Moving Forward

After a subdued dinner at the cabin, Zelda showed her gifts to Michael, Kingsley and her children. She snuggled with Severus on the couch, drawing strength from him. As she thought, everyone was most fascinated by the baby gifts.

"So tiny," breathed Lily, holding up a soft cotton onesie.

Elijah held a miniscule pair of socks, gazing at them in awe.

"Were we really that small?" he asked. "I don't know anyone who has a baby."

"You each weighed seven pounds at birth, not too big, not too small."

Michael picked up the teddy bear and said, "Don't put this in the crib. It's twice as big as a baby. If it fell over it could kill the kid."

"It's for later," replied Zelda. "If you notice, the clothes are different sizes too."

Severus sat quietly with his arm around her. Knowing now what she'd given up to be with him, he felt humbled.

She cuddled closer while the others explored the baby things and he kissed her hair.

"You never opened your gift from Sarah," he told her.

"It'll make me cry, and I'm having a shaky but stable moment now. Maybe tomorrow."

She sighed, yawned and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Sev, did I dream that you showed up in a beautiful suit, looking so incredible that the entire staff's jealous of me?" she asked dreamily.

"Ah, so you liked the suit?" drawled Kingsley, winking at Severus.

"He looks better in Armani than you do," she replied. "And that's saying something, Shacklebolt. I thought I'd have to beat those two kindergarten teachers off with a stick."

"Which kindergarten teachers?" asked Severus. "I found your principal more charming than all the rest put together."

"Mrs. Bergman? She was my teacher, Severus!" said Lily excitedly.

Michael chuckled and said, "I haven't seen her in years, but she's a charming woman."

"Severus was amazing," said Zelda. "To voluntarily walk in and dazzle them like that was incredible. Maybe you should have been Sorted into Gryffindor."

"No one's ever suggested that before," he said cynically.

"I was kidding," she said. "A Gryffindor might have walked into that scene, but it takes a Slytherin to carry it off."

She yawned again and they all laughed.

"Go to bed, Mum," said Elijah. "My little brother needs his rest."

"You mean my sister," Lily said quickly.

"You heard me," he smirked.

The young man stood up and held his hands out, helping Zelda to her feet. He hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"I brought homework, so I'll see you in the morning," he told her.

Severus rose, grateful to the boy for cutting the evening short. Zelda needed rest, and in his estimation, she needed him. He said goodnight and escorted her to the bedroom.

"Now, you'll have a warm bath and go to bed. You'll feel better in the morning," he said sternly.

"Yes, Professor," she said meekly.

He disappeared into the bathroom, so she slowly began undressing, laying her clothes on the chair in the corner. She put on her bathrobe, but instead of tying the belt she put her hands pensively on her abdomen.

"It'll be okay, baby. I'll always miss it, but we'll have fun together," she said. "I love you, little one."

She tied her robe closed and slowly entered the bathroom. It was deliciously steamy and warm, and Severus was removing his shirt.

"May I watch?" she asked with a faint smile.

Rolling his eyes, he said, "If you really don't find it too painful."

"Does this mean you'll cuddle with me in the bath?"

"It's the high point of my day," he said, stepping out of his pants.

He came to her naked and untied her bathrobe. Slipping it off her arms, he hung it on a hook and put his arms around her.

"Come along," he murmured.

She followed him and he entered the bath first, holding her hand to help her in.

"Does this help?" he asked.

"It's heavenly," she said. "Sev, some of this is pregnancy, the wild emotions and the tears. I won't always be such a mess."

"You'll feel better after you've rested," he said sagely. "The past week has been exhausting."

"It has," she agreed, allowing him to turn her around to straddle him.

Her belly was firm against him and he ran his hands over her changing body. His hands were drawn to her breasts next. The reality of knowing his child was within her suddenly roared through him in a rush of pride and desire.

"Zelda," he whispered urgently, kissing her persuasively and drawing her closer.

She saw black fire flare up in his eyes and flung her arms around his neck, responding eagerly. The hormones that sometimes made her ill now created heavy, languid desire that made her want to melt into him completely. The warmth of the bath relaxed her muscles, soothed her joints and added to the exquisite sensation.

Severus saw the change, her sorrow easing as pleasure began building in her and he smiled, slowing the pace, determined to comfort and delight her. He laid a gentle hand on her cheek and rubbed his nose against hers, making her smile.

"I adore you," she murmured, running her thumb across his cheek, tracing the faint line of the scar. "Ah, Severus…"

Suggestively he rubbed against her and said softly, "Here, or in bed, my beauty?"

In answer, she raised herself slightly and took him inside her.

"Both," she replied, sighing as he thrust deep within her. "Anywhere you like, any time."

Their lovemaking was tender and full of laughter. When it was over, he held her as she drowsed there, warm water around them. At last he spoke.

"Let's get you to bed, my Zelda."

"That was amazing," she mused, raising her head slowly. "Okay, I feel boneless and sated, but I'll make an effort."

Once out of the bath, he used his wand to dry her instantly, and then himself.

He held her as she drifted quickly off to sleep. She'd miss her teaching career, but she loved him and they'd share the future together. The last thing he knew before sleep took him was a small pressure from within Zelda, pushing softly against his belly.

&&&&&&&&&

Saturday at the cabin was quiet and pleasant. By common consent they avoided talk of what the future would hold for Severus and Zelda, although it seemed likely that their child would be born at Hogwarts. They all hoped the strange, sometimes violent occurrences had ended.

After dinner, Lily came to Zelda and said, "Can we talk?"

"Do you need money?" asked Zelda cynically.

Lily rolled her eyes and said, "That's not nice. My position in Geneva ends on May tenth and I want to come home."

"Even if I'm not here?"

Zelda felt an odd pang as she said the words.

Lily sighed and said, "I know. I hope you'll come to see me wherever you are, but the college has several instructor positions posted and I applied for two of them. If I'm hired, can I live in the house? That way you won't have to make any decisions right away about what to do with it."

"So you'll teach? Will you be satisfied living there after Geneva?"

"It's home. I doubt I'll want to spend my whole life there, but just for a while."

"Would you take care of the cats?" asked Zelda, realizing that this could be a very good thing.

"Well… I guess that's part of the reason why I want to do it," she said, blushing slightly. "Shadow and Muffy aren't getting any younger. They need me."

"Of course, Sweetie," Zelda said, laughing happily. "You won't change the locks on me, will you?"

"Mom, who needs keys? Severus is a wizard!" Lily said, smirking.

"Oh… I forgot for a second," she said blankly.

They both laughed then.

"If it's okay with Elijah, of course. It's his home too, right?"

"Of course it is. He's got years of school ahead of him, but I'd never change the locks on him either."

"Talk to him, and if he thinks it's okay, then go for it."

Lily hugged her mother and said, "I didn't want everything to change at once, so thanks for letting me do this."

"See if you get a job first," said Zelda, chuckling.

"I'll go talk with Eli," she said.

&&&&&&&&&

When they left the cabin on Sunday, Zelda was calmer, and since their Hogwarts rooms were very familiar, it was easy to go there without thinking too much about how her life had changed. Knowing her house would be cared for was a relief.

The air was mild with a hint of spring in the air as they walked to the castle, hand in hand. Rowena danced happily around them, running off and returning to trot by with them.

"Sev, will you ever wear your Muggle suit again?" she asked wistfully.

"Did you like it?" he replied, smiling faintly at her.

"You looked like a visiting head of state, but sexy. All you needed was a Rolex. How hard did those two have to talk to get you into it?"

"Michael told me it would make you happy," he said. "While it was being fitted, I realized that Shacklebolt knew his business when he insisted on Armani. In fact, that suit is the finest thing I own, since I never shared Lucius Malfoy's ostentatious taste in wizardwear."

"After knowing Draco, I'm a bit curious about the infamous Lucius, but I never want to be within a mile of him. That killing and torturing Muggles hobby of his, you know," she said.

"I hope he's never released from Azkaban," said Severus. "Watching Draco's progress in the past months gives me hope for his future, as long as his father can't interfere."

Rowena scampered back to them as Severus opened the door to the dungeon. The corridor was empty and they were soon inside the drawing room.

"It's nice to be back," she said as he magically lit the fire and the lamps.

He removed her cloak and hung it up as she headed for the bedroom.

"Oh! I forgot about all this!" she said blankly.

The result of her shopping trip, several massive parcels, was there.

"If the staff meeting isn't too long, will you see if Molly and Tonks want to come down to help me start sorting this? Some of it's going to need altering."

"What a womanly creature you are," he said mockingly. "Of course, my girl."

"Also, I'm going to invite Harry, Ron and Hermione down now, while you're gone."

He realized she wanted to feel she wasn't alone at Hogwarts and actually felt grateful to the bloody Gryffindors.

"I'll contact Potter, so Dobby won't need to make a public appearance," he said, sending his Patronus away.

By the time Severus was back in his Hogwarts robes and ready to leave, the three were approaching the door.

"Hi, Professor," said Hermione brightly. "Thanks for letting us come down to visit."

"Zelda retired from her position on Friday. She wants distraction," he said briefly. "But don't let her run off while I'm gone."

"Er, okay," said Ron. "Does she run off frequently?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Just stay here with her until I return."

He headed for the staff meeting, resisting the urge to lock them all in until he got back.

Harry led the way to the sitting room with Rowena trotting by his side.

"Zelda, we're here," he called.

"Come in, all of you," she said, smiling brilliantly. "It's lovely to see you."

They sat down around her and she said, "Are you hungry?"

Ron grinned at her and without waiting to hear from the others she called Dobby.

"What can Dobby do for Mrs. Professor Snape?" he asked, beaming at all of them.

"Hi, Dobby. Our guests need a bite to eat," she said. "Will you please bring something tasty?"

"Of course! Dobby will be right back," he replied, disappearing instantly.

"Professor Snape told us you left your job," said Harry. "Will you be at Hogwarts more?"

She nodded firmly and said, "We still have the house and the cats to take care of, but we're staying a while."

"Was it hard to leave your job?" asked Hermione.

"Hard enough that I'm not ready to talk about it. But I'd really love to hear what you three have been up to. It sounds like Harry's got new best friends, and I never see you three together any more."

Dobby returned with a tray laden with food and drinks. Harry and Ron headed for the table, but Hermione stayed with Zelda.

"It's not the way we expected seventh year to be, but we're trying to get things on track here before we're finished," she explained.

The boys returned with plates loaded with sandwiches and dainty little cakes. Hermione looked at the offerings and said, "Maybe something small. Can I bring you something, Zelda?"

"Those petit fours look yummy. Maybe just one, or maybe three," she replied. "Thanks."

While Hermione went for food, Zelda looked at the other two.

"Ron, can you stop chewing and tell me where you've been? I never see you."

He swallowed hastily and said, "I'm trying to join the troublemakers, so I'm pretending I'm mad at Harry for hanging out with Malfoy and company."

"Wow," she said doubtfully. "Will people believe it? You guys are good friends."

"We've been mad at each other before and people knew it, so they seem to think it's real," he said shrugging. "Some people are happy I'm not friends with Harry, but a few aren't speaking to me any more. It's funny, isn't it?"

Hermione returned with the entire plate of petit fours and offered it to Zelda.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed, taking one and biting into it. "Yummy."

"Zelda, why did Professor Snape tell us not to let you run off while he's gone?" asked Harry.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Poor Severus. You know he was gone on school business most of last weekend, so Tonks, Molly and I went on a badly needed shopping trip to Diagon Alley on Sunday. I thought we'd be back before he was. He was pretty worried."

"Zelda! You shouldn't just take off," said Harry. "I mean, you weren't alone, but still, Diagon Alley can be dangerous for a Muggle."

"Remus Lupin came along and muttered something like that, so he stayed with us and came back to Hogwarts. And I'm fine, right?" she said soothingly, not mentioning the lurker in the shrubs by the gates.

He looked reproachfully at her.

"Okay, I'll ask permission from everyone and take a troop of wizards if I need to go back there," she promised. "I really hate feeling like a helpless idiot, though. I did have an adult life before coming to Hogwarts."

"Good," he replied, his expression uncompromising.

"I do have a question for you," she said, hoping to change the subject. "I have friends back at school who want to write to me, Muggle style. Obviously they can't know about Hogwarts, so how can I give them an address where they can reach me?"

Hermione said slowly, "I'm not sure how, just yet, but give us a day or two and we'll figure something out, okay?"

"Thanks. I know you'll think of something," said Zelda. "I don't want to pester Severus about all these little things. Hogwarts seems to be an ongoing worry for him."

"He must be glad you're not working any more," said Ron.

"Yeah, he is. But he came to school on Friday for my farewell luncheon and classroom party. He was fantastic," she said.

Harry and Hermione stared, trying to imagine Professor Snape at a Muggle social occasion, with Muggle children too.

"Bloody hell! What did he wear, Zelda? I may be an ignorant wizard, but he doesn't look like a Muggle, does he?" exclaimed Ron, his eyes bulging slightly.

Zelda began to laugh hard, and tears of ecstasy appeared.

"You cynical beasts!" she said, gasping and laughing some more.

"Tell us," begged Hermione. "Did you help him find something nice?"

"Well, I'll tell you, but don't mention it to him. He surprised me, he wore an amazing Italian suit and walked in looking like a million Galleons. Every woman was dying to meet him and they all thought more highly of me after seeing what a fabulous husband I've acquired."

Harry and Ron exchanged disbelieving glances, but Hermione smiled knowingly at Zelda.

"That must've been fun," she said.

"You should've seen it, Hermione. My principal saw immediately that he was wearing Armani. She loved him. I had to rescue him from the young ones and set him down at lunch between Mrs. Bergman and me."

"He met your students too? Did he torture them?" asked Ron cynically.

"Ron! That's my husband you're talking about," she replied. "It was fun. My silly students tried to make him choke down nasty American snack foods for their amusement. He didn't like the look of the Cheetos, and they ended up having a nice discussion about cuisine."

"Wow," Ron said reverently, trying to grasp this new side to his formerly hated teacher. "So, what're Cheetos? Would we like them?"

They all laughed and the subject dropped. Harry tried to imagine Professor Snape dressed in a Muggle suit and being kind to Muggle children. It pleased him to see how happy that gesture had made Zelda though, since he felt guilty for wanting her to quit the job she loved and come to Hogwarts.

The sound of voices alerted them to the arrival of adults.

"A party, Zelda! How cool," said Tonks as she entered the room.

"Very cool," said Zelda. "Hey, Molly. I'm glad to see the both of you. We seem to have gone a little crazy with the shopping and I can use some help sorting things out."

"Our pleasure," said Molly cheerfully.

Severus watched his wife closely and saw that she seemed happier after visiting with Potter and his friends. When she looked at him, her eyes were bright and she smiled.

"It was short meeting," she said. "Congratulations."

"Are you sure you're up to dealing with those enormous parcels?" he asked.

"Not alone. That's why I asked for reinforcements," she said.

"Can I see what you bought?" asked Hermione.

"Sure, let's do it," said Zelda, standing up carefully and leading the female contingent into the bedroom.

Severus was left with his former least favorite students.

"Well? You may as well stay seated. Mr. Weasley, tell me about your new friends," he said.

"How did you know? Oh, never mind," he said. "Seamus knows what's going on but he's still afraid I'll tell stuff to Harry, so he's keeping mum. There are Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws in it, but I haven't figured out who they are yet. No Slytherins that I can tell."

"Do they ever mention Zelda?" asked Severus softly.

"No. I mean, everyone talked for a day or two after they found out you're married, but… I haven't heard anything."

"Is Zelda in danger?" asked Harry abruptly.

"Possibly, but I can get no sense of who may threaten her."

Harry hesitated, but it seemed stupid to ignore, just to avoid offending Professor Snape. It wouldn't be the first time, he reflected sardonically.

"At the party here, Professor Trelawney said some things," he said slowly. "Malfoy said Professor Sinistra acted strange too."

Severus controlled his irritation. The boy was right.

"Do you believe either one is a threat?" he asked levelly.

Startled at being taken seriously, Harry paused.

"Professor Trelawney, um, she's pretty obvious, isn't she? She's a mess too," he said. "I wonder about Professor Sinistra though."

"Thank you and now forget you said that. Focus on the student unrest, please, and if anything dangerous seems imminent, tell Professor McGonagall at once."

Harry nodded.

"Will you be here all the time with Zelda now?" he asked.

"Not all the time," replied Severus. "Her house would be empty until the tenth of May and she doesn't want to leave the cats."

"What happens on May tenth?" asked Ron.

"Lily will return from Geneva to live in the house for a while. If she's hired as an instructor at the college she'll have a two or three year contract."

"That's too bad. We liked sending Hedwig to her in Switzerland," said Ron. "Lily loves getting owl post too."

"Professor," said Harry. "Zelda said she needs a way to get Muggle post from America, and sometimes we wish we could get mail from Elijah too. So I just had an idea. Maybe I can buy a Muggle place near here, where we could have mail sent and go to sometimes."

Severus stifled his first impulse to say no.

"What do you plan to do when you finish school?" he asked with a piercing look.

"Ron and I both wanted to be Aurors when we were young," said Harry. "Tonks and Kingsley are great, but I can't see working for someone like Fudge or Scrimgeour. Besides, I'm the bloody chosen one. I dunno what I can do without people trying to use me or driving me mad."

"Perhaps you could use a retreat, whatever you decide," replied Severus mildly.

He realized Potter was struggling to hold onto Zelda without wanting to appear to encroach.

"What about the cost?" he asked, narrowing his eyes cynically.

"I've got money, Professor, more than ever, because Fred and George forced me to take back the money from the Triwizard disaster. I'd like to use it to make things easier for Zelda. The only problem is I'm a kid in the Muggle world, so I'll need an actual adult. Can Zelda come along and help me?"

"Talk to her," replied Severus. "I'm not precisely her keeper, although at Hogwarts I wish I could be. I imagine she'd enjoy helping you."

"Thanks, Professor, I'll do that."

Harry was pleased by his brilliant idea and could hardly wait to tell Zelda.