I am taking the time here at the beginning of the next chapter to thank everyone who has read and reviewed my story. I adore getting reviews so I thank all of you.
Many sincere thanks to: snapefan51, Aryuter, labrisa, Loki, Them Girl, Airerrdiel, Yoda's Leeky Yogurt, Aubrey Lee Briar, madhatter, Unicorn Lady, fang-gurlie, kazza, and NiteQueen. And thank you to anyone else I may have missed.
And without further ado I give you chapter 12:
No Shit Sherlock!
"What the fuck!" George Weasley shouted, voicing the unasked question that the whole school had, as the gryffindors entered their common room after dinner.
"Fred!" Hermione shouted, "watch you mouth."
"Gee, thanks Herm," Fred said as he slipped his arm around her waist, "I'm Fred."
"Oh sorry George," she said blushing.
"Hermione you'd think that by dating one of them you'd be able to tell them apart now," Parvati said giggling as they all say down in the common room.
"This is getting to become a habit," Ron snickered as he and Neville set up the chess set.
"I think that there is a reason behind Snape acting so strange." Hermione said after the troops were gathered.
"No shit Sherlock!" Seamus said rolling his eyes, "Do you have any more brilliant deductions."
"Who's Sherlock?" Ron asked, as Hermione threw a death glare at Seamus.
"Why, its elementary my dear Mr. Weasley, Sherlock Holmes was the most brilliant man that has ever been written about."
"He is fiction, Seamus,"
"Fact or fiction, Sherlock Holmes was a brilliant, but eccentric detective, quite similar to myself, who was thought up by one Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the last century. Come Dean you shall be my Watson, and together help the bumbling Scotland Yard detective Lestrade and the rest of the yard, portrayed by the whole of gryffindor, we shall solve this mystery."
"And did Sherlock Holmes have a lady?" Ginny asked.
"No, his scientific mind had no room for love as it is not logical, but I can make an exception for you my dearest Weasley. Now Dean, I mean Watson, to the library… the game is afoot." The two gryffindors left to go research ways of transfiguring their uniforms to the turn of the century clothing that Watson and Holmes would have worn.
"What does he mean that the game is a foot?" Neville asked looking puzzled, "Why would it be a foot, not a hand or something else?"
"It's an expression," George explained when his girlfriend glanced at him, "What I read, its good even if a muggle wrote it."
They sat there for a few minutes talking about this and that and the fact that George Weasley could read; then they explained the strange things to Lavender, and Neville. Poor Neville was still reacting to the announcement made, that Snape was definitely not a virgin, at dinner that night. Ten minutes later Seamus entered the common room again.
"Man you wouldn't believe the strange looks I received on the way over here," he commented.
"Maybe it has to do with what you're wearing," Dean pointed out. Seamus was wearing late 19th dressing gown and carried a curved pipe and a magnifying glass.
"Why of course, now ladies and gentlemen where were we. Ah that's right, Hermione's brilliant deduction, that Professor Snape is behaving strangely. I would have to disagree, he was very Snape-like at the end of his speech, I believe that it is Professor Sinistra that we should watch."
"And why do you think that Seamus?" Hermione challenged.
"It's Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, and have you not noticed the way her moods have been changing lately?"
"He has a point." Lee said.
"Of course I do, I have a brilliant scientific mind that absorbs information like a sponge," he stated confidently. Our fearless gryffindors now led by Seamus Finnegan as the great Sherlock Holmes were bound to figure everything out sooner or later. Seamus and Dean were going searching for clues and asking everyone that they met what they saw and thought about the way Sinistra has been acting. They had astronomy later that night and would gather more information then and soon Seamus would report his findings using Holmes' method of deduction to draw his conclusions.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, well actually in the office belonging to one twinkling blue-eyed headmaster, Snape and Sinistra sat there waiting to tell him their news. They had discussed it and decided that of anyone he had the right to know.
"Severus, when you are finished we must discuss your little display." Albus said as she sat down across from the two of them. "Now what was it that you wanted to tell me?"
"Headmaster, Severus and I wanted to tell you that we are having a child." She said and the twinkling blue eyes grew brighter. He rushed around the desk to hug his astronomy professor, and then his potions professor much to Snape's chagrin.
"Congratulations to the both of you. What are you planning to do?" he asked gently looking from Snape to Sinistra. Neither of them said anything and he decided to try another tactic. "So the rumors were true," he commented ignoring Severus' sharp glare.
"We just thought you should know, so that it wouldn't come as a surprise." Snape snarled.
"How do you put up with him my dear?" he asked Sinistra.
"Very easily, his bark is worse than his bite."
"Don't be too sure woman," Snape muttered under his breath.
"If you will excuse me headmaster, I have classes to prepare for," she said and walked out the door leaving the two men sitting there.
"So, Severus," he started.
"You're not going to hug me again are you Albus?" Severus interrupted.
"No don't worry, my boy." He said chuckling, "do you and Aurora have any plans for the future?"
"I don't see where that is any of your business, but no as of now with my role in this we have not decided an anything yet."
"You know that even if you try to hide this your family will find out."
"I don't see how or why, its not like I keep in contact with any of then regularly, except my sister Sydney."
"And as I recall Sydney was always rather smart and you too were quite close, she will know even if the rest don't."
"How can you be so sure Albus?"
"Does she support Voldemort?"
"How dare you ask that Albus," his dark eyes glinted dangerously.
"The why won't you tell them."
"The more people that know, before Aurora and I make any decisions are the more dangerous for us and the child."
"Very well, and good luck."
"One question before I leave headmaster?" he started and Dumbledore nodded, "can I take house points away from a faculty member?"
"Severus," he was warned by the headmaster and he left in a flash.
Later that night he was finishing up correcting the pop quiz that he had given the fifth year students. He had finished marking the gryffindor tests when Sinistra entered his office.
"What's up love?" she asked him sitting down on his desk.
"Nothing, get off my desk." He said without looking up from his papers. She smirked, took the papers out of his hands and slid into his lap. "Woman, I was working," he growled.
"Screw it, you won't hand them back for at least a week or two, so why correct them now, when we could do other more fun things."
"I correct them now because I am not a procrastinator, unlike some people in this room." He mocked his ravenclaw counterpart, who stuck her tongue at him and quickly kissed him.
"Did I ever tell you that you were my first Hogwarts crush?" she asked she as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"No, I don't believe that you ever did? So you've been mooning over me since you were a first year and I was a fourth." He commented raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't say that."
"Yes, you did."
"No I didn't."
"Sure you didn't."
"Damn straight I didn't."
"That what you say."
"Git!"
"Wench."
"Shut up and kiss me you moron!"
"Why should I?"
"I got needs chicken legs," she said grabbing him by the collar.
"Well if you put it like that, I don't think I should, but maybe if you ask nicely."
"That was nice, Severus, I hate you sometimes," she murmured and kissed him. They naturally were interrupted by an untimely knock on his office door. Snape jumped at the sudden sound and practically threw her off his lap.
"Who's there," he snarled.
"Professor Gadget," Snape heard the soft voice of Sinistra's rival through the door. Sinistra sneered and reluctantly got off his lap.
"Its open," he scowled as she walked in, "what?"
"I was wondering if you had a book on ancient muggle remedies?"
"Yes, I do, why?"
"I was wondering if I could borrow it for a class?"
"If I loan it to you will you leave? Accio." he pointed his wand towards his bookshelves and the book came flying to his hands narrowly missing Sinistra who smacked him on the back of the head.
"Thanks Severus," Sadie Gadget purred flashing him a smile before she left. As she opened the door she glared at Sinistra. Sinistra smacked him on the back of his head again.
"Merlin woman, what's that for?"
"Nothing, I just can't stand that woman."
"Apparently she feels the same."
"I bet she's a part of it?" she said as Severus pulled her back into his lap.
"Possibly, but I really do not want to think about her right now." He said and the two of them resumed their previous activities only to be walked in on by the headmaster himself, who it seemed had no idea that it was polite to knock. He entered not noticing that Severus was busy.
"Severus…or sorry did I interrupt anything?" he asked his voice trailing off.
"Yes," Sinistra snarled not getting off Severus' lap.
"Severus, I was, ah, wondering if I could borrow your shower, now that my drain has been clogged by jello." He asked the two younger professors just looked at each other with worried looks.
"Fine, and I don't want to know, Albus pleases don't tell me," he cleared his throat and shut his eyes.
"Well, that killed the mood," Sinistra whispered to Snape.
"Thank you Severus, I take long showers, and may I suggest that you lock the door," he said as he headed to the office door, "carry on."
"I don't think I can," Snape groaned.
"You heard the man." She kissed him again, and they decided not to enter his rooms until morning because they never knew when Albus might be in the shower. They retired to the astronomy tower later continuing where they had left off with no further interruptions.
Disclaimer:
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are not mine and I heard the chicken legs comment on Conan O'Brien and it was Mr. T who said it.