The House of Prince Restored

After we landed, I took a moment to regain my bearings, and then I surveyed my surroundings.

We were outside a beautiful village. Behind us was beautiful greenery. The air smelled of the sea, and there was also a distinct citrusy smell that I couldn't quite place.

"Where are we?"

"Muggles call this area the Sorrento Coast. We're not actually in Sorrento; this area is called Sant Agnello. We have a bit of a walk to the villa, which has been divided into several suites. It was recommended by Mr. Zabini when he learned that I was interested in this area of Italy for the honeymoon."

"Is this a Muggle area or magical?"

"It's mostly Muggle, though the owners of the villa are wizards. Most of the apartments are designed with Muggle amenities, but they also have one that has been built to accommodate magic."

I surveyed the surrounding a bit more, astounded at the stunning scenery.

Severus tugged gently at my arm. "I promise you, my dear, we will have ample time to explore the area in the coming days. Right now, however, I wish to get you to the villa for an entirely different type of exploration."

We started walking, talking along the way about what he had learned about the area from Blaise.

"What time is it here?"

"It is about six p.m. The locals tend to dine late; I thought we would go get settled in, and then have dinner in a few hours. Tomorrow, we shall get out of the villa and explore the area."

"That sounds heavenly, Severus."

"Also, before I forget..." he said, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a small box. "This is a universal translator. It will help with the language barrier. You can transfigure it to something else if you prefer, but it should be something discreet and natural looking. That way it doesn't raise questions. You will hear the locals speak to you in English; the locals will hear you in Italian. They will hear your voice and accent. I have set the translators to make us sound reasonably competent in Italian but not fluent. It would raise eyebrows for a British man and an American woman to be perfectly comfortable with the language but not with the local culture." The translators looked like Muggle wristwatches. "This was our wedding gift from Minister Shacklebolt. The Ministry has been working on these for several years, but they are not available to the general public."

"What a thoughtful gift," I said, slipping the smaller watch onto my wrist. "It's an incredible bit of magic as well."

Severus nodded, and then he motioned to the building in front of me. My jaw dropped again. The villa in front of us was spectacular.

Severus was doing a much better job of concealing his reaction. He chuckled at my unveiled enthusiasm. "You never cease to amaze me, Lizzie. One minute you are an elegant, professional lady of the world, and the next I have a wide-eyed ingénue in my arms. The contrast is fascinating."

He led me inside, and the interior was just as impressive as the exterior. He checked us in quickly, and the host seemed quite excited by our presence. He started speaking in Italian, then stopped before Severus waved on for him to continue. The translator worked beautifully.

"Ah, Lord and Lady Prince-Snape, it is an honor for you to join us here for your honeymoon. You are in our finest accommodations, which should be appropriate for all of your needs. I understand you will be dining with us later this evening. My name is Fernando, and I will be happy to see to any of your requests. I have taken the liberty of having one of our finest bottles of wine sent up to the room along with some refreshments to sustain you until dinner."

He summoned for assistance; a boy approached and took our bags up the stairs behind us. "Would you like a tour of the common areas, sir?"

"Tomorrow." Severus' words were quick, but not impolite.

Fernando tried to hide a knowing smile. "Of course, sir. Please let me know when will be convenient for you and your wife."

Severus nodded and took the key from Fernando. Severus took my hand and led me up the stairs. I could barely keep up with his long strides as he headed down the hall to our room. He stopped at the room and quickly unlocked the door.

Surprisingly, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me across the threshold. I couldn't help but laugh at the gesture that was just so not typical Severus. He carried me through the living area and into the beautiful bedroom; he sat me on my feet in front of him.

When he turned back to me, I was shocked by the level of desire in his eyes. We'd been intimate for over a year now; I was surprised that he would view the wedding night with the amount of intensity I was seeing. It was, of course, significant, but I thought I was just being sentimental and didn't anticipate that he would mirror my feelings. His gaze was so intense that I actually took a step back. He placed his hands on my hips.

"Surely you aren't afraid of me, wife?" His silky baritone was like a caress.

"No, of course not, but I am a bit surprised. I didn't expect this level of enthusiasm given that we've been together many times before. It's not a bad thing."

"You didn't think I would be excited at the prospect of bedding my bride for the first time?" He pulled me closer. "Elizabeth, you underestimate both of us." He caught my lips in a scorching kiss. By the time I came up for air, I'm sure my eyes were as lust-filled as his.

"First of all, my dear, with all the preparations, we haven't been alone in days." He put his mouth to my neck, finding the spots that made my vision blurry every time. "Also, when else am I going to have the chance to take a wedding dress off of you?" He ran his hands up and down the side of my dress. He then slid them around to my bare back. He located the zipper and edged it down tantalizingly slowly. "My darling, you should not be surprised by my passion for you." His fingers slid up the dress until he reached my shoulders, and he pushed it down gently. He put just enough space between us for the dress to pool at my feet. He then lifted me out of both the dress and my shoes and sat me down gently next to the bed.

His eyes slid up and down my body, his hands brushing my hip, feeling the ivory knickers he had sent me that morning. I leaned in to kiss him again; I unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it from his shoulders. I cancelled the charms holding my hair, and it fell loosely around my shoulders. He ran his hands through it, unwinding the rest of the twists as he went; my hands unfastened his belt and then his trousers.

I was a bit shocked to find him wearing nothing underneath. My eyes must have betrayed my surprise, but my hands roamed over him eagerly.

"Your return owl didn't specify what I was to wear, so I thought you preferred nothing underneath."

I laughed and kissed him again. He stepped out of his pants, and then he hooked his fingers into my knickers and slid them off my body. I moaned at the feeling of him running his fingers down my heated skin as he went.

I lowered myself onto the bed, and he climbed in and hovered over me. His fingers played with my hair as he kissed my lips reverently. Our legs were intertwined; I could feel his arousal, and I am quite sure he could sense mine as well. But we were both determined that this would be a slow build of passion. He kissed me again; this time he was seeking a deeper kiss. We explored each other in a slow, sensual way with no sense of hurry; we knew we now belonged to one another, body, mind and soul. I slid my hands into his hair. I loved the feel of his hair in my fingers. I'd never had a lover with long hair before; I found it very sexy. He chuckled.

"What?" I questioned.

"You like my hair. It's never been a feature that earned compliments."

I kissed him. "I like many things about you, Severus." My hand found one of his, and I played with his long fingers.

"Oh, really? Well, I suppose we can put those to good use." He slid his other hand across my collarbone and down to my breast. His fingers slid gently across the sensitive skin.

I whimpered softly.

"You make the most delicious sounds."

He kissed me again, and then his lips moved down to my jaw line. I slid my hands over his shoulders, relishing the feeling of his skin on my fingers. His hands were now touching both breasts, and my need to feel him closer was starting to build.

"Severus," I whispered, "please."

He leaned back up and kissed me again, then pulled back and looked into my eyes. I felt like I couldn't breathe; his eyes on mine were so powerful.

"Elizabeth, I love you."

It took me a moment to realize he wasn't speaking. He had cast a wandless Legilimens.

"I love you too, Severus."

He positioned himself above me and entered slowly.

"Oh, gods, Severus, you feel amazing. Please go slowly, love. I want to enjoy this as long as we can."

"Oh, I intend to make this last, my dear."

As we moved together slowly, the emotion poured forth between our minds. Things that we had protected to that point were said easily because they didn't actually need to be said. He intertwined his hands with mine, holding me tightly as our bodies danced together slowly. After a while, he slowly increased his speed. Neither of us could get enough of the other. He whispered my name over and over again, and the air hummed with magic around us. As my orgasm began to build, I moaned and pulled him in tighter. He kissed me again, our mouths tangling together aggressively as the pace of our bodies became frantic. I felt my body explode around him, and I clung to him. He cried out as his orgasm took hold, and he emptied into me, my body still shuddering beneath him.

Our magic merged, and a silver mist swirled about the room. I hugged him to me. "My heavens, Severus, our lovemaking is always wonderful, but that was..."

"Earth-shattering," he said as he rolled off me.

"What was that mist? Did we just...?" I stopped. I didn't know if this was a question I wanted to ask.

"That was bonding magic." He looked down at me. "I'm sorry; I should have had one of the ladies explain to you what might happen, especially since we used the ancient ceremony. It's rare, but not unheard of. When the marriage is consummated, there is a release of energy; the stronger the union, the more powerful the energy release will be. It intensifies the connection between spouses. In the rarest cases, the partners begin to feel imprints of the emotions of their partner. Right now, I can hear your brain processing this, almost like I'm using Legilimency.

"So, we'll hear each other's thoughts?"

"It's not a direct connection; it won't feel like earlier. It's a distant echo. Sometimes, you can hear a voice in the background, and you can tell if they are angry or happy. It's like that. If you don't know it's happening, you may mistake it for your own thoughts. I'm probably more tuned into it from my years of using Legilimency and Occlumency."

I stilled and tried to sense him. "You're anxious about something."

He nodded. "There's one other thing you need to know." He paused, his nervousness obvious. "The magic, if strong enough, has been known to nullify contraceptive spells. It doesn't always happen, but given that I can feel your thoughts now..."

"Oh. And that's making you anxious?" My face fell. Severus and I had discussed how long we wanted to wait before trying for a child. We had decided to wait a few months. If that had been taken out of our hands, would he be upset?

"No, Lizzie, you misunderstand." He looked at me earnestly. "Telling you was making me anxious. It wasn't fair for you not to understand what could occur. I knew there was a chance that this could happen tonight."

I laughed. "Severus, you do realize that it's always a possibility. If it happens because of some rare magical event, that's pretty incredible."

He sighed, and I could feel his relief. "I'm still sorry; it didn't occur to me that you wouldn't know. American Wizarding culture relies less on the ancient practices. Actually, even here, part of the reason the old ceremony isn't used as much today is because of the impact on contraceptive spells. I should have had Grandmother or Molly speak to you."

I made a face. He laughed. "Okay, then, maybe Fleur or Narcissa. Thank you for taking this in stride."

I looked at him seriously. "Severus, having your child is something I want. Given where we are in our lives, it doesn't matter to me that much whether it is in nine months, twelve months or three years." I felt quietly hopeful.

"Elizabeth, I just want to make sure you understand; the magic doesn't change your fertility or mine. If the timing wasn't right, this won't change that."

I nodded and smiled. I could tell I wasn't the only one feeling quietly hopeful. "I guess that begs the question then, Severus. If we are both okay with the timing, what are we going to do next time we're together?"

He looked at me seriously. "You are the one who has to carry the child, Elizabeth. I don't want to put any pressure on you."

"I'm not prepared to make this decision alone. I would rather we let nature take its course, Severus, but I'm not the only one whose life will change with a child."

He kissed me, and I could feel happiness flow over him. This emotional imprint thing was going to take some getting used to.

We relaxed together for a few minutes before showering and dressing for dinner. We wandered onto the terrace and enjoyed view of the bay briefly before heading down to the restaurant. Dinner was amazing as well. We enjoyed a relaxing meal in the beautiful ambiance, sipping on fine wine and talking about what Severus had learned about the area as he was planning the trip. We wandered out onto the grounds for a few minutes together; neither of us was really ready for the evening to end. After a while, however, the excitement of the day and the fantastic wine began to conspire against me. I was feeling quite tired. Severus led me upstairs; we enjoyed one another a bit more before curling up together for our first night as husband and wife.

The next two weeks passed as if in a dream. We visited open air-markets, traveled to some of the other towns nearby and dined in all manner of restaurants. We spent an inordinate amount of time in our very comfortable bed, the gigantic bathtub and one very late at night on the terrace. There was a beautiful beach that we visited, a few museums in some of the neighboring towns that were quite interesting and a few historic sites, both magical and Muggle. I couldn't possibly have asked for more out of our honeymoon.

The night before we returned to England, I revealed to Severus that the timing had, in fact, been right. He was as happy as I was that we would be starting our family sooner than expected.

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

2000

I reached into the bassinet and touched the baby's arm as he slept. He had been born a few hours earlier, and he had just gone back to sleep after a feeding and a change. He was perfect.

There was no other way to describe him. Sure, Severus grumbled that the baby would have been better off favoring me, but when I looked at my son, the resemblance to Severus made me absolutely giddy. This little boy would know nothing of the childhood suffering his father had experienced. We would see to that. All the pain Severus had endured would be made right as the father of a healthy, loved and well-cared-for child.

"Fabian," Severus stated simply.

I looked up with a question in my eyes. "I thought we were naming him after you."

"No. We should honor your brothers. They saved your life. None of this would be possible without their courage. What was Gideon's middle name?"

"Michael."

"Fabian Michael Snape." Severus spoke softly, looking at his son. I felt my throat tighten. Severus looked at me cautiously. "Is that acceptable?"

"Of course. It's wonderful. I just thought you would want your firstborn named after you."

"Elizabeth, the poor child is saddled with this hair and probably this nose. Let's not burden him with my name as well."

I laughed, wiping my eyes. "Thank you, Severus. That really does mean a lot to me. And when we have a daughter, we shall name her Evelyn."

"Slow down, my dear. Slow down."

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

2004

"Open it," I said insistently. It was our fifth wedding anniversary, and I was very anxious for Severus to open his gift.

"Elizabeth, you are worse than Fabian sometimes." He opened the box slowly. The photo of Fabian inside was truly darling, but the reaction when he noticed the sign in Fabian's arms caused him to look up at me in shock.

"Really? When?"

"In a little over six months. I didn't want to tell you and get your hopes up, just in case." After two years of disappointment, we had begun to accept that Fabian might be our only child. We were starting to believe that only the magic of our wedding night had allowed us to conceive. It bothered me, but I knew it bothered Severus more. I found comfort in the fact that all my nephews and nieces had started families and at least Fabian had children his own age in the family. Severus struggled with it more because he wasn't as close to the Weasley children as I was.

"And you've been feeling well? Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me? If something had happened, I wouldn't want to you to bear that alone."

"I'm good. The baby's healthy. Everything is right on target. She'll be here this winter."

"She?" I nodded. He sat the photo down and hugged me tightly. "So, our son knew before I did?"

"Don't be silly, Severus. He can't read yet. He's just turned four."

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

2007

"Oh my! Look at all that red hair! You finally got one that looks like you, Lizzie!" George joked as he held baby Gideon.

Evelyn peeked around George's legs. "Be careful," she warned George, her eyes wide. "Daddy says this one is trouble."

And almost on cue, the baby spit up on George's shirt. George made an overly dramatic face, but then he expertly shifted the baby to his other arm and cast a wandless cleansing charm on his shoulder.

"Looks like he's ready, Angelina." Bill chuckled at his younger brother's antics.

"Well, he better be," a heavily pregnant Angelina said, laughing. "He's only got a few more weeks before little Fred arrives."

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

2011

"Ravenclaw," I said to Severus, beaming.

He looked up from his book. "You're kidding. I was sure he'd be in Slytherin."

"Just because he looks just like you, Severus, that doesn't make him a Slytherin."

"Obviously. And Merlin knows that neither Evelyn nor Gideon will be sorted in Salazar's house. Evelyn is far too sweet, and Gideon is undoubtedly destined to follow the Prewetts into Gryffindor."

He stood and put his arms around me. "Which means, my dear, that this child," he said as he gently caressed my growing belly, "is going to be my Slytherin princess."

I laughed. "We shall see, Severus. We shall see."

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

2016

"Hufflepuff," I said as I read the letter.

"Yes, yes, but how is she?" There hadn't ever been a question on Evelyn's sorting. She had been quite nervous about going to Hogwarts. Severus was particularly protective of his daughter.

"She sounds good. Introducing her to Neville's daughter this summer was an excellent idea, Severus. It will be nice for her to have an older student in her house that she already knows. She apparently thinks Alice hung the moon."

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

2018

"Gryffindor," I told Severus.

He sighed. "Indeed. I'm sure Minerva will have sent me her own owl by the time the day is over. Even though she's retired, I know she will be relentless about this."

"He sounds pleased. He'll have lots of fun with his cousins."

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

2024

"Rachel, what have I told you about hexing your brother?"

"He started it!"

"Rachel Eileen Snape, a Bat Bogey Hex is not an appropriate response to your brother pulling your braids." I tried to keep my voice level as I reversed the hex on Gideon, but I knew my voice was tempered with both humor and annoyance. Odds were good he had deserved it, but Rachel needed to learn to control her temper.

"That's right. You always start with Jelly Legs as a warning shot."

"Ginny Potter!" Molly called out to her daughter.

Severus shot my niece one of his patented glares. She stuck her tongue out at him. Ginny had long ago stopped being intimidated by Severus. And apparently, she still hadn't quite grown up.

"What?"

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

2025

"Severus, are you ready to go?" I called into Severus' study from the library of Prince Hall. I heard the scraping of the chair, and Severus crossed over to me. After all this time, those eyes still made me lose my breath. His hair was now shorter and streaked with gray, but his eyes hadn't changed at all in their intensity for me.

He chuckled. "Not now, Elizabeth, we are due at Hogwarts shortly." Then he grumbled, "A Longbottom. I can't believe he's marrying a Longbottom."

"Oh, you shush, Severus. Alice is a lovely girl, and she makes our son happy. Now, pull yourself together; it won't do if you are grousing around at your son's engagement party."

"That's it. You have officially been spending too much time with Narcissa and Astoria." His tone was teasing, and his arm slipped around my waist as he leaned in to kiss me.

"Oh, sweet Merlin!" Gideon's voice called from the doorway. "In the library! Can't you two restrict those displays to rooms in the house that your children aren't going to wander into?"

"Gideon, son," Severus said calmly, looking at our younger son warningly. "Perhaps if you and Miss Thomas were more discreet about your displays in the garden, your mother and I would reciprocate."

The redhead blushed furiously.

"Is your brother ready to go, Gideon?" I interrupted.

"Yes, Mum, Fabian is pacing in front of the Floo. That's what I came to tell you."

Severus and I both laughed. "And the girls?"

"Evelyn is being more high maintenance than usual. I've no idea why. She's still in her rooms. Rachel is ready, though. She's with Fabian waiting by the Floo."

"I'll go get Evelyn, Severus. Could you try and calm Fabian? If he's worried about being late, you can send the boys on ahead."

Severus nodded.

When I reached Evelyn's room, she was fretting with her hair. She had grown into a striking woman. She would be twenty-one soon, and she was studying Arithmancy at the university. She had her father's black hair, but she had my eyes, nose and mouth. She was taller than me and had a willowy figure. Her dark blue dress was elegant and striking.

"Evelyn, what is it?" I was as confused as my son had been. Evelyn didn't normally fret over her appearance.

"My hair!" She seemed disproportionately distressed, given that her hair was nearly perfect.

"Here, turn around." I cast a couple of charms, and the twist she had cast tightened up. A couple of strands of hair had escaped, but I pulled down a matching piece on the other side and cast a curling charm; the effect was quite pleasing. "Evelyn, what has you so agitated? You looked lovely before."

"This is better; thanks, Mum. I just want to look special tonight. No reason, really." Her eyes cut away from me.

I wasn't buying that, but it didn't seem a good idea to press. For whatever reason, she was still anxious.

"Hmmm, it still needs something. Accio!" A pair of sapphire earrings flew into my hand, along with a matching necklace.

"You may wear these tonight, Evelyn."

Her eyes grew wide, and she quickly put in the earrings. I cast a spell to fasten the necklace for her.

"Thank you, Mum."

I hugged my older daughter. "Now, we need to go. We don't want your brother to be late to his engagement party."

When we reached the family room, Fabian was still pacing. Rachel, now nearly fourteen, was laughing with Gideon on the other side of the room. Rachel's dark red curls bounced as she teased her brother about Sybil Thomas. Our only Slytherin, Rachel had just started her third year at Hogwarts. She was an excellent student, but like her closest brother, she had a bit of a tendency for mischief.

Gideon was eighteen and had graduated from Hogwarts earlier that year. He was working with his cousin George helping manage the Hogsmeade shop. George spent most of his time these days on the distribution side of the business. He had been happy for the help from Gideon. George owned six shops around Europe, but the products were popular worldwide and were sold at joke shops in nearly every wizarding community.

I turned to my oldest son. "Are you ready?"

He nodded; his expression was still stormy.

"Settle down, Fabian; tonight is a night for celebration. Alice will understand that we had preparations on our end as well."

He nodded, taking a calming breath.

Fabian was the image incarnate of his father, down to the hawk-like nose and intense expressions. The only difference was he was a little stockier than Severus. He had my tendency to overanalyze and his father's fiercely protective nature. Alice Longbottom was a sweet, gentle girl, but she had a tough streak and knew exactly how to calm Fabian when necessary. It was a good match.

Severus motioned to the Floo. Fabian stepped through, followed by Severus, then Rachel, Gideon, Evelyn and me.

I took Severus' arm. Rachel ran off to find her friends. Fabian spotted Alice and went to greet her. Gideon excused himself when he saw Hugo Weasley. Evelyn stayed with her father and me. Severus gave me a look, which I acknowledged without a sound. Something was troubling her, but neither of us knew the source.

Severus navigated us over to greet Hannah and Neville. After all these years, they were both still a bit uneasy with Severus. Severus politely thanked the deputy headmaster for arranging the party and told Mrs. Longbottom that she had done a lovely job with the planning. He excused himself to go visit with Minister Weasley, who was visiting with Ron, Harry and Ginny. Ron, upon seeing Severus approach, quickly excused himself and left his wife to go speak with Dean Thomas. Hermione rolled her eyes at her husband and welcomed Severus into the conversation. I laughed inwardly. Ron had never warmed up to "Uncle Severus."

I felt a gentle hand on my arm, and when I turned, I was greeted by Astoria and Draco Malfoy. Their son was talking amicably with Evelyn. She seemed to have finally relaxed a little. Draco inquired as to where Severus was, and I motioned across the room. He nodded and headed over to Severus.

Astoria sighed. "So, what do you think of all this?" she asked sweetly.

"Fabian and Alice? I think it's wonderful." Astoria's eyes grew wide.

"Astoria, what is it?"

She looked away.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Draco speaking seriously to Severus. I also noticed that Evelyn had grown tense again.

"Astoria, what do you know that I don't?"

Severus and Draco excused themselves. I cursed inwardly that Severus wasn't physically close enough for me to feel what was going on over there.

"I think you should talk to Severus, Elizabeth." Astoria clearly felt backed into a corner.

"Astoria, please tell me what this is about."

Suddenly, Scorpius stood next to his mother. Evelyn was standing at his side, wide-eyed. Scorpius had his hand protectively on Evelyn's elbow. Realization dawned on me.

"Really?"

I looked at my daughter, pleased but confused. I knew the two were close, but Scorpius was more reserved than his father, and Evelyn had never betrayed feeling for any young man that went beyond friendship. I quickly hugged Evelyn.

"Do you think Father will consent?"

"He will if I have anything to say about it, which I do."

Evelyn beamed. "I was afraid he would say I am too young."

"He may, my dear. The timing will require some discussion. You two will need to be flexible; both of your fathers can be quite stubborn. But in terms of overall acceptance, I will reason with Severus if necessary. Excuse me."

I started to make my way across the room. I was derailed a time or two along the way. By the time I reached the corridor where the two men had disappeared to, they were headed back towards me. Draco paused and allowed Severus to speak to me a moment.

"Is everything all right?"

"Indeed." Severus kissed my forehead. I could feel his reaction. He was happy, but there was a touch of nostalgia mixed in. "It seems that we will have another wedding to plan next year."

I smiled. "Has he proposed yet?"

Severus shook his head. "Not officially. Neither Astoria nor Draco thought it appropriate until they spoke to us."

"What do you think, Elizabeth?" Severus looked at me seriously. "Scorpius has grown into a fine young man; he will be good for Evelyn, don't you think?"

"Yes, I do. Besides, it's what Evelyn wants. She's a smart girl; she knows her own mind. I didn't realize that she and Scorpius had formed an attachment. That explains her nerves earlier tonight."

Severus motioned Draco over to us. "Please let Scorpius know that he may proceed, Draco. He is a fine young man." Severus held out his hand, which Draco accepted, before pulling Severus into a hug. Somewhere across the room, I heard a small squeal.

Draco nodded, and then he leaned in and hugged me. "Mother and Father will be pleased to see the families merged."

"How is your father?"

"He is improving each day. He wasn't up to coming out tonight, and Mother decided to stay with him. The therapy routine you prescribed for him is fairly draining."

I sighed. "I know, Draco. But Lucius will recover much faster if he pushes himself a bit. You know this. Flying accidents are especially challenging, but he'll make a full recovery."

"I do. Honestly, he does too, but he still likes to throw his weight around a bit. He's been terrifying the young Healers that the clinic has sent out the past week."

"Perhaps I should attend to Lucius myself. I can't have him terrorizing my staff," I said lightly.

Draco chuckled and nodded. He returned to Astoria.

We had reached the Great Hall once more. We stood there for a moment, watching our family and friends talking and laughing. Rachel was laughing uproariously in the corner with George and Angelina's youngest daughter. Gideon was talking to Albus and Hugo. Evelyn and Scorpius were hand in hand; they looked blissful as Draco had just delivered the good news to them. Fabian and Alice were talking with her parents in the center of the room.

It had been a long and glorious journey from that dirty old shack to where we were tonight. I looked at my prince and smiled. More than one life had been saved that night. I said quiet thanks that I had been led to this man and this life.