The Final Chapter in the Ultimate Truth series. It's been a long time coming and I thank you for your patience. As always I own no Harry Potter characters, only my original characters. Please read and review!

After the battle the students were sent home for the summer. There were a few funerals for the fallen and Dumbledore was working on a new project assigned to him by Harry Potter.

Harry hadn't killed the Dark Lord, Voldemort. He had, instead, used his knowledge of magic to erase his memories and make him young again. Airiala's power had stripped him of any magical ability leaving him as defenseless as a muggle.

Voldemort was now a muggle baby with a second chance on life, only in the muggle world far from magic. Dumbledore was currently working on finding a good set of parents for the small soul.

Airiala hadn't awoken since the battle and was under constant supervision by Severus. Other than showers that the Elementals had forced on him and the food that was brought to him by the house-elves he hadn't moved.

Lando had been busy helping rebuild and fix the grounds. Raina and Pyro had been helping with the school and grounds as well.

Although Airiala had been the one to speak the Ultimate Truth, the moment her voice entered their heads in battle the other Elementals knew it too. It wasn't too hard to put all the pieces together when they got the info out of Harry too.

Love, that was the Ultimate Truth, and Airiala loved Severus.

Because he was unconscious at the time, all the Elementals were sure that he hadn't heard Airiala's confession. Lando believed that if Harry hadn't heard her it may not have activated the Ultimate Truth.

Lando walked across the hospital wing where Severus was sitting with Airiala. The man was pretty pale, well paler than usual. He noticed the uneaten sandwich sitting on the side table.

"You know," Lando said sitting on the other side of Airiala's bed, "they don't bring you food just to waste. It's meant to be eaten."

Severus glanced up at the Earth Elemental. He wanted to glare at him, but he didn't have the strength.

To Severus' surprise, the Earth Elemental smiled at him. "You know, I've been thinking. Airiala is much too strong-willed for me. She needs someone who will let her be herself and not restrict her. That is exactly the type of person who can love the Air Elemental."

Lando stood and walked over to Severus, placing a hand on the older man's shoulder.

"Maybe someone like you."

Severus looked up at Lando, confusion on his face. Lando continued to smile, the man hadn't heard her confession. Now he understood what Pyro and Raina had been dealing with all year. These two were damn hopeless.

"Ask her about the Ultimate Truth when she wakes," he said. "It should be soon. The wind is already blowing calmly through the trees again. So, ask her about it. You may get a better answer to a question you've already asked her before." He removed his hand from Severus' shoulder and started towards the door. "See ya."

Severus watched the Earth Elemental leave before looking back at Airiala.

Day passed to night and still Severus sat. It wasn't until Dumbledore's favorite ex-house-elf Dobby came and told Severus he needed to sleep that he moved.

Severus stood and looked down at the girl he thought he had lost. The pain at believing she had died had been more painful than Lily's actual death, and the joy at seeing her alive had been overwhelming. He had almost cried...almost.

He took her hand in his own, marveling at the soft skin there. If it wasn't for Dobby pulling him at his leg he wouldn't have moved. He squeezed her hand before leaning down to her ear and whispered.

"Please wake up Airiala. I love you."

He sat up and looked down at her face, still sleeping peacefully. He stood and turned, at Dobby's insistence, to go to bed.

Neither man nor elf noticed the faint glow around the Air Elemental as they left the hospital.