The Engagement Kiss

“Are you finished with all your touching moments?” Aviva asked with a hint of a sneer which she promptly banished with a frown, “Sorry, are you ready?” she said looking a little embarrassed. Harry nodded and she sent him the location information through their reopened link as the pad formed they all gave halfhearted waves and vanished.

“Good luck.” Aviva whispered.

Chapter 26:

Harry looked around the desolate room that they’d flashed into Aviva had told him that the room where Tom would be waiting was at the end of the hall just outside this room. Ron held the bag that held the contained the pieces of soul and Harry had spelled the bound Dumbledore to float behind them hidden under his invisibility cloak. Silently they checked outside the door surprised to find no death eaters in sight. They rapidly moved down the hallway, where it was clear Tom waited. Harry pushed the door open first, aware that Tom would most likely move to kill him but only after a bit of gloating.

“Ah Harry you did come.” The snake man hissed, Harry wondered if all this went right would Tom regain his pervious appearance.

“Hello Uncle.” He replied intent on confusing the man, looking around he spotted Severus who was chained by one arm to the wall and appeared no worse for wear save a few scratches and apparent unconsciousness.

“It is rather ironic that you turned out to be my nephew, I almost didn’t believe it when Avi told me.” Tom hissed and chuckled softly, “No worries Harry, Severus lives. He was getting a little to mouthy so I silenced him.” Harry stiffened angrily fingering his wand; he’d hidden it in his sleeve before coming in. Right now the others would be placing the pieces around Voldemort in a semi circle that if you were to draw lines through would make a six pointed star. Harry shook imperceptibly, he was frightened. There were so many things that could go wrong but it had to be done. He sent a silent prayer to whatever deity was listening that his friends’ disillusionment charms held and that Tom didn’t notice anything amiss.

“I assume that you kidnapped my mate merely to lure me here?” Harry replied finally to Tom’s jibe. He laughed red eyes narrowing on him; in that moment he didn’t notice a silent stunning charm hit Nagini and something pulling her off to the side. Harry looked around. All the pieces were in place, Dumbledore would be invisible behind Tom until they cast the spell, and he stood directly in front of him, perfect.

“Yes, yes, to lure you.” Tom closed his eyes in bliss for a moment while continuing his speech, “Though I half hopped you wouldn’t come so I could destroy Severus’ faith in you…” Harry couldn’t stand to hear anymore and whipped out his wand in one swift movement cast a total binding spell. Voldemort’s eyes had snapped open in the same instant he watched with cold eyes as Harry’s friends reveled themselves, arranged in a half circle behind Harry. They spoke their oaths, and Harry whispered his, feeling the magic flow through him. It was the strangest feeling he’d ever encountered. His body was floating a bit off the ground and his eyes were closed, yet he could see. He saw the whole room from above, each piece glowing those contained in objects floating high enough to be level with Tom’s eye line. White lines extended from each piece comingling at Tom, who glowed so brightly that it was hard to see him. The piece from Dumbledore was embedded in his heart Harry saw as the line extended from him, the line from Harry himself was a spiral of red, blue, green and yellow.

‘the caster must picture what was broken being remade and channel all their power into that’ the line from the book floated through Harry’s overly aware mind and he concentrated on the image of Tom from what he’d seen before Dumbledore meddled. He pictured in his minds eye all the little glowing pieces fixating themselves back on the whole inside Tom and forcing the tainted green parts that were the snake’s soul out. He felt only a dull tug when the piece in his forehead was removed and placed back with its original owner yet his body stiffened with pain and a small trickle of blood ran between his eyes. Unnoticed by Harry Severus had woken partway through and was staring at his young mate’s floating body with a mixture of horror and awe. The glow faded yet Harry still felt disconnected from his body watching them hurry over to his crumbled body as the scene began to blur around the edges. He looked over to the former Dark Lord; he needed to know if it worked. Tom sat in the ugly thrown, his skin no longer deathly white now it was a few shades lighter than Naji’s mocha complexion. Red eyes were replaced with soft blue ones and the bald head was covered by silky locks of green hair? A lingering effect of the snake soul perhaps Harry mused idly, he felt very strange something was tugging on him but he felt so lethargic unwilling to follow the tug.

His idle gaze strayed over to Dumbledore, the invisibility cloak pooled at his feet the former headmaster’s gaze was blank and empty. Like he’d undergone the dementor’s kiss but Harry could see that his soul was still intact. Perhaps he’d simple bound his own soul so tightly to Tom’s piece that the removal had left him feeling as though he didn’t have one himself. Once more Harry forced himself to look at his motionless body, why was this so hard? Severus had been unchained that was good but he looked so sad; Harry wonderingly looked at the tears in Severus’ eyes. Who knew the man could cry the words that Harry saw silently forming on his lover’s lips gave him a last flitter of warmth before the fuzzy darkness closed in.

‘I love you Harry.’ Severus’ mouth formed the words and Harry whispered back,

“I love you too Sev.”

oOo

Az paced the floor of Dumbledore’s office impatiently; something had gone wrong he could feel it. Harry’s link was cold and empty, not closed just empty like there was nothing on the other end. The floo flared in the fireplace which only made Az’s heart go cold. They wouldn’t use the floo if Harry we’re able to flash. Ron, Draco and Hermione stepped out first all with heartbroken looks on their faces, A man recognizable as the Tom Riddle of old stepped out next a confused and sad look gracing his features. Aviva gave a strangled cry of joy and struggled to stand, she was weak as a newborn kitten having all taint removed from her soul simultaneously with Tom. He caught her and smiled, but the smile quickly waned as Severus stepped through finally. The stoic potions master was crying unabashedly, tears cascading his face and landing on his limp lover’s form.

“No…” Az moaned desperately taking a hesitant step closer then retreating as if confirming it would bring the world down around him. Severus looked up,

“He’s alive but there’s nothing there…” he whispered sadly when a voice boomed all around them for the second time that day.

“Untrue. The young headmaster lives, he is merely in transference leaving the parts of his own soul that were tainted behind. Do not fret friends of Harry, he will be back and it will be spectacular once he does.” The founders’ voice rang through lifting all their hearts. Severus looked up as if afraid to hope,

“Who…?” he croaked setting Harry on the couch that Hermione transfigured out of Dumbledore’s desk, and looking around the room,

“We are the last remnants of the founders, we suppose in a sense we are Hogwarts. We have chosen the youngling as the next headmaster of Hogwarts, should he accept he always has the choice not to. We feel he will bring our school back to its former glory.” The voice intoned. Severus sighed looking a little relieved.

“He will wake up then?” he asked again almost fearfully. Everyone felt the smile and nod; Severus sank into a chair glaring at his lover’s prone body lovingly.

“I’m to relieved that he’s going to be alight to be angry with him.” He muttered closing his eyes. The others nodded and everyone stiffened as the floo flared again, a stout woman with flaming red hair emerging followed by a man with the same red hair and a very tall man with unique blue-black hair.

“Mum?” Ron asked looking at his mother, father and Nauru who waved cheerily.

“First you disappear saying your going somewhere with Harry and then we don’t hear from you for a good month, then this gentleman comes into our home and tells me some how you’re not human, then we can’t get the floo to let us into Hogwarts. We’ve never be denied entrance to Hogwarts before, Merlin what’s wrong with Harry?” Ms. Wesley’s tirade was cut short when she noticed Harry laying upon the couch and Severus Snape watching protectively over him. Everyone just exchanged looks and burst out laughing, the stress and fear finally leaving them. It was over, the last remnant just had to open his eyes and their lives could resume running normally.

oOo

Harry felt his awareness floating and was oddly undisturbed by it. Looking from side to side he saw nothing but a black expanse covered by a fine mist.

“Did…did I die after all?” he whispered aloud looking around. He didn’t have a body to sit up with but that was the movement he mimicked.

“No little Headmaster you are healing. You and the little ones inside you.” Said four voices speaking at once, the images of the founders appeared. The looked solid yet not, like the image of Tom from the diary.

“Greetings Youngling, we wanted to congratulate you on how you handled the situation with Tom,” said Gordric Gryffindor, but Salazar Slytherin interrupted.

“But running of to risk you life and your child’s was beyond foolish!” he scolded and Harry bowed his head properly admonished until the words fully sunk in. His hand immediately flew to where his stomach would be were he not separate from his body.

“The baby!” he whispered fearfully looking up at them “Is it alright?”

“They are fine; you will have two perfectly healthy babies in the near future. You will have quite a time with them too I presume. Your bravery and foolishness will elicit changes in them, nothing bad but well you will see.” Helga Huffelpuff said kindly with a smile, Rowena Ravenclaw frowned at the other woman.

“You give too much away; let the boy live his future Helga. We called to you for two reasons, one to admonish you for your foolish bravery and issue a warning to never be so careless again. Though I’m sure your delectable mate will make sure of that.” She said with a wicked smile, Harry blushed and looked down again.

“The second is to reward you, one you may not consider a reward but we will grant it to you anyway, you are the candidate for the Headmaster of Hogwarts, if you refuse we will find another but all of us believe that you will be the best to pull Hogwarts from the mess Dumbledore has created. The second is a way to extend Severus’ life.” Gordirc said taking over again, although they spoke individually they all seemed to think as one it was rather disconcerting. Harry put aside considering being headmaster in favor of the second topic,

“You know how to extend his life?!” he asked desperately. What he would give to keep Severus alive with him. The founders smiled,

“No, you do now. You channeled all the magic of the elements and your friend’s magics and that changed your own magic. Harry you now hold power over your original elements yes, and a weak control over air and earth too, but what you truly gained is the greatest power of all. The power of spirit. Even among the Ander’s the power of spirit is the rarest element, only one Ander in every four-thousand is born with this power.” Rowena said watching him, Slytherin picked up.

“You would be dead if you didn’t have the latent ability to accept this power. And now that you have it you ill extend the lives of those close to you, your friends will not get as great a boost as Severus will because their souls, their spirits are not bound to yours but they will get a small boost. Severus will live as long as you do, unless he doesn’t wish to. You cannot go against nature even for your loved ones if they want to die at their predestined times then they shall. But I believe your friends love you far too much to reject this gift, or even to think of rejecting it.” He said. Helga smiled,

“You needed even do anything, weather you tell them or not you will feel their souls accept it or reject it.” She said, “Do not think you are forcing on them if you do not tell them, unconsciously they will know.” She continued lovingly. Harry nodded he felt elation that Severus could stay with him and only a small sense of feat that he would be rejected. Now his thoughts turned to Hogwarts. Did he want to be that responsible this quickly? Would he ever have his own life if he accepted? Harry thought that it really didn’t matter Hogwarts was his home just as Snape manor was, he could live with half a year belonging to the world and half a year to his family. Yes he could do that.

“I accept the position as new Headmaster of Hogwarts, must I do anything more?” he said finally feeling suddenly heavy, and sleepy. The founders fused into one as his sight grew blurry again,

“No Harry all you need to do is open your eyes.” They said together and he was falling.

oOo

Severus Snape had refused to move from his spot guarding Harry until his young lover awoke. He needed Harry to wake up. Harry was his anchor and he never knew how much he needed the young man until he no longer had him. It had been two weeks and Severus was getting antsy, would he ever see those green eyes open again? Today though, today was different. All of Hogwarts felt different, happier, and lighter. Today everyone was waiting with him; including Ms. Wesley who after making quite a lot of noise had calmed down and accepted the whole story though she still refused to stand near Tom. Madam Pomphry stood poised to scan Harry and make sure that he was well before allowing him to do anything else. Harry stirred noiselessly shifting slightly, then turning and opening those brilliant eyes searching for one person out of the crowd, his eyes met Severus’ and the older man felt a small tug in the back of his mind.

“Will you stay with me?” it wasn’t really spoken, nor was it a real voice just a touch. Yet it was Harry and Severus trusted his Harry with his whole being.

“Yes.” He whispered aloud and Harry sighed with a happy smile, submitting to the med-witch’s scans. She nodded satisfied and stepped back,

“You and your children are fine Harry, but should you ever do anything so reckless again I will personally see that you are kept in a locked room.” She said and Severus’ head practically did a 360.

“Children?” he whispered looking at Harry in amazement. The younger man looked back, no one had told him?

“Twins.” Harry replied with a smile, surprising them. Severus looked about ready to explode then sighed taking a deep breath,

“Your alive and their alive and as long as I live you will never have the opportunity to do anything so stupid again.” He swore pushing through the group and giving Harry a tender kiss.

“I know, I know Severus besides how much trouble can I get into as headmaster?” he asked sneakily. They all looked and that smile and exchanged nervous glances before laughing and enjoying the pure joy of the moment.

~Fin~

An: There will be an epilogue, prelude to the sequel with the childes. The last two chapters were supposed to happen over a few more chapters than two but hey I like the way it turned out. –Nods- I think I am most satisfied, considering that this was my first multichapter fanfic that I actually completed with a decent plot. I hoped you all enjoyed this story and to those reading from FF.net I know there are more than 8 people watching this story hell its on 80 fave lists and five of those people have left me reviews so drop me a comment? Even if its just ‘that was awesome’ or hell ‘that sucked’ as much as I like the long reviews I like knowing that people liked it enough to comment.