A/N: I'm Alive! Married! A College graduate! And now you know where I've been for the last year. Sorry :) But here is a chapter. The FINAL chapter. And so the story is finished. Enjoy.

Also, my next story will be a next gen fic, which is something I never ever do, but want to now. Of course I'm not done with the Marauders, just taking a break! Subscribe to be alerted to that. Here is your synopsis: Marauders, the next generation. Rose Weasley inherits the brains of her mother and the mischief of her father, James Potter inherits a cloak and a map, and Scorpius Malfoy inherits the legacy of one Sirius Black, ousted from his family for being a bit too Gryffindor. James takes his grandfather's example and befriends the should-have-been Slytherin, creating the new Marauders. The two friends need to use every resource they have when Rose falls into a sticky situation, and a new dark power rises in the world of magic. It will of course be a romantic comedy- that's all I do!

And now, the Finale of Merely Players. thanks for sticking with it!

All's Well that Ends Well

"D'you suppose we should go see what's burning?" James asked, still looking a little dumbstruck. "Or… we could ignore it and I could kiss you again."

"James!" I tried to sound indignant, although I am ashamed to admit the offer tempted me for a moment. I grabbed his hand and began running towards the curtain, on the other side of which I could hear a loud commotion. People had started to scream in the audience, and the thunder sound rumbled again. "It sounds like someone is dueling!" I gasped.

Sure enough, James pulled back the curtain to reveal an all-too-familiar sight: two witches fighting over Sirius Black.

"You absolute slag, Mary Macdonald! I can't believe you kissed my boyfriend!" I knew from singing lessons that Melina could screech, but she was really reaching a new level of nails-on-a-chalkboard. She slashed her wand towards Mary, sending a jet of orange light in her direction.

"Oh, get over it!" Mary countered, producing a shield charm in the nick of time, and returning Melina's spell with equal ferocity. "He's only with you for the pantomime, anyway!"

James and I watched as the original hex bounced off the shield and towards the background scenery, igniting a garden hedge. Remus glanced at the new fire in panic, as he and the props crew were already attempting to douse a burning rosebush upstage. I whipped out my wand and headed for the fire. "James, DO something! Aguamenti!"

James ran over to Sirius, who was watching the argument with amusement. "Mate, now would be a good time to intervene. Considering this is your fault."

Sirius shrugged. "I thought Mary would handle it better, but she got really jealous when I had to kiss Melina, and she spilled everything. Kinda shouted, actually. So I ended things with Melina."

"Do you really think this was the time?"

"Look, I didn't want to do this stupid play anyway!" At that point, both boys had to duck a purple shockwave jinx, which Mary produced and I determined to be the source of the thunder sound.

I knew at that point the play couldn't be saved, as the audience was torn between running away and listening to the girls argue. But at the very least we could stop them from shattering a window. "Boys, please!" I shouted. Sirius and James nodded and ran to pull apart the girls. James reached Mary and grabbed her arm just as she swung it down towards Melina with a nasty Reducto charm. The spell was redirected and hit the disillusioned crate containing the white worm.

The crate shattered, revealing the worm. Everyone, even the dueling girls froze and watched in horror, as it began to smoke.

"Oh no!" Gasped Professor Kettleburn from off stage. "It's… waking up!"

"Professor Kettleburn?" a slightly singed and soggy Remus asked. "Exactly what sort of worm is it, may I ask?" He and the professor met eyes for a moment, and Remus's fears were confirmed. "I hate being right. It's an Ashwinder!"

Almost everyone stared at him blankly, but I understood. "Does no one pay attention in Care of Magical Creatures class? Everyone run, it's gonna blow!"

Of course, no one made it three feet before the worm exploded in a cloud of hot ash, sending everyone on stage flying into the audience.

Chaos ensued. People ran coughing and choking towards the hospital wing. Melina landed on top of her rival, and the two girls commenced dueling with such rage that no one in the immediate vicinity was safe. Professor Beery attempted to intervene and ended up having his head engorged to the size of a watermelon. Unsure of what to do, I looked dejectedly at the set of my disastrously failed project.

I noticed something on the stage and proceeded cautiously toward it, curiosity having gotten the best of me. I was met at the front of it by the Marauders and Alice, who were picking themselves up and dusting themselves off.

"What," I said, pointing with disgust, "Are those?" Laying at the base of Dumbledore's moving hill was a pile of slimy white balls.

"Dunno," said Sirius. "They fell out of the worm in the second act."

"We thought they were eggs," added Alice.

Remus paled. "Ashwinder eggs explode. It's a defense mechanism. If those are what we think they are…"

"It will be like the worm?" I asked quietly.

"Worse."

"Lovely."

We stood for a beat, and then I felt James take my hand, and the six of us made a dash for the door. I heard a roar behind us as the eggs ignited the floorboards and flames reached for the ceiling. Professor Dippet and the staff, who had previously been occupied with evacuating the Great Hall, whipped out their wands and ran for the stage.

"Wait!" I said. "This is entirely my fault. Maybe we should go help!" I turned to run back.

I barely had time to register James yelling "No!" and the Charms professor throwing up a hasty shield charm over the staff as several of the flaming eggs rolled off the stage and fell at my feet. There was a bang so loud that it silenced the room, and all I could hear was a ringing in my ears as I was thrown across the room.

A minute or a day or a few hours or something later (I really couldn't tell) I woke up. I stared at the ceiling above me (white, well-lit), and assumed it must have been the hospital wing. Hmmm.

And then I remembered being flung into a wall and the lights going out. That would certainly explain my headache and muscle pains.

"Oh Hallelujah, she's awake!" rang the familiar voice of Sirius Black.

"Yes, now maybe James will shut up about her." I believe that sarcastic voice was Remus Lupin.

"Lily!" shouted James, truly concerned and not at all sarcastic.

"Settle down, I'm fine," I rasped. "Gosh, I sound awful. Well boys… what's the damage?"

The boys exchanged nervous looks. "It wasn't so bad…" Remus offered gently. "And it certainly wasn't your fault—"

"Professor Kettleburn lost an arm," piped in Pettigrew.

"Subtle as a blunt ax, this one," muttered Sirius.

My jaw dropped. "Lost… his arm?"

Sirius shrugged. "It wasn't his wand arm. And anyway, it was his own fault. He was trying to save one of those wretched eggs and his sleeve caught fire."

"They sent him to Saint Mungo's with the worst of them. Most people just ended up in here," James said. I noticed that he was in the bed next to mine, and the other three Marauders were setting on the edge of it. Every bed in the hospital wing seemed to be completely full.

I'm sure Peter was trying to be comforting when he said, "It isn't everyone. At least, I think a couple people were fine. Remus, Sirius and I checked out hours ago; we're just visiting."

"Oh my gosh, I blew up the school." I clapped my hands over my eyes and fell back on the bed.

"Not really," said Remus. "There was very little structural damage. The stage burnt down, but it was mostly smoke and charring. I'm sure it can be repaired."

"The smell, however…" Sirius began, but Remus elbowed him, and he changed courses. "Anyway, Dippet put a blanket ban on pantomimes being performed ever again. So we won't be getting roped into…" Remus elbowed him again, and he fell silent.

I suddenly noticed who was missing from the group and my voice rose in panic. "Where's Alice?"

Peter snickered. All boys pointed in unison to the bed across the aisle, where my very best friend was wrapped in a snogging session with none other than Frank Longbottom.

"Oh, lovely. I can see she's very concerned about me," I pouted.

Sirius shrugged. "She waited until Madam P said you were going to be fine before she dragged him on top of her. I think the poor girl deserves a bit of fun. She got hit by one of Melina's tickling charms and laughed until she fainted. Sorry about that, by the way."

"It's alright. You tried to help."

"What can I say, birds are crazy. At least you got yourself a boyfriend out of the deal."

Remus, Peter, and Sirius snorted almost simultaneously.

"Oh, knock it off," said James, turning pink in the ears.

I cocked my head in confusion. "What are they on about, James?"

He turned redder, starting in his neck and working his way up to his hairline.

Sirius smirked. "Loverboy here got knocked in the head or confunded or something. He's under the impression that he kissed you and you didn't hit him."

I blushed and glanced at James, who was suddenly very preoccupied with his fingernails and wouldn't look up.

"Oh," I said. "Well, it isn't true. I haven't got a boyfriend."

James's hands shook, almost imperceptibly, and he glanced up for a brief second. I caught the look in his eyes. Crushed. My heart sank.

Peter elbowed Remus. "I told you he made it up," he whispered.

Remus shoved him. "I only said it wasn't implausible."

"I didn't say he didn't kiss me, though," I said simply. "Only that I haven't got a boyfriend."

James met my eyes. He had that desperate, burning, hopeful look back. I smiled.

"Only because James hasn't asked me."

There was a long paused of incredulous silence from the bed beside me. Then James said, in a hushed tone, "Would you guys gimme a minute alone with Miss Evans?"

"Absolutely not," Sirius replied. "We are not missing this."

James rolled his eyes. "Fine. Lily, I'm sorry about these lugs, and I'm sorry we're in the hospital and a million people are watching, and this isn't at all how I'd planned, if I could have ever imagined this moment actually happening, but would—"

"Yes, James. I would like to be your girlfriend."

He let out a whoop and shoved back his covers, revealing his "Quidditch Boys are Players" pj bottoms and a large bandage on his side, which I barely had time to register before he was pulling me up and kissing me and despite the complaints from my muscles I enjoyed every second of being in his swoon-worthy arms. If I were the type to swoon. Which I most certainly am not.

There was a cacophony behind us, including Remus's remark of "I told you!" Alice screaming "What the in the name of Merlin's pointy hat…" and Madam Pomphrey finally making an appearance to insist that we return to our separate beds immediately " for the sake of propriety!"

When things had calmed down, Sirius said "She's just got a concussion, James. She'll be back to normal tomorrow."

James's forehead wrinkled with concern, so I reached over and took his hand.

"I liked you before I hit my head," I whispered.

He sighed with relief. "Good. At least you won't have to deal with me asking you out every day anymore."

"I might actually miss that."

"I'll just have to find a new way to pester you, so things will feel normal." He was quiet for a moment. "Lily? Will you marry me?"

"I'd rather marry the giant squid."

From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few. -Shakespeare