Till The End | h.p

till the end

White light surrounds her and clouds her vision. As she struggles to open her eyes, she sees the sun glaring off the castle. There's no fires, the walls still intact, as if nothing ever happened. She stands on the fresh grass of the grounds as the sun shines down. She smiles as all of her worries wash away. She looks around for Harry or Hermione or her brothers, but instead, she sees Cedric Diggory walking towards her.

She tilts her head, "Cedric?"

He grins widely at her before wrapping her in a hug, "Hey."

She wraps her arms around him, "I'm so sorry I couldn't-"

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault. Plus you guys did it! You defeated him."

She smiles before it dawns on her and she pulls away from him, "I'm dead aren't I?"

He gives her a sad smile before looking over his shoulder and then back at her, "There's some people who want to talk to you."

"What?" She asks in response.

He steps aside and walking towards her is her mom and Sirius. Shock and joy fill her up as she runs to meet them. A smile spreads across her face and they both chuckle as she collapses into them.

"My sweet, brave girl," her mom whispers in her hair.

"Mom," she chokes out as tears spring in her eyes, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, my love."

Sam holds onto them tightly before pulling away and looking at Sirius, "I'm so- so sorry, Dad. I tried to- I couldn't-"

"Shh," he whispers as he wipes her tears, "I could never blame you my darling. We are so proud of you and all that you've accomplished."

She looks down, "I left Harry."

Her mother smiles down at her, "Not yet."

Sam returns her gaze to her eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember what I wrote to you in that letter I left with Dumbledore?" She asks.

Sam simply shakes her head, so she continues, "An act of truly selfless love, will save you from the darkness our family carries. You died to save someone you loved selflessly. You performed the impossible, knowing you would die trying. Your heart stopped because your magic changed inside of you. But you can still choose to live, if that's what you want."

Sam looks between her mother and her father, "But I just got you back."

Sirius gives her a toothy grin, "We're not going anywhere. We will be here waiting for you when the time is right, but that time isn't now, baby. Think of the ones you'll be leaving behind."

Sam remembers Fred and George, Ron and Hermione, and Harry and her heart aches to be with them. She looks into their eyes and she knows that she will see them again.

"What do I do?" She asks with certainty.

Her mother smiles brightly at her, "Close your eyes and find their voices. They will guide you back."

Sam looks at her parents one last time, taking in their features, memorizing their smiles, before closing her eyes, "I love you."

She hears a faint whisper, Hermione's voice. Then Ron's. George crying and Fred pleading with her to come back. She slowly walks closer to the sounds of their voices. Then like a hand plunging into the water to pull her out, she hears the soft whispering of Harry's voice, calling out to her.

"Sam... Please don't leave me... Sam... I love you..."

She breaks into a full on run through the darkness to get back to them. His voice ringing through her ears.

"I love you," he whispers in her ear and a bright light surrounds her.

"Till the end?" She mumbles back.

His head shoots up and they all gather closer into her. She fights to open her eyes and they flutter slowly.

"Sam?" Fred calls out.

Her eyes open to bright light, but as they adjust she can see everyone she loves around her.

"Freddie?"

A smile breaks out on their faces and Harry pulls her closer into his chest, "I thought I lost you."

She chuckles slightly, "Well, if you can come back from the dead, I thought, so can I."

They all burst into laughter and Hermione is the first to pull her from Harry's grasp and hug her tightly.

"You kept your promise," she whispers.

"Always," Sam assures.

Fred sits beside her with tears in his eyes, "You brought me back..."

She holds onto his hand, "We didn't win if we aren't all standing together at the end."

Fred helps her to her feet and they all stand together before wrapping their arms around one another. Reunited, three out of six brought back from the dead, but finally free. Sam looks at them all, her family, and remembers how they grew up together. Laughing, running, fighting, smiling, being utterly extraordinary together. But that's what each of them was, extraordinary. Without one, the others would fall, but together, they all rise higher and higher. Her best memories are with the ones that surround her. Now, they can finally move on and live freely, side by side.