You Can Always Come Home
by Tatt Skywalker
Chapter Four:
Maybe... Maybe...
"How can they welcome him back father?" the six year old asked his father. "He left, he was a coward."
Severus Snape looked at his son. "How can you say that, Salazar?" he asked the boy. "He rid the world of the evilest creature on the planet. How can you say that he is a coward?"
"He left the wizarding world to walk around with only that Ginny lady," Salazar replied. "She is a coward too. They left and didn't look back."
Snape sighed. "Don't you pay attention to what Mrs. Weasley teaches you?"
"Of course, father," Salazar answered.
"What does *she* say about Potter and Weasley's sister?" Snape asked him.
"She says they're heroes, father," the boy replied. "But they aren't. They fled when the wizarding world was in ruins. It still *is* in ruins. He should have stayed and helped rebuild. People would have followed him."
Snape thought for a moment. Salazar had a point. If Potter had stayed, the world might not be in such discord. People hailed him as a hero and would likely have begun reconstruction along side him. Instead, the wizarding world was spread thin and was likely shattered beyond repair.
"They're still heroes, son." Snape said. "If not for them, I'd be dead and you'd never have existed."
Salazar was quiet for a moment. "I still think they're cowards. Potter especially."
Snape nodded. "Maybe, son. May they are in some ways."
***
Pansy Malfoy sat in the old Slytherin Common room brushing her daughter's hair. Christina Malfoy had her father's light blonde hair grown out all the way down her back. For six years she had refused to allow her mother to cut it.
"Mother," the eight year old said. "Do you want them to come back?"
Pansy didn't answer for a moment. "I don't really know, Chrissy."
"Reneé does," Chrissy told her mother. "She is really excited. Says they're heroes."
"Well, there is no doubt about that, honey," Pansy said. "They *are* heroes. But..."
Chrissy looked up at her mother having turned around to talk to her. "But what, Mother?"
"In school, he and your father always fought. All the time. That was common between Slytherins and Gryffindors. But your father and Harry Potter went at it all the time. Came close to getting each other expelled a hundred times," Pansy explained. "I just worry about how it will be between the two of them."
"Fights?" Chrissy asked.
"I don't know, Chrissy," Pansy admitted. "They *did* fight against Voldemort together... against your father's own father. Maybe it won't be bad... maybe..."
***
"You okay with his coming back?" Ron Weasley asked his former advisary, Draco Malfoy. Ron waved to Arthur as he went by on the hood of the Ford Angela.
Malfoy answered, "You know what, Ron? I am. I am okay with Harry coming back."
Ron looked at him in surprise. "Really?"
Malfoy nodded. "We fought together against the greatest evil in the world. I quit hating him the first day of the battle."
"Why?"
"Because I understood at that moment," Malfoy told him. "I understood that he wasn't trying to be a hero all the time... he just was."
Ron nodded. "Yeah, he was. Trouble just seemed to follow him about, didn't it?"
Malfoy laughed. "Yeah... and I was half of that trouble."
"Well, you went against your own father and the Darkest wizard in history. I'm sure he forgives you."
"Maybe... Maybe..."
***
Deborah Longbottom sat in their room in the top of Gryffidor Tower. Frank (8) and Harry (6) shared the one across the from theirs. Year old Danice and newborn Richard shared the room with Deborah and Neville.
Debbie looked over at her husband who sat in the chair by the window. "Something wrong, Neville?
He shrugged.
"You've been very quiet since yesteday," she said. "Something about the letter?"
He didn't answer right away. Then he said, "They'll let him come back like it was nothing."
"What was nothing?"
"He betrayed us!" Neville shouted. Then more quietly, "He left us behind with out world in shambles. Went off with Ron's sister and didn't think twice. Just up and left."
Debbie was quiet. She wasn't sure of the situation. Debbie hadn't attended Hogwarts nor had she ever known Harry Potter personally. She came from Drumstrang, graduating the same year as Neville. They'd met in London where she'd been looking for work in the French consulate. One of the people there was a witch and she'd said she would try and get her a job. It was love at first sight. They were married the next year.
Neville was angry. "He ran off when we needed him. He was the strong one. He could have gotten the world back on its feet. But he left and we were left defensless."
"But we're okay, now," Debbie told him.
"Are we?"
"Yes," Debbie said. "We've got four wonderful children, good friends and a good home."
"Yeah... well... Potter had better not assume I want him here," Nevilles told his wife. Then he got up and left the room.
***
"You think he'll stay?" Sirius asked his wife.
"I hope so," Lyria Strider-Black replied. "And I wonder who it is they're bringing with them. He did mention someone else in his letter."
Sirius thought for a moment. "You don't think... they have a child?"
Lyria pondered that for a moment. "Maybe... maybe... they aren't that young any more, honey," Lyria said. "If not for complications after our graduation I would suspect we'd have a good sized family by the time we were that age."
Sirius laughed. "Maybe. But we're making up for that now."
Lyria smiled. "Yup. Number 4 here will be joining us soon... ready for another one?"
"As ready as I was with the twins and Bryatt," Sirius replied.
"Should I be worried?" Lyria asked with a smile.
Sirius grinned and kissed her. "We'll see, huh?"
"Yup... but... what if I said I was having triplets?"
Sirius's jaw dropped.
A/N: Don't forget to review!
by Tatt Skywalker
Chapter Four:
Maybe... Maybe...
"How can they welcome him back father?" the six year old asked his father. "He left, he was a coward."
Severus Snape looked at his son. "How can you say that, Salazar?" he asked the boy. "He rid the world of the evilest creature on the planet. How can you say that he is a coward?"
"He left the wizarding world to walk around with only that Ginny lady," Salazar replied. "She is a coward too. They left and didn't look back."
Snape sighed. "Don't you pay attention to what Mrs. Weasley teaches you?"
"Of course, father," Salazar answered.
"What does *she* say about Potter and Weasley's sister?" Snape asked him.
"She says they're heroes, father," the boy replied. "But they aren't. They fled when the wizarding world was in ruins. It still *is* in ruins. He should have stayed and helped rebuild. People would have followed him."
Snape thought for a moment. Salazar had a point. If Potter had stayed, the world might not be in such discord. People hailed him as a hero and would likely have begun reconstruction along side him. Instead, the wizarding world was spread thin and was likely shattered beyond repair.
"They're still heroes, son." Snape said. "If not for them, I'd be dead and you'd never have existed."
Salazar was quiet for a moment. "I still think they're cowards. Potter especially."
Snape nodded. "Maybe, son. May they are in some ways."
***
Pansy Malfoy sat in the old Slytherin Common room brushing her daughter's hair. Christina Malfoy had her father's light blonde hair grown out all the way down her back. For six years she had refused to allow her mother to cut it.
"Mother," the eight year old said. "Do you want them to come back?"
Pansy didn't answer for a moment. "I don't really know, Chrissy."
"Reneé does," Chrissy told her mother. "She is really excited. Says they're heroes."
"Well, there is no doubt about that, honey," Pansy said. "They *are* heroes. But..."
Chrissy looked up at her mother having turned around to talk to her. "But what, Mother?"
"In school, he and your father always fought. All the time. That was common between Slytherins and Gryffindors. But your father and Harry Potter went at it all the time. Came close to getting each other expelled a hundred times," Pansy explained. "I just worry about how it will be between the two of them."
"Fights?" Chrissy asked.
"I don't know, Chrissy," Pansy admitted. "They *did* fight against Voldemort together... against your father's own father. Maybe it won't be bad... maybe..."
***
"You okay with his coming back?" Ron Weasley asked his former advisary, Draco Malfoy. Ron waved to Arthur as he went by on the hood of the Ford Angela.
Malfoy answered, "You know what, Ron? I am. I am okay with Harry coming back."
Ron looked at him in surprise. "Really?"
Malfoy nodded. "We fought together against the greatest evil in the world. I quit hating him the first day of the battle."
"Why?"
"Because I understood at that moment," Malfoy told him. "I understood that he wasn't trying to be a hero all the time... he just was."
Ron nodded. "Yeah, he was. Trouble just seemed to follow him about, didn't it?"
Malfoy laughed. "Yeah... and I was half of that trouble."
"Well, you went against your own father and the Darkest wizard in history. I'm sure he forgives you."
"Maybe... Maybe..."
***
Deborah Longbottom sat in their room in the top of Gryffidor Tower. Frank (8) and Harry (6) shared the one across the from theirs. Year old Danice and newborn Richard shared the room with Deborah and Neville.
Debbie looked over at her husband who sat in the chair by the window. "Something wrong, Neville?
He shrugged.
"You've been very quiet since yesteday," she said. "Something about the letter?"
He didn't answer right away. Then he said, "They'll let him come back like it was nothing."
"What was nothing?"
"He betrayed us!" Neville shouted. Then more quietly, "He left us behind with out world in shambles. Went off with Ron's sister and didn't think twice. Just up and left."
Debbie was quiet. She wasn't sure of the situation. Debbie hadn't attended Hogwarts nor had she ever known Harry Potter personally. She came from Drumstrang, graduating the same year as Neville. They'd met in London where she'd been looking for work in the French consulate. One of the people there was a witch and she'd said she would try and get her a job. It was love at first sight. They were married the next year.
Neville was angry. "He ran off when we needed him. He was the strong one. He could have gotten the world back on its feet. But he left and we were left defensless."
"But we're okay, now," Debbie told him.
"Are we?"
"Yes," Debbie said. "We've got four wonderful children, good friends and a good home."
"Yeah... well... Potter had better not assume I want him here," Nevilles told his wife. Then he got up and left the room.
***
"You think he'll stay?" Sirius asked his wife.
"I hope so," Lyria Strider-Black replied. "And I wonder who it is they're bringing with them. He did mention someone else in his letter."
Sirius thought for a moment. "You don't think... they have a child?"
Lyria pondered that for a moment. "Maybe... maybe... they aren't that young any more, honey," Lyria said. "If not for complications after our graduation I would suspect we'd have a good sized family by the time we were that age."
Sirius laughed. "Maybe. But we're making up for that now."
Lyria smiled. "Yup. Number 4 here will be joining us soon... ready for another one?"
"As ready as I was with the twins and Bryatt," Sirius replied.
"Should I be worried?" Lyria asked with a smile.
Sirius grinned and kissed her. "We'll see, huh?"
"Yup... but... what if I said I was having triplets?"
Sirius's jaw dropped.
A/N: Don't forget to review!
