh and awwweee.
"Oy, Harry…are you finally with our little sister?" George said as he raised his eyebrows.
Harry said nothing.
Charlie stepped forward. Harry had always been concerned about the fact that Charlie worked with dragons, now as Harry watched Charlie crack his knuckles he felt sorry for the dragons.
All the brothers kept stepping closer and closer to Harry until Harry worried there wouldn't be enough air to breath for the lot of them in the three foot space they were all occupying. Just when Harry realized that he should probably pulled out his wand ages ago; after all he wasn't considered one of the greatest wizards of the age for nothing; the brothers tackled him in a giant pig pile.
Harry laughed with relief; they weren't going to kill him.
The brothers were all busy congratulating themselves and each other on who was the best at threatening and making Harry pee his pants.
"Did you see how he got all stiff?"
"Did you watch his eyebrows twitch?"
"We should have waited longer to do it!"
"He would've been ten times as mortified!"
Harry disapparated, leaving them all in a pile.Harry sighed, he had escaped murder by the Weasley brothers, and he was now in the clear.
After a long and jovial night, Ginny and Harry arrived back at the house exhausted. "Gin, I am so tired, and can you believe it's already August 10?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs to their room.
"I can, but now I am wondering, what exactly are you going to do for work, now that you've unofficially retired from being an auror? You can't possible be interested in Government?"
Harry sighed; he hadn't wanted to outright tell Ginny of his plans at all. "I was offered a position by a very old dear friend of mine. I felt honor bound to oblige him."
"Where, when, what, and who Harry?" Ginny asked as he clambered into bed. Her eyes unable to open the minute she touched the pillow.
"Well, Dumbledore wants me back at the castle. He feels it would be good for me."
"Harry, your not the teaching type, you've seen too much action to be left on the sidelines now."
"But what is there to do now Ginny, really? Because I fear that I've run out of options." Harry said as he sat on the bed.
Ginny smiled and sat up, "I thought I was all out of options and you showed up at the airport. You told me I always would have a third option. Harry you do too, and besides, you really don't need the money, you can do whatever you want."
"I know you think that being rich will solve everything for me Ginny, but it just doesn't work that way. I need to do something to validate the fact that I've been given a second chance at life. To prove to myself I am more than, than…"
"…Than just a murderer?" Ginny asked in a quiet sort of voice.
"I don't know where you go that from, but your exactly right."
"Luna and I had a heart to heart a long while ago…Harry, you've always felt guilty for doing those things you did, but Harry, you do not have to spend the rest of your life apologizing."
"Luna told you? I haven't talked to her in the longest time. She was always a great friend to me… and look at of I treated her, I completely got all wrapped up in my own problems and forgot about her!"
"Harry, she understands… she had her own life you know. We all went through something together that nobody can understand but us. And between you and me, you're the only person who knows the half of what happened to me."
A small owl swooped in through the open window and dropped a small envelope onto Harry's lap. Harry opened to letter, his eyes moved as he read it and flashed in silent surprise and the envelope dissolved into thin air within his hands.
Ginny, couldn't control her curiosity, "Harry who was that from? What was it about?"
Harry flustered and ever the terrible actor said, "Nobody about nothing."
"Harry, if I am going to marry you, you are going to have to let me in a little bit. You asked me to marry you and-"
"And now I'm stuck with you…" Harry interrupted. Ginny was almost hurt until she saw the mischievous glare in his eyes…
Smack! She had grabbed a pillow and knocked Harry clear off the bed. "Mr. Potter, I'm glad to see your brooding has subsided…At least for now."
"Self pity can only last so long." Harry said as he dove from another blow.
"Shame… I had high hopes for this marriage!" Ginny said laughing, and then waiting the full ten seconds it took to get Harry to realize what she had just said.
"I don't need hope for this marriage Ginevra," Harry said, and then he looked into her deep brown eyes and saw the fire that was always there, the intensity that made Ginny who she was and made him love her, "I have you." Ginny, in spite of the very tacky line, kissed her future husband.
"So Harry," Ginny said at lunch in their garden the next day, "Are you still going to work at Hogwarts."
Harry fidgeted with his fork, "I think I will, at least for a little while. Dumbledore is getting older; he needs someone to help him out. I cannot think of anything else to do, and I might as well do something useful."
"Harry, you've already been useful."
"Right, why don't you just focus on planning our wedding, because I have, well… something urgent to attend to."
"It wouldn't have anything to do with that letter last night would it?" Ginny was not going to play stupid.
"I could tell you love, but then I would have to kill you. All you need to know, is that I have got to go for six months at the most," Ginny's face fell, "But don't worry, I'll be back in time for our wedding. You can still send letters to me, I'll keep in touch. And maybe I can visit once and a while."
"But why are you going Harry?" Ginny was tearful.
"Because Gin, I'm needed somewhere. I made a promise, many years ago and I cannot back down now."
"You made a promise to me too Harry James Potter," Ginny said and her ring gleamed in the sunlight.
"Yeah, and I intend to keep it, but I really have to do this one thing. After I do it I'll be free."
"Then I'm coming with you."
"Nope, your staying here, Hermione may want to be joining you soon. I really have to go and tell Ron, he won't believe it!" Harry got up and was instantly magicked and stuck to his chair.
Ginny, as ever a forceful woman, was not about to be hoodwinked.
"GINNY! What in God's name are you doing?"
Ginny laughed, "I'm finding out the truth. Plerishio!"
Instantly, on Harry's hand an 'X' appeared in a glowing golden light. Ginny was relieved, "So this is a real thing you've got to do?"
Harry was about to answer when Ron burst in and with a wink said, "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"
"Not at all," said a very grateful Harry, "Did you get a letter?" Ron nodded, "Are you ready to go then?"
"Yeah, Hermione is mad she can't go, but she's got a 'condition'" Ron said as he made quotation marks with his hands.
"Ronald you're an idiot." Hermione said as she stepped into the warm sunlight of the garden behind the house.
Ginny laughed, "I told you that before you even knew him all that well."
Ron put his hands in his pockets, "Harry, we really have got to get a move on. They need us."
"Your right Ron, Gin, I love you and I will be back."
"I love you too, and if you do anything dangerous I am going to have to kill you."
Ron laughed, "Don't worry; he has to marry you before he can die any other way, or else us brothers will kill him."
Everyone said awkward and unplanned good byes in the garden before Harry went upstairs, packed and disapparated with his best friend leaving behind his fiancé and soon to be a very pregnant Hermione.
After they left, Ginny turned to Hermione, "You know what's going on. What are they up to? And is it dangerous?"
Hermione took a deep breath, sat down, "Gin, you're not going to like this. You're not going to like it one bit…"
WHAT ARE THEY UP TO???? Ha-ha... I thought this would make an interesting epilogue… Ok it's not really and epilogue but it sort of shows you how everyone winds up, and besides I think it's more interesting this way. Please review… and thank you so much for reading. I have a couple of stories I am working on that are not published yet but you'll probably like, so be on the look out!