Fairytale Of Home by Livia Ethelind
Summary: Thanks to James' sacrifice, Lord Voldemort is defeated. Lily barely survives and is rescued by Severus. Years later Harry struggles to live side by side with his hateful and unforgiving stepfather in a very troubled household. Unbeknownst to both much greater challenges lie ahead.
Categories: Teacher Snape > Professor Snape, Parental Snape > Stepfather Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Lily, Original Character
Snape Flavour: Snape is Angry, Snape Comforts, Snape is Controlling, Snape is Cruel, Snape is Depressed, Snape is Mean, Snape is Stern
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Family, Tragedy
Media Type: None
Tags: Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Child fic
Takes Place: 0 - Before Harry is born, 0 - Pre Hogwarts (before Harry is 11), 1st summer before Hogwarts, 1st Year
Warnings: Character Death, Physical Punishment Spanking, Neglect, Profanity, Romance/Het, Violence
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 13 Completed: Yes Word count: 45833 Read: 69718 Published: 11 Sep 2016 Updated: 03 May 2017
A Christmas Carol by Livia Ethelind
Author's Notes:
It all ends.

Extra long chapter for me to go out on.
Harry scrambled to stay on his feet as he was knocked off balance by the force of the witch. He was mainly only held up enough to remain standing by Aoife's hands firmly grabbing him by the shirt. Harry gasped for air and stared into her bitterly frowning face as the bird-woman glared at him. He knew the feeling of despair and helplessness. He had been here before. But the mortal terror he felt was different now. While Aoife had always been cruel, the first time she had 'gone mad' Harry had been terrified that she might kill him. Now he knew she was capable of doing just that. After Lily what was he to her?

Desperately Harry tried to kick her and make her let go. But she was too tall and when looming over him he could not reach her! Was everyone in Snape's family tall and raven haired? This side at least seemed to be. He wanted to scream but her grip tightened his collar around his throat and all that emerged from him was hissing and gurgled sounds. And even more terrifying – Harry actually had no idea where the other adults were at this time! Would they even be able to hear him if he screamed for help? Were they still in the house? He bet Aoife knew. And speaking of her, Aoife did not even take notice of the attempted kicks, so futile were his efforts.

”I thought I told you not to cross me!” sneered Aoife and shook Harry once for good measure. ”And just so you know it, nothing here belongs to your mudblood mother. It belongs to the lady of Prince Manor and that is me, whether my dear grandnephew agrees or not. You have no right to be here – none of you!” Harry let her words wash over him like a biting wind, not able to disregard his imminent death long enough to truly listen to her. Aoife suddenly grabbed his chin with her left hand, forcing it upwards and clamping Harry's mouth shot as he was forced to look at her. Her fingers were holding him in an iron grip and the thought entered Harry's head that she might be trying to break his jaw by sheer force. ”The Boy Who Lived,” said Aoife, almost as an after thought. ”You know they say he was the strongest dark wizard who ever lived! It would be amusing, would it not, if Aoife Prince could do what the Dark Lord could not!” A smirk spread across her face. Harry gasped for air in response. He figured this was how an ant felt when you crushed it underfoot. Aoife's vanity might be appeased with such a feat as she described but Harry did not think Voldemort would stoop to strangulation when he had a wand. Speaking of which! His wand! Where was it?! Harry let go of Aoife's hands and began to search for his pockets and by extension – his wand.

It was not as if an 11-year old could really do much against a... witch older than Harry could probably count - but even so it was his best chance. His fingertips brushed it but Aoife had to consider him at least a bit of a threat because just as his hand finally grabbed it, she threw him onto the floor and pulled out her own wand. Harry blood ran cold and his eyes shut as he expected a glimpse of light before the darkness that was sure to follow. But it did not come. Instead he heard her high pitched laughter. ”Oh, look at that!” she laughed. ”The Saviour is afraid! Huh? Is the itty bitty Master scared?”

Harry's eyes snapped open. He could feel his heart beating painfully against his ribs. He opened his mouth but Aoife was too fast. ”Scream all you want, you little pest. See what happens,” she threatened ominously. What was he going to do? Harry's mind raced. Should he chance yelling for help or try to run? Yes, Aoife was no spring rabbit but she need not be with a wand. What would Hermione do? She always seemed to have the answer for everything! No, cunning. He had to be cunning, he thought – even if he knew in his heart he really had little chance of outsmarting an adult he had to try. And yet, there was that little voice in the back of his mind that whispered: ”Just let go. Maybe she'll make it quick and then you can see your mum again!” He could not listen today. He could not let her win. Surely she'd somehow make it seem like Snape did it or maybe Harry killed himself by accident. She was good at lies, Harry knew. And... A Gryffindor did not surrender!

Somehow he had to keep her talking. As long as she was taunting him, he reckoned, she was not cursing him. Then he'd try to figure out something smart to do to escape – if he could. ”How can it be yours?” Harry stalled. ”Snape bought it for her! She was married to him, not you!” Aoife looked as though she was simultaneously swallowing and looking at something utterly disgusting. ”As if I would ever marry beneath my status!” she countered. ”My brother was a fool. He let the plebeians in! How are the likes of you any better than his own sister?!” She was rambling now. Just as she had done that day in the gallery and recognising that look in her eyes, Harry realised that this tactic might have been a terrible mistake! He glanced to the stairs, it was now or never! Just as Aoife ended her little speech Harry scrambled to his feet and ran for the stairs.

A flash, like lightning appeared before his eyes just as his body went ridged and he fell over! He would have tumbled down the stairs too if he had not found himself pulled backwards by an invisible force. ”Oh, you think you can just waltz away as you please?” Aoife chided. Harry's glasses fell off his nose as he was dragged across the floor and he found he could do nothing but move his eyeballs and cry – and that was all he did. ”Well, I'm not done!” she said, punctuating her statement with a swift kick to Harry's thigh. ”Did you think you were just going to tiptoe down and tattle?” she asked, although Harry could not answer. ”You? You're an insult to our family's legacy! I could bear it! I could bear doing the bidding of my tasteless grandnephew and his diluted blood! I might even smile at the invalid until she'd keel over or he'd come to his senses! I am a Prince after all! I belong in these halls! But you! You aren't even a Prince! You and your whore of a mother soil the ground you thread on! Indeed if you liked her so much, why don't you join her?”

If Aoife seemed to have been talking herself into something she clearly had succeeded because then she raised her wand menacingly. Harry closed his eyes. This was it. He could not bear the fact that her face would be the last he ever saw. ”Let's have some fun!” she laughed. Harry waited for the familiar sound of magic in the air and he was not kept waiting. It was a strange feeling – being dead. It almost felt exactly like being alive and on the floor. Then in the next second he heard a familiar deep voice: ”You make one move!” growled Snape but clearly Aoife did not take the warning seriously because in the next moment there was another swishing sound followed by a loud thump. Confused, Harry opened his eyes to find Aoife's wand lying not far from his own head and Aoife blasted into the wall. Footsteps were heard as McGonagall finished the staircase and joined Snape, who stood there with his wand raised. He looked both furious and shocked all at once whereas McGonagall simply looked shocked. However, when she spotted Harry on the floor, she knelt down beside him with some difficulty to assist him while Snape glared at Aoife's immobilised body as if daring it to make a move.

As McGonagall lifted the spell trapping Harry, Aoife moaned in pain and Snape sent her knocking backwards into the wall a second time. ”Severus, don't!” snapped McGonagall. ”

”Stay out of it, Minerva!” replied Snape icily. ”You wouldn't understand.”

”Understand? I understand perfectly well, young man! And I'm telling you, I'm not letting you bounce that woman off the walls! She's not worth the trip to Azkaban!” cried McGonagall as she helped Harry to a seated position.

”Azkaban is too good for the likes of her,” Snape muttered darkly as he advanced upon Aoife's unconscious form. McGonagall brushed Harry's hair from his face. ”Are you hurt? Can you stand?” Harry could only nod. He had no words to describe the relief he felt and so all he said was: ”She stole mum's bracelet. I saw her!” It was a very insufficient explanation but McGonagall did not question it. Instead she helped Harry to stand and called for Lizette, who had only just arrived in the entrance hall to assists Harry to the dining room where she wordlessly tended to his bruises.

Harry felt as though his limbs were asleep – like he had been lying on the awkwardly. There was a prickly feeling all over his skin and he did not move unless indicated by Lizette to lift his arms or feet. The healer had reacted with both confusion and shock when McGonagall had come calling for her – she too had been making her way to the stairs and Harry had silently surmised that Aoife and him had made enough of a racket to get the attention of the other adults where it was they had gone. The only difference here was that Lizette had no idea what had happened as McGonagall had simply snapped instructions at her and left her with Harry whom she now questioned to no avail because the boy remained silent. Only now it felt like his body was waking up from the shock of it all like a long sleep. And it had been a long sleep, he realised. Because the tenseness leaving his body was not only the result of what had just transpired on the staircase but had been there for months now. Aoife was lying unconscious up there – very much at risk of being murdered by her displeased employer. The bogey man was dead.

He stared at a confused Lizette who had stopped speaking mid word and then took her hand much to her shock. Still she did not refuse him and Harry did not cry. He had no more tears to give Aoife. During the next hour the house filled with people and noise as aurors arrived along with other select people. They wanted to question Harry and set a very soft spoken woman with mousy hair and a cheap burgundy robe with a dated pearl brooch to the task. Mainly she asked whether Aoife had ever hurt him and Harry nodded. She asked whether Harry was scared of Aoife and Harry nodded again. Then she asked whether Snape had ever hurt him and Harry shrugged as though he did not really understand the question. He was asked by the auror behind her to elaborate but she defended Harry's right to be silent due to the trauma. She also insisted Harry not be present when they took Aoife away. Although Harry had no real objections to it he still would have liked to see her leave for himself. Meanwhile the large amount of bouquets in the entrance hall grew until they had a whole new flower garden – one which Harry was allowed in.

Dumbledore returned but he was not alone as he came into the dining room, where Harry, Lizette and the other two professors had taken refuge, followed by Lupin who had to visibly resist running straight to Harry. The Headmaster looked awfully serious and it really unnerved Harry, who had been struggling to get through a bun Lizette was insisting he'd eat. With a pop Orla appeared in the room with extra tea-things. Her large eyes were tearful and she shuffled over to the table. While Harry knew that the only person who had arguably suffered more under Aoife than him was Orla and she was bound to be glad to be rid of her too but not only was Orla devastated by the passing of her mistress, she know also had to lock her father in the scullery with the aid of Lizette as the old house elf had gone absolutely bonkers with rage at the news of Aoife's downfall and thrown pots and pans at everything and everyone near him. Mr Browne had paid a visit with a bunch of daisies and as he had left he had clearly gone about telling all of Athlea that the mistress of Prince Manor was dead because they came flooding to the gates to give their condolences, hand over hastily picked flowers, make snide remarks and whisper about their hopes that the death of the agreeable lady might cause her much less popular husband to move. Phil the gardener had to be fetched to keep them away from the front door.

”Oh, Harry,” said Lupin quietly as he finally settled next to the boy. However the sound of his voice roused Snape, who had been sitting there staring at his own knees with a blank expression for a while now. ”What are you doing here?” he snapped. Lupin did not really seem to be taken by surprise by this although he put a hand on Harry's shoulder – though Harry had no idea if that was meant to protect Harry or Lupin. ”Severus, please. There's no need for that,” said McGonagall. ”I don't want him in my house!” continued Snape with an energy that surprised Harry. ”Don't think I don't know what this it, Minerva! You and your little plots!” He pointed a thin accusing finger at the Head of Gryffindor.

”Come now, surely we need not shout before we finish the tea,” said Dumbledore as though the entire exchange humoured him. ”Perhaps, you're on their side then?” Snape replied. ”No one is on anyone's side here,” said Lupin. ”I'm here for Harry and for her. She was my friend. You of all people should know that, Severus!” Severus was just about to say something which Harry assumed would be particularly nasty when McGonagall snapped: ”Really? Severus? In front of Harry? That woman has not been our of your house 30 minutes and you are already...”

”What does it matter if he hears?” Snape cut her off. ”He'll hear enough at the hearing. But perhaps you're afraid he'll see through you?”

”What hearing?” Harry asked. ”Nothing, Harry. Just some legal business. Perhaps you'd better take a walk in the gardens?” Professor McGonagall asked. ”No, I want to know! What are you talking about?” Harry insisted. The tension between the adults was electric – except for Lizette who looked like a question mark and the Headmaster who continued to butter a bun as though nothing was amiss and his employees were not at each others throats. ”Harry, let's take a walk, shall we? You can show me around?” Lupin tried but it was clear from his expression that he did not really think he would convince Harry. ”Miss Sinclair, would be so kind as to take the boy out for a while?” said McGonagall and Lizette rose, clearly eager to get out of the room, pulling Harry along. ” No! Stop! I want to know! You can't...” But they could and with a wave of Lupin's wand the door closed and locked. ”Leave me alone! I'm not going with you!” Harry spat at Lizette. ”Suit yourself,” she huffed and marched upstairs. Harry pressed his ear against the door but he heard nothing at all. Not even muffled voices. He knew what that meant – a silencing spell and it made him furious. ”Hey! Psst! Orla!” he called and with a pop the small elf appeared. ”Master Harry called?” she said.

”Yeah, could you help me? I want to hear what they are saying,” Harry begged. ”Oh, but Orla must not help Master Harry do naughty things!” the small elf shrieked. ”The Master will punish Orla!” Harry did not give up. ”But he hasn't really ever, has he? That was all was Aoife! I swear it's fine, Orla! And actually Snape never told me to leave to I'm not disobeying him really!” The elf seemed hesitant but Harry's subsequent assurance he would take the fall for it did the trick and she moved her hand over the wall. ”Not very strong. Master Harry should be able to hear,” she said nervously. Harry pressed his ear against the wall and hear he could.

”I do not care for your excuses!” roared his stepfather so loudly in fact that Harry jumped. ”This is your doing! Did you not think I would know?”

”It's a hearing, Severus. Surely you had expected as much,” replied McGonagall coldly. ”You cannot go around treating children - your children like you have without consequences!”

”How I raise my stepson is entirely mine and Lily's business!” Snape retorted though he did not sound as confident. ”It was abuse!” spat McGonagall. ”It was discipline!” growled Snape. ”I admit I may well have been too harsh at times but only because I believed that...”

”No! You do not get to make excuses!” cried McGonagall and Harry shuddered as he realised he had never heard her so angry. ”And I suppose you think having him mauled is more responsible?” Snape sneered in reply. McGonagall seemed to have been shocked by that statement since she was not the next to speak. ”Severus, that was uncalled for,” said Lupin almost sadly. ”You know I would never hurt Harry.” But Snape was not convinced. ”I know no such things! And don't you dare sit there and claim you haven't tried to kill anyone before!” There was a certain spite to Snape's voice that made Harry certain Snape was referring to something very specific and not just hinting that Lupin generally went about murdering people left and right.

Harry was frozen to the spot, his eyes wide with surprise. ”How long have you been at this, hmm?” said Snape and it sounded like someone was pacing. ”How long have you two been sneaking around?” Harry gulped as he remembered how he had spotted Lupin in the school at night – long before he was introduced as a teacher. He had been meeting someone then – had that been McGonagall? ”I'll admit you're half a snake, Minerva! What a perfectly malicious plot! Worthy of the Malfoys I'd say!” There was some form of protest voice following that but they were speaking at the same time and Harry could not understand it but then McGonagall spoke again: "And you let that woman hurt him for presumably years right under your nose! Are you blind?!" There was a moments silence. ”Are you pleased with yourself, then?” Snape spat, presumably at McGonagall. ”A substitute teacher, indeed! Or aren't you happy until you've taken everything from me?! And once you have the boy in the basket too will you come for the house?” Snape was so furious it was impossible to tell whether he was serious or mocking them. ”Must I have nothing?”

At that Harry heart sank. No, that wasn't right. Could it be? No, it was not right! It was Aoife who was the murderer – only Harry had been too overwhelmed to discuss it yet. Was Snape really thinking McGonagall and Lupin did it? And why? Well, he could not let that happen he decided. He ran to the door. It was silenced but Harry knew from unpleasant experience that the spell did not mask his side. He alternately pounded and kicked the door and it did provoke a reaction as in the next moment the door flew up to fast it nearly knocked Harry over. ”Harry, are you all right?” exclaimed Lupin and made to get up but was intercepted by Snape who was standing and who pulled Harry to his feet. Snape was clearly too angry with the others to consider Harry's intrusion problematic. ”It's not true!” Harry cried at Snape the moment he caught his breath. ”They never hurt mum! It was her! She did it!” Everyone looked stunned – even the Headmaster who seemed to have been able to finish his bun – violent argument and all.

”Harry, what on earth are you talking about?” said McGonagall after a moments silence. No one really bothered to address how Harry had come to overhear. ”Mum! I'm saying you didn't kill her because... Because...” Harry choked on the words, the stares the adults were giving him, causing the familiar feeling of being misunderstood to rise. ”Harry...” it suddenly came from Dumbledore who had otherwise said nothing. ”Do you think someone hurt your mother?” Harry's eyes went wide. They didn't know? ”I... Yes. I mean... Weren't you just...?” But at the strange look the Headmaster was giving him Harry felt as though the old man already knew – like he read his thoughts and it just slipped out. ”A-Aoife did it,” he said looking around at the adults for any confirmation that they knew what he was talking about. McGonagall sent Dumbledore a strange look as if waiting for him to explain it to her. Silence reigned. Then felt a hand lightly touching his shoulder and looked up at Snape. ”L... - Your mother, she died of natural causes. Not old age but... natural none the less. Complications. I... Why would you think...?” Harry was terribly confused. ”But... She said it! And it's my... m-my fault. I k-knew she was going to if I t-told...” Lupin rose and crouched down to meet Harry's eyes. ”Told who what, Harry?” he gently prodded. ”Told you about what that woman did, you imbecile!” snapped Snape, finishing Harry's sentence for him. ”There you have it! You thought it was me, didn't you? You thought he wouldn't talk to you because I threatened him, didn't you?

”Severus, really...” Said McGonagall and pointed at Harry. ”No, he stays! This is still my house and he is still my ward and I make the decisions here!” bellowed Snape. McGonagall ignored her furious host and Dumbledore now turned to Harry. ”It cannot be so, Harry. The healers were here. Everything that could be done for her was done. Your parents knew that...” But Harry cut him off by stepping away from Snape abruptly. ”You knew?” he all but whispered. Snape looked like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water in his face. ”Your mother she... She had gotten worse since the summer and,” Snape said slowly. ”But you knew!” Harry repeated. There was something in Snape's eyes. Pain? Sorrow? Harry didn't know. But he wanted it to be guilt. ”Harry, listen to me,” Snape said but Harry turned around hurried upstairs and into the parlour. Clearly someone said something in the dining room because he heard Snape say: ”Don't you dare! You'll stay where you are or leave my house!” At first Harry did think it was meant for him but he did not care either way. He could hear Snape's footsteps on the stair and in a weird fit of panic he actually considered flooing away. But he had nowhere he wanted to go and the pot of floopowder was out of his reach so instead he sunk into the sofa.

The door creaked open and Snape stepped inside without a word, closing the door behind him. Harry did not look up. Instead he just focused on his hands but then he felt Snape sit down beside him. They sat there for a moment, neither of them looking at the other. When Harry finally did look up he was shocked by what he saw. In the brighter light of the parlour one could truly see how awful Snape looked. His eyes were shining – was he...? ”Your mother wanted your first time at Hogwarts to be a happy time,” Snape said, his voice raspy and low.

”It wasn't,” he pointed out, unable to think of anything better. ”I gather it was not,” Snape nodded slowly. ”She did not want you to worry about her. I would be lying if I said I agreed with her – but... How could I refuse her wish?” He was not really asking Harry, rather a small hint of fondness for the woman whose bidding he had strived to do surfaced as warmth in his voice as his eyes continued to shine dangerously. ”Okay...” Harry replied. He could not find it within himself to be truly mad at his mother for that and if he had to admit it to himself he did sort of understand her. But he missed her. He missed her awfully. And he was still mad at her and Snape and everyone and the universe for her dying, because without Aoife as a murderess he had nothing to blame but some medical complication he didn't even know the name of. Then he recalled something.

”Last night?” Harry said and looked at the man who nodded slowly in return. Oh, no! Lily had already been dying then! And Snape had been trying to tell him – but Lupin had interfered and Harry had screamed at Snape's face he never wanted to see him again. ”She was not very coherent but I thought you deserved the chance to speak to her. But I suppose I could not meddle with her wishes,” Snape said as though Lily's spirit had caused Harry to run away. Harry felt awful. Snape had been there, he realised. He had been to the manor when he was away from teaching and probably every night after his return to watch over Lily as she slowly slipped away. He watched her die, Harry realised. For such a long time. And then he felt a little grateful to his mother because he did not think he could have done it. ”I was here,” Snape said. ”The woman never came close.” Knowing he was referring to Aoife Harry suddenly felt so terribly dumb. ”She said she would hurt what I... What I loved,” Harry explained. ”Because of the picture. She said I cut her picture.” But Snape's eyes snapped up and it surprised Harry who in panic defended himself, scared he might just have admitted to a crime he did not commit. ”I didn't! I swear! I was just hiding! I never touched it!” Harry passionately pleaded. Snape sighed. ”I know,” he said. ”I did it.”

He had been permitted to remain at home until the funeral was over. Harry had wanted to – mainly because he felt closer to her being here. McGonagall had objected but Dumbledore had permitted it – even if it meant he would only be back a few weeks before Christmas holiday started. It was not a pleasant affair. The news had somehow reached the other students or at least Hermione, Ron and Neville because the three of them sent Harry letters which he could not bear to read and left on his desk – only Ron's opened. Early in the morning on the second day they came for Lily's body. Harry did not even know the magical world had someone in that profession, the name of which escaped him, but come they did and they looked grim indeed in long black robes and strange birdlike masks that reminded Harry of some he had seen in a history book – only these were lighter and ornate. On the third day he walked down to find Snape sitting in the Summer Room, holding one of Lily's dresses and staring into blank space. On the fifth day Harry joined him.

They hardly spoke. Lupin sent letters too – one day he actually tried to visit ending in disaster. Harry heard more of it than he cared to. After a few days – just as they had when Lily was once in the hospital, the flowers for her stopped coming. The funeral itself was an odd affair. Held in the church in Althea. Lily's white coffin in the middle. Albus Dumbledore speaking more than the grim Ministry worker actually doing the ceremony. The front 5 pews filled with people – a few of which Harry knew and others he had never seen before in his life. His friends from Hogwarts who were given special permission to come. And in the back of the church a small group of people most of whom had black eyes and black hair and whom Snape made a point to glare at whenever he got the chance. The only clue Harry had was that they were 'fools thinking they could show their faces here now'. While this group remained stoic and solemn, Harry doubted they knew Lily very well.

The day after the funeral Harry was sitting in his favourite tree – the old crooked one in the garden that Harry suspected was older than Snape or maybe even Dumbledore and Dumbledore had to be at least a thousand. Dangling from his hand was the little blue velvet bag with the bracelet Aoife had tried to steal. Harry had wanted it close and Snape never noticed that he took it. Speaking of Snape, that was who Harry was watching. He could see the rose garden from here. The one that was beneath the windows on the Summer Room. He was kneeling in the middle where the paths through the garden met as he had been most of the day. There in front of him was the newest addition to the garden – a large and beautifully ornate white marble headstone. There had been some talk of Lily going to wherever Harry's dad was buried and some other talk about burying her in the Prince family section of the Althea cemetery but Snape would not hear of it and so he planted her in the rose garden which he had kept for her. She was a flower after all.

”Harry, are you ready?” said a familiar voice beneath the tree. Harry did not bother to look at Lupin. He was making a point. ”No,” he replied shortly. ”Your friends are waiting for you,” Lupin said a little more insistently. Harry sighed. ”Can I ask you something?” he said. ”Of course,” Lupin nodded. ”That hearing. Does it mean I can't come back here anymore?” He did not even know what answer he preferred. He just wanted one. Lupin took his time to reply. ”No,” he said. ”You can always come back here to visit if you like and if professor Snape is not too busy. But we hope to find you a new place,” Lupin explained. Harry did not know what he expected to feel but he felt nothing at all, just empty. ”With you?” he asked. Lupin did not reply straight away. ”Isn't that what Snape meant? Is he right? Did she ask you to come for me?” He looked down at Lupin for the first time during the conversation. ”Yes,” the professor admitted. ”So I have to live with you then?” Harry pressed. ”No, I'm afraid it is a bit more complicated.” He felt betrayed. By everyone. Everyone kept things from him – his mother, Snape, Lupin and McGonagall. He would not be surprised if he returned to Hogwarts and Ron admitted he was actually a sack of turnips all along.

”So what was your job then?” Lupin placed a hand on the tree trunk. ”I wanted to meet you. And professor McGonagall thought you needed someone else to talk to about... everything. I... Professor Quirrell will be back after Christmas so I will no longer be needed but... We can still talk, Harry. If you want to,” Lupin suggested. Harry just shrugged. ”It's time to come down now. We need to get you back to school before dinner.”

Harry glanced at the dark man kneeling in the pattern of bare rose beds. ”Can I say goodbye first?” He asked. A strange feeling overwhelmed him and he found himself reluctant to leave the only person he knew understood what he felt. The only person who had loved her as much as he did. Even if it were only for a few days until Snape too had to come back. ”If you like. I'll be waiting over here then,” said Lupin. Harry adeptly swung down from the tree and walked into the rose garden.

Here lies Lily Snape (née Evans)
Born January 30th 1960 in Cokeworth, England
Died December 1st 1991 in Althea, Ireland

Beloved mother, wife and friend.
For whom we do these roses tend.


”Hey,” said Harry awkwardly. Snape did not look away from the headstone. A wreath of lilies lay in front of it, the only blooms in the garden at this time of year. ”He's here, I presume,” said Snape. Harry sat down next to his stepfather. ”I want to stay with her,” he admitted. ”So do I,” replied Snape. Harry reached out and touched one of the lilies lightly. ”I'm scared,” he said. ”They say they want to have me taken away and I don't know where.” Snape did not reply to that, he simply sighed. ”I'm sorry,” Harry said although he had no idea what he was really apologising for other than mentioning it. ”So am I,” replied Snape but Harry did not know what he was apologising for and to whom. There was urge, a unfulfilled longing or a question unasked. Something on the tip of Harry's tongue but he could not put a finger on it – even in his mind. He sniffed and rose slowly as Lupin began waving him over from a distance. Harry glanced up at the dark facade of Prince Manor and noted that it felt less like The Bleak House. Like a great weight had been lifted but left scars as it went. He looked back down at Snape, frustrated the man had not said whatever it was Harry wanted him to say regarding McGonagall's attempts to remove him permanently. ”At least you still have the house and all that,” he said as he turned to leave. He didn't have a mother or a father. And soon he would not even have a home. As Harry began walking to Lupin he heard Snape speak although he had no idea if he was speaking to him or Lily, someone else entirely or even what it meant. ”It is nothing without you.”
The End.
End Notes:
Thank you to everyone who went along for this ride and look at that! I stayed within my planned framework! Either way, here's your complementary champagne and cake whether you approve of this end or not of course! I might do a sequel but I'm not yet decided as this was the planned end.


This story archived at http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=3358