6 YEARS LATER

The students of Hogwarts continued to show interest in Alchemy, and I had a feeling it was to do with the more recently highly publicised breakthroughs that Alchemists had made around the world. After my first two years teaching at Hogwarts, I had been granted a year-long break due to a fall in interest and I'd used that year to my benefit, managing to make much-needed advances in my own research. However, when the following year rolled around, the Professor once more enlisted my services as the Alchemy Professor and it was now my fifth year in a row teaching at the school.

A lot had changed within those five years and I'd become closely acquainted with the procedures Hogwarts had regarding married couples and visitation. That was the downside of being a Professor, I spent more time away from Bill than I did with him and even the nights when he stayed in the castle with me, he couldn't stay here for more than a week or so because of his work. But we'd promised, and I'd made arrangements with the Headmaster for my position to be taken over if interest in Alchemy persisted. Next year, I would finally step down as the Alchemy Professor at Hogwarts and a student that I'd taught, one of my very first Alchemy students, was lined up to replace me.

It was a welcome change, life would only continue to change and I understood why working as a Professor at Hogwarts wasn't cohesive to the happiness of married couples. The long days we spent apart weren't easy to navigate, not when I knew how much Bill hated returning alone to our home. The home that was supposed to be a physical representation of us and yet, I couldn't have spent a year in total within its walls. My husband, hating loneliness, often returned to his parent's home and good Godric, the letters I got from my mother-in-law after one of those visits made the decision to resign all too easy.

She didn't like Bill being on his own - I didn't either - but it wasn't like we never saw each other. Bill was always searching out reasons to linger in the castle for longer than he strictly needed to. He claimed that wasn't what he was doing, but what other reason did he have for giving the seventh year Gryffindors a talk about what being a curse-breaker involved. I looked around my classroom and it was packed to the brim with seventh years with red and gold ties who were hooked onto each word my husband spoke about his work.

Those that were interested had taken time out of their own schedules to listen to his talk, and as a member of faculty, I had to remain to supervise. Really, all I was doing was sitting behind my desk and listening to this talk for the second time today. The Ravenclaws had already had this talk and he was planning on speaking to the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins in the upcoming days. And then he was planning on giving an extra talk for anyone who had missed the others - that was how I knew he was desperate to remain close to me. Not that I could blame him. If anything, I understood his more recent clinginess.

As Bill reached the end of his talk, wrapping up his reports of the last unclassified mission he had been on, he turned expectantly towards me, offering me a wink that had me rolling my eyes. Shaking my heads, I watched as Bill dropped back from where he stood at the front of the classroom to rest against my desk. He crossed his legs at the ankle, crossing his arms over his chest and giving the students the chance to ask him anything. To my surprise, although that opportunity was returned with silence, there were questions. By the time he'd steadily made his way through the questions, it was time for the students to go or else they'd miss dinner.

"I think we're going to bring this to a close," I spoke up still from where I sat, reclined in my desk chair that had been magicked to make it extra comfortable.

Pressing a hand flat against the top of my desk, I prepared to use it to hoist myself up and out of the chair. Bill, knowing I needed the help, rounded the desk and snagged both of my hands. Holding them firmly, he eased me out of my chair and laughed when I made sounds of effort. Even when I shot him a look, he didn't hold back his chuckling. When Bill released my hands, I went to round the desk, to take the place he'd just vacated and he pressed a hand to the small of my back as I passed him. Finally addressing the students, I realised they were waiting for permission to leave.

"Thank you all for coming," I said, looking over the students who were packing away the notes some of them had taken. "If you have any other questions, then you can ask Bill - he's going to be roaming around the castle for the next few weeks."

"Until the kid pops out," Bill added from behind me, before considering, "If I can, I might be here a little longer after that - until Easter holiday begins."

"You heard him." I looked at the clock and clapped my hands once, "Right, any last-minute questions are going to have to wait - if you don't go now, you're going to miss the beginning of dinner. And you don't want to turn up late to find that they've run out of what you want to eat."

Just the chance of missing out on food had the students clambering out of the room. On their way out, they called out their thanks and chatted amongst themselves about the missions BIll had clearing from Gringotts to discuss with them. When the last student had left the room, I started to make my way around the room, tucking any stray stools under the desks and summoning random pieces of parchment that had been left lying around. I realised, by the time I turned back to Bill, that he had joined me in cleaning up the classroom.

When the last stool had been tucked away, Bill asked aloud, "I thought Hogwarts had a maternity leave policy?"

Rubbing a hand over my stomach, I took my time to think before admitting, "I don't think I'm going to come back after the Easter holiday."

Bill approached me then, his protests already on his lips, "You don't have to do that, I can be at home and if it's Mum -"

"It's not your mother," I assured him. It wasn't completely her anyway. "I don't think I'd be able to do it - to leave you and our baby and come to Hogwarts even if it was for a single term. We've already started the process of handing responsibility off - I and Cecely are working in partnership so she can see the way I teach before she's left alone."

"Are you sure?" Bill asked, taking my arms when he reached my side. His hands slid down to my hands, grasping them and squeezing them reassuringly. "We can work something out?"

"No," I said certainly, lifting my head so I could look him in the eyes. Offering him a reassuring smile, I insisted, "I'm ready to go home."

"If you're sure?" His words were soft as he reached up to tuck my hair behind my ear. "Although, I'm beginning to wonder when our little surprise is going to pop out."

"I've been having nightmares where I give birth during class and traumatise my students."

Bill, snorting out a laugh, burrowed the sound in my neck when I slapped his neck. But, he didn't abate. Even when he lifted his head from it's place to wonder, "Do you think our child will be the first born in Hogwarts - actually, scratch that.."

"Sorry to disappoint you," I started dryly, "but too many teenagers have passed through the school for that to be true."