Forever and Always Yours, SS [Book 3]

Epilogue

Severus laid his head back against the plush of his lounge chair. The smell of onions and garlic filled the air as his wife cooked. Jordan played on the floor with the blocks they had given her for her birthday last year.

"Blue!" She held up one of the blocks to him.

He smiled and told her she was right and how smart she was.

For the last nine months, he had been strenuous. He only saw Amilia and Jordan twice a month for six months in Azkaban. Twelve times. He saw his wife and daughter twelve times.

His stay in Azkaban was not as horrible as he thought. The bed was probably the worst part of it. Severus felt like he was sleeping on a stone slab. The food was bearable, except for the days when Amilia would visit. She would make his meals, and they would eat lunch together.

Eventually, the guards gave them a private room, monitored, of course, so that Jordan did not disturb other visitors, but having a space for themselves was nice. He had grown tired of hearing the other prisoners complain or ask too many questions about them.

Jordan grew up in front of his eyes. Her hair got longer, and her sentences and vocabulary expanded. She loves unicorns still but also likes flowers now. Amilia had gotten several planter boxes, and she taught Jordan how to bury seeds and water them without killing them. She grew yellow flowers and some pink ones with white spots. 

He has three more months of probation before they revisit it. Severus hoped that they would not extend it. He had followed everything to the letter. 

He and Amilia had been house hunting; his probation officer permitted him to go so long as it worked within his schedule.

They have had to lie and say that he is Amilia's brother, which sent her into a depressive state for a couple of weeks. Eric joined as well. This bothered him a little, but Jordan was so attached to her 'Uncle Ick' that Severus and Amilia agreed he could live with them.

They were looking for homes in the countryside with enough space to build a little cottage for him or if it already had one. Jordan loved the large open green lawns every time they came across one. She would squeal and run around before rolling in the grass.

Amilia would also laugh and pick up their daughter before they could continue to the property's interior. 

"Dinner is ready!"

Severus jerked out of his thoughts. "It smells lovely. Come on, little girl." He jumped out of his chair and snatched Jordan off the floor. She screamed with joy and held her arms out like a bird. Severus held her high as he rushed into the dining room.

Eric came behind them carrying plates and set the table while Amilia brought in the stew. Once everything was set down, he said, "I am taking a position at Hogwarts."

Amilia looked at him, her mouth hanging open.

"What position?" Severus asked.

Eric looked down at this plate and dipped his roll in his stew, "It is just a substitute position, nothing permanent, but I figured this would give you guys some time alone."

"What about Ilvermorny?" Amilia asked.

"The U.S. will always be my comfort zone, but this country is my home now," Eric said before sticking his tongue out at Jordan.

Severus looked at Amilia. She was pensive. "Hogwarts will be grateful to have you, even if it is substituting." She had decided that her teaching career was over. She could not look at Hogwarts without feeling immense guilt. Guilt for not protecting the students better, and regret for the lives that she took. Severus did not blame her at all. He was sad for her, though; she had worked hard to be a teacher, and he had blown that dream to pieces for her.

Severus chewed his roll, waiting for a lull in the conversation, "I have been thinking." Eric and Amilia turned their eyes to him, so he continued, "I was thinking that we could open up a shop, it would also benefit Hogwarts."

"A shop?" Amilia set down her spoon.

"Yes, an apothecary. We can brew potions and take orders, and one of our largest distributors could be Hogwarts. I am sure Poppy is annoyed with Slughorn's subpar brewing capabilities."

Amilia looked away and chewed her lip before looking back at him, "The startup will be pretty expensive."

"I have been frugal; I should have enough to cover that and I have supplies here."

"Where would we do the brewing?"

"We?" Severus asked. Amilia gave him a pointed look. "Yes, we, well it would start at home, I have the brewing space already and then when we get a new house, we can set up a station in the basement and in the shop there will be a workspace as well."

"What shop are you thinking?"

Severus sighed, "I was thinking that we look at renting one of the empty shops at Diagon Alley."

Amilia pursed her lips, "Let's talk about this further, after a little girl goes to bed."

Severus grinned and returned to his stew.

Later that night, after Jordan was put to bed and Severus beat Eric at a game of Wizards Chess, he lay in bed with his wife. She traced his new scars with her fingertip. It tickled slightly, but no more than when she traced his older scars. He ran a fingertip over the spot in her hairline, remembering when she despised him and dated a liar to drive a wedge between them.

Severus smirked. He had chased her for years, and she had stayed out of his reach but just barely, waiting for him to do something to either give her the lead or find a way to catch her.

She sighed, "I think the shop is a good idea. It uses both of our talents."

"And it gives me more time to fantasize about you in sweaty clothes." Severus purred.

Amilia gave him a slight slap, "It will have to wait until you are entirely free, but we can start drafting a plan now."

"Now? Or perhaps in the morning?" Severus slid his hand down her back, relishing in the fire coursing through his fingertips.

Amilia shuddered and lifted her head to look at him, a playful smirk on her lips, "The morning sounds better." She lifted herself, her shoulder strap slipping down her arm so that Severus could see her hardened nipples.

He grinned as he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply. This is what he was missing all those years ago; now, their daughter is thriving, Amilia is here and will be forever, and he is never letting go.

The End