The Yule Ball was fast approaching, and Severus was dreading it. Jamie had continued helping him grade papers twice a week and Teddy joined them occasionally, but they'd never spoken of the ball. Not only would Severus have to attend and chaperone the function, but he'd also have to watch Jamie dance with whoever she was going with. As a champion, she was required to have a partner for the opening dance. He really hoped that it would just be someone random. It wasn't like she talked to most of the students anymore. She might take Teddy, which would be adorable. That was the best-case scenario. Teddy or someone totally random that she would never talk to again. He'd briefly entertained the idea of asking her himself but had shaken the thought from his mind quickly.
He made his way to the great hall early and stood stoically while the student filtered in. There was a pit in his stomach that he was sure would develop into a bezoar by the end of the night. The thing hadn't even started yet, and he was already so done with the whole affair.
Once all the students except for the champions were seated, Severus took his own place at the staff table. Ludo Bagman gave a nervous little speech, and then introduced the champions and their partners. Krum was first with Hermione Granger (surprise of the century), then Delacour and Roger Davies (the poor girl), then Diggory and Chang, and right as the anticipation was about to destroy him, Jamie came out with Charlie Weasley. His heart dropped. That was the worst-case scenario! He usually prepared for those, but this time he was taken by surprise. Charlie fucking Weasley.
Jamie looked radiant in a long-sleeved silver gown that was littered with black gems tied together with intricate black lace while the Weasley boy was in all black save for a silver vest. She had tamed her curls and wore her hair in an elegant half-bun. They took their places, and while each couple had a spotlight on them, Severus only had eyes for Jamie. She was truly in a league of her own as she swayed and spun around the dance floor. They danced together smoothly, and his heart continued to drop. How had he not thought of the Weasleys? With the addition of Charlie and Percy, who was apparently filling in for Fudge, there were six of them here at the dance. Three torturous minutes later, the song was over, and the champions took their seats for dinner.
From his elevated seat, he had a perfect view of her. She and Charlie chatted together the whole time. The other champions chimed in occasionally, mostly the Diggory boy since he was on her other side, but it was often just the two of them. How could he compete with someone like Charlie Weasley? The dragon tamer was a far more age-appropriate choice for her, not to mention the difference in their physiques. Where Severus was lean and pale, Charlie was muscled and tan. He and Jamie would make a far more attractive couple than if she were to stand besides Severus. And the Weasley boy was… jolly. He smiled and laughed; he made cheerful conversation with those around them. Severus didn't do things like that. Not in public. Charlie leaned over and whispered something in Jamie's ear. She laughed, and Severus thought he might die.
"Are you quite alright?" Minerva asked him.
"Yes," he replied tersely.
"You're gripping your cutlery a bit tight, don't you think?" Severus looked down and did indeed find his knuckles to be white. He loosened his grip and attempted to focus on the meal. Minerva took a few bites of her own meal before speaking again. "I don't think I've ever seen you like this, Severus."
"I'm sure I don't know what you are referring to," he said. He didn't have to look up to know that she was pursing her lips and looking disappointed at him.
"Please, Severus," she scoffed, and the tone made him look at her in surprise. "You can lie to me, but I hope you aren't lying to yourself as well." She gave him a pointed look but didn't mention it again.
Patrolling the gardens was a great excuse to get away from the image of Jamie in someone else's arms. She'd danced with all of the other champions, plus Granger, the Lovegood girl, and both Weasley twins. Funnily enough, after she danced with the twins, they disappeared, and a string of muggle songs played. He knew it was them, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to prove it. Plus, the muggleborns really enjoyed it. While she'd been dancing, Charlie had briefly disappeared and returned with Teddy in his arms. Teddy's dress robes were the opposite of Charlie's; everything but his vest was silver. It had obviously been a surprise, because Jamie had teared up when she saw him.
Severus tried to be happy that Jamie was having a good time. Ever since she'd gotten the mystery burn, she'd been looking a bit tired and downtrodden. It was so nice to see her smile. The brisk air did indeed make him feel better, and taking points from snogging couples lifted his spirits back up to normal levels. He slipped back inside while dodging Karkaroff and backed himself up against a wall.
"Come here often?" said an angelic voice from his left. It was Jamie, of course, and she took his breath away. Her eyes shone brightly in the low light, and he wondered how anyone could ever compare them to Lily's.
"Only when required," he drawled. She hummed her amusement and sipped a drink while looking out towards the dance floor. "Have your boys abandoned you?"
"No," she laughed. "Winky's putting Teddy to bed, and I think Charlie's fighting with Percy somewhere." Severus raised his eyebrow.
"Trouble at the Burrow?" he probed.
"Percy's just got his head so far up the minister's arse-,"
Severus choked,
"-and he's said some things about Arthur recently that have been less than kind."
"How unfortunate," he said neutrally. The upbeat song stopped, and all the dancers clapped while they started the next one up. It was a slower song, making their conversation all the more awkward. The Weasley boy came back inside and found her, though instead of asking her to dance he leaned up against the wall on her other side.
"Evening, Professor," Charlie greeted with a smirk.
"Mr. Weasley," Severus droned. "I thought you'd gone back to Romania."
"I did, but then I got really homesick, so I decided to come back for a while. The dragons will always be there. You need a refill, Jamie?" he asked. She handed her glass to him, and Charlie walked off towards the punch bowl. Severus wanted to say a lot of things, but the boy came back so quickly that he didn't have a chance. They clinked their glasses together and Severus felt ill.
"How's our dear Percy?" Jamie asked dramatically.
"Unchanged," Charlie sighed. "I chatted with Fleur a bit, she seems really nice."
"She is," Jamie said with more enthusiasm than necessary. "Mum and Ginny are going to give her such a hard time. It was physically painful to watch and I'm not going to do it again."
"When do they meet?" Charlie asked. Jamie smiled nostalgically before answering.
"For the third task, they invite our families to come see us off. Obviously, I didn't have any family, so Mum and Bill came to watch. I'll make sure they meet, don't worry. Teddy would be devastated to live in a world without Victorie, even if she's younger than she used to be."
Charlie looked over to her sadly, but she wasn't looking, and he caught Severus' eye instead. Severus inclined his head to the younger man and pursed his lips. Despite his breaking heart, he was glad that Jamie was with someone that caught those little phrases that she was so casual about but reeked of grief. The slow song ended and another upbeat one followed.
"Do you wanna dance?" Charlie asked Jamie.
"Why don't you go dance with Diggory," she said playfully.
"Because he's seventeen," Charlie laughed.
"He's cute though, and he was staring at your arse earlier." Charlie choked on his drink and both of them started giggling.
"Still seventeen," Charlie replied at the tail end of his laugh.
"You can tell Mum I tried," Jamie said, and they both laughed again. Severus had been listening intently and was now confused. Was she dating Charlie or not?
"You and Teddy are coming tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, of course. I've already told Mum, the twins, Ron, Ginny, and Bill, but if Teddy asks for someone that doesn't exist yet, just say they couldn't come."
"Is that really going to work?" Charlie asked skeptically.
Jamie shrugged and said, "He's three." They left after that, and Jamie smiled and waved at Severus before heading out to socialize.
The ball was finally over, and Severus was making his way down to the dungeons when he came across her again, still wearing that gorgeous silver gown that hugged her slight curves and accentuated her small breasts, though she carried her heels in one hand. Her hair wasn't as neat as it had been, and he prayed to all the gods that she hadn't just been snogging Charlie Weasley in a broom cupboard.
"Hey," she smiled at him as they came closer to one another, and she linked her arm into his without hesitation.
"I thought you'd be asleep by now," he commented. "You left pretty early."
"I was comforting 'Mione," she said.
"She appeared to be having a good time with Mr. Krum."
"Oh, she did," Jamie said. "But Ron just realized that he has feelings for her and he's making it everyone else's problem." Severus couldn't suppress a chuckle and Jamie joined him.
"Did you have a fun tonight?" he asked as they drew closer to her chambers.
"Yeah..." she replied hesitantly.
"But?" he questioned as they stopped in front of her door.
"I, uh, I didn't get go with who I wanted," she said without making direct eye contact. Her arm was still linked in his and his heart was racing. So, she wasn't with the Weasley boy.
"How come?" he asked softly. He had shifted so that they stood at an angle and her eyes finally met his, filled with confidence and mischief.
"He didn't ask," she replied softly. Her eyes flicked between his eyes then down to his lips and Severus sucked in a breath. 'She feels it too,' he thought. His eyes softened and his pulse increased as he drew her into him and put a hesitant hand on her waist. She took a small step forward and-
"Professor!" called a student from behind him. They separated immediately. "Sir, there's a problem in the common room," the boy said.
"Very well," Severus said sharply. "Good evening, Miss Potter," he nodded toward her and strode away before she could reply. He was really good at doing that.
She shut the door and put her back to it, then slid down to the floor.
"Mistress will ruin her dress!" Winky complained as she helped Jamie up off of the floor.
"How's Teddy?" she deflected.
"Sleeping soundly, Miss Jamie," Winky replied proudly. "How was the dance?"
"Better than the first time around," she replied, "but still not perfect."
He had totally been about to kiss her. Charlie had pulled her aside before he left and told her about the way that Snape had been looking at her. Jamie had insisted that it wasn't what Charlie thought using every cliché in the book, but Charlie wouldn't buy it. He made her promise to think about it, and she had. Running into him after leaving the Gryffindor dorms had been a chance of fate. She'd tested the waters and was pleased with the results.
'He was totally about to kiss me,' she thought while she went to check on Teddy. She cracked his door open and slipped inside. He was sleeping soundly, just like Winky had said. She watched his chest rise and fall for a few seconds before brushing aside a lock of hair and pulling up his blanket.
"Goodnight, love," she whispered as she left.
Overall, it had been a great night. Ron was upset over Hermione and Krum, but Jamie had bought him a nice set of dress robes so, at the very least, he wouldn't be thinking about how he looked. He had still made an arse of himself. Jamie had thought about telling him to ask her early. It was probably the right thing to do as his friend, but she was also Hermione's friend, and Hermione deserved better than Ron. She had really liked Krum, but the war had torn them a part. Without it, and without the trauma that came with it, she doubted that Ron and Hermione would get together. Back in the year two-thousand, Hermione hadn't been happy. She had loved Ron and Ron had loved her, but Hermione needed much more intellectual stimulation than Ron was capable of providing (though she hadn't ever beaten him at a game of chess).
She'd had a nice conversation with Draco as well. He'd approached her nervously and inquired about his relationship with her son. She'd happily told him that they had settled their differences and had added that'd become a good man. He'd blushed furiously and stammered a thank you. He expressed an interest in getting to know Teddy, which she eagerly accepted. She never would have believed that fourteen-year-old Draco was capable of such a conversation, but she was proud of him, and she knew that the version of him she'd known before would be proud of this version too.
Christmas day was supposed to start with breakfast at nine, but Jamie had attended enough Weasley Christmas' to know that they wouldn't eat breakfast until at least eleven. She and Teddy slept in, and Jamie put the finale touches of their holiday decorations. She'd made a hundred of the light orbs that Teddy loved so much in different colors and spread them throughout their little home. The tree was small, but they'd decorated it together and Teddy had been very pleased with himself. She hung his stocking above the fire, brought out the rest of the gifts and put them under the tree.
"Mummy!" he cried as he ran out of his room.
"Happy Christmas, Teddy-bear," she pulled him into a hug and kissed all over his face until he was squirming and laughing.
"Can I open 'em now?" he asked. His doe-eyes melted her heart. There was no point in trying to get him to eat first.
"Stocking first," she said, and he jumped up and down while she grabbed it.
He tore open all of his gifts and squealed his little heart out over all of them. Dobby was convinced to share breakfast with them, but Winky wasn't. Jamie would wear her down eventually though. Both elves cried when she handed them their gifts, and they cried harder when Teddy gave them the pictures he had drawn.
The Burrow was chaos, as usual. With both Bill and Charlie in town, the whole family was staying under one roof and were naturally driving each other crazy. Their arrival wasn't really noticed until Teddy climbed up into Arthur's lap.
"Come in, come in, dear," Molly said as she ushered Jamie into the kitchen. "Sirius and Remus will be here soon, Ron filled us in, of course."
"Right, yeah," Jamie said nervously. Remus had written to her about Christmas, and she was freaking out. She figured that seeing Sirius for the first time in five years would be better with a crowd, and Remus… she was worried about him meeting Teddy. She was terrified that his wolf would recognize Teddy. She was going to tell him eventually, she really was, but she couldn't handle the idea of Teddy being taken away from her. Sirius wasn't going to die this time around, which meant the Remus wouldn't end up with Tonks and Teddy wouldn't be born again. Technically, he'd never be their son.
"Prongslet!" she heard Sirius call from the living room.
"Siri," she said as he hugged her tightly. Tears were already forming in her eyes.
"So, where's this kid I've been hearing all about?" he asked. He looked around but then he noticed how emotional Jamie was getting. "What's going on, pup?"
"Why don't we go outside?" Remus suggested.
"Pup?" Sirius asked again once they'd found their way outside. Jamie didn't know what to say so she just hugged him again.
"I missed you so much," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Siri!"
"Hey, hey," Sirius said as he wiped away her tears. "What's wrong? What are you sorry for?"
"You died," she said softly. "It was my fault."
"No," Sirius said and pulled her back into him. "No, no, no. I'm sure it wasn't your fault, Jamie."
"It was!" she insisted as she cried into the crook of his neck. "I'm so sorry, Padfoot."
Sirius and Remus exchanged pained looks and then sandwiched Jamie in a hug. They stayed together until a piercing cry came from the living room.
"That'll be Teddy," she laughed and wiped the last of her tears away. Her godfathers followed her back inside and into the kitchen where Molly was trying to calm the screaming toddler. "What happened, baby? Are you okay?" Jamie asked.
"I fe-e-ell!" he cried.
"Can you tell me where it hurts, Teddy-bear?" Teddy pointed to his head and his palms and his knees, but Molly must have healed him because he didn't have any wounds. "Do you need band aids, Teddy?"
"Ye-es," he wailed. The Weasleys didn't have any muggle supplies, so Jamie grabbed some tissues from her purse and transfigured them into the pink band aids he loved. He got one on his head, one on each of his knees, and one on each palm. And because he was three, band aids meant he wasn't in pain anymore. He sniffled and wiped his face, then went right back to running around talking to everyone.
"Why the band aids?" Sirius asked.
Jamie chuckled, "I did it once and he fell in love. He demands them now."
"Why pink?" Remus asked.
"It's his favorite color," she told them and searched Remus' face for any hint that he knew Teddy was his. She didn't see anything. Remus looked like he was about to say something else, but Molly called them over for brunch.
Brunch, like all meals at the burrow, was chaotic. After everyone ate, they moved into the living room and opened gifts. Teddy got two more dragon stuffed animals, lots of books, and a good deal of clothes. Jamie made sure he said thank you to everyone before he passed out.
"Can I put him down for a nap somewhere?" she asked Arthur.
"Course, hun," he replied with a smile and told her that Bill's room was the closest.
When she moved back into the living room she sat by Sirius and leaned her head on his shoulder. He put his arm over her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. Remus was on Siri's other side and their clasped hands made Jamie so happy for them. They'd have more time together now. She looked around at her chosen family and saw them laughing and talking and enjoying the holiday. It was the first time she'd been truly happy and relaxed since Samhain. She fell asleep on Sirius' shoulder, listening to the beautiful chaos of a holiday at the Burrow.
When she woke up, she was still on Sirius' shoulder, but now Teddy was sitting on Remus' lap, cuddling one of his new dragons.
"Mummy's awake!" Teddy screamed.
"And Teddy-bear forgot to use his inside voice," Jamie scolded him lightly.
"Sorry, Mummy," he said and went back to whatever fantasy world he'd been weaving for Remus.
It was a bit painful to watch Remus and Teddy together, but Teddy deserved time with his biological father, even if neither of them knew about their connection. It was such an awkward situation, and it was sure to be painful for everyone. Telling Sirius that he had died was less awkward than telling him his partner moved on with his cousin would be. It was such a mess.
"Why don't we take a walk, pup?" Sirius asked. She nodded her head, and they went out into the garden. "He's a great kid," Sirius said.
"Isn't he?" she asked proudly. "He's so smart, and funny."
"Who's the father?" he asked bluntly.
"Siri," she sighed.
"Did he leave you or something? Do I need to teach some poor sap a lesson?" he pushed, trying to sound lighthearted.
"It's just, it's complicated," she replied, "and I have so much else to worry about right now."
"All right, all right," he yielded. He stopped walking and looked into her eyes. "But you'll tell me who to hurt when the time comes, right?"
Jamie laughed and smiled back, "Once everything is squared away, you'll get the whole story, promise." They went back to walking, and Jamie could tell that he was working up to his next question. She hadn't meant to tell him about his death but seeing him had been much more emotional that she'd thought it would be.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," he said. "I must have died early, right? Teddy doesn't know me. Or Rem."
"You died in June of ninety-six," she said. "Rem died with everyone else on May second, nineteen-ninety-eight. Tom tricked me, that's why I feel like it's my fault. I'd been getting these horrible visions all year and one of them actually saved Arthur's life. I think that's why I didn't question it when he sent the fake vision of torturing you," she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I went to rescue you and then you came to rescue me, and Bellatrix stunned you, but we were in the Department of Mysteries, and you fell through the veil thing they have there."
"Bloody hell," Sirius said.
"Molly was the one to kill Bellatrix, in the end. So, at least you were avenged," Jamie joked.
"Hm," Sirius smiled at her. They walked a bit further and Jamie decided she didn't want to talk about sad things anymore.
"You wanna meet Shade?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"Who's Shade?" Sirius asked, but Jamie had already shifted into her animagus form. "Look at you! Oh, prongslet, you're gorgeous," he told her as he looked her over. "Race you back to the house?"
Shade mewed in response and Sirius transformed into Padfoot. They took a minute to sniff each other and then they were off. Padfoot had the advantage at first, but Shade caught up to him quickly and nipped at his shoulder. The dog yelped and tried to push her off course. Shade hit him with her tail and flicked dirt up into his face as she increased her speed. He barked in protest, then whined as Shade made it up onto the porch before him. He pounced on her, and they rolled into the house together, knocking a few things over along the way. Someone screamed at the sight of her, but Teddy ran up and hugged her around her neck.
"Hi, Shade," he said as he petted her head and scratched under her chin. "Hi, doggy," he laughed as Padfoot pushed Shade out of the way so he could get his own pets.
"His name's Padfoot," Remus told him. "And I'll assume that Shade is your mum?"
"Mhm," Teddy responded. Padfoot was on his back now and Teddy was rubbing his tummy while Shade pouted by the fire. Remus went over and patted her head, drawing out a loud purr.
Shade and Padfoot reverted to their human forms for dinner, and Jamie and Teddy left soon after.
After Yule, Jamie had to make her first appearance in the Wizengamot. It was a quick session, probably the quickest it would ever be. There weren't any new bills proposed, so it was really just to introduce Jamie as Lady Potter-Peverell-Gryffindor-Black-Slytherin. There was a great commotion after they realized how much power the girl held, but Jamie tuned it out. A bigger commotion followed when she declared all of her seats as Neutral instead of Light. She did catch the eye of Lucius Malfoy, though, and she was sure he would approach her sometime in the near future. He looked at her that way a starving dog would look at a steak. It made her uncomfortable, but he would be a powerful ally after Tom was taken care of. Sure enough, he stopped her on her way up to Arthur's office.
"Lady Potter," he greeted and held out his hand.
"Lord Malfoy," she replied as she offered her own. He took it, raising it slowly to his lips and then kissed the back of it while sustaining eye contact.
"Lucius, I insist," he smiled. Merlin, he was charming. She'd never understood why people were drawn to him before, but she got it now. He looked at her like she was the only person in the room. She felt like she could bare her soul to him, she wanted to bare her soul, she wanted to tell him everything about herself, she wanted-,
"Oh," she said with a growing smile as she realized what was happening. Draco hadn't inherited the gene, but she'd met a male vela before. There allure was different than females. It made him seem so trustworthy that you'd tell him your deepest darkest secrets before blinking an eye. "Oh, that's interesting," she smiled at him. His grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her several inches closer to him.
"Interesting, indeed," he purred. She knew it was the allure, but his eyes were so dazzling she had to force herself to look away.
"You must call me Jamie, of course," she said and took a deep breath to clear her head.
"May I accompany you to wherever you're headed?" he asked. He let go of her hand and offered his arm to her, which she took. "You caused quite a ruckus in there."
"It was beautiful, wasn't it?" she said with a proud smile.
"That it was," he agreed. "I'll admit I was surprised you didn't declare as 'light.'"
"Yes, well, they're rather closed minded over there, don't you think?" she asked with only a faint smirk. His allure was far easier to resist when she didn't have to look him in the eye.
"I do," he practically purred. They arrived at Arthur's office and Teddy ran out as a blur of blue before she'd even knocked on the door.
"Mummy, look at what I drew for Pop," he said as he handed a sheet of paper out to her.
"Wow!" she said, bending down to meet his eye level, "Is Pop going to keep it here?"
"Yeah!" Teddy said. "He has his own office!"
"That he does, Teddy-bear," Jamie chuckled. Arthur came out to greet them and his smile dimmed a bit at the sight of Malfoy.
"Lucius," he said cooly.
"Arthur," he replied.
"Say good-bye to Pop, Teddy," Jamie said.
"Bye, Pop!" Teddy said brightly and handed over his drawing.
"Bye-bye, Teddy," Arthur smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Thanks for watching him," Jamie said as Arthur gave her a hug.
"Any time, hun," he winked and went back into his office. Jamie picked Teddy up and turned to Lucius.
"This is my good friend, Lord Malfoy," she said, "Do you remember how we greet a Lord, Teddy?"
Teddy stuck out his tiny little hand and said, "It is a please-er to make your ac-tin-ense." Lucius chuckled and took the boy's hand.
"And a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Heir Potter," he replied. Teddy giggled and put his head in the crook of Jamie's neck before asking to be put down.
"Three feet Teddy," Jamie said, and she took his hand. Their bracelets glowed briefly as the link was made, and Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Voice activated charm to make sure he doesn't wander," she explained. 'Or get snatched', she said in her head.
"Fascinating," he almost looked impressed, but she wasn't sure if it was genuine. The elevators arrived and they headed down to the atrium, where the public floos were. When they got down to the ground floor, Lucius led her to an open floo.
"I must insist that you come over for tea some time," he said. He was keeping his allure in check, but he was still exceptionally charming. She'd never really interacted with the man in the political arena, and it was an intriguing side of him to see. Especially considering how far he'd fallen during the war.
"I would love to," she replied. He kissed the back of her hand again before they stepped in the floo.
"Bye Mister Lord!" Teddy waved. Lucius smiled and waved back with hunger still in his eyes.