Minerva and Hermione were at the Three Broomsticks for a witches night out. Evelynn was sleeping and under the care of an elf if she woke and needed him. It was Easter holidays so the castle was empty with very few exceptions. A handful of students, but they wouldn't bother him in this errand

Errand.

It made it sound far more casual and less nerve wracking than it was.

He paused at the gargoyle, whispering the password he knew would still allow him access to the stairs leading to really the last place he wanted to be. There were a few places that he could think of being that were worse, but not many.

Hermione had told him more than once that he needed to talk to the portrait. She understood his reasons for avoiding it, but felt that it was very out of character for him to go out of his way to do so. One day he would be headmaster again, they both knew it barring him deciding to leave Hogwarts again permanently. She thought that dealing with it now, before that happened, would be better. She said she would stand by him if after talking to it (they both knew it wasn't truly Albus so it was an it not a him) he still felt so ardently that their children would not ever see this particular portrait.

He paused at the head of the stairs, feeling the acceptance at the door wash through him. The castle still recognized him. Was this a mistake? He wasn't sure, but doing it now was best. Few students, Minerva gone for the night. That meant no one to stumble upon him. He didn't want any witnesses to this.

Not even Hermione knew he'd decided to come here this evening. He preferred it that way. If this was a mistake he didn't want anyone else knowing he'd instigated the conversation.

It's just a portrait. It's not truly the man.

These were his thoughts as he turned the knob.

"Back so soon, Minnie," Albus' voice came almost as soon as Severus opened the door. Severus had to fight the scoff that threatened to come out.

"No, it's not the headmistress. I don't imagine they'll be back for some time yet."

"Really? I understood that your wife should not partake at this time."

Severus would like to be upset that he knew Hermione was expecting again, but of course he would. Even if Minerva didn't tell him, he'd hear it somehow whether through his portrait here or at the Ministry. Or someone else telling him who overheard the news.

"That is true, but that does not prevent her from enjoying time with the other women on staff. She gets along with all of them."

"Of course. Minerva still adores her."

"Understandably so," Severus said.

Albus was wisely silent as Severus took in the office. Other than the one time he'd been in here to get Evelynn and the five year anniversary event he hadn't been in this office in close to ten years. He had not taken the time to … take it in on either of those occasions.

"May Headmaster Dumbledore and I have some privacy, please," he said.

Interestingly, no one protested or balked at his request. He gave them a few minutes, not missing the smile on Phineas Black's face before he left.

Silence as Severus regarded the portrait and the man depicted in said portrait seemed to do the same.

He'd thought over this conversation many times over the past ten years. Now that he was here about to initiate it he truly didn't know what to say.

"You used me," Severus said simply.

The portrait looked at him over the rims of his glasses. Evidently opening with that surprised him. Good.

"It was a war, Severus. I used all the tools and weapons I had available to me, my boy."

"Do not call me that. I have not been a boy for a long while nor was I ever your boy. I wasn't sorted into the correct house to be that."

"Oh, Severus, you were sorted exactly where you belonged."

Severus closed his eyes, turning his back on the portrait. He clenched his right fast and expelled a deep breath.

"You raised that boy like he was no better than livestock. You let him get away with every careless thing he did so that he'd keep pushing, keep getting bolder in his deeds, thinking he was more powerful than he truly was. You knew he had a piece of the Dark Lord in him. You knew that piece of the Dark Lord gave him advantages. You knew that he was going to be slaughtered. It was pure luck he was the one to end up with the wand. You purposely left him in a horrible muggle home so that he'd know nothing about his heritage and magic. You let him come to our world, wide-eyed and continually be praised as The Boy Who Lived. You let him get away with everything under the sun with little more than a slap on the wrist as punishment."

"And if he had grown up in the magical world, Severus. What would your reaction to his starting Hogwarts have been?"

Severus turned then, regarding the portrait.

"What would anyone's reaction have been for that matter," Albus prompted.

Severus huffed with a shake of his head. "You couldn't have placed him with someone better? Someone who would actually take care of him?"

"Like who, Severus? We were at war. The Potters were gone. The Evans' were gone. Who was I to leave him with?"

"There were options. Never mind you didn't check up on him. They kept him locked in a cupboard. My wife tells me nightmarish stories. I at least had better than scraps of food."

"Severus," Albus said.

"Forget it. I don't even know why I came here."

"I did what I had to do. It was a time of war."

"So you keep saying. War doesn't excuse speaking in riddles and withholding pertinent information as if it's a game. You sent three teenagers armed with little actual knowledge out to hunt possessed items with no clue as to what to do with them. Actually, scratch that. You entrusted one to do it alone. Only by pure luck did he get assistance due to having loyal friends. You had me hold on to Gryffindor's sword for weeks while they were cold and starving to death."

"It was about timing, Severus. If they'd destroyed the locket too soon…"

Severus shook his head. What if Hermione had died out there? He'd never have any idea of what not just love but happiness was. Of course she was alive and well so his thinking that way was pointless. Still. It had been a real possibility. They almost didn't make it from getting the locket to begin with. And then which way would Albus' war have gone?

"You can defend it any way you wish to, but you could have armed others with information so they weren't helpless. I could have helped them if I'd known they had Phineas' portrait. I could have gotten food to them. Something."

"Did you truly care then, Severus? Or are you saying this now as a man in love?"

"I would not have wanted three innocents to starve, no. And if you think that I would have even then then you truly didn't know me at all and did a very poor job of choosing your spy."

"Are you happy, Severus?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's a simple question."

"Yes," he answered, not sure what trap Albus was trying to set but he would not say otherwise. He would not lie. If he said otherwise it would surely get back to someone who would tell Hermione.

"I understand you do not agree with my methods. Could I have trusted others more? Perhaps, but then too many people would have had information. That was a risk I was not willing to take. I knew that you would not betray me willingly, Severus. No matter what you may think I trusted you, but there was a risk Thomas would see things. I could not take that chance, and only you could have come close to guarding the secrets."

"True," Severus said. It was a valid argument. There wasn't anyone Severus knew who could have capably hidden information from Voldemort if they'd been captured.

"You are here, though, Severus. Married, with a daughter who I hear is as charming as they come who has the entire staff wrapped around her little finger. And a son soon from my understanding. You are back here teaching and from Minerva's comments the students like your classes. Tell me twenty years ago you would have thought that was possible. You have a business of your own that is profitable and your products are coveted by many. You are forgiven by most. There will always be those who question your true intentions. There would be no matter which side you'd come out on. Your wife I'm told is living up to being the brightest witch of her age and bringing the wizarding world into the modern age when it comes to treating the mind as well as physical ailments. Between you and me, the Ministry is thinking of starting a unit at St. Mungo's just for that and asking your wife to head it."

This was news but not surprising to Severus. As successful as Hermione's idea and practice were, there were still some who would be hesitant to go to her. She was muggleborn and she was a woman. Those two things would prevent more than one person Severus knew from seeking out her services.

"I thought I was your friend, Albus."

"You were, probably my closest friend."

"You asked me to kill you."

"And it worked, did it not? And your soul is intact enough to take a wife and be good with her and your child."

"You did not know that," he hissed.

"Of course I did, Severus. I knew you. Do you really think I would have asked you to do something if I thought it would truly harm you?"

"And getting tortured endlessly was a walk in the park?"

"That was the role you agreed to, many years ago. You knew what it meant when you agreed. You cannot compare what I asked you to do almost thirty years ago to what I asked you to do ten years ago. We were very different people. You were a very different person. The first I was asking you to make up for an error. The second I was asking to ensure the war would be won the way we both wanted it to be."

"You couldn't have known!"

Those eyes. Even in portrait form they sparkled. "Do you think your wife, scarred herself as she is, would have felt comfortable, accepted by someone who did not have his own?"

"I hardly see how that has anything to do with this. She could have ended up with Harry if all she required was another scarred wizard."

"Untrue. There truly only was one for either of you. You found your way to each other, without my interference I might add."

"You're saying that we were…"

"Fated? Destined? Would that be so farfetched in the world we live in? You are after all having a conversation with a portrait, Severus. But no, I don't think anything magical was at work. Unless you consider attraction magical. You are both academics, intellectuals. Who else could be right for you? And vice versa for Madam Snape?"

Severus took a deep breath, nodding simply. He was right. If it had been anyone else who crossed over the threshold to his bookstore complaining about having to leave school due to financial reasons he would never have made the offer he did. He could not think of one other witch who he would have felt comfortable possibly spending his life with.

He wasn't sure he really felt better, but he did feel as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was just a portrait, it wasn't truly Albus, and Severus knew that by avoiding it this long he'd given it unnecessary power.

He took a deep breath, shaking his head as he glanced at his feet.

"I still don't want you interacting with my children."

"I can respect that, Severus, and I can swear to you that I will not go behind your back to see them again. I have not since the one incident. I had hoped seeing her here would help you heal. However, one day you will be back in this office as you should still be. I knew you needed time, anyone in your shoes would have. You cannot keep them from me forever."

"Try me, Albus. They don't have to come to this office."

"I suppose that's true. Do you really believe after I testified on your behalf that I would truly fill their heads with hurtful things?"

"Honestly, Albus, I do not know what you might say, which is why I do not want you near them."

"Very well. As I said moments ago I will not try to circumvent your wishes on that matter again. Now, if they come to me…"

"You will send them away. Do you understand me, old man? You will send them away."

He could very easily see Evelynn, curious to know things about Daddy that only this wizard knew, coming here and asking Albus questions. Albus wouldn't be able to resist telling her things because portrait or not Albus liked gossip. She could get into this room even now, the wards were still keyed in part to him. To his magic. She was made partially of his magic.

Albus huffed. It was humourous hearing that come from a portrait. "I will do as directed."

"Thank you."

"Do you feel better now, Severus?"

"No," he said. He did somewhat, and likely Albus knew that was true. "I just knew that I couldn't avoid you forever, though, and as you pointed out with the upcoming birth of my son I knew the time had come. I am not a coward nor do I wish to avoid this office forever."

"You will make an excellent father to him, Severus. Minerva and other staff sing your praises for your interactions with young Evelynn. She is very obviously a daddy's girl." The old wizard in the portrait peered at him again through the tops of his glasses. "You are not Tobias Snape, Severus. You may be of his blood but you have made the Snape name honourable and one to be praised. That was not him. It wasn't me either. You did that and if I haven't said it enough I am proud of you."

"I have learned this to be true through my dealings with Harry."

"The fact that you can look and talk about James and Lily's son as Harry…"

"He is Harry. He is them and yet he is not. A sum of the parts. I know how it works, Albus. I have not loved her for a very long time."

"I know," Albus said.

"What?" Severus asked. "You certainly did a wonderful impression of reminding me that you thought I did."

"Well, I had to. I had to remind you exactly why you were doing this. You thought for quite some time it was for her. I knew it had stopped being about her years before Thomas' return. You, however, did not."

"I'm not sure that I ever did. Love her, I mean. I'm not denying I embarked on this war with you as your spy for her."

"No?" Albus asked.

"No, now, looking at Hermione and Evelynn, seeing the true affection they have not only for me but for one another. Seeing how Hermione interacts with Harry and Ronald."

"This surprises you?"

"Not anymore. I'd had time to think, you know. The year as headmaster. I was alone."

"You had me."

"Not the company I needed really. And this visage is not truly you," he said, gesturing to the portrait he was currently engaging in a conversation with. "Anyway, Weasley left them for a while, you know. Maybe you don't know. I truly don't know what you've been told. They took him back when he returned, of course. That baffled me. The only person I truly betrayed in such a fashion was Lily and she never forgave me. You, nor anyone else for that matter, seemed to find that overly strange. Perhaps she would have given the chance if she'd survived. I do not know, but I tend to think not. I called her a mudblood," he said with a hiss afterward. "It was wrong and I could justify my reasons behind doing so which I know now does not make it right in calling her that. My wife has been called that by Draco Malfoy more than once and was, in fact, tortured in his home and is pleasant and courteous to him. Will they ever be fast friends? No, but because of me, for me, she is willing to put it aside. She does not want Draco to be without anyone on his side. I, in return, have done the same with Weasley. Harry is tolerable."

"That is high praise coming from you, Severus."

He snorted. "Yes, well. I'll deny having said it to my dying day."

Albus chuckled. "I won't tell a soul."

"They'd think you'd finally fallen off your rocker if you repeated it anyway."

"Probably so," Albus said with a heartier chuckle. "And I knew, Severus. I knew it wasn't love thirty years ago. I also knew what you felt, what you'd experienced leading up to that point to make you think that it was love. You didn't know any different. I knew, too, that you would find it one day and finally be able to understand that not everything about life will end in you suffering and alone."

"And you knew it was with her?"

"Eventually, yes. It made the most sense. Not immediately, of course, she was twelve. I did not meddle," he said again and Severus scoffed. "No one knew where either of you were for me to even if I'd wanted to. You survived, I would of course have wanted to see to the happiness you deserved. So if you'd both been here and acted stubborn I will admit I would have meddled and not thought twice about doing so. However you came together, you did that, Severus."

"I am aware."

He never once thought anyone was behind it. He still to this day nine years later wasn't sure what made him even make the offer. It went against everything he stood for, really. Buying her hand in marriage in essence. That was what he'd done.

And, yet, here they were. About to welcome child number two into the picture in a matter of months.

"And, Severus, for what it's worth I did not enjoy asking you to take my life. I truly did not. I knew that it would crush you, that you'd think I committed the ultimate betrayal against you. Our friendship. It was that emotion I knew you'd call upon to do the deed. And it needed to be done. I was dying anyway, Severus, at least my death was put to good use."

Severus nodded simply. He'd said what he needed to say. Albus had probably said what he'd needed to say. He wasn't going to lie to himself and say everything was fine, but he no longer felt dread when thinking about this office. Seeing the portrait. He could only hope he'd keep to his word about not talking to his children.

"Good night, Albus."

"Good night, Severus. I do look forward to you being back in this office one day soon."

"Not too soon. I'd like to see my children through school before I become a full-time administrator."

"I will see what I can do with Minnie."

Good, give him something else to focus on for the next eighteen or so years aside from his children.

At the foot of the stairs he paused before heading back to their rooms. Instead as he was still dressed for the day he apparated to Hogsmeade. He paused outside of the Three Broomsticks. Would this look foolish? Too needy? He really wasn't sure.

What was more, he realized that he did not particularly care.

He pushed the door open, spotted his witch engaged in conversation with Rolanda, Pomona, and Minerva. Ginevra Potter was here, too, as was Luna Lovegood. Interesting. He hadn't realized they would be.

Several sets of eyes watched as he made his way to their group of tables. They did Hogsmeade weekends together (Minerva's reasoning was that Hermione was, in essence, a member of staff and it kept Severus from pouting that he had to interact with anyone else for hours) but it wasn't often people really saw them interact together.

"Severus, what are you doing here?" Pomona asked.

"Is Evelynn okay?" Hermione asked.

"Evelynn is fine, Love. I'm here to see my wife. Is that not allowed?"

"Of course it is," Pomona said, elbowing Hermione. "He missed you."

"He did," Severus agreed, offering his hand to Hermione. "Could I impose on your evening amongst the ladies for about five minutes?"

"Can't be for anything good if he's only asking for five minutes," Rolanda said.

"Oh, Rolanda," Ginevra said. "This is Hermione and Severus. I don't know that I even want to imagine what they could get up to in five minutes."

This led to laughter and Hermione blushing deeply as she took Severus' offered hand and stood. He led her to a corner.

"Why did you say yes?" he asked.

"To what?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"To marrying me," he said.

"Because I thought we made a suitable match. I thought that we would be able to talk about scholastic things if nothing else and presumed that would lead to other topics so we would never run out of things to talk about. Ultimately, I thought you could make me happy."

"Despite the way I treated you?"

"You were under a lot of stress. We didn't help you with that at all. I did do more work than was necessary. Were you cruel about it at times?" She shrugged, biting her lower lip. She didn't shrink from looking at him, though. She didn't loathe him or hold his actions against him "Perhaps so, but I can't say what I'd do or say if I was getting little sleep and surrounded by dunderheads all day. Nor can anyone else who was not in your shoes, Severus. Add to that one of the few who was not a dunderhead turned in extra long essays when I was getting little sleep as it was. You were beaten and tortured, working as a spy." She ran a hand along his cheek and his jaw, stroking the skin there not seeming to care he was well past a five o'clock shadow. "I said yes because while I didn't feel there was anything to forgive you for. Not truly. I forgave you all of it, Severus. It was a war. We all did things we didn't want to do to win. You have proven not only to me but to so many that your cruelty is not who you truly are. Are you still mean and scary at times? Of course, you would not be you otherwise, but the students know that when you get mean and scary it's truly because you fear for their safety."

"Thank you," he whispered.

She frowned a bit, reaching in to kiss him and then brushing her cheek against his jaw.

"Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

"Everything is fine. I just had this overwhelming need to see my wife."

"Oh, well," she said, sliding her arms around his neck. "Should we show them what we can get up to in five minutes?" The question was murmured against his lips. He captured them easily with his. Of course she was more than willing so he didn't really need to do much capturing.

Her hands moved from his neck to his hair. He drew away and he kissed her jaw and found her ear.

"Wake me when you get home?"

"You mean I can't just have my way with you?"

"If you can make that work, by all means, Witch."

"You doubt my abilities, Wizard?"

"Never," he murmured. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Severus." She slid her hands to his cheeks, drawing his face away from her neck so she could look at him. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he said.

"You say that, but your eyes, your kisses do not say that."

"I spoke with him tonight."

"Him?" Realization dawned on her without him having to provide the answer. "Oh. And that led you to come to me?"

"You are the best choice that I have made in my life, how could I not want you to know that whenever possible."

"I am so glad we are your choice, Severus. Every day. Evelynn is, too. She adores you perhaps more than I do."

"Impossible," he whispered.

"I don't know. You have her fooled into thinking you can do no wrong."

"She just accepts facts."

Hermione laughed, kissing his nose. "That must be it. Obviously our son will do the same."

"Undoubtedly. You are feeling well tonight?"

"I am feeling fine tonight."

"Fine enough to wake me later?"

"I promise. I already said I would."

"Very well. Enjoy the rest of your evening then."

"You could join us," she said, gesturing to the table. "No one would mind."

"No, thank you. I know how it works."

"May I tell Minerva?"

"I am sure Albus will tell her anyway, so why not."

"All right. I'll see you later then."

"Soon?"

Her lips lifted into a smile. "Yes."

"I will be waiting."

"Me, too," she said, kissing him again before she headed back to her table.

He remained where he was for a moment, watching their group.

All but Ginevra and Luna had known him for years, most since he was a student himself. All had believed he murdered Albus, that he was a Death Eater all along. They were supposed to, of course. That was the idea.

They all, though, were currently sitting with his wife and her friends talking about whatever females talked about as if they hadn't a care in the world. As if they didn't care she was married to the man they had truly thought was, well, evil. They'd all apologized to him in some form or another since his return. As far as he knew no one had told his wife she was crazy for being married to him and he had heard nothing negative when it was revealed she was pregnant a second time. Everyone in fact seemed overjoyed at the thought. It had been too long, many said, since there were young children in the castle.

It was all very odd to Severus.

He'd expected more abrasion upon their … his … return. Yet none had come. Ronald and Molly Weasley were the only two who had expressed true displeasure at their union but seemingly gotten over it. Both, Severus knew, had ulterior motives behind the objection. Hermione could have married Viktor Krum and they would have felt the same way.

Hermione turned her attention to him again, tilting her head in such a way that he knew she was asking him if he was okay. He nodded simply in response and turned to leave.

He returned to the castle and their rooms unsure what the point of visiting her was. He'd seen her in the morning and before she went to the Three Broomsticks so it wasn't as if days had gone by. For some reason, though, he'd felt the need to touch her after his conversation with Albus.

Raw.

Needy.

He wanted her warmth. The reassurance of her presence. Her. He saw no harm in it so gave into that need.

And now, he sat in a chair in his daughter's bedroom, watching as she slept.

Unlike her parents she'd never had a nightmare. She didn't know who Voldemort was or what a Death Eater was. She didn't know that her mummy's best friend was slated to die before he turned eighteen. She didn't know anything but a bright future. Hermione, Harry, Ronald, he, and so many others had fought to ensure that was true. His son would know the same thing.

Peace.

He watched Hermione as she worked with various students who she thought might do well with muggle university to guide them in the process. She did the same with his godson and he knew Greta would be no different. It didn't matter to her their house affiliation or blood status.

That future, the ability to choose muggle university and not be shunned or disowned was done by them. The efforts in the war. There was still a stigma, there likely always would be to some. Gradually, though, he hoped by the time his children were that age they would know they could truly do whatever they set their minds to.

Astronaut for Evelynn? Done, so long as she had the stomach for space travel.

Professional football player for his son? Done, so long as he understood that he had to ensure he was saving and educated for a future when he would not be playing the sport. And that he would likely never be the next Pele.

Severus would ensure it. He'd move heaven and earth to make it so they could do anything at all.

Yes, he supposed this, these very feelings, was how Albus knew his love for Lily was not real. His desire to help her was purely selfish. He wanted her. Whether she wanted him was irrelevant. What she wanted to do with her life didn't matter.

He knew now, sitting here looking down at his daughter watching her tiny lungs make her chest move up and down while she breathed, that anyone before Hermione was wishful thinking. Evelynn gave a soft hum of contentment that he'd come to find only children made. If he could bottle the sound and sell it he'd make a fortune because everyone he knew responded positively to it.

This was real and everything his seventeen year old self could have asked for.

And it had started with a to this day secret-kept deal.

The End

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com