A/N: I will only say, I'm sorry, because I'm afraid I crossed the line between sweet and corny with this chapter, I can only hope you don't find it unbearable to read.
Enjoy ^_^
HOGWARTS 1997
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Chapter 25
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Pregnant
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"I'll kill you!" the headmaster threatened, branding his wand against the professor after breaking into his bedroom in the middle of the night.
"Severus, you don't want to do this," Pomona Sprout talked wisely from the corner of the room.
"He raped her!" Severus yelled, looking at her but not lowering his wand, "and your dear husband knew it!"
Severus turned to look at Filius again, who was on the other corner. The Headmaster had surprised them in their sleep when he'd rushed into their chambers, so they both were wearing their pajamas.
"Then go and kill the damn bastard," Sprout yelled, "but do not harm my husband."
"Don't you think I don't want to?" Severus said, tears of rage coming up to him, "but Minerva made me promise I wouldn't."
"Just like she made me promise not to tell you what had happened?" Filius pointed out, not showing any fear against the Headmaster's wand, and Severus realized his colleague was right.
"I'm sorry," he suddenly said, sitting on the end of the bed, taking his hands to his head.
"It's alright," Flitwick walked to him and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I understand your pain, Severus," he said.
"I didn't even wait for her to say it out loud," he explained, "I couldn't hear it…"
"Oh, please," Pomona interrupted, standing in front of the the two man and suddenly grabbing Severus by his arm and pulling him up, "The woman has been keeping it to herself all this time in order to protect you. So, enough of Severus in this story and more of Minerva. Now go back with her before I heck your head off."
"Pomona…" Flitwick muttered, his eyes opened widely while looking at his wife.
"No, Filius," Severus said, "she's right. I came here trying to satisfy my anger when I should be with Mlinerva."
"Of course, you should, my boy," the Charms professor agreed and the Headmaster left without saying anything else.
"Keep what from me, Minerva? What are you talking about?" he turned around, his hands grabbing the end of the bed as if he was trying to bend the bar of metal, "Who would I have killed?"
"Carrow," she said, and Severus recalled that first week of term when Amycus had tried to attack Minerva.
"I promised you I wouldn't touch him," he reminded her.
"I know," she said, "but this time…" she muttered.
"What time?" he interrupted, getting nervous and impatient.
"The night of Halloween," she closed her eyes, like wishing he wouldn't be there when she opened them back.
"Minerva, what happened the night of Halloween, what are you not telling me?"
"I'm so sorry, Severus," she broke down into tears and Severus didn't need to hear anymore. He rushed to the doors, ignoring Minerva.
"Severus, Severus, please… don't go, don't do it, Severus!" she yelled.
"What?!" he yelled louder, turning around to Minerva right when his hand was on the doorknob.
"You promised," she said, "I don't want you to get yourself killed."
He showed her his back and left, leaving Minerva crying desperately.
"Severus!" Minerva exclaimed when she saw him coming back into the hospital wing. "Oh, Severus, I was so worried!" she broke into tears and he walked towards her bed and hugged her strongly… he was never going to let go of her.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I shouldn't have walked out of here the way I did."
"Where did you go, Severus? What have you done?" she questioned.
"Don't worry," he moved apart, sitting on the edge of the bed and dried her tears with his fingers, "I've kept my promise," he said.
"Good," she said, more calmly, "because I wouldn't like you to get in trouble."
"Minerva," he cupped her face with his hands, "I wish you would have told me earlier," he said, "we both have suffered so much being separated."
"I thought I could keep it from you without having to break up but," she confessed, "that night, that last night after it happened," she said, "I couldn't bear you touching me, and I hated myself for that."
"Oh, my darling," he caressed her cheek and she leaned towards his touch, "if I had known…" he sighted, "we'll get over this, together," he said, "for our baby," and he rested his hand on her belly again, and this time Minerva put her own hand on top of his.
"Severus, there's something else," she said, "I never went to Poppy about the pregnancy, and the reason I didn't tell you about the baby…" she stopped for a moment, and it was Severus' turn to close his eyes and wish she wouldn't say what she was about to say: "I don't know how long I am in the pregnancy," she explained, "I don't know if…" but he interrupted her taking a finger to her lips, her beautiful pink and thin lips.
"I love you, Minerva," he said, his eyes gazing at hers as if there was nothing else in the world but her sparkling green eyes, "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone and nothing you say will ever change that," she then removed that finger that had silenced her.
"Yes," she said and he frowned.
"Yes what?"
"You had a question for me," she explained, "the answer is yes," she smiled, for the first time in days, in weeks, she truly smiled, "when all this craziness is over, when the war is finished, when you become finally free, I would be more than glad to become your wife, Severus Snape."
Poppy Pomfrey woke up earlier than ever that day and went directly into the Hospital Wing, where she found the Headmaster profoundly asleep on the bed besides her patient.
Ignoring him, she walked towards her friend and closed the curtains one more time.
"Minerva," she said, resting a hand on her shoulder to wake her up, "Minerva, I need to run some tests on you, now."
"Poppy," Minerva opened her eyes slowly, "where is Severus?"
"Sleeping," she said, "there's no need to wake him up, I just want to check everything is alright with the baby."
"Severus told me you said it was alright," Minerva sat up on the bed to be more comfortable while talking to her friend.
"Well, I didn't say the opposite," the nurse pulled the sheets that covered Minerva down, and the body of the professor was completely revealed, showing an incipient rounded belly that the nurse touched with her wand.
"Poppy," Minerva said, as her friend murmured some enchantments with her eyes closed to be more concentrated, "do you think you could tell me how long I am in the pregnancy?" she asked, "I really need to know," but the mediwitch didn't seem to be listening to her, "Poppy?"
"Yes?" the nurse stopped and looked at Minerva absently.
"How long am I pregnant?" she repeated.
"About ten weeks," Poppy answered, and Minerva stayed quiet for a moment, counting in her mind and suddenly some tears filled her eyes, "are you alright, sweetheart? Are you in pain?"
"No, no," Minerva said, showing her second honest smile in almost two months, "you just made me very happy," she explained.
"I'm glad," the nurse said, a serious expression still in her face, "I'll go get you something to eat, alright?" she waited for Minerva to nod and then she disappeared behind the curtains.
…
Walking to the other bed, Poppy put a hand on the Headmaster's shoulder and he suddenly jumped from his sleep branding his wand against her.
"For god's sake, Poppy, I could have harmed you," he said.
"I'm sorry," the nurse apologized as Severus kept his wand back into his pocket.
"Did you see Minerva?" he asked, "she woke up during the night, but she seemed ok."
"She is fine, Severus," the nurse assured, "it's the baby I'm worried about," she said with a lower voice, "do you mind walking with me."
The two of them walked to the mediwitch's office and Severus said nothing until they were inside, understanding that Poppy didn't want Minerva to hear.
"What's wrong with the baby?" he wondered, "you said there was a heartbeating yesterday."
"And there is," she said, "but it's weak."
"What does that mean?" Severus asked.
"It means that it's very likely that Minerva will have a miscarriage during the first weeks of her second trimestre."
"But it could not happen," he pointed.
"You don't understand," Poppy said, "if she has a natural miscarriage at that stage, it will be dangerous for Minerva," she looked distressed, "I told you she needed to go to San Mungo."
"Have you told her?" he asked, ignoring her last words.
"No."
"She won't agree to a forced miscarriage, Poppy," Severus said.
"I know, that's why I told you first; so you can talk her into it."
Severus trespassed the curtains around Minerva's bed and she looked at him with a smile drawn on her lips.
"What's the matter?" she wondered seeing the worry in his eyes.
"I was just talking to Poppy," he said.
"Oh, did she tell you?" she asked, and he frowned. Hadn't Poppy said that she hadn't spoke to Minerva yet?
"Tell me what?" he wondered.
"I am ten weeks long, Severus," she said, "I got pregnant before Halloween."
She was happier than he had ever seen her, not only her smile was gorgeous, but her eyes sparkled like they'd never had… It killed him having to be the one to erase that joy from her.
"Minerva," he said, sitting down at the edge of the bed, holding both her hands between his, looking down to the sheets, avoiding her eyes.
"Something is wrong, isn't it?" she said, "I felt it on the way Poppy looked at me, but I didn't wanted to believe it."
"The stuns you received weakened the baby," he said, "it's still alive but…"
"I won't decide over its life, Severus," she interrupted, knowing where he was going.
"But Poppy says you could die if…"
"Severus, as long as it is still alive inside of me, I will fight for its life," she said, "it's our baby," she added, "our family."
"What about your life?" he asked, "I don't want to lose you, Minerva."
"You won't," she said, "I promise."
"You can't promise that," he said, "but I see you've made up your mind about this, so if there is the slightest complication, if there's any sickness, any pain, any sign that something is going to go wrong… I will take you straight to San Mungo and I will fight for your life, Minerva McGonagall, like it or not."
"Alright," she replied.
"You're not going to argue me?" he questioned.
"No, my love," she pulled him closer to her, "I'm going to kiss you," she whispered to his ear.
She took her hand to the back of his neck, caressing his skin slowly as he leaned closer. And as they lips approached, he closed his eyes, and Minerva placed a tender kiss on his mouth, that he very gently returned; but she kept her eyes opened, afraid that in the darkness, she would forget he was Severus and would picture Amycus on his place again.
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TO BE CONTINUED...