Chapter 9 The Halloween surprise
The morning of September first was full of frantic preparation for the arrival of the students. The School staff and teachers all gathered in the great hall for last minute instructions from the headmistress. Professor Mcgonagall cleared her throat before she began. "Ok everyone, this year is going to be a tough one. Because of the war all of the returning students have been kept at the grade level that they were in when the war commenced. For those of you who are new to our staff that means that along with the new first years that will have to be sorted into their houses, all of the other students from first year to seventh years will be basically repeating a year."
"The corridors will be fuller than is normal. That said when you are not in the classroom your watchful eyes must help maintain order. Professor Arianna Snape will be taking over the duties of transfiguration classes and head of Slytherin house. Professor Severus Snape will teach potions. We also have the addition of Professor Morgana Ashwood who will be teaching Defense of the Dark arts and will serve as the new head of Gryffindor house. The students will be arriving soon so ready yourself."
As they returned to their living quarters in the dungeons Severus slumped into an arm chair with a vacant expression on his face. Arianna sat behind a desk on the other side of the room going over her student roster, when Severus rose from his seat and crossed the room to gaze out into the depths of the black lake. He could hear her soft voice in his head. "Severus darling please don't be angry my mother thought that you have been under enough stress over the years, so she asked me if I would be willing to take the position of Slytherin's head of house to help lighten your load."
Severus turned to his wife and his eyes seemed dangerously dark for a moment. "Your mother should have asked me about this first. This is your first year teaching and you have the added responsibility of running Slytherin." Arianna smiled and shook her head as she got up from her chair and stretched.
"Well Severus, I'd rather be the head of Slytherin house over Gryffindor house any day," she said as she walked over to where he stood. Severus laughed as he pictured Arianna having control over Gryffindor.
"You may have a few qualities of Gryffindor but you are definitely a Slytherin darling. If I didn't know any better I'd swear that you planned this. Well planned or not there are a few returning students that I feel I should make you aware of. Run Slytherin the best you can you will have my backup and support when you have need of it. Crabb, Goyl, and Malfoy may give you a hard time." Arianna narrowed her eyes.
"Considering the facts that I know most if not all of their parents very well, I don't think that anyone in Slytherin will dare give me a hard time darling . They will find out in time that you and I have much more in common than just our last name. As for Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley, My mother has informed me well about the three of them . I don't foresee any problems," she said as she kissed his cheek earning a soft growl as he held her close and kissed her passionately.
Later that night.
Severus and Arianna sat to one side of the Headmistress at the staff table, watching carefully as the returning students filed into the great hall. Severus ignored the returning students until Arianna left the table with a long scroll of parchment in her hand. He grabbed at her hand and nodded toward the parchment questioningly. "I'm just trying to help mom as she still hasn't found a deputy headmaster," she said as she raised his hand to her lips and kissed his palm.
None of the returning students even noticed that Severus Snape was alive and teaching. They didn't even bother to look up at the staff table until a beautiful witch in silver robes trimmed in slytherin green led the new students into the great hall. She took the place of professor Mcgonagall who usually preformed the sorting task. Now the new first years will be sorted into their houses. Out of one hundred new students for once the sorting was evenly divided between the four houses.
The returning students couldn't take their eyes off of the new professor. As they followed her with their eyes their jaws all dropped in shock and disbelief as the beautiful witch took a seat beside none other than Professor Severus Snape. Harry, Ron and Hermione turned to each other in shock. "Harry He died last year in the shrieking shack didn't he," asked Ron with his mouth agape? Harry took his glasses off and rubbed at his eyes. He was there when Severus Snape took his last breath. Well at least he thought he was dead when he left him.
Severus seeing Harry's eyes on him looked at him, nodded and smiled, a sight that no student in his teaching tenyer had ever witnessed. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "Harry I'm imagining things. I swear that I just saw Professor Snape actually smile," she said in a hushed tone. Ron looked up toward the staff table and looked at Professor Snape who was now actually laughing softly and smiling at the beautiful witch sitting by his side.
Their conversation was drawn to a close as Headmistress Minerva Mcgonagall approached the podium to make the start of term announcements. "Welcome to all of our new students and to those of you who are returning, welcome back. As many of you may know the war took a lot from us, and disrupted an entire school year. For this reason you students who are returning are here to retake the year that you were in during the war. Also I would like to take this time to introduce a few changes of staff."
"Professor Severus Snape has returned to teach potions, and we have two new teachers added to our staff this year. Please join me in welcoming to our staff, Professor Morgana Ashwood who will be teaching Defense against the Dark arts. She will also be serving as the new head of Gryffindor house. A tall thin looking blond witch stood and waved to the students with a smile on her cheerful face. Lastly Professor Arianna Snape will be taking over the duties of transfiguration classes and will be the new head of Slytherin house."
"Furthermore first years that are new here please make note that the forbidden forest is out of bounds to all students. And no magic is to be used while in the corridors. Now I know that you are all hungry so please be seated and enjoy your meals," said the headmistress as she took her seat. After the feast was over the prefects all took charge of their houses and guided them back to their common rooms. Outside the entrance to the Slytherin common room Professor Severus Snape stood glaring down at the students who resided in the house that he once had command over.
"I am warning you all," he said with a deadly tone evident in his voice. "Your new head of house is my wife. If she so much as whispers a note of anger or distress you'll have me to deal with. Now all of you get into the common room, shut your mouths, and listen to her every word as if your lives depend on it," he snapped. Crab and Goyl rolled their eyes and Malfoy slapped them both over the back of their heads.
"Damn you Crab, Goyl, He's not joking about this," scolded Draco.
Mrs. Professor Snape stood by the hearth with her back turned to the students as they entered the common room. "Every one please take a seat and listen up. I have a few announcements of my own," she said as she turned to face the waiting students. "Now as the headmistress said before my name is Professor Arianna Isobel Snape. I am the wife of your potions master, Professor Severus Snape, and the daughter of Headmistress Mcgonagall, and the late Professor Albus Dumbledore. When I attended Hogwarts I resided in the fine house of Slytherin."
"That said I tell you all now, I expect great things from you all. For those of you who are new here, any rule breaking will cost our fine house points. Your triumphs and good actions will earn you house points. At the end of the year the house with the most house points will earn the coveted house cup. Slytherin house won the house cup and the quiddich cup last year after going six years without winning either one. That is something that I hope to change this year. I know that being far from your families can be hard at first, so I will tell you all if you find yourself needing guidance or a caring person to bring your troubles to you are to go to your house prefects. If your problem is something that they are unable to handle they will bring you to me. I wish you all to look at Slytherin house as your family away from home. I being the head of house will be something like your mother while you are here. Now you all have busy days ahead of you all tomorrow, so off to bed with you all, and may you all have dreams of magic and happiness," she said as she left the room.
When She entered the living quarters that she shared with her husband she was not surprised to see that he was sitting at the desk rapidly scratching out his lesson plans for the week. His face was set in concentration, and his mouth was set in a thin line. She quietly walked up behind him and began to rub his tense shoulders. "You're so tight Severus, you're not angry are you," she asked as she rubbed the tightness out of his shoulders? Severus placed his free hand lovingly over hers, stilling her massaging fingers.
"Actually I have been needing to relax and unwind for a long time. I just got a little wrapped up in planning my lessons for the week," he said serenely. Arianna looked over his shoulder and noticed that he had planned out his lessons for all of the grade levels for the next month. She reached down and took the quill from his hand.
"Severus you tell me to relax. Now it's your turn to do so. You've written out lesson plans for all grade levels for the entire month," she said as she stoppered his inkwell.
"Join me in the shower love. I have to give you a private lesson in the subtle art of relaxation," she said as she walked away from him unlacing her robes as she walked. Severus got up and stilled her hands on the lacing.
"Let me help," he said as he kissed her neck lightly. The next morning Severus awoke to find Arianna braiding her long black hair. She smiled as she saw his naked body reflected in the mirror.
"Honestly Sev, didn't you have enough last night," she asked with a soft girlish giggle? Severus looked down at his nakedness and smiled.
"I could go one more time," he said as he took the elastic from her hand and secured the end of her braid for her. She arose from her seat at the vanity and turned to place a soft kiss on his lips, pulling herself out of his reach before he could lose control.
"Go and take a shower Severus I won't have you make me late for my first day of teaching. I'll order you something nice for breakfast, so don't take a long time in there," she said as she left him standing alone in their room.
The Students were waiting outside the class room after lunch as Professor Snape glided up behind his returning Seventh year students. "I hope that you will all be prepared to pay attention in my class this year," he said as he opened the door to the classroom for them. "I do not intend to make it easy on you for your last year. Mr. Potter I trust you have procured the proper potions book for this term he said as he stopped Harry from entering the class."
"Yes professor," he answered as he pulled out the new copy of advanced potions from his book bag. Severus pulled him aside so that the other students could enter the class room.
"Mr. Potter about what happened last year. Your new transfiguration professor is the reason why when you took the others back to find me in the shrieking shack that I wasn't there. She is the reason that I am alive and able to return to my duties here. I want you to pay her with better respect than you ever gave me," said Severus in a serious tone.
"Of course I will respect her Professor. I'm honestly glad to see that you survived," said Harry with a warm smile on his face. Severus nodded and turned Harry and pushed him into the class room.
"Let's get down to business now shall we? You've all been through this before so you know what I expect from you by now," he said with his characteristic smirk upon his face.
Arianna's last class of the day was seventh year Slytherin and Gryffindor. "Greetings class for those of you whom have not met me as of yet I am your new Transfiguration professor Mrs. Arianna Snape. Being that this is your last year and you will be preparing to take your newts this year, we will be getting into some advanced Transfiguration. Since many of you have different career goals in mind your assignment for today is to wright one foot of parchment on what your hopes and career goals are for the future. When you are finished please come up and place the finished assignment on my desk. You will be free to practice your transfiguration as you wish afterwards. Just keep in mind that you are not allowed to practice on each other. Practice on inanimate objects and the caged animals," she said gesturing to the many things around the room which they were allowed to practice upon.
Then she glared over at the Slytherins. "I mean that, anyone who uses magic on another student in my class will lose house points. Don't think that because I'm a Slytherin and head of house that I will accept any insolence from anyone," she said with narrowed eyes as she looked directly at Crabb and Goyle. The school term continued up until the night of the Halloween feast without incident.
Severus couldn't help but notice that Arianna hadn't eaten much of anything for the entire day. She might have eaten five bites per meal if she were lucky. When they retired to their quarters Arianna rushed passed him, and ran into the loo. Seconds later Severus heard the sound of vomiting coming from within the bathroom off of the sitting room.
He walked in just in time to see Arianna curled over the toilet shaking from the force of her sickness. He knelt beside her and pulled her hair out of her face, then reached for a wash cloth and moistened it with cool water from the sink. He waited until she tried to get up, and helped her to take a seat on the edge of the bath tub. "Are you alright," he asked as he ran the wet cloth over her face?
Her voice popped into his head instantly. "If you want an answer from my own lips, please get me some mouth cleansing potion." Severus arose to his feet and searched the medicine cabinet for the needed potion and handed it down to her. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited until she had finished drinking the potion.
"How could you have vomited so much when you've eaten so little today," he asked? Arianna tried to get up but suddenly felt weak. Severus's arms shot out to prevent her from falling backward into the tub and hitting her head. He carried her into the bedroom and lay her on the bed. "Don't try to move Arianna, just relax," he said as he laid her tenderly on her pillow.
"This is not how I planned this," she said barely above a whisper as tears started rolling down her cheek.
Severus transfigured a box of tissues out of a silk handkerchief, and tenderly wiped the tears from her eyes. "What are you talking about Arianna? You couldn't help that you are feeling ill. Has your stomach been bothering you for very long," he asked with concern on his face?
"I'm not Ill, and my stomach is not bothering me. Just who is the one with medical training here," she asked angrily?
"Severus what would you say if I told you that our living quarters may need a bit of expansion work done," she asked in a soft voice? Severus looked around the room and them back at his wife with a puzzled look on his face.
"Why would you want our quarters made larger? I thought that you said that they were perfect," he said in confusion. Arianna scooted up into a sitting position in the bed and smiled warmly at her obviously clueless husband.
"Honestly, Severus, They are perfect if it's only the two of us living in them. However if there were perhaps three or four people living in them they would feel a bit claustrophobic don't you think?" She smiled quietly as a look of surprise and understanding appeared magically on Severus's normally calm face. His eyes widened and he drew his wand casting a diagnostic charm at her belly.
The small forms of two human fetus's appeared laying cradled within his wife's belly. He dropped his wand in shock and ran his hands over her slightly swollen belly lovingly. "This is what you've been trying to tell me all day isn't it," asked Severus with a widening smile spreading across his face?
Arianna's smile widened as she nodded her answer. "You're going to be a father around may by my calculations. It's too soon as of yet to tell if they are male, female, or one of each, so I guess you'll just have to wait for that surprise," she said with an impish smile on her lips. Severus sat on the bed next to her and took her into his arms and kissed her tenderly as he gently ran his free hand over where his unborn children were resting.
"Does your mother know that she's going to be a grandmother yet," he asked with sparkling eyes?
"No," said Arianna, "I wanted to tell you first."
A/N thank you for reading chapter 9 I hope that you are enjoying the story so far please review and stay on the watch for Chapter 10 The Snake and the Griffin
