(September 6, 1990) (Thursday)
Adrianna was working frantically to fix every single last minute detail she could think of. Sure she was driving the house elves crazy with her meddling but they simply tagged along side of her and did whatever 'essential' last minute task she needed them to do. The only person who managed to escape the madness was Severus who was currently getting dressed in the castle's quarters to avoid a very frantic Adrianna.
Her godmother's family would be arriving within the hour and Adrianna still did not feel ready to host them. Sure she had plenty of food to give them, thanks to some very overenthusiastic aunties, but she had never had the duties of her mother to host a family. Frankly she was scared and overwhelmed. Severus had told her multiple times that it would be fine and that it would only be until Monday morning so they only had to deal with them for four nights. Oddly enough putting a number on it had helped calm her down. She was sure the hormones were to blame for her ridiculous anxiety.
Her godmother's family had never been an issue for her especially since she was close to her godsister Sofia. Sofia, Catalina and herself had been close ever since they started their schooling. Sofia she had known her entire life but Catalina only showed up when she was 10 years old. Both girls had been escaping some annoying boys during a party and had become fast friends while they hid under a table with pilfered snacks. The three had gone through their teenage years and schooling with gusto and now as adults have made the most of their lives before any of them could be locked into a marriage. Her friends had been astonished when Adrianna had told them of her marriage and pregnancy.
After being oath bound into secrecy the girls helped her cope with the reality of her new life and had been a godsend to her. They had even had a small 'funeral' to mourn her bachelorhood. It would have been better if she could have been drinking with them.
Pouting at the injustice of it all Adrianna did not realize that she was no longer alone until a hand curved around her right hip and her left side was enveloped by her husband. Startling slightly Adrianna snapped her head to his and found a smirk aimed at her. She scowled.
"Not funny." She said petulantly. Completely forgetting what she was doing.
His smirk curved higher as his eyes danced with amusement.
"It's a good thing I held onto you when getting your attention. You might have jumped a mile if I had just spoken." He teased.
Adrianna huffed but let herself curl into his side. Severus tensed slightly but slowly allowed himself to hold her.
"I am just so nervous over this weekend."
Severus wanted to roll his eyes. He was smart enough to not give any outward appearance of his exasperation but he had been a front row witness to her climbing anxiety and all he wanted to do was cancel the whole thing so she wouldn't be stressed out over it. The doctor told her to take it easy after all.
"There is no need for this pressure my dear. You have already proven to be a wonderful hostess and I am sure you will do the same for our weekend guests." Severus said sternly when he saw that Adrianna was about to interrupt.
Adrianna merely showed her maturity to him by delicately scrunching up her nose to him and looking away. His expression may not have changed but she could definitely feel the vibrations in his chest as he smothered his laughter at her behaviour. She was about to retort when the wards shifted. They both looked at each other and knew their guests had just portkey'd into the receiving room.
"It will be fine." Severus said as reassuringly possible. Not very much but he was trying and that mattered more.
"I hope you are right." She said as she untangled herself from his embrace and straightened herself out.
"I know I am." He said a little arrogantly.
Adrianna rolled her eyes while smiling at him and made her way to the receiving room with him catching up in two steps and grasping her arm into the crook of his elbow. A small scowl told her that he was not truly mad at her.
(. . . . .)
The Ramirez family came in a storm of hugs and gifts a plenty. Her godmother was especially enthusiastic to see her. No one outside of her family and friends knew about her pregnancy yet so she had the grand honor of telling her second family all about her whirlwind romance with Severus and their impulsive wedding. Her uncle, once removed, had taken Severus along with her second cousins out of the room to have some 'men' talk. She was sure Severus would be fine since he had already survived her immediate family. Hopefully.
Her godmother and female cousins had been happy at their exit in order to get as much gossip as they could from her. She did not give them any more than she wanted though. No need to get their stories mixed up. She did however go on about life on the other side of the world. Her cousins asked about the fashion trends in the magical side and that had taken their conversation to another tangent she was more than happy to talk about. It sadly did not last long since her godmother would not be denied and she ended up spewing the entire 'story' to them until the men returned.
Her godmother Maria, Mari, was unhappy with what her god daughter had done but she was wise to not mention it. She was, after all, in her home. Her god sisters Maria Luisa and Sofia were more enthusiastic about her marriage and were being as supportive as could be. That both had some unflattering thoughts on her husband's appearance was never mentioned directly but Adrianna knew they had those thoughts just like her bitchy sisters in law.
(time skip) (night time)
Severus and Adrianna collapsed into the bed in the master bedroom after a very long afternoon with Adriannas family. The entire time before dinner had been spent talking, being threatened and touring the house. Adrianna would stay in the estate for the remainder of the Ramirez family stay while Severus would only return at night for dinner. He could not get any real time off and had to be on castle grounds in case his students needed him. The only reason he would be staying the night today was because Professor Sinistra agreed to take his Head duties for the night.
"Okay, it wasn't so bad." Adrianna said as she caught her breath.
Severus huffed at her side.
"You weren't the one being threatened most of the night, in your own home." He grumbled.
Adrianna couldn't suppress the brief upturn of her lips at that. It was true, her cousins had not been subtle. It did not help that her oldest cousins were only two years apart from him. They had not been pleased with that.
"It's not my fault they are overprotective." She defended weakly. She knew he had a point after all.
He scoffed.
"You could have helped."
She smiled at his complaining.
"I helped as best I could. They were going to threaten you anyway."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Severus asked droly.
"A little bit." Adrianna replied cheekily.
"Not good enough." Severus said imperiously.
"Oh?" She asked with a bemused tone. "And how can I make it up to you?"
Severus went still at her playful words as his mind plunged into a very seedy place. Oh, there were many ways she could make it up to him. Sadly her pregnancy eliminated some of the more adventurous things he would like to do to her.
Adrianna noticed his silence and turned her head slightly to see his eyes half glazed over as his thoughts ran from him. Her smirk would have warned him of what was to come but thankfully he was not paying her any attention. A mistake she would rectify quickly. With a quick flick of her hand the lights went out in the room and jolted severus from his thoughts only to have Adrianna quickly drape a leg over him.
"I like the way you think." She purred as she pulled him into a heated kiss. He may not sleep with her tonight but he would ensure he brought her to climax, twice.
(Same night) (Headmasters quarters)
Albus was still pacing well into the night. Sleep evaded him once more but that was not different for the past week ever since the brats reappearance. It had all happened so fast. He had been planning on getting to that blasted family and doing away with any incriminating memories only to be thwarted by government competence. (He shuddered.) The muggle government had moved swiftly and carried out a closed trial for the Dursleys by the third day of the news getting out. This was nothing like the magical world where things could be pushed until one wanted them to happen. No, they had to get it all done swiftly and now the people were pushing for his own trial at such a speed. It was costing him every single favor he had to keep himself out of a cell as it was.
To make matters worse he had been sacked from the ICW just yesterday. They did not need a formal investigation nor a trial. They had the sworn paperwork from the goblins who showed his neg- erm, mishandling, of the brat and that was all they needed. His enemies moved on his current misfortune and had him quickly ousted. He had been keeping things from spreading out of the British isles when he needed to but that power was now gone. Now he was facing being fired from the Chief Warlock position as it was, limiting more of his power base. He had already been forced to recuse himself so now they were all kicking him while he was down. And oh were they taking advantage of this. Already that upstart Malfoy was moving the Dark faction against him to get him out of all his remaining positions. He was truly afraid of losing the Headmastership next. He may have tenure but they could still find a way to fire him. Oh he could see the Board of Governors becoming a pain in his side from now on.
None of this was going to plan. Years of planning was going down the drain at an alarming speed. All of it gone thanks to that insufferable brat who could not stay where he put him! He didn't know it had been that bad but it would have worked all for the better in the end. He would have been the boy's saviour but now he was cast as the villain. Those blasted Dursleys ruined it all with their treatment of the boy. If they had just stuck to lighter slaps and spankings none of this would have happened. Oh, and that 'good samaritan' was to blame as well. They should have gone to him, him! The great Albus Dumbledore. He was sure they were from either the neutral faction or a foreigner to have gone to the goblins. He would make them pay for ever having put this disaster in motion.
He needed to fix this quickly. He did not know how much longer he could keep pushing the trial back. (He dropped himself heavily onto his chair.) He couldn't even bribe anyone now that the goblins had frozen his accounts. Those thieving creatures had sent him multiple notices of his 'thefts' of the Potter vaults and were demanding it all back. They had made it clear that any and all missing money and items would be taken from his vaults and personal properties to pay back the Potter account. He wasn't foolish enough to dismiss their claims. He knew that there were plenty of rituals one could cast to get their items returned and do so while hurting the 'thieving' party. He had no doubt in his mind that the goblins would have the boy do such a ritual. It was in his best interest not to try and keep anything of the Potter family. He would need to claim that he had the late James Potter's permission to take those items even after his death so long as he returned it all. As for the money? Well who were they to tell him that he was never intending to return it? He would claim that the spending got away from him a bit but that he had every intention of returning it all back. They couldn't prove otherwise afterall.
Albus reclined and clenched his hands in imputent fury at the thought of everything he had to return. Those priceless tomes, relics, artifacts and above all the cloak. All of it had to go back. He hated it. He hated all of it. The boy was never to find out that he had taken any of those things. Those items belonged in the hands of someone who would use them for the greater good. Not some brat who did not know anything about their society.
The crash of a crystal snifter hitting the castle walls was never heard thanks to the numerous silencing wards around the office. The portraits however heard it all.
Hi, yes I know it has been a while. Hopefully this chapter finds everyone well.
So far things in the states have gone to hell now that everyone is ignoring the masks mandates and going out more often and being incredibly stupid. The fact that the Delta variant is gaining traction does not stop anyone and I can only foresee the cases growing by fall. The weather change is something I am looking forward to. I hate melting in this heat.
Thankfully the school year is picking up again and I can't help but be happy about it. I do hope that the kids will be safe in school. How is everyone else doing?