Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is mine. It mainly belongs to the goddess JKR or an awfully long list of people... (the MOSSes -Ministry Officers of State Security- are mine). If you like it, review and feed my soul. And since we don't need to hurt each other, if you don't like it, don't tell me! Flamers will be adopted by my family (if you don't believe it's a threat... too bad for you!)

A/N: Parseltongue is noted like that //……//

Rating: from U to R18 [G to NC-17]

There were betas injured in the process of creation: eccentric_femme, Venus4280, SilentG, Miranda, Starkindler, Stephanie, Joyce, and Mikee. All remaining mistakes are mine, and mine alone.

Warning:

This fic is about Harry Potter and Severus Snape falling in love and, in the end,

in the same bed. If you do not like the concept, do not read further...


Battlefields

Chapter Thirty-Five - Dreaming The Future

By DrusillaDax

       

Even if Sarina is very powerful, her fathers can work together for her well-being and happiness without her noticing it.

Her twin follows Harry's lead, while Mother-Hen Potter spends the morning with the young witch and pampers her. Meanwhile, Severus has a word with Câly, who goes to Templeton-Snape Hall and asks Sarina's elder brother to spy on her when he comes.

By lunch time, Matthew, Osiris and their little Vivian Apparate in Oxford. They're all ready to plot for Sarina's happiness.

Of course, they all know just how powerful Sarina is, they know what she's going to achieve, but her Calling is not the only goal she can have in her life. She's the most powerful witch in the world, but she's sixteen, and she doesn't want to see her family scatter.

She's such a darling that her fathers, her siblings, their companions, her own boyfriend, a good dozen of house-elves - at least - and all their familiars are ready to spend time making sure that she's going to be happy.

Vivian practically flies out of her father's arms and jumps into Harry's.

'Grapa!' the little witch shouts joyfully.

For her, Harry is "Grapa" and Severus "Dada", and no one ever heard either man grumble about those names. They're too happy with the family they've been blessed with to complain about anything.

Tenderly holding the five-year old, Harry pecks his eldest children's cheeks. He knows that Severus will tease him for being extremely sentimental, but Harry already thinks of one or two spells that will allow him to retaliate when Severus points out how Gryffindor he can be.

Severus hugs Matthew and Osiris.

There is something strange about Osiris - her quiet smile, her aura, the different cut of her dress. Severus turns towards Sarina. She's covering her mouth with both hands, and that's confirmation enough for Severus.

'We just found out,' Matthew says, blushing.

Harold slithers into Osiris's arms and lets his instinct guide his magic.

'Verdict?' Harry and Matthew ask simultaneously.

Harold looks at his elder sister for permission, and she nods.

'Vivian is going to have a brother in about seven months,' Harold declares.

Sarina hugs her sister and wraps her into a Protection spell, and adds a blessing.

Matthew kisses Sarina's brow.

'All right,' Harry declares, 'I'll just pop round to... someplace. Don't start a list of potential names before I'm back.'

'I'll come with you, Dad,' Harold says.

'What?' Matthew begins to ask, but he's interrupted by Severus.

'You married a Gryffindor, you should know how sentimental they can be,' the Head of Slytherin states affectionately.

'What about me, Dād?' Harold asks.

'You are completely besotted with your niece, and you know that she won't leave her Grapa's arms. That's why you offered to help. Am I wrong?' Severus says.

Harold growls.

Harry snaps his fingers, and the three who are about to venture into Muggle Oxford find themselves in Muggles clothes.

A whispered spell, and Harry's wallet flies into his pocket.

'We'll be right back,' Harry says.

He takes his granddaughter and son out.

'There will never be enough kind words in the entire world to thank you for the love you give us,' Matthew says as he hugs Severus.

'So, how was your stay with the Malfoys?' Osiris asks Sarina.

They sit down under the cherry-tree and wait for Harry to bring back whatever he's gone out to buy.

       

'Where are we going, Dad?' asks Harold.

'Osiris deserves flowers, and I'm sure that our Sarina would be pleased to have some, too,' Harry says.

Harry knows exactly where he's going.

The three walk into a quiet flower shop that Harry had spotted long ago.

'What can I do for you, Professor Potter?' the shop attendant asks him.

Harry feels that the man is a Muggle, so he wonders how he knows him.

'Do I know you?' Harry asks.

The man smiles brightly and says, 'My nephew goes to Hogwarts. Anthony Corel.'

'In Ravenclaw,' Harold says, nodding.

Harry turns to his son, one eyebrow disappearing under his hair.

'My best friend is in Ravenclaw, Dad!' protests Harold.

'So is your girlfriend,' Vivian says.

Harry pecks her cheek, and Harold blushes.

The shop attendant chuckles.

Harry buys twenty-four pink-tea roses for Osiris.

'I'm going to have a brother,' Vivian proudly announces to explain the gift for her mother.

'Would you like to use a Preservation spell on them?' the attendant asks.

Harry lets his son do it with a discreet wave of his wand.

'What for Sarina?' Harold asks.

Vivian points at a beautiful water lily that is instantly bought.

Harry is about to take his wallet to pay when he spots a tiny plant in a pot.

'What is this?' Harry asks the attendant.

'This is an orchid from Sardinia.'

'I'll take it,' Harry says dreamily.

'Gryffindor!' Harold says in a mock-whisper.

The attendant is wrapping the flowers when a Muggle comes into the shop.

'Grapa, when will I have my brother?' Vivian asks Harry.

'You will have to be patient, Sweetheart,' he answers.

'How long?' she insists.

'After Christmas, Darling.'

'That's awfully long!' Vivian answers with an adorable pout.

'You'll have to be very, very nice with your mother,' Harry says.

'Not with daddy?' she wonders.

Harry, Harold, and the other customer chuckle.

'It would be nice,' Harry grants.

'Your daughter is an angel,' the lady says.

'She's my granddaughter, Ma'am,' Harry answers.

'By proxy, Dad! You're going to cause a heart-attack someday,' Harold says, chuckling.

Harry grins, and the lady smiles kindly.

'It's almost ready, Professor Potter,' the shop attendant announces.

'Thank you!' Harry says. 'Will you help me, Darling?'

'Which "Darling"?' Harold teases him.

'You carry the flowers for your sisters,' Harry says, signalling his son to hide a small bouquet of pansies that he's chosen for Vivian. 'Vivian shall help me carry the orchids.'

'Yes, Grapa. Are the orchids for Dada?' Vivian asks.

'Yes, Darling,' Harry says, rubbing his nose against the little witch's.

'I'm sure he'll like them!' she happily exclaims.

The lady looks at them and puts two and two together, from a Muggle point of view. She understands that Harry is involved with a man, and that the one who's not there must have had children before they got together.

'I'm reduced to buying my own flowers!' she says. 'I wish my husband would take a leaf from your book.'

'Oh!' Harold exclaims.

'What?' Harry and the lady wonder. They smile kindly at each other.

'You gave me an idea, Ma'am,' Harold says. He turns to the shop attendant and asks, 'If I come back around tea-time, could I order a delivery to London?'

'Of course,' the attendant answers.

'Flowers for Seraphina?' Harry says.

'Red roses,' Harold states.

'Certainly not!' barks Harry.

'Why not, Dad? Dād would let me,' the young Slytherin impudently says.

'Your father would be tempted to give an aneurism to Seraphina's father, but he likes Arthemis too much. Red roses aren't proper at your age,' Harry says.

Harold growls. 'Then what, Dad?'

'Nothing red. White or pink would do. No orchids,' Harry says.

'What?! Lilies?' Harold says. He blinks, and adds, 'Yes! It's a brilliant idea! Just like you and Dād. I'll send a letter to Seraphina, maybe Sirius will hyperventilate when he knows what lilies mean in our family.'

Harry laughs softly.

Their flowers are wrapped, and Harry pays for them.

Harold hands the orchids to his niece.

'Goodbye,' Vivian says.

The shop attendant and the customer say goodbye, too, and Harold takes the flowers for his two sisters and his niece.

The last thing Harold hears before the door closes is the customer saying how nice a family they are.

'How do we operate back home?' Harold asks.

'We simply run straight into their arms, and give them the flowers,' Harry declares.

'What are you celebrating?'

Harry turns around, and finds himself almost nose to nose with Susan Synon.

'I'm going to have a brother,' Vivian says.

Susan claps her hands, and walks back home with them. She'll come for tea and will bring cakes - it's a part of the summer rituals.

She's so happy for Harry, Severus, and their children that uninformed observers would believe that they are family members. They may not be blood relatives, but the Synons have always been extremely fond of Severus. They adopted Harry. They love all their children, and since David married Liz and integrated the Ode-Lupin pack, their links have been strengthened.

They're a family of the heart.

Susan pecks their cheeks and goes to her home to prepare lunch for Thomas.

The three shoppers go back to the garden.

Harry places Vivian in her father's arms and retrieves the pot she was carrying. In one hand, Harry's got the orchids, behind his back he waves the other at Harold who gives him the pansies. Harry hands them to Vivian and thanks her for her help.

The little witch is so happy that she squeaks with delight. So does her mother when she's given the roses.

Sarina is treading on clouds when she goes back inside the house to put her water lily in a vase.

Harry hands the pot of orchids to his husband.

'Harry?' Severus says as he takes the delicate plant.

'I brought you ingredients,' Harry says, grinning.

'What are they for?' Severus asks.

'Oh... I don't know. Maybe you should owl Neville,' Harry suggests.

'I think I will simply observe them,' Severus says.

He brushes his wedding bands against Harry's, and Harry grins.

'I'll go and help Câly before I describe my fathers with adjectives that will have me either hexed or put in detention,' Harold announces.

'That sounds like a good idea,' Matthew agrees with his younger brother.

'Indeed,' adds Osiris.

Harold takes the plant from Severus's hands, and the couple is left alone in the garden for a few moments. When their children come back with their elf, they are quietly sitting under the cherry-tree.

They don't need to witness their fathers' love. They just know how much Severus and Harry are in love.

Câly sets the table in the wink of an eye, and they sit down around a delicious meal.

'What are you planning for your next year?' Matthew asks Harold.

'We've got our tutoring sessions and our training groups, mainly with James and the Weasleys, but not only. Seraphina is going to sit for her N.E.W.Ts. We took into consideration the possibility of my sitting for them as well, but we finally agreed on something else,' Harold says.

'You never spoke of that,' Severus reproaches him.

'It was just an idea, but we agreed that I won't skip a year. Besides, we've got a bet on the final results of the N.E.W.Ts for the Magnificent Seven; I can't let Seraphina down. Then, we're going to plan her year out of Hogwarts before I can marry her,' Harold explains.

'What does she want to do?' Osiris asks.

'She's going to gather information for her mother. She'll go all around the world. We agreed that she'll show me the best places she sees, so I can get inspiration for my plays,' Harold says.

'Have you decided to create a company or a troupe?' Osiris asks Sarina.

Sarina shrugs.

Osiris is sitting next to her sister. She takes Sarina's chin in her hand and forces her to look at her.

'Look at your father,' Osiris says, nodding towards Harry. 'Everybody believed that his life would be reduced to killing Voldemort. You cannot let your nature interfere with your life. What do you intend to do? Wait until it's time to fulfil your duty? You have to live fully, and learn as much as you can. You are neither a Priestess, nor a Muggle nun!'

Sarina blinks.

Vivian and the wizards hold their breaths.

'I... I'm not sure,' Sarina finally says.

'If you create a troupe, you could travel with Harold and Seraphina,' Matthew points out.

'We do not intend to travel non-stop. It would be more pleasant to imitate the Malfoys, who take one month a year away,' Harold says.

'If you opt for a company, you could quietly settle somewhere with James and work in your own theatre,' Osiris suggests.

Sarina thinks faster than a particle of light, and she looks at her fathers.

Harry and Severus know her well. She's their baby princess.

In perfect unison, they declare, 'If you want to buy a theatre and create a company, you can use the Galleons in your vault. If it turns out not to be enough, though we seriously doubt it, we'll help you get started.'

'Oi! Don't forget to count me in! She said she'd produce my plays someday!' Harold intervenes.

'We'd be ready to invest as well,' Matthew says.

'And you'd get free ads in The Magical Times,' Osiris adds.

Sarina looks at them with love, and she laughs softly.

'What is it, my Angel?' Severus wonders.

'My James agrees with you all. He wants to work with me, he's ready to invest what Draco and Ginny gave him, and he said we should settle in London, so we can work on something that would mix wizarding and Muggle traditions. He also said that we should use the time that Harold is going to use planning Seraphina travels to work on our project,' she says.

'Isn't it what you've been wanting to do since you saw that play on television, that frightful day when David stayed with you?' Harry teases her.

Sarina's cheeks turn pink, and she nods enthusiastically.

'Then, do it!' Osiris encourages her.

'I bet that like in Shakespeare's time, you can direct your company and act if you want,' Matthew adds.

'And even when you're pregnant, I'm sure that a Concealing charm, combined with one of Dad's potions, could allow you to go on working. That is to say if James is not too stressed,' Harold teases her.

Sarina blushes a bright red.

She takes a deep breath and asks, 'You'd really all help me with that and work with me?'

'We'll invest in your company, and will help you with advertisement and organisation,' Matthew and Osiris say.

'My vault is yours, and I'll write for you,' Harold declares.

'We'll be there to encourage you and to lend you money, should you need more Galleons,' her fathers add.

She scratches her head, but she's beginning to plan her future.

She knows that she has enough money in her own account to do whatever she pleases, but it's always nice to know that one's family stands by you.

In a matter of minutes, she finds herself with enough to plan to occupy her until after sitting for her N.E.W.Ts. The best in all that is that she can work with James, Harold and Seraphina, and she'll always be in touch with her fathers, Matthew, Osiris, and all her childhood friends.

Yesterday she feared that leaving Hogwarts would herald the end of her quiet world. Today she knows that it's going to be the beginning of something even bigger and stronger.

Some of her inner magic escapes her, and her family shares her hope and delight.

Vivian giggles happily.

Osiris places one hand on her belly and chuckles.

'It looks like our son just told me how he'd like to be named,' the pregnant witch declares.

'How?' Matthew wonders.

'My magic operated more on Osiris, sorry, Matthy,' Sarina says.

'So?' Harry eagerly asks, 'What are you going to name him?'

'Albus,' Osiris says.

'Albus Templeton-Snape,' Matthew says. 'It sounds very good.'

Harry is grinning.

'There,' Severus declares, 'my husband is already counting when his second grandchild is going to be sorted in Hogwarts.'

'I can't believe it!' Harold snorts.

'Oi! I have estimated the date for the sorting of your first born,' Harry answers his son.

'Merlin!' wails Harold.

'It's not really an estimated date, it's the year you bet against me!' Severus points out.

Harold bangs his head on the table, and Sarina laughs heartily.

'You'll never retire from Hogwarts,' Osiris states.

'Not as long as we can have the privilege to teach our kin,' Harry says.

'Hogwarts is our second home. We've got most of our friends there, and the improved Floo Network guarantees that most of our friends are just a pinch of powder away,' Severus adds.

'James and I could live in Hogsmeade,' Sarina whispers.

'Sera' and I will be just in Edinburgh. Our lives won't change too drastically,' Harold whispers in her ear.

She hugs her twin tenderly.

Today is a new beginning.

It will take her years to do what she wants. It will require a lot of energy, but the prospect of giving dreams and entertainment to the wizarding and Muggle communities alike is inspiring.

When Harold goes to order lilies for Seraphina, Sarina will go out with him and buy some pads to write very long lists.

She's been given her Calling.

But this...

This is an even bigger challenge.

She would not be Sarina Alba Lily Potter-Snape, daughter of Harry and Severus, if she did not put all her energy, her magic and her heart into that project.

       

At night, she falls asleep on her first pad.

Harry carries her to her bedroom, and Severus tucks her in.

She's smiling in her sleep.

They both wish her success.

By now, they should know that the Above listens to them. Sarina's widening smile is a clue they do not analyze.

 

 

To Be Continued...


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