Chapter 19 is finally up. Disclaimer: Sadly i own nothing from the wonderful world of Harry Potter. If i did i would have taken all of the sexy Slytherin men of my dreams.
Sadly i had no help to go over it so if there are any errors please look them over.
Hope this lives up to everyone's expectations. This chapter and the next will speed through a little so we can get to the very much anticipated first of September. Harry will be coming back soon.
(August 18th, 1990)
Severus let Adrianna nap for almost an hour before he decided to wake her. She was still fully dressed with her hair and makeup done up. He helped his sleepy wife to her room and exchanged their farewells. Thankfully Vera and Lena were inside waiting for her.
Severus entered his room and slowly divested himself as his mind swam in thought. He had been so engrossed in watching her sleep that all of his thoughts of the evening left his mind. All in all he would call the day a success. He would have to keep an eye on Trelawney but other than her the meeting with the staff went fine. Now he only had to fend them off their probing questions until they finally got the hint. The children would be a nuisance with their inability to hide their words or looks but he was sure he could curve the behavior by assigning the worst punishments he could.
The Malfoys would be a completely different matter all together. He wasn't a fool. He knew Lucius was terribly put out with him as well as jealous, not that the blonde would ever admit it. He would need to be careful with him. While he doubted Lucius would do something rash against him he was sure he would still take as many cheap shots at him when he could. He could already picture Lucius flirting with his wife and passing it off as friendly or even social flirting. He knew better.
Slipping into his favorite linen nightshirt Severus made his way to bed after a quick trip to the bathroom. He would think on it more tomorrow. There was no hurry for now.
(August 18th, 1990) (Malfoy Manor)
Lucius brooded as he sipped a very expensive cognac. He had dismissed his son earlier after a very stern talking to over his manners that evening. Narcissa got her perfunctory goodnight and then he left her to make her way to her suite. He was sure she would be going over their dinner as well.
As his gaze drifted to the fire he couldn't help but compare it to the spark in Adrianna's eyes as she spoke during dinner. The girl oozed life and youth. Severus was her complete opposite in that. He could not fathom how they ever managed to get together let alone married with a child on the way. He did not like not knowing. He wished to pry all the answers from Severus but knew the man would only reveal what he wished. They were both good at protecting their secrets after all.
With one long sip of cognac Lucius finished his glass. He rose from his lush armchair and made his way to his rooms. He would get his answers soon anyway, there was no need to lose his sleep over it. First thing in the morning he would begin to gather information on Adrianna, find them a wedding gift and arrange for the board of governors to suddenly become much more involved in the running of Hogwarts. The fact that it would tweak the old goats' nose was just a plus.
(August 19th 1990) (S.S. quarters) (Sunday) (8th week of pregnancy)
Adrianna woke up groggy from her deep sleep. She was slightly disoriented when she looked around. It took her a moment to realize she was no longer at Spinners End. She shook off her thoughts and made her way to the bathroom. Moments later Adrianna found herself inside her wardrobe as she flipped through her choices. There was a good chance someone would come to visit or just happen upon them if either of them decided to leave their rooms. She decided on a long sleeved dress that reached her ankles with mid calf length boots. It had a solid cotton blend in dove grey with a sheer embroidered fabric over it with beads in them mimicking flowers. She needed more clothing suitable for the weather but would make do with what she owned for now.
A simple low chignon hairdo with basic makeup and simple jewelry saw her done fairly quickly. She liked to take longer some days but today was not one as she was already tired after dealing with so many people. She decided to be productive today and finish unpacking some things around her room. Calling her elves Adrianna told them how to arrange things and what to only partially unpack since they would go to the estate once it was done. She also reorganized how the extra bedroom looked. She decided to make it into a small gym area since she really needed one. She had been remising in not exercising as she normally did. She needed to keep up with her routine in order to keep her shape. She was too short to gain too much weight.
Severus found her moments later inside the new gym when he went to get her for breakfast. He found his little wife in the expanded room ordering the elves around. The room was much larger now and had padded flooring with two walls covered in mirrors. A myriad of equipment occupied the space now, some he recognized. Adrianna had a satisfied look on her face when she turned to face him finally having noticed him there.
"What do you think?" She asked.
"I am impressed you did all of this in a single morning." Severus replied.
"The elves did the heavy lifting. I just told them where I wanted the stuff." She replied. She liked how it all turned out if she was honest.
"Is it safe to use these?" Severus asked as he looked around him. None of the things inspired feelings of safety to him.
"Yes, I can exercise so long as I don't overdo it. There are even some things I can do that will help with delivery." She replied already knowing his concerns.
"That's good. I would still feel better if one of the elves was here with you just in case." He said. He did not want to push the issue in case she felt as if he couldn't trust her with simple tasks.
Adrianna simply looked at him hard.
"I was already considering this but I was hoping you could be in here with me. This is only a temporary gym since I want a more permanent set up in the estate. The guards will have their own which will be more geared to their needs and I can have my own space safely away from their heavier equipment. Here however I would like to have you with me." She told him while looking him in the eye. A wicked gleam appeared in them with her next statement. "Don't you want to see me hot, sweaty and panting?"
Severus allowed some of the lust to leak through his eyes.
"I have no objections." He said gruffly.
Adrianna exhaled shakily. Oh that voice.
"Then I look forward to it. I'm sure you will like my work out clothes." She said with a smirk as she made to walk past him.
"Oh?" He asked as he stood still while she grazed his body with unnecessary contact to exit the room.
"You will have to wait and see." She purred to him as she left the room.
Severus closed his eyes and clenched his fists. That woman was temptation incarnate. Sadly for her he was no saint. Calm yourself, surely it's just hormones.
(Time skip)
Breakfast was almost over for them when the elves brought over most of their mail. Piolin and Hades had made a home for themselves in the enchanted garden once they discovered it and an aviary of sorts had been set up for them. Piolin couldn't leave the castle but Hades could since he was used to the harsh weather unlike his tiny friend. Adrianna was flipping through her mail from her family when a large eagle owl flew in. The large letter in its talons bearing the Gringotts seal was the only clue as to who had sent it. A few detection spells later and the letter was deemed safe enough to retrieve.
Adrianna opened the letter and found numerous papers inside. She pulled them all out collectively and instantly knew who it was from. Harry. His childish scrawl was very distinctive to her since she had spent time trying to get him to improve his penmanship. It had only been five days since she last saw him but it had felt like an eternity. Looking up she could see Severus looking at her mail as well. He would hide it and deny it but she knew he was waiting on news from the boy.
Without wasting more time she read the note on top of everything in the envelope from Goldfang first. He said that Harry was doing well and was taken in with no problem by the Directors clan. He was being given all the care he needed and was taking the potions Severus had sent over. A small separate note was inside thanking him for them. Goldfang went on to say that while he could not reveal anything to her he could say that she had nothing to worry about. Gringotts looked after their own.
Setting aside the note and handing Severus his own she began to read the letter Harry sent her. He apologized for taking so long but he had been under the care of his healers who found more things to fix with a deeper scan. He apologized but couldn't comment more on it. He did reassure her and Severus that he was fine. He thanked them for sending his bear and other clothes. He told them how his foster father and mother ensured he had enough clothes and things now. He was happy to be looked after but he missed them terribly. He told them of how he slept with his bear every night.
Adrianna was in tears as she kept reading. Harry's letter was long since he told them all about his days and what he thought of since he last saw them. Severus had moved over to her side after enlarging her seat. He read over her shoulder as well. He was glad to know the boy was doing well but was worried as to what else could have been found on him. He had been sure the healers had done a complete series of exams.
At the very bottom he told them of how he was very upset with some of the things he had learned and wished for nothing more than to be able to discuss it with them and get their advice. He understood why he couldn't but he didn't like it and felt confused over many things. He finished off by sending them his well wishes and many childish drawings to 'remember me by' since he couldn't see them.
Adrianna wept once more when she came upon a photo of her and Severus side by side with a heart over her tummy. Severus liked the picture as well. It was very endearing, not that he would ever admit it.
He spent a few minutes calming Adrianna down from her little crying session. He had an arm around her rubbing circles on her shoulder while the other simply held her. He hoped this was her hormones making their appearance and that she wasn't this weepy on a regular basis.
"I miss him." She said once she calmed down.
"I do as well." He replied slowly after a short pause.
She huffed. "Don't hurt yourself." She replied.
"I do miss him. I just don't like to admit it." He said slightly snarky but with an undertone of uncertainty that she did not like.
"You should be able to. Don't let others dictate what you can say or do." She said definitively while gazing into his eyes. "You are your own master Severus. You may not feel like it but you are. You make your own choices no matter how hard others may try to make you do something else. You may bend but you do not break."
Severus stared into her eyes with many emotions swirling in his eyes. He settled for a flash of gratitude before masking it.
"I wish I had found you earlier in life." He said softly.
Adrianna smiled kindly.
"You found me when you were meant to."
He simply swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. He raised himself from her transfigured chair and returned it to its original state. They continued the rest of their morning as if nothing of significance had happened.
(August 19th 1990) (Malfoy Manor)
She was nineteen!? He could not believe it. Of all the things he had imagined to find in his report he would have never imagined finding out that she was a teenager. It stunned him for a good moment after reading that bit of information. The mystery as to how they got together grew only larger. He could not fathom how her father allowed her to marry Severus with their age difference. Oh he knew many people married after school. He married Narcissa as soon as she graduated but he knew it would not be the same for others. She was the only daughter of the eldest son to the Vega family line. The sons were expected to marry and produce heirs as soon as an eligible woman was found but the daughters could take longer to find a spouse. However Federico Vega was known to be an overprotective father to his only daughter. He knew that much. When she had been born he had caused a stir when he immediately denied each and every marriage contract to her. He hadn't even polite about it, he had simply denied them all on the spot.
There had been complications with her birth and many attributed it to him wanting to keep his daughter close and just smiled and thought of him as a good father. He was sure the family had been behind that spin on the events.
More than ever he wanted to pour veratiserum down Severus throat to find out something he dearly wished to know.
As it was he had to wait another day or so for more information to be dug up on their union. Getting any information on the Vega family was next to impossible. Lucius sat down and took three deep breaths. He would stay calm. While it was not an ideal situation he would make it one. For now he would focus on finding a suitable gift and organizing the board of governors better to become more hands on. Many would surely be surprised but he would just play it off as wanting to be more involved in school matters now that his son would be attending. Surely he could get Augusta Longbottom on his side on some matters, the old bat disliked the headmaster as well but begrudgingly supported him since he was a 'Light' wizard. He had no way of knowing how certain events would soon tarnish the old man's reputation and make it easier for him to push his ideas onto the usually reluctant board.
(August 24th 1990) (Friday) (Bromley Estate)
It was finally done! She was ecstatic! She could have wept for joy. The past week in the castle had driven her spare. The castle wasn't bad, the weather was unpleasant but what drove her insane was the residents. The ghosts had nearly caused a severe fight between Severus and herself. She knew of spirits of course, she was aware of them very well but she was not used to them living in the same space as her in such a large amount. She saw them as such a large security breach. It unnerved her since they could be within the walls and listen in or just watch them. She had put her foot down and told Severus in no uncertain terms that she did not want them in their space since he told her that only the headmaster could banish them. She pointedly told him she could get rid of them forcefully herself if needed. He had compromised and agreed to let her ward their quarters against them except the receiving room since the Bloody Baron did report to him from time to time or got him in an emergency. The same was done for his study and private lab.
Adrianna did end up liking the Baron and he in turn liked her especially since she was extremely cautious and slow to trust. The Baron ensured Peeves knew that the new resident was off limits after he caught it planning on 'welcoming' her. He acutely told him she was pregnant and Hogwarts would never house any spirit who willingly harmed an unborn child or infant. Peeves had changed his attitude after that information and was actually nice to her. He did make plenty of rude remarks towards her husband but he did simple gags and tricks for her. He seemed to want to make her laugh which ended up making Severus cranky since she had somehow wrapped the annoying spirit around her fingers. She knew that it was because she had trapped him in a banishing circle for a few hours to drive the point home to him that she was off limits. That was also when the Baron was firmly on her side.
The portraits were nice and waved to her as she passed but they also reported to the headmaster and the old man usually ran into her by 'coincidence'. She was sure she had her grandmother to thank for her ability to keep her anger off her face. The old man only spent a few minutes in her presence but each time he tried to pry information out of her. He never tried to pry into her mind though, she wasn't some fool who didn't know the consequences of delving into someone else's mind without consent. If he was ever foolish to attempt such a thing then her head of house would be notified instantly and she knew he would not like the international scandal her family would make.
The other staff members were very welcoming but dammit it all if they weren't like some of the old gossiping women she knew back home. Each one tried to get information about her marriage out of her. Minerva was the only one who held her tongue on the subject but she knew the old woman was holding herself back by a hairs width. There had been one person who did take things too far and she treasured that memory.
Sybil Trelawney had crossed the line. She had attended a lunch yesterday afternoon with some of the staff and the bitch had begun spewing warnings to her husband about how his new wife would bring him bad luck and bring about his untimely death. When the bitch had begun to talk about her child she snapped. She was across the room in a flash and punched the bitch square in the face knocking her off her chair. She didn't remember cursing at the drunk but she was very aware of Severus pulling her away and dragging her back to their rooms.
The fire in his eyes when he pushed her up against the door of their receiving room had given her pause. She never thought he would be upset with her over her actions. He wasn't. The kisses they had shared was passionate and all consuming as Fiendfire. She was breathless by the time they separated. Severus had rested his forehead to hers and she could feel him tensing his arms which had found their way to her hips and waist. Not wanting to discourage him from doing that again or causing him to pull away she quickly took matters into her own hands. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him back to her for another kiss. He returned it after a second of hesitation. When she let him go she whispered in his ear, "If I had known you would react like that I would have punched the bitch sooner."
His deep chuckle was satisfying to hear as well as erotic. He simply straightened himself up and with his arm on her waist he took them to the living room to rest. The headmasters' patronus summoning him to his office was the only mood breaker from their comfortable rest on the couch. It was the most intimate contact they had had since he held her in bed. When Severus had returned later he found her in the Enchanted Garden, relaxing in a hammock, with a very satisfied smirk on his face. He told her that the Headmaster was very upset with her behavior and was implying that he should talk to his wife about being kinder to poor Sybil. Severus had retorted that she had been kind by simply punching her. If she was to take her complaints to her father or head of house then they would see it as an attack on her and her child since as a 'seer' Sybil has higher powers and they would demand she prove her claims to them. He didn't need to mention what would happen if she couldn't prove her claims. The headmaster had kept quiet about the incident after that and Sybil was told to keep her jealous nature from not clouding her 'abilities'. Having never been reprimanded by the headmaster before Sybil had locked herself away in the rooms and not come down since. Something she and Severus had no problem with.
None of the other members of staff bugged Adrianna after yesterday but the looks and hushed whispers were annoying. They were worse than the children they taught. She was simply glad her home was done. If the headmaster had thought she would have apologized to the old bag then he would have not liked her response. Now she could spend the rest of the month decorating the place to her heart's content. She was looking forward to making this into her home away from home. It did sadden her that her child would be born here and not in her home country but that wouldn't take away their heritage.
Thankfully the house would belong to her after her marriage was past a year. She would still have a place to come and live and allow Severus to bond with his heir. She would stay in the castle to sleep but would move into the house after it was complete. She needed more space for her things after all. Already she had hired a team of landscapers to turn the grounds into a more child friendly space as well as an ideal party space. Adrianna called the guards to her and planned their itinerary for the coming week. They had plenty of shopping to get done.
Did anyone like what i did to Sybil? I added that in for my coven mate Vine AKA Pixie. Hope you enjoyed that along with the snogging session.
The next chapter will speed by a little more than usual since I want to get to the 1st of September.
I hope everyone likes how I write it.
