Accidents of Circumstance

Chapter 29: The Way to Embrace

Poppy Pomfrey had insisted on everyone coming to the Infirmary to be checked out. She trusted Hermione's spellwork, but felt that the consistency of the Infirmary could help with their minds, make them feel more at home. Hermione assisted her in this, and Pomfrey couldn't help but feel as though Hermione was probably a little too self-assured after being in the battle. She told herself that she would make time to speak with Hermione later, to make sure the girl wasn't too shocked by what she had seen, and to make sure that Hermione was still interested in mediwitchery. It wasn't a field for everyone, but Hermione had the gift for it.

Pomfrey was especially interested in seeing McGonagall and how she was doing. Pomfrey had seen her fall in a green haze and be resurrected in a blue one. She knew she wasn't on the cutting edge of mediwitchery, but as far as anyone knew, there was no counterspell to Avada Kedavra. To have hidden a secret like that... It was something that Pomfrey couldn't understand. A spell to counter the Killing Curse would be very useful to resurrect entire families that had been felled by Death Eaters. The medical sphere had been trying for centuries to discover a counterspell. If Regina agreed to publish the spell, the research could finally end.

Pomfrey was surprised when she entered McGonagall's room. McGonagall was sitting up in the bed, looking refreshed and maybe a little younger than she had before the battle. Regina was there, and a stranger as well. The stranger had dark blonde hair that fell in waves to halfway down her back. When she turned, she had vivid green eyes with silvery flecks in them, a slight dusting of freckles across the bridge of an upturned nose and a friendly expression on her face. She stood up, and was lithe of frame. She was dressed in a violet wrap top and a long black skirt with violet embroidery on it, strange runes across the hem. Pomfrey almost backed up a step at the sight of the stranger, though she couldn't have said why. It was a sense that she was suddenly outclassed in any possible way, as though this stranger had more right to be here than Pomfrey herself, and it was her Infirmary.

The stranger smiled. "You must be Poppy. Minerva's been telling me so much about you, about how well you've been working here for years."

It was immediately the right thing to say. Pomfrey eased, and smiled at the stranger. "I do try to take care of the children... They're always getting hurt. And you are?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. How rude of me to have forgotten my manners. I am Selphine Versant, the Grand Duchess of the Northwest, Duchess of the Golden Height, High Daughter of the Jelisan of the Gera, Keeper of the Sacred Vision, Leader of the Quest, Keeper of the Holy Chalice of Yarix, Defender of the Leram, She of the Blood, Heir Apparent to the Throne of the South Seas and co-ruler of the Northern Seas."

Pomfrey blinked. "I'm Poppy Pomfrey. I just wanted to see how Minerva was doing."

"I'm feeling fine, Poppy," McGonagall said with a smile. It was almost uncharacteristic of her. "I feel quite fit, though the rest is doing wonders for me, thank you."

"I'm glad. I'll come back in a little bit, Minerva."

Pomfrey later wondered why she had left without talking to Regina. After having that thought, she wondered why she had wanted to talk to Regina in the first place, since the woman had only superficial wounds from the battle.

Regina waited until Pomfrey was well out of earshot. "You're evil, Selphie."

Selphine Versant sat down and smoothed out her skirt. "I am no such thing."

"You memory charmed her!"

"Oh, she would have pestered you forever about that Revivo spell."

"I must ask," McGonagall interrupted, "am I supposed to be getting younger?"

Regina and Selphie looked at each other. "Oops," Regina said, eyes widening. "I knew something felt wrong... I thought it was because Minnie was human."

"Minnie?" McGonagall choked. "It doesn't sound dignified at all."

"She's not tied into Tempar through me, is she?" Regina asked, worried.

Selphie shook her head. "Not at all."

"But then..."

"Imperfect memory, silly. You have to call on the memory and you set them back to where you think of them. Right?" Selphie waited until Regina nodded. "Well, you thought of when you first met Minerva, right?"

"I didn't look this young several years ago."

Regina turned to face Minerva. "Yes, you did! I remember now... the carnival outside the convention center. That glamour that was cast over you made you look younger."

McGonagall snorted. "Of all the silly things to remember..."

Selphie only laughed. "Well, now you have that many more years added to an already long and fruitful life. Accept it and move on. We all have much to do."

"But there's nothing to rebuilding Hogwarts. We just rearrange the chaldorim back in the central chambers..." McGonagall stopped when Selphie began to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"No, silly. There's nothing to do here. Hogwarts took care of itself. No, we have a wedding to plan now."

"What? Did Li and Peter get engaged? She never tells me anything about him..."

Selphie was giving Regina a look that clearly said No, I do not believe you are being this stupid. "Your wedding, stupid. To Severus. The next best day for it in the Rigan Cycle is two days from now."

"You're forgetting one significant detail, Sel... He hasn't asked me."

"Formality only. Don't worry, the girls and I have most of the details done already. It's only the finishing touches now."

"You're psycho. He hasn't asked me."

Selphie turned to Regina, eyes completely silver and face stony. "I tell you now, Ravana, it is a mere formality. The heir of Sannup has already chosen. It is only a matter of time."

Regina smacked Selphie on the arm. "This isn't fair."

Selphie's eyes slowly dimmed to blue. "Hon, he just hadn't figured out a way to ask you yet. If I wait, the next good day is in three months. Trust me, you don't want to wait."

"Excuse me... what did all of that mean?" McGonagall asked. She looked between the faces of the two best friends, concerned about what she had heard.

"It means, the last of the Sannup line, which became Snape about a thousand years ago, by the way, had always been meant to align with the Reven line. Always. And while the two of them are stubborn as hell, they'll want to marry on one of the high holy days, since it aligns well with their magic as well as the local ley lines. It puts everything into synergy, to bode well for their future. It's been written into our tales for at least three thousand years."

"You liar. Genevieve told me all the tales pertaining to the Ravana."

"This one she never knew. It was given directly to me unopened, as it had been given to her unopened. I opened it ten years ago when the seals burned away."

"And that's what it said," Regina asked, voice full of doubt.

Selphie picked apart a thread of her skirt and transfigured it into an old parchment. "If it crumbles, Mom will kill us both."

Regina gingerly unrolled the parchment and laid it flat. McGonagall couldn't read the writing, but saw Regina's lips move as she read it. Once she was done, she carefully rolled it back up and handed it over to Selphie. "He still hasn't asked me," she muttered petulantly. "And you're not going to make him. He has to ask me of his own free will."

"You are going to singlehandedly destroy your own line if it kills you!" Selphie snapped.

"Ha!" Regina countered. McGonagall wondered if the two girls had lost their minds. "If anything, Liane will take over my place as Ravana."

"Oh no... altered blood will not fit. It's you, hon, it's all you."

Regina appeared deflated. "But he didn't ask me yet."

"Yet," Selphie said with a grin, "is only a matter of time."

"Humph. Two days, you said."

"We almost destroyed Brenner and all of Briarwood in two days. I think we can do something as simple as a wedding."

"Well, I've always loved a good wedding," McGonagall said crisply. "When do we start?"

Selphie grinned at McGonagall. "I knew I liked you for a reason, Minerva. How wonderful to have friends on both sides of the pond." She clapped her hands like a child. "The gang will be here inside of the hour with the kids and the plans. I'm telling you, we've been planning this one for a long time."

"Is it going to kill me?" Regina asked sullenly, arms crossed over her chest. Look at this, she wasn't even going to be part of planning her own wedding. "Are there going to be things that explode? Fire and brimstone and the hounds of hell at my door?"

Selphie looked positively beatific. "Only for the bridal shower."

As Regina slumped into her chair in a sulk, McGonagall wondered briefly if she was the only sane one in the room. She hoped not.

***

Regina stalked the dungeon halls. Selphie had ordered her from the Infirmary, and she wanted to put in a good childish sulk. Things had run away from her too quickly. What if she had wanted to plan her own wedding? What if she would have wanted to have a romantic evening and be asked first? What kind of an event was this going to be?

Regina bodily collided with Snape, who looked worried. "Have you seen them?"

"Huh? Who?" My, didn't she sound so very intelligent all of a sudden.

"Potter and Draco. No one's seen them since the Aurors left."

"There's always the house."

"And how are they getting back?" Snape raged. He shook her slightly, fingers biting into the flesh of her upper arms. "Did you even think of what would have happened today?!"

"Sev, what's the matter with you?" She shook him off. "This isn't about them, is it?"

"What if it hadn't been her? She was standing right next to you!"

And then it clicked. "But it's not," Regina whispered, touching his face softly. "I'm all right. Nothing happened to me."

"What if it did? I would have lost you forever."

Yet is only a matter of time.

Snape pulled her against him, his arms tight around her. "Marry me, Gina. I don't want you to ever leave."

Romantic it wasn't. But Selphie hadn't pulled any strings, and it was pure Snape.

"I will, Sev. I've been waiting sixteen years."

When they kissed, Regina forgot why she had wanted to sulk in the first place.

***

The Great Hall sprang to life all at once. Four houses of students had returned, chattering noisily and animatedly, confused and glad to be back at Hogwarts. Three young women stood amongst them, and smiled at each other. Each were carrying backpacks and coordinated stopwatches. One had brown hair and brown eyes, though they were the only drab things about her. She wore bright colors and a constant grin, as if she knew everyone's dirty secrets and was only waiting for the right time to tell. One had straight black hair, amber eyes and mocha skin. A feather was wound into her hair on her left, and she had a sense of peace around her. The third had wavy red hair, hazel eyes and a face and figure identical to Regina's.

They waited until all the students had run back into the castle to their dorms. They waited a moment longer, and Selphie walked into the room. She was grinning from ear to ear. "All right, girls, let's get to work!"

***

McGonagall waited on the steps to the Great Hall. She was standing guard, after a fashion, and wanted to make sure that everyone returned home in one piece. Regina had been elated when she strolled into the Infirmary to announce her engagement, and had started making up a guest list of all her friends and coworkers from New York. Selphie had only laughed and told McGonagall to wait in this hallway, sitting on the stairs at this specific time.

An oval began to shimmer in front of her. It was silvery, and solidified into a mirror that McGonagall could see herself in. She could see Ginny Weasley and an older version of Selphie standing behind her in the mirror. Startled, McGonagall turned around.

Genevieve Versant bowed her head slightly. "My lady McGonagall, I am Queen Genevieve of the Gera. You had met my daughter Selphine."

"Yes. She's a lovely girl."

Genevieve's face softened. "Yes, she is. She has been the hope of our clan for a long time, and has more than lived up to her potential."

"So you've taught Ginny everything she needs to know?"

Ginny smiled serenely, her hair long and unbound. McGonagall couldn't help but think she seemed more confident than she had ever been. She was wearing a light green dress with silver runes stitched at the hem of the skirt. "I'm ready for the future and my OWLS."

"That's wonderful to hear, Ginny. You look well."

"I feel much better, Professor. I'm not afraid of what I see anymore."

McGonagall looked up at Genevieve. "You've done her such a service, Your Highness..."

Genevieve smiled, patting Ginny's shoulder. "She is a clever student. She hides too much, perhaps, but she is very talented. Now in just a moment..."

There was the sound of a crash outside. It was followed by giggles and shushes, then the sound of booted feet upon the stones outside. The doors opened of their own accord, and five very drunk young women tumbled inside. Regina was humming, then belted out "Say nighty-night and kiss me..."

"Shush!" the redhead hissed. "It's Momma."

Instantly, all five women stilled. "Uh oh," the Native American girl said. McGonagall forgot her name, and only knew she was Native American by the feather braided into her hair. "Guys, I think we're busted."

"Are you girls all fifteen again?" Genevieve asked archly.

"Um..." Regina hiccuped. "But... it was New Orleans. Bourbon Street. You have to go drinking on Bourbon Street. And there were so many bars to visit, and so many frat boys bought us drinks thinking we're from Tulane..."

The redhead clapped a hand over Regina's mouth. She looked oddly familiar, and McGonagall couldn't place it right away. "We weren't driving, Momma. We walked the entire way, and we were good about it."

"Selphine?" Genevieve said archly.

"We made all the proper arrangements. Jason assigned us a guard."

"He did what?!" the brunette wailed. She flailed her arms dramatically. "No wonder nobody would come back to the hotel with me!"

The redhead clapped her other hand over the brunette's mouth. "We're sorry, Momma."

Genevieve kept a stern eye on all of them while they stumbled off toward Regina's room murmuring apologies. McGonagall turned to her after they left, and saw the grins on the two Seers' faces. "What is it?" she asked.

"Priceless. I haven't been able to do that in years," Genevieve laughed. "I've still got it."

"Li and Selphie weren't that drunk," Ginny said thoughtfully. "I thought they would be."

"They'll feel it in the morning. They just hide it better. Now, it's our turn to go to bed. I think I'll take care of the mirror today, Ginny. I'll see you in the morning."

Ginny placed a respectful kiss on Genevieve's and McGonagall's cheek, then left to head toward Gryffindor Tower. Genevieve waited until she was gone. "We've spent the equivalent of a year, Minerva. If I may call you that." McGonagall nodded, wondering what was going on. "She knows quite a lot of magic. She always had the potential, and we've unlocked it. She's a very bright child, and will do well." Genevieve reached out to the mirror, and it floated up the stairs to rest beside them. "If you would like, the mirror will show you everything you need to know. I know you have questions about our kind."

"Why are you showing me this?" McGonagall asked, placing her hand on the edge of the mirror. It was cool to the touch, almost comforting.

"Because you have questions that have gone unanswered about many things. And Ginny has assured me you are trustworthy, and should be welcome in our clan."

"I'm honored."

Genevieve nodded. "We've made many changes, Minerva. Some of them are harder to take than others. We're trying to be one with the age. I think you would understand."

"I'll take care of it."

"Thank you. I'll see you in the morning."

McGonagall made her way to her own quarters, the mirror following three feet behind.

***

Regina had some last minute errands to do. Some were of her own making, some were given to her by her friends so she wouldn't see the changes in the Great Hall. The NEWTS and OWLS were being given in a fortnight to accommodate the wedding. When asked, Regina merely explained that she had some plans to make, and someone to talk to. Selphie only nodded, and said that it wouldn't be appreciated. Regina shrugged, then went to her rooms.

Draco wondered what was happening; he and Harry Potter had arrived just that morning after walking around in Regina's old neighborhood talking. They had spent quite a while on Harry's Apparating skills, until they were both satisfied with the result. Then they had exited the house and its bubble of non-time, and walked around for hours. They had then Apparated to Hogsmeade and walked to the castle from there. Draco couldn't say that he liked Harry now, but he respected him. It made a world of difference.

A blonde woman caught them trying to enter the Great Hall. "Oh no, that's for tomorrow to be seen. Dinner's going to be in your Common Rooms. Lunch, too, actually."

"And you are?" Harry asked, staring at her.

"Let's not go through all of my titles, okay? It's cumbersome, really."

"Selphie," Draco said in a quiet tone. "It's good to meet you."

Harry flushed, feeling as though he should have known. Why did he always miss things right in front of his face?

"I understand you've had a lot happen. But don't worry, this'll eclipse you both." With a smile of understanding, she gently pushed them away from the doors. "No peeking now. It'll be an event to remember!"

"Do we want to know what's going on?" Draco asked. Harry shook his head. "Good idea. Better to play dumb."

"I'm thinking there's plenty of people here who know what's going on that'll tell us."

Draco blinked. "Are you going to be sneaky, Potter?"

"Sneaky is a very un-Gryffindor term. We call it being resourceful."

Laughing, the two boys raced off. Watching them, Selphie gave a self-satisfied smile.

***

The Great Hall had been utterly transformed. Walking through the front doors seemed to transport the guests; there was a waterfall in the far corner, mists and the hint of forest where the walls should be. The stones beneath their feet were no longer there, but a forest floor, as though every guest were in the center of a forest clearing. It was twilight, and some bright stars were overhead in an unfamiliar configuration. There was a birdlike creature hovering at the edge of the pool, book in hand. Snape was standing beside the creature.

The students and wedding guests were seated on chairs that materialized with their names emblazoned across the back. Once properly seated, the waterfall seemed to dim in volume, and the bird creature opened his book. "In the name of the One, we gather to celebrate Life." Birds began to chirp a melody that sounded almost like the wedding march.

Snape let his attention wander while Regina's bridesmaids walked down the center aisle dressed in burgundy. They weren't important. None of this important. The important part was Regina... who followed in a cream colored gown from the Victorian age, three veils obscuring her vision. She came to a stop beside Snape and turned to him. Selphie had instructed him what to do in the combined ceremony of Gera and human origin. He removed the first veil and waited as she removed the second. Then they removed the third together, and faced the creature. It spoke in a language no one could recognize yet somehow everyone understood in their minds. The creature tapped its beak on both their foreheads, then bid them turn around. "The Ravana and the Sannup have been joined. Their lineages are long and true, as will their combination be. Welcome them as one spirit, one heart, one mind."

Most of the reception was a blur. There were congratulations from long lost friends, from coworkers, from students. Snape was worried that it would wear him down, but somehow the well wishing only seemed to buoy his spirits. He was married now, here of his own choice. He would never be alone again. Regina would see to that.

Speaking of which...

She was with Draco and Selphie, formally introducing them. She had confessed to speaking with Narcissa the day before at Azkaban, explaining that she had made arrangements for Draco to be out of the country during her trial that summer. Narcissa had looked on her with cold eyes and hadn't responded. Draco was overwhelmed, and looked at Selphie. "I go with you?" he asked, mouth dropping open. "To America?"

Selphie smiled sweetly, and drew him away from Regina so Snape could reclaim her for a dance. "I actually don't take charge of you for more than a day... You'll be with Liane in New York until it's time for you to come back. I've got a lot of teaching to do, and she doesn't know it yet, but her case will crack open the second she gets back. Trust me, you'd rather be with her for the summer than with me and some monster kids."

"But..."

Selphie's eyes were silver. "Did you know that we're related, you and I?"

"What?" Draco's brow furrowed. "But you're a mermaid."

"A branch of your family and a branch of the Reven family married a few hundred years ago. Seeing as how I'm blood bonded to Regina as one of her sisters, that makes us cousins several generations removed."

Draco pondered that. Cousins. He had family after all... "We're family," he said, looking into her silver eyes. "We share the same blood."

Something intangible tightened between them. Selphie's eyes returned to green very slowly. "And now that we're family, our clans are tied together. The five of us are bond sisters, and we offer you all the protection you'll ever need."

Draco smiled. "I have family. I'm not alone anymore."

"Oh, Draco. You were never alone."

Draco whirled around. "Ginny!" He caught her in his arms and twirled her around in happiness. "It's so good to see you, I missed you so much..."

Selphie drifted away. Ron and Hermione were sitting at a table of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. They would be just fine; in showing them the most likely future, Ginny had also ensured it would never happen. The funny thing about seeing the future too far in advance was that you unknowingly always ensured it never happened. Selphie had laughed when she felt the shift in the stream of time. Sneaky girl...

"Harry. Here you are. Why are you sitting all alone?"

He was sitting at a table that had been previously populated by various Hogwarts teachers, Liane and her brand new fiancé Peter and some of her coworkers. He had been delighted to be part of their grown up conversation at first, until he realized that it wasn't any different from the conversation he was used to. Harry looked up at Selphie now. Her husband and children had arrived late the night before with Claire's girlfriend and a token date for Jessica, and he had been stricken with envy. How complete all their lives were. How loved they were.

Selphie laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You're free, now Harry. Your scar is with you because you want it there, not because it must be there. Your fate is your own, your choices all your own."

"I don't know what to choose anymore."

Selphie sat down beside Harry. "You've grown since you've discovered magic, since you've discovered us. But deep down, you're still lost, you're still the boy in the dark. It's okay if you feel that way sometimes, but he doesn't rule you. You can make your own way, Harry, and your future is your own."

"So what, if it's to be alone?"

She smiled softly. "Will you? No, Harry. You won't be alone. And I don't mean those silly reporters that will badger you for interviews. I don't mean faceless adoring fans wanting a piece of your fame. You'll find someone to direct you, to channel your forces and your spirit. You'll find someone to complement you."

"Well? Where is she?"

"A world away from where you are, trapped in a web of her own making. She thinks she's alone, too, Harry. It's not just you." Selphie placed an arm gingerly around his shoulders. "I can speed the process, if you like. I can make her cross your path. I can do a lot of things."

"Why would you?" Harry asked cautiously. "Why help me? You don't know me."

"I could always say it's for the potential in you. I could always say it's because you need someone in your life. I could always say it's just generosity." Selphie looked over at Regina and Snape, dancing and laughing with each other. "But really, it's because you deserve to have a happiness like that in your life. You've been so long with so little, and it's really only fair for you to have something good and bright that's all yours. You deserve to be that happy."

"Can you do that for me?" Harry asked, hearing the hope in his voice. "I've been lonely a lot lately, like I can't talk to anyone, I can't do anything right..."

Selphie kissed Harry's temple and he felt some of the tension ease. "You need to learn to love yourself first. Can you do me that favor? You'll be going to the Dursleys until your birthday in July..." Harry started in surprise at that, and she continued blithely. "I would suggest that you use the time to think of yourself. Not to be selfish, but to reflect on who you are, where you've been and where you want to go. It sounds like a lot, and it is. It won't be easy, especially not in that household. But I'd like for you to try. Look into your own soul, good and bad, dark and light, whatever you see there. Learn about yourself and what drives you. See yourself for who you are, and accept it. Only when you find peace and love yourself will you be able to truly appreciate and love someone else."

"You think so?" Harry asked. He could still hear the hope in his voice.

"It happens to everyone, you know. But the truest of loves, not the fairy tale kind but the real kind, only comes when you're ready for it. And you can only be open to it if you know yourself and what you want. How can you love someone else if you can't love yourself? They're not any more perfect than you, maybe less. But unless you can learn to recognize flaws and realize they're not so important, you can't truly love someone else."

"Was it that way for you?"

"I had no choice. I had to marry Jason. We're royalty, you know, even if we don't seem to act like it. Our marriage consolidated our tribes, reunited their lost culture with ours. We were going to be all friendly and mutually for our countries." Selphie laughed softly and shook her head. "It's moronic, to start like that. But we were friends first, and gradually realized we really did like each other. Not just for our countries's sakes, but for our own. And it grew from there. It wasn't easy. We're both stubborn and stupid sometimes. But it works because we make it work, because we recognize it as something worth keeping, worth fighting for. It's not a snap decision you make, to love someone, you know. You just do. You can't help it when it happens. Some odd thing in your chest isn't tight anymore, you smile goofily for no good reason and you suddenly think that anything is possible. And because you're willing to work for it, it is."

Harry smiled at Selphie, feeling less alone and more at ease. "Thank you, Selphie. I really needed to hear that. But I guess you knew that."

"Heh. Just 'cause I'm a Seer doesn't mean I spend every waking moment with a vision in front of my eyes. I live in this world, too, you know. Some things just can't be learned by watching others. Some things you have to experience for yourself."

"Thank you. It helped."

"I'm glad. Because you really do deserve some happiness. Take care of yourself, Harry."

Only later, Harry realized he didn't know if Selphie would send his future love to him or not. After a moment, he realized that it didn't matter. She was right. He had been feeling too fatalistic and angry to be of much to anyone, let alone a potential girlfriend. Who would want to be with a bawling bundle of rage? He certainly didn't like what he saw in the mirror all the time, and he wanted to. Maybe he couldn't be innocent again, but he could at least learn to like himself again, respect all that he had become. He wasn't some silly castoff cousin that no one wanted, he wasn't someone completely stupid and useless. He was skilled in magic, could feel it in action as if it were part of him. He had a wonderful family in his friends, and a future so full of potential it was stifling and scary.

He was Harry Potter, for good or bad. Selphie was right. He had to learn to like himself first, then someone else.

It would be an interesting summer.

The newlyweds were sent off that day, and exams were two weeks later. There were no classes in the interim, just revision sessions. Harry spent a lot of time sitting at the lake, thinking of nothing in particular, trying to find a sense of peace. Ron and Hermione would sit in the Common Room with each other, each pleased about the direction their lives had taken. Draco would come to the Common Room and draw Ginny out to the library or abandoned classrooms to revise with her. Harry suspected they would snog at least half the time.

The entire castle seemed to be at peace with itself, and the awful tension that had built in the past two years had dissipated. Harry was on his own again, but not alone.

He smiled suddenly, seeing a flutter within the lake. One of the mermaids had come to the surface to wave to him. He waved back, grinning. Mermaids. Not too many people had seen them up close or talked with them. Fewer still could count one as a friend.

Harry stretched out on the grass and looked up the sky. He'd saved the Wizarding World countless times, and had been a hero to too many people. Now he would save himself.

Oh yes, it would be an interesting summer indeed.

./.