Flourish

A/N:

Well I lied. This isn't quite the last chapter. There will be an epilogue after this. In any event, the fic is almost finished and I shall miss it. Who would have thought a little dare made by NSS and TarahFae would grow so big? Lol!

As always, big thanks to my beta, Vaughn, who wields commas with the greatest of ease and sorts out my canon opsies. Vaughn, you are the best!

Disclaimer: They are not mine; I only take them out to play.

**********************

Ron stumbled as he and Harry appeared at the cottage. Thus his first look at his new home was straight down, as he tried to regain his footing. An errant thought wandered through his head about how the lawn didn't look quite as bad as it had in the photograph. Then Ron looked up, and all thoughts, errant or otherwise, completely left his head.

Hermione and Harry were supposed to have simply brought Ron and Severus to the house and then left them to get to work. Ron had rather expected that they secretly meant to stay and help, but he never expected the sight that met his eyes. A babble of voices met his ears and there, in front of the house, was a multitude of people. A veritable army of redheads was present. All of Ron's family were there, including Ginny and her husband, and there were also quite a few aunts, uncles, and cousins that Ron hadn't seen in some time. A small pack of red-headed children played on the newly improved lawn while being watched over by a dozen of Hogwarts house-elves. In addition to the impressive amount of Weasleys, Ron saw quite a few of the Hogwarts' staff. Minerva was there, as were Hagrid, Flitwick, Sprout, and Madam Hooch. Standing rather apart from the mass of Weasleys, but chatting with the professors, were a group of about twenty people that Ron couldn't at first identify at first. It wasn't until Ron recognized Zambini standing with his arm around an attractive and obviously pregnant young witch, that Ron realized that these must be some of Severus' Slytherin students. Slytherin house had been hit hard by the war, but there were many Slytherins who had not been Death Eaters, and some who had had a change of heart. Yes, there was Gregory Goyle, standing proudly next to his Hufflepuff boyfriend. It still rather rankled Ron that Goyle, one of the banes of his existence when a student, was now a respected member of wizarding society. Yet he couldn't really complain. Goyle might not be the brightest of wizards, but there was no doubt that he and his boyfriend had fought fiercely for the light in the last weeks of the war. Trying his best to put his childhood hatred of the man on hold, Ron was determined to give Goyle and the other Slytherins the respect that they deserved. It was good to see that his fiancé had people who cared for him, and Ron would treat them as civilly as he could manage for no grander reason than that.

No sooner had Ron gotten over his surprise at the crowd of people in front of the cottage before the throng parted to give Severus and Ron a better look at the same, and Ron was gobsmacked again. A new roof gleamed on the once decrepit cottage. The walls had been cleaned and repaired and had a new coat of white paint. The shutters had been replaced and painted a cheerful, kelly green, as had the new front door, which now hung straight on both of its hinges. What had been a rather dismal place in bad need of repair was now a cheerful cottage. Looking at Severus, Ron could see that he was as gobsmacked as Ron was. When he saw that his love's legs were trembling, Ron quickly went to him and put a steadying arm around Severus' waist. Severus might now be cane free, but he was still a bit unsteady.

Gazing at Ron with wide eyes, Severus stammered, "What...how..."

"I'm just as clueless as you are, love," Ron said.

The throng before them burst again into sound as the witches and wizards reacted. There was much happy laughter and many shouts of "Surprise!"

Taking pity on their confusion, Hermione explained. "Harry and I started working on the house over a week ago. We were trying to get the cottage a bit more livable before you two moved in. Well, word got out about what we were doing, and before we knew it, we had more help than we could have ever dreamed of. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in so short a time when you have so many willing workers."

By the time Hermione finished speaking, the throng of well wishers had broken up and headed around the cottage towards the backyard. As Minerva came up to give Severus and Ron both a peck on the cheek, Hermione and Harry joined the mass exodus to the backyard.

"I know it's a bit of a shock," Minerva began, "and I know that neither of you is used to so many people being about. Don't fret about it. Everyone who worked on your place wants to see you, but they've been given strict orders not to crowd you. You can greet folks as you feel like it, or you can tell us all to bugger off when you get tired. We all know you've been in hospital; no one will be offended."

Ron, who was still trying to hold back a giggle at his rather straight-laced former head of house saying the phrase "bugger off," did his best to find his voice. "It's all right, Minerva. I think we'll be glad to see everyone as long as they don't crowd round us. Is that all right, Severus?"

"Yes," Severus said softly, "but I don't know--"

"Not to worry, love," Ron said, immediately understanding the problem. Ron had gotten so used to Severus talking that he had forgotten the silent man he had been early in their recuperation. "You don't have to talk much if you don't feel up to it. I think most folks will be happy just saying hello and seeing that you're doing well."

A look of relief flashed over Severus' features before he bent down to bury his face in Ron's neck for a moment. Holding his love tightly, Ron reminded himself that as much as Severus had improved, he was still healing. It would be up to Ron to keep an eye on him while everyone was here, and make sure Severus wasn't overwhelmed by the whole thing.

Waiting patiently while Ron comforted Severus, Minerva stood silently by, watching the couple fondly until Severus eventually raised his head and stood blinking at the sparkling cottage. "Would you like to see inside?" she asked softly.

Giving Minerva a quiet nod, Severus then let himself be led into the cottage by Minerva and Ron. Both Ron and Severus were a bit taken aback by the state of the interior. Not only had things been repaired and painted, but the whole cottage, top to bottom, had been furnished. None of the furnishings were exactly grand, but from the sofa and chairs in the living room to the big bed in the bedroom upstairs the cottage was filled with serviceable and attractive furniture. In addition to the furniture, there were even a few tapestries hanging on the walls and quite a good amount of books in the many bookcases.

"Minerva," Ron began hesitantly, "this is too much. I know that the repairs were mostly hard work, but all of this must have cost a fortune! How shall we ever--"

"Not another word, Ronald Weasley!" Minerva interrupted firmly. "No one here wants to hear one word about repayment, so don't start. At any rate, it isn't nearly as bad as you fear." Looking at Severus, she continued. "Hagrid and your Slytherins got the house into shape, then Harry, Hermione, and I worked on the furnishings. Many of these pieces came from Spinner's End and the Burrow, and some were things that we had in storage at Hogwarts that hadn't been used in decades. Hermione and I did a lot of transfiguring to make things look more like a home and less like a place full of castoffs, but most everything here was freely donated. I confess that I did buy that tapestry of Merlin and Nimue, but you can consider that a wedding present."

Next she showed them the kitchen, complete with a fully stocked walk-in pantry. This time it was Severus who fussed.

"Now Minerva," he began, "you can't tell me that all of this was transfigured. You simply must let Ron and I repay some of the expense."

"Piffle," Minerva said dryly. "I'd like to see you try to give the Hogwarts house-elves money. If you didn't want a fully stocked larder, then you shouldn't have gone out of your way to save them on the battlefield." Chuckling, she continued. "There's some odd magic in that room as well, that Filius and I haven't been able to identify. I suspect that you and Ron won't have to worry about going hungry for some time, if ever."

"But where do they get it all?" Ron asked, his confusion apparent in his tone.

"I have no idea, I'm sure," Minerva replied with another chuckle. "They may be bound to wizards, but the ways in which house-elves operate have never been much understood. I suspect that at least some of it came from Hogwarts. If it did, there's no sense in worrying over it. It makes the house-elves happy, and that's good enough for me. We always have more than we need at the school, so I can assure you that the students won't go hungry on your account." Turning to Ron, she said, "I'd like to show Severus the basement. Why don't you go out back and take a look at the barn. There's been a veritable army of Weasleys working on it all week. I expect that they are very impatient to show it to you."

"Will you be ok?" Ron asked Severus.

"I am not an invalid," Severus snapped. Then his voice softened as he continued, "I shall be fine. Go see your family."

A door in the kitchen led to the backyard. With a quick kiss and a cheeky grin, Ron rushed out the door, looking over his shoulder to say, "They'll soon be your family too!"

"Don't remind me!" Severus retorted as he gave an exaggerated fake shudder.

"Now, Severus," Minerva said with a smile, "how would you like to see your new potions lab?"

Eyes widening, Severus could only nod in reply. Taking his hand, Minerva led Severus to the stairs and down into the basement. With a word, the torches lit to reveal a large and tidy work space. There were several worktables in the middle of the room. One entire wall had been converted into a bookcase and Severus saw that all of his potions books from Spinner's End were there, as well as the books he had been forced to abandon at Hogwarts. Not only were his Hogwarts books there, but arranged in the shelves that lined another wall were all of his personal implements.

Looking at his things in undisguised wonder, Severus couldn't resist letting his fingers play over his precious books as he hesitantly said, "I had thought you would have gotten rid of my things."

Crossing to him, Minerva put a warm hand on his shoulder as she said, "I was furious when you...left. Furious and confused and heartbroken. But even so, I couldn't bring myself to destroy your things. I had the house-elves pack them up and put them out of my sight."

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you had burned them on the lawn. I'm sorry, Minerva," Severus continued, looking down at the older witch with sad eyes, "I'm so sorry that I couldn't tell you."

"Hush, Severus." Minerva drew the tall man into a firm hug. "It was very hard at the time--I grant you that...but I do understand."

Embarrassed, Severus drew away from Minerva and busied himself looking at the cabinets that lined the third wall. Striding towards them, he idly opened one, thinking to find empty shelves. When he found the cabinets already stocked with basic potion ingredients, he turned to Minerva, some of the old fire in his eyes.

"You can explain away the furniture, and the food, but this time you have gone too far! I can't accept this, Minerva. I won't have any of you spending so much money on us."

"I assure you that we didn't." When Severus opened his mouth to argue, she shushed him with a wave of her hand. "Listen to me Severus. Albus had quite a bit of money when he died." At this statement, Severus went pale and the trembling returned to his legs. Minerva put a firm arm around his waist and guided him to one of the benches that flanked the work tables. When they were seated, she kept her arm wrapped tight around his waist as she continued. "He had many small, personal bequests, but most of his money went into a fund to help those wizards and witches who had been displaced during the war. Albus made one particular request that you were to have anything you needed to rebuild your life. He loved you so very much, Severus."

At this, Severus hung his head. Though he was silent in his grief, Minerva knew he was weeping. Pulling his resisting body firmly into her arms, Minerva held him tightly, rocking him gently. "It's all right, child," she said, her voice low and gruff with emotion. "I know you are still grieving. We all miss him very much. But it wasn't your fault, dear. I know that you loved him, and he loved you just as dearly."

Minerva continued to hold him, speaking to him gently, until Severus at last pulled himself together. Then she let him explore his new lab for a bit before suggesting they go take a look outside.

"There's still one more surprise waiting for you," she said, with a mischievous grin.

"There's more?" Severus asked incredulously.

"Oh, yes. Come," she said, holding out a hand to him, "come let me show you."

It was but a moment's effort to climb the stairs and go out the kitchen door. When Severus walked out onto the back porch, he caught sight of a large, shining object and stopped abruptly, gaping at the sight. There on the back lawn, just to the left of the path that wound its way back to the barn, was a new greenhouse. Its glass sides gleamed in the sunlight and, despite the slight misting of water vapor on the windows, it was easy to see that the greenhouse was already full of plants.

Taking pity on Severus' shock, Minerva explained how the greenhouse had come to be there. "Filius made the framework and I transfigured the glass myself. Then Filius put the necessary charms on the glass. Albus' fund paid for the pots and such, a minimal expense, I assure you. The plants are a gift from Pomona, with a lot of help from Neville Longbottom. They went through the Hogwarts greenhouses and got cuttings from every plant that they thought a potions maker might have a use for."

"Some of those plants are quite rare," Severus muttered, still staring at the greenhouse.

"Yes, and you have a bit from all of them," Minerva said proudly. "Neville couldn't be here today, but he's compiling a notebook of all your Hogwarts plants and how to take care of them. He asked me to tell you that he'd stop in soon and show you around."

"How shall I ever thank him?"

"Simple. Be nice to him," Minerva said simply.

"I think I can manage that."

Seeing that Severus was growing tired, Minerva led Severus to a sturdy stone bench under one of the lawns many oak trees. Severus continued to stare at the glittering greenhouse for a time, then he slowly dragged his eyes off of it to take in the rest of the view. The grounds had been tidied, the lawn trimmed. Towards the back of the property, the newly refurbished barn gleamed golden in the soft, afternoon light. Closer to the house, tables had been set up with a 'welcome home' feast. Gryffindors, Slytherins, Weasleys, and professors strolled around the grounds, chatting and admiring their handiwork. Children played tag in the grass while the house-elves watched them with obvious affection. All in all, it was a very pretty sight. It wasn't the back lawn of a shabby cottage. It was the backyard of a beloved home. It was a lot for a man who had been long confined to a small hospital room to take in, and Severus had a hard time believing that this wondrous place belonged to him and Ron. It was overwhelming, and Severus was content to quietly sit on the bench with Minerva until Ron came bounding up the path from the barn, breathless with news.

"Severus, you won't believe it!" Ron exclaimed as he collapsed to sit at Severus' feet. "The barn is amazing! Hagrid supervised, and my family fixed it up. It's got pens and places for all the animals I could ever want. It's even got some animals already. The twins...Severus, they got me a pair of Savannah cats! I told them it was too much, but they said it was a good investment, and if I give them each the pick of the first litter, they'd call it even! Can you believe it?"

"Today," Severus said, looking fondly down at the overexcited young wizard sitting at his feet, "I think I could believe in anything. Even the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Grinning up at him, Ron clasped both of Severus hands tightly and said, "Could you believe that Harry and Hermione have a preacher here, just in case we decide to get married today?"

"Do you wish to be married today?" Severus said, staring at Ron with a strange intensity.

"Yes, if you wish it as well."

Severus' Adams apple bobbed as he gulped audibly. "That's settled then. It looks like we are getting married."

Ron's grin rivaled the gleam of the new greenhouse.