Chapter Twenty One: Epilogue

The trees were blossoming in the orchard of Potter Manor as the crowd gathered. White chairs were set up, all facing the flower-bedecked archway. Many people sat in those chairs, watching as Albus Dumbledore presided over the two who faced each other in front of him.

Remus Lupin made a surprisingly handsome groom. Nymphadora Tonks had toned down her usual look, and golden ringlets tumbled down her back. If one looked closely, though, they'd have seen the bright purple braid well hidden within the more conservative curls.

Harry and Ginny stood to one side, witnessing the vows of the man who had fulfilled the role of Harry's guardian and the clumsy auror who had taken a curse for Ginny in the final, final battle. Tonks was well recovered, having spent a few weeks in hospital. Back to fighting fit, she had demanded that Remus make an honest woman of her. Remus, after having so nearly lost her, complied without question.

As the crowd watched, Dumbledore performed the binding charm over the couple, and then, a very surprising thing happened. A sphere of yellow light encircled the bride and the two who stood to the side behind her. The surface of the sphere was hazy and mottled for a moment, before shattering completely, the shards disappearing as they fell to the ground. Harry looked at Ginny, who looked back, equally confused.

"You are now bound, souls together for eternity," Dumbledore smiled. "You may kiss the bride."

As the crowd rushed forward to congratulate the happy couple, Harry sidled closer to Dumbledore.

"Albus, what...?"

"Ah, I rather thought you might wish to know what that rather surprising turn of events signified," Dumbledore smiled benignly at the young couple. "Simply put, Harry, Tonks could not have divided loyalties."

"What?"

"When the binding charm was done on Nymphadora and Remus, her vow of allegience was nullified."

"But, I didn't know that was possible."

"It isn't, for a wizard who binds his life to a liege. But Nymphadora is a woman... a witch. She gave a witch's vow, Harry. I'm sure that Miss Weasley has informed you of the... subtle differences."

"So, because she married..." Harry was beginning to understand.

"Her vows to you were set aside. She has been freed to be happy with her chosen. You gave her that freedom by being witness to her vows to Remus. Your support of her decision to marry another allowed her to be free of the vow."

"So, she's not bound to me any longer?"

"Well, not by magic," Dumbledore said with one of his rather disturbing, all-knowing smiles. "Now, if you would excuse me, I understand that the Weasley twins are reserving a celebratory firewhiskey for me..."

With a wiggling of his bushy white eyebrows, the elderly wizard moved away, leaving Harry to pull Ginny into his arms.

"I'm glad she's free of it," Ginny whispered into the front of Harry's robes.

"Me, too," Harry sighed, resting his forehead against the crown of her fiery red head.

"Oh, Harry... Ginny," Mrs Weasley bustled up to them. "Such a lovely ceremony!"

"Just think," Harry turned at the sound of his mother's voice to see Lily and James standing just behind them, holding hands. Lily's eyes danced with happiness. "In two weeks, we'll get to do it all over again."

Ginny smiled and Harry flushed. Sometimes it was difficult to believe that this young couple were his parents. Lily and James seemed to be only in their early twenties, appearing to be only a few years older than Harry himself. But they were his parents, and he had two Hogwarts ghosts to thank for their presence here. They'd been returned to him.

"Yes," Hermione spoke as she and Ron joined the group, as well. Hermione was glowing and sporting a brand new engagement ring, a small solitaire diamond in a band of white gold. "I can't wait, I've never been a bridesmaid before!"

"It will be lovely to have some babies in the house again," Molly said, causing Ginny to flush wildly.

"Well, if you feel that way, then there is no reason to hold back our news, is there?" Percy Weasley leaned over his mother's shoulder, pulling his wife Penelope around and into the group. Everyone noticed the pinkness of her cheeks.

"Oh, Percy... really?" Molly looked thrilled.

"In December," Penelope confirmed shyly.

"Oh!" While Molly enveloped her daughter in law in a huge hug, Percy met Harry's eyes and held out his hand to shake.

"Thank you, Harry," he said, his usual stiff demeanor well in place. Harry had begun to understand that much of Percy's perceived arrogance was merely a natural solemnity and seriousness that the other members of his family couldn't relate to, and that given the more outgoing nature of those other family members, outsiders were not expecting, and suspicious of when they met the middle Weasley son.

"Umm... for what, exactly?" Harry was rather confused.

"For not believing the evidence," Percy said. "I had a talk with Ron and the others. They admitted that... that you were the only one who believed that there might be another explanation, that perhaps I hadn't... turned my back on them."

"Percy..."

"After some of the things..." Percy took a breath, showing a surprising amount of emotion, for him. "Well, your support would have been the last thing I expected, Harry. Thank you. I don't think I deserved it, but... thank you."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Harry said simply.

"I sometimes wonder how much I did that was right. When I found out about Dover, I should have gone directly to Dad... but... Oggie was a friend. It was difficult to believe that he could be involved in anything like that."

"I understand," Harry agreed.

"I was pretty ticked off when I found out he'd been forging my signature, but... at that point, I wasn't sure anyone would believe me."

"I would have, Percy," Harry said.

"I know that now," Percy nodded, then looked at his wife, surrounded by the women. "It wouldn't have been... well, it was Penelope I was worried for. I could have managed, but she..."

"It's over now. We can all move on."

"Yes," Percy smiled. "Yes, it is."

Harry watched as Percy moved off to rescue his wife. As he watched, Ginny returned to him, pressing herself to his side as his arm encircled her, and his parents moved closer.

"In a few months that could be you," Lily commented softly, nodding towards Percy and Penelope, surrounded by their family, happily receiving congratulations on the coming addition to the Weasley clan.

Harry looked down at Ginny and smiled. She beamed back up at him, and he felt the familiar tug on his heart. Their secret was safe... for a few weeks, anyhow.

Finis

There aren't enough ways to say "thank you" to each of you who have been following my writing. I appreciate you all so very much – thank you. I started approximately a year ago writing fanfiction as a bit of a lark. It was fun to play in JKR's sandbox for a while. Then it became an addiction. I get so much from it, you have no idea. My own writing has improved and the amount that I write has increased threefold. I attribute this to the fact that I'm getting feedback on what I write here.

This story was more difficult to write than the others, though. Still fun, but more difficult. I await Saturday, and the release of Book Six. I'm sure that JKR is about to change EVERYTHING, and take us off in new directions that we couldn't possibly have dreamed up ourselves... and there will be so much more material to spawn new ideas for more fanfics... I wonder if there will be enough to give me twelve more ideas? LOL!

Until we've all bought, consumed and digested the new book – that's all for me! See you all on the other side!

CQ