AN: Sorry it's been so long! Things are still chaotic, but they're calming down. Hopefully updates will be more regular soon, but no promises.

Thank you for sticking with me! I deeply appreciate it!

Severus hated the idea of seeing Potter again.

Granted, Potter and Hermione were too close to each other to keep Severus' visits a secret for the rest of her life. Potter would not cease asking questions, and it was becoming clear that Hermione was torn about keeping such a secret from her best friend. The longer they waited, the more likely she was to blurt it out in an environment where things had the potential to spiral out of control. No, it was better to tell Potter now in the safety of Hermione's home than to wait until she could no longer hold it in, or worse, Luna took matters into her own hands and told her husband about Severus.

"Luna will smooth things over if they get too out of control." Hermione poured peppermint tea into a black tea cup.

"How certain are you of that?" Severus leaned against the kitchen table.

"That's the one thing I'm actually certain of."

"I mean no offense, but Luna has always been a bit," Severus twisted his lower lip. "Dreamy. She isn't exactly one to explain things logically."

"Under most circumstances I would agree, but she can do this. After all, she knows everything about magical creatures, and has known about you this entire time."

"You told Luna about us?" He raised an eyebrow.

"She actually figured it out herself she I first asked her what I should do about your visits. I never said your name, but she knew." She poured tea into two other tea cups.

Perhaps Severus hadn't given Mrs. Potter enough credit. Just another person he'd underestimated...

"That's why she helped me get ready for you when we had our first time fusing," She continued.

"I'll have to remember to thank her once all is said and done," he muttered.

"You will." She picked up the silver tray underneath the tea cups. "In the meantime though, we need her as an ally with Harry."

"Indeed." The lack of enthusiasm in Severus' voice was unmistakable.

She frowned.

"Don't look at me that way. You knew this was going to be difficult for me."

"I know but," she took a deep breath. "Can you at least try to create a loving presence for Harry?"

"I am tolerating him. Is that not enough."

"Normally I'd say yes," she strolled into the living room. "But he needs to feel you the way Draco felt you."

"I have no idea how Draco sensed me though." Severus floated behind her.

She set the tray onto the coffee table.

"I was ecstatic to see him again, and I was filled with love for him. Yet," Severus' glow dimmed. "I do not know how he sensed me."

"Perhaps if you try to at least have some affection for Harry he'll believe you're here."

"That is going to be difficult, and you know it."

"I know." She sighed and shook her head.

"But for you," he place a hand on her shoulder. "I will try anything for you, even if it means trying to feel affection for Potter."

"Thank you." A smile crept across his face.

"Do not thank me yet. You owe me for being kind to Potter," Severus warned with a gleam in his eye.

"Owe you what?"

"I don't know." His glow brightened. "I will think of some form of repayment eventually."

"I suppose you do have all of eternity to think of some way I could repay you." Her eyes danced in mischief.

"That is a long time to think of something. Surely I can think of something before the end of time."

"I hope you think of it sooner rather than later. Forever is a long time to keep me in suspense."

"Perhaps that is how I will force you to repay me," he teased. "I will watch you squirm so much that you'll wish I'd just tell you what I have planned."

"You could go to hell for devising a plan so diabolical." She purred.

"As long as you were with me, I'd be quite at peace with my fate."

"You deserve heaven though."

"I only care about heaven if you are there with me."

"Then I'll help you get there. I would prefer not to burn in flames or freeze in ice." She pressed herself against him.

"I'll be good then," He stroked her hair.

"That shouldn't be hard, given that you're always good." She touched his cheek.

"Hermione," he groaned as his glow intensified. "Don't tempt me to fuse with you right before they come."

"If we did would they see you as they came in?" Her lips touched his glow. "If so that might make explaining your presence a bit easier."

"Knowing my luck they would not see me. Instead they would see you writhing around and believe you had ingested one too many hallucinogenic potions. It would not help that you would more than likely be in a state of undress."

"Ooh," she blushed and backed away. "Looking like a madwoman may defeat our purposes."

"Sadly it would." Severus' lips curled up. "Although if you are still in the mood after he leaves I am amenable to staying a few more hours and slipping out of my robe."

"Sounds like a plan." She touched his hand.

The fireplace erupted.

"Right on cue," the spirit grumbled.

"Here goes nothing." She exhaled before forcing herself to smile. Then she strolled over to the fireplace.

As she greeted the Potters, Severus couldn't help but notice she was dressed in black pants and a black shirt. He wondered if she had grown a fondness for the color on her own, or if fusing with him was causing her to take on some of his traits. If it was the latter, he wondered if he would begin to mimic her. So far he felt as if he was still himself. From what he could tell he appeared the same. He would need to speak with Dismas if his hair became bushy though.

A soft cry interrupted his thoughts.

He returned his attention to the scene before him. Luna held a blue baby carrier in her right hand. Underneath a pile of yellow blankets was a baby's face.

Severus approached the child. He appeared to be identical to his father, save the dreamy look in his silvery blue eyes. Interesting that he didn't inherit Lily's eyes. Perhaps it was the fate of the Potter's to inherit their mother's eyes…

The child grew quiet and stared at Severus. His eyes darted about, as if trying to determine the source of the energy change in the room. He whined before turning to his mother.

"Do you sense something?" Luna glanced down at her son.

The child hiccuped before wiggling his arms free of the blankets. He extended his hands towards Severus. Still seeing nothing, he began flailing his limbs about, as if he was pleading for Severus to touch him, or give some indication of his existence.

The spirit's glow brightened as he gave him a genuine grin. Regardless of his feelings towards Potter, he couldn't hate this child. He was so innocent, and so sensitive. Unlike James he would grow to be a fine young man, and unlike Potter he would be perceptive.

"What do you see?" Potter cooed at his son.

Luna locked eyes with Hermione.

"I think we need to sit down," Hermione began.

Severus gave the child a small wave as Luna took his to the couch. The further he was from Severus, the redder his face became. Severus couldn't help but chuckle. It had been decades since a child had been this eager to see him.

Potter sat beside Luna before looking at both the women. "Is there some kind of secret I should know?"

"Secret?" Luna took James from the carrier and began to pat his back.

"It's just you two are looking at each other like there's some kind of conspiracy. What's going on?"

"There's something I need to tell you," Hermione began.

Luna relaxed. She would not need to pressure Hermione to tell her secret.

"I needed to talk to you about my lover."

"Oh?" Harry's eyes sparked in interest. "Have you finally convinced him to meet me?"

"I have."

Severus' glow dimmed.

"The problem is he's a bit, uh, invisible."

"Invisible?" Harry picked up his tea cup.

"Yes," Hermione took a sip of tea.

"Did he cast a spell upon himself or something?" He asked. "If so I can help make him visible, or find someone who can."

"No, he isn't under a spell," Someone who had not been Hermione's lover would not have noticed her shaking. Severus was not such a person. He drew closer to her. "He's dead."

"Dead?" Harry looked at her as if she was speaking Yoruba.

"Yes," She set her tea cup down. "It's a very long story, but the gist of it is this individual died during the war and went to Purgatory."

"Where's that?"

"It means he's a saved soul but can't get into heaven yet," Luna offered.

James settled himself, though from his expression it was clear he hadn't quite given up on finding the strange presence.

"Okay," Harry drawled. "So why is he on earth?"

"He needs to accomplish a mission before he can go to heaven."

Severus' glow flickered.

"His mission was to help me," her voice was stronger.

"How?"

"He helped me find the cure for my father, and then he taught me what a healthy relationship is. His goal was to help me find eudaimonia, and he's done that and more."

"What's eudaemonia?"

"It's complicated, but in short, it's an overall sense of well-being."

"That's great I suppose," Harry drawled. "Who is this lucky spirit?"

"Severus Snape."