The Confirmation

The rain hit the window, creating a melody of its own, when Noreen Blainey – Hogwarts' Matron – entered the room. I had been waiting for her, already knowing what must be behind my symptoms. It was a matter of confirmation, not a visit to discover the cause behind my missed menstruation in combination with fatigue and nausea.

As I had been suspecting, tests revealed that I was indeed early into pregnancy – a honeymoon baby. Despite having suspected that I was growing a child inside of me, hearing and seeing the confirmation had no less brought a multitude of feelings with it. The pulsating yellow magical spark which had shown that a heart was beating below my own had been mesmerizing. Noreen informed me, that the heart of the child had probably started beating a week before. The thought of having Aesop's child embedded in my womb was euphoria inducing, but the change that was ahead caused a bit of worry. I was convinced that a child would bring much joy into our life, but I was not naïve enough to think it would not also open the door for troublesome times. Had I been doubting our fertility? No. The immediate conception of a child was nevertheless surprising. A smile stole across my lips before I had the opportunity to realize it. Aesop would not need to question his potency again – the curse had not affected him in that regard. How would he react to the news? Would he be overjoyed? Would he worry? Was disappointment or anger in the realm of possibilities? I doubted the latter ones – he knew how offspring came about and we had not taken any precautions. We had given ourselves completely to each other – no interferences, no desire to hold anything back. No, he was a man of honor who would not feel anger towards a life he had created.

I saw him approaching me – limping but apparently not suffering much pain today – when I was on my way to our shared rooms. Although he appeared to be his serious unbothered self at first glance, the twitching of his eyebrow informed me that worry had managed to creep onto him. "I was on my way to you. I... ", he stopped, his glittering dark eyes inspecting me with something akin to admiration. I could not pinpoint exactly what it was, but he looked differently at me. "A thought crossed my mind, but I think this is hardly the place to discuss the matter. "

His confident voice and the words it had accompanied to my ears woke curiosity. Did he know? Or was it a passionate thought that had him search for me? Did he have a new idea for a cure?

"I can practically see the questions consuming you, darling." Clearly amused, he offered me his arm.

"Hardly surprising considering your cryptic speech and peculiar inspection of my person", I replied taking his offered arm and squeezing it, seeking to feel him discreetly. It earned me a contented side-glance from my husband, who was used to soon as we reached our rooms and the door closed behind us, the Professor I had married sought his usual place in front of the fireplace, having taken off his coat.

"Tea?" I could still hear it raining, the greyish light immersing the room in a calm atmosphere.

He shook his head barely noticeably. "Maybe later. Come here." His patting his good leg made me move, carefully seating myself on it. I was expecting his hand to find my waist, and so it did – pulling me nearer to him.

"As I mentioned before, I noticed something", he looked at me in that undefinable way again, leading me to caress his cheek and kiss the corner of his mouth. I was repaid with a smile. "I was brewing for the hospital wing - an analgesic for menstrual pains – when I noted that you had not bled once during the course of our marriage. We have been back for two weeks by now, and I know you planned for our wedding to take place immediately after your last period in preparation for a pleasant honeymoon." He observed my reaction, but I patiently waited for him to continue, hearing in his voice that he had not finished recounting his thought process yet. "You never used to nap during the day but have been doing so for about three weeks now. Your pale beautiful breasts have been much more sensitive to my touch, their tips having darkened; and I noticed that you got sick yesterday." I nodded, agreeing with his assessment.

Letting my forehead touch his cheek, I made it real by speaking what we both knew into the room.

"I'm with child."

His arms tightened around me, a sigh leaving him. He seemed relieved, making me believe he had been questioning himself and considering an illness as an alternative.

"What wonderous state to be in." I felt his words being spoken into my pinned-up hair, one of his hands drawing circles on my clothed thigh with his thumb.

"We created life together", I whispered, realizing how extraordinary it was, what so many considered banal.

I felt his lips – which were still hidden in my hair – smile once more.

"That we did."

It was a moment of serenity, of closeness, of joy.

I broke the silence after a few minutes of peaceful silence, enjoying the nearness of this great man who had chosen me so many times.

"Out of curiosity – how does it feel to you? Knowing it was your seed which planted this child inside of me?" I laughed at my own question. "That feeling is relevant to the continuation of humanity after all."He chuckled darkly.

"Indescribable. Having the hand of an intellectual equal, that is as beautiful as you, in marriage is a daily joy; bedding you is a remarkably pleasurable privilege and knowing that I am the one that gets to father your children is... triumph."

I brought enough space between us to take in his face. I had never been more confident of the fact that we shared the same feelings for each other.

"Then fathering my children feels to you exactly like mothering your children feels to me." He took hold of a strand of hair that had disentangled itself, placing it behind my ear.

"You've become softer since we've been married – it suits you. I don't think you've ever been as open about your feelings as you are now."

"It's just the hormonal confusion, don't get used to it." The humor in my voice did not go amiss, since he smiled and asked for the tea I had offered in the beginning of our conversation.

"I would like some tea now. This blasted leg is starting to hurt." I kissed his hand, standing to prepare us some tea and biscuits.

The Saturday afternoon went over into a calm Saturday evening – an evening that involved Aesop placing his hands on my stomach, while murmuring protective spells over me and our child.

The Sharp Family no longer consisted of them alone – a third member of the family had been called into existence and was growing under its parents' protective magic.