Draco Meets Zelda

Draco glared at his former nemesis as they followed Professor Snape. Suddenly the know-it-all Granger and Weasley were butting in, and it seemed they all knew something he didn't. He loathed being the last to know. Professor Snape held the door as they all filed through. Draco glared as he passed his teacher, who gazed inscrutably back.

The main room, which Draco remembered from the night he'd been tended by his professor after being attacked, looked different. Much better, he thought grudgingly. As a Malfoy, he recognized good taste.

A woman came through a doorway at the far end of the room. Draco recognized her from the Forbidden Forest the previous summer, and from this place, the morning after he'd been discovered injured at the Whomping Willow.

The blonde woman immediately glanced at him, then quizzically at Professor Snape.

"As you see, we have guests," he said coolly. "I don't believe you've been formally to Draco Malfoy yet. Draco, this is my wife, Zelda Snape."

Harry and his friends watched curiously as Draco grasped this turn of events.

"Hello, Draco Malfoy," said Zelda pleasantly, fixing her blue eyes on his cool gray ones.

Draco shook her hand, looking from the woman to Professor Snape, who was also watching him intently.

"It's, uh, nice to meet you," he muttered, cursing his gaucherie. "I'm sorry about what happened that day in the Forbidden Forest. My mother was… I don't know. But thank you for letting us go."

"You're welcome," she replied, intrigued by his awkwardness. "I was so scared that day, all I wanted to do was run away like mad. I wouldn't have denied anyone else a chance to get away."

The young man nodded, but could think of nothing to say. He watched as Zelda turned to greet the others warmly. She laughed and hugged each other quickly, but gave Potter a longer hug and kissed his cheek affectionately.

"Did Lils or Elijah tell you my news?" she whispered into his ear.

His eyes grew wide. "So it's true?" Harry asked softly.

She nodded, and then smiled at all of them and said, "Do you have time for a bite to eat? Come in and hang out for a little bit."

Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys both accepted happily, but Draco hung back.

"Please stay, Draco," coaxed Zelda. "We didn't get off on the right foot, but I'd like to get to know you."

"Why?" asked the young man truculently.

"Because it's not every day that your Hogwarts professor marries a Muggle, so you might as well check me out to confirm that I'm a total freak."

Draco glanced at Professor Snape. The bloody wizard had a cynical smirk touching his lips as his wife proclaimed this outrageous news.

"Ah, all right," he said numbly, following the others into the room the woman had come from.

"Dobby," she called, smiling when the elf appeared. "Would you bring us lunch?"

He grinned, and Draco realized that he'd never seen the elf look happy when he was at Malfoy Manor. The elf looked benevolently around at them, but his grin faltered when he recognized Draco.

"Draco Malfoy," said Dobby dully.

"Hello, Dobby," said Draco, embarrassed that the elf acted so crushed in his presence.

"Dobby, Draco's our guest," said Zelda gently. "It's okay, I hope."

Dobby put his tiny chin up defiantly, saying, "Dobby is fine, Mrs. Professor Snape! Dobby will bring lunch right away."

"Thank you," she said, looking worried as he disappeared.

"I forgot, but he used to work for your family, didn't he?" she asked Draco.

He nodded. "We gave him a bad time. My father…" he broke off abruptly.

"Hey, don't worry about that now," said Zelda. "Come sit down, everyone."

They broke into smaller groups, with Harry and Ginny managing to sit on either side of Zelda.

"Are you really going to have a baby?" asked Ginny softly. "Zelda, that's fantastic."

Harry was less sure he liked it. Lily had learned to send owls from Geneva, and they'd corresponded several times. She'd thought it was great fun, her mother having a baby, but she'd also said Elijah was worried. Zelda was pretty old for this. Harry couldn't imagine how Professor Snape would handle it if something terrible happened.

"Michael pestered a Healer to come from St. Mungo's to see me," she said. "Her name's Dilys Smethwyck. She's really smart and nice, but I didn't know until your mother told me that she's a huge expert, and famous too."

"Mum knows?" asked Ginny jealously.

"I knew Lily would probably blab to all of you, and I loved telling your mother. I was right, too, about my big-mouthed daughter."

"Will you be okay?" Harry asked abruptly.

"Have you been talking to Eli?" she asked. "I know he's worried. He worries constantly about me, like I'm not fit to take care of myself."

"It's too far to owl him, but I Apparated to the nearest phone and called him after we got Lily's owl," Harry confessed.

"Harry, I'm fine. I didn't plan this, but it'll be lovely. By the way, we're going to meet Lils and Eli at the cabin next weekend. Do you all want to come?"

"Yeah, I reckon we would. Ginny?" he asked, turning to her.

"I'd love it. Can we bring Draco along?" she asked.

Zelda smiled. "He seems to be in shock. I think we should talk to Severus about it before we say anything to Draco. Anyway, tell Ron and Hermione, okay?"

"Sure," said Harry, his expression lightening.

Just then Dobby reappeared with a huge tray of food, which he set on the table.

"Lunch will be ready in two minutes, Mrs. Professor Snape," he called.

She nodded, looking over at Draco, who was sitting in an armchair on the far side of the hearth, talking quietly to Severus. It was all she could do to refrain from eavesdropping.

Severus was forced to wait for Draco's reaction to the news of his marriage. Without the insolent outburst that would have been automatic a year ago, Draco seemed unsure how to feel about it.

"She's… I think she seems kind," the boy said uncertainly.

"She's very kind," said Severus softly.

"I was surprised, but there's no reason why you shouldn't be married. Is she okay here? Not long ago there'd be people who'd hate that she's a Muggle."

"I'm aware," replied Severus dryly. "That is why I'll leave Hogwarts at the end of this school year."

"No!" said Draco, looking shocked. "You can't leave Hogwarts!"

"I'll find other employment."

"But… Slytherin needs you to stay. You're the main reason things have gotten better for us this year! Does she want you to leave?"

"No," he hissed irritably. "Your parents' marriage was no example, Draco. Two people must compromise in order to live together. Zelda says she's willing to live here, but there's too much she doesn't know about living in the magical world, and some here will despise her for being a Muggle."

Draco thought about that, but then remembered something and whispered, "She's a Legilimens. I remember from that day last summer. She's not a Muggle."

"She's a Muggle who is a natural Legilimens. I hadn't known such things were possible, but there are others with small magical abilities too. She's completely defenseless against magic, Draco, so mine is the job of assuring her safety."

Draco looked into black eyes filled with stony determination. His father had been equally resolute, but in a mad way, following Voldemort to the end. He now saw a wizard's determination put toward good and wondered if he could find it somewhere in himself.

"How did you ever find her?" he asked. "She's American, isn't she?"

Amazingly, the older wizard's lips twitched slightly. Draco could have sworn the man nearly smiled.

"It's a long story, but I must thank your dear departed Aunt Bellatrix for making my marriage possible."

Draco's mouth fell open. "You're kidding, right?"

"Lunch is ready," said Zelda, coming up behind them and putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Hurry up, or Ron will grab all the tastiest treats."

Draco watched the black eyes soften briefly, and as they walked to the table, he saw Professor Snape reach out and squeeze his wife's hand.

The meal was extremely informal. Draco was seated between Zelda Snape and Potter. It felt awkward, since the other students seemed to know Mrs. Snape very well, but they all talked about ordinary things, school things mostly. Which left him free to examine the woman.

She wasn't beautiful. Not like his mother, or like she'd been before the past year broke her completely. Zelda Snape was rather plump. There were wrinkles around her eyes that were very noticeable when she smiled, so she didn't look young and gorgeous. At first he'd wondered what a wizard would see in her, but he saw Professor Snape catch her gaze, and when she smiled at her husband, it was lovely. His mother used to smile at him like that, he thought, when he was small.

Sunshine poured in through the windows and the skylight, making the room brighter than it had ever been and bringing the colors of the room vibrantly alive.

"It's glorious to see the sun for a little while," said Zelda contentedly. "Does it hurt your eyes, Severus?"

"A different look to my dungeon, but once the sun sets we'll have pleasing murkiness again," he replied mockingly. "You don't understand the point of a dungeon, my girl. Menacing gloom is called for."

"What's really missing here is the telly and video games," Harry said teasingly. "The computer too."

Zelda picked up a roll and threw it at him. It bounced off his glasses. Laughing, he caught it and took a bite.

"Sorry about that," she said to Draco. "I normally don't encourage food fights, but ugly things shouldn't be mentioned while we're eating."

"I frequently want to throw things at Potter," said Draco sarcastically. "Nice shot."

"How vulgar," murmured Severus. "I thought I'd married a virtuous, well-behaved woman."

Zelda grinned briefly at him, but turned back to Draco and Harry.

"It's two weeks until the next Quidditch match, isn't it? I'm hoping to cleverly disguise myself and go to watch."

"Gryffindor's playing Hufflepuff," said Draco coolly. "Won't be much of a match, I'd say. Hufflepuff's going to finish it off in five minutes."

He gazed innocently at the three Gryffindor players sitting at the table.

A slow grin appeared on Harry's face, while spluttering noises came from two Weasleys.

"Nice," commented Zelda with an admiring little smile. "You're quite adorably obnoxious, Draco. Is that a Slytherin thing?"

Her twinkling eyes moved from Draco to Severus appraisingly.

The Gryffindor students all looked at each other, rather bemused. It seemed strange that Zelda could laugh at something they had always taken so seriously.

"That's one way to put it, Zelda," said Ginny, giggling.

As the meal was ending, Severus decided to deal with his most immediate problem.

"Potter, Malfoy, if you are finished, I hope that you'll join me in my office for a brief chat," he murmured smoothly.

Zelda looked from one to the other, and then said cheerfully, "I hope the rest of you will wait here with me until their, um, brief chat is over. It's so great to see you."

The two culprits followed Professor Snape into the corridor. They said nothing as they walked to his office, and remained silent as they sat down on the hard wooden chairs he kept for visitors.

"Well?" asked Severus.

The two sat facing him, silent and unmoving. Each seemed surprisingly cool, and obviously their Occlumency had developed quite impressively. The minutes ticked on as they all sat in silence.

"Dumbledore would have let you go ahead without questioning your plan," commented Severus. "I, on the other hand, lack his tolerance. Shall I tell you what I believe?"

They glanced at each other, but made no reply.

"You both know who has caused these disturbances. You wish to get incontrovertible proof. You believe there is some danger, hence your unwillingness to allow others to be involved."

Severus watched them closely, but they remained obstinately silent.

"I could report this to Headmistress McGonagall, or watch you constantly myself," he said icily.

"What about Zelda? You're not staying at Hogwarts during the week," Harry said impulsively.

"Don't presume to know what I'll do because you're aware of my personal circumstances," snapped Severus with an icy glare. "If I say I'll do it, then it shall be done!"

Harry saw that he'd overstepped the bounds by speaking of Zelda and he looked down, ashamed.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Draco, we need to tell him."

Draco glared at both of them, but in a low voice he said, "Sir, you're right. We have to catch them in the act. We don't know the extent and we need proof. Please don't stop us."

Severus remembered trying to catch the Marauders in the act, something that had nearly gotten him killed as a teenager.

"You were nearly killed at the Whomping Willow," he said evenly. "That's unacceptable."

"Potter's watching me like a bloody nursemaid now," said Draco. "Anyway, that was earlier, when I didn't care what happened to me. I think now it might be better to survive."

"Will you tell me who you suspect?" asked Severus.

"We're not sure," said Harry. "Not about everyone, and we're not exactly sure why they're doing it. That's why we need to catch them."

"Using yourselves as bait?"

"If we have to," replied Draco. "We'll be careful, and we didn't want anyone else to get hurt. That's why we meet secretly."

"How will you contact us if you do catch them?" asked Severus.

"Send a Patronus to you and Professor McGonagall," Harry replied succinctly.

"Also to Hagrid," said Severus firmly. "Sometimes I will not be here, but I trust Hagrid to deal with the situation."

Draco looked oddly at him, but closed his mouth firmly and nodded.

"Okay," said Harry, looking relieved. "Can we go now?"

"You go back to the others, Potter. I have something I wish to ask Mr. Malfoy about."

Once Harry was gone, Draco looked guardedly at his former teacher.

"Draco, I'm considering having Crabbe and Goyle see Michael Fletcher when he comes to Hogwarts. Do you think it will be of use to them?"

Relieved that it was not about him, Draco said thoughtfully, "Yeah. I'll talk to them. He's good at helping figure things out. I wish they had more going for them, now that their families are such a mess. They're pretty hopeless."

"I might have said that about you, before now," replied Severus sternly. "However, I'll speak with them on Monday, and if they agree, Michael will see them on Tuesday morning."

"Is that all?" asked Draco.

"For now. But when I ask you and Potter for information, I will no longer accept your avoidance. I'll allow you to go forward, unless it seems too risky. Then you will tell me everything."

Draco nodded and headed quickly for the door. The door banged behind him and finally Severus was alone. He sat behind his desk, thinking of what they'd told him for a few moments, then put the fire out and headed back to his quarters.

&&&&&&&&&

"The coast is clear," Zelda announced as he cautiously entered. "They're all gone, and I think we deserve a bit of time to ourselves."

She rose from the armchair that faced the door, where she'd been awaiting his return.

"Are you up for a bit of magical home improvement?" she asked. "The kids assured me that you'd have no problem doing this."

He hugged her close and murmured, "What dreadful idea do you have in mind?"

"Come with me," she said, pulling him into the sitting room.

He followed, enjoying her enthusiasm.

"There!" she announced, pointing at the wall.

He looked enquiringly at her.

"I think we should have a door there, leading to our bedroom," she said. "I know the whole place is yours, but this is where we spend most of our time outside the bedroom, right?"

He pointed his wand at the wall, but paused, saying, "What is on the other side of the wall?"

"Nothing since I moved the dressing table over a bit," she said with a smile.

"You moved furniture?" he asked. "I thought that wasn't allowed."

"I supervised and the kids did the actual moving."

Merlin, you let those bloody students into our bedroom?" he asked, shocked.

"It was perfectly neat, like a hotel room, only beautiful. The girls are blown away by the gorgeous tapestry," she said, looking apologetic.

Absently he pointed his wand and a large polished oak door appeared. He flung it open and said, "After you, wife."

Light from the afternoon sun poured in through the door, brightening the bedroom and reflecting light onto the huge tapestry on the wall.

"What do you think?" she asked, looking around the bedroom and admiring the placement of the door.

"It's quite convenient for when my very absurd, pregnant wife becomes suddenly, incredibly horny," he replied, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"That's just what I was thinking!" she crowed, dancing up to him and kissing him impulsively. "Now, I'd love to hear how things went with your students, but I promised Dilys I'd take a nap on afternoons when I'm not working."

He read the invitation in her eyes and his slow smile appeared.

"Lie down on the bed and let me rub your feet," he suggested.

She complied, smiling as he removed her slippers and took one foot in his hand and began massaging it.

She sighed with pure delight. "You know just what to do," she murmured.

Leisurely he moved on to the other foot, while she moaned contentedly.

"Shall I go now?" he asked, gently setting her foot on the bed.

"If you want to," she said, pouting. "Or you could stay here."

She patted the bed next to her invitingly. "If you take off your shirt, I'll rub your back for you," she suggested.

"If I take everything off, what else will you rub?" he asked.

She chuckled and sat up, pushing the comforter back. "I'll take everything off too and we'll do whatever you want. After all, I can't sleep all the time."

He used his wand to undo the buttons and began undressing, knowing she was watching him. He watched her unfasten her robes and toss them on the chair near the bed. Her bra and knickers followed, and she lay back on the pillows, hands behind her head, and watched him prepare to remove his shirt and his trousers.

"You look lovely," he said softly. It was true, he thought, gazing at her naked body and her bright eyes. She was quite unselfconscious in that moment, he thought. It seemed that while her attention was on him, she hadn't thought of the picture she made, lying naked on the bed.

Zelda suddenly glanced into his eyes and gasped, seeing his thought. She fought the urge to cover herself.

"Don't, my love," he said gently. "I know precisely how you feel, but you look delicious."

She shivered slightly, and felt her nipples grow hard as she saw his thought. It was exciting, she realized. Deliberately she spread her legs and watched him toss aside his shirt.

"Beautiful" he murmured, wrenching down his trousers and stepping out of them.

He joined her on the bed and she flung her arms around him and hugged him tight.

"I'm ridiculously happy with you," she whispered, biting his earlobe firmly.

He eased her onto her back and began kissing her as he rolled on top of her.

Zelda felt emotions crash through her as they made love, desire and happiness and a wild tenderness for him. When her climax came, she wept, holding him hard against her.

"Ah, Severus," she whispered, choking back a small sob.

"Zelda?" he murmured, turning her face so he could see her.

Her eyes were bright and wet, but she smiled and put a hand on his cheek.

"I love you," she said tremulously.

"My sweetheart," he murmured, kissing her forehead.

He held her, feeling her breathing grow slower as she fell deep asleep. He realized that nothing in the world was more important to him than this woman he held in his arms, who now carried his child. He must get a grip on his emotions, he thought. Only firm control and constant vigilance would protect her as long as they were at Hogwarts. He dropped a gentle kiss on her shining curls and then closed his own eyes.

&&&&&&&&&

"It's bloody unbelievable," muttered Draco.

"Yeah, I watched it happen between them and seeing Professor Snape in love was incredibly weird," agreed Harry. "They were all over each other. But it's no joke, Draco. I won't let anything happen to her. You may think she's just a Muggle, but she matters to me."

The green eyes were icy and the mouth tight. It was the grimmest look Draco had ever seen on Harry Potter's face.

"Okay, listen. I was an ass for most of my life, but I can see she's a good person, and Snape would kill us if we let anything happen to her," said Draco.

"Did I mention she's having a baby?" added Harry, still worried by that fact.

"Is that what the girls were talking about? Merlin, no wonder he looked so grim."

"Michael would kill us too, if anything happened to her," said Harry.

"Gods, I should've known. They know each other, don't they?"

"Yeah, they're old friends. He and Professor Snape are friends too. Last summer Michael taught us how to shoot Muggle guns. Her kids are my friends."

"My whole life they said Muggles are stupid, like animals," said Draco. "Knowing Michael, it's not true, but I can't… I have to get my father's voice out of my head."

"There are stupid Muggles and stupid wizards, but they don't matter. Anyway, we're the only ones who can do this, right?"

"Yeah, you're right." Draco paused and added, "I wonder if my mother would despise her."

Harry tactfully remained silent.

Rolling his eyes, Draco said, "Before… I have to say she's changed since all this happened. If my father never gets out, and she can pull herself together…"

"Look, let's deal with my friends now. Maybe they can help us. I have to say that if we catch our prey, I'll love it. Professor Snape's on our side, so we don't have to worry about him any more."

"I'm glad to know that too," said Draco. "This has been one weird day."