Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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Over the years that followed, Maggie never experienced another instance of bullying.
Lucretia kept to herself while she perfected her devious plan.
After he heard what she had done to his beloved, Scorpius refused to utter a single word to her, terrified an Unforgivable Curse may very well slip from his lips.
McGonagall took her retirement as promised and enjoyed life in the Hogsmeade cottage she had purchased with her husband decades ago, before his death.
Little Sev eventually came to the castle and joined the Gryffindors.
Although Severus graciously congratulated his eldest son, he held out hope that perhaps one of his youngest may yet be sorted into his house.
The triplets grew up at the castle.
Severus's position as headmaster was nearly as demanding as the Minister's office had been.
Harriet stayed loyally beside him, with their three smallest children curiously watching their parents go about their days.
Early one afternoon, while the three youngest Snapes napped in their mother's secondary nest, she and Severus enjoyed a quick cuddle on the sofa next to the hearth.
Maggie and Scorpius's final year at Hogwarts had begun two days earlier.
It excited Severus to imagine what honours his only daughter would graduate with, considering the high marks she received in every class.
Harriet was more intrigued by the day's upcoming Quidditch game.
The headmaster had discreetly locked his office door to ensure no visitors interrupted their private moment.
As Severus held Harriet on his lap, with his hands on her hips and her palms cupping his pale face while they kissed, he knew that decision had been for the best.
The portraits that hung around the room had been shrouded by an enchantment.
"Sev........" Harriet whispered against his lips.
Through the thick fabric of his black trousers, the clear silhouette of his blatant arousal brushed against Harriet's bare thighs, the hems of her robe draped across his lap.
He growled as Harriet ground herself down upon him.
"Not here, my love." He whispered as he slowly pulled away to gaze into Harriet's emerald eyes.
She let out a breathy sigh as an irresistible pout formed on her pink lips.
"The children are in the next room." Severus frowned, "We have no guarantee they will not wake.......at the worst possible moment."
"I know the sons I bore for you, Sev." Harriet chuckled, purposely reaching into her mate's heart with her words to set off primitive signals in his brain, "They'll sleep for another hour at least."
As Harriet snaked her arm down, she made certain to crush her breasts with it and offer Severus a view of the amplified cleavage exposed by the very top of her robe.
He gasped quietly as she unfastened his trousers and freed him from his prison.
"My love......" Severus growled warningly as Harriet positioned herself.
His mate was far too stubborn to warn.
Severus's black eyes widened as Harriet happily guided him until they were coupling, the obscenity of the moment hidden by her draped robes.
The triplets slept on in the next room, blissfully unaware that their parents' kiss deepened as they clung to each other.
Hogwarts had changed.
The wizarding world had a new leader.
The Snapes' children had grown.
Time had altered many things, but Harriet and Severus's passion was not one of them.
Mr. and Mrs. Snape remained very much in love.
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Later that afternoon, Severus sat with Harriet and watched the Quidditch game while their three, energetic little boys looked on with wide eyes.
"There's sister!" Arthur shouted.
"That's right, sweetheart." Harriet chuckled as she lovingly kissed the top of his head.
Maggie scored another goal.
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
"She's doing well today, isn't she?" Harriet asked Arthur.
"She always does well, Mummy!" Arthur frowned before he turned back to watch the match.
His two brothers remained silent, fixated on the spectator sport in front of them.
Without their notice, Severus and Harriet exchanged knowing glances of amusement.
Maggie's reputation had been boosted once she had joined her house's Quidditch team.
Never much known for their athletic prowess, Maggie Snape had carried Ravenclaw to victory countless times on the Quidditch field over the previous years.
A short time later, with a twirling corkscrew on her broom that made even Harriet's jaw drop, Maggie proudly held up the Golden Snitch she had caught for all in the stands to see.
Shouts and applause rang out from all who had gathered, save for those in Hufflepuff's section.
As Maggie drifted down to land on the field, her wide smile remained.
She had found Quidditch to be a wonderful bit of the wizarding world in which her damaged legs bore her no obstacle.
The Ravenclaw team rushed to congratulate her.
Her chair was brought out, but before she had the chance to climb into it, her teammates lifted her up onto their shoulders and tossed her in a playful, joyous celebration of the season's first win.
Many would surely follow.
Scorpius sighed as he watched from the stands.
By seventh year, most of Hogwarts' students had developed their own hopes and dreams for the future.
Scorpius looked forward to working with his father and grandfather to manage the Malfoy family's many businesses and companies to maintain their previous five centuries of success.
Despite that, his true ambition lay in Maggie.
After six long years of pining, Scorpius had made up his mind that before graduation, he would approach his best friend and tell her the entirety of his feelings.
She would-
His attention was called away while two of his loud classmates carried on their conversation right next to him.
"Did you tell Hamish you fancy him yet?" One girl asked.
"No, of course not!" The other girl scoffed, "Why would I? If he doesn't feel the same, it would ruin our friendship!"
Scorpius frowned as he contemplated the brutal reality in those words.
His frown deepened as his heart sank while he looked at Maggie on the field.
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In the days that led to autumn break, Severus made the announcement one morning, after careful consideration with Harriet.
Hogwarts' students had begged for another formal dance since the Triwizard Tournament's Yule Ball three years earlier.
Severus peered out over the gathered throngs of students as he spoke at the podium in the Great Hall, "It is......with great pleasure.....that I wish to announce Hogwarts has decided to host a Winter Ball this season, open to fourth years and those older."
Happy whispers immediately began.
"However.....be warned......" Severus went on as he narrowed his dark eyes. With his low, languid voice, he held the remarkable talent of ending the swirling noises without calling for quiet as everyone slipped into a submissive state of eager listening, "There are three rules with which all who wish to attend must......comply."
The seated students blinked.
"Attendance will only be permitted in pairs." Severus ordered, "Formal dress is required......Each student under seventeen must submit a signed permission slip from a parent or parents as this event will take place on the first night of winter recess.......not in the regular academic schedule."
Disappointed groans began to issue until those still excited for the ball hushed their disappointed peers.
Scorpius's heart pounded to such an extent he feared it would burst from his chest as he glanced across the room at Maggie and found her smiling warmly in his direction.
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For the rest of the day, the only subject discussed by Hogwarts' pupils was the upcoming Winter Ball.
Who would ask who?
Who would go with who?
What would they wear?
What would the evening be like?
Better or worse than the Yule Ball?
After curfew that evening, each student retired to their dormitory.
Scorpius never had paid his roommates much thought, but on that exact night, a name entered their lewd conversation he could not ignore.
Benjamin, Robert, and Christopher were the three Gryffindor boys who had been assigned to share lodgings with Scorpius.
Based on the things he had previously heard his roommates discuss amongst themselves, he had concluded the four of them were not destined to be friends.
Their brutish wants and selfish aspirations failed to intrigue him.
He sat on his bed and thumbed through one of his textbooks while the other three boys chatted.
"Are you taking anyone to the ball, Rob?" Christopher asked.
"Yeah, are you?" Benjamin echoed.
"Oh, I'll be taking someone, alright." Robert smirked, ".......But not just to the ball."
The three boys shared a sinister snicker while Scorpius ignored them.
"Who is it, then?" Benjamin asked.
"Go on, spit it out! Tell us!" Christopher demanded.
".........Miss Maggie Snape herself." Robert said slowly as an arrogant smirk wriggled across his face.
Scorpius looked up from his book as his mouth dropped open.
"The Quidditch player that can't walk?" Benjamin blinked.
"The headmaster's daughter?" Christopher frowned.
"The same." Robert confirmed with a nod.
".........Why?" Benjamin scowled.
"You both know why!" Robert roared with laughter. He cupped his hands around his flat chest in an obscene gesture that referenced Maggie's ample breasts, which had grown by then to a near comical size, "She's an alpha's dream, that's why! Forget dancing, I'm going to bury my face in those things while I'm inside her."
"You may suffocate!" Christopher chuckled.
"I can't think of a more pleasant death." Robert retorted while Benjamin grinned.
Scorpius's hand trembled as adrenaline rushed through his system.
What to do, what to do?
His instinct suggested attacking the boys.
A couple of well-placed blasts of Sectumsempra and they would-
No.
If he got himself expelled, there would be no ball and no future with Maggie.
Instead of violence, Scorpius chose to tell a powerful, awful lie, a lie that would inevitably ripple through the school and back to haunt him.
"How dare you!" He snapped.
Robert, Christopher, and Benjamin all glanced up.
"What's bitten your bum, Malfoy?" Robert grinned.
"Apologize immediately!" Scorpius commanded as he stood from the bed and withdrew his wand.
Christopher and Benjamin exchanged nervous glances while Robert raised his hands.
"Easy, Malfoy! We're only talking about a girl." Robert chuckled.
"No, you're talking about my mate!" Scorpius cried.
Robert's eyes widened.
Cycle suppressants were regularly administered by Madam Pomfrey to Hogwarts' students.
Regardless, there were many couples already happily bonded at the castle, with those committed souls only waiting for graduation to marry.
".......Your mate?" Robert scowled.
"That's right, you blighter! Mine!" Scorpius hissed as he raised his wand to Robert's throat, "Apologize!....NOW!"
"Sorry, I.....I had no idea." Robert fumbled for words.
As Robert blinked, dumbfounded, Scorpius slowly lowered his wand.
He kept his gaze focused on Robert as he hissed, "Never.......say anything like that about my Maggie again."
"Sure." Robert nodded.
The three boys watched in tense silence as Scorpius walked back to his bed, peacefully sat down, and opened his book again.
Their conversation no longer included Maggie, but they kept their voices down to avoid upsetting their odd roommate any further.
Word of mouth continued to be the fastest way to spread news at Hogwarts.
By the following morning, the whole school had become aware of the startling fact that Scorpius and Maggie had apparently become mates.
As Scorpius chatted with her during breakfast, he failed to realize that everyone whispered to one another about them until a looming shadow hovered over him.
Scorpius glanced over his shoulder to find himself under Severus's hateful glare.
"Headmaster!" Scorpius blinked.
"Mr. Malfoy........." Severus began in a low whisper.
".......Yes, sir?" Scorpius asked innocently.
"My office......immediately." Severus ordered.
Maggie frowned as her best friend stood to follow her father out of the Great Hall.
"Are you two trying for pups yet?" A voice asked.
She turned to frown at one of her housemates as she asked, "........Sorry, what?"
"You and Scorpius?" The Ravenclaw girl asked, "Now that you've mated, are you going to wait until graduation or start trying now? Plenty of people are!"
Maggie's emerald eyes nearly popped out of her head.