Disclaimer: I know nuffink, I own about the same.
Chapter Thirteen: The Wedding.
The days passed fairly quickly in the Snape household. Most of the days were spent planning the upcoming wedding, in which Tonks insisted she didn't want to wear the traditional white wedding gown. Severus comprimised, as long as there was a fair amount of white on the dress he'd be happy. So Tonks took Aaliyah and herself to a dress maker in muggle London. While there she designed a beautiful gown, an A-line dress with squared off straps. The dress had a high empire waist, and the bodice was midnight blue and sparkled with topaz jewels. From the bodice down the gown faded from midnight blue to white. Aaliyah's dress was designed to match Tonks', only being four her dress had puffy mid bicept sleeves. The color scheme was the same, and the bodice boasted moon stones. Aaliyah had picked them out.
While Tonks' and Aaliyah were at the dressmaker, Severus, Harry and Draco were at Madam Malkins getting dress robes. All three felt self-conscious when they came out wearing the robes. With a few adjustments from the assistant's wand, they were done and off to meet Tonks and Aaliyah at the Leaky Cauldron. The family was enjoying a fine meal, that did not include pea-soup, when Tonks and Severus got into a good natured arguement over whom was to attend the wedding.
"Come on Severus it should be interesting." Tonks was saying.
"Nymphadora Tonks are you out of your mind, do you really want to invite all the teaching staff of Hogwarts. I mean think about it, that includes a centaur and a flappy bat of a woman who will predict the marriage will be over as soon as it begins." Severus replied spearing some steak on his fork and shoving it roughly into his mouth.
"Don't forget mum, she'll predict my death anytime she sees me." Harry threw in, laughing at Severus' scowl.
"Or better yet she'll predict how many more kids your gonna have dad." Draco said laughing at the look on Severus' face as he choked on his food.
" Uh.. more. uhm... I didn't.. more kids?" Severus sputtered turning red, although it was hard to tell if he was blushing, or choking.
"Well why not Sev? Don't tell me you just wouln't love to have six more." Tonks said laughing.
"If we have six more, that's six you have to give birth to." Severus replied, smiling as Tonks face went white.
"Uh.. yeah.. and plus you know, we don't have room..." Severus' eyebrow quirked at this.
"Well, you do know that that house we've been living in, isn't our only home. You've never even seen Snape Manor. We've kinda been living in the weekend cottage." Severus ducked as Tonks threw her bread at him. He came back up laughing at the look on her face.
"A cottage, that's a cottage?" She was saying as Harry was laughing with Draco.
"Uh technically speaking yes, Snape Manor has 8 family bedrooms, 6 guest bedrooms, several bathrooms, three parlors, two dining rooms, a family room, kitchen, two labratorys, an attic and a sundry of other rooms that we never really found a use for. Wait until we get there and mother sees our three children." Severus said proudly.
"M-m-mother?" Draco and Harry said at the same time.
"Uh yes, my mother is still living, she's been tucked away in another country cottage since I turned spy for the Light, it was just safer for her. I told Voldemort that she had been killed in a horseback accident, lovely funeral and all." Severus replied, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"What do we call her? Mrs. Snape?" Draco asked, always wanting to show proper manners.
"Well, that depends, she may ask you to call her Laila,her given name, she may ask you to call her grandmother, she may even ask you to call her nanna." Severus said, then continued to focus on his steak. The rest of the family went back to their own meals, each thinking of the future.
The day of the wedding dawned bright and warm. Tonks was up early, she had slept in the bedroom by herself, due to the superstition about a man seeing his bride before the wedding. Harry had asked Severus about it before they had all went to bed the night before.
"Well Harry, I don't know how it is in the muggle world, but this superstion goes back to the days of the founding four. There was a witch then who was to marry a muggle man, and she loved him very deeply, and believed he loved her too, despite her magic. The day of their wedding he saw her as she was getting ready for the wedding, he saw her casting spells on herself, as witches do on their wedding day, it was nothing harmful, a hair charm, something like that. The muggle believed she was an evil enchantress who was casting spells on herself to make him love her. He called off the wedding, and because he made it known to the world that she was indeed a witch, she was taken that very day to the town square, still in her wedding finery. That very day she was burned at the stake. She placed a curse then, a curse on any man who dare to spy his bride before the wedding, that the marriage would end abruptly, often violently. To this day, any witch or wizard who's gotten married, and the groom has seen the bride before the wedding, the marriage has ended in death, or bloodshed. So wizards and witches take great precautions not to see each other on their wedding days. Tomorrow I will wake early, and gather you and Draco and take you to Snape Manor, where the wedding is taking place, we will dress and ready ourselves there." Severus said, hoping more than anything that he didn't see Tonks tomorrow before the wedding. He said good night to the boys, stopped in to tuck Aaliyah and Scruffles in. He then gave Tonks one last kiss and then went downstairs to bed.
Tonks listened carefully, if she heard anyone's voice or movements, other than Aaliyah's she was going to sit tight in her room. She heard Severus downstairs telling the boys to get ready. A few moments later she heard the fire roar, and one by one they each shouted Snape Manor. When she knew it was safe she went to Aaliyah's room and woke the child up.
"Come on sleepyhead we have to get ready." Tonks said pulling back the blankets. Aaliyah sat up and rubbed her eyes for a moment, suddenly she squealed and flung herself at Tonks.
"Tonks! Today you become my mommy forever." She fairly screamed.
"Yeah honey, now we have to get up and put on our pretty dresses." Tonks said helping her get out of her night gown. As Tonks was pulling Aaliyah's dress down over her head Aaliyah shocked the hell out of her.
" You know I dreamed about my mommy last night." Aaliyah said looking at Scruffles thoughtfully.
"Your mommy?" Severus had told Tonks that Aaliyah had only been a month old when her parents had died.
" Yeah, I dreamed about the night when strangers came to the door, I heard mommy scream alot, and daddy too. Then I heard someone come up the stairs. Then daddy Severus came and took me home with him. In my dream my mommy told me how sometimes mommies and daddies get taken away from their children, but that it's okay if the children's new mommy and daddy love them. She told me that she watches me all the time, and how proud she was of me." Aaliyah said, smiling sadly at Tonks.
"You saw all this in a dream and understood it all?" Tonks asked sitting down on the floor half dressed herself. Aaliyah and Scruffles sat in her lap.
"Yes, it's not so hard to understand..." Aaliyah's eyes slid out of focus, the voice that continued from her mouth scared Tonks, because it was the voice of a woman, a woman who had seen the deepest pits of hell, and the highest realms of heaven. " Bad things happen in wars, we can't control them. Sometimes the bad things, they happen for good reasons. Severus Snape is a part of a great plan, a great plan for Harry Potter. He may have rid the world of Voldemort, but there are many things in store for him. They both needed a ground, a center. Someday there will come a time for a great unification, one that will save the world, not the wizarding world, nor the muggle world. The entire world. " Aaliyah shook her head and her eyes became focused again. She wiped a tear from Tonks' cheek. "What's wrong mommy?" She asked, her sweat child's voice returning.
"Mommy is just really happy..." Tonks said. Then she stood Aaliyah up and finished dressing her. She then went and put on her own dress. Tonks' mother arrived shortly there after, and took over. She used quaint charms to make Aaliyah's and Tonks' hair pile into beautiful curls on their heads. When she was done she stepped back and studied her work. When she was done she smiled, and took Aaliyah's hand. Then she, Tonks, and Aaliyah went by portkey to Snape Manor.
Severus was a wreck. He was so nervous he couldn't stop pacing the room he and Tonks were to share that night. Harry and Draco sat on the bed sniggering at him. He turned around his eyes flashing, and ran his hands through his hair again. He turned again and continued pacing the floor. Albus Dumbledore walked into the room, and seeing Severus in his current state, smiled, his eyes twinkling more than usual.
"Severus calm yourself my boy. Everything's going to be fine." He said, as way of offering his former student comfort.
"Albus all these thoughts keep running through my mind. 'What if I'm a horrible husband, What if I can't take care of my family, What if'" Albus held up a hand to cut him off.
"I'm quite sure you'll be a good husband and father, after all you've already proved yourself as a good father, being a husband isn't much harder. But I will offer you this advice. Compromise, don't fight over small things, never go to bed angry, and never leave without saying goodbye." Albus' eyes looked sad as he said the last.
"Alright.. I can do this.. I can be a man, a good man.. a family man... what the hell ever happened to the hard as nails Potions Master?" He wondered aloud. Harry and Draco lost it then. The couldn't control themselves. They were laughing so hard that Draco fell off the bed. This made Harry laugh harder, and when Draco got his bearings straight again, he laughed again. Severus looked at the two, his mind taking in the picture. His sons were laughing so hard they were holding on to each other. His heart lept for joy as he saw Draco's hand on Harry's shoulder. These are my sons, my children, they'll never be enemies again. Like so many times in the past his mind flashed forward a year. Draco receiving his graduate's certificate from Hogwarts, Harry following right behind him. And when they stepped off the stage, they high fived each other and joined the other graduates. He saw Tonks, heavily pregnant, smiling, tears in her eyes. As he looked down at Aaliyah he could see his arm, again there was no Dark Mark. A loud noise snapped him from his reverie.
Harry and Draco were looking suspiciously innocent. Albus' blue eyes twinkling more than he had ever seen them.
"What did you two do?" He asked, his head begining to ache. He reminded himself that both of his boys had histories of being mischevious.
"Uhm nothing, I think mum's here." Harry said brightly, too brightly. Albus nodded and the four of them left the room together. Making sure Tonks wasn't anywhere to be seen they made their way to the north garden. The garden had been decked out like it had never been. Severus took his place at the altar, the boys went stood to his left, each smiling broadly. A few minutes later the wedding march began. Severus felt like his heart was in his throat. He and Tonks had decided there were to be no bridesmaids, just Aaliyah would walk down the aisle. She was something like a muggle flower girl, instead of pretty roses she would be tossing handfuls of protective herbs, herbs for peace and prosperity, and herbs for enduring love. Severus' eyes started to tear up as he saw his daughter, looking so beautiful and so solemn. Then Tonks appeared. Severus' breath caught in his throat. He had no idea Tonks was so beautiful. She was the embodiement of love and happiness. As she made her way up the aisle to him, Severus could see tears of joy on her face. Seeing her tears freed his own. Silent tears rolled down his face as she reached him. They joined hands and turned to face Albus.
Severus couldn't concentrate on the ceremony. His mind kept going back to the night he found Aaliyah, the first time Harry had called him dad, waking up with Tonks on the couch, his children at the breakfast table laughing together, and Harry and Draco on the bed holding on to each other, for the first time appearing childlike to him. His mind caught the sentence Albus had just said, it took him a moment to realize that he had just been asked to say his vows.
" Uhm..." He colored slightly, and he could hear Harry and Draco cracking up beside him. Shooting them a glance he smiled himself, his embaressment gone. " Nymphadora Tonks... I have never loved someone as much as I love you. There have been so many times in my life, when I have done something or said something that I thought was unforgivable. And then you came into my life, as a way to help me protect my youngest child. You were a mother to her long before you or I realized it. I've found the children of my soul, and they are here with me today, but our family wouldn't be complete if you weren't here. I vow to love you forever, and to protect you, and make you happy." He finished more tears flowing. He took a wedding ring from Harry and slipped it onto her finger, saying " Let this ring stand as a symbol of my love for you. As long as this ring circles your finger may our bond never be broken." Tonks dried her eyes and prepared to say her vows.
"Severus Snape... I didn't honestly know what I was going to say until just now. You have taken me into your life, and the lives of your children. Nothing means more to me, not even my own life. I vow that I will love you forever, and to make you happy, and to protect our children." Taking a ring from Draco she slipped it onto his finger saying " Let this ring stand as a symbol of my love for you. As long as this ring circles your finger may our bond never be broken." She smiled at him and then at Albus who said.
"Severus and Tonks have decided to include their children in this ceremony. To show that they are now a complete family." Taking three rings from the depth of his robes he handed them to Severus. Who turned to Draco.
"Draco, your mother and I wish that you have this ring, and that you wear it always, as a symbol of our love for you." He put the ring on Draco's right ring finger, then hugged Draco, who came away from the hug with tears of his own on his face. Severus then turned to Harry. " Harry, your mother and I wish that you have this ring, and that you wear it always, as a symbol of our love for you." He slipped the ring on Harry's right finger and hugged him as well. Harry stepped back and smiled. Severus then turned to Aaliyah. " Aaliyah, my sweet daughter, your mother and I wish that you have this ring, and that you wear it always, as a symbol of our love for you." He put the ring on Aaliyah's small right ring finger. He hugged her as well, and when she pulled back she took Harry's hand, and Harry took Draco's hand, who took Severus' hand, who took Tonks' hand. Albus raised his hands into the air, and then brought them down to rest on Severus' shoulders saying.
"The love of a family, is the strongest there is. Please rise and greet the Snape family for the first time." The gathered crowd, which included every teacher at Hogwarts, the Weasleys, the Tonks', Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and his grandmother, Remus Lupin, and Arabella Figg, rushed forward to greet the family. Harry felt a pang in his heart as he wished Sirius could have been there with him that day. The ensuing reception was very wild, and didn't die down til three in the morning.
After Severus carried Aaliyah to her room and tucked her in, he checked in on Draco and Harry, who were having Ron and Neville stay over with them, telling them to settle down or he'd make them scrub cauldrons. He laughed as he heard Ron and Harry assuring Neville that it was a joke. Then he moved to his own bedroom. As he closed the door he reflected on the day and his life in general. He heard a whisper of voices, all of them telling him thanks for taking in their child, he couldn't be sure but he thought he heard the voices of Lilly and James, Sirius, and the witch and wizard whos deaths he had witnessed nearly five years ago. Turning out the lights he joined his wife in their bed. That night he made love to her like neither of them would live to see the new day dawn.
: If you watch the third HP movie the shrunken head makes a joke about eating the pea soup at the Leaky Cauldron before it ate you
A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, it feels great to be back.
Next Chapter:Summer Holidays and a birthday