|
Title: Prof. Snape's delicate condition,
Outside a storm the likes of which hadn't been seen in England in sixty years rent the heavens. Lightening streaked across the inky clouds, great rolls of thunder boomed in the night air, rattling windows for hundreds of miles. Winds tore at the cities and villiages, whipping about the forests and stiring up the rivers and lakes. Animals and humans alike scrambled for cover. Within Hogwarts Severus watched the storm from the safety of his rooms. The black-clad man knew all too well that this was no ordinary storm. Great and powerful magics were being cast about somewhere nearby. Magic on a scale he had never felt in all his life. And the outcome of this monumental duel would determine not only his family's fate but also that of the whole wizarding world. Harry had dissappeared earlier that day, foulplay immediately being suspected by his friends. Searches of the castle had turned up nothing, so the grounds and as far as Hogsmeade were checked next. Here was where Dumbledore dissappeared. With the daylight waining and the storm gathering strength overhead the search was reluctantly called off till morning. But would there be a morning? Snape screamed, clutching at his left arm as the Dark Mark flared again, the pain almost too much to bear. It had never been like this before! Painful, bone-jarring, yes, but not this horrifying white-hot agony which threatened to tear his arm apart from within. "Just hold on Sev! Hold on!" Remus grabbed the other man urging him to lay down before he fell. "Poppy's on her way!" Severus shook his head, gulping in great lungfuls of air as the pain subsided slightly. "Ther-there's...nothing she...can..do.." "At least let her try!" There were tears of the werewolf's cheeks. "You can't take this much longer!" Remus was right, he wouldn't be able to take this much longer. But it was the not knowing what was happening that he really couldn't take. There had to be some way to see, to know.. "The ring!" He gasped, struggling in his friend's grasp. "Remus! Get the ring!" "What? What ring?" Sirius said from his left. "Moony what's he talking about?" "Albus' ring!" A shaky hand pointed to the fireplace mantle. "There! In the oak box!" Black crossed the room and picked up the small wooden box with an oak leaf carved on it's lid. Opening it he found a delicately carved gold ring right where Snape had left it after his bath the other night, the Gryffindor lion with rubies for eyes looking up at him. The stange thing about it was that the whole ring was glowing. "Is this it Severus?" He brought the ring back and showed it to the prone man who immediately grabbed it and began muttering a complex spell. Remus, recognizing what Severus was up to grabbed the man's wrist and Black's before the spell reached completion. There was a wrenching sensation, all three men felt as if they were being tossed about as if by the storm outside before everything settled down. They were looking down from a hill into a small valley below, watching the magical battle being waged amidst the full might of nature's fury....
Voldemort fought with everything he had left. What he had planned to be his greatest triumph was quickly devolving into what might very well be his final defeat. It had only been Potter he had planned to capture and drain, taking the boy's blooming power into himself. But Dumbledore had to stumble onto them, and with him some most unusual friends. The Unicorn with it's purity and deep inborn magic, the two High Elves adding their power and skill with bow and sword. And the ancient beast which many had forgotten what it's kind were once even called. The old wizard broke Potter free, casting a spell about the valley preventing apparating, then laid into the Death Eaters with a vengence. With magic, sword, bow, horn, hooves, and claws the forces of light fell upon Voldemort's army and began decimating it's ranks. Using the advanced schooling he'd been receiving from Remus, Sirius, and Albus Harry threw spell after spell, taking out one foe after another, each one bringing him a little closer to his goal; Voldemort. The two mortal enemies came together in a magical explosion which burned nearby trees to a cinder and even melted the very rocks about their feet. Curses flew through the stormy air, both magical and verbal, as the two wizards fought. Voldemort using every scrap of dark magic he had gathered from all over the world against his younger foe to no avail. Potter either dodged or took the curse head on and destroyed it. The boy was laughing, taunting the serpentine man, enraging him with each and every word. As his power waned Voldemort began draining his own forces, his desire to kill Potter overriding his senses. Time and again he attacked, draining more Death Eaters as each one failed to achieve the desired result. Finally he stood beneath the screaming heavens, tattered robe whipping about his skeletal frame, blood running from his slit nose and thin lipped mouth. "It's over Voldemort." Harry said, slowly walking towards the shaking wizard. "You're finished." "Never Potter!" the Dark Lord hissed. "I refuse to be defeated by a ill-taught whelp like you again!!" Even as he spoke one last spell came to mind. "You can deny it all you want, it won't change the facts." He raised his wand. "Give up and you might just have to spend the rest of your life in Azkaban and not face the Dementor's Kiss." "NEVER!!" He roared, raising his arms, gathering all his remaining stolen energy for one last effort. Hissing the ancient words Voldemort summoned the power of the storm, pulling the lightening down to blast this miserable brat strait to hell!! But Harry had recognized the spell. Recognized it and knew how to wrest control of it for himself. "If this is what you really want then I guess I can give it to you." the young man mumbled before reaching out with his own magic. Voldemort felt a wrenching sensation as the spell was ripped from his control. "Goodbye Tom Riddle." Harry said, and pulled down the sky's fire. What had to be the largest lightening bolt ever recorded in the history of magic screamed down from the black clouds, it's heat greater than that of the sun's surface, light brighter than any before seen, crashed down on the screaming form of the resurrected man known as Lord Voldemort. For the briefest of seconds every bone in his body could be seen through his flesh before he was vaporized. Everything was destroyed in the devestation of the lightening. Robes, wand, body, and what passed as the evil bastard's soul. All burned to ash and gone. There would be no returning for another attempt to conquer the world for Tom Riddle. He was well and truly gone this time. After the lightening dissappated the valley was strangely silent. The sheer power of the bolt had shattered the anti-apparating spell and what meager few Death Eaters were still alive and had some power remaining their own quickly fled when they saw their master fall for the final time. Albus collapsed against the ancient beast, exhaustion etched into every line on his weathered face. Craning it's neck around it nuzzled the old wizard, breathing on him, giving him strength. "My thanks to you my dear old friend." He patted it's corded neck, fingers scratching it's warm hide. "We couldn't have done it without you, without any of you." Albus said to the other three. The Unicorn merely stamped it's hoof and bobbed it's head in farewell before retreating into the dense forests from wence it came. The High Elves accepted the Headmaster's praise. They saluted him with raised swords before they too retreated into the forest. Even though they had assisted in this important battle High Elves didn't care to interact much with humans; they were too flighty for their tastes. Only the ancient beast remained. It had no reason to leave. It was lonely and wanted to stay with it's old friend for a while. "Are you all right Sir?" Harry staggered over to where the two stood. "Yes. Battered, brusied, and I believe I appear to be a fearful mess, but I am well Harry. And you?" "About the same as you Sir. What do we do now?" Dumbledore looked around at the carnage, spotting a few bodies who still stirred, including one who but recently sported a silver hand. "Why don't we gather up the live ones and make a pop appearance at the Ministry. It's morning so I believe we might just come right in middle of the a session if we time it right." Harry followed his line of sight. Now he understood what the old wizard was up to. A wide smile broke on his bruised face. "Yes Sir!"...
"Was that real?" Remus staggered up to his feet. "Did we really see that?" "Ohhh! Not so loud Moony!" Sirius moaned, clutching his head. "It was real. Voldemort is dead, he's finally dead." Severus slowly pulled himself up to better lay down on the pillows. Rubbing his left arm he could no longer feel the Dark Mark beneath the skin there, it's absence and what they saw enough proof for the Potions Master. "Sev! You okay? How do you feel now?" Lupin busied himself fussing over the prone man a moment, fixing the blanket and fluffing pillows. "I'm fine Remus. I've had more experiance with this spell so I am better at dealing with the residual side-effects." He batted the man's hand away. "And while I must admit to a certain level of disappointment at not having a hand in his defeat I am satisfied that he is finally, irrevocably dead." Severus sighed, an exhausted smile of his face. The spell was indeed draining, but as he said he would do it again just to see Voldemort delivered to the fiery hell he so richly deserved. The reality of what they had just seen was finally sinking in on the two men besides him. "He's dead then? Really dead?" Sirius shook all over. "Yes, quite dead. I believe I've already said that." Snape snarled. "Really Black, get a hearing aid or something." "Dead, he's dead. Harry and Albus killed him. HE'S DEAD!!" Remus howled to the ceiling, grabbing Sirius, hugging and patting the man hard on the back in celebration. "HOORAY HARRY!! HOORAY ALBUS!!"
The sight of the two battered wizards, a living breathing Dracanagriff, and the bodies of the Death Eaters caused quite a stir, but not quite a big one as the news that Voldemort was finally dead. Fudge of course tried to keep the whole thing under wraps, but with the reporters sending out their stories as fast as the owls could fly and other members of the ministry demanding to know why weren't they informed of Voldemort's return to physical form and wondering what else the fat little man had been hiding from them he wasn't in any position to stop them. Celebrations broke out all over Britan. Every magical being knew that at last the long night was finally over and life could go back to normal again. Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore were honored as heroes and awarded the Order of Merlin for their defense of the wizarding world. When the Death Eaters were unmasked Peter Pettigrew was among them, alive and whole. Under veritaserum the miserable little traitor told the whole world he was the one who betrayed the Potters and killed all those muggles; Sirius Black was innocent of all charges laid against him. A pardon was quickly drawn up for the framed man and given to Harry who promised his Godfather would get it. For a week the celebrations continued on. Even Hogwarts wasn't immune. The minute Albus and Harry stepped out the fire in the Great Hall they were given a rousing cheer by the entire esembled school. The feast that followed was grander than any that had ever graced the school's hall, lasting long into the night. Classes were cancelled for the next two days, giving the students and staff alike those days and the weekend to recover from their merrymaking. Only two thing arose to mar the joy of the occasion. Peter Pettigrew escaped from his imprisonment with the aid of Lucius Malfoy who, while in the course of the escape, killed Minister Fudge. Malfoy was heard vowing to kill Severus and his children in revenge for the death of their Dark Lord. Arthur Weasley who was promoted to the position of acting Minister, till proper elections could be held, ordered extra protection to be laid out around the school until such time as the last Death Eaters could be recaptured. No one told Severus any of this, all having thought the news might upset the man who was so close now to his due date.
Having become used to the various aches and pains of pregnancy Snape hadn't alerted anyone when the pains had become noticable. At first he wasn't sure if it was just indigestion from that pineapple-lemon sundae he'd eaten last night or another bout of braxton-hicks contractions. Severus had experianced three false labors over the last two weeks, leaving him with a dim view of women in general. What was all this moaning and screaming about labor being so hard, so painful? He'd felt worse under mild curses by his own students! Really! All he wanted to do right now was take a nice hot bath and lay down. (( Hurts?)) Electra looked up at her master, distress coloring her mental voice. "Yeesss." He hissed through clenched teeth. (( Pups coming?)) She asked as he eased himself down onto the nearest bench. "What? No, it's not time yet Electra," he sighed in relief as the pain eased, but failed to fade away entirerly. "Their due date's not till next Saturday." (( Pups come when pups come!)) Growls emphasized her point. (( Not care about due date.)) At his feet Electra began pacing restlessly. She now knew something was seriously wrong with her master, knew he should be in his rooms where help could be easily called. Though she had never whelped puppies herself her animal instincts were screaming that her master's time had come. The puppies were coming. (( Rooms now!! Get up! Rooms now!!)) She tugged at his robes. "Wha--Electra?" (( Pups come! Rooms now!!)) Severus didn't know what had gotten into his pet. She normally was-- "Aahhh!" All the color drained from his already pale face. Panting, his hands fell to his heavily swollen belly, feeling the painful clenching of muscles beneath his palms. It felt as if someone had reached inside of his stomach and twisted everything within. He couldn't even draw a breath to cry out. His body curled about himself, hands clenched so tightly fingernails were driven deep into his palms till the contraction was over. Yes, he admitted it. It was a contraction. It wasn't false labor, and it certainly wasn't indigestion as he first thought. This was the real thing. His children wanted out only there was no exit from the womb they dwelt in. Panic gripped him now far stronger than any pain. Without medical assistance he and his children would die. Time was critical, every second delayed increased the risks. Severus reached into his robes for his wand, a quick summoning spell would bring him help. But all his questing fingers found was fabric. It was then that he remembered being forced by Albus to leave his wand in Poppy's care after that little incident with Black last week. Severus tried to stand but his legs refused to support his weight. With a loud moan he fell back onto the bench. "I can't..." By now Electra was panicking. Grabbing his robes she again tried, by sheer physical strength this time, to get her master to his feet, to safety. But it was no use, she was too small to support her master. What was there left to do? Electra thought hard. She could leave her master here and go fetch help, but her training and instincts were saying she should stay and protect. That left the vocal option. Once again she found herself cursing the man who created her breed for not giving Demis the ability to mindspeak with people other than their masters. Things like this would've been so much easier to deal with. So tilting back her head Electra howled, putting her heart into the desperate call for aid.
Electra howled again. Surely someone had heard her by now and would be on their way to investigate, at the very least just to shut her up! Was that footsteps? "All right, what the hell is going--Severus?" Black knelt down besides the striken man. "Black?" He said weakly. This wasn't exactly the help she had expected or wanted for her master but right now Electra would welcome the Dark Dog himself if he would help her master. "What happened? Did you fall or something?" "No, no, idiot." Snape ground out from between clenched teeth. "The babies are coming." "Oh, the babies are co--HOLY F#%@!!! YOU'RE IN LABOR!!!" Were it any other time Severus would sit back with a huge bowl of popcorn and enjoy watching Black's total lack of control in a stressful situation but right now, being the center of said situation, he needed someone with a better head on their shoulders. Dragging himself up with the bench he reached over and pulled Black's wand out of the agitated man's belt and used it to send out a distress call. Within minutes the hall resounded with the thud of many feet all headed in the same direction. "Severus! Where does it hurt? Can you show me?" Poppy knelt besides the stricken man. Nodding, out of breath, his hands moving to his lower stomach and then to his back. "Right, this should help a bit." A relieved moan escaped Snape's lips as Pomfrey's soothing spell eased the burning in his abdomen. But it was only temporary. The next contraction brought another wave of intense pain and he cried out before he could catch himself. Jerking, Severus curled up, trying anything to escape the unrelenting agony. Behind her a stretcher was hastily being created. Poppy bit her lip, fear gripping her heart. Snape's water had already broken and the pressure was building with each contraction, the fluids having nowhere to go. If this was allowed to continue he would surely rupture inside and bleed to death before she could do anything about it. Preforming the c-section herself was out of the question, she was no surgeon. Only one course of action lay open before her and with a desperate flick of her wand she took it. "ORTUS CANALIS MUTABILIS!!" Snape's body arched as the spell took hold. Intense pain flared up in his nether regions, flesh shifting beneath the power of the spell, followed moments later by a heavy rush of fluids which quickly soaked his undergarments and robe. He wasn't quite sure what had happened but was relieved to feel a lessoning of that awful pressure which existed moments before. "Wh-what..what was that?" He moaned. "Let's get you to the hospital wing." She motioned the others forwards. Hagrid scooped Snape up into his arms, cradling the suffering man like he was made of the most delicate of chinas. For his part Severus didn't care who was helping him so long as they got him to St. Mungos as fast as wizardly possible. A quick c-section and all this would be over, He groaned, panting through the painful clench of his stomach muscles. It hardly even registered when he was transfered from arms to stretcher. Hold it, did she say the hospital wing? "Wait! What about St. Mungos?!" Sirius screeched nearly the same time as Severus voiced the same question. "He needs a hospital!! Doctors!" Black was almost dithering. "Quite impossible at the moment Sirius." Dumbledore grabbed the Animagi's arm and dragged him after the retreating strecher and it's precious burden. "With Lucius and Peter still loose it is just too dangerous for Severus to leave the school's grounds." "We'd never be able to protect you and the twins in that big hospital Sev." Remus added. "Bu-but the babies!!" "Poppy will take care of everything." Albus said with far more conviction than he felt. Inside he was blthering like an idiot. What if Poppy couldn't handle it? What if something went wrong? He could well lose them all, his dear old friend and his children! Banishing such thoughts from his head Dumbledore rushed on. It would do no good to dwell on such matters. He needed to remain calm, to help in whatever manner he was allowed. Albus paid no attention to the gathering crowds of curious students and teachers who'd been drawn from their classrooms by Snape's screams. Everything was a blur. Surroundings were best ignored, all his concentration focused inwards. He hardly even noticed as together Poppy and Albus stripped off his sodden robes and dressed him in a loose fitting hospital shirt Molly, who had been hastily flooed by Poppy for her asistance, had transfigured. Severus continued breathing, finding some small relief in the measured panting. He allowed the pair to guide him to the bed, to ease him down. Even the terrycloth padding the stirrups didn't rouse him much from his concentration. "Easy Severus, breathe now, breathe." Albus soothed the laboring man as Poppy quickly scrubbed up and donned a pair of sterile surgical gloves. "Keep talking to him Albus, I'm going to check his progress," said the nurse as she took a postion between his legs. Of course Snape noticed the second Pomfrey's lubed fingers entered him. "WOMAN!! What are you doing??" He ground out between tightly clenched teeth. "Checking how far along you're dialated Severus dear. Now just go back to breathing." "GET YOUR DAMMED FING--OUCH!!" Poppy pulled away, yanking off the gloves. "Well, you're about 5 cm. dialated." "Five? Out of how many?" The Headmaster gasped as Snape's grip on his hand abruptly grew stronger. "Ten." Mrs. Weasley supplied. Oh Merlin! This was going to be a long labor.
Electra for her part was more worried than excited. She had been refused entrance into her master's whelping den. The nurse woman kept saying something about her being unsanitary again. Really! What gave the woman the right to say that when she herself wasn't any cleaner than the day the Corgi had first met her. Unable to slip by the faithful hound had taken to pacing back and forth before the shut door, guarding her master the only way currently open to her. Professor Flitwick was talking excitedly to Vector. "According to my recalation there hasn't been a baby born here at Hogwarts in over 200 years!" "If you ask me we could wait another 200 years. Babies are nothing but trouble." Vector shot a glare at the closed door. "Which explains why your still single Joseph." Professor McGonagall gratefully accepted a cup of tea from a thoughtful student. "This is all so terrible. Poor Severus." Hooch sighed, swirling her tea around with one finger. "Hah! Poor Severus indeed! Couldn't happen to a nicer man!!" Madame Pince, the school's librarian, cackled wickedly. "Really Irma, that was uncalled for!" Sprout admonished the other woman. "This is very dangerous. There's no telling what complications could crop up. He could die." "No, no, that fate is not in the stars," Trelawney denighed hauntingly. "Severus and the twins will be just fine." No one was really sure when the divinations teacher had joined the group. She refused to sit, prefering to take up a stance near the door to Snape's room, fingering her wand and watching the room with those wide bespectacled eyes. "What do you see Sybil?" Minerva asked her fellow teacher. "Have you had some kind of premonition?" "I keep to my own consul on this Minerva." Now Trelawney smiled, flicking her eyes to the seated woman for only a second before returning to her careful study of her surroundings. McGonagall stopped a moment to ponder on the unusual behavior being exhibited by her fellow teacher. Sybil wasn't one to be so intense, so focused on anything other than her precious inner eye. What was going on?
But dealing with one Potions Master in hard labor was scaring him right out of his wits!! His once pristine robes were now in tatters, having fallen victim to Snape's agony. While in the midst of a contraction the young man had grabbed, and then tore, the fabric several times. The old man's beard had suffered a similar fate, as evident by the multitude of snowy white clumps littering the floor. "YOU BASTARD!!!" Snape screamed, hauling the older man down by his beard till his face but inches away. "YOU DID THIS!! ONCE THESE BRATS ARE OUT I'M CASTRATING YOU!!" "But Severus! Remember! This was all done by the potion! I never touched you!!" "DOESN'T MATTER!" Snape threw his head back as the next contraction hit hard. "I'M DOING WHATEVER WOMAN YOU TAKE A FANCY TO A FAVOR!!" "Poppy!! HELP!!!!" Thankfully the school's nurse wasn't too far away. Upon seeing the dilemma the Headmaster was in Poppy quickly used a release charm to free the now throughly nervous man from the other's grasp. "You should be more careful Albus. Severus doesn't know what he's saying or doing right now." "Can't you do something for him? A spell? A potion?..A sledghammer?" Poppy only shook her head. "Most of the pain relieving magics no longer work on him thanks to the Cruciatus Curse. Those that still do are far too strong to be used while he's pregnant. They'd leech through the umbilical cords and poison the twins." Behind them Snape arched up, crying out in a loud voice before begining to curse. Words spewed from his mouth that would have put the most hardened sailor to shame. He cursed the three girls, he cursed Draco, he cursed Black. However his most inventive curses were reserved for Dumbledore himself. Bits about the old wizard's parentage, his sexual habits, his choice in sexual partners, the species and number of limbs of said sexual partners, and quite a number of rather colorful comments on his current mental status. Molly took it all in stride, after all she herself had done quite a bit of cursing when her own children were coming into the world. Poppy listened for all of one minute before turning a bright beet red, hastily casting a silence charm about the bed and it's inhabitant. Of course this spell didn't fare much better than the silence spell had on that fateful day his pregnancy had been discovered.
A sharp hiss spurred the rodent on. Out of the shadows crept a tomcat, it's sleek fur moon pale. Eyeing the shaking rat intently it hissed again, anger coloring the animalistic sound. It was quickly loosing what little patience remained to it. It wanted in and it wanted in now! Redoubling it's efforts the rat almost cried when it finally found the broken window that led into a abandoned dungeon. Quickly it scrambled inside and scouted about. Once satisfied that everything was clear it squeaked to it's companion who jumped inside.
The pass spell had worked perfectly, allowing both wizards to cross the school's wards so long as they were their Animagi forms when they did so. "This will do nicely." Lucius purred, the sound sending shivers of fear up and down the other's spine. "I remember this room. I know exactly where we are." "The door's locked.." The smaller man pointed out in a meek voice. "Doesn't matter. These locks are easy to open, we used to do it all the time back in school." A dismissive wave of his hand silenced the other man. "We'll rest here for an hour then move out, I want Severus, those disgusting brats of his, and Draco dead before the sun sets again." "Yes, yes, of course Lu--Master." "Very good Peter, you're learning." The older Malfoy smiled at his companion's obvious fear of him. Peter scuttled over to the farest corner and settled down behind an old bench. Pulling the stolen cloak tighter about himself Pettigrew drifted off into an exhausted, but very uneasy, sleep. Lucius Malfoy casually walked over to the desk and sat down in the old teacher's chair. Propping his feet up on the dusty wood the pale-haired man was asleep in moments, already dreaming of the screams he would drag from the traitor Snape before he ended his miserable life.
Severus no longer felt in control of his own body, it being overtaken by a power that denigned to answer to his demands. Everything had dwindled down to the relentless crush of muscles. After living in his body for nine months the twins finally wanted out, and they weren't about to stop so close to achieving their goal. Albus gritted his teeth, ready to scream himself, as yet another bone in his hand broke under the pressure of Severus' grip. That now brought the total of broken bones up to seventeen. Poppy was certainly going to have her work cut out for her after Severus delivered. He wasn't sure which was going to get him first; the pain from his hand or the pain tearing at his heart each time he watched Severus endure a contraction. "That's it dear." Poppy's soothing voice floated up to them from the other end of the bed. "Just a little longer now." "You're doing fine Severus." Albus encouraged softly as he pulled a strand of hair out of Snape's eyes. "Just fine." Severus would've shot back some acidic comment but couldn't, he was too busy catching whatever breath he could during these momentary lulls. Another wave came, another relentless crunch of muscles, building until it completely overwhelmed his senses, clouding out everything around him. "Come on now, Push Severus! Push! Push! Push!" "AHHHH!!" He strained, baring down with all the strength he could muster. "Keep pushing! Push!....There! Stop, pant Severus."
"Alright now, this is it." The old nurse said excitedly. "The first head's coming!" Rolling his head from side to side Severus groaned. Barely a minute had passed since the last fierce pain had gripped him. Albus continued his soothing, speaking softly, praising the younger man's efforts, sponging his feverish skin with a cool cloth. The next one struck so fast it took his breath away. The hard pain built to a rushing cresendo, tearing at his insides. Between his legs Snape could feel his body opening painfully. It felt as if he were about to split in half!!! "Dont push yet, don't push!!!" His face contorted into a horrific mask as the black-haired man writhed in pain. "Almost, almost there.." gloved hands moved into position, fingers gently probing and moving the stretching flesh so as to lesson the risk of tearing. Finally out popped the head of the first baby. Quickly she cupped it in one hand while the other cleaned out the tiny nose and mouth with a suction Molly handed her. "I need to push!! Can I push?!!" He yelled, desperation coloring his already heavily strained voice. "Yes dear, go right ahead." Pain came again. He pushed, leaning forwards, a wavering wail escaping his lips. Poppy couldn't help the tears that spilled from her eyes as a shoulder came free, then the other.... With one final effort he felt something shift and slip free, leaving him to fall back against the bed shaking and exhausted. "It's a boy!" Poppy exclaimed grinning from ear to ear as she placed the squaling newborn on his parent's stomach, covering him over with a clean towel. One minute later she had the cord cut and tied, severing the connection between mother and child. Dazed Severus stared down at the tiny infant that squirmed against his skin. Releasing his deathgrip on Albus' abused hand he reached down, uncaring that the baby had yet to be cleaned. He needed to touch him, to feel him. Such a tiny face, and that hair! Still wet from birth his son sported a thick head of jet black hair, so like his own ebony locks. This was his child, his son. He was amazed that such an incredible being had come from his body. For Albus the sight of his first child was a shock. Having never seen a baby right out the womb in all his years the ancient wizard was a little worried. Was he supposed to look like that? All messy and...gooey? Thin streaks of blood lay scattered about his body, laying in sharp contrast over top of some sort of cream colored substance that stuck to various parts of his little body. And his head. All the babies he'd seen before hadn't had that odd shape. "Is..is he all right Poppy?" He asked anxiously. "Relax Albus," she said without taking her eyes off the sight of Severus bonding with his child. "Babies aren't always born cleanly, a little blood and vernix are to be expected." "But his head.." The old nurse chuckled. "Don't worry about that. That's just from his journey down the birth cannal, it'll settle into a proper shape soon enough." Just then Severus moaned. Quickly the baby was handed over to Molly. "Ok, here we go again."
Everyone had heard the Professor's screams of pain as the silence wards kept breaking down. His agonized cries causing some to worry if there wasn't something wrong. This was an unusual birth after all, any number of complications could've cropped up that Madame Pomfrey might not be able to handle. The students whispered among themselves, wondering if Snape was going to die, if the babies would be born all right. Minerva had long since given up on setting still and had taken to pacing the width of the room, passing Draco, Remus, and Sirius at every midway point. One would think he was the father by the way Malfoy acted. Being as nervous and skittish as a young foal, Draco paced and fretted, looking up every minute towards the door where behind the head of his house and foster father labored. Sirius wasn't much better. Black's long legs covered the room's width in a few strides, forcing him to turn more often than the others. He couldn't stop wringing his hands, flinching every time the ward broke and Snape's pain-filled cries escaped. Chilling memories of Azkaban resurfaced, of curling up in the cold cell listening to the screams of the other prisons as they slowly lost their minds. Black had to continiously remind himself that this wasn't the wizard prison and Severus wasn't loosing his sanity behind that door. For Remus his worries were two fold. First there was his own human emotions as he worried about Severus, the twins, and the extended labor. Then there was his wolf instincts, driving the werewolf to defend den and pups. As there was little he could do to assist in the birth he forcefully cast the thought of danger aside. After all, what was there to protect agaist inside Hogwarts? A veritable fortress of magic. "How much longer?" Ron asked then flinched as another scream rent the air. Bill hugged his brother's shoulder. "Shouldn't be too much longer. Mom had you in only 6 hours." "I read that first time pregnancies often have long labors, and with Professor Snape being a man it's probably extended the length." Hermione's careful explanations did little to assure the worries of the children around her. Just then a new sound came from Snape's room, one much anticipated by all for one reason or another. The sound of new life. "Oh!" Minerva raised her hands, covering her mouth and nose, tears streaming down her face as she listened with joy to the newborn's first cries. Word passed through the crowds. A rousing cheer went up and many started celebrating, while others settled back down to wait. This wasn't over yet, there was one more baby to come. Large ears perked up as Electra heard the first pup's wailing. One pup, alive and howling! Joy filled the Corgi's soul, but this was not the time for rejoicing. There was one more to come. And her master would be extremely vulnerable afterwards for some time to come. She couldn't afford to let her vigilance falter now. Trelawney smiled, cocking her head to better hear the newborn's lusty cries. But that was to limit to her reaction. She neither looked up from her observations of the room nor moved away from the door itself.
Hugging the wall the rat cautiously made it's way through the crowds, black beady eyes fixed on it's final goal. The pale tomcat was more bold, bobbing and weaving through legs and avoiding shifting feet. Were anyone to examine the feline closer they would've been shocked to see a familiar sneer plastered onto the cat's face, a sneer inherited by generations of Malfoys. No one noticed...except two. Sybil Trelawney snapped up strait, raising her wand as she caught sight of something scurring against the floorboards just to her left. Yes, it was a rat, a rather unusual rat. One black nose twitched as the sharp tang of cat assaulted her. Licking her jaws Electra inhaled deeply, filling her nostrils with the heady scent of cat. Oh how tempting it was not to just stride over and claim the animal as a well earned party treat in celebration of her master's whelping. But it was not to be, there was the definite tang of animagi magic about the delicious looking cat, branding it as off limits to her desires. Hold on a paw. Didn't her master tell her there was only two shape-shifters inside the school right now? The idiot Sirius Black and that Professor, one Minerva McGonagall. Well, both of them were here in human form, so who was this new one? Crouching, she crept closer, eyes narrowing now in anger. The scent filtering to her was indeed animagi, and she knew the identity of the wizard partially masked by the magic. She'd smelt the viper's scent when he attempted to force Draco back home with him just recently. Slipping into invisiblity Electra's heart beat faster against her ribs as she began stalking Lucius Malfoy. Just this once the Corgi was absolutely certain her master wouldn't care about her killing cats. In fact Electra so sure of his reaction she was willing to stack her entire cash of snacks on the matter.
For Severus the joy of the first baby's birth was replaced with even more agony. Hadn't the book said that the second baby's birth should be easier because of the first baby's passage through the birth canal? This was worse than the first. Poppy hid her fear well thanks to years of practice dealing with children. The first baby's relatively easy birth had lulled her into a false sense of security, which was quickly shattered when her next spell told the real tale. The second baby was breech. Thinking back the old nurse remembered something her own teachers had taught. Breech babies could be delivered normally with a little assistance. "Severus, Severus listen to me." She laid her hand on his knee and squeezed to attract his attention. "We're going to move you, just a little. This baby needs a little help to come out. Do you understand?" Snape could only nod. "Good." She pulled out her wand. But before she could shift him he screamed, body straining. Her eyes widened as a little round butt began to make it's appearance. ( Well, so much for moving him. Trust Snape to do it the hard way.)
Professor Trelawney lunged suddenly forwards, knocking several students aside. Grasping the edge of the table she yanked the furniture roughly away from the wall. Bringing her wand down with more force than she'd ever shown, Sybil's voice rang clear. "PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!!" There was a sudden loud squeal, cut off in mid note, from under the remaining part of the table. The divinations teacher swooped down and with a triumphnant shout emerged holding her prize high, something that was coated with fur. A rat. And it had a very unusual paw. A silver paw. Everyone was momentarily too stunned to move or say anything. Sirius recovered first. His eyes were narrowed in rage and hatred, fixed on the immobilized body Sybil held. He had only taken one step forwards when all hell broke loose! "AARROOOOOO!!" Came the canine war cry. "EEEE!!" "WHA?! MOVE!" "OH DEAR GODS!!" "MOMMY!" "MMRREEEOOWOW!!" Students and teachers alike screamed and scrambled backwards as a battle erupted amidst their numbers. Frantic pain-filled yowls bounced off the stone walls as a pale-furred cat fought for it's life against an unseen foe. Clumps of fur went flying, great gashes appeared in it's sleek hide, the red of it's own blood staining it's fur a ghastly shade. Bones snapped under the pressure of invisible jaws. The cat was not without it's defenses. Sharp teeth and claws tore through the air, lashing out in hopes of doing it's attacker some form of damage. "LUCIUS!" Draco screamed, drawing his wand as he recognized his father's Animagi form. But no matter how closely he watched the boy couldn't get in a spell, not without risking hitting the cat's beloved invisible foe. "THAT'S MALFOY??!!" Minerva had her wand out but fared no better than her student. There simply was no opportunity for a clear shot. "DAMN! THEY'RE MOVING TOO MUCH!" Remus' wand never wavered from the fighting pair, a hex ready for when an opening presented itself. "YEAHHH!! GO DOGGIE!!" Fred and George were urging the dog on. Back and forth the battle went, neither oppenent backing down. Blood, fur, and bits of flesh soon littered the area. The combatants split apart, Electra slipped into view, her blood covered muzzle once more sporting her master's trademark wicked sneer. Of the two she had fared much better, having only a few scratches along her left flank. Lucius had definitely come out looking severely worse for wear. Both ears lay in bloody tatters along his skull. Great gashes along his sides and hips were bleeding freely, matting the remaining fur with gore. The right hind leg now stuck out at an unnatural angle, the bone having been broken at the knee by Electra's powerful jaws. And of course the Corgi simply couldn't think of leaving Lucius' beautiful tail untouched. The appendage was currently twitching beneath one of the empty beds, leaving only a bloody stump decorating the Animagi's rear. Their seperation only lasted a second before the Corgi charged in again. All that was on Electra's mind was elimination of the threat this creature represented to her master and his pups. Just hurting him wasn't enough, his many crimes demanded she deliver him into the paws of the Dark Dog where he belonged. Lucius screeched, body and mind straining, desperately attempting to shift back to his human form. But it was too late. Before he could even really begin Electra was on him once more. His high-pitched shreiks spilt the air as powerful jaws clamped down on his neck. With a firm hold secured Snape's hound began shaking the elder Malfoy like a ragdoll, slamming his body again and again into the floor. *WHAM! WHAM!* More bones broke under the new assault and Lucius began coughing up bright red blood. *WHAM!!* "Electra!" Draco cried out. "Stop!! We need him alive!!" ( Alive? What the hell for?) Electra stopped, Lucius still firmly grasped in her jaws. ( Why would anyone want this piece of filth alive?) She growled queriously at the youth her master had taken as his own. "He needs to stand trial for all the wrongs he did. So the people he's hurt will have their justice too." Sirius explained, hand out. "Give him to me Electra, I'll see that he's put where he belongs." The angry glint in the irrating man's eyes gave the Corgi a moment of pause. ( He may be an idiot, but he's a dangerous idiot.) Electra thought to herself as she reluctantly relinquished her prize to the black-haired man. Black lifted up the barely conscious Animagi, a smirk painting his face. With a casual flick of his wand Sirius transfigured a footstool into a lockable animal carrier complete with wards to prevent the man from transforming back to his human self, and a simple suspension spell that would ensure the bastard wouldn't die on them. Without so much as a thought to the man's many injuries Black stuffed the cat inside and slammed the door shut. All of this took place in no more than about two minutes.
"I can't do this." Snape whispered, at the limits of his strength. "Yes you can Severus, you can." Albus urged the weary man on. "I can't!" he sobbed, then let out a loud scream. "MAKE IT STOP! JUST MAKE IT STOP!!" "The shoulders are free, just the head left Severus and then you can rest." Molly's voice cutting through the haze his exhaustion, keeping him focused. "Stay with us Severus, trust us." Like he had a choice?
"The trial will be set as soon as possible, I'll let you both know the date." The Weasley Patriach told Remus and Sirius. "We'd appreciate that Arthur. I want to see that rat get what he deserves." Black shot a dark glare towards the now throughly bound man he'd once called friend. "And what exactly happened to Malfoy? It looks like he's went through a muggle meat grinder." "She happened Dad." Ron pointed to the blood stained Corgi who was pulling Lucius' tail from beneath the bed. Spoils of war and all that was Electra's thought, the tail was hers by right of conquest. "Well now, I bet that was a sight to see." He knelt down, hand outstretched towards the dog as it dragged it's bloody prize back towards the door to Snape's room. She growled a warning and he backed off. "I think she deserves a medal. Imagine, Lucius Malfoy, taken out by a dog, and not even a full grown one at that." Another scream snapped everyone's attention back to the reason they were assembled here. "What's happening?" One Auror asked, wand out and ready. "Professor Snape's having his babies, but it's been such a long time now." One first year Hufflepuff said, clutching her teddy bear close. "We know one's okay, we heard it cryi--" Another sound floated out of the room, a most welcome sound. The wails of TWO newborn babies.
Snape wasn't interested in what Albus or anyone else thought or had to say. Right now he was severely torn- in more way than one. Thankfully Pomfrey had the common sense to lay on a numbing spell before she set him to rights. During the delivery Severus didn't have the time the wonder about the changes Poppy had made to his body, nor was he really all that concerned about it right now. After all the old nurse had already dealt with the afterbirths and was now restoring him to his proper anatomical condition. Utterly exhausted, he couldn't recall a single time in his life he'd felt this worn out. Yet he was still too wound up to sleep. Molly returned with another clean towel. He watched with deeply shadowed eyes as the Weasley Matriarch wrapped his daughter in the soft pink folds before placing her in his arms. Snape had never felt very humble in his life-till now. It didn't seem possible that just moments ago she and her brother had been inside him, a part of him. Of course he'd felt the two moving about, intellectually Snape had always known that within his body rested these two..but to see them..touch them. So tiny they both were, so incredibly small, and so very perfect. How on earth had he done this? It made him feel like he'd preformed a miracle. Had to be a miracle, for that was the only explanation that he could believe. How else was he to explain how two such marvelous wonders had sprung from his wretched body. Counting each finely formed finger, each perfect little toe, he caressed his daughter's satiny cheek, shocked by the softness the likes of nothing he could have ever imagined. Her hair, thick and black, gleamed, the barest hint of a wave in each lock. Long black lashes brushed rose-petal cheeks. Touching his finger to one small hand Severus was further awed when she grabbed ahold with a surprisingly firm grip. "Hello poppet," he crooned softly to her. Delight welled up within him as the baby locked onto his voice, her dark eyes focusing intently on his face. "Welcome to the world Pirene Alana." "Pirene Severus?" Molly smiled as she assisted Poppy in covering the man's lower body with a clean warmed sheet. "That's a lovely name." "From Greek mythology I believe," Albus said as he rocked their son. "A daughter of the river God Achelous. Is there any specific reason you chose that name Severus?" The old man's eyes fairly glowed with inner merriment. "The name simply appealed to me Albus." Snape snorted. "Please refrain from making any kind of assumptions, I would hardly compare you to a god, save maybe to a foolish one." Dumbledore wisely let the matter drop, for a brief moment. Instead the old wizard held out the blue swaddled bundle. "And this one? What is be our son's name?" Carefully they switched, with Albus joyfully accepting little Pirene, though he winched a bit, a reminder he still had a broken hand to deal with, while Severus cradled his son for the first time. "Evander." Snape declared in a proud and weary voice. "Evander Albany." "Evander," Dumbledore's smile widened till it threatened to overflow his beard. "Another child of a God, Hermes if I remember correctly. Are you certain there isn't another reason for choosing those names other than their appealing sound?" "None whatsoever." He glared at Albus for good measure. Albus barely kept himself from laughing. Right now Severus' glares wouldn't scare a fly, the man was bone tired and Gods only knew what else and he looked every inch of it. He made a mental note to ask if Bill would mind staying on longer than was planned, to give Severus a bit more recovery time. By now Evander was making little movements with his head, nuzzling against Snape's chest, mouth opening and closing. He was making a tiny whine, the first sound he'd made since he stopped crying. "Well, he is an eager little tyke isn't he?" Poppy fluffed the pillows behind his back. "Best try him to a nipple Severus, before he starts crying." "Nipple?" Snape looked confused. "He's hungry, feed him." Realization dawned on him. Snape's face held a look of mild disgust but agreed to try, opening the gown and positioning Evander. After all, it was what was best for the baby, and if one thing could be said for Severus he wanted the best for his children. But the idea of them latchin-- "Ohhh," Severus moaned, dragging out the sound as he gazed down in wonder and fasination at the tugging rosebud mouth. Molly was right, there was no real way to describe the sensation of breastfeeding a baby. Silently he thanked whatever deity was watching right now for this intimate connection with his child. He realized that this was one bonding that no one else could experiance. They may feed the twins with bottles but he knew now, just as Molly had said, the sensation wouldn't be a deep or awesome as it was for him to produce norishment from his own body. A small sound to his left caused the Potions Master to ease his head over. Albus held their daughter in his one arm while Molly dealt with the multitude of broken bones in his hand. That spectacle became boring rather quickly and he went back to watching his son nurse, one tiny balled fist kneading his milk-pale breast as he suckled. Tired already from his birth Evander soon fell asleep sucking. Molly, finished now with Albus' hand, showed Severus how to detach him from the nipple without waking him. Just in time too, for now Pirene was making plaintive little mews of hunger. Albus gladly offered the by now squaling infant over to her other parent. Now free of pain from his mangled hand the old wizard was free to watch as his daughter took her first meal. Really, this was indeed something to file away in his pensive. In fact the whole day should be stored, just in case.
"Arthur! What on earth happened here??" Molly demanded immediately from her husband. Whatever Arthur Weasley's explanation was he'd just have to repeat it later as his voice was drowned out by the clamoring of staff, students, and several curious Aurors, all wanting to know if Snape and the twins were all right. Poppy held up her hands for silence. "Severus is fine. He'll be staying here in the hospital wing for a few days to rest and recover his strenght." "What about the babies?" Minerva's worried voice was the first to ask the question that was on everyone's minds. "Both are perfectly healthy, one of each, the boy weighs at 5 pounds 3 ounces and his sister at 5 pounds 2 ounces." Cheers filled the room, spreading out into the hallways. "Now will someone please tell us what has been going on out here?" Poppy asked when the din had settled down a bit. Again came a barrage of voices as the Weasley children, Harry, Hermione, Sirius, Remus, and the rest of the room's occupants all began. A bit of careful listening later and the two women had the whole story. Both were shocked that Lucius had come so close to reaching the room where Severus had lain in labor. It was a relief to know that now with both Death Eaters in custody Professor Snape and his new family were finally safe. While the explanations were going on Electra had discreetly made her way over to the cage where her former opponent was confined. Even drugged by spells and pain from his myrid injuries Lucius still moved, dragging himself to the very back of the cage, as far away from the young Corgi as he could get. Electra relished that; the look of fear in his currently feline eyes. It was good that he was frightened of her. Stepping a bit closer she pressed her head against the cage door and barred her teeth, the growl barely audible. (You are so very lucky. If I had my way the only thing left of you would be the bare bones. Perhaps when my master has recovered he can persuade this court thing to hand you back to me.) Lucius cringed back, pressing against the cage wall in an effort to further distance himself from the canine terror currently glaring at him with hungry eyes. By the Dark Lord! The beast was actually drooling! It wanted to devour him, eat him alive, he was certain of it! Surely Weasley wouldn't allow that, would he? He was supposed to be a fair and honest wizard. The cage suddenly jerked as the dog outside threw her weight against the door, growling savagely. Lucius yowled for help, terrified that somehow the four-legged monster would break into his cage and finish what it started. Broken claws scrambled against the wall's unyeilding surface as the acrid smell of urine filled the air. Satisfied she had litterally scared the piss out of her enemy Electra trotted back over to her master's adopted pup, plopping down at his feet she cocked her head as she listened to what the humans were saying. "..on earth did you know they were here Sibyl?" Remus asked the smug Divinations teacher as she handed the still frozen Pettigrew over to the Aurors. "The workings of the inner eye are vague to those not willing to devote themselves to it." She intoned in her usual mysterious air. "You can't mean that you had a vision of this!"
"Why didn't you tell us Sibyl?" Minerva asked and received a harsh bark of laughter for her effort. "And be laughed at and ignored? I know that virtually the entire school believes me to be nothing more than a fraud. My warnings would have been merely wasted breath. Better to deal with the situation by myself." Here Electra took offense and made her complaint extremely vocal. The thin woman smiled down at the snarling half grown pup. "So sorry my Dear. Of course I had help, far more than I had hoped for really, from Electra here." ( Damn strait you did lady!) the Corgi huffed at the indignity. ( All you did was stone a rat, I took on the real threat! ) "When do we get to see them Molly?" Arthur asked his wife. "Poppy?" She asked the school's nurse. "Let me just pop back in and see if they're ready for visitors." The smiling witch was back a moment later saying they could go in, but only in batches of four. Draco, Remus, Sirius, and Minerva were to go first. As the door opened and the small group entered no one but Draco noticed there was one extra to their numbers. No way was Electra going to stay outside this time. She was going to see her master and his new pups and damnation to whoever thought to stop her!
( Draco's going to make a wonderful big brother.) He thought as he gently stroked his daughter's fine hair.
As the others gathered around to coo and aww in appreciation, the bed gave a thump. Indentations appeared, moving steadily upwards till they reached the area just besides Severus' shoulder. Snape didn't need a crystal ball to tell who this was. "Hello Electra, come to meet the puppies?" He said to what looked like thin air. "Severus!" McGonagall was agast. "To call these adorable dears 'puppies' it's-" "Exactly what she calls them. To her they're puppies." He corrected the woman as Electra faded into view, a cocky little canine smile plastering her muzzle. (( These are puppies?)) She asked her master. "Yes, this is Pirene." He held out the baby for the dog to see. Electra eagerly sniffed the squirming bundle, noting by the scent it was a female. (( And other?)) Snape pointed to where Albus sat, currently chuckling as his son's fingers fould his mangled beard. "That's Evander." Leaning over the Corgi repeated the sniffing proccess, a male this time, imprinting on her mind the scent of the two newest members of her pack. (( Good litter, They healthy?)) There a hint of worry crept into her mental voice. "Poppy assures me they are. Why do you ask?" (( No fur. Where fur? Puppies supposed to have fur.)) Gently the moist nose touched Pirene's arm. (( Without fur, pups get cold, get sick.)) Snape was laughing. (( I sleep with pups, keep warm.)) She stated and plopped down on the bed, laying as close to the baby as she could get. (( Protect.)) "I don't think Pomfrey would like that." Electra snorted. (( Don't care what old moo thinks. She try to stop me I bite her in the ass.)) It was all Severus could do not to throw up he was laughing so hard. The others would looking at him as if he'd finally lost his mind. What on earth was there to laugh about? What joke had they just missed out on.
"She's adorable Sev, they both are." The werewolf breathed, a beaming smile baring almost all of his white teeth. "Have you given any thought to who their godparents are going to be?" "I have." Snape shot a glare towards Dumbledore as the old man spoke at the exact same time as he did. "And who exactly have you chosen Headmaster?" "Well, at first I had thought about Sirius here," one hand shot up to stop the younger wizard before he could launch into a stunning triad of anger. "Later I realized that would be a most grave error given the fact that both of you can't even keep a civil tongue around each other for more than ten minutes. Therefore my choice of godfather is Remus Lupin." "Me? you chose me?" Remus was stunned. "Do you agree Severus?" "I suppose I must. At least he's better than Black." Severus ignored the angry grumbling of said wizard. He wasn't about to say that Lupin had been his choice too, not while that dammed Animagi was still within earshot. "And the godmother?" "Would you mind Poppy?" The look on his face must have convinced Albus for he moved onto the next candidate. "Molly Weasley then." That met with a better reception. "She is adequate, at least if something were to happen to both of us the twins would have someone there for them that knew something about raising children." That settled they turned to far more important matters, namely admiring and adoring the new arrivals to Hogwarts.
It is with great pride and joy that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Severus Snape, Potions Master and Professor at Hogwarts, wish to announce the birth of their children on May 28th. Evander Albany Snape-Dumbledore, 5 pounds 3 ounces, was born first at 10:23 pm. His sister Pirene Alana Snape-Dumbledore, 5 pounds 2 ounces, made her entrance into the world at 11:46 pm. Despite being born two weeks premature both mother and children are doing fine.
Futher along in the paper was an article about the trial of the last two remaining Death Eaters. Both Peter Pettigrew and Lucius Malfoy were found guilty on numerous counts of dark magic, torture, rape, and murder, kidnapping, as well as the attempted murder of Severus Snape and his twin children. The two men were sentenced to the Kiss. On that same page was an article and picture showing the Order of Merlin being awarded to Professor Sibyl Trelawney for her capture of the Death Eater and betrayer of the Potters Peter Pettigrew. A special version of the highest award in wizard society, created just for this occasion, was given to Electra, Professor Snape's young Demihuge Welsh Corgi for her capture of Lucius Malfoy.
Snape's lean frame, wrapped in his familiar black robes, stood before his final class of seventh year students. He swept the room with his dark gaze, noting the looks of relief on the young people's faces that they would soon be away from the black bat before them. All had passed, though a few had only done so by one or two points. Oddly enough Neville Longbottom had improved in the last year and no longer blew up or melted his cauldron, though a few of his potions were still off kilter. Of couse Hermione Granger and his adopted son Draco had passed with flying colors, with Potter and Weasley not far behind. That bit was galling, having to pass those two annoying brats with such high marks. "If it were soley left in my hands I would see--" "Mama! Mama!" Two little voices cried from the side doorway. Immediately a change swept over the Potions Master. Like the muggle created character Mr. Hyde his whole temperment changed in a heartbeat. As the door flew open two little bodies streaked in, making a beeline strait to Severus, followed close behind by a large tri-color Corgi. The wizard smiled and knelt down, opening his arms to the pair of children. "Hello poppets," he said softly, lovingly nuzzling the soft hair of his children. "Whatever is the matter?" Evander pulled back, little tears staining his soft cheeks. "Peeves scared us again." "He's mean," his sister added, wiping away her own tears with the sleeve of her robe. Snape pulled out a hankerchief and dried both there faces, all the while crooning tender words and stroking their backs ever so gently. He held them close till both stopped shaking so much. (( I try master but nothing I do can stop the blasted little shit. )) Electra sighed as she plopped down on her furry rump. (( He won't leave either of them be if there isn't an adult with them.)) "Don't worry about it Electra, I'll have the other ghosts take Peeves in hand. This will not be happening again." A bit of the dark expression of bare minutes before crept back his black eyes, remaining there till he turned back to his children. "There, there my darlings, Mama will make sure Peeves leaves you alone from now on." "Promise?" "Promise." The students, who had been catching glimpses of this tender and motherly Snape since the twins birhts, still couldn't get over this aspect of their teacher. Snape wasn't supposed to act like this. He wasn't supposed to be anything close to this! This was Snape, the bastard, the total git, the sadistic teacher who took great delight in terrorizing his students half to death. He wasn't supposed to take time off to watch over Evander when he caught a cold, leave classes for a few minutes to check on his children, to play with them, take naps cuddled up on the bed with them, to love them with every beat of his fomerly supposed non-existant heart. "Now why don't you set over there with your brother Draco while finish up." Standing up he watched as the pair streaked over to the pale-haired youth and climbed up into his lap, snuggling up against his his chest. They were such a unique pair, a rare and magical mixing of their genes.
Her personality seemed to be leaning towards Dumbledore's. She was bright, intelligent, and had a sweet personality that had most people loving her minutes after they laid eyes on her. A bit disconcerting that, but Severus loved his daughter too much to try and wean her away from such things. Chocolate was the tone of his son's hair, almost black when the light hit it just right. And while his sister's eyes held that blue tint his were of the deepest black, a reflection of Snape's. Evander's intensive gaze often unsettled people. The boy was going quite handsome when he grew up. Already their were faint signs of the finely sculpted facial features to come. Aristocratic without the air of arrogance. Evander was also a thinker. Where is sister was prone to be impulsive Severus' son tried to consider his options first before acting on them. That was firmly from his mother's blood which was extremely pleasing to him, so long as Evander retained this trait he stood chace of becoming a rational wizard. Pirene would too if he had anything to say about. They did have a good start aready seeing as how they were more intelligent and magical than any other child of their age group. Class ended all too soon for the students, not soon enough for Snape and the twins. Today was a very special day after all. Today was the twins second birthday. As soon as Snape dismissed the students his children, all three, and one dog raced over and grabbed their parent's robes. "Come on Mama! Come on!" Pirene was saying. "We're gonna miss the party!" Evander tugged. "I keep telling you two that won't happen," Draco smile warmly at his little sister and brother. "You're the guests of honor." As soon as they opened the door to the teacher's longue they were greeted to the sight of all the essembled teachers on staff, several Aurors, Arthur and Molly Weasley and their son Bill, Black, the ghosts, and their Father. They began singing the moment they saw who it was.
"Happy birthday dear Pirene and Evander!" "Happy birthday to you!!!"
"Now make a wish and blow out the candles." Remus could hear Severus tell his children as they hungerly eyed the brightly colored confection. Turning towards each other some sort of silent communication passed between them before they sucked in a deep breath and blew out both wicks. Everyone cheered and the party really started... Later on, the presents opened, cake and other goodies eaten, the children were suggled up on their parents laps, dozing, head resting against chests. "When we get our wish Mama?" Pirene asked as Severus wiped off the last of the cake icing from her face. Everytime she saw her master preform that task Electra thought it was funny. Really humans weren't very efficently designed if they couldn't tongue-clean their own muzzles as she herself did. "Yeah, does it take long? Do we get to choose? What if we want one of each?" Evander directed his questions towards their Father. "Just what did you two wish for?" The werewolf inquired as he sat there cleaning stray bits of tape and paper off their little broomsticks. Both answered at the same time. "We want a baby brother or sister!!" "Oh Dear Gods!!" Snape exclaimed before fainting on the spot. End To be continued on in 'Snape's litter labor"
<--- Back * |
|
FAN ART and FICTION Comment, Submissions, Suggestions? Contact Shiver Like the site?
|
