Seven Years Later...
Chapter 8 Part 2
"Announcements"

Author's Note: We are having too much fun with this story... Toodles

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Artimis groggly awoke in her bed, trying to figure out why she was craving steak. She wanted steak really badly. She got out of bed and hopped in the shower. She just felt icky. She finished her shower and dressed in her comfy pants and a tee-shirt. She put her hair up in a rare ponytail and headed down stairs. She saw Aaron and Haliey walking up the stairs and Hailey smiled. Artimis smiled back and headed toward the aroma of burnt food. She heard laughter and walked into see Fred and George showing Harry their newest product. She laughed and headed into the kitchen. She opened the freezer, intent on finding meat of some sort to fix her odd craving. She just assumed that since she had lost so much blood she needed iron. She grabbed the first t-bone she saw and pulled her wand summonig a frying pan and began to cook it.

The door opened and Severus walked in. She looked at him and smiled, feeling quite happy at the moment.

"Hello." She said to him,frying her food. He grunted a reply and she frowned.

"Oh, stop being mean.Say hi to me when i say hi." She spoke, feeling her throat tighten like she was going to cry. That was when she realised she was crying. Confused and stressed she saw Severus staring at her in confusuion. His staring made her uncomfortable.

"STOP LOOKING AT ME! THIS IS NOT A FREAK SHOW! GO AWAY!" She yelled and she watched him draw back and stalk out of the room mumbling. Alexis rushed in, looking perplexed and confused and Artimis smiled, having stopped crying, and went back to her cooking.

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"Will you please tell me what my son means by bringing me here?" Narcissa asked Aaron. Aaron shrugged, feeling it not his place to inform Mrs. Malfoy of her husbands misgivings and actions towards Artimis. He sat across from her in the lounge, waiting on Draco to return.

"Ma'am, all i know is that Draco asked for me to come help move you. I know nothing else." He spoke, leaning back on the soft couch.

"I see." Mrs. Malfoy replied, studing the room. She stood and paced the lounge, noting the picture above the mantle. "Are those all the people that live here with Draco?"

"Yes Ma'am. That is most of the people who live-" Aaron was cut off as Severus stomped into the room oblivious to their presence.

"Bloody female. She is acting oddly. Even torture victims do not act like that. I've seen this behavoir somewhere before. But where?" Severus spoke to himself, pacing back and forth.

"Severus?" Narcissa spoke walking up to him, gracefully. Severus looked to her and shook his head to look again.

"My, My, Narcissa, what brings you here?" He spoke doing the polite kissing of cheeks thing, which made Aaron laugh. Aaron fell off the couch in laughter and Severus scolded him with his eyes.

"Sorry Sev, just too funny." Aaron spoke as he picked himself up.

"Severus, my bloody son has dragged me from the villa, demanding that i am too come live here, saying that i will be protected at all costs. Can you please tell me what has possesed my son." Narcissa spoke, looking with intent to Severus.

"I can not. He has been through a lot this last couple days, as has his girlfreind. Everyone is stressed. Just him come explain to you what is going on."

"His girlfriend? You mean he is STILL dating that retched Callabella?" Narcissa spoke.

"YES mother, I am still dating THAT RETCHED CALLABELLA!" Draco spoke a look of fury on his face.

"Oh Draco dear, you know i didn't mean it like that. I just meant that you could do so much better for yourself." Narcissa spoke.

"Like who, Crabbe's cousin that looks just like him, only female? Is that better mother. At least Artimis has the looks and the brain. More than i can saw for half the women the other Malfoy men have married, you excluded." Draco spoke and covered his mouth.

"You plan on marrying this girl?" Narcissa spoke furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"I didn't saw that, nor am i say that i do not, i am simply saying that is between me and her, and I have taken the liberity of kicking Hermione out of her room, so you now have someplace to sleep." Draco stated.

"So Draco, where is 'Moine sleeping?" Aaron asked getting up and walking past Severus, who had a look of pondering on his face.

"With Herself in her office. She wouldn't share with Hailey." Draco spoke as two four feet tall children rushed into the Lounge yelling. That was when Severus quickly departed. Aaron, laughing, was tackled by Athena and Damien at high speed and he toppled over backwards. They began wrestling and Draco ushered her mother out of the room upstairs.

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Artimis smiled at Alexis and Alexis rolled her eyes at her.

"Hey Artimis, are you ok." Alexis asked.

"Just fine, why?"

"Well, you've been a bit tempermental since you came back. Just wondering if there is anything you need to talk about." Alexis spoke and Artimis frowned.

"No, not really, I'm just fine. I'm just recovering. I'll be normal in a day or so." Artimis spoke and Alexis smiled, walking out of the room. As Artimis watched Alexis walked away, she felt that more had happened than she remembered. She took her half cooked steak and proceeded to scarf it down, walking to her library for some quick reading on recovering victims.

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Alexis walked out of the Kitchen, intending to head up tp her tower to grab some clean clothes. Damn, she needed a hot shower... She put one foot on the steps leading upward, then somone grabbed her arms, yanking her back off the stairs. She sighed as she was pulled behind them, and was let go quickly.

"What the bloody hell? What is with the snatching of Alexis today? Gosh..." She blurted out, gazing at her recent captor. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized Ron Weasley. He looked at her briefly, then looked at the ground, which was still technically looking at her, but not directly. She nodded slowly, figetting.

"Well..." she started.

"I j, just wanted to apologize. For the other day, wh, when I k... kissed you." He stammered, turning bright red, not being able to stand still. Alexis just looked at him, not knowing what to say. He took it as a sign to explain.

"I, I just thought it was the right thing to do... and... well... I w, wanted to... I'm sorry..."

Alexis swallowed, blushing slightly. She wasn't going to ream him out. It wasn't that bad...

She looked up and smiled, touching his arm softly, he smiled slightly. "It's okay Ron. I forgive you... you know, you d, don't really have t.. to apologize..."

A shadow fell across them and they spun around. Apollo stood there in confusion, watching them in wonder. They snapped thier mouths closed quickly, looking away and backing up a step from each other. Apollo merely shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and walked away, calling out. "Hey, are there any left over pancakes?"

They watched him go with indifference. Looking back at each other, Ron tried to make conversation. "Um, y, you have very pretty eyes..."

"Uh, thanks... I like y, your hair, a lot..."

Alexis and Ron looked at each other and laughed. And not the nervous, time filling laughter, this was true, heart felt laughter. The smiled and together walked out from under the staircase.

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Severus walked into Hermione's room, seeing Narcissa putting away some things. He stepped in to the room and without looking up, she spoke to him.

"Hello Severus."

"Hi Narcissa. I need to ask you something, seeing as you are a woman and might understand this better than I." He spoke, and she turned around, hands on her hips, looking at him with curiousity.

"Yes?" she asked, sitting down on the bed. Severus approached her, sitting in the chair across from the bed.

"A female in this house has been acting strangely. She had recently undergone severe torture and mental abuse and found her way out. But she is not following the normal trauma patterns." He spoke watching her.

"Goon, tell me what she has been doing." She spoke, her hands folded neatly in her lap as looked at him with intent. Severus went onto explain Artimis's odd actions and Narcissa smiled at him.

"So how far along is this girl." Narcissa asked politely.

"Far along where? Insanity?" Severus asked and Narcissa laughed.

"No, How long has she been pregant? From what you say she is showing all the signs."

"No no, it must be from the torture." He spoke and she frowned.

"Did you not say that food made Artimis sick and that she has been throwing up a lot?"

"Well, yes, but she was under stress."

"Did you not also say she was happy one moment and the next she wanted to kill something."

"Well yes, but..."

"And did she not burst into tears in the dining hall?"

"Yes, but how can you make all that seem like Artimis is pregnant?" He spoke and she chuckled.

"Because my dear, I've been pregnant before. She's showing every sign in the book." Narcissa spoke and Severus just frowned, that being the last thing he needed to hear, seeing as that meant that this was just the beginning of Artimis's rampages.

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"Hey, why is Snape walking into 'Mione's room?" Ron asked Alexis as they walked up the stairs.

"I dunno, let's listen." Alexis spoke casually. Ron snickered as they tiptoed up to the door and leaned against it not realizing it wasn't closed all the way.

She heard a woman's voice and frowned because it was not Hermione's. Then they heard Snape talking.

"Yes, but how can you make all that seem like Artimis is pregnant?" She heard Snape ask and Alexis inhaled sharply.

"Because my dear, I've been preganat before. She's showing every sign in the book." The woman's voice spoke and Alexis was hit with the realization that Artimis was acting like she was pregnant. She drew in a sharp breath and leaned on the door for better hearing, it pushing forward. Alexis and Ron tumbled in the room, with an insane smile on her face. Severus saw her and frowned as she got up and mad-dashed towards the door.

"Alexis, NO!" Severus yelled, racing after her, tripping over Ron.

"Everybody! Snape's trying to kill ME!" Alexis screamed, knowing that would bring everyone. There was a chorus of footsteps running her direction.

"Alexis! Come back here!" Snape yelled, getting up and trying to catch her. She rushed toward the Gym and everyone followed. The doors closed behind everybody and Alexis made sure Artimis was not among them. She stood atop the tallest piece of equipment and yelled.

"I have an Annoucement!"

"Alexis NO. Be quiet!" Severus spoke, walking forward.

"Well I may have two annoucements if Snape continues to be rude." Alexis spoke matter of factly, and with that comment Severus silenced.

"I'm am going to be an Aunt!"Alexis yelled and they all sighed.

"You are already an Aunt." Apollo spoke.

"I know, but not that kind of Aunt. Our dear sweet Artimis has a secret she has been keeping from all of us. She's pregnant!" Alexis yelled with glee and the whole room silenced. Draco walked forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Are you sure? Did she tell you?" He spoke shaking her.

"Hands off her Draco," Ron yelled pulling him off.

"Alexis you shouldn't have said anything. I'm not sure if it's even true." Severus spoke and the whole room looked at him like 'is it your kid?'. Severus saw the looks and drew back shaking his head.

"Hey, don't look at me, If Artimis is pregnant, it's Draco's fault." Severus said, leaving the room. Hailey and Hermione were like giggling and Draco just kinda sat there shocked, not breathing. Alexis and Ron walked out of the room, animately talking as Apollo watched them go with a slight knowing smirk.

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Artimis was in the shower, taking her third one of the day when she was hit with a painful tug in her stomach. She grew dizzy and tried to grab the shower curtain as she slipped and fell, hitting her head on the edge of the tub. She pulled the curtain down on her and passed out, the hot water turing to cold as she lay there.

She awoke moments later, knocking the shower curtain off of her and getting out of the cold water. She got dressed in some comfy pajama's and laid down in bed, oddly exhausted and passed out into a deep sleep. As she slept she had terrible dreams.

Deatheater's were breaking into the house, busting windows, and tearing everything down.There was fighting and Artimis couldn't win. The Dream was so vivid, so detailed that she sat up and screamed, awaking in a cold sweat, shivering from head to toe. She looked around and saw nothing amiss so she laid her head back down and went to sleep, having no more dreams.

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Alexis and Ron sidled into the Living room, not really knowing what else there was to do. Everyone was asked to remain in the house until everything was sorted out. So, there was absolutely nothing to do. Alexis plopped onto the couch, Ron falling beside her.

Alexis sighed, gazing around in boredom. Ron thought a moment, turned to her, then rattled off the first thing that came to mind. "Do you like chicken?"

Alexis looked at him for a moment, then replied. "Yeah, but I personally like sirloin a whole lot better..."

"I don't blame ya."

"But it's hell cooking them."

"Really? I don't find much trouble cooking them."

"You can cook? There's something wrong with this..."

"Why, you can't?"

"Let's see, last time I tried, I set fire to the food, the pan, and the curtains on the window above the sink. Still trying to figure out how that happened... Didn't tell Artimis though... told her that I had a temper tantrum. She went easy on me."

"Yeah, Artimis can be scary sometimes."

"I've learned to live with it."

"Okay... you like animals?" Ron asked again, changing subjects. Alexis went along with it.

"You kidding? If it weren't for Artimis, I'd have a dragon living up in my tower with me."

"No kidding. You know, my brother Charlie works with dragons."

"No way! So nifty..."

"Yeah. Maybe I can take you to see them one day."

"That would be so awesome, dragons are so pretty." Alexis sighed.

Ron was silent for a moment, then spoke quietly. "So are you."

Alexis's eyes widened. She had been taken off guard. Sneaky...

"Thanks... s, so are you."

They stopped and looked at each other oddly.

"Hold on, that didn't sound right.. I think the word is handsome."

He blushed deeply and stuttered. "T, thanks."

Alexis shook her head and smiled. "We're not too good at this are we."

"Nope. You want to go upstairs and play some board games?"
"Why not?"

So they bounced up and exited the living room, heading upstairs.

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