Author's Notes: It seems I've been neglecting everything but one story, so I've devised a new updating plan. Everything will be updated most neglected to least. That way, everything gets updated and yeah… This one's second on the list right now, but the site is refusing to let me post the first one, so I figured I'd do two at once.
Lady-jolly: Nope, not the end just yet, lol. I'm going to try to keep this going for as long as I can. And though that last chapter may have seemed like an ending, I've got a bit more I wanna happen, it's just going to be a challenge to get there now.
Ravenfairie: I'm the same way with reviews usually, so no worries, lol.
A Different Kind Of Year- Chapter 14: Selina's Unforeseen Gift
Quintus watched Selina from the window; her sudden urge to go outside worried him a little and he wanted to be sure she was all right. When he saw Severus outside, his worry grew, but, when he saw Selina run over to him and willingly give him a hug, he couldn't help but smile.
"Everything alright out there?" Wendell asked, seeing Quintus' smile.
"Come see for yourself." Quintus replied.
Wendell and Octavia joined him at the window just in time to see Selina and Severus' final hug.
"Is that Severus Snape?" Wendell asked in a mild state of shock.
"Yup." Quintus replied.
"He must be freezing; who knows how long he's been out there! Wendell, go invite him inside to warm up. And to dinner as well." Octavia said.
"Octavia, you know the two of us never got along." Wendell objected.
The glare on Octavia's face told him he wouldn't be able to escape this time.
Selina and Severus had just broken apart again when Wendell came out.
"Well well well, if it isn't Severus Snape." He said.
"Wendell Erulan?" My goodness you've changed since I saw you last." Severus replied.
"Well, it has been nearly eighteen years." Wendell said.
"But please, come inside and join us; you must be freezing out here. You're welcome to join us for dinner as well if you'd like."
"That's very kind of you, thank you." Severus said, following Wendell back to the house, Selina at his side.
"Decided to end that old grudge of ours?" Severus asked as they entered the house.
"Well, it was my wife's idea to do all this, to be completely honest, but, at the same time, I suppose we should put our differences aside. I mean, our children appear to love each other, we should get along for their sake, if nothing else. Besides, to be completely honest again, I can't even remember what it was we were fighting about." Wendell said.
Severus chuckled a bit.
"What's so funny?" Wendell asked.
"I can't remember either." Severus admitted.
"Well then, I suppose it's settled; we've made up. Friends?" Wendell extended his hand.
"Friends." Severus replied, taking the hand and shaking it.
"Well, it's lovely to see that the two of you are on good terms." Octavia came down the stairs from the living room.
"Severus, I trust you remember my wife Octavia from school? I know she remembers you." Wendell said.
"I should have known the two of you would get married; you always were inseparable. Congratulations, however late I may be." Severus said.
Octavia laughed a little.
"Will you be joining us for dinner, Severus?" she asked after a moment.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to." Severus replied.
"It's no trouble at all, we have more than enough; we're just happy to have you." Octavia said before heading towards the kitchen.
Severus and Wendell headed up towards the living room.
Selina had gone upstairs to the living room while Severus and Wendell had been talking. She gave Quintus a tight hug.
"Thank you."
"For what?" Quintus asked, rather confused but returning the hug none the less.
"For convincing me to read my father's letter; if you hadn't done that, I'd still be mad at him and he'd still be outside." Selina replied.
"Oh, I'm not so sure about that. It looked like you both wanted to forgive and forget at this point, but you didn't want to be the one to make the first move. I will take some credit for persuading you to read this particular letter when you did, though." Quintus said, taking Selina in his arms and cuddling with her.
"My goodness, Severus. While we were in school and hated each other, did you ever expect we'd have kids that would end up as friendly towards each other as these two?" Wendell asked as he entered the room with Severs.
"At that point I wasn't thinking about having kids at all; it was the events leading up to the kids that my mind was focused on, as was yours I'm sure." Severus replied.
"Father!" Selina exclaimed, sounding both shocked and horrified.
"That was way more information than I needed to know."
Everyone in the room laughed, including Selina after a while.
The evening soon arrived and there was a knock at the door. Quintus went and answered it as Octavia and Wendell were busy trying to finish dinner as quickly as possible.
"Miss Hardbroom, how nice of you to come. Do come in." He greeted, seeing Constance in the doorway.
"Please, call me Constance; there is no need for formality between us." Constance replied.
Severus heard all this from the living room and looked at Selina.
"Your mother was invited as well?"
"Apparently." Selina replied.
"Well, this should be interesting." Severus said somewhat quietly.
Quintus and Constance entered the living room.
"Selina! How wonderful to see you again!" Constance said.
"Mother! I'm glad you could make it." Selina replied, getting up and giving her mother a hug.
"Severus!" Constance exclaimed in a mild shock upon seeing Severus over Selina's shoulder.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
"Likewise, Constance." Severus replied.
"Father and I forgave each other this morning." Selina said, trying to break the tension a little.
"The best gift I could have wanted from her." Severus added.
"Well, I'm glad that's all in the past." Constance said with a smile.
"And father gave he this." Selina said, showing the locket to her mother.
"Selina, Quintus, could I trouble you for a few moments of help?" Octavia called up the stairs.
Selina had volunteered to help if it was needed, feeling she owed Wendell and Octavia something for letting her come to stay with them, but they hadn't let her do anything up till now.
"Coming." Quintus replied, taking Selina's hand.
They headed down to the kitchen together, leaving Constance and Severus alone in the living room.
"I haven't seen that photo in years." Constance commented as she sat down, referring to the wedding photo.
"I thought she might enjoy being able to have us both at the same time; both happy." Severus explained.
"Fair enough." Constance said.
"Constance, what went wrong between us?" Severus asked a few moments later, somewhat out of the blue.
"Severus, we've been through this already." Constance replied.
"Refresh my memory; it's been ten years." Severus said.
"Things just stopped working out. You seemed to be becoming more and more heartless day by day and started to neglect Selina and I. That just wasn't fair to either Selina or myself." Constance explained.
"If it wasn't fair to Selina, why'd you leave her with me?" Severus asked.
"She always seemed to get along with you better and I felt that I was far too young to be caring for a child on my own." Constance replied, looking away.
"That's a lie and we both know it." Severus said; he knew her better than that.
Constance sighed, defeated.
"I had hoped that you'd have a change of heart when faced with the challenge of raising her alone and would ask me to come back." She admitted.
"You had the change of heart, but never asked me to come back; it's left me wondering if you ever really loved me or if you only married me because I was pregnant with your child and it was the right thing to do."
Selina had really been an accident and had been told as such, but was loved all the same.
"Constance, I've always loved you." Severus said, moving to sit beside her and gently taking her hand.
"Had I known you wanted me to ask you to come back, I would have in a heart beat, and I'd have changed in any way you wised."
Constance looked down at her hand in his, a few tears in her eyes.
"Would you perhaps be willing to try this again? From the very beginning, putting our entire past behind us. Except Selina, of course." Severus asked.
Constance looked up at him and smiled a little, blinking the tears away.
"I've been waiting for you to ask that for a long time."
"Is that a yes?" Severus asked, leaning towards her so that their noses nearly touched.
"It is." Constance replied, kissing him gently, a slight blush creeping up into her cheeks.
"How do you think Selina will react when we tell her?" Severus asked.
"I do believe she already knows and she's thrilled if I'm reading that grin correctly." Constance replied, looking to where Selina was sitting on the stairs.
Severus followed her glance and smiled.
"I do believe you are."
Selina had come back up to the living room not too long after leaving, but paused and sat near the top of the stairs when she saw her parents being friendly towards each other, savouring the moment.
It was true, a huge grin had appeared on her face when she'd heard that they'd decided to try their relationship again, and it remained plastered there. It was the greatest gift she ever could have asked for.
"You've just fulfilled the one wish I've had since I was five when mother left." She said, coming up the last few stairs and sitting between them.
"And what a night for it to happen; Merry Christmas, Selina." Constance said.
"Though your actual gift from me is waiting for you at Cackle's."
"Are you going to make me wait?" Selina asked.
Constance laughed.
"I suppose not. It's a kitten, I thought it was about time you had one."
Selina hugged her mother tightly.
"Thank you!" She nearly squealed.
"And thank you again for the necklace, father; though it appears I no longer need the photo." She added, hugging her father tightly.
They all smiled and sat there happily until Quintus came and announced that dinner was ready.
Another Author's note: Wow. Wristdying! Lol.
Hope you still like this. I'm not incredibly sure where I'm going to take it from here on (Jackie, any ideas?). Unless I think of something spectacular, the next chapter might very well be the last with a huge time jump in it.
Don't forget to review!
Oh, and I've been thinking lately; does this really belong in the worst witch category? It's kinda almost more Harry Potter, but at the same time, it's not. I dunno. Any feedback?