Epilogue

*****1998*****

*Hermione*

"Granger, what is it this year, skiing still not your thing?" Draco Malfoy asked her.

Why was he here? His father was out of Azkaban, both of his parents were in France last Hermione had heard. Hermione wasn't even sure why he was back at Hogwarts at all. They hadn't spoken all year. Their classes were mixed up, about half of their year back, taking classes with some of the year below. Half of the school hadn't been at Hogwarts the year before, and the ones who had been there, even all of the year, hadn't gotten to learn very much. No one had taken exams with the battle and the repairs to the castle.

But maybe now she didn't feel like lying anymore. "I'm leaving soon, going to the Burrow. I didn't feel like taking the train. And my parents are in Australia. I erased their memories and sent them there so they'd be safe a year and a half ago. But I haven't gone to look for them yet, because I don't know what to tell them," she said. People usually didn't mention it, and when they did, she said she was working on it.

"What the hell, Granger!" Malfoy shot back. "Go find your parents."

"Why do you care?"

"Why are you telling me? Something else you want to blame on me? Draco Malfoy got Albus Dumbledore killed. The whole damn war was Draco Malfoy's fault. One hundred seventy four deaths."

"It wasn't- nearly that many," Hermione found herself saying. There were only- fifty something, Hermione didn't really know.

"Oh wasn't it? Don't could Death Eater deaths, do you? And the other followers? Maybe those werewolves didn't feel like they had a choice. And those two giants' bodies were so hard to get rid of. I even counted the acromantulas. What about the house elves? You wanted to free them so badly, did you know that four of them died? And three centaurs. And everyone could see that dead thestral, but maybe it was just because we'd all seen death by then. And Crabbe was an idiot, but I got him killed. And now I'm responsible for taking your family away too? They aren't dead, just go find them, Granger," Draco said. This was probably about as many words than they had said directly to each other in seven years combined, and most of those were fights.

"It's not your fault," Hermine said. "None of it was."

"That's not what a lot of people think," he replied.

"It doesn't matter. You were just a kid. We were all just kids. It's entirely Voldemort's fault. Don't flinch. No one has to be scared by that name anymore. And you helped us," Hermione said. "When you didn't identify Harry, so Voldemort didn't come. We'd probably all be dead without you, and Voldemort on his way to literally ruling the world. It's why I said that at your trial, but I never told you thank you. So thank you."

"You were tortured. In my house. By my aunt. You should hate me," Draco said, almost instructed.

"But I don't. I don't blame you. And you shouldn't blame yourself either. I've had to tell Harry that many times."

"Potter blames me?" Draco Malfoy asked. Hermione couldn't read his tone.

"No, he has blamed himself. Which is no better or worse than you blaming yourself."

"If you're so- recovered from our terrible childhoods, then why haven't you gone to find your parents yet?" he asked. They weren't really looking at each other now. They'd both… shared too much.

Why stop now? It was sometimes easier to talk to someone who didn't care about you. "Because I'm afraid they won't forgive me," she admitted.

"That- is the stupidest thing you might have ever said, Granger. They'll forgive you. They're your parents. And your too damned mentally healthy and well-adjusted to not have parents who loved you. Even my father loves me, and he's a murderer."

"Happy Christmas," Hermione said. Because she didn't have an answer. But Draco Malfoy had made her feel better.

*Lavender*

Mum said she should consider herself lucky that most of the scars are so easy to cover up, if Lavender didn't insist on, "baring your midsection in the middle of winter!" as her mother liked to say.

But Lavender wouldn't do it. She like the scars and showing them off. She had spent too much of her life trying to look perfectly groomed and sucking in the small stomach that she had. No more.

She was never sure that she belonged in Gryffindor until that day. And she knew how lucky she was to be alive, and would mourn those who weren't. And Hermione Granger saved her, that stupid fight they'd had for Ron Weasley so meaningless in comparison to their struggle. They were all just fighting together. Defenders of Hogwarts. Survivors.

So she wouldn't put on that oversized jumper, and her mum would have to get over it.

*Dennis*

The first of everything is the hardest, Dennis reminded myself. Making it through what should have been Colin's seventeenth birthday- that was the very hardest. At least with Christmas, there were a few more distractions.

Dad always knew that his boys were different. When he and Colin ran out the door on that day in early May, unsure of how they would get back to Hogwarts on their own... They had said that they had to help some friends who were in trouble.

Dennis couldn't go home that day or the next, because then he would have to explain to his dad.

Going to school in September hurt them both so much again. He was really leaving his dad alone. But sometimes when Dennis buried himself studying for OWLs, he could forget. And sometimes when he looked at some of the pictures that Colin had taken, it didn't hurt quite as much, and he could remember the good parts too.

*Harry*

He was happy, and that was wrong. He was an auror, Hermione and Ginny were back from Hogwarts, and Ginny was looking at him all the time. He had a flat with Ron but they both ended up at the Burrow most of the time when they weren't doing auror work. And Ginny was looking at him and smiling a lot. They weren't… officially dating yet, but she wasn't seeing anyone else- and they'd kissed again. Hermione and Ron seemed to be getting along well too.

But Fred was dead, and so many others were too. How could he be happy?

Andromeda said that they'd want us to be happy. Harry went to see her and Teddy a few times a week. Teddy could say "Harry" and chase after him like crazy. Harry had gotten Teddy his first broom for Christmas, like Harry had a picture of himself riding at about that age. Harry had never been more excited to give anything, and hoped the tiny boy liked it. The little boy with blue hair most of the time, though it was naturally a sandy blond like his father's. Sometimes when Harry was around, he made it black.

No one knew what to say at Christmas, especially to George and Mrs. Weasley, but they were all there, together and trying.

*****1999*****

*Hermione*

A new millennium almost upon them- sort of. 2001 was arguably the start of the next millennium, and any ordering system of time was arbitrary to begin with but-

She had her family back with her, her parents. And after the Weasley gathering, she and Ron were going over to her parents' house for them to meet Ron. It wasn't the house of her childhood. Someone else owned that now, thanks to Hermione. But her parents were safe and had forgiven her. Just like someone told her they would. Ron had met her parents before, but not like this. Not when he was being introduced as a boyfriend. Because they were dating, she and Ron. And they were surprisingly happy. Ron was trying very hard, and Hermione was happy. She was working almost constantly at the Ministry, but she was challenged, fulfilled. And sometimes when he was free for lunch, he'd come by her tiny office and convince her to be free too. Hermione needed that to not go completely crazy.

Everyone was still hurting, but they'd all be okay.

*Draco*

It was Astoria's last year in school. Then she would go to work at the Ministry, and they would announce their engagement the next December. They would have a one year engagement and be married by the next Christmas. Mother already had a venue reserved. And he and Astoria were part of the decisions. Astoria did not intend to stop working as soon as she was married. And they wanted to wait some time before they had kids. To make sure they could still stand each other… But this wasn't some closed-door arrangement behind their backs.

Draco enjoyed spending time with Astoria. She was just young enough not to have really been involved in it all. She had kept her head down that awful year, but didn't have anything to be ashamed of. And she told Draco that he had done the best that he could in an impossible situation. She wasn't the first to have told Draco that, but with enough repetition, he was starting to believe it.

*Harry*

Molly- it still felt weird calling Mrs. Weasley that- was happy. And most of it, Harry thought, was thanks to Fleur, the remarkable young woman who Mrs. Weasley once very much wanted out of their lives.

Fleur said that she had quit work because her pregnancy was hard on her, but she seemed to be doing fine, and Harry wondered if it was just to take care of everyone else. She helped with cooking at the Burrow, and she and – Molly – talked all the time. Fleur had recently found out that she was having a girl, due in late April or early May, and it was almost unimaginable to have something to look forward to during that time.

And next Christmas, there would be a new Weasley at the Burrow, not knowing what was going on, but part of a wonderful family, the start of the next generation. It all made Harry a little philosophical, and that was when he missed Dumbledore the most. Because Dumbledore would have said something wise, about new life and celebrating all that they had. But Harry didn't quite have the right words.

But maybe he would be wise and know just what to say when he was that old.

Harry was looking forward to it.

A/N: Done. And I feel really good about this one. Thank you for your kind words. If I did write more scenes to this, it would be vaguely epilogue compliant, but not Cursed Child compliant.