Chapter 21

Lucius' POV

It wasn't until a few months later that I got it. Lachlan had Flooed me from the Snape home. "Lucius, Eva asked me to call. Ginny found Severus dead this morning. Eva though you would want to be here."

My best friend was gone! I admit I broke down before heading to the house in Canada. Lachlan pulled me aside. "Sir, I knew this was coming. Severus knew he was dying, but there was no stopping it." He paused. "It all goes back to when the Dark Lord set the snake on him. The potion he took was only powerful enough to slow things down. He has been dying since that night."

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Shortly after that night Eva allowed me to meet you both, he came to see me for two reasons: he wanted the wedding to happen before he passed, and he was looking for ways to hide it from Ginny. He didn't want to spend his final days with her trying to find a way to keep the inevitable from happening."

I looked coldly at him. If he kept this from Ginny, he also kept it from Evangelina.

"Legally, the second he came to me as a patient, I couldn't tell anyone."

"Until he was gone?" I questioned.

"Yes, sir. I wanted your opinion; do I tell Eva and Ginny?"

I looked at the boy. I could see he was torn and guilt ridden. "Answer this question first; what will telling them do? Will it make it easier for them to deal with his death? Or will it simply relieve you of guilt?"

"I don't like lying to my wife!" he stated.

"You're not; you're respecting your patient's wishes. They're going to find out he knew he was dying and they will put it together that he didn't want to burden them with that knowledge. There's no benefit to you telling them. In fact, it could build distrust to do so. The very news you feel they should know will become known to them anyway. How long did he know for?" I asked.

"As near as I can tell, he knew for years. Possibly ever since he recovered after the final battle. He wasn't very forthcoming on the details."

Ginevra, Evangelina, and Wyatt are focused on making the final arrangements. Marie, who was red-eyed from crying, took over the job of caretaker. Her Italian and Ukranian heritages made her perfectly suited to the role. She was cooking, feeding Lachlan, myself, and her boyfriend, Fred Weasley, who was named after the uncle killed in the battle for Hogwarts.

Evagelina finally came out of the office. She saw me and broke down. "Father!" I could see it pained her to say it. She threw herself into my arms, her whole body shaking with sobs. "My daddy is gone!" she cried.

"I'm sorry," I told her. I continued to hold her until she calmed down. Some time later, I asked, "How is your mother doing?"

"She's broken hearted, but is in planning mode. I had news for all of you." She started crying again.

"What is it?" I asked. She glanced down at her tummy. She was expecting! I smiled. "Have you told your mother?"

"Not yet. He'll never know!" She started crying again.

"He will, and he would have been proud to be a grandpa," I assured her.

When I finally saw Ginevra, she did look heartbroken. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She just wanted to be alone, which we all allowed. Someone let the Muggles know of Severus' passing, so different neighbours stopped by to drop off food and offer their condolences. Marie informed us that this was a Muggle thing to do. Wyatt came over to me at one point. "Harry offered to give the eulogy. Dad would have hated that. Mom and Marie were thinking Lachlan could, but I thought we should ask you if you wanted to."

I was honored to give the final eulogy of my best friend at his service.

"Severus Snape was a deeply private person. Much of that was out of a need to protect himself. I first met him when he started as a student at school. He was exceptionally smart, even back then. Over the years, he and I became very good friends. I knew he would always have my back. He cared for my son as if he was his own son. He and his wife, Ginevra, raised our daughter into a young woman I am very proud of. I lost fifteen years with him, due to Ginevra meaning more to him than myself. I totally understand that. But when I had the chance to become reacquainted with them, I saw a different side of him; that of a father and husband." I smiled at the memory. "There's no other man I would ever have wanted to raise my child. Shockingly, it seemed Ginevra was the parent in charge of discipline. She had learned a lot from her husband. In his years of service, he had an influence on almost every person in this room.

I know he seemed cold-hearted to most of you, but that was all part of his role. He had to be that way, but I am sure everyone learned something from him. I could go on for hours about him, but I will respect the one thing that meant so much to him; his privacy. Severus was not just a friend; he was more like a brother. The world will not be the same place without him, and trust me, you don't know even half of his story."

As I stepped down from the podum, Ginevra stood up. When I got close enough to her, she hugged me. "Thank you," she whispered, and I assisted her in taking her seat. She clung to my arm for the rest of the service. Evageline kept Lachlan close as well. Wyatt was like his father, bottling up his emotions and focusing on his duty as a pallbearer. Draco was also one, along with a few other men.

I was Ginevra's crutch on this day. I stood back as she dropped a red rose onto the coffin after he was lowered into the ground. As everyone dispersed, she remained. I gave her time until Wyatt came over.

"Mom, we need to head to the wake."

"I need to stay until they finish burying him," she explained.

"Mom, they are waiting for us," he urged.

"Wyatt, she needs this. You go ahead. I'll stay with her," I offered.

"How do I explain her not being there?" he asked.

"Everyone will understand her needing some time," I assured him. "I'll bring her when she's ready." He nodded and left. I came back to her. "Ginevra, can they start to cover the coffin?" She nodded. I raised my hand to the men who were waiting, letting them know they can start. As they came over, Ginevra took a seat again and watched as tears silently rolled down her cheeks. I sat next to her and she reached for my hand. Her hands were so cold, I covered the hand holding mine with my other hand. We sat together, not saying a word until the final shovel of dirt had been dropped.

"I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am," the one man offered before walking away.

"Ginevra, are you ready to go?" I whispered.

"Can you give us a minute alone?" she asked.

I nodded and walked away, giving her some space, but I watched her. She was heartbroken. I could tell she was talking to him, saying her goodbyes to him. My heart broke for her. I couldn't imagine how much she was hurting. I noticed this was the first time I had ever seen her dressed all in black. Funny, he started wearing some colour when they were together, and now she was wearing his colour!

She finally turned and came over to me. "Thank you, Lucius. You understand that this time you won't be able to replace him."

I smiled at her. "I know, and I am offended you think I was thinking that. I am your friend, and your friendship means much more to me than sex ever would. Now that he's gone, you're my best friend," I informed her.

Marie let me into the house. I noticed the floor needed a sweep. Stirling came and greeted me. The dog's coat needed brushing. When I got to the kitchen, I expected to see dishes piled high, but there wasn't; there was just a bowl and a spoon turned over on a dish towel on the counter. I walked over to the fridge and opened it. There was a large jug of milk about half full, and assorted sauces and spreads. There was no real food. I stole a look into the pantry. The only thing that looked touched was the boxes of cereal. That explained the bowl and spoon. The house wasn't dirty; it simply hadn't been kept up.

I felt like I had failed Severus. He had asked me to look out for her, yet I didn't see this coming.

I made my way upstairs and stood at their bedroom door, looking in. Ginevra was curled up on the bed in her room with Severus' pillow pulled to her chest. Looking at this, you would think he had died today or a few days back, not months ago. It broke my heart to see her like this. How did we all miss this?

"Ginevra," I called out. I wouldn't enter the room without being invited in. I clearly startled her, for she jumped at the sound of her name.

She glanced over at me. "Lucius?"

"Marie wrote me. You have her worried. Frankly, I understand her concern." She hasn't told me to leave. "Can I come in?"

She shrugged, so I entered the room. As I came closer to the bed, I noticed she was wearing one of his shirts. "How did we all miss this?" I asked. She seemed to be doing well after the funeral. She was doing well at Wyatt's birthday two weeks back.

"I -I didn't want to worry the children." She sat up, still holding the pillow to her. Her lovely hair needed attention as well.

"What's going on, Ginevra?" I tenderly asked.

She wouldn't look at me. "This isn't the first time I have had to grieve him." The tears welled up in her eyes.

I took a seat on the bed, facing her. "He won't want this for you."

Her chest shook with sobs and the tears spilled down her cheeks. "He's really gone this time! I will never see him again. He's not coming back!"

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It hurts that I will never hear his voice again," she wailed.

"Perhaps you need to come back to England and take a break from here?" I suggested.

"NO!" she barked. "Sometimes, for a second, I will forget he's gone. I'll expect him to come in from the lab. In that moment, I have him back. I can't lose that."

"Ginevra, do you recall the myth of the resurrection stone and the second brother? Don't become the second brother," I warned her.

"I thought this would be easier. I heard he was dead after the final battle. All I wanted then was something to remember him by. I have a whole house to remember him by now. Then, in the days after when he ended things, I mourned us. But I got him back! Both times! I can't do that this time."

"You have your memories, and your children, who loved him too. You will never truly lose him because of those," I gently reminded her.

"Lucius, I hate Voldemort! He's been dead for over twenty years and he still stole my husband from me!" She was ugly crying now, and it broke my heart to see my friend hurting like this. I pulled her into an embrace, partly to comfort her and partly to not have to see her in pain. She clung to me like she believed she could draw on my strength. "Lucius, I'm so scared." she then admitted.

"Of what?" I asked into her hair. She has never been scared of anything.

"That when I go, he won't be waiting for me on the other side! What will I do if he's with Lily?" She sounded like a small child.

"I have seen him in love with both of you." I pulled back to look into her eyes and took her hands in mine. "Ginevra, he may have loved her, but you, you are the love of his life! Trust me; I have seen him when he was in love with her and with you. She was a candle in his dark life, but you were the sun in his life."

"You're sure?" She was seeking reassurance."Without a doubt," I replied.

"I don't know how to live without him," she confessed.

"I think it will take time to learn." I held her for some time.

"You, me, and the children are the only people who really knew him. No one else knows how amazing he really was."

"There has been a lot written since his death, but most of it is incorrect. Perhaps you can keep him alive by telling his story," I suggested. I believed she needed a reason to get up each day.

"He was so private."

"That was his pride; he could never admit to weakness. Ginevra, you could tell his story in a way that he would've liked."

"I don't even know all of it," she admitted sadly.

"No, but everyone who knew him knows pieces of his story. The truth is out there. If you choose to write his story, you are nowhere near ready to start. There is a ton of research to be done." I thought I saw a spark in her eyes. I hoped so.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," she claimed. I didn't believe her for a second.

"Interview everyone who knew him. Who fought with him. Every member of the Order. Every living Death Eater."

"I doubt they would be willing to talk to me," she admitted.

"Just you? Your possible right. However, you have me to help. Let's tell his story together."