Haunted Jaded Eyes

Chapter 66


Severus continued to guide Harry down to his quarters, dwelling on how utterly disappointed he was in his students. It was quite disgusting how they'd just remained inside of the castle instead of helping. If their parents had seen them, it would have made them stop, although whether it would have saved their lives he honestly couldn't say. The Vendicatori weren't exactly the most forgiving of creatures, from all that was known about them, which wasn't a lot.

He dreaded finding out just how many students had passed…how many of the teachers were now gone. Voldemort was gone for good and so were the bulk of his followers. He should feel relief, happiness, he had survived, Harry and his daughter had survived. The most important people to him. Could it just be a transference of the shock through the bond? Or was he in his own mild shock? He nor Harry had expected it to get as messy as this…or any of the students to be in danger…they'd assumed Harry and Ron would be apparated out of there, safeguarding the students, but no.

Had Voldemort suspected him? Was that why plans had changed? Or had Voldemort just decided last second, he wanted Hogwarts too? He supposed the lack of Auror's with only a few teachers would have been inciting for the wizard who had made no secret of his love and desire to have Hogwarts as his own.

He didn't suppose it mattered now, he thought in defeat. The war was over, all they could do was recover. Right now, his only concern was his husband, who was practically catatonic in his arms. Using his magic, he opened his quarters, before slamming the door shut with his foot. "Come on, let's get you bathed, you're covered in blood." Severus informed him, leading him immediately through to the bathroom.

Thankfully he had basic potions in his bathroom cabinet, which he grabbed a hold off immediately. Before reluctantly putting it down in the sink, as he began the bath. Then proceeded to undress the blood drenched wizard.

"Merlin," Severus muttered, did the Dark Lord lose all his blood all over Harry? "What happened?" he asked Harry softly, hand wildly and blindly looking for the potion as he gazed at his husband. Finally, his hand grasped around the thick glass vial, opening the cork he eased Harry's head back and helped him swallow the potion. Rubbing his neck to ensure Harry did indeed swallow the calming draught and not choke on it.

"He attacked me," Harry murmured, his voice so low that Severus wouldn't have heard him if he wasn't so close. "He actually attacked me."

Severus narrowed his eyes at the word 'attack' "Physically?" that still didn't explain all the blood. It was almost as if Harry had bathed in it, even his hair was caked in the now dried fluid.

"After I got the cuffs on him," Harry nodded, blinking blearily, but much more coherent than he had been moments ago. "I wasn't expecting that…" he admitted wryly, not from someone like Voldemort who reviled all things Muggle.

"What did Salazar always tell you?" Severus snorted shaking his head, as he wiped off as much of the blood as he could.

"Never underestimate your opponent I know," Harry sighed resignedly, batting Severus' hand away, he was capable of washing himself, thank you. "He's going to be on my ass for it for months isn't it?"

"Months? You now underestimate Salazar's boredom," Severus laughed a little, shaking his head. "Try years. Now go on. Get in." clearly Harry was beginning to feel more like himself now, and would more than likely be able to wash himself. He sat himself on the toilet, grabbed the potions kit, and began to see to his own injuries.

"I'll do it, just give me a few minutes," Harry told Severus, wincing at the state of his chest. Scrubbing vigorously, trying to get every single piece of blood off him. From head to foot, the clothes were only good for the bin now. The t-shirt was fully red, not a speck of white on it at all. It's not like they'd be wearing school uniform again.

"Take your time, I'm fine, tell me what happened," Severus asked, as he cleaned the area sanitised it before spreading a salve across the wound before pressing dressing on it. This was as close to…coddling as either of them got with one another. Neither were used to it, thus felt uncomfortable with too much babying.

Harry squeezed shower gel onto his hands and began to scrub his body up and down. "It was surprisingly easy to get the cuffs on. Once they were on, I expected Voldemort to collapse, I mean Dumbledore did."

Severus hummed, "Dumbledore's much older and more in need of his magic," he guessed.

"I don't know about that; Voldemort used his magic to return from beyond spirit form. You'd think it was important enough that without it…he would have crumbled." Harry commented, watching Severus wash himself using the sink.

"Obviously not," Severus murmured, grimacing, looks like he'd need help after all, he could feel an open wound on his back. "That's Ron and Hermione here with our daughter."

"Good," Harry relaxed further knowing his daughter really safe, and by some horror hadn't been found at Hogwarts. He didn't know if anyone had gotten into Hogwarts or not, his focus had entirely been on the battle. Standing up, he wrapped a towel around himself, and dried his hands, making a silent gesture for the salve as he cleaned up the wound on Severus' back. "Curse or spell?" wincing at the state of it, yeah, he was lucky indeed, he barely had any wounds at all.

"I cannot feel any remnants of magic, I do believe it's just a spell," Severus grimaced and hissed at the touch no matter how light it was.

"You're right, cutting curse," Harry murmured, his touch light and apologetic, once he had cleaned it thoroughly, and made sure there was no debris he put the salve on. "Any other injuries?" his eyes trailing down his back, buttocks and legs, he couldn't see any obvious signs of another injury. Although the worst of the injuries were always the invisible ones. Curses and hexes they couldn't see or fix.

"I don't think so," Severus sighed, relaxing as Harry put a large waterproof plaster over the wound. Keeping it sterile while the wound healed, the salve had already begun to work, he could feel the pain abating a bit and time.

"There," he murmured, pressing a kiss to Severs' should blade. Swallowing thickly, eyes closed he just remained standing there. "I never want to go through anything like that again…"

"No," Severus agreed, "Nor I," the fear he'd had for his daughter had been echoing constantly through their bond since they walked away from her, leaving her with Hermione safe as could be. The fear for each other had taken over when the plan went to hell, but after that things had become a little blurred as they fought for their lives, immersed in the guilt that each death that happened here was on them. Even if it wasn't what they'd originally wanted or planned. They'd meant to keep them all safe.

"Dobby?"

"What can Dobby do for Masters?"

"Retrieve some clothes for us, and make some refreshments," Severus ordered Dobby, his body shaking with the strain of remaining upright. "Quickly."

Dobby didn't answer, he popped away, immediately afterwards.

"Sit back down, before you fall," Harry sighed, nudging him towards the toilet, while he himself, sat on the edge of the tub. "We're going to have to leave, not be seen for at least a year or so…"

Severus stared blankly at his husband, it screamed 'why'.

Harry chuckled, "The glamour," he grimaced, pressing his hands to his ribs.

"Ah, very well," Severus murmured, "It cannot hurt to have the house fully functional and ready to move in instead of doing it ourselves. Now we've gotten well off topic, what happened to the Dark Lord?"

"Amadeus threw something at me when Voldemort tried to choke the life out of me." Harry shrugged, not surprised to feel Severus' prodding and touching at his inflamed neck. "Merlin…it slid through his fucking neck like butter," the blooming look of surprise spread across his face…would one day amuse him, but right now he just wanted to rest. To forget what had happened.

Severus nodded, "Yes, I'm not surprised their blades were easily and swiftly dethatching one's head from their bodies. I put it down to strength and spells they have imbued on their blades. It looks like I owe him one."

"Can't hurt to always have something like that on your person though," Harry murmured, it had saved his life after all.

"No, it certainly can't," Severus agreed.

Inhaling sharply, "How many people do you think…"

Clothes popped into the room, as the smell of coffee and camomile tea began to drift through the door.

"No." Severus retorted immediately, "Those deaths are not on you. Lay the blame directly where it belongs. With them." It was their fault they had not listened and ran for the damn school. He knew he was being disingenuous really, they'd been scared, terrified children trying to get to safety, not yet teenagers. "Here," passing over comfortable baggy clothes, they needed something comfortable to wear tonight.

"Can you check Ron's leg over? I…it was sliced off earlier and I re-attached it…I want to be sure it's been reattached properly." He wasn't by any means a healer, thank goodness Salazar and Helga trained him a little though, so he could. Otherwise Ron would have lost his leg or worse his life.

"Of course," Severus agreed, no doubt Poppy would be working well into the night, she would never prioritise Ron over the other more severely injured students. Of which there were many, he thought darkly, recalling the bodies laying out unconscious or dead across the lawn of Hogwarts.

"Here, let me help," Harry murmured, helping to ease Severus into the black jumper, a loose fitting one he'd not seen since their training days in the chamber. His own was much less baggy than before. "You need the most rest out of both of us," he said, eyes shadowed, he could feel the pain Severus was in.

"A few potions and I'll be just fine," Severus did exactly that, downing two additional potions, before putting the vials and wrappers from the bandages and plasters into the bin. "A year…where exactly do you wish to go?"

"I…didn't think that far, I've never been out of the country so I guess I won't be able to go through Muggle means?" Harry said, with a frown, he'd never thought he'd survive to go on holidays really. "What about you? Is there anywhere you'd like to visit?"

"Only a long list," Severus said wryly, but his responsibilities prevented that, and now he had a whole different responsibility. His daughter and husband. Whom he'd give up his holiday wish list for in a heartbeat.

"Muggle or magical?" Harry asked, as they exited the bathroom, Harry made a beeline for his daughter, and picked her up. Holding her close, inhaling her sweet baby scent, Merlin, he'd missed her so much. The urge to tighten his hold on her was so strong, but he didn't, "I'm never going to let you go ahead," he breathed into her hair, leaning his head against Severus' chest who was as always drawn into his orbit, just as Harry himself was ever drawn into Severus' orbit.

"How was she?" Severus questioned, fingers delicately stroking against her peaceful sleeping face.

"She ate an hour ago, she's mostly slept," Hermione said, doe eyed as she looked at Willow as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Which leg?" Severus questioned Ron, staring at the boy in question.

"This one," Ron patted his thigh delicately, knowing what Severus was asking, he wasn't as stupid as everyone liked to make him out to be compared to his brothers.

"Any numbness?" Severus asked, set to do the spell.

"Um…not really, just weird," Ron admitted, "It's like, pins and needles of sorts?" trying his best to describe the feelings currently going through his leg.

Severus relaxed, "That's good, it's the blood rushing through the veins," casting the spell, knowing that it would more than likely be healed, Harry had done a good job. Within a few moments, his thoughts were confirmed. "It's been reattached perfectly, Helga will be proud of you."

Harry sighed softly, grateful for that at least, he'd convinced himself he'd fucked up his best friend's leg. They'd been amidst a battle for Merlin's sake, so his focus hadn't been exactly 100 percent focused on the injury. "Good, I'm glad," he murmured, smuggling into the sofa with his daughter, leaving room for Severus to join him. He was feeling very clingy right now. He wanted his husband next to him and his daughter, just close…that's all, it wasn't too much to ask for.

"You're engaged?" Severus observed, as always, missing nothing, and definitely not missing the feelings coming through the bond. Removing the throw from the back of the sofa, he joined his husband and wrapped them all up, putting pillows to lessen the strain of Harry holding their daughter and keep her safely ensconced between them.

"Wait…what?" Harry asked, head jerking up, "Really? You finally did it?" he asked grinning like a loony tick. Nothing in his demeanour indicated he was just in battle less than an hour ago.

"Willow will…will have a little cousin to play with close in age," Ron confessed, eyes bright and alight with desire and happiness.

"What about your career goals?" Severus arched a brow, genuinely curious about what she planned on doing.

"I…well, I'm going to take the year off, a gap year, after that…I'll ease myself into it, see if I can do it." Hermione confessed, but there was no hesitance in her voice, she'd already made up her mind. "Ron's going to be busy this year anyway, learning to be an Auror…"

Severus snorted, "I still say you should join the chess circuit; you could make hundreds of millions of galleons a year and you'd be gone for a few hours each day and Portkey home by evening." And it wouldn't be every day.

"You didn't say it was hundreds of millions," Ron choked, he'd mentioned that Ron should look into it, that he'd do well in the Chess circuit but nothing else. Nobody was insane enough to pay someone that amount for playing chess, were they?

"It's one of the biggest tournaments we have…along with the duelling tournament. Yes, the winner can take up to hundreds of thousands of galleons, the smaller tournaments you take away fifty galleons, and as you go up the board the amount increases…yes, people make a lot of money doing it."

"And you could more or less become a stay at home father," Harry said, watching Ron's face pale and go steadily redder.

"It is not an insult," Harry stated firmly, noticing his friends raising ire, "Have care what you're about to say next…" giving Ron a look, he and Severus were both men, one of them would be the primary caretaker of their daughter. There was nothing wrong with a father staying at home to look after their child. It was preposterous just how backwards the magical world thought.

"Indeed," Hermione murmured stern faced, just waiting for the thoughtless words of 'women are the ones taking care of kids men bring back the bacon' although, both her parents had worked all their lives, and she hoped she and Ron could be like them.

Ron snapped his mouth closed; he knew better than to begin an argument he'd never win. Plus, whether he liked him now or not…Snape was downright scary. Nor did it escape his notice just how protectively feral Harry's face was…actually it was scarier than Snape. "I wasn't going to say anything like that," he lied through his teeth, face flushing red at the look of disbelief on everyone's face. "Well, not like others would mean it," he mumbled in embarrassment.

"Both parents can have a career, Ron, Hermione's parents were capable of it. The only reason your mum stayed home was because there was so many of you guys and because it's obviously what she genuinely wanted to do." And that they couldn't afford a single childcare placement let alone the rest they inevitably needed.

"Molly and Arthur would no doubt be very happy to look after their grandchild for the day while you both focus on your careers." Severus pointed out; he didn't need to know them to know this without a doubt. "And the Grangers."

Hermione smiled, "My mum and dad did cut their hours down, they're not working quite so much anymore. Although, I think they'll be travelling soon." Enjoying their lives while they were still capable of doing whatever they wanted now that she was all grown up and didn't need them quite so much.

"Speaking of travelling, so will we," Harry said softly, staring down lovingly at his daughter, overwhelmed with the love he felt for her. She was so beautiful and tiny, and so very worth the pain he'd endured to have her.

"What do you mean?" Ron frowned.

"Because of the glamour?" Hermione deduced, Harry looked grown up, older, more sophisticated, well…not in the clothes he currently wore. Some time away from the public then coming back would be less of a shock than him being seen now. The time bubble was illegal, without Voldemort…no doubt Harry didn't want to risk being arrested.

"You're not becoming an Auror?" Ron wondered.

"No, definitely not," they'd discussed it in the past, but evidently Ron must have thought he'd changed his mind…either that or he hadn't been paying attention – which was exactly like Ron – his mind wandered often. "You'll do it though, Ron, if that's what you really want to do." He had when they were eleven, the desire to be better than all his siblings…but was it something Ron really wanted to do still?

"I don't know…I mean that battle was bloody intense," Ron admitted, he'd felt adrift, too terrified to use spells in case he hurt someone else other than his target. What kind of Auror would he make?

Hermione rubbed Ron's back, soothing the wizard, "Where do you plan on going? A cruise?"

Harry glanced at Severus, "Just choosing where to go? Instead of having an itinerary set?"

"That would be preferable, yes," Severus nodded, there were always places in which people had no interest in, in those sorts of packages. Cruises and such, yes, they were always island's you didn't care for. "There are quite a few islands I'd love to visit," he admitted.

Harry smiled, "Potion ingredients," not needing to deduce further.

"Not just, the history has always fascinated me also," Severus admitted, but first and foremost it was indeed the potion ingredients he could get. To buy them…cost a fortune, and yes, they were worth it, but he'd love to take some and grow them at home. "I would very much like to grow them in the solarium." Which by the way, was massive, bigger than their and their daughters bedrooms put together. Severus definitely had plans for their home.

Home. A place that he and Harry had had built from the ground up with their own specifications. It hadn't belonged to anyone else; they would make their own memories. No portraits, no previous owners…it was going to be wonderful.

"You're not going to stay away the whole year, are you?" Ron wondered.

"Yes, but you can come visit us and we will visit you, there's a thing called Portkey or Apparating or Floo." Harry teased him, they were never going to be far from each other.

"And the mirror," Hermione reminded them, "You deserve this, you'll need to be very quick if you want to go to keep the anonymity. Perhaps inform the Ministry of where you want to go close to your destination but not the actual one? Otherwise you'll have the press following you relentlessly."

"That's a given." Severus agreed sombrely, he already had plans formulating in his mind. He would need to find out exactly where Harry wanted to go, divvy it up so that they each went to a location they wanted to see…and if there were ones, they both wished to see together all the better. "They will be relentless…including with you to try and get our locations out of you."

Hermione frowned, "I didn't think of that," she admitted in annoyance, of course they would, why wouldn't they? It's just the sort of thing the press would do. They were children, still at Hogwarts…but the second they left…they would lose that protection and privacy that the school afforded them.

"Don't worry, wherever you're staying, I'll pay for a ward Master to secure the house," Harry reassured her, it was for all their protection.

"The Burrow has all the necessary wards up," Ron easily reassured Harry that he didn't need to spend his money.

Harry pursed his lips, watching Hermione's face, oh, Ron wasn't going to like what he had to hear next.

"We won't be staying at the Burrow," Hermione said, "At least I won't be." He was not living with Molly Weasley. She was easy enough to handle in small doses…but every day? Trying to tell her how to live her life? What to eat? How to cook? How to look after her 'little boy' while telling her to 'fetch this' and 'fetch that' no way. Christ, he'd rather stay at her parents. "My parents are giving me full access to my bank now that I'm an adult, which they've been putting money into since I was a child. My trust fund I suppose you could call it. There's enough there for us to buy a house or rent a place until we are both working." And then some but Ron was never going to get access to it, he'd go crazy having money to spend.

"But we could save that, and just stay…" Ron protested, keep the money for what mattered.

"I'm not living at the Burrow, I love your parents Ron, but I want my own place." Hermione said firmly, praying they weren't going to get into an argument.

Ron wanted to protest again, "But…"

"Unless, you'd like to live at my parents?" Hermione abruptly suggested, "Yes, that's a good idea, we'd save money that way too."

Suddenly Ron understood, "Um…no, your idea is a good one," he suddenly vehemently agreed, nodding.

"I thought as much," Hermione said smugly.

Harry and Severus glanced at each other, eyes gleaming with tired merriment.

"That's the grounds cleared up," Salazar entered the portrait and began speaking, "Everyone's resting in the Great Hall, those that have passed…are in the Hospital wing and Minerva is gathering a list of people who are…missing,"

"How many are in the Hospital wing?" Harry asked, closing his eyes, merriment dying in seconds of hearing Salazar's words. Not noticing Helga and Rowena joining Salazar.

"It's been cornered off, the dead are in the isolation ward, the main ward is filled with those with battle injuries," Helga explained, sombre, "Fifteen children have been placed in the isolation ward." Eyes gleaming with coldness, she'd built the school with the others to save children, not see them killed. "If I could…I would reach through this portrait and have killed Voldemort myself oath be damned." She would have been saving lives anyway by dealing with that piece of crap who called himself a wizard.

"Fifteen…" Harry said stomach rebelling, opening his eyes to see them just as angry and disgusted as him. "Fifteen people just gone…" that's the ones they knew off, those who had died in the train…they didn't know yet.

"If it's any consolation…they died protecting the younger students," Helga murmured, knowing it wasn't any consolation at all. "They will always be remembered."

Harry scoffed, "Right, sure they will, for all of five minutes," he stated bitterly, "Then everyone will bury their heads in the sand." Forget all the bad, and go about their lives as if nothing had happened at all.

"Except those who knew them and their families," Severus reminded him, he was grateful that his family had made it out alive, and he couldn't even begin to imagine what those families will be going through. Staring at his daughter, no, it was inconceivable really. "We will remember them. We will remind them of the cost of their freedom and continued good lives."

Harry nodded grimly; he would do more than that if he had his way.

"The faculty?" Severus questioned the founders.

"The students in the train survived," Godric appeared in the portrait, "Along with the Professor Babbling, she used a rune to create a portal in time, other than a few burns the students and professors that entered the train are alive and well."

"Portal or portals?" Harry asked wide eyed and impressed.

"Portals," Godric said nodding sagely impressed himself.

"That will have taken a whole lot of magic," Harry said awed, relieved that the first-years were alive and well. "I…wow, just wow."

"I had no idea she was quite so powerful…" Severus confessed.

"Runes don't take much power…" Ron pointed out confused by their awe, even Hermione.

"Most runes don't, no, but portals require constant magical usage, to have created multiple portals…she'll have sapped up a great deal of her own magic to protect and save them." Hermione admitted, "If they'd been left open…it would have meant they'd have died anyway so she must have closed them just in time too."

"Oh," Ron making an 'O' in surprise.

"It's the sort of power you'd use with over three hours of constant duelling with extremely difficult magical spells." Severus informed Ron, in a way the boy would most assuredly understand. "Will she recover?" that sort of magic sapling for someone unused to it…it could affect their magical core.

"She's taken a few potions and is having a hot chocolate as we speak while her magic recuperates…nobody will know for a few days." Salazar replied, "Considering it's only been an hour or so, I'd say she's taken the potion in time." To replenish her magical core, with a little luck anyway.

"I really should go and see to my Slytherins," Severus sighed, but it was very grudging, he was very disappointed in them. In the actions they had taken today had showcased their greed, their inability to care about anyone other than themselves.

"They'll get one hell of a wake-up call when they return home," Salazar said grimly, "Merlin help them, because nobody else is going to."

"It's a good job they're seventeen, otherwise their lives would be worse, living in an orphanage until they could access their money and estate." Rowena kindly reminded them. "Many have lost both their parents." Most people thought all the Death Eaters were men, the reality was quite different. Thankfully most of the 'couples' were childless, but others weren't quite so lucky, including Pansy Parkinson.

Severus grimaced, "Indeed," he murmured, the only downside to the Vendicatori dealing with every single Death Eater by killing them. It was truly the only way to end the war for good, to deal with every single one of them so that nobody was tempted to take over from the Dark Lord Voldemort or worse…try to bring him back.

"When will everyone be going home?" Hermione wondered, technically they were supposed to already be on the journey home from Hogwarts for the last time.

"I'd imagine Minerva will keep everyone at Hogwarts for tonight unless they wish to return home with their parents. Those with spouses will already know that their husbands are dead, and will be no doubt notified by Gringotts and thus the Ministry soon enough." Severus sighed; he wouldn't be all that surprised if Narcissa came for her son very soon.

At least Lucius had ensured Draco would know how to run the entirety of Malfoy Estate. For Narcissa wouldn't be able to access it, except for the no doubt generous allowance she would get as Lucius' widow.

"Is my mum and dad still at Hogwarts?" Ron asked the founders.

"I couldn't say," Godric admitted, it wasn't as if he knew them after all. "Do you want me to find out?"

"It's okay, I'll go and find them," Ron told him, smiling in thanks. "I have some good news I want to tell them anyway."

"It certainly will," Harry grinned wryly, "She's going to try and take over everything," he'd never forgive Molly or Arthur for their part in what almost happened to him but he'd be cordial at least.

"Oh, this isn't the good news Ron wants to brag about," Hermione laughed, "He just wants to tell someone we're expecting."

"Yes, another boy in the family," Ron said beaming with sheer delight.

Harry arched a brow, "A boy? You already know the sex?" Doubtful.

"The Weasley's always have boys," Ron shrugged, so of course, he would think boy.

"As do the Potter and Princes," Severus pointed out, with his mother being the only exception in years.

"I guess…" Ron murmured, brow furrowing as he thought about it. The Weasley's and Prewitt's were known for boys it was so rare to have girls. A girl…hell, he wouldn't know what the hell to do if he had a girl. They were so different to boys…he didn't understand them.

"Would you be disappointed?" Hermione questioned; it wasn't as if the Weasley name depended on him. The head of the Weasley family would be Bill once his father died then Bill's firstborn if they had an estate it would be important but they didn't, they were just a family always struggling to get by. The estate was long gone.

"No," Ron said shaking his head, vividly imagining a girl that looked like Hermione with a shocking head of fizzy red hair. A goofy smile appearing on his face as he thought about it, "Definitely not."

Harry snorted in amusement as Severus hid his smirk and eyeroll in his daughter's midnight black hair. That was such a horrendous look, he prayed he never looked like that a day in his life.

Hermione and Ron left soon afterwards in an attempt to track down Arthur and Molly. To not only reveal the good news…but to ensure that they were alive and well. Ron shuddered just remembering his father falling.

"We did it," Harry sighed, once they were alone. He loved Ron and Hermione, don't get him wrong…but he just wanted to be alone with his husband.

"We did," Severus murmured quietly, both of them too exhausted to celebrate in any way whatsoever. Plus, Harry was no doubt still sore from giving birth to their daughter to desire any passionate way they could celebrate if they'd had the ability. "Rest now, it's over." Bringing his husband and daughter closer.

It didn't take Harry long at all to fall asleep, Severus levitated them both to the bedroom. Their daughter going into the bassinet that he'd ordered months ago. Harry into their bed, he levitated the bassinet closer to the edge of the bed. She would likely sleep until she woke up for food…which Dobby could provide for her for once. They would never get in the habit of using Dobby for everything, their child would not grow up being tended to by a House-elf like the old families did.

Once in a while wouldn't hurt though.

Once he was sure they were comfortable, Severus used magic to transform his clothes into his normal wear. Wincing at the feel of the abrasive material against his damaged skin.

He persevered through it, and left his quarters soundly, leaving Dobby to watch of his husband and daughter.

He was going to speak to Minerva and then he was off to get a Portkey and begin their holiday destination. Hopefully by this time tomorrow…they would be in a sunnier climate, enjoying their well-deserved holiday.

When they returned, if they returned, there was going to be a lot of unhappy people.

After all, they'd find a much-changed Harry Potter, whom was married to the Ex-Potions Master and had a daughter to boot.

Yes, it would drive them all crazy.

The newspapers were going to go into a feeding frenzy but he didn't care.

He had Harry and their daughter…he was content with his life.

The press could go to hell for all he cared.


There we go! A chapter for you to enjoy I'm sorry if its not up to par with my normal updates I'm still recovering from being sick...and I've had so much sleep that I've been up since six o'clock this morning and I thought I'd write something since I was feeling up to it! Lot's of energy right now :D my dogs will be glad of the walk when it's time let me tell you lol! R&R please