LP HP: Second Dose- A Story in Twenty-Eight Snippets

by Tavalya Ra

E-mail: clearbluedelphia@yahoo.com

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Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Rowling is a goddess; may she have mercy on my soul for writing this.

Author's Notes: Thank you to Mawkish for putting me up to the challenge of writing this and to everyone who read and commented upon the story in April- especially Skip, who never failed to make me laugh.

To Vita Brevis- Severus can be nice when he puts his mind to it. To Akemi- time and FF.net permitting, I will continue to update daily. To zeynel- Chimera certainly isn't winning any popularity contests. This snippet will answer one of your questions. To Exwhyzed- the Chimera problem will be resolved eventually. Thank you also to Achintya and Alla for reviewing.

If anyone wishes to archive this story on his or her site, please contact me at clearbluedelphia@yahoo.com.

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Snippet 11: Misery Can Have Some Company

For two weeks, Chimera haunted the castle. Severus had no idea what function she performed in the Order of the Phoenix, for she never told him. She never had anything to say but the most cutting remark she could form on the tip of her acid-laced tongue…

"Merlin!" Sirius had exclaimed. "She's exactly like you!"

Their new chambers lacking a sofa, that remark had earned Sirius a night on the rug.

Severus knew exactly what his mother thought of him. He had thrown away his life, his career was joke, he had no right to bring a child into the world under his circumstances, he would raise an antisocial miscreant - and by Circe, why was that dog following him everywhere?

"Would you listen to me!" Chimera growled, stalking him up the stairs to the South Tower. "I am trying to help you. I am trying to get you to seriously think about this mess you've placed yourself in! How are you going to support this child? With your teaching? Who's going to take care of the baby while you are in class? You can't afford a nanny, and if you think you can burden Harry with your problems…"

Severus stepped onto the landing with the window seat. He was almost at his bedchamber and he had no qualms about slamming the door shut in Chimera's face.

Padfoot yipped at Chimera in protest.

"You're not listening to me!" she snapped. "Why do I bother pitying you?"

At that remark, Severus- who had been uncharacteristically passive until now- whirled around.

"Pity?" he spat. "Why on earth should you pity me!"

"Just look at you!" she exclaimed. "You've forced your life and your career into a dead end and this is how you're coping with yourself?"

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Padfoot circled Severus's legs and growled.

"Oh shush!" Chimera snapped at the dog. "Stupid animal- you don't have the brains to know what's going on." She turned back to Severus. "I have to wonder why you're having this baby. You've never been the parenting type."

"People change," Severus retorted with a sneer.

"They don't change that much!" his mother declared. "All a child ever wants is a parent's love and affection. I have to wonder if you're having this baby as a substitute for what you don't have. How utterly- how completely- selfish that is! You're creating a life just to ruin it so that your misery can have some company!"

Severus clenched his fists. He could feel his anger boiling inside him- his baby could feel it and it kicked in protest. He would not scream at her. If Chimera was any other person he would not have cared, but she was his mother. He would make it a point of pride not to lose his temper- not to prove her absolutely right.

As she continued her tirade, Severus set himself on the window seat. He gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, his face turned away from his mother in obstinacy. She was gathering steam and her words were flying fiercely off her tongue, but he did not bother to listen. He closed his eyes and reached out his hand to touch Padfoot's head for reassurance.

He could not find the dog. His heart froze, a wild thought flashing through his mind. Before he could dismiss it, he heard Chimera scream.

No!

Severus opened his eyes and sprung to his feet.

Sirius stood with his fists clenched at his sides and a fury lighting his eyes. He was angry, but Severus knew he had utterly no intention of harming Chimera. His mother, however, was painfully ignorant of this fact. She had sprung back and her wand was aimed directly between Sirius's eyes.

"Don't you dare come near me!" she shouted in both warning and alarm. "I know who you are and I won't hesitate to blast you!"

"Mother, he's innocent!" Severus cried. "You work for the Order- you know he's awaiting trial!"

"I'll believe the verdict when the Ministry delivers it!" she declared.

"Stop it!" Sirius suddenly screamed. Then- with less volume but the same force- he demanded, "Stop it both of you! I'm sick of this!" He turned to Chimera. "I'm sick of listening to you rant at Severus about something of which you know nothing! I love him! I love him more than I can possibly explain! He is not alone, his life is not a waste, and I am going to do everything in my power for our child!"

"Oh my God," Chimera had lowered her wand. Her mouth was agape. "Oh my God, Severus, a criminal? Sirius Black? You are that desperate? You don't regret anything you've done, do you? Not a single thing, not even-"

Severus lost it. "SHUT UP!" he screamed. "What do you want from me? A confession? Alright, then have it! I'm disgusted with myself for being a Death Eater and I have to live with what I did every day of my life! But what do you want of me? Do you expect me to hate myself forever? I am not the same person and I do not want the same things I did when I was twenty! I made a mistake- Does that mean I have to be miserable forever? I am happy to teach at Hogwarts and I am happy that I am having this baby!"

Chimera narrowed her eyes. Her lips twitched into a sneer. "Oh, I see," she said softly, stiffly. "I see I'm not needed here!"

She turned so fast her robes snapped as they swished and descended the stairwell in a menacing stalk.