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Epilogue

"Thompson," Harry called after the boy dashing out of the classroom. "I expect your paper on my desk by tomorrow. Any more delay will add another required foot to your essay, so I suggest you hurry up."

"But Professor!" He whined, looking at his mates who waited for him by the door. They weren't alone. Severus was there, eyeing them suspiciously, while Hope was already chatting with one of them. "I have Quidditch practice this afternoon."

"Would you like detention as well? I hear Professor Snape needs a little assistance with some nasty cauldrons." Harry commented nodding towards the man.

The boy bent his head, the threat not bothering him one bit. "We're playing against Hufflepuff this weekend, Professor, the House Cup depends on this."

"Well, so does your O.W.L., Mr. Thompson." Harry noted with a hint of mirth.

"Slytherin did not win the House Cup since… since…" He looked up, squeamishly at Harry.

"Since I came here?"

"Well, yes, sir. I have only two years left, and this is the best team we had in years. We need to win."

Harry sighed then looked at his student. Thompson was a seeker in the Slytherin team, ambitious didn't even get close to how striving the young man was. He had good grades and he was an excellent player, too.

"How about this, Mr. Thomson," Harry said as he leaned against his desk. "You do that paper for me by tomorrow evening. I look over it, and if I deem its quality to be above Acceptable level, I'll take you out for a little fly and we learn a couple tricks tomorrow. Deal?"

Thompson's eyes went wide. "You would do that, sir?"

"Yes, and the better you write that paper, the better tricks I'm going to teach you, so I'd hurry, if I were you, Mr. Thompson."

"Yes, Professor!" He cried smiling then ran off to his friends. He looked at Hope, who smiled at him timidly. Her usual confidence was all of a sudden nowhere, which made Harry almost grin.

"You are threatening the students with me?" Severus asked from the door, as he moved further into the classroom

"Yeah but it's not working. They're not afraid of you anymore."

"Oh dear," Severus sighed. "My torn reputation… I wonder whose fault it is… "

"It's horrible, what it is. How am I to discipline them now?"

"You'll come up with something…" Severus noted, amused.

Harry just chuckled, then his eyes turned to Hope. "You brought a visitor?" Harry asked, and the girl finally stopped staring after Thompson and bounced right up to him and hugged him firmly.

"Not so much brought," Snape commented, glaring at the girl's back, "as she grabbed me uninvitedly while I apparated."

"That was very dangerous," Harry said, softly chiding Hope, who did not even bother to look sheepish. "Especially given my fireplace is connected to the Floo network so you can come and visit any time you want."

"Really? I can?"

"How else would you teach me Potions, in which your dear uncle so miserably failed at." Harry grinned.

"You failed at it miserably, not I," Severus commented nonchalantly.

Harry just laughed but grabbed the sleeve of Severus' robes and pulled him closer. He pressed a small kiss against the thin lips as a welcome. "What can I say, apparently I have other talents." He said quietly so that Hope wouldn't hear him.

Severus all but purred as a reply then kissed Harry deeply.

Hope made gagging sounds. "God, you two are disgusting."

"You better get used to it," Severus noted, eyes on Harry.

"It's been months now; shouldn't you get at least a little bored of each other?"

"Bored?" Harry chuckled. "There's a new thing I learn about him every day."

"Speaking of learning," Severus noted with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you have an essay to write me as well? Are you sure you have time for flying lessons? N.E.W.T.s are only in a couple weeks."

"I finished my essay this morning, it's on your desk, sir," Harry smirked. "Hope here will help me with some Potions, and if I finish the Charms papers for Flitwick tonight, I'll have a free weekend."

"Don't you have the Duelling Club," Severus asked.

"Filius said he'll take over this week, so I'll have some free time. We could spend some time together."

"I'm free this weekend, too, if you want to hang out…" Hope suggested quietly, trying not to laugh.

"Hush girl," Severus hissed looking at her. "Besides, you won't be free. You're visiting your father, have you forgotten?"

"That's Sunday," She smiled. "His Healer said we can go out for a while. It will be nice to talk someplace else finally and not at St Mungo's."

"You have anything planned?"

"Yes, he has a friend here visiting, you might have heard of him: Rolf Scamander. How cool is that?" She grinned. "Apparently dad used to help him smuggle animals back to their home before… well, before all this."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, I actually met one of them. A Demiguise."

"Oh yeah, that's Roberta. Anyway, apparently, I've known Rolf before the little incident, and he was so happy to hear I was alive that he wanted to give me one of the Russian miniature blue scaled dragonettes. But dad said I can't have one, and Kingsley agreed. How stupid. I would have loved a dragon. I mean what good is it to miraculously come back from life, if you can't even get a dragon from it, am I right?"

Severus and Harry shared a glance, then Snape smirked as he looked back at the girl. "And just what would you do with it from September?"

Hope looked at them confused. "What do you mean?"

"You can't just bring a dragon to school. Students are allowed a familiar, sure, but we can't make exceptions, I'm afraid. Not even with you."

Her warm, brown eyes slowly widened as understanding downed on her. Harry couldn't help the smile that spread on his lips in response.

"Are you saying-" she all but whispered, voice trembling with excitement, "Are you… Severus, don't play with me. What are you saying?"

"Kingsley and I sat down with the Board. They agreed to let you study here, as long as we can manage your shifts. There will be rules, strict rules, mind you. But otherwise," Severus produced an envelope from thin air and held it out for Hope. Harry could take out the green letters, the precise address and the girl's full name on the front. "Congratulations, Miss Wallace, you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

She took the letter reverently, staring at it with awe, then she suddenly jumped onto Severus' neck. "Oh my god, Severus you're the absolute best! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me, thank your handler."

"My what?" Hope asked.

"Handler." Harry grinned. "I'll be the one holding your leash, I'm afraid. And it will be my job on the line as well, so I'd greatly appreciate it, if you didn't bite anyone."

"I'll behave, I promise!" She giggled then crashed in Harry's chair, tearing her Hogwarts letter open.

Severus watched her, his expression warm. There was a soft smile on his face that he was unaware of. As Harry looked at him, it suddenly hit him how madly in love he was with this man. As if feeling Harry's gaze on him, Severus turned towards him. His expression didn't change, it stayed warm, black eyes glimmering.

"So," Harry prompted with a deep breath as he pulled the man closer. "Will you be free this weekend?"

"I will make sure to finish everything until then," Severus nodded. "You have anything planned already?"

"Not really, no," Harry shrugged then smiled mischievously. "A bit of flying, some lazing around, and of course, lots of f-" A hand covered his mouth before he could finish that sentence. Severus looked over at Hope but she was still deep in the letter.

Harry kissed the palm, then gently nibbled on the soft flesh. Severus quickly pulled his hand away, cupped Harry's jaw with it instead.

"I meant to say lots of food," Harry grinned as he leaned closer.

The obsidian eyes glinted. No doubt they were both thinking about the same thing and it wasn't food.

"Of course, you were." Severus agreed then kissed him.

Lips against Severus', Harry sighed. "Gods, this weekend can't come soon enough."

"Don't worry," Severus said with a dark voice. "Only a couple more weeks and we'll have each other for the whole summer."

"Good god," Harry all but moaned before he pressed himself closer to Severus, while he pulled him down for an ardent kiss. They were just about to take it even further, when a little cough reminded them, they were not alone.

"Should I leave?" Hope asked, no doubt grinning wolfishly.

"Yes," grunted Severus.

"No," Harry said sternly, then pulled away. "Potions homework, remember?" He laughed and let Severus go. "Just hang in there, until the weekend."

Severus just huffed then turned on his heels and headed towards the door. "If you need me, I'm in my study and busy, so don't bother me," He said then pointedly looked at Hope. "And if she bothers you, just toss the little minx in the fire."

She snorted as she waved her uncle goodbye. "I'll give him back by dinner time, I promise."

"You better," said Severus then left the classroom.

Harry looked at Hope, who was trying hard not to grin. "I'll get you an owl, if you don't say a word about this to anyone."

"An owl? Please, Harry. With all the information I have on you two, not to mention the pictures, my silence is worth at least a Firebolt." She noted nonchalantly, examining her nails.

"Well, I guess there won't be need for the Sorting Hat to figure out which House you belong to."

She smiled slyly. "I'll make Slytherin proud."

"We still have a couple months until then, so how about you help me pass my Potions N.E. first?"

"Gladly. Who wouldn't want Harry Potter in their debt?"

"How about I pay that off with letting you join me and Mr. Thompson tomorrow evening for a little bit of flying? You seemed very interested in him." Harry noted gleeful.

"Oh, do shut up," Hope snapped, but Harry could all but feel her cheeks radiating as they walked towards his study.

End.