Where Others Fear to Tread

Chapter 50

Professor Potter ran swiftly along the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his robes swirling around him in a flury. Harry slowed down as he reached the open doors of the great hall. Inside already was the usual rabble of students gathered around their respective house tables, gorging themselves on the Halloween feast laid before them. Straightening his robes Harry paused briefly to acknowledge the headmistress, Minerva McGonagall before he swiftly strode down towards the head table.

“Ah Mr Potter, so nice of you to join us, trouble with your last class?” Harry shuffled along the table and sat quickly down beside one Severus Snape.

“Just a small minor hitch.” Harry tried to brush the incident off as he reached for his own plate to begin filling it with his chosen meal of the evening.

“A minor hitch Potter? The explosion rocked the castle.” Harry glared across at Snape who was sitting far too smugly in his chair; his silver fork paused above his plate filled with a slice of meat. It had been less than six months since Harry had been officially instated as the newest Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts and everyone was eagerly monitoring his progress. Six years of training had prepared Harry very little for what actual teaching was like and there were quite the few rumours flying about the castle about Professor Potter’s unusual classes.

“Yes, just a minor stray spell nothing too life threatening…” Harry spat pointedly at his husband who obediently kept his mouth shut, having become very much aware of Harry’s moods.

“Daddy says you made a ‘spiny crusted demon’ disappear.” Harry nearly choked on his potatoes as he glanced down at his six-year-old son who was sitting, propped up on several pillows between his parents.

“It didn’t disappear Alex, I just misplaced it…”

“In the girls bathroom on the sixth floor while Lavender Goodwell was in there washing her hands.” Harry glared at Severus from over the top of his son’s head his face suddenly turning an unattractive shade of red as the entire teaching staff roared in laughter. So everyone obviously knew about the mistake, Harry had hoped vehemently that he’d fixed the problem before anybody knew. Even Alexander was giggling although the six year old probably didn’t know at what. The boy was too busy getting Spaghetti all down his front and over his face to actually be paying much attention to the conversation going on around him.

“Can I have a toffee apple Daddy?” Alex’s voice cut through the laughter as he addressed Severus, his hands and face covered in spaghetti sauce and pasta. Harry assumed not much of which had made it into Alex’s mouth.

“Not until you’ve finished that.” Severus replied as he attempted fruitlessly to wipe some of the mess from his son’s face. Alex just giggled and pushed Severus napkin away from him.

“Harry did you see the postcard from Albus in the staff room?” McGonagall glanced down from her seat in the middle of the table, her half moon glasses catching the candlelight and making her eyes sparkle much the same as Albus’ had once done. Harry shook his head. It had been almost a year since Albus Dumbledore, the greatest headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen had finally retired. According to his leaving speech he had indeed gone on a trip, in search of the factory, which made lemon drops.

”It’s wonderful, he’s in Wales at the moment doing a bit of muggle skiing.” Harry nodded and smiled hardly surprised that Dumbledore was trying muggle sports.

“Oh and Hermione and Ron have sent us the invitation to their wedding next month.” Harry beamed across at Severus, finally glad to hear that his two best friends had finally set a date for their wedding. Hermione had gone on to be Bill Weasly’s apprentice working for Gringotts, while Ron had gone on to be the most unconventional Auror the ministry had ever seen. Harry was proud of his friends just as they were proud of him.

“Daddy?” Harry turned his attention back to his son who had most surprisingly finished his meal his tomato smeared grin beaming from behind the mop of unruly black hair.

“Yes?” Harry inquired quietly as he like Severus attempted to clean up his grubby son.

“Can I have a toffee apple now, and one for Uncle Sirius too?” Harry sighed and nodded and having reached across to the bowl of sweets grabbed two of the toffee-coated apples, handing them both to his son. Within an instant Alex had wiggled himself down from the table and having crawled under the table from between his parents feet he took off up the centre of the student tables, the two toffee apples held out in either hand and his arse hanging out of his little trousers which had slid down off his hips. At the sight of his bare backsided son Severus groaned and put his head in his hands. The students laughed but all of them had become used to having Alex running around the castle and a Gryfindor prefect managed to catch Alex at the doors to the great hall and helped the boy get dressed before sending him off on his way again. Harry smiled at the prefect in thanks and leaned across and pressed a soft reassuring kiss to Severus cheek.

“Its times like that I truly believe he inherited your lack of shame Potter.” Severus arched his eyebrow accusingly at Harry who looked mildly affronted at the comment.

“Oh that’s rich, coming from you who allowed him to get his fingers stuck in a potions bottle last week.” Severus blushed a little and sighed before smiling and shaking his head.

“God that was funny.” Severus chuckled as he remembered the scene Alex had created having been rummaging through his potions classroom, and getting his fingers stuck in a bottle.

“Yeah it was.” Harry whispered as he leant his head against Severus shoulder, as the elder man placed his hand comfortingly over Harry’s under the table. The moment however was broken as a first year Gryfindor approached the staff table.

“Um, professors I just thought you should know Alex has just gone into the forbidden corridor on the third floor, Professor Black has gone after him but he told me to inform you.” Harry rolled his eyes and sprung to his feet, as did Severus both parents with the same mind.

“You know what Potter I think our son has inherited your same ability of finding trouble where ever he goes.” Severus and Harry strode out of the hall side by side intent on finding their son.

“Well could be worse, he could have the magical ineptitude of Longbottom, then we’d really be in trouble….” Harry and Severus broke into laughter as they disappeared up the grand staircase towards the third floor.

It had been six long years since Voldemort had gone, and seven since Harry’s life had changed so dramatically when Severus had called in his debts. If Harry had perhaps known what he knew now about how things would have turned out he might, just might, not have called Severus a slimy little bastard when the man had asked for his hand in marriage. It was strange how things in the world worked out, and stranger still how happiness could come from such desolate beginnings…but then those are the rewards when one walks a path that others fear to tread….

THE END


A/N THAT\'S IT!!! IT\'S ALL OVER AND DONE WITH!!!

Well if you liked it drop me an email or leave a review, I really do appreciate everyone who\'s taken the time to read this story and thank-you sooooo much to everyone who left a review it was great to know I at least kept some peoples attention. I hope this ending is satisfying for you, and I know some of you still hate me for killing off Draco but hey I promise not to kill him next time. Truely tell me what you thought of it I did luckily managed to keep this baby to 50 chapters, too long, too short, not long enough tell me and I\'ll endeavour to take everything on board.

I\'m still looking at archiving on a website of my own but until I get some skills at making websites this will only be availble here. Thank-you sooooo much for feeding my muse and keeping me going. I\'m cold, it\'s raining outside and I think I\'m going to collapse with a good book for a while.

Again thank-you sooo much for everyone\'s support, especially during those tubrulent \'plagerism\' times.

You\'re all beautiful.

Thanks

RIFFRAFF