Disclaimer: All of the characters are MINE! Mine, I tell you! Lawyers march in waving several documents and glaring at Saerry. Okay, okay! So, they're not ALL mine. But most of them are! Sticks tongue out the 3vil lawyers and hugs all her OC's. NYAAAA!!!!
Haunted by the whispers,
the shadows in the past.
Haunted by the memories
of the battle's aftermath.
Old pains forge anew
as the past is relived,
soul aching as the memories come through.
Haunted by the shadows,
the ghosts in the walls.
Haunted by the spirits,
of those lost in the fall.
When shall this haunting end?
And leave a poor soul to mend?
Haunted – Sequel to Not Myself
By Saerry Snape (& her muses)
Chapter 4 – Haunted by the Spirits
"What was it you said about these bastards again?" asked the dark-haired man to the blonde.
Draco Malfoy, now age fifty-six, and with blonde hair that was fading to white, gave the man standing beside him a long look.
Harry Snape was around the same age as he but still looked as though he was in his thirties and not in his fifties. His Elven blood kept him a tad bit behind the rest of them in looks – but you could look into his eyes and see the pain of his fifty-nine years.
"I believe I said that we would kill them or die trying."
Harry smiled grimly and said, "And that we may very well do, my friend."
"Then let us view it as a fine way to die," said Draco with a wry grin. "What do you say, old friend?"
"I say your both crazy," grumbled Ron Weasley as he climbed up onto the ledge they were standing on. "Mainly crazy to be standing in plain sight of the enemy."
"The battle is coming one way or another, Ron," said Harry. He rubbed at the scars on his cheek and continued, "I welcome it."
"Yeah, well, you're crazy."
"Thanks."
"Commander!"
Both Draco and Harry looked up to see Jeremiah Davids sliding down onto a ledge above them. The youngest of the Davids twins bore the burden his father bore but there was a twist in the story.
Jeremiah Davids had been born a werewolf and could take a completely wolf or half-wolf form. He was much like Harry in that sense, being as the mortal Tethdaìr had discovered his own shifting ability out of accident. It was during that point in time that an ex-Death Eater learned to never mess with the child of a Snape, let alone that of the current Head of the Line.
"What is it?" asked Draco up to the young man.
"There's news of the enemy moving! They're trying to get around behind us!"
"Are they now?" said Harry with a wicked grin. The scars on his cheek rippled with the motion, as did another scar that slashed through his right eye and had nearly blinded him. "Well, well…we can't have that, now can we, Drake?"
"Certainly not," replied Draco with a grin that was almost as wicked as the dark-haired wizard. "Jerry! Call up the Marauders! Fox…"
"Aye," said Ron, drawing himself up as Draco used the nickname they had agreed upon some time ago.
"Get Wolf and move out with the Marauders. Take Gryphon and Loner with you as well. Harry…"
"Yessss, commander?" hissed the dark-haired wizard, his iris' now surrounded by a thick black rim.
"You, Raven, the Dog, and Shadow. You know what to do."
Harry chuckled menacingly as his eyes flooded entirely black.
"Oh yes," he hissed.
"I know what to do."
- - -
"Now?"
"Not yet," hissed Harry back to his son, who was crouched at his shoulder. Severus – designated Shadow by Draco – carried Ardwynhén, the Snape sword, across his back and bore scars from the blade on his knuckles.
He carried it because his father refused to touch the blade that had nearly taken his own life and had taken that of his father.
"Wait for the Marauders," whispered Sirius, placing one hand on Severus' shoulder. "We must wait for them to take care of those backstabbers before we can move in."
"It should not take them long to deal with them," said Etienne. "They were well-trained, after all."
"Not long at all," said Harry with a wry smile as he felt the presence of Bramwell, the only one of Jardin's five chicks who had survived the fifteen-year-war between the Ministry and the new Dark rising, slide across his mind.
Marauders done, said the raven/crow quickly. Dragon says move.
"Let's go, boys," said Harry with a grin. "Time to go have some fun."
"Yee-haw," commented Sirius before the four of them leapt off the ledge they'd been crouching on – and landed right on top of a small enemy encampment.
Within two minutes the encampment was theirs. And without them spilling a drop of their own blood.
"Goooooory, gooooooory, what a hell of way to die," sang Harry softly as he snapped an gravely injured man's neck. "Goooory, goooooory, la dee dah dee da dee dah."
"Next?" said Etienne.
"There will be no next gentlemen," hissed an enemy captain as he popped up behind the blonde with his wand drawn. "Drop your weapons, all of you!"
Sirius snarled animalistically and dropped the twin scimitars he'd carried for ten years onto the ground. Etienne let fall his wand as Severus began to shift Ardwynhèn off his shoulder.
Harry just grinned and held up his hands, saying, "Weapons? We don't have any weapons, officer."
The captain glared at him then frowned when he recognized him.
"Snape."
"Marshall," replied Harry, recognizing the captain from the sketches their few spies had made. "Got a light?"
Marshall blinked and said, "What?"
"I said 'got a light?'" repeated Harry.
"No."
"Pity," said Harry. He grinned wickedly and a second later Marshall fell backwards off the ledge the encampment was on whilst trying to beat out the flames that had spontaneously started on his coat.
Etienne glanced down at the body as Sirius and Severus retrieved their weapons. The blonde then looked towards his nephew, who was also looking down at the body but with a maniacal gleam in his all-black eyes.
"Whoops."
"Next!" said Sirius cheerfully, twirling his scimitars in his fingers.
- - -
"They're mad," said Neville as he watched the small group of four destroy the enemy encampment below them through a spyglass.
Draco chuckled at that and said, "That's why I send them in like that. They're all mad…every one of them."
"Especially Harry."
"Yes…especially Harry," said Draco with sadness in his gray eyes. "And we all know why he is the way he is."
Neville frowned as he looked at the blonde standing beside him before he slowly nodded.
"Niamh."
"Aye. Where's Saerry?"
"In the back lines with Hermione and Amanda. I believe they're stringing up longbows."
Draco snorted and said, "Oh, Harry will be thrilled to have his only daughter in the bow lines. You do recall what it took for him to allow Severus to fight, don't you?"
"You, Ron, Mika, Thomas, Sirius, and Etienne all knocking him into unconscious on seven different occasions seems to come to mind," said Neville in a slightly sarcastic tone.
"Besides that…"
"Ah," said Neville. "Hermione telling him that the boy was as stubborn as he was?"
Draco just smiled at that.
"Yes. Yes, I do believe that was it. She can be quite persuasive, can't she?"
"If she managed to keep you tied down all these years, she must be."
"Yes…wait a bloody minute! LONGBOTTOM!"
"Well it is true," said Neville.
Draco glared at him as he snarled, "That's not the point. Hold on…give me that glass, man!"
"What?" asked the shorter man as the blonde snatched the spyglass from him. "Draco? Draco? COMMANDER?"
"Damnit!"
"What is it?"
Draco cursed again and shoved the spyglass into his belt.
"The damned beasts have taken out half the Marauders and are trying to come up the hill after us!"
Neville blinked then frowned.
"We have to charge them," he said slowly.
"Yes," said Draco stonily. "Grab Bramwell and call Harry back! Get what's left of the Marauders back up here as well and call up the bowlines. Merlin help me if I'm going to let them take us without a fight!"
"Yes, sir!"
- - -
"So," said Harry as he stood up by Draco again whilst the bowlines came up behind them as well as the rest of their army, "this is it?"
"I intend to make this is," spat Draco. "We've been fighting this war for fifteen bloody years and I intend to damn well see that it stops here even if it kills me."
"Which I hope it doesn't," said Harry. "You're a good leader. If you die, they'll turn to me."
Draco frowned at his old friend at that.
"And you're not? You've lead countless successful charges and raids."
"I'm a good warrior," said Harry softly. "I trained for four years to be as such and I kept in practice. These fifteen years have just honed my skilled…and heightened my taste for bloodshed. I'm not cut out to lead anyone, Drake. Never have been…"
"Now that's not true. You led us during the last battle."
"I gave short instructions, not battle plans. It was chaos! We never should have survived that battle, Drake! Voldemort should have won!"
"But he didn't," said Draco.
"Yes!" exclaimed Harry. "And now we have to deal with the upstarts that came after him!"
"There are always Dark Lord's, Harry. Some of them are just more powerful than others."
"I know. But can't we go on and send this one on his way to Hell?"
Draco grinned crazily and replied, "Oh, I think we can do that. So…"
"So…guess I'd better get to my unit."
"Yeah…" Draco reached his right hand out as he added, "Don't get yourself killed, you damn Snape."
Harry just laughed and grabbed his friend's hand with both of his.
"And don't you get killed either, you uptight Malfoy sonovabitch!"
"Prat," growled Draco good-naturedly as the dark-haired wizard sprinted off. He then moved to stand between Neville and Jeremiah, which was his designated place. His gray eyes flicked down towards what remained of the Marauders and Harry's little group before they traveled to the army below them.
He offered a short prayer to whatever gods were listening then look at the dark shape that wheeled above them.
When we charge, order the bowlines up onto the ridge.
Yes, sir, said Bramwell in a slightly weary voice. Good luck.
Draco smiled at that.
Thank you.
Then, with a gleam in his eyes and a wild grin on his face, Draco drew his wand in his right hand and a short dagger in his other. Dagger at the ready, he threw his wand arm into the air and shouted out what might be his final command.
"CHARGE!"
- - -
Five days later…"Drake?"
"Mione-love?" said Draco hoarsely, opening one eye to look up at his wife. "What is it?"
She smiled sadly down at him and held up a small sheaf of papers. "The injured and lost lists."
Draco pushed himself up into a sitting position and took the papers from her with shaking hands. He reached up to brush his hair back before he read the first name at the top of the list.
LOST IN ACTIONCho Chang
Abraham Finnegan
Shay Finnegan
Wilhelm Finnegan
Colleen Thomas
Thomas Ymber…
"We lost Tom?" said Draco softly.
"Keep going," whispered Hermione, easing herself down onto the edge of the bed.
…
Jennifer Davids
Jeremiah Davids
Ginevra Davids
Mika Davids
Mischa Weasley
Ronald Weasley
Frederick Weasley
George Weasley
Percival Weasley
Charles Weasley
William Weasley
Arthur Weasley…
"My God," breathed Draco. "We lost the whole of the Weasley clan…"
"Except for Molly and Bill's son," said Hermione. She then flipped over to the next page and added, "There's more…"
"Merlin help me…"
…
Parvati Thomas
Amanda Longbottom
Sirius Black
…
"Sirius…"
"He got gutted by three of them," snarled Hermione. "I saw them. And I saw what happened after…"
"Let me guess," said Draco. "Harry."
Hermione just nodded and Draco reached his arms about her in a hug, letting the papers fall onto his lap. The bushy-haired woman buried her face as far into her husband's shoulder as she could and mumbled, "He butchered them, Drake. Without mercy."
"Harry has no mercy," whispered Draco. "Not anymore. Not since Niamh died…"
"I know…but still…"
"I know, love. What about Damian?"
Hermione sniffed as she replied, "His left arm will be completely useless for a long while but beyond that he's find."
"Severus? Saerry?"
"Both alive and well – Saerry didn't even get a scratch on her. Severus managed to get a sword in his gut but he's fine…"
"Wait. Harry got a sword in his gut and it took Jardin to heal him."
Hermione gave her husband a sorrowful look and he understood.
"Bramwell," he said softly.
"As the eldest of the chicks, he was required – as he saw it – to bind himself as best he could to the oldest of his father's bondmate's children. Theirs wasn't as strong as Harry and Jardin's but it was enough that Bram could heal him."
"Ah…and what about Harry?"
"He's…he's missing, Drake."
Draco paled and said, "God damn it. God damn it to Hell and back!"
- - -
"Dad! Dad, damnit, answer me!"
"He's not out here, Sev," said Saerry sadly. She tugged on her older brother's arm as she pleaded, "Let's just go back."
"No!" shouted Severus, jerking his arm away from her. "Dad's out here, Saer! I know it! And I'm not giving up until I find him alive or dead!"
Saerry sighed and looked up into her older brother's face. His was much more worn than she remembered it had been fifteen years ago and now he looked much more like their father than ever.
They both had half-mad yet sad eyes that hid battered souls behind them.
"Okay, Sev," she said softly. "But I'm not going to look. I – I know I should but I can't… I don't want to be the one to find him if he's…if he's…" She choked, unable to get the word out.
Severus frowned and stepped forward to enfold his little sister in his arms. He hugged her tightly to him, running his fingers through her crimson hair.
"Its okay, Saer," he whispered. "I understand."
"I feel bad," she hissed as tears pooled in her eyes. "I shouldn't feel like that. He's our father."
"I'll find him," swore Severus, wiping her tears away. "I swear, one way or another, I'll find him."
"I know."
Severus just smiled at her and hugged her tightly before he released her and set off on his search. Saerry stood on top of the cliff they'd fought, bled, and had comrades die on and watched him go off in search of their father.
"Little one?" came a voice from behind her suddenly and she turned to find her great-uncle limping towards her.
Etienne halted beside her, wincing as the wound he'd acquired on his right leg stretched tighter than the stitches allowed. Since he'd been cursed by a spell that would not allow the wound to be healed by magic, they'd had to seal it up the Muggle way. Thankfully they had a Muggleborn wizard among them who had gone to medical school.
"He's going to find Harry," said Etienne as he spotted Severus below them.
Saerry just nodded, her blue eyes on her brother's back.
"Do you think he's still alive?"
"I don't know, Uncle Eti. I just don't know…"
Etienne turned to smile at her and said, "I think he is."
Saerry blinked and stared incredulously at him.
"Why do you think that?"
"You should never give up hope until its completely lost, cub," replied Etienne. He then reached up underneath his shirt and pulled something out, dragging it off over his head before extending his hand towards her. "Here."
"What is it?" asked Saerry.
"Just open your hand, cub."
The young woman obliged and Etienne dropped a silver medallion carved into the shaped of a raven into her hand. She frowned at it them at him before asking, "What's this?"
Etienne smiled gently as he replied, "Your grandfather gave me that when we were teenagers. It was his mother's – a gift to him from her just before she died. Since it always made me feel better, I thought that perhaps it might do the same to you."
"Why not give it to Sev?" asked Saerry.
"He has the family sword," replied Etienne. "He carries something of your grandfather already. Nothing more need be carried by him since he already carries too much in that weapon."
"Oh. I can't take this…"
"Yes, you can. Consider it a gift."
"But, Uncle…"
"No 'buts,'" said Etienne sternly as he turned away from her. "Its yours now, cub. Take care of it. That's an heirloom of the Hart's you have in your hands."
"Yes, Uncle," said Saerry softly as he limped off. She looked down at the raven in her hands for a long moment before she turned her eyes towards the small figure below them that was her searching brother.
After a moment she whispered, "Please, Father…don't leave us. Not yet…"
- - -
Must…get…up…Why? Asked an unknown, menacing voice. Why get up and go on?
Children…They'd be better off without you. You know that.
No…still need me…No, they don't, said the voice. They don't need a half-psychotic man for a father.
Don't…care…You should. Don't you care about them?
Of course…Then leave them. After all…don't you want to see your wife?
…
Well? Demanded the voice.
..yes.
Then LET GO. LET GO….
"Never," hissed Harry aloud, lifting his head up off the ground. He opened his eyes, blinking away the gritty sand that had lodged there as he repeated the word louder.
"Never! Do you hear, voice? I'll never give in! NEVER!"
The voice didn't answer him. Harry frowned then grunted as he pushed himself up onto one elbow. His other arm refused to acknowledge his commands and judging by the lack of feeling in it, the limb was broken.
Resting on the one elbow, he looked about him…and found himself alone.
In the middle of a desert.
"Shit," muttered Harry. He scanned the area about him then tried to push himself up onto his knees. A flash of fierce, white-hot pain sent him onto his stomach again and he figured that not only was his arm broken but his legs as well.
"Well this is just peachy…"
Sighing, he let his head fall back into the sand…and prayed the voice would not return.
He also prayed that this would not be the way he would die.
Of all places, this was one he did not wish to die in.
Not alone.
That was one of the worst ways to die.
- - -
"How long has he been gone now?" asked Draco as he stared out over the still bloody battlefield. It was a full week after Severus had set off to find his father…and neither had yet returned.
"A week," replied Neville. He frowned at the blonde man and said, "Surely they're not still alive, Draco…"
"Never give up hope until hope is lost," said Saerry, smiling at her great-uncle as she said this. The older wizard smiled at her from where he leaned on his cane and nodded approvingly.
Draco glanced at her then smiled grimly.
"It could not have been better said, Saerry."
Saerry smiled tightly in response and said, "We can't stop hoping they'll turn up. After all, most of the missing have shown up."
"And a few of them dead," said James, Neville's son, who was a year older than the youngest Snape.
Saerry turned on him with fury in her blue eyes.
"That doesn't mean my father and brother are dead, Jamie!"
The tawny-haired twenty-four-year-old held up his hands in defense, saying hastily, "I never said that, Saer."
"Jamie was just making a point, cub," said Etienne. "And indeed, several of the missing have shown up dead."
"Father and Severus won't," said Saerry vehemently, staring at those around her angrily as if daring them to contradict her. When they didn't, she turned and stared furiously off into the distance.
Please come back, she silently prayed. Don't leave me alone, Father…Brother… Don't leave me…
- - -
Don't leave me…"Saerry?" croaked Harry, opening his eyes and lifting his head. He then found that he was moving…but that was impossible.
"Dad?"
"Severus?"
Harry felt himself shift and then he was looking into his son's blue-green eyes. His face and dark hair were caked with sand as well as dried blood and a few new cuts.
"Father," breathed Severus, his eyes shining with happiness.
"You…you found me…"
Severus frowned at the surprise in his father's voice and said, "Of course. I knew you were alive."
Harry smiled at that then frowned.
"I heard…I heard Saerry…"
"But that's impossible," said Severus, his brow furrowed. "She's back at the camp…fifteen miles away."
"Fifteen…how'd I get out here?"
"Dunno," replied Severus. He then grinned and continued, "But I've found you. And as soon as we get you back to camp, you'll be as good as new!"
Harry smiled at that, uplifted by the happiness in his son's voice.
"Let's go then," he said. "We can't keep your sister waiting."
"Yes, sir!"
Severus lifted the stretcher he'd summoned for Harry and began to walk again with it bobbing along behind him.
- - -
"Father! Father!"
"Shh," whispered Harry as Saerry flung herself down beside him and hurled her arms about his neck. He ran his fingers through her long hair and said, "I'm here, kitten. I'm here…"
"I…I didn't think I 'd ever s-see you again," sobbed Saerry into his shoulder.
Harry gently lifted her chin up so he could look into her teary blue eyes.
"I'm here," he said firmly. "And I won't leave until I have to."
New tears welled in Saerry's eyes and she buried her face in his shoulder again, sobbing once more. Severus came around and knelt down behind her, hugging her from behind.
"Its okay," he whispered into her ear. "Its okay, Ry…"
"We have to get him to the infirmary," said Hermione softly.
"Take her, Sev," said Harry, gently removing Saerry from himself as best he could with one arm.
"No, Papa!"
"Shh," said Harry, placing two fingers over his daughter's mouth. "I'm not leaving again, kitten. Don't worry."
Tears welled again in Saerry's eyes as she watched Hermione and Neville take her father towards the infirmary. She then turned in her brother's arms and sobbed into his shoulder.
Severus just enfolded his arms about her and held her, his heart breaking at the sound of his sister's cries.
- - -
Two years later…"I now pronounce you man and wife."
"Hurrah! Hurrah!"
"Throw the bouquet, girl!"
Saerry blushed and hurled her small sheaf of white flowers into the crowd. There was a scuffle and then one of Seamus Finnegan's surviving daughters came up with the bouquet in hand.
James just chuckled and pulled the new Mrs. Longbottom to him, kissing her deeply. This caused Saerry to blush as the crowd immediately burst into wild cheers.
"Sweet, isn't it?" said Draco to Harry as they watched the new couple.
"Yes," said Harry sadly. His eyes flickered with pain as he added, "It makes me remember…"
"Niamh."
"Yes," said Harry painfully.
Draco frowned then placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing gently.
"She'd be grateful that one of you was here to see your children married. Well…one of them at least."
Harry smiled slightly at then and nodded. He then sighed and said, "I doubt Severus will ever get married."
"What makes you say that?"
"Father's intuition."
Draco gave him a wry grin and said, "Oh, we have that?"
Harry glared at him and punched him playfully in the shoulder.
"Prat."
"Somebody's got to be."
Harry laughed brashly at that and Draco smiled contentedly. It was the first time he'd heard his friend laugh like that since Niamh's death.
Maybe things were really getting better.
- - -
Three years later…"Pass the potatoes, please."
"Here," said Neville as he passed the large bowl down to his son, who sent it across the table to Hermione. The bushy-haired woman smiled before offering the bowl to her husband, who shook his head at it.
"Here, Mum," said Damian, reaching across the table to take the bowl from his mother.
"Mine, Mine!" shouted young John Longbottom, banging his spoon on the tray of his highchair.
"No, baby," said Saerry, leaning over her three-year-old son. "Those are Uncle Ian's."
Etienne frowned at that and said, "Now see here, cub. Who cooked this fine meal?"
"You, sir," said several voices wearily.
"Right," said Etienne. "Therefore those are my potatoes…so pass them back up this way when you get done with them, Ian."
"Yes, sir," sighed Damian. He then paused as the door opened and said, "Hi, Sev."
"Evening," grunted Severus as he swung his cloak off his shoulders. "Sorry I'm late…"
"Any problems?" asked Draco to the young man who had agreed to be the Head of Security at the Ministry when they had finally managed to revive the government four years before.
Severus smiled at his boss (who had been unanimously voted back into office for a third time after the war was over) and replied, "Nothing for you to worry about, Commander."
Draco frowned and said, "Severus, you know you don't have to call me that anymore…"
"I know," interjected Severus as he sat down in one of the two empty chairs at the table. "I just do it to annoy you."
"I know."
"Like father, like son," said Hermione with a smile as she passed a plate of rolls across the table to James.
"Someone talking about me?" said Harry as he came into the room, pulling his cloak off as he did so.
"Not every conversation is about you," snipped Draco good-naturedly.
Harry pouted and whined, "Aw but why not?"
The blonde glared at him and growled, "Prat."
"Arse," replied Harry with a wry grin as he walked around the table to take the other empty seat, which was across from his son and beside his uncle. "Evenin', Uncle."
"About time you showed up, scamp," said Etienne with a smile. "Ian! Where are my bloody potatoes!"
"Uncle!" exclaimed Saerry. "Impressionable minds are at the table!"
"Pish!" said Etienne. "John there will be fine."
"Bloody, bloody!" sang the three-year-old cheerfully, much to the horror of his mother.
"Uncle!"
"Calm down, love," said James, touching his wife's arm gently as he passed the potatoes from Damian to Etienne. "He's fine."
"But…"
"He's fine, kitten," said Harry as he stole the potatoes from his uncle's hands and helped himself.
"Harry…"
"What? You'll get them soon enough."
Etienne glared and Harry just grinned annoyingly in return…before he looked at his son.
"Sev? You want some?"
Severus glanced at his now annoyed great-uncle then grinned at his father and reached across the table.
"Sure, Dad."
Etienne growled and slapped his hand to his forehead as he glared at the duo.
"You two are incorrigible."
"You're welcome!" chirped both Snape's causing the entire table to burst into laughter.
As the laughter died, Draco lifted his glass and said, "Since everyone's here now, how about a toast?"
"To what?" asked James.
Neville smiled and lifted his glass as he said, "To lost friends."
"To lost family," added Severus, raising his own glass.
Hermione smiled and added, "To hope renewed."
"To life," said Saerry.
"To the future," said James, smiling at his wife.
"To the past," added Etienne, lifting his glass.
"To tomorrow," said Damian.
There was a short silence and all eyes turned to Harry, who had not yet lifted his glass. The dark-haired wizard quirked a smile and lifted his glass to join the rest.
"To us," he said softly but loud enough for all to hear him.
Draco smiled at him and nodded, saying, "To us."
"To us!" echoed the rest of the table, clinking their glasses together.
"Gah!" shouted John, waving his spoon in the air.
The table laughed and Harry sat back in his chair as they began to actively eat, his green eyes roving over his family. A small smile quirked his lips as he looked at his grandchild, who was now happily smearing potatoes over his face.
Wish you were here, love, he thought mentally towards his dead wife. He looked at his son and daughter, who were grinning and talking actively, and added, I wish you could have seen our children grow as I have. And our grandchild…
I just wish you were here.
He then smiled to himself and closed his eyes as he chuckled.
But then again, you're still here aren't you? In our children and our grandchild as well as in the hearts of us all…
"Dad?"
Harry looked up at his son and arched an eyebrow questioningly.
"Hmm?"
"Thinking deep thoughts?" asked Severus.
Harry just smiled at that and replied, "Not really."
"Well then stop thinking them and eat the meal I slaved over," growled Etienne good-naturedly. "Or I'll eat it."
"Now see here, good sir," said Harry with a laugh. "My food is off limits!"
"Is it now?" said Etienne, arching an eyebrow.
"Of course!"
"Well, then. A duel it shall be!"
"And what shall we duel over?"
Etienne grinned and replied, "Why the potato salad at the other end of the table, of course!"
"You'll have a hard time of it!" said Hermione as Draco and Damian both glared down the table at Etienne and Harry.
"En garde!" exclaimed Etienne, waving his fork at Damian, who pointed his spoon at the older wizard.
Harry and Severus both broke down into a fit of laughter at that point and the entire table followed a moment later.
It seemed as though life had returned to normal – at least as normal as it could for the wizarding world.
And maybe…perhaps…it would stay that way for a long while.
FIN
Author's Notes
The fighting over the potato salad comes from a Grand Melee of MechWarrior. To truly understand the hilarity of that game, you had to be there.
Anyway…that's it. Haunted is complete now and so is most of the Not Myself saga. The unfinished other stories in here will be finished ASAP but that probably won't be soon. This is because I intend to take a break from writing fanfiction in order to do some work on the original fics I've been trying to write but have been unable to because Harry and the gang have been romping through my head.
I'm not disappearing, just taking a short break. With no doubt, I'll end up writing a few more chapters on some stories and have some nice, juicy chapters for you guys when I come back to fanfic writing.
Until then, my readers.
Saerry