Turning The Tables
Disclaimer: Not mine
Thank you reviewers, i love you all very much. Please sir, can i have some more?
Chapter 10 – What are you hiding from me?!?!
Severus and Harry spent that evening, talking and apologising for secrets that shouldn't have been secret. Ron and Hermione Came to dinner the next evening, and they talked, Hermione and Severus compared notes, and Harry and Ron fantasized about teaching their future children Quiddich, all in all life was progressing nicely for the two couples, time passed, pregnancies evolved, and unfortunately for Harry, so did mood swings.
Harry knew it was simply because Severus' body wasn't used to the abundance of female hormones that accompanied pregnancy, so he bore it all with out complaint, comforted, cajoled and acted as a magical sponge for Severus' magical outbursts (he still had a singed eyebrow from when Severus had got frustrated with his recent potions experiment) and never once raised his voice, in rare moments of clarity, Severus marvelled at his patience, though found it hard to express to Harry. When Severus needed space, Harry gave it to him, when he needed someone there for him, he appeared miraculously. In short, Harry was being the perfect partner, and it annoyed Severus to no end. Severus was fully aware, that if their roles were reversed, he would be nowhere near as comforting to Harry and Harry would be nowhere near as cranky about it, and that irked him. His main source of consolation was the fact that Hermione was going through exactly the same thing, and Ron was doing no where near as well as Harry, and it showed. Ron was in a constant state of nerves since his wife's latest set of outbursts, and whenever Hermione bade him to do something, it was done in a flustered hurry. At about 2am the previous morning, Severus had walked to the kitchens, due to the fact it felt like his little girl was doing quiddich training in the womb, and he had a craving for kippers and marmalade, when he had seen Ron sprint in and ask the elves for pumpkin ice cream with salad cream, looking slightly frantic. Trying not smirk, he asked;
"Is everything quite alright Ron?" he asked, Ron spun slightly and seemed to notice him for the first time, taking a proper look at him you could see he was a mess, he had dark circles about his eyes, his face was pale and his robs creased and displaced on his defeated frame, he looked close to tears.
"Hermione had a craving, I can't quite seem to get anything right, she gets very upset with me, I do try, I just wish she didn't hate me so much right now" it hadn't seemed possible but Ron looked all the worse for admitting his troubles. Deciding to take pity on him, Severus stood, and manoeuvred him onto a bench, he then conjured a quill and some parchment, and wrote Hermione a note, saying he was very sorry but needed Ron's assistance, and if she needed any thing, to fire call Harry, finally he turned to the house elf that had appeared with the bizarre concoction, and asked him to take the ice cream and note to Hermione. Ron was sitting at the table, head in his hands, his hair even more wild, Severus carefully lowered himself onto the bench next to him.
"Ron, I can tell you, without a doubt, that Hermione defiantly doesn't hate you" he said quietly, and placed a hand on the young mans shoulder, Ron turned to look at him, distraught with his situation,
"She tells me she does, that its my own bloody fault for getting her pregnant, that I'll be a terrible father, and I'll drop the baby, I never could get anything right" Severus, along with his sympathy, felt a deep twinge of guilt, he vaguely remembered saying similar things to Harry.
"Ron, I cannot imagine a Weasley who would not make a fantastic parent, I know, from personal experience that everything Hermione is saying, is purely pregnancy hormones, and that as soon as she has a level headed second she will regret ever saying such things" Severus offered, hoping to Merlin that Harry hadn't believed him when he'd said such things.
Seemingly bolstered by the words, Ron gave a weary grin; "Thanks Severus, I really needed that, I somehow know you wouldn't lie to me." He chuckled slightly, "Complete opposite to my school years though, just shows what a Pratt I was really." Severus raised an eyebrow,
"I shall refrain from comment Mr Weasley, and keep my hormones in check." Ron chuckled again.
"Well you seem fairly rational, do you think Harry would swap until the babies are born?" he joked, Severus frowned a little;
"I think I may have been just as hard on Harry as Hermione has been on you, if not worse" Ron looked surprised,
"Really, Harry said you'd been fine, not a single hormone induced tantrum!" Severus just stared in disbelief. Ron sensed that Severus wasn't quite sure how to deal with this news, and left, quietly thanking him. With a busy mind, Severus headed back to his chambers.
As he gave the password and entered the chambers he and Harry shared, he immediately noticed his partner, asleep at his desk, parchment sprawled around him, quill dangling from his loose fingers. Severus smiled, he really was very lucky to be with this man, as he slowly neared, to wake his partner, he noticed the some of the pages seemed to be full of the same sentence over and over again, he looked more closely and read the words;
"It's not me, It's the hormones." There were pages and pages, and if he didn't feel quite so guilty, he would have chuckled at Harry's silent mantra. He was just going to take a closer look at the other papers surrounding the desk, when Harry stirred, then quickly woke, and sat up, his life of battle had taught him to wake quickly, and he'd never lost that particular habit. Noticing Severus he smiled, and quickly gathered the papers haphazardly into his desk drawer before quickly asking if Severus needed anything. Severus smiled, he really was very thoughtful and self sacrificing, he always thought of others first, and it made a nice change for Severus to be thought of first for a change. He held out his hand and waited for Harry to take it, before leading him to the sofa before the fire, once they were comfortably entwined upon the couch, Severus hands buried in the long thick strands of Harry's hair, gently massaging his scalp, Severus began talking.
"Harry, I know I've been absolutely horrible to you in the last few months, spectacularly horrible infact, and I know its poor reasoning, but hormones are killing me! And you were doing everything so perfectly, it just made me angrier! Because I know that if it were the other way round, I wouldn't cope at all as well as you." Severus had lowered his eyes, apologies were never easy for him, but they were especially hard to say to Harry. Harry shifted position so that they were now laying toe to toe, his frame bent back slightly, so allow for the swelling in Severus' abdomen, he pulled his chin up level, and placed a feather light kiss on his lips.
"I know Severus" Severus tensed slightly, it was unperceivable, but for some unknown reason he didn't want to be Severus to Harry anymore, he actually wanted to be called 'Sevvy', not that there was a chance in hell he'd admit it, nor let anyone else hear him being called 'Sevvy'.
"I know Sevvy" Severus' eyes shot to Harry's, how did he do that?! It was exactly what he wanted, to make him feel like Harry's own, someone special, he'd never have said it out loud in a million years, but Harry knew! He gave a short dry chuckle;
"How do you do that Elf-Boy? How do you always know exactly what I need?" his eyes were imploring, Harry sensed he really needed to know.
"With cravings and stuff? Well that, I confess, is a useful spell I found in a wizzarding maternity book, it alerts me to when and what you're craving, be it food or time alone or a hug or something, but the things like that; the Sevvy thing, that's just me, you tensed, just a little, and I thought it might be what you wanted." It was Harry's turn to look away, his cheeks were pink, Severus laughed, and hugged him tightly, it made him feel better to know there was just a little magic involved, and happy to think Harry had the sense to read up on the matter.
"Good God I love you" Harry returned the embrace whole heartedly, and they stayed that way for a fair while, finally Severus spoke "I liked your mantra by the way," Harry buried his head in Severus' chest and Severus swore he could feel the heat of his cheeks as he blushed into his robe, and they both laughed again. Merlin it felt nice to be in Harry's arms like this, thought Severus, and he suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Ron.
"Would you teach Ron the spell? The poor guy is having a terrible time of it, and I'll have a chat to 'Mione" Severus said, and Harry nodded his agreement, both of them loathed to move, but the couch wouldn't be comfortable for long, Harry looked up;
"Bed?" he asked, Severus nodded his agreement, but stayed, watching his partner in the glow of the fire for a moment or two, the light was catching on the silver streaks in Harry's hair, and his luminous green eyes reflected all the emotion of the evening back up at him, suddenly 'bed' seemed the best idea he'd heard in a while. Then he remembered he was 7 months pregnant, and his face fell slightly, how could Harry even thing of fancying a beached whale?! Tears were forming at the corners of his eye before he even thought about stopping them. By the time the first fat tear rolled down Severus cheek, Harry was already on his feet, scooping his husband into his arms, not once showing any sign he was too heavy, and moved toward the bedroom, he placed Severus on the bed, caressed his cheek, then moved swiftly into the bathroom. Moments later he reappeared, took Severus by the hand and gently pulled him into the bathroom, Severus gaped. The tub was full of warm foamy water, with a hint of lavender, and many tiny floating candles hovered about the tub, and one of Severus' favoured classical tunes permeated the air softly. Harry immediately began unbuttoning Severus' robes and under garments, followed by his own, he then swooped his husband up once more and carefully climbed into the tub. Once they were both settled in the warm water, with Severus leaning against Harry's muscular chest, Harry proceeded to show his husband, just how much he could fancy a 'beached whale'. Several times over.
Once Harry felt the Severus was happy, and by this time extremely drowsy, he lifted them both from the tub, towelled them off, dressed them both in pyjama trousers, and got them both into bed. With Severus spooned against him, they were nearly asleep when Severus mumbled;
"What was on the other bits of paper?" Harry smiled and kissed his neck;
"It's a secret, Sevvy." He whispered back, Severus frowned slightly,
"Elf-Boy, What are you hiding from me?" was the last thing either of them remembered, as they slipped into a joint deep slumber.