Disclaimer: No money is being made or received for this work in her playground of characters.
Author's Note: I don't know how many of you actually went on this journey with me but I thank you. For anyone who read this and did not review, I hope you are just the lurking type and still enjoyed it
Epilogue:
Neville Longbottom stayed at Hogwart's that summer and continued to develop potions using his Herbology knowledge and new found Potion skills. His research moved to the Ministry's Department of Potions by August, where he had secured an internship. He met his girlfriend, Luna, every day for lunch.
Draco, Madison, Remus, Rowan, and Mason returned to Texas for the summer. Lucius and Narcissa went with them, and purchased a ranch near Rowan's best friends. Madison and Draco rode horses and relaxed the remainder of the summer. Mason and Katie spent every possible moment together before she left for College Station to attend Texas A&M.
Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione used magic to rebuild the ruined roof at Godric's Hollow, sealed the home with magic again, then joined the others as "exchange students" for their senior year, spending it at the local public high school, without the use of magic (or very little anyway).
Ron and Draco became the 'big men' on campus; Draco learned to kick an American Football through the tall upright goals on each end of the field. Madison watched with pride and the blonde exchange student kicked an average of ninety-nine percent, during game play for the season.
Ron, with the keeper skills of Quiddich, caught the strange shaped "football" very well, and ended up being one of the top receivers in the state. It was the first time in recent memory that Little Town, Texas was to be the Texas 4A state champions in Football. They also learned American Basketball and Baseball, each sport earning a state level championship.
Lucius and Narcissa were joined every Friday afternoon by Molly and Arthur and, as such, did not miss a game or competition. They sat with Remus and Rowan and reveled in hearing the names of their sons over the loudspeakers. Occasionally, other Weasley's would come with their parents and each finally understood why their dad loved muggles: COKES!
Madison was named captain of the Flag and Rifle Color Guard her senior year. She, Hermione, and Ginny worked flawlessly with seventeen other girls, and when "Winter Guard" was completed in the spring, they had won National Competition Levels. Madison was also Homecoming Queen, with Draco on her arm as the King. He laughingly said he could get used to that part.
During football season, with their parents watching, anytime the band was on the field, Ron and Draco walked from the field house, ignoring the coach's yells to come back, they never missed a performance; smiling with pride for their friends' performances, only when the half-time shows were completed, would they return to their football team.
Mason taught Harry to play the snare drum, joined forces to become part of the best high school drum line in the country. As such, the Marching season was completed with a state title for the third year in a row; competing at the state and national levels for Percussion Ensemble, Snare Dueling, and individual percussion titles. The first and second places went to Mason Black and Harry Potter.
When track season came around, Draco and Ron were joined by Mason and Harry, and were unstoppable in the marathon runs for the track team; on relay races, the four worked seamlessly as a unit that won every event they entered, never dropping a pole during handoff.
Katie went to Texas A&M for exactly two weeks before returning to Little Town. She said she spent the last year without Mason and could not bear to be without him any longer. She attended a local college until he graduated.
In May, all four couples went to the Prom and danced until they were forced out of the building. Ron and Hermione were named Prom King and Queen. Ron finally understood why Draco said he could get used to it.
In June of 2008, seven students graduated from Little Town High School. The same students who saved the world one year ago, waited for their names to be called in alphabetical order. But at this graduation, there was no world wide media to cover it, just the small local paper.
Remus not only went to Texas with the group, he stayed with them, only leaving on the nights of the full moon, then going to New York to work with the Lycans during the transformation.
Although neither forget Severus or their child, he and Rowan worked together to form a strong relationship. One which shared a bedroom in her home. The "kids" were now semi-adults and they understood her need for Remus. Working with several counselors, her mental state healed dramatically. Neither were ever embarrassed or ashamed of their feelings for him, or the way for which she felt responsible for his death, but she only shared it with Remus, keeping the secrets of her heart that only he knew. They also now proudly displayed Sirius' photos for the world to see. The kids could tell the change in each adult as she drifted further from the need for the dark place. Each one of them joined the counseling in order to insure their ability to cope with all they had seen and been forced to do to win the Great Battle.
Ron reflected on his prayers he had prayed in England during that year. When the party ended after graduation and they prepared to return home, Hermione found him on his knees beside their bed that morning, she listened as Ron prayed out loud:
"God?
I know you're there. I used to doubt it. I used to think maybe you weren't real. I didn't understand what your pastors kept telling us. I didn't know any different.
I… really just wanted to thank you for letting us have a year of peace. For letting us just be kids for the first time since we started school.
Thank you for answering my prayers. Hermione is amazing. I can't imagine my life without her. Thank you for letting us all live through the black time…. Thank you for all the gifts we received from You.
I wanted you to know that we were all okay. The nightmares have all subsided for us except for Rowan, but she'll heal too. Maybe you could help her with that? I believe we were destined to be friends. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without what she pushed us to learn that year. I suppose I should thank her?
Thank you for Draco's parents. They have really been amazing this year. Draco finally knows the love I have felt all my life from my folks. I think it has made him love Madison more too. Glad you let them come back.
Thank you for letting Harry and Ginny connect. They are both finally able to work out the past horrors they have shared that the rest of us just didn't understand. I don't want them to know this, but I think they are almost as perfect for each other as Hermione and I are.
Thank you for letting Katie accept Mason's wizarding world. He loves her and would give it up if she asked him to. But I want him in our world. I don't think that friendship is over just yet.
Oh, if, in the future, I forget to tell you this, thank you for Voldemort. If it hadn't been for him, I would not have met the best friends in the world and Hermione would never have had a reason to love me.
I have to go now. I need to get ready to go back home. We have some plans for a future that won't allow another situation like Tom Riddle to surface. If you see your way fit, bless that adventure.
Thanks… Amen
As he rose, he turned to see the room filled with his friends and family. Ron looked into the eyes of Hermione, Rowan, Remus, Ginny, Katie, Madison, Draco, Mason and Harry; knowing they had heard his prayer. And he knew they were ready to go home to their anything but normal lives, quietly thinking 'I should have asked for two years instead of one.'
Fin
Author's Note: Don't miss the grown up teens in "The Return" a story about Sirius, Remus & Rowan, thrown into Harry and Company's lives. Complete and uploaded -- just visit my RDWIND's page here on and you will find it. -- There is also a Prequel for your viewing pleasure available also! Enjoy! And if you can take a minute -- let me know what you thought!
