June 1994
Snapes' family home
Florence woke up and rolled on the bed, finding her husband's pillow and wrapping her arms around it, letting his scent surround her, her very well-behaved veela purring in her mind, feeling safe and loved.
She closed her eyes, trying to sleep again, but something was not right, the mystic being in her mind suddenly stopped reveling in the scent of her bonded mate and seemed to be in high alert, as if she had smelled danger. So Florence sat on the bed, grabbing her wand and looking around the room, trying to find a reason for her veela's sudden alertness.
But she couldn't sense anything, and the only sound was the voices of her kids' coming from the corridor. Florence put her wand back on the nightstand and listened to them discussing boys – Liz and Nick's new favourite topic.
Kids are all home. Sev is in the castle. She thought, touching her jade necklace and breathing in and out slowly. They're all safe.
She felt the veela slowly calm down, but she had to admit that hadn't been an isolated episode – her nervousness and fear of the future had significantly worsened in the last month. For some reason Florence found herself having small panic attacks during the day.
The sound of one of the house-elves appearing inside the room interrupted her train of thought.
"Good morning, Mistress Flor. Tiffany brought morning tea. Iced ginger tea for my Mistress' summer morning."
"Good morning, Tiff." She smiled at her dear elf, getting the tall glass of iced-tea, sipping and drinking nearly half of it until she stopped. "This is so good! What did you put in it?"
"Ginger, sugar and lemon, Mistress."
"It's delicious!" she finished drinking it and gave Tiffany the empty glass. "Can you make some more?"
"Sure." The elf smiled. "Tiffany already has a large pitcher ready. Tiffany knows Mistress likes ginger when..." she stopped talking, all of a sudden.
"When what?" Florence frowned.
"Mistress doesn't know yet. Tiffany spoke too much."
"What are you...?" then Florence's face changed as she started to understand. "You mean... we did it? After almost a year trying to conceive...?"
Tiffany nodded.
Florence laughed and lay down on the bed, not even bothering to go looking for a pregnancy test. She took her wand and cast: "Vide utero." And then she saw it: the small amniotic sac, the little peanut-sized baby inside of it. One more baby – their last baby. She touched her wand to her belly to listen to the heartbeat.
"This is so sweet, Mistress." Whispered Tiffany, hearing the baby's fast heartbeat.
"Yes, it is. And I think... for what I can see... it's another baby-girl!" She laughed, tears of emotion flooding her eyes and rolling down her face as she stopped the spell and touched her belly with both hands.
A girl! That explains why my veela was suddenly alert this morning, the baby's magic must've started to interfere with mine. She thought, wondering how would that baby look. Would she be like Elizabeth? Or would she look like Chris?
Tiffany looked at her Mistress with love and kindness in her big green eyes. "Master will be terrified."
Florence chuckled, "He sure will, Tiff. Keep this a secret for now. I'll tell everyone at dinner tonight, ok?"
"Sure, Mistress. Tiffany keeps Mistress secrets." She bowed and disapparated.
That afternoon
James was lying on the sofa in the backyard patio, looking at his mother through the window.
Something's wrong with mom. He told his twin.
Why? Nicholas frowned as he played with Chris in the shallow plastic pool they had put together in the shadow of a tree.
James was about to reply when they heard Elizabeth complain:
"That's so annoying! I can tell you two are talking through your mind-link thing. Mom and dad do that all the time! Can you just not?"
"Sorry, Liz." Said Nick. "We're just used to it."
"Yeah. I told him I think there's something wrong with mom."
"Why?" she asked.
"And that's exactly what I asked him." Said Nick, looking at his brother. "Which he hasn't answered yet."
"Today she woke up too happy. But she hasn't told us why. She's just going through her day, smiling around the house for no particular reason."
Christopher guessed: "Maybe uncle Remus is coming to visit. Maybe dad is letting him see mom again."
His words had his three older siblings frowning and looking at one another. Then James asked: "See mom again? What are you talking about, Chris?"
"Dad's forbidden uncle Moony from coming here?" Liz tried to understand.
"Yeah." Chris nodded, trying to throw a small ball through a hoop at the other side of the pool. "Dad told uncle Remus he wasn't going to watch ever again."
"Watch what?" Nicholas asked, still confused.
Chris shrugged. "I don't know. But dad said it was never happening again, that he only did it because mom likes it. Then Moony said dad was the one who made him watch."
Suddenly the three older siblings exchanged a long and mortified glance, realizing what Chris was talking about.
"Moony watched mom and dad..." started Nicholas.
"Don't!" James exclaimed. "Don't say it! I already know an unhealthy amount of details about their... bedroom life. I really don't need to know they're kinky."
Nick shook his head. "I'm never going to be able to look at Remus the same way again."
Elizabeth was just staring at them, her expression between shocked and amused.
Chris continued: "Dad even asked if uncle Remus was tied down."
The twins groaned in disgust.
"We've heard more than enough, Chris." Nicholas said. "Thanks."
James pressed his fingers into his temples, his eyes closed. "I did not need to know that."
Liz and Nick just nodded.
"I swear if Uncle Remus shows up for dinner tonight, I'm taking you all to sleep at grandma's." James added.
"Well, I can totally see the appeal." They heard their sister saying.
"Liz!!" the twins exclaimed, very surprised.
"We have to stop talking about these things in front of her." James told his twin.
"You're the one who started this conversation." Nick pointed out.
"And I'm ending it!" exclaimed James, angrily.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Oh, c'mon. You guys have eyes; Mom's gorgeous! Dad probably loves showing her off. He's a very lucky man. I hope my future husband appreciates me as much as dad appreciates mom."
James got up. "I'm out! Parents' voyeuristic sex life is disgusting enough, I'm not hearing my sister wishing to have the same thing. Geez. You're all perverted in this family." He entered the house.
Nicholas snorted. "Right. Cause you're not."
"But I'm private!" James shouted from the living room.
"Private pervert is still a pervert!" Nicholas shouted back.
And Elizabeth shook her head, laughing at her brothers' exchange.
Later that night
Florence was in the living room, sitting on the sofa, watching TV, as she waited for her husband; Severus should've arrived hours earlier to have dinner with her and their kids – but he hadn't.
She had planned to share the news about the baby with the whole family during dinner, but as he hadn't showed up, her secret was still a secret.
The clock on the wall showed 3 a.m. and she was certain that something bad had happened or was about to happen.
When Severus said he was going home for dinner, he always went home for dinner – or sent her a Patronus. But he had neither showed up nor sent any message.
She closed her eyes, trying to stop the nausea that her nerves were triggering – the last thing she wanted was to throw up.
"Here, Mistress Flor." Said Tiffany suddenly appearing in front of her with a tea cup. "Chamomile tea."
Florence smiled at her sweet elf, "Thank you, Tiff." and sipped her tea.
She lay down on the living room sofa, closing her eyes after finishing her tea, trying to catch some sleep while she waited for her husband; but suddenly the flames in the fireplace turned green and Dumbledore walked out of them.
"What happened?" Florence almost shouted, jumping from the couch, her heart pounding. "Where's Severus?"
"Severus is fine, my dear." He raised a hand, trying to calm her down. "But Sirius has been captured and he wants to see you one last time. Before…"
"Oh, no! They're going to kill him." she gasped, horrified.
"Yes. The Minister is on his way, and the dementors are ready…"
"I'll just change my dress." she said before running upstairs, trying not to make too much noise.
But, as quiet as she was, her kids had realized something was wrong for she had been nervous during dinner when their father hadn't come home.
James and Nicholas were in the corridor when Florence walked out of her room, dressed to go outside.
"Mom, what's happening? Where are you going?" asked Nick.
"I'll just go to the castle…"
"Is dad ok?" asked Elizabeth appearing on her bedroom door.
"Yes, dear. He is fine, I just…" she couldn't tell them, the twins would want to go with her. "I must go. You two," she pointed to the twins. "You look after your younger siblings. I'll be back soon." and she left the house with the Headmaster through the Floo Network.
Hogwarts
Sirius was being held in the Dark Tower, and once the Minister arrived he'd be brought to the hospital wing to receive the Dementor's kiss. Florence reached the first floor corridor, and she walked into the infirmary, seeing that four beds were occupied; Harry, Ron, Hermione, and her husband were there.
She walked straight to Severus, who was sitting at the edge of a bed, getting his forehead looked after by Pomfrey.
"Florence…?" he asked, confused by seeing her there.
"Severus, why are you hurt? What happened?" she asked, going towards him and taking over Pomfrey on the bandaging of his forehead.
"We had problems with the rat's extermination plan. What are you doing here?" he whispered, glancing around the room at the three teenagers there, who attentively watched him talking to the younger mediwitch.
"Sirius was caught and he wishes to see me before..." and tears fell down her face, her worry about her husband added to the hormones running through her body and learning of Sirius's imminent death had her sobbing in no time.
"I know." he said, wiping her face as he stood up, pulling her into his arms; he hated Sirius, but the man had helped Florence when she needed and, for that reason, Black had a place in her heart that had to be respected – it was understandable that she was sad to know he was going to die.
"You know him." Harry whispered all of a sudden. "You know Sirius."
"Yes." Said Florence, nodding.
"He asked about you." Harry seemed to remember. "He asked me if a Florence was in the school tonight – but I'm so used to calling you Madam Delacour that I didn't realize it was you he was talking about!"
Florence smiled, while Severus growled low, unhappy to hear Black had been asking about his wife.
It makes me want to keep the plan to myself. He said in her mind.
What plan? She asked.
I came up with something that could save him.
So say it!
I'm still not sure I should.
Florence glared at him and was about to admonish him when Dumbledore walked into the infirmary, going towards them.
"Headmaster." Severus said, reluctantly. "There might still be a way. As I recall, Miss Granger has a Time-Turner and she was authorized by the Ministry to use it inside Hogwarts' grounds." He looked at the girl who was sitting on her bed.
"Of course!" exclaimed Dumbledore. "That's an amazing idea, Severus! And maybe more than one innocent life can be spared!" the old man looked at Florence. "Apparently you came here for nothing, dear." he turned to go to Granger's hospital bed.
"What does he mean?" Florence asked, looking up to his face. "What were you talking about?"
"Black is in the Dark Tower, the tallest tower of the castle. The other life Dumbledore is probably talking about is Buckbeak – he was executed earlier today. Granger will save the hippogriff and, with it, she'll save Black."
Florence just looked at her husband and then at where Granger and Potter were standing with the Time-turner around both their necks. After the girl had turned it three times, the two teens vanished.
"I hope everything turns out ok." Florence wiped away the tears that were still falling. "You know that you might have just saved Sirius' life, don't you?"
Severus didn't say a thing.
Dumbledore came towards the couple again, but before he could speak, the hospital wing door was opened again and Harry and Hermione walked in.
"We did it, Headmaster!" said the girl, happily.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Granger." Dumbledore smiled and winked at her. "Shall we be going now, Severus, Florence?"
The couple just nodded and followed Dumbledore to his office where, by Floo, they went home.
Snapes' family home
When they walked out of the fireplace in their home, they found all of their kids in the living room, waiting for them.
"Dad!" they all shouted and ran towards their father, when they saw his bandaged head.
"You're hurt!" Elizabeth screamed.
"I'm fine." Severus said. "It's nothing, Liz."
"But what happened?" asked James.
"Did you fall down the stairs?" asked Chris.
"Why are you hurt?" asked Nick.
"HEY!" Florence shouted and all the kids stopped talking. "Your father is fine. Let him go, he needs to shower and sleep. And you should all be sleeping already."
"But, mom, we were worried…" Nicholas said.
"Dad didn't come for dinner, then you left in the middle of the night!" said Liz.
"Ok, I can understand that. But, now, let your father go, kids." But none of them moved to go upstairs; so Florence decided to share her secret with them. "Well, as it seems you're not going back to bed... There's something I'd like to tell you all."
They looked at her, and she continued: "Our family is about to get a little bit bigger." She said, looking at her husband.
"What?" exclaimed Severus, with a smile. "You're pregnant, love?"
"Yes, I am." she smiled and he wrapped her in his arms, kissing her lips lovingly. Then he kneeled in front of her, his head over her belly, sending the baby his love.
James snorted: "I can't say I'm surprised, the amount of times you two go at it."
And they all laughed, hugging their mother, just happy to know love was about to get even bigger in their family home.
Severus carried Florence upstairs while all kids went to their own bedrooms. He walked into their master bedroom and lay her down on their bed.
"I love you, princess, you know that." He said. "So so much."
"I know..." She kissed his lips. "And I love you, husband."
"Wait for me here" he said. I'll take a quick shower and be right back."
Florence nodded. And as he went into the bathroom, she changed into a silk nightgown and waited for him on the bed.
"What happened tonight, Sev?" she asked when he walked out of the bathroom, drying his body.
"Black took Ronald Weasley to the Shrieking Shack because the boy had Pettigrew on his hands. Harry and Miss Granger followed him. Remus went after them and so did I." He finished drying his hair. "Then Black attacked me and they forced Pettigrew to transform back into human – but Harry didn't let them kill him. After that, we all left the Shack with Pettigrew in ropes, but when we walked out of the Whomping Willow – where there is a passage from the school to the Shrieking Shack, Remus transformed into a werewolf… for he had forgotten to take his potion earlier."
"Fuck. He's got to stop forgetting his potion!"
"Yes. It's becoming a habit of his. Anyway... Black transformed into a dog and fought the werewolf." He put on some sweatpants and lay down beside her.
"And where is Pettigrew now? Did you kill him?" she asked, laying her head on his chest, feeling his arms around her.
"No, we didn't." Severus sighed. "Unfortunately, he escaped."
"But didn't you have any plans?"
"Yes. I had something planned with Remus. We were going to simulate that Black had escaped and then we'd give Pettigrew to the dementors. But everything went down because the wolf forgot his Wolfsbane!"
"But everything is fine now, right?" She looked into his eyes. "Harry is safe and Sirius is free."
"Pettigrew is free too, love. And according to Trelawney's new Prophecy, he is going to help your father get back into power."
"That's not good." she murmured, rubbing her nose against his neck. "A new prophecy about my father returning on the same day we found out about our daughter." She caressed her lower belly.
"Daughter?" Severus asked, a hint of fear in his voice.
"Yep. It's a girl." She touched his face and smiled at his worried eyes. "You said you wanted three more. I told you they could all be girls."
He kissed her. "I think I'll be needed in the castle a lot this next term."
"Don't you dare." She replied, angrily.
"I know, love. I'm kidding." He kissed her again. "Well, a little."
Florence chuckled between kisses, "Is your forehead hurting a lot?"
"What forehead?" he replied.
She laughed louder and trailed kisses down his belly, licking his navel, pulling his sweatpants down. "Does your head hurt, Sev?"
He smirked, knowing exactly what she wanted to do, "Just a little, but the good healer knows what's good for me."
"She sure does." She winked, moving down his body and pleasuring him.