Alone

Epilogue

Jake smiled and sipped his coffee, watching the pigeons fly outside the window.

"Hey, Jakie boy," Derek greeted the black haired man as he entered the kitchen. Jake nodded to him in response.

"So we're still up for tonight?" Derek asked with his mouth full of cereal and milk. Jake smiled again and sat down opposite his best friend.

"Yeps and please, swallow before you talk. I don't need you to put me off my food so early in the morning," Jake said dryly. Derek rolled his eyes, but complied.

"Picky, picky," Derek said, taking a big gulp of his coffee. Jake in turn rolled his eyes.

"And you wonder why your girlfriends never stay."

Derek stuck his tongue out at Jake.

The rest of the morning passed in relative normalcy.

~~*~~

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Jake winced as the shout ripped through the air and rattled his eardrums mercilessly. He could almost feel the headache that would surely develop coming on. Damn Derek.

"LET ME DOWN! LET ME DOWN! LET ME DOWN!" Derek screamed rather girlishly into Jake's ear, making him wince again.

"It was your idea to come up here!" Jake shouted back, rather enjoying torturing Derek after he had screamed so loudly into his ear. After all, Jake wasn't yet sure he didn't need to see a doctor about the ringing in his ear.

"DO YOU HAVE TO GO SO GODDAMN FAST!? ISN'T THERE A RULE AGAINST GOING AT THIS SPEED?! LOOK OUT FOR THAT TREE!!! YOU ALMOST GOT US KILLED!"

Jake rolled his eyes discreetly.

"I missed that tree by miles!" Jake retorted, offended that Derek could even think that he'd hit a tree. The only answer he got was a whimper. Turning slightly on the broomstick, Jake caught a glimpse of Derek. His eyes were closed and he was muttering what sounded to be like a prayer.

"Thanks for your confidence in my flying skills!" Jake said dryly. Derek cracked an eye open and glared at the smirking man. His eyes widened as the side of Sirius' house came into view.

"YOU'RE GONNA HIT THE HOUSE! I'M GONNA DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Jake rolled his eyes again and, ignoring Derek's protests, pulled the broomstick vertical to the manor at the last possible moment, barely avoiding the collision. Slowing down gradually, Jake gasped for breath. The death grip Derek had around his waist only seemed to be tightening and he was sure his face was turning blue from the lack of air.

"Jake!" Lucy called sternly, hands on hips and hazel eyes flashing dangerously. "Get your ass down here now! It's dinner time!"

Jake hurriedly complied. When Lucy used *that* tone of voice and she told you to jump, all you need to ask was how high.

As they landed on the ground a second later, Derek almost knocked Jake out with his foot in his haste to get off the broom. Collapsing on the ground, the blond man kissed it several times before standing up to advance on his best friend.

"You- you-" Derek spluttered angrily, not sure where even to begin. Right now he was contemplating whether to kill Jake painfully or to invite Draco to help and so the both of them could kill Jake painfully. Jake's response was to blink innocently.

"Yes, buddy?" Jake asked as he swung the broomstick over his shoulder as the two of them walked towards the picnic table.

"Bastard!"

The next thing Jake knew he was flat on the ground, making conversation with the grass while a heavy object whacked him rather painfully on the back.

"How" whack "dare" whack "you" whack "do that" whack "to me?!" Derek demanded as he repeatedly hit Jake's back with the now battered broomstick. "Do you even" thwack "know" wallop "how bloody" whack "scary that was?!"

//Gee thanks Derek!// Jake thought sarcastically. //When you finally work up the courage to get on a broomstick with me, the only thanks I get is a broken back. Why did I even become your friend anyway?// Jake groaned softly and thanked whatever god was listening when the abuse finally stopped. Rolling over on his back, he blinked to see Draco, standing next to Derek, holding out a beater's bat.

"This works better," he said, smirking at the shocked look on Jake's face. Derek grasped the club in his hand and Jake swallowed visibly. He did not like that look in Derek's eyes. He did not like it at all.

"Are you gentlemen going to join the rest of us humble mortals or are you going to stay there all day contemplating violence?"

All three men froze at the cold voice and shared one single desperate look. They were in for it now. Jake clambered to his feet and all three turned to see a peeved Lucy standing there. Derek took a small step back, Jake looked ready to bolt. Draco cursed under his breath and his eyes searched the surrounding landscape for a means of escape.

The very pregnant and very un-tolerant Lucy crossed her arms and tapped her foot slowly. The three guilty men hung their heads.

"Now, march over to the table, and don't make me to have to tell you again!"

The three men scrambled and practically ran for the table. When they got there, all three scowled when they realised everybody was laughing at their expense.

"Thanks for helping, Blaise," Draco said dryly as his best friend shot him a bright smile.

"Even though you're my best friend, I'm not stupid enough to argue with Lucy," Blaise said with a small shudder. Jake nodded vigorously in agreement before he piled his plate with food.

##Six Months Earlier##

Jake blinked his eyes open blearily and wondered briefly where he was. Glancing around the familiar white room, he groaned softly as pain spread through his whole body.

"Jake! Oh, thank God, you're all right!"

The next thing Jake knew was Derek's chest as his friend smothered him in a hug.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

Jake nodded weakly, brain still hazy over the details of the last twenty-four hours.

"What happened?" Jake asked, after the dizziness in his head retreated. Derek sat down on the chair beside the bed and looked with incredulity at his friend.

"Don't you remember?"

Jake frowned and thought back to the events at Malfoy Manor.

"I remember Voldemort, Malfoy coughing up blood and....Lucy!" Jake's eyes widened and he scrambled to get out of the bed, only to be restrained by Derek.

"Whoa! Buddy, calm down. Lucy's fine. She's with Blaise at the moment."

Jake sagged in relief before frowning again.

"What happened to her? I was sure that she was-" Jake's voice cracked, and he found that he could not say the word 'dead'.

"Dead? Six feet under? No longer living among us?" Derek supplied helpfully. Jake glared and huffed slightly.

"You know," Jake said dryly. "It's not nice to joke that one of our best friends is dead."

Derek waved his hand in a dismissive manner.

"Lucy never actually died," Derek informed Jake. Jake's only answer was to look like he was about to faint again. "It turns out that the person who cast the spell wasn't powerful enough to actually do it. Something about Unforgivables are really, really, *really* hard to cast and not apparently not everybody can do it. Turns out all he did was knock her out for a couple of minutes."

Jake sighed again and flopped down on to the bed. His muscles were aching like hell and he was sure he wouldn't be able to move without pain for the next few weeks.

"Awake, Potter?"

Jake groaned and peeled open his eyes. There, standing next to Derek was the last person he wanted to see. Draco Malfoy had his arms crossed and was smirking down at him rather patronisingly.

"And I was just having such a good day too," Jake muttered before sitting up again. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Grow up Potter. There are better things for us to do than bicker all day like children," Draco said with a slight glare. Jake looked like he was ready to retort when the curtain around his bed was fully drawn back to reveal all his friends standing there. Hermione and Ron offered a tentative smile, not sure how Jake would react. Jake smiled back.

"Thank God you're alright," Sirius said, embracing Jake tightly. "I don't know what I'd if you didn't make it."

Jake coughed and patted his godfather awkwardly on the back.

"JAKE!"

The whole room winced at the shout. The next second, a black blob had pushed Sirius (with more force than necessary) out of the way, off the bed, and onto the ground with a painful thump. Jake stared at the disgruntled heap of his godfather, but before he could laugh, something leapt at him and two small arms wrapped themselves around his torso, squeezing mercilessly.

"Oh, Jake," Lucy sobbed into his chest. "I knew you would come. I knew you were Harry Potter the minute I saw the photo. I knew you would come and save me. But don't you ever scare me like that again. No one was sure whether you'd make it or not. I'm so glad that you did!"

Jake wheezed and glanced desperately at Derek.

"Help me," he croaked, trying to push the still sobbing Lucy off his chest. Derek looked like he was in no hurry to do so, stretching before leaning back into the chair.

"Oh, and Jake," Lucy said brightly, finally releasing Jake from her clutches. Jake sucked as much air into his lungs as possible before nodding for Lucy to continue. Lucy beamed and continued to talk at such a pace that Jake found it hard to keep up with her.

"I'm getting married, and you, Draco, and Derek are going to be the men of honour. I've got a nice suit all picked out. It's like purple with yellow flowers and a white top hat. I'm sure you'll look lovely in it. The wedding is in six weeks time and its going to be held at the park we always go past on the way to Derek's parents' house. You remember it, don't you? The place is beautiful and just imagine it for my wedding. Oh, and I want you to bring a date. Just not Tiffany. She's a bitch and no one really likes her. If you can't find one, Blaise has a cousin that's on the Light side and she doesn't have a date. I'm sure she'd love to go with you. What do you say? Will you be able to find your own date or should I tell Blaise to owl his cousin?" Taking a deep breath, Lucy looked expectantly at Jake.

Jake promptly fainted again.

~~*~~

That was six months ago, and now Jake was happily living his life. He supposed he had found where he belonged in the end. After his presence in the wizarding world had been re-established, the magical press swarmed over the Boy Who Lived. Jake dodged, hid and ran from them, but they always seemed to know where he was. He was suspicious that Draco had something to do with this, but never had the chance to prove it. Glancing at the laughing blond across the table, Jake's expression turned pensive. The two still fought, yes, but that was half the fun. It would've just been weird if the two had altogether stopped bickering and started acting like chums. Shuddering slightly at the thought, Jake popped a piece of potato into his mouth and transferring his gaze to Hermione and Ron.

Ron had a scar that ran down half his cheek. It was a nasty reminder of the war, but compared to some other people, he got off lucky. The trio's relationship and friendship was slowly, but surely rebuilding itself, although there were and would likely always be some rough patches. Jake gazed at the couple for a few seconds longer before looking down the table at Sirius and Remus.

The two people he considered father figures in his life were currently smudging gravy over Hermione and Ron's two year old daughter, Melissa. Jake speared a chicken wing with his fork and continued to ponder. Their relationship was improving, and Jake had all but forgiven the two for not believing in him. Although it still hurt to think about, Jake knew he couldn't live without the two, or the rest of his friends, as a part his life.

Jake was brought out of his thoughts by an elbow in his ribs. Blinking, he turned towards Derek who was looking at him in concern.

"Alright there?" Derek asked. Jake nodded and grinned.

"Just thinking about how life's changed."

Derek nodded and continued to stuff his face. Jake watched in disgusted fascination for a few seconds before going back to his dinner and his thoughts.

After the battle, Jake had recovered and gone back to his job in the muggle world. He couldn't stand the magical press and his job had begun to grow on him. Lucy was getting married to Blaise, but she refused point blank to lose contact with Jake and Derek. So, in a way, Jake was part of both worlds. He received the anonymity he craved in the muggle world, but was able to enjoy all magical things by going over to visit his friends once in a while.

Patting his stuffed stomach in satisfaction, Jake tipped his chair back. Sighing in contentment, Jake grinned at the table and laced his hands behind his head. Life was good.

At which moment Lucy's dog, Dodo, came bounding out of the house and straight towards Jake. Jake held his hand up in a desperate effort to hold the dog back, but it wouldn't be deterred from its mission. Jumping up and plummeting towards Jake's chest, the two tumbled to the ground. Laughter drifted into the night as Jake sat on the ground and let Dodo lick his face with a resignation that only came from experience.

Yes, life was good.