Chapter 21: The Party

She'd been correct in thinking the family would be determined to keep her at home and safe. Since the news of her pregnancy had become common knowledge, she'd barely left the confines of the flat to venture any further out than into the backyard. Others in her extended family had been quite diligent in their efforts to keep her amused so that the forced seclusion wouldn't be too painful.

During the week, they'd all taken turns stopping by to visit or to run errands, as she was not to leave the flat. While it was sort of nice to not have to do the shopping and other chores, she was to the point where she'd enjoy having to pick up the groceries if it meant she could see someone she wasn't related to for five minutes. Knowing they were doing it for her own good, and for the safety of their unborn child, Ali bit her tongue on the random irritated comments that came to mind on those days when she really didn't think she was going to be able to take it any more.

They were getting quite creative in their ideas for how to entertain her as well. They'd started out as simple visits, with one or more coming by to talk for a while, and then they'd turned into impromptu picnic meals, either in the living room or in the back yard if the weather permitted.

Katie and Ginny had even come by a couple of times with the express purpose of practicing some of the new music Ali had been working on, which probably had done the most to brighten her spirits. They still hadn't discussed the future of their group, now that they were all married, and Ali soon to have a litter of children, but unspoken was their agreement that they weren't ready to end things yet. The band had been a good cover for their spying work for the Order, but it was also a job they'd loved for itself, and they were good at it.

George had been working at home as much as possible, to keep her company, though he was quick to remember a "meeting" in at the office if he sensed that Ali needed a bit more space and a bit less family togetherness. Somehow, they were all surviving the experience, but Ali did wonder just how long this could continue.

The most recent idea that had been developed to distract her had been for them to have a baby shower for her. It was a bit early, they would generally have waited until it was a bit closer to her due date, but Katie was afraid, that with everything going on, Ali was going to unconsciously associate her pregnancy with the seclusion and therefore blame her child for the situation. So, all the female friends and family, as well as any male brave enough to attend, had been invited to Ali and George's flat to celebrate their upcoming addition to the family.

When not being 'baby sat' by her family, Ali had once again began reading over the spell book her "uncle" Gerry had given her years before. Since her conversation with Severus over Christmas, she'd been periodically pulling it out and rereading it. His insistence that the spells within it were too dangerous to be used had sparked her curiosity and she kept studying it, trying to figure out why the wizarding world was so opposed to them. They could be dangerous, but so could so many other minor charms that any first year was taught, if used in the wrong situation.

This time she'd spent a more in-depth period studying how some of the more advanced spells worked. The one that had caught her attention this time around was a spell simply called Videre Vere, to See Truth. She'd been fascinated with it for the past couple days and had finally almost worked out how it worked. She was sure Severus wouldn't be pleased. Considering the mood she was in, she was certain that she didn't really care.

Being stuck at home so much, only leaving to travel directly to the homes of friends and family, hadn't done much to improve her mood and she'd found she was getting increasingly irritated at minor things. Today had been the worst so far, so much so that George had taken the twins out, after the house was ready for guests, to give her some time to relax before the invasion began. Alinora had taken a long bath, spent a leisurely amount of time getting ready and had finally settled onto the couch with a book, hoping that her mood would improve before the party began.

She soon realized that reading wasn't helping either and, flinging the book down on the couch beside her, she got up to begin pacing around the room. She just felt prickly, uncomfortable in her own skin. She placed her hand over her slightly expanded waist and considered whether her pregnancy was the cause. After a moment she removed her hand with a light caress, quite sure that, despite it all, she was not at all upset about the idea of having a baby. She was quite looking forward to it, if she was honest about it.

Having settled that, she convinced herself to put away the irritating thoughts that filled her mind and try to enjoy the day. After all, her friends were coming to celebrate with her, why shouldn't she enjoy it? She smiled and put on some music to listen to while she waited.

A little while later, as she was clearing up her notes and preparing for her guests to arrive, she heard a knock on the front door. Peering through the peep hole, she could see the black clad figure of Professor Snape standing outside, staring at something on the ground. Grinning broadly, Ali opened the door.

"Severus! I didn't know you were coming for the shower! You're a bit early though." She grinned at the fleeting look of horror and fear that crossed his face at her mention of attending a baby shower. She looked down and realized what he must have been staring at. Piled on the doorstep were a number of packages, most emblazoned with the name of one or another store specializing in baby supplies. Gifts for the upcoming baby shower.

"I think not, my dear Mrs. Weasley. I would rather have my eyes gouged out with hot pokers than sit here and listen to a bunch of women talk about… babies and the joys of child birth." He shuddered.

Ali laughed, the first time days she'd felt that amused, and carefully knelt down to begin picking up the various boxes stacked on the doorstep. Severus quickly joined her, picking up the last few before following her into the house. Ali started putting the gifts she held down on the dinning room table with the others that had come previously.

"So, why did you come today then, Severus, if you weren't accepting our invitation to the baby shower?" She looked over at him quizzically as she took the first package he handed her and placed it on the table. He hesitated for a moment before handing the next to her; then he began to speak.

"I heard some disturbing news that I think might concern you and your recent problems," he paused and handed her the next box, "I was visiting a store yesterday that deals in less than savory magical items. I had remembered seeing a familiar piece of jewelry on my last visit, but it was gone this time. I questioned the proprietor about it, but all he could tell me was that it had been purchased some months back by a wizard who mentioned that it resembled a family heirloom that had been lost a couple years ago and that he'd hoped to find again."

He handed the next to last package to Alinora, who was staring at him in confusion. "I know what this item was. It was a broach, used by Voldemort's followers to report back to him. I never wore one, I was not high enough in rank, but I know a number of those who did and they said that through it Voldemort could see everything they did and for those who knew the secret of how they worked, it would do something similar. Most were destroyed when their owners were caught and imprisoned; a few disappeared with their owners after Voldemort's defeat. I only know of one that disappeared in the possession of someone who might have family to recognize and look for it…"

Ali was in the act of reaching for the last box when a random thought caused her to draw back her hand. She placed it on her head, fingers massaging her forehead as she struggled to remember something. Her stomach was churning and it was hard to concentrate. "Severus, what did this thing look like?" she asked, breaking into his explanation.

"It was a golden eye with a smaller black eye within instead of a normal pupil. Why do you ask?"

"I've seen one before, somewhere. I just can't remember where exactly it was. It had to have been quite a while ago though," she said, reaching again for the final box.

"It was, if you saw the one I think you did. Its wearer died years ago. In fact you were there when he died."

Just as her fingers touched the last of the boxes Severus had brought in for her, she realized who he had to be referring to, Lucius Malfoy. And he certainly had family who could be looking for family 'heirlooms'.

"Dra…" she began when suddenly her stomach twisted again, but much more severely. Ali looked at Severus in shock as she felt the pull of a portkey tear at her insides. By the look on his face, Severus was as surprised as she was and she had only a moment more before the room around her swirled away and was replaced by darkness.