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braveclementine · 5 months

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Chapter 10

Warnings: 18+ readers only, mentions of nudity

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

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"𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 taking to Slughorn's Christmas Party?" Trang asked as we sat down in the library.

"Er- probably no one." I muttered, "Why?"

"That Zabini guy seems like a bit of a er, option." Trang smirked though she looked a bit sour.

I snorted, "Yeah. . . Who are you bringing?"

Trang rolled her eyes, "I'm not going."

"You're not!?" I was legitimately surprised.

Trang smirked again. "Nope. Oliver's not here, I'm not going."

"Got it!" I nearly shouted and Madam Pince's head swiveled towards me and I quickly ducked my head. "We go together." I hissed.

Trang looked at me for a second and then said, "True, alright then."

"You agree?" I asked.

"Well, we're both dating other people that we can't go with so we should just go with each other." Trang said simply, pulling Transfiguration homework towards her and dipping her quill in ink. Then she looked at her quill, wrinkling her nose, "You know, in America, we used pens, and they are much easier to write with."

"I used pens my first year here." I said, smirking. "Believe me, it's best to use quills."

Trang shrugged, "I'll take your word on that."

Suddenly, Hermione entered the library, in a huffy mood.

"Guess she just left Ron and Lavender." I muttered under my breath to Trang who glowered with anger. She, like me, didn't particularly like Ron at this moment.

Ron and Lavender had been dating for about a week or so now. Every time I saw them, they were kissing, wrapped around each other. Harry seemed quite embarrassed by that and whenever Hermione saw it, she disappeared. I had the strangest urge to hit him every time that I saw him, though I knew this was just a step so that he could get to the true relationship he was meant to be in.

"Hi Hermione!" I said brightly. "We were just talking about the Christmas party, are you taking anyone yet?"

"No." Hermione replied huffily, pulling our arithmancy charts and books. Trang and I exchanged a look and quickly turned to our homework.

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𝕬 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖕𝖑𝖊 𝖉𝖆𝖞𝖘 later, I headed to the library and saw that Hermione and Harry were sitting at a wooden table aways away. I quickly hurried over, sitting down as Harry said, ". . . all the owls were being searched. So how come these girls are able to bring love potions into school? Hi Liz."

"Fred and George send them disguised as perfumes and cough potions, it's part of their Owl Order Service." Hermione said.

"Hello Harry." I replied, pulling out my charms book.

"You know a lot about it." Harry said.

Hermione gave him a nasty look and said, "it was all on the back of the bottles they showed Ginny, Trang, and me in the summer. I don't go around putting potions in people's drinks. . . or pretending to, either, which is just as bad. . ."

I rolled my eyes, "It was just a tactic Hermione."

"Never mind that. The point is, Filch is being fooled, isn't he? These girls are getting stuff into the school disguised as something else! So why couldn't Malfoy have brought the necklace into the school-?" Harry started and Hermione immediately shut him down.

"Oh, Harry. . . not that again. . ."

"Come on, why not?" Harry demanded.

"Look, Secrecy Sensors detect jinxes, curses, and concealment charms, don't they? They're used to find Dark Magic and Dark objects. They'd have picked up a powerful curse, like the one on that necklace, within seconds. But something that's just been put in the wrong bottle wouldn't register- and anyway, love potions aren't Dark or dangerous-"

"-easy for you to say." Harry muttered.

"-so it would be down to Filch to realize it wasn't a cough potion, and he's not a very good wizard. I doubt he can tell one potion from-"

Hermione cut off and I quickly flipped Harry's book closed so Madam Pince wouldn't see the writing upon the pages.

"The library is now closed. Mind you return anything you have borrowed to the correct shelf." Madam Pince said, gliding past our table. We gathered our things so that we could leave.

"Look," I said as Madam Pince moved past the wooden table and farther down the bookcases, stuffing my charms book into my bag. "Let's say for arguments sake, Draco's the Death Eater. Who says he brought it to Hogwarts at all? If, hypothetically, he was a Death Eater, he could easily have someone in Hogsmeade. Polyjuice potion, disguises, even the imperius curse. You should see if anyone in Hogsmeade has been acting funny, perhaps Dumbledore would know Harry."

We exited the library doors.

"But the necklace is expensive." Hermione argued.

"Well, the Malfoys are rich." I replied.

"And Borgin seemed scared of this Greyback character." Harry said. "Maybe he gave it to Malfoy for free."

"It's all speculation." I replied, "Until we find more clues or until we uncover something more at least."

I headed off in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room and doubled back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, knocking before I entered.

Severus smiled at me gently as I entered the office. Standing next to him was Professor Dumbledore. I hesitated in the doorway awkwardly, my cheeks turning red.

"Hello Miss Kane." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "Please close the door behind you."

I did as he said but stayed near the door, looking from Severus to Dumbledore.

"Now, I believe you and Severus are going to have a child?" Dumbledore asked cheerfully and very bluntly.

"Ah, yes sir." I said, my cheeks turning a brighter color. I wondered what he was thinking about.

"And Severus has told you that a spell will be done in order to hide the figure?" Dumbledore asked in a slightly gentler voice.

"Yes sir."

"Very well." Dumbledore said, taking out his wand. I noticed that the black hand was still quite black and I glanced at Severus for half a second. "Now." Dumbledore said, approaching me, "the spell won't have to be reapplied, but at the time of birth, the spell will drop, revealing the bump. It gives a five minute warning before water breaking and then, hopefully, you'll be in the hospital wing before long."

"Thank you." I mumbled, extremely embarrassed now.

Dumbledore stepped backwards and I noticed that my stomach had shrunk quite a bit and was more pleased than before. "Congratulations you two." He smiled and then left the office, the door closing behind him with a quiet snap.

"That was horrible." I murmured after a second.

"Did it hurt?" Severus asked, coming towards me, his black cloak trailing out behind him.

"No, I was just. . . well embarrassed. I mean, we're married, I shouldn't. I think I'll feel better once I'm seventeen." I sighed, putting a hand on my stomach and feeling the comparative flatness.

Severus gently tugged at my hand, putting it around his neck and then took my other hand in his, wrapping his other arm around my waist. I leaned my head on his shoulder and smiled a little.

"Do you remember dancing in December, two years ago in the Forbidden Forest?" He whispered along the top of my head.

I smiled a little, "A bit hard to forget."

"That was the first time you told me you loved me." He said, but he didn't sound amused like I thought he would.

"Yes." I said simply.

He was silent for a moment. "I love you."

Now I was silent for a moment, savoring the words floating on the air. "I love you too." I whispered after a long moment.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed." Severus said gently. "As a matter of fact, Dumbledore seems a bit- overly enthusiastic perhaps about the whole thing."

"Does anyone else know?" I asked curiously.

"Well he's never kept a secret from Professor McGonagall." Severus sighed, leading me slowly over to the bed.

I groaned, "I forgot, I was supposed to practice human transfiguration for class in a couple of days."

"Oh?" He questioned, slowly lowering himself over me on the bed, "and what part of the body, may I ask, are you changing?" His fingers trailed down from my neck to the V-shaped end of my shirt.

"The eyebrow color." I said with a smile. "Wonder if Tonks ever used her Metamorphmagus powers to cheat in human transfiguration?"

Severus rolled his eyes, undoing the buttons of my shirt with one hand, the other around the back of my head. "Probably."

"Why don't you like Aurors?" I asked curiously. "I might be one. . . will that be a problem?" I asked, smiling slightly.

"Most definitely." Severus said, lowering his lips to my breasts, moving his lips softly against my skin side to side.

I laughed quietly. The movement felt wonderful. "Will you give me an honest answer now?"

"To why I don't like Aurors? Or if there will be a problem if you become an Auror?" Severus asked, his head still bent but I saw the flicker of a smile.

"Why you don't like Aurors." I asked amused, shivering a little as I felt his teeth slightly graze over my nipple.

"Because," he whispered, "they didn't like me first."

I smirked. "Well then, I'll be a first."

"You always were a first." He whispered mysteriously and without another word, we disappeared under the sheets.

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𝕴 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖔 the small mirror on my desk, trying to block out the distracting noises of the other students. I heard Hermione laughing unkindly and I looked up and saw that Ron had given himself, through Transfiguration, a red handlebar mustache.

I looked back into the mirror, rolling my eyes. Sure, Ron was a rude, selfish, ignorant bastard, but did Hermione really have to be so childish about it? We were sixteen for Merlins sake and the two of them were fighting like they were still eleven.

Maybe it was the fact that I was going to be a mother and felt much older than them that set me apart from the others. Or perhaps it was the childish characteristic of her attitude. What she should have done, was ignore him. Get a boyfriend, a real one, and walked away from Ron instead of trying to make him jealous and angry.

I concentrated on the eyebrows, trying to change the color. I closed my eyes, focusing on turning them green.

"Lovely, Miss Kane." Professor McGonagall's voice said and I opened my eyes and saw that the eyebrows were a bright green. I also realized my hand was hurting from squeezing my wand so tightly and I quickly dropped my wand on the desk.

With a wave of her wand, Professor McGonagall turned my eyebrows back to their normal brown color and I was to try again and then turn them back on my own this time. I set to work on doing so.

Professor McGonagall walked around to the front of the class to address us, asking questions. Hermione raised her hand every time, like we always did. But I did not raise mine.

No, I watched Ron in the back of the classroom as he imitated her, to make her feel horrible and to amuse Lavender and Parvati.

Hermione was nearly in tears by the time class had ended. Harry gathered up her things, following her out of the classroom. Everyone else got up in a more orderly fashion, chattering indifferently as they left the classroom. Ron and Lavender were hanging onto each other like the way an octopus clung to its prey. I just wasn't sure which one was the prey yet.

I shoved my things into my bag angrily. Professor McGonagall had retired behind her desk. I wanted to ask her how she hadn't noticed Ron mocking Hermione but kept my mouth shut. I wasn't a Professor or even an equal to her stature. There was no way I was going to criticize her.

I slung my light bag across my shoulders and made my way out of the room, closing the door behind me. I walked down to the Great Hall for dinner.

I sat across from Trang at the Ravenclaw table. She had her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework out, trying to aimlessly eat a piece of steak while looking intently upon the diagrams. Her glasses kept slipping down her nose.

"How's that going?" I asked, setting my bag aside and pulling over the hot chicken wings.

"Hmm?" She asked, not really taking notice in who she was talking to. I grinned, biting into the wing and she looked up. "Oh! Sorry! Distracted, that's all."

"Not distracted. Concentrating." I said, eyes watering and quickly took a swig of milk. I'd never seen milk on the Hogwarts tables before. Or perhaps I just was never paying attention because pumpkin juice was a wizard drink.

Trang observed me for a second and then slid the charts back into her bag. "Do you still want to go to Slughorn's party?"

"Have to." I said. "I'd like to stay in bed with Sev, but he's going to be at the party and that's how it has to unfold so I'll go and just leave a little early, that's all."

"Alright then." Trang said with a shrug. "He's okay with the two of us going together, isn't he?"

I shrugged, "I didn't tell him. I didn't think it was relevant."

Trang looked like she wanted to say something but instead continued to eat.

"Should I have told him?" I asked anxiously, abandoning my chicken wings and wiping my fingers on a napkin.

Trang paused, a piece of steak on her fork before her lips. "I don't know. I'm not married."

"Thanks." I said, slightly bitter. But it wasn't like I was married either. A hand fluttered to my stomach.

"Are you alright?" Trang asked in concern, her eyebrows scrunching together.

"Fine." I whispered, "I'm going to go see Severus."

Trang opened her mouth as I got up from the table, looking distressed. But she didn't say anything, closing her mouth, as I grabbed my bag and headed for Severus' room.

I knocked before entering. He was alone, wearing his usual robes as though there was no party tonight.

"You're going to Slughorn's Christmas party looking like that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and dropping my bag down by the bed.

He glared at me. "I wasn't aware I was going to the party."

I shrugged. "All I know is that you end up there. I don't know the particular reason that you do."

"And are you going like that?" He asked, smirking and pointing to my school robes.

"Nope!" I said brightly. "I have a dress."

"Who are you going with?" Severus asked in a light, curious tone.

"Trang." I stated. "Since we're both dating people we can't go with, we decided to go with each other as friends."

"Fair enough." Severus said in what he obviously thought was a easy voice. However, he was much more pleased than he let on.

"The baby kicked." I said suddenly, going and pulling out the blue dress that I was going to wear.

"What?" Severus asked, sounding startled and looked up so fast I heard his neck crack. I tucked in my lips so I didn't laugh. He grabbed his neck, groaning.

"I said the baby kicked, when I was at dinner." I said, holding the dress up to my body.

I heard the scraping of a chair and footsteps. Severus came to stand behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder and putting both of his hands on my stomach where the bump should have been.

I felt her- just a guess- kick on the inside and there was an expression on Severus' face I'd never seen before. I couldn't even place it. Joy? Pride?

His smile was more genuine than it had been in a long time. Recently, under stress, his smiles had been forced. But this smile. . . we were going to be a family. Feeling the baby just made it more real.

The baby kicked again and Severus laughed, a real laugh too. I put a hand over his, pressing it to my stomach. I looked at our reflection in the mirror.

"You're going to be a great father." I said softly.

Severus smiled, our eyes meeting in the mirror. He pressed his lips to my cheek, his eyes still on our reflection.

I pulled away slowly, getting dressed for the party. The blue dress clung to my skinny frame in a flattering way.

"Can you zip me up?" I asked softly, braiding my hair to put up into a bun. Severus fingers lightly touched my back and then I felt the dress shift as he did the zipper up. "Thanks." I said, sticking pearl bobby pins into the elaborate bun.

"You look lovely." Severus whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist. I closed my eyes, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden.

"Thank you." I said and then leaned away to bend down and pick up my shoes. "I'll see you soon, okay?" I reached up and kissed him on the lips and then slipped out of his office and made my way to the Great Hall.

Outside the doors, I met Trang who was wearing a black dress with gold jewelry. She'd removed her glasses for the night, giving her a very sophisticated, older look.

"You look lovely." Trang said brightly and I returned compliments. We set down the hallway towards Slughorn's office.

"Harry's bringing Luna." I said. "But I'm sure you've heard of that by now considering your in Ravenclaw."

"Yes." Trang said. "She's quite happy about it, as you can imagine."

"Harry is quite an exceptional partner." I said proudly. "Though I would prefer Oliver over him, eh?" I grinned teasingly at her.

"Oliver is exceptionally handsome, isn't he." Trang said, smiling.

"I wish it was snowing." I said as we passed a window, looking out over the lawn. "It's nearly Christmas after all!"

"Ah." Trang said solemnly. "Alas, the effects of global warming."

I looked at her peculiarly for a second before she snorted with laughter. "It's an American thing, believe me."

"Perhaps you could enlighten me on the subject." I asked curiously. "For about the sixth time again."

Trang sighed. "Mind you, this isn't every American, just the really stupid ones."

"Alright. . .?" I agreed hesitantly.

"Well there is a certain group of people who believe the Earth is getting warmer. Melting glaciers in the Arctic, dying polar bears, etc. etc. But anyways, we're basically destroying the Earth with our fossil fuels and gasoline and oil and you know, all the things that help humans survive." Trang shrugged.

I snorted, "Do these Americans know basic science history? The Earth is constantly heating up and cooling down. That's why we have ice ages and then periods that aren't ice ages and then ice ages again. It's a cycle and each one lasts a few thousand years. If we're heating up, that just means that we've been exiting an ice age for some time now. Besides, it'll snow. It snowed back in October, we just need precipitation in the air. Perhaps Americans should refine their science and history classes."

"We only learn the same things every year in history class." Trang said. I looked at her with raised eyebrows, "I mean, Americans learn the same thing. It's always about the revolution, escaping from us Brits, and slavery. The same cycle every year. A lot of emphasis on Slavery."

"You'd think after a year you'd know everything." I said, and we turned a corner. We could now hear the sounds of music and chatter. "And move on to learn something new. Don't you guys have exams or something?"

"ACT and SAT, yes, but it doesn't include history." Trang said.

I snorted, "What a waste of study then. You have to take history every year up until you graduate?"

"Yes." Trang said. She pulled open the door to Slughorn's office. "When I was planning on college, I was going to take the study of East Asian History. It'd give me a break from the racial tensions of America."

"You know," I said, picking up two glasses of a bubbly golden drink off of a passing waiter's tray. I handed one to Trang. "Slavery has always been a large part of culture. The Romans empire, the slavery of the Egyptians in the Old Testament of the Bible, even way back to Abrahams time-"

"If you perceive the Bible's stories to be true, that is." Trang pointed out before sipping the drink.

"Fair enough." I consented and we moved to stand by a window, looking out at the black landscape. "But it's historically written that the Chinese had slaves as well as the Roman empire and many other empires leading up till today. Even still there are some countries with slavery- admittedly, illegal slaves but still, slavery. I shall never understand the racial tensions in America when they should have ended many many years ago. The African America Population in American does have all the same freedoms as everyone else, no?"

"Of course they do, but if they make a big deal about it, they get special services. Like free housing, free medical, food stamps which is sort've like free food, and some other things. I suppose that's the only reason they make a big deal out of it- they reap benefits from it."

I shook my head. "What a messed up system in America. Shouldn't everyone simply work to benefit their families, not rely on the Government to take care of them? Isn't that how life should work?"

Trang was smiling mysteriously and I looked at her curiously, "Okay, what's with that smile?"

"This is quite a philosophical debate." Trang said, raising her eyebrows. "Almost like we're adults."

"Cheers to that." I said, raising my glass. We clinked them together and I took my first sip of the drink. It had a warm, pleasant taste like apple cider. "You don't think this is alcohol, do you?"

"Should've asked before you drank it." Trang said with a smirk. "but no, I don't think so."

"There's Harry and Luna," I said, gesturing towards the couple. Luna was wearing lovely silver robes. Harry looked quite nice in his almost black but really green dress robes as well. I watched as Hermione intercepted him. "Shall we join them?" I asked, smiling at Trang.

"Let's." Trang said brightly.

We approached the trio.

". . .mistletoe." Hermione was saying, looking around her anxiously. Her hair was a bit messy and her face was flushed.

"Serves you right for coming with him." Harry said unsympathetically.

"I thought he'd annoy Ron most. I debated for a while about Zacharias Smith, but I thought on the whole-"

"You considered Smith?" Harry asked in a revolted voice.

"Smith would most definitely have been a better candidate." I said.

"Hello Elizabeth! Hello Trang!" Luna said brightly.

"Hey Luna." Trang and I said together.

"I'm starting to wish I'd chosen him." Hermione continued her conversation with Harry. "McLaggen makes Grawp look like a gentleman. Let's go this way, we'll be able to see him coming, he's so tall. . ."

We made our way to the other side of the room where we found Professor Trelawney standing there alone.

"Hello." Luna said.

"Good evening, my dear. I haven't seen you in my classes lately." Professor Trelawney sounded a bit tipsy and she was squinting at Luna as though that would give her better sight.

"No, I've got Firenze this year." Luna said.

"Oh, of course, or Dobbin, as I prefer to think of him. You would have thought, would you not, that now I am returned to the school Professor Dumbledore might have got ride of the horse? but no. . . we share classes. . . It's an insult, frankly, an insult."

"He's a Centaur." I said shortly, offended. "And he can't return to the forest- he'd be slaughtered. Dumbledore is keeping him from death. I think sharing classes is a small price to pay for that. Besides, he's quite wonderful."

Professor Trelawney focused her eyes on me and didn't say anything for a long moment. Then she said, "It'll be a boy of course."

I flushed. A boy?

Trang and I exchanged a look out of the corner of our eyes. Hermione and Harry were talking fervently about something in the corner as Professor Trelawney turned back to Luna to continue her rants about 'Dobbin'.

Suddenly another boy came up behind us and I turned to see Cormac there. I rolled my eyes, exchanging another look with Trang.

"Seen Hermione?" Cormac asked Harry.

"No, sorry." Harry said, turning to join Luna at her side.

"Harry Potter!" Professor Trelawney said, apparently only just taking in the fact that Harry had been standing in her presence for quite some time.

"Oh, hello." Harry muttered. Trang giggled.

"My dear boy! The rumors! The stories! 'The Chosen One'! Of course, I have known for a very long time. . . The omens were never good, Harry. . . But why have you not returned to Divination? For you, of all people, the subject is of the utmost importance!"

"Ah, Sybill, we all think our subject's most important!" Professor Slughorn appeared with a red face, a glass of mead, and a mince pie. I hated pie. He was wearing a velvet hat that was tilted on his head. His eyes were bloodshot and I was sure he was quite intoxicated. "But I don't think I've ever known such a natural at Potions! And Miss Kane as well!" Slughorn toasted me with his mead. "Instinctive, you know- like his mother!" (I'd finally managed to tell him that I wasn't Harry's sister, a fact he couldn't believe). "I've only ever taught a few with this kind of ability, I can tell you that, Sybill- why even Severus-"

And here, Professor Slughorn threw out his arm, ensnaring the love of my life to his side. Severus looked quite peeved to be held against Professor Slughorn. Trang and I exchanged a quick glance and we both looked away, determinedly not grinning. I met eyes with Zabini and I blushed, looking away again.

"Stop skulking and come and join us, Severus!" Slughorn said with a hiccup. "I was just talking about Harry and Elizabeth's exceptional potion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught them for five years!"

Severus looked at Harry with narrowed eyes, "Funny, I never had the impression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all."

"Well, then, it's natural ability! You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death- never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, albeit Elizabeth. I don't think even you, Severus-"

Trang snorted and quickly turned away. I grinned down at the floor. It was worth it to come to this party just for this.

"Really?" Severus said quietly. I quickly took another sip of the apple cider before pinching my lips together to keep from smiling or laughing. Harry shifted where he was standing. Luna and Professor Trelawney were continuing to talk, completely ignoring us.

"Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?" Professor Slughorn asked.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology. . ." Harry started before Severus interrupted him.

"All the subjects required, in short, for an Auror."

"Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to do." Harry said with a bit of defiance in his voice.

"And a great one you'll make too!" Professor Slughorn boomed.

"I don't think you should be an Auror, Harry." Luna said. Professor Slughorn, Severus, Harry, Trang, and I all looked at her. "The Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, I thought everyone knew that. They're working to bring down the Ministry of Magic from within using a combination of Dark Magic and gum disease."

Harry made a snortling sound as he inhaled mead up his nose. Trang burst out laughing and I laughed quietly too.

"Kingsley would love that." I muttered in Trang's ear. She laughed harder.

"So would your Uncle Moody." Trang muttered back, coughing now.

Harry emerged from his goblet, coughing. His front was soaking wet and I rolled my eyes before producing my wand and siphoning the mead from his shirt. "You really ought to be more careful." I muttered.

"Professor Slughorn," a new, wheezing voice said and I turned to see Filch holding Draco by the ear. "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

I observed Draco curiously out of the corner of my eye as he wrenched himself from Filch's grip. He looked extremely sick. There were large dark circles under his eyes, a bit like the ones that I was starting to get from being unable to sick. But it was more than that. It had to be the stress of failing to do whatever Voldemort wanted him to do.

I would've exchanged a look with Harry except I didn't want to give it away. I decided it was safer to just sip my apple cider.

"All right, I wasn't invited! I was trying to gatecrash, happy?" Draco asked.

"No, I'm not." Filch said which contradicted his happy face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"

"That's all right, Argus, that's all right." Slughorn said, waving a large hand in front of his face. Filch took a step back. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."

"Well." I said, turning to Trang. "I think we should take a stroll around the room."

"Quite." Trang said and we left our present company.

We went back over to the window we were previously at.

"What do you think we're going to do now?" Trang asked quietly.

"For the night?" I asked.

"Sure." But she didn't sound honest.

"I think I'm going to leave early now. We leave for home tomorrow, at least I do. You're staying here aren't you?" I gave her a curious glance.

"Yes, I wanted to spend a Christmas here at Hogwarts." Trang said, smiling a little.

"You could have stayed with us, you know?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, don't worry. This is what I want." Trang said firmly, turning to face the window. "And you?"

"I wanted to do both." I said and laughed a little. "Spend all of winter break with dad but spend Christmas Eve with Severus. Can't have everything though."

"No, I suppose not." Trang said softly.

"I'm going to call it a night." I said, putting my glass down on the windowsill. "I'm tired, my head hurts, and I wanted to spend the last night before break with Sev." I kissed Trang on the cheek. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, I'll see you off." Trang said with a smirk.

I looked out the window. "Hey look, I told you global warming didn't exist."

Trang looked out the window as I walked away to watch the snow fall.

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𝕾𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖚𝖘 𝖜𝖆𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝖎𝖓 his office when I got there. I knew that he was probably chewing Draco out at the moment. I wondered if he would return to the party, as I had foreseen, or if things would change and he would come straight here.

I took off my shoes, rubbing my sore feet. There's a reason people don't wear heels everyday for long periods of time. I carefully extracted the pins and screws from my bun, placing them back in their proper place.

My hair fell down in waves and I decided to leave it like that instead of combing it out. The trouble was unzipping the dress from behind.

The door opened and I looked up as Severus closed the door behind him. He hung his cloak up on the peg and then he started to undress.

"He's still not telling you what he's working on?" I asked, reaching behind in an attempt to unzip the dress myself. Severus came over and unzipped it for me. "thanks."

"No, he's not." He sounded frustrated. He threw his shirt over the office chair. I hung the dress up on a hanger, putting it into the wardrobe before searching for pajamas.

"The progress isn't going well." I stated, grabbing his gray shirt that he usually wore to bed. He grabbed the clothes from my hands and tossed them on the bed, pushing his lips to mine.

"We don't really need clothes tonight, I don't think." he said.

I grinned against his mouth. "Fair enough."

He turned off the light aimlessly as he carefully pulled me into the bed.

"Are you mad?" I asked as he moved his lips down to my neck. He drew back a little.

"Why?"

"About me spending Christmas away from Hogwarts." I said, wishing I'd bitten my tongue.

He didn't say anything for a moment and then rolled off of me and laid down next to me. "A little bit, yes."

I was silent now, tears welling up in my eyes. I closed them and the tears spilled over the lids.

"Are you crying?" Severus asked suddenly. I didn't know how he knew as I had made no noise. I wasn't a loud crier.

I licked my lips and said, "No."

Silence.

"You're lying." Severus said, putting his hands on either side of my face. I supposed he could feel the tears now. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Just hormones." I said, sniffing. "I'm fine."

He put an arm around me, pulling me onto my side so that my head rested on his chest. My hair fanned out behind me on the pillow, out of the way. He smoothed my hair repeatedly in a soothing manner.

"Professor Trelawney said the baby is going to be a boy." I said, quickly changing the subject.

"You told her?" Severus asked, a bit incredulously, and a bit anxiously.

"No. I don't know. . . maybe she meant something else." I said, moving my head slightly. Shadows were dancing on the wall, Severus had left the candles lit. "She was talking about Firenze and I got in the conversation. She kind've just stared at me for a moment and then said 'It'll be a boy of course'."

"A boy. . ." Severus said slowly, moving his hand down to my stomach. Part of me wished the bump was visible. I wanted to see the bump rather than just know that there was a baby inside of me. But it was a foolish wish.

"I think she's wrong." I stated happily.

"You do?" He sounded amused.

"Yes. Her predictions are usually quite off." I trailed a finger over his neatly defined abs. I had a feeling they'd. . . what was the right word? Grown didn't seem right. Perhaps defined. More defined than last year that was for sure. Perhaps he was working out? "So I'm quite confident that it's a girl instead."

"So the opposite of what Professor Trelawney says is the truth." Severus said, more amused than before.

"Correct." I reached up and pressed my lips to his. His hands pulled me closer to his and that was the end of our conversation for the rest of the night.

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