A/N: Well, this is it, the final chapter! Thank you so much to everyone for reading, and to peppernator0817, my beta CommanderValeria, and the rest of the folks over at the Lovers of the Potions Master Facebook group for an excellent writing challenge! I have truly fallen love with this story. Happy reading! :-)

CHAPTER FOUR: THE FUTURE

The next time Fawkes saw Severus, the world had changed.

He sat in front of Albus's desk, his head down and his breathing ragged as he lamented the death of his dear friend Lily Evans Potter. He hadn't had much chance to look at Fawkes without Dumbledore noticing when he'd come in, but the moment she had seen his anguished gaze she had felt as though her soul had been crushed.

She watched as Albus talked Severus through the situation, appealing to his love for Lily. Severus only glanced her way once in the conversation, when this love was brought up. But Fawkes already knew he loved Lily. She had been his closest friend and he had had hopes to win her back to him, if only now to regain their previous relationship. There had been a great deal of history there. But it was not the same kind of love that he had for Fawkes.

It was only when Albus had left the room for a moment that Severus turned more fully to her, walking over to stroke her and press his head against her wing, his tears of loss dissolving into her feathers. "You were right, you know?" his voice was the faintest whisper. "These Death Eater goals... they can only lead us to ruin. How could I be so blind?"

Cooing gently, she rubbed her head against his, offering him as much comfort as she could give in this form, and he quickly pulled himself together again, kissing the top of her head in thanks. "I'm sorry I didn't give you the opportunity to visit me sooner," he confessed. "What with the Death Eaters and the Order battling day and night... for no good reason... I couldn't stay in one place very long. I'll be glad to be able to return home for a bit." He managed a small smile. "I'm going to be teaching at Hogwarts now, to watch over Potter when the day comes... We'll have hundreds of opportunities to see each other now..."

They had another moment alone together with Albus out of the room, but this moment was one of sorrow for both of them. So many years had passed, and with them as many moments of joy as they could manage together. But now everything was about to change.

Severus sat next to Fawkes, stroking along her warm red feathers. "If we succeed in killing Albus, which the headmaster has just ordered must happen... the Dark Lord has promised to make me headmaster." He paused, pulling his emotions together before he could utter the next words, of which he already knew the answer. "You won't stay here with me, will you?"

Fawkes's dark eyes filled with phoenix tears as she looked up at him and shook her head 'no'. For a moment Severus wished those tears had the strength to heal the curse on Albus's hand, but they didn't. There were so many things neither Fawkes nor Severus could heal these days. They could only do what they could do.

They were both going to lose the closest mutual friend they had, at Severus's own hand. And Fawkes, as Albus's companion, had no choice but to leave after he passed. It would be what was expected of her, and if she did not do so, people would notice.

And she knew that Severus understood. But he embraced her in his sorrow just the same. It was going to be a lonely year at Hogwarts without her...

Severus had waited until the three students left the Shrieking Shack to take the potions he had with him, the anti-venin putting an end to the pain of Nagini's bite.

It was up to Potter now. He had given him all the information he needed, and now all Severus could do was find somewhere to lay low until – hopefully – the Dark Lord was vanquished.

He cast a disillusionment charm upon himself and crept from the shack. No one would bother to look for his body until the battle was over, and at that point it wouldn't matter either way.

As he crossed the grounds he noticed that the acromantulas had been driven from the forest and were assisting in the battle. It reminded Severus bittersweetly of the old days, of the day his fate had changed. And though Fawkes had gone from the castle a year ago, he still heard her songs in his dreams.

Hagrid, foolishly, seemed to be trying to protect the spiders from the Death Eaters. Severus could not help but roll his eyes at that, but he also appreciated that some spirits could not be broken even with the carnage all around them. The groundskeeper remained himself.

In many ways Severus wanted to help, but his job was done. He sensed that if he lingered or revealed himself, it may change things in a way he did not wish to have them changed. At this point, no one could save their world but Potter. However, none of it would have been possible without the help of many, including Severus himself, and Fawkes.

The Dark Lord and the Death Eaters had captured Hagrid and were towing him off to the Forbidden Forest where, hopefully, Potter would make his way soon.

Perhaps the boy would survive the encounter somehow. Hopefully, Lily understood the situation. She would be there with her son, at least, and she would know what Severus had done for him, and for Albus. That was all the redemption he could ask for from his old friend.

Now... he hoped he could start a new life.

Severus waited by the headmaster's tomb at the Black Lake, as time passed until finally Hagrid carried the body of an apparently deceased Harry Potter back into Hogwarts. Severus held his breath, waited... and then cheers erupted from inside the castle, including cries that indicated Potter was alive. He let out a breath of relief. Lily's son was safe. His mission was complete, and in the way that he had hoped for.

When, some minutes later, a second, even louder round of cheering rang out from the castle Severus took his chance, his heart thundering in his chest as he left his post and headed towards the castle. When he heard the evidence with his own ears, that the Dark Lord had been vanquished, it was all he could do not to cheer himself as he canceled the disillusionment charm that had been concealing him.

But no one noticed his presence in the celebrations and thrill at the Dark Lord's defeat. No one, except the Divination teacher. Firenze met Severus's gaze, smiled, and gave a single nod.

And that was all Severus needed to see.

It didn't matter if the other witches and wizards knew he was alive now or not, only one thing mattered, and that was that it was over. And he knew where to go. The same place from before, the place they had said good-bye, would be the place where they would say hello.

And like a brilliant ray of sun outside of the open, collapsed Hogwarts gates, there she was. Fawkes, in human form, her jet black hair shimmering in the morning sky and her eyes glittering with joy as Severus came to her and gathered her into his arms, spinning them around until they collapsed onto the soft grass, reunited at last.

"Severus." Her lips saying his name was as sweet as it had been the first time they'd met in this form. "Merlin, I missed you so much."

"Fawkes..." He had said her name many times before, over the past twenty years, but her face still lit up to hear it. He stood, helping her stand with him and greeting her again with a kiss. "You stayed nearby. I knew you would."

"I stayed as close as I could," she reached her hands up to caress his face, her eyes still shining with the joy and love they shared. "I knew we'd be all right soon. Oh, Severus, I..." suddenly, she laughed, a bright tinkling sound he had never heard before but which was now vying with his name and her song for the title of sweetest sound in the world. "Look. You're older than I am now. Phoenix's don't really age, you know."

Severus laughed, the sound fresh and welcoming to his ears. Now he would have every opportunity in the world to be happy with Fawkes without concealing himself. He no longer had to hide. They were both free. "I want you to tell me your story." He smiled. "I'd tell you mine, but you've seen all of it."

She smiled back, wrapping her arms around his neck again and kissing him. "But I still want to hear it again and again."