Title: Mountain and Shadow
Author: Cobalt Blue Kitty aka Cbc
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Hagrid/ Snape
Summary: Fate throws two vastly opposite souls, Rubeus Hagrid and
Severus Snape, together. Love and new life soon follows. But will
the wizarding world except them? Begins in the summer before Harry’s
fifth year.
Disclaimer: Sorry, don’t own them, wish I did. That great
joy belongs to J.K. Rowling. I’m just borrowing them for a
bit of fun.
No use suing I haven’t got any money. The only things I do
lay claim to are the people, places, magic, and creatures I create
for this fic.
Archive: Snape Mpreg Archive
****
“
I am too much a skeptic to deny the possibility of anything.” T.H.
Huxley
****
Purebloods; the aristocracy of the wizarding world. Tracing their
ancestry back through the generations, proudly proclaiming their
relation to some famous witch or wizard, pureblooded families often
wed more for lineage than for love. Arranged marriages were very
common, especially among the richer families, bringing wealth as
well as the prestige of a noble line into the family.
Now wizards were never an extremely large society, despite their
longer lifespans they were not prolific breeders. Plagues, wars,
roving witch hunters, and the dangers of magic periodically took
their toll on wizard society. Since the pureblooded families were
even less numerous all were related to each other in some manner;
marriage and blood linking lines all over Europe. To the noble families
this was only proper as it served to keep the bloodlines pure, unsullied
by detestable muggle blood.
It was also a deathtrap.
As the genepool became more and more restricted inbreeding occurred.
Defects began to crop up with frightening regularity. Mental illness,
physical deformities, genetic diseases, and magical weakness were
the most common ailments. If some way was not found soon to counter
this deadly trend the oldest family lines were in danger of becoming
extinct.
A few families realized what their antiquated notions about purity
were doing to them and began marrying more reasonably, avoiding close
kin and allowing love to guide them no matter where it led. Muggle
born wizards and witches and those of mixed parentage, otherwise
called halfbloods, once harshly shunned, were accepted if not openly
embraced. Those lines that abandoned their age old practice of purebloods
marrying purebloods found themselves shunned by their former fellows
and found marriages between families who accepted those with muggle
blood were now forbidden. This may have kept the lines pure in the
eyes of the aristocratic class but it also diminished the genepool
even further.
Records of those days of far past do not say who first chanced upon
the idea of boosting the failing pureblood lines with an infusion
of new genes. Wizards and witches were encouraged to take mates from
other magical races such as the Sidhe, Veela, and Dryads. Not only
did this serve to bring healthy blood into the lines it boost the
magical potential of the next generation.
Many families instituted a selective breeding program, carefully
planning each new match of magical blood to bring about the best
possible results, and the most powerful magics. There were, of course,
a few…mistakes…along the way which were secretly disposed
of in the dead of night but on the whole the plan was a whopping
success. Pureblooded families were once again the cream of wizarding
society, the oldest and most powerful lines.
However a few families took their quest for power a bit too far.
Magical beings from all over the world were chosen, sometimes against
their will, to wed and bare offspring. Even some of the darker races
such as vampires were added. The end results were indeed powerful,
perhaps the most powerful of all, but also exhibited some decidedly
non-human physical and magical traits. Even now marriages were screened
among these families for possible genetic anomalies.
Today the practice of racial interbreeding is only used on uncommon
occasions such as love or to refresh the genepool to prevent backsliding
into the bottleneck which once threatened their very existence.
Of those that branched off, turning to the mixedbloods and muggle
bred, many were still around though diminished in wealth and status,
dropping down to the level of middle class. In an irony that was
lost on the pureblood families most of the children carrying muggle
blood in their veins were equal in power to many of the children
produced from the pure lines, all done without the risks magical
interbreeding produced.
*~*~*~*
Severus pushed his hair back out the way for the hundredth time,
staring down at the simmering potion with a mingled air of fear and
perhaps a touch of…was it longing?
It was impossible of course. Severus was no fool; he regularly dosed
himself with a contraceptive potion to prevent possible situations
such as this from ever occurring. Each batch was freshly made to
ensure maximum effect with materials he himself had gathered that
day. No tampering, no old and stale ingredients, everything was perfect.
So where was this strange morning malady stemming from?
Even after throwing up for the seventh morning in a row Severus refused
to believe it could be true. Mind shying away from the possibility
Snape tried to explain his symptoms; reluctantly admitting that maybe
he just might’ve made a mistake in writing down the timing
of his cycles. Yes, he had marked the wrong starting or finishing
day somewhere and thrown his whole chart off. Still the thought of
the other reason plagued him, hounding him till, with a string of
nasty little curses, Snape began preparing a very special potion.
Noticing the mixture was at the right consistency Severus picked
up a sharp needle and pricked one fingertip, red blood welling up
almost immediately. Pressing on the flesh he forced the dark colored
drops to fall into the cauldron. Hissing, the yellow fluid absorbed
the blood and began to bubble.
Snape barely contained himself. He desperately wanted to pace, to
wring his hands, anything to wear down this nervous energy that possessed
him.
A proper potion had to brew at its own pace; Severus knew this better
than anyone else. But never had there been so much riding on the
results. If the potion remained yellow then all his fears and worries
were over nothing, but if it turned blue…
After what seemed an eternity the brew stilled and settled down,
still yellow. Severus was just about to breathe a deep sigh of relief
when the potion began to darken, the fluid changing before his startled
eyes. Blue. It was turning blue.
By all the Gods, it was turning blue.
There wasn’t any doubt in the results. Severus hadn’t
made a single mistake, the mix was perfect. So therefore the results
were unquestionable.
He was pregnant.
Pregnant.
With child.
Expecting, knocked up, up the duff.
What on earth was he going to do?
Well, just standing there staring at the blue-filled cauldron wasn’t
going to solve anything. Confused and a tad bit terrified Severus
made his way over to his desk and collapsed into the chair.
Once he settled down and began to think the problem through rationally
some things began to make more sense while others became more puzzling.
Why he believed the contraceptive potion would work any better than
the potions he brewed for menstrual symptoms Severus couldn’t
say for sure save to put it down to a momentary lapse of sanity.
It was only a matter of time before he conceived if the potion failed
to work after a few hours as did the menstrual potions.
But what was he to do?
Just because he was pregnant didn’t mean he had to stay that
way. He was a Potions Master after all and knew at least two dozen
potions which would quickly and painlessly rid him of this unexpected
condition.
It would be simple; just walk into the storeroom, pull a bottle off
the shelf and drink it. Of course there’d be a bit of a mess
after his body expelled the contents of his womb, easily dealt with
by a simple discarding charm. All done, just like that.
It was so simple.
So simple it sickened him.
During all the time he followed Voldemort Severus had never harmed
a child and he be damned to the lowest levels of hell if would start
now. He would only choose that path should there prove to be something
seriously wrong with the fetus.
Throwing aside the thought of aborting it left Severus harboring
the idea of keeping the child and raising it. Adoption was out of
the question, he wouldn’t abandon one of his own flesh and
blood, especially to a system whose failures had spawned creatures
such as Voldemort and so many other children.
But could he carry this child to term? Could he deliver it or would
it have to be surgically taken from his body.
Was the child normal, or was his body even now harboring a monster,
a strong possibility given his family’s genetic background.
So many questions were running through his brain and there wasn’t
a soul he could turn to for answers. Poppy was definitely out of
the question, she’d probably hex him or slip one of those same
abortion potions he’d been considering earlier into his drink
at the first possible opportunity, the same held true for the staff
at the Hogsmeade clinic. Books from the library would only tell him
so much, the rest he’d have to guess about.
Perhaps Rubeus knew of someone who might offer their assistance despite
his less than pristine past and their mixed bl—
Rubeus!
Fear and apprehension suddenly gripped his heart. What would he do
if Hagrid didn’t want children with him? What if he rejected
it and Severus as well? No, no that wasn’t possible.
Hagrid absolutely adored children, all one had to do was look at
him teaching to see that. And the half-giant had already professed
his love for Severus and the proof of that was currently hanging
about his neck on a silver chain. Rubeus would probably jump for
joy when Snape broke the news that he was going to be a father.
The second biggest question remaining unanswered was how the Headmaster,
staff, and the students were likely to react to this little bombshell
once he dropped it.
Hooch, Wright, and Vector would support him whole heartedly. They
mainly argued between each other for sport and never meant any of
the spoken snide remarks. Of all the teachers those three were the
ones who accepted him and never once condemned him for his past mistakes.
When push came to shove each one would be there for him just as in
times past. Thinking further Severus added Filch to the list. The
school’s caretaker was a mean spirited and spiteful man but
had never done ill towards him. They discreetly kept their friendship
out of sight, better for both of them if no one else knew or they
might take advantage of it. Sinestra, Binns, and Sprout would without
a doubt attempt to cause as much trouble as possible. Binns being
a ghost couldn’t do very much and so wasn’t anything
to worry about. But the Astronomy and Herbology teachers were another
matter. Each woman was a skilled witch, he having felt their hexes
all too often to doubt that, and Sprout’s intimate knowledge
of plants and their uses was a serious threat. Of McGonagall, Flitwick,
and Hudson matters were rather gray. Severus just couldn’t
figure out where their opinions might fall.
Whoever took over Divinations would have to be watched closely and
annoyed as little as possible. He didn’t want to make another
enemy, especially not now when he had more than himself to consider.
Lupin’s position as temporary DADA teacher could only lead
to trouble. While he doubted the werewolf would attempt to harm him
and his child that damned mutt Black would jump at the chance to
kill them both at the first opportunity. Severus held little hope
of there ever being even a working truce between them. Sirius hated
him, he hated Sirius, and that was that.
The other wizard had proven by past actions that he was capable of
murder and who would hold him responsible for Snape’s death?
There wasn’t a single Ministry Judge who would convict Black,
should he ever be cleared of his first charge of murder, for killing
a Death Eater no matter how much Severus had reformed.
Dumbledore would be disappointed. The man certainly hadn’t
been the same since Severus’ cover had been blown. Gone were
the days when he and Albus would set and discuss matters over tea,
or when Severus would retreat to the Headmaster’s rooms to
recover after the old wizard had cleared away the latest batch of
hexes infesting his body. Now Dumbledore barely even acknowledged
him at the staff table at meals. What would the old man think about
this?
Doubtlessly the students would be shocked. Not only because he was
a pregnant man but because they thought him incapable of such emotions
as love and passion. Those children from muggle homes would have
the most trouble understanding and accepting. Many muggles had such
a strict view on sex, what formed a proper couple, and would no doubt
have passed on such prejudices onto their young.
Of the children from his own house of Slytherin he could expect support
only from those he’d moved into the new dorms. The old dorm
were full of Death Eater spawn deeply steeped in their parent’s
ideas about purebloods and the Dark Lord and would happily attempt
to murder him in Voldemort’s name. The other houses might be
vocal about his marriage and impending motherhood but they wouldn’t
hurt either of them. A rare number might even offer to help, and
with his limited list of friends Severus needed all the help he could
get.
“
What am I thinking!!?” He blurted out, jumping to his feet
and beginning to pace. “I don’t even know if I can carry
this..this..whatever!”
He remembered reading about some hideously malformed child that would
crop up as the occasional unfortunate couple stumbled across a bad
genetic combination. These poor little waifs were put out of their
misery as quickly as possible. Severus doubted if he could perform
that task on his own child after he had carried it under his heart
for nine months no matter what its condition was. But there were
enough monsters in the world without him birthing another.
Potions could only test so far. There were spells that could detect
such deformities while the fetus was still young, allowing the parents
to decide whether or not to abort the child or take their chances.
Unfortunately he couldn’t perform those spells himself.
He needed another’s aid. Someone who possessed a bit of midwife
training.
But there was no one who he cou—
“
Agnus!” He breathed suddenly; hope springing up in his chest.
Grabbing his cloak Severus dashed out of his quarters and down the
halls, heading for the nearest secret exit. If he hurried he could
be gone and back before the Great Hall filled for breakfast.
Hogsmeade was like every village in Europe, it had its shadier side.
People who were shunned by their fellow wizards for one reason or
another, dark wizards, undesirable half-breeds, thieves, and the
poor gathered in these areas for mutual comfort and security. Few
reputable Mediwitches would put their lives on the line by entering
such areas just to treat an ill patient so the people turned to those
who had some skill in healing magic or herblore and hoped for the
best.
Sticking to the shadows Severus snuck around the corner and ducked
into an abandoned building just as a couple of Aurors walked by.
He froze, not a single muscle moved, no breath to stir the air in
his lungs, to give away his presence. The black clad wizard easily
blended in with the dark shadows cast by the edge of morning and
finally breathed a sigh of relief as he listened to them turn the
corner, discussing whose turn was it to buy the butterbeer this time.
Snape double checked to see that the wizards were really gone before
continuing his journey.
The house at the end of the lane wasn’t pretty even in this
faint light. Badly in need of a good paint job, some stonework, and
windows replaced, it nevertheless was habitable. Severus knocked
and waited. Agnus wasn’t as young as she once was and he had
to be patient; allowing time for her to hobble over to the door.
“
Now what’s going on here,” she grumbled, rubbing the
sleep from her eyes. “Here now, Severus? What’re you
doing here?”
Bustling past the old witch Severus waited till she locked the door
to answer. “I need your help Agnus, I need to cast a couple
of spells for me.”
“
What? Are you hurt again?” Now wide awake the old woman snatched
up her wand and ran it up and down the younger wizard. “Had
another run in with those stupid vermin did you?”
“
No, no,” he pushed her wand aside. “I’m not injured,
I…I think I may be…pregnant.”
Agnus blinked. That certainly wasn’t what she was expecting
to hear. Luckily at her age she’d seen just about everything
and quickly got over her shock. “Well then, let’s start
by confirming that,” She rolled up her sleeves. “Let’s
me see, a simple pregnancy test spell to begin with.” And so
saying Agnus spun her wand in a particular pattern before calling
out the spell.
“
Gravido!”
Severus felt a tingle in his stomach and looked to see a warm golden
glow emanating from there, forever casting out any linger doubts
he might’ve had about his brewing skills.
“
Yep, you’re pregnant all right.” The old witch cackled
softly.
“
Can you cast the gene screening spells?” He looked up her with
an expressions she’d never seen the boy have in all the years
she’d known him; hope. It was extremely painful for her to
disappoint him.
“
I’m sorry lad, but those spells, they’re way beyond my
poor skills.” Agnus shook her head sadly, white hairs escaping
from her loose bun. “You need to find a better healer than
this ragged old witch. The only thing I can tell you is that you
are indeed pregnant.” It took about two minutes for the full
truth of that one little sentence to settle into Snape's brain. By
that time the old herb healer was getting worried. She was just about
to reach for her wand again when the Professor abruptly stood, mumbled
something unintelligible, and nearly ran out of the room.
Snape strained to keep his pace normal till he was out of the possible
sight of anyone before he apparated to the edge of the Hogwarts wards
from which point he ran. (Pregnant....I'm..Pregnant..)
Thankfully it wasn’t even six in the morning yet so many of
the school's inhabitants were in still in their beds; very few were
awake to see their Potions Master make an unconscious beeline for
the Gameskeeper's hut.
*~*~*~*
Gliding silently through the trees the Forbidden Forest’s
latest inhabitant surveyed his new domain. It certainly wasn’t
the same as his race’s ancestral range; different trees, different
weather, but the Quetzal found this new territory much to his liking.
The forest teemed with life; abundant plants supported a wide variety
of potential prey animals.
There were even a few familiar, and tasty, creatures here from his
former range. The great spider he’d devoured two days ago was
a pleasant surprise to discover here. The eight legger’s flesh
was greatly prized by his kind for its sweet meat and for the nourishment
it provided to those about to nest.
Shelter proved to be no problem. The entire forest was littered with
dense thickets, high trees, rocky outcroppings, and caves. He’d
established four den sites already and looked the make two or three
more.
When the time came for him to lay his next batch of eggs he’d
have one site picked out and prepared. Sad though he was for the
loss of his race’s ancient territory the great winged serpent
knew life must go on. He was alive, in a new territory blessed with
great potential, and eager to see his kind filling the sky once more.
One beat of those magnificent wings took him above the tree tops
where just off to his right he could see the high towers of the two
legs building. Idly he wondered how the pair of two legs who had
saved his life were doing. So with a lazy purr he tilted his wings
and drifted towards the big two leg’s den near the edge of
the forest. Once he was within sight of his destination the Quetzal
dropped back into the sheltering trees and picked one to perch in.
No feet needed here; his body merely draped across several thick
limbs quite comfortably. Golden eyes scanning the area they easily
spotted the smaller two legs coming towards the den at a fast pace.
There was an air of fear and confusion about the two leg that concerned
him. Perhaps a closer look was in order.
*~*~*~*
Hagrid looked up from his tea as the door to his home burst open.
Black eyes lit with pleasure as he watched his husband shut the door
and quickly lock it.
"
Sev’rus? What brings yeh here this afternoon?" The large
man rose to greet his guest. "I thought it was tonight yeh was
coming."
It was only when he was a little closer did Hagrid notice the state
Snape was in. "Here now, what's going on? Sev’rus are
yeh all rights? Yeh look whiter than a sheet."
Snape blinked. He had intended to return to his dungeons, what then
had possessed him to come here? What if one of the staff saw? Or
worse, one of the students?
"
Come here, set down an’ I'll fetch yeh a cup o’ tea." The
half-giant guided his stunned husband over and with gentle pressure
forced him to sit.
Very soon a warm cup of familiar steaming brew was forced into his
hands, the aroma seeping its way into his brain, lifting up this
awful cloud. He had to hold the cup with both hands, one shook far
too much to be considered safe for use.
"
Now what's got yeh inter such a knot?" Hagrid settled back into
his oversized chair.
"
I..I'm..." He couldn't say it, not out loud, not to this man
but he had to, he had to.
"
Can't be that bad."
( You have no idea.) Severus ran one trembling hand through his silken
hair. Thanks to Hagrid supplying him with the recipe for the unicorn
shampoo there wasn't an ounce of oil in his ebony locks; rather it
was as fine and silken as the most expensive pelts.
"
I'm pregnant."
*CRASH!!* Tea slowly soaked into the stones at Hagrid's feet amidst
the shattered remains of his oversized teacup. "Yeh d-did, did
yeh jus’ say yeh’re..that yeh’re pregnant??" Hagrid's
booming voice had dropped to a strangled whisper.
“
Old Agnus just confirmed my potions finding.”
Snape’s voice mirrored his spouse’s.
“
Gallopin’ Gorgons!” Hagrid breathed. “How?”
“
How?! What do you mean how?” Severus snapped. “You know
damn well how!!”
“
Oh…rights. What I meant was how did it happen, yeh was takin’ that
potion right?”
“
I must have developed an immunity to it.”
Silence reigned over the small hut’s interior for several minutes;
its weight setting uneasily for once over the two men till Hagrid
couldn’t stand it anymore.
“
What’re yeh plannin’ ter do?” Wringing his hands
absently Hagrid waited for an answer. After the initial shock had
worn off the half giant was warming to the idea of a child at mach
speed. A little boy or girl, a little bit of him and Severus all
mixed together. What would he or she look like? Whichever one they
had would definitely have black hair and eyes, perhaps be a bit taller
than other children of the same age. Whatever it was, male or female,
beautiful or ugly (which he was certain they would never produce),
their baby were going to be absolutely adorable, he’d love
it all the same.
“
I…don’t know.” Snape kept his eyes averted, unable
to meet the other man’s black orbs. “I don’t know.” “Do
yeh want’s ter keep it?” Hagrid’s voice had taken
to shaking as much as his hands were doing.
“
It doesn’t matter whether I want to keep it or not! I have
obligations to the school, to the Headmaster.
Then there’s Voldemort, he’s still out there, still wanting
to finish what he started, to punish me for betraying him. And let’s
not forget the Death Eaters and their children and..and…”
“
And what?”
Severus stood before the large fireplace, arms crossed, hands gripping
his arms so tightly Hagrid was sure there’d be bruises there
by evening.
“
What if…what if it’s not…right?” Severus
whispered almost so low Hagrid had to strain to hear it.
“
Not right?”
Turning Severus finally found the strength to meet Rubeus’ eyes.
He had to see the other man’s expression when this dark truth
came bubbling to the surface. What would he do? Would Hagrid be disgusted?
Shocked? Angry? Would the half giant turn from him?
“
You’ve noticed my eyes Rubeus, how black they were, you’ve
stated on many occasions during our times together. Black eyes, black,
a color which is utterly impossible for any normal witch or wizard
to possess.”
“
Jus’ goes ter show that yer special Sev’rus.”
“
No! No it doesn’t! What it shows is that I’m not entirely
human!” He shouted, his whole body shaking with nerves. “My
family has been interbreeding with other magical species for many
generations now, adding more and more non-human genes into the bloodline.” He
gave a short bitter laugh. “There have been so many interbreedings
I’m not even sure that I can rightly be called human.”
“
Sev’rus, I fell in love with yeh, not yer blood.”
“
And what about this baby? Would you love it if it came out looking
like some mangled cat? Have extra eyes or limbs? Covered in fur,
scales, or feathers, perhaps all three?”
“
We can get it checked.”
Severus laughed bitterly. “By who? Certainly not Poppy or those
beasts at the Clinic, both would be more inclined to kill us both
than to determine whether or not it’s all right genetically.”
“
We’ll find someone.”
“
They would have to work in secret. Lucius has connections that reach
out a great deal farther than the Ministry. So long as he and idiot
Fudge, who incidentally would allow Malfoy to do anything he damn
well wanted to, are still in power I’ll never be safe.”
“
Dumbledore would see ter it.” How Hagrid moved from the chair
to now standing behind his back so quickly without making a single
sound was something he really should ask about someday. Large, strong
hands set to kneading the smaller man’s shoulders, easing away
the tension there.
Eyes closed Snape leaned back, resting his head against Hagrid’s
broad expanse of chest. Turning his head the black clad man pressed
his ear down, listening to the steady heartbeat.
“
Tell me,” the big man’s voice rumbled deep in his chest,
sending little shivers through Snape’s smaller frame. “Do
yeh wants ter keep it?”
“
Rubeus..”
“
Do yeh wants it?”
“
Yes, Merlin help me, I do.” Tears ran down his face. “But
how can we--.”
“
Quit yer worryin’ fer now then.” He kissed the top of
his husband’s hair. “We’ll think o’ somethin’.
We’d best be goin’, breakfast is goin’ ter start
soon.”
*~*~*~*
Peering through the clear covered hole in the two leg’s den
the Quetzal was able to see and hear much of what the pair inside
discussed. So the smaller one, Sev’rus was what he was called,
was carrying now but believed the young inside him might be sick.
He seemed very distressed about it and feared other two legs would
hurt and kill him and his young rather than help them. The larger,
Sev’rus called him Rubeus, was calmer but to the winged serpent’s
sharp nose, eyes, and ears no less concerned than his mate. But he
hid it well and calmed Sev’rus down and now together they left
heading for the much larger dwelling where a great many, though quite
younger, two legs lived. Quietly as he came the Quetzal slipped back
into the forest vowing to return soon. This bore watching.
*~*~*~*
Severus and Hagrid made it just in time. The Great Hall was packed
and children were eagerly awaiting the Headmaster’s morning
announcements. Both men took their usual seats and waited.
Dumbledore rose and the hall became silent.
“
As you all know Professor Trelawney, our Divinations teacher, was
called away on family business and not expected to return for some
time, thus leaving us bereft of anyone to fill her position. Luckily
Sybil left a list of potential teachers whom I have contacted. Luckily
one was within the area doing research and was willing to accept
the position. I present to you our newest Divinations teacher Professor
Gideon Lockhart.”
The anticipation that had been building in the hall’s inhabitants
just dropped into the lowest dungeons.
Everyone remembered what a horrible DADA teacher Gilderoy Lockhart
was, what on earth possessed the Headmaster to hire this Gideon Lockhart
as the Divinations teacher. If the two men were related in any way
at all it was a sure bet he was just as incompetent as the first
Lockhart. Through the main doors came a young man, perhaps 28 or
30, with golden wavy hair, deep blue eyes, and a handsome face. His
lean body was clad in a white silk shirt with billowing sleeves and
a frilly bit of cloth at the neck held in place by a large deep blue
gemstone brooch. His pants were a deep blue which matched both his
eyes and off the shoulder cloak. There was enough resemblance between
this Gideon and the former Professor Lockhart that there was no doubt
they must be related in some way.
“
Now I must ask for all you, staff and students alike, to be kind
towards our newest Professor and assist him whenever possible since
he does not know Hogwarts as well as we do.” With that said
the old wizard sat down and dug into his meal.
Severus was ready to bang his head against the tabletop. Another
Lockhart, another bumbling idiot to deal with, as if he didn’t
have enough stressful matters sitting on his shoulders. His only
consolation was there was very little danger that the man might foul
up and kill one or all of his students during a lesson. It only got
worse as the smiling young wizard took the empty seat besides the
black clad Potions Master.
“
Good Morning, You’re Professor Snape aren’t you? Headmaster
Dumbledore said I would be setting next to you from now on. A pleasure
to meet you.” The new teacher held out his hand in greetings.
Severus eyed the outstretched hand warily, attempting to discern
whether there was some hidden hex placed on the appendage before
grasping it in a firm handshake.
Was he imagining it or had the younger wizard’s eyes glowed
faintly when their skin came into contact?
Severus blinked and it was gone so perhaps it was only the candlelight
reflecting back at an odd angle.
“
The feeling is mutual.” Snape couldn’t quite hide the
sarcasm that coated his reply.
Gideon released his hand. “I’ve been meaning to owl you
for some time now. I wanted to ask about some ancient potions for
my research.”
Potions? This man wanted to ask about potions?
“
I’ve come across some old potions formulas that were once used
as a divinations tool that aren’t listed in any of the potions
tomes I’ve been able to find. I haven’t tried them myself.
I would like your opinion on their structure before I go any further
in my work.”
Now his interest was peaked. New potions, more than one by his use
of the plural potions, ones long lost to the wizarding world, and
this young man was asking if he’d like to examine them. Was
he joking?? Severus lived for such things. Analyzing, brewing, and
testing new, or ancient, potions for their potential use was his
life’s work.
“
I would be interested to see these formulas.”
Lockhart beamed. “Wonderful! I could bring them down to your
dungeons; just let me know the time and day.” “I will
let you know.”
The conversation died down after that and both men ate their morning
meal in silence. Severus didn’t eat that much, his apprehensions
about his physical state and the morning sickness that went with
it took the edge off his appetite. Hagrid finished and said his goodbyes
since he had classes to go set up for, giving Snape’s shoulder
one casual squeeze to reassure him as he went by. Severus sighed,
thankful for Rubeus’ discreet support but wishing there was
a lot more of it. He didn’t know how he was going to get through
the day like this. He didn’t know which one was worse; the
nerves or the nausea.
“
Well, I’m off.” Gideon said as he finished. “Must
make sure everything’s ready.”
“
Who are you teaching first?” Severus hated asking but he reminded
himself he was trying to keep this new teacher from hating him so
if a little question now and then kept him in Gideon Lockhart’s
good graces it was worth it.
“
Fifth year Gryffindors.”
Potter’s year. “Good luck.” And for once he was
sincere; every teacher needed luck when it came to Potter and his
gang.
As he passed behind the now sweating Potions Master the newest teacher
patted him on the shoulders and winked. “Luck? I don’t
think it’ll be that bad but thanks all the same.”
Severus said no more; let the man find out for himself. Oddly he
didn’t feel so nauseous anymore.
Gideon climbed the stairs to his classroom lost in thought. The
emanations he’d been getting from Professor Snape during the
meal were spot on. He knew he’d felt two living auras besides
him instead of one. That the man was pregnant wasn’t startling,
he’d seen pregnant wizards before at his Grandfather’s
practice.
But given all the things he’d heard about the school’s
Potions professor Gideon was surprised that he’d gotten knocked
up in the first place.
His first skin-to-skin contact with the older man nearly knocked
him on his ass. The sheer number of images that flashed before his
eyes was astonishing, more than he’d ever felt with another
before. Later after the day was over he’d meditate and see
if he could make a few of the images out. He hoped Horatio was up
to the task, it looked to be an all-nighter. There was also an almost
palatable feeling of power about him, like a cloak or shield. And
while there were plenty of protective magic spells that could explain
the sensation not one of them produced the feeling of intelligence
he’d picked up.
Whatever it was that was protecting Professor Snape it was alive,
alive and aware.
Opening the trapdoor Gideon also wondered if the man had seen the
school’s mediwitch yet. The nausea he’d felt when he
touched Snape’s shoulders was strong. A single flow of energy
like his Grandfather taught him had soothed the symptoms down but
not taken it away.
Perhaps he had a potion or two that would calm it and just hadn’t
had the chance to fetch it. Merlin, he hoped so, if not the man was
in for a miserable morning when the energy he’d transferred
wore off.
*~*~*~*
High in the unused tower the dust swirled, a mouse ran across the
floor, and the portraits were empty. No one was there, no one alive
that is.
Her first thought were confused. Why was she up here? This wasn’t
her tower. The sun was well up in the sky so she would have a class
starting soon.
Then the memories set in; the scrying, the search, the secret meeting,
her discovery and her…her…death.
She had seen and heard what she was not to and been killed for it.
By the Headmaster himself no less!! She was dead!
SHE WAS DEAD!!
And now she was a ghost.
A chilling wail rose up in the tower, startling a pair of owls that
had been roosting on the old roof.
