Valentine, You're the Greatest!

Early the following Saturday morning Zelda woke with a smile on her lips. They'd come to the cabin to see Lily and Elijah. The Gryffindor contingent was there along with Michael and Kingsley. It was her formerly most hated holiday, Valentine's Day, but this year she would make up for all her previous lonely, grouchy Valentine's Days. Idly she considered giving a big, sweet, lacy card to her adorable husband, but was easily able to control her dreadful impulse. She turned on her side and looked at him, this amazing and unexpected husband of hers.

The harsh lines on his face were softened in sleep, showing her what he must have looked like at Elijah's age. His gorgeous, sexy beak of a nose, the startling black brows and the thin, chiseled lips all delighted her. He was the most impressive, dearest man she could imagine and she was still shocked that women hadn't mobbed him every day of his life.

She decided coffee in bed might be a nice Valentine's Day treat, so she reached for her pretty robe, got out of bed and slipped quietly out of the room.

Although it was early, she discovered Elijah and Harry sitting at the kitchen table, drinking mugs of cocoa and talking quietly. When they saw her, they both stood up, and Rowena slipped out from under the table to greet her.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my favorite mother," whispered Elijah as he hugged her long and hard.

Harry had reached for something on the counter behind him. He tossed a small package to Elijah, and handed Zelda a large paper-wrapped bouquet of flowers.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he muttered rather shyly.

"Harry, thank you," she said, deeply touched.

She hugged him next, and looking into his eyes for a moment, she kissed his cheek.

"When did you two have time to get flowers?" she asked, unwrapping a pretty vase filled with glorious roses.

"We get around," said Elijah, offering the present to her.

She opened it and discovered it was chocolates, the expensive truffles that her son knew that she loved and had given her ever since he was so young that he could only afford two of them in a tiny golden box.

"You didn't read the cards!" he said, pretending to be hurt.

They were cheap kids' Valentines, Star Wars theme.

'May the Force give you a Happy Valentine's Day,' proclaimed one tiny card, from Elijah.

Harry's Darth Vader card simply said, 'Valentine, You're the Greatest!'

"I suppose magical people don't do such tacky things," she said, chuckling. "I love these silly little cards."

"They're fun," said Harry. "Eli says you let your students exchange them in class."

"We had a party yesterday. I love it, because I can still enforce the civilizing rule that everyone gives to everyone. No popularity contests or seeing who gets the most."

She went to the cupboard and pulled out a large bag of tiny, pastel conversation hearts. She poured them into a bowl and set it in the center of the table.

"We always have these," she said. "I bet magical conversation hearts would be better, though."

Harry picked up a tiny yellow heart that said '4Ever' on it. He put it in his mouth and it was pure sugar.

"Tasty," he said, crunching it between his teeth.

She moved to the counter and began grinding coffee beans.

"Are you going to give Severus a Valentine?" asked Elijah.

Harry couldn't quite stifle his snicker, but Zelda smiled serenely.

"You could say that," she said lightly, filling the coffee maker with water and flipping the switch.

Turning, she said, "What's the plan? Besides meeting the Healer, if you'd like. You're not going to sit and stare at me all the time, are you, Eli?"

"I'll control myself," he said. "We thought you old people would want to be dreamily alone for Valentine's Day this evening, so we're all going out to a movie and to Pedro's for pizza."

"Which movie?" she asked, wondering what everyone would like.

"Men in Black," replied Elijah decisively. "We're not seeing a chick flick this time! Titanic was too much."

"Good grief! Lily's willing to see that?"

"She knows there definitely won't be a long line for MIB tonight," he replied smugly.

Zelda smiled. "I know you'll have fun. But Dilys is going to be here in half an hour. I have to wake Severus up and get dressed, so I can get undressed and have her examine me."

She filled two mugs with coffee and headed for the bedroom, pleased to see the two young men having fun together.

Severus was stirring as she entered. He sat up at the sound of the door closing, but relaxed when he saw her bearing gifts.

"Thank you," he murmured, taking a tentative taste of the coffee.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Severus," she said, beaming.

He stared in horror and hissed, "I loathe Valentine's Day."

"Me too," she said impatiently. "At least, I used to. But this year…"

Her eyes moved slowly over his bare chest, delighting in the sight of him. Finally, a complacent little smile on her face, she looked into his black eyes and grinned.

"I have a different attitude," she said lazily.

Her smile reminded him things had taken an unprecedented turn, and his eyes drifted over her, bringing a faint smile to his thin lips.

"Perhaps I'll reconsider," he said.

In fact, one year ago he'd never imagined that on Valentine's Day, 1998, he'd be alive. Much less married to a woman who adored him, who brought him coffee in bed and offered the promise of a happy day spent in her company.

They drank their coffee in silence, content to be together early on a winter morning. When they were finished, he drew her into his arms.

"What must we do today?" he asked.

She kissed his chin and said, "Dilys will be here in fifteen minutes to see me, so I suppose we get dressed. Eli and Harry are already up. They've planned that all the kids will go out to a movie and pizza later, so the 'old people' can have time for dreamy romance."

"Dreamy romance?" he asked, his eyes narrowing apprehensively.

"Well, I hope we'll have a nice dinner, I'll spend some time telling you how wonderful you are and then we'll screw like horny minks," she said gently.

Severus laughed. He couldn't stop himself, which brought a delighted smile to his beloved.

"You're outrageous," he murmured, kissing her. "I cannot imagine a better Valentine's Day, my sweet mink."

"Thank you," she said, snuggling close to him.

"For what?" he asked.

"It's hard to make you laugh, dear boy, and I love it when you laugh. I consider that my best Valentine ever."

"You're easily pleased."

"On the contrary, my standards are high," she told him. "And now, I'm sad to say we must prepare for company."

Her reluctance to leave his arms was undoubtedly the best Valentine he knew.

"Perhaps it's not a totally vile holiday," he said as they got up.

"I think there'll be some decent moments," she replied.

&&&&&&&&&

"The equivalent of thirteen weeks of fetal development," said Dilys Smethwyck. "Are your clothes feeling a bit tight?"

"My jeans are uncomfortable. Robes are no problem."

Zelda was sitting on the bed, once again wearing Michael's oversize shirt and nothing else so Dilys could examine her. Once again they'd heard the heartbeat, which brought tears to Zelda's eyes.

"Dilys, will you do it again so Lily and Eli can hear it? It's their brother or sister in there."

So Zelda lay back again, covered with a sheet, and Severus ushered her grown children in. He sat down on the bed and held Zelda's hand while they looked on, amazed.

"You have to hear it," said Zelda. "Lils, you were almost a baby yourself when I was pregnant with Eli, but I brought you in to the doctor's office so you could hear him.

Dilys placed her wand on Zelda's belly and murmured, "Sonorus."

The sound filled the room and Zelda looked lovingly at her children.

"Wow," Lily said softly. "Now it's real, Mom. I hope it's a girl."

"It's a boy," said Elijah firmly. "I have a feeling."

Zelda squeezed Severus's hand as Dilys removed the spell.

"I have no feeling at all regarding gender," she said. "I guessed wrong each time with you two."

They all laughed then, as Dilys and the kids left the room.

Severus removed the sheet and unbuttoned the shirt, placing his hand low down on her belly. Perhaps it was his imagination, but it seemed rounder.

"It's not too noticeable," she said. "Soon it's going to start to be a nuisance. You can press a bit harder."

Cautiously he pressed down and found a hardness in her belly. He let his hand lie there and looked at her, frowning slightly.

"Don't worry. I come from sturdy peasant stock, my boy," she said briskly. "My ancestresses gave birth to huge numbers of children, back in the day."

"I cannot imagine living without you," he said softly.

She laid her hand over his and looked intently at him.

"There are no guarantees," she said. "But I believe I'll be okay. I wouldn't do this if I didn't."

He raised his hand to her face and caressed her cheek, toying with the curls over her forehead.

"I must believe it too, but I can't help but worry."

A knock on the door startled them.

"Do you two ever stop?" Michael called in a mocking voice. "It's breakfast time and we're all waiting."

Ruefully Zelda put her robes on and prepared to face the multitude.

&&&&&&&&&

A scene of hilarity greeted them as they joined the breakfast group. Dilys was staying for breakfast, it seemed, and was chuckling at Michael's jokes. The boys were cooking breakfast, so the smell of sausages and the rumble of their low voices filled the kitchen.

Rowena dashed up, wagging her tail, but then ran around to all the others. It seemed she was trying to keep everyone under control, Severus thought. He understood how she felt, although her enthusiasm was untouched by his own grim resignation.

In the living room, Zelda found the girls putting the finishing touches on small, child-style Valentine boxes, decorated with cutout hearts and silly drawings. There were six, one for each young person.

"Am I back in my classroom?" she asked, chuckling.

"Harry and Eli brought us each a package of Valentines, so I couldn't resist," said Lily, her eyes twinkling. "Everyone should have the chance to make a Valentine box. These kids have been deprived."

"No magic?" she asked, watching Ginny earnestly struggling to tape decorations on a red-colored cardboard box.

"It's more fun this way," replied the girl. "The boys are making breakfast so they don't have to decorate their own boxes."

She carefully studied the result of her work, a big red heart with a funny face on it, and Harry's name below it.

"This is much more fun that going to Hogsmeade and feeling like an idiot at Madam Puddifoot's," said Hermione. "The boys all hate that place, but they go along like hostages so they can get a Valentine snog from a girl. I hate it too. Everyone watches everyone else and they gossip for weeks afterward."

Lily's blue eyes sparkled knowingly as she looked at her mother. No words were needed, Zelda saw what her clever daughter was up to and approved.

"Breakfast is ready, ladies," said Kingsley, smirking as his eyes met Zelda's. "If you can tear yourselves away from your art, that is."

All six of the young people were in noisy high spirits, so the adults sat together at one end of the table, occasionally talking quietly but mostly watching the action.

"I feel sorry for those poor blokes going to Hogsmeade today," Ron exclaimed. "Nothing to look forward to but humiliating Valentines at breakfast, then lukewarm tea and soggy glances at Madam Puddifoot's. They have no idea there's a wider world out here!"

"There speaks the voice of experience," Lily said mockingly, winking discreetly at Hermione and Ginny.

"Hey! You have no idea!" Ron said indignantly. "It does nothing but ruin a rare and lovely day at Hogsmeade. Girls have no idea what they're asking."

Laughing, Zelda caught Hermione's eye and said, "They know, Ron. Since boys are so romantically retarded, it's an age-old pastime, breaking you all down and molding you. If it's not done when you're young, you'll be impossible later."

"It's not a totally unpleasant process," added Lily. "There has to be something in it for you, right?"

"Listen to this woman," said Elijah, having watched his fellow males squirm a bit at this frank speaking. "What a hardened wench you are, Lily. How many poor victims have you left in your wake?"

Michael and Kingsley exchanged glances of pure hilarity, which Severus observed cynically. He wondered if relationships were easier when one left women out of the equation altogether. And since no girls dragged him to Madam Puddifoot's during his school days, he wondered if Zelda thought him one of those impossible men. But under the table a hand squeezed his thigh firmly, so he knew she didn't mean those absurd words to apply to him.

"Severus, did you have a chance yet to look at Dilys's book?" asked Michael. "I still know very little about potions, but I think her research is very impressive."

Severus nodded. "I haven't had enough time to read all of it, but I think you must have worked for years to have documented such precise comparisons."

"Twelve years, to be exact," she replied. "Since you're actually right here, I have a few questions for you about a possible unexplored effect of moonstone on the rate of embryonic development. After breakfast, of course."

"Looks like your romantic Valentine's Day will have to wait," Kingsley told Zelda.

She smiled confidently. "I can wait a bit," she said. "It's just great to be here with all of you. Even you, Kingsley."

"Especially me, you mean," he said, giving her his patented winning smile.

"Of course!" she assured him, beaming brightly. "Being married to Severus pales in comparison to having met you, big guy."

"As long as you remember that," he teased.

Rowena began barking at the wall with the portrait on it. Severus prepared to rise, but Zelda put a restraining hand on his arm.

"He's been dodging me. I want a piece of him first," she said gently.

"He's been hiding from you?" asked Michael gleefully.

She nodded.

"Get 'im, Zel!" he said, smirking. "Should I get the darts?"

"Rowena," she called softly. "Come, sweetie."

She sent the dog toward the others and strode to the portrait.

"Hello, Phineas," she cooed. "How lovely to see you this morning."

"Mrs. Snape," he replied, nodding rather nervously. "You look very well."

"I never got to ask you why on earth you felt qualified to discuss my condition with a pack of men before I ever knew I was pregnant."

"I was doing you a favor. You were as clueless as they were about your condition. I thought a female must be more aware."

She frowned at him. "It was a complete accident. How would I have known? It's flu season in my world too. But that's beside the point. Have you told everyone at Hogwarts?"

"The Headmistress saw fit to say that she knows, so the portraits in her office know. Dumbledore wishes me to offer you and young Snape his hearty congratulations."

She glared at him. "Severus is worried sick about this. Don't you dare do anything to make it harder for him."

"A Muggle should not be so impudent," he said, scowling.

"Mercifully, you're the one wizard I can mouth off to without fear of the consequences," she said cheerfully. "Now, why did you really come here?"

"To speak with Snape, of course. Please fetch him."

Severus was prepared when she returned to the table, and went immediately. Zelda sat down, a serene smile on her face.

"What did you say to him?" asked Michael.

"I just wanted to say hello," she said airily. "Now, unless I'm needed to clean up after breakfast, I'll take Rowena out for a run."

"We're going to clean up," said Hermione. "Go ahead, Zelda."

Severus and Dilys headed for a quiet corner and sat down to discuss potions. Once Dilys's book was opened to the section on comparative rates of development based on potion ingredients ingested, the next hour flew by.

The girls directed the boys on how the Valentine box fun would work, and there was a great deal of laughter and silliness. Harry and Ron seemed rather bemused at the lightheartedness of it, especially compared with the grimly determined females at Hogwarts and their determined pursuit of true love.

Zelda returned after a very long walk, red-cheeked from the cold, with her cloak and hair covered in snow. Rowena danced in, also covered with snow.

"What happened to you two?" asked Michael.

"Rowena wanted to play, so I tackled her and we ended up having a nice roll in the snow," she replied. "Soon I won't be able to be so silly, and it's such a gorgeous day."

"Go change clothes," said Kingsley. "I'm freezing here just looking at you."

She laughed, obviously feeling fine after a romp in the snow.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Once in the bedroom, she realized the hem of her robes was crusted with snow, so she ended up taking them off and hanging them up to drip dry. As she passed the full-length mirror she paused, staring at her reflection. She fingered the sagging skin of her belly, pondering what it would be like when it was hard and heavy again. There was already a slight bulge there, proving that once a body undergoes pregnancy, it's all ready to spring into action again.

"I'll be humongous," she said with a sad sigh. "I wonder how Severus will feel about me when I'm huge in June and July."

Her ex-husband, she'd found out later, had cheated on her when she was pregnant with Elijah. His defense, of course, was that she was clumsy and ugly when she was pregnant. Severus wasn't a lying sleaze, of course, but she couldn't blame him for being repulsed by a human beach ball.

"Mom?" asked Lily, knocking lightly.

"Just a minute," she called, reaching for her warm bathrobe.

"Okay, you can come in."

Lily entered, dressed for the outdoors.

"We're going now, and I think we'll be back pretty late. Have fun with Severus, Mom. This has to be the best Valentine's Day ever for you."

She hugged Zelda, who realized yet again that her daughter truly was a grown woman.

"You grew up so fast, Lil," she said with a pang. "Where did the time go?"

"I don't feel grown up," confessed her daughter. "Mom, I think you're scared, but you and Severus will be great parents. I can't wait to see my new little sib."

"Sweetie, I needed to hear that. Thanks. Tell everyone to have a good time today. I think I need a few minutes alone."

"Sure," replied her daughter. "I'm having so much fun deprogramming these girls it's not funny!"

Zelda chuckled. "Those poor boys look confused, relieved, and almost safe enough to relax. They have serious Valentine's Day phobia. Keep up the good work."

With another quick hug, Lily left her mother. Zelda smiled a little and curled up on the bed. Whatever mistakes she'd made as a mom, the kids had managed to come out okay, she thought.

Severus entered the room a short time later and discovered his wife sitting in the center of the bed, hugging a big pillow.

"Have you lost your taste for society?"

"Hello," she said. "I needed a few minutes alone, but I'm glad you're here. What's happening?"

"Dilys had to return and Kingsley said he was taking Michael on an adventure. It seems we're alone," he said, trying to gauge her mood.

"Really? Are we alone for the rest of the day? How splendid," she murmured, her face lighting up. "What would you like to do?"

He sat down, removed the pillow from her grasp and held out his arms to her.

"You did say we could celebrate Valentine's Day."

"I thought you hated this holiday," she replied, moving into the circle of his arms.

"I'm willing to reconsider that. Why don't we have some lunch and then, if you don't object, I'd like it if we can screw each other like horny minks," he suggested gravely.

She kissed the tip of his nose and said, "Only if I can tell you how wonderful you are. That'll take a long time. Hours, I'd say."

His black eyes softened as he studied her face.

"In that case, the rest of our day will be fully occupied, because I must remind you how lovely and clever you are, my darling. Then perhaps we'll screw like horny minks again."

She giggled helplessly and buried her face against his neck, snuggling under his black hair.

"Has anyone told you lately that you're brilliant and incredibly attractive?" she asked.

"You," he whispered, kissing her cheek. "You're quite deluded, my girl, but I enjoy hearing you say it."

"Let's have lunch and we'll come back to bed and argue all afternoon," she said practically. "In between we'll screw like horny minks. I foresee a perfect Valentine's Day."

He smiled and gently pinched her bottom.

"Come along, my girl. You'll need a strengthening meal, won't you?"

Zelda was forced to agree that, yes, she would. She followed him, laughing.