MY ONE MISTAKE

Epilogue


The next morning Harry and Severus apparated into Alex’s room at the ranch where she, Sirius, and Dumbledore waited. “Everything all set, Albus?” Harry asked.

“Yes. Remus, Hermione, and Bill are showing everyone to their seats. Everyone knows there’s going to be a wedding, but are very curious as to who is getting married,” Albus grinned.

“Is that leather you’re wearing, Severus?” Sirius smirked.

“The Prat insisted,” Severus dramatically sighed, holding Harry’s hand. “Besides, if Alex is willing to wear a dress for us, then I’ll wear leather as Harry asked,” he smiled looking down at Alex. “You’ll be the most beautiful girl there Alexandra,” he warmly said as he picked her up to adjust the lace collar of her green dress.

“You two look really good, too,” Alex grinned, kissing her father’s cheek.

Harry and Severus both wore black leather pants and light cotton button down shirts, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Harry wore emerald green, and Severus wore black, because Harry loved him in black . . . and definitely in leather. Tall, dark, and sexy as hell.



When Severus stepped up in front of everyone, he smirked at all their surprised faces. It was one thing to see him without his professor robes, but to see him wear leather . . . and look good, was something all together different. Severus bowed his head respectively at Albus’ brother, the priest, then looked to see Sirius making his way over to him with his one arm bent towards himself. He smiled over at him . . . or rather Harry who was invisible, holding onto Sirius’s arm for support.

Everyone curiously watched as Sirius stood in front of Severus, wondering why he would hook up with him. Sirius then stepped back, and Alex stepped forward, reaching up on her toes to kiss the air in front of Sirius. It was at that time that Harry took the disillusionment spell off and appeared before everyone.

A few redheads began to rise from their chairs when Alex turned to face everyone. “Shhh,” she shushed, “Father has waited a loooong time to marry Daddy, so you have to be quiet.”

Harry and Severus shared an amused look before Harry turned to face everyone. “Our bossy daughter is right,” he laughed, “we will explain some things after the ceremony. I’ve waited five years for this, and no one, or nothing is going to stop it,” he added, looking around at the faces of his friends.

Everyone sat back down again, smirking to each other as the youngest Snape gave a warning glare to them all. Remus stood at Severus’ side, while Sirius stood at Harry’s side, giving his arm for support until Severus could take him in his arms. Alex stood beside Harry and held his hand during the ceremony.



The ceremony ended with many whistles and catcalls when Severus gathered Harry in his arms, and proceeded to kiss his husband senseless. Afterwards Severus put his arm around Harry’s waist, letting him lean on him as they walked to the pool edge where tables and chairs were set up, with a buffet table at the side. Harry sat down then pulled Alex up on his knee while Severus sat close beside him, holding his hand. Sitting close by was the chief and the rest of his unit.

The next few hours, Harry answered what he could. Where he’s been for the past five years, and why he needed help walking, keeping out the details of his job as a special operative auror. He felt the love and support of his husband and daughter, which made the harder questions easier to answer. He then asked his own questions on what his friends had been up to, where the conversation switched to someone other that himself.

Harry noticed that Ron sat by himself, his elbows on his knees as he seemed mesmerized by the golden firewhiskey in his glass. “Ron?” he quietly said, then patted the seat beside him.

Ron looked up, sighing as he moved to sit beside Harry. “Why didn’t you talk to me Harry? I was your best mate. You could have talked to me about anything,” he softly said.

“That morning I left I was . . . a wreck. You and Seamus were going on about that damn Gryffindor bet, and it just kind of cheapened the whole night even more for me.”

“I didn’t realize . . . ”

“I know that. I knew that a few days after I left. I never told anyone of my feelings for Severus back then, although I believe that Albus may have suspected. That man knows too damn much,” he smirked. “I just defeated Voldemort, and the press and students were not leaving me alone. I wanted that night I spent with Severus for myself. When I started auror training, it helped me forget the hurt I felt. It also freed me, I think. I wasn’t Harry Potter, the saviour-of-the-wizarding world. I was an accomplished auror, and showed people that it wasn’t just my name that got me to where I was.”

“I missed you Harry,” Ron quietly said.

“Gods . . . I missed you too,” Harry softly said, as he leaned over to give Ron a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t write you Ron, or anyone for that matter.”

“But you’re staying now, right?” Ron asked, pulling away from Harry.

“Yes, I have a snarky husband, and a chatterbox daughter that needs me here. I’m not going anywhere,” Harry laughed, hugging Alex close to his chest.

“I think I may resent that snarky comment,” Severus smirked.

“You can be a little . . . snarky sometimes Father,” Alex laughed.

“He’s not as bad as he used to be,” Ron smiled. “Most cases he had reason to be snarky,” he added.

“Spoken from one of the many that made him that way,” Molly smiled, as she approached them. Ron had gotten up respectively to let his mother sit down beside Harry. “How are you Harry?” she asked, taking his hand in hers. “We were so worried for you when we didn’t hear from you all those years.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you Molly, it was just something I needed to do for myself. I am extremely happy now with my life, and I am not planning on running away again. When I came back, I didn’t think that I would get a second chance with Severus. I’m thankful that he didn’t give up so easily,” Harry grinned.

“He was set on bringing you back home when he saw you ‘working’,” she said, looking at Alex who was listening to everything being said between them.

“I thought I had lost my mind that night,” Severus said. “I thought it was wishful thinking on my part, seeing you again.” Harry took Severus’s hand in his and brought it up to kiss the palm, then linked his fingers through his on his knee, as he leaned in to kiss Severus.

Alex leaned over so she wouldn’t get squished. “They’re always kissing,” she grinned, whispering over to Molly.

Harry smiled against Severus’s lips, then turned and began to give wet kisses on the one side of Alex’s cheek, while Severus worked on the other, with Alex laughing as she tried to push their faces away.

Remus caught Alex’s eye and motioned for her to follow him. “I’ll be right back,” she smiled, wiping her wet cheeks as she slid off of Harry’s lap.

“She’s up to something,” Severus suspiciously said.

“When isn’t she?” Harry laughed, then was surprised to see a table appear in front of himself and Severus.

Everyone’s talk died down, as they watched Alex and Dobby the house elf, carry a tray between them, with Remus following close behind with his wand ready in case they were to drop it. Alex and Dobby carefully put it on the table, then Alex came around to sit on Severus’ knee.

The cake had white icing with gummi bears and smarties bordering the edges. At the center, in green letters, it read, ‘To my Daddy and Father’.

“Um . . . what kind of cake is this Alex?” Severus asked, knowing already by the cold feeling that came from the tray.

“It’s a Neapolitan ice cream cake,” she smiled. “Chocolate for Daddy, vanilla for you, and strawberry for me. Remy and Siri let me decorate it, too.”

“Never would have guessed,” Harry laughed, picking a gummi bear off the cake to pop it into his mouth, then lean over to kiss her cheek.



Nine months later Severus gave birth to another baby girl, with black hair and dark obsidian eyes like her father, naming her Liliana. Alex was in full big sister mode as she helped her fathers with her. Harry was disappointed to find out that he was unable to bear any children, thanks to the bit of venom from the basilisk and snake bite, that remained in his body. Over the course of their lives, they had two more children . . . a boy they named Lucas, and another girl they named Keira, three years apart from the other.

Harry did get the full mobility in his legs, with no side effects, within a couple of months from their wedding ceremony. He remained an auror, but mostly came in to interrogate suspects, known to get answers with not much pain involved when questioned. He was also brought in for his parseltongue ability, to speak, or to transcribe ancient books. It was much to the surprise of Harry and Severus the one day to see Liliana reading out of one of those books. She was the only one of the children that inherited the parseltongue ability. He continued to teach at Hogwart’s in the Defense position, and is known to be a fair Professor that is there for his students, and always has a ready smile to those he talks to.

He also established a safe haven for some of the young wizards and witches that felt lost and uncared for. He and Severus had renovated the Snape mansion, which hadn’t been lived in for many years, to accommodate these kids and young adults. In-house counselors were available anytime of the day, along with a medi-witch, and a few Professors that were on staff that came in daily for the younger kids. He was able to get some of those kids off the streets, starting with the few that were kidnapped, and the ones that were selling themselves on Knockturn Alley that he met while he was undercover. Using his many connections with the Ministry, Charlie Weasley and the dragon colony, and Remus and Sirius at the ranch, the young witches and wizards were able to get jobs and gain new friendships that gave them their pride and self worth back.

Severus and Harry had other misunderstandings and arguments in their lives, like any other normal couple, but they never made the mistake of not listening to each other again, and they never ran away from their problems.


The End

Written by tas - July 2005


Thanks go to Lakoma; SassMacfru; raharmon; sterling Dragonfly; catseye348; harriet; b8g2483;dArkAngEl; punkababe; Deirdra; jen-chan; allexandrya; poofsizzle.
Also to Dahlias and brookiecookie who voted, but unfortunately didn’t count as they voted before the start time.