Final Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who was interested in reading a story about a Death Eater hardly anyone could remember (or cared about). Jack was a fun character to write. While this is certainly not my favorite kind of ending, it just felt right, you know? I hope you enjoy it! This will be the last story I post for the near future as I will be taking a much needed fandom sabbatical. At least on the writing side of things. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Four

Visibility was poor thanks to the smoke inside the room from the fiery hole in the ceiling. Hermione could see just enough to watch in horror as Jack was yanked out of the trap door. She should've been relieved that he was no longer trapped inside waiting helplessly for a death he couldn't escape. She was too worried to think straight. An unearthly scream came out of her mouth. Was he being rescued or was he about to be subjected to a punishment far worse than simple imprisonment?

The urge to run after him was too strong to ignore. She pushed the bed blocking her way over enough to get around it. Only then could she see Kingsley laying on the other side of it unconscious. A small pool of blood grew beneath his head. Her fear nearly choking, she rushed to his side to make sure he was still alive.

"Kingsley!"

Each passing second the room filled with more thick smoke. She could hardly see her hand in front of her face. To check to verify Kingsley was still breathing, she had to lean down close enough that her face was almost touching his. Hermione nearly cried when she felt his breath. He might have been knocked out during all of the rolling and shifting, but he wasn't dead. Yet, she couldn't help thinking in the privacy of her mind.

Her eyes burned enough that it was a struggle to keep them open. A violent fit of coughing overtook her. She felt more dizzy and lightheaded by the heartbeat. All evidence that the trap door existed at all was blocked by the smoke. Though she had a vague idea where it was located, she wasn't sure she had the necessary strength to get there. And if somehow she made it outside, how could she be certain she wouldn't be subjected to a more painful demise? While her present situation wasn't ideal, she knew there were much worse ways to die.

It would be very easy to just close her eyes and give up. Before she could even fully commit to one course of action or the other, a pair of large hands picked her up to roughly throw her entire body over a muscular shoulder. She coughed the entire time her rescuer ran with her out into the fresh, cool night air. Hermione gasped for breath, her lungs grateful for another chance to inhale something other than smoke. Gently she was placed back down on her feet. She only had a chance to see a flash of blond hair in her peripheral vision as the man ran back to the suitcase.

Less strong but much more familiar and loved arms wrapped around her as she continued to cough and greedily gulp down the fresh air she could. She knew it was Jack even in the midst of an intense coughing fit. Relieved that he appeared to be all right, she all but threw herself into his embrace. For a moment she relaxed, grateful to have him by her side no matter what happened next. Of course once she remembered it hadn't just been the two of them in danger, she pushed back from his chest.

"Kingsley is still in there. He was hurt."

Thorfinn, her unlikely hero, came bursting out of the suitcase again with Kingsley. A much more difficult recovery than hers, he struggled under the immobile Minister's weight. He shouted out for a Healer and Hermione realized for the first time that she stood in the middle of a crowd of people. A wizard and a witch ran to Kingsley, immediately casting diagnostic spells to determine his condition.

"He's going to be all right, love. We all are."

Only with Jack's reassurance was she brave enough to take a much more thorough look around at their surroundings. It was pure chaos. A large manor house she didn't recognize was partially engulfed in flames she thought with a sinking in her gut that could only be fiendfyre. There was a large team of what appeared to be Ministry officials working together to put the inferno out, but she highly doubted they would be successful until there was nothing left of the structure. Someone, likely many someones, would be homeless that night.

Kingsley wasn't the only poor soul injured. One glance around the immediate area proved there had been a fierce battle. Some of the figures laying on the grass weren't moving at all. She felt sick to her stomach, worried they were people she knew. What exactly happened? She had so many questions.

"Jack, is that Yaxley?"

She knew he was part of the reason why Jack ended up in the suitcase with her, but needed to have him confirm the angry wizard sitting on the ground tied up with conjured ropes was the Death Eater who tried to attack her in the Ministry during the war. Jack only nodded. Another man Hermione didn't recognize sat next to Yaxley evidently furious about the whole ordeal. Large and blond just like his nephew, she had no doubt he was Thorfinn's horrible uncle. The two men that stood above them with their wands drawn were aurors she recognized from work.

Just a few steps away from the dangerous captives Hermione saw Craig with blood on his forehead and his arm hanging at a strange angle by his side being fussed over by a blonde woman. He didn't seem all that concerned with his injuries if his bright smile was any indication. It was that moment when it fully hit her that they really were saved. She hugged Jack again tightly, resisting the overwhelming urge to burst into tears. Was it all over?

"I'm sorry I couldn't be the one to swoop in and rescue you from the beginning."

Jack's whisper caught her off-guard. She pushed back from his chest to look at his face. All she could see was shame and embarrassment. It bothered her. They should've been celebrating.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've never been a hero. I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

"And you've never been a villain either. You are a perfectly ordinary, wonderful man and I love you, hero or not."

His shy smile was adorable. Did he have any idea how much she adored him? She doubted it but very much looked forward to proving it to him at every opportunity.

"And I'm sick to death of so-called heroes and their self-serving heroics anyway. Let's live a perfectly boring life where we never have to worry about needing to be rescued again."

She loved when he laughed. Even though she really wasn't trying to be funny, she supposed she could see the humor in what she said. After so many years of being around Gryffindors and Harry with his saving people complex, she wouldn't mind a more sedate change of pace where she was left alone.

"Boring sounds lovely to me."

Of course neither one of them was foolish enough to actually believe that any sort of life they shared together would ever turn out boring.

"You said you were going to run away with me. I'm afraid you're going to have to because I promise you, love, I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

"That's all right with me."

Reluctantly, Hermione let go of her hold on Jack when his cousin approached them. More tears filled her eyes when she saw the two men embrace. They were a real family. It was lovely. Jack gestured to the area around them with a broad sweep of his arm.

"Are you responsible for this?"

"Partly. I had some help."

Craig looked over to where the blonde woman stood a few meters away trying not to make it obvious she was staring. His grin immediately made her blush with a smile of her own before she looked away. Hermione watched Thorfinn hug her tightly seconds later. Was that his younger sister she'd tried and failed not to be jealous of? They looked enough alike. Based on the way her eyes kept seeking out Craig, Hermione knew there was absolutely no reason to feel jealous another second. Trying to suppress her knowing grin and returning to a more serious topic, Hermione focused on the auror.

"Kingsley was hurt. Is he going to be okay?"

"He's on his way to St. Mungo's. Only the best for him."

She hoped it would be enough. It had to be enough. How dreadfully unfair would it be for him to not pull through his injuries when they were so close to freedom?

Any further depressing thoughts on that particular subject were pushed away when Luna came running up to Hermione to hug her close. It grew harder for Hermione not to cry knowing her best friend was there. Of course she would be. When they broke apart and Hermione got her first good look at Luna, she was surprised to see Luna's face covered in soot and her clothes burned. Up and down her arms and on her hands it looked as if she had serious painful burns.

"Luna, what happened to you?"

The witch shrugged her shoulders.

"Everyone was so busy fighting each other or the fire. No one was looking for the suitcase you were in. I had to run inside the fire."

Luna acted as if she hadn't done anything heroic or important at all. She could've simply been commenting on the weather.

"Thorfinn's uncle tried to steal the suitcase from me and we had a terrible struggle."

"You were the one who pulled Jack out."

She smiled as Jack hugged her in thanks, careful not to brush her wounds. Jack's blue eyes were watery when he stepped back.

"It looks like you've repaid a life debt, Luna. Thank you. Only one left, I suppose."

Luna's smile grew wider.

"No, Jack, we're even now. When I saved Hermione, I also saved your line. That counts too."

As she often did when she'd made a shocking statement, Luna simply walked away leaving them both stunned. Hermione didn't know what to say. Neither did Jack. She tried to do some quick calculations in her head to determine if it was even possible. Not knowing the exact date or how long she'd been a prisoner made it difficult to know for certain, but she supposed it was possible. And even on that first night together weeks earlier they hadn't exactly been careful to prevent such an outcome.

Only Craig's loud laughter and his jovial clap on Jack's shoulder brought them back to reality. Hermione smiled at Jack and though he still seemed shocked, he smiled back. He reached for Hermione's hand.

"Now we definitely need to get you to St. Mungo's. A Healer needs to repair your shoulder and you inhaled too much smoke and… if Luna's right…"

"She usually is."

"We're going to St. Mungo's."

Thorfinn's sister approached them, no longer pretending she wasn't listening.

"And so are you, Craig."

He didn't even argue. Just smiled and let her lead him away.

In the uncomfortable chair next to Hermione's bed, Jack woke up with a jolt. It was a surprise he'd been able to fall asleep at all. He was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep in the damned chair and there was no way he was leaving Hermione either. Not after he promised her.

She was sleeping peacefully. Her shoulder was repaired properly and she was given a potion to repair any damage to her lungs because of the smoke. So was he, but he hadn't been concerned for his own well-being for even a second. No, all his energy went towards worrying about her and the… He was scared to believe it was true. Maybe when she was awake again it would all feel real.

"I can sit with her if you want to go to the tea room."

Jack looked up at the sound of Luna's voice. She'd been so quiet he didn't hear her enter the room or he'd been too lost in his own thoughts to notice. As soon as she made the suggestion, his stomach grumbled in favor. He was reluctant to leave Hermione, but he knew she would be all right with her best friend for a quarter of an hour.

"Are you all right?"

He gestured to the heavy white bandages covering her arms and hands. The witch had been fearless. Running into a house on fire was brave enough but knowing it was fiendfyre? It was a miracle any of them were still alive and relatively whole.

"I'm fine. The Healers took excellent care of me."

On his way out of the room, Jack stopped to press a grateful kiss to the top of her head. He owed everything to the remarkable woman. For the rest of his life he would be grateful for her actions. Likely she would spend the same amount of time assuring him she did nothing special, that anyone else would've done the same in her position. Luna was a hero, his hero.

Out in the corridor before he could get to the lifts to take him upstairs where he hoped he might find a stale sandwich for sale, he saw his cousin standing outside a room speaking in low voices with Reina. Craig was smiling and despite having his recently healed broken arm still in a sling, he didn't appear to be in any pain. Especially not when Reina gently squeezed his uninjured arm and leaned up to kiss his cheek. She left for the lifts before Jack approached. Craig was still smiling as he watched her walk away.

"You know she's Thorfinn's little sister, right?"

Craig cleared his throat and lost his goofy grin. Jack nearly laughed. Oh yeah, his cousin had it bad.

"We don't get to pick our relatives, cousin."

He did laugh at that.

"She's a sweet woman. You could do worse. You have done worse."

Craig's smile returned. Neither one of them could really afford to tease the other about their old girlfriends.

"She was a tremendous help in getting your sorry arse rescued. We wouldn't have known where to go or that you were even held in a suitcase without her. She said the night you were taken she watched her uncle throw you inside it from a secret room behind her uncle's office."

"I didn't realize. I'm glad she did."

"She ran straight to my flat the first moment she could. We spent over a week planning how to ambush the manor perfectly. Without her knowledge and the surprising loyalty of the house-elves…"

"Your flat? She sought you out that night?"

There was a lot Jack didn't understand about their rescue. Everything happened so quickly and there hadn't been much of an opportunity to gather the details. Craig nodded.

"Her brother told her that if anything happened to you or to him or if she felt threatened, she should seek me out. She's been staying at my flat ever since that night."

"Thorfinn knows you're an honorable man. The fact that he trusted you with his sister, the person he loves most in the entire world, means he knows you're a good man."

There was likely always going to be some anger there after what happened to Craig's little sister, but maybe there was some hope there too. Perhaps he was eager to change the difficult subject because Craig gestured to the closed door they stood in front of.

"The Minister said he wants to talk to you. When you're done, meet me upstairs in the tea room. I'll buy you a sandwich."

Craig walked towards the lifts, leaving Jack alone again. Though he was nervous for a reason he didn't fully understand, he pushed open the door. What could the Minister for Magic have to say to him?

No doubt frustrating his entire team of Healers, Kingsley sat up in bed reading some owls and reports he missed while he was being held hostage instead of resting. His injuries weren't nearly as bad as first feared. At the sound of the door opening he looked up and smiled when he saw Jack.

"How's our girl?"

"She's sleeping, but she's fine. Her Healer was impressed by how well you fixed her shoulder. Said it was 'almost perfect'."

"I'm glad she's all right. Now it's important that we talk about her future."

"She's worried you're going to fire her to keep her from angering any other Pureblood supremacist still out there."

Kingsley rolled his eyes but laughed.

"I'd fire her in a second if it would keep her safe, but we both know she would still find herself in trouble no matter what. No, I'm talking about her future with you."

It was the last topic he wanted to discuss. Uncomfortable with imagining all the different terrible ways their conversation could go, Jack sighed.

"I can't stay here."

"I don't see why not. This is your home. Don't you want to stay here?"

"Of course I do, but…"

"You're concerned about the rumors that you were once a Death Eater?"

Who wouldn't be? And they weren't rumors at all. Even just the way Kingsley smirked when he said the word "rumors" made it obvious he knew the truth. Jack wasn't sure what to say.

"Because that's all they are — rumors. There is absolutely no proof that you were ever a Death Eater. Your name never showed up on any lists. No one has ever confessed to seeing you be one. And it's not like you have a visible Dark mark on your arm. A charming little badger, but no Dark Mark."

Kingsley winked, clearly enjoying every second of their conversation.

"No proof at all. You're free to return home at any time. Anyone who objects can take it up with me personally."

Overwhelmed wasn't an adequate enough description to explain how Jack felt. He was once more at a loss for words.

"I even have a charming house in Hogsmeade only a few doors down from your grandmother just waiting for someone to rent or buy. Perfect size for a growing family and I know your gran would love to have you close."

Jack had to sit down in the chair next to the bed. Everything was happening so fast. Was he dreaming? It certainly felt like one.

"Why are you being so generous?"

"Because you make that girl smile like no one else and she deserves to smile. She deserves to be happy and you seem to be the one who can make that happen."

"Thank you."

"I just make one request. You wait until I'm out of this damned bed before you marry her. I would be proud to give her away to a man like you."

Yes, overwhelmed wasn't nearly strong enough.

"We're in no rush."

"Perhaps you better be if what your cousin told me is true."

Kingsley's smile was contagious. The Minister really was an unrepentant gossip, worse than any old witch Jack had ever met.

"If it's a boy, Kingsley is a great name."

Jack couldn't keep from laughing as he stood up. Still struggling to believe it was all real, he shook Kingsley's hand and made his exit.

The entire walk to the lifts and then to the tea room passed in a haze. He felt like he was walking in a dream. When would it all start to feel real? Would it ever? Just outside the tea room he saw Reina again. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek before she walked away.

"Take a deep breath before you go in there."

Jack found her advice odd until he stepped inside the room and nearly ran straight into his mum. Frozen in place, he could only stare. She was as beautiful as she had always been. His eyes filled up with tears when she tenderly pushed that one lock of hair that would never stay put back behind his ear.

"Oh, Jackie!"

Wrapped in a fierce hug from his mum, he couldn't hold the tears back. Neither could she. When they finally broke apart, each very reluctant to do so, he saw his dad and his gran standing nearby with a smiling Craig. It was a tearful but happy reunion for the family. His mum kissed his forehead one last time.

"We can't stay long. It's very late but we had to see you."

Then his grandmother gently pushed her daughter aside to get another hug.

"Sunday dinner is at my house. Bring that girlfriend of yours. We would like to meet her and it sounds like we have some plans to make."

His dad, so much like his son, was equally overwhelmed and unable to speak. Or he simply didn't trust himself not to cry if he opened his mouth. A day would come very soon when they as a family would have to have some hard conversations and Jack would need to make some difficult apologies, but that night, the elder John Gibbon just wrapped his only son in his arms and kissed the top of his head as he'd done countless times in his life.

Jack couldn't stop smiling when they left the room.

"Here. Take this and go back to Hermione."

Craig handed him a sandwich on a paper plate.

"I'll see you Sunday at Gran's."

"Bring Reina. Maybe she'll help take some of the pressure off of Hermione and me."

After embracing the last member of his family, Jack resumed his practical floating back downstairs to Hermione's room. He didn't have the first clue what his life would turn out to be like, but he felt immense comfort knowing he wouldn't be alone. Family always meant a great deal to him, especially when he was unable to see his. He vowed to himself that he would never take them for granted ever again. And his own little family he was building? There would never be a single day in any of their lives that they weren't loved. His new life, the one his cousin and the Minister were both so desperate to give him, would be spent cherishing every second.

Hermione was awake again when he stepped inside her hospital room. She sat up at some point to better converse with her best friend. In the doorway he paused to stare at her smile. Was she already glowing or was that an old wives' tale? He'd certainly never seen her look more beautiful. For a brief moment their eyes met and there was no one else in the world but the two of them.

And then Thorfinn opened his mouth to ruin the moment as he was such an expert in doing. Jack could only laugh. Surprised to see his best friend inside the hospital, he said so. Did he not fear being captured? He was a fugitive after all.

"The Minister said no one would arrest me for twenty-four hours as a way to thank me for saving his life."

"But we're leaving as soon as I can pack a bag."

Jack turned towards Luna, surprised by her announcement but immediately realizing he shouldn't be.

"You're going with him?"

"I'll be back to visit as often as I can, but yes. We're going to do some traveling."

Thorfinn wrapped his arm around Luna's waist with a big smile. Jack always knew it would take a very special person to capture the wizard's heart. Maybe there really was someone out there for everyone.

"We're going to Sweden to study the mating habits of the Crum… well, it doesn't matter. Regardless of the species, that's a subject I'm always interested in."

Hermione snorted out a laugh at his announcement that only made Jack smile harder. He loved that sound and wanted to keep hearing it forever.

"I'm only sorry I can't be here to be your best man, but Craig was always going to be the better choice anyway."

Their goodbyes were hard. Hermione managed to smile as she accepted a kiss on the cheek from Thorfinn. Later Jack would tease her for having enough self-control not to cringe. Her hug from Luna lasted much longer and neither woman had a dry eye when they ended the embrace.

"You keep them both safe."

Of course Jack was able to nod his agreement with Luna's instructions. He finally had a life's purpose and they were it. He hugged her as he promised. When it was time for him to embrace his best friend and say a real goodbye to him for the first time in their lives, it all suddenly felt real. Everything was about to change forever. He was sad to see Thorfinn go, but very pleased that he would not have to go by himself. Maybe Luna would be more effective at keeping him out of trouble than he was.

Alone again, Jack kissed Hermione's lips and sat down on the edge of her bed. Already she looked more like herself. It was a relief that she wasn't as injured as she could've been. And knowing how violently she'd been tossed around the suitcase when she was in the most precarious stages of her delicate condition? He knew he had a great deal to be thankful for.

"Wedding plans already?"

She might have raised an eyebrow, but there was a smile on her lips too.

"Be prepared for more. We're having dinner with my family on Sunday."

The thought of being thrust immediately into his family didn't seem to frighten her at all. She only smiled. Was she hoping his family could help to fill the hole left behind by hers? He hoped so. They were all going to adore her.

"But I suppose we should be properly engaged before then."

With a cheeky grin, he started to get up off the bed. Hermione grabbed his arm to stop him.

"If you propose to me when I'm in this hospital, I'm going to say 'no'."

He hoped they would always make each other laugh. It was perhaps what he was looking forward to the most.

"Fine. I'll wait. Just promise me when we finally do get engaged, we have a very short engagement."

"Why?"

"Because I'm anxious to take you on a long honeymoon."

"And where are we going?"

There was no question in his mind where he wanted to make some new memories.

"Aruba, of course, but don't worry. We'll be back long before the baby is born. This is home and there's nowhere else in the world I'd rather be."

The End.