Chapter 34

(Thanks for the reviews…sorry for ending the last chapter like that but I wanted to add to the suspense.)

Hermione woke with a start when Severus jolted below her. "I must go. They will be expecting me soon." He said awkwardly before turning to Hermione. "What ever happens love, remember that I will always love you and our children." He kissed her soundly good bye letting all his feeling flow into her.

He quickly rose from the bed and clad himself with his deatheater's robes. "I never thought that I'd be wearing these again." He said with a chuckle before turning to a sleeping Rose kissing her on the brow in the means of a good bye.

He turned to leave when a small voice caused him to turn around. "Severus, Please be careful and come home safely."

"I'll do my best love." He replied solemnly leaving the ones he loved behind.

The battle was running deep with the good side winning killing off many deatheaters from hidden locations throughout the island. To the naked eye the Dark wizards out numbered the good. The Order had to make sure that they killed as many deatheaters as possible so that when the energy field was placed it would not need as much magical energy so that the Order members who were there could leave sooner.

Back at Hogwarts Hermione was frantic. All the people that she cared about were at MixWiz Island fighting off her husband and his people. Rose seemed to feel her tension and played quietly out of her way. Pacing the room, Hermione couldn't help but glance often at the clock on the mantle place desperate for them to return or to hear any sort of news about what was happening. Every so often she would and send up a pleading prayer to the heavens praying that all will be alright.

Out of nowhere Dobby apparated in the middle of the room causing a distracted Hermione to walk right into him, causing them both to fall t the ground with a loud crash. "Dobby!" she cried out in surprise, "what are you doing here?"

"I am sorry to disturb you miss. I just thought that you ought to know that they came back. It tis only the energy posts who are still on the Island and the bad wizards."

"Thank you for telling me Dobby. Where is everyone?"

"Every tis in the Great Hall miss. Professors and elves are helping those that gotten hurt miss."

"Thank you Dobby." Hermione patted the elf on it's head before scooping Rose up and running to the Great Hall.

To her relief that Hall didn't look nearly as bad as it did during the final battle with Voldemort. She also noticed that the injuries now weren't as grave. Actually it looked very good concidering that most people weren't injured they were many of them who were just sitting at the tables eating as if they haven't eaten in days.

"Minerva!" Hermione cried as she ran to her mentor.

"I'm glad Dobby fetched you child." Minerva turned to Hermione with a small smile on her face. "So far everything went well, we only have a few who got hit with a slicing curse or two. No one was hit with the killing curse – that's what counts. It looks like Severus has things pretty much under control and the magic was flowing between the magical energy posts relatively well when I left so they should be returning soon dear."

Minerva gave Hermione a warm hug and whispered "Don't worry child, Severus is a fighter. He'll come home."

Twelve pops filled the air dropping the exhausted witches and wizards who served the energy posts. Everyone was glad that they all arrived back safely. Only a few Order members seemed to still be anxious about Severus' well being. He only had five seconds left to return or else he would suffer the same burning fate as the Island and it's occupants.

Two seconds. 'where is the man I love' Hermione thought to herself hugging Rose close for comfort.

One second. 'Severus please come home' Hermione whispered tears running down her face.

The second passed and Severus wasn't there. Hermione fell to the ground with Rose clutched in her arms weeping over the loss of the man who meant the world to her. Minerva was crouched down beside her holding her and crying along with her. They didn't notice the sound of a faint pop that came from right behind them. Hermione nudge away the hand that rested on her shoulder. She did not want comfort she wanted Severus back and nobody can bring him back.

"Severus?" Hermione heard Rose ask the dark figure that stood in front of them. She felt Rose be pulled out of her embrace causing her to look up.

"Severus?!" Hermione asking the dark figure herself not believing her eyes as she saw a bloody Severus Snape staring back at her looking a dreadful mess with cuts, bruises and blood all over his face, hands and robes.

"We thought that you were dead. Ten seconds past and you weren't back. Oh…" Hermione broke out into tears again and threw herself onto him causing him to fall backwards onto the floor flinching from pain but not caring since he had the women of his dreams in his arms.

"I almost didn't make it. Just as I was going to apparate away Daren grabbed on to my leg pulling me down screaming that I should go down with the rest of them and not betray them. I got stuck in the magical field half my body was out while the other half was in. It took a lot of magic and will to get out of it. The only thing I thought of when I was trying to get out is about you and Rose. All I wanted to do is come back home to you two." He whispered hoarsely to her tears falling from his eyes as well as he leaned forward to kiss her soundly.

"Minerva" he called up from under Hermione.

"I'm over here boy." Minerva answered him standing over the pair on the floor.

"How would you like to conduct a wedding tomorrow night as all of the Order will be here anyways?"

"I would love to Severus." she said with a huge smile across her face.

"Come here Rose." Severus called the little girl. "How would you like it if I would be your new daddy?"

"Really?" She asked with a hopeful look on her face.

"Really, really." He answered pulling the little girl close.

"I would like that Daddy." She said giving him a sweet smile. Severus melted at the words. He never thought that he would be called daddy in his entire life and here was being called it by the most precious child in the world. Life could not get better then this.

The wedding took place the following evening becoming known of the event of the decade having two war heroes marring and creating the most spectacular family. Not one person has ever been to a more extravagant wedding. Hermione got a lot of congratulations for her now showing baby bump as well and she made sure to make it perfectly clear to everyone that the twins were Severus'. It was a perfect evening for everyone.

Eleven and a half years has passed since Hermione and Severus got married that glorious day at Hogwarts. Both of them still taught at Hogwarts. Rose of course was the smartest witch of her year winning the Gryffindor house outstanding amounts of house points. Although Minerva was still staying at Hogwarts Severus was to become Head Master this year as Minerva wanted to retire to spend some time with her "grand children" who were really Hermione's and Severus' children which over the years accumulated in numbers quite a bit since Hermione had the tendency of keep on having multiple births because of the potion Daren gave her before she conceived the twins. After eleven years of marriage they had ten children –that number included Rose of course.

For the first time Severus sat in the Head Masters' chair beside Minerva watching the students flood into the Great Hall looking around and waiting for the first years to come. His arms were full holding his youngest children a set of three fairly new born boys. While Minerva held his two year old twin girls. His four year old triplets –two girls and a boy ran around the great hall dodging students who were in their path. His only single birth child – a lanky eight year old boy – sat next to his father with his nose deep inside a good book. He beamed at his children before focusing his attention at Rose who was sitting at the Gryffindor table waiting to see her mother and her brother and sister- the twins that Severus conceived with Hermione while she was still married to Daren, come thorough the door.

Severus glowed with pride as he watched his wife march his twins along with the other first years into the Great Hall for sorting ceremony. After the sorting was over and his twins were both placed into Gryffindor, Hermione joined him for the meal.

"I wonder if any of them will fall into the awful fate of being placed into Slytherin?" Severus asked Hermione gesturing his head to his group of children that sat around him.

"I don't think so. Just think about it Severus, with a brave father like yourself and a Gryffindor mother like me where else would they be but Gryffindor?" she asked with a sly laugh.

"I am a Slyterin, Hermione I am not one who could be called brave."

She gave a small laugh before bending over and kissing her dear husband that she loved more then anything in the world. "Oh you know that you are you saved the wizarding world twice and it is because of your bravery and love that I felt safe again."