Harry had been flying around the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts. Even though Harry was happy, he knew that it couldn’t be real. It had to be a dream. He had watched his wife get murdered and there was nothing that he could do about it. He it that it had to be a dream because he was happy. He had no idea how he could be happy again. Looking over to the opposite side of the pitch, Harry saw a figure standing at the base of the goals. Without even thinking about it, Harry flew with lighting fast speed toward the other set of goals. He jumped to the ground when he was a few feet from it. He ran into a red haired woman’s arms.
“Harry.” She called his name as he spun her around.
“Ginny.” He responded, but her back on the ground.
“Harry, you shouldn’t be here.”
“What do you mean? I am with my favorite person in the world. Why should I not be here.
“You need to be with the kids. They need you.”
“Snape can take care of them. I’m with you know and that is all that matters.”
Harry attempted to hug Ginny but, in her anger, she pushed him away.
“Harry, did you really hear what you just said? ‘Snape can take care of them’, that’s wrong. They’ll have a problem with me death, but if both of us are gone….It’s unthinkable. Do you really want them to have the same childhood that you had? Do you want them to grow up without parents? Are you just going to give up and change their lives? Do you think that they kids or Snape deserve this? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then I married the wrong man.”
Angry silence fell between the two of them and It embarrassed Harry. It was not the tongue lashing that embarrassed him, it was the knowledge that he was being selfish.
“Ginny, that’s not what I meant.”
“That’s what it sounded like.”
“What I was trying to say is that I need to be with you. Everything in my life changed for the better because I asked you out.”
“Of course everything changed. You found a new purpose in life. You’ve gone through so many deaths, why can’t you accept mine?”
“You’re different. It’s not like losing a mother or a friend. You’re my wife, the only person that I love. And it is my fault that you are dead.”
“It’s not your fault Harry.” Ginny argued.
“It is my fault. How can I get through that?”
“I think I can help with that.” A woman spoke.
Harry and Ginny looked around. Standing next to Harry’s left was a woman who resembled Ginny.
“Mom?” Harry questioned.
“Yes son, it’s me. Ginny is right you know. The kids need you.”
“But I can’t go on living without her.”
“Your job is to get the kids to continue to live without their mother. No one has forgotten what you lost as well. I made sure that there was someone there who cam help you.”
“Who?”
“Why don’t you look?”
Lily held out a quaffle, and that was all that it seemed. Then it shimmered and the quaffle became a glass orb. Inside the orb was an image, but no one moved. Snape sat beside Harry’s bedside and the image frightened Harry. He laid there motionless on a hospital bed. A tube protruded from his mouth. There were I.V. lines coming from his arms and heart monitors coming from the top of his hospital gown. He did not recognize the room that he was seeing. Was in in St.Mungos? If this scene frightened Harry, then what was it doing to his kids.
Snape sat like a statue next to Harry. He had circles under his eyes and it looked like he had not eaten in some time. There was a look that Harry could see in Snape’s eyes that Harry had only seen once before. That same look had been in Snape’s eyes when he was afraid that Voldemort was going to kill Lily. Did that mean that Snape was afraid that Harry was going to die?
“I talked to Severus, dear.” Lily began. “I gave him a choice. He could either come back or move on. He chose to come back for you.”
“He doesn’t love me. I don’t even know why he is here. He should have died all those years ago.” Harry said with a pensive tone.
“But he didn’t die. He loves you as well. I know that you saw his memories. If things had been different, then we would have stayed together. He can explain everything when you go back.”
“But I need to be with Ginny.”
“No. Harry the kids need you.” Ginny spoke.
“I think if you listen to what Severus has to say, you might change your mind.” Lily explained.
“What?” Harry questioned.
“Watch.” Lily spoke then fell silent, looking at the glass orb in her hand.
Harry, confused by what was happening, turned to the glass orb. For a long time, Snape didn’t move. It made no sense that someone could sit there for that long and not move. Snape began to speak and it surprised Harry that he was alive.
“Harry you need to wake up.” Snape sighed and stayed silent for a few seconds. “I feel so stupid doing this. I know that you can’t answer, but the doctors said that it might be good. Something rubbish about my voice pulling you out of this coma, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt. The doctors don’t even know if you are going to make it. You have to pull through, though. I know how much it hurts right now. I know how much it hurts, losing the one that you love. I am here to help you. I want to help you because I know that you will need it. People don’t understand what it feels like, but I do. I lost your mother. Other people will, eventually, tell you to get over her death. I won’t tell you that. You might not get over her death, but you can deal with the pain.”
“I want to help you because I don’t want you to end up like me. I became a hermit because I never got over your mother’s death. I don’t think I can open myself to any one because I fear that if I do, they will be taken away from me. I don’t want you to feel like that. Your mother died protecting you and now you need to be here to protect your kids. They need your help. They’ve grown up too fast because of this. Is that what you really want?” Snape let out a long deep breath.
“I understand James having to grow up a little, but Albus really shouldn’t have to. He asked to talk to me yesterday when he came, so we went to find a nice quiet place to talk. He was really nervous, so I asked him how it was staying with Arthur and Molly.
SSASPSS
“I really like it, but it’s not the same without mom and dad. Grandma is always crying and Grandpa is trying his best. James and Lily are really taking mom’s death hard. I’m hard too, but I haven’t let them see me cry.”
“Why not?”
“I’m the one taking care of them, with someone of Grandma’s and Grandpa’s help of course.”
“What do you mean?”
“One day, Grandma had taken a nap. We were making ourselves lunch and James was making Lily’s for her. He gave it to Lily but she wouldn’t eat it. James had forgotten to cut the crust off the sandwich and cut it into triangles. James yelled at her because she wouldn’t eat it and he stormed out of the room. He made Lily cry. Grandpa ran after James. I got Lily to stop crying, fixed her sandwich, and I got her to eat it.”
“That was very mature, Albus.”
“Can I ask you a question, Mr. Snape?”
“You can ask me anything, Albus.”
“And you won’t laugh or think I was a baby?”
“I would never do that. I promise.”
“Will you…..if….” Albus’ eyes began to water.
“It’s okay, Albus.” Snape took a hold of the boys hand. “Just as me.”
“Will you still be around if….if my dad….dies?”
Then he couldn’t hold it in any longer. Albus burst out crying.
“Come here, Al.” Snape whispered as Albus jumped into his arms, seeking comfort. “Let it out. It’s will be okay.” Snape cooed to the boy as he held tight to the potions master.
When Albus stopped crying, he let go of Snape and went to wipe his eyes. Snape handed him a hankerchief from a pocket. When Albus was done, he handed it back to Snape.
“Now listen to me, Albus.” Snape spoke once Albus was situated comfortably on his lap. “It is okay to be scared. I know that it’s very scary. There are a lot of people who are trying their hardest to make your dad better. I am one of those people, but I am also here to make sure that you, your brother, and your sister are safe and cared for. No matter what happens, I will always be here.”
“Will Dad become like you?” Albus whispered.
Snape sat there and stared at the boy in confusion, which led him to explain what he meant.
“Dad always tells me about you because you’re my hero. From what I understand, after Lily died, you closed yourself off to others. Is he going to be like that?”
“Can you keep a secret?” Snape questioned.
Albus shook his head yes.
“I had a dream the other night. In this dream I saw Lily. She told me that I needed to help your father and his family. She doesn’t want your dad to become like me, so she told me that I had to stay here. I love Lily very much and I promised her that I would be here to help. I will keep my promise to her and the promise that I am going to make to you. I promise that I will try my best to help your father and you kids. You have no need to worry.”
SSHPSS
“But there is a need to worry, Harry.” Snape Stated. “Your kids are afraid that you are going to die. If you can here me, then you need to wake up. If not for me, then do it for your kids.
Harry looked up at the sound of Lily’s voice.
“I made sure that Severus came back to help you. He made a promise to me, years ago, that he was going to protect you. He’s gone above and beyond what he promised. You owe him your life more times than you know. Your kids need you and they are the ones who will be hurt more if you die as well. I know that it is a difficult decision, but it’s the right one. Isn’t that what Gryffindor’s stand for?” Lily questioned.
Harry turned to Ginny, his eyes filling with tears.
“I’ve made the right decision all of my life.” Harry said. “Why do I have to make one more?”
“Because you know that you can’t leave the kids. You once told me that you wanted to give the kids a better childhood than you had. If you leave, then you are giving them the same childhood that you had.” Ginny explained.
Harry wiped his eyes.
“I love you Ginny. A life without you is a sad life.”
“Remember how much I love you, then it won’t be as sad. You know that I love you, Harry.”
“I will always love you to the ends of the world and back.”
Harry stepped forward and gave Ginny a hug. He was never going to forget this last hug that he would give his wife. When they broke apart, both people wiped tears from their eyes.
“You need to go back now, Harry.”
Harry nodded to Ginny and turned to his mother.
“Remember that your father and I love you, Harry.” She reminded him.
“I will.” He turned back to Ginny. “I love you Ginny.”
“I love you too. Go back to the kids. Tell them and my parents how much I love them. Tell Snape that I do not blame him, and remember that this was not your fault. I love you Harry.”
Harry, most unwillingly, forced himself to turn away from his mother and wife. He started out taking small steps, but then bolted into a run. He heart broke with every foot fall. His eyes streamed with tears as he ran through the Quidditch Pitch entrance and into the Gryffindor locker room, leaving his mother and Ginny behind.
The End.