On God?

Epilogue

I stood up and wiped off my hands, finally done with what I was working on.

Three graves, each side by side, stood tall and proud in a small, sunny corner of Godric's Hollow graveyard. Harry stood up from beside me, clearly pleased with the work we had done today.

Alphia Jones, already slightly weathered with age. On the right, Regulus Arturus Black, and next to that one, Sirius Orion Black.

"I think they would like it." Harry said, breaking the silence. "It's not over the top, and my parents are just over there." He gestured vaguely to the left, where we had passed his parent's grave this morning, before beginning to work on my dad's and Sirius's.

"Me too." I agreed. The two graves looked almost just like my mom's, but they all had their own distinct flair at the top.

My mother, flowers and vines carved in at the top of the gravestone. Sirius had paw prints, and Regulus had stars and crescent moons.

Something in my chest clenched at the sight of the finished product, twisting uncomfortably.

"I miss them. I didn't even know them, so why would I? But whenever I think of them...Whenever I think of what we could have had..."

"It's like your heart is being pulled apart." Harry finished for me, nodding. "I know what you mean. I had the Dursley's growing up but....obviously that did lots of good for me growing up. Sooo much parental love." He sounded bitter, and I couldn't help but agree.

"My parents...the one's who weren't technically my parents, I mean, I loved them of course but...something was always missing. My mom didn't smile just as wide as the other moms when picking me up from school, my dad always waved away my attempts to show him my latest craft." Harry was maybe the only person I could talk to about something like this. He knew how it felt. "They never even told me I was adopted, for god's sake."

We fell silent again, staring at the graves in the warm breeze of June.

It had taken all of May for things to finally start getting back to normal. Buildings needed to be repaired. Muggles needed to be Obliviated. Funerals needed to be arranged, greiving time was needed. Kingsley Shacklebolt was appointed the new Minister of Magic two weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Theo, Blaise and I had to attend funerals, trials and had to watch people be sent off to Azkaban.

After things had started settling down, and we were finally getting full nights of sleep again, and getting several days in between affairs to handle, Harry and I decided to do something long overdue.

Lay our ghosts to rest.

Some ghosts lingered though. I would still have to calmed after nightmares by Blaise in the middle of the night. Theo had been through the most of us, perhaps. He had his own trial, not too long ago, which was quickly cleared up after all of the evidence that Harry, Ron, Hermione, several others, and I had offered up, but I could still see the haunted look in his eyes whenever he looked at the Dark Mark.

"I...have something." Harry said finally, hesitating before reaching in his pocket. I gasped when I saw the Resurrection Stone in his hand, gaze darting back up to meet his. "I-I'm not saying to bring your parents back...but if you wanted to talk to them one last time...I thought you should have the chance. I did."

"Harry...." I breathed out his name as he handed me the stone, barely able to inhale. "You-"

"I-I gotta go find Ginny. I promised I'd be back for dinner." He gave me a sad smile, patting me on the shoulder. "Just...make sure to get rid of the stone. It'll drive you mad if you keep it with you."