***21 November, 1986-5:17 p.m. ***

Einstein was right—time truly was relative. If not, why was it that during life's most joyous occasions, time was fleeting and in the midst of our living Hell, it seemed to stop all together? Severus wasn't too sure that his heart could take much more. Just as he was about to emerge from one nightmare, he was thrown into another.

In what had only been a couple of minutes, but which felt like forever, Charlie had recovered from his sprint up to the castle and down to the dungeons—a feat only possible with youth, related Irwin Kettleburn's version of the events that led up to Harry's disappearance, and bolted out of Severus' classroom door to inform the Headmaster of what had happened without Severus having to prompt him.

Severus had not yet apologised to Lucy, but at the moment, it was the furthest thing from either of their minds. They had to find their son and time was of the essence. It would be another night of near-freezing temperatures and this time of year it would be completely dark by the time they reached Hagrid's hut.

Severus took Lucy by the arm and attempted to hurry out the door. He was caught off guard when she refused to accompany him.

"Go, Severus," she said urgently. "I'll only slow you down."

"Don't be ridicu..."

"Severus, there's no time—just GO!" This time Lucy practically shoved him out the door. He hated to leave her, but she was right—he would be faster without her.

Damn those Anti-Apparition Wards.

He turned to her with a sudden thought and said, "Lucy—my broom is above my mantle. Take it, and meet me there!"

He could barely make out her 'thank you' as she turned and hurried towards his office and he sped down the corridor to and up to the grounds in order to find their son.

If one could call it fortunate, Severus was almost one hundred percent certain where Harry had gone. No one could Apparate or Disapparate from the grounds, so kidnapping was unlikely. Harry did not have time to wander down to the Black Lake or back up to the castle unseen, and even Kettleburn had enough sense to notice if a Hebridean Black came swooping out of the sky—which led to the only logical conclusion—Harry had wandered into the Forbidden Forest.

*Foosh*

Lucy stepped out of the green flames in Severus' Floo just long enough to snatch his broom from its mount from above the mantle. She did not take the time to dwell upon the fact that this was the first time she had stepped into his quarters since before the incident that disabled her. With Severus' broom in hand, she grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the box, stepped back into the hearth, threw down the sparkling powder and cried out, "Lucille O'Conner's office!"

Upon stepping out from the Floo in her office, Lucy ran out of her classroom and down the short corridor that led to the interior courtyard.

Despite the early hour, night had settled heavily about the castle. The sky was overcast and the only illumination was coming from the interior lights of the castle.

Lucy had to steel her nerves before she mounted the broom. She hated flying. Whenever her family flew across the Atlantic on Muggle airplanes, her daddy always had to give her a Calming Draught before the flight. She learned how to fly on a broom as part of her compulsory education, but she still hated the sensation of not having her feet planted on terra firma. Her friend Chris had often repeated the cliché that there was less of a chance of dying in a plane crash than in a car crash and Lucy always countered that argument by saying that she would much rather take her chances in a car, because she did not have 30,000 feet in which to contemplate her death.

The darkness only increased her anxiety. Lucy did not have the nerve or the skill to fly with one hand and hold out a wand light before her with the other.

She overcame her otherwise petrifying fear by reminding herself that Harry needed her. She paused only long enough to consider using her globe to determine where Harry might have gone, but quickly decided that it would take too long. She would need an exact time and there was only one logical place Harry could be—the Forbidden Forest.

As soon as Harry was out of sight and earshot of Hagrid's hut, he decided that hiding in the forest was not such a good idea after all. It was dark...very dark. It was so dark, Harry couldn't tell if he was still on the path or not. He tried to turn around and go back to the edge of the forest, but the trip back seemed to be a whole lot longer than the trip in. Harry even tried to call for help a couple of times only to find that his voice had failed him. Perhaps it was for the best. His daddy had told him that some very dangerous creatures lived inside the forest that could hurt little boys. If he started yelling, he might attract one of them.

It was also getting very cold and suddenly even his heavy wool jumper did not seem to be warm enough. Before the light had completely failed him, Harry was able to see puffs of his own breath in little silver clouds. Normally he would have thought them amazing, but now he only wanted to be warm and away from those fascinating little clouds. More than anything in the world, Harry hoped his daddy and mummy would find him...soon. The forest was so very big and he was so very little. He just wanted to go home.

All Harry could think to do was to continue to walk on until he found somebody or someone—preferably a human someone- found him. The forest was quiet, so quiet that it made the trip even scarier. The only sound Harry had for company was his own footsteps crunching the dead leaves on the forest floor. Sometimes he would walk slowly, so to make as little sound as possible, as he'd read the wild Indians used to do in America. Other times, he would start running because he was certain he heard something following him, hiding in the trees behind him. One time Harry was sure he heard something following him and he ran so quickly he had not seen the big tree root sticking up above the ground. He tripped over it and the momentum sent him tumbling down a nearby hill.

Luckily, Harry was not hurt too badly. He was scratched up, his wrist was swollen from trying to break his fall and he had torn a knee in his trousers and both sleeves of his jumper, but otherwise, he was no worse for wear. He would not allow himself the comfort of tears. He was a big boy, and tears were for babies.

Harry thought he managed to get away from whatever had been following him but before long, he was certain he heard the oddly muffled clip-clopping of footsteps behind him again. He did not know what it was, but he was fairly certain it was not a 'who.' Whatever was behind him, sounded as though it had more than two legs. He thought with a sudden panicky jolt of awareness that there may even be more than one creature.

Fear over came Harry and once again and he began to run as fast as he could. He ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. The sound of his own hurried breathing as he ran filled his hearing, his attention was occupied solely by his in-out, in-out breaths.

Harry did not know how far or for how long he had run. He looked over his shoulder and ducked behind a solid mass of black vines. Harry leaned back against the solid wall and sighed as he allowed himself a chance to relax, if only for a little bit.

He felt something squirm behind his back. It couldn't be a snake, as he did not hear one speak. Besides—snakes were asleep this time of year. Harry scrambled away from the bush and backed up into a stone, about the size of a Quaffle, sticking up out of the ground. He was looking up and down the solid wall of vines to see what could have squirmed behind his back.

In his distraction, Harry never noticed the subtle movement beneath the forest litter. He did not see the tentacle-like vine emerge to snake its way around his calf. It wasn't until the Devil's Snare was certain its victim had no chance of escape, did its tentacle suddenly constrict and began to attempt to drag its prey home.

"Wha...wha...ARRRHHH!" Harry screamed at the top of his lungs. The plant was going to eat him! He wrapped his arms around the stone and hung on for dear life. He began scream, "GET OFF ME—GET OFF ME!" as he frantically kicked at the vine with his free leg. Suddenly, a second tentacle snapped out from the bush, no longer intent on subterfuge. It wrapped itself around both of Harry's legs and yanked twice as hard.

Harry was growing exhausted from his fight and this new assault was more than his body could take. He lost his grip on the rock and clawed at the dirt and refuge to find any purchase, in a desperate attempt to keep from being dragged in, and found none. He could see his fingers leave tracks in the forest floor like claw marks. With everything his little body had left in him, Harry gave one final high-pitched scream—"DADDYYYYYY!"

Severus' nerves were on fire with frustration. It had taken entirely too long to organise the search parties. By the time Charlie Weasley had informed Severus and Lucy that Harry was missing, his son had been gone for nearly twenty minutes. It took nearly another ten to span the excruciating distance between the dungeons and Hargid's hut.

Due to the half-giant's ban on magic, his home could not be connected to the Floo Network. Hagrid always used the Floo in Albus' office for school business. Thus, Severus and the staff had to make its way down to the forest the old-fashioned way—by foot.

Ironically, upon his arrival to Hagrid's, Severus discovered because she had travelled by broom, Lucy was the first to reach the scene of Harry's disappearance. Severus had to hunt her down. She wasted no time and had already cast a Point Me charm. She was attempting to make her way into the forest when Severus and the rest of the staff arrived.

Hagrid had started a large bonfire between the front of his house and the edge of the forest. If Harry was close by, he could see the beacon through the forest growth. It also acted as a beacon for the adults making their way from the castle.

Severus could understand Lucy's need to do something, but in all honesty, Merlin forbid, something was to happen to Harry, he would need her more than ever, and if something were to happen to both of the people he loved, Severus knew he'd probably turn his wand on himself.

"Severus, please. I can't just sit here and do nothing while Harry is..."

"Lucy—please stay here. If Harry wanders back this way he will need you."

Lucy pleaded, "I'm a powerful witch, Severus. I can be of more help in the search."

"I have no doubt of it, Lucy," Severus concurred, "But if something were to happen to you in the forest, we may not get you to Poppy in time. And honestly, worrying about you and the baby out in the forest will be too distracting."

Lucy nodded her head in reluctant agreement. She grudgingly had to admit that she was in no condition to trudge around the forest, and all efforts needed to be focused on Harry.

Before he left into the forest with Hagrid, Severus pulled Lucy to him and kissed her. "I will find our son, Lucy."

The search parties used the general direction from Lucy's Point Me spell and spread out in a line. Aberforth had arrived and was keeping Lucy company at Hagrid's. Severus was paired with Hagrid as the half-giant, who was shedding copious amounts of tears, felt responsible for what had happened and he was the most familiar with the forest.

Severus did feel bitterly angry towards the gamekeeper and Kettleburn, however it was not the time for accusations and Hagrid was indeed, the most familiar with the forest.

They had already managed to pick up on Harry's trail about one hundred yards in. The air was filled with the voices of his colleagues calling out to his son.

"Look here, Pr'fessor."

Hagrid was behind a large Scotch pine. Severus knelt down and cast the light from his wand into the gloom behind the tree. In the partially exposed soil was a definite imprint of a small child's trainer. Severus was impressed at the gamekeeper's ability to notice such minuet details in the near pitch-darkness. He wondered if there had ever been anyone as intimately familiar with the dark forest as his companion.

Severus arose and scanned the surrounding area. The bright-bluish light emitting from his wand swept over the ground. He muttered an oath as he realised that had they been conducting the search by light of day, the gamekeeper would have found Harry's trail almost immediately.

After moments of near fruitless searching in which Severus despaired of ever seeing his son alive, Hagrid was once again able to spot something. "There, Pr'fessor."

Severus too spotted the path where the forest floor had been disturbed. "Can you tell if anything was chasing him?" From the long desistance between the foot falls, it was apparent that Harry had been running.

"Don' look teh be, sir."

Severus and Hagrid continued to follow the trail for quite a way. It looked as though that Harry may have tried to double back at some point but the prints took them east, rather than south. His prints never came back to the main trail. Severus cast another Point Me, charm, and blood suddenly froze, as off in the far distance, he heard Harry's faint, yet blood-curdling scream. "Daddyyy!"

Severus' eyes darted up to Hagrid's in panic. "This way! We may be faster if I carry yeh, Pr' fessor."

Severus was caught off-guard as Hagrid suddenly swept him up and nearly tossed him onto his back. Severus was about to protest to the indignity, but thought better of it as the ground shook with Hagrid's ground-eating, thunderous strides. Hagrid was correct, Severus would have never have been able to keep up with the half-giant at a full run. He could only trust that Hagrid knew where he was going, as Severus was hanging onto his mouldy, mole-skin coat for dear life with both hands.

Hagrid came to a sudden stop. Severus heard Hagrid utter a frightened, "Oh-no."

Sensing that Hagrid was not going anywhere and not knowing where they where or what had the gamekeeper so upset, Severus jumped down from his back.

Severus was more frightened than he had ever been in his life as he was unsure as to what he would see as he slowly came around to Hagrid's side. Severus cast his wand and uttered, "Lumos Maxima," and it seemed the entire forest lit up before them.

They were high atop a hill and it was obvious that someone had fallen down it recently. However that was now the least of Severus' concerns. Off in the distance, he could hear the child's frightened screams and see the shrivelling and smoking plant in his wand light as the mass of Devil's Snare combusted.

"Harry—HARRY!"

Keeping his wand pointed in the direction of the demon vine, Severus threw caution aside and jumped down the hill. He turned to his side and slid down the leaf covered slope. When he came to the bottom, Hagrid was already there waiting to help him up.

Severus threw off Hagrid's aid and, he bounded off the forest floor and ran towards the tangle of the noxious weed with his wand held out in front of him as he frantically incanted, "Lumos Maxima—LUMOS MAXIMA—LUMOS MAXIMA!"

The white light was so intense that Severus had to avert his own eyes and cease the spell after realising that he might blind Harry if he were entangled somewhere within the plant. He dropped to his knees in the middle of his dead run and slid to a stop in front over the carnivorous vine.

Severus had killed it. The plant was still smoking from the force of Severus' spell and its once fibrous vines were now nothing but ashen hulls. He called out to his son as the carnage before him turned to dust in his hands, "Harry...Harry..."

His panic escalated when he was about half way through destroying the remnants of the Devil's Snare in his search. Entangled amongst what was once a rather thick tentacle was a piece of cloth torn from a child's trouser. But where was Harry? He should be there...even if it was just his bod...

Severus renewed his search in earnest as Hagrid went around the burnt out vine to investigate the opposite side for any sign of the child. Almost immediately he said, "Ee's not here,Pr'fessor."

Severus immediately stopped his search, but before he could ask the gamekeeper if he was certain, Hagrid answered his question by elaborating, "Som'in else got to 'im first."

"What?" There were few scenarios that Severus could imagine worse than the one he was in now. There was a rumour of an Acromantula's lair somewhere deep within the forest. Had one of them spotted Harry struggling with the Devil's Snare and saw him as easy prey? A smaller one would have become prey to the plant itself, however, had the beast been large enough, it could have easily overpowered the vine.

For the first time since they stumbled across the gorge, Severus had hope that Harry was still alive. Hagrid was pointing to the ground and Severus' heart sank when he realised he was looking at a Centaur's arrows.

There were at least a dozen charred arrows scattered across the forest floor, many were still warm from the flames that had only recently died out. The ground was too moist to allow the flames to live for long. Unshod hoof prints left by no less than two Centaurs were all about the area.

Severus thought he might sick up. There was a narrow swath of black soil through the leaf litter and what looked to be claw marks deep in the soil where Harry had attempted to escape capture. His six-year old son had obviously fought for his life in this very spot and Severus had not been there to save him.

Hagrid was pointing somewhere in the distance off to the southwest. "It looks as though their trail goes off in this direction."

Just as Severus pointed his wand-light to follow the trail, off in the far distance a point of brilliant white light was growing larger by the second. Even from this distance, Severus was able to recognise the Headmaster's Patronus.

The silvery expression of Albus' fiery bird stopped and hovered before Severus. The Headmaster's voice arose from the ghostly form, "He has been found safe. Follow my Phoenix. We will be waiting."

Just at that moment, a fiery bust of red sparks erupted high above the trees. It was the signal to the rest of the search party, relaying the information that Harry had been found. The source of the display came from the same direction that the Centaurs had gone.

Without a word, Severus chased after the Headmaster's retreating Patronus as if his life depended on it...because it did.

After running for nearly fifteen minutes with no clue as to where he was going and trusting only the Phoenix would lead him in the right direction, Severus stopped when he spotted a gathering of Centaurs and wizards at the top of a sloping rise.

There were two Centaurs, the first, with fiery red hair and chestnut body, looked to be about Severus' age. Strapped across his shoulder was an empty quiver and a bow. The Palomino with silver blond hair, was a bit younger, perhaps a young adult just out of his adolescence.

They were in an intense conversation with Albus and Pomona.

For the first time in hours, Severus felt he could breathe again. He actually wondered if he had been holding his breath during the entire search for Harry. But now, there was his son—encrusted in leaves, dirt, sweat, and even possibly blood, clinging to Albus' robes and sobbing into the Headmaster's once-white beard. Pomona was 'tutting' over the boy, trying to get him to look up so she could wipe his face with a cold flannel she had conjured.

"Harry!"

Harry turned his head when heard his father's cry. His arms reached out for Severus as if he were still in need of saving.

Albus passed the little boy into Severus' arms. Severus ran his hands through Harry's hair and across his arms and legs, trying to assure himself that his son was still in one piece. Between Harry's tears and Severus' kisses on the boy's dirty cheek, Severus managed to choke out between his own pent up tears. "Whatever possessed you to do such a foolish thing?" he asked with a little jostle to the boy's clinging body and then he pulled Harry tight to him again. He felt as if he would never let him go.

Severus was too relieved at the moment to be angry, but he knew he would be once the initial shock wore off.

Harry lifted his head from Severus' shoulder and sniffed, "Am I in very bad trouble?"

Severus brushed a strand of Harry's fringe away from a cut on the child's forehead. "What do you think?"

Harry muttered a weak, "Uh-oh," then buried his head back under his daddy's chin.

"'Uh-oh,' indeed."

Severus could not have thanked the Centaurs enough, especially the young one, Firenze. It was he who chose to look after the wandering 'man-foal.' The chestnut—Ronan, needed to thank his lucky stars that the stars were in proper alignment or whatever claptrap he believed that made him decide that was prudent to help Harry.

Apparently they had been following the child almost from the time he had entered the forest. Centaurs did not usually involve themselves in the affairs of wizards, however, for some reason that was logical only to the Centaurs, they believed Harry to be a special case.

They thought 'the man-colt' may have had a special purpose for wandering into the forest alone. They had never seen one so young in the forest, perhaps it was a sort of rite of passage that most young ones undertook before they arrived at Hogwarts. It was only when Harry had literally stumbled into the gorge and into the Devil's Snare that they decided to intervene and shot their flaming arrows at the plant to entice it to let go of the boy.

Had Harry continued to stray further, he would have come across the lair of Aragog and Mosag, a mating pair of Acromantulas. According to Hagrid, the adults may not have harmed Harry—a notion that Severus would never lay wager on—however, there would have been no rescue from their children.

Firenze personally carried a rather frightened and battered Harry out of the gorge. Albus and Pomona were following their own Point Me spell, when they happened upon Harry and the Centaurs.

Severus began to relax further as the party approached the edge of the forest. Through the trees, the bon fire in front of Hagrid's was still burning as a bright beacon on that cold autumn night, and before long, Severus could see Lucy, anxiously pacing to and fro and biting her nails down to the quick, as she was prone to do when she was exceedingly nervous. The other search teams had already found their way back and were gathered in small groups, talking amongst themselves.

Aberforth, Remus, and Minerva watched Lucy warily from Hagrid's doorstep. Apparently, Lucy had not been happy about being left out of the search party and the three haggard souls looked as though they had been on the receiving end of her short fuse.

"Here we are. Home at last," announced Albus as the finally made their way past the tree line.

Lucy stopped her pacing at once at looked up. The tension etched on her face instantly melted away into relief as she saw Severus emerge from the forest with Harry.

Harry looked up from Severus' shoulder and began to cry again as he saw Lucy run towards them. As Harry reached out for his mummy, Severus put the boy down.

Lucy went to her knees, reaching out for Harry, and Harry ran straight into her welcoming arms. Just as Severus had done, she began to apply kisses to Harry's grubby little face and checked him over to insure that he was all there.

"I'm sorry, Mummy. I didn't mean to get lost," Harry cried into her hair.

Lucy pulled Harry forward, held his face between her hands, and looked into his eyes. "You didn't mean to get...," she pulled him back into her embrace, "Oh—you naughty little boy," she cried between her exasperated sobs, "You have no idea how worried we were."

Severus approached his son and his future wife, and knelt down in the grass with them. He embraced and kissed them both, not caring in the least that nearly every adult at Hogwarts was witness to tender reunion before them.

Poppy and Albus had long since left. The matron had determined that Harry had miraculously come out of the Forbidden Forest with little more than a few bumps and scrapes...and one huge case of fright and remorse.

Lucy had seen to it that Harry had taken his bath and readied him for bed, whilst Severus staved off the parade of concerned colleagues that darkened his chamber door for the next hour.

Bill Weasley had taken advantage of his position of prefect, and along with his younger brother Charlie came knocking on Severus' chamber door—after curfew, to inquire about the their little friend. Despite his annoyance and his lecture to the elder Weasley brother about taking advantage of authority, Severus had conveniently forgotten to deduct the Gryffindors House points.

It was nearly eleven o'clock when Severus and Lucy had finally found some peace and quiet for themselves and Harry had finally fallen asleep. However, the conversation was not pleasant.

"You do realise we will have to punish him. We can't sweep this under the rug." Lucy said without prelude.

Severus paced in front of the fireplace his arms folded protectively across his chest. Lucy sat on the couch, indulging herself with a half-glass of red wine to calm her nerves. This was not a topic Severus wanted to broach, however, Lucy was right. This infraction could not pass unnoticed.

"I'm at a loss for what to do," he admitted. "Harry has never acted out in such a grand way before."

"Be that as it may, I'm afraid as the years pass, we are going to see acts of rebellion to make this look like...if you will forgive the pun—child's play," Lucy said.

Harry had confessed to them earlier that his entire motive or running away into the forest, was some type of elaborate scheme to reunite Severus and Lucy. Unfortunately, if the boy only waited another forty-five minutes he could have saved himself—and the entire staff of Hogwarts—the trouble.

Severus looked at Lucy and gave a gusty sigh. He was tired and sore, and he was in no mood to deal with any more turmoil tonight. As if reading his mind, Lucy arose from the sofa and said, "Why don't you take a hot bath and relax before bed. We can talk about this tomorrow."

Severus touched her sweat-matted hair with the tips of his fingers. "Does this mean that you will stay?"

"Only if you take a bath." Lucy cast her eyes downward and gave an amused snort. "You are rather smelly."

Severus took Lucy by complete surprise when he pulled her tight against him and started rubbing his grimy body against her. She could not help but to laugh despite her protest. "Hey! Stop that, you...you...man!"

Some of the dirt and sweat that was attached to his dark clothing was now smeared across the front of her beige top. Severus kissed her on her nose and cheekily replied, "I was last time I checked the equipment." Knowing when to make a strategic retreat, Severus quickly bolted down the corridor and into the bathroom, narrowly avoiding her Stinging Hex as he shut the door behind him.

Lucy slowly opened the bathroom door without knocking. In one arm, she carried a pair of pyjamas, two bathrobes, and two large, thick bath towels. She intended to take a shower after Severus finished his bath. She kept the door open to listen for the sound of a distressed six-year-old.

At first she was confused. Severus was nowhere to be seen. Then she heard the water slosh from within the large claw-foot tub and Severus emerged, still sitting, and wiping the water from his eyes.

"I envy you," she lamented as she put his effects on top of the closed commode. "I can't wait until I can take a long soak in a hot bath again."

She noticed that the shampoo caddy was still hanging on the shower head. She took it, went around the tub and crouched down behind Severus. He leaned his head back to look at her. He gave a small hopeful smile and said, "There is plenty of room for two."

"No can do," Lucy said as she poured the amber shampoo into her hand, then began to lather Severus' head. "I enjoy my baths too much. I'm afraid I'll linger longer than what is safe for the baby."

"Just has well," Severus said with a disappointed sigh. "The mind is willing, but my body is kaput."

There was a comfortable silence while Lucy washed Severus' hair. When she was finished, he fully submerged himself under the water to rinse. He seemed to be under the water for longer than what was necessary. Lucy smiled in understanding. She loved the sensation of being completely immersed in water. It was easy to lose oneself in thought—or lack of it—when all one could hear was their own muffled heartbeat. She wondered if that was how a baby felt within the womb. Perhaps it was a deep-rooted, instinctive comfort.

When Severus emerged again, he leaned over to the side of the tub, crossing his arms across the lip of the porcelain. "Lucy—I never did apologise to you properly for..."

Lucy placed a finger over his lip and shushed him. When she removed her finger, she gave him a soft kiss on the lips where her finger had been. "I know, Severus. But I was wrong too...perhaps more so. I never should have run out on you before you had the chance to expla..."

"Daddy? Mummy?"

Lucy turned and Severus craned his head over her shoulder. Harry had awakened from a nightmare and had wandered into the hallway looking for Severus and Lucy. He was sleepily rubbing the tears from his eyes with a twisting fist.

Lucy turned back to Severus and quietly said, "I'll get him."

She arose from where she was kneeling next to the tub. Once across the threshold, she closed the bathroom door behind her so Severus could dress in privacy and knelt down before Harry.

"Sweetheart—what's the matter?"

"A big plant tried to eat me."

Lucy gathered up the scared little boy into her arms and rocked him where she sat. "Oh, baby—that mean ol' plant can't get you anymore. Daddy killed it."

Harry extracted himself just a bit and looked at his as if to be sure she was telling the truth. He hiccupped then sniffled. "He did?"

"Yes, he did."

Lucy and Harry looked up to see Severus standing over them. He had just tied off his bathrobe and he held his arms out for Harry.

Harry toddled over to his daddy and Severus lifted him to his hip. With his free hand he helped Lucy up from the floor. "The shower is yours," he said to her as she arose. "I'll take care of him. I left you the top."

Lucy stood on her toes and gave Severus a small kiss on the lips, then kissed Harry's cheek. "Thank you. I won't be long."

Fifteen minutes later, Lucy entered Severus' bedroom. She was clad in Severus' pyjama top, which came down almost to her knees and she was drying her hair with the bath towel. She came face to face with the dearest thing she had ever seen in her life.

Harry was fast asleep cradled in Severus' arm. However, Severus had fallen asleep too. It had obviously not been an accident, because Severus had pulled the sheets and coverlet over them. She smiled at the sight.

Lucy picked her wand up from the side table and walked over to Severus' large mirror over his dresser. With a quick spell, she detangled and braided her hair into two braids.

When she finished, she Noxed the house lights and quietly made her way to the bed. She carefully lifted the sheets, and soon joined her little family in quiet slumber.

When one considered what Severus Snape and his little family had just been through, it was a truly miraculous thing that all had slept well this night. The warm comfort of a family's love kept the demons and nightmares at bay.

Lovers did not fret over pushing each other away. Parents did not lament over losing their child. And a little boy did not dream of being gobbled up by a vicious plant.

Instead—as if by magic—such nightmares vanished that night. The family slept together soundly—warm and secure in the knowledge that they had each other.

Which only went to prove one thing...Love truly was the greatest magic of all.