Chapter 45

Potion Master Hookenbothem stopped their conversation when he said, "I first must thank two of these teams for participating. Doors and Hawthorn, while your potion was partially successful and has relieved the symptoms of your subjects' pain temporarily, it did not cure the malady. Please continue your work, and perhaps we will see you successful next year."

The young man and girl took a bow and moved off to the side. Their faces filled with disappointment, but they seemed to be encouraged at the same time.

"Farthing and Perry, you are to be commended for your hair regrowth potion. Achieving an inch of hair is more than most bald people can hope for. The fact that it falls out after a few hours is distressing, but it's quite a feat for students of your age. I hope you will continue your work. I would welcome your re-entrance into this contest next year." The two young men took a bow and headed to the side.

Hermione and Severus had eyes only for Scorpius and Albus, who stood with the other two remaining teams. One way or another, they would receive scholarships...and for that reason alone, they were excited for their two excellent students.

Severus secretly hoped they had been completely successful. His scar itched, and he twitched a bit because he didn't have a free hand to scratch at it.

Hookenbothem turned to the three remaining teams. "It has been my privilege to see such fantastic work done by school students. I have hope that this next generation of potion masters will revolutionize our medical abilities as they grow, mature, and learn. Their abilities at this young age are astounding.

"I will now announce the winner. The winners will, in addition to the before mentioned scholarships, take this trophy home." He took a tiny object from his pocket and set it upon the table. He waved his wand over it, and it expanded until it was at least three feet tall. It had a gold base in the shape of a cauldron. Out of the middle came a ruby glass vial; magic steam curled and undulated about it. The audience gave a collective, "Ohhhh."

He continued, "There really is no second and third place since all of you will receive the same prize. I will tell you what each group has accomplished, and then I will announce the winners.

"Hornner and Walls have created a sleeping drought that will enable the drinker to calculate his or her own hours of sleep and then wake up at the proper time. The magic that they infused with the potion is quite astounding.

"Annis and Doorman have been working to relieve the devastating effects of Parkinson's disease. This affects Wizardingkind as well as Muggles. The potion they created stops the tremors and returns muscle control to the patient. It is their hope to market this in pill form to Muggles in the future. For now, many of our people will benefit from this amazing potion.

"Last, but not necessarily least, are our most notably named students: Malfoy and Potter. I find their ability to reach past their own heritage and form this amazing alliance quite astounding. Yet the creation of this amazing potion has nothing to do with their famous parents but with their own abilities and accomplishments. They have created a potion that erases even the deepest of physical scars. Many of our people carry horrendous magical scars from the war that could not be healed or erased. They face these scars each time they bathe or even look in the mirror. It is possible that once the surface scars are gone, they will heal and move on with their lives.

"I want to reiterate that first place does not mean that any of the other potions are not just as amazing and beneficial. The judges and I determined which one would relieve the most debilitating symptoms of people's current conditions. I award the first place title to Annis and Doorman."

Applause and shouts of congratulations erupted. Hermione felt tears sting her eyes. The boys had not won the title. Severus' hand tightened almost painfully on her shoulder, but she now saw Scorpius and Albus clapping the winners on the backs. Laughing as excitedly as any of the others, they congratulated their fellow students and admired the huge trophy they struggled to lift together. Severus whispered in her ear, "Perhaps we should take a lesson from them and go congratulate them all."

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. She took his arm, and they moved through the crowd. They saw that more of the Weasleys were here, and it was then that Severus realized he was looking at Bill. The horrendous scars that had marred the young man's face since Greyback's attack years earlier were gone. Then he heard Hermione gasp, "Severus, George ..."

Severus turned to see George Weasley coming toward them with both of his ears healthy and whole.

Hope flooded Severus, and a large crack appeared in the wall encasing his halves. Hermione's touch no longer irritated him. He drew in the scent of her hair, and desire flared through him. He pushed it away as he heard Hermione crying tears of joy as she hugged the tall, red-haired man to her. Lost in congratulations and excitement, Severus let the crowd pull him this way and that. He found himself congratulating his students. He saw the emotions of many excited people, and it did not send him running. He watched as if from behind a glass, but it no longer hurt to have people grab his hand, and he did not rebuke their touch.

There were conversations with the Weasleys and the Potters that lasted for hours, and Severus stood close to Hermione, finding a comfort in her nearness.

As he crawled into bed that night, he felt Hermione slip in next to him, and he felt more open and relaxed than he had in weeks. He stretched out his arm, and she curled up against him, and he wrapped his arm about her. She sighed as she rested her cheek against his chest. Tomorrow he would take the potion, and the scars would be gone. Would the wall, too? He let himself bask in her warmth, and then he slipped into sleep.

*****

Severus woke to the warmth of a body against him, and he opened his eyes to find Hermione laying half across his chest with her hair tickling his nose. He breathed in her scent and reveled in the feel of her arms holding him close. His mind told him to move way, but his heart wouldn't allow him. He lay still, afraid to wake her, just enjoying the warmth of her against him. Inside, another crack appeared in the wall. Finally, he pulled away and slipped out without waking her.

He stood beside the bed and watched her sleep. What had ever made such a beautiful woman love him? Why had she devoted herself to him even when he was dead? He'd always felt unworthy of love. This woman was such an enigma. The fact that she carried his child made her amazing.

She sighed, stretched, and opened her eyes. She realized he'd been watching her with a gentle, confused look on his face. But he'd turned instantly and headed for the loo. She could still feel a ghost of the warmth that he'd left in the bed.

She smiled. He'd allowed her to sleep against him even when he'd been awake. There was hope that this would soon be over. She crawled from the bed and sat on the edge. When Severus came from the bathroom, he nodded to her. "Good morning, Hermione. Did you sleep well?"

She smiled at his formality. "I did. How about you?"

He went past her. "It was good." He used his wand to dress quickly. "I am going to the lab. Scorpius and Albus are meeting me there this morning so I can take the potion. Do you want to come?" He came close and gave her a ghost of a kiss on her forehead.

She nodded and reached up and touched his cheek. He let her for a few seconds before stepping back. "I will wait for you."

Hermione slipped off the bed and ran to get ready. She felt a flutter in her stomach. She was so nervous and excited for him.

They entered the lab and found the boys already in the brewing process. The potion had to be fresh to do its best work. Severus paced nervously as the final stages were completed, and the brew changed to the fiery orange color, indicating it was complete.

Scorpius labeled a vial full of the potion and studied it.

Hermione grabbed Severus' arm, and they moved closer to the boys as they used their wands to check the potion.

Scorpius then smiled and held the vial out toward Severus. "It's ready, sir. Albus and I didn't care about the title 'winner of the contest.' We did this for you. It may benefit more people, but it was created to say thank you for what you did for me."

"... and for me," Albus said. "This wouldn't be possible if you hadn't forced us to work together at first."

Severus was touched, and he felt the wall crack more. He could only nod. He tipped the vial up toward his mouth and swallowed the potion. Surprisingly, it tasted of mint and honey. Considering its properties, he found himself planning to ask them how they had engineered a pleasant taste. But before he could form a word, warmth crept up his throat and turned into searing pain. He gasped and fell to his knees, pulling at the tight collar of his robes.

He heard Hermione, as if from afar, calling to him. He'd known there would be pain. They had cautioned him about it. But he had not expected this. He supposed it was the deepness and severity of the wound, coupled with the dark magic that had been instilled in Nagini. He gasped as the searing pain seemed to brand him, and then it faded and was gone. He sucked in a deep breath of air and reached up and touched his throat. The skin that greeted his fingers was smooth and healed. He struggled to get back to his feet and found Hermione, Scorpius, and Albus helping him up. He saw the joy on their faces, and it blinded him. He couldn't look at it. He said tightly, "Thank you, gentlemen, Hermione. I must go. I am going to go see Lucius." He turned on his heel and left them standing there gaping at him.

Hermione grabbed them up and hugged them. "He's happy, boys. He just can't show it right now. Thank you so much. He will come back to us, soon. I know he will."

****

Severus left the castle and nearly ran to the gates of Hogwarts. He slipped into the edge of the forest and fell to his knees, gasping with emotion and nearly sobbing with relief. The scars were gone. The last tie to Voldemort was broken. He lay against the grass, gasping against the strong emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. Finally he got to his feet and Apparated to Azkaban, pushing all the emotion that threatened his sanity inside.

Grimmley was at the guardhouse and surged forward. "Professor Snape, thank you so much for what you've done here. I can't begin to tell you... "

Severus felt uncomfortable with the man's sincere praise. He could not deal with more emotion right now. He pressed a hand to his chest. "Please, just let me in. I did what I had to do," he growled.

Grimly looked at him curiously. "Are you okay, Professor Snape?"

"I'm fine. I don't have all day, man." His voice was terse.

"Yes, sir," Grimmley said. "I know me place. I did not mean to speak out of turn, sir."

Severus felt annoyed with himself but pushed it away. What good were all these foolish emotions? They only gave you pain. "I will not be long," he said, stepping past Grimmley and walking down the hall with his wand still in his hand. He opened the gates and stepped into the hall, closing them behind him with a wave of his hand. He encountered several Aurors still on duty who nodded to him, and one of them stepped up to Lucius' door and opened it for him.

He turned as the door clanged behind him and then turned to find Lucius sitting in a decent chair at his table. A plate of plain but recognizable food was in front of him, and a book sat nearby. He'd been reading. The room was scoured clean, and there was decent bedding on the bed. A porcelain toilet sat where the bucket had been. It was still an enchanted device, but at least it was more civilized. Lucius wore a rather nice cloak.

Lucius stood and reached up to run a hand over his shoulder. "Draco was here yesterday. He brought this for me."

"It's nice, Lucius. I'd ask how you were faring, but you seem to be doing well." There was a hard edge to his voice.

Lucius studied Severus face. "What's happened to you? You're different from the man who came baring gifts these last weeks."

Severus flashed him an angry look. Then, indicating his arm, he said, "This happened as I was trying to get out of here a couple weeks ago. I got hit with a nasty curse."

Lucius stood and came close. "Useless, is it?"

"Yes," Severus said. He stepped past Lucius and took the chair.

"Make yourself at home," Lucius said with a smirk, and then he sat on the bed. "I can guess you've come to pump me for more information. I'm not a library, Severus. I'm a caged rat. The cage is more comfortable, but it's still a cage."

"You nearly raped my wife. Be glad it's a cage and not a coffin," Severus warned.

Lucius cringed and studied his friend a bit more. "You retreated behind that wall, haven't you? I'll bet your little wife is devastated."

His own defenses flared, and he gave Severus a nasty sneer.

Severus lurched at him and took him by the neck. "I have given you far more friendship than you deserve, Lucius. Do not push me. The man I was had forgiveness in his heart. I, however, could easily kill you for what you did." The love that surfaced in defense of Hermione put another crack in Severus' wall.

He let go of Lucius, and the man slumped back onto the bed. "I'm sorry, Severus." He held his hand against his bruised neck, rubbing the sore skin. "I am so used to us reflecting our darkness off each other." He waved his hand, indicating his cell. "I am grateful for the changes. I am most grateful for my son's visit. You are right, he is a man to be proud of."

"Your grandson, as well," Severus reminded him. "Help me again, Lucius. Try to find out what spell was used on me. If you can help me, I will work my very hardest to get you paroled to home arrest."

"You would do that despite my crimes against you," Lucius replied.

"Now that Azkaban is under control, I can focus more on what comes next."

"You're kidding yourself," he said, pulling the robe closely around him. "You will not be able to deal with anything until you have the use of your arm. You always were a perfectionist. I always thought I knew who you were. Yet you were a master at deception."

"Do you hate me for it?" Severus asked.

Lucius looked at him a moment then shook his head. "Not anymore."

"I have always valued the friendship we had before this whole thing with the Voldemort came about," Severus admitted.

"You were right to hide your true allegiance and do what you did," Lucius admitted. "I would have betrayed you. I have always followed. I would have feared his wrath too much." He looked away from Severus' penetrating gaze. "I cannot imagine the hell we would all be in if Voldemort had taken over." He stood now and went to pick up the book on the table. "Severus, I will ask around. We are going to have some outdoor time in a new yard in the back. I will be able to converse with other wizards. And a few of the guards are now prisoners."

Severus stood and went toward the door. "Will you let me know if you find out anything?"

Lucius stood and came toward him. "Severus, thank you for what you did for this place, for all of us."

Severus nodded, unable to deal with the gratefulness he saw in his friend's once-steely eyes. He turned and knocked and was let out. He did not look back.

******

Severus was tired when he got home, and Hermione was still correcting papers. He waved a hand to stop her from rising from her desk. "I'm going to take a quick shower and a nap. Please wake me, and we will go to the Great Hall for dinner."

Hermione nodded. "Of course, Severus." She watched him walk slowly to their door and enter their rooms. She wanted to hold him and she needed his arms around her, but she did as he requested and turned back to her work.

When Hermione was done, she came into their rooms and found that Severus had lain on the couch and had fallen asleep. She took a rare opportunity to caress his hair a bit, and then she sat on the floor. His arm lay against the edge, and she laid her cheek against it and fell sleep.

Severus woke a bit later, and he felt her warmth against him. The man trapped in the cage wanted her love so bad. It flared through him and made him reach out. He hungered to touch her, and he ran his hand lightly over her hair. Closing his eyes, he felt the silkiness against his palm. Then two fingers touched her cheek.

Hermione woke to the touch of his fingers and raised her face to find Severus studying her face. She leaned toward him, and his lips captured hers. His kiss was deep but different. She realized he was hungry for sex. She could feel his need through that bond that had already developed between them. He was her husband...a husband she was trying to reach. She did not mind indulging his need because she needed him just as much. She thought that he might allow more of his inner self to come forth once they'd made love.

She took his hand and pulled him toward the bed. "Severus, please make love to me. I need you." She wanted to allow him to accept her on her needs and not have to admit to his.

"I am not the man you knew," he said. But he did not pull away.

She smiled. "But you are Severus Snape. I loved Severus Snape long before he became my husband. You are the man I fell in love with. The man you became after we worked to release you from that bubble is also Severus Snape. It's different facets of the same man and different aspects of his life experience. I love every part of you. You are my husband, and I need you."

"But you're pregnant. Won't this harm the baby?" he asked with sincere concern.

Hermione smiled warmly at him. "No, Severus."

The idea a peeling her clothing off one garment at a time was too intimate for him, so they agreed to undress themselves. They quickly took their clothing off, and then Severus pulled her close, kissing her deeply. His mouth devoured hers in his need. She felt such joy at being able to give him physical comfort, and the burning ache she'd had for his touch intensified.

Lying back on the bed, he drew her on top of him so that he could see her.

Hermione leaned down so she could kiss the smooth flesh of his neck, and he groaned with pleasure as she ran her tongue over his healed neck. He slid his hands up the side of her face, pushing her long hair back so he could see her face. He was amazed by the love she had there for him and by the desire she had in her eyes.

She sat back against his drawn up legs. Her hands ran over his chest and down to take his hard shaft in her small fingers and gently stroke him.

Hermione watched him close his eyes, and she felt him arch against her hand. His hand slid up her stomach, and he cupped her breasts, his fingers kneading her firm warm flesh, his thumb teasing her nipple into a hard nub. Then his hand went to her waist and urged her to lift up and impale herself on his hard shaft.

Hermione sighed and heard Severus moan with pleasure as she sheathed him. She began to move. Throwing her head back and closing her eyes, she moved, setting about a rhythm that would bring them both to a climax. Hermione was pleased that he could support her with one hand, and she slid her fingers against herself, rubbing inside her outer lips until she cried out with pleasure and felt him empty his seed inside her.

She collapsed onto his chest and then rolled to his side. As they lay together afterwards, he held her lightly against him with his good arm. "If I'd had the love of a good woman when I was younger, I doubt I would have made the same choices. I would not have had to hide for so long behind the walls that I learned to build in my mind. I don't really know how to break it down all the way. I feel closer now to you. I feel closer to the life we had but not all the way back."

"That's okay, Severus. I'm here waiting for all of you to come back. Thank you for letting me in. I needed you so much. I've been so afraid that the walls you built would not allow me to be your wife anymore."

He raised her chin so he could look into her eyes. "You are my wife and always will be...of that I'm certain." A bit apprehensive that she would get angry he added, "This may not be the best way to tell you this, but there's a possessiveness inside of me that makes you mine, and no one better dare take you."

Hermione nodded. The fierceness in his eyes was a bit daunting. "I understand what you are saying. No witch better try to take my wizard either. She would have a formidable fight on her hands."

Severus found the determination in her eyes mirrored his, and he relaxed, comfortable in the realization that she understood him. Another crack appeared in his wall.

Dinner in the Great Hall was forgotten as they pulled the covers up and fell asleep.

Lisa, thank you so much for sending this so quickly. You have always been there for me, story after story, and would be lost with out your beta work.

Thank you, Merrin. Chapter after chapter you continue to help me through these final corrections.