Thank you for reading! Please let me know if you enjoy! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Updates every Saturday!
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After his blissful night with Lily, Severus rose the next morning and went straight to Quininns Co. Builders while his omega continued to sleep peacefully.
Severus had barely gotten any rest at all, but he felt strangely invigorated.
He was profoundly excited about all of the possible features that he may be able to incorporate into the house that he planned to have built.
Severus was constantly looking for ways to make Lily happier and commissioning a dream home for his beloved flower seemed like a good idea.
Still, he maintained his use of common sense.
Dreams carried price tags, dream homes were no exception.
Severus kept in mind the current balance of the Snapes' vault at Gringotts, along with the profit that the apothecary had averaged during a month, a quarter, and almost a year so that he wouldn't overspend.
He felt that he was prepared to begin his negotiations as he stood outside Quininns Co.'s establishment that morning.
A short while later, Wilfred Quininns, whom Severus had spoken with the previous evening, opened the wooden door to the shop and greeted his potential client with a fond smile, "Mr. Snape! You've come back to see us already!"
"I have." Severus replied with a stoic nod.
"Did you and your wife have a chance to talk about the blueprints?" Wilfred asked hopefully.
Severus could feel Archibald Quininns scowling at him from the window, but he paid him no mind as he nodded at Wilfred and replied, "In a way…….I've come to ask more questions."
"Well, certainly, sir!" Wilfred laughed in a friendly manner, "Please, come inside and chat with us, Mr. Snape!"
Wilfred stepped to the side of the opened door and welcomed Severus into the shop after he climbed the narrow steps.
Once Severus glided through the doorway, Wilfred gestured for his new customer to sit down again at that same table.
Archibald Quininns kept scowling at Severus from the same seat that he had occupied the previous evening, but Wilfred ignored his brother as he took the blueprints that Severus removed from his pocket and handed over.
"How can we help you, sir? Anything that you want, we can build it!" Wilfred nodded enthusiastically.
"...How quickly?" Severus asked.
"I...I beg your pardon, Mr. Snape?" Wilfred blinked.
"How quickly can you build a home for my family?" Severus repeated, "My wife is with child…...Children, really, she's carrying triplets…..We haven't got more than a few months before they arrive and there is nowhere for them to sleep in our current living quarters………….It is of the utmost importance that a new residence be built and habitable before their birth."
"Triplets! Congratulations, Mr. Snape!" Wilfred beamed.
Archibald's scowl deepened.
When Wilfred's congratulatory statement was answered by Severus with a curt nod and a serious frown, he resumed their business discussion.
"As I said, sir….." Wilfred told Severus with a confident grin as he waved a hand over the blueprints, "We can build anything that you want and we are happy to cater to your needs, not our own. Give us a date that you need your new home completed by! If you sign a contract today, we'll promise to refund every Knut of your dream dwelling if it's not finished by your requested date, but I assure you, Mr. Snape, that won't happen!"
Severus left Quininns Co. Builders just in time to make it back to the apothecary before his own place of business opened for the day.
Lily's alpha had a new sense of self-assured confidence in his walk that morning as he contemplated matters.
Severus Snape had invented a life-saving potion and several other concoctions, amassed a large fortune, purchased and operated his own business, contracted a house to be built, married, and fathered four children before the age of twenty-one.
When Severus arrived back at the apothecary, the first thing that he was greeted by was Lily's loving smile.
Despite his other admirable achievements, to Severus Snape, his greatest accomplishment had been and always would be the honor of having Lily as his wife.
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Mrs. Snape didn't ask Mr. Snape any questions when he told her that he had moved forward in the process of securing a family home for them.
Severus noticed the excitement that built in Lily's green eyes with each passing day as she looked forward to seeing what he had arranged.
Unfortunately, he also noticed the fatigue from the toll that her pregnancy began to exert as well.
It was much different carrying three babies than one.
Lily's boastfulness about her remaining energy levels quickly quieted as Severus's children grew inside her.
Her belly rounded to such a size that Severus kept one hand on his wife's back and one arm around her shoulders whenever he could in an effort to support her.
Lily took her condition in stride and tried not to complain, but Severus knew that his mate was struggling when she started leaving him to run the apothecary for several hours each day while she lay in her nest with little Harry.
The triplets' birth was quickly approaching.
Severus began to feel the primal, protective urge to be next to his expectant mate at all hours of the day and night.
That was when he started seeking workers.
Severus placed a sign in the apothecary's front window that clearly read:
Help Wanted, Inquire Within
He was surprised by the number of witches and wizards that walked into his shop and asked for a job.
Severus didn't know much about hiring employees.
As a precautionary measure, Severus secretly performed a silent version of Legilimency on each person that he interviewed to discover their true motives behind seeking a job in his store.
Severus wasn't in the habit of reading other's minds at will, but he saw it as a necessary evil to protect his business and his family.
He found that one witch he interviewed had been thinking of all of the things that she could steal once she started working in the apothecary.
Severus struggled not to narrow his eyes when he caught her wondering about the amount of ingredients that she could fit under her robes each day after her shift ended.
To Severus's horror, one wizard that came for an interview had harbored such disturbingly violent fantasies about Lily that Severus had obliviated him on his way out.
Severus's grip on his wand had been so forceful that his knuckles went white as he wiped all memory of his beloved mate from the man's mind, appalled by the mental images that he had the great displeasure of viewing.
Severus had held Lily tightly to his chest that night while they slept.
A young witch and young wizard who applied at the apothecary had such vapid thoughts that Severus could barely understand them at all.
He declined to offer the young witch and wizard positions in his store, hoping to find workers who would be honest and concentrate on their duties.
Severus was becoming frustrated with his search when he happened upon two rare treasures.
Madam Browning was a sweet widower with a kind heart, silver hair, and a gentle smile.
She had fondly told Severus about her career many years ago as a potioneer.
After Severus scanned her thoughts, he learned that she was looking for a purpose and a pleasant way to escape the loneliness of her empty home.
Severus offered Madam Browning a position at the apothecary right away and relief washed over him when she gladly accepted.
Ivan Vanner was a good-hearted man who had been previously employed as an elixir researcher in Durmstrang's underground laboratory, but had moved to Britain after marrying his wife.
Tall and formidable, with brownish hair and a rough beard, Severus recognized Ivan Vanner as a fellow alpha.
Like Severus, Ivan Vanner also lived in Hogsmeade with his young family.
Ivan was seeking employment that would allow him to stay close to his mate and pups, a noble cause that roused sympathy in Severus.
Ivan Vanner was offered a position at the Snapes' apothecary as well, which he happily accepted.
Lily met the new staff with a friendly smile, but while Severus trained the apothecary's employees, he saw less and less of his wife.
That made him all the more pleased that he had secured some help with his shop.
Severus enjoyed working, researching, and sharing his knowledge with his customers, sure, but Lily's hormones were chipping away at his nerves.
From her maddening scent to her rounded tummy, all Severus really wanted to do was lie down in the nest with his heavily pregnant mate and cuddle her close.
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Neither Lily nor Severus had expected their unborn triplets to drain her magical abilities from her.
On the morning that she woke and failed to perform even a simple cleaning spell, Severus had sent for a healer immediately.
The healer came quickly, but after she performed a brief exam, the woman just patted Lily's belly and reassured the young couple that everything was fine.
Severus had never heard that carrying multiples could cause too heavy of a pull on the mother and sap her powers, but he was no expert on the subject, and he reluctantly accepted the healer's calming words as truth.
Lily hadn't taken the news all that well and she had spent the majority of the day in her nest with Harry.
How was she supposed to help Severus at all if she couldn't use her magic?
Magic was what she had depended on to keep up with the cooking and the cleaning.
Severus was already tending the shop and looking after her and Harry.
Lily felt like a burden.
After the apothecary closed and the employees went home for the evening, Severus went upstairs and prepared dinner after he found his wife still in her nest.
It bothered him that Lily didn't come to the table after the food was ready.
Severus carried Harry in his arms as he walked back to the bedroom that he shared with his lover.
Quietly, Severus stepped through the doorway and turned on the lamp beside the bed with a frown.
"...Lily?" Severus asked softly,
He heard his mate sigh as she shifted in her nest and looked over at him forlornly.
Severus glided over to her.
He earned a coo from Harry as he knelt down next to his darling.
Severus held out his hand to her while he spoke, "Lily……...? It's time to eat, love. Come on, let me help you up."
"...I'm not hungry, Sev." Lily whispered quietly.
In the dim light of the room, Severus frowned when he noticed that his wife's beautiful, emerald eyes were wet with tears.
"Lily………..It's only for a little while." Severus frowned as he sat down beside his mate, "A little while, then your talents will return. You're nearly done, love." He whispered as he let his free hand spread over what it could cover of Lily's womb.
"I know….." Lily whispered. Severus narrowed his eyes sympathetically at the sob he heard in her voice, "I just…..I'm…...I'm useless to you now! You're overseeing the house and the staff and the shop….Now you have to cook and clean and I just…...I just lie here!"
"Oh, Lily……" Severus sighed as he gently sat Harry down in his mother's nest. He moved forward to embrace his wife in his comforting arms as he spoke to her in his low voice, "Don't speak such ugly lies…. my love.You're carrying three…...that's a job in itself. You and I both have jobs to do….. My job right now is to look after you and Harry…….Your job right now is to look after our sons….or daughters."
Severus finished with a slight purr as he took the opportunity to place his hands on Lily's belly and feel the little motions that rippled under his palms.
"When these babies are born, Sev, I'll do everything, you'll see." Lily promised Severus as she smiled at him through her tears.
Severus leaned forward and stole a kiss from her plump lips until Harry crawled forward.
Little Harry decided to interrupt his parents by reaching up and yanking on a strand of his father's black hair.
Severus pulled away from Lily as he scowled down at Harry, but the giggle that escaped her throat quickly turned his attention back to her.
"Will you try and eat just a few bites, my love?" Severus asked as he looked at his omega while their curious little son cooed and crawled into his lap.
Lily blew out a breath before she wiped her tears away and nodded at Severus.
Severus scooped Harry up before he slipped his wand out of his pocket and gently levitated Lily out of her nest and onto her feet.
Her gentle groan made him wince.
Severus instantly stepped over to Lily's side and let her brace herself against him.
His black eyes focused on the prominent swell of his mate's belly while they left the bedroom and slowly walked towards the kitchen together.
Severus was certain that it was his imagination, but he thought that Lily's tummy had grown during the day.
As he watched his mate whimper and put a hand under the heavy swell of her womb, Severus hoped to himself that Quininns Co. Builders wouldn't need to honor their money-back guarantee.
Severus didn't want his money refunded, he wanted to get his family moved into their new home.
It wouldn't be too much longer before he and Lily would be meeting their three newborns.