A/N: Same as Chapter One
-10-
The following weeks proved to hold little excitement for the family but that suited them just fine as they were finally able to immerse themselves completely in their new life as a family and just enjoy their time together.
Ambrosia was assisting Sirius when Remus was recovering from the Full Moon and when she was not doing that, she was helping Severus with his Potions class. She had also easily fallen into the role of a mother as Severus had into the role of a father.
The rest of the Hogwarts Staff could see this as well and were happy for the pair as they finally had something that neither thought they could get after such a long time. The staff also noticed the change within Harry and Draco.
Harry didn't shy away from anyone and was very active in classes. His grades rose as he worked hard in his classes and was finally able to understand the material completely; especially when he had never been fully exposed to their world until he had received his Hogwarts letter. He now could be found not only studying but laughing with his friends and living the life that he should have been living as a carefree child, free of the cares of having to save the Wizarding World.
Draco had also changed. Once angry and bitter at the world, he now smiled more and laughed loudly as he enjoyed spending time with his new brother and their friends. The shadows that always seemed to cling tightly to him were not there any longer as he was under no pressure of following in his birth-parents' footprints. He could now be a carefree child as well and he was happy to take onto the roll.
Ambrosia placed a hand to her mouth as she tried to hide her smile but it failed miserably as Severus looked at her, leaning over in his chair at the Head Table to whisper in her ear.
"And just what has amused you so my love," He whispered to her as she turned to him, her eyes glittering with happiness.
She nodded her head towards the Gryffindor Table and as Severus finally caught sight at what she was looking at, he couldn't help but smile as well.
Over the course of a few weeks, it seemed that their sons had not only begun to notice girls but had actively gotten themselves girlfriends. It left no doubt in Severus' mind that the moment Draco protected Hermione from the other Slytherins that a bond had formed and now the two were inseparable. And even Severus had to admit that they did look awfully sweet leaning over a copy of Hogwarts A History as they read it at the table.
What surprised him and Ambrosia however was the fact of who Harry had begun to show interest in, as Severus would have bet galleons that it was going to be Ginny Weasley but once again his son had surprised him and had showed a great interest in Luna Lovegood.
He had heard of Ms. Lovegood, as had his wife but it never crossed his mind that Harry would show interest in her. Not that he minded as he had nothing against the young girl and while other students and some professors had shied away from the young girl and her eccentric ways, he found her interesting and knew that she had been placed in Ravenclaw for a reason.
Ambrosia had taken to both girls immediately and could often be seen teaching Hermione facts about the Wizarding World that the young witch couldn't find in any textbook. Ambrosia had also taken Luna under wing and had taught the girl some pretty good defense spells that she could use against the bullies in her dorm.
Speaking of those bullies that had made Luna their target, Severus chuckled at the memory of how Harry had dealt with them. Harry, Severus had quickly discovered, was very protective of those that he deemed family and friends and was willing to go to great lengths to ensure their safety. So it would only stand to reason that Harry would come running to his girlfriend's side when she was dealing with the bullies in her dorm.
Though Ambrosia never told Severus what Harry had done, Ambrosia ensured Severus that Luna wouldn't have to worry about the bullies again and this was very true. Severus had even noticed how people in Ravenclaw seemed to respect Luna more and not only spoke to her but seemed to go out of their way to be nice to the young witch.
As Severus moved his line of sight to Harry and Luna, he couldn't help the frown that graced his face as he noticed that Harry had laid his head on the table and that Luna was cuddled up to him as she seemed to be speaking to him lowly, running a comforting hand up and down his back. She happened to glance up and met Severus' eyes and he knew in an instant that something was wrong with his son.
Ambrosia followed Severus' line of sight and frowned as well at the sight. She quickly racked her brain as she tried to find a reason for what was causing her son such distress. As she looked around the Great Hall, she took notice of the floating pumpkin heads and Halloween decorations that littered the Great Hall as it was Halloween the following day and the students were going to be able to venture into Hogsmeade for the day to enjoy their selves.
"Halloween," She muttered to herself as her eyes widened in horror as she looked at Severus, who met her eyes with confusion.
"What is it, love?" Severus asked, concern flooding his voice.
"Oh Merlin, Severus tomorrow is Halloween," She replied as she looked at him, sadness now creeping into her voice and eyes.
Severus' eyes widened as he finally understood what she was talking about. Tomorrow would be Halloween, a day that both children and adults enjoyed. Except Halloween was when the Dark Lord had murdered James and Lily. No wonder Harry seemed a bit off today. How could he have forgotten such a day? They had been having such a wonderful last few weeks that sadly it had almost slipped his mind about what happened that dreadful Halloween night.
Ambrosia now knew what was bothering her little lion and she knew that she had to set it right. She caught Draco's eyes as he turned his attention towards her and she nodded to Harry. She smiled slightly when Draco nodded his head and a look passed his eyes that she knew he already suspected that something was wrong with his brother.
Draco had seen the look in his mother's eyes and knew that it had something to do with the way Harry was acting now. He had no idea what was wrong with his brother but he knew that he didn't like it at all. Harry was supposed to be smiling and laughing, not looking depressed and sad as he was now. Draco looked at Hermione who leaned over and kissed his cheek as she nodded in understanding. He was overjoyed to be with her as she understood him in many ways that others didn't and now she knew that he needed to take care of his brother. As he got up and made his way to Harry's side, he noticed that Luna had vacated her seat to allow him to sit beside Harry. It seemed that even Luna knew that Harry needed his brother right now and she was just as understanding as Hermione was.
Ambrosia watched the scene with pride in her eyes for the two girls that had become so deeply involved with her sons' lives. She caught Severus's eyes and saw the same pride shining in his as well at the actions of the girls. She somehow knew in her heart and soul that these two would be permanent fixtures in their lives from now and with what she had just witnessed, she wouldn't have had any other way.
Harry looked up with tear filled eyes as he felt Draco beside him and met his brother's eyes. Even though Harry had been surrounded by nothing but love and support for the previous weeks, there was still some hidden doubt in the back of his mind that expected all of this to end one day. So when Draco sat beside him, he was expecting to be taunted and laughed at but he didn't get the attention that he was expecting. Instead of taunting and laughing at him, Draco wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close to him in a hug.
Harry sat still for a few moments as Draco hugged him tightly, giving him not only comfort but a means of protection from the world around him. The hug, Harry realized, was not the same type of hugs that he had received from his Mom, Dad or even his Uncle Remus and Uncle Sirius. This hug was one entirely devoted to proving that Draco loved him as a brother and wanted to protect him and comfort him. Harry felt his emotions start to reach their tipping point as he felt his shoulders start to shake as he laid his head on Draco's shoulder, shielding his face in his brother's neck as tears finally made their way down his face.
Draco held Harry tightly as silent sobs wracked his brother's body. When Draco had sat down beside him in order to comfort him, he had realized what exactly was upsetting his brother so badly. Tomorrow would be the anniversary of his birth-parents deaths, the deaths of Lily and James. Draco could understand the pain of losing ones' parents and he did feel bad that he had forgotten such a sad day in his brother's life. But like Ambrosia and Severus, Draco had been so focused on absorbing the love and support from his new family that he hadn't much paid attention to much else.
Draco felt a hand on his shoulder as he turned to look at his Dad, who was standing behind him. He looked up sadly at his Dad, as he tightened his hug on his brother. He saw from the corner of his eye that their Mum had come to stand behind Harry, effectively blocking him from view of the other students as she kneeled down to get to eye level with them.
"Harry, little lion," Ambrosia whispered, as she ran a hand through Harry's hair as she watched sadly as he cried.
Harry lifted up his head as he looked at her, "Mom, I miss them."
Ambrosia smiled sadly, "I know you do little lion. We all miss them and it was so unfair that they were taken from you."
Harry sniffed as he turned to hug his mom, sighing happily as she immediately encased him in a warm hug that was the pure embodiment of a Mother's love. He whispered into her neck as he clung to her, "Can we go back to our room please? I don't want to deal with the world Mom."
Ambrosia nodded her head as she rubbed her hand up and down his back. "Of course we can baby."
Ambrosia stood up and quickly noticed that the Great Hall had now been cleared as she caught Minerva's eyes. She nodded her head gratefully as she knew that the Professor had something to do with the student-less hall and she received a sad smile and nod in return. She turned her attention back to Harry as she pulled him up from his seat.
"Do you want Luna to come?" She whispered as she noticed that both Luna and Hermione were still there and had not left the table.
Harry said nothing but nodded his head as his hand reached for Luna's, who immediately grabbed his and head it tightly.
Ambrosia once again felt pride and love for the girl surge within her and she glanced at Draco who was holding Hermione's hand in a similar hold.
Draco leaned over and whispered something in Harry's ear. When Harry peeked out from Ambrosia's chest and nodded at Draco with a sad smile, Draco smiled back at him as he gripped Hermione's hand a bit tighter and pulled her towards the door.
It didn't take Ambrosia long to figure out that Draco had asked if Harry was okay with Hermione coming with them, which she assumed he was by the way Draco was acting and couldn't help but smile lightly at the scene.
As they made their way towards their room, they met no other students or Professors, which was slightly odd to Severus and Ambrosia.
"It's because Hogwarts knows that Harry is hurting and she is trying to help," Luna responded from Harry's side in her quiet voice that sounded of bells.
Both adults looked at each other in wonderment before accepting this fact as true; because for some reason they knew that Luna had no reason to lie to them. And the thought of Hogwarts trying to protect their son in his time of sadness, made them very happy and thankful to the castle.
Once they entered the room, Ambrosia ushered both couples to the couch where she watched as they curled up together in a little pile as Severus lit the fire to warm the rooms for them. Ambrosia noticed that Sirius and Remus were in the room as well, Sirius having transformed into Padfoot and was lying at the group's feet while Remus was standing near the fire place as his eyes flitted back and forth as Moony tried to claw his way to the surface.
Ambrosia and Severus met eyes from across the room and Severus nodded in understanding as he knew that Ambrosia wanted to do and Ambrosia could only hope that it would do more good than harm. But above all else she hoped that this would start Harry's healing process and allow him to finally move on from this sadness that was now enveloping him.
The next morning found the family along with Luna and Hermione at the entrance of a small cemetery in the town of Godrics' Hollow.
Harry was gripping both Luna and his Mom's hands tightly within his own as he stared at the entrance for seemed like an eternity before he began walking through the small gate. Harry had been a bit apprehensive this morning when his Mom had come to him and asked if he would like to visit his parents' graves. He had never been able to visit until today and while he had been filled with anticipation this morning, now he wasn't too sure of himself.
Once they entered through the gate, Ambrosia led Harry to the plots where his parents were as she stopped at the foot of their headstone. She glanced back at Harry and saw that he was now fully focused on reading the headstone and now had silent tears coming down his face. She let go of his hand as she stepped back in order to allow him some privacy. She noticed that when Luna tried to do the same, Harry tightened his grip on her hand and she stayed where she was; tightening her grip as well, showing her silent support.
Harry walked forward and kneeled down as he stared at his parents' grave in complete silence. He felt Luna kneel down and saw her reach out to place a wreath of white lilies that she had brought with her in the center of the headstone. She looked up and smiled at him before she took a small breathe and began speaking softly.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Potter," she spoke as the others looked on in wonder and silence. "I know you don't know me but I just wanted to thank you for bringing Harry into the world so that he could meet me and we could see this world together now. I wanted to let you know that your son is the bravest young wizard that I have ever met and I am so thankful to have him in my life. I know that it's hard on him, you not being here but I know that you are always watching over him." She paused for a few moments before speaking, as she took a glance at Harry as she smiled, "I promise that I will always be on Harry's side and that I will never betray him and that I will always keep him safe."
Silence reigned in the cemetery for a few moments before Draco stepped forward as he kneeled down on Harry's other side as Hermione followed by kneeling down by Draco's side. Draco took a deep shaky breathe before he spoke.
"Mr. and Mrs. Potter, can I ask you something? Can you look out for my parents on the other side?" Draco asked as tears began to fall from his face. "I just don't them to get lonely over there and I know that meeting you two would be one of the best things to ever happen to them. I also wanted to say thank you for your sacrifices and that you must know that they will not be in vain. Harry is now my brother and I will always be by his side and I will always protect him no matter what."
"Mr. and Mrs. Potter thank you for your sacrifices and I stand by Draco in promising to protect Harry and keep him safe." Hermione added softly as she smiled up at Draco, who smiled back at her.
"Lily, James…I miss you both so much that it hurts to breathe sometimes. I am so thankful and glad for the time that I got to spend with both of you, even if it was still too short. I thank you for blessing me with Harry to raise and I promise on everything that I am that I will raise him to be the man that you want him to be; even though I feel that he is already there. You both would be so proud of him for not only his actions but from what he has been able to overcome and still be able to retain such innocence. You are dearly missed my friends, my brave brother and my dear sister," Ambrosia spoke as she moved to stand behind Harry.
"James…Lily…I don't know where to begin. I want to get down and beg for forgiveness over and over again, even though the forgiveness I seek was given to me years ago. I cannot help but think some days that if I was just a bit faster that I would have been able to save both of you so that you would both be here to watch your son grow up. I also cannot thank you enough for trusting me to raise him as my own and like Ambrosia, I feel so very blessed that you would trust me like that. James, take care of Lily and Lily don't let James get into too much mischief," Severus spoke as he moved to stand behind Harry.
"Prongs…oh Prongs I cannot express how badly we miss you. It's like a part of us is gone and we can never get it back. But I do see you in Harry so much; except for his eyes as those are Lily's alone. Even though I miss you both every day, I know that you two are in a much better place and that one day we will meet again. But until that day comes, know that I will be watching over Harry and teaching him all the tricks and trades that come from being the son of a Marauder." Sirius said as he moved to stand by Ambrosia.
"And I will be there to make sure that Sirius is kept under control," continued Remus as he moved to stand beside Severus. "Harry is like my cub and I will do anything to protect him. So I ask both of you to rest peacefully and know that he is well protected and will grow into a fine young wizard as he is already well on his way. Thank you both again for all that you've done."
Silence once again reigned throughout the cemetery as Harry still sat very still, clinging to Luna's hand and the locket that he wore around his neck; after a few moments it seemed that there would be nothing else said until the silence was broken once again.
"Momma…Daddy…I hope you can hear me. I miss you…I miss you both so much and I wish you were here right now beside me but I know that that is impossible. I want you both to know that I will do you proud as a son and as a wizard. I wanted to thank you for allowing me to be raised by my new parents…and between you and me; I think they are the best parents that I could have ever asked for aside from both of you. I love both of you so much and I want you to know that I am very happy with my new parents but that I will never forget either of you," Harry spoke quietly as he stood up and turned to hug his Mom, as she wrapped her arms around him.
Harry looked up at her and asked, "Do you think they heard, Mom?"
"I know they did little lion. I know that they heard every word." Ambrosia responded back, as she hugged her little lion tightly to her. "Now come on, we need to get back and help with the feast, if you still want to help out Harry?"
Harry thought for a moment before nodding and smiling happily for the first time in a few days, which made everyone gathered smile in relief. Harry hugged his Mum one last time before he grabbed Luna's hand and began walking out of the cemetery followed by Draco and Hermione.
Remus and Sirius followed the group, leaving Severus and Ambrosia to bring up the end.
As Ambrosia and Severus were making their way towards the gate, a gust of cold wind hit their backs causing both of them to freeze and turn around slowly as they looked back the headstone.
Ambrosia gasped as she gripped onto Severus' arm at the sight that greeted her.
There standing at the foot of the grave were two ghostly apparitions, there stood Lily and James Potter.
Ambrosia couldn't help the tears that fell from her face as she saw her sister for the first time in nearly thirteen years.
"Lily? James?" Severus spoke in a voice that seemed too shaky to be his own.
"Yes Severus, it's really us." James spoke with a smile.
"Yes, we just wanted to thank you both for everything that you've done for Harry. He's so happy now and that makes us so happy." Lily spoke as she smiled softly.
"Lily…I," Ambrosia started but seemed at a loss for words.
"It's alright Ambrosia, I know. I love you so much and I can't thank you enough for taking care of my little boy for me." Lily responded as she placed her hand behind her. "Now Ambrosia, Severus there is another reason why we wanted to appear now; there is someone here that wants to meet you both. Come out here darling, it's alright."
"Yes Aunt Lily," a voice of a little girl said, as a small ghostly figure stepped out from behind Lily and looked at Ambrosia and Severus before looking back up at Lily. "Aunt Lily, are they my mommy and daddy?"
Ambrosia and Severus were both shocked to their very souls at the sight of the little ghost child as realization dawned on both of them.
"Lily…is she…" Severus asked, tears falling down his face at the sight of the child that looked so much like Ambrosia.
Lily smiled as she nodded her head, "She is Severus. This is your daughter, Miranda. Just as you have watched over our son, we have watched over your daughter as if she were our own. She knows all about you two and loves to watch you interact with the boys."
"I can't believe that I have two brothers!" Miranda yelled happily as she jumped around excitedly. "I love them both already and I wish I could meet them. It's so nice to see you Mommy and Daddy! I miss you but please know that I'm always watching and that one day we'll meet again. Won't we Aunt Lily?"
"That's right darling but right now your parents must stay here to be with your brothers," Lily responded as she hugged the young girl to her. "Don't fret now Ambrosia, be at peace now with the loss of Miranda because she's here with me and that's the safest place she could be over here."
"Lily…Our time is up," James said sadly as he placed his hand her shoulder.
Lily nodded in understanding as she smiled sadly at her sister and brother-in-law. "We have to go now but please know that we will always be watching over you. We love you so much. Please give our love to the boys, Remus and Sirius."
"I love you Mommy, Daddy! Take care of my brothers for me!" Miranda called out as grabbed onto James' and Lily's hands.
Ambrosia and Severus watched in wonder as they all three faded into thin air and it was as if they were never there in the first place. Both stood there for a moment, just absorbing what they had just witnessed and processed it.
Ambrosia looked up at Severus and smiled sadly, "At least we know that she's happy now, Sev. Our little girl looked so happy and she's so beautiful. She's everything that I thought she would be."
Severus smiled sadly in return and he pulled Ambrosia to him, hugging her tightly. "She's everything that I ever wanted her to be and I am so glad that she is happy and safe."
"Sev…I…" Ambrosia started to speak, only for Severus to stop her with a kiss on the lips.
When he pulled back, he smiled at her before saying, "I know love, I know. Now come on, we better catch up before Sirius tries to corrupt those kids any further."
Ambrosia laughed as she followed Severus out of the cemetery, "Now you know that Remus would never let him corrupt them too much."
They left the cemetery much lighter than when they had entered, both now knowing that they had not only made the best decision when it came to taking Harry in but also they had that feeling of peace, knowing that Miranda was now well and taken care of on the other side.
End of Chapter 10
A/N: Please note that in my fic, Halloween is viewed as a school holiday so no classes that day. Also, Luna is in her first year. Yes, I know that some readers will think that eleven is too young to have a boyfriend but let's face it; Luna is much more mature than other eleven year olds. :-) And yes I am well aware that ghosts do not grow up but it was necessary to move the story where I wanted it to be. Both Severus and Ambrosia needed closure and they finally got it.