Summary: What do you do, when all your hopes and dreams crumble at your feet? Well, you take a deep breath, put on a clean pair of shoes and start all over, that's what.
WIND BENEATH MY WINGS
Chapter 9: Epilogue
"Are you sure I look okay?" Ari asked, fiddling with his collar.
"You look fine, Ari," came the exasperated answer. "Relax. I know you haven't been in contact with any of them in over 20 years, but you are not who you were back then. The fine-looking man I see standing before me is a self-assured, highly accomplished wizard. You don't need their approval, though I cannot fathom any reason for them to withhold it. Beyond admonishing you for keeping your distance for so long, they will love you and welcome you as I have."
Ari took a deep breath and stood straighter. "Okay. I'm ready." He grasped Severus' hand just as the portkey activated and landed them in one of the many Hogwarts' guestrooms.
"Pitzki?" Severus called out after they steadied.
A house elf popped in. "Master Snape," he bowed, "welcome back."
"Thank you, Pitzki, but I am only visiting. This is Professor Verde," he introduced as the elf bowed his welcome. "Please inform the Headmistress that we have arrived."
"Yes, Master Snape, right away."
A few moments later, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter."
Minerva entered the room, catching sight of Ari immediately. Her hand flew to her mouth, as she tried to suppress the sudden wetness in her eyes. "Oh, Harry – I mean, Ari."
Ari went closer, "Minerva," and hugged her. A moment later, she gently disentangled herself, saying, "And Severus," hugging him as well.
"Oh, my. It is so good to see you both. You look wonderful! I have missed you so much. Are you happy?"
Pitzki popped in with some tea.
Ari laughed. "I had forgotten how much tea is a part of British life."
They spent the next hour catching up.
"Well, gentlemen, I must go and get ready for the Malfoy reception. Shall I meet you at the entrance to the Great Hall in an hour? Draco requested that I try to bring his godfather a bit early if possible. We can walk out to the gates and take the portkey from there."
"Yes. That sounds fine."
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"You must be quite excited, Ari, to be seeing everyone again," Minerva said as the three met and began walking.
"I think 'anxious' would be the more appropriate term."
"I am sure they will forgive you your absence."
"Are they aware that I will be coming?"
"No. As far as I know, they are only expecting a guest of Severus'. They have no idea who it might be."
They reached the gates and Minerva tapped it with her wand. It sealed closed again behind them, and they each reached for an edge of the invitation cum portkey. Minerva said the password and they were whisked away.
0-0-0-0-0
They landed in a well-appointed sitting room and were met with a house elf. They handed off their wraps to the elf who snapped his fingers sending them away. The three then followed the elf from the room and were led to an opulent ballroom. The room was flooded with light and decorated for the season in silver, gold and green with a sprinkling of red. There were crystal 'ice' sculptures on all the tables and faux snowflakes falling from the ceiling but disappearing about two meters above the floor. Soft, tinkling music could be heard in the background. All-in-all, it was a picturesque winter wonderland.
Astoria was the first to greet them. She was wearing a sparkling silver wedding gown that fit beautifully with the theme. Her hair was gathered up in a bun with a diamond tiara topping it.
"Headmistress! Thank you for coming. And Professor Snape. It is good to see you again."
Severus turned toward Ari and said, "May I introduce my guest, Don Aristo Verde. Ari, this is Astoria Greengrass, soon to be Malfoy."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Greengrass," Ari said, bending over her hand and kissing it. "Thank you for allowing me to accompany Severus."
She looked at him, tilting her head curiously. "Have we met before?"
Before Ari had a chance to answer, Draco wandered over. "Godfather! You made it," he said clasping the older man's hand. "Headmistress McGonagall, I am pleased to see you as well." He turned towards the third figure in the group.
"And you are…," he trailed off. "Harry? Harry Potter?! Oh, Merlin! It is you, isn't it? Where have you been?"
"Actually, it's Aristo Verde now. I changed my name years ago. Please call me Ari."
"Ari, Harry, I don't care what you want me to call you. I'm just glad you're here!" Draco grabbed Ari in a hug.
Slowly, Ari's arms came up around Draco. He whispered into his ear, "You really mean that? You don't care that I disappeared?"
Draco stepped back holding onto Ari's shoulders. "Of course I care that you disappeared, you big prat. It's my fault. You warned me not to put you on that stage – that it would destroy your relationship with Severus – but I insisted I knew better. You were right."
"Is that why you left? You never told me." Severus turned to Ari.
Ari nodded. "Do you not remember how you ranted at me in the teacher's lounge after the graduation party? I spent years trying to get you to see me as me, not as my father. I thought I had finally started getting somewhere, but I realised when you were done yelling and had left, that I was never going to get you to see me the way I wanted you to – certainly not if I stayed. I had to leave – it hurt too much to be near you and not be able to be with you. At first, I only left Hogwarts, but it soon became clear that everywhere I turned, something reminded me of you. I just couldn't stay."
"And that is why you were so welcoming when I found you?"
Again, Ari nodded. "I have loved you since the end of the war. There was never anyone else for me. When you found me and I read Albus's letter, I began to understand why you acted the way you did." He took a deep breath. "I was going to wait until the New Year to do this, but, well, the timing feels right.
"I need you, Severus. You are my missing piece. These last six months with you have been the best of my life. I cannot imagine life without you anymore. Will you bond with me?"
Severus looked shell-shocked. "I …," he started, then cleared his throat. "I cannot imagine my life without you in it as well."
Ari smiled and said, "I had planned to get my family bonding rings from my vault in a couple of days, so until then, you'll have to make do with this." He removed a band from his little finger. "This was my mother's. Aunt Petunia gave it to me the last time I saw her. It never fit her and it's not fancy enough for Dudley's wife." He conjured a silver chain and strung the delicate ring on it. "May I?"
Severus bent his head slightly and Ari slipped the chain over his head. Severus looked up. "I love you too," he whispered as he captured Ari's lips in a sweet kiss.
They broke apart a moment later upon hearing a throat clear. "I am really glad you took care of that before our wedding started. Malfoy's do not like to be upstaged." Draco said in a mock haughty tone, then smiled widely, "Congratulations, you two."
The two women echoed Draco, albeit with wet eyes and handkerchiefs in hand.
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All too soon, the other guests began arriving. Minerva headed off to help Astoria's sister, Daphne, with last minute details leaving Ari and Severus to themselves. The two men drew back into a corner of the room after fetching a drink each from the bar. Severus spent the early part of the evening naming each arrival and providing any relevant background information that Ari might need to know.
Daphne came by at some point to talk to Ari. "Welcome back, Potter."
"It's Verde. Aristo Verde."
"So Astoria has mentioned. You'll always be Potter to me though."
"I won't answer to it if you do."
"Whatever. I have a request to make of you. Do you think you could sing a song for my sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law?"
He began to shake his head, "No, I don't sing anymore."
Severus interrupted, "Actually, Ari, I wouldn't mind if you did. You do have an amazing voice."
"Are you sure? I don't want to spend another 20 years without you."
Severus withdrew the chain from beneath his robes. "Accepting this was my promise to always be by your side – whether or not you sing. But I think you should – I know Draco would be pleased."
Ari turned back to Daphne. "Alright. Did you have something in mind?"
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"… introduce to you, Draco and Astoria Malfoy." The two entered the reception to loud applause and walked to the centre of the room. "Here's a special song for the bride and groom's first dance as husband and wife."
The music began and Ari's voice could be heard clearly, though he was hidden.
From this moment, life has begun.From this moment, you are the one.
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on.
From this moment, I have been blessed.
I live only for your happiness.
And for your love, I give my last breath
From this moment on.
I give my hand to you with all my heart.
I can't wait to live my life with you. I can't wait to start.
You and I will never be apart.
My dreams came true – because of you.
From this moment, as long as I live,
I will love you, I promise you this.
There is nothing, I wouldn't give,
From this moment on.
You're the reason I believe in love
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above.
All we need is just the two of us.
My dreams came true because of you.
From this moment, as long as I live,
I will love you, I promise you this.
There is nothing, I wouldn't give.
From this moment, I will love you
As long as I live from this moment on.
As the song faded away, Severus heard someone say. "That voice. It was familiar."
Another voice said, "It sounded like Harry."
Then a third excited voice, "Ron, can you see him? Is he here?"
"Just a minute, Hermione – give me a chance to look," the tall red-head answered. "No, I don't see him."
"Let's go find Daphne. She made the arrangements for the wedding, so she must know."
Severus made his way behind the stage where Ari was thanking the music organiser.
"Ari, your friends are looking for you. They recognised your voice."
"Well, I knew it would happen sooner or later. Do you have any suggestions to avoid a disruption? I don't want to ruin the wedding and I don't know what kind of 'reception' I should expect."
"Hmm. Why don't you go out to the pool house. I will find one of your posse and direct them there."
"Thanks, Severus." He received a good luck kiss before heading outside.
0-0-0-0-0
Severus espied Hermione peeking into the corners of the room. "Hermione," he greeted, nodding his head.
"Oh, Severus, how are you?" she responded, looking simultaneously anxious, worried and guilty. "How is your new job? Where are you again?"
"I am enjoying my new position tremendously. It is a challenge as well as a breath of fresh air. I…"
She cut him off and asked, "May I ask you a question?"
"I believe you just did, but you may ask another."
"That singer just now. Did he sound like Harry to you?"
"As a matter of fact, he did."
Hermione looked relieved. "Do you know where I can find him?"
"I do, actually. If you will gather up your cohorts, I will take you to him. I'll wait here in the meantime."
Looking slightly off-kilter, due to both his attitude and his responses, Hermione set off to find her friends. About 10 minutes later, she returned with Ron, Neville, Luna, Seamus and Dean. Draco had joined Severus in the meantime.
"Draco, I'm sorry. We don't want to disrupt your wedding."
"Don't worry about it, Hermione," he looked amused. "I am just coming along to see how it goes."
"You knew that Harry was here, then."
He nodded. "I met him just before the ceremony."
"Shall we go?" Severus prodded.
He led them out the French doors to the balcony and then across the lawn to the pool house. As they approached, a pacing figure within could be seen through the windows.
Severus stopped and turned to face the group of seven. "I implore you to listen to what he has to say. I am aware of his wishes and his fears regarding this matter. He has been dreading this moment for a long time. Your responses will determine whether you will be able to re-kindle your friendships or not." Then he turned and continued up the path.
As they entered the pool house, Ari froze in his pacing and turned to face them.
"Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"'Mione," he breathed softly.
"Oh, Harry!" she embraced him tightly. The action broke the ice and the entire group (minus Draco and Severus) surrounded them in a group hug.
After a few moments, different voices began asking questions, "Where have you been?" "What have you been doing?" "Why did you leave?" "Why haven't you written?"
Ari disentangled himself and stepped back. "It's a long story."
Draco called for a house elf. "Bring us some snacks and drinks, Mipsy."
"Yes, Master Draco." A moment later, a table laden with food and drinks appeared along the wall.
Severus brought Ari a drink and sat next to him for support.
When everyone had taken a seat, Ari began. "First of all, I would like you all to know how much I missed you, but I had to get away."
Ron made to interrupt, but Ari stalled him. "And, I also had my name legally changed. So if you had tried to find me, you would not have been able to. My name now is Aristo Verde…"
Hermione gasped. "But Aristo Verde is a Potions Master. He's one of the best in the world. He invented…"
"Yes, Hermione. I am a Potions Master and I invented many potions over the years. For now, that is not here nor there. I just wanted to impress upon you all that I will no longer answer to 'Harry'. You may call me Ari."
"That's quite clever," Luna noted. "You changed your name so it would be different but not so much that you would forget to answer."
"'Verde' means 'green' in Latin, doesn't it?" asked Neville.
Luna added, "Did you know that 'ari' means 'lion' in Hebrew? That's a good choice for a Gryffindor."
"Yes, to all of you. It was a calculated change."
Ari spent the next hour filling in the last 20 years for his friends. Early on, Draco left with a promise to get the story at another time. After all, he couldn't leave his new bride and guests alone for so long.
Sometime during the telling, Ari's hand slipped into Severus'. "…and the last thing I want to tell you – which will bring you all up to date, is…" he paused.
He turned to look at Severus. "¿Este verano? ¿Después de que terminen los estudios?" Receiving a nod, he asked another question. "¿Crees que a Alex nos permitiría usar los dormitorios como alojamiento para nuestros amigos y sus familias?"
"No, I don't think he would mind at all. In fact, I think he would be quite pleased to finally meet all the people Albus wrote to him about. It would be like meeting literary characters."
Ari turned back to his friends. "If you followed that conversation, then you'll understand that we are inviting you all to witness our bonding this summer. So plan on a summer vacation in Puerto Rico. Kids and parents are welcome. We could probably arrange to have you all put up in the school dormitories."
After a celebratory drink, they all returned to the ballroom.
0-0-0-0-0
Dean got up on stage just as people began to show signs of leaving. "This has been a truly magical event. Many of you know that Draco, along with myself and Seamus, had a successful rock band for a number of years before real life started to demand our presence. Anyway, in a spur of the moment decision tonight, we decided to drag out the drums and guitars for a special reason. We didn't want to impose on the Malfoy's 'show', but as it is near the end of the evening, many of us felt it was acceptable to make this announcement now. For those who have not yet heard, we have some special news for you. Our very own Severus Snape will be bonded this summer to Aristo Verde. All you lovers out there, please join them on the dance floor. This song is for them."
He reached around and picked up his electric guitar, joining Seamus at the microphone set off to the side of Draco sitting behind his drum set.
Every time our eyes meet
This feeling inside me
Is almost more than I can take.
Baby, when you touch me
I can feel how much you love me
And it just blows me away.
I've never been this close to anyone or anything.
I can hear your thoughts, I can see your dreams.
I don't know how you do what you do.
I'm so in love with you.
It just keeps getting better.
I wanna spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever.
Every little thing that you do
Baby, I'm amazed by you.
The smell of your skin
The taste of your kiss
The way you whisper in the dark.
Your hair all around me
Baby, you surround me
You touch every place in my heart.
Oh, it feels like the first time every time
I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes.
I don't know how you do what you do.
I'm so in love with you.
It just keeps getting better.
I wanna spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever.
Every little thing that you do
Baby, I'm amazed by you.
Every little thing that you do.
I'm so in love with you.
It just keeps getting better.
I wanna spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever.
Every little thing that you do.
Oh, every little thing that you do.
Baby, I'm amazed by you.
Severus and Ari led the dance but were quickly joined by all the other couples.
There were many congratulations as the song ended. Those that had not yet realised that Ari was once Harry Potter did a double-take upon seeing him, but no one who didn't already know felt comfortable asking, so they were left mostly alone.
0-0-0-0-0
During breakfast, Ari mentioned that he felt it was time to speak with Albus. He floo-called Minerva who whole-heartedly agreed, mentioning that the portrait had been driving her batty with questions. As soon as he was done eating, Ari gave Severus a quick kiss and made his way up to the Headmistress' office.
Receiving permission to enter, he pushed open the door. Minerva greeted him, patted his shoulder and whispered as she walked past, "He has really missed you, Ari."
"Albus," he greeted.
"Harry! Or rather, Ari. It is so good to finally see you, my boy! How are you?"
"I am quite well, Albus. I received your letter. I can't tell you how much it meant to me. I also received the 'package' you sent along with it. It was everything I ever wanted."
"I am happy for you, Ari. And I am also happy for him, though I miss our verbal sparring."
"I don't know if Minerva has told you our news yet, but Severus and I are to be bonded this summer. I wish you could have joined us, but the ceremony will be taking place at El CodeMa."
"I see. Well, maybe Minerva will be able to animate some pensieve memories for me to view. I wish you all the best – both of you. When do you return home?"
"We will be staying until the end of the holiday season. We hope to spend some time with our friends."
"That's wonderful! Maybe I can implore the two of you to visit me again? I would very much like to hear of your experiences."
"I think I can arrange that. Hasta la vista, Albus."
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(A/N: The first song is called From This Moment On by Shania Twain. The second song is called Amazed and it's by Lonestar.)