DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter.
CHAPTER 11
"Remember when we held on in the rain
The night we almost lost it
Once again we can take the night into tomorrow
Living on feelings
Touching you I feel it all again
Didn't we almost have it all
When love was all we had worth giving?
The ride with you was worth the fall my friend
Loving you makes life worth living
Didn't we almost have it all
The night we held on till the morning
You know you'll never love that way again
Didn't we almost have it all?"
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" (by: Michael Masser / Will Jennings)
.
June 6, 1998
(the present)
After Draco left, Adele went to the Floo and cried 'Malfoy Manor'. She arrived in a few seconds to her best friend's tea room.
She found Narcissa Malfoy doing her most recent hobby: cross stitching. That was one of the new things she learned from reading Muggle magazines and spending too much time shopping in Muggle London. Now that the Dark Lord was gone and they were living in a Muggle-friendly community, Narcissa spent much of her time exploring, learning the Muggle ways. She was still the same aristocrat woman, but kinder and more carefree. Imagine the late Princess Diana cross stitching. That was how Adele could see Cissy now.
"Hello, Adee," she greeted without looking up.
Adele sat on the couch across Narcissa casually. "Draco paid me a visit today."
"Uhmm?"
"To tell me that Hermione's parents arrived," she added.
"Adoptive parents," her friend corrected.
"She has no idea and they have no plans on telling her," she said bitterly.
Narcissa met her gaze and pouted, feeling sorry for her. "Oh, honey."
"I know," was her only reply. "Don't mind me," she said with a wave of her hand.
"Sometimes, Severus blames himself, you know," said Narcissa and totally forgot what she was doing and stared at the fireplace on her left, avoiding her eye contact.
"Yeah. He wouldn't tell me, but I know," she replied, feeling sorry for her ex-partner.
"He was feeling uncomfortable during Draco's birthday when you were telling Hermione your story," quipped Narcissa and Conjured a teapot and cups.
"I didn't want him to," she stated.
"No one's blaming you, honey," reminded Narcissa. "All you and Severus did, you did it for us to win the war, to assist Harry after Dumbledore made him a pawn in his game."
She did not say anything. People kept on telling her that, but she would barely listen to them anymore, because clearly, it's not what Hermione could see. For her only daughter, Adele and Severus devoted their lives to save Harry Potter.
"I've been meaning to ask you," said Cissy, breaking the silence, "did you really kill Dumbledore?"
She met her friend's gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Severus did," she replied nonchalantly.
"It was Severus who cast the Killing Curse, but how did Dumbledore die in the first place?" asked Cissy with a hint of curiosity.
"The cursed ring. That's what Harry said. Didn't you hear him tell Old Voldy during the battle? Or were you too busy thinking about Draco?" she replied but not unkindly.
Cissy waved her hand. "How did he find the cursed ring? And why didn't he use his brilliant mind to take a look at it first without touching it?" Cissy was now looking at her suspiciously.
"You will not give up, are you?" she asked.
Cissy shook her head while she made them tea.
"What do you know?" she asked when she received her tea from Cissy.
Cissy sipped her tea. "I only heard a few things from Severus and Remus, but that's it. I would like to hear your version of story."
"Why didn't you ask me this before?" she asked in return.
Cissy shrugged. "Perhaps, we were both busy saving the world and the children. I've had a lot of questions for you, but did not dare ask, because all that mattered to me before the war ended was to defeat the Dark Lord, save my Draco and the witch he loves. So, did you cause Albus Dumbledore's death?"
She laughed bitterly. "Am I a cruel person, Cissy?"
Cissy didn't reply. She was eyeing her intently.
"I was the one who discovered the horcrux in the Gaunt shack. I knew that Dumbledore was planning on hunting horcruxes, because of Remus. But I was already hunting even before he did. I started after Harry destroyed the diary in his second year. It wasn't easy, you know. Took me a year of traveling, during the children's third year; when Remus was teaching. So far, I found some items: the Gaunt ring with the Resurrection Stone on it and the Ravenclaw Diadem. Remus and I made sure they were in the same place. I looked after the ring in the Shack and Remus went to the Room of Requirement from time to time to check on the diadem. I didn't know what the other Horcruxes were, until the children's fifth year. And the rest, my friend, is history."
She found out about Nagini being a Horcrux after Arthur Weasley's attack. She knew already that Salazar Slytherin's locket and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup were Horcruxes, but didn't know where to find them, until Narcissa and Kreacher got involved. And lastly, she knew that Harry was also a Horcrux.
She spent years and years watching over Harry secretly and she suspected that Voldemort accidentally created another Horcrux when she saw Harry speaking in Parseltongue. Her decision to disappear from the wizarding community and let the dark side think that Harry had no other family made sense. She would've never been able to guide him if she worked with Dumbledore. She would only be another pawn in his game, like Severus (and sometimes, Remus).
"How did you know where to find them? No Death Eater, not even Bellatrix, knew about Tom Riddle's connection with the Gaunts and Salazar Slytherin himself," queried Cissy, looking very eager to know. She couldn't blame her friend. She did a lot of things during the war with no explanation.
She sighed heavily. "Do you remember the device I used to send Hermione to the Grangers?" she asked carefully.
Narcissa's eyes widened (a bit) and her mouth was fell slightly open. "Oh, Salazar! You didn't..."
"I did. I spent most of my time traveling back and forth, under the disillusionment charm, to observe. To spy."
"The ring... Did you tell Dumbledore where to find it?"
"Yes," she replied promptly, looking at her teacup absentmindedly. "I sent the old man a letter. I did not reveal my identity, but gave him hints about the shack, and the ring. He tried to send me a reply, but he wasn't able to do so because I charmed the letter... Then, a week after, I visited him. I asked Remus to help me get to the Headmaster's office, then he left me there. Imagine the old man's surprise when he found me waiting in his office."
.
July 7, 1996
(two years ago)
"Miss Fawley? This is a surprise," said Dumbledore calmly when he found her in his office.
"It's been a long time, Headmaster," she replied with a nod.
Dumbledore walked to his desk and offered her a small smile. "What suddenly brought you here? Surely, it's not about Harry?"
"Everything is about Harry. This," she threw her hands in the air, but not impatiently, "is all about Harry. Even you, you dedicated fifteen years of your life protecting Harry. Right, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore eyed her intently, at a stop of giving her a cup of tea he Conjured. He set the cup down after a moment, but his twinkling blue eyes never left hers. "I have always wondered why you were different among the other students. Ever since you first came to Hogwarts when you were eleven, you're already hard to read," he commented. "And when you got older, I asked, why did the Potters train you with Occlumency and Legilimency? Why not James?"
She smiled bitterly. "Have you figured out the answer?"
Dumbledore shook his head. She stared at his cursed hand. "Do you remember that night when my brother and Evans were killed and you took Harry? Do you remember everything I said?"
"The Horcrux did this to me," he said silently.
She met his eyes and shook her head slowly. "Who do you think gave you the clue? I spent years searching for the Horcruxes even before you realized how many there were. And now, you're dying even before Voldemort's rookie minion does. Have a great year, Headmaster." She grabbed her Portkey and disappeared from the Headmaster's office.
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June 6, 1998
(the present)
"I am so glad that you came to help me," Cissy said, rather emotionally and squeezed her hand. "We did not see each other for years. You weren't sure if you could still trust me, or Draco, but you helped us. You trusted us."
"Don't be silly," she teased. "I love Draco even if I haven't seen him for years. The moment Lucius was sent to Azkaban, I started spying again. I knew that the Dark Lord would turn to Draco to punish you and Lucius."
Even if Severus was named Draco;s godfather, Adele loved Draco already since the first time she saw him as an infant and secretly hoped that him, Harry and Hermione would be friends in Hogwarts, even if it sounded really impossible. Even if she wasn't actually there as Draco was growing, she knew that Narcissa showered him with love. She knew that despite his arrogance, Draco's soul as pure and that he needed to be saved from the Dark Lord. So, Adele did everything she could to help him and his mother.
A week before Draco took the Mark, Adele sent her loyal house-elf to fin Narcissa's personal elf to deliver a message, then they secretly met at the Malfoy's safe house in France. She told Cissy what she could do to help Draco and keep them safe. Thankfully, Cissy already trained Draco with Occlumency. Everything went well. Draco played his role well, especially at Hogwarts. He did his advice to 'make attempts' in 'killing the headmaster'. Adele was watching and helping him secretly. She was the one who Imperio'd Madam Rosmerta and ordered someone to take the gift to Dumbledore, but accidents did happen. Before she could stop Katie Bell from touching the necklace, Hermione, Harry and Ron arrived. She couldn't expose herself, so the only thing she could do was to visit Katie at St. Mungo's and help her recover by slipping healing potions in her room.
Then, Slughorn happened. The old man offered Weasley a drink that caused his poisoning. Good thing, Harry was there to put a bezoar in his throat. Adele continued helping Draco and watching over Harry and Hermione. She waited for the right time to visit Severus and tell him about their daughter.
.
June 20, 1978
(twenty years ago)
Adele opened her eyes and brown curtains greeted her before the sunlight. For a moment, she didn't recognize where she was, but when she felt an arm on her waist, she remembered.
"Good morning," whispered Severus in his most gentle tone. One of the things she learned to love about him: he looked snarky and intimidating in front of other people, but with her, he's kind, gentle and loving.
Adele turned to face him and forced a smile on her face. "Good morning," she replied in a whisper.
Severus brushed off the strands of hair from her face. "How are you feeling?"
She sighed heavily. "Exhausted," she replied honestly.
"Are you ready for..." he trailed off.
"For the funeral?" she asked and closed her eyes, picturing her dear late father's face. "I have to be there. Otherwise, Mum will worry. Will you go with me?" she asked when she opened her eyes.
Severus smiled and kissed her forehead. "Of course. It's half past eight. Let me prepare our breakfast," he offered and moved to get off the bed, but Adele wrapped an arm around his waist and buried her face in his chest.
"Thank you for being there with me last night. I don't think I would have handled them if you weren't there."
Severus relaxed and hugged her back. "Lily still doesn't like you and Potter's not man enough to stand up against his girl for you," he commented. "You have every right to be there in your father's hospital room. She had no right to tell you to leave."
"If Mum were there, Evans would never say a single word against me," she said. "She always behaved like a dog whenever Mum's around."
"Does that mean, Mrs. Potter doesn't like Lily for her son?" asked Severus, sounding surprised.
"She knows everything Evans did to me at Hogwarts," she replied. "But she isn't the kind of mum who would forbid her children to date whomever they want. As long as Evans won't hurt Jamie, we're fine with that."
"So that's why she never stopped you from dating me, even if your brother was so against it," he said lightly.
She smiled fondly. "Mum and Dad like you," she said honestly.
"I'm sorry. As your boyfriend, I never had the chance to meet him."
Her smile faded, remembering her dear father who passed away last night, with her and Jamie by his bedside. If it weren't for Evans waiting outside the room, she would've had more time with her dad. Her mother wasn't around because she was recovering from her sickness at home.
After spending almost an hour with Adele and James, Mr. Potter died. A very upset Adele asked Severus to take her somewhere quiet, because she didn't want to see Evans's face that night. She wanted to wring the red head's pretty little neck for meddling with a family affair. Instead of taking her home to the Potters' residence, Severus took her to his childhood home at Spinner's End, Cokeworth.
And today is the funeral of Mr. Potter. Surely, Evans and the other Marauders will be there, but they don't matter to her. To be with her mother and Jamie and see the man who raised her one last time was her priority.
"Thank you for everything, Sev," she whispered against his chest.
"No, Adee. Thank you for giving me a chance."
Adele met his eyes, but she couldn't see nor hear anything because of Severus's mastery in Occlumency, and she was fine with that. She remembered what she saw in her mother's thoughts years ago. Jamie and Evans will have a son and they will call him 'Harry', after their grandfather, Henry Potter. Sirius will be named the godfather, not her. She and her mother weren't in the picture. Maybe she was right then. She was meant to be with Severus. Maybe, Severus will also make her a mother. Maybe, they're meant to be a family.
.
July 20, 1978
(twenty years ago)
Adele weren't friends with the bunch of people around her. She recognized each family, of course, because most of them were in Sacred Twenty-Eight, just like her. It didn't matter to them who raised her, really. The Potters weren't in the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but the Fawley family made it. So, even though her boyfriend was only a rookie Death Eater and she wasn't very rich, people still looked at her with respect. After all, her blood was purer than any of them.
Adele and Severus were at Narcissa Black and Lucius Malfoy's wedding, in which the guest of honor was the Dark Lord himself. The Dark Lord's presence almost killed the mood of the wedding, if it weren't for a fact that the couple were Narcissa and Lucius. Their love story was known to everyone. They first met when Cissy was five and Lucius was nine. The Malfoys visited the Black residence because Abraxas Malfoy wanted to meet a possible daughter-in-law. At first, they matched Lucius with Bellatrix, but the eldest Black daughter was too arrogant and snobbish for Lucius. Then, he became friends with Narcissa. It wasn't love a first sight. Despite their age, they became best of friends and when Narcissa finally went to Hogwarts, Lucius started seeing her differently. For a teenager Lucius, there was no other girl, only Narcissa Black.
When Lucius got older, he became intimidating, serious and less friendly. Narcissa became popular at Hogwarts not just because she was Lucius Malfoy's girl but because people saw his soft spot when he was with her. She was the only person who could do that.
Now, at their wedding, almost everyone from Hogwarts Slytherin House and Sacred Twenty-Eight were invited, but not everyone spotted the Dark Lord. Of course, he requested a private room at Malfoy Manor for him and his most trusted servants alone. But Severus wasn't one of them. Adele believed that Sev wasn't planning on becoming one like Lucius. The only reason why Sev joined was because of Lucius. They were brothers in all but blood.
So, instead of being in a private meeting with the Dark Lord and high-ranking Death Eaters, he was enjoying the time with her.
"Let's go to the other library," he whispered in her ear.
She turned to her date and slightly frowned. "The other library?"
Severus smiled and nodded. "Only family members can use it, but since Lucius prefers me over his brother-in-law, Rodulphus, he gave me access."
She smiled. "All right. I'm excited to see what's in there."
Severus, who was looking neat and handsome in his green formal dress robe, stood up and asked for her hand. She too it and let him lead the way.
They entered the Manor and went to the south wing. "I stay here most of the time. I have a permanent room, that one," he pointed at the door to the left. They walked straight until they reached a pair of double doors. Severus muttered something which obviously a password, then he opened the door for her. She stepped inside and before she could appreciate the beauty of the library, Severus caught her by the waist and pinned her to the door. She almost yelped.
Severus chuckled and ran his hands to the sides of her mermaid style dress, that was revealing her cleavage. It wasn't her type of a formal dress, but Cissy chose her as one of the bridesmaids and she had to wear that type of clothing. But Severus seemed to have a great liking for the dress, because he couldn't take his eyes off her when they met earlier before the wedding and after the ceremony, when he sat beside her, he couldn't take his hands off her.
Severus kissed her with passion, to which she responded eagerly, while his hands were working on the zipper of her dress.
"You are so fu**ing gorgeous," he whispered and licked the shell of her ear. "I want to touch you everywhere. I want to touch you more."
She chuckled and locked her hands on his nape. "Well, you look so handsome, too, and I would love to touch you everywhere, as well," she replied in a naughty tone.
Severus kissed her again and cupped one of her breasts while his other hand was holding her left butt cheek. "Let's get married," he said.
Adele moved a few inches away to take a good look at his face. "Are you kidding me?" she chuckled.
Severus shook his head. "No. I'm serious. Let's get married."
"Sev, we're eighteen. Who gets married at eighteen, if not for family name and money?"
Severus's face was crestfallen. "But I want to be with you every day."
She chuckled and kissed the tip of his unique nose. "Then, ditch your childhood home and we'll move in together. Then, we'll see about getting married. How's that?"
Severus smiled and kissed her again. "Brilliant."
.
Everything went well. Adele and Severus purchased a flat in the heart of Wales where only limited people could visit, like Lucius and Narcissa. She was contented with just the two of them, for now. She could not invite Charity and Remus. Charity doesn't like Severus and Remus was part of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization formed by Dumbledore, according to the source of the Dark Lord. She knew that James and the other Marauders were part of it, too. Thankfully, the Dark Lord showed no interest on her, even if she was formerly associated with James Potter.
After more than a year of bliss, Adele mourned again because Mrs. Potter died on 30th of December 1979. Severus came with her to her childhood home where she encountered Evans again. She was much braver now that Mrs. Potter was gone, but Adele paid her no attention.
Jamie came to her, seeking for comfort, not minding the fact that there was a suspected Death Eater around. For a moment, Adele and James seek each other's presence and comfort.
"Adee, I don't know how to go on without you. Before, there was Mum. But now... she's gone. It's just you and me," said James who was crying.
"You have the other Marauders," she reminded her kindly. "And Lily."
James shook his head. "She's not the same anymore. She gets mad every time I mention your name, or whenever I'd tell her I want to see you. Sirius, Peter and Remus support me, but you were my sister first, before I met them."
She could feel the pain, but she had to stick to her promise to their mother. "You know that I will always be here for you. You're still my family," she told him with assurance.
"I'm having second thoughts about marrying Lily. Now that Mum's gone, she will surely forbid me from seeing you."
"Oh, dear," she muttered. "You can take your time. When do you plan to get married?"
"On Valentine's Day."
"You only have a month and a half, then. But we just lost Mum and it was unexpected, so I think she would understand of you will postpone the wedding."
After another half an hour of catching up and making plans for their mother's burial, Adele and James left the family library to face their friends and partners.
"Lily, I'd like to have a word," said James.
Adele walked towards Severus and instead of letting her sit beside him, he pulled her to his lap. She needed his comfort, so she snuggled against him.
A few moments later, they heard Lily shouting. Then, the redhead left the library and her green eyes searched her. "You b*tch! It's your fault!"
She stood up and faced her, wearing a brave look on her face. Sirius and Remus stood between the two women.
"It's not anyone's fault. Our mother just died, and if you would be so kind, give Jamie some time to mourn. He is not backing out. He's just postponing your wedding," she replied nonchalantly.
"But we already made announcements and my parents will be disappointed," Evans told James.
"I'm sure your parents will understand," said Remus.
"No! They won't. They will disown me," said Evans angrily.
"They will not. What are you thinking , Lils?" asked James in confusion.
"I'm thinking what my parents will say!"
To their surprise, Remus snorted. "You want to get married sooner because you're two months pregnant, aren't you, Lily?"
Silence. No one said a single word. James' jaw dropped.
"Lils?" muttered James.
"Oh, f*ck. Yes!" she replied angrily. "If you postpone the wedding, I swear, James Potter, you will never see this child. I swear!" She disappeared after a loud pop!
"She's mental," commented Sirius.
"James, go after her. You have to talk to her and give what she wants. Do it for your child," she said.
James looked hesitant, but she urged him again.
A few days after their mother's funeral, Severus became cold and distant and one night, while they were making love, she called her 'Lily'.
Adele knew that was the end of her and Severus's beautiful love story.
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June 20, 1997
(five days before Albus Dumbledore's death)
After almost seventeen years, Adele was back to the house in Wales which she once called home. Many of their things were still there and she could vividly remember everything. She already forgave Severus. It took her more than ten years to forgive him, that was why she didn't confess his feelings to Remus, not until she knew she was ready to love him again.
She and Severus did not have a closure. She just disappeared after sending Hermione to the Grangers. And when they saw each other at the Potters' funeral, they did not speak. He did not ask why she left, where she went.
Years later, while using her time-turner to know more about Tom Riddle and his horcruxes, she discovered Severus and Lily's infidelity. Turns out, when James decided to postpone their wedding, Lily turned to Severus for comfort. Severus wasn't strong enough to deny her. They had a secret affair and it lasted for a month. It only stopped when James and Lily got married. She never told a single soul about it. She still cared for Severus and Lily's image in the Wizarding World would be ruined. People might suspect that Harry wasn't James' son. Even if he was.
Now, she has moved on and happily living with Remus. She decided to finally let Severus know about their child. She started sending him letters through Charity. She even sent him a photo of her, heavily pregnant during summer of 1980, and explained that she used a charm on her clothes to hide her bump. They weren't sleeping anymore, too. He was too busy to notice. But in her letters, she didn't mention just yet the name of their child. She wanted to tell him personally.
Adele heard a faint sound of Apparition, followed by the unlocking of the door. A few seconds later, Adele Fawley came face-to-face with Severus Snape.
He looked different. His hair was greasy, his robe was billowing and everything he was wearing was black. His facial expression softened when he saw her.
"Hello, Severus," she greeted in a friendly manner.
Severus nodded and sat in one of their old couches. "It's been a while."
"Sixteen years, Sev," she replied and sat in front of him.
"I would like to meet my child," he requested.
"I can't believe you never recognized her. She's at Hogwarts," she said carefully.
Severus looked at her in the eye, frowning. She noticed that both of them lowered their shields. She thought of her - her appearances year after year, until she saw her in her Hogwarts robe on Hogwarts Express when she spied on her and Harry.
Severus shook his head. "Impossible," he whispered. "Her birthday is on the 19th of September. How?"
"A time-turner. The time-turner given to me by my mother, to be exact. I had to make sure she would be in the same year as Harry. I thank Merlin for Sorting them in Gryffindor."
"I didn't recognize her. But sometimes, she reminds me of you..." he admitted.
"But you never thought she could be my daughter. Your daughter. Because no one told you I became pregnant and gave birth," she said but not unkindly.
"Adee," he said, hearing her name from his mouth for the first time. "I'm sorry for everything."
"I forgave you already, Sev, and I've moved on. The reason why I told you about her is because of the war. Five days from now, the Death Eaters will attack Hogwarts and don't ask how I knew. I won't tell you. Please, look after her. I know, she's brave. She's skilled, but please watch her for me. I do not want a repeat performance of the Battle at Department of Mysteries," she pleaded.
Severus, who's now wearing a gentle facial expression, nodded. "I will. I promise."
"Thank you."
"No, Adee. Thank you for your forgiveness, and for letting me do something for our daughter. I'm sure she will hate me, but I hope she will forgive me one day."
"You weren't the one who abandoned her and gave her away. I did. I don't know if she will ever forgive me."
.
June 6, 1998
(the present)
"The time-turner... Is that how you made the betrothal contract of Draco and Hermione?" asked Narcissa.
Adele nodded. "I destroyed it after. I don't want to use it, ever again. I've done too much damage."
"Honey, no. Don't think that way," said Narcissa kindly.
"Look at what I've done to Hermione... and Draco. Remus said, Hermione told her that if no one forced her to marry Draco, she would've given him another chance. She just wanted to know why he didn't trust her and instead broke up with her. She was relieved to know that he was on the Light side, that he was a spy. But when she was discharged from St. Mungo's, Draco was already taken by the Aurors and we had to show them the contract to prove that he will never betray Hermione. Technically, she felt that Draco used her to get away." She didn't realize that she was crying already, until Narcissa wiped her tears. She hugged her friend. "Cissy, I'm a horrible mother."
"Shhh... don't say that. You did what you could to save the children, even if Draco and Harry aren't yours to protect. Imagine if Severus knew about your daughter, if Hermione grew up with the Death Eaters visiting your home. She would've been Marked like Draco. You saved her, believe me. And one day, she will realize that. She will forgive you like how you forgave Severus."
"I hope you're right, Cissy. I miss my Hermione so badly," she replied and imagined Hermione smiling at her, because she finally forgave her.
