Title: Finally Fifty
Author: Kyrie
Rating: PG… nah, probably G
Word Count: 1970
Warnings: Fluff Overdose Possible
Disclaimer: I don't own Severus, although I wish I did. All Harry Potter characters are property of J K Rowling. Kyrie and her children are the only thing that is mine. And my cat would dispute even that.
Prompt: SeverusSighs Birthday Challenge for Severus' fiftieth birthday prompt # 3. Severus sat back in his chair and surveyed the world they had created. He was satisfied.
Betas: lovetoseverus and Abigail
A/N: I need to take the time to thank both Abigail and lovetoseverus for betaing this bit of fluff. And to thank lovetoseverus for her suggestions as to how to better wrap up the ending as well as the title. Also, I want to remind you that I stole the name Kyrie from this character, who had been created for another fic. She came first, and so, is not in any way, shape, or form meant to be a Mary Sue.
Finally Fifty
A quick glance around the Great Hall, decorated in the green and silver of Slytherin, proved everything was going as planned. An immense green and silver banner sporting the Slytherin Serpent hung behind the chair of the Headmaster at the High Table; the table itself had been transfigured into an enormous circular shape just for the occasion. There were silver and green balloons lazily floating throughout the room, and even the ceiling of the Great Hall, normally a mirror of the sky outside, was showing green and silver fireworks bursting against the night sky.
The normal house tables had been replaced by more intimate lantern-lit, round tables similar to those used for past Yule Balls. Each seated a dozen people and were alternately decorated with silver or green table-cloths. In total there were only about twenty-five tables, but it was enough to accommodate friends and family dearest to the honouree.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Kyrie turned to Narcissa.
"It's perfect," Narcissa said, giving Kyrie a quick hug. "This will be a night he will never forget."
"Right," snorted Kyrie. "He will forever remember the night he murders his wife."
Laughing, Narcissa hugged her again. "He loves you. He'd never hurt you. He might lock himself in his potions lab and sulk for a while, but he'll get over it."
"I don't know," drawled Lucius Malfoy as he walked over to the women. "Knowing our dear Severus, he may hex all three of us. And please remember this is a man that knows more of the Dark Arts than almost all of the Death Eaters combined."
Narcissa slapped his arm. "Stop that, Luc."
Lucius just smirked as the Great Hall's doors opened and people began filing in.
"And so it begins," muttered Kyrie, turning to face Lucius and Narcissa. "If he kills me, at least don't let him use my remains as potions ingredients." Lucius' laughter followed her as she moved to begin greeting the guests for her husband's fiftieth birthday party.
Severus looked at his oldest son. "Malachi Lucien Snape."
Gulping, Malachi looked his father in the eye. "Yes, Father?"
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"No, Father."
Eyebrow raised, Severus returned, "'No, Father?'"
Standing up straighter, Malachi agreed, "No, Father."
Severus found himself simultaneously annoyed and proud. Annoyed that his son was being an insufferable brat, and proud that Malachi wasn't cowed.
"Papa!" came a squeal just before Severus found himself with a lapful of his raven-haired, five-year-old daughter, Lily Danielle. She was being chased by his youngest son, eight-year-old Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Snape.
"What is going on, Albus?"
Albus skidded to a stop, holding a damp cloth. "I was just…" The door to the Snape family chambers opening cut off Albus' explanation.
Severus immediately turned to face it, even though he knew who had entered. Even if his wards had not been keyed to allow only his family admittance, he would have known who it was. He had always thought people were as barmy as Dumbledore when they spoke of being able to identify their lover simply by the sound of their step, the way they breathed, or their scent. He had been wrong.
Kyrie walked over to Severus and wrapped her arms around him and their daughter. Leaning in, she gave him a light kiss.
"Muuuummm," whined Albus. "Do you have to do that?"
Ruffling her son's hair, she took the cloth from him. "You go finish getting ready. Lucius and Narcissa are waiting. I'll take care of Lily."
"Kyrie?"
"Lily, it's time we get you dressed. Malachi, are you ready?"
"Yes, Mum."
"Good, why don't you go help Albus finish up, and be ready to go in five minutes."
"Kyrie."
"Now, Lily-girl, let's go and get…"
Kyrie was interrupted by an almost-growl. "Kyrie!"
The sparkle in Kyrie's eyes belied the serious expression she wore as she turned and kissed Severus on his nose earning her a real growl. Grinning, she disappeared into her daughter's bedroom to dress her for the party.
Less than five minutes later, the entire family was assembled in the sitting room and Severus let his gaze wander over each in turn.
Malachi, Severus thought, was almost a dead ringer for him as a boy, but thankfully with Kyrie's nose. He was handsome in his unpretentious black robes, the collar and cuffs which bore a simple yet elegant silver embroidery.
Albus resembled Kyrie more than himself, but as Severus took in his royal purple robes trimmed in gold, he mused ruefully that his son seemed to have acquired his namesake's sense of style.
Next, he turned to look at Lily. A vision in French Rose-coloured robes, trimmed in an opalescent material, she was a combination of both Kyrie and himself. With ebony hair and eyes and a heart-shaped face, Severus knew he was going to end up hexing countless boys before she grew to be twenty.
Finally, his gaze found its way to his wife. She was dressed in pale peach dress robes accented by gold. It was a colour he normally would have sneered at, but it suited Kyrie perfectly. He still wasn't sure how it had happened, but he thanked the gods every day for the wonderful gift he'd been given. She was everything he wanted… and needed: a loving, kind, loyal, no-nonsense woman. She had never been intimidated by his snark or moods, and, if the occasion called for it, she'd give him a dressing down like he'd not received since before Lily Evans had died.
Lips twitching into his version of a smile, Severus thought that Kyrie had to have been sent by his childhood friend to ensure his ego "didn't outgrow his robes."
Forcing himself to stop smiling, Severus glared at Kyrie. "Do you want to explain now?" he asked, arms folded over his chest.
"I already explained, Severus. Narcissa wanted to have a nice dinner for your fiftieth birthday, so stop glaring at me, and at least try to look happy."
Taking Severus' arm, she herded their family out of their rooms and into the antechamber off the Great Hall. Stopping just before the door leading to the High Table, she took out her wand.
Eyes narrowing shrewdly, Severus enquired, "What are you doing?"
Taking a deep breath, Kyrie glared at him in response. "Stop being so suspicious. Narcissa doesn't know that you know it's a birthday dinner. To prevent her from realizing that you know, I'm going to cast a blindfold charm. Once you're seated, I'll remove it. You do know how to act surprised, don't you?"
Severus' eyebrows shot up. "After all the time we've been together, whatever gave you the idea that I could act?"
Blowing out a breath, Kyrie cast the blindfold charm, although she thought about hexing him instead. Taking Severus' arm, she led him into the Great Hall.
Severus didn't like the idea of being blindfolded. He knew there was more going on than Kyrie was telling him, and he also knew he wasn't going to like whatever it turned out to be. However, as there was not even the slightest sound to offer him a clue as to what it might be, he was going to have to be surprised – a thought that wasn't comforting in the slightest. However, short of causing a scene that would serve no purpose except to make him look like the greasy bastard his students always thought him to be, there was little he could do apart from allowing himself to be led into the Great Hall.
Once Kyrie had Severus seated in the Headmaster's chair, she pulled her wand out and cast the reversal spell, removing the magical blindfold.
"Happy birthday!" came the chorus of voices as Severus' eyes readjusted to the light now filtering into them. Frowning slightly, he realized that he should have known that Narcissa and Kyrie wouldn't have been able to resist holding a party.
Leaning down, Kyrie kissed Severus tenderly, whispering, "Happy birthday, love. And stop frowning."
Before Severus could respond, he found himself once again with a lapful of Lily, arms outstretched holding a package that looked like a herd of hippogriffs had tried to wrap it.
"Open mine first, Papa!" she squealed, causing laughs to chorus through the Great Hall.
And so it began.
For the next half-hour, Severus opened one gift after another and acknowledged well wishes from those few that he cared to call friends and close acquaintances, including the Man-Who-Lived-To-Defeat-The-Dark-Lord-Again.
"Happy birthday, Snape."
"Potter," Severus acknowledged, taking the proffered gift. Deftly ripping the paper off, he looked at the book in his hands.
"I hope your wife doesn't mind. I found the original in my family's vault and with the help of Dennis Creevy – I'm sure you remember his brother's fascination with photography – and Hermione, I was able to make a replica. I think my mum would have wanted you to have it."
Opening the book, he was greeted with what he was sure was the first wizarding photo taken of Lily Evans. She was smiling brightly and waving like mad, her green eyes glinting like emeralds. Smiling slightly at his best childhood friend, Severus closed the book and looked up at Harry.
Shaking Harry's hand, he acknowledged the gift with a simple inclination of his head.
Kyrie laid a hand on her husband's thigh and gave it a light squeeze. She was under no illusions. Severus loved her, but Lily had been his first love and would always hold a very special place in his heart. She didn't begrudge him that. Leaning in, she spoke quietly, "That was really thoughtful of Harry. You can use it when you tell Lily stories about the extraordinary woman she was named after."
Severus wasn't sure he wouldn't make a fool of himself if he tried to express what he was feeling, therefore he simply opted for a quiet, "Indeed."
After what seemed like an interminably long time, Severus noted with some relief that he had finally greeted all the guests and opened all the gifts. As the tables began filling with all his favourite foods, Severus sat back in his chair and surveyed the world that they had created.
The Slytherin coloured decorations that adorned the Great Hall made it easy to forget what had occurred in this room not even twelve years earlier. After all of the renovations, if one didn't already know about the final battle, they'd never realize this was the place it had ended.
Severus regarded the occupants of the High Table as they tucked into their food. To his right were the Malfoys: Lucius, a man who had become like a brother to him; Narcissa, Draco, Draco's wife Daphne, and their young son, Scorpius. To his left was his own family: Kyrie and their three children.
In that moment, Severus knew that he would not complain about the party. Moreover, he knew that in good conscience he could not complain. For most of his life, his birthdays were an inconvenience or, at best, just another day. They were most often forgotten or, aside from the few instances that the Headmaster had deigned to remind him, ignored. But for once in his life, he had reason to celebrate. Not his age, no – for not even he cared to be reminded that he was fifty – but because he had a life. And that life included people who loved him and wanted to celebrate his life with him. And that was cause to celebrate.
The scent of the beef and Guinness pie in front of him wafted up to abruptly halt his thoughts. One more surreptitious glance at his wife and children, and Severus allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. For the first time, he felt that everything was exactly as it should be. Finally.