Chapter 30

It started in his chest, flames flickering, growing. The fire was so fierce it burned his confusion about how she had uncovered his secret. Instead of answering her question, wrath controlled his body. He towered over her, invading her personal space. Anybody would have cowarded, anybody but Skyrah. She kept her head up, her jaw clenched.

"Don't change the subject, Skyrah. I thought you told me everything!"

"Right back at you!" she shouted, stepping even nearer him.

Their noses bumped. Severus distinguished the emotions in her eyes without legilimency. She was disappointed in him and just as angry as him... What struck him was that under the discontented surface he detected love. Skyrah loved him. Skyrah matched his patronus. She was still wearing the pendant of the crows. She must have had her reasons for hiding something like that, just like he had his reasons for keeping his mother's identity secret. Severus's initial thoughts of Skyrah telling his secrets to Voldemort appeared inane now.

They had quarreled before, but they had never been so irate. Sweat appeared on his forehead, suddenly afraid of losing her even though he still was mad at her. Severus took some steps back and made to leave. He would rather wait until the storm blew over than deal with the topic. After all, every time he got crossed, stupidities slipped out his mouth, stupidities that wounded the people he cared for. He did not wish to exacerbate the situation.

She gnashed her teeth. "Where the bloody hell are you going?"

He faced her ever so slowly. "Outside. I need to think. We can discuss this when both of us are calm enough."

"Excuse me?! Oh, no! No way! You aren't going to deny me angry sex!"

If it wasn't for her indignant expression, Severus would have bet he was dreaming. Her black hair was pulled in a bun, exposing her scarlet cheeks. Her eyes had turned a darker specter of brown and were filled with lust. Her chest was moving up and down irregularly, following her harsh breaths. Her fleshy lips were pressed thin. A wild beauty, that was what she was. His blood pumped at the sight. He felt a primal urge to snog her he struggled to resist and finally surrendered to the moment Skyrah grasped him violently by the cloak.

A familiar sensation went down his groin when she yanked him back towards her chair until he was sitting on it, without breaking the kiss. She was on top of him, straddling him and grinding against his bulge impatiently. Skyrah unbuttoned his pants, not bothering with his top garments. When she touched his hardness, Severus broke the kiss and let out a low groan.

"Skyrah…" he begged, displaying a sudden vulnerability.

Skyrah didn't stop. She ruthlessly kissed, licked, sucked and nibbled every single spot of the pale skin she found on his neck, chin, jaw and ears. He didn't want to be raw with her, yet the famished way she touched him plus the smoldering anger he felt were drugging him. Severus felt like ripping her apart and making her scream his name in pleasure at the same time. He was dizzy. For once in his life, he let go and let his body act on its own, without thinking of the consequences.

Their lovemaking was filled with whimpers, scrapping nails, bites and sounds of the wooden chair creaking under them. They gripped each other so roughly their skin would show some bruises later. After the shockwaves of pleasure were over, they rested their foreheads together.

"That was…"

"Intense," Skyrah finished for him.

The only sound in the chambers was that of ragged breaths. It took them a few minutes to recover. Skyrah was the first to break the silence.

"Do you still need to go outside?"

Severus considered it. During their carnal union, he had experienced almost primitive and animalistic sensations, but now he felt much calmer, as if he had let out all his anger in every thrust. He shook his head.

"Do you feel like talking about the issue now?"

He nodded.

She removed herself from him and straightened up her clothes, while he adjusted his trousers. She delibered sitting back on his lap, but she feared that would ensue another sex session, and as much as she liked making love with him, she wanted to talk now. She sat on the edge of the table, facing him.

"Remember when you asked me what my father and I had talked about in Parseltongue before you blacked out? My answer wasn't entirely sincere."

Severus recalled the scene. He had got the impression she was way more nervous than usual and she had hesitated to respond him. It was atypical of her, but he blamed her behavior on the fact that she had seen her father torturing him.

"Potter wasn't the object of the conversation, then."

"He wasn't the only one. My father entrusted me with a task."

"Creating a dark spell," he guessed.

"More or less…" Severus quirked an eyebrow. "He wants me to find out how to fly without a broomstick. He thinks that, if the Death Eaters knew the way, it would be easier to escape if something went wrong. It would disconcert the Order. Plus, they'd be able to get away from dementors… You are the only Death Eater I know who is able to produce a patronus, after all."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Skyrah lowered her gaze.

"I want to trick my father and his followers. I want to subtly weaken the Death Eaters every time they set off flying thanks to the spell I am creating. I can find no other way to do that without drawing upon Dark Magic."

"You still haven't answered my question, Skyrah. Why did you hide that from me?"

She sighed. "I want to destroy a monster, and I don't want to become one in the process. I… I am afraid you'll look at me differently if I succeed in creating a dark spell because that's the first step to becoming my father."

There was a long, tense silence. Skyrah expected Severus to be angry at her for being so insecure and to snap at her for lying to him. He did neither.

"I didn't tell you about my mother because I don't consider her worthy of the title." Skyrah met his eyes. "I have never had a family. I always looked after her, not the other way around. She should have taken me away from Tobias. She may have never beaten me, but her lack of action was abuse too."

Skyrah's expression softened as she clutched his hand in between hers, trying to provide some solace as she knew disclosing about his family had never come easy to him.

"Did she tell you? Is this how you found out?" he asked gently, although Skyrah noted some hints of irritation in the lines of his face.

"We talked on few occasions, but she said nothing about being a relative of yours, not even when I asked her why she seemed to know you so well. I found out on my own. I looked through students' records and saw a picture of Eileen Prince. The girl looked like a young version of Irma, as well as a younger version of you. Besides, Irma Pince is the anagram of I am Prince. I put the pieces of the puzzle together." He averted her eyes, but Skyrah squeezed his hand. "I think she cares for you. She was the one who came to me the first time around. She wanted to get to know me. Why would she care about me? She doesn't seem the one to gossip. My assumption is that she only wanted to know what kind of person you had married. That's what mothers do."

He snorted. "That doesn't erase everything she did wrong."

"No, it doesn't."

"But?"

"Even if she didn't do a great job when you were a child, she is trying now. We all change, Severus. You of all people should know that. Perhaps you are more like her than you realize. She may surprise you…"

He bent his head down.

"Why did she change her name?"

He sighed.

"When Tobias died, she was a right mess. There was no magic left in her, could have passed for a squib. I wanted her to forget about Tobias and start a brand new life. I convinced her that changing her name would be a good start. She chose Irma Pince. Since she had no money, I talked to Albus and he agreed to hire her as a librarian. Books about magic helped her get over her depression. Poppy and I created a few potions that helped her heal her magical core as well."

Skyrah grinned ruefully. "You are not a bad son, Severus. You care for her, no matter how much you tell yourself you don't."

He didn't reply for a long time, but when he did, he left his wife speechless.

"You will never be like your father, Skyrah, no matter how much you tell yourself you will." He put his hand on her knee. "I am sorry I kept that secret from you…"

"I am sorry I lied too."

He sighed and pulled her into his lap, allowing her to sit astride. He kissed the pit in between her collarbones and her neck, and rested his head on her shoulder while she played with his hair. Every time she landed a kiss on the top of his head, he would smile against her shoulder. Sometimes, he would turn his head to nuzzle her neck with his nose, eliciting a gasp from her. The game continued for a few minutes until Skyrah put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him against the back of the chair, so that they were able to see each other's faces.

Her rascally grin got him wondering, "What is it?"

"Do you know why angry sex is great?" she asked, eyes twinkling.

"Enlighten me…"

"It's great because it always comes up with another erotic session called make-up sex."

Severus arched an eyebrow. "I fancy the idea…"

"I knew you would."

He put his hands on her cheeks, gently guiding her lips towards his. Skyrah cupped his face and sighed into the kiss. The moment she pulled away to breathe, Severus took her bridal style, gaining a light giggle from her. His lips twitched subtly. Anybody else wouldn't have noticed it, but Skyrah did. Severus laid her in bed cautiously. This time, their love-making was languid and slow, but utterly satisfying.

They were catching their breaths when Severus noticed the bruises that were starting to show on her hips, just where he had held her. A sense of guilt seared him.

"I'm sorry about the bruises…"

"Oh, don't be! The rough way in which you held me turned me on," she said, enjoying how handsome he looked with his cheeks flushed. "Besides, I was rough with you too… Your neck and back are full of marks to prove it."

"Still. I shouldn't have been so brutish with you earlier."

"I like your brutishness, you know it." Seeing he was still insecure, eyes fixed on her bruises, she joshed him. "Severus Snape, are you telling me you didn't enjoy angry sex? It didn't look like it when you were screaming my name. I think we should get angry more often, in fact, don't you?"

He chuckled in spite of himself at the last comment. Skyrah gave him a peck on his scarred shoulder, her hand resting on his chest. She used the charm against love bites on them both and told him she would get the balm against bruises whenever they were ready to leave the bed. She cuddled him closer, letting him know she wanted to spend a few more moments in bed before that.

"Are you still angry with me?"

Her eyes were filled with a sudden vulnerability, losing all trace of joke.

"I am not. Are you?"

"No," she answered in an earnest tone. "No more secrets between us, no matter how uncomfortable or vulnerable we feel?"

"No more secrets," he agreed, huddling her closer. "I have one request, though. Let me help you create that flying spell."

"Do you really want to?"

"I asked, didn't I?"

She smirked. "Okay. I already discovered how to fly without a broomstick using light magic. I am experimenting with dark magic to turn the spell against Death Eaters. It needs to be insidious so that nobody suspects me, especially Father."

"We are Slytherins; we'll find a way. Two heads are better than one, especially two heads with two minds like ours."

"I see you can be immensely overconfident," she quipped, poking his chest.

"We are intelligent. I am merely stating the obvious."

She grinned and Severus found himself smiling back. They spent the rest of the evening kissing and cuddling. Neither of them realized that, in the heat of the moment, they had forgotten to cast contraceptive spells.

Dione was busy flinging snowballs at Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott on the castle grounds. They had just come back from a Hogsmeade trip but they didn't feel like going back to the castle just yet. Dione looked out of the corner of her eye and saw someone with unmistakable platinum blond hair alone in the Astronomy Tower. She would have sworn he glanced at her. Her momentary distraction cost Dione her defeat.

"Should we play again?" wondered Susan, still excited upon her victory.

Dione shook her head. "I'm going inside."

"Why?" asked Hannah. "A few minutes ago, you said you wanted to seize the day and stay here, in the snow."

"I changed my mind," she dismissed with a shrug.

Dione left her hufflepuff friends behind and climbed up towards the Astronomy Tower with quick steps, practically jogging. Draco was still there when she arrived. He didn't acknowledge her presence, so she cleared her throat.

Turning around, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Have you been to Hogsmeade today?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"Why do you care?" he spat.

"I just do."

He stared at her intently for some time and made to leave wordlessly. Seeing his intentions, Dione caught his wrist. An electrifying jolted through them. Draco stared at their joined hands for a few seconds as if mesmerized before shoving her off.

Dione huffed. "I've been here for longer than a month. Why do you avoid me?"

He eyed her, confused by the hurt in her voice. She was blocking the way out with arms akimbo. He had noticed in class that the girl was incredibly tenacious. He wouldn't get out of the tower until he spoke.

Reluctantly, he murmured, "It's best if we don't talk, Fawley."

"Why?"

Dione detected vulnerability in his silvery eyes, but he soon sent her a cold glare and laughed bitterly. He had never looked at her like that, not even when he called her mudblood or blood-traitor in Malfoy Manor.

"Why? I thought you were as intelligent as your sister. Figure it out."

He took a step forward. Dione didn't back down nor lift her blockade.

"Don't make me take out my wand, Fawley."

She didn't feel intimidated by the threat. It wasn't like she hadn't faced worse circumstances.

"I'm not afraid of you, Malfoy."

He was stunned. Nobody had ever told him that. He sneered.

"You should."

They stared at each other, blue against grey, neither backing down until Dione softened her expression and thanked him.

"Excuse me?" he spluttered.

"Thank you. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

Draco blushed and tried to hide his embarrassment by growling, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"You are the only person who has ever helped me when I was captive. Skyrah hasn't told me, but I think you are the reason why those people came to rescue us in the first place."

Draco didn't deny it nor affirm it but looked troubled. This time, when he made to leave, Dione let him.

She leaned over the balcony and relished in the wintry view. Susan and Hannah were still playing near Hagrid's hut. She saw them clearly. It occurred to her that maybe, just maybe, Draco had seen her coming here and still hadn't moved. He wanted to talk to me, she thought with a silly grin.

Dione prowled the castle, looking for her sister. She found her on her way to the dungeons.

"Skyrah!"

"Dione!" Skyrah smiled. She made sure no students were witnessing the sisterly scene before adding, "Did you enjoy the trip to Hogsmeade?"

"I loved it. I need to talk to you though… Can we go somewhere private?"

That was how the pair found themselves in the Snapes' chambers, standing in the living room. Skyrah waited patiently for Dione to talk, yet her sister kept her head down, twisting one curl around her finger nervously. It wasn't until Skyrah squeezed her shoulder in encouragement that she spoke.

"It's about Draco Malfoy."

"What about him?"

"He's been avoiding me since I came here… I confronted him about it earlier."

"It didn't go the way you planned it, I gather," Skyrah guessed.

Dione sighed and met her eyes. "He thinks that it is for the best that we don't talk. I feel like he is pushing me away. He is just… I can't figure him out. Merlin help me! He is bigheaded, mean and spiteful, the son of a Death Eater, but…" she trailed off, suddenly blushing.

"But?"

"I think he saved me, one way or another. How did those people know we were in Malfoy's Manor, anyway?"

Skyrah hesitated. "I received a note from someone who offered help. I met up with him."

"With Draco."

Skyrah smirked at her sister's perspicacity. "Yes. He suggested that I sent you letters through him and his mother so that we could stay in contact. I knew then that you were in Malfoy Manor, and the Order operated."

Dione looked upwards. She tended to do that when she reflected. It helped her concentrate.

"Draco told me you used to chat," said Skyrah, bringing Dione back to reality.

"We did. It was only for a few nights, but it felt nice to talk with somebody apart from Mum. Besides, it was hard to see him as the enemy when he kept passing us food in secret. I still don't know why he did it."

Skyrah shrugged. "Perhaps he liked your little chit-chats just as much as you did and it was his way to show appreciation…"

The girl rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Yes, that's why he has been averting me as if I were a disease."

Skyrah grinned ruefully. "You were really keen on those conservations… You miss him."

Dione's cheeks flushed, but she didn't contradict her.

"You must think I am crazy."

Skyrah let out a giggle then, and hugged her sister briefly.

"You aren't crazy, Dione. You went through hell, and he made you forget about it. I think you have a crush on him."

Dione choked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," teased Skyrah. "You always had a thing for blond fellas. I remember Luke. He was your husband, wasn't he?"

Dione face-palmed. "I was seven! I didn't even know what I was doing. It was just a role-play game!"

"Are you sure? Because you grew up and had an obsession with another blond bloke… That tall Wampus boy… What was his name, again? Oh, yes! Blake! You blushed every time I mentioned him and-"

Skyrah's raillery was interrupted when Dione grabbed a pillow from the sofa and threw it at her.

"Oh, shut up already! I get it! I have a type!"

"Oh, so you admit it?" she ribbed, catching the pillow before it hit her.

"Skyrah! Can you give me a break?"

Skyrah tilted her head and pretended to give it a thought, but then clicked her tongue. "I don't think so. It's too funny to see you flustered!"

Dione took another pillow that was nearby and resumed hitting her. That was the beginning of their sisterly pillow fight.

Severus couldn't believe his eyes when he arrived. Feathers, laughter and squeals filled the room. Skyrah was smiling from ear to ear and enjoying herself like any infant would. Her grin illuminated her face and made her look radiant, stunning.

"Wait!" yelped Dione.

Skyrah raised her eyebrows in wonder, yet kept her pillow lifted. Dione jerked her head towards Severus, who raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest.

"Oh, no! Don't mind me! Keep playing as if you were five years old!" he sneered, although Skyrah could tell by the tone that he wasn't angry.

He may not look playful to the students' eyes, but Skyrah remembered the time the scary bat of the dungeons had a food fight. She nearly asked him if he would like to join the pillow fight, but chose to tease him.

"Don't tell me you are jealous, Severus."

Dione struggled to keep from sniggering. The truth was that, although he was a mean professor, he behaved differently towards Skyrah. It was hard to miss the way he looked at her. Daniel used to look at Skyrah the same way.

"Hardly. I'll leave you to it. Make sure to clean this mess up afterwards," drawled Severus.

"There's no need, Professor. We are done. We'll leave the room spotless and I'll go, sir."

Dione began to pick up some feathers with a spell, but Skyrah stopped her and assured her she'd do it. The sisters went towards the door, out of earshot.

"Dione, be careful around Draco. I don't think he is bad, but he is dangerous. His father is a Death Eater. You know that. Maybe he is right when he says it is for the best that you two don't talk."

Dione's cheerfulness melted away at her words. Skyrah felt like the worst sister in the world for taking Dione's happiness away.

"I'm sorry. I know that is not what you want to hear, even less when you have... feelings for him."

"I don't have feelings for him," Dione retorted with a blush. Skyrah raised an eyebrow as if telling her she didn't believe a word. "It's only a tiny crush. It'll pass. I just need to meet another blond guy, a more handsome one."

Skyrah chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"I missed this. I missed acting like sisters, instead of teacher and student," whispered Dione.

"Me too."

Before leaving the chambers for good, Dione promised she would keep her distance from Draco.

Skyrah returned to the living room and cleaned up the mess with a flick of her wand.

"What?" she asked, rolling her eyes when she noticed Severus was eyeing her with mischievous eyes.

He approached her and curled his fingers into a black tress of hers, toying with it. He caressed her neck in the process, making her shudder, and after some vacillation, he ducked his head and kissed her tenderly, biting her bottom lip playfully in the end and leaving her breathless and wanting more. At least, Severus liked to think that her hands on his nape and her dilated pupils indicated she wanted more.

"You missed a feather," he said with a crooked smile, showing her the mentioned feather.

"You!" she cried out, eyes narrowed. She poked him in the ribs, keeping one hand on his nape. "You caught that feather while I was talking to my sister and you used it as an excuse to kiss me!"

"You aren't even mad at me and you know it," he said, amused.

"That's beyond the point!"

"It is still true."

"Severus Snape! Listen to me. You don't need to trick me in order to kiss m-"

She was cut short when he claimed her mouth in a firm kiss, turning her words into a muffled whimper. Severus ran his tongue along her lips and Skyrah soon parted them, giving him the chance to explore her mouth with his tongue while she did the same to his. One of his hands stroked her cheek, while the other explored her curves. Skyrah kept her hand on his nape. The one that had been poking him in the ribs was now running down his back.

"I know I don't need to. Tricking you, however, is vastly entertaining," he teased when they came apart.

Even though her lips lifted up in a half-smile, she cried out, "Prick!"

"I couldn't agree more. I must say your taste in men isn't very refined," he ribbed her, albeit Skyrah detected some truthful traces under the joke.

She took the hand that was still stroking her cheek and brought it to her mouth, now serious, making eye contact.

"You are beautifully imperfect," she murmured, kissing one knuckle. "That is why I love you." She kissed the second knuckle. "That is why I will never leave you." The third knuckle. "Crows mate for life." The fourth knuckle. "You are stuck with me, always." The fifth knuckle.

Severus reached for her pendant of the crows and locked eyes with her.

"Always," he breathed, heart pounding strongly.

Harry woke up with a start. He built up his occluding wall of grief and sprinted towards the Snapes' chambers. He acted so fast he did not even bother taking the invisibility cloak. He knocked adamantly. Severus was the one to open the door, but Skyrah was right next to him.

"Mr. Weasley. Danger. Nagini. Corridor of the spheres," Harry babbled.

"Potter," began Severus. "You've had dreams like this before. It could mean nothing."

"This is different! It's not a trick! I can feel it! We have to save him! Ron won't survive without his father!"

The Snapes acceded to tell Albus at last. A wise move. Mr. Weasley was rescued just in time. He spent Christmas recovering in Saint Mungo's. Harry stayed in Grimmauld Place with the Weasley children during the holidays. Even Hermione joined. He felt thankful his friends hadn't treated him differently after their conversation regarding the Snapes. Still, at the most unexpected times, guilt swept over him. Harry blamed himself for Nagini's attack, kept thinking he should have acted faster. He suffered the most at night when he couldn't fall asleep and wondered what Christmas with the Snapes would be like. Funny how one could miss something they had never experienced.

During the holidays, Skyrah was more fatigued and moodier than usual. She assured Severus that nothing was wrong with her when he asked, but he wasn't so certain. He was reading to her on the couch, while she laid her head on his lap. In that position, glancing at her cleavage whenever he paused for breath was tempting. The problem was he was not subtle about it. Skyrah looked up at him, catching his lingering eyes.

"Severus, if you want to leave reading for later and make love now, don't you just stare."

But he couldn't stop staring.

"Severus, are you all right?" she asked, sitting up.

His eyes were fixed on her chest.

She huffed. "Would you be so kind to look me in the eye and answer me?"

He brushed her breast. She frowned. Next thing she knew, her clothes were half-buttoned and his hands were groping for her breasts, palming them through the fabric of her bra. She gave a moan and arched her back towards him.

"Shit! Forget about reading. Let's make love."

He restrained a lopsided grin at her mix of keenness and bossiness. Focus, he told himself. To her disappointment, he withdrew his hand. He was meeting her eyes now.

She grunted. "What is wrong with you? When I want you to look me in the eye, you stare at my chest. When I want you to make love to me, you stop touching me."

Ignoring her exasperation, he asked as gently as he could, "Skyrah, are you with child?"

"Am I with..." She choked, wide-eyed. "What makes you think so? As far as I know, contraceptive wizarding methods actually work on every single occasion, unlike muggle methods. It is technically impossible to get pregnant."

Severus blushed. Idiot. Of course she isn't pregnant.

"Your mood swings remind me of your pregnancy, as does your constant fatigue and your breast…size. When I touched them." He glanced at her chest again. "They felt the same they used to when you were expecting. I apologize. Now that you say it, it does sound ludicrous. I am worried about your health, though. Should I suggest meeting Poppy?"

Outside, she looked amused by his embarrassment. Inside, she was melting by the way he cared and his adorable awkwardness.

"That won't be necessary. I know what is happening to me."

"You do?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows in surprise.

"It's a matter you guys don't usually like to talk about," she said, averting his deep eyes.

"Try me. We promised there would be no secrets."

"All right. You've been warned." She breathed deeply. "Sore swelling breasts and mood swings are common premenstrual symptoms."

Severus frowned. "Premenstrual symptoms? That's it?"

She nodded and bit her bottom lip. "Don't you feel uncomfortable talking about menstruation?"

"I have taught teenager girls for years, some of whom experienced their menarche in my class. I would be doomed if I felt uneasy every time I overheard my students discussing something so natural. For the record, the anti-cramps potion that Poppy keeps in her storage is brewed by me."

"Oh," she said. "That's good to know. Some guys pretend that menstruation doesn't exist and faint when they hear about it."

"Not me."

"I see… I guess I'll try that potion of yours when I get my period."

He hummed. "Maybe I should experiment and see if I can find a potion to reduce mood swings and sore breasts."

"That would be lovely. You'd be the greatest hero of all witches."

It wasn't until she replayed the conversation in her mind at night that she realized she should have got her period about two weeks ago. It wasn't the first time she was late, so she did not dwell on it. That changed when she woke up feeling sick. Visiting Poppy did not sound like a silly idea, after all. As Severus hadn't been with her when she had woken up – he had gone to a Head of the Houses meeting and was still trapped in it – he knew nothing about it.

"You are pregnant, dear. Congratulations," said Poppy with a wide smile. "You deserve it after everything you and Severus have gone through."

Skyrah choked. "P-pardon?"

"You are expecting a child."

Skyrah shook her head. "Impossible. It must be something else. Severus and I took precautions. Can't you take more tests, please?

"My tests never fail. You are going to be a mother soon. I can even tell you how far along you are in your pregnancy and the sex of the baby."

Skyrah rubbed her temples. "This is insane."

"Perhaps it is, but my tests confirm that the conception took place six weeks ago."

Skyrah's brain rewound images and travelled six weeks back in time. That was when she recalled the passionate angry encounter and the make-up sex that had followed. She realized they had been so caught up in the moment that they had forgotten about contraceptive spells.

"Sweet Salazar!" she blurted out, a hand on her forehead.

Poppy almost sniggered at her expression.

"Do you want to know the sex of the baby or do you prefer the father to be with you when I tell you? Maybe you wish to wait until the child is born to know…"

Bloody hell! Severus may not faint upon adolescents talking about menstruation, but he will black out when I break the news to him, thought Skyrah.

"So? What's your answer?"

Skyrah stared intensely at Poppy, frightened and nervous. She didn't know if she was ready to become a mother after losing her first child not so long ago, let alone know the sex of the unborn baby. She was sure of something, though: she wouldn't let her father kill her child again, boy or girl. She wouldn't survive going through such a barbarity over again. Skyrah wasn't aware of it, but her hands were covering her womb protectively. For the first time, her belly didn't hurt at the memory of her miscarriage. Teary-eyed, she voiced her response.