Chapter 27

When they walked into the Great Hall, Severus surveyed the room, mentally identifying several Deatheaters. The four long tables that usually spanned it were gone, and in their place were at least 50 smaller round ones. Each table had settings for 12 people, and the room was filled to capacity. He couldn't help but dread the day ahead of him; it would be spent telling unhappy parents that their children were horrible at potions. Thankfully, Andraste was diplomatic enough to pacify the worst of them. He took his seat next to Andi at the main table, the only one that hadn't changed in placement or size. They had barely dished their food when Dumbledore stood to give his usual parent-day speech. The room quickly quieted as students and parents alike gave the great wizard their full attention.

"I would like to welcome you all to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he stopped a moment, letting the applause die down. "Many of you were once students here yourselves, and you will find that very little has changed since your days with us. All professors will be available in their classrooms shortly after lunch until six pm to answer any questions you may have about your students' progress." Albus paused again and looked at Severus. Receiving the nod of approval he was waiting for, he continued. "On a more personal note, I have a wonderful announcement to make. Our potions teachers, Professor Snape and Professor Andraste have informed me that they will be wed next weekend. On behalf of everyone at this school," he said, turning to Severus and Andi, "Congratulations." The mixed reaction among the students was drowned out by an enthusiastic applause from the parents. Most of them knew Severus personally, many from school, and all had wondered if he was ever going to get married. Those that didn't like him wondered about Andraste's state of mind, the few that did were happy he had found someone as good for him as Andraste was rumored to be, and the ones that wanted him dead, as they had hoped, couldn't wait to share the good news.

Lunch went dreadfully slow for Severus as he did his best to ignore the people around him with nothing better to discuss than his engagement. Every few minutes someone would come up to him and Andraste to offer their own congratulations and promise to stop by the classroom to talk more later. After the forced sincerity in Severus' appreciation deteriorated to something closer to sheer irritation at being bothered, Andraste suggested they head back to his room and have a cup of tea. He happily agreed and they left quickly through the back way, hoping to avoid anyone that might want to involve them in conversation. They had barely closed the door when it reopened and Lupin stepped through, calling out to them.

"I know you two are probably sick of hearing this, but I wanted to wish you luck."

"Thank you very much Remus, it means a lot coming from you...and not just because I've actually met you before," Andraste said with a smile.

"Would you mind if I had a word alone with Professor Snape?" Andraste nodded to him and kissed Severus on the cheek. "Play nice, both of you. I'll be in the room," she told him, and then headed towards the dungeon.

"What can I do for you, Remus?" Snape asked, his tone actually pleasant.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm truly happy for you, Severus. I know things have been a bit unfriendly between us at times, but I really am glad you found someone like Andraste."

"I appreciate that," Professor Snape replied, "she is an incredible woman." Severus was about to leave when he had another thought. "Remus, how would you feel about standing up for me at the wedding?" Lupin looked at him oddly for a moment, and then a huge smile crossed his face.

"I would be honored, Severus. Thank you. Does this mean that you're not mad at me for punching you?" he asked after a short pause.

"No, I fully deserved it. But do not ever think about doing it again. It's a shame I didn't give you those cuts on your arm in return."

"Oh, these?" Remus asked, briefly looking at the scratches down his left arm. "Jeremy did that as I was throwing him across the room."

"Thank you for protecting her," Severus said simply, feeling another pang of guilt that he wasn't there to do it himself. Lupin smiled gently at him and reached out, laying a hand on his shoulder before leaving.

"Watching each other's backs is what we do here, Severus." Professor Snape nodded to him, wondering about the odd moment that had just passed between them, and headed to the dungeon where Andraste was waiting for him. When he walked in his room, Andraste was sitting on couch, a pot of tea in front of her and a glass of red wine in her hand.

"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" he asked her, picking up the bottle of Merlot and pouring himself a glass. Andraste smiled at his blatant hypocrisy, and answered anyway.

"We get to spend the entire day listening to parents bitch. So that's a no. Now come sit with me. I'm curious to know what Lupin wanted." Severus sat down beside her and gave her the smile that she had come to adore, one that she knew she was lucky to get to see when so few people did.

"He wanted to say that he was happy for me, that I found someone like you."

"That's wonderful. You two need to stop bickering like you're still in school."

"That may never happen, but I did ask him to be my best man." Andraste stared at Severus for a moment, trying to be sure that he wasn't joking. When she was, she took his glass from his hand and set it on the table beside hers. When they were safely stowed to the side, she climbed on to his lap and gave him a deep, passionate kiss. It was minutes before they pulled away from each other, and he looked up at her with questioning eyes. "Thank you," she said. "For being you." Severus smirked at her, mischief dancing through his eyes.

"I'm not sure I caught that, could you repeat yourself?"

"Thank you for being you," she repeated, knowing full well that wasn't what he was referring to. He resisted the urge to call her a brat, and instead pulled her into the kiss he had wanted originally. They sat there, wrapped up in each other for several more minutes before she finally pulled away, saying that it was long past time for them to be in the Potions classroom. They begrudgingly got up, quickly finished their glasses of wine, and headed to the waiting parents. When they walked in, Andraste found herself sure that half of the school had decided to visit them first. There were at least thirty families waiting to be greeted, and many more in the hall judging by the noise level. Desperate with desire to turn back around and hide under the bed, Andraste took a deep breath and headed towards the first group.

"Andraste, this is Mickeal and Bethany Rourke, they're James' parents." Andraste glanced at they young boy beside them, searching her memory banks for any information that she might have. "Thursday, First Year, Gryffindor, Oh, yes." "It's a pleasure to meet you both," Andraste said without missing a beat. "Severus was telling me just a few days ago that he thought James had a natural talent for potions." The parents beamed at that as people tend to do when someone is complimenting their child. What made Andraste smile, however, was how much that small comment effected the posturing of the boy with them. The fear on his face melted away, and was replaced with something much more akin to pride.

"Thank you so much, Professor Snape. He's told us many times how much he loves potions. Especially now you're teaching as well, Professor Andraste," Bethany said before Andraste had even completed her sentence.

"I'm so glad," Andraste returned, forcing her voice to sound excited. "We truly enjoy having him in our class."

"It must be rather wonderful getting to teach together." The cheerfulness in the woman's voice uncharacteristically making Andraste want to vomit. "Dear God, this is going to be my entire day," she thought to herself, wishing it was over already when they were only talking to the first family. "One down, seven billion to go."

"It is a pleasure. I've learned quite a bit from Professor Snape." Again, Bethany began to talk before Andraste had stopped.

"We're so excited for you both. And you, Severus, it's so nice to see you finally settling down, any thought to kids yet?" she asked, obviously digging for information. Andraste backed off and let Severus answer Mrs. Rourke while she spoke into his mind the same way she had the night they first went flying. "I'm going to shoot her. Would that be alright?" Andraste was impressed at the lack of reaction to her words; her only sign that he had even heard her was a quick glance he sent in her direction, and a subtle headshake 'yes.' Finally, after what was probably only two or three minutes, but seemed more like an hour to Andraste, Severus managed to draw the conversation to a close for the sake of the many parents waiting to talk to them. As they walked towards the next group, he leaned towards her, suggesting that talking through telepathy wasn't fair since he couldn't do it back.

"Life isn't fair," she whispered into his mind at the same time that she gave him an innocent smile. From that point on, Andraste had found a way to entertain herself; by trying to make Severus lose his composure while he was talking to a parent. It was a task that she was failing miserably at, but enjoyed nonetheless. "Forget shooting them," she eventually said. "Can I shoot me?" Hours dragged by as they had the same conversation with different people over and over. Even her sarcastic remarks had gotten monotonous, so she began going against her cardinal rule, and started invading people's privacy. "He's cheating on her," she would tell Severus with mock anger. "This one has a thing for animals, and I don't mean keeping them as pets," she commented about another one. Severus managed to keep his face calm throughout all of her narratives though the looks he was shooting her were no longer amused. When Severus introduced her to another couple, ones that he said he had gone to school with, Andraste had to force down her laughter. "She's in love with you," she whispered into his mind quietly, ignoring the look of disdain that he sent at her. "And so is he." They both lost it at once. Severus started coughing as though he was choking on his own tongue, and his reaction made Andraste break out laughing regardless of her futile attempts to not do so. "If you'll excuse me," Andraste said once she had regained some of her ability to breathe, "I believe I need some water." She returned a few minutes later, much calmer and carrying two cups of tea. She handed one to Severus, who had moved on to a different couple – quickly she suspected – and animatedly joined the conversation they were involved in. After the last incident, she decided to behave herself and gave all of her attention over to what people were saying, once again blocking out their thoughts. After another hour, when they had spoken with the last family, Andraste locked the classroom door and followed Severus back through his office. "You're not mad, are you?" she asked him sweetly, already thinking about how to change that fact if he was.

"That was, without a doubt, one of the most interesting conference days I have ever been a teacher for," he replied, not a trace of anger in his tone.

"You're welcome, darling," she said, checking the time. "It's nearly 7:30. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I am; but I am most certainly not leaving this room. Shall I have food brought up to us?"

"That would be wonderful," she told him, throwing herself down on the couch and pouring another glass of wine. "Could you feed me too? I'm too tired to move."

"No energy?" he questioned, leaning over the couch towards her. "That is a shame."

"That depends. What do you have in mind?" she asked, knowing full well what he had in mind. He crawled over the couch, kissing her, until his body was stretched out against the length of hers. "You," he whispered, tracing his tongue along the side of her neck. She opened her mouth to reply, but her words were cut short by him pressing his lips to hers again, and kissing her with everything in him. He pulled the hem of her skirt up just enough to slide his hand under, and was tracing up the side of her leg with his fingertips when there was a knock at the door. "Oh, dear God, what now?" he mumbled, laying his head beside hers and growling into the couch pillow before he forced himself up. Andraste had barely adjusted her dress when he opened the door with more energy than was necessary. Ron and Hermione were standing at the door, and Hermione had tears streaming down her face. "Dear God," he thought to himself, "did all teenage girls cry this much?" "What's wrong?" he asked her, trying his best to make his voice considerably more gentle than he felt.

"I don't know, we can't wake him up," she said, obviously trying to stop the tears.

"Where is he?" Andraste questioned, walking up behind Severus. Without waiting for the obvious answer she ordered Ron to find Dumbledore and McGonagall, and set off towards Gryffindor tower; Professor Snape and Hermione close on her heels.

"Do you think he went to find them?" Severus asked as they turned on to the staircase leading out of the dungeon, not feeling it necessary to say who he thought Harry was looking for.

"I'm almost sure of it," Andraste replied, guilt written all over her face. "I knew I should have kept him with us today, but I thought that he could handle it."

"Handle what?" Hermione insisted, not liking that for once she didn't know what was going on. Andi didn't make any moves to suggest that she had even heard the worried girl, so Severus answered for her.

"Handle so many parents being here when he doesn't have any, Miss Granger," he explained. "I suspect that Potter is in the astral realm, looking for his parents." As if in answer to their worst fears, Harry walked through the painting leading from Gryffindor tower just as they reached the top of the last stair case.

"Harry, you're okay!" Hermione shouted as she started to run to him. She was pulled to an abrupt stop by Andraste grabbing her cloak and yanking her back.

"It's not him."

"Of course it's him," she responded, trying to break free of Andraste's hold.

"I can see souls, Hermione; and that is not his soul," Andraste snapped, a little harsher than she had intended. She took a step closer to Severus, speaking quietly enough that only he could hear her.

"I'll try to talk to him. We have to attempt to get him to leave Potters' body peacefully, first. If he's uncooperative, then you'll have to stun him so the body can be restrained, okay?" Severus gave her a nearly imperceptible nod, and she stepped forward as he moved himself so that he was standing between Miss Granger and the thing possessing Harry.

"I'm Andraste," she said, extending a smile to whatever was lurking behind the oddly glowing eyes. "And you are?"

"None of your concern," the entity shot back, its voice deep and threatening.

"I'm afraid you're wrong," Andraste told it, the smile on her face fading and her voice flowing with cold anger. "Now I'm going to ask again. Who are you?"

"Get out of my way, witch; or die."

"I'm sorry Potter," she said to the thing in Harry's body.

"For what?" it sneered at her.

"This," she replied as a small smile momentarily crossed her lips. The being had barely registered what was going on when a flash from Severus' wand threw him against the painting he had just come out of.

"What is going on here?" McGonagall demanded, hitting the top stair behind them just in time to see Professor Snape send Harry flying across the hall. Severus sent her a glare as Hermione rushed to explain. Andraste, however, completely ignored her presence and ran to Harry's side.

"He's out," she said to Severus, levitating him and heading back towards the stairs. "We're taking him back to our room." Andraste half walked – half ran back to the dungeons with the silent figure floating beside her and Snape, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Hermione, and Ron close behind. When they were all in the living room and Harry was lying still on the couch, she turned to Severus; the look of authority in her eyes enough to keep everyone else quiet. "Listen to me very carefully, Severus," she began, knowing full well that everyone was listening very carefully. "You have to go find him, and you have to bring him back."

"He may not want to come, Andi; you know that."

"I do, but you have to find a way to convince him."

"Maybe you should go," Severus suggested, thinking that Harry tended to be more responsive to her.

"I can't. I need to be here to pull this soul out of his body when you return."

"Why can't you do both?" Ron suggested.

"Can either of you control him if he wakes?" Andraste asked, directing the question to Albus and Minerva.

"Physically, yes," Dumbledore assured her. "But soul magic is a gift that only you among us possess."

"Okay," she said with a sigh, thinking over the options, "as long as we both go, you'll be in the spirit world to protect him when we get back, Severus. That way I can return first and pull the other soul out of his body." She paused for a moment before turning to Albus. "What do you want me to do with the soul?"

"That is your decision, Andraste. I trust that you will make the right one."

"Fine." she said, sitting down on the loveseat and motioning for Severus to join her. Without another word to anyone, she closed her eyes and was soon floating above the body that should have held the spirit of Harry Potter. Moments later she was joined by the almost translucent image of Severus Snape.

"How do you want to proceed?" he asked her, looking around the room at the deathly silent figures that filled it.

"Let's just try to center in on him. With any luck he hasn't been moving through time a lot." He nodded and immediately she felt the ethereal mist swirl around her. The room she was in faded and she found herself, still beside Severus, but in the middle of a room she had never seen before. The look on his face had gone slack, and she was sure had it been possible he would have been pale. She glanced around for Harry, finally seeing him curled in the corner of the room. He saw them, she was sure, but he looked at him as though he didn't care if they were there or not, and focused his attention back on the scene in being played out below.

"This is it," Severus whispered. "Get Harry and go back. Now." The tone in his voice made Andraste very tempted to obey without question, but her curiosity was too drawn to the people that Severus and Harry were watching with such rapt attention. Laying on the cold floor was a silent figure that Andraste had no doubt was a much younger Severus, and judging by the similarities she saw between them and Harry, she could only assume the other two were his parents.

"What did you do?" Lily screamed at James, tears streaming down her face as she kneeled beside Severus' body. "He's dead. You killed him!"

"He's not dead. I couldn't be so lucky," James replied, his face twisted in an unpleasant sneer.

"How could you?" she sobbed.

"He shouldn't have touched you," James replied firmly.

"I hugged him, you bloody bastard!" she yelled, barely being able to control herself through the tears. "He's not breathing. You have to go get help!"

"No. I won't go to Azkaban for that deatheater."

"He'll die!" she begged. "You have to get someone."

"No. We have to leave. Someone will find him, they'll never know what happened," James said as he grabbed a hysterical Lily around the waist and apparated away with a loud pop. Andraste watched them leave in shock, unsure of what to do as Severus floated towards his own limp body. Harry also moved towards the body quickly, showing signs of awareness for the first time since they had arrived. She could see the soul in young Severus' body was growing weaker, but she knew he must have survived somehow. She watched as her Severus and Harry hovered less than a meter above the figure. As if led by some invisible force, Harry, without warning, threw himself into the body below him. It convulsed, bowing back as Harry's spirit came out again with enough force that it went several meters before slowing and turning back to where it had been beside the young Severus Snape. A deep ragged breath was pulled into his lungs as Andraste realized what she had just witnessed. Harry leaned down and whispered something to the figure that had barely regained consciousness before turning to Professor Snape. Severus gave him a small nod and they both glided back towards Andraste. "Let's go home," Harry suggested, wondering if it was possible to look as exhausted as he felt. Andi quickly told him what to expect when they returned and exactly what they had to do; and when she was sure he understood they let the mist overtake them again until they were floating above their own bodies once more.

Andi's eyes were the first to open, and she heard the other four occupants of the room breathe slight sighs of relief. "We have him. Now I need everyone to stay still and quiet, no matter what. Okay?" They nodded to her, and her body started to glow an odd, pulsating shade of violet as she began to chant. "Excito spiritus, Excito animus, Excito Navitas, Prodo ipsemet, Vobis appello. Prodo ipsemet responsum." She repeated her chant twice before Harry's body shook violently, and then laid still. Mentally she forced away the spirit she had pulled out of him, and Harry's real spirit immediately took its place. Harry opened his eyes, and moments later Professor Snape opened his.

"Oh Harry, you're okay!" Hermione said as she rushed to his side. Harry gave Hermione a weak smile, but his eyes never left Professor Snape. Dumbledore, sensing their obvious need for privacy, spoke up quietly but firmly.

"Now that everyone has returned safely, I believe that we are all in need of supper. Ron and Hermione, if you would like to go ahead, I am sure that Harry will be along shortly." Andraste gave him a grateful smile as he led the students and Professor McGonagall out of the room. As soon as they were gone, Severus stood up and walked to the fireplace, staring into the flames that danced in front of him.

"I suppose that I owe you an explanation, Potter."

"No you don't, Sir. I saw everything that happened. He attacked you when your back was turned. My father attacked you...like a coward...and then left you to die," Harry said, disgusted, as if calling James his father was a trial of his tolerance.

"I don't know how much you saw, Harry, but you need to understand there was nothing going on between Lily and me. She was my friend. My only friend."

"I have to go think," Harry said. "But I'm sorry. And I hope you know I'm nothing like that man." Without waiting for a reply, Harry stood up and walked out to the short hall that the others had disappeared through. Andraste waited quietly for Severus to say something, and after several minutes had passed, he finally did.

"That was the last time I saw Lily; it was less than a month before Voldemort killed her." He drew in a deep breath, and Andraste could sense the pain pouring off of him even though he was turned away from her. "I never knew that James was there, I..." he paused again, trying to collect himself. "...I thought that Lily was the one that attacked me. She came there to confront me about being a deatheater. When I told her that I was spying for Dumbledore she hugged me, and then I woke up and she was gone. I knew I almost died, I knew that somehow her son had saved me; but all this time I thought that she was the one that tried to kill me." He pulled in another ragged breath, and his face was paler than she had ever seen it. "I trusted her. When she betrayed me...when I thought she betrayed me...I stopped trusting everyone...until you...I hated Harry for saving me... all this time I thought that if he hated me too that everything would change, that he'd never go back and save me." Severus fell silent, still staring into the raging fire that somehow seemed to burn brighter with the emotion that was surging off of him.

"What did he say to you?" she eventually asked him. He turned around and stared at her, the look on his face close to shock.

"Thank you."

"He said thank you?" she asked, not sure if she had heard him correctly.

"No. He said 'don't forget to thank her.' I've spent ages wondering what that meant. He meant you. So, thank you."

"For what?"

"Saving my life 14 years ago."

"I didn't save you, he did."

"If you hadn't wanted to teach him about astral projection, he wouldn't have been there to save me." He paused a moment, smiling gently at her. "And ever since I met you, I'm actually glad he did," he said, walking over to her and pulling her up into his arms. "So, thank you, and I love you." She started to say I love you too, but her words were cut short by him kissing her with every ounce of emotion he had building up inside him. The sheer need to be together overcame them both with such intense urgency that soon they were laying naked on the soft rug in front of the fireplace, wrapped up only in each other.