A Little Bit of Love and Laughter

The next I knew, I was waking up in bed, and I wondered whether or not my meeting with Fred the night before had merely been a dream. It was certainly possible; likely, in fact. But, regardless, it had given me the closure that I so longed for earlier that night.

~*~

And as I walked down the dirt path from the Burrow, after being seen off by the Weasley clan, I became fully aware of the aching I felt. Fred was gone. Severus was gone. And I was still here. But both had gone down for a cause, for the greater good. Both had been noble and brave and loyal, which made the whole idea the least bit more bearable.

I imagined that it would take a substantial amount of time to move on from yet another tragedy. And when my future children asked about my first love or about my father, I would eventually be able to tell them all about Fred and Severus (who, though he had not been my real father, had served as more of a father-figure than my dad ever could). I would say that they had been brave and strong and everything that I wish for my children to become. And hopefully that would be good enough, living minute by minute, day by day, year by year, with a little bit of love and laughter.