Hidden Wings - Part II

Epilogue

At eight p.m., Severus leaned back and folded his his arms across his chest with a satisfied expression. Then he looked down on the tome on his desk. The last page he had just finished writing was still glistening slightly from the wet ink.
It covered the battle at Hogwarts and how Mioha had restored the balance among the Titans.

He had needed a very long time to update the black tome containing the Titans' history. After all, every detail had to be recorded.
But now it was done.

"What to do now?", he muttered to himself and stood up, leaving the tome open to dry properly.
A fire crackled in the fireplace of his home, casting a warm glow on his face.

Severus slowly limped to a mirror hanging on the wall and looked inside.
His face was the same, as always. A few more wrinkles here and there and more white streaks in his black hair.
He sighed with a grimace.
Growing old, although at a slower pace than normal humans, was part of the magic that made him the Guardian of the Titans. Otherwise, he would not be able to do his work inconspicuously if everyone would wonder why he wasn't aging.
And at some point, he would revert back to a younger form of himself.

Severus looked at the black staff leaning against the wall. He preferred it that way, it seemed more impressive than a small black wand.

He looked back into the mirror.
Eighty years had passed since the battle.
Most of his friends had passed away and sometimes he even wondered why he had accepted Gandalf's decision to become the next Guardian.

But Gandalf had, shortly before Minerva was about to die at the age of ninety-six, expressed his wish to return to the Valar with her. Which meant that a new Guardian of the Titans had to be chosen.

And inwardly, he was relieved he had.
Finally, Severus was able to live the life he never had. He would have an eternity to try all things he had always wanted to do and who knew...maybe he could find love again.

Something knocked on his backdoor.
Frowning slightly, Severus reached for his staff and then limped to the door. He looked out the window, but night had fallen. The only thing he could make out was the snow glistening on the trees.

Severus slowly opened the door.

You're getting old, a voice said teasingly.

Severus raised an eyebrow at the black pegasus standing in his backyard.

"Merry Christmas to you too", he said dryly and stepped aside.

Draco lowered his head to fit through the doorway, carefully cleaning his hooves on the doormat. His mane had turned grey and his eyes had grown tired.
But they still sparkled with mischief whenever he came to visit.

The pegasus' ears perked up as he glanced through the house.

No decorations?

Severus shrugged and started limping to his favorite armchair.
"I was waiting for you", he replied and sank into the soft cushion with a sigh.
"Why do it myself when I have you to do it for me?"

Very funny, Severus, Mioha commented as she trotted into the house.
Severus' house at Spinner's End had been magically enlarged so they could visit without breaking anything. Added to that, Severus had placed charms around his house and his backyard to ensure no one would see anything...odd.

"Where's your brood?", asked Severus with a raised eyebrow.

Mioha shut the door behind her with a hind hoof. 

Scorpius is with Rose, he will join us later, she replied and shook her neck to get the snow out of her grey-white mane. And Lyra and Cassiopeia are on their way.