Chapter 4. Epilogue
Hours later, Ginny stretched, long since lying down fully on the ground. "I wonder what it is that we can expect from life after all this. It makes us lonely, I think."
"And desperate," he added wryly.
Night had fallen around them. They had watched the sun set, the red and gold filling the Hogwarts hills with an ineffable sadness. That was when he had gathered her in his arms and held her close.
They both trembled with exhaustion and suppressed tears, frustration and feelings. She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her cheek.
"Maybe that's what life is all about: There's a lot of despair, but also the odd moments of beauty, where time is no longer the same, something suspended, an elsewhere. An always within a never."
Author's notes:
Many thanks to Nifa, among many other people. And thanks to Tash for giving me the opportunity to write this fic - hope you enjoyed it!
The vineyard and Vianne are inspired by the Domaine Peyre Rose and its owner Marlène both in the way they are described and in the choice of wine. Attentive readers may also find references to Joanne Harris' 1999 novel Chocolat and the eponymous 2000 film with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, as well as to Muriel Barbery's 2006 novel The Elegance of the Hedgehog.