The end of the year came quickly, but seemed strangely uneventful after all that had happened. There were only a few things that really stood out in my mind, and many of those were Harry and Draco's pranks, which had gradually returned after they had found out my health had rebounded. It was a sign of normalcy, and it made those days seem almost like they used to be. Yet, there were some things I knew would never be the same, and one of them was me. But this was good. Laura had quickly become my confidant, and I hers. We had spent many hours walking the grounds together, having tea, and chasing after Harry and Draco when their pranks happened to coincide with the previous two. We became fast friends, and companions. I now lived to see her face in the morning at breakfast, to see her smile. Those days were the happiest I had had yet, with Laura, Harry, and Draco all in the castle at the same time. But the year was quickly coming to a close, and I knew that it had to bring change for my boys, and myself. For, despite my miracle, Albus had not been given one, and he did not have much time left. I wondered how long it would be until Harry realized it, and sought to begin the mission that Albus had been carefully educating him for. All of these things swirled within my mind, arranging themselves into a complex web as I made my way up to Albus' office the afternoon before the closing feast.

Up the spiral staircase and onto the landing I went, where I politely knocked on the door. I heard him say "come in", and I entered. Albus sat behind his desk, looking somehow smaller than he used to be. Despite the new lines on his face and the now limp arm at his side, he beckoned cheerfully with his good hand for me to sit. A pot of tea awaited us on the table, and a little bowl of sherbet lemons sat on his desk, as always. He smiled at me a moment before speaking, and I let myself relax and enjoy the comfort of his presence.

"You look good, my boy," he said softly upon seeing the healthy tinge of colour my skin had gained, and the slight spark behind my eyes that had been lacking for so many years.

"Well, I feel good, mostly," I said in reply, and we both knew that I meant that I felt fine aside from Albus' declining health, and Harry's looming mission. Of course, neither of us spoke of this.

He smiled, and I lifted the teapot and poured him a cup of tea before pouring my own. He thanked me and dropped a few lumps of sugar in it with a shaky hand.

"How are the boys?"

"Good," I replied. "They would like to send their condolences for the runaway turkey incident; here's their written apology in fact." I put the letter on the desk for Albus to consult later. "They meant for it to stay in Sybil's tower, so that she would find it when she returned from her rare expedition to Hogsmeade for incense. Of course, it found a way out."

"I did get a pretty good laugh out of it, actually, watching you chase it past my office," said Albus, eyes twinkling merrily. "The racket was quite delightful. How are you, after all of that?"

"Stiff," I said, quite displeased about the whole ordeal. "Not that you would ask if you didn't already know."

He chuckled at that.

"Enough about me, how have you been?" I asked.

"Alright, considering."

I had expected that.

"In other news ... have you managed to restore your reputation yet?" asked Albus, amused. "It has been some time ..."

"You'd think the students would just forget about that, it's been at least four months."

"If you wanted to remain scary you should have asked Harry to give Miss Weasley that kitten. Even if she was the kind soul who looked after you while you were at the Burrow."

"Both Harry and Draco were getting their burns mended after they set off those fireworks, remember? And, naturally, Hermione was visiting them too, so I couldn't very well ask her to go up to Gryffindor tower, could I? Besides, Hagrid was out for the day and the kitten would otherwise have been alone. Might as well have found it a home that day."

"Ah yes," he said. "Was that the last of them? I thought you were going to keep one. I daresay Munkastrap probably wouldn't have minded."

"No, he wouldn't have. But, you see, I've decided instead to let the stray female cat Buttercup live with us. Now that I've given her that potion to keep us from ending up with more kittens, that is. Munk is over the moon about it."

"Yes, I am sure he is. That was very kind of you to give that cat to Miss Weasley by the way."

I dismissed it with a wave of my hand. "I overheard Molly saying to Miss Weasley that magical cats were too expensive for her to get one, and I did owe them for helping me to regain my health. Well, them and Black, but I sent him a bottle of firewhisky rather than a cat. Though no doubt he would have had fun traumatizing it." Both Albus and I paused to savour the amusement of such a thought.

"Well, I doubt Molly and Arthur will have near as much trouble affording things now," Albus said, face shining with happiness. "There could not have been a family more deserving.

I nodded in agreement. The research department at St. Mungo's had recently given the Weasley's a fair bit of money for the permission to grow Weasley's Wort, and administer it for treatment of all manner of illnesses, along with royalties for sales of the plants. Molly and Aurthur had been hesitant to take it, but the researchers insisted due to the outstanding properties of the plant. It was unique after all, and so a find like that was incredible. For some time we simply sat there, thinking happily of how much easier it would be for the Weasleys from then on, but after a while, my mind turned to other things.

"What did you and Harry do on that excursion last month?" I asked suddenly, for I had been pondering this for a long time, and just what had caused Albus to be so ill upon their return baffled me. "What happened there?"

"That's for Harry and I to know, and you to find out only when Tom Riddle is long gone."

"I thought you'd say that."

"I only refuse to say because I care about you Severus," he said softly. "You know that."

I nodded.

Albus, clearly trying to steer me toward a less risky subject, said, "What are you planning for this summer?"

"Oh I don't know," I began slowly, "perhaps I'll show Laura that blackberry patch down by the house, and take her berry picking. She's rather outdoorsy. But I'll probably spend as much time with the boys as I can. I somehow doubt Harry will be back next year, and if I'm a betting man Draco will want to go with him." I sighed. "I don't know if I'll be able to refrain from trying to stop them going on that mission you've planned out for him. But then again, how could I stop them from doing it? It's their choice in the end, they'll be of age."

"Take it all one step at a time, remember Severus," said Albus, looking weary.

"It will be very difficult letting them go, that is for sure," I muttered, "and lonely."

"Yes, getting used to their absence will be hard."

"It will be. Thank Merlin I have Laura. She keeps me sane, that is certain. I can't help but wonder how I ever got on without her." I looked down at the worn wood on the desk for a moment, getting lost in my thoughts.

Albus' eyes began to twinkle furiously, and he barely held back a smile. "Is she the one?" he asked curiously.

It took me a moment to reply, not because I was unsure, but I was afraid that if I spoke it aloud she would somehow be snatched away from me like so many other good things in my life. But I had hope. "I think so," I said finally, not looking Albus in the eye because I knew I would be unable to hold back the rather silly smile if I did.

"Make sure she knows how much you appreciate her," advised Albus.

"Oh, I tell her all the time," I assured him, and I was being honest too.

A thin smile played about Albus' face.

"Do you regret it Albus, never marrying?" I asked curiously.

"I have greater things to regret than unfulfilled love," he replied cryptically, and that was all he said.

"I suppose most seem rather dull in comparison to your genius," I said thoughtfully once I saw he was not going to expand upon his statement.

"Brilliance can sometimes be a curse, I must admit." He looked wistfully toward the window, which had been opened to allow the warm summery breeze to float into the office.

I was silent for a while, and the both of us simply stared out at the blue sky.

"I never really did wish to be married, Severus," he said in time, "though years ago I do admit I often wondered what it would be like to be a father. But it has been many years since I felt a longing for that."

"Whatever changed?"

"Well, I have you now, don't I?" he said simply.

I sat stock still in my seat as warmth slowly filled me up. I always knew he was very fond of me, and cared for me deeply. I even suspected that he thought me as a son, but to hear him say it was something different entirely.

Stuttering, I searched for words.

"Oh you need not say anything," he said. "I already know that you care for me."

I closed my mouth, and went a little red. I never was good with words in moments such as this one. He chuckled.

"Have you got everything packed up for the summer?" Albus inquired.

"No, I still have to do that." I let out a quiet sigh of regret, knowing that it was inevitable that I would have to leave the serenity of his office and go sort through my quarters. "Now that you mention it, I suppose I should be going. I have to shrink a few of my cauldrons and get them packed away too."

"Well, thank you for joining me for tea, my boy."

"Thank you for the invite," I said gratefully. "It was nice to catch up. Things have been a little bit busy, what with exams."

Then, as he always did at some point during a visit with me, he asked, "Would you like a Sherbet Lemon, for the way back?"

I thought for a second, and despite the fact that I had never said so before, I replied, "I would, thank you."

His eyes filled with tears as I slowly picked one up out of the bowl, put it in my mouth, and got up and walked to the door. He smiled as I opened it. I inclined my head briefly before softly shutting the door behind me. On the landing I paused for just a second, the bittersweet flavour of the sherbet lemon upon my tongue.

That was the last time Albus and I spoke before he died. It could not have been on a more beautiful day that he had been discovered, lying peacefully upon the sofa in his office, the window open, having passed away in the middle of an afternoon nap. We were first told by Minerva, who had walked through the wards and down the little road to our house, where Harry, Draco and I were sitting out on the porch enjoying the sunshine. And as I suspected, it was not long after that Harry informed me that he, Draco, Hermione, and Ron would not be returning to Hogwarts the next year.

The day they left my heart pounded in fear, as I watched the four figures walking with rucksacks down the road from the house, each of them looking back one last time before they disapparated. Yet, I was not alone in this worry, and Laura told me this silently by taking my rough hand in her soft one. And so at that moment I was reminded that I was not the only one that did not know how this would end, or how it would all turn out, or even if we could all hold together. We didn't know then that everything would be alright, that one day there would be peace in the Wizarding world, and hope once more in a future none of us could imagine right then, for we weren't even sure if those four teenagers would come back. But they would, and they did. They were always meant to, some way or another. We didn't know any of this then, but I assure you there did come a day when we did know, and in the end, that was all that mattered.