For a few seconds, Snape stared at her blankly, until the reality of what she said started to sink in.
"A – a baby?" He repeated blankly, "Do you mean to say that you are…"
"Pregnant, yes," Celena nodded, a wide smile splitting her face, "I can't be very far along, I think it happened about a month ago. I didn't know for sure until this morning, and I've meant to tell you all day but just couldn't find the right moment… aren't – aren't you happy, Severus?" She asked hesitantly, looking at the somber expression of his face. It softened as he took her hand and kissed it.
"Of course – of course I'm happy. How could I not be? It's incredible, Celena. But the question is, what are we going to do?"
"Do?" Celena repeated, frowning. "What do you mean, what are we going to do?"
"Perhaps, if you move back in with your parents for a while when it becomes obvious that you are…" he started, but trailed off, seeing the mutinous expression of her face.
"No," she said firmly. "I will not pretend I'm going to have a baby out of wedlock. Even if we tell the truth later, gossip dies hard and I will never be able to live this down. I'm telling you, Severus, it's better for us to just move into the open."
"Perhaps…" he said slowly, "perhaps you are right. I will have to think about how to protect you once the secrecy is lifted. But for now, Celena, please don't tell about the pregnancy to anyone, not even your parents."
Hopeful and encouraged, Celena assured him she would not tell until both of them will decide it is the right time to do so, but her resolution to keep a secret was put to a positively impassable test when Fleur knocked on her door that weekend, looking simply radiant. When Severus, after a brief greeting and a few clumsy attempts of conversation, shuffled away to his study, and Celena and Fleur retreated to the cozy kitchen for a steamy mug of hot tea and some homemade cauldron cakes, Fleur took hold of Celena's hand and looked straight into her eyes. Celena waited curiously. She had rarely seen her friend so excited.
"Celena," said Fleur, "you won't believe zis – Bill and I 'aven't got around to telling people yet, we only just told 'is family – we are expecting a baby!"
"No way!" Celena gave a delighted squeal, "you too?"
"Oh, Celena, 'ow wonderful! Imagine, eef we both 'ave girls, and zey become best friends just like us! I expect zey will go to school togezzer, like we did – ah, eet will be seemply delightful!"
There was a pause of about five minutes when the two friends hugged each other, bouncing up and down like giddy schoolgirls.
"We shouldn't be jumping like that, you know, Fleur," Celena said in a tone of mock seriousness, finally sitting back down, "we are pregnant women now… ought to take care of ourselves…"
Fleur suppressed one final giggle and sat down, too.
"So, when are you and Severus going to come out weez your belated wedding announcement?" She asked, "Eet doesn't look as though you will be able to 'old the secret back much longer, and eet will be quite ridiculous eef you tell when you already can't fit into your dress robes, Celena."
"I know," Celena frowned, "I've been thinking that, too. But Severus is not quite convinced yet, and he asked me not to tell anyone we are expecting a baby, so please don't make him understand I let it slip."
The big news were a cause for celebration, and after bidding Severus a quick goodbye – Fleur did her best to keep a straight face and act as though she hadn't just issued, and heard, the most exciting announcement – Celena and Fleur went out of the house and into the streets of Hogsmeade, which were covered with puddles after that week's rains. They made their way to Gladrags Wizardwear, where they purchased a hat and a pair of gloves apiece. Later, they found themselves a small table in the Three Broomsticks and ordered two Gillywaters.
"I would love to celebrate with some champagne," whispered Fleur, leaning closer to Celena, "but in our condition, I am not sure we ought to 'ave any."
"Oh, please be quiet, Fleur," moaned Celena, but despite herself, she smiled. For a few minutes, they sipped their drinks in dignified silence, and then Celena told:
"Viktor has been coming by our house lately, you know," she paused, "we had him over for dinner last night - he has put Severus in contact with – with the right people in Bulgaria. And it looks like he is going to stay in Britain for a while – he has signed a contract with Puddlemere United."
Even though they were talking in low voices, unheard over the loud noise of the bar, she didn't dare to speak more plainly.
"Ah," said Fleur, smiling for some reason, "Viktor 'as certainly been busy."
She gestured towards a table in a distant corner, and sure enough, Celena noticed the dark hair and beaky nose of Viktor Krum, who was leaning across the table, clearly engrossed in conversation with a very pretty girl in a shocking pink sweater, whose dark hair was rippling down her back. Evidently, she didn't use the Beauty Balm this time, as her freckles were clearly visible, but they didn't make her look any less pretty – if anything, her freckles only enhanced the pale fineness of her face.
"Right," smirked Celena, "I forgot this is a Hogsmeade weekend."
"Oh?" Fleur's eyebrows formed graceful arches above her eyes, "do you mean to tell me zis is a student from ze school?"
"Yes," said Celena, "this is Melissa Hanson, she was in my classes last year. But at least I think she must be of age, she is in her seventh year already. Isn't it so typical for Viktor? he will never miss the chance to hit on a good-looking girl, even when something very serious is going on…"
"She is quite pretty," Fleur nodded appreciatively, "Vikor 'as always 'ad a good taste – I once expected 'e would ask me out, you know, in our Triwizard year, but 'e never did, and of course I was ever so grateful for zat later, because I soon met Bill, and well, you know…"
Fleur and Celena continued chattering away, and neither of them noticed the two boys that opened the bar's door, only to turn on their heel and leave as quickly and quietly as they could.
"Alright, alright, let's go someplace else," Martin said grouchily, as Dennis dragged him along the street to the shelter of the crowded Honeydukes sweetshop, "I understand you don't want to see Professor Costello, after you made such a fool of yourself – which was, of course, predictable, I really don't know what got into your head, you couldn't have expected anything different…"
He trailed off, seeing that Dennis wasn't really listening, misery still etched in every line of his face.
"Oh, alright, let's just drop it," he said with a sigh, "listen, Dennis, I don't expect you had eyes for anything but Professor Costello, but I've seen something very interesting."
"What?" asked Dennis, with a feeble imitation of curiosity.
"Mel," said Martin.
"Melissa?" Dennis raised an eyebrow. "Well, she might be sitting in The Three Broomsticks on a Hogsmeade weekend any old time, what's so interesting about that?"
Martin gave him an enigmatic smile.
"But guess who she was sitting with? Viktor Krum!"
Dennis stared at him blankly. Despite his mortification, he was curious.
"Viktor Krum? The Viktor Krum?"
"Yes, yes, Viktor Krum, famous international Quidditch player, the most recent acquisition of Puddlemere United, Bulgaria's hope for the next World Cup and all that," nodded Martin, "Melissa told me they got quite friendly at Ginny Weasley's wedding, but I thought she was exaggerating. It appears she told the truth, though. They were sitting very cozily together, I wish we could have stayed to get a better look –"
"No way," Dennis said firmly, "I'm not going back there."
"Suit yourself," Martin shook his head, "but you know, Dennis, if you hadn't been so stupid, you could have been sitting there with Melissa right now."
Dennis gave him another blank stare.
"With Mel? What d'you…"
"Are you an idiot or what?" snapped Martin, "Mel is one of the prettiest girls in the year now, and she has had a crush on you for ages – and she had to see you wasting your time pining for Professor Costello. If I were you, I would have seized the opportunity to get it going with Mel, but of course now it's too late – you could never compete with Viktor Krum, mate."
Dennis shrugged indifferently. He was hurt too deeply to appreciate the healthy logic of Martin's words, but now he did notice how much Melissa Hanson has changed compared to the eleven-year-old girl he first met on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.