Emma Snape sighed as she sat at her desk in the potions classroom, trying to grade some papers during her free time. She quickly gave up, her mind having started to wander off as she set the quill in her hand down and instead picked up one of the pictures on her desk. She smiled sadly at it, watching the two figures dancing together, one of them having to have been pulled onto the dance floor by the other and she wished she could thank the boy who had taken the picture.
The picture showed herself smiling up at the man she was dancing with, his face showing a slight glare since so many of the students had stared at them in shock that night. Emma had had enough of her friend's sitting and just watching the students and other teachers dance, so she had walked right up to him.
"Severus, c'mon!" Emma said as she grinned up at her friend from her years at Hogwarts, grabbing his arm. "Dance with me!"
"I don't dance, you know that." Severus Snape said, staring down at Emma with his black eyes, glaring slightly. He sighed when he saw her blue orbs staring up at him pleadingly, begging him to just stop being stubborn and dance. "….Fine, Emma."
Emma grinned brightly and grabbed his hand, dragging him out amongst the students and teachers that were dancing before grabbing one of his hands with hers, her other hand going to his shoulder. Severus sighed as he placed his free hand on her waist and began to lead her in a waltz. Emma smiled up at him as they danced, looking away when whispers came from some of the students as they danced by. When they passed Professor Dumbledore and Minerva, Emma smiled brightly in response to the small smile Minerva was giving her, amazed that she had gotten Severus to actually dance with her.
"Thank you." Emma whispered as she continued to dance with Severus, laying her head on his shoulder.
"For what?"
"For everything. Being my friend, coming back to our side…dancing with me." She giggled at the last part, smiling up at him. Severus continued to dance with her, moving past students as she smiled the whole time. Suddenly, a bright flash went off in their faces, causing them to look down at the student that was there.
"Mr. Creevey, why is it that you feel compelled to take a photo of myself and Ms. O'Reilly when you know very well I-"
"Oh my gosh, Colin! Could you give me a copy when you get them developed? Please?" Emma asked, smiling at the third year that nodded his head with a grin and ran off. Emma turned to smile at Severus and slowly let go of him. "I'm glad he got a picture of us. It'll be nice to have it for the memories, yeah?" she asked as they went to sit down.
Emma smiled sadly as she sat the picture back down, sighing quietly. She slowly reached for the second picture, one she had taken herself of Severus. She smiled at the picture, Severus looking proud and a bit happy, actually letting it show on his face.
Emma grinned at Severus after she snapped the picture of him in front of his new desk in his new classroom. "You finally did it, Severus! You're the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" she walked over to him and hugged him tightly. Severus actually smiled and hugged her back.
"I know, it took them long enough to assign it to me." He said, letting go of her. Emma walked over to one of the desks and sat on it, nodding.
"True, but, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore has his reasons." She said quietly before grinning brightly. "But who cares! You finally got the position you wanted since you started teaching here!" she crossed her legs in front of her, seeing her best friend smile at her again.
"Yes, though I'm sure the students won't know what to think." Severus said, looking around his new classroom before nodding. "Let's go, dinner should be ready soon."
Emma sighed again, tears forming in her eyes as she remembered the end of that year, the fall of Dumbledore and Severus' betrayal. She let a few fall, recalling how she couldn't shake the feelings she had for him despite what he had done and the words from the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. She had been told to forget him, that he'd chosen his side and she hers and that they were against each other. But Emma couldn't believe that. She had to find out herself.
Emma sighed as she walked the back streets of Hogsmeade, her paws leaving a few prints; but nothing too serious, not enough for someone to track. She was heading towards the Shrieking Shack, the old run down house that Remus Lupin had used in their years at Hogwarts to hide when he underwent his transformation due to being a werewolf. She remembered the path that led from the house to the Whomping Willow. She quickly entered the house and made her way through the path, knowing exactly where she wanted to go. She ran past the Whomping Willow's flying branches and looked up at the castle that had been her home for a total of eleven years of her life and now held the one thing she loved more than anything else. She quickly and as quietly as possible made her way inside, being careful to avoid the Death Eaters and students, thankful that she had waited until nighttime to do this. She quickly climbed the tower to the Headmaster's office and shifted back to her human form. She quickly said the password she had heard Minerva mention to Molly Weasley and climbed the staircase. She closed the door behind her and heard a gasp come from behind her.
"Emma?" she heard his voice ask, shaking when she turned around to see the man she loved and wanted to trust and believe in staring at her.
"Severus…." She trailed off before he moved towards her. She instantly moved to him and hugged him tightly, shaking.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her quietly, casting a silencing charm on the door, as well as a lock on it.
"I…I had to know, Severus. Why did you do it? Why did you kill Albus?" she asked quietly, her blue eyes staring up at him sadly. Severus looked back at her with his black eyes and sighed, going to sit in a chair.
"Emma…I kept many things from you last year, as did Dumbledore, because I wanted to protect you. Emma, I was told by Professor Dumbledore to kill him if I had to, to keep Draco Malfoy from having to do the task. He was also dying already…you remember his hand, yes?" he asked her quietly, staring at her. Emma nodded slowly, recalling how Dumbledore had come back from…somewhere with his hand completely blackened.
"I remember…but what did that-"
"It was a curse. It wasn't able to be stopped, only slowed. Emma, I didn't want to kill Albus, but I had no choice, do you understand?" he asked, letting the honesty in his black eyes show. Emma stared at his eyes before slowly smiling and nodding. She quickly went over and hugged him tightly again.
"I believe you, Severus. I never doubted you…I never stopped being loyal and standing by you. Just like I promised you, remember?" she asked, recalling the promise she'd made when Lily Potter, then Evans, had refused to forgive Severus for calling her and Emma mudbloods. "I forgave you right after you said it, and I promised I'd always stay friends with you…" she trailed off at that, sighing. Severus watched her stand up and walk towards the fireplace, staring at it. "Severus?"
"What is it?" he asked her, standing up to walk over to her. Emma sighed quietly, looking up at him with sad blue eyes.
"Severus…I know that you loved Lily…but I can't keep it to myself anymore. Not with the way this war is building up…everything is going to explode in a huge fight sooner or later." Emma shook slightly as she lowered her gaze, part of her not wanting to see what he'd do when she said it. "Severus…since my fifth year at Hogwarts I've…loved you." She finished quietly.
Severus stared down at Emma and sighed quietly. "Emma…you know that I loved Lily in school…I loved her even after she got married and had her son. It's that love that made me work against Lord Voldemort and protect Harry Potter." He said quietly, watching the way her shoulders slumped. "But…Lily is gone. And you've gained a bigger place in my heart. I'll always love Lily, to an extent anyway but…I've grown to love you, Emma."
Emma's head snapped up, her wide blue eyes meeting his black ones, seeing the honesty and love in them before quickly hugging him tightly. "Severus…you do? You…love me?"
"Yes. I've had the feelings growing since you showed up when Black escaped Azkaban." Severus whispered to her. Emma looked up at him, a smile on her face before she moved up on her toes to do something she'd wanted to do since she was fifteen: she kissed Severus Snape. Severus froze for only a moment before he began to kiss her back, holding her close to his body. Emma pulled away from him after a couple of minutes, her face flushed as she breathed a bit harder than before. She looked up at him, smiling a bit and Severus leaned down to kiss her again, this time the two of them moving down to sit on the floor in front of the fireplace…
Emma let a few tears fall before wiping them away, shaking her head. That night had been the best night of her life; it was the night she and Severus had shown each other that they loved each other, giving the other everything they had. She sighed as more memories ran through her mind, shaking even more now as one came to the front, taking over all else.
Emma grinned and hugged Minerva when they saw Lord Voldemort fall to the floor, dead, and Harry Potter standing there victorious. They had won the war and this time, there was no doubt that Voldemort was dead. Emma quickly let go of her and ran to Harry.
"Emma, you're alright!" Harry said, smiling at the sight of one of his friends. Emma nodded before smiling at him in return.
"Good to see you're alive, Harry. Have you seen Severus anywhere?" she asked. Harry slowly lost his smile and nodded.
"Yeah, he's at the Shrieking Shack, but-"
"Thanks, Harry!" Emma said happily before changing into a wolf and taking off quickly, weaving in and out of people as she raced outside. She felt sad for the people that had lost their lives, but couldn't help her happiness now that she and Severus could be together without having to worry about Voldemort catching Severus. She slowed down the closer she got to the Shrieking Shack, freezing when she got to the door; she could smell blood. Emma quickly changed back to her human self and opened the door.
"Severus? Where are you?" she called out, trying to fight down the fear. It must have been a Death Eater that he fought, or another creature she tried to make herself believe, slowly making her way through the house. What greeted her made her scream.
Lying on the floor, blood from the wound in his neck surrounding his body, was Severus Snape, his skin paler than usual and his eyes closed, completely still. Emma ran over to him, dropping to her knees as she grabbed his hand, tears falling as she felt how cold his hand was.
"No…NO! SEVERUS! WAKE UP, PLEASE WAKE UP!" she screamed, sobbing when he simply lay there. She fell forward, her face buried in his still chest as she cried. This was how Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Minerva found her.
Emma laid her head on her desk, crying fully now, sobbing quietly. That night, just a few weeks after the best night of her life, had been the worst. They had won the war against Voldemort, but in that war she lost the man she loved. A week and a half after she found him, she began to get sick, throwing up every morning and not eating sometimes. After a week, Minerva had had enough.
"Emma, you have to see Poppy now." Minerva said, looking at the pale woman. Emma looked up at her and groaned, shaking her head.
"I'm fine, Minerva…it's just a bug and I-" she cut off when she saw the look in her old professor's eyes. Emma sighed and simply stood up, nodding. "Okay, let's go." Minerva led Emma down to the hospital wing, walking in.
"Poppy, I've brought her for you to examine." Minerva said to the medi-witch who looked at Emma with a small glare.
"Well, get up on the bed and lay back." Poppy said, watching as Emma complied reluctantly. Poppy walked to the cupboard and got a few things that she might need when she finally figured out exactly what plagued Emma. "So, what are the symptoms?"
"Well, I throw up every morning at around the same time and sometimes I get some mood swings but that's not very often. Oh, and when I eat, it's usually some weird things, so it think that combined with the bug I have is causing me to throw up." Emma explained. She watched Poppy's face take on a curious look before she pulled her wand out and pointed it at Emma's stomach, muttering a spell under her breath. Emma couldn't hear the spell, but she watched her stomach give off a soft pink glow. "Wh…what does that mean?" Emma asked quietly. Poppy stared at the woman before smiling a bit, both happy and sad for the woman.
"Congratulations, Emma. You're pregnant. Do you have any idea how far along you'd be?" she told the other witch, watching her blue eyes go wide. Emma's hands flew to her still flat stomach as she stared up at Poppy, the tears welling up.
"I'm…pregnant?" she asked, watching the medi-witch nod again before letting her tears fall. "Oh God…it's his. It's Severus' baby." She whispered, not able to really believe that she had a piece of him living and growing inside her.
"How far along does that put you?" Minerva asked this time, smiling at the woman sadly.
"About a month or so. When I snuck into the castle to see him…" she trailed off, sobbing quietly at the memories of what she wouldn't have again.
Emma sighed, a small smile on her lips despite the tears that still fell slowly, recalling how Minerva had immediately decided to add a nursery on at Hogwarts for Emma and any other younger teachers that might have children and had Fleur Weasley come to be the one to run it. Emma remembered how Fleur loved the idea, since it would let her be close to her own children when she and Bill decided to have them. Emma let her mind wander yet again as another memory came to her mind.
Emma lay on a bed in the hospital wing, tired and sore but happy as she heard the screams coming from the small baby that was currently being cleaned by Poppy. Harry sat next to her, as well as Ron and Hermione, having wanted to give the woman who lost so much all their support. She held her arms out when Poppy came over with a small bundle wrapped up in a blanket.
"Congratulations, Emma. It's a beautiful, healthy baby boy." She said, handing the new mother her son. Emma looked down at her baby and was greeted by the sight of pale skin and black hair.
"Oh, Emma, he's beautiful." Hermione whispered, staring down at the tiny baby, seeing his father in his face. Ron nodded in agreement, grinning at the sight of the baby in his mother's arms. Emma smiled, a few stray tears falling as she gently touched her son's face. The feel of his mother's fingers caused the baby to open his eyes and Emma gasped seeing the pools of black looking at her.
"He's got his father's eyes." Harry whispered, looking down at the child. Emma nodded, seeing the baby looked almost just like Severus, having just her nose and ears; the rest was all his father.
"He looks just like him…" she whispered, staring at her son, not minding at all that she wasn't very apparent his in looks.
"So, what're going to name him?" Ron asked, looking at Emma with a grin. Emma only had to think for a second, having decided as soon as she found out she was pregnant what the name would be if it was a boy.
"Severus Tobias Snape." She whispered, staring at her son, smiling. "That's your name, love. Severus Tobias Snape."
"I think it's brilliant." Harry said with a grin at the former Auror, nodding.
"A perfect name for this little miracle." Hermione said, nodding.
"You know…he never really left you. He's here in your baby, and your memories." Ron said, nodding at Emma. Emma nodded back before smiling at her baby.
"Alright, alright, you got to see the new mummy and her baby, now out. They both need their rest!" Poppy said, starting to shoo the three others out.
"We'll be sure to visit soon." Harry promised as he was pushed out.
"My whole family will want to come by as a warning, to meet Severus!" Ron said as he was also pushed out by the medi-witch.
"I'm so happy for you, Emma! Congratulations!" Hermione called to her before she was forced to leave with her two friends.
Emma smiled as she sat up, remembering that day perfectly, it being one of the best of her life. She lifted the last picture she kept on her desk, the five year old in it grinning back at her. His black hair was to his shoulders and his black eyes were bright and happy; the way a child's should be. Emma sat the picture of her son back down and stood up, walking out of her classroom to go to dinner. As she walked the halls, she heard the sound of feet running and turned to kneel down in time to catch her son as he hugged her tight.
"Mummy, Mummy, guess what!" Severus cried as his mother lifted him up onto her hip to carry him.
"What, love?" she asked, smiling at his bright face.
"Hagrid, he took me to the forest and I got to see the centaurs! They were really cool, Mummy!" Severus said, grinning at the memory of meeting them.
"Really? Well, we'll have to be sure to do something to thank Hagrid, now won't we?" Emma asked before seeing the half-giant come up to her.
"Now, don't you be troublin' yourself over me, understand?" Hagrid said, smiling down at Emma. "Severus here is a good kid, I don't mind showin' 'im a thing or two."
"Well, thank you, Hagrid. I know he enjoys it." Emma replied before smiling at her son. "Which table will you sit with today, love?" she asked him, watching as the five year old thought.
"Hmm….I'm gonna sit at Daddy's table today!" Severus said, smiling up at his mother. He would rotate tables sometimes sitting with the Slytherin students, then other times Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. He made it a point to make as many friends of the students he could, and Emma noticed that most of them loved the small boy.
"Alright then, love. Go on." She said, sitting him down on the floor.
"Mummy…first, can you tell me about Daddy?" Severus asked, looking up at his mother with black eyes. Emma stared back at him and simply nodded before sitting on the stairs with him. Hagrid nodded to the two and headed to the Great Hall, making a note to tell Minerva that they would be late. Emma watched him go before looking at her son.
"Your father and I were friends since my first year at Hogwarts. He was a third year when I met him and I instantly knew he was a good person under the bad attitude he could give off." She said with a smile. "We had another friend named Lily Evans, who introduced us. I was sorted into Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin, but I never minded that; he was my friend. He would teach me potions and let me study with him, helping me out when I needed it and Lily was busy." She smiled as she left out the part of how Lily and Severus' friendship fell apart, not ready to tell her son that. "When he graduated, he went undercover to help Albus Dumbledore and became what was known as a Death Eater, a supporter of Voldemort. But he was giving information to Albus, helping the light by risking everything he had."
"Years later, he and I met again as Voldemort was slowly rising to power for a second time, after having been beaten by Harry Potter thirteen years ago."
"Uncle Harry beat him, but he came back, right?" Severus interrupted, looking up at his mother.
"Yes, that's right, Severus. But Voldemort managed to come back, and it took a lot more for Harry to win. Your father and I both knew the risks of doing what we did, but we couldn't sit by and let Voldemort do as he pleased, so we fought against him. Your father was a very brave man, and he gave his life to keep you, me, and everyone else safe. He was the bravest man I ever knew, Severus, and I named you after him. The moment I first held you in my arms, I knew that was to be your name." Emma smiled at her son, pulling him to her and kissing his forehead. "You Daddy loves us both, alright? And you may not be able to see him, but he's always here with us, as long as we keep him here," she touched his forehead, "and here." she said, this time touching the spot over his heart.
Severus looked at his mother and nodded. "I will, Mummy. I'll always keep him in both spots!" he promised his mother, smiling brightly at her before hugging her. Emma hugged her son back and then watched him get up and take off to the Great Hall to sit with the Slytherins. Emma sat on the stairs for a moment, letting the tears fall down her face as she looked up.
"I miss you, Severus. I love you…Always."