The Beginning of the End ? Tom Riddle

Chapter 39 - Epilogue 1

" Maybe one day you'll get there, but you'll have to be patient Ichigo." Ji told his daughter. The three moved further into the living room as they greeted more family.

" Sean, nearly everybody's here already! I told you we should've left earlier." I laughed upon hearing the familiar voice of Mila outside. I opened the door with a grin and outstretched arms.

" There she is. Hi Isla!" Sean smiled as he pulled me into a hug I returned.

" Out of the way babe, that's my girl too." Mila wiggled her way in between her husband and I as I laughed and hugged the blonde. After everything, Sean and Mila grew closer, knowing the same heartbreak of losing someone you cared for. They dated for a year before getting married, and points to Mila for balancing newlywed life and continuing her career as a quidditch player. As seeker for the Ballycastle Bats, she became the first female player in the teams history.

" Hola tía!" Their eldest daughter, Rhiannon popped up from behind her parents as I smiled and hugged her. Her dark brown hair, brows, and lips were similar to her fathers, but her face shape, nose, and baby blue-turquoise eyes were identical to her mothers. Unique freckles dusted her face that her immediate family didn't share.

" Hola Ria! Como estás?" ( Hi Ria! How are you?) I asked the girl. Her brows furrowed momentarily before she remembered what the phrase meant.

" Estoy bien, gracias! Did you hear I was sorted into Slytherin?! Mom and dad were surprised, but they said I'd do well in any house." (I'm good, thank you!) The girl raved as I smiled and nodded.

" And they're right. I knew some incredible people who were in Slytherin, including your Aunt Mae, and I'm sure she'll be overjoyed once you tell her." The girl nodded and grinned before rushing off to greet her other family.

" Sybill, there you are." I smiled at Rhiannon's sister as she emerged from behind her parents. She offered a shy smile back along with a hug.

" Hi tía." She replied. At first glance you'd think she was a mini Mila. Like her sister her face shape took after her mother, though she also had her brows and long blonde hair. With a closer look you'd see her lips, nose, and eye shape came from Sean. Sybills' unique trait was a pair of beautiful mint green eyes.

" I've been trying to focus on my inner eye so I can impress my peers next year and uphold the reputation set by my great great grandmother, but I still haven't had visions or made any big successful predictions." The girl finished with a huff, clearly dissatisfied.

" Reading up on your great great grandmother and The Sight may be a good place to start. And if you really want to make an impact, something along the lines of practicing doom-laden prophecies in the mirror may help." At this Mila and I had to fight to hold in our laughs.

A/N: yall, a deep dive into Harry Potter wiki brought me this hobby Sybil has, and it's a true fact!

" Don't be giving her any ideas Isla, I'm sure there's a better and lighter way to get results." Sean replied with a shake of his head though a smile was on his lips.

" I think tías idea is fabulous, and I'll help you practice your expressions and everything when we get home." Mila told her daughter as she placed a hand on her shoulder. Sybill smiled and nodded before going off to see her other family, leaving Sean, Mila and I laughing and smiling.

The last knock on the door prompted me to get up from the couch and make my way over. Upon opening it I locked eyes with Mae. I opened my arms and she half fell half leaned in to the hug. We stood in silence for a moment before I spoke.

" Hey sis."

" Hey Isla. I've missed you." She responded as we broke apart.

" Me too." I replied as I could feel the overflow of emotions coming from her. My eyes softened even more as I looked down at Mae and Killians daughter, Leia Nagini Thompson. She was a beautiful mix of her parents, medium brown hair with lighter highlights, blue eyes, brows, and chin like her fathers, nose, lips and face shape identical to Mae's.

" Hola tía, te he extrañado también!" ( Hi Auntie! I've missed you too!) Leia exclaimed in a joking manor as Mae and I laughed while I pulled the girl in a hug.

" Hola mi leona." I spoke into the girls hair, using the nickname I'd given her. Leona meant lioness is Spanish, which was the true embodiment of her.

" Cómo estás realmente?" ( How are you really?) I asked the girl carefully as I held her shoulders and looked her in the eye. She took a breath before blinking and replying.

" Me sienta perdida sin él." ( I feel lost without him.) The girl said as her mother and I shared a heartbroken look. I looked back at Leia, gingerly tucking in a lose piece of hair behind her ear.

" Yo sé mi amor, pero eres fuerte. Tu papa también lo era." ( I know my love, but you're strong. Your dad was too.) She smiled and gave me another hug before I ushered her off to go greet the rest of the family. I watched as Ria was the first to engulf Leia in a tight hug before excitedly beginning a ramble on getting sorted into Slytherin. I felt Mae step beside me as we watched our family laugh and smile, reunited for the holidays.

" What a mess we've been through to get here." I joked softly as we chuckled amongst ourselves. She nodded her head.

" It's been one hell of a ride, but I wouldn't change a thing... well, maybe one." She continued, staring off into the room, her eyes locked on her daughter as I looked over at her. I followed her gaze to the girl. She seemed happy, almost relieved to be surrounded by family again, though the trained eye saw part of a mask that had formed.

" Why did this have to happen, Isla? She's only 15." Mae asked with a slight shake in her voice. My lips pulled down into a frown. Killian had been fatally injured in the line of duty. After Hogwarts, he went on to join the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, more specifically the Investigation Department, a subdivision of the Auror Office. They dealt with the investigation and tracking down of dark wizards and witches.

In today's age the job took on more responsibility and was more dangerous than ever before. The wizarding world lived under a shroud of fear with him and his death eaters running about. It was even declared that this year marked the beginning of his reign of terror as "the most powerful dark wizard of all time."

Sometimes I try to convince myself that my life back then was a lie, that it simply wasn't real. Oh how things change.

" I'm sure you knew this, but Killians wand was made of Cypress wood. Geraint Ollivander himself said he was always honored to match a cypress wand, for he knew he was meeting a witch or wizard who would die a heroic death. Killian did no less, Mae." I spoke truthfully to my soul sister as her eyes glistened with tears.

" He did." She spoke aloud for herself to hear.

" He did." I repeated in reassurance.

" Now come on, they're going to accuse me of keeping you all for myself." I laughed as she did lightly before following me over to the rest of our family. We enjoyed our Christmas dinner and basked in the feeling of being back together. As the evening grew late, we had all settled down in the living room. I sat on one of the couches, legs curled up and rested in Raidon's lap. The chatter of my family and the fire crackling could be heard in the background as I let my mind aimlessly wander off.

My gaze was drawn down to the snake ring on my finger as I fidgeted with it, twisting it around and studying it while my fingertips ran over the cool metal. Alike Reins locket, I never took it off. I couldn't bring myself to shove it in a box, or throw it over a cliff, as much as I wish I would've. Over the years, people outside of my circle, who didn't know who it came from, thought it was a wedding ring. The concept of a wedding ring was meant to be an eternal and inescapable bond, and I suppose in that way, it was.

" Tell us about it tía. Your ring." Jean-Luc asked. I sighed, not having the heart to tell a 5 year old no. The kids knew that was a yes and immediately headed over, sitting around me on both the couch and floor.

My eyes swept around the room, seeing support in the eyes of the others. Raidon placed a comforting hand on my leg, squeezing it to let me know he was there for me. I smiled before trying to figure out how to begin. After a moment, I spoke, both young and old tentative eyes on me.

" Years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. I made most of them with him."