Notes: So, my lovely friends, the story is over! It's been a huge part of my life for the last half a year. Writing it made me happy, I hope, reading it made you a bit happy too! ~Elinie
«She was like
April sky
He was like endless storm
Fatal touch, final thrill
October and April»
© The Rasmus — October and April
13 years later
The measured ticking of the clock echoed in his ears like church bells. Somewhere in the potions laboratory water was dripping. It seemed that he forgot to turn off the tap again. It was raining outside. Autumn had arrived once again. Hermione and Astra happily plunged into the crimson and golden colors of late August. They collected leaves. They made bouquets of herbs, robbing his stock of the most valuable ingredients. They brought home green apples and made jam from them. They were fascinated by the fog spreading from the mountains and they looked forward to the flowering of heather. So soon it would be possible to touch the heather waves and breathe in the delicate scent of flowers.
Autumn was the favorite season of his wife and daughter, a whim neither he nor the lover of Christmas Florian would ever understand. Florian would become a student at Hogwarts today, and he and Hermione were firmly convinced that the Hat would distribute him to Gryffindor. Astra, being in her third year already, was her father's Slytherin Princess, and thanks to her father's efforts, she always had the highest grade in Potions. This could not be said about Arithmancy. Hermione was adamant: "She has to do some more additional work, Severus, until I give her anything higher than Exceeds Expectations." Snape grumbled for the sake of decency, but didn't argue with his wife. Florian was Mom's son: courage, love of books, stubbornness, and rage when it came to protecting those dear to him. However, he always came to his father when he needed to confess his secrets or advice on friendship. Florian loved to ask Severus to tell him the story about the Ancient magic, thanks to which both he and Astra were born. And also, as Snape once dreamed of, he and his son played football and Quidditch, ran in the morning, collected dangerous plants in the forest, and even once, they succumbed to an impulse, and went hiking in the Scottish Highlands.
Snape loved his marriage and parenting. After surviving death, Hermione decided to become a teacher of Arithmancy and Muggle Studies, continuing the Slytherin strategy and secretly pushing new reforms to the Ministry.
Lucius Malfoy and Sirius Black continued to run the Alliance business, and each year they managed to achieve more and more impressive results: helping widows and orphans, funding hospitals, collaborating with Muggle psychologists, and adopting their experience for practice in the Wizarding World. Lavender and Luna took up psychiatry in earnest, trying to help all those affected by the years of war and tragedy.
Neville managed to return the lost memories to his parents, Frank and Alice, so now they underwent a long psychological rehabilitation and tried to adapt to a completely new world.
Neville and Luna have been married for more than twelve years, and their son - Frank Xenophilius Longbottom - studied in Gryffindor and was friends with Florian.
Remus stayed at Hogwarts to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and became Head of Gryffindor. He raised his son to be a worthy person, and Hermione was very proud of her godson's successes. Astra and Teddy were best friends.
Sirius Black and Amelia Bones got married, their daughter, Cassandra, today was going to enter Hogwarts together with Florian. Black settled down, matured, and became Astra's favorite godfather.
Regulus went to work with Charlie Weasley and to raise dragons together. Ron went to serve in Aurory, in the department of fighting international and interracial terrorism.
Minerva and Poppy continued to patronize Snape and Hermione. They spoiled Astra and Florian to the point of impossibility. Strict and demanding when it came to school studies and good marks, they remained beloved grandmothers when the school holidays came.
Phineas Black's portrait was still Hermione's best friend. Narcissa and Lucius, who were Florian's godparents, sincerely helped Snape's family and held joint picnics, dinners, or other meetings twice a month.
The cracked Time-Turner stood on the mantelpiece as a symbol of their life, love, and family.
Half asleep, Snape felt with a note of pleasant amusement that his wife was giving love and attention to that part of his body that was not usually talked about out loud and in front of children. In the rays of the dawn sun, moaning with pleasure, she seemed to him as beautiful as ever. He wanted to close his eyes and surrender to bliss, but something banged down below, the Floo buzzed, interrupting each other, children cried, and someone knocked on the ceiling of the Master's bedroom with a mop:
"Severus Tobias Snape, if you don't come downstairs right now and start preparing to send my grandchildren to Hogwarts, I'll ask Minerva to turn you into a clockwork!"
Hermione giggled at the colorful picture Poppy had drawn. Snape glared and kissed his wife.
"Love, we have to go. Otherwise, we are going to be late."
"You can always ask Potter or Black to take the kids to the station."
"Florian has an important day today, you know. The School awaits us, oh husband of mine."
"I want to go back on vacation, I want to go to Greece," Snape complained gruffly, pulling on his T-shirt. Hermione wrapped herself in a robe.
"We cannot, love, now we are parents, teachers, and Heads of Houses, Mr. Headmaster, my husband."
"Am I at least allowed to daydream once in my life?"
Hermione smiled and kissed the tip of his nose.
"In the evening we shall make your daydreaming come true. Let's take a bottle of red wine, let's get a tub full of juniper salts, and celebrate. I promise you pleasant nighttime activities."
And then everything spun into the usual turmoil that usually accompanied the beginning of the school year. Florian lost his suitcases and the cat, Astra ran around the house looking for her broom, Hermione collected her lecture notes, Poppy made everyone sandwiches and tea. Snape stared at the fuss with stoic calm.
The Hogwarts Express whistled, taking his children into a difficult and beautiful world of magic. The doors of the Great Hall opened, welcoming him and Hermione. Candles were lit, solemn speeches were made, Florian sank down ceremoniously into a chair.
"Gryffindor!" shouted the Sorting Hat.
Black and Potter shook hands. Astra blew a kiss to her brother.
Cassandra Black ended up in Slytherin. Godfather Snape or just Uncle Sev won ten galleons from Sirius.
Stars shone from the charmed ceiling of the Great Hall. Hermione smiled as she gave directions to her Ravenclaws. Their children laughed. Blackthorns and lilacs were fragrant, enchanted to eternal bloom in the greenhouses of Hogwarts. Life was opening up to the future.
All was well.
The End.