Disclaimers etc.. See Part 1

Author's notes: Disclaimer: This was envisioned and mostly written months ago. I've actually
delayed posting it for reasons that should become clear when you're done reading it.

Um. Other than that. Well. There are several questions that this answers, it also raises a few
others. There are only a few more chapters left and they will all be covered... hopefully.


Part 42

He woke up in layers. Only aware of a few sensations at a time. The soft feeling of skin beneath
his cheek, the sheets shifting against his back, the sound of soft, deep breathing all registered with
him.

Severus Snape, however, did not want to move. He was too comfortable and relaxed. Finally,
completely, relaxed. There was no more underlying tension permeating his body and he knew that
if he moved, the day would begin and it was just get worse and worse.

Harry twitched beneath him, causing him to jerk a bit. The movement sent a deep ache through
his entire body. Not nearly as sharp or all encompassing but still very painful. He slowly rolled
over and reached for the carefully placed bottle and drank from it. The pain ebbed and his muscles
took on a state of lethargy that he had rarely encountered. Harry moaned next to him and he
quickly placed the second bottle at Harry's lips and forced him to drink. Harry gave a small sigh
and settled back to sleep.

Severus laid back down and stared at the ceiling. A sense of foreboding came over him. Today
was not going to be a good day. It was never a good day when your old lover met your current
lover, and despite Albus' plan, he knew that they would meet. Harry wouldn't let the man go
without at least looking Lucius in the eye. Not that he doubted Lucius would simply be allowed to
walk off the grounds of Hogwarts as easily as he had been allowed to walk in.

Harry mumbled something, rolled over and swung an arm over his chest. Possessive one, isn't he?
"Harry." He called softly. The young man didn't move. Surprise. "Harry. Wake up. You need to
make an appearance in the great hall."

"All right, all right." The young man mumbled from the vicinity of his chest. I think this stuff is
finally beginning to kick in anyway." Harry rolled over and slid out of bed. He stood up and
directly into a large stretch and immediately fell to his knees gasping in surprise.

Severus sat up straight. "Are you alright?"

Harry gave a few deep breaths before answering. "I think so. Just really dizzy."

"What happened?"

"I think I stood up too fast." Harry slowly got to his feet. Once standing he looked uncertain for a
moment. He took a small step and nearly pitched forward again.

"Still dizzy?" Severus asked.

"No." Harry shook his head. "At least I don't think so." He took a moment to look around.
"Something feels... off."

Severus stood up and moved next to Harry. "Wrong how?"

Harry looked at him and then did a double take. "Oh my god."

"What?" He was getting irritated.

"I'm... No... It can't be."

"Potter." He growled.

Harry's eyes shot up to meet his, "Don't do that, I can't think when you do that."

"Then tell me what's wrong."

Harry took another careful look around and another careful look at him before finally answering,
"I think... I've got to be at least 3 or 4 inches taller."

"What?" Severus looked carefully, Harry was right. He was taller. He began to pace.

"Do you feel any different?" Harry asked.

Severus took stock of his body and realized that there was something different. But what? He
paced some more. Then it struck him, there wasn't any pain. The repetitive motions from constant
potions plus the relative cool temperature of the dungeons had given him a touch of arthritis. He
only took the potion on days when he knew his workload was going to be high, while it did clear
up all symptoms entirely, early studies had shown that long term use did diminish its effectiveness.
Since he was of a relatively young age, he was using it conservatively.

But now. His fingers no longer had that telltale ache, his right wrist had more freedom of
movement that he ever remembered having "Its gone," he said with wonderment, "my arthritis."
He carefully flexed his fingers, "They don't hurt anymore."

"What happened?"

'I'm not sure, I think," He quickly paved to a mirror and examined his face. The skin had
smoothed out. Small wrinkles around the eyes and mouth had disappeared. While wizards lived a
long time, they aged as muggles until their early 40s. Now looking in the mirror, he looked 10
years younger, putting him somewhere in his late 20s.

"I think," he repeated, "That this is yet another affect of the spell." He turned to really examine
Harry and was surprised to find a much heavier line of stubble than he had remembered from the
morning before. "We appear to have moved closer in age. Not a lot, but enough."

Harry walked behind him and peered at the mirror. "Wow. That's very strange. But I'm sure that
the original spell wasn't meant to do this."

"I'm sure it wasn't. But remember, we weren't hit with the original spell. It was something more
intense. And the longer we delayed, the deeper it went."

Harry swallowed and looked at Severus' reflection in the mirror, "How deep did it go?"

Severus shook his head. "I refuse to have this conversation while the double entendres literally fly
out of our mouths with a will of their own."

Harry swallowed and nodded. "I'll just be off to breakfast then."

Harry was dressed and out of his rooms in record time.

Severus took a leisurely morning, enjoying his new freedom of movement. After getting dressed
he sat down at his desk to catch up on a bit of paper work, he'd fallen behind on his
correspondence, test markings, teaching papers.

At the top of a moderate pile was a scroll wrapped in a red ribbon. It was obviously the last thing
to be delivered. He opened the ribbon and unrolled the parchment a small piece of paper fell into
his lap. He picked it up and read it.

'Special delivery' Was all it said.

He looked at the larger scroll. The Daily Prophet? His eyes scanned the headlines and widened. If
he had been drinking tea, it would have been all over the desk. "Bloody hell!" He spat and ran
out of the room.

While many a student could remember the potions masters stalking through the hallways with a
purposeful pace, not many could remember him sweeping through them in a dead run, with papers
clutched in his hand.

He entered the great hall just as the swarms of owls descended on the students. Rushing up to
Dumbledore, he thrust the paper under the older wizard's nose.

Dumbledore's eye's widened, "Oh my." He quickly scanned the rest of the article.

By this point Severus could feel Harry's tension, either he had just seen the article, or one of his
house mates had. A quick checked showed a very angry looking Harry, an agitated Weasley and
Granger and table full of very confused Gryffindors. It was a similar scene at the other tables.

"I'm afraid that this goes beyond rumor, Severus, "Albus said, "The article states that the author
saw the documents at the ministry. Some one must have left them on their desk."

"By accident, or on purpose?" Severus asked.

"That remains to be seen." he paused. "All of our names are mentioned, yours, Harry's, mine in
capacity of officiator as well as all of the witnesses."

"Damnit, how did this happen?"

"We don't have time to figure that out at the moment." Albus stood up and approached the
podium, "Would Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy please join me in my
office. As for the rest of you, read the article very carefully, for once, with the exception of the
headline, it is surprisingly accurate and tasteful."

"I'm sure that will never happen again." Severus muttered to himself.

Albus turned to Minerva, "You too dear."

The seven of them trudged past questioning stares and out the main doors.

There was a tense silence when they reached the office, they all took seats.

"Well, that was unexpected." Albus began.

"Would it be entirely inappropriate to be immensely grateful that you finally didn't plan my most
humiliating event of the week?" Severus muttered.

Harry jabbed him in the ribs, "Pr- Sn- Severus, you're doing it again."

Before he could respond, Minerva spoke up. "Mr. Potter, some respe-"

"Minerva," Severus interrupted, "we are not in a classroom at the moment, all things considered,
he has every right to call me by my given name."

She looked gobsmacked, all in all, not a bad reaction.

"What happens now?" Hermione spoke up.

"Well," The headmaster considered his words carefully, "Severus and Harry have done nothing
wrong, I say we let it be. Harry, you may tell your house mates whatever you wish, the same for
the rest of you. Severus you will probably have the most difficulty."

Severus nodded.

Albus continued. "If the rumors and howlers become too much. The both of you will have to
make some sort of statement."

"Terrific," Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, "the culmination of my life and professional
career will be a statement to a bunch of vultures who are salivating for any morsel they can glean
about my personal life and its supposed moral ambiguities."

"Our." Harry corrected.

"Our?"

The younger man quirked an eyebrow, "Our personal life and supposed moral ambiguities. And
don't tell me you still believe that I not only adore, but seek out the spotlight."

"You don't?"

Harry elbowed him in the ribs again, "Now you're being purposefully obtuse."

Severus let his silence speak for itself.

The quiet was interrupted by the mellow chuckling of Draco Malfoy.

Severus turned to the blonde, young man and raised an eyebrow, "You have something to say,
Mr. Malfoy.?"

A pale finger pointed to the both of them. "You two You're prefect for each other." The muffled
sounds turned into full fledged guffaws. "Is so u-utterly re- ridiculous that-" Draco lost it again.

The entire room was now staring at them. "Thank you Draco for that comforting observation."

Draco recovered a bit and continued. "Imagine how grumpy both of you would have been if this
had never happened. Both of you would have been too stubborn to do anything about it." Ron
and Hermione both elbowed Draco, but he continued on, "and I'm still willing to bet that in six
months time, or whatever arbitrary limit the headmaster has told you for the 'attraction' to wear
off you will both put yourselves through hell with idiotic misconceptions and it will take some
serious knocks on the head to get it all fixed again."

Since they were both, patently not thinking about that, they changed the subject.
______

Severus, Albus and Draco entered the room with 5 minutes to spare and sat in a mute tension. At
exactly 11:00 there was a *pop!* and Lucius Malfoy stood there in all his glory.

Severus noted the differences in his long lost friend. The cane was missing. The clothing, slightly
less than impeccable. Hair shorn down to a few inches. And most noticeable of all, the ever
present sneer, that had become a fixture in recent years was nowhere to be found.

"Severus." Lucius breathed in a soft tone.

"Lucius." Severus nodded in acknowledgment.

They stared at each other for some seconds before Lucius' eyes shifted focus, "Draco?"

The blond gave a sharp nod.

Lucius spoke again, "Thank you for hearing me out."

"Why weren't you at the battle?" Severus asked.

Lucius shook his head, "I don't know. All I know is that he asked me to stay behind. It was part
of some special plan. But as soon as he died..." Lucius' eyes lost focus for a moment, "It was like
I could think clearly for the first time in 20 years." He looked into Severus' eyes with stark
emotion, "Oh god, Severus, I'm so sorry."

"What about my mother?" Draco spoke up.

Lucius swallowed thickly, "She fought the aurors."

Draco took to news stoicly.

The occupants of the room were so focused on each that they didn't notice the slight shudder the
ground had taken on.

It started as a faint tremor, but it soon wound its way up to a full blown shake. The foundation of
Hogwarts, literally was tearing itself apart. The walls of the room shook under some unseen
strain. And then, with a soul deep scream, it stopped and Albus Dumbledore fell to his knees.

"Albus?" Severus queried, unsure of what just happened.

"The wards..."the old mans voice sounded strained, "the wards have fallen."

"How did you do it Malfoy?" Cornelius Fudge sneered from the doorway.

Lucius had gone completely white and was shaking his head emphatically. "I... I didn't."

"Of course not." Fudge was edging his way into the room, wand at the ready. Cornelius Fudge
may be a doddering old fool, but in his prime, before he had succumbed to politics and old age,
Fudge had been one of the top aurors in the field. Even now, the training program was not
something Severus could complain about.

He eyed the minister carefully. "Fudge. This is not the time for this, we need to figure out what
happened before we start waving our wands around." He had a quick flash of double meaning
before mentally shaking his head. Damn spell.

"Isn't it obvious?" Fudge continued to inch forward. "We let THAT onto the school grounds and
the wards fall for the first time in nearly 500 years!"

"He is but one man Cornelius," Albus was beginning to rise from the floor, "and I have been
watching him carefully," he placed a hand on Fudge's arm, "He did not do it."

Fudge turned to Albus and looked him square in the eye and nodded.

Severus lifted an eyebrow in surprise, Fudge never capitulated this early or this easily, maybe he
was as big of an idiot as he gave him credit for.

"You're right, Albus, there's no way he could have done it." Fudge reached out and seized the
hand still resting on his arm, "because I did." In that moment of stunned silence, Fudge's eyes
flashed red, used his other arm to grasp Albus firmly around the waste and dissapparated.

It was another several seconds before their unseen watchers burst into the room Their entrance
broke Severus out of his shocked state.

"Minerva," Severus barked, "Go find the other teachers, make sure the school is safe and call the
aurors. Black, Lupin, go find whoever helped him, he could not have brought the wards down
alone, they were probably right at the edge of the forest."

"What will you do?" Minerva asked.

He grabbed Harry's arm, "We," he said with grim determination, "will bring back Albus." With
that, they vanished with a soft *pop*.
______

When they reappeared, Severus had a hard time seeing through the heavy rain, but several
hundred yards away he saw blur that had to be Fudge's body struggling with Albus.

"VOLDEMORT!" He let out a primal scream.

The man stopped and turned around, "Ah Severus," The voice had gotten deeper, rougher and
those red eyes looked behind his shoulder, "..and your lovely bride. How nice. However did you
find me so quickly?"

Harry bristled behind him, "Don't." he whispered, "he's only trying to make you do something
rash." he looked at Voldemort, "I went with the theory that taking down the wards took a great
deal of energy and that apparating with another person can be especially taxing, especially if they
are quite powerful, and quite unwilling. I assumed you would head in the direction closest to the
forest. Lo and behold I was right. You always were a poor strategist."

"Tom." Albus' calm voice broke through. "Must we go through this again?"

"Yes," he hissed, "we must."

Severus had been creeping closer, wand in hand, "Expellermus!" The wand that had been at
Albus' temple flew to his hands."

"Tut. Tut. Severus. Nice try, but despite their disgusting habits, muggles have managed to come
up with one or two useful items." Voldemort's wands hand produced a large dagger. "Its
completely unenchanted, and thus ridiculously easy to bring onto the grounds." He put his the arm
across Albus' chest and rested the blade near his should.

Severus cursed silently, they were woefully unprepared. "What do you want?"

A small insane bit of laughter erupted from behind thick sweaty lips, "What do I want? By now
you Severus should know very well what I want."

"Very well then," Albus said, his voice as calm as ever, "What do you hope to accomplish here?"

Voldemort let out another little giggle, "Several things, Albus" the name was hissed out, "several
things." The large beady eyes darted behind Severus for a second, "Do you know how close I am?
Do you have any idea? Imagine if I had the next 30 years to gain strength, to gain power, to gain
followers without the likes of YOU," he spat at Albus, "plotting and conniving and working
against me."

Severus did imagine it. It was a scary thought.

"Now," Voldemort continued, "Imagine those 30 years without you or Harry Potter as well!"

What? There was a startled yelp from behind him, he whirled in time to see the 2 aurors who had
been following Fudge around, remove Harry's wand from his grasp.

Shit. Why hadn't Albus warned him, not that it would have done much good. He slowly turned
back around to face Voldemort. "So you're going to kill us then? A bit pedestrian for you, isn't
it?"

"Sometimes to simple way is the best." The grip on the dagger tightened.

Albus' eyes flashed to his. He was prepared to do something. Just awaiting a signal. All right then.
He raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, he used three fingers. There was a mental nod
from Harry, stating that he was ready as well. Slowly he dropped one finger. What spell should he
use? Stupify was out, too easy for Voldemort to doge. In fact, he KNEW that he could. It had to
be something dark then. He lowered another finger. He hoped Albus we be able to get away in
time. As his last finger drop his wand hand shot out, "*CRUCIO!*

Behind him he heard Harry yelling stupify twice, in quick succession. But he didn't turn he was
too horrified by what was happening in front of him. Albus hadn't moved. Hadn't tried to move.
And now they both wore identical faces of pain. Albus did not scream out. But Voldemort did.

He didn't dare stop it yet. He needed Voldemort incapacitated long enough to remove Albus from
his grips before finishing him off. He watched them sink to the ground and fall forward heavily.
Voldemort was trying to resist, but even he wasn't strong enough.

Suddenly, Albus' head shot up, an indefinable look in his eyes. His body stopped quivering and
remained perfectly still for a moment and then fell forward, and began spasming with an even
greater intensity.

Voldemort's eyes rolled up into the back of his head.

Severus ended the curse and watched both men topple to the ground. He ran to them and kicked
Fudge's body off the headmaster. He raised his wand, "*AVEDA KEDAVRA!*" he spat. The
body twitched and spasmed and was then still. "*AVEDA KEDAVRA!*" He said again, just to
be sure. It didn't move. "*Incendio*" He whispered harshly, and then cast a quick containment
charm and he walked away to let the body burn.

He rushed back to Albus who hadn't moved. Kneeling down, he rolled him over and-

No.

NO!!

The dagger was sticking out of Albus' chest and pool of blood had formed on the wet ground
beneath him.

No.

This was not the way things happened.

Albus Dumbledore did not die and Severus Snape did not cry. Any deviation in those two
constants meant utter chaos.

It was not supposed to happen like this. He was supposed to have time, to prepare.

He gently pulled Albus into his lap, "You had no plans to move did you, you crazy old man." he
took a deep, unsteady breath, "I'm not ready." He choked out.

Eyes opened painfully. "My boy," Albus rasped, "when are we ever?"

"No..." He protested again. "I'll take you back to Hogwarts, to Poppy..."He wasn't supposed to
be sitting here, in a pool of Albus Dumbledore's blood. In his dreams, this day had never
happened like this. If anything, they were supposed to be reversed.

"Too late...Severus, my child, you were like a son to me." For the first time ever, Albus sounded
his age.

Hot pinpricks swept across his eyes. "You can't. I won't let you."

"Even your stubbornness has to know some bounds, my boy."

The first person to accept him, love him unconditionally did not deserve to die on the cold
ground, surrounded by mud and blood, like a gutter rat. What a horrible parody. "I don't want to
say good bye." He blinked and felt hot liquid trickle down his face. Impossible. He did not cry.

The old, pale lips twitched upwards. "Then don't."

He pulled to fragile body closer, buried his face in the scraggly beard and repeated, "I don't want
to say goodbye."

"Severus.... child... look at me..."

He lifted his head. Albus' face swam before him, fuzzy and out of focus. He blinked and more hot
liquid dripped down. But he did not cry.

"Live your life, be happy, be at peace. That is all I ever wanted for you."

"Thank you for being the only person to understand... to accept me..."

Albus' eyes focuses past his shoulder, "But not the only one... not anymore."

A strong hand fell on his shoulder. Harry. The body in his lap convulsed and a harsh, wet
coughing sound met his ears.

"Severus... you.... are.... the most.... honorable.... man.... I've ever.... had.... the privilege... to...
know..."

Harry slid down to his knees and pressed himself against his back.

Albus continued, his voice getting quieter with each word. "Tell Minerva... I would... have
married... her.... if... she... would... have.... let.... me..."

He watched those sparkling eyes fade. His vision blurred beyond help. He leaned back into the
strong arms that had wrapped around him and Severus Snape cried.

TBC...

*author is frantically filling out witness protection forms* Don't kill me!! Remember, you kill me
you don't get to see the end!