AN: Yeah, last chapter. Thanks to those reviewers who disregarded the idiotic summery and actually read this story, i'm very grateful

Ch. 20 Life Goes On

Defeating Voldermort in such an epic and bloody battle that landed now 17-year-old Harry in the hospital, but he would be ok. Another loss would've surely driven James over the edge. Life had changed in so many ways for James and Harry Potter. Like James had said, the world hadn't heard the last of the two Potters, one more handsome then the other.

No one would believe how quickly James had adjusted into single parenthood. He kept Harry under his thumb but allowed him a lot of freedom at the same time. You couldn't call the two father and son all the time, sometimes they were roomies, sometimes best friends, and sometimes even enemies, but the world hadn't seen such adaptors in a long time. They still lived in Turlock. James had been named the Head Auror of the Division that specialized in the Dark Arts working along side Sirius, and Harry was getting ready to become an Auror himself, being in his last year in Hogwarts.

The war between good and evil had lasted a long time, it had been murder and had murdered a lot of people, literally. But in the end, like every fairytale, Good won over evil. After months of meticulous training from the best two Aurors in the Ministry, his godfather and father, Harry had become a great fighter. He hadn't even felt the need to use dark magic to kill Voldermort, just the good that came from him helped. He felt the spirit of his mother help him through everything.

Currently you could find James sitting on a chair he'd turned into a couch, his feet resting on the bars beneath the hospital bed as a magazine rested on his chest, his eyes closed shut, not an expression crossed his face. But you could be sure that if anyone tried to wake his son up, there would be hell to pay.

"Dad?" he suddenly heard a drained voice whisper.

"Yeah son, I'm right here," James said jumping from his uncomfortable looking position, "how you feeling Pronglet?" he asked, brushing back a strand of Harry's hair.

"Tad better," he answered.

"Good to know," James assured him.

"Where's Hermione?" he asked hurriedly, a flash of worry quickly replacing the exhaustion.

"She's in the other room, resting, she'll be ok," he assured him.

"What about Charlie dad?"

James shifted his gaze to the window, "fifty, fifty."

"Damn," Harry moaned.

"That's what I said," his father breathed, running a hand through his shortened hair.

A knock sounded at the door, catching both their attention. The door slowly opened and they found Minerva McGonagall's head pocking inside, "oh," she smiled, "hello Harry, James, may I speak to you for a second?"

"Ah…sure," he said and reluctantly left Harry's bedside after squeezing his hand in his. He walked outside and closed the door behind him, "what's up?" he asked.

"James," Dumbeldore said getting his attention, having been standing behind him, "I would like you to meet someone," he smiled.

"K," James said quietly, his eyebrow cocked up slightly.

Dumbeldore stepped aside to reveal a little girl who looked about 5 or 6-years-old, "this is Roux ((Roo))," he said sweetly, slightly pushing the little girl forward, towards the puzzled James.

He quickly fell in love with her midnight blue eyes and her black hair, she had the face of a girl who would grow up to be humble and shy. Though he didn't know why the hell they asked him to meet her, he squatted down in front of the girl, "hi Roux," he smiled.

She smiled shyly at him, squeezing closer the stuffed cartoon character of Stitch in her hand, "hi," she smiled.

"I love your name, it's cute," he commented with a gentle smile, never having mastered his love for kids.

"Thank you," she said shyly.

"My name is James," he told her.

"Hi," she smiled, giggling slightly.

James chuckled and looked up at Dumbeldore, "what's going on?" he asked.

Dumbledore quickly exchanged a look with McGonagall, "why don't you take Roux to get some food."

"Yes sir," the women said obediently, she stretched out her hand for the little girls smaller hand, "come on Roux."

As soon as he was sure hey were out of hearing distance, Dumbledore spoke, "do you remember Spencer and Natasha Rainey?"

James smiled, Natasha had been a flame of his during Hogwarts. Spencer and Natasha had been first years when he was in his third. "Yeah," he answered looking at the serious and stone cold face of Dumbledore.

"Roux is their daughter," he said, "and as you may or may not know, both Spencer and Natasha were killed in the last raid on this very hospital."

"So she's an orphan," James said looking down the hallway the little girl had disappeared into.

"Yes," Dumbledore answered, "I was wondering…"

"Oh no!" James yelled, catching the drift of the conversation, "ah-ah. No way! You can't do this to me!' he said taking a step back.

"You and Harry are her only chance of surviving this world," he urged, staring into James's eyes with such force, James was surprised he didn't drop dead under his intense gaze, "no one else will take her!"

"That beautiful little kid? Why wouldn't they?" he asked, the terrified look still present in his eyes.

"I don't know," Dumbledore said sadly.

"Ok…are you just trying to drive me nuts or is this true?" James asked.

"I'm afraid it's true," he said, "knowing Wizarding families, they aren't willing to take on a girl whose parents were both Muggle turned Wizards."

"So this is a blood issue?" James frowned.

"Yes."

"Why ask me to take her?" he asked suspiciously, "no doubt wanting me to actually end up in a room with rubber walls."

The Headmaster chuckled, "no," he said, "I thought it might be a nice change for you and Harry, when he is take home."

"Um…" he rubbed the back of his neck, "OH! Why don't you give her to Remus! He's a wonderful housewife!' he smiled, not joking at all.

Dumbledore laughed, "I trust the three of you with my life. But Sirius and Remus don't have as much experience in parenting as you do. I trust you to take good care of Roux."

"Dumbledore," James said taking on a more serious tone, "as much as I want to…I can't, I just can't. I have a 17-year-old son for Christ's sake! How the hell am I going to manage looking after a 5-year-old, a 17-year-old, a 37-year-old best friend who practically lives in my house and make it to work at the Auror HQ every morning?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way," the headmaster assured.

"Don't kill me!" he begged.

"Why don't you take her home, if it works out, it works out, if not, then we'll find another way," Dumbledore offered.

"I can't," he said desperately, "it'll be weird! I'm 37! I can't take care of a 5-year-old! I don't know how! I didn't have a chance to raise my own son when he was her age!"

"You'll survive James," Dumbledore said tapping his shoulder, and walked away.

"So that's it? I have another kid?" James yelled flinging open his arms.

"Whose the mother?" he heard Sirius ask from behind him.

He turned around and stared threateningly at his best friend, "you know what just happened?"
"Roux Rainey? Yeah, I heard," he smiled, "I recommended you!"

The color flushed from his face, "YOU IDIOT!" James yelled, "I outta hex you into oblivion!"

"It'll be a nice change," Sirius pointed out innocently.

"He found out about Roux?" Remus asked walking behind Sirius.

"THE ENTIRE WORLD KNEW?" James yelped, going into panic mode.

"Yes," they both said.

"God help me," he sighed, rubbing his face roughly.

"He will," Remus assured him.

"Dad?" he heard Harry yelling from the room.

"Harry….I ALREADY HAVE A KID!" James yelled still extremely flustered by the unfortunate situation.

"Dad? What's going on?" Harry asked as the three men went into the room.

"Hey kid," Remus and Sirius greeted trooping behind James.

"Hi," he smiled at them, then turned back his to dad who seemed in panic mode from head to toe, "dad? What's going on?" he repeated.

Rubbing the back of his neck, James looked at his son unsurely, "Dumbledore just basically asked me to adopt this little girl."

Harry's eyes got larger, "you're kidding right?"

"Nope," James said sitting down, "he wants her to spend a few days with us, if it doesn't work out…then he'll find another family."
"Why us…? I mean, there are more able families then two dudes," Harry said like it was the most obvious think on earth.

"It's Dumbledore, does anything that old coot do make sense?" James asked.

Harry shook his head.

"So what are you going to do?" Remus asked quietly.

James met Harry's eyes and gazed upon him, asking him his opinion, "well?"

Harry looked defeated, "dad…not to slap this in your face or anything, but I spent a better part of my life thinking I was an orphan with an aunt I just barely realized was human. Growing up somewhere with people who don't love you…it's harsh."

James gave him a lopsided smile, "so you don't want this little girl to end up somewhere she'll hate."

"Would you be able to live with that?" Harry asked.

A flash of defeat enveloped his passionate eyes as his smile grew broader and more serious and somewhat sad, "you have your mothers intuitive wisdom that never ceases to scare the living shit out of me kid," he smiled, nodding he said, "I'll take her home."

Studying his father and godfathers idiotically smiling face, Harry burst out laughing, "so I have a baby sister now?"

Laughing James answered, "seems so."

"What's her name?"

"Roux," James smiled.

"Cute," his son answered with a smile.

"Whose the godfather?" Sirius asked with his arms crossed on his chest.

"Dunno," James smiled annoying his best friend to no end.

Eight months later on a beautiful July morning, the neighborhood of Merlin's Hollow, a community made up of nothing but wizards, everyone was on the streets. Even though Harry's conscience was haunted day and night by the fact that by age 17, he already had another human (well maybe not exactly human) blood on his hands. Voldermorts historic defeat certainly seemed to brighten up the lives of every single human alive, even if they were mere, mindless Muggles. Sirius had come across a few magazines in the shops saying that a Wizard was murdered, and the devil had been killed in one of the magazines called the National Enquirer. He said that a women in front of him, picked it up and laughed at what she called filth, apparently no one's supposed to believe anything in that magazine just like the magical Quibbler.

Sirius and Remus lived their lives to the fullest. Remus returned to Hogwarts to teach yet again, and Sirius, well, Sirius is serious. He got a job, has a different girl in bed everyday, and lives on.

Life went on for James, Harry and Roux as well. The three had found such happiness in each other that anyone who saw them knew they all had come over hurdles in life. Roux had brought such light and hope into James and Harry's life that they loved her more then they would love a real sister or daughter. And in them, Roux had found happiness she had been denied after her parent's death.

In the little girl he had been terrified of undertaking, James had found a new source of light in his life that had gone out when his Lily died. When she laughed, it was like the world was a better and more bearable place again where not a year before, he had contemplated suicide to once more hold Lily in his arms.

Harry, now a father-to-be in six months thanks to a little carelessness with Hermione, had also found a new happiness in his little "sisters" eyes. Harry loved his little sister, even taught her how to fly. She made him laugh and she seemed to look up to him, admire him not because he was the Boy-Who-Lived and the guy that saved the worlds neck for a few hundred years to come, but because he simply had become her big brother.

And in time, that shy little girl with the cute name James had liked, had turned into a riot all her own. She loved to laugh and spend time playing with her brother, and when he was gone, used her vast imagination to keep herself busy with a tea party.

Life was good again, with Voldermort gone and all.

In the massive and beautiful house lying on the court of Merlin's Hollow, these three people, a single-father, a hero and a lost and found girl, were sitting inside, enjoying their afternoon.

"DAD!" Harry yelled coming into the backyard to see Roux and James sitting on the back porch, "I'm going to the ministry ok?"'

James smiled at his son, "be careful, the challenge course Sirius is putting you guys through today will make a grown man cry. Be careful, k kid?"

"Yeah," Harry smiled, "c'mon, I survived Voldermort!"

Roux giggled at Harry's arrogance.

Smiling at her he asked, "wanna go for ice-cream when I get home?"

"Sure," she smiled.

"Alright," he returned the smile, "see ya later," he disappeared with a pop.

"He's growing too fast," James breathed.

Roux smiled, "it's ok."

He laughed tapping her knee sweetly, "it is."

And so it goes…you lose the greatest thing in your life, your reason to live and you find hope in something you didn't thing you loved so much. Moral of the story, love conquers all, family is number one (even that American actor Johnny Depp seems to think so) and there is a silver lining to the darkest, dingiest cloud.

And as for me, Roux Reiney, I live on and baby-sit my little 8-year-old niece during summer when I get home from Hogwarts.

Life goes on.

The End

I know,I know, worst ending on earth but no one was like reading it and lifes been a little to full of surprises lately so yeah, lol. Thanks for coming along on the ride with me! I just need to know something because going over ya'lls reviews, i feel bad for ending it, lol. I can write a sequal, like, I dunno, the missing years of Lily and James? What do you guys think?

-"Maverick" Pierce