Epilogue Three
Confronting the Faceless 💀 CompleteSummer, 2018
"there was all the difference in the world"
Ava Travers
If you had asked her twenty years ago where she thought she'd be at thirty five (well, almost thirty six now), Ava would have said something along the lines of being an Auror, or some other job where she hunted down bad guys and got to be a hero.
Reality is something very different: after all, there aren't really any bad guys to defeat when running an ice cream shop. At worst she has entitled customers or employees who don't show up then complain when she fires them.
Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley had been a staple of her childhood, until it closed abruptly and without explanation in her fourth year. It wasn't until the war was over that Florean's death was revealed to the public alongside the names of the other deceased.
Reopening the old shop wasn't Ava's first choice upon graduating Hogwarts (a year late due to the time under Snape being written off and everyone having to retake the year). She had instead applied to be an Auror, still determined to prove herself a "good" Slytherin.
And that was when she really had her rude awakening. Sure she'd been a little shaken by Venus the night of the Battle, but it didn't change the fact that every Slytherin had walked away or joined up with Voldemort. Ava still felt justified on most levels. But Auror training meant working under her cousin Clary, and that had been the straw that broke the camel's back.
Clary had always been a proud Slytherin, and at first her harsh training and intense critiques solidified Ava's thoughts on her old House. But then she'd discovered that Clary was dating the current acting Minister, a man Ava had, and still has, quite a bit of respect for.
Beyond that, she learned that Kingsley Shacklebolt himself was a Slytherin - and that was a revelation that threw young Ava for a massive loop.
Ultimately she'd come to terms with it, and she likes to think now that she's a much more open-minded person than she used to be, but honestly considering how progressive she'd thought she was at fifteen she questions her own objectivity on that front. (Thankfully Astoria had been willing to give her a second chance, and they both do their best to comfort each other when they're worried about falling into old habits and ways of thinking.)
In the end, Ava hadn't made it through Auror training, burning out early in the second half and slinking back to her parents with her tail between her legs. She'd been humiliated and no longer certain of her place in the world, and it was honestly terrifying.
Her parents had taken her out to ice cream to try and get her out of her room, and that was when she learned that Florean's had never reopened after the war. The lot was for sale, but the sentimental value of the shop was so deeply ingrained into the culture of Diagon Alley that no one had the heart to buy it and make it something else.
Ava, with help from her parents and a loan from Gringotts, ended up buying the lot, intending to reopen the old parlor before the summer rush started. She thought at the time that she'd eventually sell the ownership to someone else, make a decent profit, and then go into something more respectable, but fifteen years later she's still behind the counter, chatting with customers as she puts together their orders, offering advice to Muggleborn parents about the best places to shop, and entertaining kids with tales from her school years.
She thinks even if someone offered her triple what she'd originally paid, she couldn't bring herself to part with the shop now.
She's pulled out of her musings by the bell announcing a customer coming in, and she smiles brightly as she turns to face them. "Welcome to Florean's!" She starts the usual introduction, but finds herself unable to get past the first sentence.
Anwen Rowle grins at her slightly from the other side of the counter, holding the hand of a young boy, no older than five, who's pressing his face eagerly to the glass case showcasing the ice cream selections.
"Hey Ava, I heard you'd gotten this place up and running again." Anwen comments. "It's good to see, I hated having to walk past it all boarded up sixth and seventh year - I used to love coming here."
Ava nods. "Same for me." She agrees, then, awkwardly, "So how are you? I suppose congratulations are in order?" She nods over to the boy, who's now tugging at Anwen's hand and demanding chocolate.
Anwen laughs slightly, nervously. "Um, no, actually. Jason's dad was a Muggle and I haven't actually seen him in six years so."
Ava raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment. "So what can I get for you?"
The two order, and Ava sets about putting together the bowls as Anwen tries to pull out her coin purse without letting go of Jason's hand. As she's paying - and Jason is getting most of his ice cream on his nose and cheeks rather than in his mouth - three more figures come in, chatting loudly.
"Hi Aunt Ava!" Scorpious calls with a bright grin, Al Potter and Rose Weasley pausing their lively debate to wave as well.
Anwen looks over and blinks. "That's Astoria's son?" She guesses, and smiles at Ava's nod. "He seems a lot like her. Well, it was good seeing you Ava, and we'll certainly stop by again in the future."
"I'll look forward to it." Ava replies automatically. Before she can think too hard about it, she's distracted by three unruly twelve year olds waving Sickles at her and shouting their orders.
She sees Anwen and her son leaving from the corner of her eye as she passes Albus his triple fudge swirl and accepts his two Sickles in payment, and decides that she meant it. She is looking forward to seeing Anwen again. Maybe they hadn't gotten along in school, but they aren't children anymore.
And honestly, Ava is happy now in a way she never was at Hogwarts. Maybe this time they can actually be friends.
Theodore Yaxley
Even twenty years later Theo still sees the scars of the war. They're faded and closed, but still present, and some days he doesn't know how everyone else seems to have moved on from staring at them. But some days, most days now, he thinks he finally gets it.
Today, thankfully, is a good day, a day when looking at Evan Sylvester-Kiddell doesn't send a pang of regret and guilt through him, when his mind isn't loudly hissing that he doesn't deserve anything good. That so many people died - avoidably - as a direct result of his actions.
The voice that hisses he shouldn't be forgiven the way he has been.
That voice has always been the hardest to wrangle - even on good days it's a constant presence in the back of his mind. But today, finally, it has fallen silent, perhaps stewing in the knowledge that Theo's greatest weapon against it is officially never going away.
"Nervous?" Kent asks, knocking on the changing room door even as he lets himself in. "It's fine if you are, I certainly was when it was me."
Theo shakes his head, grinning over at his partner, best friend, and today Best Man. "Not at all, actually. I'm not sure I've ever been this certain about anything in my life before."
Kent smiles. "That's really good to hear. I'm glad you're happy."
Another knock and former Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt joins them in the room. "Not to rush things, but I think we're ready to get started."
Theo honestly still can't believe Kingsley made time to come out to his wedding, but the older man had repeatedly assured him he's happy to have been invited. Theo does suppose that with his recent retirement the other man suddenly has quite a bit of free time, though his wife and kids are also in attendance and Theo knows Clary is still working hard at the Auror department - he'd just consulted with her about a few recruits being moved into Hit-Wizard training last week.
"Well, you ready?" Kent asks, shaking Theo out of his thoughts. He nods firmly.
"Never more so." He confirms, and the two of them head out in the small chapel.
It's a very private affair, only friends and close family in attendance, but somehow the small room is still filled to capacity when Theo walks in.
The Shacklebolts are settled near the back, likely to try and avoid drawing too much attention, and the rest of the seats are filled with familiar faces beaming at him.
Most of the attendees are people from the support group Kent had (lovingly) bullied him into attending right after the dust had settled on the final battle. Theo had hated the idea at first, and stubbornly refused to participate even after he'd already mentally acknowledged it was a good idea to go.
The group was full of people who carried scars from the war, as they all do, but Theo was surprised to find how theirs so often matched up with his own. He hadn't realized how many Snatchers were coerced or desperate, how many Ministry workers turned blind eyes to things they felt they could have stopped. And eventually, Theo shared his own story.
There were some familiar faces at the group, which of course helped. Max Rosier was really his first friend in the bunch (and in the present Theo gives him and his sister Claire a small wave as he walks past them and gets two thumbs up in return) but it didn't take long for the entire bunch of thirteen to have formed a bond that only comes from shared trauma.
The group gave him new connections, healthier ones, and helped him learn to stop blaming himself and start accepting that maybe, sometimes, people just want to be nice to him, and they're allowed to do it. Within the bunch smaller, tighter knit friend groups arose naturally, and Theo and Max were joined by Valerie Phipps, a woman who had unwittingly fed information to the Deatheater that had organized the entire Ministry takeover and was, fairly, feeling bad about it.
The three of them were inseparable, sharing things with each other they didn't feel comfortable telling the group yet, offering encouragement or sometimes just an ear or a shoulder when it was needed. It had been comfortable, and honestly Theo couldn't tell you when it had gone from friendship to something more between himself and Valerie. What he does know is that it had taken awhile for either of them to notice the change.
He shakes his head and takes his place at the front of the chapel, looking out over his friends and smiling at Kent's expression when Evan proudly bounces down the aisle, rings balanced carefully on the cushion in his hands. From the audience, Willow looks a bit more worried, and their youngest boy Sammy pouts at not being part of the procession.
It's a short walk - Valerie's brother Zac and his wife walk up the aisle alongside a few members of the support group, and finally Valerie steps into view.
Her dress is simple white lace, nothing flashy - something she could probably wear again to a formal even without anyone batting an eye, and it's so perfectly her that it takes Theo's breath away.
She's smiling as her parents her down the aisle, and he can tell his expression matches by how sore his cheeks are getting.
The ceremony from there is blessedly short, the longest part being their vows, and then Theo is kissing his wife and the crowd is cheering, and for that single moment everything is perfect.
Do you deserve perfection though? The voice whispers, attacking just when it's least welcome.
"I love you." Valerie says softly into his ear as they walk back down the aisle together. "And whatever your brain is saying, it doesn't get to decide that for me."
Theo looks at her and smiles. The voice can take a hike - today can't be tainted by anything.
Aiden Case
"Can we go get ice cream after shopping? Please please please?"
Aiden can't help but smile as the little blonde girl bounces in circles around him while she begs. Mia Bones-Griffith - named for the late Amelia Bones - is one of those children that manages to be adorable even when whining.
Or, equally likely, Aiden is just utterly whipped for his twelve-year-old granddaughter and can never tell her no.
"Hmm, I'm not sure. You seem to have plenty of energy already." He teases, and Mia immediately stops moving, hazel eyes wide and pleading.
"Grandpa pleeeeeeeease?" She bats her eyes hopefully, and really he shouldn't encourage that but Logan knew exactly how much self-restraint Aiden has when it comes to Mia when he'd asked the older man to take her to Diagon Alley to shop for her second year at Hogwarts.
"Only after." He says, and Mia shrieks happily and latches onto his waist for a hug, which Aiden returns. "And don't tell your parents."
Mia giggles and takes Aiden's hand as they continue their walk through Diagon Alley. Aiden uses his free hand to pull out Mia's letter. "Alright then let's see here, what do we need today?"
Mia waves her own free hand in the air eagerly. "Ooh ooh I know! We have to go to Flourish and Blotts to get all the level two books for my classes! And we need to restock my potions supplies and get me a real broom so I can try out for the Quidditch team this year! Coach Wood says I'm really good for a Ravenclaw, which is mean but Coach Wood never thinks before he talks so I took it as a compliment."
Aiden laughs at the comment (Oliver never really changed from the gung-ho young man Aiden met through the Underground), despite his stomach shifting uncomfortably at the thought of his twelve-year-old granddaughter flying around on a broom hundreds of meters in the air. He'd been incredibly proud when Mia had been Sorted into his old House the year before, but she definitely still has her parent's recklessness in her. "Any preference on what broom you want?" He asks, and Mia is off, describing the pros and cons of broom models that Aiden has honestly never heard of as he doesn't keep up with the sport.
He gently directs her to the bookshop as she chatters, listening attentively but still wanting to collect everything needed as quickly as possible so they have time to visit Fortescue's before Susan comes by the house to pick Mia up.
"And so that's why I think probably I should get a Charlotte 2.3." Mia concludes as they step into Flourish and Blott's. "A lot of people are hesitant about them since it's such a new company, but the quality is fantastic and balance is way better than a Firebolt or a Nimbus, but it doesn't sacrifice as much in speed like a Cleansweep or Comet would."
"A Charlotte it is then. We'll call it an early thirteenth birthday gift from me."
Mia laughs. "You get me early gifts every year grandpa, and then I always seem to get more in December."
"You're getting a Charlotte?" A voice asks, a bit mockingly, and Mia's immediate look of distaste tells Aiden who's interrupting them. "My dad is getting me the newest Firebolt model."
"Albus." Mia says, turning to face the youngest school-aged Potter.
"Mia." He replies with a smirk. Behind him, Scorpius Malfoy looks apologetic, while Rose Weasley-Granger (one of Mia's roommates) is just rolling her eyes.
Aiden knows the strange rivalry between his granddaughter and Albus is mostly good-natured, but hearing them dissolving into smack talk in the middle of Flourish and Blotts over broom choices is still an intensely uncomfortable experience. So he intervenes.
"So are you three here with your parents?" He asks quickly.
Rose perks up at the question. "We were helping Uncle George out at the Joke Shop this morning." She volunteers. "We just went to visit Scorpius's aunt at the ice cream shop and were heading back when Albus overheard Mia talking about brooms."
"Inferior brooms!" Albus interjects, and just like that he and Mia are squabbling again. Rose sighs.
"They're only going to be worse this year." She laments to Scorpius. "Come on Al, you two can do this on the train ride over, Uncle George will be wondering where we are."
Albus pouts but relents, and the three wave to Mia as they leave.
"Better prepare your arguments Potter, you're going down!" Mia calls after them, and laughs when Albus gives her the two- salute. "I'm gonna kiss him one day." She declares before heading into the store to look for her books, leaving her slightly traumatized grandfather to catch up while he decides that now is not the time to process that particular comment.
They move through the book store quickly - Mia and her near-perfect memory recall where all the books they need are, and the very impressed employee at the counter gives Mia and open invite for a summer job starting when she's fourteen. They refill her potions supplies at the Apothecary and put in the order for her Charlotte at Quality Quidditch Supplies, and then Mia is eagerly tugging Aiden down the street towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.
"Hello, welcome to Florean's! What can we get you today?" The witch behind the counter gives them a warm smile, and Mia eagerly rattles off her order and Aiden pulls out his wallet and hopes he has enough change.
"Anything for you sir?" The woman asks, and Aiden shakes his head.
"I'm good, thank you. Just the bowl for her."
Mia is humming happily as she makes a mess of her face, skipping as they head back towards the Floo with bags full of her new school supplies, and Aiden can't help but smile at how lucky he is to have the family that he does.
Minki Hwang
"Thank you Mr. Minki!"
"Thank you!"
"See you next week!"
Minki smiles and waves as his junior tap class stumble out of the room, chatting excitedly with each other as they head either for the Floo or the door.
Starting a dance studio in Hogsmeade explicitly for witches and wizards had been a definite gamble, but five years in the business is thriving and Minki couldn't be happier.
Not to say he doesn't have any complaints. The twin terrors are still standing by the bar whispering to each other, and Minki already knows they're up to something that he's going to need to shut down before they go home.
"Girls, whatever you're scheming you know your mother won't like it." He raises an eyebrow as the two turn to him guiltily. "And I won't either."
"But daaaaaad." They whine in unison, and Minki sighs and presses two fingers to his forehead. He just had to marry a twin and risk having double trouble children himself.
Not that he regrets it, much as he'll complain when he's had a few too many glasses of firewhisky at the Three Broomsticks. Trayi and Minji may be little nightmares, but they're still his little nightmares and people can pry that from his cold dead hands. It doesn't change the fact that having two brilliant girls with a near psychic connection to each other and a Gryffindor streak (that Padma swears came from Parvati) is absolutely exhausting.
"But dad, we just want to keep up with our lessons!" Trayi says innocently. "School is in a month you know, and we fell so far behind last year!"
"We've already talked about this, and no means no. Living at school is a good experience, and besides you don't want to leave Mia and Rose alone in the dorms, do you?"
Minji does look a little guilty at the thought, but Trayi barrels on determinedly. "They'd have each other! And besides, we could still stay at school and just come out here for lessons like the older kids do!"
"The older kids are at least thirteen and have their Hogsmeade slips signed." Minki points out. It's always the same argument over and over - "but we live in Hogsmeade why do we need permission?" "We just don't want to fall behind!" and the loudest and most regular one, "We can just travel with mom! She's a teacher after all!"
And oh was Padma regretting that decision now that the girls have started trying to use it as a weapon to further their cause. "Did you ever think that your mom and I enjoy having some alone time?" He says with a grin, and yep, the girls are gagging and dropping the subject.
That's certainly far from the end of it, but it should be postponed until at least tomorrow - tonight Terry and Parvati are coming over with their son, and the twins will be on babysitting duty and too distracted to make any further fuss.
Minki finishes packing up and his daughters follow him out and wait for him to lock up the building. Trayi is still bouncing around, practicing the moves from their new choreography, while Minji just giggles and watches her.
Padma is already cooking when they reach home, and Minki sends the girls to shower and change while he heads over to help his wife.
"How was class?" She asks, accepting a kiss on the cheek before pointing him to a pot in need of stirring.
"Eventful." He replies honestly. "The girls are starting their campaign to stay at home again, but I think I've curbed it until tomorrow at least."
Padma sighs. "Thanks for the warning. In other news, Krish has started levitating things as of this morning."
Minki groans. "Our girls were never this bad, were they? I recall their accidental magic seeming a lot less intentional that Krish's does."
Padma laughs. "That's becaues Trayi mostly blew things up and Minji mostly animated stuffed animals, which made sense for them." She points out. "I'm sure Krish is just doing it subconsciously as well. He's only two."
"He's also related to the Boot family." Minki points out, and Padma snorts, then gives him a half-hearted glare.
"I nearly over-seasoned the chili." She scolds lightly. "You focus on helping."
Minki grins and complies, and soon after the twins appear and start setting the table, loudly talking about the dance class and their plans for the school year.
Terry and Parvati arrive ten minutes early, Flooing in with Krish and setting the twins off as they run to fuss over their little cousin.
Terry makes sure they're being safe while Parvati comes over to hand her sister the wine they'd brought with.
"Thanks Parv. Ooh, is this French import?"
Minki leaves the girls to talk quality and goes to offer his help to Terry, who for all his well-meaning ways still has trouble dealing with the twins.
As expected, his best friend is looking rather overwhelmed as the twins coo over their cousin, hand half raised and obviously ready to catch his son should things start going poorly.
"Hey Terry, good to see you." Minki calls, and the look of relief on his best friend's face is comical.
"Minki! These two get bigger every time I see them." Terry comments, focus still mostly on the kids rather than Minki.
"How are things in Transportation?" Minki asks. For all their craziness, he knows his daughters would never hurt their cousin, so he isn't as worried as Terry, though he does certainly understand fatherly concern.
Terry glances again at the kids before finally turning fully to Minki. "Oh, same as ever. Department Head Weasley is a hard- but we're also the only Department that consistently gets things done on time and actually get to use our holiday hours so can't complain too much."
Minki laughs and leads his friend over to where their wives are starting to divide the food between the plates, and for the moment he lets himself enjoy the ambience of the room. For all the hurt and frustration that led here, he can't say he's disappointed with how his life has turned out.
Odette Grimond
There are quite a few people at the graveyard today, though Odette notes, as she has every year for the past decade, that there are fewer people now than there had been the year before.
She stays by the gates, watching people come and go, waiting for the one person who never misses this visit.
"Odette!"
She smiles and turns to face the young man hurrying towards her. "Hey Dean. You're a bit late."
Dean Thomas grins ruefully. "Had to figure out the kids. Vera had a meeting with the school board today so she couldn't watch them."
"And here I thought the benefit of teaching was getting summers off." Odette jokes, knowing full well it isn't the case. Dean and his wife Vera had met at the Muggle primary school they both work at, and she's heard the entire rant about the misconceptions of teaching jobs from both of them. Several times.
"You shush." Dean says, elbowing her slightly. "Let's go say hi, I have to pick up the kids from Nathan in two hours."
They walk through the rows of headstones, down what has become a very familiar path for them both. They'd actually met here, nineteen years ago, when they'd both come to pay their respects to the man who had helped them during their time in the woods.
Dirk Cresswell's headstone is a simple thing - it doesn't stand out at all from the rest - but after two decades of yearly visits Odette could probably find it from any part of the graveyard without any trouble at all.
"How's work for you, by the way? I thought I read you got a promotion?"
Odette grins at the reminder. Her recovery had been a... rough road, to put it nicely, and even after she'd been cleared to go back to work by her therapist she still had nervous breakdowns and panic attacks for months after returning to the office, and for years that's what she was known for, despite her work done with the Shacklebolt regime to help clean up the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
But the newly appointed Department Head Potter had obviously been able to see past her reputation and had finally given her a promotion to Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office, which is honestly a dream come true.
"Yeah, I started two weeks ago." She confirms. "I have my very own secretary and everything, it's all very official."
Dean laughs. "Sounds like it. I'm glad you're happy." He adds.
Odette shrugs. "I mean, I've been okay for a while now." She points out. "And despite what Phillipa's always implying I'm actually fine being single and childless, so. Can't say I wasn't happy before."
Dean rolls his eyes. "Fine Ms. Technicality, I'm glad you finally are being properly recognized in your department, how about that?"
She grins. "That works."
They reach Dirk's grave then, and both take a minute of respectful silence as they always do.
Zoe had asked her once, maybe seven years ago, why she keeps coming out here every year and reminding herself of the war and her ordeal out in the woods.
At the time Odette just said she felt like she needed to. Now she thinks she understands a little more.
Going back every year to tell Dirk about her life is cathartic in a way. It's a reminder that she survived and can keep surviving, and beyond that a reminder that even those who didn't still left their mark. Sometimes remembering Dirk and his conviction was the only thing that kept Odette going in those early months after the war ended.
It's the same for Dean, though she doubts he'd phrase it the same way, and the unspoken understanding they have because of it is what's led them to become such good friends despite usually only seeing each other a few times a year, if that.
Dean is talking now about his kids, updating Dirk about their progress. The oldest is starting at Hogwarts soon and has begun trying to cast wandless spells which is apparently driving Vera crazy. Odette talks about the Ministry and her new job.
"Minister Shacklebolt finally retired, not that anyone wanted him to." She says with a smile. "Minister Granger has big shoes to fill, but honestly if anyone can do it, it's definitely her. She's already working with some of the Wizengamot to change the lifetime placement rule for judges, and there's whispers she wants to make electing the Minister for Magic a democratic vote from the people, rather than a majority vote by the courts, which honestly makes sense."
Dean laughs. "Somehow it doesn't surprise me that a month into her term Hermione is already planning to turn things on their heads. She really hasn't changed that much since school."
From there they stop talking to Dirk and begin talking with each other, eventually beginning to migrate back to the front gates of the cemetery.
"It was good seeing you Odette." Dean says once they reach the exit. "Same time next year?"
"Or in my office, if what you said about August is anything to go by." She grins, and Dean shakes his head in exhausted resignation at the thought of his son.
"See you soon then." He sighs, and she laughs outright.
She Apparates to the office, deciding that sorting through some paperwork will be a good way to spend the rest of her evening. Her ice skating figurine from Zoe is still perched on her desk, something else that somehow survived the war despite being abandoned in her initial flight from society, and it's comforting to look at when she's feeling tired.
It was a long road here, but Odette can now safely, confidently say that everything is going to be just fine.
The End
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