Soon All the Suns Will Rise

As Long As It Matters

Chapter title from "As Long As It Matters" by Gin Blossoms.

Content warning: childbirth. "Ecstatic childbirth" (you may want to Google 😉 ) to be exact. It's not especially graphic though.

This is the final chapter in the trilogy. Please vote or comment if you enjoyed. I appreciate you following along on this journey with me! 📚
________

The Burbage family lived atop a rugged mountaintop in North Wales, seemingly hidden from the quaint villages below. The January chill hit Rhiannon harshly in the face as they made their upward ascent, and she turned around to make sure her little one was well protected against the whipping winds. She needn't have worried, of course. The baby was dressed in a hand-knitted dusty pink jumpsuit with matching bonnet, booties, and mittens. Severus had her bundled in a knotted sling beneath his outer cloak, which was opened just enough to allow the baby air while still keeping her sheltered in his woolen warmth. Rhiannon had suggested last minute that they allow Colleen and Sirius to babysit, but Severus refused to let his daughter out of his sight. Rhiannon figured it was just as well; Charity Epona had hit a growth spurt at just past eight weeks, and Rhiannon was nursing almost every two hours.

They had sent an owl to the Burbages nearly two weeks ago requesting the visit, and they had begun to think they weren't going to get a reply. Finally a rather slow old owl had shown up, giving directions to the mountaintop cottage. It was small, with a thatched roof, Tudor paneling, and a single porch lantern rendering it visible through the thick gray mist. Rhiannon was rather excited to visit Wales for the first time; it was the birthplace of her goddess, after all. She felt a strange urge to press herself into the sacred ground then transform into her Thunderbird and take to the skies over the majestic mountains. But there were far more pressing issues at hand— business that Rhiannon had intended to take care of for quite some time, but Severus had insisted they wait until the baby had arrived and gotten a healthy start before making the trek.

"Professors Snape," a tall blonde woman greeted them at the door. Her even taller husband stood at her side and gave a slight nod. They were dressed simply and plainly, their faces a bit gaunt and flat, which was quite understandable given the agony they had suffered over the past year and a half.

"Troilus Burbage," the man said, extending a hand to Severus and then to Rhiannon. "This is my wife Cressida."

Rhiannon's eyes widened, and she glanced at Severus, who returned her gaze with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Wow, your names," she marveled. "How did you manage to find and marry one another? What a coincidence!"

"Come in and we'll explain," Mrs. Burbage said with a small smile. "It's far too cold for a babe to be outside. Come sit by the fire."

Rhiannon and Severus gratefully took a seat by the crackling flame, Severus unwrapping baby Charity from her sling and lifting her to snuggle against his shoulder. She stirred and mewled a bit, and Severus hushed her with a pat to the back and a kiss to her dark tufts of hair.

"Tea?" Mrs. Burbage offered from the pot she'd already prepared for their visit. "It's fenugreek and fennel. Since you mentioned you were bringing a wee one along, I thought that particular blend might be nice. They say it helps the milk."

Rhiannon smiled. "Indeed it does. Thank you. And I'd love some. And I'd love to hear the story of your names. Troilus and Cressida was one of the stories Severus read to me by the fire when we first met."