Disclaimer: I do not own HP. I repeat, I do NOT own HP. But, of course, you lot know this, right? If not, whack yourself repeatedly in the head with a blunt object until you do.

Serpens Erus Temptatio

"Serpent Lord's Temptation"

Chapter 15 – Can Anyone See

"Sev?"

"Severus?"

"Uhn," said Severus as he sat up. He peered blearily around the room, slightly disoriented.

Then he noticed Hermione was sitting up in bed, Trieste curled up in her lap.

"Hermione!" he yelled joyfully, leaping off his cot. He enveloped his wife in a hug and abruptly found himself crying tears of joy into her shoulder.

"It's okay," whispered Hermione, hugging him close. Tears glistened on her own cheeks.

Trieste squirmed out from between the two adults and leapt to her master's cot. She batted at his ear until he opened his eyes and glared at her.

"Este, get off…"

"Mrow!" exclaimed the cat, bouncing up and down on the side of his head.

Tristen brushed the cat off and sat up. His dark eyes widened as he saw his mother and father hugging and he exclaimed, "Mum!"

Severus pulled back from Hermione, allowing Tristen to scramble up into his mother's lap. The eleven-year-old was sobbing joyfully and laughing at the same time as he hugged her. Hermione smiled at her husband over their son's shoulder before mouthing 'Where's Harry?'

'I'll go get him' mouthed Severus back. He climbed down off the bed and grabbed his shoes before he practically ran from the hospital wing. Two flights of stairs barely winded him and he managed to bellow as he pounded on Harry's door.

When a disheveled looking Harry wearing only a pair of worn blue jeans, Severus yelled something rather quickly before he ran back down the stairs. It took Harry a few moments to sort out what had been said. When he did, he rushed back into his rooms and came out tugging a shirt over his head. He then ran downstairs barefoot with his hair streaming wildly behind him.

At the hospital wing doors, he paused and stared across the room at Hermione. She was pale and her hair was streaked white but when her brown eyes turned towards him they were full of the same life that they always had been.

"Harry…"

"Mione," he choked out before he rushed across the room and pulled the woman into a rough hug. She clung to him tightly for a moment before pulling back slightly.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Tris told me that you found the potion to bring me back."

"Actually its Mischa and Sal you should be thanking," said Harry. He hugged her again then said, "I'm glad your back. Though this hair…"

"What?" asked Hermione, pulling one of the white locks forward. "You don't think it looks good on me?"

Harry eyed the white-streaked hair for a moment before shaking his head and replying, "No. Perhaps purple instead…"

Hermione laughed and the two old friends smiled at each other before they both began to laugh. Severus and Tristen just watched and smiled.

The bushy-haired woman then looked around and asked, "Where's Liana? Sev, where's our daughter?"

Severus didn't look at her and tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at Harry and whispered, "Harry, what happened to my daughter?"

"They killed her," mumbled Harry. "I'm so sorry, Mione."

Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes and she grabbed Harry's shirt, silently sobbing into it. The Heir of Slytherin gingerly wrapped his arms around her then looked pityingly at Severus and Tristen, who were both shaking their heads.

"Hermione!" exclaimed McGonagall as Severus entered the Great Hall with his wife on his arm. "You're awake!"

"Hello, Minerva," said Hermione as warmly as possible, shaking her white and brown hair back from her face. "How are you?"

"Shocked!" replied the older witch. She then came around the Head Table and enveloped the woman in a hug. "But relieved to see you back in our world."

"Not as much as I am," murmured Severus.

"Or I," said Harry, who suddenly appeared with Tristen at his heels.

"This is a happy occasion in times that are once again dark," said McGonagall, her smile suddenly turning sad.

Hermione frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

McGonagall looked sharply at the two men and said sharply, "You didn't tell her?"

Harry shook his head and Severus said, "I didn't want to burden her."

"Burden me with what?" asked Hermione.

McGonagall gave her a sad look before replying.

"Aubrey has returned."

Hermione gasped and looked at Harry, who nodded solemnly.

"Oh God…but that's impossible! Harry killed him!" She looked at her friend and added, "Didn't you?"

Harry nodded slowly, his eyes slowly swirling a gray-green.

"I drove my sword through his neck. It very nearly cut off his head. I killed him, Mione."

He idly touched the spot on his torso where the four of them knew his scar was and continued, "Just like he almost killed me."

"Then how is he back?"

"That, Mione-love," said Severus, "is something we have not figured out. Perhaps he'll let us know. You know those criminal masterminds love to brag."

"Ha," said Hermione without inflection. She then looked hungrily at the abandoned food on McGonagall's plate, causing Severus to chuckle and steer her towards the table.

McGonagall looked after them before she noticed Harry walking off.

"Harry?"

"I'm going to find Mischa," said the dark-haired man. Tristen jogged after his godfather for a moment and asked him something before he turned and headed for the Slytherin table.

The Headmistress frowned after her ex-student before she headed back to her seat.

Harry whispered the password to Mischa's rooms to the portrait that guarded it and stepped in, looking about the main room for the woman.

"Mischa?"

There was a sound from his left and he ventured towards it. After a moment, he could tell it was coming from the bathroom.

After another, he could tell it was the sound of someone throwing up.

Taking a hasty step back, he waited for Mischa to come out. When she did, she was wiping her mouth on a towel in one hand whilst her other hand rubbed her stomach in slow circles.

She didn't see him for a moment then when she did, she froze. Cornflower blue eyes turned to meet green and Harry saw fear in them.

"Mischa?" he said softly. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

She turned her head away before whispering, "Yes."

"What?"

"I-I…"

Harry arched an eyebrow.

"I'm pregnant."

All of Harry's organs plummeted to his feet. He was sure he felt a few of his bones go too. Which could be the reason he suddenly felt light-headed.

"Could you repeat that?" he gasped after a moment.

"I'm. Pregnant," repeated Mischa slowly.

"Gods," breathed Harry. He then turned his eyes towards the ceiling and muttered, "Someone up there hates me, don't they?"

"You're not happy, are you?"

Harry looked at her as though she were mad.

"Happy about this situation? No, I'm not happy about this situation. My God, if Aubrey finds out about this…"

"He doesn't have to," said Mischa. "And I meant not happy about…us."

Now Harry looked at her as though she'd grown another head. A moment later he had taken a step towards her and pulled her into his arms.

"Never think that," he hissed into her ear. "I am. But…Mischa…"

"I know," she whispered. "You're afraid."

"Yes."

"I'll be fine, Harry. We'll be fine."

"There's no guarantee of that."

"You can't send me away."

Harry shook his head and said, "No."

"I'm safest here."

"Yes."

"Are you really happy?"

"Ecstatic. In that scared sort of way."

"Good."

"You got it too?"

"Uh-huh."

"We're going to need some new arrangements."

"Like what?"

"When I figure it out, I'll tell you."

Mischa smiled slightly and leaned her head against Harry's shoulder.

"Okay. I love you."

She felt Harry's breath hitch and for a moment she thought he was going to pull away from her. But he just hugged her tighter and whispered fiercely, "I love you."