Title: My Hero
Rating: T
Summary: Takes place '19 years later' after My Savior. Harry runs into a familiar face… This is slightly AU and slightly slash… you have been warned! ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of this… I just like playing with other people's characters
:-D
Day 1
Harry Potter was the savior of the wizarding world though years had passed since the great battle at Hogwarts and Voldemort's demise. Harry had married Ginny, is girlfriend from school and his best friend's sister, a few years following. However, soon after their third child was born it was clear to both Harry and Ginny that their relationship was not going to make it. Yet even after the divorce, Harry and Ginny were able to remain close friends.
Harry was taking the kids on a family vacation to Italy. He was just offered a job there as Director of the International Aurors. He was taking the children down to see his new house and give them a chance to see a new place before they return to school in a week. This year was going to be Albus' first year at school. Harry could not believe just how big his children were getting.
The four Potters flooed to Harry's new house in the south of Italy. The countryside was beautiful and the house had a wonderful garden full of magical plants of all colors and variety.
The children walked around with their mouths opened looked at all the things in the new house. Up stairs, each of the children had their own room.
After a full day of getting to know the area, the three children went up to their rooms to go to sleep. Harry was still getting used to his new house as well and once the house was quiet, Harry went out to the gardens to walk.
As he walked through the yard, he could see a man in a neighboring house out in the gardens as well. The man had a familiar quality to him. Harry watched as the man was selecting different plants and picking off leaves. Harry returned to his house before he was noticed for starring.
The next morning the children woke before Harry did.
"Al, I dare you to climb to the top of that tree." James smiled mischievously at his brother.
"What will you give me if I do?" Al questioned.
"I won't pick on you at school."
Believing this to be a good, enough reward Al started up the very tall tree in the back garden. He climbed from branch to branch until he reached last of the branches big enough to hold his weight. "There!" He called out to his brother below.
"Nope you still have to come down!" James smiled at his brother.
As Al started his way down the branches, he slipped. He fell through several layers of the tree before his shoe was caught on a limb about midway down holding him in the air upside down.
"Help, help, get me down!" Al called to his brother, but there was nothing his brother could do for him.
"Levicorpus!" The spell was yelled from the next house where a man was outside and saw the boy fall. Al found himself floating and was then slowly lowered to the ground.
"Thank you, sir¾where did he go?" Al looked over to the yard only to see the door of the house closing.
"What are you guys doing?" Harry asked as he walked into the yard with Lily at his side.
"I was climbing the tree but I fell and there was a man who saved me, but he went inside before I could thank him." Al said quickly.
"You fell out of the tree?" Harry moved quickly to his son to check for any problems. "Are you hurt?"
"No I was falling and the man yelled Levi- something and I floated down."
"Well we are going to have to make sure we thank him later then." Harry smiled happy to see that his children were safe.
Harry once again stole a glance at the next house with a weird feeling about it. He was not sure what it was but he had a weird feeling about that house.
That afternoon Harry was taking his children to see where he was going to be working now. Upon arriving at their destination, Harry asked one of his co-workers Carlos Overhill if he knew who it was that lived next to him. Overhill at lived in the area for several years and was acquainted with many of the people of the town.
"Next to you? Older man with dark hair? Keeps to himself?" Overhill questioned Harry.
"Yeah, do you know his name?" Harry asked, "He saved my son this morning and I would like to thank him for that."
"Tobias Prince, but he doesn't like visitors, he doesn't like anyone. Just fair warning. The man would prefer if you would just pretend as if the whole thing did not happen. He has been known to curse people just for trespassing."
"Tobias Prince? How old would you guess him to be?" Harry questioned with a sly smile.
"Late 50s why?"
"Greasy hair, large nose, dark eyes?" Harry smile got larger.
"Yeah, someone you know?"
"I am not sure yet, but I think he could likely be a ghost from my past." Harry turned to his children. "You guys I think it is time to go home and visit our neighbor."
"It is your grave, boss," Overhill returned to his work.
Harry, James, Albus, and Lily walked up the pathway leading to their neighbor's door. Harry knocked softly on the door.
"Go away!" Came the voice from inside the house.
"Professor, could you please answer the door." Harry smiled.
All was silent in the house.
"Professor, I know it is you, please answer your door. You saved my son this morning and I would like to thank you. You never let me thank you properly that night in the Shrieking Shack, please let me thank you today." Harry tried but figured it was pointless.
"Potter," the version of Severus Snape, even though nearly twenty years older looked the same as the last time Harry saw him. "How did you find me?"
"Tobias Prince is not too stealthy." Harry smiled. Harry knew that Tobias was the name of Severus father and his mother's maiden name was Prince.
Snape was just as intense as he had been while at Hogwarts. He looked down at the three smile faces of the children and glared at them.
"Professor, I would like you to meet my children. James Sirius," James extended his hand but Snape just starred at him. "This is my Lily," Snape's eyes softened at the girl but still showed not much change. "And the boy over there is Albus Severus."
Snape starred at the boy then at Harry.
"I named him for two of the best Headmasters Hogwarts has ever seen, as well I named him Severus for the bravest man I have ever had the privilege of knowing."
"Thank you sir, you saved me this morning." Al smiled up at the man not knowing he was looking into the face of his namesake.
Snape gave just a slight nod but it was very clear that he was content with Harry recognition of his work.
"Why don' you come by for dinner tonight?" Harry asked hopefully.
"Harry, don't, please. I want to continue to live out my life under the radar. I do not wish for anyone to know where I am and that I am still alive." Snape's voice contained the same exhaustion that it did the night in the Shack.
"But how would anyone know anything when I just invited my neighbor over after he saved my son's life?" Harry smiled. "Come it would do you some good to be a nice neighbor. Besides I am an excellent cook."
"Doubtful," Snape thought back to the potions Harry created while they were in school. He thought for a moment and what harm could it do, besides, finding a little news from London might be worth it. "Alright, when should this little event take place?"
"I have to return the children home to their mother at 6h00 so why not 7h30?"
"Good day then," Snape gave a slight nod of his head to Harry, and to the children he looked almost as though concealing a smirk, "Stay away from trees, children." Severus Snape turned and went back into his house closing the door behind him.
"Dad, he scares me." Al looked at Harry.
"Yeah he can be that way." Harry smiled then took the children back to the house so they could spend the final hours together before they were to return to Ginny.
Soon 6h00 came and all the children lined up to use the Floo Network connecting Ginny and Harry's houses.
"Dad do we have to go?" James asked. "I mean I love mom, but I miss you."
"I know James, but this is how it has to be while I get started out here. Soon you will at school and you will not even notices that I live so far way. Besides I am just a floo away."
Four burst of green flames in a row and they were all standing in the kitchen of Ginny's house.
"Hey, welcome back. Did you have fun with you dad?" Ginny hugged and kissed each of her children then sent them upstairs to clean off the soot. She looked up at Harry and smiled, "Have fun?"
"Yes, can I tell you something in complete secrecy?" He questioned.
"You know you can." Ginny looked nervously at him. "What is it?"
"My neighbor, it Professor Snape."
"Professor Sna¾but he died, didn't he?" Ginny went pale not knowing what to say.
"No, everyone believed that the Death Eaters had taken his body, but that was when I cleared his name. He wants everyone to believe that he is dead so that he can live out the rest of his life in peace. I saw him that night in the Shrieking Shack but never told anyone. But this morning the boys were outside playing and I guess Al fell out of the tree and Snape saved him. I went over to thank him and that is when I talked with him again. He is coming over to my house for dinner tonight."
"That is going to be an awkward dinner. I mean it is Professor Snape." Ginny always thought Snape was creepy.
"Ginny," Harry glared.
"I know he is a hero, I mean honestly we have a child named after him, but still." Ginny half smiled at him. That was one thing she always loved about Harry, he was loyal to everyone who deserved his loyalty. "Alright well you go have fun on your date with Snape, I will see you when we take the kids to get school supplies, tomorrow, don't be late!" Ginny hugged Harry.
"It's not a date and I will see you then." Harry smiled at her. Harry walked through the floo once again and was back at his house. He had a lot of work to do before Snape showed up.
Mrs. Weasley hat taught Harry a few cooking spells. He sent them in action as he ran up stairs to his room to get changed.
Harry was getting nervous; Severus Snape was coming over to his house to eat dinner with him. There would have to be conversation, and Harry was not sure how conversation with Snape was going to work. Outside of the Shrieking Shack the two had hardly shared a civil word with each other, In fact everything shared between Harry and Snape tended to be vile and rude. The two hated each other for their own reason and now they were to have dinner together, to catch up on old times.
Harry had just laid everything out on the table when he heard the knock at the door. Harry's nerves skyrocketed. With a deep breath, he went to the door and answered it.
"It is really great to see you again." Harry smiled at Snape standing in his doorway.
Snape handing him a bottle of a purple liquid. "It is a particularly strong healing potion for the next time one of your children decide falling is the fastest way down a tree." Snape said almost as a joke.
"Thanks," Harry smiled at the bottle then placed it on a near buy table. "Dinner is in here." Harry motioned towards the dinning room.
Snape followed Harry as they moved between rooms. On the table was a simple meal but it looked very well prepared. "You made this?" Snape asked Harry slightly shocked.
"I told you I was an excellent cook." Harry smiled. "Mrs. Weasley taught me when I got my divorce. She wanted to make sure I didn't starve."
"Divorced? Who were you married to?" Snape questioned Harry trying to carry on a polite conversation.
"Ginny Weasley, we were married for several years but it wasn't right," Harry half smiled, "but we have three wonderful children so it was worth it." He added at the soured expression on Snape's face. "So have you been here for the last 19 years?"
"No, I have moved around a lot, staying in a location until I see someone I recognize. Then I find somewhere new."
Harry felt sorry for him. "So it has not really been the peaceful life you wanted?"
"No, it has. I do not have to explain myself to the Ministry who believe me to be a Death Eater, nor worry about the Death Eaters who are still out free."
Harry could tell that Professor Snape's harsh demeanor had softened extremely throughout the past years.
There was a long silence where the two just ate and drank without conversation. Finally, Harry looked over at Snape and sighed.
"Professor, all the Death Eaters are in Azkaban and the Ministry has cleared your name. I made sure that they knew everything about Dumbledore and being a spy, they even put your portrait up at Hogwarts, however no one really understands why your portrait never wakes up." Harry tried not to laugh remembering the last time he was at Hogwarts for the hanging of Snape portrait.
Severus stared at him. He knew what the boy was going to say next and he was just hoping that he would not.
"Will you come back with me to London? Everyone would be so excited to see you are still alive. You are a hero" Harry got excited.
"No, I told you I am not their hero, you are their hero. I want nothing, I shouldn't have come here." Snape began to get up from the table.
"No, wait, stop, please." Harry begged. "I just thought…"
"You just thought what?" Snape was a little irritated.
"It just I'm tired of lying to everyone. I mean I am the only person who knows you are alive, well besides Ginny but she just found out today when I took the children home…" Harry was talking fast.
Snape raised an eyebrow in annoyance at Ginny knowing.
"Sorry but the children were bound to tell her and I wanted to make sure I explained things before they confused her and I got a Howler from her with questions." Harry quickly explained before Snape got too mad at him. "But you see, my children live in a world were they will never know the dangers that I faced daily growing up. This new generation lives freely with a Ministry that is not corrupt, where the people you meet on the street are not secretly working for the side of evil. Yes, there are still bad people out in the world but they will never know the dangers that we have lived with for so long. My children have you to thank for not just having a free world but for being alive. I would never have lived long enough to have children if it were not for you. I may not have lived past the age of eleven."
"Mr. Potter, you ramble." Snape said arms crossed.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Harry was a little embarrassed but he knew that he needed to say something to keep Snape from leaving. Harry looked up at Snape who was still staring at him; Harry could not help but laugh at the awkward situation.
Snape also smiled a little. For the first time in his life, Severus felt as though there was really someone who cared what happened to him more then as a tool. He knew that Dumbledore cared about him, but more as a spy then as a person. Snape never had a problem with this because he blamed himself so much for the death of James and Lily Potter. Even staring at the face of Harry, as an adult with a family of his own, Snape cannot help but feel the guilt of being the one who told the Dark Lord of the prophecy. Harry did not deserve to grow up without his mother or father. Severus once again was feeling the over whelming remorseful feeling of being the one who ruined Harry's life.
Harry looked into the sad face of Severus; he could see that the man was upset. Harry could also see that Snape was trying to hide his feelings. Harry concentrated on the man's gloomy expression and he knew the thoughts that were affecting Snape so.
"Professor, don't blame yourself. My parents' death was not your fault. I don't blame you; you should not feel so guilty." Harry took a few steps closer to Severus.
Snape looked into the green eyes that reminded him so much of Lily and he could not help the tears that were welling up. The boy did not blame him, even when he knew what had happened, that he was the one who informed the Dark Lord. Severus had an emotional revaluation, feeling a mixture of joy, for knowing Harry did not blame him, and remorse, for he still personally felt it was completely his fault. Severus did not know how to react.
"Everything worked out the way it was supposed to. I am not saying I do not miss my parents but there were a lot of people who lost their lives and I miss everyone. I wish that I could have just sacrificed myself and no one would have died." Harry again was just talking. "I just wish there was more I could have done."
Severus was overwhelmed by the boy's own emotional release that he walked over and held Harry as he cried on Severus' shoulder.
It became clear to both of them, that they held up appearances for many years but all they really managed was bottling the emotions until this moment where the floodgates opened and both found themselves unable to stand any longer.
Gently bringing him down, Severus sat with Harry, holding him close as the boy finally let out everything he held in for nearly twenty years.
Both men felt as though they really understood the other and the weight they both had carried for so long.
After what felt like years of emotional release, Harry sat up and in silent 'thank you' placed a soft kiss on Snape's mouth.
Professor Snape's stern brooding expressions return to him as he questioned, "Potter what do you think you are doing?"
Harry was not sure, with a wide-eyed expression he go up from the floor and moved across the room to the other side of the table. "I--I mean…" Harry had lost all his words as he looked away red faced and feeling quit awkward.
Severus started to walk towards the door feeling very uncomfortable himself.
"Wait, please stop, it's just…" Harry tried for the second time to keep Snape from leaving. "I would really like it if you stayed longer. I have missed you and want you here. It just seeing you again brings up old emotions and memories of those times. I never got over everything, not that I think anyone could really get over all of that. I am sorry about the…" Harry's face turned very red. "It's just that I really like you."
Professor Snape's expression soften a little, but before anymore could be said he turned on his feet and exited Harry's house.
Harry's heart fell to the ground smashing into a million pieces. Harry moved to a chair at the table and sat down with a heavy sigh.
:-)
Snape entered his house extremely confused about what had just happened. Why had Harry kissed him? What was the boy thinking? 'Liked' him? Was the boy developing a crush?
Snape's mind was filled with a hundred questions as he entered the den and sitting heavily in his armchair and letting out a deep sigh.
There will be more… no worries about that… it just might take some time to get it posted…. Hope you liked it!!! :-)