a/n—This, dear readers, is it. We have finally reached the point in the story where the prologue left off. Only the epilogue left after this.

Late Summer, 1999

As Oliver leaned back from kissing his sleeping wife, Katie began to stir.

"Ol?" She mumbled, still half-asleep as she opened one eye blearily. "That you?"

"It's me," Oliver said with a smile, still kneeling beside the couch. "They let us out of training a bit early today. You go back to sleep; I'll get dinner ready."

Both of Katie's eyes were open by now and she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Come sit by me," She said with a yawn, patting the cushion beside her and Oliver wasted no time in complying with her request.

"How was training today?" Katie asked once she was nestled into Oliver's embrace. He had one arm wrapped around her shoulders while his free hand was intertwined with one of hers and resting lightly atop her very pregnant stomach. "Everyone still reveling in beating the Harpies?"

"Definitely," Oliver replied. "Management decided that we deserve tomorrow off after how we played against them. And after they let us out early, the rest of the team went out together to continue celebrating the win."

"And you came home instead?" Katie asked, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "You're getting soft in your old age…"

"Or maybe I just figured you'd be better company," Oliver said, "But if you'd rather I go to the pub and get completely smashed, I suppose I can leave…"

"Oh no, you're staying right here," Katie informed her husband, snuggling further into his arms though he hadn't made a move to separate himself from her. "I don't get to spend nearly as much time with you as I'd like."

"I just can't please you, can I?" Oliver asked with a theatrical sigh. "First you make fun of me for coming straight home to you and then you as good as tell me I'm not allowed out of your sight."

"It's probably just the hormones acting up," Katie stated, her eyes sparkling in amusement. "I'm bound to figure out my feelings towards you eventually."

"Well, I hope I'm not being too optimistic hoping that things will turn out in my favor," Oliver teased her lightly. "I mean, now that I don't have to compete with George for your affections every day."

"Oh sure," Katie said as she pulled back slightly to look Oliver in the face, "And now you're going to make fun of me for getting fired…"

"I thought you quit because work was getting to be too much for you this late in the pregnancy? Does this mean you didn't choose me over George, then?"

"You're impossible," Katie informed her husband with an amused shake of her head, before sinking back into his embrace.

The couple settled into a comfortable silence after that, both content to merely sit there with the other. Katie was about to drift back to sleep when Oliver spoke once more.

"I thought we could go look at houses again tomorrow," He said, absentmindedly tracing patterns on her arm with the hand that wasn't holding hers. If Katie concentrated, she was pretty sure she'd be able to interpret a few old Quidditch plays from the seemingly random patterns his fingers were tracing.

"We did want to be out of here by the time the baby came, didn't we?" Katie finally replied.

"We did," Oliver agreed slowly. "And it could still happen…probably…if we find something we actually like."

"I have a suspicion that this baby is never actually going to be born. I'm just going to be pregnant forever…" Katie said with a small sigh. "It's been more than a week since my due date already. One thing is certain, though. If this baby ever decides to make an appearance, she won't be scheduling any dawn practices if she's made Quidditch captain at school. She's clearly not fond of being early for anything."

Oliver frowned slightly. "What do you mean, 'if' she's made captain? Of course she'll be made captain!" He paused, and seemed to realize what he'd just said. "And didn't we agree that the baby was going to be a boy?"

Katie laughed at this. "You said you wanted a boy, but you agreed to be surprised. I'm just trying to keep you open to the idea that maybe we'll have a daughter."

"A daughter who's going to be bloody brilliant at Quidditch and be named captain of her house team without question," Oliver said determinedly.

"Of course, dear," Katie replied, a slight teasing note still in her voice that Oliver chose to ignore.

"You know," Oliver began abruptly, "It's September first today."

"It is," Katie confirmed.

"That's the start of school at Hogwarts," Oliver said thoughtfully. "Give it a few years, and we'll be going to Platform 9 ¾ again at the end of every summer."

"And to think," Katie chimed in, "Just three short years ago today I was on my way to Hogwarts for the last time, wallowing in self-pity because I thought nothing would ever come of my crush on my former Quidditch captain because I knew he would always think I was too young for him because I was still in school."

"I feel as if I should feel touched that you thought about me that much," Oliver told her, "But I still feel a bit bad about that whole mess I made by losing touch with you."

"You feel too guilty about everything," Katie informed her husband, poking him in the side for emphasis. "Why, I wouldn't be surprised if you were still torn up about that loss to Hufflepuff six years ago, never mind that circumstances were far beyond your control."

"Not everything," Oliver informed her cheekily. "For example, I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about seducing a younger woman and convincing her to marry me."

"Oh? So it took some convincing, did it?" Katie questioned, pulling away from Oliver slightly and glaring at him playfully. "And it only worked because you seduced me, did you?"

Each word was punctuated with a poke of Katie's finger into Oliver's chest.

"I mean that in the most loving way possible, of course," Oliver informed her earnestly. By this time, Katie had pulled herself out of his embrace fully and was now kneeling on the couch beside him, her playful glare looking entirely unintimidating due to a combination of her messy hair—a remnant of her earlier nap—and her obviously pregnant stomach. It also didn't hurt that Oliver was frequently distracted by how gorgeous he always thought his wife was.

"I'll give you loving, Mr. Wo—" Katie broke off suddenly, a look of shock on her face.

"Katie?" Oliver questioned when she didn't continue, concern etched on his features. His hands hovered before her helplessly, unsure of how to help. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Oliver," Katie began slowly, her expression unreadable as her hands dropped to her stomach, "I think your future Quidditch captain is finally ready to make his or her debut."