Harry Potter and Kingsley Shacklebolt arrive at Spinner's End at nine in the morning on Saturday, fifteenth of August to go over some final details before the press conference the following morning. Danu had completely forgotten that they had scheduled the meeting for that morning, she wanted to tell them that it isn't a good time but stands aside to allow them entry.

Neither of them had slept in over forty-eight hours at this point, and she was beginning to crack. Severus was still ignoring her, would not let her anywhere near him. Draco had been kind enough to return Friday morning to administer Severus' potions and breakfast after he had stayed well after two in the morning the previous night trying to get Severus inside. Severus had finally come inside while Draco handed him his potions and ate breakfast, but then sulked back out to the garden as soon as he had finished. Draco tried, unsuccessfully, for another hour to convince Severus to at least come brush his teeth. Finally, when it became apparent that nothing would get through to him, Danu sent Draco away. He returned hours later to give him his evening potions but could stay no longer than the time it took Severus to wash them down with a glass of water.

Finally, well after dark on Friday night, Severus came and sat at the dining table after she had told him that his dinner was waiting for him and that she would leave the room while he ate. She watched from the parlor as his tall, dark figure slowly made its way through the door. After hearing him drop his spoon on the floor, she foolishly rushed in to get him another. As her back was turned to him at the kitchen counter where they kept the silverware, she heard a commotion behind her. Just as she turned, Severus sent his bowl of tomato soup hurling across the small kitchen, where the bowl promptly shattered against the cupboard and tomato soup rained down upon her, the ceiling, walls, and floor. Unable to properly use his voice, he had evidently found another way to let her know just how unhappy he currently was. Danu had managed to clean the floors and counters, but droplets of the soup still clung to the ceiling, and the room smelled strongly of it. In her sleep-deprived state, the act of changing her clothes, or even using her wand to clean the mess had never even crossed her mind. She instead spends hour after hour sitting in the doorway, watching Severus pace the garden.

He was still wearing the clothes she had helped him dress into on Thursday, his hair had not been combed, and the bottoms of his feet were black from being outside barefoot, as she hadn't put any shoes on him when she dressed him. Not that she was in much better shape. She was also wearing the same pajamas she had worn Thursday morning, her hair was tangled and matted with dried soup, and the front of her shirt and pants were crusted with the same soup that matted her hair. She knew how it would look from an outsiders perspective; she was unable to properly care for him alone.

Kingsley eyes her, an amused look on his face as she points him towards the garden door that Severus was looming in after hearing the knock. Harry takes one look at her soiled attire and lingers in the parlor as they hear Kingsley follow Severus out to the garden.

"Are you all right?" Harry asks as his eyes travel up and down her body to access the damage.

"Severus is…not happy." Danu admits with a sigh as she glances towards the still open garden door.

"Did he—"

"He didn't hurt me if that's what you were going to ask. He just knocked a bowl of soup over and I haven't had a chance to change." Danu lies, not wanting to admit that Severus had flung said soup across the kitchen when all she did was walk into the same room as him.

"It's dry." Harry says unconvinced, one brow raised at her in question.

"Yeah, I've been a bit busy." Danu snaps before running her hands down her face. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"You look like you haven't slept in days."

"That's because I haven't. Severus won't come inside, won't eat, I have to have Draco come give him his potions because he won't let me anywhere near him, and now the house reeks of tomato soup and I will vomit if I have to smell it another moment." The words fly from her mouth so fast she doubts Harry had even heard them as she flings herself back on the sofa and takes several deep breaths.

"He wasn't like this in hospital, he wa—"

"He didn't know that I was pregnant then. Now he does." She heaves herself from the couch, every muscle in her body screaming in protest, and begins gathering Severus' potions that she kept in a small basket beneath the coffee table in the parlor.

"Go, get cleaned up and have a rest. I'll make sure he takes these." Harry demands as he takes the potions from her hands and gently pushes her towards the stairs.

"He needs water after he takes them, he doesn't like them sticking in his throat." Danu reminds him as she grips the banister and watches Harry disappear into the kitchen.

"I know. Don't worry, I've got it under control." Harry shouts from the kitchen as she hears the cupboard door closing.

—

Danu wakes, still groggy after a nap to voices in the parlor. She stands suddenly from the bed and feels the blood drain from her face and her knees begin to wobble, she must place both hands flat on the bed and lean over to keep from fainting. After several moments in this position, she goes downstairs, only to be greeted by Hermione and Ginny sitting on her sofa, Severus, Harry, and Kingsley nowhere in sight. Danu peaks around the corner, into the kitchen where the door is firmly shut, and squints her eyes at the sunlight filtering in from the window. Her mouth is dry, and her legs still feel wobbly, as if she had just slept for days.

"Where is Severus?" Danu asks, her voice thick with sleep as she tries to run her fingers through her tangles hair. She had passed out on the bed almost instantly and never had a chance to comb her hair after the shower Harry insisted she take.

"Oh! I hope we didn't wake you!" Ginny exclaims as she turns her body on the couch as Danu makes her way into the kitchen for a glass of water.

"He decided to go with Harry and Kingsley to the press conference. They should be back soon." Hermione replies.

"That's not until tomorrow." Danu replies between gulps of water.

"It IS tomorrow!" Hermione laughs. "You slept all day and night. Well, most of the day. You woke up at one point when I went to check on you, said something about Severus, then went back to sleep."

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to sleep that long." Danu returns to the parlor and sits down in Severus' chair so that she can prop her still aching feet up on the ottoman. "Is he okay? Did he take his potions? Has he eaten anything?"

"He's quite all right." Ginny says as she makes her way into the kitchen.

"He is." Hermione assures her with a pat on the hand. "Harry, Ginny and I stayed. Harry convinced him to go have a shower, then he came down and ate dinner while Ginny and I went to the shops, and when we came back, he was asleep in bed next to you. I'm surprised it didn't wake you, you must have been really tired. Ginny and I slept in the other room, and Harry slept on the couch. He was already awake and had breakfast and his potions when Ginny and I woke up, then he left with Harry and Kinglsey."

"Thank you. You don't know how much I appreciate all of your help." Danu lets out a sigh of relief, thankful for the new friends they had to help her care for him. She was sure Severus was none too pleased to have them all in his home, but she could not care for him if he was throwing things and blatantly ignoring her. "I might go for a walk while they're gone. Is that okay?"

"Would you like for us to come with you?" Hermione asks as she watches Danu stand from her seat and make her way towards the stairs.

"No, it's okay. You guys can head out now if you'd like. I just need some air is all."

—

Danu had been sure to watch Hermione and Ginny apparate from the sidewalk as she dressed for the day. She had made her mind up as she sat in the doorway waiting for Severus to calm down, and now, with an empty house, she had the opportunity to go through with her plan.

The child may be growing within her, but it was not hers. It could never be hers. She had no feelings for the being within her, she did not love it, and while she didn't outright hate the poor thing, knew she could not raise it. Severus would not soften to the news. She would rather the child go to a family that would love and support it, at least then it would have a chance at a happy childhood, something neither her nor Severus ever had.

It is a short walk to Bernadette's, the place she called home for most of her life. She keeps her eyes down on the sidewalk before her, he mind clear, her jaw set. Once inside, she removes the golden band from the fourth finger on her left hand, shoves it deep in her pocket, and is soon greeted by the familiar image she knew all too well. Not one thing had changed in the years she had been gone. Before long, she was greeted by Suzette, the assistant director, with her expensive dress suit, freshly dyed hair, and well-manicured fingernails, doing her weekly rounds. Suzette recognizes her immediately and pulls her into a cold, emotionless hug. Suzette had always been one to keep appearances, even if she was a stone-cold bitch.

Suzette leads her into a dimly lit, hideously tan room, her office. If this is what she considered décor, Danu would hate to see her house. She takes down Danu's name, for formalities sake, and smirks slightly when Danu lies and says that she does not have an address or contact information. A full grin spreads across her face as she lies once more and tells her that she does not know who the father of the child is. Suzette leans back in her chair and taps her pen on the edge of the table, Danu wishes she could lean over and stab it into her neck. However, Suzette informs her that she has the perfect family in mind; he's a solicitor, she's a dentist. They could provide a "real" family for her child, as Suzette put it. They would insist on a closed adoption, of course, not that Danu minded. So, she tells Suzette that she will return the following week to further discuss the situation.

Danu makes a stop at a small shop to pick up items for dinner, and makes the short walk back home, her shoulders straight back and her face stern as a scowl creeps across it. As she rounds the corner on to Spinner's End, she is met with a peculiar sight. Ginny and Hermione were standing in the street plucking things from the road and placing them in a wicker basket, Harry was leaning against the open doorway, one arm spread across to the other side, as if preventing someone from exiting the house, and Draco was pacing back and forth just inside of the parlor, his voice loud and clear and his arms flailing madly.

"LIFE ISN'T FAIR! ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU TELL EVERYONE?" Draco shouts as Danu sprints down the street, drops the shopping on the lawn, and ducks beneath Harry's outstretched arm before he can even protest.

Inside the home, she is met with disaster. A bassinet lie broken on the floor, a glass shattered just below where Severus had thrown the book against the wall only days prior. Severus is pacing, his face scrunched in fury, his hair disheveled. Draco is pacing just opposite him, his face red with fury, his hair tumbling down his face. Severus opens his mouth to yell; only Harry had realized that she had entered the room.

"NO!" Draco shouts, startling her with the force of it. "You told me to look after your wife if anything happened to you, you told me to make sure she was okay, but the only thing she cared about was taking care of you! You don't get to act like a child! You don't get to treat her like this after everything she's done for you! She didn't leave your side for a single moment, and then has to bring you home acting like this! She ran into that tree with Vol—Voldemort on the other side to save you, and this is how you thank her? I don't give a damn if you don't want a kid, I don't care if you don't think it's fair! LIFE ISN'T FAIR!"

Severus pushes himself off of a bookshelf he had been leaning against and makes to lunge at Draco, who just then chooses to stop pacing and face him.

"SEVERUS!" Danu shouts, undoubtedly startling them with her voice, as they both jerk slightly before turning their heads to look at her. Severus seems shocked for a moment but softens his face a bit before clenching his jaw. "That is enough. What the hell is going on? I was gone for an hour and a half!"

Severus backs down, stares at her a moment, then stalks through the kitchen. She hears the door shut quietly behind him. Harry takes out his wand and clears the broken glass and busted bassinet from the floor, Draco smooths his hair from his face and collapses on the sofa, and Hermione and Ginny come through the now clear door carrying the wicker basket full of the things they had collected from the road and place it on the coffee table.

"What happened?" Danu asks again, her hands shaking slightly.

"Well," Harry begins as he sits in Severus' chair. "Kingsley dropped us off and Draco was walking up the street. We come in, Kingsley leaves. When we get in and he realizes that you aren't here, he just sort of….went mad. He started running all over the house calling for you. I tried to tell him you just went to the shops or something, but he wouldn't listen. While he was checking upstairs for you, Hermione and Ginny show up with some of my godson, Teddy's, old baby things for you. He comes downstairs, sees all of it, and just loses it. I sit him down here in the chair and Hermione brings him some water and tells him that you wanted to go for a walk, then he stood up and slammed the glass against the wall there and starts throwing all of the baby things out of the door. Then him and Draco get into it, and that's when you show up."

"I'm sorry." Danu breathes as she collapses on the sofa next to Draco, she had yet to come up with a way to tell everyone that she would not be raising this child. "He has never acted like this before. How did it go? What's the verdict after the press conference?"

"We'll know in a few days." Harry sighs and rubs his temples with his middle fingers.

—

Severus still could not handle solid foods, but Danu knew he was sure to be sick of soups and scrambled eggs that had been his only meals since he woke. He had always been a meat eater, roasted chicken and pot roast being his favorites. She doubted he could handle either of those at the time, the grease from it would destroy his now sensitive stomach. She was confident that he would be able to handle a simple lemon salmon with a side of rice and roasted vegetables.

The kitchen, to her surprise, had once again been deeply cleaned by someone. Not a drop of tomato soup in sight. Danu plates his dinner, places it before his usual spot, then turns back to the counter to slice a red apple for herself. The last several days, apples have been the only things she wanted to eat. Danu makes her way to the garden door, Severus stands before his mother's grave, his hands clasped behind his back, his long slender fingers gripping his wrist. His back is straight, his shoulders slightly bowed forward. The light spilling from the kitchen door illuminates his figure, causing his coal black hair to take on a rusty, brown color. He is skinny, even by his own standards, but still as beautiful as ever. She must stop herself from going to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head between his shoulders as she would before. Severus could either sense her behind him or could see her shadow which was cast across the garden, for her slowly turns towards her, his brow scrunched in either anger, or his low vision.

"Dinner is ready." Danu says, her voice cracking with emotion. Severus could very well never want her again.

Severus stares at her a moment, his black eyes searching her up and down. To her surprise, he comes forward, his eyes never leaving hers, and follows her into the kitchen, where he sits down and allows her to pass him his fork. He looks down at the plate before him and raises a brow at her as he hooks one finger beneath the edge of the plate.

"Don't throw that!" Danu shouts as she jumps away to avoid the trajectory of his aim.

Severus drops his fork on the table, lowers his gaze to his lap, and clenches his fist. He had only been trying to move the plate closer to himself. A wave of guilt sweeps over her as she sighs and takes her seat across from him.

"I'm sorry. You've just been throwing things lately." Danu sighs as she picks up an apple slice. "I figured you were tired of soup and eggs by now. I thought you would like to try eating something a bit more solid. I know that you don't usually care for soups."

"I…apologize." Severus croaks as he slowly lifts his eyes to her. She gives him a tight smile as she reaches across the table to pass him the discarded fork.

The two of them eat in an awkward silence, the only sounds are the crunch of her apple slices and the scrape of Severus' fork on his plate. He chewed each bite excruciatingly slow, as if he were afraid of hurting his throat. Finally, he finishes, and Danu takes the plate from before him, cleans the bits of food he had dropped on to the table, and places their dirty dishes in the sink to wash later. Severus makes to stand as Danu sits back down in her seat.

"I need to speak to you." Danu says. Severus raises one black brow at her, then reluctantly sits back down, his eyes avoiding hers. "Earlier today, want to tell me what happened?"

"You…you were…gone." Severus finally says after a few moments, his voice thick as he grips his throat with his right hand. Danu stands and retrieves his potions from the counter before filling a glass of water for him to wash them down with. She waits until he swallows them and gulps his water before speaking again.

"Did you think I wasn't going to come back?" Danu asks as she takes her seat once more. Severus only shrugs one shoulder. "I went for a walk, that's all. I wouldn't leave you. You should know though; I went to Bernadette's to speak with someone about finding a family for….for the baby." Danu whispers the last word as if she were ashamed to acknowledge the child's existence.

Severus suddenly raises his black eyes to meet hers, his brows scrunched in an emotion she was unable to decipher. His fists are clenched on the table, his Adams apple bobs in his throat. It is Danu's turn to avert her eyes from his. She looks down at her hands knotted in her lap, the swell of her stomach evident at this angle. She's done all she can to ignore the life within her, everything she can to separate what was inside of her from a living, breathing baby. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"It..is not fair.." Severus croaks. Danu looks up to see him clutching his throat, his brow scrunched, and his eyes closed. "To have me as its father."

"Don't say that." Danu spits.

"It is true." Severs retorts as his eyes spring open to glare into hers.

"I'm not giving it away because I'm afraid of what you would do, you know. I'm giving it away because it's the right thing to do. You don't want it, I don't know how to take care of it, and I'm not sure that I want it, either. It should grow up with parents who want it and love it. After this is over, if you still want me, I'll brew the potion again, I'll make sure this never happens again."

Severus doesn't speak as his eyes bore into hers, causing her to slink back slightly in her chair. She had forgotten just how intimidating he can be when you are on the receiving end of his anger. She swallows hard and clenches her own fists in her lap, desperate to muster the strength to finish the conversation without the tears she felt welling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I messed up. I can't take it back now, but I'm trying to make it right. I told them that I didn't know who the father was. If it isn't like us, if it's a Muggle, you won't have to worry about them trying to find you when they're older. If…if it is like us, then I don't know. I haven't figured that part out, yet. They'll hear all of the stories, figure it out on their own."

Severus remains silent and staring, making her feel uneasy. Finally, not able to take it anymore, Danu stands and leads Severus upstairs to get ready for bed. To her surprise, he allows it. He lets her wash his body and hair in the bath, sit him on the edge of the bath to dry his skin and lotion his body. His is silent while she pulls his night shirt over his head, doesn't move a muscle as she combs his hair and hands him his toothbrush.

"Would you like your tea downstairs, or do you want it in bed?" Danu asks as Severus passes his toothbrush back to her. He only shakes his head and walks past her towards the bedroom. She stands there a moment, unsure of what to do. Severus closes the door behind him without a second look.

Danu makes her way downstairs, it is late in the evening, the house is eerily silent. In the parlor, against the wall next to the door, is the baby items Ginny and Hermione had brought by. She runs her hand across the soft cotton lining on the now repaired bassinet and sighs. She wishes she could be happy, wishes that she could look forward to greeting the being growing within her, but she couldn't muster it. For a moment, she wonders whether it would be a boy or girl, but quickly shakes her head to drive those thoughts from her mind. If she remembered her childhood Muggle studies correctly, she was positive the child would have the obvious dominant gene that Severus possessed for jet black hair and coal dark eyes, perhaps even his sharp cheek bones and Aquiline nose.

A single tear rolls down her face at the thought of a son who looked so strikingly like his father with a mind to match, or perhaps a little girl that looked like her grandmother and was just as strong. In another world, they would name their daughter Eileen and Severus would teach her everything his mother had taught him; they would spend months racking their minds for the perfect name for their son, a son who would never know how hard his father's fists were but felt safety as he held him in his strong arms.

Danu wakes on the sofa shortly after six the following morning, her head pounding and her back aching. She hadn't been sure whether Severus wanted her to join him in bed and couldn't stomach sleeping across the hall in a cold, empty bed, so she curled up on the worn sofa with a throw blanket and slept restlessly. As she pours a mug of coffee, she hears movement upstairs, she cups the warm mug in her hands and goes to investigate.

Once upstairs, she gently opens the bedroom door, the source of the sound, to find Severus standing in the center of the room attempting to dress himself. He had done an excellent job, better than he had prior, but was having trouble getting his fingers to cooperate enough to button his shirt. Danu places her mug of coffee on the dresser and watches the gold of his wedding band reflects in the low candlelight, then steps forward to assist him. Severus drops his hands to his side and watches intently as she slowly buttons his shirt for him. Once done, she smiles up at him reassuringly.

"It will get better, just give it more time."

Danu turns to grab her coffee when Severus grips her forearm and pulls her against his chest. He wraps his arms tightly around her body as she leans her head against his chest, every ounce of tension and anxiety releases from her body as she lets out a deep breath. The swell of her stomach, however, feels foreign between them.

"Thank you." Severus murmurs against the top of her head, his breath warm and shaky as it rustles strands of her hair.

She missed the way she felt in his arms, the sense of safety that overcome her as he held her tight to him. It felt as though nothing could touch her; nothing could ever harm either of them again, so as long as they held on to one another. Severus releases her with a sigh as she attempts to conceal the tears leaking from her eyes. Danu turns abruptly from him as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed. On her side of the bed, in the drawer of her bedside table, she retrieves his wand. Severus allows her to take his hand in hers, she turns it over gently before sliding his wand into the tunnel of fabric that runs on the inside of his left sleeve. She brings his hand to her lips and kisses it before helping him stand, she retrieves her coffee from the dresser, and the two of them make their way down the stairs to the kitchen where Severus watches closely as she takes out the ingredients for breakfast.

"No eggs." Severus groans as he watches her bend in front of the ice box to retrieve the milk.

"I thought you'd like something different today." Danu chuckles slightly. "I was going to do oatmeal, but I can make something else if you'd like. Anything you want."

Severus watches her for a moment as she leans against the counter sipping her coffee. He doesn't say anything as his eyes dart between her face and stomach.

"Is that advised?" He croaks, his eyes darting to the mug she was lowering from her lips.

"Coffee?" She asks, raising one eyebrow at him. "Madam Rosemarie said it was okay."

"She is not a midwife." Severus replies with a scowl.

"No, she is not, but she was looking after everything until the midwives begin to come next week. I trust her."

Severus doesn't say anything in response, only grumbles quietly as she turns to pour him a cup of coffee of his own.

"If it makes you feel any better," Danu begins as she places the mug into his waiting hands. "I will ask them when they come. Now, would you like oatmeal, or would you prefer something else?"

"Oatmeal." Severus replies sternly as he brings the mug to his lips. It sloshes slightly in his shaking hands, spilling black coffee on the tabletop. Danu wipes it quickly and makes her way back to the counter to prepare his oatmeal. "You will be a good mother."

"You don't know that." Danu murmurs as she measures out the ingredients and dumps them into the waiting pot on the stove.

"You are patient and kind. You will do well."

"I don't know how to be a mother." Danu whispers as her heart begins to pound in her chest and tears prickle at her eyes. "I don't know the first thing."

"Molly will assist you."

"What are you saying?" Danu asks as he whirls around to face him.

"This house belongs to you, does it not?" Severus raises one brow at her as he places his mug on the table and grips his throat with his right hand. Hs voice is horse and deep, but stronger than it had been, even if he must take breaks occasionally between words to swallow hard. "Raise the child here, accept Molly's offer for assistance, which I am certain she has already offered."

"And what about you?" Danu asks as the tears she had been holding back finally spill from the corners of her eyes.

"That has yet to be determined."

"Will you leave me—us?"

"Perhaps." Severus admits as he looks down at the mug on the table.

"I can't do this alone." Danu whimpers as she swipes at the tears streaming down her face.

"You can."

"Well, I don't want to. Is it because of him? Tobias?" Danu asks, not wanting to refer to the monster who had sired him as his dad, for Tobias Snape was not a father.

"I will not subject this child to that treatment." Severus replies as he softens the crease in his forehead and lifts his eyes to meet hers.

"Severus, if I ever, for a single moment believed that you would be capable of being like him, I would not have hesitated to take that potion."

Severus opens his mouth to speak just as the pot of milk and raw oats begins to bubble and froth from the pot. Danu grabs the handle and pushes it abruptly off of the eye, spilling scalding milk onto her arm in the process. She hisses slightly, wraps a tea towel around the stinging skin, and turns back around to face Severus.

"You do not know what I am capable of." He hisses, his eyes narrowed at her. "Did you burn yourself?" He asks as the sunlight filtering through the garden door gleams off of his golden band as his hand is pressed to his throat.

"Why didn't you tell me that we aren't actually married?" Danu demands.

"Do not change the subject." Severus objects as he stands and makes his way to her. He reaches out for her arm, which she jerks away from him.

"No, tell me. Why didn't you tell me that our marriage wasn't legal? Surely you knew, Dumbledore certainly had to know!"

"Would you have listened to either of us had you known that it was not a legally binding marriage?"

"Yes." Severus raises one brow at her and smirks slightly. "Yes I would have! I love you; I respect you, and I care for you regardless of whether or not we are married!"

Severus reaches for her arm once more, and catches it this time, despite being slower than normal. His hands on her arm are gentle as he carefully lifts the towel she had thrown over it. A hiss escapes his lips when he is confronted with the red, angry skin beneath. He leads her to the far end of the kitchen where his potions supplies are kept and opens the cupboard above her head. He points to a glass jar of burn balm, which she takes out and unscrews for him. His long, slender fingers are soft and nimble despite being calloused and shaky as he carefully spreads the burn balm on to her skin. She breathes a sigh of relief as the sting of the burn is immediately drawn out.

Once finished, Severus cups her face in his hands and stares into her eyes. For a moment, everything stops. All of the pain, the heartache, even the anger that had begun to bubble beneath the surface. It all disappears as she stares into his coal black eyes.

"I care for you more than you will ever know. That is precisely why I cannot be a father." Severus whispers.

"You aren't him, Severus. I swear to you, if I ever for a moment suspect that you will behave like him, I will leave and never look back. But you won't, because you are a good man. You promised your mum that you would be a good man, and you are. You kept your promise."

"I did not intend to throw the soup at you. I behaved poorly; I apologize." Severus' eyes hold such an immense amount of guilt that her heart aches for him. His voice cracks slightly, whether form emotion or pain, she could not tell.

Danu doesn't respond. She stands on her toes and kisses him gently on the lips. Severus freezes for a moment, but kisses her back, his lips are soft and warm and taste of coffee. He feels like home. She is the sun, and he is the moon. Together, they are everything.