Due to ffnet rules, check reviews from 'Voice of Alexian' for this story. I do wish to continue to respond to reviewers and this might be the way to go. Feedbacks for this chap will be posted tomorrow (28th May).
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Beta by Kristine Thorne
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Choose a baby name for Harry and Sev! Vote in the poll on my website to narrow it down from a list of ten names. Top two will be the ones used. Please see my profile for the URL :) There is now also a poll to choose the name of Hermione's baby at the same location.
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Chapter Summary - Hermione, the two Kin and Ron all have secrets, can Ron at least figure out what is up with Sev.
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Chapter Nineteen – Secrets
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Ron made slow progress down to the dungeons, he was determined to be with Harry and salvage their friendship. He had been stunned and a bit disgusted, but it had been the reaction of a man who definitely liked girls and it was never meant to be a reaction to Harry personally. He headed for the most likely place, the Snape quarters.
Eventually Ron managed to get himself leant up against the wall outside of Harry's current home, he knocked on the door. He then waited and then knocked some more. Then Ron sighed in frustration, there was no way that he could ever succeed in tracking Harry down the size Hogwarts was.
The door opened and a bleary-eyed Severus Snape peered out and found Ron sliding down onto the floor.
"How may I help you?" Severus asked, obviously surprised to see that it was Ron.
Ron looked up and noticed that Snape looked a bit dishevelled, "Is Harry here?"
"No," Severus replied instantly looking worried, "What happened?"
Ron thought he might try being nice to Snape and see if it made a difference, "I was getting along well with Harry but he told Hermione that he is pregnant and, well you can imagine."
Ron was quite proud of himself for sounding as if he really believed the pregnancy thing and was rewarded with an acknowledging reaction from Snape thus further indicating the likelihood that it was the truth, either that or they were both quite mad.
"Yes I can indeed imagine, I did not realise that he was going to tell anyone so soon," Severus said sternly before disappearing inside his living quarters.
Ron decided to crawl through the open door and managed to pull himself up onto the sofa by the time Severus returned with a map in his hand.
"You know, I don't think it's just pregnancy hormones with Hermione, she's getting really quite mental and I'm starting to think I should do something about it," Ron attempted to confide.
"He's in the astronomy tower, I will go to him," Severus announced.
"I'll go," Ron volunteered, "We were really getting along well and I want to sort this."
To Ron's surprise Severus agreed to let him deal with it, he went to one of the cabinets in the room, took something from it and returned to Ron.
Ron took the potion phial that Snape was offering, "What is it?"
"For Hermione. It's safe in pregnancy and should help, very concentrated, just put a drop in her tea. Nothing strange will happen; she'll just feel a little calmer. I am sure that you can understand that I have as much interest in this matter as you do but if she ever detects it you are to say that you purchased it yourself."
"Right, thank you, no problem, I will go find Harry then," Ron said not knowing quite how he was going to get there or how long it would take. However, before Ron had had a chance to think of something, Fawkes had picked him up with his claws and he was flying through the air and heading for the astronomy tower at a speed that made him want to close his eyes. Ron tried to close his eyes but the swooping feeling and not being able to see while it happened was making him want to vomit.
Fawkes dropped Ron onto the floor just outside the astronomy tower at the top of the staircase, or rather he attempted to put Ron on his feet and Ron slid onto the floor so that he could recover himself.
Ron pulled himself up so that he was sat propped up against the wall and tried not to vomit. His hands were shaking a little and he didn't want to attempt to stand. He reached up to the handle on the door and found it unlocked, he pushed it open and peered inside.
Harry sat on the floor at the far side of the room.
"Harry!" Ron called to him.
Harry looked up and was smiling as far as Ron could see.
Ron crawled into the room and started to approach Harry but stopped moving when he noticed that Harry was holding his sword and the serpents were glowing a bright crimson.
"I went to the dungeons to look for you," Ron began without getting any closer, "Severus told me I could find you here, he would have come to be with you, I insisted it was me."
"He is always here with me," Harry smiled again, a dreamy look upon his face and a peculiar kind of brightness in his eyes.
Ron swallowed hard with nerves, not only was Harry holding his sword but he knew that Severus was holding his too, the Kin were joining and at their most powerful.
"He gave me a potion for Hermione, thinks it might help," Ron continued.
"I know, I've told Severus that you have arrived," Harry said.
Ron waited a minute and the colour of the serpents darkened a little and Harry loosened his grip on the sword.
"Are you all right?" Ron asked.
"Yes, come closer," Harry said trying to look as harmless as he could. Then he noticed that he was still holding the sword and put it away.
Ron shuffled over, "What is that?" he asked noticing the blank parchment lying in Harry's lap.
"It's a map like I used to have," Harry explained.
"So you can see where everybody is?"
"No, just Severus."
Ron suddenly remembered about the night Dobby had told him about the kissing and then Hermione had been ranting on about chocolate ice cream. "All of what you just said, it's true isn't it?" Ron asked.
"Yes, it's true."
"This was what you were hiding? And you're pregnant. You're too young Harry," Ron scolded trying to imitate Hermione so that Harry would know he was joking, "You've got your whole life ahead of you."
Harry smiled grimly, "But that's just it Ron, I haven't, do you think that they will leave me alone now? If just one Death Eater survived they will be looking to take me out. It may take them a few years to regroup but there are things that I know and have in my possession that they will seek and revenge must be sought at all costs. It won't ever be over."
"Oh Harry," Ron said knowing that he was right.
"I have to do this now, my child will be powerful but still a child when the time comes if I don't do this now. Think how old I was when the Dark Lord came for me."
Ron sighed.
"Severus was the only one who could help, the swords were his," Harry added.
"You won't get any more objection from me," Ron offered and meant it.
"Just think, I will get all hormonal too and drive you completely insane."
Ron laughed, "You're already getting a bit girly."
"So what did Severus give you?" Harry asked as Ron settled down to sit beside him.
"I don't know, said it would make her feel better,"
"Severus is very skilled in these matters, I am sure it will help."
"I feel really awful, planning to drug her like this,"
"She'll never agree to anything the way she is at the moment, once she feels better she might agree to continue," Harry suggested.
"I suppose, she isn't really speaking to me anyway," Ron shrugged.
"It's nearly lunchtime," Harry noticed, "Why don't we go down to the hall, we'll pick up Severus on the way and then you can try to give Hermione a drop of that potion before her session with Severus this afternoon."
Harry stood up and helped Ron to his feet, as they were about to set off for the hall Harry wrapped his arms round Ron in a hug.
"I'm glad you can be my friend."
Ron struggled a little in the unexpected hold, although he found it a bit weird, he didn't want to end up falling over, "As I said, getting a bit girly."
"Yes, maybe," Harry replied altering his hold on Ron so that he was only supporting him, "But really happy."
Ron looked as though he was about to throw up, "Urgh, see what I mean, you've gone all soppy, you'll be knitting baby clothes next, yuk."
Harry smiled to himself, knowing the truth of the matter, "I can show you my nice shiny sword," he offered, "A very manly thing to do."
"No, it's all right, fair enough," Ron relented knowing that the smile on Harry's face meant that he was only joking.
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Harry, Severus and Ron arrived in the hall to find that Hermione was already seated in her place. Ron nervously joined her, feeling for the potion phial in his pocket. Harry leant in close to Severus so that they could communicate without being overheard.
"Are you sure that this is the best thing to do?" Harry asked in a whisper while Ron was trying to engage Hermione in conversation at normal volume as Harry had asked.
Severus showed Harry that he had the crystal ball with him, "I read her as she was eating her breakfast this morning. I couldn't do something like this myself, but since Ron has asked for help I do think it's a good idea to do something. She's feeling frightened and anxious, she knows that she's alienating everybody around her but she can't stop. She is alone in the world and she resents Ron because he is the only person she can turn to. She knows she will feel something for the child but she resents that too because she doesn't want to feel for the child. She doesn't want the child to be born but she doesn't want it to be inside her any longer. There is guilt, when she thought that the baby wasn't going to survive she began to feel glad and now she feels like a murderer. She wants everything to be as it was before but she is losing everything and can't stop it slipping away, everything has changed. She resents the baby's father like he was still alive. I'll eat my wand if this has anything to do with Oliver Wood."
Harry was stunned; "Maybe we should have done this sooner. Sounds more like she was attacked by a Death Eater, though it doesn't seem quite their style, not in the heat of battle anyhow."
"Let Ron give her the potion if he can and you can see if you can get her to talk, as the former boyfriend Ron is too close for that."
"And as a fellow pregnant person I have an angle into the conversation," Harry added, "Her parents are dead as well by the way."
"She blames herself for that but she wants it to be Ron's fault, I think she behaves as if it is."
"If Ron is going to succeed you had better do something to distract her, he's hardly the most subtle person I have ever met and she's far too vigilant," Harry suggested.
Severus leant forward and kissed Harry full on the lips.
Harry giggled, "Oh Sev, not in the hall," He said loud enough for Hermione to be able to hear.
Severus waited a beat then grabbed Harry again; Harry wriggled free because he did actually feel a bit on show doing that kind of thing with Severus in the hall and with everybody watching. He glanced Hermione's way, she was watching but was keeping whatever she might be feeling about it closely guarded.
Severus leant forward again and Harry allowed the kiss, he quickly found that the rest of the hall began to melt away and he didn't care about it anymore as the kiss went on. Severus pulled away, perhaps because he had seen that Ron had achieved his objective.
Severus and Harry straightened themselves up in preparation for lunch and were careful not to look as Hermione lifted her cup and took a drink.
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After lunch Hermione went with Severus to the potions classroom and without anything better to do Ron went with Harry.
Severus had tidied himself up a bit since he had opened the door to Ron. He had been woken up by the knocking and had not been looking his best at all. Severus eyed Hermione carefully, waiting for the retort to his most recent behaviour, waiting to see if the potion was taking effect yet or not. He didn't know if Ron and Hermione were talking to each other enough to have discussed his dishevelled state yet. Hermione certainly looked like she had something on her mind that she would like to transform into words, it was just a question of whether she had the nerve or not. Then he remembered what Ron had told him, Harry had told Hermione about the pregnancy. He didn't know where his memory was going to but he did know that Hermione would be incapable of keeping quiet about that.
Severus continued to set up the desk, he was preparing a test, it wasn't enough to be able to brew in the classroom, one had to brew and explain at the same time. Severus was testing whether Hermione was up to speed yet or not. He yearned for the day when he could leave her to get on with the job so for once in his entire career he wasn't going to be too strict with the marking.
As Severus worked through Hermione's unexpected silence his mind drifted to brighter things, he thought of the catalogue that he was going to look at with Harry later and all the things he might want to buy. He had to resist the urge to place a hand on himself, there was nothing to feel, he had not changed in size yet and it made it all seem slightly unreal.
"Harry tells me that he is pregnant," Hermione suddenly announced into the silence that had fallen between them, the sound echoing off the stone walls of the classroom.
Before Severus knew what was happening he had tipped the cauldron over and was reaching out to catch it before it fell on the floor. It wasn't that he hadn't expected her to say what she had but the sudden noise coming out of nowhere had made him jump. When all was safe again he faced Hermione.
"Surprised?" Hermione asked she was enjoying his uncharacteristic lack of composure far too much.
"Yes, although Ron has already spoken to me about it," Severus replied sounding calmer than he felt, he didn't know how much Harry had said, he had been so excited he could have said anything. Severus didn't know whether he had imparted all of their good news or not. He didn't really want anybody but Harry to know that he himself was expecting too, it wasn't as if they were all going to be bursting with joy for him. They would probably try to set the child protection wizards onto him before he had even had a chance to look pregnant, he would be a bad parent; he shouldn't be doing it.
"Do you not have anything to say?" Hermione demanded cutting Severus' wandering thoughts dead.
Severus supposed that the potion wasn't working yet, "What do you want me to say? It was what Harry wanted and I always give him what he wants," He responded, thoroughly tired of Hermione's behaviour himself.
"He always wanted a family," Hermione had to admit.
Severus wondered if the potion was working after all, "What better way is there to start a family, than to carry the child yourself?" Severus added, also thinking of what Harry had given him in return but not wanting to say anything about that.
Hermione shrugged, obviously referring to her own attempt to create a family, "It could be," She said before turning her attention to the training session in hand.
Severus followed Hermione's lead and turned his own attention back to the subject of potions. If Hermione was going to drop the subject for now he certainly wasn't going to press the issue. For a few minutes Severus thought that she might revisit the subject especially when she looked towards the area where he and Harry had had sex that one time and then frowned.
Severus supposed that if Hermione had annoyed Harry enough to send him fleeing to the astronomy tower for their own protection then he must have blurted out quite a bit before he left. He imagined that Harry might have told them about the reason the potions classroom had been left in such a state that day. Severus nearly smiled at the memory of it but managed to restrain himself, Hermione had suffered enough shocks for one day.
As Hermione began to brew Severus edged away from where it was taking place, putting some distance between his nose and the cauldron whilst remaining close enough to still be observing. He had chosen the side of the room close to the stairs that led into the office ready for a quick getaway.
As the fumes from the cauldron billowed upwards, Severus cautiously edged away a bit further hoping that he wasn't bringing too much attention to himself and that Hermione wouldn't make too much of an issue of it when he had to make a dash for it.
Hermione was doing very well, she was working efficiently and talking clearly as she worked, using a ladle to lift some potion out of the cauldron for inspection by her students at the points when it changed colour. Severus would have been quite impressed if his own attention hadn't been distracted with his efforts to stay for the duration. He tried to turn away from the fumes as the final ingredient was added but it was no use, within seconds the room was full of it.
When Severus emerged from the office again, looking pale and sickly and wanting to go back to bed, Hermione was standing by her cooling cauldron, arms crossed. Severus stopped on the stairs and waited for her to say something, knowing that he could not be bothered to put up with her crap but having to realise also that to her his behaviour looked very strange.
"Yes, you did very well, no need to repeat the exercise," Severus praised in the hope that, in her success, Hermione might choose not to say anything after all.
"Is it normal for the students to run from the room when the potion reaches its critical and most delicate stage?" Hermione began shattering Severus' hopes, "Perhaps that was where we Gryffindors were going wrong all those years."
Severus scowled one of his best scowls; he really, really wasn't in the mood. There she stood, pregnant herself, the one person out of the former Gryffindor trio who should be able to tell the symptoms a mile off and she was clueless, too self absorbed to notice anything. Maybe he was just making a very good job of hiding the truth, Severus considered, maybe he was just ending up looking like his old grumpy self, maybe nobody but Harry could read through his defences. Still, Severus thought, he really couldn't be bothered and he certainly wasn't going to confess all. He reached inside his robes, where Hermione knew he kept the sword, as if he was going to draw it. When he saw the fear in Hermione's eyes he dropped his hand, called the session to a close and swooped out of the room as quickly as his sensitive stomach would tolerate.
Severus would have slowed down a little as he headed for the dungeon but for one thing. It was an ache inside and a certain feeling that he hadn't experienced in a very long while, perhaps a little when he first realised that Harry wanted a relationship with him and again when he had been forced to relive the Quidditch pitch incident, but mainly it had been absent since the day James Potter first trapped him in the grounds of Hogwarts. He knew where the feeling wanted to lead him and he remembered the last time that it had happened.
He maintained his pace, ignoring all that he encountered on the way, swooping briskly. He had to assume that it was hormones playing tricks with him, Hermione's words had cut into him like never before and he felt like he had when as a child he had cowered in a corner as his parents fought, deeply hurt. Severus felt as if he wanted to cry and he knew somehow that he would be able to do so and nothing would stop it. He had to get to a place of safety and quickly.
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Harry had challenged Ron to another game of chess once Hermione and Severus had left the hall. There was little else that Ron could do and they had stayed in the hall, since going anywhere else would have been a lot of effort without any advantage. Now Severus wasn't his old doom and gloomy self anymore, even he was getting sick of the dungeon and they didn't really have anywhere else to go until the building wizards had been.
Ron had won the game of chess again and instead of humiliating himself further Harry decided to show Ron the plans for the new Headmaster's quarters.
"It's basically the same as it used to be, except there won't be so many stairs, we've altered it so that the rooms are all on one level, enlarged it slightly." Harry explained.
"Hmm," Ron pondered the plans with genuine interest, "And there are three bedrooms," He noticed.
"Planning ahead," Harry said, explaining the third bedroom without giving Severus' little secret away.
Ron frowned in understanding, the idea still freaking him out a little, "Oh, and larger windows, wouldn't have thought that was Snape's thing."
Harry smiled, "We were living outside for the most part of a year, the dungeon feels quite oppressive since we got used to being in the open air for most of the day. There are actually windows on all sides of the tower."
Ron observed Harry, sitting at the dinner table with the plans spread out on it, looking happy and relaxed and probably unaware of where he had placed his protective hand. Ron thought about asking to sense the baby, he was dying to have a go, but he didn't think they were close enough yet and he didn't know how to anyway. He only knew the brief amount that Snape had taught him; Hermione had certainly never requested his help in that direction and hadn't been happy about it even when it was an emergency. Ron stayed quiet on the matter, he thought about finding out how to do it and then realised that the only two people he could ask would be either Snape or Hermione and that certainly wasn't going to happen at all.
"Are you feeling all right, you know, with the you know what and everything?" Ron asked sheepishly.
Fortunately Harry knew what Ron was talking about even though he hadn't articulated it very well, "Yes, fine, wonderful in fact, I think I feel a bit different but I could be imagining it because I know now. Apart from, as you pointed out, getting a bit girly."
"About time you had some luck," Ron continued, "Hermione was awful."
"I had noticed."
Ron shook his head, "No, not that, earlier on she wasn't quite as mental, she was different almost straight away but she had all the other stuff too."
"Like what?"
"Fainting, sickness, you name it, right bloody nightmare, think she might have kept it secret a bit longer if it hadn't been for all that." Ron grumbled.
"Do you think it might mean something?"
"What not feeling ill? I would say it was luck but you might ask Hermione about it if she'll shut up long enough to listen, as you can imagine, she's read all the books on the subject," Ron suggested, "But Severus is looking after you isn't he?"
"Yes, he says that everything is fine," Harry had to admit.
"Well it probably is then." Ron was thinking again about wanting to sense the child. It wasn't because he wanted to prove that Harry was lying or delusional either, he really just wanted to, he was actually beginning to feel quite pleased for Harry and a little bit excited.
Harry smiled, "You're right, I know, I just can't help worrying."
Ron noticed Hermione entering the hall and heading their way.
"Now we'll see if Severus' potion is working," Ron alerted Harry.
Harry looked up to see Hermione approaching them and he didn't think she looked very happy though she didn't seem as if she was going to launch into a rant either.
"Everything all right?" Ron asked as Hermione took a place at the table.
"Fine," Hermione answered calmly enough, "What have you two been doing?"
"Playing a bit of chess, talking," Ron answered.
"Nothing constructive like preparing Defence lessons then?" Hermione criticised.
"We would have done but Ron wouldn't let me practise the practicals on him," Harry answered with a huffy pout.
Ron tried not to laugh but Hermione wasn't amused; however she chose to sigh rather than start an argument. "Perhaps you could consider reinstating the duelling club even before term starts, you and Severus could give demonstrations."
"Harry can't if he's pregnant," Ron cut in.
Hermione sighed again, "Well Severus then."
"No!" Harry responded before he had a chance to think better of it.
"Why ever not?" Hermione asked.
"We fight together or not at all," Harry hastily replied, knowing that it was inadequate.
"It's just a demonstration not a full out war," Hermione criticised.
"Those things never ended well did they? I think if Harry wants to be a good teacher he would do better if he took the example of a Defence teacher other than bloody Lockhart," Ron interceded.
"Right," Harry agreed quickly, "All those duels ever did was give Malfoy an excuse to send me flying across the room, perhaps we should move the defence lessons to the room of requirement on a permanent basis."
Hermione relented, "The DA meetings on an official and larger scale."
"Exactly, we can 'require' more realistic enemies for the students to fight whilst remaining in a safe environment. Coming up against me in a duel would be both dangerous and pointless."
Hermione cringed at the thought of just one more swordy episode, "You are right about that."
"What happened to Malfoy?" Ron suddenly asked, reminded of the mystery of Draco's disappearance, "Did you kill him Harry?"
Harry thought for a minute, Severus had made a list of the owners of all the wands they had collected from the final battle but he couldn't remember Draco's name being amongst them and he was sure that they both would have remembered that one, "I don't think so," Harry answered, "I haven't seen him since graduation."
"We haven't seen him either," Ron added, "You would have thought he would have been here for the attack on Hogwarts whichever side he ended up on, if only to gloat at our demise."
"When he wasn't there," Hermione added, "We just assumed that he must be with his father leading the quest to find and kill you."
"I saw Lucius, Severus saw him twice but he was alone."
"Maybe he was sent away," Hermione suggested, "The younger generation in hiding, to rise again in the wake of apparent defeat."
Harry felt the cold dread run through him, he hadn't considered it but Hermione could well be right. Harry supposed that Ron must have gestured to her to shut up because Hermione didn't add anything further and he received an encouraging pat on the shoulder from Ron instead.
"If there is an attack on Hogwarts we'll stand well clear while you two flatten them with your swords, even if there is a problem there won't be that many of them and you can handle them if you can handle the main man himself," Ron tried to encourage.
"I know, I just don't want to," Harry said starting to feel himself getting upset.
Ron found himself patting Harry's back, something he would never have done before but Harry behaving in a different way seemed to be causing Ron to treat him differently also. They were facing each other and Ron had got quite close to reach an arm round Harry. Harry leant forward only slightly to rest his head on Ron's shoulder. Ron remembered how jumpy Harry used to be concerning people getting close to him and noted it as one more good thing about the Kin Bond.
Hermione turned away in disgust and also with a good amount of jealousy.
Harry sat with his head on Ron's shoulder feeling all right about the comfort he was being offered and knowing that he was being over emotional. No matter how good Ron was being though, Harry still wanted Severus, he looked up thinking that he might leave his friend to go down to the dungeons and found that Severus was striding down the hall towards them.
"What is going on here?" Severus asked as he stood in front of the table, Harry had sat up and Severus could see that he was upset.
"Nothing to do with me," Hermione quickly spoke.
Harry looked up at Severus now that he was close and noticed how sickly he looked and that his eyes seemed red and tired, "It wasn't this time, we were just discussing where Draco might be."
"And this got you upset?"
"We thought that Draco and the other older Death Eater children might still be out there, perhaps regrouping, we shouldn't have said anything," Ron explained.
"No, you should, we have to be prepared for possibilities, it is just hormones you know, I will be fine." Harry insisted.
"Harry is more than a match for anybody," Severus added with pride.
"Just what I was saying," Ron agreed.
"I know, I know," Harry said feeling quite foolish.
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Harry and Severus returned to the dungeons, mainly because Harry wanted to ask Severus if he was all right but he also needed to compose himself too. When they entered their living area Severus sat wearily down on the sofa.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked straight away, he couldn't help worrying about Severus.
"I am surprised you haven't already heard," Severus replied.
"What? Hermione? She said that everything was fine," Harry said rather surprised and wondering what on earth she had done.
"Did she now?" Severus said with grim amusement, "That's a first, she probably just doesn't know what happened."
"I will know in a minute, because you are going to tell me," Harry announced taking a seat next to Severus and leaning against him. Severus wrapped an arm round his Kin and held him close.
"I felt nauseous during a brewing session and fled to the office."
"That's it?"
"And then when I came back out she was saying things about it and I walked out."
"And?"
"And I felt upset, so I came back here," Severus sighed, "You can get upset when other people are there, where can I go?"
"To me," Harry said simply, he turned around on the couch and draped himself over Severus' chest, feeling the warmth of him. Harry felt Severus' arms go tightly around him and he kissed Severus' neck, which was the closest bit of exposed skin he could reach.
"You'll be all right you know, if we have to fight," Severus tried to reassure his Kin, "The swords will protect our children just as they protect us in battle."
"I know I just don't want to, I'm tired but not physically, I felt for a while that it was over, but it isn't. I don't want to fight so soon."
"It could be that something else has happened to Draco, it's all just theory."
"I know," Harry said sighing and staying close to Severus.
"Next to a few hundred Death Eaters and a Dark Lord, it'll seem like nothing anyway," Severus tried to encourage.
Harry laughed a little, "That was what Ron said."
"Could be the boy is actually beginning to make some sense," Severus commented.
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Hermione and Ron remained in the hall for a while, Hermione didn't say anything for a long while but Ron was waiting for the inevitable. It came as they walked back to Gryffindor.
"So what was with all that touchy feely crap then?" Hermione demanded as they climbed the stairs.
Ron sighed and wondered when the next dose of potion was due and if the effect accumulated with each subsequent one. "THAT is how you find things out, the kind of things that aren't written in books anyway."
"And what amazing thing did you find out?" Hermione demanded to know.
"That despite being a ruthless killer he is quite sensitive and vulnerable, or at least he feels that way." Ron replied, "Never mind, Hermione at least your session with Severus went well."
"Severus is it now? Actually it didn't go well, it just didn't seem prudent to say so."
"What has he done now?" Ron asked in a voice that clearly indicated that he thought it was all Hermione's fault anyway.
"He keeps wandering off, first he can't be found at all, then halfway through his assessment, the critical part of the potion, he runs off into the office. Then he just leaves altogether, no explanation for any of it."
Ron had a thought when Hermione finished talking and he tried to think what it might mean. His first instinct was to tell her that she had been just the same. She had stopped brewing potions for a while and it had been why they had been ordering them in at great expense. Ron let the cogs turn in his mind till he remembered why. The last time Ron had seen Hermione run into the potions classroom office in the middle of a potion it had been to throw up, he had had to finish it off himself and that had led to the old familiar chaos. It had been at the beginning of the period of inaccurately named 'morning sickness', which for a while had occurred at erratic intervals, morning noon and night. Especially when Hermione had encountered strong smells such as a potion brewing or his own breakfast bacon. Bread, Ron remembered, but only when Severus was there.
"What's the matter with you?" Hermione asked noticing the stunned and gormless expression on Ron's face.
"Nothing," Ron replied, shaking his head to clear his mind of the silly thoughts that had entered his brain. It was nothing, Ron reasoned with himself, one incident that could be anything and he was thinking all sorts of strange things, but then he had been right about the ice cream.
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TBC very soon
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Next Chapter - The Other Side - Back at Sgoil Dhubh Lodge Will has a mystery to solve. Where did the things in his freezer come from? Which bottle of whiskey should he drink next? And more importantly, where has everyone gone? He suspects that his two strange wintertime visitors are behind it all but can he figure out what was really going on? This is a chappie which explores what has been happening to Will with a view to him joining Tango At The End Of Winter properly in the near future.
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Beta by Kristine Thorne
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Choose a baby name for Harry and Sev! Vote in the poll on my website to narrow it down from a list of ten names. Top two will be the ones used. Please see my profile for the URL :) There is now also a poll to choose the name of Hermione's baby at the same location.
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Chapter Summary - Hermione, the two Kin and Ron all have secrets, can Ron at least figure out what is up with Sev.
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Chapter Nineteen – Secrets
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Ron made slow progress down to the dungeons, he was determined to be with Harry and salvage their friendship. He had been stunned and a bit disgusted, but it had been the reaction of a man who definitely liked girls and it was never meant to be a reaction to Harry personally. He headed for the most likely place, the Snape quarters.
Eventually Ron managed to get himself leant up against the wall outside of Harry's current home, he knocked on the door. He then waited and then knocked some more. Then Ron sighed in frustration, there was no way that he could ever succeed in tracking Harry down the size Hogwarts was.
The door opened and a bleary-eyed Severus Snape peered out and found Ron sliding down onto the floor.
"How may I help you?" Severus asked, obviously surprised to see that it was Ron.
Ron looked up and noticed that Snape looked a bit dishevelled, "Is Harry here?"
"No," Severus replied instantly looking worried, "What happened?"
Ron thought he might try being nice to Snape and see if it made a difference, "I was getting along well with Harry but he told Hermione that he is pregnant and, well you can imagine."
Ron was quite proud of himself for sounding as if he really believed the pregnancy thing and was rewarded with an acknowledging reaction from Snape thus further indicating the likelihood that it was the truth, either that or they were both quite mad.
"Yes I can indeed imagine, I did not realise that he was going to tell anyone so soon," Severus said sternly before disappearing inside his living quarters.
Ron decided to crawl through the open door and managed to pull himself up onto the sofa by the time Severus returned with a map in his hand.
"You know, I don't think it's just pregnancy hormones with Hermione, she's getting really quite mental and I'm starting to think I should do something about it," Ron attempted to confide.
"He's in the astronomy tower, I will go to him," Severus announced.
"I'll go," Ron volunteered, "We were really getting along well and I want to sort this."
To Ron's surprise Severus agreed to let him deal with it, he went to one of the cabinets in the room, took something from it and returned to Ron.
Ron took the potion phial that Snape was offering, "What is it?"
"For Hermione. It's safe in pregnancy and should help, very concentrated, just put a drop in her tea. Nothing strange will happen; she'll just feel a little calmer. I am sure that you can understand that I have as much interest in this matter as you do but if she ever detects it you are to say that you purchased it yourself."
"Right, thank you, no problem, I will go find Harry then," Ron said not knowing quite how he was going to get there or how long it would take. However, before Ron had had a chance to think of something, Fawkes had picked him up with his claws and he was flying through the air and heading for the astronomy tower at a speed that made him want to close his eyes. Ron tried to close his eyes but the swooping feeling and not being able to see while it happened was making him want to vomit.
Fawkes dropped Ron onto the floor just outside the astronomy tower at the top of the staircase, or rather he attempted to put Ron on his feet and Ron slid onto the floor so that he could recover himself.
Ron pulled himself up so that he was sat propped up against the wall and tried not to vomit. His hands were shaking a little and he didn't want to attempt to stand. He reached up to the handle on the door and found it unlocked, he pushed it open and peered inside.
Harry sat on the floor at the far side of the room.
"Harry!" Ron called to him.
Harry looked up and was smiling as far as Ron could see.
Ron crawled into the room and started to approach Harry but stopped moving when he noticed that Harry was holding his sword and the serpents were glowing a bright crimson.
"I went to the dungeons to look for you," Ron began without getting any closer, "Severus told me I could find you here, he would have come to be with you, I insisted it was me."
"He is always here with me," Harry smiled again, a dreamy look upon his face and a peculiar kind of brightness in his eyes.
Ron swallowed hard with nerves, not only was Harry holding his sword but he knew that Severus was holding his too, the Kin were joining and at their most powerful.
"He gave me a potion for Hermione, thinks it might help," Ron continued.
"I know, I've told Severus that you have arrived," Harry said.
Ron waited a minute and the colour of the serpents darkened a little and Harry loosened his grip on the sword.
"Are you all right?" Ron asked.
"Yes, come closer," Harry said trying to look as harmless as he could. Then he noticed that he was still holding the sword and put it away.
Ron shuffled over, "What is that?" he asked noticing the blank parchment lying in Harry's lap.
"It's a map like I used to have," Harry explained.
"So you can see where everybody is?"
"No, just Severus."
Ron suddenly remembered about the night Dobby had told him about the kissing and then Hermione had been ranting on about chocolate ice cream. "All of what you just said, it's true isn't it?" Ron asked.
"Yes, it's true."
"This was what you were hiding? And you're pregnant. You're too young Harry," Ron scolded trying to imitate Hermione so that Harry would know he was joking, "You've got your whole life ahead of you."
Harry smiled grimly, "But that's just it Ron, I haven't, do you think that they will leave me alone now? If just one Death Eater survived they will be looking to take me out. It may take them a few years to regroup but there are things that I know and have in my possession that they will seek and revenge must be sought at all costs. It won't ever be over."
"Oh Harry," Ron said knowing that he was right.
"I have to do this now, my child will be powerful but still a child when the time comes if I don't do this now. Think how old I was when the Dark Lord came for me."
Ron sighed.
"Severus was the only one who could help, the swords were his," Harry added.
"You won't get any more objection from me," Ron offered and meant it.
"Just think, I will get all hormonal too and drive you completely insane."
Ron laughed, "You're already getting a bit girly."
"So what did Severus give you?" Harry asked as Ron settled down to sit beside him.
"I don't know, said it would make her feel better,"
"Severus is very skilled in these matters, I am sure it will help."
"I feel really awful, planning to drug her like this,"
"She'll never agree to anything the way she is at the moment, once she feels better she might agree to continue," Harry suggested.
"I suppose, she isn't really speaking to me anyway," Ron shrugged.
"It's nearly lunchtime," Harry noticed, "Why don't we go down to the hall, we'll pick up Severus on the way and then you can try to give Hermione a drop of that potion before her session with Severus this afternoon."
Harry stood up and helped Ron to his feet, as they were about to set off for the hall Harry wrapped his arms round Ron in a hug.
"I'm glad you can be my friend."
Ron struggled a little in the unexpected hold, although he found it a bit weird, he didn't want to end up falling over, "As I said, getting a bit girly."
"Yes, maybe," Harry replied altering his hold on Ron so that he was only supporting him, "But really happy."
Ron looked as though he was about to throw up, "Urgh, see what I mean, you've gone all soppy, you'll be knitting baby clothes next, yuk."
Harry smiled to himself, knowing the truth of the matter, "I can show you my nice shiny sword," he offered, "A very manly thing to do."
"No, it's all right, fair enough," Ron relented knowing that the smile on Harry's face meant that he was only joking.
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Harry, Severus and Ron arrived in the hall to find that Hermione was already seated in her place. Ron nervously joined her, feeling for the potion phial in his pocket. Harry leant in close to Severus so that they could communicate without being overheard.
"Are you sure that this is the best thing to do?" Harry asked in a whisper while Ron was trying to engage Hermione in conversation at normal volume as Harry had asked.
Severus showed Harry that he had the crystal ball with him, "I read her as she was eating her breakfast this morning. I couldn't do something like this myself, but since Ron has asked for help I do think it's a good idea to do something. She's feeling frightened and anxious, she knows that she's alienating everybody around her but she can't stop. She is alone in the world and she resents Ron because he is the only person she can turn to. She knows she will feel something for the child but she resents that too because she doesn't want to feel for the child. She doesn't want the child to be born but she doesn't want it to be inside her any longer. There is guilt, when she thought that the baby wasn't going to survive she began to feel glad and now she feels like a murderer. She wants everything to be as it was before but she is losing everything and can't stop it slipping away, everything has changed. She resents the baby's father like he was still alive. I'll eat my wand if this has anything to do with Oliver Wood."
Harry was stunned; "Maybe we should have done this sooner. Sounds more like she was attacked by a Death Eater, though it doesn't seem quite their style, not in the heat of battle anyhow."
"Let Ron give her the potion if he can and you can see if you can get her to talk, as the former boyfriend Ron is too close for that."
"And as a fellow pregnant person I have an angle into the conversation," Harry added, "Her parents are dead as well by the way."
"She blames herself for that but she wants it to be Ron's fault, I think she behaves as if it is."
"If Ron is going to succeed you had better do something to distract her, he's hardly the most subtle person I have ever met and she's far too vigilant," Harry suggested.
Severus leant forward and kissed Harry full on the lips.
Harry giggled, "Oh Sev, not in the hall," He said loud enough for Hermione to be able to hear.
Severus waited a beat then grabbed Harry again; Harry wriggled free because he did actually feel a bit on show doing that kind of thing with Severus in the hall and with everybody watching. He glanced Hermione's way, she was watching but was keeping whatever she might be feeling about it closely guarded.
Severus leant forward again and Harry allowed the kiss, he quickly found that the rest of the hall began to melt away and he didn't care about it anymore as the kiss went on. Severus pulled away, perhaps because he had seen that Ron had achieved his objective.
Severus and Harry straightened themselves up in preparation for lunch and were careful not to look as Hermione lifted her cup and took a drink.
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After lunch Hermione went with Severus to the potions classroom and without anything better to do Ron went with Harry.
Severus had tidied himself up a bit since he had opened the door to Ron. He had been woken up by the knocking and had not been looking his best at all. Severus eyed Hermione carefully, waiting for the retort to his most recent behaviour, waiting to see if the potion was taking effect yet or not. He didn't know if Ron and Hermione were talking to each other enough to have discussed his dishevelled state yet. Hermione certainly looked like she had something on her mind that she would like to transform into words, it was just a question of whether she had the nerve or not. Then he remembered what Ron had told him, Harry had told Hermione about the pregnancy. He didn't know where his memory was going to but he did know that Hermione would be incapable of keeping quiet about that.
Severus continued to set up the desk, he was preparing a test, it wasn't enough to be able to brew in the classroom, one had to brew and explain at the same time. Severus was testing whether Hermione was up to speed yet or not. He yearned for the day when he could leave her to get on with the job so for once in his entire career he wasn't going to be too strict with the marking.
As Severus worked through Hermione's unexpected silence his mind drifted to brighter things, he thought of the catalogue that he was going to look at with Harry later and all the things he might want to buy. He had to resist the urge to place a hand on himself, there was nothing to feel, he had not changed in size yet and it made it all seem slightly unreal.
"Harry tells me that he is pregnant," Hermione suddenly announced into the silence that had fallen between them, the sound echoing off the stone walls of the classroom.
Before Severus knew what was happening he had tipped the cauldron over and was reaching out to catch it before it fell on the floor. It wasn't that he hadn't expected her to say what she had but the sudden noise coming out of nowhere had made him jump. When all was safe again he faced Hermione.
"Surprised?" Hermione asked she was enjoying his uncharacteristic lack of composure far too much.
"Yes, although Ron has already spoken to me about it," Severus replied sounding calmer than he felt, he didn't know how much Harry had said, he had been so excited he could have said anything. Severus didn't know whether he had imparted all of their good news or not. He didn't really want anybody but Harry to know that he himself was expecting too, it wasn't as if they were all going to be bursting with joy for him. They would probably try to set the child protection wizards onto him before he had even had a chance to look pregnant, he would be a bad parent; he shouldn't be doing it.
"Do you not have anything to say?" Hermione demanded cutting Severus' wandering thoughts dead.
Severus supposed that the potion wasn't working yet, "What do you want me to say? It was what Harry wanted and I always give him what he wants," He responded, thoroughly tired of Hermione's behaviour himself.
"He always wanted a family," Hermione had to admit.
Severus wondered if the potion was working after all, "What better way is there to start a family, than to carry the child yourself?" Severus added, also thinking of what Harry had given him in return but not wanting to say anything about that.
Hermione shrugged, obviously referring to her own attempt to create a family, "It could be," She said before turning her attention to the training session in hand.
Severus followed Hermione's lead and turned his own attention back to the subject of potions. If Hermione was going to drop the subject for now he certainly wasn't going to press the issue. For a few minutes Severus thought that she might revisit the subject especially when she looked towards the area where he and Harry had had sex that one time and then frowned.
Severus supposed that if Hermione had annoyed Harry enough to send him fleeing to the astronomy tower for their own protection then he must have blurted out quite a bit before he left. He imagined that Harry might have told them about the reason the potions classroom had been left in such a state that day. Severus nearly smiled at the memory of it but managed to restrain himself, Hermione had suffered enough shocks for one day.
As Hermione began to brew Severus edged away from where it was taking place, putting some distance between his nose and the cauldron whilst remaining close enough to still be observing. He had chosen the side of the room close to the stairs that led into the office ready for a quick getaway.
As the fumes from the cauldron billowed upwards, Severus cautiously edged away a bit further hoping that he wasn't bringing too much attention to himself and that Hermione wouldn't make too much of an issue of it when he had to make a dash for it.
Hermione was doing very well, she was working efficiently and talking clearly as she worked, using a ladle to lift some potion out of the cauldron for inspection by her students at the points when it changed colour. Severus would have been quite impressed if his own attention hadn't been distracted with his efforts to stay for the duration. He tried to turn away from the fumes as the final ingredient was added but it was no use, within seconds the room was full of it.
When Severus emerged from the office again, looking pale and sickly and wanting to go back to bed, Hermione was standing by her cooling cauldron, arms crossed. Severus stopped on the stairs and waited for her to say something, knowing that he could not be bothered to put up with her crap but having to realise also that to her his behaviour looked very strange.
"Yes, you did very well, no need to repeat the exercise," Severus praised in the hope that, in her success, Hermione might choose not to say anything after all.
"Is it normal for the students to run from the room when the potion reaches its critical and most delicate stage?" Hermione began shattering Severus' hopes, "Perhaps that was where we Gryffindors were going wrong all those years."
Severus scowled one of his best scowls; he really, really wasn't in the mood. There she stood, pregnant herself, the one person out of the former Gryffindor trio who should be able to tell the symptoms a mile off and she was clueless, too self absorbed to notice anything. Maybe he was just making a very good job of hiding the truth, Severus considered, maybe he was just ending up looking like his old grumpy self, maybe nobody but Harry could read through his defences. Still, Severus thought, he really couldn't be bothered and he certainly wasn't going to confess all. He reached inside his robes, where Hermione knew he kept the sword, as if he was going to draw it. When he saw the fear in Hermione's eyes he dropped his hand, called the session to a close and swooped out of the room as quickly as his sensitive stomach would tolerate.
Severus would have slowed down a little as he headed for the dungeon but for one thing. It was an ache inside and a certain feeling that he hadn't experienced in a very long while, perhaps a little when he first realised that Harry wanted a relationship with him and again when he had been forced to relive the Quidditch pitch incident, but mainly it had been absent since the day James Potter first trapped him in the grounds of Hogwarts. He knew where the feeling wanted to lead him and he remembered the last time that it had happened.
He maintained his pace, ignoring all that he encountered on the way, swooping briskly. He had to assume that it was hormones playing tricks with him, Hermione's words had cut into him like never before and he felt like he had when as a child he had cowered in a corner as his parents fought, deeply hurt. Severus felt as if he wanted to cry and he knew somehow that he would be able to do so and nothing would stop it. He had to get to a place of safety and quickly.
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Harry had challenged Ron to another game of chess once Hermione and Severus had left the hall. There was little else that Ron could do and they had stayed in the hall, since going anywhere else would have been a lot of effort without any advantage. Now Severus wasn't his old doom and gloomy self anymore, even he was getting sick of the dungeon and they didn't really have anywhere else to go until the building wizards had been.
Ron had won the game of chess again and instead of humiliating himself further Harry decided to show Ron the plans for the new Headmaster's quarters.
"It's basically the same as it used to be, except there won't be so many stairs, we've altered it so that the rooms are all on one level, enlarged it slightly." Harry explained.
"Hmm," Ron pondered the plans with genuine interest, "And there are three bedrooms," He noticed.
"Planning ahead," Harry said, explaining the third bedroom without giving Severus' little secret away.
Ron frowned in understanding, the idea still freaking him out a little, "Oh, and larger windows, wouldn't have thought that was Snape's thing."
Harry smiled, "We were living outside for the most part of a year, the dungeon feels quite oppressive since we got used to being in the open air for most of the day. There are actually windows on all sides of the tower."
Ron observed Harry, sitting at the dinner table with the plans spread out on it, looking happy and relaxed and probably unaware of where he had placed his protective hand. Ron thought about asking to sense the baby, he was dying to have a go, but he didn't think they were close enough yet and he didn't know how to anyway. He only knew the brief amount that Snape had taught him; Hermione had certainly never requested his help in that direction and hadn't been happy about it even when it was an emergency. Ron stayed quiet on the matter, he thought about finding out how to do it and then realised that the only two people he could ask would be either Snape or Hermione and that certainly wasn't going to happen at all.
"Are you feeling all right, you know, with the you know what and everything?" Ron asked sheepishly.
Fortunately Harry knew what Ron was talking about even though he hadn't articulated it very well, "Yes, fine, wonderful in fact, I think I feel a bit different but I could be imagining it because I know now. Apart from, as you pointed out, getting a bit girly."
"About time you had some luck," Ron continued, "Hermione was awful."
"I had noticed."
Ron shook his head, "No, not that, earlier on she wasn't quite as mental, she was different almost straight away but she had all the other stuff too."
"Like what?"
"Fainting, sickness, you name it, right bloody nightmare, think she might have kept it secret a bit longer if it hadn't been for all that." Ron grumbled.
"Do you think it might mean something?"
"What not feeling ill? I would say it was luck but you might ask Hermione about it if she'll shut up long enough to listen, as you can imagine, she's read all the books on the subject," Ron suggested, "But Severus is looking after you isn't he?"
"Yes, he says that everything is fine," Harry had to admit.
"Well it probably is then." Ron was thinking again about wanting to sense the child. It wasn't because he wanted to prove that Harry was lying or delusional either, he really just wanted to, he was actually beginning to feel quite pleased for Harry and a little bit excited.
Harry smiled, "You're right, I know, I just can't help worrying."
Ron noticed Hermione entering the hall and heading their way.
"Now we'll see if Severus' potion is working," Ron alerted Harry.
Harry looked up to see Hermione approaching them and he didn't think she looked very happy though she didn't seem as if she was going to launch into a rant either.
"Everything all right?" Ron asked as Hermione took a place at the table.
"Fine," Hermione answered calmly enough, "What have you two been doing?"
"Playing a bit of chess, talking," Ron answered.
"Nothing constructive like preparing Defence lessons then?" Hermione criticised.
"We would have done but Ron wouldn't let me practise the practicals on him," Harry answered with a huffy pout.
Ron tried not to laugh but Hermione wasn't amused; however she chose to sigh rather than start an argument. "Perhaps you could consider reinstating the duelling club even before term starts, you and Severus could give demonstrations."
"Harry can't if he's pregnant," Ron cut in.
Hermione sighed again, "Well Severus then."
"No!" Harry responded before he had a chance to think better of it.
"Why ever not?" Hermione asked.
"We fight together or not at all," Harry hastily replied, knowing that it was inadequate.
"It's just a demonstration not a full out war," Hermione criticised.
"Those things never ended well did they? I think if Harry wants to be a good teacher he would do better if he took the example of a Defence teacher other than bloody Lockhart," Ron interceded.
"Right," Harry agreed quickly, "All those duels ever did was give Malfoy an excuse to send me flying across the room, perhaps we should move the defence lessons to the room of requirement on a permanent basis."
Hermione relented, "The DA meetings on an official and larger scale."
"Exactly, we can 'require' more realistic enemies for the students to fight whilst remaining in a safe environment. Coming up against me in a duel would be both dangerous and pointless."
Hermione cringed at the thought of just one more swordy episode, "You are right about that."
"What happened to Malfoy?" Ron suddenly asked, reminded of the mystery of Draco's disappearance, "Did you kill him Harry?"
Harry thought for a minute, Severus had made a list of the owners of all the wands they had collected from the final battle but he couldn't remember Draco's name being amongst them and he was sure that they both would have remembered that one, "I don't think so," Harry answered, "I haven't seen him since graduation."
"We haven't seen him either," Ron added, "You would have thought he would have been here for the attack on Hogwarts whichever side he ended up on, if only to gloat at our demise."
"When he wasn't there," Hermione added, "We just assumed that he must be with his father leading the quest to find and kill you."
"I saw Lucius, Severus saw him twice but he was alone."
"Maybe he was sent away," Hermione suggested, "The younger generation in hiding, to rise again in the wake of apparent defeat."
Harry felt the cold dread run through him, he hadn't considered it but Hermione could well be right. Harry supposed that Ron must have gestured to her to shut up because Hermione didn't add anything further and he received an encouraging pat on the shoulder from Ron instead.
"If there is an attack on Hogwarts we'll stand well clear while you two flatten them with your swords, even if there is a problem there won't be that many of them and you can handle them if you can handle the main man himself," Ron tried to encourage.
"I know, I just don't want to," Harry said starting to feel himself getting upset.
Ron found himself patting Harry's back, something he would never have done before but Harry behaving in a different way seemed to be causing Ron to treat him differently also. They were facing each other and Ron had got quite close to reach an arm round Harry. Harry leant forward only slightly to rest his head on Ron's shoulder. Ron remembered how jumpy Harry used to be concerning people getting close to him and noted it as one more good thing about the Kin Bond.
Hermione turned away in disgust and also with a good amount of jealousy.
Harry sat with his head on Ron's shoulder feeling all right about the comfort he was being offered and knowing that he was being over emotional. No matter how good Ron was being though, Harry still wanted Severus, he looked up thinking that he might leave his friend to go down to the dungeons and found that Severus was striding down the hall towards them.
"What is going on here?" Severus asked as he stood in front of the table, Harry had sat up and Severus could see that he was upset.
"Nothing to do with me," Hermione quickly spoke.
Harry looked up at Severus now that he was close and noticed how sickly he looked and that his eyes seemed red and tired, "It wasn't this time, we were just discussing where Draco might be."
"And this got you upset?"
"We thought that Draco and the other older Death Eater children might still be out there, perhaps regrouping, we shouldn't have said anything," Ron explained.
"No, you should, we have to be prepared for possibilities, it is just hormones you know, I will be fine." Harry insisted.
"Harry is more than a match for anybody," Severus added with pride.
"Just what I was saying," Ron agreed.
"I know, I know," Harry said feeling quite foolish.
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Harry and Severus returned to the dungeons, mainly because Harry wanted to ask Severus if he was all right but he also needed to compose himself too. When they entered their living area Severus sat wearily down on the sofa.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked straight away, he couldn't help worrying about Severus.
"I am surprised you haven't already heard," Severus replied.
"What? Hermione? She said that everything was fine," Harry said rather surprised and wondering what on earth she had done.
"Did she now?" Severus said with grim amusement, "That's a first, she probably just doesn't know what happened."
"I will know in a minute, because you are going to tell me," Harry announced taking a seat next to Severus and leaning against him. Severus wrapped an arm round his Kin and held him close.
"I felt nauseous during a brewing session and fled to the office."
"That's it?"
"And then when I came back out she was saying things about it and I walked out."
"And?"
"And I felt upset, so I came back here," Severus sighed, "You can get upset when other people are there, where can I go?"
"To me," Harry said simply, he turned around on the couch and draped himself over Severus' chest, feeling the warmth of him. Harry felt Severus' arms go tightly around him and he kissed Severus' neck, which was the closest bit of exposed skin he could reach.
"You'll be all right you know, if we have to fight," Severus tried to reassure his Kin, "The swords will protect our children just as they protect us in battle."
"I know I just don't want to, I'm tired but not physically, I felt for a while that it was over, but it isn't. I don't want to fight so soon."
"It could be that something else has happened to Draco, it's all just theory."
"I know," Harry said sighing and staying close to Severus.
"Next to a few hundred Death Eaters and a Dark Lord, it'll seem like nothing anyway," Severus tried to encourage.
Harry laughed a little, "That was what Ron said."
"Could be the boy is actually beginning to make some sense," Severus commented.
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Hermione and Ron remained in the hall for a while, Hermione didn't say anything for a long while but Ron was waiting for the inevitable. It came as they walked back to Gryffindor.
"So what was with all that touchy feely crap then?" Hermione demanded as they climbed the stairs.
Ron sighed and wondered when the next dose of potion was due and if the effect accumulated with each subsequent one. "THAT is how you find things out, the kind of things that aren't written in books anyway."
"And what amazing thing did you find out?" Hermione demanded to know.
"That despite being a ruthless killer he is quite sensitive and vulnerable, or at least he feels that way." Ron replied, "Never mind, Hermione at least your session with Severus went well."
"Severus is it now? Actually it didn't go well, it just didn't seem prudent to say so."
"What has he done now?" Ron asked in a voice that clearly indicated that he thought it was all Hermione's fault anyway.
"He keeps wandering off, first he can't be found at all, then halfway through his assessment, the critical part of the potion, he runs off into the office. Then he just leaves altogether, no explanation for any of it."
Ron had a thought when Hermione finished talking and he tried to think what it might mean. His first instinct was to tell her that she had been just the same. She had stopped brewing potions for a while and it had been why they had been ordering them in at great expense. Ron let the cogs turn in his mind till he remembered why. The last time Ron had seen Hermione run into the potions classroom office in the middle of a potion it had been to throw up, he had had to finish it off himself and that had led to the old familiar chaos. It had been at the beginning of the period of inaccurately named 'morning sickness', which for a while had occurred at erratic intervals, morning noon and night. Especially when Hermione had encountered strong smells such as a potion brewing or his own breakfast bacon. Bread, Ron remembered, but only when Severus was there.
"What's the matter with you?" Hermione asked noticing the stunned and gormless expression on Ron's face.
"Nothing," Ron replied, shaking his head to clear his mind of the silly thoughts that had entered his brain. It was nothing, Ron reasoned with himself, one incident that could be anything and he was thinking all sorts of strange things, but then he had been right about the ice cream.
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TBC very soon
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Next Chapter - The Other Side - Back at Sgoil Dhubh Lodge Will has a mystery to solve. Where did the things in his freezer come from? Which bottle of whiskey should he drink next? And more importantly, where has everyone gone? He suspects that his two strange wintertime visitors are behind it all but can he figure out what was really going on? This is a chappie which explores what has been happening to Will with a view to him joining Tango At The End Of Winter properly in the near future.