Warmth flooded him as he became aware of his dream. The room was dark, and he knew it was his bedroom. However, something was different. He couldn't quite place yet until he felt the weight on his chest. Someone's head was lying on him. Slowly, he noticed that his arm held the person in a protective and loving embrace. He tried to ascertain through the heavy darkness the person he was holding, but he couldn't see any distinguishing characteristic other than it was a woman. He ran his fingers through the woman's hair expecting it to be curly and wild like Aurora's, but instead he felt like he was touching silk by how smooth the hair was. In response to his caresses, the woman nuzzled into him more. He could smell the familiar scent of raspberries then that he knew was from Aurora's shampoo. He opened his mouth, but she spoke first.

"Good morning, Severus," Aurora said lovingly before gently kissing him. She laughed softly against his lips a few seconds later. "I should have known you'd be awake," she whispered.

"Why?"

"Severus, you know why," she replied with a faint smile. "Now go take your shower while I go wake Harry up. Knowing him, though, he's probably already up. He does seem to take after you now." She then flashed him a smile before pushing him towards their bathroom.

Snape nodded curtly and did as she asked. He did feel like a shower was just what he needed for his sore muscles. He caught his reflection in the mirror and stopped. He looked rather the same as he did nowadays. However, he had a bit more color to his face than usual. His raven hair had more of a healthy shine to it than usual. Slowly, he watched a playful smile etch across his face, but he truly didn't know why he was smiling. He quietly undressed then, casting his thoughts out of his mind.

A few moments later, after Snape turned off the steaming hot shower, he stepped out. He raised a hand up and summoned a towel. It was then that he caught something glittering on one of his fingers on his right hand. He narrowed his dark eyes at the sight of the silver ring on the finger next to his pinkie. He glanced towards the closed door and then back to the ring. He was married to Aurora. He then shook his head. It was just a dream. Granted, it was a dream that for once wasn't full of nightmarish scenarios.

Not hearing any noise from the other side of the door, Snape wrapped the towel around his lower body and quietly crept into his bedroom. Aurora had long since vacated the room, and he could see that the house elves had made the bed, their bed. However, someone had laid clothes out on top of the bed with a note attached. He quickly snatched the note and read it.

See…I didn't forget, Severus. I do listen to you every now and then. Yours always Aurora

That frustrating smile made its way to his face again, which made him shake his head. Why was it so easy to show his emotions in this dream? Snape drew in a deep breath and quickly changed into the clothes she had laid out for him. The clothes weren't that much different from what he normally wore. He now wore a black turtleneck with black slacks. He was rather glad she had stuck with his color scheme. As he walked out of his bedroom and down the hallway towards his sitting room, he heard soft whispers, which he quickly learned was Harry and Aurora.

Snape instantly caught the nice clothes they both were wearing. Harry wore black slacks like himself, a white-button down shirt with a black vest over top of it, and a black suit jacket. However, it appeared as if Harry was having trouble with his Gryffindor tie, which Aurora was retying.

"You do realize that my fingers feel like they're on fire touching this monstrosity around your neck?" Aurora said teasingly.

"Mum!" groaned Harry loudly. "You knew I was a Gryffindor when you married Dad."

"Oh, yes, and I should have high-tailed it elsewhere," she said with a smirk. "Honestly, what would my mother think if she found out my stepson was a Gryffindor? Well, all my hopes are on this one now," she said with a laugh as she rubbed her swollen abdomen. She then finished fixing his tie. "There, I think I finally got it. How does it feel, love?"

"Eh, Dad does it better," Harry replied quietly while playing with his tie more.

"You little scamp," she said lightheartedly before carding his messy hair. "I have every right to take your broom from you for a week for that comment, and then how would you beat Slytherin next weekend, Harry? Now quit playing with your tie before I hex you. It's fine."

"Hey, Dad," Harry loudly announced, which made Aurora turn around towards him.

"Harry," Snape replied feeling his throat a bit raw at saying the young man's name.

Snape's dark eyes then took in Aurora. She no longer looked so similar to Bellatrix LeStrange. Her long dark hair that once was frizzy now fell softly on her bare shoulders perfectly straight and silky smooth. She wore a long white frilly dress that swayed gracefully as she walked towards Snape. What he noticed the most was the swollen abdomen. It didn't take him long then to estimate that she was at least five months along, which was four months farther than where she was currently. She, however, was breathtaking to view, though.

"You look very handsome, Severus," Aurora said with that soft smile of hers. "You're not going to get all emotional on me, are you?"

"No," Snape replied hoarsely. Why couldn't he hold back his emotions as he usually did? It was only Aurora and Harry. In the waking world, they held some emotional appeal, but not as much as he felt now. Why was this dream so different?

"It's all right, Severus. I understand," she said caressing his cheek lovingly. She then glanced towards Harry. "Well, Harry love, what do you think? Should we all head over to the greenhouse and see Pomona then?"

"Yeah," replied the young Gryffindor.

"We've dressed up to see Sprout?" Snape asked as soon as he regained control again.

"Of course not, dear, you know where we're going," Aurora replied smiling as she handed Harry his black Gryffindor robes before grabbing the two robes, one of silver and one of emerald. As she held out the emerald robes to Snape, she went on her tippy-toes and lightly kissed his cheek. "Blame it on the baby if you must, but you looked like you needed it," she whispered softly as she put her silver robes on. "Well, we're off then, aren't we?"

Aurora then headed for the door with Harry at her side. The young Gryffindor reached the door first, however, and opened it for her, which made Snape snort with a faint smile. They were being rather cute with each other this morning. If this dream were things to come, then perhaps his life wasn't going to be as dour as he had always thought it would be. Snape followed the two silently, wondering where they were all going, but feeling something deep within himself that made him not really care since they were all going to be together for their journey.

It didn't take them long to reach the greenhouses, but Snape instantly felt the chill sweep over him at how eerie everything was. The sun still wasn't up yet, but it was early dawn. The leaves had fallen, so he knew it had to be about October. However, before he could notice anything else, he heard the loud throaty laugh from the head of Hufflepuff as she bustled towards them.

"Oh my, oh my, don't you all look lovely, just lovely," Pomona Sprout said with a grin reaching her eyes. "Oh, yes, come, Harry, dear, and we'll get you all off in a jiffy." The head of Hufflepuff then, however, glanced towards Aurora. "My dear, you look the loveliest of them all, belle of the ball, I'd say," she exclaimed as she threw her arms around the pregnant witch. "Just practically glowing you are, and we all know why that is, don't we?" she said with a conspiratorially wink towards Severus. "Oh, yes, well, forgive me, nearly lost myself there. I'll see you both later tonight at the feast?" she asked.

"We'll be there, Pomona. I believe young Harry there would have our hide if we weren't there tonight to see him with Miss Granger." Aurora then laughed softly when Harry rolled her eyes.

"Ah, is there something I should know about?"

"For the last time, Mum, there's nothing going on between me and Hermione! We're just friends," Harry whined.

"Oh of course, Harry, as if your father didn't use that line about me several hundred times."

"Come with me, Mr. Potter, and we'll get you all squared away." Harry and Sprout then disappeared into one of the greenhouses.

"You're being abnormally quiet this morning, Severus. You know that I hate that."

"I'm thinking, Aurora," he replied quietly. His eyes instantly narrowed when Harry came back with nothing in his hands.

"Got them, love?"

"Yeah, they're in my pocket."

"Well, let's go then."

Aurora then slid her hand into Snape's, which made him glance at her. However, he didn't pull back from her. In fact, he knitted their fingers together in a tight embrace. When she lovingly squeezed his hand, he felt a slight lump in his throat. He felt so…so free with her, and he didn't know why. He watched Harry run in front of them towards the front gates. So they were going to apparate somewhere, but the question was where. As soon as they passed through the anti-Apparition wards, they stopped.

"Grab my hand, Harry, and we'll be off."

Snape watched Harry do as Aurora instructed and closed his eyes instantly when he felt the pull behind his navel. Truthfully, he hated Apparition with a passion, and side along Apparition was ten times worse in his opinion. As soon as they reappeared, he felt himself suck in a deep breath of chilled air. He knew instantly where they were, and he could feel that he now walked on hallowed ground. Within seconds, he felt Aurora squeeze his hand reassuringly, but he knew it wouldn't help him.

"Go on, Harry love," Aurora whispered beckoning the young man to do something.

Snape watched as the young Gryffindor pulled two things out of his inner jacket. As soon as the objects hit the cold air, they enlarged in size, revealing to Snape what they were. He watched as Harry bent down over Lily's grave and effortlessly wiped away the leaves that had collected on it. A bouquet of a dozen or more white lilies then rested on the grave as Harry hung his head to whisper something.

"She would have loved those, don't you agree?" Aurora quietly said not to disturb Harry.

Snape only nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. He then watched Harry gently set a photo on James Potter's grave. He noticed immediately that it was of Harry in his Gryffindor Quidditch robes. The boy was smiling widely. He could easily tell that the picture was after Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup. He couldn't help but feel a bit of nostalgia in the air at the sight. He then watched Harry stand back up and silently walk towards him with a sad soft smile on his lips.

"It's in your left inner pocket, Severus," Aurora whispered glancing at him.

"What is?" She only smiled faintly before wrapping her arms around Harry in a maternally way. Snape sighed, but opened his robes up and reached into the pocket she mentioned. Sure enough, he pulled out a single white lily that had silver and crimson painted on its edging. He didn't bother to say anything to Aurora. Something inside of him broke as he walked towards his love's grave. He bent down and rested a hand on his sweet Lily's grave. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you both," he whispered harshly swallowing back his emotions. His dark eyes flickered over to his childhood tormentor's grave, but he said nothing. He then stood back up and silently walked back towards Aurora and Harry. He smiled faintly at the sight of Aurora with her arms protectively wrapped around Harry as she rested her chin on top of his head. He couldn't make out what she was whispering in the young man's ear, but he learned it later when Harry wrapped his arms around him.

Snape then watched Aurora slowly saunter towards Lily's grave. He instantly felt the air turn colder at the sight. When he saw her gently lower herself to kneel beside Lily's grave before resting a hand on the cool grave marker, he felt his breath catch in his lungs. So many emotions flooded him at the sight of his future and his past together right there as one. He then heard Aurora's words and swallowed the harsh lump back in his throat.

"Thank you," Aurora whispered.

Perhaps it was the new dawn playing tricks on him with the lighting, but he swore that he saw Lily standing beside Aurora and both witches were smiling. He then inhaled deeply trying to clear his mind. However, his mind cleared perfectly when he heard Aurora suddenly gasp and clutch her abdomen. He and Harry quickly walked towards her, fearing that something had happened to either her or the baby. Aurora, however, only laughed a few seconds later and rubbed her stomach affectionately. She then glanced towards Severus with her dark brown eyes all alight with amazement and wonder.

"What?"

"The baby just kicked," she replied grinning. He scoffed and gently helped her to her feet again.

"Let's get you home and in bed." The three then walked away together. However, he caught Harry hanging back and noticed the young man looking back at the graves. He stopped and turned around, watching Harry cast his Patronus. At the sight of the brilliant stag, Snape drew his ebony wand and casted his own Patronus. Together, Snape's green-eyed doe met Harry's stag in front of the graves before fading. The dream then ended, and Snape woke up feeling more rested than he'd ever felt before.