Severus looked around for his clothes whilst trying to cover the dignity that he felt was rapidly slipping away from him. Remus chuckled and dropped the Accioed clothing into his lap. Dumbledore tactfully turned away and began fussing around Fawkes while the two men dressed.
His eyes were wrinkled with merriment and concern, turning to face the two men as they took chairs by his desk. Remus met the old man's gaze and smiled. Severus found that he couldn't look at him.
Dumbledore sat down and folded his hands on his desk.
"Do you have something to tell me?"
There was some fussing and mumbling, Dumbledore continued.
"This is somewhat unexpected, considering our last meeting."
Severus finally looked up to meet his eyes. Dumbledore was saddened to see them filled with shame and doubt.
"You did what I asked of you Severus." he said gently, and waited for Severus to respond. Remus opened his mouth to speak but Dumbledore held up a hand to stop him.
"I couldn't accept what happened. I ended up with no choice, but afterwards..." he trailed off, not knowing how to explain, or how much.
Dumbledore waved a hand to indicate that they all move over to a comfortable area of the office, one that didn't have a desk involved – making everyone feel as though they were involved in school discipline. Dumbledore made sure that they all sat so close that their knees were almost touching, he placed a fatherly hand on Severus' knee and made the man look at him.
"Well, obviously as I am here and moments ago I was not here, I can assume that you did something to bring me back. I am afraid that I am at a loss as to what that might be – although that" he swept a hand towards the bloody mess covering the circle behind him, "indicates something rather extreme."
"It was the Vita Verto ritual." Severus said quietly. Dumbledore's eyes widened.
"The Vita Verto?" he whispered, "What did you offer in sacrifice?"
"Myself"
Dumbledore smiled sadly, "That was rather foolish. We are both still here however." It was more of a question than a statement. Severus remained silent.
Remus sat up straight and took Severus' hand in his, Dumbledore's eyebrows rose slightly.
"Aradia refused his offer," Remus began, "She said that the balance between life and death was wrong, because of the war. She asked a different price."
Dumbledore waited but neither man elaborated further.
"Am I to know what the price for my life was?" Dumbledore liked to wait for people to be ready to tell him the things he wanted to know, they usually did. Severus was an entirely different kettle of fish however. Over the years he had managed to get Severus to fill him in on all the things that he needed to know, but never on anything regarding personal matters. Being brought back to life by the friend whom you forced to kill you was something completely outside his experience however and such a serious and dark ritual was not something to be simply accepted. Severus had offered and risked a lot for him and he already realised that this price was something that was to be bourn by Severus; he needed to be able to help the man.
Severus eventually spoke again, "The price for the ritual is set, a life for a life. The Goddess changed the specifics of what that meant though. She refused my life and demanded that I create a new life. That was her price."
Dumbledore ingested these words. His gaze settled on Remus' hand, still firmly clasped round that of the former Potions Master and realisation settled in. A smile broke across his face and spread till there was no more space for any more smile.
"A baby" he cooed, "How wonderful."
He waited for Severus' sceptical sneer, but it never came. Dumbledore was pleasantly surprised.
"I think a celebration is in order. Remus, there is a bottle of champagne in my desk. If you would be so kind."
Remus released his lover's hand and went to get the champagne.
"Thank you" Dumbledore offered his thanks softly and personally to Severus. "I never expected to return, never expected you to do something so rash and foolish. It would seem, however, that this works out wonderfully for everyone." He twinkled and placed his hand over his friend's once again, "Thank you!"
Severus opened his mouth to say something but couldn't think of anything appropriate. He had not planned this far ahead and was somewhat phased by the success of his plan, despite of and because of the alterations.
Remus popped the champagne and handed glasses to the other two.
"I don't think I should be drinking"
"Nonsense Severus," smiled Dumbledore as Severus placed a protective hand over his stomach. The movement was unconscious but it was extremely telling for the old man, "I promise you, one drink will not harm your baby."
Remus poured the champagne and Dumbledore raised his glass in a toast.
"To Hogwarts newest addition. May this miraculous child be as brave, as unique, as talented and as handsome it's parents."
Severus scowled at the word handsome; Remus chuckled and drowned it in the glass. Dumbledore just stood twinkling and gazing down on the new and unlikely family sitting before him. This was going to be interesting.
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The Daily Prophet changed it's stance towards Severus Snape drastically over the next few weeks. Details of the secret ritual gradually seeped out and naturally ended up covering the front pages. Severus suddenly found that the contemptuous glares disappeared and were replaced by an uncomfortable kind of awe.
The main article touted him as a true hero of the war. They no longer skated over his involvement in vanquishing Voldemort and instead screamed his accomplishments in a "Dragon font" across the headlines for issue after issue. Severus remained embarrassed, but he began to feel less ashamed and managed to regain his former dignified stance. The embarrassment he felt drenching his soul did not shift though.
The Daily Prophet dealt with the pregnancy in a more dignified manner than they usually managed for such titillating front page gossip, it was understood that this was the "Price" to pay for Dumbledore and they tried to allow Severus to bear it without too much sniggering. But cover it they did and that made Severus' interactions with others stressful and sparse.
Dumbledore, back in control of Hogwarts, wanted the school reopened as soon as possible and pulled out all the stops. He also fought tooth and nail to retain the services of his former Potions and DADA Professors. He had no problem getting the thumbs up from the Ministry of Magic; having resurrected Dumbledore, Severus was their new golden child. The two men themselves however were a different matter.
He apparated to Snape Manor regularly to argue with the couple. He managed to talk Remus round fairly quickly, but he wouldn't go without Severus and the pregnant Professor was not having any of it. Remus made it his personal mission to convince the man who was rapidly becoming his partner of the merits of Dumbledore's request. He needed to take things carefully with him though, not push too hard. He was still amazed that Severus hadn't made him leave yet. Little did he realise that that consideration was exactly what was keeping the other man open to him.
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Remus awoke to the sounds of retching.
He wandered through to the bathroom in his dressing gown, trying to calm his sleep rumpled hair. He gave up.
Kneeling down, he pulled his lover's hair back away from the toilet bowl.
"You know, if we were at Hogwarts, Poppy could probably help you with this."
Severus tried to growl but his body had other ideas and he vomited the last of his stomach contents into the bowl. He lay back against Remus, who sat quietly and held him. Severus sighed.
"Do you realise what kind of ridicule I will be in for if I go back to Hogwarts. I can almost hear them already. They won't let this one lie."
"I think you're wrong Sev." Remus said gently, stroking his lover's hair and holding him closer. "Have you seen the papers?"
Severus grunted.
"You know sometimes I think that you like your dark grizzled image a little too much. If you were that damn macho, you never would have agreed to this in the first place."
Remus cradled Severus' slightly swelled belly, he lifted up the light shirt covering it and stroked the bare swollen flesh. Severus turned his head to look at Remus but found his lips caught in a passionate kiss. As they broke the kiss they stayed wrapped in each other's arms on the bathroom floor. Neither of them dared to break a connection that they didn't expect to find.
"We'd share quarters?"
Remus started at the sudden question before a grin broke across his face. He took a risk.
"You think I want to get away from you? No such luck Professor Snape, you're stuck with me."
They were quiet again for a moment. Severus realised how much this meant to his lover. His year at Hogwarts was one of the few times that Remus had truly felt that he belonged and was valued and he had been the one to destroy that for him. Could he deny him that feeling just because he felt embarrassed about being seen pregnant? He had overcome many things alone, for the greater good or for his own good. Remus had been so loving, so patient, so undemanding and so empathically understanding. He realised that he didn't want to disappoint him and more importantly that he wanted to make him happy. He also felt the need to atone for revealing Remus' secret. He could overcome his embarrassment for Remus' sake and he knew that he wouldn't have to do it alone. He had Dumbledore and more importantly he had Remus. His head was spinning a little with all the changes as he murmured "Alright then" into his lover's chest.