"I'm glad I think. That they're not there to witness it, that they're at peace. Because I don't think my Dad would ever get over the fact he tried to eat me."
Hermione barked out a laugh before covering her face an snickering behind her hands, but it was no use, once she began Severus chuckled and then Hannah soon followed. Luna just smiled serenely before Hermione wrapped her arms around her in a hug.
"Luna, don't ever change"
He groaned aloud from behind her as he thrust himself deeper inside her tight channel and she hissed a reprimand over her shoulder to him as the headboard banged loudly against the wall at his exuberance. "Severus! We're not alone here...FUCK right there...watch the noise please? ...Oh god"
Snarling he snapped back at her, "FUCK... I can't very well comply with your demands for harder and faster Witch, without going harder and faster!... MERLIN" all the same he wedged his hand behind the headboard to stop it knocking on the wall, speeding up his thrusts as he did so.
She was mewling and panting in encouragement when they became aware of the very loud and very telling rhythmic squeaking coming from the bed frame.
Snarling in annoyance she flipped her hair over her shoulder , and looked at Severus with such heat a secret part of him got a little bit hotter and how she managed to shoot him a look of such fury and grievance , whilst bent over in front of him and taking his cock from behind.
"Floor?" She asked "Floor" He confirmed, pulling the sheets along with him to cushion her, as she knelt on her hands and knees for him to approach her once more from behind , which he did eagerly, seating himself within her and setting up the harshest rhythm he was willing to commit to whilst she was in her current state, but secretly being pleased that she still begged for more of him.
"Witch I thought these hormones should've settled by now? Not that I'm complaining" He groaned as he felt his balls getting tighter, impending release licking flames up his nerves like fiendfyre.
"I don't need pregnancy hormones to want you Husband...oh yes...there...fuck...fuck...FUCK YES" She clenched around him so hard in her climax that he felt like his cock was gripped in a vice and he stiffened and followed her into bliss with a choked groan, loving the sensation of her cunt rippling around his cock as aftershocks rocked through her.
She sighed in contentment and he heaved her into the bed, before she could fall asleep on the floor. "Oh no you don't" He scolded and she mewled in protest at being moved. "reprobate" he grumbled good naturedly as they settled in the bed. "You love it" She smirked back without even opening her eyes. They were silent for a moment, enjoying the lassitude when the cheerful voice of Hannah cut through the house. "Goodnight!" amusement lacing her tone.
Hermione just chuckled and Severus snorted in amusement. "I'm too sated to even care" He grumbled and she laughed out a "likewise" before they settled down further.
"Tomorrow's the day then? " She asked and Severus looked at the dim light peeking through the window. "Today I'd wager by the looks of the light , but yes. It's the day"
"I'm frightened Severus, what if we get there and there are no boats ? What if there's a herd and we get pinned against the water with nowhere to go?"
They had shared these fears more than once already. But he knew she worried.
"It won't happen" he whispered into her hair. "But what if it does? Promise me Severus"
"Hermione..."
"Severus promise me, please"
He knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until he confirmed it.
"I won't let you become one of those." She settled into his embrace and he held her tightly to his side. "I won't let you become one either" She whispered back and he planted a kiss in her hair.
"I love you Severus"
"And I you"
It was always difficult to leave a safe house , though this one had not been quite as safe as the others. They didn't know if it was because there was more of them, 5 now instead of just two, but more and more immune were finding their way towards them and they heard the distant howls of a screamer echoing in the hills which made them pick up their pace as they loaded Teddy up in preparation to move.
They should be at the coast in less than a week, that was their goal though Severus had another in mind, which he had confided in only one other.
"I know I am asking a lot of you, and you've no reason to give me any more than you will already. But I'm asking you, one man to another. We need to make this for Hermione. She says she's got a week at least but I don't believe her, she thinks that by sheer will alone she'll make it but I don't think she will. We need to be off the mainland and on the island before she has the baby. There's a finite amount of dead there could be on Muck, and chances are few or no screamers. We won't be swamped with potentially hundreds or thousands drawn by her labour. She can't go into labour here, she can't lose another child. She's strong. So strong. but she won't survive it. So my aim is to reach the coast in mo more than 3 days, I want to do whatever it takes, are you with me friend?"
Dark brown eyes met his and studied him intensely.
I'm with you
They seemed to say, as a velvet soft nose was pressed to his face, warm breath brushing against his cheek.
"Good lad Teddy, Good lad"
He didn't speed the pace up , it would've been too telling and Teddy would not have been able to manage it. Horses like him were built for strength and endurance, not speed. So instead they pushed on further, starting earlier in the day they ate up the distance at a steady pace, stopping less frequently than they usually would and for shorter amounts of time, and the sun had vanished hours before they finally stopped for the night. He used the excuse that he was searching for a better space to make camp , but in reality he just wanted to get as many miles in the day as he could.
With caution they made camp , no fires despite the cold as they were all too aware of the short distance between them and the city. They were still in the countryside but it was more exposed than they would've liked it to be, and so Severus, Luna and Hannah took turns at keeping watch , ensuring no dead...or living, came to ambush them in the night.
They heard the howls once more in the early morning, and Severus was almost relieved as it gave him an excuse to get them all up and moving even earlier than they had yesterday. He'd been worrying about how to get them moving without rousing Hermione's suspicions , and the howls in the distance gave him all the reason he needed.
Kissing Teddy on the nose in an unusual show of affection, he quickly ushered them all back into the cart and within only a few minutes of hearing the distant howls, they were on the move again.
They travelled well into the afternoon , long after they would've usually stopped at noon. Hermione questioned it but he managed to somewhat successfully deter her by persuading her that he was simply wanting to put as much distance between them and the screamer as he could and also wanting to stop somewhere they could replenish their water.
It was late in the afternoon before they finally stopped at a riverside and Teddy was wet with sweat so Severus took him into the river while Luna and Hannah helped Hermione and Neville.
"It's working." He whispered to the horse , under the guise of bathing him. "You're doing so well , there's not much further to go. One more day of this and tomorrow evening we should be at the coast, and then you can rest. There will probably be other horses on Muck too, and if not we'll find them for you. We'll grow our own Hay and oats and apples, and you'll be the best fed beast in the country. Just keep it up, please, if not for me, for her... after today it's just one more day"
He kept up his litany of praises, promises and pleading while he groomed as much sweat off the horse as he could, knowing that the more he sweat the more likely the harness would rub him, and the horse groomed him gently in return.
When they got moving again he noted Hermione's drawn expression and looked over her in concern. "It's nothing" She whispered with a smile that was more of a grimace. "Just backache from being in the cart so long , I'll be fine Severus don't worry"
But he did worry, and judging by the brown eyes that met his, so did Teddy and with that they were once more on the move.
Again they rode well into the darkness before stopping, He was almost thankful that Hermione had fallen asleep in the cart as they drove and could not question him continuing to press on into the darkness. The others it seemed either didn't or daren't question his judgement.
As soon as they pulled up he quickly unharnessed teddy, wincing at the sores that he found where the hours of hard work had allowed the harness to rub his sweat soaked flesh raw. It was torture having to hold the horse back from the food for another hour until he cooled down, knowing the overworked beast was likely to colic if he ate so soon after such a strenuous work load. Still he portioned up the horse's meals into three separate sittings, to prevent him from gorging himself ill if he simply filled the bowl full giving him one with an affectionate pat, and leaving instructions with Lovegood to give him another portion in an hour.
Hermione was sat on a log with Neville and Hannah either side, the former was rubbing her back in soothing circles and the latter gave him a worried look as he approached.
Instantly alert he knelt in front of her, taking in the tense set of her face.
"What's wrong?" He asked and she simply shook her head, unable to voice her discomfort.
"Her back still , it's getting pretty bad" Neville spoke and Severus looked to Hermione in concern.
"Is it more Braxton Hicks?" He asked and she swallowed carefully, looking nautious before she spoke.
"I don't know." She managed to get out as he rubbed her stomach gently, it felt slightly firm to the touch. "It feels different that before. Lower and more intense"
Gently he pressed against her stomach feeling the rigidity before she spoke quietly, "there's something else."
Pulling her jacket away from her he saw the telltale darkening of the fabric below, indicating the dampness of the shirt.
"You're milk's come in?" He asked gravely and she nodded just as seriously. "It's pretty heavy, not just a bit here and there like before. I felt the baby move earlier and I was thinking about holding the baby when it's born and suddenly it was like someone had turned a faucet on"
Telling the others to avert their eyes he told her to lay back and after grabbing supplies from the medical bag, slipped his hand under her skirt, then swore.
"What's happening?" Neville asked but to his credit didn't turn around until told he could.
"You're about 2cm dilated. This isn't Braxton Hicks it's pre-labour"
Hermione groaned and leaned her head against his shoulder, pressing her face into his chest but Hannah spoke optimistically.
"Well that's good right? I mean early labour can last ages before it becomes active labour, my aunt when she had my cousin was in early labour for like 2 days or something"
He scrubbed his face with the hand that wasn't wrapped around a now very hormonal and overwrought Hermione who was sobbing into his shirt.
"It could indeed last 2 days, sometimes even 3 has been known on the rare occasion" He said tiredly and Neville smiled.
"That's good then right?" The Gryffindor boy smiled encouragingly but Hermione's muffled voice spoke out from where she was pressed against his chest.
"On the rare occasion, but it more commonly progresses to active labour within 8 to 12 hours"
"Oh" responded Neville. "Well...fuck"
"My sentiments exactly Mr Longbottom" Severus answered , tightening his hold on Hermione as a contraction rocked through her and she moaned out in pain.
"My sentiments exactly"