Chapter 10:
Kiki flopped down on Severus' bed and just rested there. She had told Ace she was pregnant. It had come as a surprise, but her supervisor congratulated her warmly.
"You'll remain on active duty until you begin your second trimester. Then you go on desk duty till your third trimester. And then you go on a nice, extended, paid for maternity leave," he explained.
"Thanks, Ace," she said, smiling.
"Might I inquire who the father is?"
"It's best you don't know," Kiki said. "For personal reasons." Ace nodded and dismissed his top Auror.
Tonks, Kingsley and Moody were very excited to hear her news. "So, you finally made Severus a father, eh?" Moody asked. "About time."
"Moody!" Tonks chided. "Let me see that ring. Oh my Merlin, it's gorgeous!"
"Congrats. We need some small joys in these dark times," Kingsley said.
"Now you're starting to sound like Dumbledore!"
"Shut up, Nymphadora!"
"Hey!"
Kiki snorted into the pillow as the memory of the mini-war between Kingsley and Tonks played out. She heard the door creak open and she turned to see Severus' walk in the door. He paused for a moment when he saw Kiki lying on his bed, but then he continued to take off his outer robes and sit down in a nearby chair. "So?" he asked.
"It went well. Ace told me how the breakdown would work. I remain on active duty until my third month and then I go on desk duty until my sixth month," Kiki explained.
Severus nodded and then motioned for her to join him at the table. "I have a proposition for you," he began formally.
"I already said yes. See?" Kiki held up her engagement ring. Severus laughed.
"No, I already know the answer to that proposition. This is a new one."
"Oh?"
Severus took a deep breath. "I want you to move in here with me. At Hogwarts."
"Oh."
"You don't sound too enthusiastic."
"I wasn't expecting that so soon. I thought when we were married…"
"Kiki, there is no way I am going to let you leave alone while carrying my baby."
"I won't be alone! There's Molly and the assorted Weasleys and the other people of the Order there. Plus Sirius and Bianca!"
Severus sighed. "Okay, let me phrase it differently. I want you to live here because I don't want to miss anything about this pregnancy."
"Oh," Kiki said as realization hit hard. "Well, then, in that case…I would love to live here. I guess I also kinda missed Hogwarts as well."
Severus smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.
Ginny burst into the Gryffindor common room with an unknowable amount of energy. In the process, she knocked down Colin Creevey and his camera, nearly killed Lavender Brown and Parvati Padil, and tripped over a prostrate Neville. She picked herself up and hurled herself over the couch, startling Crookshanks, who had been resting near Hermione. The next victim of Ginny's relentless attack was Harry, who soon found himself off the chair he was sitting on while playing chess with Ron and on the floor with his girlfriend on top of him.
"Guess what?" she asked, breathlessly.
Harry gave up struggling against her hold on him and sighed. "I don't know, Ginny, what?"
"I was visiting Harmony and Remus—"
"Professor Anderson and Professor Lupin!" Hermione reprimanded.
"—Whatever. Anyway, when I was visiting them, Professor McGonagall came in and told us that there's going to be a Hogsmeade visit in two weeks!"
"But it's normally Halloween and that isn't until the end of the month!" Hermione said, jumping up.
Ron shrugged. "Maybe they want to put a little variety into our existences here at Hogwarts."
"Ron, we're friends with the Boy Who Lived…how much more variety do you want?" Neville asked, coming over to join his friends. His statement caused everyone to laugh.
Harry recovered from the fit first. "Well, would you guys have it any other way?" he asked. They other four shook their heads. "So, why did you run an obstacle course to tell me this?" he asked Ginny.
She blushed, but her smile grew wider. "Because I was hoping that we could go on our first date as a couple…in public," Ginny added when she saw Harry was going to mention the picnic. "Please? It'll be the first time to show everyone here at Hogwarts that we are officially a couple."
Harry sighed and relented. Ginny jumped up and did a happy dance of joy around the common room. All the other Gryffindors just followed the red head around the room with their eyes, mostly trying to hold back laughter. Ron and Neville, however, could not and collapsed on the floor in hysterics.
"But that still doesn't explain why Dumbledore and McGonagall would move the Hogsmeade trip up two weeks!" Hermione exclaimed, frustrated that she hadn't come up with the answer just yet.
Neville had a weird look on his face. "I think I do. I think it's to…"
"…to throw the Deatheaters off, isn't it?" Severus asked Minerva as she and Dumbledore sat at his kitchen table the next morning.
The two nodded. "We're not even going to inform the Slytherins until the day of so that none of them could report to their fathers," Minerva added.
At that point, Kiki came stumbling into the room. "I hate mornings," she said, collapsing in a nearby chair. Albus and Minerva looked at the woman, concerned. They grew even more worried when she suddenly sat back up and bolted for the bathroom.
"Merlin, has she seen Poppy yet?"
"Yes, she has," Severus answered Minerva's question. "Now, if you excuse me, I should go play sympathetic father to be." With that, he stood up, chuckling at the two's surprised faces.
Kiki and Severus entered the room and Minerva grasped the other witch in a tight embrace. "I am so happy for the two of you!" she cried. Kiki, a little shaken from her formidable former head of house's display of emotion, tried to pull away a little. "Oh, dear, I'm an emotional wreck today. I think this blasted war is starting to get to me."
"We'll leave you alone," Albus said, taking Minerva's arm and guiding her out of the room. "Just keep listening to your Slytherins. At the first mention that they know when the Hogsmeade trip is, let me know so we can change it just as quickly as it would be for one of them to contact their fathers."
Severus nodded and watched the Headmaster and his Deputy leave the chambers. Kiki came up and intertwined her fingers with his. "I think Harmony's right," she said, mostly to herself.
But Severus picked it. "Harmony's right about what?" he asked.
"Dumbledore and McGonagall. She swears that over the summer, when Harry was sick, she saw Albus stroke Minerva's hand. Not in a platonic, brotherly way like Sirius or Remus would stroke my hand, but in the romantic way like you do," Kiki explained. "And what with McGonagall getting all emotional over the war and the way Albus was treating her, I think there's some ground to Harmony's belief."
Severus could only shrug. "Now, do you think that you can eat something or shall I just give you a glass of orange juice and be done with it?"
"Funny. Harmony could only stomach tea during her morning sickness, and I can only keep down orange juice."
"You spoke of Harmony in the past tense…?"
"She just entered her fourth month, her second trimester…the morning sickness is almost gone. So I only have one more month of staring down our lovely toilet every morning," she stated, crinkling up her nose. Severus placed down a cup of juice in front of her. "Thanks. I've gotten to know the toilet so well, I've named it."
"You named my toilet?"
"Yes. I've decided that your toilet is a he and therefore, his name is Bobo."
"Bobo? You named my—our toilet Bobo?"
"Yeah. And this coming from a man who once called his wand the 'Power Rod of Death and Glory,'" Kiki smirked. Severus just sat there and scowled.
"You named the toilet Bobo?" Harmony asked. "Didn't you used to have a pet rock by the name of Bobo?"
"Actually, the rock's name is Cagpy and he's still alive."
"Kiki, Cagpy is a rock."
"And rocks don't die."
"You know, if it weren't for the fact that I know this how you always were, I would say the raging hormones that come with pregnancy are starting to get to you," Harmony commented.
Kiki smiled and looked over her friend. Both had discarded their robes since it was Saturday, rainy and most of the students had opted to spend the day in their common rooms. Harmony was starting to really show, considering she had twins growing inside her. She already looked six months pregnant rather than four. Kiki, however, was only entering her third month and had barely had a bump to show. But then, after her mother had stopped shrieking about the engagement and the baby, Mrs. Wright was able to say that all her children hadn't really "shown" until the seventh or eighth month.
"You know what, Mony? I'm glad we're pregnant together," Kiki said. "Lily had Molly and Alice. Molly was a seasoned pro by that pregnancy, but Lily and Alice could worry about being first time mothers together."
"And now, you and I can worry together. And think of this, our children will also be the best of friends."
"Well, isn't that jumping the gun a bit?"
"Yeah, but look at Harry, Ron and Neville…they ended up being good friends."
"Hmm. Maybe fate does have some part in this after all."
"So the Seer finally admits to that," Harmony joked. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when practical, rational Kiki turned to fate for an answer."
"I've talked about fate before, silly."
"Just never used it as an answer."
"I—I—I'm hungry. Wanna come raid the kitchens with me?" Kiki asked, standing up. Harmony nodded and held out her hand for a boost up. Kiki rolled her eyes but obliged anyway.
They ran into the Gryffindor Four down in the kitchens, all who had skipped lunch and were now famished. Harmony tottered over to a nearby table while the house elves zipped around the kitchen. Kiki watched as the other children sat down and then took a seat herself. "Well, now, looks like we have a lunch party."
"I like parties," Ginny said, in a dreamy way. Ron snickered a bit, but Hermione kicked him. Ginny ignored her brother's whimpers and continued with her story. "I used to play 'party' with this one, eccentric gnome. Well, eccentric to the other gnomes at least."
"He wasn't a pest?" Harmony asked. Her goddaughter shook her head.
"He was very nice and enjoyed playing the games very much."
"Great. A gay gnome."
"Kiki!"
"What?" Kiki feigned innocence. "Anyway, Gin, go on."
"And another member of our little party was our pet rock, Nobo," Ginny finished.
Kiki stared at her amazed. "I have a pet rock named Cagpy," she said, unconsciously leaning against her left hand. Hermione drew in a sharp intake of breath at the sight of the ring adorning said hand. Kiki ignored her. "And I've named Severus' toilet Bobo."
"You've named his toilet?" Ron asked while Harry shook with laughter.
Hermione decided to ask the big question on her mind. "When did you and Professor Snape get engaged?" she asked, holding up Kiki's left hand.
"Oh. Um, last week?"
"Are you living in Hogwarts right now or remaining separate like Harmony and Remus did last year?"
"Well, I wanted to live separately, but circumstances encouraged me to move into Sev's chambers down in the dungeon."
"And what circumstance is that?"
"You're smart, Hermione. I'll give this clue to figure it out: I've gotten to know Bobo really well." Kiki watched as the wheels turned in the younger witch's mind. Harry and Ron sat there puzzled while Ginny was watching her godmother for clues. Even in the emotional state of pregnancy, Harmony's Auror training still kicked in and her face was blank.
Finally, Hermione came upon the answer—about the same time Harry did. "You, you're…" Harry began.
Hermione finished for him. "PREGNANT!" she screamed. And Ron hit the floor in a dead faint.
Well, almost hit the floor. The house elves were really quick about getting a blanket underneath his head. Hermione and Ginny were quickly attending to him, trying to hold back their laughter at the situation. Harry and Harmony, however, decided to let it out.
When Ron finally came to, he sat up sputtering. "You and Professor Snape…are going to have a baby…that means you and he…eew! Excuse me, I suddenly lost my appetite and I feel the need for a shower," Ron said, getting up.
"Aww, the poor dear has a fear of sex," Kiki said, eliciting other laughs from those present. "Well, he better get over it or I dare say he will never have kids." She turned to Hermione. "What do you have to say about all of this?"
The girl shrugged. "He isn't begging me for sex, so what do I care? I'm not necessarily going to break him of his fear—yet. But he will overcome it or I will strangle him!"
A/N: Three chapters to make up for the fact that the three previous this one were so short! Um, if anyone thinks that McGonagall is OOC in this chapter, she kinda is…but it's all explained in the next chapter! Thanks to all my reviewers:
Sarahamanda: One of my most faithful reviewers! Thanks!
SarahtheBardess: Yes, I got the song off of "Aida"—I mentioned it in my disclaimer to ELI, probably should add it to this story's disclaimer too. I wish I could match how hyper you were when you reviewed, but the idiots that live on my dorm's third floor decided that we all needed a 4:45 AM fire alarm wake up call.
Brielle Lupin: Welcome to the reviewers! Anyway, yeah, I try to make the scenes as long as possible, but it really depends on what storyline I'm playing up and really, how much time I have. As you said, collegeno time. Actually, I should really be writing that Art paper due tomorrow…
yeah whatever: Glad to see you are out of your unfunny mood. As for your science teacher—sit in the back of the room and pray s/he doesn't walk around. Anyway, glad you liked the chapters!
Mac
A/N2: I can't believe I forgot to add this earlier...these three chapters are dedicated to Msgr. Luigi Giussani, founder of Communion and Liberation, who passed on today. Oh, and happy birthday, Brielle Lupin! Mac