Author's notes: All characters in this story (other than my own OC creations) are the property of JKR. I am just borrowing her wonderful world. Updated 02/03/12
Chapter 28 – A Muggle Method
October began with a rash of colds and flu that infiltrated every corner of the school. Despite the benefits of magical healing, the wizarding world had not yet conquered the insidious spread of infectious diseases, and the resulting plague of sneezes, coughs and runny noses found Hogwarts an excellent place to breed.
In spite of the loathsome flu epidemic, Andrea was looking forward to her first wedding anniversary. If only she and Severus could enjoy a dinner alone, somewhere away from the normalcy of the school regime, she would be happy. The celebration, she knew, had to be low-key. It was a well-known fact that Severus hated frivolity, but Andrea still wanted to make it special. The bad memories that surrounded their wedding night, and the tragic events that followed, made it essential for Andrea to make this a healing celebration. Truly it was love that had carried them through the evil times, and it had been a year full of love. Her face flushed just thinking of him. As the familiar desire flooded her body, she looked at her wedding ring, not surprised at all that it had turned a deep, ruby red.
What could she give him? He loved books and, of course, his potions, but what would show her loyalty and her undying love?
Uncertain of the correct choice, Andrea decided to consult with Professor Sprout who suggested a simple solution – a photo of their family. But this gift would not be any ordinary wizarding photo. This one would come with a hidden treasure. With Pomona's assistance, a picture was taken of Andrea and the twins holding hands, the tender image portraying a symbolic formation of unity.
When the finished photo was placed in the enchanted frame, it contained a special charm for one chosen viewer. When touched on the spot where the hands of the two girls and their mother met, the picture would vanish. In its place, a poem would appear, written to commemorate the couple's first year together:
My dearest Severus,
I have a love that comes once in a lifetime.
It connects and binds us with unbreakable vines.
This living entity took control of my soul.
It is a love I hold for you and you alone.
That two hath become one, never to be broken apart.
It is you, Severus, that I love in this way.
I am yours till eternity.
Never doubt.
Love, forever and always, Andrea
The day of their anniversary, Monday October 12, inconveniently fell on a busy school day. This prompted Andrea to send an invitation to Severus's office, the note requesting his presence for dinner in the garden behind the school. With an attempt at simple elegance, the terrace had been decorated with floating candles and miniature bouquets of asters. The meal would offer a simple menu, consisting only of pumpkin soup, shepherds pie and treacle tart.
Hoping the effect would be subdued enough to please Severus, Andrea waited anxiously for him to arrive. She had dressed simply in a set of satin, green robes, the front slashed open by a deep, plunging neckline. A single strand of silver pearls offered the only decoration making the effect dramatic.
With only minutes to go, Andrea realized she might have made a mistake. A chilly breeze had sprung up from the north, sending its icy tendrils in a wicked dance across the landscape. Although she'd remembered to bring a shawl, the flimsy folds of black cloth were drastically inadequate. Within minutes, she began to shiver. Pulling her wand, she set a series of warming spells around the edges of the garden until the temperature was almost balmy. Smiling to herself, Andrea was quite satisfied with her preparations. She only hoped Severus would be just as pleased.
Arriving, as usual, right on time, Severus bowed his head in a formal greeting and immediately took Andrea's arm.
"You're being quite the gentleman this evening," Andrea observed.
"Am I not always?" he countered, clearing his throat.
"Well, yes … most of the time," Andrea smiled briefly, but her expression turned abruptly to worry. As soon as he'd spoken, she knew something was wrong. "Oh, Severus, you sound awful."
Raising an eyebrow, he replied, "I sound just the same as I always do. Awful is something I've grown to live with."
"Don't be silly."
"Are you going to spend the evening insulting me? If so, I shall expect some payment for the abuse," he drawled. Despite his obviously congested condition, his humor seemed to be unaffected.
"We're lucky," he added. "The students haven't yet found our secret garden. Perhaps I should add some additional enchantments to ensure it stays hidden."
"You're so suspicious," Andrea replied with a shake of her head.
"Yes, and you should be as well. Trouble arrives when you least expect. Evil follows the unsuspecting, especially trusting little beauties like you."
Andrea grinned. It looked like he was in the mood for some verbal sparing. "I like to think good things about people. Even you—"
"And you live in a dream world. You're unpleasant aptitude for befriending every fiend and villain for miles around requires my constant vigilance." Severus smirked as he pulled his wife close, placing his cold nose against the warmth of Andrea's neck.
"Stop it!" she giggled. "Now, sit down and behave."
Looking suspiciously at the soup terrine, Severus sniffed. "And what, may I ask, is in here?"
The molded, ceramic container had been transfigured into a large, orange squash. As it hovered silently beside the small table, three vines bowed their leaves in unison, the center one holding a ladle.
"A 'spicy' treat," Andrea punned. With a flourish, she lifted the cover and smelled the glorious aroma. "It's pumpkin soup with just a touch of curry, and there's some whole grain bread with pecans and apricots to go with it."
"Curry?" Severus inquired, his lip twisting up in disgust.
"Aw, come on. Try it. It's wonderful." She scooped a ladle of the steaming soup into his bowl.
Shivering, Severus pulled at his cloak as the cold wind blew toward him across the garden stones, the blustery conditions wreaking havoc with Andrea's earlier spell work. The swirling breeze rustled the leaves into little eddies, causing the candles to flicker. The wind seemed intent on extinguishing the flames. In response, Andrea frowned and quickly reapplied the warming spells.
"As long as it's hot, I will try the soup," he replied.
"Oh, it's hot all right," Andrea promised. "I do hope the it warms you up, though. I didn't realize it would be so cold tonight. I guess I just remembered how warm it was a year ago—"
"On our wedding day," Severus answered finishing her sentence. His battered voice attempted a warm caress, but his eyes were much more successful. They emitted a scorching gaze as he admired her body. Slowly, he reached out across the table and laid his hand on hers. "You are as beautiful tonight as you were a year ago."
Blushing in spite of herself, Andrea tore her eyes from his. With regret, she also pulled her hand away. "I have wine, too. It's a Californian Red Elfin Shiraz." Carefully, she poured the ruby liquid into the delicately carved silver goblets. When she was finished, she slid her hand back across the table and smiled at Severus hopefully.
Raising an eyebrow for the third time that evening, he placed his hand on hers once again.
"Is that the only thing you can do? Raise your eyebrows at me?" Andrea asked playfully. "How about a wink?"
After gulping the flavorful liquid, he shook his head and said with a smirk, "Winks are for lacey, knickered dandies like Lockhart. You will not get them from me."
"You're right. I've seen your knickers. I much prefer you 'unknickered.'"
"Later, my dear wife, you may get your wish. For the moment, you must practice patience."
After pouring himself more wine, Severus studied the small label on the bottle. In a continuous magical movement, a procession of American elves carried baskets of freshly cut fruit from the vineyard. They marched along a row of vines, the massive backdrop of mountains looming gloriously in the background.
"This wine is excellent," he said before taking another sip.
Lifting her eyes to meet his, she said, "You know we have another anniversary date that we could celebrate. You remember. The quickest ceremony ever performed in a Ministry closet?"
Her attempt at humor met a stony gaze. "Missy, this is the only date that means anything to me."
"Yes," she said, smiling. "You're right."
After the meal, Severus sat back and swirled yet another glass of wine, looking at the carvings on the cup. Briefly, he flicked his eyes up at his wife, a serious expression clouding his face. When he spoke, his words came heavy with meaning. "There are times that I regret what we've done."
"What do you mean?" she frowned, suddenly a bit fearful. What on earth was he saying?
"The twins. I fear for them," he said simply, continuing to look down.
"You've often told me we have to learn from our past," she said softly.
"But we did not," he said sadly but corrected himself. "I did not. You are pregnant again, because I did not think. We should have elected for sterilization – before the twins."
Andrea's eyes widened, the anger rising in her throat. "You can't be serious! After you pulled that stunt with the potion? What about that speech you made to me so long ago about wanting to hold your grandchildren in your arms? That you wanted to know your life had meaning? How can you say such a thing?"
Nodding, Severus took a sip of wine, feeling the heady effects of the alcohol seeping into his brain. "I know," he whispered. "But is it fair to place the lives of innocent children into our chosen hell? I sometimes regret marrying you, too, but you are an adult, and I can … understand love." He looked deep into her eyes. "It is a needy thing. I need you, and I can see now how you must have felt about me … about us."
"And our love created our children," Andrea countered. "If everyone stopped to think before bringing a child into the world, the human race would be extinct." Reaching over, Andrea took Severus's hand in both of hers, squeezing it tightly.
"But we are not ordinary wizards," he replied adamantly. "And we are not a normal wizarding family. I should have known the Dark Lord would return. It was just … hope … a dream that he would not come back. Ten years is a long time. Albus knew, yet I chose to ignore his insight."" He let his gaze wander off into the dark shadows of the garden, his mind spiraling down into self-guilt.
"Oh, my love, my dearest, please don't do this. Nothing's going to happen. Our girls are strong and good and beautiful. And the Dark Lord is gone again, isn't he? We have each other and a wonderful future ahead of us. What could happen?" She shook his hand to get his attention back, smiling up at him with pleading eyes. "I love you, Severus. I'll make sure nothing bad happens. I'll protect us."
"You?" Severus snorted. "You couldn't hurt a flea." His lips twitched as he fought back a smile.
"Oh, I don't know. I killed a boggart once."
"You can't kill a boggart."
"I can make them go away. All I have to do is giggle." With a little bobbing motion, she tried a forced giggle, making a sound like a mermaid's hiccups.
"Ha!" Severus laughed. "Ha! Ha!" he said again, his single syllable laughter always making Andrea laugh back.
"Oh, that's better," she grinned, satisfied that she had lifted his mood a bit. "I have a present for you." With a flourish, she brought out the wrapped gift and placed it on the table in front of him.
A little suspiciously, Severus opened it, immediately seeing the three, pictured faces smiling up at him. With a large sigh, he stared down at it, the small image reflecting all that he held dear in this world. With difficulty, he thanked her. "It's perfect. My three girls."
"Touch the picture," Andrea instructed him eagerly, "right in the middle by our hands."
Reaching out with his long index finger he lightly tapped the spot she had indicated, revealing the short poem. As he read it, he blinked. Although the flickering light of the candles concealed it, a rare tear appeared in the corner of his eye.
"I don't know what to say." Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he continued to stare at it. After a few moments, the photo reappeared.
"I made it for your office. I wanted to make sure the poem was only visible when you wanted it to be."
"It will always be visible to me – here," he replied softly, putting his hand on his heart. "I almost forgot. I have a present for you, too. Give me a minute." He leapt up from his seat and strode toward the school entrance leaving Andrea to wonder what he had up his sleeve.
While Severus ran inside, Andrea waited patiently, she sipped her wine and enjoyed the moment, but she did not have to wait long. In just a short time, Severus returned with a bundle of burlap tied tightly with string. An eager, yet knowing look appeared on his face, making Andrea extremely curious. With caution, she untied the string, her eyes riveted to the package.
After the paper had fallen away, a small, potted tree appeared. It looked like a willow, but instead of a docile swaying of branches, the little tree seemed to bend and sway as if tortured in pain. She reached out her hand carefully, and as she did, the willow struck her with its slender branches.
"Ouch!" she cried out, rubbing her hand. "What is this? Don't tell me it's another Whomping Willow?"
"Yes! An extremely rare variety. The coloration is an ochre blend. You'll find that it's a bit sensitive to strangers, but I'm sure it'll become accustomed to you … eventually."
Andrea turned away, trying very hard to hide her surprise.
"A tree would symbolize our growing family," Severus declared proudly. "What do you think?"
"A Whomping Willow?" she asked again incredulously.
"Don't you like it?" he asked, his fear of disappointing her clearly displayed on his face.
"Oh, well, of course I do!" she exclaimed, trying to cover up her astonishment. "It's just different."
"Well, you should expect the unexpected from me." Proud of his unusual choice in gifts, he displayed an almost sweet smile, an expression he tried to hide from the rest of the world.
"Don't worry," she replied truthfully. "I love it."
"Let's go for a walk," he suggested. Moving out into the darkness, they strolled down the hill and out to the grounds.
"Do you want to go down to the lake?" she asked.
"No, I'm just a bit tired. I fear this cold is getting worse. In fact, I've changed my mind. Let's just go in and sit by the fire." Shivering again, he pulled his cloak tightly against his chest.
"You sound a little congested."
"Yes, some tea sounds good about now," he replied.
Later, they sat comfortably by a blazing fire sipping hot tea. And as the two shared a heavy wool blanket, quietly enjoying each other's company, all that could be heard was the sound of the crackling fire. It was not an exciting end to their first anniversary, but as Andrea held her sleeping husband tenderly in her arms, she knew she was the happiest she had ever been in her life. If only the next year of their marriage could end just as happily.
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The next day, when Severus's cold refused to improve, he asked Andrea to go to Madame Pomfrey to get a Pepper Up potion. This worked on his congestion, but produced an annoying stream of steam to pour out of his ears, completely drenching his hair. Then the chills began, accompanied by a rising fever. The symptoms were so strong that for two days, Severus couldn't even drag himself out of bed. Luckily, Andrea could check on him between classes as her workshop was just steps away. But when his fever still had not improved by the third night, Andrea became worried.
"What I need is some aspirin," Severus suggested, his voice raspy and weak.
"Aspirin? Isn't that a Muggle medicine?"
"Yes, but it works. I took it years ago as a child. My mother was always trying out Muggle things – she wanted to be a Muggle," Severus muttered as he huddled under the covers.
"Don't you have some sort of potion that would work?"
"I do, but I am not in a capacity for brewing at the moment. Besides, the aspirin works, too. Can't you get some for me?" he pleaded, his eyes red from the virus.
Still not knowing quite what to do, she asked him, "Where would I get the stuff?"
"Ask Charity Burbage. She'll know," he said, continuing to shake with the chills despite being covered in a thick pile of quilts. Tentatively, Andrea put her hand on his forehead.
"Oh, that feels good," he mumbled. "I have such a headache. Can you also get me some more of the Pepper Up potion?" Not waiting for an answer, he closed his eyes, and Andrea put out the candle by his bedside. After adding some extra goose down to the top quilt with her wand, she left Severus to rest. It was time to consult with the Muggle Studies Professor.
Although Andrea had never been to Charity's office before, she easily found her way up to the third floor corridor leading to the Muggle Studies classroom. Knocking gently on the door, Professor Burbage responded with a friendly greeting.
"Come in, come in," she insisted and proceeded to guide Andrea to a comfortable-looking, leather chair situated just to the side of her desk. There were all sorts of toys and Muggle electronic gadgets lined up against the far wall, and a wide display of Muggle books was stacked neatly on several bookcases behind her desk. The large, oval office was lit brightly by an electric lamp, but Andrea could see that the cord was not attached. It dangled limply off to the side.
"Well, this is a surprise, Professor Smith … ah, I mean Professor Snape." Smiling broadly, Charity asked, "What can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry to bother you so late. I wouldn't have come, but Severus is very ill. He's had a high fever for over two days now, and I'm really worried."
"Oh my, that doesn't sound good at all. I'm sure you'll want to see Madame Pomfrey. Did she give you a Pepper Up for him?"
"Yes, but it's not doing anything for the fever." Andrea hesitated and then said, "You seem to know so much about Muggles, and Severus thought maybe you might know where to get something called aspirin. Do you know what that is?"
"Ah, yes," Charity answered. "He would know about that, having grown up with Muggles."
Opening up a small box she had stored on a corner shelf, Charity rummaged around, searching for something. "Muggle medicine does have its advantages. There are some items like aspirin that are wonderful drugs. They work as good as or better than many magical potions, although I bet your husband wouldn't admit that."
"Oh no! I think he would rather think of it as an aid to one of his potions – not a replacement."
"True," Andrea agreed, "But do you know where I could get some aspirin?"
"Well, actually, I think I have a bottle of it in here somewhere." Again, she rummaged around, this time in a larger box on the floor behind her desk. Finally, she found what she had been searching for and pulled out a plastic Bayer Aspirin container. Carefully, she opened it and put six pills in Andrea's hand.
"That should do it," Charity said. "But only give him two at a time, every four hours. It says on the bottle that it's supposed to reduce fever. I haven't taken it myself in a while; let me know how it works."
"Oh, no problem. Thank you so much." Andrea turned to go, but then decided to ask Charity one more question. "Professor, you were a Muggle-born witch weren't you?"
Charity looked Andrea straight in the eyes wondering where she was going with this. "Yes," she answered quietly.
"Well, I'm not really familiar with Muggles, and I know Severus grew up in their world. What was it like? I mean not having magic in your life all around you?"
"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Charity replied cautiously. "At the time, I was a child and didn't know any better. It all seemed perfectly normal."
"Yes, I suppose that makes sense," Andrea continued. "It's just that Severus said something odd this evening. He said his mother always wanted to be a Muggle. Why would she want that?"
Charity took a deep breath and answered, "That's hard to say. You'd best ask him for that answer, but I can tell you that Severus is … well, let's say he's a little secretive about his background. I think he'd rather you kept that to yourself. I don't know how things are done in America, but around here if you aren't a pure-blood, there are some would frown on that. And if his mother wanted to be a Muggle for some reason, I can't imagine he'd be happy about it."
Charity looked at Andrea, trying to understand Mrs. Snape's intentions. She was also wondering just how this beautiful, sweet witch standing in her office could have fallen for Severus Snape. Even though Charity didn't know him very well, she'd heard the rumors and thought him a bit unwelcoming. And then there was his big nose and stringy hair, but who was she to judge?
"Yes," Andrea replied. "I suppose you're right. I'd better ask him."
Charity knew that Severus was a half-blood. Even though he had not taken any of her classes when he'd been at school, she'd heard many stories, especially from the other staff members about what had happened to his parents. Some of those rumors had suggested that Severus had killed his Muggle father, the event somehow pushing him over the edge. Well, Charity thought, best to stay out of it. After all, they were just stories from a very long time ago.
Professor Burbage decided she would help Andrea – if it ever came to that. Why have Mrs. Snape and her daughters suffer for what her husband may have done?
The woman also realized that this might be a perfect opportunity to ask Andrea about her twins. Once again there'd been rumors, that Andrea had been raped by You-Know-Who, causing a scandalous debate regarding the identity of the twins' father.
Not wanting to stir up trouble, Charity hesitated, but her good heart gave her the courage to continue. "Andrea," she said softly, "I hear you had a pretty bad time of it last year after your wedding."
Andrea's face flushed slightly as she looked at Professor Burbage. Why was Charity bringing that up? "I suppose everyone has heard about it, but Severus and I have put it behind us. Thank you anyway, for your concern." Smiling politely, she decided it was time to leave.
"Please," Charity said, leaning forward to place her hand on Andrea's arm. "I need to talk to you about it. There's something I need to share with you. You see, there is a very new Muggle technology available now that uses a scientific study of the human genes and heredity that can prove if a man is the actual father of a child."
"What?" Andrea was shocked.
Charity hurried on, "It's called a DNA test, and it seems to be very accurate. All they need is a blood sample from the man and the child. I understand you can get results in about six weeks, and it's pretty infallible."
"Professor," Andrea gasped, her mind reeling. "That's a pretty unbelievable claim."
"I know it's hard for you to grasp," Charity continued, "but I've read many documents that prove it works. If you like, I can share them with you. Maybe Severus might want to find someone in the Muggle world that could do the test for you."
Leaning over slightly, Charity fingered through a pile of magazines stored haphazardly in a wire basket she'd placed near her desk. "Ah," she exclaimed. "Here it is." The woman brought out a copy of The Lancet, a Muggle medical journal. The author of one of the articles had written a story discussing the fate of several criminals. The write had indicated that these Muggle prisoners had been proven innocent due to this incredible new discovery.
"Normally, I wouldn't recommend Muggle science over our magical ways, but I've never seen any magical wizard pursuing this. I'm sure our scientists could do this much better and easier than the Muggles, but there's no one even experimenting with it – at least not that I know of. Actually, I'm quite surprised, knowing how important bloodlines are to the wizarding world."
Charity cleared her throat nervously. She'd heard about Andrea's impeccable pure-blood status, and she wondered if Mrs. Snape would get angry with her for bringing this up? If it were anyone else, Charity thought – anyone but You-Know-Who – that might be the father, she wouldn't have mentioned it. But the Muggle DNA test would be extremely significant in proving if You-Know-Who actually had an heir. And that was truly important to the wizarding world.
Andrea was dumbfounded. Could there really be a way to test this? A Muggle test? The idea was a daunting thing to accept. She had to think.
"Professor," Andrea began.
"Please, call me Charity."
"Charity, please forgive me, but this is quite a shock," Andrea explained sadly, shaking her head. "I do believe you – please understand, but it's a bit hard to swallow. You can't imagine what this would mean to Severus. This is just tearing him to pieces."
Inhaling slowly, Andrea fought back the tears that had sprung to her eyes. Quickly, she blinked them away.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Charity realized that she had done the right thing. "Have Severus check with a Muggle doctor," she advised. "They could probably tell you where the test could be done."
"Charity, I don't know what to say – except thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Giving Andrea a motherly pat on the arm, Charity smiled, but then cautioned, "Now, understand that even if Severus is proved by this test to be the father of your twins, the wizarding community probably wouldn't accept it as proof. But, I think, maybe Severus would. Maybe not, I don't know. But I'll tell you, after reading these articles, I'm convinced the test works. I'm also going to say something that would probably get me locked up in Azkaban, but you know, there are some things in the Muggle world that are just better than the magical world. Okay, I said it. It's just my opinion, but I think the wizarding world sometimes works with a closed mind. We're not so open to experimentation and improving lives as the Muggles are. Wizards want so much to keep the tradition alive, but they don't see the need to change – to find a better way."
"I understand what you're saying Charity. There are very few wizarding inventors, and the ones that are experimenting are frowned upon by most of wizarding society. Severus and I found that out when we were doing research last year."
"Well, I'm glad you and I had a chance to talk." Charity took Andrea's hand. "I've wanted to share this with you for some time, but—"
"Oh, don't worry. I understand. I'll tell Severus and see what he thinks. I know he trusts you, and so do I." Andrea smiled at her and picked up the magazine.
In a hopeful mood, Andrea rushed back to their apartment to tell Severus, her mind spinning with the bizarre new Muggle ideas. But, as she gently woke up her husband, she decided it would be better to wait. Instead, she simply gave him the aspirin and watched as he fell right back to sleep. With a loving touch, she stood over him and stroked his damp, tangled hair, still moist from the Pepper Up potion. Then, as she fluffed up the quilts, something tumbled out onto the floor. With amazement, she picked it up. It was the picture she'd just given him for their anniversary. He must have been holding it next to him in the bed. So many thoughts passed through her mind as she looked at his sleeping face – all messed up and scruffy with a two-day-old beard. God, she loved him so much.
Andrea thought about his mother, Eileen. If she'd loved Tobias half as much as Andrea loved Severus, then it was easy to understand what Severus had said earlier. His mother wanted her husband to love her back, and if Tobias hated that Eileen was magical, then it would be natural for his mother to want to be a Muggle. How hard that must have been for her.
Andrea got into bed, too, and extinguished the last remaining candle. A vision of Eileen, his mother, cursing his father to death, leapt into her mind. She'd remembered it from Severus's memories when they'd discussed it so long ago. Her heart ached. Could Andrea have had the guts to do that, to protect the twins by killing their own father? Relieved that she would never have to worry, she sighed and closed her eyes to sleep. Severus had his mother's heart. He would never hurt the twins.
A/N: Poor Severus – so sick, but Charity pushed Andrea in the right direction. So what do you think? Will we ever know the truth? Comments are always welcome, so send me a review if you have time. A special thanks to my beta Fainting Fancies and also to my loyal reviewer: Wendy Waddles.
