Chapter Eighteen
Once they reached South Boston they parted ways, James and Conor headed to McGinty's for the Dart tournament and a pint. Murphy and Mia went back to their respective flats to get ready date night in the park, Murphy was a bit nervous since he didn't know what her answer was going to be. Would she except or say it was too soon he didn't know and wasn't about to ask Pandora since that would be cheating and unfair to Mia. He would take his chances as if she was just a normal girl and one not with a Physic for a friend, after all he has done pretty well so far without Pandora's help.
When it was time to leave for the picnic in the park, he was carrying the picnic basket full of her favorites and the ring he planned on proposing with. He had it all planned out, he would wait until the show was over and get down on one knee in front of everyone and ask her to marry him, while hoping she said yes that she would. He truly loved Mia and was grateful for her being in his life, couldn't have found a better if he tried, not that he was looking for his perfect match. She just appeared like magic, almost as it was fate for them to meet that first day of her time in town.
He met up with Mia and they headed to what he hoped would be the best night of his life, he would walk in with a girlfriend and hopefully walk out with a Fiancée. He was in awe when he saw her wearing his favorite shade green, not to dark but not to light; she looked like a perfect angel that fell from the sky just for him.
They quickly made their way to the park and grabbed a good spot, not to close the stage and not far enough for them not to hear what was being said. He looked around the park and noticed that there wasn't that many people there that night, which was good he didn't want that big of audience for when he proposed. After spreading out the blanket and setting down the basket he pulled her in close, holding her trough out the performance.
Finally, the time came so he sat up and dug the ring out of the basket, getting on one knee he took a deep breath and asked "Mia Black, you came into my life like whirlwind, and I can't imagine it without you in it. So, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
For once in her life Mia was speechless, as she looked at ring she couldn't help but admire how perfect was for her. She already knew her answer, it was the same answer she would have given had he asked a year from now or even two.
"Of course, I will marry you Murphy." Was all she said as she held out her hand to accept the ring, what started out as great night turned into something wonderful. She now was getting married to her perfect match, her Irishman with the blue eyes.
Right then and there she couldn't help but agree to herself that she made the right decision in leaving and coming to America, it lead her to him. She didn't believe in fate really, it was right up there with Divination a load of crock; fate is what you make it not what others choose for you. She knew her future lie somewhere other than Wizarding Britian or even the Wizarding World as a whole, just didn't knew it lie in Boston with a very sexy Irish man.
Had the divination teacher told her back in third year that she would be living her life as muggle, she would have told her to go drown her head in Sherry and leave her future alone. James took the class for an easy A on the advice of the lazy git Ronald, he would have been better off in other class with her but at the time Ronald was putting on his best friend act and James believed it. Of course, it didn't help Ginny was starting to slip him love potions tied to her thanks to her mother who used one to snare her Husband Aurthur.
Looking back at it now she should have seen the signs to begin with, than maybe she wouldn't have cried her eyes out over Ron and Lavender. Those two were perfect for each other, at least back then who knows who or what Ron is doing, not that she cared one iota about him anymore. She has a man, not a little boy playing at being a man, no she wasn't going to let Ron, or his slut of a sister ruin her wonderful night by thinking of them any longer.
They didn't deserve to have place in her head right now, so she gave Murphy all her attention along with the beautiful ring he gave her. Just like every time they kissed since the first one, they could feel the magic in the air around them. There was just something about a that kiss that made them want more, but Mia wasn't ready for more and Murphy was a patient man after why rush when they now had forever to be with each other.
Now he just had to tell his Ma, and everything would be right with the world. That was going to be an interesting conversation, when he last spoke his Ma about Mia he was telling her about how she was the best thing to happen in his life. Murphy and Mia quickly cleaned up their mess and decided to go tell their brother's right away instead of waiting till morning. So, they made their way back to their flats to drop off the picnic basket and to pick up Pandora, then they made their way to McGinty's to celebrate their engagement.
When they arrived, Mia went right over to James and showed him the ring; he picked her up and swung her around. Then proceeded to buy the entire bar a round of drinks to celebrate her happiness, by the time they closed down the bar, Mia was having so much fun.
Things couldn't be better for the four of them, Frank's parents were on the way to being able recognize him, Pandora was getting closer to meeting her perfect match, Mia was getting married, and James had Remus in his life again. Leaving when they did and doing what they had to do in order to leave was the best decision they have ever made. Things were finally looking up for them in ways they could have never imagined they would.
Ever since Frank's parents arrived in New York, they seemed to be improving on a daily basis; they knew who he was and that he was their son. They knew they were in the hospital, but they couldn't remember why they were there though. The doctors on both sides said that was to be expected with the kind of Trauma they experienced and had they gotten the right help sooner things would be a lot different, they might have had some motor skills.
Everything was looking up for Frank that he failed to notice Dumbledore lurking around the outside of the Hospital, after all he placed a tracking charm on the when they first arrived in St. Mungo's. His reasoning was to make sure they were safe at all times but reality it was to monitor his chess pieces. He wanted to make sure they stayed the way they were forever in hopes of having a more pliable pawn in Neville.
Dumbledore should have been paying attention to his own health and not that of Frank and Alice Longbottom cause if he had he might have lived a bit longer than what he currently has. But in true fashion Dumbledore didn't care for anything but having his Pawns back under his control, so he could gain the reputation of being the Dark Lord defeater once again. It was his ego that was running the show and had been for years, ever since he 'defeated' Grindelwald when he did.
He had to show the world he was the greatest wizard since Merlin and in order to do that he needed to defeat the current Dark Lord, who was at that very moment also in a weakened state due to his soul shards being destroyed. He was just one Avada Kedavra away from being completely destroyed, this time with no way of being brought back from the dead once again. Percy was just waiting to the right time to strike, he wasn't looking for any titles or eternal glory that was waiting for the destroyer of the Dark Lord, he was just doing it because it was the right thing to do.
Fred and George were also currently in New York awaiting permission to work and go to school in America, they threw themselves upon the Ministry of Magic in New York. Telling them everything that they could about life back in England and how the war had gotten out of hand, how Dumbledore wanted to use Harry and Neville as pawns in the chess game called life.
How close they were losing the war against the Dark Lord and his minions of doom, how even their own flesh and blood had been using Harry for financial gain. How Harry broke his wand and was living a complete muggle life along side Hermione, Neville, Luna; how they were living it up now that they free from meddlesome Headmasters.
To say the Ministry of Magic in New York wasn't happy the state of things in England they still needed some time to approve their immigration paperwork. They were surprised to hear that the boy who lived as he was called back in England was now living as a muggle somewhere in America with one third of the Golden Trio as they were called. And two others who were in danger of being pawns in whatever sick and twisted Chess game Albus too many names Dumbledore was playing.
When Dumbledore couldn't access Frank and Alice, he went back to Hogwarts to plan his next move, after all Neville was somewhere in New York alone and ripe for the picking or least that's what he thought. If he had been paying more attention, he would have seen Neville leaving the Hospital his fiancée Queenie and her family. He thought if he could just find Neville, he would be one step closer to finding that elusive Harry Potter and his gold. He hadn't been back for more than a few minutes when he felt someone attacking what wards where left from the last raid only months ago.
He went headfirst into Battle to save the only home some of the students had, he couldn't let it go to the Dark Lord completely. As he was battling Death Eaters left and right he failed to notice one Death Eater who's face was obscured away following behind the Dark Lord waiting for the prefect time to strike. Just as suddenly as the battle began it was over, lying on ground in the smoke was the body of the Dark Lord and it was deteriorating as everyone around it watched.
Suddenly the Rouge Death Eater spoke up in an altered voice "Your master is gone, stop fighting, the war is now over. The Dark Lord is no more."
Of course, Albus was stunned to say the least, who was this Rouge Death Eater and how did he mange to kill one of the Darkest of Wizards since Grindelwald himself. Before Albus could find out more the Rouge Death Eater apparated in black smoke from the school grounds, all that was left of the Dark Lord was a husk and nothing more. With the Dark Lord gone, it meant they could get their Ministry back under the control of a Wizard or Witch of his choosing.
Rita Skeeter who was the inside bug so to speak, knew she had to report this right away, so she quickly and quietly changed back and left herself to go and report that the Dark Lord was now dead the Wizarding World was one step closer to becoming normal once again. Many of the Death Eaters that were left, were rounded up and placed in the seldom used parts of the dungeons to await trial once they got the Ministry back under control.
Once the smoke cleared they began the long process of clean up and restoration of the Castle and it's grounds. The light side began to bury both sides of bodies, after all they didn't want to leave anyone behind for some poor first year to trip over. Dumbledore was still in shock, it shouldn't be possible, Harry or Neville should have had the chance to defeat the Dark Lord not some Rouge Death Eater. Could that Death Eater be making a play towards leadership themselves, was there a new Dark Lord waiting in the wings to take over.
Dumbledore wasn't sure, hell he wasn't sure of anything anymore. He always thought the whole prophecy was about Harry or Neville defeating the Dark Lord in an epic battle of skill, luck, and love, not underhandedness. What was he supposed to do now now that everything he worked for was now gone do to some Rouge Death Eater.
That Rouge Death Eater was none other than Percy Weasley the traitor with the Dark Lords forces, and he was now mark free to do as he wished. Nobody had to know it was him that underhandedly killed the Dark Lord and saved the Wizarding World.