A/N: Sadly this is the last chapter, I thought it was about time I wrapped it up as I can't do much more with this. Thank you to everyone for your support and in particular to the stargate time traveler for always supporting my stories and reviewing. It means so much. A new story will be started next week so keep an eye out!

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Happiness At Last

The next morning Esmerelda made her way down to the great hall for breakfast. She always made sure to have breakfast with Ethel and Sybil as she didn't see them as much now she was working. She walked past a table where Felicity was sat with Mildred and her friends and saw Felicity look at her with wide eyes as she walked past.

"What is wrong with you?" Esmerelda asked wondering why the brunette was being odd. Mildred, Maud and Enid looked at her too.

Unbeknown to Esmerelda her hair was getting lighter by the second. She had always had darker hair than Ethel and Sybil as Esmerelda but her hair was getting lighter and changing back to the colour she had when she was a teenager as Miriam.

"Good morning to you too" Esmerelda said shaking her head and making her way to the table on the other side of the room where Ethel and Sybil were. She felt stares on her as she walked so sat down quickly.

"Everyone is being so weird today" Esmerelda commented as she sat down. Ethel and Sybil stared at her in disbelief.

"Oh not you two as well, why is everyone being so odd today?" Esmerelda asked not realising her hair was now as blonde as Ethel and Sybil's.

"Mum….what have you done to your hair!?" Ethel asked looking confused as she looked at her hair.

"My hair? Nothing why what is wrong with my hair?" Esmerelda asked

"You are more blonde than Ethel and I" Sybil commented as she also looked at Esmerelda confused.

"What don't be silly I am not.." Esmerelda started by saying as she cast a spell to send a mirror to her and looked in it. "Good Merlin I am as blonde as you and Ethie" Esmerelda commented as she looked at her hair confused. She had not seen it that colour in years.

"Well your hair is naturally lighter, you have to take that potion to keep your appearance don't you?" Ethel commented as she started to understand what was going on.

"And now your secret is out you haven't being taking it, it must just be wearing off" Sybil finished as she understood where Ethel was going with her logic.

"Yes, that must be it, it is going to take some getting used to" Esmerelda said. She really didn't want to do potions or spells to mess with her hair again, they always wore off anyway so she didn't think it was worth it. Just then Miss Hardbroom appeared, she had been wanting to give Miss Cackle a reason for Esmerelda not being fit to work at the school and opened her mouth to scowl Esmerelda about her dyed hair. Cackles was strict on dying hair.

"Before you say anything this is my natural colour, my parents made me change it when I was keeping my secret, the potion has worn off" Esmerelda told her before she had a chance to say anything as she knew what she was thinking.

"We have pictures to prove it" Ethel told her teacher sticking up for her mother.

Hecate closed her mouth, glared, and then walked off knowing she really couldn't tell the girl off for a potion wearing off and wearing her natural colour.

Esmerelda was surprised how much attention her hair got over the week. It just proved how unusual dyed hair was in Cackles, anyone would think she had got a head replacement with how much people stared at her light blonde locks.

Luckily her hair did not affect her job. Pupils still came to her, even if she did get a few first years who went to see her just to stare at her hair which she had to send away, but others came to her not knowing what else they could do and many tears were shed in her room and of course most of the talks reminded confidential.

College was going well too. It was interesting and Esmerelda and Marisol were friends now. They were the ones who went around together during breaks and Esmerelda was so relived to meet someone so unjudgmental.

"I am not going to judge on something that happened years ago, what is the point?" Marisol would always say and Esmerelda would smile hoping she could meet Ethel and Sybil at some time.

Sauron found Esmerelda's hair colour change hilarious as he couldn't believe his predication had come true.

"It is not that funny Sauron" Esmerelda told him as he laughed his head of when they mirrored him on Thursday.

"Sorry, I just can't believe I got it right, I was making it up as I went along" Sauron told Esmerelda who had to smile even if she was annoyed.

One thing that was coming out of Esmerelda's hair colour change was it was seeming to help Sauron with his amnesia, he recognised her more after all and it was bringing back memories.

"Remember that time I spiked Cackle's coffee and her hair turned bright pink and she didn't realise why everyone was laughing in assembly? She never found out it was me" Sauron said and Esmerelda looked at the girls surprised as Sauron had never spoken about memories from their past before.

"Yes I remember…..I am surprised you do" Esmerelda told him looking confused. Sauron smiled in response.

"I am surprised too...it just came to me" he told the girls and even though it was such a small memory it was reassuring because it meant one day he might regain all his memory back and at least remember Miriam properly and other memories of his past that he had once cherished.

One day when Esmerelda was reading in her bedroom after finishing work Ethel walked in with Sybil and they both looked guilty.

"What have you done?" Esmerelda asked knowing they were up to something

"Nothing, we just want to ask you something" Sybil replied playing with her hands nervously.

"Oh, then ask away, don't be nervous, you can talk to me about anything" Esmerelda told them and Ethel and Sybil looked at each other before Ethel spoke.

"Are you and Sauron getting back together?" Ethel asked nervously and Esmerelda looked confused so Sybil went on.

"He is getting his memories back and we know you still like him" Sybil said explaining to her sister how they came to the conclusion they did. Esmerelda knew it was time to talk to them seriously about this so she tapped the bed and they all sat next to her.

"I don't know, maybe one day who knows? But he has not being back in my life very long, I don't want to rush things" Esmerelda told them as she put an arm around each of them. "But if I ever felt like we would be getting back together I would always ask you two first how you would feel about it, so don't worry" Esmerelda told them never the type to just get together with someone and put it on the girls. They came first and always would.

"If you do you might have another child" Ethel told her mother as she sighed and Esmerelda knew that was the real worry about this, that was why Ethel and Sybil were being so odd.

"I don't think so Ethel, if Sauron and I decided to get back together I think we have both had enough of drama for a lifetime, plus I have enough with keeping you two in check" Esmerelda told the girls with a laugh. Ethel let her shoulders relax, clearly feeling better. Ethel was much nicer now, well to her mother and sister anyway, but things would not change over night and she would always feel that worry of rejection deep down.

Esmerelda kissed both of their heads "Come on you two let me be the one to worry, we best go to dinner before there is nothing left" Esmerelda told her sisters.

"Let's take our time, hopefully there will be nothing left" Ethel told her mother as she pulled a face not wanting to eat the cement like food.

"I know it is disgusting but don't worry, Sauron sneaked a box of food in through the mail, we can have some after dinner" Esmerelda told the girls who smiled.

"ALRIGHT! Sybil shouted happily as she ran out the room, desperate to eat her food so she could go back to the bedroom and eat the food Sauron had brought them.

Esmerelda smiled as they ran off. She never thought she would be able to tell her secret but she was glad it had come out and things had turned out how they had.

"Wait up you two" Esmerelda said as she rushed after Ethel and Sybil.

She caught up with Ethel and Sybil and they all made it down to the hall happily. For the first time in many years Esmerelda could say she was truly happy now she was not hiding such a huge secret and she was able to mother Ethel and Sybil how she wanted. Sybil was not really her child but she had always loved her as much as Ethel so she saw her that way.

Esmerelda Hallow would not change anything and as she looked at Ethel and Sybil she smiled thinking how lucky she was to have them and how happy she was her secret was out and she could start living properly without fear.

Her dark secret was out, and she had never felt such a weight of her shoulders.