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

by Tavalya Ra

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 moonygirl13- Before June 21st, I had considered writing a Sirius MPreg fic that would be compatible with OotP. As you know, that won't be possible now. OotP was good, but I have mixed feelings about its characterization of Sirius, Harry, and Dumbledore. Whether or not I continue to write fanfiction will depend upon whether or not I am inspired. Right now, I'm still dealing with the fact I felt the need to jump the Snape/Black ship, as I assumed I would be writing more of that. To Vita brevis- I could do as you suggested except that the reason I liked the pairing was a mutual need for acceptance and forgiveness. Snape and Black had a balance. I do not see that balance anymore and I will leave the pairing to the hands of another writer. As I said for Harry/Remus, I don't feel capable of doing it justice and I lack the inclination. To CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur- Thanks for e-mailing me! Yes, it could happen, but I no longer want it to happen- which rather kills my motivation. Still, LP SD will be updated until its completion. To bramblerose- the memory may be skewed, but Sirius did not deny it. And Dumbledore- argh! What was Rowling thinking? To Scheckie- I don't want to write another Snape/Black romance based solely upon canon up to GoF as I am satisfied with LP HP. I depended upon OotP to provide new material for me. It did the opposite. To Achintya- I personally have never understood the appeal of Snape/Lupin. Don't worry- I have no intentions of writing it. To FanFreak- your phrased my reason for leaving this pairing perfectly! Thank you! To STILL a Sirius Fan- wow. You had a lot to say. I don't think Sirius is completely bad or Snape completely good, but as I said to Vita brevis, I don't see the balance anymore. Interesting theory about Snape's name. To samson- I actually don't know if I will continue yet. It depends upon my level of inspiration, but a warning. The pairing that I am considering is het. Thank you also to viky_mama and melodie 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 #16: Rest Assured

Sirius related the encounter with Lucius to Dumbledore faithfully; he left out no details as he had in March of 1996, when he had met the Malfoys in the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore acknowledged the information with a nod, then asked, "Have you decided upon a date for your wedding?"

Sirius was startled by the question, which had come from nowhere. "Not exactly. We plan to have it several months after the birth. Severus wants to be male again and lose the baby weight first."

At the mention of the extra pounds, Severus gave his fiancé a sharp glare.

"It might not be a good idea to wait so long," Dumbledore advised. "In fact, I think you should marry as soon as possible."

"What?" Severus asked flatly. "Excuse me? Marry now? Look at me, Albus! I'm due in almost a month! You expect me to walk down the aisle like this?"

Sirius conceded that he had a point. Severus looked as if he couldn't get much bigger than he already was.

"Severus-" the headmaster began patiently.

"I want to get married on my own terms, not in a maternity gown with a stomach the size of a beach ball!"

"I think you'd look beautiful like that," Sirius whispered quietly.

Severus stared at him as if he had grown a third head. "What?"

"You're going to be a mother. I can't think of anything more beautiful."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" he exclaimed. "Have you been putting the draughts from my poisons cabinet in your drinking water?"

Sirius blinked. "You have a poisons cabinet?"

"I am a Slytherin, Sirius."

"Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat, commanding their attention. "I do not wish to be the bearer of ill tidings, but I have received an intelligence report from one of my field agents. Voldemort will attack Hogwarts shortly before graduation. Now, naturally, I am hoping for the best, but I cannot guarantee it. There remains the possibility that if you do not have this wedding within the next month, you may never."

Sirius clutched Severus's hand tightly. To his fiancé, he said, "It's not like we have any doubt about this, Severus. We know we're really in love. We have the shards of a broken Aphrodilus to prove it."

Severus bowed his head. "When you couch the matter that way, Albus, I have to agree with your advice. We… we want a small wedding anyway. And we want you to be the master of ceremonies…"

"I'd be honored," the headmaster accepted.

"…so, there really isn't much to plan. But if any of you think I'm going to wear bridal white just because I'm the one who's pregnant…"

He trailed off. He lacked the heart to be sarcastic.

Dumbledore folded his hands. "I have another quite serious question to ask you and I want you to understand, you have every right to refuse. What I propose could be dangerous."

"What is it?" Sirius asked.

"I wish to cast a barrier spell to protect the castle from Voldemort. In my research, I came across a very ancient piece of magic. It is the most effective, most powerful shield spell of which I know. However, because of its nature, it requires that the caster be pregnant."

Severus's mouth worked for a few moments before he stated, "You want me to perform the spell."

"I want you to consider casting the spell."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why do you think it will be dangerous?"

Dumbledore answered, "Because the spell, once cast, will induce labor."

Severus rested his hand on his swollen belly. He suddenly looked sick. "I've been trying not to think about that part of all this."

Sirius frowned. "Albus, I don't know about this…"

"I'm carrying a girl," Severus interjected. "They develop faster than boys in the womb. If I entered labor now, I could still give birth safely."

"You will have time for the last month," Dumbledore said. "Pomfrey can administer a potion that will ensure you do not go into labor until induced. If you do cast the spell, there will be nothing unusual about the birthing process other than that you already knew when it would begin."

The room was quiet for several moments.

"I think I should do it, Sirius," Severus said. "I'm going to give birth around that time anyway. I don't see why not."

"Are you sure there are no other side effects?" Sirius asked Dumbledore.

"Yes. There are records of this spell being cast before. I can give you all the documentation to review yourself. In fact, I suggest you look at it no matter what you decide."

Sirius shook his head. "It's not that I don't trust you, Albus. You know I do. But…"

"But this is your child," the headmaster finished. "And no risk can possibly be small enough for you to rest assured."