Dark Tower

All characters contained in the story, belong to JK Rowling and company.

Chapter thirty-seven: Albus gets a piece of her mind.

Jessica was sitting on the sofa sipping some pumpkin juice when someone knocked on the door. She got up and opened the door, even if she wasn't expecting anyone.

She wasn't really surprised to see the Headmaster, but she was still angry with him.

"Well, nice to see you again, Albus. Anymore news you'd like to spring on me, that might possibly affect the course of my life?" She went back to the sofa, leaving the door open behind her. She dropped herself down, feeling morose and slightly waspish.

Albus came in, closing the door behind him. He took a seat across from Jessica. He eyed her thoughtfully before answering. "Jessica, I only took the best course of action to protect you from further attacks from Lucius. Surely you understand this?"

Jessica huffed. "Albus, you more or less cornered me into a decision that you had taken about me. I'm not one of your students anymore. I think I still have some say in what happens in my life. What in the world possessed you to do it without our consent?" She was crossed with him and her face reflected her mutinous mood.

He cleared his throat. "Well, that's not entirely true, since Severus has accepted. He's willing to go through with the plan."

"WHAT!" Jessica jumped to her feet, her cheeks turning red with outrage. "He gets to accept your plan and I don't? Excuse me, but I haven't been proposed to, or am I too dimwitted to have noticed? I haven't heard him ask me anything." She huffed again at the Headmaster, wondering what in the world was happening here.

"And the fact that he's accepted, doesn't make it official until I say so." She was nearly screaming at him. She turned on her heel and went to stand near the fireplace. Without thinking she grabbed a small vase that stood on the mantle and threw it across the room.

Albus watched on as the vase crashed to the floor. Taking his wand out, he repaired it and made it hover back to its place on the mantle. He paled a bit. "I apologize for presuming that you would accept. But I sincerely thought you would desire a stable situation to protect you from any more harm." He shifted uneasily on his seat but still looked at her.

"This feels so feudal... like having one's parents arrange your marriage for you." She spoke in a low voice, trying desperately to calm herself. "Does Severus plan on actually asking me to marry him? Or is that formality to be forgone with?" She was confused and her thoughts were scattering themselves madly. She didn't know what she wanted anymore.

"Oh no, he will ask. He has to, since a magical marriage needs this formality to be complete. I'm sure he'll ask you officially very soon." He was unsure when the Head slytherin would... he'd talk to the boy about it.

"I'm not sure I'll accept though," she added ruefully, not willing to bow too easily to his request. She was still very angry with both of them.

"I can only ask you to consider it seriously. Your future, as well as the child to be born, will depend on it." He understood her frustration; she was more than justified to feel that way.

Jessica sat back down, leaning her head on her hands. She felt a headache coming on as she rubbed her temples. She wished her sister were here for support. She wished her mum were still alive. She could have used her wisdom right now.

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After knocking briefly on the door, Rebecca went into her sister's room. Jessica's eyes were shut, as she lay half-reclined on the sofa. "Jess?" She murmured hesitantly.

Jessica's eyes fluttered open, then looked at her sister. She looked tired and in pain. "Hey Becca... you just missed the Headmaster."

"Oh!" She went to sit on one of the chairs. "What did he have to say?"

Jessica closed her eyes for a moment, silent tears started to slip down her cheeks. Rebecca went to sit next to her and gave her a sisterly hug. "Come on, tell me everything"

Jessica just lay there, in her sisters arms, feeling utterly wretched. She told her sister what Albus had said and her reactions to his speech. "Becca... what should I do?"

Becca was silent for a while before answering her sister. "Jess, you know how it is for children from unwed witches. Does that baby deserve such a fate?" She felt old-fashion for saying it, but the facts didn't lie. Kids would be cruel with him or her. Other wizarding families would shun their presence wherever they would go.

"Jess, does..." she paused for a moment, "Does he love you? Has he ever said so?"

"He told me once, some time ago. But saying it once, is it enough proof of it?" Jessica hiccupped, shaking her head from side to side. "I don't know for sure, Becca."

"Well, maybe he's too shy to verbalize it? You know how some guys have two left feet when it comes to talking about their feelings and such." Somehow, she couldn't think of professor Snape as a shy man. Maybe she was wrong?

"I'm so confused, Becca." she whispered flatly. They sat there in each other's arms for some time. They even talked about Becca's stint as Arts teacher at Hogwarts. But Jessica's mind kept going back to her immediate problems.

A few days passed before Severus came to Jessica. She had decided to go back to helping professor Sprout in the greenhouse, just to keep herself occupied. She was re-potting some aconite, both hands covered in dirt when Severus entered the greenhouse. She was so busy cutting roots, that she hadn't notice him.

"Jessica? May I have a moment of your time?" He asked in a near whisper since he didn't want Pomona barging in on the conversation.

Jessica jumped back from fright. "Merlin! Can't you knock like everyone else?" Her heart was racing by now. She was still jumpy since the attack and having Severus pop up like that didn't help her frayed nerves.

"I'm sorry... I'm still rather nervous these days, Severus. I didn't hear you come in." She picked up a rag and removed the dirt from the worktable.

"I'm sorry about that." He said quietly, "I should have knocked before entering." He didn't seem sorry at all but she was not in the mood to fight.

She had finished re-potting the aconite and went to the washing station to clean her hands. Looking over her shoulder, she asked: "So... what brings you to the greenhouse? Need some plant material?" she asked him lightly, still busy soaping up her hands.

He walked to a shelving unit filled with pots of shrivelfigs and dried belladonna roots. He was trying to act casual, picking up a shrivelfig between his long white fingers and eyeing it with purpose. Jessica watched him from the corner of her eye, knowing he wanted something in particular. And she was pretty sure that it wasn't plants!

"No, I'm well stocked at present. Just came by to ask you something." He turned back to face her, his features even. "Could you join me for supper tonight? I'd like you to come to the dungeons. I have a few things to discuss with you and don't want any disruptions from anyone!" He added the last part dryly. Jessica's sister always came into her rooms with little advance notice. And what he needed to talk about had to be cleared tonight.

Jessica shrugged a shoulder. She really didn't like going down there at all. The few times she had gone there, had turned into bad memories for her.

"Why don't you come to my room? My sister won't be coming tonight since she has her first Arts class to teach tonight." She had the feeling that her sister barging in at times, was the reason he wanted to meet down there.

He eyed her for a moment. She wasn't a Legilimens, but she could read his thoughts like an open book at times. She had the ability to unnerve him in those moments. Was he getting that easy to read? Or was she just good at guessing? He smirked at her, "No, I'd prefer we meet in my apartments if you don't mind. I have a few things to show you."

"Very well, Severus, what time shall we meet?" She cringed just knowing she'd have to go there.

"Come at six." He turned to leave, but changed his mind. He came and brusquely took her in his arms. He looked deeply in her eyes before leaning in for a long, warm kiss. He had missed seeing her for the last few days and longed to be with her. He held her tightly until he felt her tummy become rigid within his embrace. He stopped kissing her and stepped quickly away. He eyed her now rounded tummy with a look of shock.

"What did I do? Did I hold you too hard? I just felt..." He didn't know what to think.

She chuckled before answering him. "That was the baby moving." She stroked her belly lovingly with her palms. "It feels funny to you, imagine for me?" she looked up at him. "It's been moving for the passed few days... or should I say, that I've been feeling it."

He came closer to her, looking at her mid-section. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked in a low voice.

"I didn't know if you cared to know? I haven't seen much of you lately, have I?" She asked softly. She wasn't criticizing him, just stating the facts.

"Oh... no, I guess you haven't." He felt like the bad end of a donkey. He hadn't been much company lately and felt she wouldn't want him around in that state. After Dumbledore's little announcement in the Hall, he felt homicidal toward the old man. He had needed that much time to calm himself, even avoiding the Great Hall for his meals.

"Anyway, we'll talk more later. I still have tons of things to do here." She took him by the arm and escorted him to the door. The door opened and she could feel the cool but decidedly spring-like air flowing against her face. The snow was melting at record speeds, leaving greenish-brown spots of grass here and there. "I'll see you later then?" She reached up and kissed his cheek.

He nodded at her but his eyes were scanning around to see if any students had seen her kissing him. He was sure to be the butt of their idiotic adolescent jokes if they had seen any of it. He turned around to go back to the castle and suddenly saw a gaggle of giggling 5th years, whispering to each other and pointing his way. His anger rose as he came toward them, giving them his iciest glare.

The girls noticed his face immediately and with a common squeal, high-tailed it back to the school, wanting to avoid his wrath. They were right of course, because he felt that removing 50 points per head would be perfect retaliation for their impertinence. If they thought they had eluded his punishment, they were sadly mistaken. Their next Potions class with him would be most interesting. He grinned devilishly as he entered the main entrance.

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