Chapter One: New and News
Harry Potter took the proffered hand and got to his feet. He brushed off his butt and said, "That was bad, wasn't it?" he said with a grin.
"If I'd meant it, you would be dead." Amethyst Snape replied. But she was grinning. "You have to stop being such a goddamn gentleman."
"I'm sorry?" Harry asked. He caught the towel she threw at him and thought about his performance. Amethyst was teaching him the American-style Defense Against the Dark Arts. She was teaching him to fight and she was teaching him to fight dirty, as she insisted that everyone fought dirty and he'd better be ready for it. He'd done pretty well fighting with Severus (something he'd imagined doing for years), but he was having all sorts of problems fighting Amethyst. She was a woman, and he just couldn't bring himself to fight her as if she were a man. And he had paid for it.
"You sure are." Amethyst said She moped her face with her own towel, turned on her heel and left the room.
Harry followed her through a labyrinth of tunnels. "You are in the Department of Magical Law Inforcement now." Amethyst was saying. "You are going to have to deal with all manner of scum. Some of that scum is bound to be female." She climbed a set of stone steps and emerged in the kitchen of her home. There was a house elf at the sink.
"Water, Sissy," Amethyst said, walking to the sink. She threw cold water on her face and toweled off. She moved over a bit, where there were vegetables from the garden, freshly washed. Amethyst grabbed a green pepper and tore into it like is was a apple.
Sissy brought both Harry and Amethyst water. And they made quick work of it. While Sissy went to refill their glasses, Harry picked up on their conversation. "I'm just not used to fighting women." he said, trying not to think about having to do it. He grabbed a handful of snap peas and started popping them one at a time in his mouth.
"Well, it pays to be prepared. You're a boy scout, you should know that." she said, grinning behind her second glass of water.
"Boy scout?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"
Amethyst shrugged and polished off her green pepper. "Well, you saved the world a fair few times, haven't you?" she grabbed another pepper, which was purple.
"Well," Harry stammered.
"Your modesty is nauseating." Amethyst grumbled.
"Dumb luck." Herry scowled at a head of lettuce, which he picked up and began to rip to shreds.
"Whatever." Amethyst said. "Are you all moved in?"
"Yup." Harry said, relieved in the change of subject. He'd moved from his two room flat to a two bedroom apartment just a few days before.
"Like it?" Amethyst asked. She was winding down, and so was her conversation. She was still getting used to talking to people besides her husband and brother, who walked in just at that moment.
"... his dead body!" Severus was saying, heatedly. He grabbed a carrot off of the counter, kissed his wife and leaned on the counter next to her.
"Whose dead body?" Harry asked, intrigued. He popped some lettuce leaves into his mouth.
Severus leaned forward slightly and looked around his wife's body. "Yours, Potter" he said with his usual evil looking grin.
Harry raised his eyebrows, swallowed and said, "Mine? What about my dead body?"
"This is not how I wanted to start this discussion." Sirius said, rubbing his forehead.
"What discussion?" Harry asked.
"Well, I have heard enough already." Severus said. "So take it out of my house."
Sirius glared at Severus. He walked over to Amethyst and kissed her on the cheek, while reaching behind her and grabbing a cucumber. "Hi sis, bye sis." he said. He looked at Harry. "Comon, I'll tell you on the way to your place." and stalked out the door.
Harry began to follow him, pausing at the door to say goodbye to Amethyst and Severus.
When the door closed behind him, Amethyst turned to Severus and asked. "What is Sirius plotting now?"
Severus grinned a wicked grin. "Draco Malfoy is getting out of Azkaban in a week. Sirius has been assigned as Draco's probation officer. He seems to think it would be a good rehabilitative move to have Draco live with Harry."
Amethysts jaw dropped then she began laughing. "Over Harry's dead body."
Severus laughed with her. "That's what I was saying."
The next morning, Amethyst and Severus arrived at the building where they worked together analyzing and developing potions for the Ministry of Magic. Ron Weasley was already there, fiddling with the coffee maker. He was as red as his hair and he was swearing about Muggle contraptions.
"Good morning, Weasley." Severus said. "Still trying to get that thing to work, I see."
Ron swore again, stood up and pulled out his wand. He conjured three cups of tea. "There!" he said, triumphantly. "Have some tea?" he said, taking one of the cups and waving to the remaining two.
They were finishing up the first cup when Harry and Sirius arrived. Amethyst and Severus watched them closely.
"You two look disappointed." Sirius said, with a grin. "He's agreed. So there!"
Amethyst pouted. "So soon? I was looking forward to at least a week of curse dodging."
Ron was looking from Sirius to Harry. "Agreed to what?"
Harry looked at Ron "When Malfoy gets out of prison, he's moving in with me."
Ron looked stunned. "Malfoy? Draco Malfoy, right?"
"How many Malfoys do you know in prison?" Harry snapped back. "Of course Draco Malfoy."
"Harry," Ron said, sounding confused. "Why in the world would you want to live with Draco Malfoy?"
Harry heaved a huge sigh. "Because." he said, and searched for the words. "Malfoy doesn't have anyone anymore. Not even Crabbe or Goyle or Pansy Parkenson."
"What happened to them?" Ron asked. "They were in Azkaban with him, weren't they?"
"Pansy killed herself." Sirius said, soberly. "Crabbe and Goyle picked fights with the wrong prisoners and were both killed."
Ron said nothing to this. Harry continued. "Well, now that Malfoy's mother and father have," and here he paused a moment, glancing at Amethyst and Severus. "died, he doesn't have anyone. He doesn't even have horrible relatives to live with, like I did."
Ron still looked disbelieving. "Your parents were killed by, well, by him." he said uncomfortably. "Malfoys parents were killed by some Aurors or someone from the Ministry." he shrugged. "It's totally different."
Ron had no idea who had killed Draco's parents. The Ministry of Magic issued a story telling the wizarding community that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were killed resisting attempts from the Ministry to arrest them.
"He needs someone." Harry said. And he raised his hand to stop Ron saying anything more. "He's coming to live with me and that's it." And he changed into his work robes. The emblem of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement emblazoned over his heart.
There was the sound of feet on the stairs. A man and a woman appeared. They stopped and looked at the five wizards for a moment.
"'Mornin'." the man said.
Sirius approached him. "You must be Christopher Starling." he said, offering his hand. He looked at the woman. "But I am sorry to say I have no idea who you might be." his voice had taken on the tone reserved for flirting.
The woman looked at him through brown eyes and allowed her hand to be kissed. Amethyst said. "That would be Taja Waite, from the Salem Institute."
Taja smiled at Sirius. "Formerly of the Salem Institute." she said, in an accent Sirius couldn't place as being anything but American. She turned to Amethyst. "And I ought to kick yo' ass for not picking me up at the airport." she said with half a smile. Her eyes were twinkling.
Amethyst shrugged. "You made it." she said offhandedly. "And you made it on time. A miracle."
"Still a bitch." Taja said, nodding.
"You two know each other?" Sirius said, still apparently captivated by Taja. She was exotic looking. She had skin the color of tea and green eyes. She was short and just a little on the plump side, for her height. Her body made his heart skip a beat.
"We sure do," Taja said, releasing Sirius' hand and walking towards Amethyst. "We both taught at the Salem Institute. I taught Potions."
"Taja, this is Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and my husband, Severus Snape." Amethyst made introductions. "And this," she nodded to Sirius. "Is my brother. The smoothest talker in London."
Taja shook hands with Ron and Harry. Harry wondered at her not making the familiar eye movements. Amethyst caught his puzzlement. "You're no one to her, Harry. In the States, no one knows who you are." she said, after crossing to him and leaning to whisper softly in his ear.
When she got to Severus she paused. "Amethyst told me a little about you." she said, as they shook hands. "You look pretty good for a dead guy."
Severus nodded, but said nothing.
"Let's get you settled in, Taja." Amethyst said. She, Taja and Severus went up the stairs to the laboratory, leaving Harry, Ron and Sirius with Christopher Starling.
"OK, Christopher," Sirius said, turning to the stocky blonde. "Welcome to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's Department of Independent Investigations. We tend to catch the cases no one else in the Ministry wants."
"Or the ones they can't handle." Ron said, picking up a file and waving it. "Cruelty to animals" he snorted. "Cruelty to people is more like it."
"Yea," Harry sniggered. "Someone reported this traveling carnival the Department for the Regulation and Control of Dangerous Creatures when they saw blood on this poor little bunny. We got involved after two of their wizards didn't ever turn up again. Disappeared."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "We investigated and discovered that the cute little bunnies were these things called M'Dais. They are vicious little buggers with retractable horns. They attacked and killed a bunch of the other animals in the carnival then turned on the wizards the Department for the Regulation and Control of Dangerous Creatures. They killed them and ate them. We turned the M'Dais over to the Department for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."
"Who, of course, took all the credit." Ron said, disgusted.
"So who did you piss off so badly you wound up here?" Harry said, and all four men laughed.
"I was in the Department of Magical Reversals." Christopher said. "They have a new head of Department and we didn't quite see eye to eye on things, and well, he sacked me."
Ron looked at Christopher sharply. "The Department of Magical Reversals? That's where Percey works."
"Yup." Christopher said. "I figured you had to be a relative or something. Mister Weasley was none to pleased when he requested a transfer and I was transferred here."
"That's because this is a cool Department." Harry said, grinning. "We get the crap like the case we just told you about. But we also get really interesting ones. Who do you think it was who found Karkoroff?"
Christophers jaw dropped. "But the Aurors -" he began.
"The Aurors couldn't find an egg in a chicken coop." Hissed a voice from the stairs. It was Severus. He was frowning and carrying Amethyst, who was moving feebly in an attempt to free herself.
Sirius jumped off of the desk he was sitting on. "What's the matter?" he demanded.
"I got dizzy, is all." Amethyst said, a bit weekly, still struggling with Severus. "Put me down, Severus, before I curse you."
Severus put her down when he reached the bottom of the stairs. She swayed and was caught before she fell backwards by Taja. Taja helped her sit.
Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Amethyst. "I'm fine." she snapped. "Bloody Hell!"
Taja leaned over her. "Severus is right, girl." she said, low. "You need to go home."
Amethyst turned on her like a snake, and immediately clapped a hand to her spinning head. "Fuck you, Taja. Mind your own goddamn business for once." But she allowed Taja to help her to her feet again, where she was supported by both Taja and Severus.
Taja chuckled. "I am so glad to know ain't changed one fucking bit." she said, as Severus picked her up again.
"We're going home and she is going to bed." Severus said to Sirius. "I know you'll insist on showing up later today, so I'll have Sissy prepare for your arrival." he glanced at Taja. "I know you can handle everything until we get back."
And they were gone.
"He doesn't like you much, does he?" Christopher said to Sirius.
"We love each other like brothers." Sirius said, resuming his place on the desk. "That isn't obvious?"
Severus laid Amethyst on the bed and began removing her robes. Amethyst did not resist. She was weak and very tired. She allowed Severus to dress her for bed and get her settled.
"Better?" he asked, as he pulled the covers of their bed under her chin. He sat and looked down at her, concern etched all over his face. "You gave me quite the scare."
Amethyst sighed. "It was only a dizzy spell, Severus." she insisted. "Nothing to worry about."
He frowned. "The third fainting spell in as many days." he said. "I'm beginning to worry about you."
Amethyst bit her lip. "I think I know what is wrong with me." she said, quietly.
Severus raised his eyebrows. "Really?" he said. "And what might that be?"
Amethyst sighed. "All right, Potions Master." she said, resignedly. "I want you make a letitia powder and add my blood to it."
Severus stared at her. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"No, but I want to be, Severus." Amethyst snapped. Her look and voice softened. "Please, just do it."
Severus sighed, nodded and left the room. He crossed to his home labratory and began to prepare the powder. He ground a dried cricket, some dried snake skin, powdered pomegranate and mango seed and added the powdered unicorn horn. When he'd achieved an ultrafine powder, he transferred about half of it into a dish and returned to the bedroom with it and a sharp dagger.
Amethyst was dozing, but she opened his eyes when he approached the bed. She held her left hand out to him and he used the dagger to cut onto her thumb. He squeezed the blood from her finger into the dish holding the powder. He took one of his handkerchiefs and stemmed the flow of blood. Amethyst tucked her thumb, complete with the handkerchief under her hand and folded her fingers over all.
They both watched as the powder soaked up the blood. The powder turned from white to blood red as it soaked the blood. "Sleep." Severus commanded. "We have to wait for it to dry anyway." He placed the dish on the bedside cabinet.
Amethyst nodded, already falling asleep.
Severus lay beside her, concerned. Amethysts fainting spells had been worrying him since they began. She was not a weak woman who might be prone to fainting spells. He had taken her at her word when she'd told him it was nothing, but as they continued, he'd become increasingly worried about her. His worry followed him into a restless sleep.
It seemed he opened his eyes immediately, although he could see by the sky outside of their bedroom window that the evening was well underway. The February sky was darkening. He glanced over and saw that Amethyst was also beginning to stir. They woke together ninety percent of the time. He got out of the bed and moved around to the bedside table beside his wife. He looked down into the dish of blood and letitia powder, which had dried as he slept. He gasped, and grabbed up the dish for a closer look.
"Severus?" Amethyst had opened her eyes and was looking at him.
Severus did not respond. He put his hand in his robes and pulled out his wand. He lit the several candles in the room against the oncoming gloom. Again, he peered into the dish. "It is green." he said simply.
He heard Amethyst inhale sharply. She sat up and looked at him as he turned his head to face her. "What?"
He sat beside her on the bed and as she looked into the dish, he said, his voice a bit shaky. "It's turned green, Amethyst. You are pregnant."
Harry Potter took the proffered hand and got to his feet. He brushed off his butt and said, "That was bad, wasn't it?" he said with a grin.
"If I'd meant it, you would be dead." Amethyst Snape replied. But she was grinning. "You have to stop being such a goddamn gentleman."
"I'm sorry?" Harry asked. He caught the towel she threw at him and thought about his performance. Amethyst was teaching him the American-style Defense Against the Dark Arts. She was teaching him to fight and she was teaching him to fight dirty, as she insisted that everyone fought dirty and he'd better be ready for it. He'd done pretty well fighting with Severus (something he'd imagined doing for years), but he was having all sorts of problems fighting Amethyst. She was a woman, and he just couldn't bring himself to fight her as if she were a man. And he had paid for it.
"You sure are." Amethyst said She moped her face with her own towel, turned on her heel and left the room.
Harry followed her through a labyrinth of tunnels. "You are in the Department of Magical Law Inforcement now." Amethyst was saying. "You are going to have to deal with all manner of scum. Some of that scum is bound to be female." She climbed a set of stone steps and emerged in the kitchen of her home. There was a house elf at the sink.
"Water, Sissy," Amethyst said, walking to the sink. She threw cold water on her face and toweled off. She moved over a bit, where there were vegetables from the garden, freshly washed. Amethyst grabbed a green pepper and tore into it like is was a apple.
Sissy brought both Harry and Amethyst water. And they made quick work of it. While Sissy went to refill their glasses, Harry picked up on their conversation. "I'm just not used to fighting women." he said, trying not to think about having to do it. He grabbed a handful of snap peas and started popping them one at a time in his mouth.
"Well, it pays to be prepared. You're a boy scout, you should know that." she said, grinning behind her second glass of water.
"Boy scout?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"
Amethyst shrugged and polished off her green pepper. "Well, you saved the world a fair few times, haven't you?" she grabbed another pepper, which was purple.
"Well," Harry stammered.
"Your modesty is nauseating." Amethyst grumbled.
"Dumb luck." Herry scowled at a head of lettuce, which he picked up and began to rip to shreds.
"Whatever." Amethyst said. "Are you all moved in?"
"Yup." Harry said, relieved in the change of subject. He'd moved from his two room flat to a two bedroom apartment just a few days before.
"Like it?" Amethyst asked. She was winding down, and so was her conversation. She was still getting used to talking to people besides her husband and brother, who walked in just at that moment.
"... his dead body!" Severus was saying, heatedly. He grabbed a carrot off of the counter, kissed his wife and leaned on the counter next to her.
"Whose dead body?" Harry asked, intrigued. He popped some lettuce leaves into his mouth.
Severus leaned forward slightly and looked around his wife's body. "Yours, Potter" he said with his usual evil looking grin.
Harry raised his eyebrows, swallowed and said, "Mine? What about my dead body?"
"This is not how I wanted to start this discussion." Sirius said, rubbing his forehead.
"What discussion?" Harry asked.
"Well, I have heard enough already." Severus said. "So take it out of my house."
Sirius glared at Severus. He walked over to Amethyst and kissed her on the cheek, while reaching behind her and grabbing a cucumber. "Hi sis, bye sis." he said. He looked at Harry. "Comon, I'll tell you on the way to your place." and stalked out the door.
Harry began to follow him, pausing at the door to say goodbye to Amethyst and Severus.
When the door closed behind him, Amethyst turned to Severus and asked. "What is Sirius plotting now?"
Severus grinned a wicked grin. "Draco Malfoy is getting out of Azkaban in a week. Sirius has been assigned as Draco's probation officer. He seems to think it would be a good rehabilitative move to have Draco live with Harry."
Amethysts jaw dropped then she began laughing. "Over Harry's dead body."
Severus laughed with her. "That's what I was saying."
The next morning, Amethyst and Severus arrived at the building where they worked together analyzing and developing potions for the Ministry of Magic. Ron Weasley was already there, fiddling with the coffee maker. He was as red as his hair and he was swearing about Muggle contraptions.
"Good morning, Weasley." Severus said. "Still trying to get that thing to work, I see."
Ron swore again, stood up and pulled out his wand. He conjured three cups of tea. "There!" he said, triumphantly. "Have some tea?" he said, taking one of the cups and waving to the remaining two.
They were finishing up the first cup when Harry and Sirius arrived. Amethyst and Severus watched them closely.
"You two look disappointed." Sirius said, with a grin. "He's agreed. So there!"
Amethyst pouted. "So soon? I was looking forward to at least a week of curse dodging."
Ron was looking from Sirius to Harry. "Agreed to what?"
Harry looked at Ron "When Malfoy gets out of prison, he's moving in with me."
Ron looked stunned. "Malfoy? Draco Malfoy, right?"
"How many Malfoys do you know in prison?" Harry snapped back. "Of course Draco Malfoy."
"Harry," Ron said, sounding confused. "Why in the world would you want to live with Draco Malfoy?"
Harry heaved a huge sigh. "Because." he said, and searched for the words. "Malfoy doesn't have anyone anymore. Not even Crabbe or Goyle or Pansy Parkenson."
"What happened to them?" Ron asked. "They were in Azkaban with him, weren't they?"
"Pansy killed herself." Sirius said, soberly. "Crabbe and Goyle picked fights with the wrong prisoners and were both killed."
Ron said nothing to this. Harry continued. "Well, now that Malfoy's mother and father have," and here he paused a moment, glancing at Amethyst and Severus. "died, he doesn't have anyone. He doesn't even have horrible relatives to live with, like I did."
Ron still looked disbelieving. "Your parents were killed by, well, by him." he said uncomfortably. "Malfoys parents were killed by some Aurors or someone from the Ministry." he shrugged. "It's totally different."
Ron had no idea who had killed Draco's parents. The Ministry of Magic issued a story telling the wizarding community that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were killed resisting attempts from the Ministry to arrest them.
"He needs someone." Harry said. And he raised his hand to stop Ron saying anything more. "He's coming to live with me and that's it." And he changed into his work robes. The emblem of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement emblazoned over his heart.
There was the sound of feet on the stairs. A man and a woman appeared. They stopped and looked at the five wizards for a moment.
"'Mornin'." the man said.
Sirius approached him. "You must be Christopher Starling." he said, offering his hand. He looked at the woman. "But I am sorry to say I have no idea who you might be." his voice had taken on the tone reserved for flirting.
The woman looked at him through brown eyes and allowed her hand to be kissed. Amethyst said. "That would be Taja Waite, from the Salem Institute."
Taja smiled at Sirius. "Formerly of the Salem Institute." she said, in an accent Sirius couldn't place as being anything but American. She turned to Amethyst. "And I ought to kick yo' ass for not picking me up at the airport." she said with half a smile. Her eyes were twinkling.
Amethyst shrugged. "You made it." she said offhandedly. "And you made it on time. A miracle."
"Still a bitch." Taja said, nodding.
"You two know each other?" Sirius said, still apparently captivated by Taja. She was exotic looking. She had skin the color of tea and green eyes. She was short and just a little on the plump side, for her height. Her body made his heart skip a beat.
"We sure do," Taja said, releasing Sirius' hand and walking towards Amethyst. "We both taught at the Salem Institute. I taught Potions."
"Taja, this is Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and my husband, Severus Snape." Amethyst made introductions. "And this," she nodded to Sirius. "Is my brother. The smoothest talker in London."
Taja shook hands with Ron and Harry. Harry wondered at her not making the familiar eye movements. Amethyst caught his puzzlement. "You're no one to her, Harry. In the States, no one knows who you are." she said, after crossing to him and leaning to whisper softly in his ear.
When she got to Severus she paused. "Amethyst told me a little about you." she said, as they shook hands. "You look pretty good for a dead guy."
Severus nodded, but said nothing.
"Let's get you settled in, Taja." Amethyst said. She, Taja and Severus went up the stairs to the laboratory, leaving Harry, Ron and Sirius with Christopher Starling.
"OK, Christopher," Sirius said, turning to the stocky blonde. "Welcome to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's Department of Independent Investigations. We tend to catch the cases no one else in the Ministry wants."
"Or the ones they can't handle." Ron said, picking up a file and waving it. "Cruelty to animals" he snorted. "Cruelty to people is more like it."
"Yea," Harry sniggered. "Someone reported this traveling carnival the Department for the Regulation and Control of Dangerous Creatures when they saw blood on this poor little bunny. We got involved after two of their wizards didn't ever turn up again. Disappeared."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "We investigated and discovered that the cute little bunnies were these things called M'Dais. They are vicious little buggers with retractable horns. They attacked and killed a bunch of the other animals in the carnival then turned on the wizards the Department for the Regulation and Control of Dangerous Creatures. They killed them and ate them. We turned the M'Dais over to the Department for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."
"Who, of course, took all the credit." Ron said, disgusted.
"So who did you piss off so badly you wound up here?" Harry said, and all four men laughed.
"I was in the Department of Magical Reversals." Christopher said. "They have a new head of Department and we didn't quite see eye to eye on things, and well, he sacked me."
Ron looked at Christopher sharply. "The Department of Magical Reversals? That's where Percey works."
"Yup." Christopher said. "I figured you had to be a relative or something. Mister Weasley was none to pleased when he requested a transfer and I was transferred here."
"That's because this is a cool Department." Harry said, grinning. "We get the crap like the case we just told you about. But we also get really interesting ones. Who do you think it was who found Karkoroff?"
Christophers jaw dropped. "But the Aurors -" he began.
"The Aurors couldn't find an egg in a chicken coop." Hissed a voice from the stairs. It was Severus. He was frowning and carrying Amethyst, who was moving feebly in an attempt to free herself.
Sirius jumped off of the desk he was sitting on. "What's the matter?" he demanded.
"I got dizzy, is all." Amethyst said, a bit weekly, still struggling with Severus. "Put me down, Severus, before I curse you."
Severus put her down when he reached the bottom of the stairs. She swayed and was caught before she fell backwards by Taja. Taja helped her sit.
Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Amethyst. "I'm fine." she snapped. "Bloody Hell!"
Taja leaned over her. "Severus is right, girl." she said, low. "You need to go home."
Amethyst turned on her like a snake, and immediately clapped a hand to her spinning head. "Fuck you, Taja. Mind your own goddamn business for once." But she allowed Taja to help her to her feet again, where she was supported by both Taja and Severus.
Taja chuckled. "I am so glad to know ain't changed one fucking bit." she said, as Severus picked her up again.
"We're going home and she is going to bed." Severus said to Sirius. "I know you'll insist on showing up later today, so I'll have Sissy prepare for your arrival." he glanced at Taja. "I know you can handle everything until we get back."
And they were gone.
"He doesn't like you much, does he?" Christopher said to Sirius.
"We love each other like brothers." Sirius said, resuming his place on the desk. "That isn't obvious?"
Severus laid Amethyst on the bed and began removing her robes. Amethyst did not resist. She was weak and very tired. She allowed Severus to dress her for bed and get her settled.
"Better?" he asked, as he pulled the covers of their bed under her chin. He sat and looked down at her, concern etched all over his face. "You gave me quite the scare."
Amethyst sighed. "It was only a dizzy spell, Severus." she insisted. "Nothing to worry about."
He frowned. "The third fainting spell in as many days." he said. "I'm beginning to worry about you."
Amethyst bit her lip. "I think I know what is wrong with me." she said, quietly.
Severus raised his eyebrows. "Really?" he said. "And what might that be?"
Amethyst sighed. "All right, Potions Master." she said, resignedly. "I want you make a letitia powder and add my blood to it."
Severus stared at her. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"No, but I want to be, Severus." Amethyst snapped. Her look and voice softened. "Please, just do it."
Severus sighed, nodded and left the room. He crossed to his home labratory and began to prepare the powder. He ground a dried cricket, some dried snake skin, powdered pomegranate and mango seed and added the powdered unicorn horn. When he'd achieved an ultrafine powder, he transferred about half of it into a dish and returned to the bedroom with it and a sharp dagger.
Amethyst was dozing, but she opened his eyes when he approached the bed. She held her left hand out to him and he used the dagger to cut onto her thumb. He squeezed the blood from her finger into the dish holding the powder. He took one of his handkerchiefs and stemmed the flow of blood. Amethyst tucked her thumb, complete with the handkerchief under her hand and folded her fingers over all.
They both watched as the powder soaked up the blood. The powder turned from white to blood red as it soaked the blood. "Sleep." Severus commanded. "We have to wait for it to dry anyway." He placed the dish on the bedside cabinet.
Amethyst nodded, already falling asleep.
Severus lay beside her, concerned. Amethysts fainting spells had been worrying him since they began. She was not a weak woman who might be prone to fainting spells. He had taken her at her word when she'd told him it was nothing, but as they continued, he'd become increasingly worried about her. His worry followed him into a restless sleep.
It seemed he opened his eyes immediately, although he could see by the sky outside of their bedroom window that the evening was well underway. The February sky was darkening. He glanced over and saw that Amethyst was also beginning to stir. They woke together ninety percent of the time. He got out of the bed and moved around to the bedside table beside his wife. He looked down into the dish of blood and letitia powder, which had dried as he slept. He gasped, and grabbed up the dish for a closer look.
"Severus?" Amethyst had opened her eyes and was looking at him.
Severus did not respond. He put his hand in his robes and pulled out his wand. He lit the several candles in the room against the oncoming gloom. Again, he peered into the dish. "It is green." he said simply.
He heard Amethyst inhale sharply. She sat up and looked at him as he turned his head to face her. "What?"
He sat beside her on the bed and as she looked into the dish, he said, his voice a bit shaky. "It's turned green, Amethyst. You are pregnant."