Author's note: I'm sorry for leaving everyone hanging on the last chapters
– my computer was ill. But she's fixed now, my muses are alive and well,
and I'm ready to get started on the next few bits of the story. I
apologize, also, for not putting the wedding in this chapter. I just don't
think you've waited long enough! *evil grin* As always, I'd appreciate
your reviews, so keep them coming!
*~Mia~*
1 Chapter 7
Anticipation
It had been two days since Severus had been placed under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey, and while Mia was sure that Poppy was doing her very best, she wished that the healing process would speed itself up just a bit. Her wedding was in a day and a half, and she was missing the groom. Not for the first time, her mind wandered to what must have happened between Snape and Voldemort. Snape had assured herself, as well as Dumbledoor, that Voldemort had believed his story about marrying Mia as a way to keep the wool pulled over Dumbledoor's eyes, and yet Mia had a sinking feeling that as long as Voldemort was around, her married life would be no less than troubled.
"Snap yourself out of it," she thought to herself. She looked up from her desk to check that her students were not cheating on their test on curses. "Fred Weasly. Will you kindly place whatever it is you have hidden on your lap on my desk? This will be your only warning."
Fred looked up from his test red faced, but looking none to shaken. Nonetheless he obediently walked up to Mia's desk and placed a square of parchment on her desk. He then returned to his seat, unbeknownst to Mia thankful that he was sitting beside Alicia Spinnet, who always took good notes in her classes.
The rest of the period went off without a hitch. Mia collected exams on the way out of the class, and quickly gathered her things. She had been promised that Severus would be released from the hospital wing this evening. Before she could see him, however, she had a million and a half things to do to prepare for the big day. She and Minerva were going down to Hogsmeade to pick up the dress robes, and the flowers, which were enchanted to remain wilt free for over two weeks, were to be delivered upon their return. They were being sent in from Diagon Alley.
Mia looked out of the windows on her way to Minerva's upstairs office. The snow was falling in big flakes, and there were students chasing each other in a snowball fight down near the lake. She smiled slightly. She had always been attracted to a picturesque scene involving children. Perhaps that was why she had decided to become a teacher…
She reached Minerva's door and knocked. "Come in Mia, I'll be ready in two shakes."
Mia swaggered into the office and collapsed, a little harder than she expected to, on an overstuffed armchair near the fireplace. "So, are you ready for a trip to Hogsmeade, Mia? You look entirely exhausted."
"Oh, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind. You know…"
"To be sure," Minerva answered, smiling. "Tomorrow's a big day, you know."
"I have a feeling that tonight will be even bigger." Mia blurted this out before her superego had had a chance to codify it.
"Whatever do you mean by th –" Minerva had cut herself off in mid sentence. A knowing smile now crossed her face. "Oh, I see what you're hinting at." She chuckled softly to herself. "You've decided not to wait until the wedding night, eh?"
"Oh Minerva, you have no idea what I'm hinting at. But come sit down and I'll tell you." Minerva made her way concernedly toward the empty armchair and plopped down, abandoning what she was doing before, and pushing the Hogsmeade trip to the back of her mind. "Minerva, I'm…well, I'm pregnant damn it."
A gasp escaped Minerva's lips, and she clutched her robe tighter around her neck in surprise.
"Don't look at me like that, Minerva. Next you'll be calling me Hester Prynne and splashing me with holy water." "The power of Christ compels you and all that rubbish," she added between giggles.
"Well, is it… I mean to say… Does it belong to… too…"
"To Severus? Of course, Minerva. I may be a lot of things but I'm certainly not a cheat."
"How long," Minerva asked, still looking thoroughly shocked.
"It's been two months. Give or take."
"Does he know?"
"Well, no, and that's what's causing me to worry. I'm afraid to tell him. I'm not so much afraid that he'll be angry as that he'll be…well…unhappy."
"You want to keep it then?"
"Gods yes! Yes, I want this more than anything. I'm deadly nervous, but…well…I'm excited at the same time."
"Well, this isn't what I would have expected from the likes of you two, but…oh I can't help myself. I'm so happy for you!" Minerva leaned out of her chair and gave Mia a warm hug. "Oh, but you must tell him. You have to!"
"I will, Minerva. I planned on it tonight. I just don't know how, and I don't want to just blurt it out like I did to you. I want to be…gentle about it. He's had a rough few days. He doesn't need this kind of assault on his emotions to add to it."
"Oh, trust me Mia, as an elder, I know that if you keep it from him any longer he'll be more hurt than if you just blurt it out. Come on, we can talk about this on the way."
The pair made their way chattily down the hill toward Hogsmeade in one of the horseless carriages provided by Hagrid. The only stopped talking when they entered the shop to pick up the robes. They had decided on a deep wine colored robe for the women, embroidered in white, and black for the men. They then decided to go into the Three Broomsticks for a nice warm butterbeer and get out of the blistering cold for an hour or so. After their butterbeer (and a few unexpected brandys) the pair left and headed back to the castle. The sun was beginning to set and Mia could feel butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing Severus. They grew about ten times at the thought of telling him her news. How would he receive it? How would he receive her once he knew it? Gods, the questions spun in her head like a storm. They stopped in front of the castle and Hagrid helped her out of the carriage.
"Trus' yeh' had a good time in the village," he said jovially as she stepped back onto solid ground.
"We had a ball, Hagrid," she said in a chipper on the outside butterflies on the inside voice.
"Yer flower man is waitin' fer yeh' inside."
"Very good Hagird, thanks."
Mia walked up the steps and into the great hall to find the entire room filled with boxes and green wrappers that undoubtedly contained thousands of red and white roses. She walked up to the harassed looking man in the middle of the hall, who was arguing with Dumbledoor about how he would not be dragging all these boxes back out into the courtyard. Dumbledoor assured him that there would be no need, paid the bill before Mia could stop him, and clapped the man on the back. "Have a lovely evening," he boomed light heartedly at him as he swaggered out of the hall.
"Dumbledoor, I will not have you paying for my flowers. Nor for any other part of my wedding for that matter," Mia began, shaking a finger at his spectacled face as her mouth ran on and on. He merely smiled that good natured smile and waited for her to finish before replying.
"My dear Mia. Please consider it a wedding gift." With that, he placed his hand into one of the boxes, drew out a white rose, and placed it in her left hand, who's finger was still outstretched. "Now, if you insist on repaying me, help me magic these boxes to the courtyard."
Slowly but surely all of the boxes (one hundred and forty seven, to be exact) found themselves out in the snowy courtyard waiting to have their contents extracted and be magiced away. Once everyone had gathered around, Dumbledoor raised his wand, said the words "Extracto Decoratum," and the roses, save for the ones in Mia's bouquet and those formed into a wreath which would hang on the altar, sprang to life and began to arrange themselves at will. When all was said and done, there lay a chain of roses all along the length of the courtyard, a wreath around the fountain (all three levels) which sat in the middle of the courtyard, and there was a bouquet of two whites and three reds (or two reds and three whites alternately) on each of the guest's chairs (which had been magiced there as well). After each flower was placed, Dumbledoor turned to Mia, a questioning look in his eyes.
"It's beautiful Albus," she said with tears in her eyes. She crossed the space between them and enveloped him in a hug. He embraced her in return and then held her away from him, his hands on her shoulders.
"Promise me, Mia, that you'll take care of him. I've been looking after that Severus Snape since he was a boy, and I fancy him almost like my very own son. See to it that he is cared for, and I know that he will do the same."
"I will, Albus, I will." Mia choked on the last words as tears came flooding down her cheeks. She was so embarrassed to know that all the professors were standing there watching her sob on what should be the most anticipatory night of her life, but she could hold back her joy no longer. As she stood there, her face on Dumbledoor's shoulder, she heard him begin to speak again.
"Ah. I believe, Miss Cauldwell, that our guest of honor has arrived." Mia turned from Dumbledoor to see Severus, standing with his hands clasped behind his back and a thin smile on his lips, surveying the courtyard with obvious acceptance. His gaze met hers and he held out his hands to take hers. She walked to him, took his hands, and embraced him snugly. The crowd began to dissipate as she looked up at his face, bruised but beaming down at her.
"What do you think?" She asked this with anticipation in her voice.
"I think," he said as he looked lovingly at her, "that I would like to hear what it is you were so eager to tell me the evening I returned."
*~Mia~*
1 Chapter 7
Anticipation
It had been two days since Severus had been placed under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey, and while Mia was sure that Poppy was doing her very best, she wished that the healing process would speed itself up just a bit. Her wedding was in a day and a half, and she was missing the groom. Not for the first time, her mind wandered to what must have happened between Snape and Voldemort. Snape had assured herself, as well as Dumbledoor, that Voldemort had believed his story about marrying Mia as a way to keep the wool pulled over Dumbledoor's eyes, and yet Mia had a sinking feeling that as long as Voldemort was around, her married life would be no less than troubled.
"Snap yourself out of it," she thought to herself. She looked up from her desk to check that her students were not cheating on their test on curses. "Fred Weasly. Will you kindly place whatever it is you have hidden on your lap on my desk? This will be your only warning."
Fred looked up from his test red faced, but looking none to shaken. Nonetheless he obediently walked up to Mia's desk and placed a square of parchment on her desk. He then returned to his seat, unbeknownst to Mia thankful that he was sitting beside Alicia Spinnet, who always took good notes in her classes.
The rest of the period went off without a hitch. Mia collected exams on the way out of the class, and quickly gathered her things. She had been promised that Severus would be released from the hospital wing this evening. Before she could see him, however, she had a million and a half things to do to prepare for the big day. She and Minerva were going down to Hogsmeade to pick up the dress robes, and the flowers, which were enchanted to remain wilt free for over two weeks, were to be delivered upon their return. They were being sent in from Diagon Alley.
Mia looked out of the windows on her way to Minerva's upstairs office. The snow was falling in big flakes, and there were students chasing each other in a snowball fight down near the lake. She smiled slightly. She had always been attracted to a picturesque scene involving children. Perhaps that was why she had decided to become a teacher…
She reached Minerva's door and knocked. "Come in Mia, I'll be ready in two shakes."
Mia swaggered into the office and collapsed, a little harder than she expected to, on an overstuffed armchair near the fireplace. "So, are you ready for a trip to Hogsmeade, Mia? You look entirely exhausted."
"Oh, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind. You know…"
"To be sure," Minerva answered, smiling. "Tomorrow's a big day, you know."
"I have a feeling that tonight will be even bigger." Mia blurted this out before her superego had had a chance to codify it.
"Whatever do you mean by th –" Minerva had cut herself off in mid sentence. A knowing smile now crossed her face. "Oh, I see what you're hinting at." She chuckled softly to herself. "You've decided not to wait until the wedding night, eh?"
"Oh Minerva, you have no idea what I'm hinting at. But come sit down and I'll tell you." Minerva made her way concernedly toward the empty armchair and plopped down, abandoning what she was doing before, and pushing the Hogsmeade trip to the back of her mind. "Minerva, I'm…well, I'm pregnant damn it."
A gasp escaped Minerva's lips, and she clutched her robe tighter around her neck in surprise.
"Don't look at me like that, Minerva. Next you'll be calling me Hester Prynne and splashing me with holy water." "The power of Christ compels you and all that rubbish," she added between giggles.
"Well, is it… I mean to say… Does it belong to… too…"
"To Severus? Of course, Minerva. I may be a lot of things but I'm certainly not a cheat."
"How long," Minerva asked, still looking thoroughly shocked.
"It's been two months. Give or take."
"Does he know?"
"Well, no, and that's what's causing me to worry. I'm afraid to tell him. I'm not so much afraid that he'll be angry as that he'll be…well…unhappy."
"You want to keep it then?"
"Gods yes! Yes, I want this more than anything. I'm deadly nervous, but…well…I'm excited at the same time."
"Well, this isn't what I would have expected from the likes of you two, but…oh I can't help myself. I'm so happy for you!" Minerva leaned out of her chair and gave Mia a warm hug. "Oh, but you must tell him. You have to!"
"I will, Minerva. I planned on it tonight. I just don't know how, and I don't want to just blurt it out like I did to you. I want to be…gentle about it. He's had a rough few days. He doesn't need this kind of assault on his emotions to add to it."
"Oh, trust me Mia, as an elder, I know that if you keep it from him any longer he'll be more hurt than if you just blurt it out. Come on, we can talk about this on the way."
The pair made their way chattily down the hill toward Hogsmeade in one of the horseless carriages provided by Hagrid. The only stopped talking when they entered the shop to pick up the robes. They had decided on a deep wine colored robe for the women, embroidered in white, and black for the men. They then decided to go into the Three Broomsticks for a nice warm butterbeer and get out of the blistering cold for an hour or so. After their butterbeer (and a few unexpected brandys) the pair left and headed back to the castle. The sun was beginning to set and Mia could feel butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing Severus. They grew about ten times at the thought of telling him her news. How would he receive it? How would he receive her once he knew it? Gods, the questions spun in her head like a storm. They stopped in front of the castle and Hagrid helped her out of the carriage.
"Trus' yeh' had a good time in the village," he said jovially as she stepped back onto solid ground.
"We had a ball, Hagrid," she said in a chipper on the outside butterflies on the inside voice.
"Yer flower man is waitin' fer yeh' inside."
"Very good Hagird, thanks."
Mia walked up the steps and into the great hall to find the entire room filled with boxes and green wrappers that undoubtedly contained thousands of red and white roses. She walked up to the harassed looking man in the middle of the hall, who was arguing with Dumbledoor about how he would not be dragging all these boxes back out into the courtyard. Dumbledoor assured him that there would be no need, paid the bill before Mia could stop him, and clapped the man on the back. "Have a lovely evening," he boomed light heartedly at him as he swaggered out of the hall.
"Dumbledoor, I will not have you paying for my flowers. Nor for any other part of my wedding for that matter," Mia began, shaking a finger at his spectacled face as her mouth ran on and on. He merely smiled that good natured smile and waited for her to finish before replying.
"My dear Mia. Please consider it a wedding gift." With that, he placed his hand into one of the boxes, drew out a white rose, and placed it in her left hand, who's finger was still outstretched. "Now, if you insist on repaying me, help me magic these boxes to the courtyard."
Slowly but surely all of the boxes (one hundred and forty seven, to be exact) found themselves out in the snowy courtyard waiting to have their contents extracted and be magiced away. Once everyone had gathered around, Dumbledoor raised his wand, said the words "Extracto Decoratum," and the roses, save for the ones in Mia's bouquet and those formed into a wreath which would hang on the altar, sprang to life and began to arrange themselves at will. When all was said and done, there lay a chain of roses all along the length of the courtyard, a wreath around the fountain (all three levels) which sat in the middle of the courtyard, and there was a bouquet of two whites and three reds (or two reds and three whites alternately) on each of the guest's chairs (which had been magiced there as well). After each flower was placed, Dumbledoor turned to Mia, a questioning look in his eyes.
"It's beautiful Albus," she said with tears in her eyes. She crossed the space between them and enveloped him in a hug. He embraced her in return and then held her away from him, his hands on her shoulders.
"Promise me, Mia, that you'll take care of him. I've been looking after that Severus Snape since he was a boy, and I fancy him almost like my very own son. See to it that he is cared for, and I know that he will do the same."
"I will, Albus, I will." Mia choked on the last words as tears came flooding down her cheeks. She was so embarrassed to know that all the professors were standing there watching her sob on what should be the most anticipatory night of her life, but she could hold back her joy no longer. As she stood there, her face on Dumbledoor's shoulder, she heard him begin to speak again.
"Ah. I believe, Miss Cauldwell, that our guest of honor has arrived." Mia turned from Dumbledoor to see Severus, standing with his hands clasped behind his back and a thin smile on his lips, surveying the courtyard with obvious acceptance. His gaze met hers and he held out his hands to take hers. She walked to him, took his hands, and embraced him snugly. The crowd began to dissipate as she looked up at his face, bruised but beaming down at her.
"What do you think?" She asked this with anticipation in her voice.
"I think," he said as he looked lovingly at her, "that I would like to hear what it is you were so eager to tell me the evening I returned."