Harry woke up in Severus's arms the following morning, and bliss washed over him at the notion of what had transpired between the two the night before. It was a delicious feeling, waking up in the arms of his lover, and he truly understood for the first time Severus's reluctance for them to consummate their relationship in these uncertain times. The notion that Severus would have to return to Hogwarts to continue to play at being Voldemort's servant and that Harry would remain in Sherwood Forest with Ron and Hermione, plotting their next move, was an ache that he believed he could never turn loose.
Harry leaned forward then and pressed a kiss to Severus's brow, and the older man moaned slightly in his sleep before his black pool eyes opened and rested on Harry, who grinned up at him, unashamed. "Good morning," he whispered, his second word being cut off by Severus covering his mouth with his, and Harry felt himself literally arising for the occasion. "Severus, please," he begged, unknowing whether or not he was asking his lover to cease or continue. "I don't think..."
"Shush," Severus whispered, his voice husky with desire. "Just let me take care of you, Harry. I want to do this for you."
"What do you...? Oh," Harry said, his eyes flying open at the sensation that Severus's lips had left his own, and they were drifting downwards towards his already engorged member. "You don't have to..."
"I want to," Severus assured him, his eyes meeting Harry's, which soon darkened with desire at the sight of Severus between his legs. "I need to taste you, Harry."
Harry bit down on his bottom lip, knowing he could cry out from the moment Severus's thin lips descended upon him and found him quickly. Harry gasped then, arching his back to meet his former professor's mouth, his eyes squeezing shut as he fought to not scream aloud. The last thing he wanted as he fucked Severus's mouth was Ron or Hermione catching them in the act; he knew that they'd agreed to be supportive of the relationship—Ron more reluctantly than Hermione—but he didn't think that they'd be prepared to see it on this level. The notion that Severus was literally filled with him orally sent Harry over the edge, and, more than anything, he didn't want the two of them to be interrupted.
"Severus," he whispered, the word ripping from his throat as Severus's own was filled completely by him. "So...good..."
Severus smirked around him, slowly easing his mouth from the length and cupping his young lover's balls, which made Harry shout and see stars. "I'll always make it good for you, Harry," he declared then, before he lowered his mouth again.
"Fuck...you feel so good," Harry moaned, arching up his back again, while all the while tangling his fingers into Severus's hair. "Please...don't stop..."
"I don't think I'll ever be able to stop, Harry," Severus whispered, and Harry wondered if he was truly meant to hear those words. "You're so damn intoxicating... Fuck, I love you so much," he said then, and wrapped his hand around the base of Harry's cock then, as he stuck it as far into his mouth as it would go, before he pumped with his hands and mouth all at once.
Fuck, Harry thought to himself. Nothing would ever compare to this, Severus kneeling before him and pleasing him orally. Harry's hands left Severus's hair and fisted his own as he writhed beneath him, strings of curses and moans of pleasure falling from his lips. "You're amazing," he whispered to Severus then, and finally allowed his hands back down into Severus's hair. "I love you, too," he moaned then.
Severus grinned around Harry's cock then, and felt the teen spasming beneath him, and knew that he was close. "Come on, Harry," he encouraged him, pulling back his mouth as he pumped harder with his hands. "It's all right. Come for me, Harry."
"Severus...fuck!" Harry screamed, his soul seeming to temporarily leave his body then as he let out a shrill cry, the all-body spasm overtaking him then. In the moment that followed, his seed spilled from the tip of his cock, and Severus's mouth descended upon it quickly, tasting every bit so as it would not go to waste. "Oh, my god," Harry whispered, his voice raw when he was finally able to speak again. "Severus..."
Severus smiled, licking off the excess come that dripped down from his lips as he brought his body back upwards, over Harry, and looked down at him. "Hello, there," he said, a small laugh filtering out of his mouth.
Without hesitation, Harry yanked him downwards and devoured his mouth as Severus had done when they'd first woken up. "Fuck, you're amazing, Severus," he whispered.
Severus sighed as contentment washed over him. "As are you, Harry."
. . .
After Severus had summoned their clothes back onto their respective bodies and casted some extensive cleaning spells, he walked with Harry to the edge of the clearing. Harry felt the familiar ache of being separated from Severus washing over him, and he threw his arms around his lover one last time. After whispering of their love for one another, Harry slipped through the trees and Severus watched him for a time before he Apparated back to Hogwarts.
Harry drifted back towards the tent in the morning light of dawn, and, as he stepped back though the protective enchantment surrounding it, looked up at the tents' entrance. It was as if Severus's warming spell came off of him as he walked through Hermione's protected area, and, although the ache didn't leave him, he did feel comforted to be back with the pair of them. Harry raised his eyebrows then as Ron quickly moved out the flap, and let out a shout at him standing there. It was truly amazing to Harry as he stood there, hands in his pockets, watching as his best friend bounced around animatedly like an overly-energetic cardinal with too much butterbeer in his system.
"Hermione, he's back!" Ron shouted.
Hermione flitted out of the tent like a hummingbird to Ron's cardinal, letting out a shout of her own as she dashed forward. "Harry!" she screamed, throwing herself into his arms and never seeming to want to let go. "You've been gone for hours! What happened?" she demanded, pulling back from him and looking him over. "Are you hurt? Ron, fetch my Dittany at once!" she ordered her fiancé, turning around to face him briefly before looking back at Harry. "Why, you're flushed!" she said, putting her palm against his forehead. "Ron, it could be a fever! You'd best get my—!"
"He doesn't have a fever, Hermione," Ron said, gently prying her off of Harry and shaking his head at her. "Come on, mate. You don't need to tell us what's going on, because it's pretty obvious what you've been up to."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really?"
Ron nodded, gently keeping ahold of Hermione's shoulders to prevent her from launching herself at Harry again. "Yeah. I mean, you're all red, and your hair's got the 'I've just been shagged' look..."
"Honestly, Ronald, Harry's hair always looks like—" Hermione cut herself off then, her brown eyes taking on a deeper understanding. "Wait. Harry, was that where you were all this time? I mean, were you with Severus?"
Harry sighed, carding his hand through his hair in an effort to calm it but, of course, it did no good, and remained going in all directions. "Yeah, I was with him," he said.
Ron blinked. "All night?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah. All night."
"Blimey, mate," Ron said, shaking his head. "I mean, I'm happy for you, but this is Snape we're talking about..."
"Honestly, Ron, you've got to accept Harry's choice of who to be with," Hermione scolded as she fixed him with a look.
"I do, Hermione, really," Ron assured her, pressing a kiss on her temple to placate her. "It's just going to take some getting used-to."
Harry shuffled from foot to foot then, remembering something that Severus had whispered the night before, about how Dumbledore had been the greatest sorcerer in the world—a fact which Harry deeply agreed with. It hit him then, like the Bludger had during his second year at Hogwarts, what Severus had been trying to tell him, and his eyes flashed upwards to Ron and Hermione's, and the words came tumbling out before he could stop them. "I know where the Elder Wand is."
Hermione's attention was immediately had by Harry. "What?" she whispered, her brown eyes wild with excitement. "What are you talking about, Harry?"
"Snape know where it was, did he?" Ron asked.
Harry sighed. "It was something he said, about Dumbledore being the greatest sorcerer in the world," he said softly.
Hermione nodded. "Of course, but we knew that."
"Well, wouldn't a great wizard, like Dumbledore, be buried with his wand?" Harry asked, looking from one of them to the other, knowing that what he was suggesting was pure insanity but, after last night, Harry was full-on mad.
Ron's eyes widened then. "Do you know what you're suggesting, mate?" he asked, his tone far more quiet than it usually was. "You're actually talking about grave-robbing. Blimey, Harry, you're turning into Fred and George..."
"It may not be so mad, Ron," Hermione said, her voice gentle. "I mean, what Harry is suggesting is completely mental, of course, but, let's face it. These times are completely mental. Harry is in love with Snape, our former Potion's Master who made his life a living hell. You and I are going to be married... Who's to say that Dumbledore wasn't in possession of the Elder Wand? I think it wouldn't do any harm to at least look into it."
Ron sighed, knowing when he was beaten. "Oh, very well, Hermione," he replied, his tone indulgent as he held her to him for a moment, before releasing her. "May as well pack up everything—save for the cloak—and Apparate to Hogwarts to that godforsaken grave, to desecrate it, and fetch what we need."
"Thanks, Ron," Harry said as Hermione turned herself loose from him and quickly summoned everything into her beaded bag before tossing the cloak to Harry.
"Ready to go?" she asked.
Ron sighed. "I suppose so. Harry?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."
"Let's go, then," Hermione said, joining their hands in hers before they Disapparated from the Sherwood Forest, and safety, and into the unknown.
. . .
Classes hadn't begun for the second part of the term yet, but, as Neville and Draco were soul-bonded, it was very difficult to stay away from the other. They'd returned to Hogwarts earlier than expected, and were pretty much shacking up in the Room of Requirement together, without anyone's knowledge but Ginny and Luna. They awoke happily that morning, wrapped in each other's arms, and Draco turned over and smiled at Neville.
"Good morning, husband," he said to him.
Neville grinned. "Good morning to you, husband." He shifted slightly so as his back was propped up against the abundance of pillows in the provided bed, and Draco tucked his head between his shoulder and his neck. "How did the engagement party go?" Neville asked him softly, tracing patterns into Draco's naked back.
Draco sighed. "As well as could be expected," he muttered, his tone bitter. "Neither the Parkinson's nor my parents suspected a thing, thankfully."
"I'm wondering how long this can go on," Neville whispered. "I mean, soul-bonding would have destroyed the contract..."
"The contract has been destroyed, I grant you," Draco replied. "But it's not like Mother and Father presented it during the engagement party."
Neville blinked, surprised at that fact. "Why not?"
"Because it would be seen as inappropriate," his husband replied softly. "They're trying to make it look like Pansy and I are deeply in love, which wouldn't require a contract in the first place. I suppose the last thing that my parents would want the Pure-Blood and Death Eater community to know was that Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, the son and daughter of Pure-Bloods and Death Eater lovers, aren't madly in love."
Neville muttered something unintelligible under his breath as he pulled Draco closer. "I'm just worried that something will happen to you on the day of the wedding, if it even manages to get that far, love. I mean, wouldn't you incur the wrath of the Malfoys and the Parkinson's together?"
Draco smirked. "No," he replied. "If Potter doesn't succeed in his mission, then my intention is, once we've graduated, to get the hell out of here together. You've mentioned that your parents left you a house somewhere, right?"
"Yes, in Norfolk," Neville said softly. "It became mine upon my majority, but Gran stated that I complete my education before moving in. That was the only stipulation. Then the accounts left for me at Gringotts would automatically be in my name, so we'd have plenty of money to get by for generations to come. Our heirs would be well-provided for," he went on; he spoke this last part softly, as he didn't fully know how Draco felt about children, let alone having them in their lives on a permanent basis, for it was not something they'd ever discussed.
Draco swallowed then before propping himself up on his arm, and stared into Neville's eyes. "I want you to know something."
Neville nodded. "Of course."
He lowered his eyes. "I remember you telling me that you wanted children..."
Neville sighed. "I do want children, Draco, but it is not something we need to discuss right now, if you're uncomfortable with it," he told his husband, gently cupping his face, which caused Draco to raise his eyes to his. "The last thing I want is to create a barrier between us because we disagree on this..."
"We actually need to discuss it now," Draco replied, his tone firm.
Neville sat up then, so that he was eye-level to Draco. "What do you mean we have to discuss it now, love?" he asked, searching his beloved's face. "What are you talking about? Are you all right?" he whispered, gently taking ahold of Draco by the shoulders.
Draco swallowed. "Well, yes and no," he said softly. "There were always rumors that a wizard getting pregnant was rare, and that it oftentimes will skip a generation because it is so rare. And I didn't even know it was possible until... Well," he said, clearing his throat. "All I can say is, is that I hope that Norfolk has some halfway decent primary schools for children before they begin at Hogwarts, because..."
"Draco," Neville said softly, which caused his husband to slowly raised his eyes to his. "What is it you're telling me right now?"
"Look, I know it's not the most opportune time, and that we're due to graduate in just five months, which is when I'll likely be..."
"Draco," Neville said then, and he found that his own voice was shaking as well. "Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?"
Draco smiled slowly then and took ahold of Neville's hand, and placed it on his abdomen, which suddenly appeared swollen. "I've a charm on it not to show, so we've at least got that going for the two of us," he joked.
Neville let out a gasp then as he felt their child moving inside Draco, and felt tears entering his eyes then at the notion of it all. "When do you...?"
"On the night of our soul-bond," Draco replied with a laugh. "Luna, although I never confirmed or denied it, gave me some books."
Neville smirked. "I'm sure she did." He calculated it for a moment, and nodded his head. "So, it should happen around graduation, or a little before?"
Draco sighed then, squaring his shoulders. "That's what I assume, yes." He raised his eyes back to Neville's then, and swallowed once me. "Are you all right with this? Starting a family with me, I mean. You don't think that I'm a freak to be able to carry children, do you?"
Neville smiled slowly at him, taking ahold of his hands as he bent down to kiss Draco's slowly expanding belly. "I can't tell you how much in love I am with you right now," he declared then as he pulled Draco into his arms. "Of course I don't think you're a freak, Draco—I could never think something so utterly terrible about you. Perhaps, before fifth year, when I didn't fully grasp my feelings towards you, I may have... No," he said, pulling back from him then. "Even though you truly seemed to hate me, I wouldn't have ever assumed the worst from you or about you. All I could think about was the fact that you seemed so terribly sad with the hand that had been dealt to you, and all I wanted, really wanted, was for you to know that you could have counted on me to provide a compassionate ear."
Draco's eyes filled with tears then as he shook his head. "What did I do to deserve someone as amazing as you, Neville Longbottom?"
Neville grinned. "By opening up to me at last," he replied simply, "letting me know that I wasn't going completely mad with my feelings for you."
"You could never be mad, Neville," Draco told him, his tone gentle. "I love you."
Neville leaned in and kissed his husband's lips. "I love you, too."
. . .
The trio touched down in the area that had become Albus Dumbledore's final resting place, and the white tomb stared back at them in the trickle of winter sunlight which surrounded them. It was then that Harry stood back slightly, unknowing how he would be able to get into the thing without destroying it completely, and was suddenly aware of just how mad his plan was. He turned directly to Hermione then, who nodded in understanding.
She stepped forward then, holding out her wand, and whispered, "Alohomora," and, from somewhere deep inside the thing, a lock clicked. "Wingardium Leviosa," she said then, and the top of the tomb separated from the bottom, thus revealing the body of their former headmaster to the three of them, his wand resting delicately in his hands.
Harry stepped forward then as Hermione kept right on levitating the upper half of the grave, and reached out, taking the wand from his fingertips. "All right, Hermione," he whispered, stepping back, which allowed Hermione to put the grave back together.
"Now what?" Ron asked.
"Find Luna," Harry replied, taking their hands. He Apparated them to Severus's inner quarters, knowing that he wouldn't be there, as it was the middle of the day. "Send her your Patronus, please, Hermione," he whispered.
Hermione nodded, her otter coming out of her wand quickly, before the creature of blue and silver light turned toward her. "Luna, this is Hermione," she whispered to it. "Please come to the headmaster's quarters immediately. We're in need of some Ravenclaw intelligence," she said, and the otter bowed its head before it flitted from the room.
Harry sat back on his heels then, weighing the ivory stick in his hand as he gazed down upon it, knowing that he would need to try it immediately. He looked around the room, spotting a pillow upon his lover's bed, and nodded to himself. "Accio," he said, and the feather-filled thing came to him willingly, instantly, without any form of hesitation. "Wow," he whispered, and Ron chortled from across the room.
"Boys," Hermione scolded under her breath.
Harry hesitated for a moment before stepped forward. "Hermione?"
"Yes?"
He bit his lip then and gently took ahold of her arm, which she had painstakingly wrapped with a scarf of hers. He gently pulled it back then, and Hermione hissed through her teeth as the cut word in her skin, Mudblood, met the open air.
"Harry, what are you...?"
"Shush," he said firmly, and placed the Elder Wand against it, and Hermione flinched slightly from the pain that seemed to course through her. "Evanesco," he whispered, and she breathed in sharply through her teeth as the cuts evaporated as they had come, so all that remained was the smoothness of her arm.
"Blimey, mate," Ron whispered, stepping forward and feeling Hermione's arm then, as she was doing, and shaking his head.
Hermione raised her eyes to Harry's then, her eyes filling with tears, and whispered, "Thank you," to him, although her voice cracked at the end.
Harry smiled. "You're my sister. I would've done it eventually."
Hermione broke away from Ron then and rushed forward, throwing her arms around Harry and sobbing into his shoulder. It was in that moment, after initially hugging her, that Harry slowly brought her arms off from around him and guided them gently around Ron, who quickly held out his arms to hold her back. Hermione then proceeded to weep into Ron's arm for a solid two or three minutes, and Ron just stood there, holding her, letting her know that she was safe and loved with him. She sighed then, shaking her head as she pulled back from him at long last, and slowly pulled her hands through her hair, deep in thought. "I think Ron and I had better go and find Luna on the way," she said. "I mean, how would she even manage to get in here?"
Harry nodded, and handed over the cloak to the two of them. "Take this so that you're protected from everything," he replied, and embraced them quickly. "Be careful."
"You too, mate," Ron said, pulling the cloak over the two of them as they Disapparated.
Harry sighed, wondering what Severus was doing at the moment, and the ache for his lover to be with him returned. He wondered if it would be safe to send a Patronus, as Severus had done to him in the forest, but without a message. Sighing, Harry casted the spell, the brilliant stag nearly filling the room, and looking at him for his last word. "Get to Severus Snape immediately, and let him know that I am here, please," Harry whispered to him.
The stag bowed its head and left Harry, who collapsed in one of the chairs provided in Severus's bedroom. He hadn't done that much that day, but the evening before had certainly taken a lot out of him. He had never experienced something as wonderful as that, and he wanted to experience it over and over again, with Severus, for the rest of his life. It was the clatter from outside Severus's inner rooms a moment that that startled Harry to his feet, and when the door opened, he was filled with that warmth that only Severus could charm from within him.
"Harry?" Severus whispered, shocked, as he stepped forward, kicking the door shut behind him before he rushed forward, yanking him into his arms. He stopped short then, spotting the wand, gripping in Harry's hands, and shook his head. "How did you...?"
"You," Harry replied. "I know what it will take to defeat him. I know now. Once we finish off the final Horcruxes, it's this."
Severus sighed. "Promise me you didn't destroy the grave."
Harry stared up at Severus in shock. "No, of course we didn't. Hermione unlocked it and levitated the top portion, before setting it to rights. It looks exactly the same as it did before we ever came upon it."
Severus nodded. "Very well, then," he said, kissing Harry's forehead.
Harry was silent in his lover's arms for a moment when an idea suddenly struck him, and he pulled away, leaving Severus confused. "I want to try something," he said softly to him, his tone utterly polite. "May I?"
Severus swallowed. "You may."
Tentatively, Harry reached out and took ahold of Severus's arm which housed the Dark Mark, and gently rolled up the sleeve of his black robe. He gently hovered the wand above it, and spoke for the first time in moments, "Vipera Evanesca," and the snake hissed for a moment before curling around itself and disappeared.
Severus gasped then as the snake evaporated completely as if it never was, and there wasn't even a scar remaining beneath it. He roved his fingers over the skin, hardly remembering a time when his arm was bare. He raised his eyes to Harry then, and they were so filled with love that Harry's eyes very nearly filled with tears. "Why would you...?"
"You know why, Severus," Harry said with a smile. "I've told you as much. I love you," he said and yanked Severus to him, kissing his lips.
. . .
Ron and Hermione fled to the Room of Requirement as quickly as they could, Hermione re-sending her Patronus to Luna so as she would know where to go. Ron hoped that Luna would be considerate about the location of the meet-up, but he remembered how calm she usually was about certain things, so he didn't really bother with it. They pulled off the cloak as they stood inside, and looked around, spotting what appeared to be a door in a far-off corner of the room, and they turned and stared at each other.
"I don't remember there being a door in here, do you, Ron?" Hermione asked, turning to look at her fiancé.
Ron shook his head. "Not except for the one to enter and leave," he said, his tone filled slightly with unease. "Do you think we should try and open it?"
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. What if it's where You-Know-Who meets with other Death Eaters on Hogwarts grounds?"
Ron shook his head. "Nah. I don't think they would be that reckless. They probably still meet at Malfoy Manor."
There seemed to be a sigh from behind the door then, and Ron quickly positioned himself in front of Hermione, who fixed him with a look of annoyance. She nevertheless permitted him to grip her by the hand as the knob turned and the door opened. Ron and Hermione's jaws dropped simultaneously then as Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy came out of the room together, and the pair of them caught a glimpse of a messed-up bed from behind the pair of wizards just as they closed the door behind them and regarded them.
"Ron, Hermione," Neville said.
Hermione's eyes went to their hands, which were clasped in the same manner in which Ron's and hers were, and shook her head. "Um...? Has that much really changed since we took off in the summer?" she asked.
Draco sighed and stepped forward then, and Ron instinctively positioned himself even closer to Hermione, creating an effective barrier between her and Draco. "I deserve that," he said, and Ron sneered at him.
"You deserve far worse for the hell you've put my fiancée through," Ron said, glaring at the fellow Pure-Blood.
"Fiancée?" Neville asked, a grin spreading across his lips. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Neville," Hermione said quietly. "Is something the matter?" she asked, turning to look at Draco, who looked humbled.
"Look, I... I owe you an apology, Hermione," he said, and Hermione's eyebrows raised at the notion that he'd address her as something other than 'Mudblood', or 'Granger'. "I could stand here until the end of time, telling you that I only said and did those things I did to you, and many others, because my father foisted them on me, and that is partially true. But, at the end of the day, I had to believe those things, because, if I hadn't, it would have been worse for me. You don't understand completely what Death Eaters are capable of, Hermione, and I hope that you never do, and I hope that, at the end of the day, you can accept my apology, and I humbly ask for your forgiveness, because, in finding love, I now know what life is truly about."
"Love?!" Ron demanded then, his eyes flitting between Neville and Draco and back again. "You mean to tell me that you and Neville—?!"
"We're soul-bonded," Neville said simply to Ron, who sputtered.
"You're what?!" he cried out.
"It's akin to marriage, Ronald," Hermione said, rolling her eyes and shoving him out of the way, whereupon she walked towards Draco, and put out her hand. She gave Draco a smile, letting him know that she was being sincere, and they shook hands. "I forgive you," she said softly to him, and Draco's entire body seemed to relax then. "I trust Neville's judgement in finding a partner, and if that partner is you, I am very pleased for it."
Draco nodded. "Thank you, Hermione," he said softly.
Hermione looked him over then, a deeper understanding filling her then as her eyes met his. "I don't want to overstep, but I can't help but ask... When will the child be born?" she asked then, and all three wizards in the room looked shocked.
"Hermione, did you—?!" Ron cried out.
"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione said, fixing him with a look before turning back to Draco. "Well, then, Draco, I assume I'm correct. You're carrying a baby?"
Draco nodded. "I am."
"How could you guess at it?" Neville asked, stepping closer and putting a protective arm around Draco's shoulders. "I mean, I didn't know until he told me, and he's put a spell on to make sure nobody can detect the pregnancy..."
"Muggles have an old saying that the mother—as Muggles only have children via a woman, unfortunately—will glow whilst she is pregnant," Hermione said with a smile. "Draco, here, is glowing, although I am unsure why you wouldn't be able to see it."
"Perhaps it is because you're an insufferable know-it-all," Draco said, and Ron stepped forward to scold him, but Hermione held him back, seeing that Draco meant it in good-humor.
"Electrum," Hermione whispered, seeing the mixture of gold and silver coming together around Draco's form. "That's the color you are radiating, Draco. I think your body is responding outwardly to yours and Neville's magic mixed together, which is what your child will be, as it carries both Malfoy and Longbottom genes."
They all four went silent then, as a massive fireplace appeared out of nowhere upon the opposite wall of the door, and green flames erupted from it then. Stepping out of it a moment later, hand in hand, was Luna Lovegood and her fiancé, Rolf Scamander, who had graduated from Hogwarts two years ahead of them all. It took them a moment to get their bearings but, once they did, Luna and Rolf smiled at the one witch and three wizards in their company.
"Hello, everyone," Luna said, giving a small wave. "I'd like you all to formally meet, Rolf, my husband," she said, beaming.
Hermione raised her eyebrows. "You got married?"
Luna nodded, her expression dream-like as always. "We didn't need consent, as I'm already seventeen, and Rolf here is nearly twenty," she replied.
"I asked Xeno for permission during the Christmas holidays," Rolf explained. "These are uncertain times, I fear, and I wanted Luna to have my name at the end of it all." He stepped forward then, approaching Neville and Draco first. "And you must be Neville and Draco. Luna has told me a lot about the two of you," he went on, shaking each of their hands in turn. "I am very pleased that the two of you are safe, and together."
Neville nodded as Draco gulped in uncertainty. "Thank you, Rolf," Neville replied.
Rolf turned then and took in Ron and Hermione with a kind smile. "Ron Weasley, I presume," he said, putting out his hand, which Ron shook. "And Hermione Granger," he went on, and shook Hermione's hand. "Very nice to meet more friends of Luna's."
"I assume you got my Patronus, then, Luna?" Hermione asked.
Luna nodded. "Of course. We came as quickly as we could," she said quickly. "We were with Rolf's family, and once you get them talking about Magizoology, I'm afraid it's a bit difficult to leave the conversation."
Rolf smiled and gently kissed Luna's temple. "They all adore Luna, as I do, and it was just the right amount of looniness for the holiday season."
"What is it you needed?" Luna asked, still holding Rolf's hand as she looked at Hermione. "You stated something about my Ravenclaw intelligence."
Hermione nodded. "Yes. It's been Dumbledore's mission, then Harry's, Ron's, and mine, to destroy Horcruxes," she replied.
"Pieces of You-Know-Who's soul?" Draco whispered.
Hermione nodded, looking at him for a moment. "Exactly," she replied, turning back to Luna. "I think—as do Ron and Harry—that the next one we're looking for has to do with Ravenclaw. In all my reading, I've figured out that Rowena Ravenclaw had a diadem. I don't suppose you would know where to find it, so it could be destroyed."
Luna sighed. "Despite the fact that, for centuries, it has been reported lost," she began, "if You-Know-Who took the opportunity to create a Horcrux from it, I assume it could not be as lost as originally thought." She looked around then, and smiled, as the fireplace and the door around them disappeared, and, in their place, lots and lots of old relics and broken pieces of furniture filled the room, creating massive piles around them, and Luna smiled contentedly at what appeared to be both her and the room's handiwork.
"Luna...?" Ron asked, suddenly finding his voice again. "What...?"
"I've spoken with Helena, Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, on many occasions," Luna replied in a patient manner. "She's the Ravenclaw ghost now."
Hermione raised her eyebrows. "I see."
"Did you give you any indication that it was in here?" Neville asked.
Luna sighed. "This is the Room of Requirement, after all," she said lightly. "I assume it would be here, if it was anywhere in the castle."
"She's right," Draco replied, smiling briefly at Luna as he looked around.
"I suppose we'll have to pick a pile at random and start there," Hermione said softly.
Rolf nodded. "Well, what are we waiting for, then?" he asked. "Let's get to work."
. . .
Harry awoke to a squeaking sound, which filled Severus's private chambers, attached to the headmaster's rooms at Hogwarts. Opening his eyes and carefully disengaging himself from the naked arms of his lover, he lowered his eyes to the floor then, raising his eyebrows at the source of the noise, which seemed to be from Hermione's otter Patronus. Harry swallowed then, thus lubricating his vocal chords—which were still slightly sore from screaming Severus's name for the past two hours—and leaned forward.
"Speak," Harry commanded the Patronus.
"Harry," said the Patronus in Hermione's voice, "we've got the diadem. Since you've returned the sword to Snape, meet us in the Chamber of Secrets. We can destroy the diadem with the basilisk fang, but you're the only one who can get us in. Hurry!"
Harry sighed, watching the otter disappear as he temporarily threw himself down upon the comfortable pillows, before he rolled over, Severus's black eyes staring back at him. "Sorry," he said to him, and brushed his lips with his. "Did I wake you?"
Severus shook his head. "That's all right. I would rather spend all day with you in bed, anyway," he admitted with a chuckle, before rolling on top of Harry, whose breath hitched in his throat at the hidden meaning behind his lover's words. "But I fear we cannot. You have a mission to complete, my love, and you're so close."
Harry nodded, throwing his arms around Severus for a moment and kissing him with all the passion he had in his body before he finally untangled himself fully and got to his feet. He shot Severus a smirk as he casted a cleaning spell upon him, and wordlessly summoned his clothes, stepping into them quickly. "As soon as I've finished this, might I...?"
"Come back? I wouldn't have it any other way," Severus replied without hesitation, crossing over to Harry and pinning him upon the bed frame. "I want us to be together for as much time as we have, Harry."
"For the rest of our lives?" Harry whispered.
Severus smiled. "Always," he replied.
After kissing Severus one last time, Harry Apparated from the headmaster's bedchambers and popped at the entrance at the Chamber of Secrets in the girl's bathroom. His eyes nearly fell from their sockets as he took in Neville and Draco, hand-clasped, standing beside Ron and Hermione, but took it in his stride. He embrace Luna and Neville respectively, and introduced himself to Rolf, who Harry adjudged to be a good bloke, before he turned to Draco.
"Does this make us on the same side now?" he asked.
Draco nodded. "I suppose it does."
Harry smiled, and stuck out his hand. "Very well, then."
Draco took Harry's hand and shook it. "You should also know that I'm carrying Neville's child," he seemed to burst out before he could stop himself.
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Congratulations," he said, surprised, and raised his eyebrows at Neville, who looked mighty pleased with himself. "All right, then, he said, as he turned to the pillars which housed the various sinks of the lavatory. He placed his hand upon them then and whispered something in Parseltongue, before the pillars separated and lowered themselves into the floor.
"Don't think I'll ever get used to him doing that," Draco muttered.
Harry shot him a smirk as he took the Elder Wand from his pocket. "Lumos Maxima," he said then, and illuminated the tunnel. "Who's ready?"
Hermione took Ron's hand and pulled him after her, their screams cutting through the blackness where the Elder Wand's beam of light could not stretch. Next, Luna and Rolf went down, but neither screamed in fear, but exultation—everything seemed to be an adventure for them. Harry turned and looked at Neville and Draco, and Neville put an arm around Draco's shoulders and they too flew down the shaft, and, at last, Harry flew down after them.
He was surprised to see the absence of bones once he landed, and turned to look at Ron, who sighed in slight annoyance.
"Hermione," he muttered.
Harry turned and looked at her. "What did you...?"
"It was filthy!" she cried out, wrinkling her nose. "I merely vanished them."
"Right," Harry said, turning to everyone else, who appeared all right.
They approached the door down the tunnel and beyond, which still appeared as it had during Harry's second year attending Hogwarts. He stepped forward then, whispering in Parseltongue again, and another snake came about the rim of the door, unlocking it, permitting them all onto the rickety ladder to step down into the chamber itself.
Harry made a visible face of disgust at the dead body of the basilisk as they entered the chamber itself, but forced himself to step forward, his friends behind him, and pointed the wand at it without another moment's hesitation. "Accio," he said, and one of the teeth disengaged itself from the dead beast's jaw, and flew into his palm, thankfully not impaling it. He turned around then, relief flooding through him at the sight of Hermione holding out the diadem towards him, and took it from her. "Let's do this," he said, and placed it upon the stone floor.
. . .
"You're wet and filthy!" Severus scolded, looking Harry up and down, but a quick smile of indulgence changed his tune. He opened up an inner door of his chambers and Harry was quite surprised to see a massive bathroom, complete with all the necessities. He casted a quick cleaning charm on Harry before he summoned the taps into an 'on' position, the bath quickly filling with bubbles. "Shall we?" he asked, holding out his hand to Harry.
After a luxurious bath—in which Harry and Severus brought ample pleasure to the other, to the point where Harry was glad for the invention of Silencing Charms—they returned to the bedchamber where an enormous dinner had been laid out for them. After eating their fill, they returned to bed, picking up where they'd left off that afternoon, never wanting to be parted from the other again.
"This won't end, will it?" Harry whispered.
Severus looked perplexed. "What makes you think it will?"
Harry swallowed. "I don't know. Perhaps when all of this is over, and I am no longer the Chosen One, and we no longer have to hide..."
Severus stared down at Harry. "What do you mean?"
"Well, would you even want to be with someone so young?" he asked.
Severus sighed. "I should be asking you whether or not you would even want to be with someone so old," he replied.
"I love you," Harry said simply. "I never wouldn't want to be with you."
"I love you, too," Severus said. "And the same goes for me."
Severus awoke the following morning with the overwhelming sensation that someone was awaiting him in his outer rooms, so, after putting a quick concealment charm on Harry, he pulled on his clothes and stepped out into the office. He stopped short at the sight of Voldemort himself standing there, and forced a smile on his lips, putting up a Silencing Charm, as well as a blinding one towards all the portraits around them, in case they would suddenly decide to awaken and see his unexpected guest. "Forgive me, my lord, I was not expecting you this morning," he said, and bowed to him. "How may I be of service?"
"I fear that, somehow, I'm weakened, Severus," he replied, and he even looked and sounded weaker, which was everything Severus had hoped for, but, of course, he could not say so. "I suppose I am afraid that the boy will succeed in the mission that Albus set forth for him just before his death, at your hands," he went on, and Severus hated to reminded of that very true fact, for it nearly broke him to do it.
"How can someone as incompetent as the boy do such a thing?" Severus said, falling back into the playacting he'd done from the beginning. "He's lazy and arrogant. How could someone as subpar a wizard as he is even attempt to follow orders as that?"
Voldemort sighed, squaring his shoulders. "Perhaps I had you pegged wrong, Severus," he said quietly then.
"I'm sorry, my lord?"
He smirked. "The boy, it seems, has charmed you," he replied.
Severus blinked. "I'm sorry, my lord. I don't understand."
"While you're usually so vehement in your dislike for the boy, Severus, I find now that your words ring hollow," he said simply. "Shame. I thought you would have been at my side until your death, but, it seems, you've been overtaken by a new master."
"My lord, I..."
Voldemort stepped forward then, cutting Severus off then as he yanked his arm towards him, and rolled up his sleeve, and tutted in annoyance at the sight of the Dark Mark being gone. "Well, I suppose it had to happen sometime, what with you loving that filthy Mudblood mother of Potter's, that you would turn against me."
"Don't speak of Lily like that!" Severus yelled, forgetting himself.
"Crucio," Voldemort said without hesitation, already pointing his wand at Severus, who doubled over in pain. "Shame. I would have thought that you bowing to me once would have been enough, but it is no longer," he said softly, watching as Severus looked up at him from in between the raven locks of his hair. "Well, it seems the time has come for things to end, and I am all to happy to eliminate someone who no longer follows me."
"My lord..." Severus began.
Voldemort's silver dagger removed itself from inside his robes then, and quickly slashed Severus fatally across the throat, so that Severus fell onto his back without hesitation. "A mortal death for a mortal man," Voldemort said. "Fitting, isn't it?" he said, sneering down at him, before he chuckled, and Disapparated from the headmaster's rooms.
It was the sudden falling of Severus's body onto the floor of the headmaster's office that had woken Harry, and he quickly grabbed the Elder Wand and dashed out into the main office, and he let out an inhuman scream as he saw his lover, lying there, in his own blood. Harry dashed forward then, holding the wand aloft, and whispered, "Vulnera Sanentur," over and over again, until the gashes were healed. However, he then noticed that Severus had hit his head, and, in that final moment as he propped up his lover, he spotted the tears on his face.
Harry swallowed then, wordlessly summoning a vial and catching the tears inside of it, before he cleaned himself of his lover's blood. Tears blinding his own eyes, he walked over to the Pensieve and tipped the contents of Severus's tears into the basin, before he leaned inside of the murky depths. It was then that he was transported into a field of flowers, where two young girls stood—one brown-haired, the other a redhead—and the redhead gleefully showed off her first magical traits, whereupon the older-looking girl sneered, calling her a freak. It was then that a young, black-haired boy emerged, scaring off the older girl, and demonstrated a magical ability of his own, that set the redheaded girl at ease.
Harry swallowed then as he proceeded to see these memories, coming to the conclusion that the girl was none other than his own mother, and that she and Severus had been close. The notion that his own father had been the one to torment him, and to inadvertently steal his closest friend away from him, made Severus's secrets all the more raw. As he continued watching, he saw a conversation between Severus and Dumbledore, after the curse of the Gaunt ring had entered his former headmaster's hand, and realized that it was Dumbledore who had requested that Severus murder him to save Draco from having a death on his conscience.
"You must be the one to kill me, Severus. It is the only way." Dumbledore continued speaking in this manner then, and then, as always, the topic drifted to him. "There will be a time when they boy must be told something, but you must wait until Voldemort is at his most vulnerable."
Severus looked annoyed then; clearly, this was before either had acknowledged burgeoning feelings towards the other. "Must be told what?" he asked.
"On the night that Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry, the curse rebounded," the dead headmaster continued, and Harry looked from one of them to the other. "And a piece of Voldemort's soul that managed to survive, latched itself on the only living thing it could find—Harry himself."
Harry felt as if seven rogue Bludgers had hit him then, and felt suddenly ill.
"So, when the time comes, the boy must die?" Severus asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "He must die."
"You've been keeping him alive so that he can die at the proper moment," Severus said, as he stepped cautiously towards Dumbledore, and something akin to devastation filled his eyes, which truly set Harry alight. "You've been raising him like a pig for slaughter."
"Don't tell me now that you've grown to care for the boy?"
Severus hesitated for a moment, before he whispered, "Expecto Patronum," and the very doe which had met Harry in Sherwood Forest danced around the room for a moment before it flitted out the window, and beyond, Severus never taking his eyes off of it.
"Lily," Dumbledore said, turning to look at Severus.
"What?" Severus whispered, confused.
"Lily," Dumbledore repeated, slower this time. "After all this time?"
Severus sighed then, dragging his hand down his face. "Not Lily," he replied, his tone broken as he shook his head.
"Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
"Harry," he replied, and raised his eyes to his then without hesitation. "It was always Harry, Albus. Always," he told him. He hesitated for a moment, almost as if he wanted confirmation from the very real fact that Dumbledore had just spoken. "So, when the time comes, the boy must die?"
"Yes, he must die. And Voldemort himself must do it. It is essential."
Harry flew up from the Pensieve then, shaking his head as he clutched his heart, knowing then as he had known all along that a part of Voldemort lived inside him. He stared down at the Elder Wand then, wondering what would happen if he simply... "Evanesco," he whispered then, pointing the wand at his heart, and felt lighter than he had in a very long time. Charred remains of something, and ash-like smoke came off from him then, and disappeared as quickly as they had appeared in mid-air, and Harry felt as if he had truly been all along—Harry James Potter, the Chosen One, just Harry. He then turned to Severus, who was still unconscious upon the floor, and nodded to himself.
He sent his Patronus to Madam Pomfrey, letting her know what had happened, and knowing that the mediwitch would be along momentarily to fetch the headmaster. Next, as he turned around and walked into Severus's rooms, where all of his things and his rucksack were, he sent his Patronus to Professor McGonagall, instructing her to look deeply into the Pensieve, which would exonerate Severus from any wrongdoing, he hoped. And, finally, he sent off a final Patronus to Ron and Hermione, as he was finally dressed and his things were packed.
"I'm going to You-Know-Who," he said gently. "I've got a few ideas of where he could be. I'm going alone. I know how to handle him now. Keep Hogwarts and each other safe." He nodded to the stag then, who bowed to him and left the room. He stepped back out into the headmaster's office then, before he leaned down and kissed Severus's brow. "I know what to do now," he whispered to his lover. "I know how to kill him, because I'm not a Horcrux anymore. You-Know-Who is now at his most vulnerable. I'm going to kill him, my love." His voice broke then before he leaned down and kissed his lover's lips. "You'll never know how much I love you, but I do. And I'll come back for you as soon as I can. I love you so much, Severus Snape. I'll leave you with this question: Will you marry me when I return?" he whispered then, his voice hitching at the end as he heard footsteps outside the door, and quickly Apparated out of there, before anyone could even attempt to stop him from going.