"Stop scowling, Erik," she said as she worked at adjusting his cravat. He could have gone with a regular necktie. Some in the magical world had done so, but he preferred the cravats. She wasn't sure if it was the tradition of them or it was … extra fabric he could hide behind to some degree. Cravats were more formal-seeming than standard neckties.

"I'm not sure that's possible. In a matter of a couple of hours I will be related to Neville Longbottom," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"By marriage."

"I presume as prolific as the rest of our children have proven to be that they will give us at least a couple more grandchildren. So, related."

"It could be worse."

"I'm not sure how!" He was teasing here, she knew.

"It could be a Weasley or a Prewett. Just think of all the red-headed Prins' there'd be. And the chance for twins!"

"Bite your tongue, Witch."

She smiled, pressing her hand against his chest as she'd finished with his cravat.

"He loves her."

"He does," he agreed.

"Then be happy for your son."

"Of course I am happy he found a nice witch."

"At least he's a wizard marrying a Longbottom…"

"There is that," he said with a nod.

She smirked a bit, knowing that would … make it better. He didn't really dislike Neville any more. It was just that he had an image in his head of who Neville was. Who knows? Maybe their son marrying into the family would help? Not that she thought there was anything wrong with Neville. At least nothing that being raised by his parents instead of his grandmother wouldn't improve.

"All nine of our children will now be married and on their way to successful lives, Erik. All of them are more than just on their way to being successful, grounded, and happy. We have eleven grandchildren with another on the way quite literally any day."

"You are right," he said with a nod of his head.

Within two hours from that conversation, Sylvia Longbottom was now Mrs. Willem Prins. Thomas' oldest, Erik Thomas, was in his third year at Hogwarts and received special permission to leave Hogwarts for the day so that he could attend his uncle's wedding. So that meant all of their grandchildren (including the one their very pregnant daughter was due to have within the next month) were in attendance.

Albus had given her and Severus the weekend off. They had classes Monday but, as their home was still connected via floo to Severus' quarters at Hogwarts, they had from whenever they got home tonight until breakfast Monday morning to enjoy one another's company.

Severus danced with his daughter and granddaughters. Rose, at seven and a half, was a little envious that not quite five (she would be next week!) year old Erika got to be held by Grandpa while they danced. Hermione danced with her sons (twice with the groom) and grandsons. They danced with one another.

Not too surprisingly, their third child who preferred to live among muggles married a muggle. A little surprising: she was an American. It was interesting watching Lisa adjust to the magical world, and really fun watching Philip learn more about the muggle world. She and Severus tried to expose their children to various things throughout their lives. Both thought they did a good job, but they lived as a magical family for the most part. Philip did not know Lisa for Thomas or Charlotte's weddings so this was her first magical wedding. It wasn't terribly different, but it was definitely a bit overwhelming to be the only non-magical person in a room full of hundreds of magical ones.

Eventually, they made their way home. It was well after two in the morning but they were both rather wound up. Being parents of the groom was a bit less stressful than being parents of the bride, but it was still a rush. (And well, Hermione wouldn't be Hermione if she didn't have charts and organizational tools right down to the start of the ceremony). They took a bottle of wine out to their patio, cast a warming charm around them and sat.

"We can breathe easier, yes," he said into the night's silence. "All of our children, those we created and otherwise, are grown and gone from the house, all are married off, and it's up to them from here more or less to be productive members of wizarding or muggle society."

"Mm," she said, nodding slightly.

Tom was head of his division now, working his way up, it appeared, to Minister for Magic. They'd talked at length about how they felt about that when it was apparent that was his goal. Unless he had fooled everyone, including Albus who had originally been suspicious of him the first time around. He just hadn't realized he should have been more than he actually was until it was too late. They truly believed he had turned out all right. He seemed devoted to Millicent. And Hermione thought he might just give Severus a run for his money as far as who loved and doted on their daughter most.

Charlotte was taking a break from her healer work to raise her children. She did plan on going back once this last one due shortly was at Hogwarts.

And Philip. Well, he was in fact finding more than mediocre success with his songwriting. He did teach guitar and piano to students who wanted to learn as a way to supplement his income.

Graham was working as an Unspeakable, which was somewhat fitting for the one who was probably their quietest child. He couldn't admit which division he was working for, but they had their suspicions. Severus had one hundred galleons on the science room, Hermione had one hundred galleons on the prophecy room. One day, maybe, they'd find out for one of them to collect.

And Willem, their baby, who finished Hogwarts less than a year ago was working hard as a cursebreaker.

All in all, Hermione thought they could feel incredibly proud.

"The sad part?"

"Mm?" she asked, taking a sip of her wine around the question.

"Not sad necessarily. Just that this starts all over again soon. We just married the last one off and soon the grandchildren will be finishing Hogwarts and getting married. I look at Erik Thomas, on the cusp of finishing his third year, and try to remember Thomas being that age. Any of them."

"Me, too."

He reached for her hand, and she gave it to him, lacing her fingers through his. She loved these moments with him. Sitting almost the precise spot they'd first sat when they'd put the paving stones down to make this small patio in the garden.

"Have you given any more thought to 1971?" she asked.

It wasn't that far off anymore. Hard to believe. It didn't seem that long ago it was decades away, and now it was less than that.

He shrugged. That didn't mean he hadn't thought about it.

He hadn't talked about his plans for a while. She suspected he didn't intend on leaving Hogwarts after the 1970-71 school year any longer, but he hadn't said so. She would support him whatever he decided. She was so pleased that he'd given himself a chance to be the professor she knew he could be given the opportunity.

"I swear to you forty years ago I would never have said this, but I like teaching. I will prepare Albus for the possibility that I may leave, but will see how it goes. I'm hoping," he sighed. She could see his breath despite the warming charm they'd cast. "We've changed so much. Maybe?"

"Me, too," she said.

She understood. Completely. She squeezed his hand, telling him as much without having to say the words.

"Will it be difficult for you?" he asked.

"For me?" What was he asking her? What an odd question.

"Seeing me? Seeing me with her?"

She shrugged.

Ah.

Lily.

She imagined despite nearly forty-five years passing that yes it would be difficult. Lily Evans was a witch that this man thought he was in love with. Would seeing her be difficult? Would seeing him longing for another witch hurt? What if they changed things so much that this newer version of Severus and Lily didn't have a falling out? What if they got together? And what if her Severus grew … envious? She didn't really think that he would, but it niggled at the back of her mind anyway.

"Probably," she said dismissively.

She would not be the reason he decided to leave Hogwarts. He truly was making a difference. Students really liked him and left their first year excited at the potential for potions. Not all were leaving Hogwarts wanting to be potions masters, but he made the subject fun and interesting for them. He made them see that all magic didn't come from a wand.

"You know the thing is, we haven't really done anything that affects your life through Hogwarts. I mean not as a whole. Remus will still be a werewolf. Sirius will still be a prat who thinks he's Merlin's gift to all witches."

Of course they had changed some things as far as the Dark Lord. There would be no war, no death eaters. His childhood shouldn't be any different, though, which meant he should essentially be the same Severus that went to Hogwarts originally.

He was quiet for a moment, seeming to think about that statement. "Meaning other than the political climate things may not be that different."

"I mean, I still can't see people like Lucius Malfoy, Mulciber, or Yaxley being … pleasant fellows. I don't know," she murmured. Was there a right answer? She really didn't know. "Obviously. My life at Hogwarts, though," she shrugged, running a fingertip along the rim of her glass.

"What?"

"Well," she said, lifting her eyes to meet his. "Will likely take an entirely different path. No Quirrell, no troll."

"Ah," he said, nodding in total understanding.

No troll, no Harry and Ron to find her. No bonding over a lie.

"I hadn't thought about it from that perspective. Things will be different for him, too, you know. The reason I ever got onto anyone's radar was because of the political climate. Without that, he may not have anyone either." He squeezed her hand again. "It will work out. For both of them."

"I know," she said.

They chatted about this and that, the people at the wedding who they hadn't seen since Graham's wedding three and a half years ago and the former students who had been guests at Graham's, too. Unlike Tom and Charlotte who had pretty much avoided one another except at meals in the Great Hall while they were both students at Hogwarts, Graham and Willem had retained their closeness and gotten even closer in some ways. Other than Hogsmeade weekends, people would usually find them together and Graham not seeming displeased at his younger brother's attention.

The garden they were sitting in was for the most part dead. They had other gardens that were charmed to survive winters, but as this was one non-magical people could see (by way of Lisa) they let this one cater to the whims of Mother Nature.

They had a thriving home. The crops and livestock still sustained them for the most part. They could probably have stopped relying on them years ago now, but there was something about letting their kids and grandchildren see they still did it that appealed to them. It was something their grandkids would learn and hopefully their kids, and so on.

Severus, preparing for the day when he wanted to go into business for himself, had built a state of the art lab on the property. He'd, in fact, recently updated it from when he first had it built. It was what made her ask about 1971. Eventually, whenever he retired from Hogwarts, he'd never have to leave here if he didn't want to.

If only it were a little warmer they could sit outside all night and neither would mind it.

Eventually, the bottle of wine had been emptied and the warming charm had more than faded to the point of being uncomfortable.

"Shall we then, Wife."

"I think we should. A day just us!"

"It does have a nice ring to it."

"Does it?"

"Begrudgingly."

She snorted as they made their way inside.

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com