Afterwards

George

Night was slowly falling over Hogwarts. In the great hall, the bodies were still laid in long rows. Some people were still searching for their loved ones; occasionally, the doors would bang open and somebody would come in, carrying another body in their arms. The body would be laid on the end of a row, and the person would leave again.

George was oblivious to all of this. He still knelt at Fred's head, tears pouring down his cheeks silently, his lips moving soundlessly, his forehead touching Fred's. In his mind, thoughts were running wildly, thinking of all the memories, thinking of all the times they had caused mischief and annoyed Peeves... He thought of the times when they'd been so drunk that neither of them had been able to walk in a straight line. Fred's laugh was playing though his head on repeat, like a record stuck in one place. He would never hear that laugh again.

Harry & Ginny

Harry had wanted to run to her all day, embrace her, kiss her like she'd kissed him that time at the Burrow, before they'd set off on that hellish journey for Horcruxes. When they found each other, it was in the common room of Gryffindor tower, and both of them looked at each other and knew that they were thinking the same thing. Ron must have seen the look, because he gave Harry a half nod, and they went upstairs to Ginny's dorm.

She shut the door behind them, and looked at Harry. Her eyes did not fill with tears, her posture gave nothing away, but she meant every word that she said next.

"I was scared. I really was, down there. When I was fighting Bellatrix. Sometimes, this year, it's been you, thoughts of being with you that have kept me going. I never let go of the thought that you'd get here, that it would all be over..."

Harry looked at her, and thought of all the things that he'd wanted to say, all the things that he'd thought, all the dreams he'd had of her.

"I was always going to come and find you," he said softly.

"And now you have," she whispered back.

Like a man in a dream, he walked towards her. His hand went out and tipped her chin up with his thumb and forefinger. Her eyes were sparkling and blazing with excitement, with fulfilled promises. His mouth came down on hers, and for the first time in longer than he could remember, he felt like he was whole again. The kiss was like a drug, like a cure. It was Ginny, she was all he needed...

Molly & Arthur

Molly lay face down on their bed in the Hog's Head. She had taken off her hat, and Arthur could see streaks of silver running through her gorgeous red hair. Slowly, he reached out and ran his fingers through that hair, like he had on their wedding night, so long ago. Everything seemed a very long time ago. The fact that they now had six children rather than seven was obscuring all other memories.

Arthur tried to think of something to say, but he knew that everything would be inadequate. He knew that she was crying, he could see it in the shaking of her shoulders.

"Molly..?"

She stirred, even in the depths of her grief she would reply to him that everything was fine, even when he knew that it wasn't true. Balling her hands into fists and rubbing her eyes like a child, she sat up and tried to look him in the face. He opened her arms for her, and she fell into him with a wail, her head resting on his chest, her tears soaking through his shirt. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head softly, wished he could do more, say more, anything.

Severus Snape

He was walking through the clouds... those were the lyrics of Lily's favourite song, but what was it called? He racked his brains, closed his eyes and tried to remember. When he opened his eyes again, Lily herself was walking towards him. But her face was not kind, it was angry. Although he did not know what the matter was, he instinctively cowered.

"How could you?"

Her voice was filled with hatred. This was not how he had imagined it, this was not how he wanted it to be. Why hadn't he just been nice to the Potter Boy? What was his problem?

James, of course. The memories of James. The memories of how he had made him look a fool. He could not be nice to a child that looked so much like the man that had stolen the love of his life, who had made his life a misery.

"I'm waiting for an answer," she said, her voice hard.

"I couldn't," he whispered. It sounded inadequate even to his ears. He was suddenly filled with remorse, and, unexpectedly, the tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks.

Ron & Hermione

The walked up to the common room holding hands. Harry looked at them, and said nothing. Ron missed this gesture completely, he was entranced, he was so happy. He felt like he could have jumped off a cliff and not been hurt; this was Hermione, his Hermione, the girl he'd hungered after for so many years.

They sat in the chairs around the fire. Hermione was smiling, a little secretive smile that he'd never seen before. He knew then that she had wanted this as much as he had. Ginny suddenly climbed through the portrait hole, and Harry leapt to his feet. Then, he checked himself, even as he walked towards Ginny. Ron gave a half nod, only the smallest gesture of consent, and they were away, walking upstairs to her room. He found that he didn't feel as protective as he usually did.

"Shall we follow in their footsteps?"

He looked at Hermione, and decided not to make a joke out of it, even though he was sure that she was expecting it of him. He took her hand again, and nodded. They walked up the spiral stairs together, and stepped into Ron's old dorm. Hermione locked the door, turned to Ron and pounced on him like a tiger would. He embraced her as they fell backwards onto his bed. The kisses were hot, fast and passionate. He knew he had never felt this way before.

Molly & Arthur

Silence was speaking volumes. Molly's face was now dry, but her eyes were still red. They lay in their nightclothes next to each other, facing each other. Arthur moved his head slowly forward, and kissed Molly gently. She half - responded, but Arthur knew that she didn't want this, not now, not now. Words needed to be spoken, the grief needed to be put into words.

"I can't understand why..."

Her words were laced with unshed tears.

"We were lucky that we only lost one," he said, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth.

She sighed; his hand went to her waist.

"We were," she said, she knew it was true.

"We can't change it; he died fighting, he wouldn't have wanted to go any other way."

"I worry about George," she said slowly.

"He's strong. He'll be okay. We all will."

George

His feet were aching with pins and needles. His hands were cold on Fred's even colder face. The thumb of his right hand was resting on the corner of Fred's mouth, gently stroking his lower lip. He was trying to remember all the features of his twin's face, the same as his. His tears were falling from his eyes onto Fred's closed lashes. It looked like both twins were crying in death.

Slowly, he pushed Fred's body along the line so that there was enough space for him to lie down. He curled himself up next to his twin, and took his cold hand in his, interlacing stiff fingers. Eyes closing, he tried to press himself against Fred so that they would be closer. The tears were still running down his cheeks even as he slept.

Severus Snape

"What do you mean, you couldn't? He is my son, you loved me, why couldn't you let yourself love him? It's not difficult, Sev.

He looked up at her, cowardly. Her green eyes, her boy's eyes, the eyes he loved, were cold.

"I hated James..." There, the words were said.

"I know you did."

He turned away, he didn't want her to see the tears.

"I didn't try, you're right. I didn't want to try. I didn't want to see anything but nastiness in your son. I'm sorry."

"Sorry won't cut it."

"Lily, please!"

"Sev, all this ended so long ago. I ended so long ago. You had sixteen more years with my son than I did, and you made his life hell."

"I'm sorry..."

The skies, which had been blue such a short while ago, were growing black, clouds were filling them. Lily was fading away, Snape reached out for her, but she had thrown him down, his angel had abandoned him.

"Lily!" He screamed out his pain, all his pain and suffering, in that one word.

Harry & Ginny

They were topless, both of them. They were lying on Ginny's bed, Harry trailing kisses down her stomach, his fingers undoing her trousers and pulling off her underwear, making her scream.

"Harry, I swear on my life, this is what I wanted. Don't stop there..."

"What on earth made you think that I would?"

She laughed at that and kissed him. He buried his hands in her hair and they rolled so that she was lying atop him him. She took off his jeans, tossed them aside, and then removed his boxers. Harry gasped and gripped her hips. She reached out and touched him, he was responding with his whole body...

"..Ginny..."

She let him have her. She lay underneath him and he entered her, and they were dancing, moving, making love. Finally, finally, finally together.

George

He was dreaming of Fred, dreaming of the time that they'd kissed once, on a dare. It had been truth or dare, he remembered that now. One girl loved boy - on - boy, so they obliged. They did it, and then it was over. And then they both wanted it again, but neither of them ever said it. But after that, they were even more inseparable than before.

He knew that he had to live; he knew that he had to stay alive. He knew that he had to be strong and stay himself and get through it. In his sleep, he twitched and murmured Fred's name.

He dreamed vividly then, dreamed that he was standing with Fred on a windswept hill in the rain. Looking down the hill, he saw the Burrow. Fred reached out and put both hands on George's shoulders. He looked him in the eyes, and starting speaking very quietly.

"George, you have to stay strong for me, you've gotta live for me... please. You know how heartbroken everybody will be if they loose you too... It just can't happen. You know that."

"But how do I live without you with me?" George cried.

"I'll always be there. I'll always be watching you. You're my twin, my brother, my lover. I love Mum and Dad, Percy and Charlie and Bill and all of them... but you're my twin, I'll always be there, even if you can't see me. This is goodbye now..."

His voice faded off, he leaned in and kissed George gently on the lips. Then he wiped away his tears and smiled

George woke, and looked at Fred's prone body. Letting the last of the tears go, he got up and walked away. He did not look back to see Fred's last smile, still etched on his face.

Ron & Hermione

Hermione cried out; Ron stopped and looked at her in concern. He didn't want to hurt her.

"Don't stop..." she begged him.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said gently.

"That's the worst of it over, I'm sure..."

He nodded, and thrust into her once again. Their breath was coming in harsh stops and starts. Sweat was cobwebbed between them, their fingers were entwined and above Hermione's head.

She cried out again, but this time it was in pleasure. He broke their kiss and let his mouth wander down to her breast... she was moaning and he was panting eagerly. She screamed his name suddenly, and they slumped together, breathing slowly now, their chests rising and falling unison.

"Marry me."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Marry me. I want to hear you scream my name like that for the rest of my life."

She laughed.

Molly & Arthur

Molly lay sleeping in his arms, their bodies curled together. They had talked, she had cried some more. Now, it was as if she had no tears left. Arthur had not cried, had not let himself cry until now. Now the tears were gently falling into her hair.

He half - wished that she was awake to comfort him as he had comforted her.

Harry & Ginny

They lay together in the sleepy aftermath of lovemaking, talking quietly about Harry's adventures, laughing softly in the dark.

"I guess this means we're an item again then," said Ginny.

"I think you'll find it does!" Harry replied.

"Good. Because I love you."

"Love you too."