Emma bent down and wiped the dirt from the headstone, before laying the flowers on the grave. Blue irises this time, for hope and strength. She stepped back, letting Severus take her hand in his as they looked down at the grave.
"Hey, Aunt April," she said quietly. "I just wanted to tell you that it's over. The man who did this to you will never hurt anyone else again." She closed her eyes as the imagine of a relief-filled Aunt April hugging her brought her to tears.
"And I wanted to thank you."
Emma looked up in surprise at Severus' words, but his gaze was fixed on the headstone.
"For protecting Emma for so long. Don't worry. I'll take it from here."
Her heart warmed and a tear or two overflowed. She brushed them away quickly, squeezing his hand in thanks.
"I never asked. Did you get what you wanted from Pissface?"
She cocked her head to the side. "In a way. He told me her last words. Help and Emma. She thought about me in her last moments."
"Always the protector," he said. When she frowned, he explained, "Help Emma. That is what she meant, is it not? She knew Quirrell was at Hogwarts, and she wanted to protect you."
Her jaw dropped. "I... I hadn't thought about it that way. That's..." Beautiful. Until her dying breath, she'd wanted to protect Emma. Thank you, Aunt April.
"You meant the world to her."
"She meant the world to me, too." After a short silence, she added, "I talked to Dumbledore the other day. Turns out her mission came from him."
His eyebrows shot up. "From Dumbledore?"
She nodded. "Well, from the aurors' office, but he requested someone and they gave him the best. He knew someone was after the stone, but he needed to know who, to be able to protect it better. He said he had no idea whose trail she was on though. She hadn't told him anything."
Severus shook his head. "If only she had. Perhaps they could've stopped Quirrell together, without anyone getting hurt."
"Perhaps..."
"Em?" Severus asked as they walked back towards the cemetery gates a little while later.
"Hm?"
"Are you spending the summer at your aunt's house?"
"Yeah," she said, watching her feet crush the little stones on the path. "I guess it's my place now, so I'll have to take care of it."
"Yes..." he said. "But it can wait a few days, can it not?"
Emma raised her eyebrows in confusion. "I guess. Why?"
He looked down at her, his dark eyes shining fondly. "Will you spend the weekend with me?"
The butterflies in her stomach sprang to life. His grip on her hand tightened, as if he was afraid she'd decline if he let her go.
Containing her grin, she asked innocently, "Just the weekend?"
A smile spread across his face as he kissed her cheek. "As long as you like."
THE END
A/N Aw man, we've reached the end already. How have we reached the end already? Perhaps I'll have to write a sequel to this story. Anyway! Thank you all so much for joining Emma on her Hogwarts adventure. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments. Trust me, it always, always makes my day. I love you all, and I hope to see you in my next fanfiction!
- Naomi