Chapter 18: Past Imperfect
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy -S.S.
The Inn, Muggle World...(1978)
Elaine Hillar stood outside the Inn staring up at the night sky. The news of her pregnancy had through her through a loop as she tried to figure out what it all meant. Severus Snape had saved her life that strange night, while he had not been a complete gentleman and more or less as bad as his death eater brethren, he had ultimately saved her despite the risks to himself.
She had not understood why a young man as brilliant as he had been was in the company of murderers and thieves. He had seemed a good sort, as far as his heart had been concerned and as a result she felt no ill-will toward him nor rage for the conception of the child that had been growing so rapidly inside her.
Elaine sighed trying to come to terms with her impending motherhood.
She had fully intended to keep the child, but wished she could discuss it's birth with the father, with Severus.
He had told her to forget he had ever existed but the kiss he gave her seemed to be a desperate attempt on his part to ensure that she didn't.
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Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World...
Eighteen year old Severus S. Snape paced the sitting room of his childhood home in the muggle world. He had been thinking about that girl Delilah Fairchild more often than not as he continued to pace the room with a bottle of firewhiskey in his hands. She had been different from the other girls he had been with, which had not been many.
His appearance alone was enough to put a girl off from interest in him, followed by his bitter personality and blood status. Being born penniless didn't help him much either.
The first had been Lily Evans.
His childhood love seemed far more interested in the likes of James Potter despite using him rather shamelessly as practice until he was no longer needed. The sting of her bitter rejection of him following the loss of his virtue to her was not easily ignored.
The second had been Narcissa Black.
The second most intense love affair he found himself becoming swept into. The loveliest witch in all of creation as far as Purebloods had been concerned had given him the time of day. While their connection was indeed more real than either could have imagined and she accepted him faults and all, pressure from her family to marry another Pureblood saw her crumble to their will.
Sadly, the Pureblood wizard chosen for her had been none other than Lucius Malfoy, Severus' best friend and mentor.
To say the young wizard was Heartbroken was an understatement. He hardly ever spoke to Lucius on a personal level keeping his distance from Narcissa with the exception of when Regulus called them all together.
He had spent a good many days bitterly attending to his studies and swearing off women as far as an emotional connection had been concerned. He had not yet achieved any real status in the wizarding world despite leaving Hogwarts a year prior but he was studying under the tutelage of Potions Master, Phaeron Aurelius.
Bellatrix LeStrange had been the third.
The elder sister of his former lover Narcissa and resident deranged member of the Black family tree.
A drunken Severus bedded the witch out of spite following Lucius and Narcissa's wedding. He had been far too hurt to consider his actions and much too bitter to let said consideration stop him.
By the time Delilah Fairchild had basically fallen into his lap, via Voldemort pitying him for his lack of ability to seek physical companionship, he had been embittered and very much into the philosophy of the dark arts.
The frightened muggle girl reminded him so much of his own mother in her easy acceptance of what was to befall her but not enough to divert him from his intended course to ravage her.
While he had not been as brutal as he initially intended, he found himself drawn to the frightened teenage girl. She had thanked him. The bloody fool had actually thanked him for what he had done to her.
Unable to comprehend why she had been so sweet and believed so much in him, Severus Snape set out amid a drunken haze. He had hated her for her kindness. After a lifetime of being treated like dirt at the bottom of everyone he came in contact's shoes, he decided that he would give as good as he got.
Then she showed up.
Severus had not known why he had been out in the dead of night trying to recall the direction in which the frightened witch had gone. It had been months since he had seen her. The only spot for miles had been an old Inn. Logic dictated that she would have sought refuge here but he had not been sure if she moved on already.
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The Inn, Muggle World...
The loud clap of thunder awakened Elaine as she lied in her bed still wishing she knew what to do concerning the impending birth of her child. She had not been married and she was sure Severus was long gone and at the very least wanted nothing more to do with her.
When she heard the noise, she jumped out of bed and made her way toward the front door. She had hoped the loud noise had not scared the sleeping elder couple just across the hall. Slipping on her robe and slippers, she headed down the stairs and toward the door.
She had been completely surprised to find a drunken Severus Snape standing on the other side. Her eyes met his seemingly curious obsidian ones as he took in the sight of her.
"There's something different about you." he said in almost a growl. "It's like you're glowing or something."
"Severus..." said Elaine surprised to see him.
Severus glared at the muggle that plagued his thoughts. He reached out to touch her, fully expecting her to reject him.
Much to his surprise, Severus found her throwing her arms around him and pressing her body to his.
"I'm so glad they didn't hurt you...or worse." she said happily.
Severus had been confused. He had not expected her to be so pleased to see him.
"What's wrong with you?" he hissed angrily. "Have you forgotten..."
Before he could get a word out, the sleeping elderly couple arrived. The old man's eyes were fixed on the ebony clad wizard.
"This must be the father." He said in a cheerful tone.
Elaine stepped back from him attempting to gauge his reaction.
"Father?" he said looking from the old couple to Elaine.
"I was hoping for the right time to tell you this...you had just gotten here after all" said Elaine nervously. "Severus...I'm well...I'm pregnant."
The raven wizard stared at the nervous muggle girl for a moment as rage began to fill him. He recalled that she had been a virgin when he first bedded her and that it had been three months since that time.
"How far along?" he asked probing her mind for any sign of lies.
"Three months." said Elaine. "Three months exactly."
Severus had known what this meant. He had been the father of her unborn child.
A look of fear flickered behind his obsidian eyes. As it spread across Elaine's youthful face.
The old man had been the first to speak. His aged eyes filled with knowing.
"Perhaps you and I should have a chat son." he said with a smile.
Severus suddenly tensed. No one had ever called him that before not even his own drunken brute of a father and here was this muggle man showing him patriarchal kindness.
He nodded as the old man lead him toward the door where the confines of the Inn wouldn't be too much on the younger man's already rattled nerves.
Elaine had gone into the kitchen with his wife and they spoke a bit enjoying a cup of tea before turning back into bed when they realized that whatever the men had to say was going to take a lot longer than either of them thought.
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The Inn, Muggle World...
Elaine had been half asleep when she felt the sudden dip in her bed as Severus came crawling toward her. His face had been innocent, vulnerable even as he made sure to avoid causing her harm. The teenage muggle girl smiled when he wrapped his arms around her clad in his trousers and long sleeve white shirt.
"Severus." she said pleased that he had been there.
"Everything is going to be alright." he said with a look in his eyes that she had never seen before.
Elaine smiled at him and pressed her back against his chest as he held her. His lank raven hair still in a curtain around his aquiline nose. There were no other words spoke, as she knew he would be there for not only her rapidly growing unborn child but her as well when ever she needed him.
As they drifted off to sleep, young Severus' hand rested gently against the sleeping Elaine's belly.