Grown Up Games
"He's a fine child, Zelda," said Minerva McGonagall kindly.
They were watching Molly Weasley, who was holding Alaric and murmuring sweetly to him. Arthur had accompanied her and watched his wife with a sentimental smile. Nearby sat Severus, his eyes never leaving the baby.
"Thanks, Minerva. Thank you for all your help," said Zelda. "We have something else to ask of you."
"What is it?" asked the Headmistress.
"Will you be his godmother?" asked Zelda. "Michael's going to be his godfather, but Alaric needs a sensible female godparent."
"I'm honored," she replied graciously. "Are you hoping I can exert some influence over Michael?"
"Well, Severus and I have great respect for your judgment," murmured Zelda, her eyes twinkling. "More important, so does Michael."
A knock on the door heralded the arrival of Michael and Kingsley. The Auror was bearing a glorious spray of flowers and Michael carried a long, gift-wrapped box.
"Good work, Zelda," proclaimed Kingsley, bending over to kiss her cheek. "Where would you like your flowers?"
"On that table, by the ones Crabbe and Goyle brought earlier," she replied. "Thanks, Shacklebolt, they're splendid."
"Crabbe and Goyle?" Minerva exclaimed, struggling not to laugh. "I'd have enjoyed watching them bring you flowers!"
"They're such thoughtful boys," said Zelda, frowning at the amused magical adults.
"How can I compete with those dashing swains?" asked Kingsley, grinning broadly. "I'd give anything to see their parents' faces if they knew."
Michael smiled proudly at her and said, "You're right, Zel. They've come a long way, haven't they?"
He sat down and looked closely at her. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were alight with contentment. When she looked over at Severus, she smiled ruefully.
"Is it too much for him?" she asked softly. "We didn't plan this."
"Zelda, this child is a sign of hope," said Minerva. "After the war and the losses we've suffered, we must move forward. Severus is fortunate."
"He is, but fatherhood takes some adjustment," she replied.
"If it gets too intense, Mike and I will stand by to babysit," said Kingsley. "By the way, where will you spend the summer?"
"We'll probably be at the cabin a lot," said Zelda. "And ignore any hostile glares from Severus. He'll soon realize how nice it is to have wonderful friends to enjoy Alaric with us."
"The hostile glare is half the fun," replied Michael. "Of course, some of us work year round, unlike you academic types, but we'll be around. Draco's beginning his apprenticeship on July first, so we'll be busy.
"I'm delighted that Mr. Malfoy has such a fine position," said Minerva. "Has Potter decided what he'll do?"
"Not that I know," said Zelda. "He thinks of it a lot, but I've encouraged him to take time for himself this summer. His life has been consumed by the war. He's of age; he can come and go as he pleases. I've told him I hope he'll stay with us whenever he wants to."
"Severus doesn't mind?" asked Minerva softly.
Zelda rolled her eyes and smiled ruefully. "Who knows better than Severus what Harry went through with Voldemort? He's irritated at times, but understands why I offered."
Michael stood up with a cheerful smile and said, "I came here to show Kingsley my new godson, but Molly and Arthur are hogging him. Come on, King, let's bond with the kid."
Zelda and Minerva watched the pair go to Molly. After a good deal of laughter, Michael collected the baby and sat down. Molly left the men surrounding the baby and came to join the other women.
"Zelda, he's lovely," she said. "Even Ginny, who's never been interested in babies, was charmed."
Smiling, Zelda murmured, "What color do you think his hair and eyes will turn out to be?"
"Black and black," said Molly promptly. "Did you expect anything else?"
"I didn't, but Severus said he hoped for blue eyes."
"How sweet," said Molly. "How many students visited you today?"
"Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle came after lunch. Then Hermione, Ron and Ginny came before dinner. Harry came back alone earlier."
"Make sure you get plenty of rest," warned Molly. "It's only been one day."
"I know, but it's so exciting, so unbelievable. Besides, Severus helps me, Hagrid takes Rowena out to play and Dobby takes care of almost everything else. I feel like a lady of leisure."
"You look well," Molly conceded. "I imagine you'll be off to show the baby to your older children the first minute you can."
"This weekend we're going to Harry's house," she replied. "Severus plans to make me lounge like an invalid, but I do need to be up sometimes, to get my strength back."
"Potter has already asked permission," said Minerva. "Your presence here makes him happy, Zelda, and he's very fond of your children."
"Lily's adopted him as her honorary little brother," said Zelda. "Since she's extremely tough minded, even Severus won't argue with that."
Minerva rose and said, "I have work yet to do, so I'll take leave of my new godchild. Good evening, ladies."
Zelda and Molly watched in amusement as Minerva went to the all-male group and took Alaric from Kingsley. She spoke a few quiet words to the group and then handed the baby to Severus. Then she left.
"Do you know what's happening between Harry and Ginny?" asked Molly. "I'm sure Ginny's still quite mad about him, but they act very casual."
Zelda sighed and said, "He doesn't speak of Ginny with me. But he's adrift. He's had no home and no idea what to do with his life. Did you know he hasn't brought his friends to his house yet? He's finding his way, he needs to figure things out."
"I see," said Molly. "He seems so normal… I forget how hard his childhood was."
"I hope that by dealing with some of it now, it won't haunt him later in his life," murmured Zelda. "He's strong and he's so good, but he needs to learn his own strength. But Harry and Ginny still care deeply for each other."
The sound of a whimpering baby distracted them.
"Is it time to feed him?" asked Molly, watching as the group of men all rose.
"It seems so. How funny, all those men clustered around a baby," chuckled Zelda. "Ah, here comes the center of attention now."
"My godson requires feeding," announced Michael, depositing Alaric in her arms. "Take care of it, woman. We men are going to toast the child's arrival."
Zelda looked wide-eyed at her husband, standing with Arthur and Kingsley. He rolled his eyes ironically, his mouth twitching.
"Are you all heading for the pub?" asked Molly shrewdly.
"No such luck. We'll retire to the drawing room for a short time," said Michael lightly. "Molly, I think Zelda needs company. We'll see you a bit later."
The door closed behind them and Zelda began feeding the baby.
"Interesting," she murmured. "I can't believe those guys are forcing Severus to participate male bonding. Is this some odd magical tradition?"
Molly laughed and replied, "Arthur's not a terribly gregarious wizard, but he always celebrated the birth of our children with a couple of friends from the Ministry. I wonder what they're drinking."
"Everyone should celebrate you, my little sweetheart," said Zelda, caressing the baby's head. "I hope your father doesn't get roaring drunk and set a bad example for you."
"This is Severus you're talking about," said Molly, laughing harder.
Zelda laughed too, wondering if mere alcohol could relax her husband's iron self-control. But her thoughts turned to a more immediate subject.
"I hope my milk comes in soon. It was only about two days for the older ones."
"You're fortunate to bear children easily," said Molly. "I'm also lucky that way."
"I suspected as much," Zelda replied gravely. "Will you visit us during the summer?"
"We'd love it. Arthur has to work, of course."
"I wonder if we should set one weekend and everyone can come for a sort of reunion," said Zelda, her eyes alight with anticipation.
"We'll arrange the date soon and all plan around it," replied Molly enthusiastically.
Zelda fell silent, relaxing as Alaric suckled placidly. She wondered what he'd be like, this child of two worlds. Tenderness flooded her and she felt like crying for a moment, wishing she could guarantee him a good life. But life held few guarantees for anyone, she thought sadly. She remembered that she wasn't alone and collected herself.
"Raising a baby is so consuming, I wonder if it'll be hard to adjust again," she said.
"Being married after years alone must be an adjustment," said Molly. "In a marriage there must be compromises."
"Severus and I each carry enough baggage for a world tour. Our marriage is like a tender young plant that'll shrivel if we don't tend it carefully. Only time can make me feel it's real, so I can relax."
"All marriages need frequent attention," replied Molly. "Any two people can go through the motions of living together, but a happy marriage is much more."
"I've done the unhappy one and it was far more wretched than simply living alone."
Alaric had finished and was sleeping, so Zelda handed him to Molly and stood up.
"I'm quite tired, so after he's changed, I think I'll go to bed. Do you think the manly drinking will go on for hours?"
"I can't imagine Severus having the patience for it," said Molly, following her into the bedroom. "This is a sweet little arrangement for Alaric. It's nice to have such a huge bedroom, isn't it?"
"I like having him near us."
Zelda cleaned the baby and put a fresh diaper on him, then held him for a moment before laying him in his little bed. The women stood over him, listening to him breathe.
"They're so miraculous, aren't they?" breathed Zelda. "It seems just a moment before they grow up, but this time when they're small is so lovely."
&&&&&&&&&
A warm glow suffused Severus as firewhiskey wrapped around his brain cells. He smiled faintly at his companions, all shouting with laughter at some idiotic joke of Michael's. The Dark Lord was dead, he was free to behave stupidly and he was a father, yet he couldn't let go like most of mankind. He mused that he never could before this either. He tossed back the next round that Kingsley handed to him and grimaced at the unaccustomed burn as it went down.
Molly Weasley appeared out of nowhere and gazed resignedly at them.
"It's a work day tomorrow for all you bloody fools," she snapped, but her eyes were twinkling. "Severus, I hope you have an antidote so you can be of some use to Zelda."
A stab of guilt smote him with a painful yet comforting familiarity.
"I'm fine, Molly," he said dryly.
"He's a cool one, my dear," said Arthur, smiling beatifically at his wife. "But I suppose we should leave now. Kingsley, Michael, it's been good to see you. Severus, once again, congratulations to you and Zelda. Alaric is a fine boy."
He staggered slightly as he went to wring Severus's hand, grinning delightedly.
Molly took her husband's arm and steered him to the door, but pausing, she turned to give a stern look to the others.
"You two delinquents take your bottle and follow me. From the look of you, you're good for hours of debauchery yet, but you can take it somewhere else!"
Michael and Kingsley roared with laughter, but obediently corked the bottle, hugged Severus and obeyed.
"What would we do without women in our lives to remind us how to behave in a civilized way?" gasped Kingsley, laughing harder than ever.
Wordlessly, Michael glanced once more at Severus, catching him laughing.
"Mission accomplished, man. I'll see you tomorrow," he said with a smirk.
Severus giggled to himself as he locked up and headed for his bedroom. He felt pathetically, childishly silly, and wanted to share the joke with Zelda. The bedroom was dark and quiet as he flung his clothes off carelessly and tossed his wand on the bedside table. Cautiously he eased into bed and gathered his sleeping wife into his arms.
"Zelda…" he whispered, laughing at the very idea that he was married and happy.
Zelda woke, enveloped in the embrace of an intoxicated husband. His body was lax and he was smiling as he kissed her.
"Thank you for marrying me," he murmured urgently. "I was never happy before you, but now… I wish you could have sex, my lovely wife."
"You're drunk," she exclaimed, putting her arms around his neck and hugging him fiercely. "Are you going to make a habit of this?"
"Of course not… I've never been a drinker…" he replied, feeling indignant as he rubbed against her, deeply aroused.
Her poor husband, living his lonely, serious life all those years, she thought. Marrying her had dragged him out of that safe, cold life and now he was ridiculously, sweetly drunk. He'd feel horrid in the morning. At least she'd help him feel nicer now. She began kissing him, pleased that she no longer had that immense, hard belly between them.
"Ah… Zelda," he whispered, his kisses deep and hungry. "I adore you, my angel."
She pressed him onto his back and he lay passively under her hands as she caressed him and kissed him. When she reached for his erection, he twitched with bliss and gave himself over to her completely. It didn't take long to satisfy him, absurdly drunk as he was, and afterward she wrapped her arms around him as he fell asleep. She wondered with a smirk if there was such a thing as a hangover potion.
&&&&&&&&&
The Cruciatus Curse, thought Severus groggily. But how could it be? There was a nearby sound of gentle murmuring that penetrated the pounding pain in his skull. He hissed fretfully.
"Good morning, sunshine," said Zelda softly. "Do you know how to make a hangover potion?"
"Ah… I thought I was being tortured," he whispered, not daring to open his eyes yet. He put out his hand and muttered, "Accio wand."
With his wand in his hand he carefully Summoned a small vial from his little used potion cabinet. He opened it, sniffed it cautiously and then choked it back. It tasted horrible and afterward he lay back on his pillow, not daring to move.
Zelda watched the process as she fed the baby, compassion and laughter warring within her. She knew he'd feel guilty when he was physically better, and for Severus, a little guilt went a long way. She remained respectfully silent, anticipating teasing him later.
"Other side now, sweetheart," she murmured to Alaric, smiling when his entire tiny face contorted in a miserable frown until he was latched onto her other nipple, sucking frantically.
The soft sounds of Zelda feeding the baby, which had earlier seemed like a thunderstorm in his skull, became soothing and pleasant to Severus. Cautiously he opened one eye and beheld his wife lying next to him, the infant at her breast. Early morning sun was coming through the window by Alaric's bed and he took a few minutes to recall the evening before.
"I'm going to kill Michael and Kingsley," he said meditatively. "Bloody wankers…"
Zelda remained compassionately silent, a circumstance that was unusual enough to make him look piercingly at her. Her slight smirk bordered on the insufferable. He frowned.
"There, there," she murmured. "You know I'll tease you, and before you get irritated, remember I had to take care of this demanding child all by myself last night."
His lip curled at her blatant impudence, but her twinkling eyes disarmed him. He remembered that she hadn't only taken care of the baby either. The memory of her creativity in pleasuring him drew a smug smile from him.
"Thank you, my girl," he murmured, leaning over to kiss her.
She'd seen the memory in his eyes and chuckled. "My pleasure. Do you think you'll live now?"
He nodded, pleased that his head felt almost normal. "What can I do for you now?"
"Change him after he's finished eating," she said promptly. "I think my milk will come in today or tonight, so I'd like to shower and enjoy my last hours before I become an engorged dairy animal."
A black eyebrow rose enquiringly.
"Never mind," she said. "You'll see. But look how much Alaric has grown and developed. He's definitely gifted."
There was no difference, of course, but he had to admit that their son was quite perfect. Exhausted by his meal, Alaric had fallen asleep. When Zelda got up and went to the bathroom, Severus stayed there, watching the child sleep, listening to the tiny gurgles and snorts emanating from him. He wondered how soon Dilys would pronounce Zelda well enough to go to Potter's house. He wanted to be alone with them, to have time to decide where they should live. With Alaric's safety to consider, it was more urgent than before.
&&&&&&&&&
"I'll come to Zelda at Harry Potter's house," said Dilys. "If she rests, I see no reason why you cannot stay there for a few days. The baby looks fine and Zelda simply needs time and rest to heal."
"I'll speak with Potter, then go and prepare things. We'll go later today. Is there any danger to a newborn from Apparating?" asked Severus.
"He may be briefly confused, but everything's new and confusing to him."
"Excellent," he said. "Zelda, is this agreeable to you?"
"I can't wait to see the kids," she said. "The sooner the better."
He began making a mental list of things to do, not noticing when Dilys left. Rowena, groceries, baby supplies…
"Are you anxious to go?" asked Zelda.
"I enjoyed our time alone there," he replied. "I know your children and Potter will be there, but it's still a pleasant place to spend time with you."
She hugged him and murmured, "I feel the same. I'll go pack my clothes and Alaric's things. Let's try to leave right after lunch. Harry and the kids can meet us there."
She stood up and moving carefully, headed for the baby's dresser. He watched her for a moment, realizing that she'd paid a physical price for bearing their child. His hazy remembrance of the previous night caused a smile to flit across his features, but guilt intruded, as usual. She was such fun, he thought, and so loving. Perhaps they'd be safer living in the Muggle world. Somehow he would do it for her, if it were necessary to keep her safe.