A Better Ending pt. 3

An hour later, Harry was relegated to greeting guests, which he soon found to be both emotionally exhausting and invigorating. While he was able to see people who'd essentially come back from the dead, he also had to pretend to remember countless people from the Ministry and experiences he hadn't had in the past timeline.

Finally, he realized he was shaking hands with Alice Longbottom. "Oh! I didn't realize-I'm Harry." Sure enough, Neville and Frank were right behind her. All three looked much healthier than they had before; Alice and Frank's hair had grown in, and their skin was no longer washed out. "I'm glad you all could make it."

Violetta and Jaye followed in their wake. Harry hadn't learned Violetta's fate in the war, but regardless, he was happy to see her, even if she thought it was his first time meeting her.

Minutes later, Harry spotted Severus, who was in his traditional black attire, from in the crowd. Severus was only inching through the mass of people who wanted to speak with him, but eventually made his way over.

Harry extended his hand. "Severus."

"Harry." Severus shook his hand, then realized, seeing Harry's expression, what he'd said. Harry, not "Potter."

Harry cleared his throat. "The other Hogwarts professors are at the back right."

Severus gave him the slightest nod, then spotted McGonagall's pointed hat in the crowd and let it guide him over to a seat.

After the ceremony, there was an hour of pictures and milling about, then everyone drifted to the reception. Harry was in a daze-he hadn't had the chance to talk to Remus and Tonks, or really anyone there, but he had been right beside them; hand at their waists, or around their shoulders. Remus had grinned at at Harry between pictures, made an inside joke that Harry didn't understand but pretended to. Harry wished more than anything after that moment to have the memories of the new timeline.

Although Harry didn't know Remus and Tonks as well as his other self had known them, he could tell the wedding and reception had been taken largely out of their hands. They would've preferred something small, private, but there was enough effort and money put in to make what most guests would consider the biggest event of the year.

Hermione pointed to the table at the end of the tented area. "We're all here." They walked past the thirty circular tables, which were all covered in white, and could seat ten people each. Thousands of tiny glowing lights bobbed overhead as Harry and the others reached their seats.

"Harry, here's your seat." Ginny lifted his name card. Severus had been placed to Harry's left, with Raven one more seat down.

Harry noticed Sirius and Charlie were slotted to sit next to each other and wondered if Mrs. Weasley would change their names before they arrived.

After only ten minutes, the space was filled with hundreds of people, all ordering drinks, their conversations inflating the room. Amongst the commotion, Remus and Tonks were able to slip in through the back, almost unnoticed.

Severus avoided conversations with either one word answers or disturbing, blunt stories that ended the interest in him altogether. Harry, partly because he felt the same way, could sense Severus felt disconnected in the warmth and openness of the group.

Severus' attention snapped to Charlie after he put his hand on Sirius'. When Severus noticed Harry was watching for his reaction, he said, "I saw what happened between Black and Potter." Amusement curled on his features. "You had said that we both experienced unrequited love. But I never guessed it would change my very perspective on life." He snickered, causing Raven and a couple others to turn and look at him.

Raven glanced between Harry and Severus. "What is it?"

Trying to keep his voice down despite his anger, Harry replied, "It's about James and Sirius."

"Sirius had years to mock me for my feelings for Lily. Now I can return the favor."

Sirius was just out of earshot, but he was bound to hear if they kept talking. Harry was caring less by the second. "You're alive because of me. If you spend the rest of your life getting revenge on the people I care about, we'll both be miserable, you especially."

"No, I believe I will be much better off."

"You don't understand what you have to change in order to be better off. Or, maybe you do, but it's just too hard for you to do. Lily told you to move on, that's a start."

"Enough, Potter." Severus glanced around to make sure no one was listening in.

"I know it's hard. But have you ever considered that it's only out of coincidence that you two were friends? What I mean is-if I'd been the one who befriended you as a kid instead of Lily, you would've fancied me. You don't believe me? Fine, Raven, then. If it had been her...well, what's the difference?"

Raven looked as though she'd been slapped. "Harry, you've made your point."

Harry pressed on. "You can't deny it's down to circumstance. With Sirius, too-James was the one who saved him, so Sirius chose him. He's learned to get past it, so-"

"Enough." Severus' expression was cold, but Harry knew better than to interpret his look as hatred. It was just pain.

Farther down the table, Mrs. Weasley scanned the attendants, then said, "It's about time for the dessert-"

"I've got it, Molly." Sirius stood.

"I'll help him," Charlie offered, a bit quickly.

Mrs. Weasley didn't have a chance to reply before they slipped away to the kitchen. The conversations picked up again, and after a minute, the two still weren't back. "Harry, dear, can you go help Sirius and Charlie with dessert?"

Harry nodded, thankful for an excuse to take a break from Severus. But why didn't Mrs. Weasley go herself? Harry hung back as he approached the kitchen. Through the slit in the door, he could see them loitering by the cake.

Charlie pocketed his wand. "Look, I still want you to come back to Romania, Sirius. My mum-"

"She doesn't know what's best for you."

"She means well, Sirius." Charlie took Sirius' hands. "But I...I know what I want."

Sirius studied Charlie for a moment, then kissed him.

As his hands wove up into Charlie's red hair, Harry stepped back, trying to be silent, but his foot creaked on the floor.

Sirius and Charlie broke apart and looked at him, then at each other, unsure.

"I'm sorry, I saw." Harry realized, with a pang, that Mrs. Weasley might have meant for him to walk in on them.

Sirius let go of Charlie's hands. "Harry, I hadn't planned for you to find out like this..."

"It's okay. I'm happy for you. Seriously. I'll leave you to it, then." Harry shot them a small smile, then headed back to the party.

"Are they getting the dessert?" Mrs. Weasley asked as Harry sat down.

"Yes, they are." Harry didn't meet her eyes, and tried to jump into a conversation so it didn't seem like something had changed. He wished she'd see-and that they'd all see, when it was made public-how it was pointless to focus on Sirius and Charlie's relationship when it was enough for Sirius to be alive.

When Sirius and Charlie brought out the dessert, and after their discomfort with Harry subsided, Harry began to see how it made sense for them to be together.

Sirius had loved James, who had made life fun, exciting, different from the strict, miserable life he had grown used to in his childhood, and experienced again in prison. Harry could sense a similar dynamic between Sirius and Charlie. The last time he'd seen Sirius laugh as hugely as he saw then was when Sirius was in fifth year-so it wasn't just the dragons that led him to Charlie.

Most people took to the dance floor after dessert.

Sirius seemed to tell Charlie to give him some space, so Harry took the opportunity to approach Sirius.

The cover band began to play a Weird Sisters song, so Harry had to nearly shout what he wanted to tell him. "I couldn't care less that you're gay. You know that, right?"

Sirius started to smile. "Really?"

"I only care that you're happy. So go for it. Don't pay attention to Charlie's mum, or anyone."

Sirius was now grinning broadly, and swayed a little to the music. "You're better than your father in some ways, you know that?"

Harry did know, but he wasn't ready for Sirius to know what he'd done, so he joined in the dance with Sirius instead of talking.

When the song ended, Raven found Harry in the crowd. "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. I just don't want Severus to assume I..."

"No, I went too far. I should be sorry. I get carried away like that a lot."

"I realized that, in your memories. You just come off a little strongly sometimes." Raven smirked.

Remus came up to Raven, and motioned for them to dance.

Harry searched for Ginny, finding her with Tonks, then led her off as the song slowed.

"How is it, seeing everyone alive and well?"

"It hasn't quite registered as reality. I still feel as though this could all go away."

Ginny smiled, resting her hand on the side of his face. "It'll feel real soon enough."

Raven and Remus gradually danced closer toward them. Harry noticed Raven glance ever so often at the main table.

At the end of the song, Raven hurried over to Harry. "I had a feeling Severus would choose to leave now. I didn't have a chance to bring up your idea earlier, so you might want to catch him before he goes."

Harry Apparated beyond the main table and spotted Severus leaving through the makeshift gate.

"Wait, Severus! I meant to ask you something."

Severus stopped and sighed. "What is it, Potter?" Somehow, his tone when he said "Potter" had lost its bite.

"I have an idea, but I need your help."

"And?"

Harry could feel Severus' patience fading, so he spoke quickly. "There're a lot of gaps in the Ministry programs. Now that I've been more involved, my other self, and now I, have realized we need a program, or new laws, or something within the Department of Health to deal with er, child abuse and neglect. It could just be over the summer that you help."

Severus blinked, mouth curling. "You think my childhood would bring me to help you?"

Harry faltered, suddenly unsure of his idea. "It's not just that. Hermione is doing the same sort of thing, except with magical creature rights, and Remus and Tonks are helping her. They're beginning to call this the Progressive Era." Harry fidgeted in the silence. "Look, I know we've had our-"

"I will consider it." Severus' eyes flickered away. "I...do not want to become your spokesperson."

"No, of course not."

"And you do realize the humiliation it will cause should my personal life be shared in relation to this. Considering I help at all."

Harry wanted to object, but he held his tongue and nodded.

Severus cleared his throat. "I meant to tell you, since learning how life was in the other timeline, that I prefer this one. So thank you." Severus extended his hand.

Harry ignored the offer and pulled him into a hug before he could object.

At first, Severus leaned back as if to pull away, but very cautiously his hands settled on Harry's back.

When they separated, Harry noticed Severus' startled expression. He knew then that it was because he had unconsciously adopted his mother's style of embrace. Even though Harry hadn't known his mother as a child to be able to adopt her mannerisms, he knew he had at least that part of her.

Harry watched as Severus half-hid his face with his hand, head turned. It seemed Occlumency was no longer enough to hide his emotion.

The sun blinked past the horizon, the change bringing Severus out of his thoughts. He drew a deep breath and said, "I will help you."

Harry beamed. "Thank you. It means a lot, you know."

Severus nodded once. "After what you said about me in your interview, I realized I have high standards to live up to..."

"You read Luna's article? What did you think?"

"Please do not do anything like that again. At least, not until I am dead."

Harry was surprised to see the barest hint of a smirk on Severus' lips, overshadowed by the step he took back to leave.

Harry had one more question. "Are you going to teach at Hogwarts again?"

Severus turned toward Harry. "I imagine the school could use a competent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." And with that, he walked away, Disapparating in mid-stride.

Harry, dazed, returned to the roar of the party. Eyes prickling, he sat down next to Ginny.

"Are you okay?" Ginny studied him.

Harry squeezed her hand, then smiled. "Yeah." Finally, the world was falling into place. "I'm okay."

Author's Note

First, thank you for loving Harry Potter.

The story has been, for me, a representation of life after the Harry Potter series ended. Like Harry, I felt lost without the home and family I grew up with. Like Harry, I didn't know all of the story, and had people, or characters, I wanted to get to know, respectively. I also felt like I owed Severus for disliking him over the years, and his death hit me hard. As Harry changed time with his letters, I felt as though I changed time with my story.

Turning Time was originally named "Meant to Be" because I had envisioned an ending where both Harry and I realized some things can't be changed, either because death makes for a good story, or because it actually wouldn't work within the plot.

Maybe, then, I've grown more optimistic over these three years. As the original series focused on the power of love for friends and family, I focused on the power of love for strangers, rivals, even enemies. Yes, a little preachy, but for Severus it made all the difference in the world.

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**Check out the sequel/spinoff to Turning Time:      https://www.wattpad.com/story/50718252-the-untold-story-of-sirius-black                It focuses on the Marauders (particularly Sirius and Remus) but also sees the return of Severus, Lily, Harry, and Raven.

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*Follow me to be updated once I post Harry Potter and the Veil of Resurrection, a close to 200,000-word Drarry fic! The fic begins on the day Harry walks in on Draco crying in the bathroom -- the next morning, Harry wakes up and it's as though nothing had ever happened. Stuck in a time loop, what will Harry discover about himself, Draco, and Voldemort's plans?*