Chapter Sixteen - Islands in the Sun

The summer holidays began. Aurora Lavelle sent them a Portkey and Snape travelled with Celeste to her parents' home. He was quite worried about meeting the Lavelles. She hadn't divulged her mother's opinions in any detail, but he half suspected them. As for her father – Snape couldn't imagine that a man who had been tortured by Death Eaters and still bore mental and physical scars of the encounter would relish the presence of a former Death Eater.

On Celeste's instructions Snape dressed in his lightest robe and carried his cloak, whilst she wore an embroidered T-shirt over blue jeans, and carried the gabardine bag containing her wand and, for the evening, the silver ear clips and Slytherin necklace.

Aurora Lavelle was waiting to meet them when they arrived outside the front of the house. A four-row choker of pearls glittered at her throat, and her almond green gown rippled slightly in the breeze as she stood waiting just beyond the porch. Celeste made the introductions and Aurora gave Snape a very penetrating look.

"Welcome to Isle Sans Pareil, Severus" she said smoothly, stretching out a hand to him. Snape bowed and kissed her hand. Her eyebrows arched. "So you are Excalibur" she whispered almost to herself, indicating to him to take her arm, and steering him into the house.

"I beg your pardon?" Snape enquired.

"Excalibur. It's what some of the Aurors secretly called The Death Eater Mole" she confided. "X you see, the unknown factor. We suspected your existence but were forbidden even to hint at it…"

She seemed reasonably friendly towards Snape and Celeste sighed with relief.

The house was a chalet bungalow; wide, and with the roof sloping down very low almost like a cape. It felt, Snape thought, rather like a farmhouse. The interior echoed the wide, low, spacious feel – the rooms were airy with roughcast whitewashed walls and much honey-coloured wood. The polished wooden floors were close boarded and furnished with large rugs in patterns of soft gold and black. The massive beams of the ceilings were exposed, and the rooms had large hearths faced with Cotswold stone.

They stood in the low-beamed sitting room amongst sofas of rich brown velvet.

"Your father is in the garden, Celeste" Aurora said. "Will you take Severus out to meet him? Then you can leave them. I believe your father wants to see him alone. I think it will be alright" she added, seeing Celeste's anxious look. "He has been very well lately."

Irregular in shape, the garden was an area hedged informally with Elaeagnus and feathery Tamarix bushes. Unlike the rest of the island, which tended to be windswept heather, its sheltered interior contained many exotic plants such as aloes, argarves and bananas, growing in gravely beds. Cordeline, yuccas and palms added to the tropical feel. But, across a stretch of lawn, there was one area that appeared lush and cool, and was thronged with typically English cottage garden plants – fiery nasturtiums, fragrant nicotiana, and snap dragon of every colour. Standing tall behind these were foxgloves, purple-blue campanula and stately lupin spires in shades of lemon and pale lilac. In the midst of this perfumed prettiness, and in the thin shade afforded by a pair of rowan trees, Lucien Lavelle sat on a rustic bench, overlooking a large pond and watching a group of sparrows splashing in the shallows.

The stepping stone path from the house to the bench wound across the lawn between bushes of lavender and Russian sage, and as he walked Snape's black robe brushed their stems, releasing the fragrance. Two paces ahead of him Celeste was deliberately doing the same, and Snape realised this was what was intended – the plants and the layout had been carefully chosen. With the sun hot on his back, Snape followed the snaking path to the pond. As he drew closer he saw that Monsieur Lavelle wore a powder blue silk robe over matching breeches and a cream cambric shirt. His hair, which was as long as Dumbledore's, was tied back into a very low pony tail. It was hard to believe he was a Muggle.

Lucien stood up as they approached and held out a hand so scarred it looked as if it had been melted and reformed. Snape took his hand gently and shook it carefully as Celeste introduced them.

"Merci, mon cherie" Lucien said to his daughter. "I should like to talk to this young man alone, if I may. So would you be so kind as to go and keep your mother company?"

"Very well, Father" she replied. "I'll see you both at lunch." She lent forward and he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"So" Lucien continued, as he watched Celeste's retreating back, "I meet at last the wizard my daughter has chosen. I trust she has explained to you about my state of health."

"Yes, sir, she has" Snape said, "and I believe she has also told you of my past – all of my past; the dark as well as the light." His worried and nervous half-smile made its brief appearance as he said this.

"She has" Lucien confirmed. "Severus, there is something I want you to understand at the outset. The past … I do not want it to be a barrier between us. Celeste speaks very highly of you. Very highly. And I set great store by my daughter's judgement. I had two sons once, but they were taken from me. I wish for you to call me Lucien, and I should like to come to think of you as my son. Welcome to the family." He spread his arms and the two men embraced, Snape rather hesitantly because he was not accustomed to, nor much in favour of, overt displays of warm feelings between men.

They sat on the bench and Lucien asked Snape abut the wedding preparations and his thoughts about the future – where they would live and what plans they had for a family of their own.

"We do need to live near the school" Snape explained. "Hogwarts is, as you know, a residential school, and I am Head of Slytherin House, so my duties do not simply end when classes end. But so far we have not found a house to our taste, so we will live in my dungeon apartments to begin with, while we continue our search."

"But if in the meantime Celeste conceives?" Lucian asked.

"We will have enough room for an infant" Snape assured him. "If the need arises we could easily manage until our first child is one year old, but by that time I will have had a house built if we have not found anything else. I have the means to afford a substantial house; I do not need to call upon my teaching salary to finance it."

As they spoke Snape studied Lucien. He was like his brother Fabien, but his injuries had made grave differences. He was nevertheless still a handsome man, with refined features and a facial complexion tanned lightly brown by the southerly sea air. If his hair had remained pale blond instead of turning ash white and if his underlying expression had remained upbeat he would look very much like Fabien.

"I see you find it a little warm here, Severus" Lucien said, noticing the perspiration forming on Snape's brow. "The climate is very mild. Not what you are used to – rather different to Scotland, I suspect. Spring comes early here. Shall we move to the deeper shade under those cherry trees? I have to be careful not to sit in the sun when it is strong. Mais non; on second thoughts perhaps we shall go to my study. We are having a picnic lunch, you see, and the house-elves will need to set up the table over there."

Lucien's study contained an antique desk at which a house-elf in a pale blue T-shirt and shorts sat busily entering figures in a ledger, and two very old and comfortable leather armchairs. There were also numerous books on shelves around the walls; a side cabinet with a tray of drinks; and a scattering of strange mechanical devices. The window was open and the room was pleasantly breezy.

The house-elf stood up when they entered but Lucien bade him carry on with his work. He motioned Snape to an armchair, went to the drinks tray and selected two heavy crystal whisky tumblers.

"A drink perhaps?" he asked, holding up a decanter. "Armagnac? Or Calvados perhaps?"

"Whichever you are having. Thank you" Snape replied and Lucien chose the Calvados.

"Some of these Celeste has collected" Lucien said, pointing to a Lunerscope and an ancient Greek clepsydra as he settled himself into the other armchair. "She has a certain fascination for gadgetry, but I'm sure you know. That is one reason why she did a physics degree…"

They sipped their drinks and chatted. Eventually the house-elf finished his task, put the ledger away and, having verified that nothing else was required, quietly left the study. Snape found Lucien was a pleasant man to talk to; polite, easy going and with a dry sense of humour. His pronunciation of English was virtually faultless, and he moved seamlessly between English and French in a way that was at times disconcerting. He was passionate about his books and also keen to hear about Hogwarts; the subjects they taught and the way the school was organised. Snape remembered he had once been a teacher – once long ago; before the world went mad.

"Well, what do you think of him, Mother?" Celeste asked.

"My reservations still apply, but he is an impressive wizard" she conceded. "I suppose I can partly understand your fascination. He has tremendous 'presence'."

At lunchtime they found the food spread ready for them, champagne, smoked salmon, lobster, cheeses, tomato-and-basil pâté, strawberries, and many other sweet and savoury delicacies. Two house-elves, dressed in uniforms of powder blue picked out with cream and gold, brought baskets of warm baguettes wrapped in napkins and then stood waiting to see if anything else was needed. Snape presumed correctly that the elves livery colours distinguish them as belonging to the Lavelle family.

Lucien soon decided they had everything necessary and he courteously dismissed the elves. It was very pleasant picnicking under the trees. The shade was adequate and Snape made a comment about the cooling breeze.

"Breeze? Yes, there is always a breeze" Celeste snorted. "Except in the winter when there are gales" she added laughing. "And the breeze is very often wet! We have a small boat which we sail on the sea at times. I'll show you this afternoon, if you like."

"Correction! Celeste has a boat!" Aurora said forcefully. She and Lucien were chuckling. "We do not sail it" she assured Snape. "Occasionally the house-elves use it to fish, but Celeste is the one for messing about on the water. And swimming!" she couldn't resist adding, her eyes twinkling at Snape as she held out a champagne bottle.

He blushed slightly and accepted another glass of champagne. In his mind Snape summarised his impression of Aurora. She seemed tough and smugly confident, with a superficial friendliness that would always take second place to the dictates of her iron will. He also sensed a ruthlessness in her nature. And yet he felt she had been reluctantly impressed by him and possibly intrigued. He decided he could respect Aurora Lavelle but he doubted he would ever like her, and possibly he would never trust her. He did however trust, and liked very much, the warm-hearted Lucien Lavelle.

After lunch Lucien and Aurora went into the house leaving Snape and Celeste to laze in the garden and wander in when they wished. Having rested for an hour Celeste fetched Snape's cloak and a light-weight, hooded fleece for herself. She then took her fiancé for a walk to the sea shore. The stony path they followed passed a group of buddleia bushes, their royal purple blooms already well-attended by butterflies. Crossing a beach of almost pure white quartz sand, Celeste showed Snape the small boat she had spoken of, and Snape, who had reservations because he couldn't swim very well, was finally persuaded to risk going for a sail. Unworldly he might be, but even Snape realised that the energetic waves he could see a little distance from the shore had already swelled across some three thousand miles of ocean.

"You'll need that cloak" Celeste advised as she wriggled into her fleece and adjusted her wand in the sleeve. "It'll be breezy, and you may want the hood to keep the sun off – on a clear day like this it can be a bit dangerous. Now, you have a choice – you can sit in the stern and work the tiller, or sit in the prow and just enjoy the ride. It's up to you. I can easily work the tiller and the little sail – after all, I usually sail alone." Swinging on his cloak, Snape opted to be lazy and sit in the prow. As Celeste manoeuvred through the turquoise shallows he stared down onto a captivating world of coral, sponges and sea fans. The sun still burned quite high in the blue sky, and to seek some relief Celeste manoeuvred quickly towards the shady side of the island, keeping as close to the shore as the boat's draught allowed.

"You told your mother about the incident in the prefect's bathroom" Snape groaned.

"Well, you were trying to rescue me!" Celeste pointed out. "You acted from the best of motives. I didn't tell her Argus was always trying to spy on me. I, err, did, tell her about the Astronomy Tower. You thought I was going to jump that night, didn't you."

"It did cross my mind" he said dryly.

"I don't think I was" Celeste asserted. "I just went up there to think. Well … I suppose I didn't realise how screwed up I was. It was the work, I think, partly – the weeks and weeks of long hours. And no end in sight. I got myself in a mess, didn't I! Well, anyway, I wanted Mother to know what you'd done for me. I haven't spoken about everything that has passed between us – some things, most things – are not for anyone else to know."

He nodded gravely, remembering his behaviour at Easter and relieved at Celeste's diplomacy. They fell silent for a while. Herring gulls wheeled overhead and one particularly nosy bird paid them a closer look. Noting his approach, Snape thought through his recollections of Animagi. No, he didn't know of anyone who transformed into a seagull. Meanwhile, the two figures in the boat didn't look a potential source of food so the gull made off, and they were left alone with the sea, the sky, the rocky cliffs and the occasional mournful herring gull cry.

"I can see why your parents live here" Snape said, gazing over the sparkling water. "This is so beautiful it is almost unreal. I feel I have stepped into a dream. Do they get many visitors?"

"Visitors, no, but a lot of rain!" Celeste said emphatically. "And mist! These Atlantic winds are laden with moisture. You're lucky to see all this on such a fine, clear day. They don't get visitors because the island is enchanted to stop Muggles finding it. It's unplottable of course. But it gets stormy in winter and my parents have had to rescue people on occasions, and get them to St Mary's – use memory charms, because the Muggles are totally confused about how they got rescued. But normally no one bothers my parents – they can rely on the charms to keep Muggle boats and aircraft away. That's what they want – privacy and safety. Father is a lot better though. Loads! Perhaps he can finally believe the Voldemort years are over."

For the evening Celeste changed into a set of sea green robes Snape had never seen before. At dinner they were again attended by elves. The food and wine were of the finest and Snape realised that the Lavelle's were a very wealthy family. None of them ate meat, although as Snape had discovered at lunchtime, Celeste's parents did occasionally eat fish – usually local fish, caught, killed and prepared for them by their house-elf cooks. However, just as they had provided extra seafood delicacies at lunchtime, they now provided meat for Snape – tender fillets of beef in a mushroom and sherry sauce – a delicious Italian recipe.

In the clear air, the heat of the day was dispersing fast and Lucien wore a thicker robe of royal blue, patterned with tiny silver stars. Aurora was resplendent in a blood-red and gold brocade robe over a plain red dress. The high neck of her dress bore an Italian cameo of cream on reddish-brown.

The elegant but informal meal provided an enjoyable end to an interesting day.

When they returned to Hogwarts, Snape set about collecting the ingredients for a potion he intended to make for Lucien. The two men had discussed it in the privacy of Lucien's study. Snape had in mind a variation on the traditional Nerve Calming Potion and he began work at once. The following morning, as Celeste helped him weigh lavender flowers and grind horn shavings from a Swedish Short-Snout dragon, he asked her if her father always wore blue.

"Yes" she replied. "His name means 'light' or 'sky'. He usually wears light blue, often with pale cream and gold. Sky, clouds and sun. Aurora, Lucien, Celeste – dawn, light, heaven – if we have a daughter I suppose we should call her Estella. And, you mentioning his robes, reminds me! You will need to get something suitable to wear at Sirius and Maddie's wedding. Even the thinnest robe in your wardrobe is far too heavy-weight for tropical temperatures. No, Severus, be sensible! The Seychelles are a bit hotter than the Scottish Highlands and the Scilly Isles – you'll cook in that heat! We are going to Madam Malkin's in Diagon Alley. And soon! And remind me, tonight, to owl Gladrags."

She could be infuriatingly stubborn over such things. Snape was no more keen to buy new robes than to attend Black and Hooch's wedding. At Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions he reluctantly tried on her thinnest of black, dark blue, dark green, dark grey and brown robes, but Celeste was far from satisfied.

"One of those may be OK for the evening but you need something for the day time. You need lightweight trousers and a loose shirt – in pale colours to reflect the heat."

Eventually, with the help of Madam Malkin herself, Celeste persuaded Snape to try on three pairs of jeans; one in pale blue, one in camel, and one (ultimately his choice) in charcoal grey. Madam Malkin had a range of cotton over-shirts that would go with these. Celeste thought the camel coloured jeans looked particularly good if teamed with a cream shirt, and any fairly dark shade of blue would be acceptable with the blue jeans. She discovered there were lots of colours Snape couldn't wear – his hair colour wasn't a problem, but his sallow skin was shown up badly by shades of silver grey, lilac and very pale blues and greens. Stronger colours looked better – deep yellow and orange, rust, even coral. Both witches admired him in jeans – they suited his taught, slender figure with its elegant deportment.

Snape refused to consider the cream and camel combination and both Celeste and Madam Malkin thought that blue, whilst OK, was nothing special. Celeste's second choice was a bright gold shirt to go with the grey jeans, and Snape gave this some consideration. But he wasn't used to seeing himself in bright colours – he decided to play safe and opt for an olive green shirt to put over the jeans.

"What do I do about my feet" he said as he padded about the shop in his socks.

"That's all organised – we'll sort that out in a moment" Celeste replied. "Now, you need a robe for the evening and a change of shirt." She finally selected a rusty red, glazed-cotton robe and a thin polo-necked top in black silk.

The answer to 'Snape's feet' turned out to be a pair of Birkenstock Milano black sandals from Gladrags Wizardwear. On receipt of Celeste's owl they had obtained a range of Birkenstock sandals from Ethical Wares, and Snape spent the rest of the morning trying on the very comfortable, animal-free footwear. Meanwhile, without any difficulty, Celeste found an outfit for herself – a flared and floaty cotton dress patterned in turquoise, lime green and purple; and a turquoise crocheted shawl shot with silver thread. Then, whilst Snape was deciding to add a pair of brown Arizona sandals to his purchases, she shot off to All Things Witchy and came back with two thin black leather neck cords. They both held scorpion emblems – Snape's birth sign. One was incised into a tablet of glazed pottery; the other was shown in relief on a beaten copper disc. Both neck cords looked quite gothic – they would hang an inch or so beneath Snape's pronounced supersternal lodge – the hollow at the base of his neck formed by the tendons that reached down to his collar bone.

"This will probably be the only time I buy you leather" she explained to him. "The pottery tag is for the daytime – it'll look good on your bare chest under the open neck of that green shirt. The copper one is for the evening, to wear with the black polo and the robe. Trust me – they'll look great."

Snape felt he had little choice but to make an appearance at Black and Hooch's wedding – it would be impolite not to attend, and Celeste was strict about good manners. The wedding was officiated by Desmond Hills-Jones, Deputy Chief Registrar of The Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Department of the Ministry of Magic. It took place on the white sands of one of Mesmerius Arrabin's private beaches at his Seychelles estate.

Hooch and Black wore pale lemon silk robes trimmed with silver grey, and they had charmed their grey hair to glisten in harmony with their clothes.

As Snape feared, the weather was hot, but a large palm leaf canopy had been erected and a sea breeze, backed up by cooling charms, made the temperature bearable.

The wedding was a light-hearted affair, with dancing late into the evening beneath strings of lanterns and free-floating fairies. It had the fun-loving atmosphere of a carnival. When he could find suitable tunes to dance to, Snape danced mostly with Celeste, but he was confident enough to take a turn with Sprout and once, rather guardedly, with McGonagall. After their dance she stood by Dumbledore and watched Snape making a good effort at a tango with Celeste. He held her close and there was an undeniable undercurrent of sensuality in his movements. Despite the bright sunshine, he looked cool and comfortable in his grey jeans and olive shirt, and the black leather neck cord with its scorpion emblem heightened the animal hint in his demeanour.

"He is much changed" she remarked to Dumbledore, "and yet he is just the same as ever he was – just as hazardous."

"Mmmm, I like this" Celeste said, admiring the neck cord and Snape's shirt unbuttoned just enough to show the top of his sparse chest hair. "I want you to wear this in bed sometimes. With nothing else of course! Or maybe with just a shirt – one like this that opens fully. Aaah, yes!"

Hearing the sigh and seeing her pupils dilating, Snape smiled a knowing smile – he knew that reaction of hers very well by now, although he never understood why she found him attractive. Sometimes Celeste tried to explain; but no dissertation of hers on his aristocratic oval face, or his aquiline nose, or his kissable mouth, or his vigorous bearing, would convince Snape – he knew he was ugly. He held her closer as the tango progressed…

As Snape and Celeste took a break to sip pina colada and watch the beginnings of a magnificent sunset, he spotted Remus Lupin in the crowd. Lupin was enjoying a glass of champagne with his friend Septimus Peor, Beauxbaton's Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor – the two men seemed particularly comfortable in each other's company; there was a warmth that was more than just friendship.

"Are they … are they–" Snape began; wondering how to voice his suspicion, but Celeste interrupted.

"Yes, Remus and Septimus are a couple" she confirmed. "I must go over soon to say hello. I am very fond of Septimus, as you know. And Remus is a charming man too" she added firmly, in case Snape was about to utter something spiteful. But he wasn't. Hearing the news, Snape smiled shyly but without malice as he watched the two wizards. He had never guessed Remus was gay.

At that moment Harry Potter and Cho Chang danced past, obscuring Snape's view of the two Beauxbaton House Masters. Harry appearance reminded Snape of a further piece of unfinished business. "By the way, Celeste" he said imperiously, "I intend to have a word with Harry Potter sometime. It's about Lily's portrait. I want Harry to have it."

"OK" she replied tenderly. "If you're sure. I don't mind us keeping it – it's entirely your choice. But it would be a nice gesture to offer it to Harry."

"Thank you" he said shortly, wishing to say nothing further on the matter. "Um, shall we dance?"

Most of the music was modern, some was blues and jazz, some rock and soul. The band, whose name was Ravelin, consisted of three musicians and three singers. All were young black men in their late teens or early twenties. Of the singers, one was an ex-student – Dean Thomas, and the other two were his cousins Ryan and Daryl. The six men were dressed identically – black jeans and black leather waistcoats, unbuttoned to display bare chests glinting with silver jewellery. Dragon hide armlets of the kind worn by archers were bound on their left forearms. They seemed accomplished in quite a range of twentieth century music.

There was also a female singer – another ex-student – Alicia Spinnet. She wore a white dress in a classical Greek style and cleverly set off by gold jewellery. It turned out she was quite a diva and was trying to break into show business. Celeste was very impressed with the singers and musicians, so later, while Alicia was singing, Snape took the opportunity to speak to Dean. He explained about his forthcoming wedding and asked if Ravelin would be interested in performing for them at the reception. The boys were certainly keen. "I don't believe I know your cousins" Snape said to Dean.

"We're not wizards" Daryl explained. "We didn't get to go to Hogwarts. Wish we had!" he added fervently.

Snape had a sudden vision of trying to teach Potions to these rather unruly boys, and he shuddered. He agreed payment terms with them, and they asked if he would want Alicia to sing as well.

"Do you think she would?" Snape asked.

"Oh yeah, – course!" Dean said. He looked at his former Potions Master, whom he found rather hard to recognise – Snape seemed to have changed so much. "I know we didn't exactly get on, Proff, but, well, it's different now, isn't it."

"We'll send her over" Ryan said, "when we next go on. Then you can ask her, but I'm sure she'll say yes."

"I hardly recognised you, Professor" a sultry voice said to him some minutes later, making Snape jump. "I don't think I've ever seen you wearing anything but black."

The temperature was dropping and Snape had changed for the evening into his rust-red robe and black silk polo. The copper disk on his chest glittered in the lantern light. He looked up from his empty daiquiri glass and saw a young lady standing over him. Alicia, too, had changed for the evening – now wearing a long black sheath dress slashed to the thigh, she poured herself into a nearby seat and crossed her legs rather provocatively. Her dark hair, swept up in a huge, stylish hair-do, sparkled with silver glitter. She wasn't a schoolgirl any more.

Snape's eyebrows arched. "Ah yes" he murmured greedily. "Miss Spinnet. Em, I was wondering if…"

As he spoke she regarded him coolly, enjoying his look of surprise at her alluring appearance. She, too, noticed things about him – his hair was clean and silky, and his cold, self-protective sarcasm far less evident. Yes, she would sing for them. It seemed she could sing anything from the 1930s onwards and even make a stab at twenties songs, but she preferred what she called 'big diva numbers' that showed off her powerful voice.

"Wait till you hear my version of Shirley Bassey's The Power of Love" she said. "If you and Miss Celeste put together a list of numbers we'll all come to the school – myself, Dean and the boys – and we'll run through them with you, so you'll know what you're getting on the day. We've gotta get the sequence worked out, and have something in reserve if something doesn't work."

"Thank you, Alicia" Snape said smoothly. "Well, I hope your show business career takes off. Although, perhaps not before my wedding." His dark eyes twinkled coldly.

"Don't worry, Professor; I won't let you down" Alicia assured him. "Trouble with me is I haven't really developed a style of my own yet. But I'll get there."

"I'm sure you will" Snape agreed. "And, er, you certainly know how to wear black, young lady."

She smiled, gave him a cheeky wink, and sauntered back to the stage.

"They'll do it" Snape said, as Celeste appeared holding two long, ice filled glasses of a Malibu and mango juice cocktail. "It won't come cheap, but they'll do it! This must be my last alcoholic drink Celeste. You don't need to get me drunk to have your evil way with me – in fact too much alcohol can be counter productive."

Celeste grinned. "We must draw up our list" she said.

The 'list' included not only music to dance to at the reception but also music to be played at the wedding ceremony. They decided to hire the Registration Department's orchestra, and tried to think of music to enter and leave by. Snape fussed about the music in his typical nit-picking manner.

"My entrance music must be fairly slow" Celeste explained. "Father will struggle to keep up if it's too fast. He'll find it a bit of an ordeal anyway."

"Then what about the Rondo from Abdelazar?" Snape suggested. "Henry Purcell."

"Oh yes!" Celeste agreed. "That's one of my favourites. No, I don't know. It may actually be too slow."

"The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba? Everyone has that, I know … well, I believe they do" Snape added. "So it may be a trifle overdone."

"I didn't know you had such a taste for the baroque" Celeste exclaimed. "You've been keeping this very quiet."

It transpired they both loved music from the baroque period; their absolute favourites being the Adagio in G Minor by Albinoni, the Cannon in D by Pachebel, the Purcell and Handel pieces Snape had just mentioned, and Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring.

"That wouldn't be bad" Celeste said. "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. I think Father and I would be OK walking to that." But in the end she opted for the second Andante from Handel's Water Music.

Snape agreed. Then we might walk out to "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" he said "Although I rather fancy the Allegro from the first Brandenburg Concerto. But definitely nothing from the second – those last two movements sound like demented sparrows!"

They both had quite a knowledge of classical music. Celeste however, had been to more performances. Snape's knowledge came mostly from music played by adult acquaintances and at his club. Celeste had grown up in an atmosphere of music, and even after she went to Beauxbaton her mother had taken her to the opera, the ballet, and to concerts and recitals as often as possible.

Choosing the dance music was a good deal easier because of Snape's dancing lessons. With Hooch's dedicated help he had been practicing to a variety of music, and for some time Celeste had been partnering him. At first they practiced at Hogwarts, to the orchestra of instruments charmed by Felix Flitwick. But once Ravelin and Alicia started to turn up, they moved to a little-used church hall near Clement Flitwick's house. Clement, Felix's brother, was quite ruthless in using memory and soundproofing charms to keep Muggle curiosity at bay. He was also very experienced in modern electronic gadgetry, and he helped Ravelin and Alicia to set up their equipment. He wanted no payment for his help, only everyone's solemn promise that they would not report him to The Improper Use of Magic Office.

"Have no fear of that" Snape assured him. "We are all as guilty as you."

Snape and Celeste's song choices included My Resistance is Low; This Time the Girl is Gonna Stay; It Had to be You; Witchcraft; Crocodile Rock and The Power of Love. Take My Breath Away was to be the final song. For instrumental music, which was to be played by a hired orchestra, their choice included Begin the Beguine; Cheek to Cheek; the 'Cadenza' Adagio second movement of the third Brandenburg Concerto; and You and the Night and the Music.

Celeste was confident it was all going to be wonderful, and even Snape was feeling more optimistic.

Harry Potter was surprised when an owl arrived, bearing a polite letter from Snape which asked him to dine at the school as soon as was convenient. In his early years at school he had always hated Snape – indeed the feeling had been mutual. But eventually Snape's attitude had started to change and Harry grew to see the Professor as a sad and possibly lonely figure. By the time he was sitting his final exams he would not have said he actually liked Snape, but the Professor was no longer important; not as a foe.

Neither was his other arch enemy, Draco Malfoy. Voldemort fell from power in the early part of Harry's final year, and the fathers of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were arrested in the concluding round up of the Death Eaters. Not being particularly academic, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had already left Hogwarts. Shocked and frightened by his father's final imprisonment, and without his henchmen to guard him at school, Draco Malfoy had to craft a new approach to life. The snobbish, confident braggart had to go – Malfoy junior discovered the value of keeping a low profile. The inroads that bribes, legal fees and fines had made into the Malfoy fortune could not be discounted – Draco needed to concentrate on his exams if he was to have the affluent future he had always pictured. In Harry's world, Snape and Malfoy were no longer figures of any significance.

Harry Apparated at Hogsmeade and walked from the village in the soft light of an early summer's evening. At the dining table Harry sat between Snape and Sirius Black; Celeste was careful to leave them alone all evening, she didn't want to intrude and she didn't want to influence Snape's decision about Lily's portrait.

After dinner Snape took Harry to his sitting room. Harry had never been in Snape's private rooms, only as far as the office attached to the Potions classroom. He and his friend Ron Weasley had been in deep trouble on the first occasion, having illegally flown Arthur Weasley's car to Hogwarts; and the second time Harry had been in even deeper trouble when Snape discovered his Marauder's Map. Harry was impressed by the unfussy grandeur of Snape's sitting room. As with all the North-facing dungeon rooms it was quite cold, so a low fire burned in the grate.

"This is what I want to show you" Snape explained, pointing to the portrait. He sounded very much on his guard.

"Wow!" Harry said as they stood together in the middle of the room. He recognised his mother instantly – he possessed the Muggle photograph upon which the painting was based.

"I was very much in love with your mother" Snape admitted gravely, in an astonishing show of frankness. "I persuaded her to let me borrow a photograph and I had this portrait made from it. It does not move, but, as you can see, it is an excellent likeness."

Harry didn't know what to say, so to save an embarrassing silence Snape continued. "But that was a very long time in the past. Celeste is to be my wife and I need to look to the future. And besides, Lily was never my wife, but she was your mother. So I was wondering if you would like to have this painting."

Harry just nodded; he couldn't speak but his face said it all. He put his hand on Snape's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, after which the two wizards spent some minutes standing in silence, side by side, looking at the painting. Finally Harry found his voice.

"I certainly would love to have this" he said. "Very much! Thank you. But, I don't think I can take it at the moment. Cho and I are hoping to set up home together, but we've got a lot to sort out. I can't really have a painting as large as this in my bed-sit in London. Would it be possible for you to keep it a bit longer, Professor? If it's in your way, I'll sort something out, but–"

"No. No, that will be no problem" Snape cut in. "Celeste and I will be looking for a house in due course, but I will be keeping these dungeon rooms. It can stay here – she doesn't mind. It will be here for you when you are ready, Harry."

"Great. Thank you" Harry said again. "Err, Professor? If I'm having this, would you like to have the original photograph? It's not much more than postcard size, so I was wondering if–"

"Yes. Err, yes. I would like that very much" Snape replied hurriedly, most touched by Harry's offer but trying not to sound as desperately keen as he felt. "Well, how about a spot of something. I have some Ogdens here" he added, picking up a decanter. "Oh, and Harry – since, after all these years, I have now taken the liberty of addressing you by your first name – please, call me Severus."

They sat by the fire and Snape asked Harry his long remembered question. "Do you remember the occasion when a firework was thrown in my classroom? Landed in a cauldron – Goyle's, I think. Splashed everyone with a swelling solution?"

A smile spread across Harry's face. "Yes" he said truthfully. "I threw the firework." Seeing Snape's triumphant and quizzical look he continued. "We needed a diversion so that Hermione could slip into you storeroom and steal Boomslang skin and Bicorn Horn."

"Hermione?" Snape asked in surprise. "That little know-it-all goody-two-shoes? Pilfer my stores?"

"You underestimate her" Harry said. "Hermione's fearless when she's made up her mind what's right, and what's gotta be done. She'd make a great Auror. We were making Polyjuice Potion so that we could pretend to be Slytherins and find out if Draco Malfoy was Slytherin's heir."

Snape was quietly impressed. "The Headmaster never told me this" he said ruefully.

"I didn't tell him everything" Harry admitted. "Silly really. I wasn't used to trusting adults – the Dursley's weren't exactly … well … anyway … I should have known I could trust Dumbledore with anything!"

"Whereas you couldn't trust me" Snape pointed out. "No. Well, I did work hard at trying to persuade the Headmaster to expel you. I was wasting my time it seems. It was not to be, and when you tackled the Dark Lord at the Tri-Wizard final task, I think I realised then that you had a destiny that could not be set aside. I suppose we all had such a destiny. I suppose we all have" he mused, thinking proudly of Celeste's rôle in combating the plague, and more sadly of events surrounding Voldemort's final defeat. He recalled too, the deaths of Cedric Diggory, Ernest Macmillan and Ronald Weasley – boys he had never liked, but whose deaths upset him more than he would ever acknowledge. Harry was marked by them too, he reflected – certainly by the death of his friend Ron. Snape took a gulp of scotch and gazed despondently into the fire.

"I certainly didn't trust you in the first year" Harry admitted. "I thought you were trying to kill me at that Quidditch match that time. I couldn't believe it when Quirrell finally told me the truth. I can still hear him saying the words – with you going around 'like an overgrown bat, who would suspect p-poor st-stuttering Professor Quirrell.' Apart from Voldemort, that was the first time I came face to face with real evil. I should've known. Hagrid had insisted you were one of the teachers guarding the philosophers' stone, and I'd got through your enchantment by then – Hermione had worked out your riddle."

Snape looked up sharply. "Did she use quill and parchment?" he asked.

"No. Worked it out in her head" Harry replied proudly.

"A mere first year?" Snape could not believe it.

Harry grinned. "Yep. She was quite thrilled to find it" he replied. "Said most wizards aren't good at logic and would find it difficult. She's quite mathematical, is our Hermione."

"Yes, she is right" Snape confirmed. "Take Felix for example. No, Flitwick's not such a good example because he's a very good chess player, which means he is extremely skilled at evaluating options. Take Minerva then, or even Albus. Brilliant wizards! Intuitively magical! But, strangely, not particularly mathematical. I have always had a certain aptitude for maths and logic. I am not quite in Celeste's league of course, but I love to talk to her about mathematics. I'm not quite so enamoured of quantum physics" Snape remarked pointedly, getting up and bringing over the decanter to refill their glasses. "I remember her saying 'Everything we know about the world', and by that I take her to mean the quantum world – reality at its most fundamental – 'is the result of experiments; of interactions with it'. But, the point she glosses over is, at that fundamental level any interaction must surely interfere with, and therefore change, reality. So does the result mean anything? She would say that demonstrates the limitation of my mind, which I could overcome if I studied maths and physics in far more depth. And she is right of course. I however, cannot overlook Gandalf's point, 'He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom'. Oh, have you not read Lord of the Rings?" Snape added, seeing Harry's puzzled face. "No matter. Let me show you the Potion's Riddle."

He rummaged in the shallow oak cupboard and finally drew out a roll of old parchment tied with purple tape. Opening it, he spread it on the desk and weighted the corners with candlesticks. Harry saw that it contained the poem, a drawing, and a grid. Across the top of the grid each column was numbered one to seven, and down the left hand side the potion characteristics were listed, row by row – wine, wine, poison, poison, back, forward, giant, dwarf. Between the poem and the grid, the seven potion bottles danced a slow, circling dance; finally coming to a halt and lining themselves up in the order in which Harry and Hermione had first seen them on the day Harry rescued the Philosopher's Stone. Everything on the parchment was written and drawn in Snape's spiky and unusual but very even-sized handwriting. The seven bottles were carefully drawn to scale and shown with different coloured liquids. Harry hadn't realised the Potions Master was so artistic.

"The idea" Snape said, "is to work through the poem and put a tick or a cross according to which statement is true or false. For example, if you look at this – 'You will always find some on Nettle Wine's left side'. Well, the bottle in this first position cannot be Nettle Wine because nothing – poison or otherwise – can be to its left, so you put a cross in column one against the criterion for wine. Whenever you can score a tick you know that everything else along that row and down that column must warrant a cross, because this is a simple true-or-false logic…"

As the Potions Master continued, Harry studied the puzzle and Snape's uncharacteristically enthusiastic explanation. He could follow the logic now; Snape's careful descriptions and step-by-step reasoning were brilliant.

"This is amazing Professor, er, Severus" he exclaimed. "When you taught us Potions, it was nothing like this."

Hearing this, Snape raised his head slowly and gave Harry a cunning, quizzical look. They returned to their armchairs where, at Snape's bidding, the former student continued. "Well, in your lessons" he said, choosing his words carefully, "you would write the ingredients up on the blackboard, tell us what to do, then we would unpack our stuff and start weighing out and cutting up and mixing. You would walk around the room and comment on our efforts." Harry laughed, remembering the blistering comments he usually got. "The thing is, if you said 'Add the puffa-fish eyes and the powdered shark's fangs' I never knew if it mattered which way round they went in, or if doing the reverse mightn't just be a difference in style – your style versus my style. Would it be the end of the world if I put the fangs in first?"

"Well, you could have asked me" Snape pointed out with a return to his old petulance.

"Asked you?" Harry laughed. "And get verbally flayed alive? And lose House Points? No-ho way! Sometimes I knew the order mattered because … remember when Neville added, err, porcupine quills to something before he stopped heating his cauldron–?"

"Oh yes" Snape said darkly. "The solution to cure boils. He melted his cauldron and its contents spilt across the floor. I could have strangled the boy." Snape fell silent for a moment, absorbed in his memories. Neville Longbottom – what an instrument of fate he had turned out to be!

Eventually Snape pulled himself out of his reverie and looked at Harry; and without realising it he did so without looking away. Harry's eyes were no longer unbearable. Totally unaware of this development, his mind engrossed in his teaching methods, Snape sighed and his mouth compressed into a hard line. "I suppose I see what you mean, Harry" he observed reluctantly. "I didn't realise a teacher could learn so much from a student. Please. Continue with my lesson."


Author's Note: Gandalf's comment from J R R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings comes from the second chapter of book two.