Chapter Title: Prologue
Author name: Wings of Seraphim
Author email: wingsseraphimyahoo.com
Category: Romance
Sub Category: Some tradgedy or angst... maybe...
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Harry's life after the final battle is starting to look up. He's lost almost every single person he has ever held dear to his heart and some that he hated, but this only makes him treasure the friends he has even more. Harry's daughter and wife are able to keep him stable so that he can continue his life at Hogwarts. But why are angels visiting his dreams and how will he deal with teaching his own daughter. A story not about evil lords and Harry saving the world but about Harry struggling with everyday life and his inner demons.
DISCLAIMER: I would never dare take away any of the glory that rightfully and deservedly belongs to J.K. Rowling (nor would I want to). As much as it pains me to say it, please do not send me blank checks or large briefcases of counterfeit money or large bags with big dollar signs filled with gold dublooms. I write fanfics to express myself and to try and put a smile on some reader's face. So start smiling!
Author notes: Thanks to Autumn to Ashes. I'm looking for a new Beta (someone to proofread my fics for errors and to give me advice) because my last beta probably forgot about me it's been so long. Even if you don't want to beta for me, be sure to review if you thought my fic a worth-while read.
P R O L O G U E
With a most tortured and crestfallen look on his face, Severus Snape slumped into his favorite armchair closest to the heat of the fireplace. Welcoming the burning sensation from the flames radiating on his skin, welcoming any sensation at all, he sat next to the hearth, dwelling on what was going on in the Headmaster's study. Albus, Minerva, and Potter were discussing whether or not to close the school down in light of new information. Severus knew the parents' reaction to the inevitable would be one of anger and of uproar. No one would believe that the Dark Lord would ever try to ambush Hogwarts and that he would be stupid enough to leak out this information. Severus was not so sure about it himself actually. A few of the Death Eaters came to him asking to have a meeting with Dumbledore. Surely he wouldn't take a couple of Voldemort's followers right into the office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts willingly, would he? It turns out he did -- but to his credit... they weren't what they seemed.
The parents of one of the new Slytherin first years came to Hogwarts, more specifically to their child's head of house, wanting to ask about transferring to Durmstrang.
"I'll take you to the Headmaster if you wish, but I should really ask you to reconsider," persuaded Snape, while beckoning them towards the gargoyle statues that led up to the headmaster's office.
The father was the first to reply. "We haven't actually made up our minds yet, professor, but we would like to learn as much as we can about the process if we do actually decide to move."
"Very well," drawled Snape, before giving the gargoyle the password (" Of course being Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster offered the parents some sherbet lemons, and surprisingly enough, the wife gratefully took one. "I much prefer Muggle sweets rather than most wizarding candy. Although, I'm particularly fond of some of the sweets from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. My favorite is their new Fire Crystals."
"Yes, yes... I remember hearing something from Molly about them almost burning down their store trying to get the recipe just right." Dumbledore said almost to himself as if forgetting he wasn't alone.
"You two make a right pair. Now, can we hurry this meeting up? I need to get to work on the stock of Wolfsbane Potion. We only have enough in store for the next full moon, and it is such an unpredictable concoction that storing isn't always that reliable anyway," Snape said just a little bit irked that he had to sit through a meeting with a couple of parents because he was the child's head of house and that afterwards he had to make one of the most, if not the most, complex and draining potions known to the magical world for some werewolf that already got on his nerves.
"Poor old Remus never needed any silly potions when he had the rest of us for company," the woman complained as if no one else was around, and instantly the pouting look was swiped clean off her face and replaced by one of horror and regret.
Severus knew right away that something was wrong and grabbed for his wand, but before he could even lay a finger on his wand, Dumbledore had already launched a stunning charm straight into the middle of the woman's chest. The next thing that caught his eye was the man throwing his hands up into the air and dropping his wand on the ground.
"Who are you?! I know you are not parents of any student of ours!" Albus boomed, his wand pointed in the remaining imposter's face.
"Only half right, you bumbling old fool," the impostor sneered with a grimace on his face that only an ex-Death Eater that also happened to be the head of Slytherin House could recognize.
"Malfoy!!" Snape screamed while pushing him into the chair and conjuring up ropes from his wand that self-tied them around his ankles and wrists. "The only question is which Malfoy is it. Lucius? Or could it be Draco? I don't see any motive for Draco to risk anything of this sort, but I doubt even Lucius would be so dense as to come to Hogwarts only a few months after breaking out of Azkaban. Though, if it "Very good, Severus," Lucius said making it sound like his name was some kind of naughty word. "You probably assumed I was here on some kind of errand or assassination attempt. Although if I was here to kill you Dumbledore I might have succeeded if that wanker hadn't blown our cover, but it's all moot anyway because we came here with only the purest intentions," he said with a wry smile.
"I'm quite sure," Snape replied with equal sarcasm.
Please, Severus, we need to get answers... if you understand what I mean," said Dumbledore. With this, Severus turned to leave the office, but was just as quickly interrupted.
"No need Severus, I've brought a bottle of Veritaserum already. It's in a pocket on left of the inside of my robes, unless of course you would like to use your own."
"I think that would be wise," replied Snape. He then walked over to the door to open it, and called out, " "Stop bloody trying to force it down my throat! You don't need to force me to take it. I will voluntarily take the ruddy potion, or don't you remember me offering some of my own," Lucius smirked as Severus cursed while muttering. Putting the vial up to Lucius' lips and raising it, allowing a stream of the bitter, clear liquid to slide down Lucius's throat.
"Severus, even you have to think that that much Veritaserum is overkill. It's only necessary to give him a few drops," questioned Dumbledore.
"I'm well aware of that, "I've got everything covered, Severus. You get to work on Mr. Malfoy," and with that the headmaster glided over to the only door out of his quarters and waved his right hand across the face of the door while muttering an incantation.
Walking over to Lucius, Severus pocketed his wand. When he was finally standing in front of the white haired man he began his interrogations.
"What is your name?"
"Lucius Malfoy."
Severus turned to the headmaster and whispered, "Albus, you had better find a way to record this conversation." The headmaster's only response was pulling out a silvery substance from his temple with his wand, walking over to his armoire , and placing it into the basin of his pensieve. "Right, of course," Severus nodded in agreement then turned to Lucius asking, "How did you impersonate the parents of a student here at Hogwarts?"
"We didn't kill them if that's what you're implying. Narcissa is friend's with the wife and she grabbed a couple hairs for a Polyjuice Potion."
"When will the effects of the Polyjuice wear off?"
"In about five minutes if that clock is correct."
"Are you, Lucius Malfoy, currently a Death Eater?"
"Just as you were, dear Severus," Lucius replied, even under the influence of Veritaserum keeping his sarcasm.
"Why did the Dark Lord send you here?"
"It wasn't His idea for us to come here."
"Then who's was it?"
"It was that rat bastard over there," Lucius said in such an endearing tone that it was quite eerie and pointing over to the other impostor that was tied up.
"Yes I quite agree... He "We've come here to ask for help," Lucius admitted while hanging his head low as if disgusted with himself for having to even ask for help in the first place.
"Why would you need help? Especially from us. Why don't you just ask your Master for help?"
"That's just it we came here to ask for you to save us "You have to be kidding me! Why would the Dark Lord's two most loyal Death Eater's be in danger?"
"We didn't do anything yet. We're not coming to you just to save our asses you prat! V-Vol... Voldemort... has gone completely insane! He's not just trying to rid the earth of the damn Mudbloods and Muggles anymore. His only goal is to make life for Harry Potter as miserable as possible," growled out Lucius.
"I should have known... Everything that revolves around the sun is about that boy," Severus moaned. "But still, you guys have never had any problem with killing everything that is in your way in order to fulfill the Dark Lord's will. What's so different now?"
"I will not serve that animal anymore because he wants to kill my son! He wants to kill Draco just because Harry Potter "Something big is going to happen soon. I know I'm in no position to make demands since I am under Veritaserum, but we will help in any way that we can, give V-Voldemort wrong information, recruit more Death Eaters against him, anything, if you'll keep my son alive. I am also willing to go to prison voluntarily once He is defeated, but I don't want to get a life sentence," admitted Lucius, with the blandest of expressions on his face. His real face and not the imitation face.
"If it isn't... Well... I don't know... I can't think of anything to say," Snape stuttered, trying to think up some snide remark but at the same time, oddly touched by Malfoy's intentions.
"Yes Mr. Malfoy, I do believe we can come to an agreement," Albus said with twinkling eyes. "But first... we must address Monsieur Wormtail."
The pale and scrawny figure of Peter Pettigrew was now resting, tied up in a chair in the headmaster's office. All it took was one look into the oceans behind Dumbledore's half moon spectacles to send Pettigrew into tears.
"I understand why you're here, but why is "No, you're right, he does not have a child to look out for, but he does have "I'm sorry Prongs. I couldn't keep Padfoot alive, but I'll keep Remus safe," Peter cried to himself in between sobs.
"Peter here has been under the Imperius for some time now by none other than Voldemort himself. It's taken him quite a long time to be able to withstand it long enough to be able to come here."
Now Dumbledore was the one asking questions. "Are you telling me that he could have been under Voldemort's control before the Potters went into hiding?" he said unable to hide the urgency in voice to find the answer to that question.
"From what he's told me, it sounds like his memory is fried. He can't remember anything trivial from over a week or so ago. The only things he remembers are his long term memories of when he was in school and any orders he was given under Imperius, and half the time he doesn't know what actions are of his own volition and which ones are of Voldemort's. So I guess it is entirely possible -- I'd even say that it's probable."
"So he wants to protect the werewolf, does he have any other But it was not Lucius who answered. "The real r-reason I came here... is to a-a-ask Albus to p-please... kill me," exclaimed Peter, in the quietest of squeaks
"I assure you Mr. Pettigrew that nobody is going to die here tonight."
"NO!" he immediately snapped back. "You "I must insist that you rethink what you are saying Peter," Dumbledore said with a certain finality that even Pettigrew would not even dare disobey. "I do not believe that you will be able to touch Remus since he is staying here at Hogwarts, in Harry's quarters," and turning to Lucius, "nor Draco. After all, Peter we do have that wonderful map you helped to create."
And with that Peter broke into tears again this time quietly muttering 'thank you's to Albus.
"Now just to warn you up front, the information we have is far from the whole thing. Voldemort has been out of his mind for months now, and no one dare oppose him, until now that is, because he has finally become the most powerful he has been, up until he was stripped of his body that one Halloween. As much as he is becoming insane, he is becoming just, if not more, untrusting and paranoid. He only gives each person their own orders and no one else's. Everyone work's alone, maybe with a partner, although rarely. The Dark Lord has never been a fan of memory charms -- too unreliable -- but lately he's been throwing them around like an Obliviator. With Pettigrew and I snooping around, we've got tomorrow's attack pretty much figured out, second only to Voldemort." And with that Lucius went into great detail on everything he knew about an attack that would take place at dawn the next day... against Hogwarts.
Severus sat in the armchair, pondering on how things would turn out tomorrow. It was inevitable that they would close the school. The only reason they were even considering it was that it was only two weeks into the new school year. Every student was locked up in there in there houses with their meals being brought into the common rooms. The only explanation we gave was that a recently escaped prisoner of Azkaban was spotted back at Hogwarts, and the Ministry was going to order the Headmaster to have dementors search the interior of the castle.
The lie wasn't very far from the truth anyway. One of Voldemort's biggest weapons in the attack was that he was finally going to use his dementors. From what Severus heard of Lucius's testimony, it didn't look good for Hogwarts. The only defenses they really had, aside from the actual castle, were a few animals that Hagrid could persuade to defend the outer doors, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort didn't only have dementors and Death Eaters on his side, though. He had some giants, a dragon, and perhaps even a Lethifold. Not only did they have all the creatures attacking, the Death Eaters had got their hands on some useful items, such as invisibility cloaks and possibly a few time-turners.
Immersed in his thoughts, Severus didn't notice the door opening and the footsteps that followed. He did notice when Harry Potter sat down into the chair across from him. Harry had the oddest look on his face. It wasn't horror or panic. It was almost... confusion, but it held more despair than any face should be able to hold.
"I take it my initial reaction was your consensus," said Snape, without any real feeling in his tone.
"Yeah, Hogwarts is closed until further notice..." Harry said and then added, "Severus?"
"What do you want, Harry?" Severus replied with only minimal resentment in his voice.
"Are you scared?" Before receiving a reply, Harry admitted, "I am. I'm not scared of dying. I-I think I'm scared of living without my friends."
"If you had asked me that question a few years ago, I would have told you that the only thing binding me to this world was the debt I owed Albus Dumbledore for saving me from the pits of hell, but... I've changed... as much as I hate to admit it. But I'm not the only one who's changed. When you were a student I never would have -- could have -- guessed where you would end up, Professor Potter."
"You were righta all these years, Severus. I don't know why I didn't see it before. After just one year in Auror training, I was looking for any other career I could find. So, when I heard that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position opened up, I jumped at the opportunity," Harry droned out while pouring a glass of Firewhisky. "But after only two weeks of teaching, this happens, and I know teaching is what I was born to do. That and destroy the Dark Lord, but the former is so much more fun. I just hope that that the Defense position's curse isn't still around," added Harry, with the most unenthusiastic of chuckles followed by him downing half of the amber colored liquid in his glass.
"You shouldn't be drinking that stuff now," Severus warned his colleague, magicking away the rest that was in his glass. "We have quite a big day ahead of us."
"If that isn't the understatement of the decade, than I'm King Kong." Harry easily retorted, then noticing the perplexed look on Severus' face added, "Muggle movie."
Severus saw the trouble in Harry's eyes that he was trying to conceal. Whatever happened up in the Headmaster's office must have really upset Harry to make him start drinking, Severus thought as they both made their way back to the fire. No... Albus wouldn't have!
"Harry?" Severus started. "Did Albus show you anything from his pensieve during the meeting?"
"No," replied Harry, without expression. "All he did was explain the situation and asked for mine and Minerva's feelings on what we should do." Good, even Albus isn't that stupid, Severus thought, but was interrupted by Harry. "Then he had me meet with Pettigrew."
The bumbling old fool...
"It was one of the saddest things I ever experienced. I never expected to ever meet with him for my entire life. I was afraid of what I might do if posed with the situation, but... when Albus showed me into his study the last thing I expected to see was Pettigrew, much less a Pettigrew sobbing in an armchair, all rolled up in a ball. When he saw me he only started to cry harder begging for me not to see him," Harry continued, without as much as a sigh.
"It wasn't like we had a conversation or anything. Whenever Albus or I tried to get him to say anything, he would only respond by begging for my forgiveness or muttering about how he didn't deserve to live and asking me to finish off what Sirius never did." Starting to get worried that Harry was showing no emotion whatsoever, Severus was about to make him stop and go take a sleeping drought, but at the mention of Sirius's name, tears started to gently roll down Harry's pale cheeks.
"I wanted to yell at him so bad. I wanted to feel my knuckles burn in pain as I punched him in the face. Every single one of my instincts and feelings told me to take out all the anger he's caused me out on him... all except my heart. Blame it on the Gryffindor sentimentality or that there's no enjoyment in taking out revenge on a willing recipient, but my heart was bleeding all over him. I actually took him up into my arms and shushed him until he stopped crying and told him that I forgive him. Next thing I knew Albus was ushering me out saying that he needed to make sure that Peter got some sleeping drought before it got too late.
"It was so much easier when it was just Wormtail the bastard that betrayed my parents and wanting him dead was just as normal as putting butter on dry toast. It feels like a part of my personality is gone, but then again, I lost most of it that first day you smiled at me. Remember, Severus?" Harry asked with a definite increase in volume over his previous droning, to try and put a guise over his quick and rough change of subject.
"Quite, Mr. Potter," Severus said, imitating (or at least trying to anyways) the tone he took the first time he had Harry in potions while trying not to laugh... but failing miserably. "We would never have even tolerated each other sitting at the far ends of the high table for five minutes into the first feast if it wasn't for that day," he mused.
"That was a big day for me. The kind of day that changes your whole entire life around, much like tomorrow will be. Except that day was on the complete other side of the spectrum. I can only think of two better days in my entire life, but when your life is that of the much tortured Boy-Who-Lived, that's not saying much," continued Harry, with a much more relaxed approach.
Quickly approaching the end of their sixth year, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were methodically studying spell books in order to stay in the N.E.W.T. Classes they were already in, and to learn more practical things that would come in handy for whichever career they would end up in, whether it be Auror, Ministry employee, or "Elf Exterminator" suggested Ron ("Just kidding Hermione! Must you hit so hard?").
"All the work that's required to become an Auror is making the job looking pretty unappealing, if you ask me," complained Harry.
"I didn't hear anyone ask… did "I didn't say I wasn't going to go through with it. Especially since McGonagall already talked Snape, the heartless bastard, into accepting me into N.E.W.T. level potions. Although it couldn't have been that hard since I After a few more minutes of discussion the Gryffindors quickly put away the books they no longer needed back on the shelves and checked out the ones they wanted to borrow.
They were soon sitting in the back of Transfiguration, waiting for McGonagall to begin class. The professor walked in as briskly as she usually did, and wasted no time in starting class. "Class, for the past week, we have been learning how to transfigure an object in motion. As some of you have duly noticed, we have been learning skills that can be quite useful whether out on the job or cleaning a flat. I would be quite impressed if any of you could find any useful application for turning a pin-cushion into a Yorkshire Terrier, and I would quite like to hear it," said Professor McGonagall rapidly.
Expecting silence and stillness, McGonagall was astonished when Seamus Finnigan's hand went up.
"Put your hand down Mister Finnigan. It was a rhetorical question."
"But Professor, my ma once--"
"I don't want to hear it Mister Finnigan. Continuing with our discussion... There are many forms of Transfiguration, some useful some not quite so. Imagine a staircase. The first step is your first three years of school. Some of what you learn there can be used in the real world while some of the theory and other spells are only there to help boost you up to the next step. It's the same way all the way up to staircase. Now, I'm afraid, is the last step of your Hogwarts education. We must prepare you for life outside these magical walls with a few more practical aspects of Transfiguration. Can anybody think of useful everyday applications of Transfiguration?" ...
McGonagall looked around. "This question happens to be a real one. Now, if any of you could please answer me. Miss Granger, yes?"
Hermione quickly replied, "Well, if the weather suddenly changes, transfiguring your hat or clothes can keep you dry." Soon, almost everyone in the classroom had one of his or her hands raised. After a few more answers from the Gryffindors, Lavender Brown answered with "disguise."
This answer triggered something for Ron. When Ron was called on his answer was, "The Animagus transformation."
"I was hoping someone would answer with that soon," said McGonagall gleefully. "Ten points to Gryffindor! For the next week or two we are going to study what it takes to become an Animagi, the preparation, the procedures, the The three Gryffindor's in the back of the room turned to each other as the rest of the class burst into discussion about the Animagus Transformation (the last statement clearly heard by the trio being, "but I thought the last registered Animagus became one over forty years ago?").
"Hey, Hermione, wouldn't it be neat to become an Animagus?" whispered Ron.
"I would love to become an Animagus, as long as I don't have to be something that flies in the air!" replied Hermione with the same frightened look on her face that she wore every time someone even suggested she go flying on a broomstick.
"I wouldn't want to become a flying creature. either. Flying on brooms and in cars is plenty enough for me, but I would love to become some kind of wolf or maybe a lion or tiger. Definitely something that can hold its own in a fight!" replied Ron, with wide eyes and longing in his voice. "Hey, Harry? What would you fancy becoming?"
As the three of them sat there in the Transfiguration classroom discussing what kind of animals they would like to transform into, Harry could not help but get deja vu. Thinking of becoming an Animagus only brought painful memories into his head. His father… Wormtail the Traitor… and Sirius. With the thought of Sirius and the fresh wounds he still had, Harry had to use all the will power he had to keep himself from crying right in the middle of class. He quickly replied to Ron's query before his emotional floodgates let his eyes flood over. "I don't really know... How much homework do you think McGonagall is going to give us?" said Harry, quickly trying to switch the subject... but to no avail.
"Come on, mate, you have to have some kind of animal that you've always wanted to be?" pestered Ron tactlessly. It was becoming harder for Harry to keep himself from losing all emotional control. Luckily Hermione also noticed this.
"Ron! Leave Harry alone, and pay attention to Professor McGonagall!" snapped Hermione at Ron, before throwing Harry a loving gaze and a sympathetic nod and returning to her note taking. Hermione's kind gesture was able to bring Harry out of his almost emotional let-go. After the bell for the end of Transfiguration rang it was time for lunch. As usual Ron was starving and couldn't wait to get his face stuffed. All was right with the universe. Harry, though, was not quite feeling up to eating lunch in the noisy and crowded Great Hall. Eating lunch in the bustling kitchens was also out of the question. He finally decided to just go up to the common room and get all the things he would need for his next class... Potions. Harry anticipated Snape treating him poorly. What could be better than taking an hour trip to hell a few times every week?! The worst part about it was that Harry understood why Snape hated him so much... and he agreed with Snape! Every time Harry looked in a mirror all he could see was his father from the scene from Snape's pensieve, and it must've been even worse for Snape, having hundreds of memories just like the one in the pensieve and perhaps some even worse. After losing Sirius, Harry couldn't do anything, but hate Snape. It was all Snape's fault for provoking Sirius, but after a cooling off period, Harry realized that Snape didn't like the way things turned out any more than he did and let his grudge with the Potions Master ease off.
Harry's feet had already brought him to the portrait of the Fat Lady while even though he was immersed in thought. After trying to remember the password for a brief moment ( She stepped through the threshold and quickly ran into his arms. The two had not been able to have any time alone together for weeks now, and the summer earlier, Hermione couldn't stay with Harry at Remus's place because she desperately wanted to spend time with her parents. They spent the whole of the summer all over the United States (New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and many other cities). Harry was willing to do anything to make her happy, but they haven't had much time together recently. When Ron went to help Fred and George out with their store over the Easter holidays (while making some money of his own), Harry and Hermione finally admitted their feelings for each other, but have yet to tell anyone. After a brief snog session, the two just sat together in an armchair, enjoying the togetherness while it would last. It would have been a perfect moment, with Hermione sitting on Harry's lap while he ran his hand through her hair, but... there was one thing that was keeping it from being perfection.
Ron.
It was torture keeping their relationship from Ron, but they knew that he wasn't mature enough to handle them being together. Especially since she and Ron were not technically broken up yet and she was already snogging Harry whenever they were together. This fact alone wouldn't irk them as much as they were acting. No, the biggest problem was that they probably misjudged Ron. Of course, neither had told the other what they were thinking so both thought they were the only ones with any doubts, but they couldn't stand the silence anymore.
"I think we should tell Ron," they both spoke in unison. Harry and Hermione both took a little while to get over the shock of what they just blurted out and to let sink in what the other said.
Hermione was the first to reply. "Oh thank goodness! I was worried that I was the only one that thought we should tell Ron. It's only going to get worse the longer we keep it from him."
"I know, but the big question is how we are going to tell him. We should definitely do it as soon as possible," Harry suggested with a sigh.
"What should you do as soon as possible?" a voice behind from behind the portrait hole asked. Hermione quickly tried to jump off Harry's lap before the person saw them so close to one another, Harry was trying to get his hand out of Hermione's curly ginger hair, and both of them were praying that the stranger was just that, a stranger, and not Ron.
All hopes were lost as soon as his infamous red hair peered around the portrait. When Ron fully made his way into the Gryffindor Common Room, he saw Hermione jumping off of Harry's lap with crimson cheeks rivaling the hue of his own hair and Harry's hand still meshed in Hermione's tangled head of hair.
"You two!? But when... well, I ... go on! Explain!" bellowed Ron, steam practically coming out of his ears.
"Ron, please don't lose your head!" pleaded Hermione, tears in her eyes.
"And make sure to think about what you say before you say it," Harry urged with a very under-spoken forcefulness. "Even your thick skull must have suspected something by now."
"Well now that you mention it... There were times when I suspected," admitted Ron grudgingly, "but you still didn't explain how this got started!"
"Let me explain!" Hermione shouted, clearing the air of all noise and distraction. "This all started right before you and I broke up, during Easter Holiday. No. Ron! Don't you dare say a word!" she screamed with a ferocity Harry had only seen from Mrs. Weasley.
"We are not going to have the break-up argument again! We both agreed that there are feelings between us. Just not any romantic feelings. I'll never regret having you as my first boyfriend, Ron, but I could never stay with you without going mad. Now... during the Easter Holidays one night, Harry fell asleep down here in the common room. I came down here to tell him to go up to his dorm and get some sleep, but like I said he was already in dreamland. It was probably more like 'nightmare world' judging by the way he was whimpering in the corner. Then something happened that has changed both Harry's and my life," Hermione said with a tear rolling down her rosy cheek and a smile directed towards Harry.
"Wait! Don't tell me you cheated on me!" Ron shouted, fury coursing through his every word.
"Ron, please," Harry stressed desperately, "Let Hermione finish." Harry was wondering himself how she was going to avoid telling Ron about their first kiss that night, and dreading the fact that she probably was going to tell him. Only Harry could see the clockwork inside her head working over time to try and get every word placed in exactly the right spot.
"When I went to wake him up to help him upstairs, he... cried out my name. I felt so bad for him, as I tried to imagine what kind of dreams were going on inside his head, and just sat with him whispering soothing nothings into his ear before drifting off to sleep myself. Before I did fall asleep, I clearly remembering Harry murmuring... 'I love you,'" Hermione choked out, now in sobs. It felt horrible cheating on Ron even if it was for only one night, but it felt even worse to lie to him about it.
"After the break-up it took me a while to get up the courage to finally say what I felt for Harry," Hermione chocked out and added to Harry, "I love you."
"I love you, too," Harry replied lovingly.
"I guess I understand," Ron admitted with a pained and hurt look painted across his face. "It's obvious, once I see you two together, that you were meant for each other, but you still should have told me. Anyway..." Ron spat out, hoping for any kind of subject change, "I came to remind you that we have a class any minute now... with Snape!"
"Oh, that's right! I initially came up here to get my potions book, until "Sooo," Ron stretched out trying to lighten the mood. "Have you two shagged yet?" he asked with no problems being blunt as a his old handed-down quills.
"NO, Ron! You have to know Hermione better than that. She's not even out of school yet," exclaimed Harry, embarrassed, blood rushing to his
cheeks.
"I know. I was only bloody pulling your leg, mate," Ron laughed out. "But she does do that thing when she's kissing..."
"Isn't that amazing! It's so much better than anybody else I have ever kissed. I wonder where she came up with the idea to use her tongue like that?" said Harry, thinking of the failed relationships he had over the past two years.
"Boys," Hermione sighed while coming down the staircase leading to the common room. "Leave them alone for one minute, and who knows what they'll be talking about," she lectured, causing both Ron and Harry look down at the floor. "Well, hurry it up. We don't want to be late to Potions," and with that the trio walked down to the dungeons, closer to each other than they'd ever been before.
"Hey! I thought this story was supposed to be about me!" said Severus, to Harry. "I don't particularly want to here anything about petty Gryffindor arguments and teenage make-out sessions especially ones with you having any involvement."
"If you would let me continue to reminisce in peace, I was getting there. Anyway..."
On their way down to the potions dungeon, the three (or particularly just Harry and Ron) could do nothing but argue over Harry's silence about what Animagus he would like to be.
"When I say, 'I don't know and don't want to talk about it,' do you hear, 'Please, I want you to ask the same question over and over again'," snapped Harry. All of them finally found themselves in the potions classroom trying to avoid making direct eye contact with Professor Snape and went to their seats.
"Aw, come on Harry, at least tell me why you don't want to tell me. I mean, if you did become an Animagus, you'd be just like your dad," Ron whispered low enough so that Snape couldn't hear it.
Before Harry was using all his self-control not to bite Ron's head off for asking such a hurtful question, but now, of course, he didn't have the same amount of self-control since all of the horrid memories from the pensieve only a wall away came flooding into his head. The only thing being said, no screamed, in his head was saying that he wasn't a cruel person like his father. It wouldn't take long before these mental raves become verbal ones, and it didn't --
" .........
After a few people gasped, everyone in the room floated in the noisiest silence with mouths agape for the longest time waiting for the torrent that was sure to follow... but it never came.
As Harry stared at Snape he couldn't believe that the only emotion that Snape eyes were full of was not rage, hate, or even the slightest bit of disappointment... only pride and a sneer that he saved only for his most prized Slytherins, and then... Hell froze over, the planets all aligned, and whole galaxies collided because Severus Snape, head of Slytherin house, hater of all Gryffindors gave Harry Potter, most pure-hearted and proud of all Gryffindors, a full-blown smile! Not a smirk or a sneer, but a real smile and only said with next to no contempt, "Five points, Mr. Weasley, for provoking Mr. Potter."
Ron could do nothing but stare. It couldn't be stressed enough that "Professor! Are you going to let that son of a bitch off the hook!" Draco shouted out.
"Why yes, my dear Draco! It has worked so well on you and your fellow Slytherins," Snape growled out not even trying to put a sarcastic tone into it. "And twenty points off for questioning my ability to teach!"
With the exception of Snape's movements as he revealed the steps to making an antidote to an Aging Potion on the board, any bystander would have sworn they had gone deaf. Not a sound would escape any of the student's mouths, however, the room was screaming with thoughts. Every single person in the room only seemed to be brewing their potions. They were going through all of the correct motions (for the most part, it Draco's mind was saying,
I was the one to get points off and for nothing!, Ron's head reverberated. I don't get it. Snape should have pounced on the opportunity to get Harry a month's worth of detentions! It's not a big deal I lost five points, especially since Draco lost twenty! ...One minute Harry was biting my head off, and the next...
Snape was smiling at Harry, Hermione was thinking. Why in the world would Snape ever smile at Harry? It wouldn't be because Harry has lightened his anger towards Snape? No. That would only make the fire glow brighter and hotter. He actually seemed his normal Gryffindor-hating self when we first walked into the classroom telling Dean to get to his seat before he gave him a detention, but after Harry yelled out about... That's it! Snape acted kind (and for once human) because Harry said he hated his...
Father, It's not that I don't love you, the best that I can anyways. That kind of love is unconditional. It's just that the way you treated Snape (or Snivellus, as you would know him) is the same way Draco treats me, and I can't help but resent you for that, Harry said to his father, not expecting nor receiving an answer. This must have been heaven for Snape. He gets to hear a public denouncement of the person he hates most, James Potter and by his son, no less! I don't care though. The sooner I can get Snape off my back the better. Maybe we will get to see a newer, nicer side of Severus Snape yet. Harry dreamed as they finished up their potions to get ready to leave. On his way out after them they were dismissed to their next class, Harry was pulled off to the side by Professor Snape, and all of Harry's optimistic hopes and dreams of a better Snape were shattered, or so he thought.
"Wipe that look of dread off of your face now, Potter. I have not pulled you aside to deduct house points or give out detentions," Snape said, and in doing so, untied the knots in Harry's stomach only to let the butterflies breath again.
"I have recently had the pleasure," Snape began (making the word sound like anything but), "of speaking with your Head of House about your plans for the future."
"What about my future, sir?" Harry said politely, holding back any smart remarks about dying at the hands of Voldemort.
"Don't act stupid, boy! You're career... You plan to be an Auror?" asked Snape.
Harry answered, "Yes. I've heard that my mother was once an Auror." This was the first time Harry ever revealed his true motives for becoming an Auror to anyone.
"Yes..." Snape droned with a reminiscent look on his face. "Nearly got herself thrown into Azkaban or killed for being a double agent working for the Order, and don't try to tell me you wouldn't be a spy. You would do anything Dumbledore asked of you. Law enforcement is not the place for you. I think you would be much better suited as a teacher."
Harry blinked a few times trying to understand why Snape, even a friendly Snape, would give him career advice. "I don't really think I would fit in as a teacher. None of the students would pay attention to me, for one. They'll be too busy examining my scar and asking me questions I hate to answer. I'm not even sure if I could qualify as a teacher."
"Are you crazy, Potter? That defense club you were in charge of saved the lives of those first years last year at the Quidditch finals, and survived against three to one odds against experienced Death Eaters the year before that. If that isn't the proof of your astounding teaching ability, I have just wasted five minutes of my time!" snapped Snape.
"I guess... but I-"
"Don't make any decisions just yet. I was merely trying to give you more options because Minerva planned to blindly follow the wishes of an ignorant sixteen-year-old just to spite that hag, Umbridge. Just think about what we talked about before you go and get yourself killed as an Auror," Snape said, and giving Harry one last smile slammed the door in his face.
"Yeah, you were," Harry whole-heartedly agreed, with a smirk sprouting on his face. "A pain in the arse, I mean," Harry said to clarify his meaning so there was no mistake about Harry thinking Severus as always being wrong.
"You're not supposed to agree with me!" Severus snapped back in argument. "Besides, surviving a few years with Professor Snape is as much a part of Hogwarts as crossing the lake before the start of first year. Think of how boring life at Hogwarts would be without everyone's most beloved professor here."
"Oh, how would we manage?" Harry replied, with equal sarcasm. "Well, I need to Floo over to Hermione and say good night, and I promised to read Kathryn a bed time story before tucking her in."
"The apocalypse could be upon us, which it might very well be in one night's passing, but as soon as you talk about Kathryn your whole face lights up... It's really quite disgusting," sneered Snape, but the sneer couldn't hide the laugh that he let out.
"Sod off, Snivellus! I'm off." And with that last comment and a toss of Floo powder... he was.
S E R A P H I M