The Marauders Freed (IV)

Epilogue: The Burrow

HERMIONE: Ron!

The friends laugh again, and HARRY places an arm around GINNY'S shoulders.

HARRY: Excited for the new year, Neville?

NEVILLE: Oh, yeah! I'm teaching at O.W.L. level for the first time this year-

HANNAH: Not to mention the other big news-

HARRY: What's that?

HANNAH: Neville's been made Head of Gryffindor! McGonagall finally came around after old Vector retired-

HARRY: That's awesome! Congratulations, mate!

NEVILLE: Yeah, I'm excited.

HARRY: What about you, Ron? How's the Muggle driving test been treating you?

RON: Well, I didn't let slip to Dad that I failed the first time- he's been fooling around with Muggle cars for the better part of twenty years-

HERMIONE: And I have a theory that Ron taking a driving test is not going to be a successful endeavour unless a Confundus Charm is used-

RON: Oh, come on! Have some faith in me!

HERMIONE: Oh, I do! Your Confundus Charms have actually been improving lately-

More laughter sounds from the table. Across the horizon, the sun begins to set as the last rays of daylight shine down on the Burrow. GINNY gazes pensively at the children as they play Quidditch and rests her head on HARRY'S shoulder.

HARRY: How's the baby?

GINNY: (grinning) Sleeping inside me. How did today go?

HARRY: Pretty good. Teddy seemed really excited, and it's good that Victoire was with him.

GINNY: What about Andromeda? How's she taking all this?

HARRY: She's happy for him. But I can't say she isn't struggling- she's still coping with Nymphadora and Remus, I don't think she'll ever fully recover from that-

GINNY: (gravely) None of us will.

HARRY: But Bellatrix stills haunts her nightmares, I can tell. She says she talks about her a lot with that Muggle therapist she's been seeing- I can't imagine how someone can approach something like that, and still keep their sanity-

GINNY: She haunts my nightmares, too. I duelled her at the last battle, don't you remember? If only I had gotten her first- Nymphadora might have been saved-

HARRY: Don't think like that, come on. It was years ago. We're moving on, now. Together.

GINNY: (smiling) I know we are.

From the house, MOLLY steps onto the patio, a cooking apron over her dress and a spatula in hand.

MOLLY: Dinner time! Let's go, kids, quit horsing around and set the table, come on!

The Weasley cousins descend onto the patio, breathless and energetic.

HERMIONE: Rose, come over here, let me clean you up-

LUNA: Boys, dinner time, come along.

The children all approach their parents and sit next to them. A five-year-old JAMES and a three-year-old ALBUS approach their parents.

ALBUS: He cheated, Mommy!

JAMES: Did not!

GINNY: All right, no more bickering, it's dinner time. Sit up straight-