A/N We are finally at the end! Thank you to everyone who came on this journey with me, it means a great deal to have your support. (Please see end of Chapter for more notes)
1 Year Later
'They're here, they're here' Amber shouted excitedly as she came into the house her small arms hidden beneath a box
'Amber quiet love' Draco chided 'Angus is sleeping'
'Sorry dad' Amber said lowering her tone 'Uncle Sev they're here'
'Wonderful why don't you sit the box down on the table' Severus said helping the little girl lift the box.
Harry appeared in the entrance way to the kitchen having heard the commotion from upstairs. Amber was hurriedly removing the tape from the top of the cardboard box, despite Severus' best efforts to get her to slow down. The child on Harry's hip snuffled and snuggled closer to his chest. He rubbed the small back gently, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
'Finally here' Harry said to no one in particular
Severus looked up from his task and a warm smile crossed his face 'Yes incase you didn't hear they arrived a minute or so ago'
'I heard' Harry laughed 'think most of the village heard'
'How's our girl?' Severus asked pointing to the child curled up on Harry's lap.
'Still a bit warm, only drank about half her bottle' Harry replied 'if she's no better in the morning I'll take her into the Dr'
'Might be an idea' Severus agreed he didn't like to see his princess unwell.
'Look!' Amber said in a loud whisper, yanking a book from its confines and waving it in the air
Severus plucked the book from the little girls hands and sat down heavily on the chair, he ran his hand over the cover and let out a sigh. He never thought this dream of his among many would ever come to fruition, but here it was in all its printed and bound glory ready to make its way out into the world. It had been a little over a year since he'd shown Harry the manuscript in his house in Sussex and with his encouragement and support had finished it and sent it off to a publisher.
The world had stopped spinning the day he got a letter from the publishing house to say they would be honoured to publish his book and requested a meeting with him. Harry had been right by his side and without him Severus wasn't sure any of it would have been possible.
Harry smiled at the contented look on his husbands face and his heart swelled with pride as it often did when he accomplished something he'd never thought possible.
When Severus had left the university and decided to take up writing full time, Harry thought he would be dealing with the human equivalent of a grizzly bear, especially when inspiration field him and the proverbial writers block greeted him like an old friend.
But he had been wrong, Severus never took his frustrations out on Harry, instead he looked to him for encouragement and guidance, which he was only too happy to provide.
The little girl on his knee shuffled and his was reminded that a published book wasn't the only thing that had changed. It was while they were in London on a research trip for his second book that found them in one of the city's orphanages that they first laid eyes on their little girl.
She was only 3 months old then and an absolute sight to behold. One of the staff was holding her this day, walking back and forth patting her back and humming a soft tune. The pacifier that had been in her mouth fell to the floor and Harry walked over and picked it up.
Eyes darker than his blinked at him, as he handed the dummy to the lady, he gave her a smile and a little hand reached out to grasp on to his finger.
It was love at first sight and for days after they had returned from the city, those eyes had played on Harry's mind. He didn't ever say anything to his husband as Severus was in the midst of drafting his new novel and the last thing Harry wanted to do was disturb him.
Unbeknownst to Harry, Severus had too fallen in love with the little girl and as such and been in contact with the orphanage and had arranged for the relevant forms to be sent over.
He and Harry had married a few months before and like everything else in their relationship it seemed the right time to think about a family. They owned the house they had purchased in the country, Harry was left a sizeable sum of money as part of his parent's estate and Severus had funds saved from his work, so together they bought the house of their dreams.
He presented the papers to Harry over dinner one night and watched as his husband cried buckets, thanking him over and over again, asking him if he was sure over and over again.
Over the next weeks they visited the little girl at the orphanage and a month later she officially became Charlotte Elizabeth Prince.
Both her fathers doted on her and acclimated to their routine as parents as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Harry was still working at the school, but only two days a week, so he could be home with Charlotte, Severus worked from home and always left the days Harry was away free, so he could attend to his daughter without interruption. If something came up then Nick, Perry, Draco and Luna were on hand to help out along with Ellie and Lorna.
Perry saw her foster son smiling fondly at Severus and took direct action. 'Come to Grandma my precious' she cooed to Charlotte to Harry she said 'Go and enjoy your husbands success, I can watch her for a time'
'You sure?' Harry asked
'Of course, more time to spend with my granddaughter' Perry said firmly taking the child from Harry's knee
Harry squeezed her arm and went over to the side of table Severus was sitting at and placed a hand on his shoulder. 'I am very proud of you' he whispered
Severus looked at his husband and smiled 'Couldn't have done it without you my love'
'I only provided an ear you did all the hard work' Harry blushed waving the comment away
'You did much more than that Harry, much more' Severus countered
'Mmm those particular things will have to explored later, we have an audience now' Harry purred his breath ghosting over Severus' ear
'I hope you have portrayed me in the right light Sev?' Ellie spoke ending whatever moment had existed
'Naturally, in fact I believe I did it perfectly' Severs snickered 'busy body neighbour suits you down to the ground'
Ellie muttered something that Harry was certain hadn't been spoken in English, he was sure it was along the lines of German and nothing polite from the look on her face.
'Was that German?' he asked suppressing a smirk
'Yes' came the curt reply 'it seems the busy body neighbour has an extensive vocabulary and in more than one language'
'Il semble qu'elle est contrariée par son personage' Severus countered in fluent French
'Va te faire Severus' Ellie shot back
'Alright alright, enough cursing each other in French please' Harry intervened 'honestly the pair of you are worse than children'
Ellie and Severus were very close and more often than not engaged in spirited and heated discussions that started out in English and soon morphed into something else.
They had a love hate relationship, and neither would give it up for the world. Harry loved that they were so close, but often felt adrift when it came to speaking in a different tongue.
Severus was fluent in 4 languages and Ellie 5, it didn't stop them from trying to out do the other, nor did it dampen their friendship in any way shape or form.
'Right time to go and fire up the barbecue' Nick announced 'is my apprentice cook ready?'
'Yes Poppa' Amber giggled, racing off to get her apron
'I will make a start on the salads' Perry said 'Harry where's Charlottes rocker, she can sit with me in the kitchen?'
'Oh in her room' Harry said 'I'll go and get it'
'No stay there I can get it' Luna offered 'I need to check on Angus anyway'
'Thanks' Harry smiled
Narcissa and Andromeda went into the kitchen with Perry and helped her get the accompaniments ready for the Barbecue. Draco and Ellie had gone outside to help Nick along with Amber who had charged out the door after them apron clutched tightly in her hand.
Severus and Harry were now alone in the parlour Harry still standing behind his husband who had the book still in his hand.
'You're famous Mr. Prince' Harry chortled 'have to get the big stick out of the hall closet'
'What stick?' Severus asked perplexed
'The one to beat away all your adoring fans, all those handsome men who will no doubt be falling at your feet, offering to do anything you desire' Harry replied
Severus set the book down on the table and pulled his husband down onto his lap, Harry letting out a squeak of surprise as he did. 'The only adoring fan I want falling at my feet is you' he said 'the only stick I want to be beating is yours' he ran his hand suggestively over Harry's groin and relished in the shudder it elicited.
'Good' Harry said his breath coming out in short pants as his husband palmed his erection through his jeans 'Fuck Sev'
'It can be arranged' Severus purred
'Not in front of the children I would hope?' Luna chided coming into the parlour, a child on her hip and the rocker in her other hand
'Let me give you a hand' Harry blushed, getting up from his husbands lap and taking the rocker from Luna's hand and giving Angus a quick kiss.
He took the rocker into the kitchen and deposited his daughter into it, feeling her forehead. The children's fever reducer he had given her was stating to take affect. It was only a late summer cold, but it still worried him all the same.
Charlotte was a happy, bubbly baby and to see her sick and so lifeless pulled at Harry's heartstrings. He walked back into the parlour and noted that Severus had left the table and gone outside to help with the barbecue.
His phone pinged with a text and he smiled when he saw it was from Lorna, she was leaving home and would be there shortly, he tapped out a quick reply and went outside.
Both Lorna and Perry had recovered well from their ordeal a year ago; Lorna was walking better and now didn't need her walking stick as often. Perry was back to her vivacious self and doing all the things she had done before.
Neither had been back to the city for quite sometime and Harry wondered if they ever would go back. Nick seldom left Perry's side these days, and even though it drove his foster mother mad, she understood why. As winter approached Nick and Perry announced their plans to travel and see a bit of the world, starting with Italy come September.
'Penny for your thoughts?' a smooth voice asked coming to stand beside Harry.
'Nothing important, just thinking how happy I am is all' he said wistfully 'who would have thought a kid from the street could have all this?'
'You weren't just any kid, you were a fighter and refused to let anything beat you' Severus said firmly
'Sorry don't mean to be a downer, just seems surreal sometimes' Harry apologised
'You've earned every bit of it' Severus said, pulling Harry to him
'Yeah we did' he smiled cuddling into his husband's side
When the holiday season came around a few months later, Severus' book was number one on the best sellers list, people poured into the shops by the dozens to grab their copy.
He had decided against doing any sort of world tour for the novel, preferring to stay at home with Harry and his daughter. The smaller bookstores in the villages and towns were ecstatic to welcome him and host a book signing.
Once a month he went into London and held a signing in some of the larger stores. The second novel was coming along well and was almost ready to be sent to the publishers, if all went well and no major changes had to be made then it would hit the shelves come the new year.
The Secrets of a Widow was number one for 16 weeks, until the new novel titled From Nobody to Somebody by S Prince was released in March of the following year.
A gripping thriller about a child who was orphaned from a young age adopted and grew up to be someone people recognized only to learn that the people responsible for her being orphaned in the first place were now considered her closest friends. It remained on the bestseller list for 22 weeks.
Translation for the bout of French
Il semble qu'elle est contrariée par son personage: (It seems she is upset with her character)
Va te faire Severus: (Go fuck yourself Severus)
I have created another account MerlinsCamelot as I am dipping my toe into the Merlin TV fandom. I will still be writing HP fandom works and they will remain on this account. Look forward to seeing you there. xx