Deathly Hallows Epilogue: Redux
By: PhoenixJustice
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling, Warner Bros, etc. I only own this story and make no profit from this.
Warning: T for kissies, mentions of slash, etc
Pairings: Snarry (Snape/Harry), Ron/Hermione, Teddy/Victor, etc.
Setting: Post-DH.
Summary: Severus Snape had subsequently been found hours later, quite alive. This had been a mystery to everyone until Snape, in his driest of tones, had said: 'I am one of the foremost Potions Masters on the planet, much less England, so do you not think I would carry a blood-replenishing potion and the like, knowing full well what the Dark Lord's bloody snake could do?'
A/N: I made Bill and Fleur's daughter Victoire, into a boy--Victor. xD
Dedicated to: Annie, my fellow Snarry loving friend. I deliver what I promise! :D
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They definitely gathered the most looks out of anyone at Platform 9 & 3/4, that was for sure. But Harry was more than used to it by now, still slightly uncomfortable with the scrutiny on occasion, but knowing that no matter how old he got or what he did, he would still be gawked at by people; even if nineteen years had passed since the final and true fall of Tom Marvolo Riddle, who was best known by Lord Voldemort.
Even after his death, it still took people quite a bit of time to be able to say his name and not 'You-Know-Who', but after years had passed, people were finally able to be more open and the like.
Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp and golden as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air.
He gets pulled out of his thoughts by the two large cages that rattled on top of the laden trolleys that were being pushed; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and a black haired girl trailed tearfully behind her brothers, clutching her dad's arm.
"It won't be long and you'll be going too." Harry told her.
"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"
Commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its towards the barriers between platforms nine and ten. Albus's voice drifted back to Harry over the surrounding clamor; his sons were resuming the argument they had started in the car.
"I won't! I won't be in Hufflepuff!"
"James, that's enough!" said Severus.
Yes, Severus Snape. He was most definitely not Ginny Weasley. No, he and Ginny had broken up right after the final battle, this time for good. Severus Snape had subsequently been found hours later, quite alive. This had been a mystery to everyone until Snape, in his driest of tones, had said: 'I am one of the foremost Potions Masters on the planet, much less England, so do you not think I would carry a blood-replenishing potion and the like, knowing full well what the Dark Lord's bloody snake could do?'
That had settled that. Snape had also been cleared of any wrong doing in Albus Dumbledore's death soon after, even though he had actually killed the man, it had been on said man's orders and a pensieve into Severus's memory's showed the truth. As to he and Snape getting together, well, he, Ron and Hermione had all decided to take their final year at Hogwarts, taking their N.E.W.T's and all, though as much as all of them had done in the final battle and leading up to it, they technically didn't have to. He, knowing Snape a little better now, had decided to himself that he would try to get to know the man who had known his mother so well, even if the man would be as snarky and such as always (having re-taken up the mantle of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, with Slughorn continuing to teach Potions), and Snape definitely was; that was just part of who he was.
But Harry had been persistant, and had been rewarded slowly, here and there, with small conversations and the like with the man, and he realized suddenly during one of these, months into the school year, that he had fallen for the man and had liked him longer than he realized. The most shocking thing was the sudden reciprocation of his feelings by Snape, who he had been afraid in the beginning would only see Lily in front of him, because of his eyes, but Severus had set him straight. 'I loved your mother, Harry. But I was not in love with her. She was like a sister to me, family more than my own family and I loved her. But it was never like that.'
They had been together every day since that night in Severus's rooms down in the dungeons and two years to the day of Harry's graduation of Hogwarts, the Wizarding World was shocked by the sudden marriage of Harry James Potter and Severus Tobias Snape. (Wizarding laws differed in some ways than Muggle ones--like the fact that same sex relationships were far from uncommon and were nowhere near as looked down upon as Muggles looked down on it.) Ron had fainted when Harry told him the news; Severus and a very pregnant Hermione just shared an amused look while Harry helped Ron back up.
Male pregnancy was not all that uncommon either, with the right potions or spells to help it along (and Severus was a Potions Master) and Harry had their first child, James Sirius Potter-Snape. The shocking part was it had been Severus who suggested the name James, not Harry who had. Perhaps because it was his way of showing that he had finally gotten over whatever grudge he had against Harry's father, either way, that's what they decided upon and Harry chose Sirius for James' middle name. Severus had muttered a lot and such at the name, but agreed on it.
"I only said he might be," James, grinning at his younger brother and bringing Harry out of his thoughts. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Hufflep--"
But James caught his father's eyes, his father the sternest of the two by far. The five Potter-Snape's approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, James took the trolley from his father and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.
"You'll write to me, won't you?" Albus asked his dad immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother. He would have asked his father, but he was a teacher at Hogwarts, and that made it far from necessary.
"Every day if you want me to." said Harry. Inwardly he grinned; he hadn't told the kids yet that he had stepped down as head of the Auror Office. It had been a nice position but he was also pleased with what he was about to do; Slughorn had retired from his position of Potions--for good this time, and Severus had re-taken the mantle of Potions teacher, having held the DADA position for over nineteen years, while Harry would be taking the DADA position. He wondered what his kids' reaction would be. Lily was not yet old enough for Hogwarts and would be staying with Ron and Hermione part of the time.
"Not every day," Albus said quickly. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."
"I wrote to James three times a week last year." Harry said.
"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts." Severus put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother, a real laugh riot." Harry laughs at Severus' tone.
Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Albus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James had already disappeared.
"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peeting at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.
"We'll find them." said Severus reassuringly.
But the vapor was dense and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud. Harry thought he heard Percy discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations, and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello...
"I think that's them, Al," Harry said suddenly.
A group of four people people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Severus, Lily, and Albus had drawn right up to them.
"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.
Rose, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.
"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."
"No, I didn't," said Hermione. "I had complete faith in you."
"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him," Ron whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Albus' trunk and owl onto the train while Severus and Hermione spoke. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can see a Supersensory Charm for that."
Back on the platgform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother, having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.
"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "but no pressure."
"Ron!"
Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn, both afraid to go to Houses they didn't want to be in.
"He doesn't mean it," said Hermione, but Ron was no longer paying attention. Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stoof in sharp relief against the shifting mist.
"Look who it is."
Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His wife was more than familiar to all of them, Ron having pointed her out rather than Draco; it was Ginny. She had gotten together with Malfoy sometime after she and Harry had broken up, and had rather estranged herself from the rest of the family, though Draco, strangely enough, stayed closely in touch with them all. Harry wasn't sure why she had stayed so distant over the years, except maybe because he was very, very close with the Weasleys and considered them family. Or maybe because he had married Severus; he wasn't sure the reason.
Ginny had just recently fire-called her mother and father and said she, Draco and their son would be coming to Thanksgiving. Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy would also be attending, shockingly enough. But it seemed like all sides were trying to patch things up and start anew and Harry was glad of that.
Draco and Ginny's son resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled Harry. Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Severus staring at him (well Severus wasn't blatantly staring like they all were, but he had caught Draco's eyes), nodded curtly, and turned away again.
"That Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."
"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half sterm, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"
"You're right, sorry." said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get too friendly with him though, Rosie. Your Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."
"Hey!"
James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.
"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victor!"
He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.
"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victor! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing--"
"You interupted them?" said Severus. "You are very much like Ronald--"
"--and he said he'd come to see him off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging him!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.
"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily, ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"
"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"
"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al--Teddy could take my room!"
"No," said Severus firmly. "You and Albus will share a room only when I want the house demolished."
Harry checked the battered old watch that had once been Fabian Prewett's.
"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board." said Harry and, holding back a grin as he hugged James, added. "Don't forget to give Neville my love."
"Dad! I can't give a professor love! Having Papa at school is bad enough!"
"But you know Neville--"
James rolled his eyes.
"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, like Papa's Professor Snape, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love..."
Shaking his head at his dad's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Albus.
"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals."
"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"
But James merely laughed, permitted his dad to kiss him, gave his father a fleeting hug, then lept onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.
"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Albus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."
Harry kissed Albus good-bye...or Albus thinking it was good-bye.
"See you at Christmas."
"Bye, Al." said Harry as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Listen to your papa. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."
"What if I'm in Hufflepuff?"
The whisper was for his dad alone, and Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal and sincere that fear was.
Harry crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own. Alone of Harry's three children, Albus had inherited Lily's eyes. The others had eyes as black as their papa's.
"Albus Severus," Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Severus could hear and he was tactful enough to pretend to be waving slightly to Rose, who was now on the train, "you were named for two former headmasters of Hogwarts. One was one of the greatest wizards' the world has ever known and the other is the greatest man I've ever known, and who I love more than anything. And they were great friends, though they were from two different houses; Gryffindor and Slytherin. It doesn't matter what House you go to, despite what your brother likes to tease."
"But just say--"
"--then Hufflepuff House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Hufflepuff. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."
"Really?"
"It did for me; it wanted to put me in Slytherin." said Harry.
He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the wonder in Albus's face when he said it. But now the doors were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents were swarming for final kisses, last-minute reminders.
Albus jumped into the carriade and Severus closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and all, seemed to be turned towards Harry and Severus both.
"Why are they all staring?" demanded Albus as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.
"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."
Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to love, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him...at least for this short little time.
The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.
"He'll be all right," murmured Severus, for only Harry's ears to hear.
As Harry turned to look at him, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead. He leans into his husband's touch and kisses him deeply.
The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.
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