Ginny stepped through the flames and into Longbottom Lodge, located about five hours away from the Burrow in Devon. She had sent along her Patronus to Luna, with instructions to gather up Rolf and Dean, and to meet her at the lovely estate where Draco and Neville now resided. It was a rare day off from Hogwarts that balmy Monday in late-May, and with Draco so far along in his pregnancy, he was encouraged not to do more than absolutely necessary. Ginny found Draco and Neville in the beautiful, open sitting room of Longbottom Lodge, and traipsed into the room, and they mutually looked up at her with pleasant expressions, Draco's swollen feet and ankles being tended to by Neville's considerate fingers.

"This is a nice surprise," Neville said.

"You all right?" Draco asked.

Ginny sighed, moving to the finely upholstered chair beside the couch where Draco and Neville sat and moved to sit as well. "It's not me, today at least," she said with a small sigh. "By the way, I've sent my Patronus to Luna, and she, Dean, and Rolf are on the way."

"What's going on?" Draco wanted to know, his expression concerned.

Ginny worried her lip. "Look, it's a situation of helping a friend, even though this may not be my information to tell. But we're all friends with this person, and I know that bouncing some ideas off of one another isn't necessarily a bad thing..."

"Is it Harry?" Neville asked.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, it's Harry."

No sooner had Ginny spoken those words than did Dean, Luna, and Rolf come into the sitting room from the main fireplace in the front room of the house. Dean moved so that he was sitting on the arm of Ginny's chair, while Luna and Rolf chose to occupy a loveseat opposite them. It took a moment of silence—which included customary greetings, with Dean kissing Ginny's temple good-naturedly—before Ginny spoke again.

"I've called us together because something is going on with Harry," she said softly. "He came to see me earlier this afternoon, and, in fact, just left the Burrow a few moments ago," she said, all in one breath. "He was devastated."

"Devastated?" Luna asked. "Why, I wonder?"

Ginny swallowed then, knowing that she could trust her friends. "Harry is gay," she said quietly, and they all looked around at one another for a moment, while Ginny allowed that very true fact to sink in. "And his lover wants nothing to do with him, or their child."

"Their child?!" Draco cried out. "Harry's pregnant, too?!"

Ginny nodded. "Yes. He's only about four and a half months along now, but he's very clearly pregnant and feeling desolate."

"No wonder," Dean put in. "Do Ron and Hermione know?"

Ginny sighed. "I assume so, yes," she replied. "The thing of it is... Well, the other father of the child, as it were... He and Harry must have been in love at one point. At least, Harry is still very much in love with him, but his lover..."

"Who is it?" Rolf asked, speaking up for the first time. "Harry's lover?"

"It's Snape," Ginny said softly.

"Snape?!" Draco demanded, looking shocked, but not angry. "Well. No wonder."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

Draco sighed. "Father was the first one to see him when he woke up at the hospital. He was visiting someone there—didn't tell me who—and was walking by Snape's room when he first woke up. Snape was all disoriented and wanted to know how he'd gotten there; of course, Father didn't know that information, but did his best to calm him down. Father was over here earlier, to check in," Draco went on, smoothing his hands over his stomach, "and it seems that Snape didn't appear to be...well, normal."

"Since when has Snape ever been normal?" Dean asked.

Draco nodded at that. "Good point," he replied. "Anyhow, he said that Snape had gained a considerable amount of weight, which is truly beneficial, but that the cut marks upon his neck, where Voldemort cut him, were still there. He heard that they were likely to remain permanent, and that no magic would be able to remedy them, due to whatever was in the dagger at the time of the cutting itself."

Ginny sighed. "Harry told me that, when he went to go see Snape, that it was as if Snape didn't know him, and that their past moments together hadn't existed..." She cut herself off then, and suddenly found herself straightening up. "Wait..." The word blew through her mouth then, as her mind worked a mile a minute. "What if it is that simple?"

"What is it, Ginny?" Dean asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"What if there was some kind of dark magic... Well, clearly there was," she said, and leapt to her feet, pacing around the room. "I mean, it had to have been dark, right? This is Lord Voldemort we're talking about." She stopped walking then. "When he possessed me to open the Chamber of Secrets, I felt as if it was me looking down, watching myself play out the fantasy, while I myself was never in control of the movements my body made..."

"Because of the possession?" Neville asked.

Ginny nodded. "Exactly. So, what if Voldemort put something into the blade itself?" she whispered, shaking her head in an effort to clear it. "A serum. A serum that would give the ultimate punishment to anyone who disobeyed him..."

"But, surely Voldemort meant to kill Snape, right?" Luna asked.

"Well, yes, of course," Ginny said quickly. "But, what if on the slight chance that the intended victim managed to live... Voldemort needed to make sure that there was another punishment, coming from within the blade itself?"

"What is it you're thinking?" Draco asked.

"Perhaps forgetting the one person that loved them the most in the world, or who they loved the most," Ginny said, throwing up her hands in the air. "It's a long-shot, but it might be true." She sighed then, and moved back into the chair. "Of course, it wouldn't be so simple to remedy with something so common-place as Finite," she said, her tone bitter, "or a little more advanced like Prior Incantato..."

"What could it be, then?" Luna asked.

"Should we ask Hermione?" Neville wanted to know.

Ginny shook her head. "No. The last thing we need to do is interrupt them on their honeymoon," she said, biting her lips. "My only guess is that Snape would have to somehow see that Harry really does love him, as much as he claims to, or Harry himself has to break the spell. The very person affected most by said spell, would therefore have to be the one to break it. That's all I really can think of here..."

"It's not unreasonable," Rolf put in. "In fact, it actually makes sense. For all Voldemort was, he himself could not love—in fact, he was rumored to be unable to do so. The ultimate punishment for someone who managed to escape death by his hand, would therefore lose the one thing that Voldemort himself was incapable of."

"Not to mention the fact that Snape went turncoat," Draco said softly. "That's the ultimate offense to him. Mother very nearly was flayed alive when she refused to allow me to be branded with the Dark Mark."

Neville gently squeezed Draco's ankles. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I know how much your mother means to you."

"And your mother as well," Draco whispered back. "I am so sorry that it was my aunt who was the one to do what she did. As soon as we get this project with the ministry off the ground for the civil rights of Muggles, I am going to put all my time and effort—save for the time that I am raising our child—into finding a cure for the Cruciatus Curse. What happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom is one of the biggest tragedies of our time, and hopefully, one day, we can eradicate what befell them both."

Without hesitation, Neville launched himself forward and kissed Draco with all that he was worth, with both wizards hardly coming up for air. "God, I love you," Neville declared. "As soon as that baby is born, will you marry me?"

Draco blinked. "What? But we're soul-bonded..."

"I know," Neville replied. "But I want our love to be public—I don't want us to have to hide our union anymore. I know a marriage seems commonplace, and I understand if you don't want to do it, but—"

"I never said that," Draco said, grinning at Neville. "Of course I'll marry you."

"Hey!" Ginny said, clapping her hands, and both of them turned to look at her. "This is all very touching, but we've got Harry and Snape to think about now!"

Draco rolled his eyes, but nevertheless moved a respectable distance away from Neville. "Well, aside from speaking to Harry directly, or hauling Snape out of St. Mungo's, or somehow managing to contact Ron and Hermione, what are our options?"

. . .

A week had gone by since Ginny had summoned everyone—minus Ron and Hermione—to discuss Harry's predicament with Severus. It was on that day that Ron and Hermione had come back to England from the South of France, to set up house in London in a posh suburb. The house itself had been a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Granger for their daughter and new son-in-law, for this one was close to the Ministry of Magic, and Grimmauld Place, so that they easily connected their Floo Network to both places. Once the Floo Network was opened to Grimmauld Place, however, they were shocked to find that Harry didn't deliberately seek them out and, of course, Hermione began fearing the worst.

"Why isn't he speaking to us, Ron?" Hermione cried out, sitting in the parlor of their new home and caressing her barely swollen belly; it was still the early days, but late enough for Hermione to know that she was indeed pregnant with their first child. "I'm worried. He hasn't spoken to us since we got word from Ginny that Snape woke up..."

Ron sighed, shaking his head as he put aside his copy of The Daily Profit. "Xenophilius really needs to tell that rag how to publish something halfway decent and truthful," he muttered, before he turned and looked at his wife, who looked slightly exasperated at being ignored. "Sorry. But I can't rightly assume what's going on in his head right now, 'Mione. All I do know is that he said he wanted to be left alone before the wedding. Now, maybe a little solitude will do him some good after all these years. First he was at Dumbledore's beck and call, and constantly running away from old snake-nose likely didn't help matters. Then there's the notion that his lover is still in hospital..."

"Ginny said he woke up," Hermione said quietly, unsure if her husband had heard her. "Maybe, I don't know. Maybe something went wrong between them..."

"Or, perhaps, it went right?" Ron asked, putting an arm around her shoulders and kissing her on the cheek. "Maybe he's been released from St. Mungo's and now they're just picking up where they left off."

"If that's the case, then why didn't he tell us?" Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe they wanted some time alone?"

Hermione let out an annoyed growl and got out from underneath her husband's elbow. "Oh, honestly, Ronald," she grumbled, marching over to the fireplace across from their plush couch and peering into the flames. "Gryffindor common room, Hogwarts," she called into it. "Ginny, if you're there, please respond!" she called.

There was a plaintive sigh from the other end before Ginny's face appeared on the other side of the flames. "Hello, Hermione. Good to see you're back safely."

Hermione arched her eyebrow at her sister-in-law's demeanor; it had been twenty days since she and Ron had taken off from their honeymoon—right after their wedding—and Ginny usually was over the moon after a summer away from her. Now, of course, even less time had gone by, but the redheaded Weasley girl was strangely calm. "Gin, are you all right?" Hermione asked as Ron came up from the couch and knelt beside her.

"Hey, Gin!" Ron shouted, waving at his sister.

"Hey, Ron!" Ginny said, obviously pleased to see her brother, which set Hermione on edge, knowing that her sister-in-law was hiding something.

"Okay, cut the crap, Gin," she said, and Ginny visibility colored, despite being partially hidden by the flames. "You know something, and you're obviously hiding it from us, why I don't rightly know. We're family; families talk. Now, what's going on?"

Ginny bit her lip, obviously fearful of the fellow witch's reaction, but, ultimately, knew that Hermione deserved an explanation. "Harry came to see me at the Burrow during your guys' honeymoon," she said softly.

Ron shrugged. "Okay?" he asked, spreading his hands, obviously clueless. "You know that he's been welcome there since we were kids, Ginny. What's the issue with that?"

"Clearly it was his reasons for going there in the first place, Ron," snapped Hermione before turning back to Ginny, who looked worried. "Gin, please. What's happened?"

Ginny looked around then, before whispering a Silencing Charm so as anyone around her couldn't hear their conversation, before she leaned more deeply into the flames. "Snape has woken up at St. Mungo's," she whispered.

Hermione let out a squeak at that. "He what?!"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah. That's why Harry came to see me," she said quickly. "It was because their meeting didn't go well."

"What do you mean, 'didn't go well'?!" Ron demanded, his hands forming into fists as he audibly cracked his knuckled. "What did Snape do?!"

Ginny sighed. "Apparently, he didn't seem to recall his relationship with Harry at all," she whispered then, and Hermione sighed.

"Oh, poor, poor Harry," she said softly.

"It gets worse," Ginny said. "Harry had a psychotic break of some kind. I don't know all the details, given that he was sobbing for the duration of his visit, but something about Snape calling him 'boy' set him off..."

"Fuck," Ron whispered, shaking his head.

"You know what it means?" Ginny asked.

Ron nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, we know."

Ginny swallowed. "I didn't pry, but it was plain to see it wasn't good," she replied. "He also wasn't able to tell Snape about the pregnancy."

Hermione let out another squeak then. "Harry told you?"

Ginny nodded. "He told me, yes. He was very distraught," she continued, "and after I comforted him, he left in a hurry. It was like he was on a mission or something."

"When isn't he?" Ron asked darkly.

"Right," Ginny replied. "Anyhow, I gathered reinforcements while you two were in the South of France—Dean, Luna, Rolf, Draco, and Neville," she said, and Hermione nodded. "I think I may have figured out why Snape acted the way he did towards Harry."

"Let's hear it," Hermione said quickly.

After Ginny gave them her thoughts on what Snape could have been afflicted with, Hermione had to agree. She praised Ginny on her astuteness and informed her, if such a thing proved to be correct, that she would have to write a paper about it immediately, pending Snape's permission, of course. Once she and Ron closed the fire-call, she turned to her husband then, letting out a soft sigh, overwhelmed at all the information.

"Ron," she whispered.

He nodded. "Don't tell me. You want to go and see Harry."

Hermione sighed. "Yes."

"All right," he replied. He gathered some Floo Powder in his fist before taking Hermione's hand in his. "Number Twelve Grimmauld Place," he said into the flames, before tossing the powder in, and stepping through with Hermione.

Harry wasn't in the living room when they arrived, but neither Ron nor Hermione were that shocked when Kreacher popped into view. The house-elf, who definitely looked healthier now that he had a master who cared for him, bowed to the both of them. He flapped his ears and his eyes sparkled in welcome, and, for the first time, Hermione didn't feel the need to spout about S.P.E.W. for this particular house-elf.

"Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley," Kreacher said, and bowed to them. "Master Harry is upstairs in his bedroom at the moment. Shall Kreacher inform him of your arrival?"

"That's all right, Kreacher," Hermione said gently. "If you don't mind, Ron and I would like to go and see him ourselves."

"Naturally, Mrs. Weasley," Kreacher said, bowing again. "Please, go upstairs at your leisure. I was just making lunch. There will be enough for three," he said, before walking out of the room and towards the kitchen.

Hermione turned to Ron then, and felt a wave of comfort as he squeezed her hand. "Shall we go, then?" she asked, looking past him and towards the staircase.

Ron nodded, nudging her forward. "After you."

She gave him an uneasy smile, squeezing his hand once more before dropping it and walking towards the staircase. She passed the portrait quickly, who surprisingly didn't bark at her for daring to be a Muggle-born witch in the House of Black, and kept right on going towards the door with the letters S.O.B. upon its front. Knocking quickly, Hermione wasn't surprised to hear nothing from the other end, and so, taking initiative, she reached out and turned the knob and, finding it to be unlocked, stepped inside, Ron at her heels.

"Harry?" she whispered. She looked around the room then, spotting Harry, sitting at his desk with a beautiful, yet small owl on his shoulder, and smiled slightly at the sight of it cooing and Harry gently stroking its feathers. After a moment, she watched as Harry offered the creature a bit of owl tidbit, and the bird hooted happily before accepting it. "Harry?"

Harry slowly raised his eyes then, green meeting brown, and Hermione saw just how affected her best friend was by his meeting with Snape. "Hey."

Ron swallowed before stepping closer. "How are you, mate?" he asked, and grimaced slightly when Harry shrugged. "Talked to Ginny. She told us what happened."

Harry slumped back into the chair, and Dulcis took the hint and flew towards her perch. "That's Dulcis, by the way," he said by means of introduction. "Means 'sweet' in Latin. I thought it suited her. Kreacher got her for me a week ago from the menagerie in Diagon Alley. She's been a lovely companion to me."

"She's lovely," Hermione said, stepping closer, and offering her hand to the bird, who cooed and flew willingly to her. She gently nipped at Hermione's fingers before hopping onto her shoulder and nuzzling her cheek. "Dulcis definitely suits her as a name, Harry."

"Social little thing," Ron put in, and Dulcis turned to look at him with those wide yellow eyes of hers, and merely watched him from Hermione's shoulder. Ron turned back to Harry then, and let out a small sigh. "Listen, Harry, we know you're upset about this thing going on with Snape, but holing yourself up here for all eternity won't help."

Harry sighed. "I love him, Ron."

Ron nodded, conjuring a chair which he pulled to sit across from Harry and, thinking about it, also conjured one for Hermione as well, who sat carefully, and Dulcis remained perched upon her shoulder. "Mate, I know," he assured him, reaching out towards him and squeezing his knee, feeling Harry's pain from the moment he touched him. His eyes followed towards an open paper on Harry's desk, and nodded at it. "What's that?"

Harry sighed. "Read it."

Ron blinked but nevertheless picked up the piece of parchment.

Harry,

So sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner. What with Severus at St. Mungo's, the task fell to me to put Hogwarts to rights in the wake of Ginny getting rid of the Carrows and you managing to kill Tom Riddle. My position of Deputy Headmistress was therefore reinstated, and I am now the Interim Headmistress—with both Severus's and Kingsley's blessing—in the meanwhile, until Severus can decide what to do with himself.

I am unsure if you are aware, but a trial date has been set for Severus on June the first for his apparent misdeeds against the Wizarding World. Since you were so quick to hand over his memories with Albus as evidence—which I quickly gave over to Kingsley and the ministry—I don't believe it will be a particularly long trial. Perhaps some house arrest, or some Galleon fee at the very least, but I don't anticipate him getting a sentence of life in Azkaban, that so many other Death Eaters have to deal with.

I have done as you requested and given Severus the memories of that night, but I regret to inform you that he refused to look at them. It was good thinking, on your part, to put them in a bottle that wouldn't shatter, for I'm afraid he reacted less than positively when I first presented the vial to him. He is to remain in St. Mungo's until the date of the trial, and, as far as I'm aware, has only cleared the Malfoy family, Kingsley, and myself to see him; I know nothing else about this, I'm afraid.

Please try to be of good cheer, dear boy. The trial will be held at the ministry itself, and it is open to the public. I've been permitted to see the roster of witnesses, and you have been called to testify on June the fifteenth. I am unaware, however, of what they will ask you, but, since your personal life in regards to your relationship with Severus will be seen as irrelevant, I am unsure as to what will be asked.

Be of good cheer. I will write you if I know more.

Yours,

Minerva McGonagall,

Interim Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"Harry," Hermione whispered, for Ron had read the letter aloud, and it was only in that moment that she realized she had tears in her eyes.

"Don't," Harry said, his voice firm, and he turned his head away, very aware that he was close to tears himself. "Just leave it."

"But Harry—" Ron tried.

"Ron, I said, 'no'!" Harry shouted then, and Dulcis immediately flew from Hermione's shoulder and onto Harry's, cooing affectionately in his ear, likely in an effort to calm him down. "I don't want to discuss it. Like I said before, I just want to be left alone. Please... Just please leave me alone..."

"Harry..." Hermione begged.

"Hermione," Ron said, gently taking ahold of his wife's arm as she made an effort to reach out to Harry. "That's enough. Come on."

"But, Ron..."

"No," Ron said softly, guiding her over to the fireplace in the bedroom. "There's naught we can do now, I'm afraid," he said, and tossed some Floo Powder into the grate, before calling out their new address, and the pair sadly stepped into the flames.

. . .

Harry felt sick upon the first day of Severus's trial, and the feeling refused to go away until court adjourned for good on Friday evening. He stumbled out of the courtroom, and rushed to the men's lavatory, where he proceeded to throw up the lunch that Kreacher had packed for him of chicken curry. Shaking his head, forcing himself to remind his house-elf never to make anything too spicy, now that he was in his fifth month of pregnancy, he washed his hands and moved to leave, not wanting to run into Severus. Just as he left leaving, however, wisps of Neville's non-corporal Patronus appeared, and Harry was immediately all ears.

"Harry! It's time!" came Neville's voice. "Draco just went into labor! Everyone's gathering at Longbottom Lodge in Norfolk, and he's asked for you to be there!"

The gasp left Harry's throat then, just as he proceeded to concentrate as hard as he could, shutting his eyes and Apparating upon the grounds of the Longbottom-Malfoy estate. Shaking his head and making his way towards the house, he took away the spells to conceal his own pregnancy as he approached the door and opened it. Stepping into the grand foyer and shutting the door behind him, he made his way into the living room where Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Dean, Luna, and Rolf were all gathered.

"Hey," he said, his voice hoarse from lack of use. "Was just in London at the trial." He crossed over to the table in between the various couches and chairs, and helped himself to a cup of tea and a biscuit, as he was always a bit weary after Apparition, especially now. "Don't ask me about it, because I don't want to talk about it."

"We understand, Harry," Luna said, from where she sat with Rolf on a two-person loveseat. "I can see you've grown some since the last time I've seen you. You look wonderful."

Harry bit back a snippy reply, and nodded, sitting in an unoccupied chair, which seemed to comfort the constant ache in his back. "Thanks, Luna," he replied, dipping his biscuit into his tea before biting it.

"You look tired, Harry," Hermione said gently, and his eyes snapped to hers. "I mean no offense, I'm just concerned."

Harry sighed, knowing full well how Hermione felt, and, finally, permitted himself to let his guard down completely. "I know, Hermione," he said, his voiced soothed by the cup of tea in his hands. "I'm sorry. I've been a git, and it's unacceptable."

"Maybe, but it's bloody understandable, mate," Ron replied, and Harry turned to look at him. "I heard what happened—and we all know now—about Snape and St. Mungo's. I'm so sorry that 'Mione and I couldn't be here for you."

"Ginny was here for me, Ron, and I'm grateful," he said, shooting Ginny a smile, and was rewarded with a small one back. He leaned back a bit in the chair, wincing at the pain in his spine from the weight of the child he was carrying. "Guess it had to happen at some point, you know? Harry Potter's happy for more than five straight minutes, and then things go straight to hell..."

"Ginny may have thought of why Snape reacted the way he did when he saw you," Dean said quietly, squeezing her shoulder.

"You?!" Harry demanded, and wasn't surprised to see Ginny rolling her eyes. "Dammit, I'm sorry about that, Gin. It's just that I..."

"You're used to Hermione figuring things out like this, I know," she said, letting out a giggle before a small sigh. "Look, it's a long-shot, but, hear me out..."

"I don't know, Gin," Harry replied. "Maybe it's just time I gave up."

"I may be a Hufflepuff like the rest of my family, Harry, but one thing I know about Gryffindors is that they're brave, and with bravery comes not giving up," Rolf said, and Harry raised his eyebrows at how much Rolf was speaking in that moment. "If you claim to love Snape as much as you say, then you shouldn't give up, at least not before listening to Ginny's explanation about Snape's behavior. And it's a bloody good one, too," he said, cracking a smile, which made Harry all the more intrigued.

"Well, all right," he said at last, turning back to Ginny. "So, what is it, then? Why did Severus act the way he did when I visited him?"

Ginny sighed. "Well..."

It was at that moment that there was a shout from a room upstairs in Longbottom Lodge, and Neville himself emerged at the top of the grand staircase, which had three exit points—the front hall, the parlor, and the kitchen. He chose the center one, leading into the parlor, and headed straight down, a bundle with white-blond hair wrapped in his arms. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he presented the little thing, which squalled slightly in his arms, as everyone crowded around Neville to have a look.

"You're all here!" Neville crowed then, as he looked around, for the first time, taking his eyes from the baby in his arms.

"Why wouldn't we be here, mate?" Ron asked, clapping him on the back, and getting a good look at the baby. "Too bad—he looks far too much like Draco..."

"Oh, ha-ha," said Draco, emerging at long last from his bedroom upstairs and practically gliding down the stairs.

"Draco, should you really be up so soon?" Hermione asked.

Draco grinned. "You wouldn't believe what a Wiggenweld Potion and a simple cleaning spell does for me these days," he said, tossing it away, leaning down his head on Neville's shoulder, as the pair of them continued to look adoringly down at this child. "I don't suppose Neville has introduced you to our son?"

Neville grinned, while their friends immediately talked among themselves at the notion that two of their closest friends now had a child, and it was a son. "I was just getting to that, love," he said gently, and Draco indulgently rolled his eyes. "Everyone, please allow me to introduce Scorpius Frank Longbottom-Malfoy," he said proudly.

"Oh!" Hermione squealed, standing closer.

"Give him to Hermione," Draco said, gently squeezing Neville's arm.

"Of course," Neville said, handing him over to her.

Hermione kissed his forehead, and baby Scorpius immediately settled into her arms, with Ginny standing just next to her. "He's absolutely beautiful," she said, looking up and smiling at them both. "Congratulations to both of you."

"Tradition states that Scorpius will have two godfathers and one godmother," Draco said, and Neville took his hand.

"We don't want to offend anyone with our choices, of course, but they've already been made, and we'd appreciate your answers now," Neville said.

"Thank you both," Hermione said, gently rocking Scorpius in her arms. "I'd be delighted to be his godmother."

"Yes," Ron said, stepping forward and embracing the two of them. "I'm very flattered to have been asked. Of course, my answer is yes."

"Who else did you select?" Dean asked.

"It wasn't me," Rolf joked, although he was distracted by gazing at Scorpius.

"It was me, actually," Harry said quietly, speaking for the first time since Draco, Neville, and baby Scorpius had joined them. "They asked me at the wedding."

Hermione turned to Harry with her eyebrows raised. "I wasn't aware that you were the other contender, Harry," she said.

Harry laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I am," he said, noticing that Neville and Draco were staring at him, waiting for his answer. "I'd be delighted," he said, nodding at them both. "I see it as an honor. Thank you very much. I hope to return the favor when this little one is born, of course, we'll have to wait until she gets here," he said, waiting for the flurry of questions that he expected to come at him with full-force.

"What?!" Ginny cried out, getting a word in first.

"It's a girl?" Hermione asked, grinning.

Harry chuckled then, turning to Draco and Neville. "I don't mean to steal Scorpius's thunder," he said quickly, but they quickly put up both hands.

"Hey, we get it," Draco said.

"It's a pretty big deal once you find out," Neville said with a smile.

"But it's a girl, mate?" Ron asked, pushing him.

Harry nodded, turning back to his best friend. "Yeah, it's a girl," he said, putting a hand on his stomach with a smile. "And, let me tell you, she is not a fan of curry," he said. "I never was a big fan myself, but Kreacher made it, said something about eating healthy..."

"He's right," Hermione said, nodding her head. "It's very important."

"Any names yet?" Dean asked.

"Actually, one," Harry said, biting his lip. "I was thinking Lily, for my mum. At this point, I was thinking of Lily Luna Potter..."

"Luna?" Luna asked, and Harry was surprised to see her eyes awash with tears. "You're giving your daughter my name?"

Harry nodded. "Well, yeah. Also it's because..."

"You're going to make Hermione and Ginny her godmothers, of course," Luna said, dashing the tears from her eyes. "It's more than all right. I do understand."

"You were going to ask me to be Lily's godmother?" Hermione asked.

"And me?" Ginny queried.

Harry nodded again. "Of course I was going to ask you. And Ron," he said, turning towards his best friend again, "If you'll be godfather, I'd really..."

"Blimey! Yeah, I will!" Ron crowed, stepping towards him and yanking Harry into his arms, and Harry let out a yelp of surprise. "Sorry, sorry!" he said, immediately pulling back and helping Harry straighten his clothes. "I just... Thought I lost you a few days back, mate..."

Harry sighed. "I lost myself, Ron," he said, nodding in gratitude when Hermione wordlessly handed Scorpius over to him, with respective nods of consent from Draco and Neville. He gazed down at Scorpius then, and when the little lad's dark eyes opened for the first time, Harry knew he would have Neville's eyes. "He's really beautiful, guys," he said, an ache entering his heart now more than ever, since his heart told him that Severus wouldn't be there to share in it with him when Lily was born. "Good work."

"Thank you," Draco said softly.

"Lily will be beautiful, too, Harry," Neville told him.

Harry cleared his throat then, before handing Scorpius over to Draco. "Yeah," he said. "Guess I just hope that she has my looks, you know? Part of me thinks it'll hurt too much if I end up looking into Severus's face day and night for the rest of my life, if he refuses to be with me," he said, hating that his voice broke at the end, but feeling relief when all his friends surrounded him, and took him into their arms.

. . .

The lump entered Harry's throat as he sat in the gallery; he was to be the first witness in Severus's trial to be called after lunch, and the notion that he'd eaten that pot roast, potatoes, and carrots without really tasting it weighed heavily on his stomach. Again, he was using a borrowed spell from Draco, not wanting Severus to find out that he was pregnant; not like this, anyway. He straightened up automatically when the judge arrived, ordering everyone to stop talking and to sit down, and then, his name was called.

"The next witness will be Harry James Potter," called the judge.

Harry sighed; he was alone in court that day; Draco and Neville were tending to Scorpius; Ron and Hermione were working their ministry jobs; Ginny and Dean were graduating from Hogwarts that very day; and Luna and Rolf, the former had already gotten her certificate of graduation, was off on a long-awaited honeymoon with Rolf to Scandinavia. Harry got to his feet at long last, doing his best not to look at Severus as he stepped out of the gallery and towards the witness stand. It must've been some sort of cruel irony, he thought, having the love of his life on trial, but not be acknowledged by him in the slightest.

He moved and sat down where he was told to do so, and straightened his formal wear. It was not the formal dress robes he'd worn to the Yule Ball, to Slughorn's goddamned Christmas party, to Bill and Fleur's wedding, or Ron and Hermione's. In the Muggle world, he would've looked like a Victorian version of business-casual, he knew that much.

"Please state your name for the court."

"Harry James Potter," Harry replied.

"Tell us, Mr. Potter, where did you first meet Headmaster Snape?"

"In potion's class during my first year at Hogwarts," Harry replied.

"And what did he say to you that day, if you remember?"

"He said something about teaching us how to bottle fame," Harry said softly. "I was then reprimanded for not paying attention, when, in fact, I was writing notes."

"Suffice it to say, you did not have a good relationship with Headmaster Snape?"

Harry sighed, but nodded, nevertheless. "No. I'm afraid in most of my Hogwarts years, our relationship was less than positive. He seemed to relish in taking points from my house, in making me serve detentions, and otherwise seeking to have Slytherin House better my house, and myself, in more ways than one."

"When did your relationship suffer?"

"In my fifth year, Albus Dumbledore instructed then-Professor Snape to give me lessons in Occlumency, which was considered a nuisance to the both of us," Harry replied. "In those lessons, he would attempt to penetrate my mind, and it was my task to resist the penetration, but it did no good, at first. The lessons stopped when I used the spell, Protego, and entered into his mind without permission, in what he saw as an act of revenge."

"But it was not?"

"No!" Harry very nearly shouted then, and he could sense Severus leaning forward then, almost as if he was dying to hear the answer. "I wanted to understand..."

"Understand what?"

"Understand why he hated me so much, when I was nothing more than a Gryffindor student who seemed to have a flair for fame and getting into trouble. Of course, given that Slytherin was the rival house to mine, I initially believed it was for that reason, but..."

"What did you discover in his memories, Mr. Potter?"

"That my father, James Potter, as well as my late godfather Sirius Black, my adopted godfather Remus Lupin, and the branded traitor Peter Pettigrew tortured then-Professor Snape whilst they were in school together," Harry said, his tongue feeling like lead. "He assumed me to possess all the attributes of my father—being lazy, arrogant, and enjoying my fame. Of course, I did learn to take the easy way out, due to me saving the school every single year. But I was not arrogant, and, truth be told, I hated my fame. I just wanted the freedom to go to school and be normal. I never asked to be the Chosen One, or the Boy Who Lived. I just wanted to be Harry," Harry said, and finally permitted himself to look at Severus, who looked torn.

"And what did Headmaster Snape do then?"

"He thought I was my father, in that moment, before he cancelled the lessons," Harry replied. "It was Dumbledore who forced him, after the Christmas holidays, to resume them. I managed to block Tom Riddle from our mind-link, so as he wouldn't know I was hunting for Horcruxes when I was doing so. That way, he felt weakened, but didn't know that it was me who was doing the weakening. Thus, I was able to attack him by surprise and kill him."

"Was there ever a relationship between you and Headmaster Snape that was anything but a teacher-student relationship?"

Harry straightened his back then, narrowing his eyes slightly at the question. "I was told that questions about my personal life would be off the table."

"Even though she is Interim Headmistress, Professor Minerva McGonagall has no power here, and you've been misinformed," said the wizard asking the questions. "Now, I'll pose you the question a second time. Were you and Headmaster Snape in any kind of relationship, physical or otherwise, that went beyond that of a teacher and student?"

Harry swallowed then, hating this, but knew that he had to tell the truth. "Yes."

Severus straightened completely in his seat then, but could say nothing.

"Explain the relationship."

Harry lowered his eyes, feeling the lowest of the low. "It started off as physical..."

"When?"

"In my sixth-year," he replied, "just before the Christmas holidays. Seeing his error, Headmaster Snape attempted to Obliviate me, but was unsuccessful."

"What act did he commit?"

"He kissed me," Harry replied, "but I kissed him back, and it was in that moment that I realized that I am gay, and that I wanted him."

"When did your relationship evolve into a sexual one?"

"Five months ago," Harry replied. "It was never more physical beyond kisses until I was seventeen, of age in the Wizarding World. It was in the Sherwood Forest that Headmaster Snape and I were intimate for the first time."

"And you were happy with the relationship?"

Harry nodded. "More than I've ever been in my life before."

"What happened on the evening of January the third of this year?"

Harry sighed. "Tom Riddle came to visit Headmaster Snape in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"And you were where at the time?"

"In the headmaster's private quarters."

"What were you doing?"

"I was sleeping."

"And what happened when you awoke?"

"I was awakened by a crash, and, when I came into the main office, saw that Headmaster Snape was bleeding out on the floor. I used the Elder Wand, which I procured from the grave of Albus Dumbledore—and since returned—to heal him, but Headmaster Snape was still unconscious from the impact of falling, and his wounds."

"And what did you do then?"

"I noticed that Headmaster Snape was crying, so I summoned a vial and used it to gather his tears, which I thought to contain memories. I then watched the memories, finding out about Headmaster Snape's past, and that a part of Tom Riddle lived inside of me. I used the Elder Wand to remove the Horcrux from inside of me, before I sent Patronuses to Madam Pomfrey, to assist Headmaster Snape; Professor McGonagall, to view the memories herself in an attempt to exonerate Headmaster Snape; and to my best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, as she was then, to let them know that I was leaving."

"And you then left Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded—the court didn't need to know that he'd proclaimed his love for the man on trial, nor that he'd proposed to him. "Then I left Hogwarts," he replied, his voice harder than stone. "I needed to complete my mission to kill Tom Riddle and save the Wizarding World."

"You were a witness to Headmaster Snape's murder of Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, were you not?"

Harry sighed. "I was."

"Do you believe that Headmaster Snape should be punished for that crime?"

"I do not."

"Explain to the court why this is your viewpoint."

"Because it is stated by Headmaster Dumbledore in Headmaster Snape's memories that Headmaster Dumbledore requested that Headmaster Snape kill him," Harry replied. "Draco Malfoy was the one tasked with the murder by Tom Riddle, but Headmaster Snape entered into an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy to help Draco Malfoy should he need it. As Headmaster Dumbledore was dying from the curse of the Gaunt ring—another Horcrux—he requested that Headmaster Snape prove his loyalty to him by killing him. It was only then that Tom Riddle would believe that Headmaster Snape was utterly loyal to him, when, in point of fact, he had been Headmaster Dumbledore's man from the moment Tom Riddle decided to murder my parents, James and Lily Potter."

"Was Headmaster Snape in love with your mother?"

"No," Harry replied. "Headmaster Snape loved my mother as a man might love his sister. There was nothing romantic between the pair of them."

"And one final question, Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded. "Yes?"

"What are your feelings towards Headmaster Severus Snape?"

Harry swallowed again—it was a question he expected, and yet dreaded. "I'm in love with him, sir," he replied.

The old wizard looked slightly annoyed at that, but finally, gave up. "Very well, Mr. Potter, we're through with you. You may go."

Harry shakily got down from the stand, permitting himself one last look at Severus, who stared at him for a moment before he looked away. Harry sighed before stepping back into the gallery and moved towards his seat. However, thinking better of it, he instead moved towards the exit and walked out the door, before Disapparating home.

. . .

Harry read in The Profit a fortnight and a day later that Severus had been cleared of all charges, and was fully relieved. He was also aware that Severus would likely return home to Spinner's End, which Harry had, upon having him moved to St. Mungo's, affixed with new furniture and appliances, and he knew it was likely that his former professor would be less than grateful. It was on that day that his fireplace flared up, just as he'd expected, but he still drew back from the vehemence that spat forth from it.

"POTTER! Get here, now!"

Harry sighed, thinking it was slightly considerate for Severus to leave the portal open for him. It was half a moment later that he casted the hiding pregnancy spell on himself before making a grab for the precious vial and stepping into the flames, and getting a good look at Severus's home for the first time. "Hello, Severus. Are you well, now that you're a free man?"

"Don't attempt to patronize me, Potter," Severus snapped, and gestured around the room. "This has goodwill written all over it, which leads me to believe that it was you."

Harry sighed. "Yes. When I heard that you were still confined to the hospital wing, and had you moved to St. Mungo's, I figured you should come home to a nice house."

Severus sneered. "You should know by now that I'm not a nice man, Potter."

"No, maybe not," Harry said, trying to force the tears not to come. "I honestly thought I saw a glimmer of hope for you, but that all died when you turned me away at St. Mungo's."

"Are you going to cease this blathering and leave me in peace?"

Harry sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Look, nothing has been the same since that night in Sherwood Forest," he told him, and Severus looked away. "I know, somewhere deep inside of you, Severus, that you still care for me, love me. Just like I love you."

"Whatever you said in court—"

"It was the truth!" Harry shouted, and Severus's eyes snapped to his. "I was told not to lie on the stand, you know. And then there is what Umbridge did to me," Harry said, showing off the cuts of I must not tell lies emblazoned on the back of his left hand, which he hadn't bothered to get rid of with the Elder Wand.

Severus drew back. "What...? What...?"

"Umbridge did it to me, plus everyone who was involved with Dumbledore's Army during fifth year," Harry explained, and Severus looked shocked. "You know, when I got the Elder Wand, I got rid of this cut on Hermione's arm, that Tom Riddle had cursed there, when she was at Bathilda Bagshot's house—it said Mudblood," Harry spat, and Severus looked shocked. "And then, I used it to get rid of your mark," he said, nodding at the arm that Severus had used to have the tattoo. "But I never got rid of mine."

"Good for you," Severus said bitterly.

"It's not because I'm a fucking martyr or anything, Severus," he snapped. "It's because it was never about me—ever. It was about keeping my friends and loved ones safe. You factor into that group, Severus, always. I love you."

Severus sighed, looking away. "There's no point..."

"There's every point in the world," Harry said, stepping closer. "You just need to understand that things are not what they seem."

Severus glared at Harry. "Get out."

"No, I'm not getting out—I refuse to give up on you, on us," Harry said, and marched towards him, grabbing ahold of his collar and pulling him downwards. Harry captured Severus's mouth with his, and felt a ray of hope as Severus moaned at the contact. However, those hopes were dashed as Severus suddenly yanked away from him, pushing him away.

"Enough," he snapped.

Harry bit his lip. "Severus, please..."

"NO!" he shouted. "I will not."

Harry shook his head, feeling utterly lost. "Very well," he said quietly.

"I never want to see you again, Potter."

Harry felt his will breaking then, but he held back from exploding with rage or sadness. "Fine," he said, and brought out the vial, before yanking Severus's hand towards him and pressing the vial into it. "This is my condition for staying away. Watch this once, and then if you still don't want to see me again, fine. I'll stay away." Harry's resolve broke then, and he turned away, never once meeting Severus's eyes as he stepped into the flames, and closed the link to Spinner's End for good.

. . .

The summer had flown by quickly, with Hermione and Ron announcing formally that they were indeed expecting their first child in December. Harry couldn't be happier for his two best friends, and promised to be the child's godfather. Another piece of happy news was that Dean and Ginny had finally selected a wedding date, and Harry agreed to be a Groomsmen with Ron. The wedding was to be in July of the following year, which meant a year-long engagement, and plenty of time to put everything to rights.

Harry decided by August, after his eighteenth birthday, that he was finally ready to achieve his dream of joining the Auror Department. There were still Death Eaters on the run, but, provided that Harry checked in with doctors at St. Mungo's regarding his pregnancy regularly, Harry was accepted into the department come September. The only conditions that Harry were that he would still be permitted to use Draco's borrowed spells, and that nobody who absolutely didn't need to would need to know about the pregnancy; both requests were granted.

When the first weekend of the month arrived, Harry was preparing a dinner party for all of his friends at Grimmauld Place. Kreacher had been very beneficial in the last several months of Harry's pregnancy; with only one month left to go, Kreacher was taking over most of the household duties, which he didn't mind in the slightest. He would willingly make Harry all of the food he craved, and Harry was surprised that the one he craved the most was root vegetable soup, which made Hermione laugh for hours.

"Mate, why are you on your feet?" Ron asked as he and Hermione stepped through the Floo about twenty minutes early.

"Just stretching," Harry assured them, taking note of the butterbeer six-pack that Ron had ahold of, and clapped his hands. "Oh, Kreacher will be so happy. Now we won't run out."

"Honestly," Hermione said, gently guiding Harry back onto the couch as Ron trooped through the kitchen to deliver the butterbeer, as well as attempt to pilfer some dinner. "You need to save your strength, Harry. It's bad enough Kingsley approved your Auror application in your condition! Active duty—my goodness! If it were up to me, I'd send you straight to a desk, and you'd be grateful."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Hermione, really."

Hermione clicked her tongue, but placed a hand on her stomach, and shook her head indulgently at him. "Rose has been flipping around," she said quietly, and Harry grinned at the direct mention of his goddaughter. "She and Lily will be best friends."

"No doubt," Harry replied.

Hermione sighed. "Harry, there's something you should know..."

Ron came out of the kitchen, nursing his fingers, which were bright red, but levitated various goblets of butterbeer and handed them to Harry and Hermione, while sipping one for himself, a rather abashed look on his face. "Kreacher may have thwacked me with a spoon," he said with a chuckle. "He's as bad as Mum is..." He cut himself off then, staring at Hermione. "You tell him?"

"Not yet."

"Tell me what?" Harry asked.

Ron sighed. "Mate, with you not being so active now that you're so far along, we thought it would be best if you heard it from us and not Kingsley..."

"Heard what?" Harry demanded, flying to his feet and walking around the room.

Hermione worried her lower lip, but finally spoke. "It's Snape..."

"Is he all right?" Harry cried out, whirling around to face her.

Ron sighed. "It's nothing like that," he assured Harry, sitting beside him, and feeling relieved when Harry visibly calmed himself. "But it's..."

"What?!" Harry pressed.

Hermione swallowed, knowing that they had to tell him. "Well, he gave his notice a few weeks ago that he's agreed with the appointment of Professor McGonagall as Headmistress of Hogwarts, permanently," she said.

Harry blinked. "All right?" he said, spreading his hands, before bringing his butterbeer back to his lips. "He never wanted the position anyway..."

"That's not all, Harry," Ron said, and Harry stopped talking. "The house in Spinner's End is up for sale."

Harry shook his head, not getting it. "I don't understand."

"Draco heard it from Lucius just a few days ago, and Draco only told us last night," Hermione said quickly. "He thought it would be best if it came from us."

"If what...?" Harry couldn't finish.

"Snape is leaving, for good," Ron said quietly.

Harry let out a gasp then, and his goblet of butterbeer crashed to the floor, with Harry falling right along with it, and then there was a combination of blackness and nothing.