Epilogue 2: I Found A Way
A/N: I was incredibly bored so I wrote a little extra. Oh, and if you want to understand Different Hearts, Same Desire, you have GOT to read all of this story. Diff Hearts, Same Desire is Ginny and Harry's wedding. This is taking a diff. approach. It's centered on Hermione and Ron, and a bit of Harry and Ginny. I'm thinking about doing a prequel of The Map Never Lies, what do you think? Prequel for those who don't know, means "before".
IMPORTANT: Fred and George were there only for about a half of Harry's seventh year in my fic before they fled to open their shop. So ignore the fifth book, OotP, where in fifth year they run! I liked them too much, so they stuck around for a while longer, but still annoyed the crap out of Filch. If you're confused, I am too. Lol. They've graduated now but come and visit every so often!
Disclaimer: None of this is mine except anything unfamiliar to you. Song is I Found A Way by Drake Bell. Song doesn't exactly fit but the title does.
I never thought that it would be so simple but,
I found a way, I found a way,
But if you open up your mind,
And see what's inside.
It's gonna take some time to realize,
Woah, woah, woah,
But if you look inside, I'm sure you'll find,
Woah, woah, woah,
Over you're shoulder,
You know that I told you,
I'll always be picking you up,
When you're down,
Oh, oh, oh,
So just turn around.
It had been a few days after Harry had proposed to Ginny, and the news was all around the school. The news around the school slowly floated into the newspapers, but not everybody knew about it yet.
Harry and Ginny were in the Great Hall at that time, and were surrounded by supporters of their marriage. Even some of the Slytherins, mostly ones who had not turned evil and obeyed Voldemort's wishes, were congratulating them. There was commotion all around Hogwarts, and then the Weasley twins, Fred and George had entered the Great Hall. Even though they had skipped out on half a year of school because they had to open their shop, they still came to visit every now and then, and stayed at the Burrow when on Holiday or on the weekends.
The twins weren't the only Weasleys besides Ron and Ginny that knew. Every Weasley heard the news of the engagement, and were going frantic. Mr. Weasley was saying that his daughter was too young, she was only sixteen and wasn't even out of school, and neither was Harry. Of course, every Weasley kid got along great with Harry and didn't have a problem with it, well, every one minus Percy got along great with him, and for that Ginny was grateful. She didn't want to have to save her fiancé from overprotective older brothers.
She noticed that Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen in the Great Hall. Looking at Harry, she began talking. "Have you seen Ron or Hermione? They aren't in the Great Hall, and if I know Ron, which I do, he'd be at the feast."
"Maybe they had other plans?" Harry suggested, all ready knowing where they were. He was mentally smirking.
Ron was going to tie the knot.
Hermione and Ron were in the Room of Requirements. Ron was inwardly grumbling that they had to be missing the feast for this but he wanted to do this alone like Harry had with Ginny. Thinking of his little sister finally settling down, he mentally smiled. She had gotten what she wanted since she was ten, and now he was about to get what he wanted since he was thirteen. He hadn't really noticed his feelings for Hermione until third year when Malfoy began insulting them alot and he got really angry, defending her. But they really came out in fourth year when he saw Hermione dancing with Viktor Krum. She wasn't dancing with the enemy, no, that's not why he had been angry. It had been because he was jealous.
Jealous.
Hermione was curious to know what was going on inside of her boyfriend's head. He appeared to be in a daze. When you're body's there but your mind is elsewhere. She waved her hand in his face but that didn't work. She tried yelling but that didn't work. Remembering that Malfoy knew where this room was, she instantly kept her voice down a low volume.
"Ron, Ron? Are you OK?" Hermione asked a little worried. Ron never acted like this before.
In his head, Ron was figuring out how to propose to Hermione. 'Hermione, I've loved you for most of- no, Hermione Jane Granger, will you do the honor- no, oh this is so fucking hard! How did Harry do it? The only funny thing is, that he was in a hospital gown when he proposed. Maybe I should get some tips from him. He doesn't know how hard it is for me to talk to Hermione, let alone PROPOSE to her. I have the ring in my pocket, but this is so confusing, I don't even know where to start. I wonder how dad proposed? Or Bill, Percy?' He blinked when he saw Hermione waving her hand in his face, but he was so nervous, and with the butterflies flying all over his stomach, he had no idea where on Earth to begin with this sentence that would hopefully promise him a lifetime with the woman he loved more than anything.
"Ron, are you okay? Please talk to me," Hermione pleaded. "You're scaring me. What's gotten into you lately?"
'Hermione, you don't even know what I'm going to do, do you?' Ron thought. 'You're so smart, yet you're naive. Hmm…'
She was getting more worried by the second, but was shocked when he took her hand in his and knelt down on the floor. Her heart was pounding in her chest. He was going to- and she would say-
"Hermione Granger, you're the love of my life, I love you more than words can say. So, punish me if I make any errors here," Ron began, clutching Hermione's shaking hand in his own. "I want to spend every minute of my waking life with you. Will you do the honor of becoming my wife?"
She squealed and threw her arms around Ron's neck. "Yes, Ron! Oh, yes, I will!"
Ron sighed mentally in relief.
She was his. He was hers.
For eternity.
Harry was smirking when the Great Hall doors opened to reveal Ron and Hermione, who were glowing. Hermione had her arms wrapped around Ron's neck as they strolled down the Great Hall to the Gryffindor table. At the Slytherin table, Malfoy was gaping at them, as if knowing what they were grinning about.
Then everyone saw the engagement ring on Hermione's finger. Everyone clapped and cheered except the Slytherins and Professor Snape. Harry, of course, was smirking. He knew what would happen all along. Ron had told him a few days ago and that he was nervous on how to do it.
But Ron's jaw fell open at the sight. All Weasleys stood there, minus Percy. Bill had brought Fleur Delacour, his wife, along as well. The twins were gaping at Ron, their jaws wide open.
"You don't want to swallow flies, now," Ginny told the twins, who instantly shut their mouths. Harry only laughed and draped an arm around his fiancé's shoulders.
Then the Great Hall doors opened again to reveal Lily and James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin who had no idea that Ron nor Harry were engaged. They all had a blank look on when the students and staff were clapping and were wondering what on Merlin's beard was going on.
Ron and Hermione walked over to Harry and Ginny. Both couples were grinning madly as the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore approached them. What he said then made the four adult's jaws drop to the ground. "I wish the four of you the greatest happiness in your life."
"Thank you, Headmaster," they said together.
Dumbledore turned to face everyone in the Great Hall. "It is fortunate that the Seventh Years Graduation Ceremony had to fall upon such a happy day. May I introduce to you the newly engaged couples, Harry Potter & Ginerva Weasley, Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley."
Everyone began clapping, but James, Lily, Sirius and Remus were still shocked. Even though they were clapping along with them.
The three Dursleys were clapping, but reluctantly. They were going go to go to Azkaban, well, Vernon was, for harming the Boy-Who-Lived in every possible way imagined. Petunia and Dudley were going to be on probation, incase any one of the two completed Vernon Dursley's tasks.
Petunia couldn't believe that the boy had a fiancé. After all those years of lies and finally learning the truth, he had his parents back. He had a family, friends and fiancé, which Petunia knew that he would not trade for anything in the world. Harry often reminded Petunia of her younger sister, when Harry was little and his parents were dead.
He had Lily's temper, that was for sure, and her startling emerald green eyes. But the rest was his father's. He was good at magical sports, another thing inherited from his father, and even the same hair and glasses, which everyone assumed was a Potter trait that had been passed down for generations.
Harry looked so happy, and glowing, it reminded her of when Lily told her that she was engaged. She had been glowing brightly with happiness, her long, red hair flowing about, her emerald green eyes sparkling. She and her sister hadn't talked much, and the last thing she said to her younger sister was, "I hope you crash and burn." That was because she had married a wizard.
She mentally smiled. At least Harry had found happiness, she thought while watching the two couples chatting animatedly with each other and the other students of Hogwarts. This was a magical place, she thought. It brought out the best, and sometimes worst, in people. Vernon, of course, had brought out the worst in himself, and once he was in Azkaban, she and Dudley would be free of his influences, and would be able to live their own lives. Even Dudders had a witch for a girlfriend, ever since had actually taken the diet correctly. A girl named Susan Bones, a Seventh Year Hufflepuff student, if she remembered correctly.
Petunia didn't hate magic so much anymore, and allowed it to be spoken about under her roof. The main reason she hated magic was because her sister had been the only one in the family that was a witch. Now, that her husband was going to Azkaban and Dudley had found love, she guessed that magic was not bad at all. In fact, it might have even brought her happiness, she could say.
Of course, she was shocked when Harry glanced quickly at their table. She gave him a short but sweet smile, when Vernon wasn't looking. His eyes widened, but nodded in understanding. He grinned back.
Vernon Dursley growled. How dare he, the little freak wasn't supposed to find happiness, he was supposed to rot in hell for what he did to his family. His son was a freak just like him, and Vernon swore to it that Potter would pay for 'giving' his son his abnormalness.
The purple-faced man looked over to where Dudley was sitting beside Petunia, and Susan was to his right. Vernon was on the far left, Petunia next to him, Dudley, then Susan to the far right. Vernon was slightly glad that Dudley had gotten a girlfriend, but did it have to be a freak?
He wished, oh, so wished he could get revenge on Potter for doing whatever he did to his son. But the boy was so well protected and loved by all three houses and most of the staff, even the Wizarding world, minus the dark ones. There wasn't the slightest chance he could harm the boy at all before he was sent to prison.
But, he decided, my memory will haunt the boy for life, and if I turn out to be a ghost when I die, I am going to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Dudley watched his cousin as he chatted with other students at Hogwarts and his family. Earlier on, he would have thought that his cousin didn't deserve such happiness, what with a fiancé, family and friends, when his world was going upside down. But that was only because of his father's influences. But when he had learned what his father had done to his cousin, he vowed never to be like his father and even starting to go on the diet that his mother suggested he take, which was a much better one than they had when Harry was fourteen. What with the tiny grapefruit and all.
He was now 90 pounds and at 6'2 for height. He even had a girlfriend, Susan Bones and knew how to do magic. He had learned the basics and would also be graduating this year, even though when he came he was in Seventh Year. But he was not under his father's influence any longer, and for that, he was entirely grateful.
Harry and Ginny went up to the Common Room after the tiring feast. Both of them just wanted to go to bed, because if they didn't, they might fall asleep on the couches on the Common Room. Ron and Hermione trailed in after them, and Dudley walked up to the dormitories without a single word. They allowed him in the dormitories now, because he had only been under Dursley's influence, and would do nothing more to harm Harry Potter or anyone else.
The two couples sat on the couch. Harry and Ron were leaning against it with their fiancé's in their arms, leaning against their chests. They were staring at the fire intently, eyelids drooping.
But they were startled when the Fat Lady's portrait opened and a grim-like dog bounced in. The four grinned and laughed when Padfoot jumped onto the couch and sat beside Harry, wagging his tail intently.
"'Lo, Sirius," Harry grinned. "Didn't swallow any flies, did you?"
Padfoot growled, making the three of them laugh. "All right, all right. I'll throw you a bone for once," everyone laughed at that joke. Sirius only barked. He then changed into his human form and grinned. "I've got some news."
"What is it?" the four asked eagerly.
"Moony's engaged," Sirius replied.
They grinned, but Ron gaped. "Who did it?" Harry asked.
"Snape, in the Hogwarts grounds at the New Moon, Moony just told us now," Sirius replied. "Wedding date hasn't been decided yet, they want to see what it's like to be engaged first. So, how is it for you?"
"What, for the five minutes we've been engaged?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at Ginny and Harry. If their eye colors switched, they would be carbon copies of Harry's parents, Lily and James, for sure, she decided.
"Great," Harry and Ginny said together. They laughed and leaned in further on the couch.
"No dates set, I assume?" Sirius asked.
"Naw, we're just going to see what it's like first," Ginny smiled, holding Harry's arm.
Sirius nodded. "Well, I'd better be off, the others'll be wondering where I fled off to."
The two couples grinned and said goodbye to Sirius as he walked out.
Hermione and Ron went to their separate dormitories until tomorrow, when they would be leaving Hogwarts to start their life, as would Harry and Ginny.
Who, speaking of which, were curled up on the couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry had his arms around Ginny, who had her head on his chest, sleeping peacefully.
The Weasley twins peeked in and saw the two cuddled up on the couch, and smirked. Well, they thought, their surrogate brother was in for a rough life if he wanted to spend it with Gin.
:...:
Harry was smiling in his sleep, his arm draped around his fiancé's shoulders, holding her close.
Thinking about all the tragedy during the War against Voldemort (who was still alive and kicking, but not for long), he was glad that life had a happy ending like fairytales sometime, to bring you away from heartache.
Ginny sighed in her sleep, and Harry wondered what she could be dreaming about. Something peaceful, he hoped. He did not want his fiancé to suffer nightmares like him.
But, grinning madly, he thought. Life could never be more perfect.
FIN
AN: I can now finally say that this fic is complete! I was just extra bored and decided to do a nother piece, but this is IT! But look out for the sequel, Living Life, which will hopefully have another name soon, because I hate it. ;) REVIEW and tell me what you think about this!