(22)Kidnapped
''She's due in December,'' Pomfrey said.
''What?'' Harry gave Merida an odd look. ''That's less then 9 months! It wasn't me?'' Lupin was thinking along the same lines!
''Oh it's the Veela thing!'' Pomfrey assured. ''Veelas actually have 5 months, humans are 9 months! Since Merida is half Veela/half human she goes about 7 months wich takes you to around Christmas time!''
''Oh!'' Harry relaxed as Lupin mentally cursed himself!
Snape deflated & glared back & forth between Harry & Lupin. Then he stared at Merida. Who did it?!
How should I know? I'm just as new to this as your are!
For the love of Merlin!! You didn't have protection for either one of them?!
Didn't get around to it! Both happened spontaniuosly!
I'd like to see something spontaniuos! Spontaniuos combustion of somebody, that is!
''Oh Father''! Merida spoke aloud. ''Give it up! & frankly, I don't care who! So there!''
Harry & Lupin glanced at each other in confusion.
''Must have been a telepathic conversation,'' Harry shrugged. Lupin nodded mutely.
''Don't you use that tone of voice with me, young lady!'' Snape snapped back. ''Good Merlin! You're not even married! Or are you planning on staying the rest of your life with--------someone?!'' Snape had to choose his words carefully, so as not to screw his daughter up even more!
''Well actually,'' Harry pulled a small box out of his robes. Merida gasped as he opened it. ''I was planning on asking her so-------!''
''Oh Harry!'' Merida squealed. ''It's beautiful!'' Harry proceeded to hand it over.
''Give it here, Potter!'' Snape held out his hand.
''No, it's---!'' Harry began.
''I said give it to me!''
''I can't!'' Harry begged.
''Can't or WON'T?!''
''CAN'T!'' Harry declared. ''The ring is silver!''
''WWWWWHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAATTT?!''
''When I found out you were a werwolf,'' Harry explained. ''I got a silver ring just in case you'd try to mess it up!''
''Once again, Remus,'' Snape's eyes flashed amber. ''You somehow miracluosly ruined my life!!''
''Sorry!'' Lupin smirked sheepishly.
''Merida, don't marry him!'' Snape begged. ''Please?''
''Uh-----fine!'' Merida glowered. ''Shall I marry----hmmm---Lupin perhaps? & I'll appoint Harry the Godfather?''
''Why you----!'' Snape hissed. ''NO!''
''Very well then,'' Merida sighed. ''I'll marry Harry & appoint Lupin the Godfather! Which, incidently, if something happens to Harry, it'll make Lupin my God-husband if you will!''
Harry & Lupin stared at each other, ''God-husband?!''
(At this point, all Professor Lupin wanted to do was crawl under Merida's bed------------& die! Horribly!)
''Either way,'' Merida went on, either ignoring or was oblivous to Harry's & Lupin's awkwardness! ''our 3 families are finally joined! So?''
''You black-mail like a Death Eater!'' Snape groaned. ''Look Merida, I wouldn't have cared if you were with someone else, but Potter? No way & most definitly NOT that mutt!''
''AHHH Snivellus!'' Lupin yelled. ''Go hump my boggart!''
Merida & Harry flew off a tangent into hysterical laughter!
Snape rolled his eyes! ''Silence! All of you!'' he ordered. ''100 points from Gryfindor!''
''Oh really?'' Lupin glowered. ''1000 points from Slytherin!''
''You CAN'T do that!'' Snape crossed his arms.
''Well I just---uh----did!'' Lupin leaned onto his cane & left.
''Well that totally cleaned out the Snake Hourglass!'' Merida laughed.
''& then some!'' Harry snickered.
Merida slipped on the silver engagment ring. ''It really is wonderful''! she sighed, admiring it.
''I must admit,'' Harry smiled sheepishly. ''That was a rather odd propasal!''
''Oh I don't mind!'' Merida assured him. ''It makes it all the more romantic!''
''Oh for crying out loud!'' Snape threw his hands in the air & left!
Harry cuddled up to Merida in bed. ''So-----uh-----will you marry me?''
Merida smiled. ''Of course!'' A moment of silence passed. ''But is it alright if Lu---well Remus can be the Godfather?''
Harry laughed. ''Oh that's perfect!''
''You marching off to see my boggart?'' Lupin teased as Snape shoved passed.
''YOU IDIOT!'' Snape raged. Lupin managed to laugh weakly in spite of the soarness from last night's full moon, using the cane for support. ''What's wrong with you anyway?'' Snape muttered. ''You had double Wolfsbane after what happend with Peter?'' Lupin went very silent. ''Well didn't you?'' Snape asked.
''No,'' Lupin whispered.
''You didn't take any at all did you?'' Snape glowered. ''My daughter was trapped in a pit with a full-powered werwolf?! My God man! What did you do to her?!''
''Nothing!'' Lupin yelped. ''She's good Pyre magic! Almost burned me to death!''
''To bad she didn't succeed!'' Snape muttered. ''We'd better get some Wolfsbane for you, even though the full moon's passed. It'll help with the pain!''
''No!'' Lupin ordered. ''I don't trust you right now! Maybe later?''
''Look Remus,'' Snape deflated. ''Yes, Peter may have got what he deserved but that wasn't the first time you lost control, was it?''
''I'm fine!'' Lupin tried not to panic, thinking of liquid silver. ''& leave the Marauders out of this!''
''You know, Peter was a friend of mine in the begining,'' Snape went on. ''& for your information, I knew all along Sirius Black was innocent!''
''You WHAT?!'' Lupin glowered. ''& still you abandoned him?''
''Well Peter disappeared,'' Snape sighed. ''I didn't know then about him being animagical! Where was my proof?''
''You'll pay for that!'' Lupin promised. ''Dearly!''
''Are you going to threaten my daughter now?'' Snape snapped.
''NO!'' Lupin yelped. ''Never! Just you! Somehow!''
''I can hardly wait!'' Snape stormed off.
Lupin let out a sigh of relief. He didn't want to get into a discussion on the ingredients of the Wolfsbane in his weakened state. Neither could he believe the conversation he just had! Snape knew about Sirius? Lupin glowered, promising himself to avenge that!
''You alright sir?'' Harry appeared on the scene.
''Fine, I guess!'' Lupin shrugged. ''Just a bit tired.''
''I would imagine so,'' Harry said. ''Merida told me about last night & you not having any Wolfsbane!''
''I think Severus was trying to poison me,'' Lupin admitted. ''I haven't had any of his Wolfsbane for over a year!''
''I'm not surprised,'' Harry sighed. ''But now you can feed him liquid silver!''
''I suppose I could!'' Lupin laughed.
''Anyway---um,'' Harry sighed. ''Merida & I would like to officially ask you to be the child's Godfather?'' Harry then laughed suddenly. ''& I wouldn't mind you being her God-husband!''
''Oh Merlin!'' Lupin half-whined, half-laughed. ''Your----uh----"GODLY" offer is accepted!'' Both Harry & Lupin burst out laughing!
''I have to get to the Tower!'' Harry finally managed to talk normally. ''I'll see you later!''
''Bye, Harry!'' Lupin waited a moment, then headed back to the hospital wing.
''I was hoping you'd return!'' Merida reached over her head & pulled out the wand from the headboard. ''I fixed this while you were out!''
''That's what I came back for!'' Lupin took his wand back.
''Pomfrey & I were working on this too,'' Merida handed him a glass of Wolfsbane. ''Don't worry! Father was no where near it!'' Out of curiosity, Merida dipped a finger in & tasted it! Lupin stared in disbelief, trying not to laugh! ''YUK! How could you drink this?!''
''A whole lot of forced swallowing!'' Lupin proceeded to gulp it down & get it over with! As soon as he was finished, Merida smacked him over the head with a pillow! ''What in blue blazes was that for?!?!'' Lupin yelped.
''We have to tell him!'' Merida stated simply.
''Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?'' Lupin ran several single-word questions together.
''What are you, a Dark Arts Professor or an English Teacher?!'' Merida teased. ''I meant tell Harry---!''
''Oh dear! NO!'' Lupin yelped.
''But when the child starts teething & fangs appear----!''
''Lycanthropy is not an----'' Lupin lowered his voice & whispered in Merida's ear. ''------not an STD!'' then he returned to a normal voice. ''Unless 2 werwolves are together of course, then they would automatically produce pups but you're not a werwolf!''
''Oh,'' Merida sighed. ''& that was it by the way!''
''What?''
''My only way out of this,'' Merida said. ''choosing between the 2 of you? It was too hard so I decided who-ever would propose to me first.......!''
''I see!'' Lupin smiled awkwardly. ''& Harry asked me about being a Godfather! I accepted.''
''I'm glad you did!'' Merida sighed. ''but I would still like to know who's the father.''
''I can do that,'' Lupin proceeded to scan Merida with his wand. ''Being a werwolf all my life, I've learned quite a bit of medical history! Why didn't I become a doctor?'' His wand drew a magical parchment in the air & wrote '"Harold James Potter"' on it. ''So Harry is the father after all!''
''Well, I was with him one night before you!'' Merida said. ''Better not tell father anyway!''
Lupin smiled at that. ''What he won't know won't hurt him?''
''Right!''
''Ok whatever's being said can be finished later!'' Pomfrey showed up on the scene. ''I want to keep Merida here for a few hours to monitor her after what happened last night! Remus, go lie down!''
''Yes ma'am!'' Lupin answered, knowing better then to cross her. He headed for his classroom. As soon as he entered, he let out one loud bark! ''Remus Johnathan Lupin!'' he began scolding himself aloud. ''How could you get yourself into this fix?!?! First mating Merida! Stealing Harry's girlfriend! Now you're the Godfather of--------fortunatly Harry's child! AND!! A God-husband to Merida?! Anything else for you to screw up, Remus?''
''Uhhh----Sir?''
Lupin glared around. ''Ok, where are you?!'' he hoped that whoever it was had just come in & not heard anything!
''Up here!''
Lupin looked up! ''Oh Merlin!''
There hung Neville on the chandlelier! ''Why is it always me?!'' he whined.
''& just how much of my self-conversation did you hear?'' Lupin snapped.
''Uhhh----All of it!''
''DAMN!'' Lupin growled. ''I FORBID you to tell anyone! Least of all Harry! Understand?!''
''Yes, Sir!''
''What happened to you anyway?'' Lupin asked.
''Crabbe & Goyle hung me up here a few minutes ago''! Neville said as he slowly swung back & forth like a pendulum! ''They were mad because I didn't tell them where Draco was! I don't know where Draco is anyway! But they didn't believe me!''
''I.......see!'' Lupin began his pacing back & forth. A few minutes passed.
''Could you please get me down?!''
''WHA----OH!! Right!'' Lupin smiled sheepishly. ''Uh----of course! Yeah! OK!'' He floated Neville down with Wingardium Leviosar. The two of them stared dazedly at each other for a moment. ''You know what? I haven't seen Draco around in a while either!''
''& seeing Crabbe & Goyle alone without him is most unusual!'' Neville added.
''Think somehting's wrong?'' Lupin asked. He & Neville again eyed each other, slowly feeling panicked. There was sudden movement as they fled for Dumbledore's office! ''Remember, not a word about me & Merida! Lupin panted as he ran!''
''No worries, Sir!'' Neville tried desperatly to catch up!
Snape flattened himself against the wall as two werwolves flew by in a blur! ''Just ignor them!'' he muttered, heading to the hospital wing.
''So, have you decided?'' Snape asked as soon as he laid eyes on Merida.
''I'm marrying Harry!'' she squealed, fluttering her ringed hand in his face.
''Wonderful!'' Snape muttered flatly.
''Oh Father!'' Merida deflated. ''Aren't you at least a little bit happy for me?''
''I suppose so,'' Snape smiled in spite of himself. ''I just wish it was someone else.''
''Well it isn't!'' Merida declared. ''& Remus is now a Godfather!''
''OK OK! Congradulations!'' Snape muttered. Y''our mother & I dreamed of these days, just only with someone important!''
''You'll never give up will you?'' Merida half-laughed.
''Do I have a choice?''
''No!''
''Then I guess I must give up!''
''Good!'' Merida sighed. ''Glad that's cleared up!''
''Fine!''
''Fine!'' Merida lay back onto him, accidently pressing on his Death Mark. Snape let out a soft growl as Merida exposed it. ''Oh Father! What did you do to your Death Mark?'' It was completely scaythed.
''He activated it last night,'' Snape said. ''It affects me anyway, wether I'm a wolf or not!''
''It's really damaged!'' Merida worried.
''It'll be fine!'' Snape sighed. ''So are you sure you want to be with Harry?''
''Yes!''
''Very well then!'' Snape gave up!
''Albus!'' Lupin stumbled into the Headmaster's office, Neville close behind. ''Albus, I.....'' He desperatly needed air! ''Alright! Err-----did Draco Malfoy leave the school?''
''No, he should be around here somewhere!'' Dumbeldore said.
''We haven't seen him,'' said Neville. ''in a long time!''
''I'm sure Severus would know his where-abouts!'' Dumbledore smiled as the Potions Master walked in.
''What? Who?" Snape was utterly confused!
''Have you seen Mr. Malfoy lately?'' Dumbledore asked.
''I thought Lucious was caught?''
''I meant Draco?''
''Oh--uh no!'' Snape sighed. ''But lately, I haven't been noticing much for I have something on my mind! Merida's pregnant!''
''Oh? Really?'' Dumbledore's eyes sparkled.
Snape made a face! ''She's also engaged to Potter & has appointed that mutt as a Godfather!''
''Wonderful!'' Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. ''Congradulations!''
''You know, I'm glad you're a Headmaster''! Snape snapped. ''With tact like that, you'd make a lousy phsyciatrist! Which is PRECISLY what I need right now!''
Dumbledore only laughed softly. ''Happy Grandfather's day!''
''Oh Merlin, Albus!'' Snape spasmed. Lupin smacked himself in the head & tried not to laugh! Snape groaned. ''I'll just......be looking for.....Draco now!'' He attempted to leave but a sudden burning in his Mark brought him to the floor.
''Severus?'' Dumbledore stood up. ''Are you alright?''
''I will be!'' Snape groaned, rubbing the Death Mark. A few moments passed before it ended. Snape lowered himself into a chair. ''That was really strong! He was happy about something!''
''He's here somewhere close by,'' Dumbledore said. ''He must be under some sort of disguise!''
''I hate it when he's up to something!'' Snape groaned. He waited for several minutes for the soarness to leave. As he got up, Mcgonagall entered & she looked like she had been in tears.
''A student's missing!'' she said.
''Who?'' asked Snape.
''Must be Draco,'' Lupin sighed.
''No, it's----it's--oh Severus!'' Mcgonagall fell into his arms. ''He's got her!''
''No!'' Snape whispered. ''Oh please! NO! It can't---NOT Merida!''
Lupin sunk into a chair & lowered his head below his knees.
''Yes!'' Mcgonagall whispered.
''NO!'' Snape held Mcgonagall close, sofly sobbing into her shoulder.
