Chapter 19

Second Chances

After the Holidays had ended, the school's inhabitants seemed to have tripled. Eliza had gotten so used to the quiet days, spent reading and going for afternoon strolls with her beloved, that she was baffled by the onslaught of students arriving early morning on January 5th.

Now with Valentine's Day rolling around, the amount of "errors" made in class causing aphrodisiac gases were innumerable. A few times she had to ask Severus to help her get the situation under control.

On one especially out of control class, she had sent her Patronus to him and as he entered three cauldrons set off simultaneously in her face, making her fall over.

"Merlin, this can't be good." The man in black muttered, making his way to her hurriedly.

He helped her stand and she smiled nervously. "Thanks. I've grown an immunity to it but I must say, that is one hell of a powerful gas."

"You could say that again." Came his reply.

"This has gone on for too long. I'm putting an end to this, NOW!" The Potions' mistress stalked over to her desk and stood before her class of seventh years. "EVANESCO!" She shouted, waving her wand around the room.

All the cauldrons were suddenly empty and a collective groan sounded from the students.

"Listen here you foolish dunderheads, if I catch one more of you setting off that gas on purpose, it'll be the last thing you ever do. I will have no mercy on the imbecile who decides to make that decision and you all know what happened the last time someone disobeyed me!" The woman inhaled deeply, composing herself. "Now, you will clean up your stations and re-brew the potion correctly or suffer the consequences. Is that understood?"

The students nodded and got back to work.

Severus was about to leave when Eliza stopped him.

"Severus, I need a word with you." She said, making her way towards him.

The witch stepped outside her classroom and closed the door for a moment.

"What is it?" The man asked, concern visible in his ebony eyes.

Nervously tucking a stray curl behind her ear, she straightened out her robes and looked up at him.

"Maybe now isn't the proper moment to have this discussion... I'll speak to you later, Severus. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

Before he had the chance to say anything, she disappeared into her classroom once again.

Confused, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor returned to his own classroom, mind buzzing about what she had been about to say.

Severus was further worried when his lover didn't show up for the feast at supper.

Maybe she's caught up on correcting. He thought.

However, the wizard knew better. Something told him that that was not the case.

As soon as he finished eating, he headed down to the dungeons. Something was going on and he intended to find out.

Knocking on her office door, he entered when there was no reply. He approached the door to her personal chambers and was grateful that they had thought the same for their Christmas gifts.

"Scorpio." He whispered.

The door swung open and he searched for her again. No sign of her anywhere.

Severus left her quarters and headed back up the stairs to the first floor, where he nearly ran into her as she was descending the stairs to return to her chambers.

"Severus, goodness! My apologies, I didn't see you." Eliza gasped, leaning against the railing to steady herself.

"I'm perfectly fine, are you alright?" He asked, noticing her dismay.

She nodded and giggled lightly. "You scared me is all."

The wizard took her hand in his and looked deep into her sage green eyes, all the while straining to keep up his mental wall.

"What's going on with you?" The man inquired. "You're worrying me."

Eliza took a deep breath, closed her eyes and nodded.

She took a careful step and looped her arm with his. "Let's go have some tea and discuss it, shall we?"

"Oh Minerva, you'll never guess what." Poppy whispered, stirring her tea, later that evening in the staff room.

"What is it Poppy, do tell!" The Head of Gryffindor inquired, sensing gossip up ahead.

The Healer giggled like a young girl. "It seems to me like history might be repeating itself 17 years later, if you get my drift."

The older witch frowned. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You don't know!?" The nurse gasped. "I say, I'd have thought the whole school's heard about it by now! Well, here's what happened 17 years ago..."

Sitting in her lounging area, Severus eyed the woman skeptically.

"Why weren't you at supper?" He asked.

"Patience, darling. Let me get my tea and then you can ask questions." She disappeared into her tiny kitchen, humming a calming tune.

Her behaviour struck him as unordinary and made him even more curious than he already was.

She returned moments later with two cups of steaming tea and set them on the low coffee table.

She took a small, careful sip of her own and nodded. "Go ahead, bombard me with your questions."

Taking advantage of the moment, he did. "Why weren't you at supper?"

"I was with Madam Pomfrey." She replied elusively.

"Why did you avoid me all day after this morning's incident?" He questioned.

"So that we could have this discussion in privacy. I didn't want to risk others getting involved in our personal matters." Her answers were simplistic and explained her intentions, but were still vague. "Now if we are done with playing this game of 20 questions, there is something I wish to discuss with you."

Her tone was demanding and gave off a no-nonsense demeanour. Severus nodded once and awaited her words.

"I haven't been myself lately and I've been visiting Poppy quite a bit in the last few weeks. I didn't want to tell you just yet, but I feel as though it would be wrong of me in consideration of past events." She started, nervously tapping her foot. "No need to worry, it is nothing grave. I see it as a blessing in disguise. A chance to start over and make things right."

Severus frowned, unsure whether his train of thought had led to the proper conclusion. "Eliza, what are you saying?"

She looked into his eyes, and smiled excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "I'm pregnant."