Chapter 21
Things slowed down for a bit after the press conference. Fudge made to look like an idiot at the press conference, granted Harry's wish for Snape to be his temporary guardian. Not that it did much to sway Harry, but the public lapped it up. So now the wizarding world was waiting for a reply, and Sloan knew it was going to be a long wait.
Cassius worked hard every day with Luna and Sloan learning what he should have learned these past few years within a few months. "Sloan, why am I learning and picking things up so fast? I mean I am moving rapidly through the years, and I know that I am not as smart as you."
"Cass… it has nothing to do with how smart you are. You Are Smart. You just never truly applied yourself in school. School is also geared for students to work at stuff that will safely build up their magic while they are growing. We don't have to worry about that with you. You magic is already to accept the spells that we are teaching you. I on the other hand have been a lay about while at school, and need the review. Don't worry there is nothing abnormal about you."
Cassius gave him a smile, and a letter all three of them went back to their lessons. Severus checked on their study session a number of times, but nothing was breaking the concentration of the group. If he didn't know better he would have thought that they were a bunch of Ravenclaw's or Hermione Granger cloned.
Dinner came, and they finally stopped for the day. Luna was talking to Cassius about all the progress that he has made in the last few weeks, and Sloan was trying to figure out how he could arrange an official first date with Luna.
Severus came into the room with letters that needed their attention. He quickly read the first letter from Dumbledore stating that the arrangements had been made for both Cassius and Sloan to take their exams. Cassius would be taking what was considered the baby N.E.W.T.'s or G.E.C.K.O.'S. (General Examination Checking Knowledge Or Skills). It was similar to the pre-test that muggles took to see what they had to study for their last year of schooling to graduate. Considering Cassius had already attended his sixth year of schooling. They wanted to base his scores on the level he had attained in his learning. Cassius on the other hand would be taking his O.W.L.'s at the same time. They need to present themselves and their wands at the Ministry of Magic Dept. of Magical Education promptly at 8 am sharp 2 days from now (Monday).
Luna being a year behind decided to take the G.E.C.K.O.'S also. It was good prep work, and who knows she might be able to advance a year. It was a time for war and the ministry was known to be more lenient. She left the room to send an owl to Dumbledore making sure he made arrangements for her also. It would be better for Sloan if she could be around him more. Considering the calming affect she had on him.
The rest of the day was spent making a crash study session of all the classes that they would be testing over for the weekend. While Severus was doing that he passed the car keys to Harry. "Return within 3 hours, any longer and I will send the aurors after you."
Sloan grabbed Luna's hand, "Come on. Dad has given me permission for me our first date. So how does a late snack and some maybe we can find a muggle cinema of something of that nature?"
"Really, we are going out? Fantastic, just let me get upstairs and change real quick." She quickly kissed Sloan, and rushed up the stairs to the room that she was currently assigned. Flinging clothes about she wanted the perfect outfit for tonight. Why didn't boys understand that spontaneity was okay as long as a woman was forewarned about a possible outing? It looked like the best outfit for the night he was talking about was jeans and a nice shirt. Ugh she had nothing.
Severus came upstairs to see what was taking Luna so long. She had been up in her room for about fifteen minutes, and Sloan was getting antsy. It being his first date that he actually truly cared about...that thing with Cho Chang last year did not count seeing as he didn't want to be the only one left out of the dating game. Knocking on the door he waited until Luna gave him permission to enter.
"Luna what is the problem. You are giving my son a serious complex. He is now downstairs trying to convince himself that he did not do anything wrong by planning a little break from the house. And let me confide in you that it was very hard for us to plan this. What he was being so blasé about is the fact that he has arranged security for every minute of your date. So there is no possibility of anything happening to you. He is putting up with Order guards and aurors tailing him just because a certain young lady put the suggestion in his head that a real first date would be nice. So get dressed and put the boy out of his misery."
"Professor, I have nothing to wear!"
"Nothing to wear? What is all this mess that you are decorating your room with? I believe that all of this is clothing."
"Yes, but I want something special to wear. Something that will make Sloan take notice and want to stay with me."
"Of all the melodramatic tripe that could come out of your mouth, you are Looney Luna Lovegood, the battiest student in all of Hogwarts. Any boy in their right mind would not want to go out with a semi-senile girl that sees creatures that none have ever heard of. You could wear anything and Sloan would think the moon and stars were shining out of your arse if you told him." Luna's smile stopped his tirade. "I think that you are now in your right mind. I shall leave you to change clothes, and Miss Lovegood if you still can not find the outfit that you are looking for in this display of teenage-ism try that wood thingy that allows your to do magic. I mean as long as you have permission to use it out of school."
With that Severus closed the door, and went down stairs to calm his probably by now hyperventilating son. "Sloan, Luna was putting the finishing touches on her outfit. She should be down within a few minutes. You may want to spell your outfit a little bit nicer. Get ready to be blown away by what a girl can do if you give her enough time to primp. Take my advice next time you are planning a little outing at least giver her a heads up that you will be doing something about an hour in advanced so that they can take their time to primp to their hearts content."
They both heard footsteps on the stairs and turned their attention towards the vision coming down the stairs. Luna laughed at the expressions on both Severus and Sloan's faces. She was thankful for his reminder of her magical status. "I take it this is the right outfit. Sloan shall we go?"
Sloan idiotically nodded his head in agreement, and opened the door to head out. He gave his father a roguish look, and followed Luna out the door. "Luna, I am sorry if the surprise was not what you were looking for, but I worked so hard today to arrange everything since we last took our walk. I hope that I can be forgiven."
"Forgiven? Sloan I find that you went out of your way, and allowing for all the protection is really sweet. Your father had to give me a pep-talk upstairs. I completely went crazy thinking that I had to impress you. Forgetting that we came to the date decision because we became friends first, I am happy to say that this outfit," she swept her hand displaying said outfit, "was inspired because he pointed out that this whole time that we have been spending together I have never changed from my Looney Lovegood persona. This Sloan is to let you know and see another side of me that I have never had the courage to show."
Sloan smiled and took her hand. I know that I was talking about driving us out for a late night snack, but how about another walk. I will by you some ice cream from a little shop I know near here and we can talk some more there are a few questions that I would like to ask you." With that Luna looped her arm with Sloan's and they took off down the street. Remus being on the first shift smiled at the relationship blooming in front of him. Maybe Tonks would like a late night stroll for ice cream.
They were silent for the most part on their way to the ice cream parlor. It was rowdy inside filled with kids and young families from all over the neighborhood. They smiled at the harassed clerk at the counter and made their selections wanting to get out of the rat race quick. After paying Sloan took Luna's hand and Tonks followed. She thought that Sloan had planned for them to stay a bit longer, but as they were leaving she might as well follow.
"So questions?"
"You look beautiful, and you stated tonight that you wanted to show that you could be like the other girls. I guess my question is why? While I do love how beautiful you are in this outfit I like the girl that has the vegetable earrings and has the sight to see things that no others can see."
"That is the reason why I did this tonight. Sloan for so long I have heard how smart my mother was, and how beautiful she was from everyone. When I ask for details even my father is foggy as to why except for those reasons he was with my mother. When people ask why you are with me they will think about and look for something more in me. That's all I want for people will look for something more in me."
"What about you Sloan? How many people do you know would give up the fame of Harry Potter? Why did you welcome your cousin back when I know as children he was one of the people who tortured you the most? Are you really as forgiving as you seem to be?"
"Harry Potter was never me. I was first freak and boy, and then I was the Harry Potter. Not something that I was really prepared for as a child. Being Sloan will give me the freedom to do something that Harry would never get to do. Like date a girl the wizarding world might not find acceptable for their hero. Sloan Snape is an unknown. No one would think about hurting his girlfriend unless they have something against Professor Snape. The security for tonight is for my father's state of mind. He still knows who I am, and the Order and aurors that are watching us tonight are Tonks and Remus. Both are well within our circle of trust.
The issue of Dudley is more or less the fact that I truly have a limited amount of family. He made the decision to befriend me. There was nothing that changed his mind but himself. As a child Dudley did what his parents required of him, but that was the case specifically. He was a child, and it took him a while to grow up, but the fact of the matter is that he did grow up."
"I think that I like Sloan Bishop Snape a whole lot more than I liked Harry James Potter. There is something more about to you now that you are Sloan."
"Well I like a gorgeous blonde that is overlooked by the same people who happen to like Harry Potter." They both let out giggles and smiled as the conversation went towards the test that they had coming up at the ministry. Remus and Tonks took a little of a chance and dropped back so that the happy couple could enjoy their date to the fullest. A little privacy goes a long way if there was to be any snogging, and Sloan and Luna would not feel intruded upon.
Severus finished the schedule for the next two days smiling to himself that his son had found a quality witch. While the world may have looked down on the Ravenclaw there has always been something special about the child. Lily and James we have a son that any parent would be proud of.
I am soo sorry about the long time in between the updates. I am currently working on the next chapter, and will be putting it out as soon as it is ready. With the theft of my writing spiral, surgery, and severe writers block. I have left you hanging far too long. This chapter is not beta'd. It will be as soon as I get it back, but I decided that you have waited long enough. Please read and review. You can be brutal, and I might have covered some stuff again, but the muses are pushing me in this direction. Without my outline I am having a harder time going back and fixing some of the chapters that need fixing so soon I will be putting up a note for you to go back and reread chapters.