Love Potion #9

Epilogue

SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 – Prince Hall

Harry sighed, rolling his shoulders as he left the kitchen at Prince Hall; Dobby, plus their two other house-elves Lolly and Swiffy, were putting the final touches on the dinner party that he and Severus were holding that evening. Hours earlier, they had sent off their oldest, Corvina, on her first-ever trip upon the Hogwarts Express, and she would likely be arriving at the castle right now, where Deputy Headmaster Neville Longbottom would meet her, as well as the other new students, and bring them inside the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony, presided over by Headmaster Remus Lupin, who had taken over the headmastership seven years previously, when Minerva had decided to retire. Now, Dora was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, as well as Head of Hufflepuff House, while Neville was Deputy Headmaster, Head of Gryffindor House, and Herbology professor.

The letter from Corvina on which house she would be sorted into would likely arrive during the dinner party, and Harry was looking forward to it. He and Hermione, along with Ginny, believed that Corvina would sort Gryffindor, while Ron, Draco, and Severus were determined that she would sort into Slytherin, with Fred and George overseeing the bets. Harry smirked to himself as he headed outside into the unseasonably warm autumn evening, and looked out over the impressive property that Prince Hall had to offer. They were in the heart of Hatfield, and even though Harry had a great many properties to his name, he hadn't seen further use for them for the moment, and had, instead kept hold of them for emergency purposes, or holidays for his friends and other family members.

Ever since the Second Wizarding War had come to a close, Harry had consider what it was he wanted to do. However, he now had time to truly decide for himself, without anyone breathing down his neck and telling him that he wasn't allowed to do something, to have something, or to keep him from the people he loved. When Dumbledore had finally passed away two years after the final battle, Harry himself had spoken at the wake, telling everyone what Dumbledore would have wanted. That, despite the fact that the man was the best sorcerer in the world, he was still human, and humans were full of faults. So, while he was imperfect as they came, it did not mean that he meant badly, as he had tried to fix the things that he had broken, and although he attempted to fix things, not all things, once broken, could be so.

"I can sense your mind going a mile a minute, love."

Harry smiled, leaning back and into Severus's arms as the man wrapped his own arms around his waist, and Harry let out a small sigh. "Sorry. Just a bit tired, and anxious."

"Worried about Corvina?" Severus wanted to know.

"No," Harry replied; he didn't want to make their conversation a difficult one, but he also liked simply talking to the man he had given his heart to. "It wouldn't make sense to be worried about her, you know? She is a Potter-Snape, after all, too talented for her own good, and with a tongue and a mind like that, you know as well as I do how far she will get in the Wizarding World, in whichever field she chooses."

"You and I both know that, my love," he said softly. "But, I must know, are you much too tired for the dinner party tonight?" Severus asked, gently placing his hands upon Harry's swollen belly, which never ceased to make Harry's toes curl, no matter where his husband touched him, even after all these years of being together. "We can always reschedule, you know..."

Harry shook his head. "No," he said again, turning around to face his husband completely with a small smile. "Kayleigh and Kendrick are surprisingly behaving themselves today." Harry grimaced as one of them managed to elbow him right in the abdomen. "Oof. Seems as if I've spoken too soon..."

Severus smiled down at his husband. "I know you wanted them so badly, despite the fact that I told you that four children was already enough..."

"Not as if we can't afford it," Harry said, smirking up at him.