Love is Blind

Epilogue

Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sat at the Head Table watching as the students filed in for the Sorting Feast. In the front of the mass of students stood the Head Boy and Girl, a Hufflepuff by the name of Ryan Alscott and a Ravenclaw, the headmaster’s oldest daughter Thea.

Althea Virginia Snape was conceived on New Year’s Eve 2003, or New Year’s Day 2004, or sometime around there; only three weeks after Hermione took the infamous potion. Obviously Thea was named after Virginia Malfoy, but also Severus’ mother Theodora and the ‘Al’ came from Albus Dumbledore. Thea was the apple of Severus’ eye. He never expected fatherhood to come naturally to him, but with a child as precious as Thea was to him, he couldn’t help it.

Severus smiled as he caught his daughter’s eye. She was truly a sight to behold with her long black wavy hair and her sparkling green eyes. She was beautiful, just like her mother.

Severus turned his head to look at his wife. Hermione Granger-Snape had succeeded him as the Potions Master and was now the Deputy Headmistress. Severus took in his wife’s beautiful face, which had barely aged in the eighteen years they had been married. Her chestnut curls were sprinkled here and there with strands of silver. Her amber eyes were still full of life. He smiled at her as he squeezed her hand and looked back toward the throng of students sitting at the house tables.

Severus looked over toward the Gryffindor table, where his son Sal was trying to sneak dungbumbs into the robes of some unsuspecting second years. Severus sent his son one of his patented glares and Sal looked stricken. He resolved to putting the dungbombs in his own pocket and sat discontented at the table. Severus laughed to himself at the look of utter humiliation on his son’s face. That’s what you get when your dad is Headmaster. Severus smiled down at Sal, who still would not look at him.

Salvador Augustus Snape was now in his fifth year at Hogwarts. He definitely took after his father. Poor sap. His fine black hair hung limply around his face. His large nose was too big for his features since it was broken last year during a Quidditch match. Sal was a wonderful student. He excelled in all his classes, but he rivaled the Weasley twins when it came to high jinks. Last year, Severus had to confiscate a many number of things from his son’s stash. He always left a few behind though, he had to let him be a kid. Sal finally looked up at his father. Severus winked at him in a silent \"I’ll give you credit, it would’ve worked,\" kind of way. Severus had not kept his hands clean as a student. He had pulled his share of pranks, most were accredited to the Marauders or Lucius, but Severus was no angel.

Speaking of angels. Severus watched as the first years came into the room, following Professor Potter. Yes, Harry Potter was a professor at Hogwarts. He and Ron Weasley taught DADA. Who else would be qualified to teach students, other than the Boy-Who-Lived-Again-and-Again?

In the middle of the group of students, a young girl smiled up at Severus and mouthed ‘I love you, Dad.’ Severus’ heart skipped a beat. If Thea was the apple of his eye, then Rosie was the bushel. Rosina Carmella Snape would turn eleven in two weeks. Rosie was their ‘miracle’ child. Hermione had found out just after Sal was born, that as a result of the years of stress on her uterus, she suffered from endometriosis. This disease is very uncommon in wizards, but found a lot in muggles. Hermione, being a muggleborn witch, was susceptible. After almost two years of treatment, both magical and muggle. Hermione had opted for a hysterectomy to remove any and all of the infected tissue. As the healers at St. Mungo’s were preparing her for surgery, a positive pregnancy test was returned. Eight months later, Severus’ ‘Little Rose’ was born.

As Severus watched his daughter approach the stool and the old worn hat, he was reminded of another bushy-haired eleven-year-old that sat on the same stool thirty years ago today. He looked over at his wife and smiled just as the hat announced, \"SLYTHERIN!\" and Rosina ran to the Slytherin table. Severus clapped for his daughter, catching his wife’s distaste out of the corner of his eye. \"Do you honestly think she would have gone anywhere else?\"

Hermione huffed, \"No, but I hoped.\"

\"Slytherins aren’t that bad. You married one, remember?\" he teased.

Hermione groaned and chose to leave the last comment alone. The first years were finally sorted and it was Severus’ time to speak.

\"I welcome you all back to another year at Hogwarts. Most of the faces up here should be familiar to you, or at least we hope they are familiar to you. But I would like to introduce to you Miss Marlena Hofstrum.\" The young blond woman at the end of the table stood and nodded to the students. \"Miss Hofstrum will be assisting Professor Andrews in your Transfiguration classes this year. Please treat Miss Hofstrum with respect as you would any other Hogwarts staff member. With that said…\" Severus raised his hands in a Dumbledorian way and food magically appeared on the tables. \"Dig in.\"

Severus sat down and looked down the Head Table. He couldn’t help but notice that Professor Michael Andrews was sitting very close to his assistant. The looks being exchanged between Professor Andrews and Miss Hofstrum reminded him of how he and Hermione had looked at each other before they realized their feelings were mutual. He shook his head lightly, sending a silent message to his late mentor, “Albus, I should have believed you. It is an ‘ever repeating cycle in the universe.’ Here’s to the ngenegeneration, old friend.”

Hermione looked closely at her husband who seemed off in his own little world. His hair was long and now silver, with a bit slate gray at the nape of his neck and his face looked younger than his sixty years. Hermione wondered what had captured his thoughts, but was suddenly greeted with the sight of his green eyes staring intently into her own.

\"Severus, are you all right?\" she asked.

\"Yes, my dear. Perfect.\"

\"What were you thinking of?\"

Severus nodded toward the end of the table where Professor Andrews and Miss Hofstrum were now debating the ideals of animagus transformation. \"Does that look familiar?\"

Hermione laughed softly and nodded. She grasped Severus’ hand under the table. \"I wonder if it was this obvious to Albus and Minerva when they watched us?\"

\"Knowing Albus, definitely.\"

*
A/N – That’s the end. *gives self a pat on the back* I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I did. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I have gone over the 400 review mark, OMG!! I never expected this story to go where it did, but I think it went rather well. Thank you again, now I am off to see if I can finish any of my other WsIP.