Gentlemen Aren't Nice

Chapter Seven -Final- A Strange Device

Chapter Seven - Final Song ~ A Strange Device

~Two Years Later~

Severus pulled on his mother's shirt, pointing excitedly at the colorful shop that people were bustling in and out of.
"Severus, calm down." Aria hoisted up her son higher so he could see the shop. It pained her to see the store but walked towards it bravely.
"Welcome!" a familiar voice greeted them as they walked through the door.
"Hi, Ron!" Aria greeted the man with a tight hug only to laugh at his confused facial expression.
"Um," he started, "who are you?"
"Don't tell me you forgot me! How rude. What an utter teapot." Aria giggled as Severus reached toward the redheaded man.
"No, seriously, who are you?" Ron persisted and gulped in surprise as Aria's black hair shined and turned a brilliant blue, then it went back to the black.
"Remember now, Ronald Weasley?"
"Aria! Bloody hell! Look at you! You have a, uh, a son?" Ron looked bewildered at the redheaded boy in her arms.
"Yes, say hello, Severus."
"Hawoh!" came Severus' garbled greeting.
"Bloody hell. Who's the unlucky guy?"
Aria whacked Ron on the back of his head, having to reach up high to do so.
"That was incredibly rude, Ron. You're emotional range is that of a teaspoon." she grilled him teasingly.
"Hermione always tells me that. Her and I are engaged, see?" he flashed his left hand to show his engagement ring off. "You stole that line from her, right?"
"No, I've called many people teaspoons or teapots since I was five." Aria said as she looked around. "She must have heard me say it to someone and congratulations. You two look good together.
"And as for the father, you best say good bye to your nephew, Ron. I just got a text from my boss. Good day."
Ron's face blanked as he registered what Aria had just said. It went from blank to confusion to realization in moments.
"You -" his mouth opened and closed in shock, nothing coming out until he finally squeaked out: "George?"
"You talk as if it's a bad thing." Aria's brows furrowed and was about to walk away when Ron froze her body.
"Oh no, you don't. Your staying until George gets back! Tell your boss you can't come in!" Ron levitated her back into the shop. Luckily, there were very few customers since Aria had first come in.
Waiting felt like eternity for Aria. Severus was still clutched tightly in her arms but she finally released him so he could crawl around the all-to-familiar flat.
"Severus, dear, sleep on the couch, not the floor. It's more comfy." Aria sighed as she picked up the sleeping boy off the floor and put him on the couch.
Downstairs, she could hear two men arguing.
"You let who into my flat?" roared a voice.
"George, bloody hell, calm down! It's someone you might like to see!" Ron shot back as thudding steps ran up the spiralled stairs.
"Ron, you git!"
The door flew open and Aria stared at the man with a deer in the headlights look.
"Who are you?" George spat as he came in, he turned and yelled back down the stairs. "Ron, you idiot! I don't know this woman! And she's got a bloody baby drooling on my couch!"
"That's no way to talk about your son, George Weasley." Aria's voice said icily and he whipped around. "I knew this would happen. I'm going to leave." Picking up the sleeping boy, she headed for the door, only to be blocked by George.
"Aria?" came the pained words.
Aria flinched, waiting for George to start a row with her.
"After all this bloody time, you finally came back? You left me! You left me all alone! How could you do that?" his voice rose louder and louder every word he spoke until he was shouting at the top of his lungs. Aria instinctively covered Severus'
"I was so angry! I didn't even eat or talk for weeks! First, I lose Fr- him and then you leave me!" George couldn't bear to speak his dead brother's name.
Aria's green eyes stung with tears. She couldn't hold back anymore.
"I'm sorry," she whispered mostly to herself, "I'm sorry I left you. But I had to let you get over this yourself."
"Myself? I needed you and you left me. You only made it worse!" George's voice went to that slightly controlled, but none-the-less forced calm, angry whisper. She noticed the tendon popping out of the side of his neck.
"George, if it helps, I only did it with you in my thoughts. I - I have to leave. This is too much for me." she tried pushing him aside with force, but George didn't budge.
"Who's the kid?"
"He's your son, you over-grown teaspoon." Aria's wand came out and George was blasted to the side with force, sending him crashing into a wall, leaving a dent in the drywall.
Aria rushed down the steps only to be stopped by Ron, who was guarding the door, holding his wand out.
"Move, Ronald." Aria hissed.
"No," he said defiantly, "not until you make up with George! I want to be an Auror, not some joke shop owner!"
"Fine, have it your way. Severus Snape was not my uncle in vain." Aria's wand was raised only to be Disarmed by a George who Apparated right beside his brother.
"Aria, stop!" he cried, tears cascading down his face with ferocity. "Please, I need you. Don't leave me again. What will you do when your - our son wants to know about his father? Are you gonna tell him he died in a fight?"
"I'll make something up." Aria noted where her wand lay and was going to feint and get it to get out of the shop.
"No, I want him. I want you."
"You can't have me! I don't want you! All your gonna do is cry over Fred when I'm around and I won't have it!" Aria shrieked back. "I hurt as much as you, George! Everyone is! But you love and lose! It's a fact of life!"
"If it's a fact, then why did you leave? Honestly tell me."
"Because I was scared! We slept together! Do you know how much that hurt me? You were the first person I ever let do it to me willingly!"
George's face was contorted in pain. "Then you should have shoved me off."
"I couldn't. I really do love you George, but not when your like this."
Ron coughed, only to get elbowed in the stomach by a rather fustrated George.
"If you love me, then you should have stayed. Run the joke shop with me! I can't do it alone. Not even with this moron here." George jabbed his thumb at Ron.
"Hey! I take that personally!" he shot back.
"Fine." Aria mumbled, loud enough for the two to hear. Severus stirred in her arms. "I'm going home."
"Be back here at ten sharp! We open then!" George's smile was so large, Ron and Aria were surprised that his face didn't split in half.
Aria walked down the street after leaving the Leaky Cauldron. She quickly hailed a pink taxi down and got in, telling the cabbie her address.

"Aria!" George enveloped the short woman in a hug as he opened the door for her, careful not to squish Severus who was looking quite sleepy in his mother's arms.
"Hey, Aria, can you help me stock shelves?" Ron grunted when he accidently dropped a box on his foot. Letting out a string of curses worthy of any sailor, he groaned.
"Watch your tongue, Ron." Aria passed Sevrus to George and flicked her wand lazily. Many product flew onto the shelves neatly and Ron gaped at her.
"I didn't work here for a year for nothing." Aria gave him a smug look.
Turning around to head back into the storeroom, Ron was grumbling about something.
"Aria," George started and she turned to face him with sad eyes. "Thank you."
With those two words, he kissed her on the lips longingly.
Their kiss was interrupted by a squeal from Severus when a small bird-like toy flitted around their heads.
Laughing heartily at their son's keen interest on the colorful toys, George and Aria looked at each other.
"Stay with me forever?" George asked, squeezing her hand in his.
"Is that a proposal?" she raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"Don't you know it!" he chuckled and kissed her cheek.

George and Aria were married after three months had passed by. Ron finally got out of the joke shop and went on to become an Auror with Harry.
Aria grinned as she saw George playing a game of Exploding Snap with Severus on the floor of the shop. The now nineteen month old toddler could say words befitting his age and said them a lot.
George was a great father in his right and he got off the floor once he noticed Aria had entered the room. Hugging her tightly, he rubbed her now newly forming bump.
"I'm definitely gonna be around for this one." he whispered in her ear as they began to slow dance around the room. Aria opened her mouth to sing a song she had heard on a Muggle radio channel two years before.

Some people laugh, some people cry
Some people live, some people die
Some people run right into the fire
Some people hide their every desire

But we are the lovers
If you dont believe me
You'll just look into my eyes
'Cause the heart never lies

Some people fight, some people fall
Others pretend they dont care at all
If you wanna fight, I'll stand there beside you
The day that you fall, I'll be right behind you

To pick up the pieces
If you dont believe me
Just look into my eyes
'Cause the heart never lies

Woah Woah

Another year over and we're still together
Its not always easy but I'm here forever

We are the lovers
I know you believe me
When you look into my eyes
'Cause the heart never lies

Hey!

But we are the lovers
Will you believe me?
When you look into my eyes
'Cause the heart never lies

Oh Oh Woah

Another year over and we're still together
Its not always easy but I'm here forever

And we are the lovers
I know you believe me
When you look into my eyes
'Cause the heart never lies

Oh because the heart never lies
Because the heart never lies
♠ ♠ ♠
The ending song is The Heart Never Lies by McFly. My favorite band ever.