1 Chapter 6
Accosted
"Well, you were right," Madam Pomfrey said as she finished her appraisal of Mia. "You are nearly two months pregnant. I'm amazed that you haven't begun to show yet," Poppy went on. "Does Severus know that you thought you were pregnant?"
"Gods, no! I didn't want to tell him until I was sure. Now that I am sure I have no idea how to tell him. Poppy had leaned in towards her then and placed a caring arm around her shoulders.
"Mia, Severus loves you. Just tell him. He can only be happy for you. This is a miracle for you both to enjoy. In a happy relationship such as yours and Severus' a baby can only be an added source of joy."
"I suppose you're right, Poppy. It's just that Severus and I have never talked about having a baby before. I don't even know how he feels about raising a family. How do I tell him that he's going to have to raise one now, whether he likes it or not? Maybe I should just terminate…"
"Mia, no!" Poppy had sounded terrified at the prospect of terminating the baby. "Not that it isn't your choice, but I think that you should at least tell him first. This baby is a part of him, too. He at least has a right to know."
"You're right, Poppy. I'll tell him when he gets back from Hogsmeade."
It seemed to take forever for Severus to return. The afternoon had turned into evening, which had in turn fade into night. It was one thirty in the morning when Mia saw Severus staggering up the grounds past the lake. She had been waiting for him on the front steps anxiously, and was in a right state when she saw him. "Severus," she had called breathlessly as she ran to him and collapsed into his arms. "I have something that I have to tell yo…" When she looked up at him she saw that his face was covered in angry bruises and lacerations. Her eyes filled with tears as she helped him up to the castle. During the obviously excrutiating walk he explained that he had been accosted by Lucius Malfoy in Hogsmeade earlier in the afternoon. Lucius had taken him to Voldemort who had subjected him to a ludicrous battery of questions regarding his loyalty. In the end, Snape had escaped within an inch of his life, finally convincing Voldemort that he had consented to marrying Mia at Dumbledoor's constant request. He persuaded Voldemort that he had married Mia simply in an attempt to further Dumbledoor's trust in him. Voldemort, though still suspicious, had released Snape with countless bruises and cuts, a fractured wrist, and two broken ribs. He explained to Selene that he had nearly collapsed several times on the way back up to the castle.
When they had reached the lake they were joined by Hagrid, who took Mia's place under Snape's arm as Mia was become exhausted from trying to carry Snape on her tiny frame. The duo, which had now become a trio, was joined by Dumbledoor and Madam Pomfrey, who suggested that they conjure a stretcher instead of trying to carry Snape all the way to the hospital wing.
Once inside the hospital wing and situated comfortably on a bed with his body in the process of healing, Snape asked for Mia to be sent back in. Madam Pomfrey insisted that he needed his rest, and that he should wait until morning to see Mia, but Snape had argued that he was an adult and could decide for himself when he should get his rest. Nonplussed, Poppy sent an anxious Mia in from her waiting spot beside Dumbledoor in the hallway.
She walked to his bed, watching him watching her the whole way up the aisle. When she reached him, Mia took his strong hand in both of hers and gave it a tiny kiss. He smiled at her as she drew a chair closer to his bedside and sat. "How do you feel," she asked, tears still shining in her eyes.
"I feel better already. Poppy has worked miracles on the pain."
"Thank god," Mia answered, her voice never rising above a whisper.
"Mia, what was it that you wanted so desperately to tell me earlier?"
Mia became markedly adgitated at this question, but said in a quavering voice, "nothing, Severus, it isn't important. Right now sleep should take precedence over everything else. You're getting married in four days, remember."
He smiled at this, and closed his eyes, clearly imagining himself four days from now, as a husband to the most beautiful woman he could ever have laid eyes on. She picked up the vial of dreamless sleep potion that Poppy had instructed her to administer before leaving, and gently touched the rim to his lips. He drank compliantly and immediately fell fast asleep. She laid the bottle back on the bedside table and placed a diminutive kiss on his now relaxed forehead. "I love you Severus Snape," she whispered before drawing his curtains and taking her leave. Somewhere in his dreams, Severus Snape smiled.
Accosted
"Well, you were right," Madam Pomfrey said as she finished her appraisal of Mia. "You are nearly two months pregnant. I'm amazed that you haven't begun to show yet," Poppy went on. "Does Severus know that you thought you were pregnant?"
"Gods, no! I didn't want to tell him until I was sure. Now that I am sure I have no idea how to tell him. Poppy had leaned in towards her then and placed a caring arm around her shoulders.
"Mia, Severus loves you. Just tell him. He can only be happy for you. This is a miracle for you both to enjoy. In a happy relationship such as yours and Severus' a baby can only be an added source of joy."
"I suppose you're right, Poppy. It's just that Severus and I have never talked about having a baby before. I don't even know how he feels about raising a family. How do I tell him that he's going to have to raise one now, whether he likes it or not? Maybe I should just terminate…"
"Mia, no!" Poppy had sounded terrified at the prospect of terminating the baby. "Not that it isn't your choice, but I think that you should at least tell him first. This baby is a part of him, too. He at least has a right to know."
"You're right, Poppy. I'll tell him when he gets back from Hogsmeade."
It seemed to take forever for Severus to return. The afternoon had turned into evening, which had in turn fade into night. It was one thirty in the morning when Mia saw Severus staggering up the grounds past the lake. She had been waiting for him on the front steps anxiously, and was in a right state when she saw him. "Severus," she had called breathlessly as she ran to him and collapsed into his arms. "I have something that I have to tell yo…" When she looked up at him she saw that his face was covered in angry bruises and lacerations. Her eyes filled with tears as she helped him up to the castle. During the obviously excrutiating walk he explained that he had been accosted by Lucius Malfoy in Hogsmeade earlier in the afternoon. Lucius had taken him to Voldemort who had subjected him to a ludicrous battery of questions regarding his loyalty. In the end, Snape had escaped within an inch of his life, finally convincing Voldemort that he had consented to marrying Mia at Dumbledoor's constant request. He persuaded Voldemort that he had married Mia simply in an attempt to further Dumbledoor's trust in him. Voldemort, though still suspicious, had released Snape with countless bruises and cuts, a fractured wrist, and two broken ribs. He explained to Selene that he had nearly collapsed several times on the way back up to the castle.
When they had reached the lake they were joined by Hagrid, who took Mia's place under Snape's arm as Mia was become exhausted from trying to carry Snape on her tiny frame. The duo, which had now become a trio, was joined by Dumbledoor and Madam Pomfrey, who suggested that they conjure a stretcher instead of trying to carry Snape all the way to the hospital wing.
Once inside the hospital wing and situated comfortably on a bed with his body in the process of healing, Snape asked for Mia to be sent back in. Madam Pomfrey insisted that he needed his rest, and that he should wait until morning to see Mia, but Snape had argued that he was an adult and could decide for himself when he should get his rest. Nonplussed, Poppy sent an anxious Mia in from her waiting spot beside Dumbledoor in the hallway.
She walked to his bed, watching him watching her the whole way up the aisle. When she reached him, Mia took his strong hand in both of hers and gave it a tiny kiss. He smiled at her as she drew a chair closer to his bedside and sat. "How do you feel," she asked, tears still shining in her eyes.
"I feel better already. Poppy has worked miracles on the pain."
"Thank god," Mia answered, her voice never rising above a whisper.
"Mia, what was it that you wanted so desperately to tell me earlier?"
Mia became markedly adgitated at this question, but said in a quavering voice, "nothing, Severus, it isn't important. Right now sleep should take precedence over everything else. You're getting married in four days, remember."
He smiled at this, and closed his eyes, clearly imagining himself four days from now, as a husband to the most beautiful woman he could ever have laid eyes on. She picked up the vial of dreamless sleep potion that Poppy had instructed her to administer before leaving, and gently touched the rim to his lips. He drank compliantly and immediately fell fast asleep. She laid the bottle back on the bedside table and placed a diminutive kiss on his now relaxed forehead. "I love you Severus Snape," she whispered before drawing his curtains and taking her leave. Somewhere in his dreams, Severus Snape smiled.