"What a small one brings in
A big one can take out
What is an end to one
Is the beginning to another"
A/N- In this chapter Ginny and Snape spend a night together. Not as husband and wife! Naughty, naughty minds! But more as a father and daughter. A daughter who's frightened and a father who's old. If you find it odd, do tell me, but I found it sweet. Enjoy!
THE LAST CHAPTER:
Stephen began to spend less time with Ginny and Colin now that Fred and George wanted to test out more experiments on their newphew. Ginny didn't mind having one less kid around the house but Kerra seemed to have missed her cousin's presence. Ginny usually found herself being flooed over to Ron's house to help Lavender comfort him as he cried over Hermione at the dead of the night. He always missed Hermione and Harry but he didn't like to cry in front of everyone. He wanted to be strong. But he couldn't. So he spend restless nights with Lavender and Ginny as they all cried over the many losses in the war. Ginny even took to naming a stuffed animal of hers Harry and another Hermione. They always lay one in Devon's room and one in Kerra. Ginny believed that Harry and Hermione would look over her children if she did that. She also told Devon and Kerra as Lavender and Ron had told Stephen, of the many that had died in the war but meant a lot to them. Ginny, Ron, Lavender, Devon, Kerra, Stephen, and Colin would visit Hogwarts once a year and place roses on all of their graves.
And Draco wasn't forgotten either. Colin would find Ginny in her backyard at the dead of the night sitting near Draco's grave or lying on it and staring at the stars. She would put her ear to the dirt and hope that he might send her a message or something.
But he never did.
Devon and Kerra walked over to their parents downstairs. They explained to them what had happened and Ginny and Colin fussed over Devon, making sure he was alright. Kerra smiled, she had finally gotten what she had wanted.
A few years rolled by. Kerra was now eight, Devon was five, and Stephen was six. Kerra and Devon got along quite well now but fought like siblings usually do.
Snape had come to Ginny with a request. He had retired from teaching and had wanted to spend the rest of his life with Ginny in her house. Ginny had accepted, after all he had done so much for her she only wanted to repay him. Colin had had no problem and had allowed Snape to live with them, too.
To much of Colin and Ginny's surprise, Snape had taken on well with Kerra and Devon. He entertained them for hours making potions and playing games with them. Kerra and Devon even took to calling him Grandpa Severus.
"Grandpa Severus!" chorused Kerra and Devon as Snape strode down the stairs.
"What is it?"
"Can you play hide and seek with us?" asked Kerra as Devon and she put on their puppy faces.
"Please?" begged Devon.
Snape looked at them and sighed. "Okay. But that's it for today, okay? I have other things to do."
"Yay! Thank you grandpa!" cried Kerra as they both grabbed his hands and yanked him to a corner to count.
"You count and we hide," Devon explained.
"Yes, yes, I know," Severus said. "Now hurry up! Hide! 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8…" Snape began to count.Kerra and Devon quickly raced out of the room and zigzagged around the house taking cover in little corners hidden from everything.
Snape finished counting and turned around.
"Now where are those rug rats?" he asked himself as he headed inside the Potions Lab.He heard giggling in the corner and he dashed over.
"Kerra," he called as he moved a shelf and found Kerra behind it. "There you are! I got you!" he cried as he tagged her.
"Aww, how do you always find me, Grandpa Severus?" she asked as he helped her to her feet. Snape shrugged.
"Now to find Devon," Snape said as they both headed out and upstairs into the Study.
"Devon," came Snape's voice. Again he heard giggles. "I know you're in here!"
Snape parted the curtains and sure thing there was Devon all scrunched up.
"You found me! How? I found such a good hiding place!" Devon said as he rejected Snape's help and pulled himself up to his feet and dusted off his pants.
"Well, the game is done. Now Grandpa Severus is going to go-"
"No! Stay! We want to play more! Please?" begged Devon and Kerra putting on puppy faces.
"I've got to-" began Severus.
"Please? Oh pretty please Grandpa Severus?" Kerra pleaded wrapping her arms around Snape and squeezing him tight.
"Fine," Snape squeaked as he lost his breath as Kerra squeezed tighter.
"YAY!" cried Devon and Kerra as they rushed of to hide and it all began again.
Snape, though old now, loved to play with Kerra and Devon and all the running around kept him in good shape. He would take them to the park and spend hours chasing them and building sandcastles and pushing them on swings. But Ginny liked it better if he would rest.
"Severus, you should really rest," Ginny would advise.
"No, no, I've still got one more hide-and-seek game left in me," Snape would reply. Ginny would sigh and leave him alone. That's how it went.
"Why do you always tell him to rest? Let him enjoy his years!" Colin would say.
"I-I j-just don't want his y-years to end so q-quickly," Ginny would say as she would watch Snape chasing Kerra and tickling her. Flashes of Draco doing the same to here would come to mind and she would race upstairs to cry while Colin comforted her.
Days rolled by slowly like rolling pins flattening out the dough and making it longer. Snape's life had been spun long enough, or so the fates had decided.
YEARS LATER
Three years had passed. Three long happy years. Kerra was now eleven, Devon was eight, and Stephen was nine. They had all gotten skateboards from Snape and enjoyed long rides to the park on them. Ginny was so glad Snape had decided to stay with them. But she feared something. She had lost so many she had held dear to her and she was frightened that she might lose Snape, too. She had gotten to love him as a paternal figure she had never had. And to loose him, well she couldn't bring herself to think about it.
But of course all happiness ends sometime.
Snape walked in from a day at the park and collapsed on the couch. Kerra and Devon rushed upstairs with Stephen to get their skateboards.
"Severus, thank you so much for taking the kids to the park! They wouldn't stop com-Severus! Are you alright?" Ginny asked as she rushed over to Snape, dropping a glass plate shattering it across the carpet floor. The noise alarmed Colin but the kids had already disappeared to the backyard and hadn't heard the noise.
"What is it?" Colin asked as he strode in.
"It's nothing both of you! I'm fine. I'm just tired from the day, that's all," Snape reassured.
"Are you sure, Severus? You are not allowed to take the kids out this whole week, understood? Colin and I can do it. You should get some rest," Ginny mothered.
"Fine. But I'm only doing it because I want to, not because you told me to," Snape said. Ginny smiled, there was still a bit of the old Snape in him. He got up with much difficulty and walked up the steps.
"I'm going to bring dinner up to him in a bit. I might spend the night with him, do you mind dear?" Ginny asked as they walked into the kitchen to make dinner.
"Of course not, you should make sure he's alright. He means a lot to this whole family," Colin said.
"Thanks," Ginny said as she pecked him on the cheek.
Two hours later Ginny marched up the steps carrying a platter of spaghetti and meatballs along with fresh pumpkin juice. Kerra had been accepted at Hogwarts and was going to start this September so Ginny had decided to make a few wizard foods so Kerra would get used to it.
"Severus?"
"Come in," Snape's voice came, tired and exhausted.
"I brought you dinner. Do you mind if I spend the night with you?"
"What is it with you? I collapse on a couch after coming from an exhausting day at the park and you act as if I was going to die at any given moment," Snape snapped.
"I-I'm sorry. I'm j-just worried about you. I mean you m-mean so m-much to this f-family," Ginny stuttered as she sat next to him in bed and placed the tray of food on his lap.
"I should've have barked at you like that. I just don't want to be looked after. I'm a grown man, I can look after myself," Snape said. Ginny nodded meekly.
"I-I j-just don't want you to go! I've lost so many I can't bear to loose you, too!" wailed Ginny. The well flooded and tears took a run down her cheeks. Her eyes were blinded by the sudden burst of tears and she soon found herself sobbing in Snape's arms like when Draco had died.
"Shhh…shhh…I'm not going anywhere Ginny. Shhhhh," Snape said as she rubbed her back rhythmically.
"I'm so sorry you h-had to s-see me burst like t-this," Ginny mumbled as she dried her tears and choked back her sobs.
"It's okay. Why don't we have dinner and ignore that whole subject," Snape suggested. Ginny smile and nodded meekly as they began to chat about the kids futures'.
"Ginny, I really must thank you for everything," Snape said.
"Your welcome. You've been no burden at all! We've enjoyed your company dearly and you provided the only grandfather the kids have!" Ginny said.
"You make me sound old calling me grandfather," Snape joked.
"Oh, I'm sorry father," Ginny said.
"That makes me younger," Snape noted.
"And then when my kids have kids you will become great grandfather!" Ginny added.
"Why must I always be old," Snape growled jokingly. Ginny giggled.
After they finished dinner Ginny washed the dishes, dressed for bed, and got ready to sleep. Then she kissed all the kids goodnight including Stephen since he was going to sleep over and headed to Snape's bedroom.
"Hello, father!" Ginny smiled.
"Ah, daughter! Come and tell me a story," Snape said. "I'm getting old and no longer can read," he joked. Ginny crawled into bed and swatted him on the arm.
"Don't say that! I want this to be a happy evening! Stop reminding me that you're old!" Ginny exclaimed."But you do know I'm old," Snape stated. Ginny sighed and nestled next to her 'father'.
"Good night, father. I love you," Ginny whispered.
"Me, too. I love you, too," Snape murmured as they both fell asleep.
The Next Morning
Ginny yawned and stretched in bed. She looked over at Snape. She felt so cold in his embrace.
"Good morning, father," Ginny said happily as she shook him gently.
His arms fell loose from her waist.
"Severus?"
She got up slowly and backed away.
"Severus?" she murmured again, choking tears. "COLIN!" she wailed. "COLIN!"
"What is it, Gin? What is it?" Colin said as he dashed on.
"Colin, Severus won't w-wake up," Ginny breathed.
She walked over to him angrily and shook him roughly.
"SEVERUS GET UP! DON'T SLEEP FOREVER! GET UP!" Ginny wailed as she shook him violently.
"Ginny! Ginny calm down!" Colin cried as he pried Ginny off of Severus.
"NO! HE HAS TO WAKE UP!" Ginny cried, now tears streaming down her face. "HE HAS TO WAKE UP! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The kids had been awakened by their Ginny's screaming and came racing in sleepily.
"Mum, what's wrong?" asked Devon as he yawned and rubbed his eye with his little chubby fist.
"Nothing's wrong with mummy, she just needs rest. Why don't you all go back to bed," Colin said as he pushed them out of the room.
"Is Grandpa Severus dead?" Kerra whispered hoarsely.
"No, no, of course not!" Colin said. "Now back to bed!" he ordered them. Devon and Stephen obeyed but Kerra stayed.
"I want to be with mum," Kerra said. And she was allowed to stay.
"Severus wake up!" Ginny murmured hoarsely, her voice disappearing after lots of wailing and screaming. "Please! That's all I ask! Please don't go! Just open up your eyes and say hello! Let me hear your voice one last time!" she pleaded as she swayed at the bottom of the bed.
"Ginny, there's no use. He's gone now," Colin finally brought himself to say. His voice was weak and was faintly heard over Ginny's sobbing.
"So, Gra-grandpa Se-Severus is d-dead?" Kerra asked.
"Yes, Grandpa Severus has left us," Colin replied.
"No." Ginny voice was faint, weak, but echoed strongly. "No."
"Ginny, he's gone. There's nothing we can do about it," Colin said. Kerra snuggled into her mother's arms as she cried silently.
"But I was speaking to him a few hours ago! He was laughing and smiling!" Ginny argued.
"Ginny, he's gone," Colin repeated.
Silence drenched the room. Ginny shivered as she remembered Snape's cold embrace that morning and shivered every Friday from then on as she remembered his cold embrace the Friday of his death.
"Bye bye Grandpa Severus," Kerra murmured slowly.
Ginny had flashes of Draco's death roll into her memory.
"Kerra! Why hadn't you predicted his death? Why? WHY?" wailed Ginny as she shook Kerra violently. "WHYYYY?!"
"Ginny! Ginny calm down! Let go of Kerra!" Colin cried as he pulled Kerra away from Ginny's grip.
"WHY HADN'T YOU PREDICTED IT? WHY?" Ginny wailed as she got to her feet. But she soon collapsed.
"Look at me. I'm a mess. I almost hurt my own daughter. Oh, Kerra, I'm so sorry!" Ginny cried as Kerra went over to her and she embraced her.
FUNERAL DAY
Ginny collapsed onto her seat with Kerra in the seat next to her and Devon and Colin's in the seats beside her, too. Her midnight black dress tickled her ankles and left the breeze to caress her shoulders and upper chest.
Ron, Lavender, Stephen, and all the Weasleys sat opposite to Ginny and Luna and Dumbledore sat behind Ginny. She could hear Luna scribbling away Snape's obituary for the Daily Prophet the next day. Ginny sighed and shifted in her seat. Snape had been buried in her backyard along with Draco. Ginny didn't want to be here. Funerals always reminded her. And remembering brought back memories. And memories brought tears.
And the tears began to descend down her cheeks. Ginny laid her head in her hands and sobbed as Colin wrapped his arm around her. Devon and Kerra held each other's hands and clung on to each other.
Dumbledore sat in his chair thinking about that prophecy Kerra had foretold. He had this feeling that it had come true. But he couldn't decode it! He racked his brain for hours it seemed. And it finally struck him! Why hadn't he realized it before?
"Mrs. Creevey, I believe I have found out what that prophecy had meant," Dumbledore announced to Ginny and anyone near. Ginny turned around, sniffled, and brushed a tear off of her cheek.
"Kerra was talking about what was going to happen to her family! Her prophecy was:
What a small one brings in
A big one can take out
What is an end to one
Is the beginning to another.
What she meant was the small one was Devon. He came in. The big one was Severus. Devon came into the world and Severus left it. Then the end of one was you and Draco. When he ended your life with Colin began! That's what the prophecy was!" Dumbledore said, proud with himself for figuring it out.
"So she basically predicted a span of ten years or so in four lines?" Colin said, amazed.
"Yes, it seems so," Dumbledore replied.
"Wow," whispered Ginny. Kerra was illuminated in her pride. She was a Seer! She loved knowing that. She was special.
The funeral ended a few minutes later and everyone went home. Ginny and Colin had wanted to visit Hogwarts to show Kerra what it was going to be like. But before that Ginny wanted something fixed outside the house.
She got Colin to help her. It was hanging on a tree in the corner. It was white and paint was still fresh. It clasped itself around the tree's branch and hung loosely in the air. It swung back and forth slowly when the breeze blew. The swing was beautiful and Ginny stood back to admire it. It looked deserted, as if it hadn't been used in centuries, even though the paint looked so fresh. Ginny's mind flashed an image of Snape's swing in his front yard. Ginny had made this swing with Colin's help as a remembrance of Snape and that ever so enchanting swing that had caught her eye. It swung slowly in the breeze, humming an ancient tune that Snape's daughter used to sing while she swung on the swing:
Summer's almost over
The sky is so blue
The roses are red
And I'm in love with yooouuuu…
It told the tale of Snape's life. Ginny got an empty feeling in her stomach and shook herself out of the trance that had ensued from her staring at the vacant swing. Kerra had wanted to go on it, but Ginny hadn't let her. It was never to be swung on, only to be a memory of one Ginny had held so close to her heart.
Dumbledore came by to the house a few times afterwards and the oddest sight was what hung on the tree off in the corner. He smiled as he remembered that Snape had had one just like it.
Ginny and Colin finally gathered Kerra and Devon a few weeks before school started for Kerra and headed to Hogwarts. She visited the Dungeons and sat in her usually seat she used to sit in during Potions. She felt her eyes watering as she ran her hand over the desk. She got up and left to the dormitory.
She sat down on her bed as Kerra ran around the school with her father and brother. She missed this place terribly. The summer flashed back to her like a replay videotape.
It seemed like it had been yesterday she was sitting here when she opened up that red letter. It seemed like it had been yesterday she was riding in a limo to Snape's house and she could here his annoyance in his voice. But it also seemed like just yesterday she had heard him laugh.
After a long while Ginny, Colin, Kerra, and Devon went back home. Everyone went inside as Kerra squeaked on about which house she wanted to be in and all the classes she wanted to talk and so on. Devon daydreamed about how his first year would be in three or so years. While everyone was busy talking, she snuck out of the house.
She went outside and stared at the swing. It was swinging slowly and it suddenly stopped. Then it seemed to swing towards her and stretch out towards her beckoning her to come swing. Ginny walked slowly forward then stopped. Should she do it?
She decided to. She walked up to the swing and slowly sat down on it. She kicked off and swung slowly at first, hovering a few inches above the ground. Colin, Kerra, and Devon had come out and were standing by the house watching her.
She started to go higher and higher. Soon a tune started to play on her lips:
Summer's almost over
The sky is so blue
The roses are red
And I'm in love with yooouuuu…
She swung on that swing and remembered everything. When Snape had told her about his daughter and wife. How Draco had actually been nice and how they both had had something in common. How Colin had finally gotten his problem fixed and how Draco had gone shopping with her. She remembered Draco's smile and laughter as he carried her back home after their wedding. And now the summer was coming to a close. Would Dumbledore do the same thing with Kerra? Would he hand her over to a cold professor and send her off to his house so that she could befriend him? Would she marry someone and would he die? Would that professor die just like Snape did?
Ginny swung there on the swing and remembered. She sung the tune over and over, not knowing that her family was right behind her. Not knowing that Draco's ghost was leaning on that tree next to her, singing with her.
Summer's almost over
The sky is so blue
The roses are red
And I'm in love with yooouuuu…
And I'm in love with you
Draco…
She felt a presence and turned to look at the tree, but no one was there that was visible to her. She turned back and continued to sing adding Draco's name to the end of the song. Colin didn't mind her singing that. He knew that she missed Draco and he knew that she loved him, too. Colin had learned not to be jealous since he already had Ginny and Draco no longer did and since jealousy gets you no where.
Draco's ghost smiled and pushed Ginny higher on the swing. Ginny thought it was only a gust of wind. Draco's ghost felt a tear linger on his cheek and he brushed it away.
Then he disappeared and there wasn't any trace left to justify that he was ever there in that spot. And there wasn't a trace to signify he was ever real except for records.
And the spot that he had acquired in Ginny's heart.
Summer's almost over
The sky is so blue
The roses are red
And I'm in love with yooouuuu…
And I'm in love with you
Draco…
A/N-THE END! WOOT WOOT! I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF!
The song she sings was made up by moi! Do you like the ending? I had no clue where to end it! Do you like it? Please tell me what you thought of it!
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I was jus re-reading my first chapter to see how far I've come and I can't believe it's finally over! Their whole group thing turned into so much more! I don't want to part with the characters! But alas, every beginning must have an end!
Please review! Thanks!
BTW IF YOU WANT PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES SLIPPING AWAY SLOWLY AND DARK ABYSS OF HER SOUL! SLIPPING AWAY SLOWLY IS GOING TO BE 2 CHAPTERS! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!