Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except the one I created myself. All others belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. I have only borrowed them for my amusement and hopefully yours as well.
Chapter 57
Severus had wanted to take Jolicia and the babies to the infirmary straight away but Jo refused. She wanted to stay and hear Harry recount their adventure to Dumbledore and the others.
"A few more minutes won't matter. We're fine. Go on, Harry. Tell the Headmaster what happened," said Jo. Severus sat close by her side.
Harry nodded and began to tell the whole story, starting with their abduction in Hogsmeade. Everyone listened in rapt silence; the only sounds anyone made were gasps of horror. When he learned of the beating Jolicia had received and what had been planned for her, Severus sprung to his feet with his wand drawn and moved towards the still petrified form of Lucius Malfoy. He had fully intended to curse him into oblivion but was held back by Ron and Dumbledore.
"Don't do it Severus," warned Albus. "He will get his just rewards. Don't put yourself in trouble." Severus reluctantly sat back down.
Hermione beamed at Draco when she realized what a key part he had played in their escape. Her heart swelled!
When the tale had been told, Dumbledore stood and said, "This is a day that will go down in history. You all will go down in history as the brave souls who defeated Voldemort. Well done! I do think that this will mean The Order of Merlin for all of you!" Dumbledore had never been more proud as he was at that moment.
"I almost forgot, sir. This is for you," said Harry. He reached into his robes and pulled out Voldemort's wand and laid it on the desk.
"Ah, yes Harry. A piece of history as well; I daresay that this will end up in the National Wizards' Museum in London. If you all will excuse me, I think I should notify Cornelius Fudge of today's events." He moved over to the fireplace to contact the Minister.
When Albus returned, he continued, "Now to matters at hand. If you would be so kind as to revive our 'guests', I should like a word with them."
Peter Pettigrew came back to life and realized immediately where he was. He stood with his head hung in shame and did not utter a word. Malfoy, on the other hand, was as arrogant as he always was, even though he was obviously not in a position to be so.
"Dumbledore, I demand that you untie me," he spat.
Albus looked at him with a bemused grin and said, "I think not, Lucius. I do believe that you are going to be 'tied up' for quite some time to come. The Aurors and Fudge should be arriving at any moment. Both of you should be in Azkaban for a good while."
"You do not frighten me, Dumbledore. I won't be there for very long," said Lucius smugly.
Severus strode quickly to face Malfoy.
Lucius seethed, "Get out of my face, traitor!"
Severus pulled back and punched him squarely in the jaw. "That is for what you did to my wife." He punched him again. "That is for what you were going to do to her. I would much rather have used my wand on you, but I'll not be the one to go to Azkaban in your place. You forget 'old friend' that I witnessed your crimes. I will make sure that you are sent away for the rest of your life."
Severus' harsh words reduced Pettigrew to a sobbing, quivering mass. He knew that the same fate awaited him.
Malfoy screamed, "This is a school of fucking traitors! There is the other one – standing there with his Mudblood whore! "
Draco stared defiantly at his father and pulled Hermione closer. "Shut up!"
"What's the matter? Can't stand to hear the truth about that little bitch? You betrayed your own father for the likes of her?" Lucius taunted.
"What would you know about her? You've never loved anyone! All you ever cared about was your power! You said you've got no son? Well, I say I've got no father! I'm ashamed that my name is Malfoy," cried Draco. "Silencio!"
Draco wanted to hear no more of the venomous remarks. It was at that moment that Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, stepped out of the fireplace.
He walked right up to Harry and shaking his hand said, "Is it true? Did you really kill You-Know-Who?"
"Yes, I killed Voldemort. You can say his name now. He's gone and can't hurt anyone anymore."
"My dear boy!" he gushed. "You must tell me the whole story and don't leave out any of the details."
Jolicia decided she had had enough and finally agreed to go to the infirmary and have Poppy check over the babies and herself. Severus carried her all the way there while Minerva had the honor to bring both of the 'wee bairns' as she called them.
Harry and Draco told their story one more time that evening. When they had done, Fudge could only shake his head in amazement. The reign of terror that had been inflicted on the land by the evil Lord Voldemort was finally over. He stood up, said he would be in touch, and taking Malfoy and Pettigrew into custody, left.
Hermione hugged Draco tightly. She realized that in spite of what had been said by father and son, she knew it was difficult for Draco – to see his father once again on the way to Azkaban, more than likely for good.
"I'm sorry, Draco," she whispered.
"Thanks Babe," he whispered back. He knew she understood how he felt.
After a few moments, Ron said, "Draco?"
"Yes?"
"S-sorry about that, mate. You were very brave today." Ron shook his hand and then gave Draco an awkward hug.
"Thanks, thanks a lot, Ron. That means a lot to me."
Hermione hugged Ron and said, "It means a lot to me, too."
……
Poppy made quite a fuss over Jo and the babies. She was amazed how well the three of them were, considering the circumstances.
She kept muttering to herself, "Imagine that – delivered by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy!"
Poppy made thorough examinations and finally declared them all fit. She insisted that they all stay in the infirmary for a few days, just to be sure. Jolicia knew that she was going to be fussed over and catered to for the next little while and she was looking forward to it immensely! As much as she had hated being doted on before she gave birth, now all she wanted was to lay back and let things be done for her. She was so tired. She wanted to sleep for days and not lift a finger. Before she could sleep now, she had to feed the babies.
Poppy settled Jolicia nicely in bed and put a pillow under each arm. She then nestled each baby on a pillow and in that way Jo was able to breastfeed them both at the same time. Severus pulled up the rocking chair beside the bed and sat quietly with his hand on Jo's leg and watched her. Neither said a word; they listened to the sound that the babies made as they suckled. When both infants had had their fill, Poppy came and tucked them in their cots.
"Sleep well. Call me if you need anything," smiled Poppy. Much to their surprise, the medi-witch came over and kissed first Jo and then Severus on the cheek. She smiled once again and left the little family alone. Severus sat next to Jo on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair.
"I'm so-o-o tired, Sev."
"I know, love. Go to sleep. Don't worry, I'll be right here by your side." He leaned down and kissed her.
"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" he asked with a grin.
She smiled and replied the same way as always, "You might have mentioned it once or twice. I never get tired of hearing it, if you'd like to say it again."
"I love you, Jolicia." He kissed her softly on the forehead and caressed her cheek ever so gently. The bruises had already begun to fade, thanks to Poppy's expert care.
"I love you too, Severus." She drifted off to sleep with the smile still on her lips.
Severus sat in quiet reflection of the day's events. It was overwhelming, no matter what way you looked at it. He had a son and a daughter – the perfect family. His wife had given birth in the house of Voldemort, assisted by mere boys. Voldemort was dead! Severus was finally free. It was what he had been dreaming of for so long and now his dreams had come true.
He sat and watched his beautiful wife sleeping peacefully. He had come so close to losing her! He could not imagine how he could have continued without her. He had never known it was possible to love someone so utterly and completely. Severus cherished Jolicia with every fiber of his being, of that he was certain. If he had been able to take her place before Voldemort, he would have done it without even a second of reflection on his part. He would gladly have sacrificed himself for her, given up his life for hers. He would have done anything to ensure her safety. Indeed, that had been the greatest source of frustration to Severus during the whole ordeal – he had been unable to do anything to help her. He had been forced to stand idly by and wait. That waiting had been torture - more painful and horrific than anything Voldemort could possibly have done to his body.
As he gazed upon her, it still amazed him that she loved him just as much as he loved her. He never in his wildest dreams thought someone could or would love him. He had always considered himself as a most unlovable and unworthy creature. Jolicia had changed all that. With her, he could let that part of himself he had kept under lock and key for so long shine through. She had brought so many things to his life! Before her, there had been only violence, hatred, self-loathing, secrecy and lies. Now Severus knew the good things that life had to offer – joy, unbounded love, contentment. Voldemort's demise would at long last enable him to be at peace. Severus was going to relish the simplest pleasures of daily life and make the most of each and every moment, especially when it came to his family. Merlin, he loved the sound of those words – my family!
Severus stood and went to where his children lay. They were the perfect combination of the two of them – they had his black hair and Jolicia's deep blue eyes. They were gorgeous.
"Thankfully, neither of you has your father's nose," he whispered. He smiled down upon them. How was it possible for him to be this happy?
There was his son, Sebastian Harry; in the other cot lay his daughter, Jacinda Draca. The children had been named after their godfathers. It was only fitting, since neither would ever have been born if it had not been for Harry and Draco. The boys had stopped by on their way to bed, just to make sure that Poppy had given them all a clean bill of health. They had been thrilled to be chosen as godfathers and even more thrilled that the children bore their names.
The soft cry of a baby shook Severus from his reverie. It was Jacinda; she had started to fuss in her cot. Severus stood over her and hesitated. He looked towards Jo. He couldn't bear to wake her just yet. He thought briefly of fetching Poppy but changed his mind. He very tentatively picked up his daughter and carried her over to the rocking chair and sat down. He handled her somewhat gingerly at first, as if she were made of the finest porcelain and would break at the slightest touch. The little bundle was anything but still; she wriggled and squirmed until he found just the right spot in the crook of his arm. He soon held her as if he had been doing so for a long, long time.
"This is my daughter," he thought in amazement as he gently rocked the babe.
"Shhh little one," he cooed. "I'm your father, don't cry. Shh. You're safe with me."
As if she had understood what he had said, Jacinda drifted off into the land of dreams once more. The girl was but a few hours old and already she had her daddy wrapped around her little finger.
This was the first day of Severus Snape's life. His life, his real life, was just beginning.