Because You Love Me

38. Points for Gryffindor

"I don't understand it," Alaina said. "How did you do it?"

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. Everything was fine though until Voldemort's spirit form surged through me. It felt like my whole body was on fire. The next thing I knew I was waking up here. What happened to the stone?"

"It has been destroyed," Dumbledore answered.

"And Ron and Hermione?"

"Both are fine," Severus told him.

Harry smiled. That was good news. Alaina took her son's hand.

"Harry, why didn't you just come to me?" she asked him. "I would have helped you."

He shrugged. "I-I don't know. I just didn't think about it. And I thought maybe you might take it like Professor Mcgonagall did."

"Well, now you know. You can tell me anything. Anything about anything. Okay?"

He grinned. "Okay."

"That goes for Severus too."

Harry looked over at Snape who was nodding.

"Anytime," Severus confirmed. "I may not like it, but you can tell me."

Harry grinned. Now he knew who to go to the next time he had a crisis. He honestly hadn't thought about going to Snape, but his mother did cross his mind. He should have known she would understand. She didn't even seem mad at him. He sighed. He wouldn't make that mistake again. Hopefully.

"Do you think he'll find some other way to come back?" Harry asked meekly. "Voldemort, I mean?"

"Yes," Dumbledore answered without hesitation. "He will be back. It's just a matter of when. But you have this school and a host of family and friends behind you, Harry."

He smiled. "Thanks, Professor."

Dumbledore nodded to him. "Well, I guess we better get down to the feast."

"Wait for me!" Harry exclaimed.

Alaina giggled. "Get dressed and come on. Severus and I will see you there, okay?"

He nodded and hopped out of bed.

"Has Madame Pomfrey released him?" Severus questioned.

"Not officially, but he seems fine to me," Alaina said as they walked out into the hallway. "I'm his mother. I release him."

He smiled. "You seem in a lot better spirits than you were last night."

She leaned onto his chest and nuzzled him a little. "Of course. Harry's fine and Voldemort's toast. What's not to be happy about?"

He laughed. "You're right." Then he suddenly frowned. "Alaina, can I ask you a very personal question?"

"Sure. I'm not going to promise I'll answer it, but ask me."

Severus moistened his throat. "I, uh saw something in the Mirror of Erised that I can't get out of my mind. I was just wondering what you saw that made you react the way you did."

Alaina swallowed nervously. "You promise you won't freak out?"

"I will try not to."

She sighed. "I saw Lily and James. I saw Harry and Sirius and Lupin. They both had children. Then I saw you with me. You had a wedding band on your finger and we had our own child." She glanced up at him, studying his face. It was unreadable as always.

Severus didn't know what to say. He was touched. That meant that she wanted to be with him...forever. "Wow."

"What did you see?" she asked him. She could feel her stomach lurching from nerves.

He smiled. "I saw myself with you. You told me that you loved me." He looked to see her reaction. She was smiling. That was good. "And there was someone else there with us."

"Who?"

"Harry. He was holding my hand. We were....a family. Just the three of us."

Alaina teared up. "Oh my gosh, Severus. I had no idea that you-"

"I know. Neither did I. Not until I saw it for myself. I didn't want to admit it to myself. He apparently means a lot to me."

Alaina stopped walking and snaked her arms around his waist. She held him close there for a second. Then she raised up on the balls of her feet and captured his lips with hers. She was so glad he had shared that with her, that they shared the same deep desire: to be together and have a family. That was all that mattered at the moment.

When they pulled apart, both Severus and Alaina were smiling.

"We better get to the feast," Severus said. "Harry's going to beat us there."

She laughed. "You're right. We can kiss later."

Severus smiled. Definitely.

Severus and Alaina hurried to the Great Hall and took their seats. Dumbledore was sitting in his seat already. They all watched the door. Harry came in a few seconds later smiling. They watched him walk to the Gryffindor table where his friends were waiting. Ron and Hermione stood to greet him. They both embraced him, one right after the other.

Dumbledore stood the moment Harry settled in. "Now," he said once everyone got quiet. "We come to the end of another beautiful and eventful year. As you you can undoubtedly see, the house with the most points at the moment is Slytherin."

Everyone at the Slytherin table clapped wildly.

"But," Dumbledore said as he lifted his index finger, "in light of recent events I have some last minute points that must be awarded." He paused for a moment as a ripple of murmurs spread throughout the room. "First, to Ms. Hermione Granger for her cool use of intellect when others were in grave peril, I award fifty points."

The students at the Gryffindor table erupted in applause. Hermione blushed she was so embarrassed.

"Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years, fifty points."

Ron looked absolutely proud of himself and a little surprised as another round of applause erupted.

"And third, to Mr. Harry Potter, for pure love and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

Harry grinned from ear to ear. the applause at this point was nearly deafening at the Gryffindor table. He glanced over at Slytherin and he was getting murderous glares from them, especially from Malfoy.

"We're tied with Slytherin!" Hermione whispered excitedly.

"And finally it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award ten points to Neville Longbottom."

Neville was so shocked that he didn't know whether to smile or frown.

Dumbledore smiled. "Now if my calculations are correct a change of decoration is in order." He clapped his hands.

Suddenly the Slytherin banners that had been hanging in the room were gone and the red and gold colors of Gryffindor replaced them. Alaina glanced at Severus and smiled. She was happy that Harry's house had won the cup. He couldn't help but smirk at her. He didn't like what had just happened, but it was good of Dumbledore to do it. Harry deserved it for saving the Sorcerer's Stone. He glanced at Harry. Much to his surprise, Hary was already looking his way. Severus raised his drink to him. Harry grinned. He had a feeling that things were going to change between him and Professor Snape...for the better.

Gryffindors surrounded him, Ron, Hermione, and Neville and congratulated them on winning the points back for their house. Harry was shaking hands and hugging people he had never laid eyes on before.

"That was a brave thing he did," Severus commented to Alaina.

Alaina nodded in agreement. "That's my little soldier. I just hope that next year is a little quieter."

 He laughed. "So do I."