Spoilers: Order of the Phoenix
The boy was almost jumping up and down in excitation. In front of him, his mother was smiling indulgently, while his father raised his eyebrow at him, as if asking him what was this lack of control.
"May I try now?" he asked pleadingly. "Please, mum?"
Ignoring the sigh of her husband, the woman smiled even wider, encouraging her son. He furrowed his brow in concentration and transformed into his Animagus form. Her mother's breath caught in her throat and she clutched her husband's arm.
"Severus, it's… it's him!"
The tall wizard nodded thoughtfully while looking at the beautiful unicorn standing proudly in front of them.
"Indeed. We named him well."
Firene Snape transformed back and didn't seem surprised to see tears shining in the brown eyes of his mother.
"Do I make you proud, mum?" he asked shyly.
Severus shared a secret smile with his son; Hermione knew Firene had worked very hard to become an Animagus in his fifth year of school, but she didn't even guess the amount of time her husband and son had spent trying to tweak the odds so the boy could choose this particular form.
She embraced her son fiercely.
"Firene, I would have been proud of you even if you had transformed into a Flobberworm," she said, her voice wobbling strangely. "But it means so much to me to see you looking like your namesake…"
She released Firene and smiled at him.
"Now go tell Minerva. She will be very proud also."
"Yes! And uncle Tom! And aunt Pansy! And Viktor and Terry will be so jealous!"
Still babbling excitedly – sometimes, Hermione wondered how Firene could be the son of the reserved Severus – the boy exited the room, running to tell his brothers – Viktor and Terry Snape, back for the holidays – that he had managed to become a unicorn Animagus and show off a bit in front of his extended 'family'. Tom and Ginny had been everyday presences in the three boys' lives, as well as Pansy and Terrence, until they had left for Durmstrang. Grudgingly, Severus had had to accept also Harry and Megan, along with Ron who still preferred Quidditch to women. Viktor Krum and Terry Boot were also welcomed visitors, especially considering that they were godfathers to the boys with their names.
"Do you think Viktor will become a famous Quidditch player?" asked Hermione, leaning against Severus.
"Hmm," he replied noncommittally. "And maybe Terry will imitate his godfather. After all, being Minister for Magic isn't that bad."
"He can't do worse than Fudge," said Hermione with a grin.
Severus chuckled softly.
"They can still try to imitate their mother: youngest Headmistress of Hogwarts of all times!"
Hermione shrugged and sighed.
"I still miss him, Severus."
"He's part of you, love, now and forever. And Firene inherited it all. Did you hear him play the flute?"
Hermione nodded, her throat painfully constricting.
Severus stood in front of the grave he had erected with Bane's help.
"Thou wouldst be proud of him if thou couldst see him," he said softly. "I hope thou mayest feel his presence when he starts running wild in the Forest."
Suddenly he whirled around, feeling someone creep silently behind him. He relaxed when he noticed who it was.
"Good afternoon, Bane."
The dark-haired centaur nodded curtly. They had worked hard to be able not to feel each other's presence in permanence and had thus been able to live their lives as before, ignoring each other.
"I did not know you would be there," said Bane reluctantly.
Severus looked thoughtful.
"We fought each other, we ignored each other. How about us making a truce?" he said crisply. "Today, my son transformed into his Animagus form and he's looking exactly like Firene. It reminded me that maybe he had an ulterior motive to bind us."
The harsh features of the centaur softened slightly, even though his eyes kept their defiant gleam.
"Firene was a dreamer."
"His dreams made him accomplish things that no other unicorn ever achieved."
"It cost him his life."
"He's still alive. My wife is his daughter and our eldest son is Firene reincarnated."
Bane shifted uncomfortably and, with a twisted smile, he held out his hand to Severus.
"Truce then?"
Severus grasped his hand and shook it heartily.
"Truce, brother," he said with a grin at the shock on Bane's face.
"Ugh," replied the centaur with a feigned look of repulsion.
They both laughed at the same time, but stopped almost immediately, looking quizzically at the grave, having felt a tremor coursing through the ground. They eyed each other.
"Weird," commented Severus.
"Definitely," agreed Bane.
"Shall we–"
Severus never completed his sentence, staring gobsmacked at the apparition in front of him.
"Merlin," he swore softly, "I'm getting crazy…"
"May I join the club?" asked Bane faintly.
"Hello, Firene?" said Severus tentatively.
"Thou wilt have to explain to us how thy magic works," added Bane.
The unicorn shook his mane and his dark eyes glittered with mischief.
"It is time for me to run free again," he said softly.
And the former lord of the unicorn ran in the depths of the Forbidden Forest, alive again because a centaur had dared being involved with a human instead of staying a mere observer.
The End!