Apologies I haven't updated in a while, school is a bitch.
Harry sat in the living room of Grimmauld, reading the Daily Prophet while sitting on the worn out couch, Hermione and Ron sitting beside him and Ginny at his feet. They all seemed to be minding their own business, Harry frowning as he saw yet another article accusing him of being a liar.
Rushed footsteps made them all look up and Celosia ran in, out of breath. "Sorry, I dozed off there!" She exclaimed, pulling her cloak on. "I'll be back before you know it." She grinned and without another word she grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, stepping into the fireplace and disappearing in green flames.
"I thought she was going to take a shower?" Hermione noted.
"She came to breakfast fully dressed and clean already." Ron explained. "I told you, she was with Snape!"
"Ron!" Harry exclaimed and the boy was silent. They went back to the comfortable silence before Severus strode into the room, looking at each of them with his usual expressionless face. His eyes passed over them individually and slowly, as if slowly judging them harshly in his mind.
"Where's Lupin?" He asked slowly.
Harry wanted to bite back a remark saying he obviously wasn't here but decided against it. "Somewhere with Sirius and Tonks, sir." He shrugged and Severus frowned.
His black eyes looked over Ginny, Hermione and Ron, who were all staring at him with curious and surprised glances. "Keep looking at me like that and I'll dock points once term begins."
Ron and Hermione merely looked at each other, Harry rolling his eyes as Ginny went back to her book. Severus' brows furrowed at Harry's action but he quickly brushed it off. "Where is your aunt, Potter?"
"Already left for Diagon Alley." Harry answered and returned his attention to the newspaper in his hands, Severus watching him turn the pages. The other three seemed tense and refused to look at him. Brushing this aside, Severus grabbed some Floo Powder, quickly disappearing with the green flames.
Once he was gone they all let out a sigh, Harry the exception as he merely flipped through the pages again.
A few hours later Celosia and Severus Flooed back to the house, bags in each of their hands. Severus took them all upstairs, Celosia walking into Harry's room with a hanger in her hands. "Knock, knock."
The Golden Trio looked up at him and she walked in, smiling. "Look what I got you."
Harry stood, Celosia handing him the hanger. "Thought you would need something new and proper to wear at the hearing tomorrow."
"You didn't have to do this." Harry insisted. "I was going to borrow one from Ron, you already made me buy dress robes."
"Well it's good to have something like this handy in your closet." Celosia smiled. "If you feel bad about using my money, don't, okay? I want to spend it on you."
"I have my own."
"Which you need to use for better things." She said sternly and Harry sighed. "Make sure you let me take a good look at you wearing that before you leave tomorrow morning."
"Right." Harry nodded, looking down at the clothes in his hands.
"I'd love to see you try it on now but I need to help Severus with the Wolfsbane."
Harry looked up at her, and caught a flash in her eyes. "Hey, Aunt Celly?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you…" Harry hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Well, it's hard to really…are…what's the relationship between you and Professor Snape?"
Celosia turned to him, sighing inwardly. No surprise the boy would find out. They were a bit obvious this morning, but at the time neither of them cared. They had their mind set on one thing alone.
Hermione and Ron paid more attention to their conversation. "Harry, Severus and I are best friends, you know that."
"Yeah, but are you…closer?" Harry asked. "Like dating?"
Celosia giggled, smiling. "We're nothing more than friends. We've been friends for so long, if Severus and I started dating no doubt it would feel awkward."
"Even best friends start to date." He said and Ron looked at Hermione from the corner of his eye.
"Severus is my friend, ok love?" Celosia smiled and ruffled his hair, leaving the room before he could say anything more.
Closing the door behind her, Celosia sighed, walking to her room and changing, knowing she had to go assist Severus in a few minutes. She hadn't lied to the boy at all- Severus was her friend, nothing more or less. He was just a friend…with benefits. Lovely benefits. Amazing benefits. And experience. So much experience.
A small smile crept onto Celosia's lips and she sighed, slipping her cloak off. She wouldn't mind if she was known as Severus Snape's girlfriend. It was something she had wanted for a while, ever since they were in school. Of course she loved Andre but Severus was someone she knew all her life. She also knew her deceased husband would want her to move on and be happy with her life. Start anew.
But harsh reality just had to come and ruin everything. With Voldemort's rise to power and Severus being his right hand man, everything had to go smoothly. He couldn't have a distraction and Severus knew himself that if he made his relationship to Celosia known, there was a risk of her being in danger. He couldn't afford to get her killed just for his own personal gain.
Celosia only hoped that Dumbledore and Severus' plan would go perfectly, and that the Dark Lord would be vanquished, Harry Potter would remain the Boy Who Lived and Celosia Memosa Evans-Dilaurentis could have Severus Tobias Snape all to herself.
The entire Order was right about Harry winning the trial, and soon he was sitting in the familiar desks at Hogwarts, feeling like he was finally at home. Everything seemed right again for him, besides the fact that many other students believed he was a liar and that Dolores Umbridge, new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, was breathing down everyone's neck.
The woman was absolutely sickening and Harry had written to both Sirius and Celosia about how horrid she was. Celosia had the displeasure of unofficially meeting her during her visits to the Ministry and had a deep loathing for the woman. She had written to Harry saying that she hoped she could have been there to tell her off for her unnecessary rules. Umbridge had gone so far that Harry decided to make his own class behind her back to teach everyone how to defend themselves.
Harry missed seeing Celosia's presence in the castle and wished she could have stayed often. He learned over the summer that she was in the Order of the Phoenix, appointed to help security around the castle during the tournament last year. It didn't completely work out, seeing as Harry almost died at the hands of a newly resurrected Voldemort. He still had some nightmares about Cedric's body flying in the air after being hit with a green light, his lifeless eyes looking back at Harry.
Celosia was working around her garden back at home on Spinner's End. The Order had fallen apart slightly because of Umbridge ruling around and Fudge being a complete dolt. The Order members that had other paying jobs at the Ministry remained doing their duty, the rest staying at Grimmauld. Celosia had decided to go back home, often taking glances at Severus' house from out her window. She knew he never left the castle at Christmas and it made her sad to think so.
A tapping at the window had caught her attention in the middle of the year and she opened her window, Fawkes flying in circles around the room before dropping a letter at her feet. Celosia moved to her pantry, taking out a few crackers before Fawkes nipped at her finger. "Ow!" She retreated her hand, slamming the box of treats on her counter. "Fine, don't eat."
She picked up the letter on the floor and opened it, Fawkes resting on the counter and rubbing his head against her arm in apology. Celosia's eyes widened at Dumbledore's letter. Included was a small quill and Celosia grabbed her wand, summoning her cloak and slipping it on as she took hold of the writing instrument, Fawkes and her being pulled in a tight spiral.
Harry watched as Dumbledore spoke to the paintings, ignoring him whenever he tried to say something. His head started to pound and he felt a sharp pain in his scar, flinching to make it go away before he lost it. "Look at me!" He yelled and Dumbledore stopped, looking towards him.
Everyone was silent in the room and Severus heard from his place outside. He stepped through the doorway and Dumbledore looked up at him. "Ah, Severus."
"You called for me, Headmaster?" He asked, looking at the sweating boy who looked down at his feet, panting.
"Yes, I'm afraid it cannot wait until morning." Dumbledore said. "However we will wait until Celosia arrives."
"She'll be here?" Harry immediately looked up and Severus had a look of surprise on his face as well. He hadn't heard from her for the entire school year, not like he expected to. She was busy with her duties and so was he; it wasn't like they were in a relationship or anything.
However that didn't get in the way of the fact that he missed her. Immensely.
A figure appeared in the middle of the room, dropping to the ground. Celosia landed on her feet skillfully, holding her arms out to steady herself. Fawkes soared back to his post and Celosia looked up, brown hair matted against her face. She immediately whipped around to look at Harry, and without a second to spare she strode over to him, taking him into her arms.
"Oh Merlin, Harry." She muttered, hugging the boy tightly. She didn't even care that he was sweating from head to toe or that his breathing was unsteady, she just needed to feel him safe in her arms and know that he had someone there for him.
Severus frowned, staring at the two. Harry was always Celosia's first priority and he felt an even stronger hatred towards the boy. Was he going to take her away from Severus as well? She hadn't even glanced at him, and he was facing her right at that moment.
Celosia pulled away, brushing Harry's wet bangs from his forehead. "Celosia, what's happening to me?" He asked desperately and Celosia stared, knowing he had recurring dreams like the one that night.
"Don't worry love; we're going to get you through this." She assured, kissing his forehead, avoiding his scar. She immediately wiped her mouth. "You're sweating a lot."
"I found it fit that Severus teach him." Dumbledore spoke up and Celosia turned to look at the old man, turning again to look at Severus. Her eyes rested on his and she took a step towards him.
"Teach him what you're an expert at?" She asked, being careful not to say directly with the Weasley children in the room as well.
"Exactly." Severus said and Celosia almost fell over. She missed the sound of his voice.
"Go now, we can't afford to wait." Dumbledore said and Severus nodded, taking Harry's arm.
"Wait!" The boy exclaimed and looked at Celosia. "Will you come with me?"
"I don't think that will be necessary, Potter-" Severus intruded.
"Please?" He begged and Celosia looked at her nephew, then at Severus with a pleading look in her eyes.
"Just this once." The man sneered and Celosia nodded, bowing her head in thanks at Dumbledore and following the two out. Severus kept his grip on Harry's arm, dragging the boy with him all the way to the dungeons, which was a long walk.
Harry looked at Celosia, who was dressed in heels and a short red dress, her cloak thrown over her shoulders. "What were you doing at such an hour?"
She smiled. "I just got home from a wizarding bar twenty minutes before Albus sent me Fawkes with the Portkey."
"Oh." Harry nodded and Severus felt his nerves bubble. Was she with another man? "With friends?"
"Just Tonks." She answered and Severus felt more at ease. "Anyways, how often have these dreams occurred?"
"More than once." Harry answered, Severus listening intently as they went down a spiral staircase. "At least three times, maybe more."
"In a row?" Celosia asked.
"No, in between normal dreams, when I least expect them to come up."
Severus let go of Harry's arm, opening the door to his office and stepping in, Celosia and Harry following after him. Celosia sat on Severus' desk as he started to tell Harry about Occlumency. Celosia herself was skilled at Legilimency but not as good as Severus was. Hell, Harry might even be better than her.
Severus had attempted to get into the boy's mind, which wasn't hard at all. It was his first try; he wasn't surprised if he wouldn't get it. However this fact didn't make Severus give him less of a hard time.
He saw many flashes of Dementors, Sirius, then him and Dudley Dursley standing on a hill, the clouds getting darker. It quickly changed to Hermione jumping into Harry's arms, and then quickly went on to his dream of seeing Arthur Weasley get attacked. Severus was more focused on the next scene. Celosia and Harry were sitting outside during the Yule Ball, the snow drifting softly. "So if Snape and my mum had such a strong friendship…why does he hate me?" Harry asked and Severus himself was surprised the boy strongly believed in that statement. The scene seemed to skip a few seconds and Celosia said "I wish I could tell you Harry, but I can't." The scene quickly went back to flashes of Arthur's attack and more of Sirius and the Order.
Severus pulled out and allowed Harry to go back to bed after giving him a few pointers. Once he left the room he turned to Celosia, who stood up and immediately brought her lips to his. "I missed you." She whispered softly into his ear.