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—
Severus and Lily landed in a crunchy bank of snow.
Once they completed their abrupt arrival, the couple slowly picked themselves up and stood to look around at their new surroundings.
A short distance ahead stood a quaint little cabin set upon a beautiful landscape of sweeping, snow-speckled greenery and vast mountains that loomed in the background. Severus heard the sound of splashing waves and he squinted past the small building, noticing there was a beach to the far left of the cabin. He and Lily both watched as the foamy tide washed over the obsidian-hued sand.
"Where has he sent us?" Lily asked Severus with an amused laugh.
Lily had never gotten the chance to travel far from her home or Hogwarts.
Neither had Severus. Although from the various tasks and missions he had completed during his years spent working as a spy, he was familiar with a great number of places around the world.
"I may be incorrect…" Severus answered in his low, slow voice, "...But I believe we may be in Iceland."
Lily blinked over at her husband and he gazed back.
"Iceland!" Lily exclaimed.
What an obscure place for Harry to have chosen!
Severus offered Lily his arm and she gladly accepted.
With his darling flower by his side, Severus led her towards the cabin to seek respite from the bitter cold.
Severus and Lily didn't really care where they were, they were just excited to spend some time together, healthy, happy…...and alone~.
—
Severus's original assumption had been correct.
Harry and Ginny had selected Iceland as the Snapes' honeymoon destination. Although the mysterious country was not yet a tourist mecca in the late nineties, it was relatively close to home yet still a drastic change of scenery.
Harry thought his parents may enjoy the stark, peaceful isolation and the otherworldly natural sights.
Ginny knew that Mr. and Mrs. Snape would both appreciate the quiet seclusion of having a little piece of earth all to themselves after the harsh separation they had both endured.
Harry and Ginny chose wisely.
After nearly two decades of turmoil, danger, war, and death, for Severus, it was beyond lovely to have a week of snow, silence, and love. As he sat there on the cabin's porch with Lily every morning, staring out over the untouched landscape, Severus finally felt a sense of ease.
Relaxation.
That in itself was a luxury for Severus Snape.
He and Lily spent their days chatting and sipping tea, catching up on everything that had happened. Sometimes they sat on the porch wrapped in furs, other times they huddled together by the large fireplace, which did an excellent job of warming the entire cabin's interior.
There was no road close to their accommodations and no tourists wandered over to their little portion of land either, which made it even more special.
During their stay, Severus and Lily really felt like they were the only two people in the world.
And for that week, and that week only, they allowed themselves to believe it as well.
On one particularly cold night, Lily lay, naked on the pile of blankets they had put by the fireplace, breathing hard as Severus bathed her in soft kisses. In the glow from the crackling embers, he watched the sweat trickle across Lily's skin, leftover from the heat of their passion, coaxed from her flesh by the exertion of their lovemaking. Severus held his beloved Lily in his arms and she clung to him, having nearly forgotten exactly how thorough and gentle of a lover her husband was.
Stirring a cauldron was just one of Severus's many skills~.
Lily sighed happily as Severus nudged her breasts out of the way to bury his head between them, kissing her in the center of her chest, right over her heart.
"I love you, Sev." Lily whispered, combing her fingers through her husband's soft, raven hair.
At her quiet affirmation, Severus reluctantly pulled himself out from one of his favorite places and stared deep into Lily's green eyes.
He seemed to be almost too entranced by her gaze for a moment but he finally remembered himself and responded, "...I love you too…...Lily."
Lily's eyes flickered down towards Severus's lips and he immediately knew what his bride was asking. Severus dove in and pressed his lips against Lily's while she reached up to touch his face, letting her delicate hand spread over his pale cheek.
As they turned so Severus could position his hips directly over hers again, Severus groaned against her lips when he felt her thighs spread to wrap around him.
There were no expectations or apprehensions.
The awkwardness of separately spent years melted away soon enough.
It was an entire week of eating and sleeping and gentle touches and sweet kisses and making love…
It was a wonderful time for both Severus and Lily and though the couple wouldn't admit it to their son, it was a week that they had both desperately needed.
However, as they lay in each other's arms, captivated by each other's gazes, actively listening to every word that fell from the other's lips, it seemed that Severus and Lily allowed their guards to drop too soon.
The war was over but that did not mean that the couple would never again encounter obstacles….
As they sat together in their cozy cabin, blissfully unaware of the presence that was so very close by, Severus and Lily didn't entertain the idea that they may not be finished sorting difficult situations.
Not quite yet, anyway.
—
By the end of the week, on the last morning of their honeymoon, Severus stood in the cabin's small kitchen, cooking breakfast for himself and Lily.
Severus often cooked, or at least, he had during the brief time of domesticity that he and Lily had previously experienced together. Cooking was an easy skill set for someone who was so adept at brewing complicated potions and elixirs.
He had woken first that morning to find Lily still asleep beside him. His growling stomach had forced him to forgo giving Lily a cautious cuddle and move directly onto preparing the morning's meal.
Severus decided to make omelettes.
Lily liked omelettes.
She'd have one when she woke, he was certain.
He hoped, anyway.
Their honeymoon had been amazing, but Severus was a very observant lover.
He had been watching Lily like a hawk.
Severus had recovered from his injuries.
But what about his wife?
Before Voldemort's attack, Lily had been an early riser, eager to start each day with a burst of energy.
Severus noticed that since they had come home from the hospital, she slept late into the mornings on most days. Sometimes, she even took a long nap in the afternoons.
The healers had assured them both that Lily's fatigue was the last bit of the killing curse trying to leave her body.
Lily declined to say anything about how she felt, not wanting to worry Severus, but he had picked up on the tension and anxiety that radiated from her whenever a wave of nausea swept through her system or when she held a hand up to her temple during the moments that her head throbbed with pain.
When the omelettes were ready, Severus ate his breakfast alone. He cast a quick spell that would keep Lily's portion warm but not burned on the stove, while ensuring that the appliance wouldn't overheat.
Tangled up in his musings over his wife which were quickly escalating into worry, Severus stepped into the cabin's bedroom and sat down in the small chair close to the bed after he finished his meal.
Lily continued to sleep for some time, her chest rising and falling gently.
As the hours passed, it almost made Severus queasy to watch her rest. He imagined the horror and despair he would feel if she left him for years again, trapped in an unending slumber.
Just as Severus's thoughts crescendoed into a chaotic vision amplified by fear, he heard the bed covers rustle. Severus breathed a sigh of relief as Lily's bright, green eyes cracked open.
"Hey, Sev." Lily greeted him with a happy smile as she stretched.
"Good morning, my love." Severus replied in his low purr of a voice.
"Mmm…..what time is it?" Lily asked when she noticed the high position of the sun, blinking at the light that streamed in through the windows.
"Does it matter?" Severus answered.
They were going to eat, chat, and make love for the rest of the day.
Why did the time make any difference?
"I guess not." Lily chuckled, sitting up as a small noise escaped her lips.
Severus watched his bride's beautiful body shiver in the early morning chill, admiring the way her nipples hardened through her thin nightshirt.
"Would you like anything to eat?" Severus asked, prying his gaze away from her breasts, "I've made an omelette for you."
"Thanks…..Sev." Lily said slowly as if she were distracted, "That was very kind of you…...I'll….I'll have it in a minute."
Severus frowned at the unsure look that came across Lily's face. He observed the way she closed her eyes and grimaced, holding a hand up to her head in the exact same way she had since she had woken from her unexpected coma.
Severus drew in a determined breath.
"When we return home," he declared in his low, slow voice, "You're going back to see the healer."
"Sev, I'm fine." Lily laughed, though she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat, resisting the sudden urge to vomit, "They said it could take some time. Don't let me worry you. I have to heal somehow."
"It's been over a month, Lily." Severus said flatly, "That's long enough."
Lily frowned as Severus stared at her and spoke with a grim seriousness, "I've lived my entire life for you, my love. I can't bear to lose you again."
"Alright, Sev." Lily shrugged, "When we get home, I'll go back to the healer."
Severus nodded in approval.
Lily never did eat her omelette that morning, unable to tolerate any food until nearly dinner time.
That did nothing to ease Severus's concerns.
Lily loved omelettes.
Or at least, she had.
Had Voldemort's assault changed her tastes?
That possibility increased Severus's fears.
If Lily's preferences for food had changed, then what else had the killing curse altered about his beloved?
—
The two returned from their surprise trip well-rested and at peace.
Severus wouldn't mention it to Harry, but he was grateful to his son for his thoughtfulness.
Lily was as well but she had no trouble expressing her gratitude to Harry, showering him with hugs and smiles.
Giving in to Severus's demands, Lily scheduled another appointment with the team of healers who had been assigned to her case at St. Mungo's.
Harry knew nothing about his mother's struggles or his father's worries. Severus and Lily both decided not to trouble their son until they at least had a proper diagnosis or explanation of what the issue was and how serious it could be.
Perhaps Severus was wrong and it was nothing.
Perhaps everything was fine.
The morning of Lily's hospital visit, Severus sat loyally by her side while the healers examined his wife and took some samples. Lily smiled up at him, noticing how his black eyes watched everything the medical staff did.
Lily was relaxed and in good spirits, trying not to let the fearful look on Severus's face bother her.
Once the initial examination was over, Lily and Severus were led to the lead healer's office, and instructed to sit in two chairs across from his desk while they waited on the medical team to run their tests and interpret the findings.
"I'm going to be fine, Sev." Lily smiled over at Severus reassuringly.
"I'm aware of that." Severus said dismissively, as if the suggestion of any other outcome was absurd.
Lily leaned over and pecked his cheek.
She almost squealed in surprise when Severus grabbed her face and kissed her lovingly, holding her close.
It was difficult to say who Severus was trying to reassure by his gesture, Lily, or himself.
—
An hour later, after the results from Lily's exam were finalized, the healer delivered the news to the couple.
Severus and Lily sat, staring at the medical professional in front of them, both wide-eyed, with their mouths open in shock.
In the space between their two chairs, their hands entwined and they squeezed tightly onto one another.
"So you see then, Mr. Snape's exhaustion is not only from the curse leaving her body." The healer said in summary.
"That's impossible! Repeat your tests! Clearly there's been an error made by one of your staff!" Severus hissed at the healer.
"I can't believe it….." Lily said with an anxious sigh, feeling her arms tremble.
"I assure you, Mr. Snape." The healer said confidently to Severus, "I already checked the results myself. I performed the detecting charms a second time and my findings were the same. The facts are the facts."
Severus didn't notice that he was grinding his own teeth.
"I've only been awake for four weeks!" Lily cried, "How can this be?! It's impossible!"
The lead healer's eyes moved over to Severus accusingly.
Severus scowled at the man, silently challenging him to make such a preposterous claim. Severus was deeply offended that the healer thought he could commit such a heinous act against his own wife. Before he had a chance to defend his honor though, Lily herself scowled angrily at the healer and wailed, "How dare you! My husband would never hurt me!"
"Then it must have happened before your coma, Mrs. Snape." The lead healer replied, "You'll have to forgive our estimations, your case is the first of its kind."
"And….her condition has laid dormant for this long?" Severus asked shrewdly.
"Apparently so." The lead healer shrugged, "During her sleep, her hair and nails failed to grow, no eating or defecating occurred, it seemed as her body was…..frozen. The rest of her systems seem to be slowly assuming their normal functions, so our hypothesis is that this goes along with those processes."
"I just…..I don't understand!" Lily said, wiping her eyes as Severus frowned over at her in sympathy.
"I know this must be an awful lot for you two." The lead healer said, glancing emphatically at both Severus and Lily, "And I'm very sorry about that…..But it doesn't change the truth, Mrs. Snape, that you are six weeks pregnant."
Pregnant.
Pregnant.
Pregnant?
To Severus and Lily both, the word was barely comprehensible.