SEQUEL of A wise man once said

Getting very little in the way of reviews...I don't know if you people hate this or like it...it's unsettling but oh well...and to those of you who are in fact reading this and are curious about some of the other stories that I started posting, I will finish them in time no worries. Happy reading!

warnings;

HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP

BLOOD, GORE (NOT TOO MUCH)

ANGST

SOME RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINTS (NOT NECESSARILY MINE, AND NOT MEANT TO CONVINCE ANYONE OF ANYTHING)

right, I think that about covers it, love you all!

Mistress Slytherin

-4-

"This must be some sick twisted form of punishment." Snape said wryly as they stepped in the front door. The cottage was as he'd expected quite a bit larger on the inside then on the outside.

"No, the punishment came in having to go through his wardrobe." Harry said as he set their bags down. Albus had left this place to him should he ever take up the mantle of headmaster, it had been a bit of clever wording in the will but Harry had been steadily receiving this or that from the man years after his death. Dark eyes caught his and raked his form which was still dressed in dress robes from the party.

"At least you didn't inherit his taste in clothing." The man said though there was a hint of fire in his eyes that made Harry's heart stop in his chest. "Though from what Draco wrote you apparently gained a bit of his personality." Snape said turning away abruptly.

"Spying on me Severus?" Harry said feeling mildly flattered.

"Always Potter I had to make sure you didn't get into trouble didn't I? Though I hear Charlie did admirably well." He said with a slight sneer. Harry crept up behind the man who was gazing at one of the many book cases.

"Jealous?" He breathed wrapping his arms around the man. Severus' breath caught and a hand reached up cupping his cheek where he rested it against his shoulder.

"Gods yes." The man admitted. Harry felt his heart stop in his chest at the longing that he could hear in the man's voice.

"FAAAATHER!" Snape jumped and Harry let out a grunt as a blur rushed out from no where and collided into him.

"Celia you can't-!" Mike came in after her his expression uncertain and his ears burning.

"I can and I will!" Celia said from where she was wound around Harry's middle. "Daddy, father Mike and I would like you to tuck us into bed and read us a story!" She said with a determined nod. Harry blinked down at her in shock.

Daddy?

"Michael what is the meaning of this?" Snape said though his cheeks were flushed.

Daddy….

Mike winced and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry sir she's got this idea in her head that since we're taking a nap and all well sir-"

Daddy.

Harry felt a grin spread across his lips. Really she was a bit old to be swung up into his arms and treated like a child but he knew better than most what this all was and what it meant to Celia and Mike.

"What story should we read then?" He said perching her on his hip.

"Harry!" Severus said his eyes wide.

"Oh hush you." Harry said smirking. "I've never been a daddy before." He said tweaking Celia's nose and reaching out his hand for Michael who was staring up at him in shock and awe and hope. His hand shook as it slipped into Harry's and Harry gave it a firm squeeze.

Severus took one look at the love in Harry's eyes and all his protests fell away before they could reach his lips. Something warm settled in his chest as he watched Harry walk away holding Michael's hand and cradling Celia against him. It made forbidden thoughts resurface, thoughts of family, hopes that he'd let die a very long time ago. Still, he mused, if anyone was capable of the impossible it would be Harry Potter.

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"I just can't believe it; I mean this is Longbottom we're talking about!" Blaise said shaking his head. It was odd how things turned out, there would be no Order of the Phoenix this time, no, the group they had was a mix of people Harry and Severus knew could be trusted- people that were trained fighters' killers and politicians.

"I still haven't figured out his agenda, what is it exactly that he wants?" Harry said ignoring the outburst as he looked through the gathered info. "With most dark lords its blood purity or returning to the old ways and rituals with Nev, there is none of that." Harry said staring down at the table.

"You're right, there isn't, he's just having his men kill at random. Mac from upstairs says that he's gathering people, creating an army of sorts." Terry Boot said with a slight frown. "Justin says he's been killing old people, just sends his men in and has them murdered, what kind of twisted fuck does that?" He said with a sneer.

"The kind that hated his gran." Harry said bleakly. "What is this then? Why take over the wizarding world and kill the old people?" He said shaking his head.

"Dumbledore was a major player in the war Harry." Severus noted from where he was sitting. His gaze was dark. "There is no political agenda…" He muttered frowning.

"Then why take over the ministry?" Harry asked curiously.

"To show that he can." Severus said softly. "This is more than a dark lord Harry, more and less, this is a man who's been the underdog for all his life, this is someone who is thirsty to prove himself." His eyes darting up to catch Harry's as the same though crossed both their minds.

"This is a man that couldn't have done it by himself." Harry breathed.

"God no, you mean there's someone else?" George said his face torn.

"He wouldn't be lashing out at the elderly if he was the one behind this- it's just like Ginny, someone's given him the means to do this and he resents that he's paranoid, lashing out his outlet are the aged, anyone who reminds him of his gran, anyone who reminds him that he is a failure and can't do this by himself." Harry said calmly. "He isn't a dark lord, he's a serial killer." He said grimly.

"So what do we do?" Bulstrode asked her mouth drawn into a tight line.

"We keep in mind that he's not our real target, we make him tell us who the real dark lord is." Severus said coolly.

"And how do we do that?" George said frowning.

"Charles Dickens." Harry said smirking. "A Christmas Carol."

"What?"

"We show him the past, the present and the future." Severus said in understanding.

"We invite him to tea." Harry said with a nod. "Right, keep our information pool deep, find out anything you can without endangering yourselves. Do what you can to keep the elderly safe, George could you pay a visit to Minerva and give her a fair warning?" Harry asked as the others began to slip out of the room at the dismissal.

"What? And imply that she's old? Are you nutters?" George said snorting.

"It would be too suspicious if I went." Harry smirked.

"You know between you and me I think Professor McGonagall is more dangerous than Neville ever could be." George said his lips twitching just faintly at the corners.

"Between you and me I happen to agree." Harry said with a wink.

"Alright I'll go, but you'll be the one to warn mum and dad." George said mildly.

"Molly Weasley old? Never!" Harry said smirking. George snorted and pat him on the back. "Just do it little brother." He said rubbing Harry's head before slipping out of the room with the others.

"I get the feeling that I should stop you from doing something that will potentially get you killed." Severus said dryly once they were alone again.

"But you won't?" Harry said amused as he gathered up the pile of notes from the meeting.

"Of course not." Severus said mildly. I know you'll be careful this time." He said smirking. Harry crossed his arms in amusement.

"Oh?" He asked curiously. Severus had been a bit shy the last few days, preferring to sleep in a separate room though he always found Harry at some point in the night. Yet now here he was scooting closer to him his gaze glittering and curious. "How do you know that?" Harry asked reaching up and brushing his fingers across a sharp cheek bone.

"One word Potter." Severus said pulling away a coy look on his face that made Harry's heart stop.

"Oh?" Harry breathed. "What word?" He asked reminding himself that he really should get back to the paperwork he'd just been handed.

"Daddy." Severus said smirking as he slipped out of the room. Harry felt his heart stutter to a stop as the word echoed through his entire being.

Damn it all but Snape was right.

It hit him hard.

He had a family again.

"Damn you Severus." He breathed feeling his chest squeeze and ache. Snape was right, there was nothing in this world that would make him risk leaving Michael and Celia alone the way he'd been left when his parent's died. There was nothing in this world that would let him let Neville win either, not when it meant his children's future.

And Snape knew it.

He sank into his chair and listened to the sound of laughter as it echoed through his mind.

Damn.

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It was a nice afternoon, there was a slight breeze in the air but it was warm enough that a sweater was all Harry needed. The club was one Harry only ever frequented for meetings such as this one. As far as he was concerned politics had no place in Hogwarts and war certainly needed to stay very, very far from home.

"Harry." Neville said sliding into the seat across from him. Harry shifted his cane so that it was in his other hand before reaching across to shake Neville's hand. He didn't really need it any more he'd found. Most of the pain was mental and the rest of it manageable. "You seem content." Neville said pouring his tea.

"That's because I am content." Harry said taking a sip of his own tea. "I love this place, this little garden is so peaceful- I think more tea houses aught to have gardens." He said watching as a cat stalked a butterfly near the rose bushes.

"So you didn't just pick it for me then?" Neville said wryly as he took a sip. Harry glanced at him and snorted.

"These aren't exactly the sort of plants you work with are they?" Harry said amused.

"Why did you call me for tea then?" Neville said coolly. Harry glanced at him with a frown.

"Nev, we meet for tea at least once a month, we have since the war was over." He said snorting. Neville stared at him for a moment.

"Yeah we meet- with the others; I gathered that this was a private sort of meeting." He said frowning. Harry smiled wryly.

"Well most of us have drifted haven't we? It's funny, I was so busy trying to save the world that I hardly noticed how many times I was the one to have to turn you guys down." He said sighing. "Luna's off looking up some creature, she sends her love." Harry said lifting his tea and taking a sip. "George…well it's always been hard for him to join us hasn't it? Most everyone from his year died, and there was Fred too- I miss Fred." Harry said setting his cup to the side.

"And Ron." Neville said a note of sadness in his voice.

"Yes." Harry said his voice strangled. "And Ron." He said softly.

"It still hurts then?" Neville said quietly. Harry smiled thinly.

"They all hurt Neville, every single one of them." He said mildly. "I went to their graves earlier, the grass is grown and their markers are starting to look old- I hired a man to polish them for me. It's funny how when we get older our memories only seem to sharpen it seems like just yesterday we were in the common room playing exploding snap. We were just kids- sometimes I visit the Gryffindor common room and I can almost see them." He had to stop his chest was tight and his eyes damp. Neville was the same though and Harry suddenly found it hard to believe that he was capable of being a dark lord.

"Remember first year?" Neville said smiling faintly. "You and Ron were going to sneak out and I tried to stop you- heh you stunned me." He said smirking. "Probably a good thing you did though, if I had managed to stop you then you wouldn't have been able to save the school. You lot were always doing that, going off on adventures, saving the day." He said shaking his head. Harry took a sip of his tea and hummed before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small glass sphere. "A rememberall?" Neville said surprised. Harry nodded and stared into the grey swirling smoke.

"I picked it up one day about a year ago." Harry said mildly. "I didn't know why at the time, aside from the memory of wiping that smirk off Draco's face." He snorted. He handed it over to Neville who frowned when it turned red. Harry chuckled. "Looks like you've forgotten something Nev." He said idly. He watched as dawning horror crossed Neville's features.

"Potter!" Harry would never admit that his heart skipped a beat at Severus' appearance. The man looked exactly as he had all those years ago in Potions striding across the garden scowling his old teaching robes billowing out around him.

"Severus I thought you were going to wear the cardigan." Harry pouted though his eyes raked the man's form any way.

"Brat." Severus stated before pecking him on the lips and sliding into the seat beside him. Neville was ashen as he sat across from them. Severus gave him his worst sneer which Harry noted wasn't really fake at all. "Longbottom." The man drawled out. Neville's eyes flashed between them and he looked ready to run.

"Oh do get over it Neville, he's hardly going to attack you." Harry said mildly.

"I thought you were with Charlie." Neville said weakly.

"I was, until I remembered." Harry said evenly.

"You aren't going to attack me?" Neville sounded like a blubbering student again. Good.

"You're hardly worth it Longbottom, a screw up like you won't survive for very long anyway." Severus sneered as he poured himself tea.

"Oh be nice Severus look how beautiful the day is." Harry said snatching the man's hand and brushing a kiss across his knuckles.

"You didn't just spent the last hour and a half trying to explain why there was a dark lord smeared on my parish wall to the muggle authorities, really Longbottom aren't you a bit old to be making messes?" He snapped.

"Really Neville I have to agree the man you picked to be your face to the media was hardly dark lord material, it took me all of two minutes to get rid of him." Harry said sipping his tea. "And I'm a cripple." He sneered. Neville looked on edge now, ready to run, attack, do something.

"I thought you said you weren't going to fight in this war Harry." He said his eyes flickering between them.

"I'm not." Harry said mildly. "I killed that man because he went after my most precious person." Harry said turning his gaze to meet Neville's dead on. "You're hardly a threat; you can turn the Ministry into a police state and do what you like with politics I don't care. But killing elderly people?" He snorted. "That's just pathetic even for you." He said shaking his head. "No, I don't have to fight a war here; it'll turn out just like all those botched potions in school. Without Hermione whispering in your ear back then without your inside help now you don't even qualify as a dark lord in my books. You're just an insidious prick whose forgotten why all of his friends are dead." He said setting down his tea. "You're a disappointment Neville you can't do anything by your self, you just make a mess and expect the rest of us to clean it up." He stood slowly and leaned heavily on his cane for show. "This isn't potions any more Neville, and for once it doesn't have to be Snape or your gran that tells you how big a disappointment you are- it's me. So I'm just going to sit back and wait for it to explode." Harry said grasping Severus' hand.

"You too Professor Snape? No comments from you?!" Neville said his expression enraged. Snape looked down his nose at Neville and sneered.

"Longbottom, I've retired, if you want to blow up cauldrons and generally prove what an idiot you are to the world then go right ahead, I'll hardly take points for something I knew would happen from the day you entered my class. Whatever hope I might have had in your parent's skills showing through you was ruined long ago." He said mildly before turning and wrapping an arm around Harry's waist. "Come on Harry, I have a solicitor coming over in half an hour and I should very much like a proper snog after the morning I've had." Harry smirked; he did love it when Severus got all riled up.

"Finally going to publish some of those essays you've written? Merlin I shouldn't have let you back into the wizarding world, you're going to revolutionize the potions making industry." He said lightly as they wandered away from Neville.

"So how did I do daddy?" Severus said into his ear as they stepped into the main hall of the tea house.

"Wonderfully." Harry said smirking as they headed for the floo. "Between you and I we managed to push every button- that bit about potions was the cake though. Reminding him that-" Harry's voice cut off and his face fell.

"Harry?" Severus said in immediate concern. Harry shook his head but the horrible sinking feeling didn't go away.

"Severus." He said softly his hand coming up to grasp the man leaning on him for support.

"Harry love what is it?" Severus looked panicked his dark eyes searching.

"The pieces just fell into place." Harry said sadly. Severus searched his gaze.

"And?" He demanded.

"Let's go home Sev, I want to go home." Harry said turning his face away. Severus gazed at him for a moment longer before nodding and guiding him through the floo.

"Daddy!" Celia rushed for him the moment he stepped through and Harry caught her up into his arms holding her tightly.

"Harry! Jesus!" George cried out as a sob scraped through him and escaped past his lips as he held his little girl in his arms.

"Daddy?" Celia said petting his hair gently as he cried.

"Harry!" Severus said in shock as he stepped through the floo.

"Father why is daddy crying?" Celia asked her eyes wide as she clung to him. Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and carefully guided him to the couch.

"I don't know Celia." Severus said pulling Michael into his side when the boy edged towards them in concern.

"Sev." Harry said swallowing loudly. "Who knew me the best in Hogwarts? Who did we know that was close to me that had above average intelligence? Who was Ginny's best friend? Who helped Neville in nearly every class-?" He broke down again as Severus' face turned chalk white.

"My god." George said softly.

"Hermione Granger." Severus breathed.