Back near the castle was a scene of devastation. The greenhouses were blasted free of glass and a smoking crater lay nearby. Scorch marks covered the lawn and most of the area around the gate was charred. Body parts littered the ground, some still burning. Grim looking Auror's were repairing the school gates under the supervision of Argus Filch. A ragged corpse lay on the floor in front of the door, blood pooled beneath it from a multitude of slices. Harriet warily pushed open the main door.

The entrance hall was empty, apart from a battered corpse by the staircase that no one recognised, and the door to the Great Hall was closed. Harriet drew her wand and cautiously pushed the door open. There was a rumble of sound which made them all jump, before they realised the sound was the clapping and cheering of all those who had stayed to defend the castle. The Weasley's rushed forward to hug them and McGonagall stood, beaming proudly, just behind. Severus felt awkward but pleased when Molly Weasley gave him a hug and when he caught McGonagall's smile he couldn't help but smile back.

"Good on yer Harriet," boomed Hagrid with a tear in his eye, "Yer saved us again."

"It was all of us," Harriet protested, "Evan and the others did just as much as me, if not more." Nobody seemed inclined to listen.

"Famous Potter, gets all the credit again." Severus smirked at her.

"I don't want all the credit," pouted Harriet, "You guys deserve as much credit as I do. I will make sure you get it too."

"I'm teasing you," grinned Severus, "just enjoy the celebrations, we can make sure the full story is heard later, most of it anyway."

Blaise stood off to the side slightly, looking out of place. Severus stepped towards him and Blaise struggled to repress a flinch. Severus extended his hand and Blaise shook it warily.

"Shall we start fresh, Blaise?"

"I'd like that," said Blaise with a smile, "thank you, Evan."

"And thank you, Blaise," said Severus, "it was a pleasure fighting alongside you."

"Harriet, Evan," said McGonagall, stepping forward with a smile, "I'm sure you're both keen to join the celebrations, but I'm afraid i need just half an hour of your time." She swept from the hall towards her office. Her hair miraculously still in place, despite the few cuts and scratches on her face, and her robes only slightly singed.

As they entered the office Dumbledore's portrait waved and twinkled proudly, "Oh well done you two!" he called.

"Time enough for that later Albus." McGonagall said, sitting behind her desk and gesturing to the chairs opposite. Harriet and Severus sat down, wondering what was so important. "I won't ask for the details of what happened with Greyback, you'll have to explain it enough over the coming days, but I do have something rather urgent to talk to you about."

"What's wrong Minerva?" asked Severus.

"Nothing is wrong," said McGonagall, "but I had word this morning that the healers at St. Mungo's have found the potion to return you to your original age Severus. The cure will be delivered tomorrow morning, all being well you can return to your teaching duties in September."

"They found...I can," Severus said in a dazed voice, "teaching duties..."

"As of tomorrow morning, Evan Asphodel disappears into obscurity and Professor Snape returns to Hogwarts." said McGonagall, she regarded Severus's ashen face critically. "I must say Severus, I expected you to be rather more pleased than you appear. Is there something you wish to say?"

"I think there might be, actually Minerva." Severus said, his voice stronger and determined. "I don't think I wish to return to teaching."

"Oh?" McGonagall smiled, "Why ever not?"

"I think my talents would be better employed elsewhere," Severus said, his face carefully blank, "I always wanted to research potions and work on creating new ones. I think now would be the perfect time for a fresh start."

"Naturally," nodded McGonagall, "there will be countless people clamouring to buy potions from 'The War Hero, Severus Snape'."

"How about from Evan Snape, son of a War Hero?" Severus said with a smirk.

"What?" Harriet said, her confusion showing on her face.

"I don't want to change back," he said with a shrug, "I have felt happier, since I became Evan, than I ever have in my life as Severus Snape. I have friends, I have you, I have a life worth living."

"But you had a life worth living before," Harriet argued, "you have responsibilities."

"When you saved me from the Shrieking Shack, when I woke up in St. Mungo's, I wished you had left me to die." Severus said gently, "I was horribly scarred, mentally and physically, and I was consumed by guilt for the things I had done in my past. I made terrible choices and caused suffering, I lost everything and everyone dear to me and I tried to shut myself off from the world."

"Just because you change back doesn't mean you have to shut yourself off again." Harriet said.

"Severus Snape is an unlikeable man." Severus said shaking his head.

"Not to me," Harriet said, brushing his cheek with her fingers, "I love you. However you look you're still the man I fell in love with."

"I know," Severus murmured, catching her fingers and pressing a kiss to them, "and that's precisely why I want to stay as Evan. Because you love me for me, but others may never trust a former Death Eater. You don't need the taint of a bitter twisted man, full of regret and resentment, attracting suspicion and gossip. If I am to leave behind my bitterness and anger then I wish to leave them behind fully."

"Does this mean you really want only me?" Harriet asked, tears in her eyes. "You don't see me as a replacement for my mother?"

"Harriet," he smiled, "there is only ever you."

"You promise?" she whispered.

He waved his wand and a great white owl soared from the tip and swooped round the room. McGonagall looked confused at the patronus, until Harriet waved her wand and another owl flew alongside the first.

"Always!" Severus said softly, planting a gentle kiss on Harriet's lips.

XXXXXX

McGonagall was right. Over the next few days Harriet, Severus and the others were called on to relate the events of that night multiple times. The Auror's were first to interview them, for their official report, questioning them the very next morning. Everyone seemed to want to hear their story. Rita Skeeter tried in vain to interview any of them, but Harriet and Severus flatly refused to speak to her, granting an exclusive interview to another Daily Prophet reporter. None of them got the full story, just the version they had all decided on, excluding their animagus transformations and Severus's original identity. Regardless, the stories in the papers made sensational reading. In fact they were almost the only story in the papers for weeks. The only other thing that was being reported on was the 'sad death following a long illness, presumably bought about by injuries sustained defeating Voldemort' of one Professor Severus Snape.

The story broke the day after the story of Greyback's defeat, Professor Snape was said to have passed away peacefully in his sleep, after fighting for many months a mysterious illness thought to be linked to the war. His son was formally granted the rights to his name and his estate by Kingsley Shacklebolt himself. Evan Snape, as he was now legally known, was awarded the Order of Merlin, first class, for his contribution to the defeat of Fenrir Greyback and his pack. He received it at a ceremony, along with Harriet, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Draco, to honour the fallen of the long war against Voldemort and his forces. Severus Tobias Snape was posthumously awarded his Order of Merlin, first class, at the same ceremony.

XXXXXX

It was two weeks after the death of Greyback and Severus was going to be late for his own funeral. He stood, in black dress robes with a stiff collar, waiting in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place for Harriet to be ready. He looked at his pocket watch and sighed. Ron caught his eye gave him a sheepish grin, he was having trouble adjusting now he knew who Severus was, but he was getting there. Draco lounged gracefully in a chair and sniggered.

"They'll be ready in time," he said knowingly, "women love to make an entrance."

"Harriet hates all that attention." Severus frowned.

"This is the first time you have been seen in public together since you announced your engagement." Draco pointed out. "She knows the world will be watching and she wants to make sure she does you proud."

"How do you know all this stuff about women?" Ron asked with interest.

"I listen Ronald." Draco said, in a reasonable impersonation of Hermione and they laughed.

Severus turned round as the door opened and his mouth gaped. Harriet was wearing a low cut, black dress, figure hugging in the body and floating out delicately at the bottom, and her usually wild hair was beautifully shaped around her face with intricate curls and waves. Her eyes sparkled and her face glowed as she stood nervously stood before him.

"Wow!" he breathed, and then, "You look...wow!"

"Such a way with words." smirked Draco, but Severus didn't even glare at him. He only had eyes for Harriet.

"It's not too much?" Harriet beamed.

"I...wow!" Severus repeated, grinning like a fool.

"Put your tongue away," laughed Draco, "you're drooling all down your front."

"You look stunning." Severus said, finally regaining some semblance of control.

"Thank you Sev," she smiled as she took his hand, "are we ready to leave?"

"We've been ready for twenty minutes." drawled Draco.

"One more thing," said Severus, "you have to get used to calling me Evan not Severus, at least when we are in company. I'm not Severus anymore, we're burying him today."

"We're actually burying an illusion-" Hermione started to lecture, but Ginny trod on her toe.

"How about Ev?" Harriet smiled, her eyes glittering with tears.

"I like it." Severus said, gently brushing away her tears. "But why the tears, you know I'm not really gone?"

"I'm crying for the loss of a great man." Harriet said through her tears. "He may have been flawed and made mistakes, but he was a big part of my life. I'm crying for who he could have been."

"I am who he could have been, thanks to you," Severus said gently, cradling her face in his hands, "and I always intend to be a big part of your life." he kissed her softly on the cheek.

"No more crying," Harriet said, with a watery smile, "today is the first day of the rest of our lives."

With a pinch of floo powder, Harriet Potter and Evan Snape stepped into the fireplace, together.

Author's Note:Thank you if you have stuck reading until the end. I loved writing this story, even though it didn't always go the way I planned. The characters haven't quite let me go yet and there's a sequel in the pipeline. I also have a couple of one shot plot bunnies bothering me, still undecided what I will write first. If you would like to read the sequel or one shots please follow me and keep your eyes peeled, I aim to get something else up tomorrow if I can. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. ;)