Will is offered Muggle studies.
Ron and Draco get up to tricks as Kin
Lucius Malfoy puts in an appearance
Harry and Sev use the Talisman but have a mishap with it.
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Chapter Summary: Minerva surprises Severus in more ways than one. Severus makes a decision about his pregnancy.
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Chapter Forty Seven – MinervaSeverus went into the Headmaster's office and settled himself at his new desk. He would be spending a lot more time there soon and he supposed that he must get used to it. He and Harry needed their private quarters to be much more private than they were now. Once Ron and Draco moved out hopefully they would then have the place to themselves.
Even knowing what Hermione would say on the matter, Severus lifted Kieran from his levitating pram and cradled him in his arms. The child seemed to look up at him, his eyes full of wonder. He saw no harm in cradling the child as he talked to him. Indeed, it would help him to socialise more rapidly if he did so. He thought that it was something that he and Harry's childhood had been sorely lacking and they had not been better off for it.
Severus began to talk to Kieran. Not as most would speak to a baby, Severus could see no use in that, but as if they were having a conversation and he was bouncing ideas off a trusted friend, not that he had ever had one of those apart from Harry and at a push, Dumbledore. The child still met Severus with an attentive gaze. He didn't judge him.
"Headmaster of Hogwarts," Severus began to reflect, "I thought I would never see it. Though truth be told most of my adult life was spent thinking up ways to die without Albus finding out. But that is in the past, little one, miracles abound it seems.
"Albus, I shall tell you of Albus shall I. So you know what I must live up to. If not for his extraordinary magic and potion making skills you may not ever have been born. Of course, both bad eyesight and a smudgy quill played their parts.
"I wonder if Albus made a Polyjuice potion of such potency that he became so much as if he were I that he understood me at last," Severus reflected, thinking of the vision of Albus and the Blissful Death, "I wonder if it were no sacrifice at all, but was merely a failure to survive the thoughts that he himself had denied my escape from all these years."
"Is that meant to be a lullaby, Severus?" Minerva asked, seemingly having just materialised in the office.
Severus raised an eyebrow and Minerva knew this to mean 'how long have you been there and how much have you heard'.
"You were in another world Severus," Minerva replied, "Although I have to admit that I was a cat until two moments ago."
"To what end?" Severus asked.
"To see the truth," Minerva replied easily.
"I see," Severus said determined to make Minerva do all the work.
"Where did you get that baby?" Minerva asked.
"I murdered his parents and took him from them a few days ago, I was too impatient to wait for my own birth," Severus replied.
"I see you have not changed."
"Was I meant to?"
"Where did you get him?" Minerva persisted.
Severus sighed, "He is my child, look at him," Severus angled Kieran so that Minerva could see his face, "He is the child Hermione Granger was carrying, I am merely babysitting."
Minerva looked at the baby's face and the colour left her cheeks, "Impossible."
"There is a lot of that about," Severus commented thinking about the men above him.
"So what else has happened since my last visit?" Minerva asked, "You can tell me over a cup of tea."
"I cannot get up to order tea, I don't want to disturb Kieran," Severus replied stubbornly.
"Fine," Minerva snapped, she ordered the tea from the house elves herself and returned to the chair in front of Severus' desk.
"Harry and I are pregnant," Severus offered knowing that it would infuriate Minerva, he was still annoyed that she had just let herself into his office.
"I had noticed, I hope Harry's new situation is not too trying for him. Admittedly, he would have taken the Bond to win the war, but it is everyone's responsibility to make sure that the lifelong consequences of it are as happy as possible. Harry deserves his happiness."
Severus was now annoyed and irritated, "He has everything he always wanted," Severus snapped in a threatening tone all the more potent for it's quietness.
"I suppose we should be grateful that the Kin Swords ended up in the hands of two highly responsible wizards, who knows what could have happened if Albus had not given them back to you and they had been found in the Headmaster's Quarters," Minerva reflected.
Severus wondered if there were not a hint of guarded jealousy in Minerva's words, had she thought that Albus might Bond with herself rather than give the swords back to him? It seemed that everyone who had ever known about the swords harboured their own desire of them.
"We found Draco Malfoy," Severus announced knowing that it would shift the focus away from himself. He was pleased to see Minerva looking genuinely surprised.
"Found him? Found him where?" Minerva asked.
"The Auror's found him in the Shrieking Shack, seeking refuge, they brought him here."
"And what of his loyalties? What did you do with him?" Minerva asked, obviously fearing the worst considering the fate of the man that they had thought was the elder Malfoy.
"He was in a very bad state, he had left home a long while ago and had stolen something from his father," Severus replied.
"So where is he now?"
"He is upstairs in the attic, he shares a room with Ron Weasley."
"A Weasley and a Malfoy in the same room, my goodness Severus, I have underestimated your talents," Minerva said softening at last.
"Although my talents are considerable, I believe they played little part in this union," Severus replied, relaxing a little.
"Union? Whatever do you mean?"
Severus sighed, "I think that it would be quicker to show you," He announced standing up and stepping away from his desk, Kieran still cradled happily in his arms.
"I see you can be disturbed from your desk after all," Minerva grumbled also standing.
"Follow me," Severus instructed as he headed into his private quarters and up into the attic.
Once upstairs he allowed Minerva to catch up and they approached the bed where Draco and Ron lay curled up together still fast asleep. They both wore their swords and the sign of the Bond between them glowed brightly on the hilts of them.
Minerva looked shocked but it was the first time that Severus had seen it too. They both stood silently staring at the boys who looked so peaceful and glowing.
"Are they what I think they are?" Minerva asked eventually.
"This was Lucius Malfoy's big plan, he was going to force a union between his son and someone else. They would be Kin for the Dark Lord. Only he didn't understand, nobody chooses the Kin except for the swords themselves. They made their choices and after much hardship on Draco's part they came to be here," Severus began, he then explained about Draco's curse and his blossoming friendship with Ron.
"So, who is the youngest? I can't remember," Minerva asked.
"Draco," Severus answered simply.
"Well I never," Minerva exclaimed turning away from the young men in the bed, "I can see that at least you have the security of the castle well in hand."
Severus followed Minerva back to the office. He supposed that with two pairs of Kin in residence there wouldn't be any trouble with security at all, who would dare?
Severus sat himself down at the Headmaster's desk again, he imagined that Minerva needed to become used to it. He didn't want her thinking that she was the natural successor just because she had been deputy for so long.
"I believe we must discuss the beginning of term, the other reason for my visit," Minerva began once they were both seated.
Severus smiled inwardly, pleased that he had seen this coming, "Everything is in hand," He stated.
"Really Severus?" Minerva said with a glint in her eye, "I have looked over the staffing sheets and you have yet to appoint a Muggle Studies teacher, had you not noticed?"
Severus cursed himself and whoever had distracted him from thinking of it. He could argue that Muggle Studies wasn't necessary but not after the war they had just fought.
"I have someone in mind," Severus improvised quickly.
"Good," Minerva said taking a sip of her cooling tea, "I suggest you secure the appointment immediately."
"I will see to the matter at my most convenient moment," Severus replied becoming irked again at Minerva's undermining tone.
"Have you prepared your beginning of term speech?" Minerva continued her interrogation apparently determined to find more errors in Severus' preparations.
Severus sighed, "I will deal with it in due course, after I have secured the Muggle studies post no doubt," He said as dismissively as possible.
"Have you started it?" Minerva persisted.
"I began, yes," Severus answered wishing she would just go away and leave him alone. Didn't he have enough to think about without this constant questioning?
"Began?" Minerva queried with some incredulousness.
"Yes, I began, only the words wouldn't come so I went to Gryffindor where Hermione had a tantrum, we had to go to Will's to resolve that situation, then the Weasley boy and Malfoy created mayhem in here Bonding themselves to each other, which left Malfoy screaming as if he was dying and then we were just about to get some fresh air only now I am babysitting," Severus rushed out without coming up for breath till he had done, "I am a busy man with many things to think about."
"Just as well you have a competent deputy then," Minerva announced referring to herself.
"Indeed," Severus snapped despite Kieran's presence, "I am finding this conversation exceedingly helpful."
"You do realise it is tomorrow?"
Severus rubbed at his temple with his free hand, "What is tomorrow?" He asked wearily.
"Why, the beginning of term," Minerva replied simply.
Severus looked up with a glower, "Very funny."
"I do not joke Severus," Minerva insisted.
"It can't be," Severus mumbled when he found his voice, "They're arriving tonight?"
"No, they will arrive tomorrow evening, I always think of the sorting as the first day."
Severus searched around amongst his papers with one hand but he rather suspected what he needed was on his other desk. He didn't think he could have looked more incompetent if he tried.
"Never mind fussing Severus," Minerva said, he was sure with some glee as she placed a hand on his arm, "You are indeed a busy man with many things on your mind, I will do the rounds to make sure everything is in order. Perhaps you had better contact that Muggle studies teacher."
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To Severus' relief Minerva went on her way after she had finished humiliating him. No sooner had she gone than little Kieran began to ask for his bottle. Severus ordered some regular milk from the house elves and transfigured it into the human form.
He gave the bottle to Kieran and supported the weight of it for him. He would normally have felt quite proud of his transfiguration skills but to his annoyance Hermione was making him feel inadequate with her constant needling of him on the subject.
He had already made up his mind really, but now he had a few hours to spare he made the decision to get on with it. Kieran would sleep after he had had his bottle, it was the ideal opportunity to make up a batch of the potion. He certainly wouldn't have much time for it once the students started arriving and he still needed to pen a speech before he turned in.
Being who he was he wouldn't need to go to another wizard for the potion and he was already bigger than Harry despite the fact that Harry was further along, nobody would notice but Harry. He would be able to feed his baby in the best way possible, Hermione was annoyingly correct on that score, and he would feel the intimacy from the extra close contact.
When Kieran had finished his bottle Severus brought him upright so that he could loosen his wind.
"Do you prefer mummy's milk?" Severus asked the baby as he rocked him gently.
Kieran burped and sickied up a bit of milk along with the air, it dribbled down Severus' hand.
"I will take that as a 'yes'," Severus said gently looking around him for something to wipe his hand on since he didn't want to use his wand so close to the baby.
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Next Chapter: The first day of school is nearly here but not before everybody has had a good panic about it. Ron and Draco leave their bedroom and begin their new adventure together.