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mpregandproud · 2 years ago

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Isaac (Part 2)

How do you tell the person you've just started dating that you're expecting his child? It's the question that has been bothering me since I left the doctor's office. So many emotions in such a short time. I was hoping to be a father sometime in my life, but with Sandra. Since I started dating Isaac I discarded that option, I don't know why I did it. Prejudice, for sure, I come from a traditional family and two men being fathers together was not usual. I thought I would have to adopt or use a surrogate to be a dad in the future. And it turns out that I am finally one of those few men who can get pregnant and as luck would have it, I am expecting Isaac's child.

I needed to clear my head before I got home, so I didn't go back by bus, I decided to take a walk around town until I got to Isaac's apartment. I stopped at a shop window, my reflection in the glass already showed a belly that a few months ago was not there. My breakup with Sandra resulted in my anxiety about food. In just a couple of weeks I put on 50 pounds, I look like a cow. I've always been a glutton. It was the reason I started playing soccer, to stay in shape. Since I stopped playing soccer I had lost muscle, but I never put on as much weight as I did in those days. I lost some weight these last few weeks, but the belly was still there. It wasn't very big, because I'm a big man, but it definitely showed. As I looked at myself in the window I put my hands on my belly and rubbed it. I didn't look too bad, I even looked sexy. I better get used to it because this little one is only going to get bigger.

I arrived home two hours later, on the way I stopped to buy some donuts and eat them in the park in the sun. Was it the first craving? Isaac arrives home at 20:00 from the university where he is a literature professor. I prepared a special dinner, decorated the table for the occasion and dressed more elegant than usual.

When Isaac arrived he greeted me with a romantic kiss and a hug. When he saw the beautifully decorated table he asked me if we were celebrating something and I told him I had a surprise for him.

"Honey, as you know, today I had an appointment at the doctor's because of my belly, which was harder than usual. He said there's nothing wrong with me" I said and Isaac made a relieved face, he held my hands to reassure me. "The thing is... it turns out... I'm pregnant... I'm expecting your child", as I told him about it his face drew an expression of greater surprise. I haven't known Isaac for a long time and I wasn't able to interpret what he was thinking at that very moment.

There was an eternal silence. It would barely last a few seconds, but for me it was the longest moment of my life. Isaac grabbed me again with his big, warm hands. At that moment a sense of peace washed over me. "It's all right. I'm not going to lie to you if I tell you that I didn't expect to be a dad so young, but I think you're the father I always dreamed of for my children. I love you so much, Daniel," he said, looking into my eyes with emotion. After that, we kissed passionately.

"According to what he told me, I'm a one month pregnant, so if I do the math, it had to be the first time we slept together. It's one of the few times we've fucked without a condom, so it has to be from that day. I have no doubt," I said. Actually, this detail didn't matter anymore. I could see Isaac's excitement overflowing. His eyes were shining like never before. I don't think anyone had ever looked at me with as much love and admiration as he did at that moment.

The following weeks were complicated. I kept having morning sickness. My appetite grew and I regained the weight I had managed to lose since I started dating Isaac. My doubts about my body returned, but he made sure to remind me that he met me with a belly and that it was one of the parts of my body he liked the most. In fact, whenever he had the chance he would show it to me. I worked part-time as an IT guy and the rest of the day I spent walking, eating and resting until Isaac came home in the evening. Since we found out we were going to be parents our sexual activity has multiplied. From what they say, pregnant women enjoy sex more in the final months, but my body is already enjoying it from the beginning.

By the time I was two months pregnant, I weighed 230 pounds. For someone who for many years had been under 170 pounds, it was a major change. Most of my clothes no longer fit. Actually, they hadn't fit for months, although I didn't want to admit it. With the belly I gained after the separation, all my shirts were tight. And now my pants started to fit tight too. I had to buy a lot of new clothes in very large sizes so that they would fit me for a longer period of time. With the new clothes I could look like I wasn't pregnant, just a little chubbier than usual.

We decided not to tell our friends and family until I had a new ultrasound and they checked to make sure everything was perfect. We both wanted to share the news with our loved ones, especially with Isaac's friends, with whom we met almost every day. With them I felt very supported and understood from the first day. They made me feel like one of the group of friends, even before Isaac and I started dating. I had more in common with them than I did with my high school or college friends. I would even hang out with Bruce, Ken, Tom and Justin when Isaac was at home preparing for his classes. They had become my family.

The day of the ultrasound came. I left work and headed to the hospital. I was excited, eager to find out if everything was going well. The bus arrived, I entered the hospital and stood in the waiting room. Isaac was already arriving, he had taken his car from the university and in a few minutes he would be with me to go in for the ultrasound together.

As I waited, a woman with a huge belly sat next to me, she must be about to give birth. I looked up and saw it was Sandra, and she looked very sad. "Hello, Sandra, it's been a long time, how are you doing" I asked her. Deep down I would have preferred that meeting not to have taken place. She burst into tears without answering me.

When the crying passed, she looked at me and said, "I missed you Dan. Everything was easier with you. But look at me, about to give birth, abandoned by Peter and without a job. I've screwed it all up." I didn't think her life was so bad, why would Peter leave her? "I see you're doing better, you're glowing. Your cousin told me that after our breakup you had a hard time and put on a lot of weight, but now you had met someone and were very happy. I imagine that if you are in this clinic it will be because you are going to be a father. Congratulations," she told me in a reproachful tone.

"That's right, I'm going to be a dad in about seven months. There's still a long way to go, but I'm very excited," I told her. I knew those words didn't help to lighten the mood, but inside I was so happy since I knew I was pregnant that I didn't care about anything else. Just then Isaac came into the waiting room and kissed me before sitting down next to me. "Sandra, this is Isaac, my boyfriend. Isaac, this is Sandra, my ex-wife," I introduced them. Isaac offered his hand in greeting, but Sandra remained disgruntled.

"Your boyfriend? Are you gay? Did you use a surrogate to become parents?" Sandra asked. Isaac and I looked at each other and couldn't help but smile. "Yes, we're boyfriends. I met him at soccer few weeks after our divorce and, although it took us a while to become boyfriends, I think I fell in love with him from that day on," I said looking Isaac in the eye, even though I was responding to Sandra. "No, we didn't resort to a surrogate," Isaac said putting his hand on my belly and rubbing it, while looking at me and winking. That gesture didn't help with Sandra, but it came naturally to Isaac.

"Wait, what, you got pregnant?" said Sandra in surprise. "That's right, I happen to be unknowingly one of the few men in the world who can get pregnant. It wasn't a wanted thing, but we're so happy to be able to be dads," I told her. She gasped. It was normal, the man she had been married to for three years was standing in front of her with a boyfriend and announcing that he was expecting a child. At that moment we were called to the office. Isaac and I got up immediately and I said goodbye to Sandra. Isaac approached her and invited her to come to our house for dinner that night to continue getting to know each other and talk. Although I didn't really feel like being with Sandra, this kind of gesture is what made me fall in love with Isaac. She, to my surprise, gladly accepted the invitation. It was the first moment that day that I really saw her happy.

I lay down on the table and the doctor started the ultrasound. He said he could feel my belly a little bigger and firmer than last time, that was a good sign. Isaac didn't stop holding my hand at any time, he was so excited about this pregnancy. The doctor confirmed my suspicions, there was more than one baby. "Congratulations to both of you, you are expecting triplets." Three babies? I thought it would be two, three is a lot. My face was terrified. If expecting one child already scared me, and the thought of two terrified me, three made me panic. At that moment I thought about how much I was going to get fat, how it would change my life to have three babies to support. A feeling of responsibility and fear at the same time.

I looked at Isaac and he was ecstatic, the sparkle in his eyes was bigger than ever. "Oh, how wonderful my love, we are going to be daddies to three beautiful babies. I love you so much," he said and kissed me immediately. As it always happens to me, his kisses give me peace, all my doubts and fears disappeared instantly. This man has the ability to make me feel in seventh heaven. I was carrying three children of the man I love, what could be better than that.

Go to Part 3

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braveclementine · 6 months ago

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Chapter 14

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (Please keep note of the warnings).

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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𝕬𝖕𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖘 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖉 on the first Saturday of February. I was quite glad to have something to do because all my homework was done and Severus was going to be busy and there had been nothing for me to do today.

I would've gone outside and drawn the purple-gray clouds floating in the sky, spots of grass appearing where the snow had melted, and the lawns slippery and muddy. But it was raining and while it was a lovely scene to draw, I preferred to stay dry and warm.

I arrived in the Great Hall where the apparation lessons would be held with Trang, Harry, and Hermione.

The Great Hall looked much like how it had been during exams last year minus the desk. The four house tables were gone from the room. Rain was sloshing against the windows and the magical ceiling that portrayed the outside weather showed dark swirling clouds. I randomly wondered if the magical barriers would protect Hogwarts from a tornado.

Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Snape were standing in the very back of the room, opposite the entrance doors with a small wizard, bigger than Flitwick and smaller than Sprout. He looked a bit like a ghost in a way, though with slightly more color. His hair was wispy and he seemed as though the wind could blow him away. I wondered if his coloring had anything to do with constant apparation.

I exchanged a look with Harry and knew we were thinking the same things.

"Good morning." The Ministry wizard said. Even his breath sounded like it could be carried on the wind. "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests in this time-"

"Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" Professor McGonagall barked.

Heads spun towards where Professor McGonagall was looking. Malfoy flushed dull pink as he stepped away from Crabbe, to whom he had been talking to. I glanced quickly at Severus who was looking slightly annoyed.

"-by which time, many of you may be ready to take your tests." Twycross said and I realized with embarrassment that I hadn't heard what he'd been saying because I'd been preoccupied with Malfoy. I mentally criticized myself.

"As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasize that you will not be able to Apparate outside of the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try. I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."

Everyone started to scramble around, pushing each other or ordering others out of space that they apparently thought theirs. I made my way to the left side of the Hall, giving myself the approximate five space needed. I was in the front along with many Ravenclaws. I supposed they believed that knowledge would help them in this endeavor. I could see Trang somewhere in the back and to my left.

I was quite nervous, my stomach turning over. Of course, no one would be apparate on the first try, not even Hermione so I shouldn't expect myself to exceed where others couldn't. I was slightly worried about Trang however. She certainly didn't have the practice that might be needed in this case and I was worried.

Susan was going to splinch herself, but she would be the only one. There was nothing for me to worry about.

Severus was looking at me, a frustrated look on his face, and I wondered what he was upset about. Then, with impending horror, I realized that I'd forgotten to tell him that Dumbledore had told me it was safe to take apparation.

There was no way to tell him now. I'd have to tell him afterwards. I'm sure there was going to be a fight, something I wasn't looking forward to, and I looked glumly at the floor.

"Quiet!" The house heads shouted.

"Thank you, now then. . ." Mr. Twycross said, waving his wand. Wooden hoops appeared on the floor in front of each student. I'd had one of these when I was a little girl for hoola-hooping. Or sometimes playing stick and hoop. You used a branch to roll the hoop alongside you. Of course, the taller you were, the harder it was to get the hoop rolling and it was hard to get the hoop rolling in the first place. The kids on the playground at school had been envious that I was so good at it. But it was just because I was shorter than them. Probably.

"The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D's! Destination, Determination, Deliberation! Step one: Fix your mind upon the desired destination. In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."

I looked down at the center of the hoop. The floor, though made of tile, was completely perfect. Most of it was white, yes, but there were flecks of brown, black, and gray. But they were so little that if I hadn't been studying it, I would never have normally noticed them.

"Step two, focus your determination to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"

I waited for some sort of magical feeling to flow from my head to my feet but nothing happened. It was really stupid, if you thought about it. When your supposed to be thinking about something, you never seem to be thinking about it.

"Step three, and only when I give the command. Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness moving with deliberation! On my command, now... one-"

My stomach clenched. I wasn't ready!

"-two-"

I nearly thought about closing my eyes, the way I dealt with magic most of the time. Concentrating through the blackness of my mind.

"-THREE!"

I turned on the spot, focusing on nothingness, and the hoop. I heard a crack and then next thing I knew, I was standing in the hoop.

There were murmured whispers in the hall and I closed my eyes, horrified. I shouldn't have tried so hard.

I opened my eyes again and saw the house heads kind've just staring at me. Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall's had various degrees of pride written on their faces while Severus held his pride in his eyes rather than on his face.

Mr. Twycross showed more surprise than anything else. I knew he hadn't been expecting this. I stepped out of the hoop, heading back to my starting spot, wishing that people would start to move again and stop staring at me.

Mr. Twycross asked Professor Sprout something and she positively beamed while she answered.

"Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions. . ." He finally said and the other students started to move their hoops back to where they had been. I could still feel students eyes on me and I felt uncomfortable.

This was very different from showing off in class by knowing word by word definitions. This was something that none of us had studied, something that we had never practiced before. I should not have been able to do so on first try.

Perhaps it was because Dad had done so much side-along apparation with me as I grew up that I had a subconscious knack for it. There had to be some sort of explanation.

I kind've just stared at the hoop for the rest of the tries, not even attempting anything. On the fourth attempt, there was a painful screeching and I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around me.

When I opened them, I saw the house heads had converged on Susan Bones. Her leg was five feet away from the hoop, though the rest of her body had successfully transported to the inside of the hoop.

"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continuously upon your destination, and move without haste, but with deliberation... thus." Twycross said slightly dispassionately and, turning on the spot, appeared at the front of the hall, near the double doors.

"Remember the three D's and try again. . . one-two-three."

An hour later, I'd managed to apparate twice more- the only attempts I made. I was also starting to feel sick though I wasn't sure if it was motion sickness, morning sickness, upset stomach, or nerves and anxiety from being stared at by the whole school combined with stress of being pregnant.

"Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget; Destination, Determination, Deliberation." Twycross said while fastening his cloak. The hoops were vanished and I hurried away from the Great Hall, the first student out and headed immediately up towards the hospital wing.

"Elizabeth!" A sharp voice called and my steps faltered and I turned reluctantly.

"Professor." I answered as students started to flood past us.

"I thought-"

"Dumbledore gave me permission." I muttered since we were close enough. "He said I could do it. I meant to tell you last night but I got um, distracted and it slipped my mind."

Severus grinned and then remembered that he was in a hallway of students and quickly masked his face before anyone noticed that he had an emotion that wasn't mad or disapproving.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Hospital wing, I feel sick." I said and he put a hand on my shoulder and hurried me along to the hospital wing.

The wing was completely empty and Severus went and fetched Madam Pomfrey from her office. She took a look at me, asking me about my symptoms. Since it was just the three of us, Severus showed mild affection and obvious concern towards me.

If Madam Pomfrey thought that our situation was strange, she didn't show it on her face. She stayed professional and kind all at once.

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with you or the baby," Madam Pomfrey said, setting her wand in her pocket. "It's possible that it was simply motion sickness. Of course, pregnancy creates all sorts of new emotions and I'm sure that you felt quite self-conscious when everyone was staring at you in the Great Hall. I suppose. . ." she finished the rest of her statement in her head, checking my eyes and then poured a clear liquid into a cup.

"Drink this." she said, handing it to me and I doused it like a shot. "That should kick in slowly rather than immediately. Won't hurt the baby either."

"Thank you." Severus said in his most sincere voice, kissing the top of my head.

"Oh yes!" Madam Pomfrey said as we stood up, getting ready to leave, "The baby should be due on June 14th but the days could be sooner or later as the exact day is always ambiguous."

I let out a sigh of relief. Severus didn't have to kill Dumbledore until the 30th which meant he would be there for the babies birth. Good.

Severus and I left, heading up to his office.

"I really am sorry I didn't tell you sooner about the apparition and Dumbledore." I apologized again as I sat down on the bed, laying down to rest.

"Don't worry about it." Severus said softly, sitting on the floor and kissed my forehead. He pulled some papers towards him and grabbed a quill to start grading. "Congratulations on apparating first thing by the way."

I laughed. "I don't know how I did it. I think maybe because dad's taken me on side-along apparation so much. I don't know."

"Or maybe you're just incredibly talented." Severus said gently, slightly proudly.

I went to laugh but groaned instead, curling up into a ball and hugging myself. Severus was over me in an instant.

"I'm fine." I said, pushing his chest lightly so that he'd sit back down. "I don't know much about pregnancy but I'm sure this is just one of those things, alright?"

"Sure." Severus whispered.

"Can I have my artpad?" I whispered.

Severus leaned over, grabbing my bag and handed up my artpad and my box that I kept my different drawing utensils in.

"Thanks." I whispered. Severus kissed me on the cheek and then threw himself into grading.

I worked into the night, not drawing a place or places, but rather people. Two people at various stages of life.

First, there is a small girl with wide brown eyes and frizzy hair about her head, sitting in a chair. In one piece of art, she is holding a door knocker tightly, brass and old. There is a bruise at her temple, a greenish hue spreading through her light brown skin. Beside her on a table is a plate of small cakes.

In another drawing, it is the same scenery, but she is now instead holding a stuffed rabbit toy. Her eyes are now on the rabbit rather than whatever she was looking at before.

In another drawing, she is in a room. She is wearing trousers and a sweater and a mask. The mask looks antique, covering most of the face till it reaches the mouth. It is a rabbit mask, it's ears making the girl look taller than she is. She has a sack on her back though the contents of the sack are unknown. She is in the middle of dropping an origami star in a corner, letters seen, but not enough to make out full words.

In the next drawing however, there is a boy. He looks older than most of the boys I know, perhaps eighteen. He has blond hair and brown eyes, curves in his nose and long eyelashes. He is wearing old fashioned clothes with lots of ruffles and large brass buttons on the outside of his coat. His trousers and long socks and strange shoes might've placed him in the mid-1700s, perhaps later.

The boy is standing in a hallway, this one is full of paintings, not café tables and black chairs. It is a hallway based on architecture, based on the articulate and detailed names on the books. The paintings inside the drawings are detailed: floating castle inside a green frame, cities carved into a cliff in a large brass frame, mansions melded together with ships and more.

That drawing is put aside and the next is with both of them. The girl is older now, her eyes are black rather than brown, perhaps diluted by spending time in the darkness. Her brown hair is piled in curls and braids. She wears the bunny ears still, hiding her face though not her lips. She wears a tank top and a short skirt with blue leggings and black boots that almost reach her knees.

The boy still wears the frills, the strange shoes, the stockings. They look so out of place with each other, as though they were from different times. The room has a table that is strewn with papers, books, ink, and quills. There are pillows on the floor and a type of couch that people call the psychiatrist couch. I think the proper term was chaise lounge. There were doors on one side of the room, five of them, each marked with a different symbol. Key, crown, bee, feather, sword. There is no heart, but perhaps that's because the heart is on the door that the boy had come through.

The last one is the two of them with no clothes on. Their lips are locked, their bodies entwined. Her bunny ears stay on.

My hand is sore and I drop the pencil into the box, snapping it closed and making a toss for my bag. It lands on top. Severus jerks, his quill scratching against the paper. Apparently he'd fallen asleep.

My hand is covered in graphite or lead, whichever was in the pencil. I grab a cloth and start to wipe my fingers. Severus stands, stretching and sets the parchment and quill back down on his desk. There aren't as many stacks of paper anymore. I suppose he'd gotten a lot done.

I wondered how long it had taken to do this art work, if Severus had said anything. I checked the clock and saw that nearly five hours had passed and that I was hungry. It was to late to go down to the Great Hall. Two hours to late.

I sighed, finishing cleaning my hands and started to gather my artwork, but Severus beat me to it, scooping up the papers and looking through them.

I wondered if he saw the two people as unsettling. They were obviously from different time periods. It was unnatural. How was it that the two of them met? Was time travel possible in the future? Was this then, a place from the past? It had to be if the boy was there and he was dressed from the past.

Severus carefully set my artwork down on the bag as my stomach growled. He gave me a smirk and with a wave of his wand, produced fruit and vegetables and meat and drink. Part of me felt disconcerted. I felt as though for a moment, I had been a part of that world and now, I had returned to this world, only for a brief moment.

"I need to let this go." I sighed, sticking a grape in my mouth. "I'm getting obsessed, I don't think it's healthy."

"Perhaps you're making nothing into something." Severus suggested kindly. "These could be book ideas, characters or places your bringing to life. I mean, it's possible isn't it?"

Could that be it? Just something I was seeing from the future, bringing it to life? Fictional though it may be, Severus' idea had some logic to it.

I shrugged, "Anything's possible when it comes to me."

"I'll take you up on that." Severus said slyly and I blushed and threw a grape at him. He chuckled, catching it and popping it into his mouth.

If the others saw him like this. . . the thought crossed my mind. How fun he could be, that definitely wasn't something that he showed anyone else.

"What?" He asked, scowling.

"Why don't you show others this side of you?" I asked curiously.

"Why would I?" He asked back. "I only show this side to the people that I love and that's only one person."

"Even Dumbledore doesn't know this side of you!" I protested.

"I don't love Dumbledore." Severus said. "That's the difference. I have great respect and loyalty to him and I would die for him and I would do what he bide me do, but that is very different from the love that I feel for you."

I stared at the carrots instead of at him, touched by his emotions.

Severus gently put a hand on one side of my face, turning me so that I faced him. "Do you understand? This is for you and you only."

"Yes." I breathed and he leaned in to kiss me.

We abandoned dinner after that.

🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎

𝕺𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 couple of days, I abandoned the drawings, locking them in the dresser next to my bed in the Hufflepuff common room. I realized how un-prefect like I had been. I was almost never in the common room, and people had noticed.

"Where are you spending all of your time?" Ernie asked in the library one day during a study session. He looked exhausted. "All the first-years still have so many questions and I'm handling it all by myself."

"Library, private lessons, Hagrid's, Quidditch, I'm sorry Ernie, I'll start spending more time in the common room." I said sincerely and I did so. I started doing homework in there instead of the library, pulling my weight. Ernie was right, the first-years were quite demanding this year.

Apparition lessons continued though I didn't attend every lesson. Severus and Madam Pomfrey were quite sure that it was alright to skip lessons every other week, and when I did attend, it was only to try a few times. Every time I did try however, I ended up appearing in my hoop.

There were multiple splinching incidents but no one had fully apparated yet. Hermione was officially freezing out all of her friends now. She had frozen out Harry for the Bezoar incident, Ron because of Lavender, and now me because I had excelled in apparation where no one else could. It was very frustrating and I felt that if she thought she was so entitled to being the best then she needed to work harder.

Harry meanwhile, was stalking Draco with the Marauders' map. I suppose I could've told him that Draco was going into the room of requirement but I figured my visions were on a need to know basis.

The next Hogsmeade trip was cancelled, most likely because of Katie's incident. She hadn't returned from St. Mungo's yet, though it didn't mean anything. She wouldn't remember anything anyways.

And on top of that, more students were either leaving school, or looking extremely depressed as there were strange disappearances in the news, usually with someone's last name. I was glad that I could be sure of dad's future.

Ron's birthday came and I woke up, snuggled in the crook of Severus's arm. I knew what was going to happen and I rolled over, pressing my lips against his cold skin and then slipped from the bed.

I got dressed quickly, pulling on my robes and shoving my art pad in my bag. I'd started drawing other things, usually my classmates in order to keep my mind off the other drawings. They were quite successful and I'd taken up Tonk's advice and was making a little money on them.

I headed down to breakfast, where I was hailed by my Hufflepuff friends and I went and sat down with them.

They were all talking at top speed about how much they dreaded the Hogsmeade trip being cancelled, etc. etc.

"Elizabeth?" Susan chirped and I jerked and looked at her.

"What'd I miss?" I asked, blushing.

"We asked if you'd do a portrait of the teachers." Justin said, grinning.

"Why?" I asked curiously but pulled my art pad out all the same.

"Like a gift from our graduating class." Susan said. "I figured it would take a lot of time so you'd need time to start it."

"It sounds like a good idea." I replied honestly. "And it would take a lot of time so it would be a good idea for me to start it now."

"But?" Ernie asked.

I hesitated, "Have graduating classes ever given their teachers a gift before? And what about the Slytherins? I highly doubt they'll sign it."

"They will since Professor Snape will be in the drawing." Justin replied. "They'll probably draw hearts all around him too."

I snorted, "Alright then. Question. Should I draw on a normal sized piece of paper and then enlargen it? Or should I enlargen a piece of paper from the start and draw from there."

"Draw and then enlargen." Ernie said promptly.

"Deal." I said. "I'll start soon."

Susan was so happy she clapped her hands together gleefully.

About this time, Ron was being hung upside down by Harry after punching him in the ear.

I grinned at all of them. I flipped open a side page and started to write names:

Dumbledore McGonagall Sprout Flitwick Snape Sinistra Trelawney Filch Pomfrey Firenze Vector Hagrid Pince Slughorn Babbling Burbage Binns Hooch

Then, on the underside, I wrote:

Quirrell, Lockhart Lupin Moody Umbridge Grubby-Plank Kettleburn

I wondered how the teachers would react, seeing their past colleagues mixed in with the current ones. And in a few years, some of these teachers would be dead. Perhaps it would be better if I didn't draw this after all. I was also going to need a bigger artpad now- if I did go through with the idea.

I said good-bye to the others and headed to the Magical art classroom. I wasn't sure who was the teacher of this class, nor did I ever plan to join this club, but I found what I needed which was a larger art pad, and I took it from the student supplies closet.

Then I went to the library while Ron was choking down a bezoar and started to draw.

This was very different from the other drawings because this needed perfection without being drawn randomly from my subconscious.

I started on Dumbledore, making him the center of the page and then branching out, McGonagall on one side and Snape on the other. Hagrid was set in the back and Firenze was completely on the outside, his torso angled so that his legs were facing away from the others. Flitwick was put in the front along with Vector. Filch stood in the shadows next to Madam Pince, the librarian.

Sprout and Slughorn were placed next to each other, Sprout obviously thinner than Slughorn. Trelawney stood to the side, her glasses enlargened her eyes and her hands were clasped together.

Madam Pomfrey stood there, a potion in her hands, her wand sticking up in the front pocket of her white apron.

I continued with the rough sketch. Burbage (Professor of Muggle Studies) holding a red rotary dial telephone in her hand.

Mrs. Norris was lounging in Filch's arms, much nicer looking that she normally did.

Adding a plant in the arms of Sprout.

A potion flask hanging carelessly in Snape's hand.

Pince was holding a library book in her hand, her other hand, a finger in front of her lips.

Hagrid was holding a dead polecat in one hand, an obvious sign that he was about to go and feed Buckbeak. Fang was at his feet, the tail lifted in mid-wag.

Hooch stood to the side, leaning on a broom, a whistle about her neck, the other hand on her hip. She was looking down her hooked nose, her yellow eyes sharp, but also wearing a small smile.

People moved about me in the library, some of them peering curiously at what I was doing, but each time, I covered it casually as though it was just coincidence. I didn't want anyone but myself knowing how the progress was going.

It was just a rough sketch, nothing fancy. I'd definitely have to add more details in the final drawing, position the Professors in other ways.

I started on the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers.

I drew Quirrell in the back, nearly standing in the shadows. He had a kind face, of course, and I drew him how he used to be, before he came back with a purple turban. Before he had become evil.

Then there was Lockhart, standing boastfully near the front, his robes sweeping and colorful. He had his charming smile and in his hand was one of his books. I supposed when I detailed it, I would title it Wandering with Werewolves. A foreshadowing to the next Professor.

I drew Professor Lupin, tired looking and accurate, but younger, his hair would've been more red than gray if I had coloured it.

"Elizabeth!" A voice said and I looked up. It was Trang.

"What's up?" I asked casually.

"Ron's been poisoned." Trang whispered, taking a seat across from me.

"Oh, yeah, I know." I said, turning back to the drawing, putting a tank with a Grindylow under Dad's arm before starting on a rough sketch of Professor Moody.

"Aren't you worried?" Trang asked in surprise.

"No." I said, adding careful detail to the carved wooden leg and fake eye. "I already knew that he'd be fine. Besides, I would've stopped it except this makes up Ron and Hermione's friendship and that'll be a nice change of pace."

"Oh." Trang said simply and took a seat across from me, "Will you be going to the hospital wing to visit him?"

"Maybe." I said slowly, putting a walking stick in Professor Moody's hands to lean on, his mouth a frown. Him and Professor Snape would be the only ones who weren't smiling. Though I supposed working on Umbridge, her smile would be more of a smirk.

"What are you working on?" Trang asked, turning her head to see it better, "I've never seen you draw so many people before."

"It's a present." I said, working carefully on Umbridge's short stumpy profile. "The Hufflepuffs came up with the idea, I'm just the one who can carry it out."

"They're the Professors!" Trang exclaimed, slightly loudly.

"Shh!" I hissed. "Your the only one outside the group that knows, keep it down. A surprise means that no one is supposed to know about it."

"Right." Trang whispered. "Sorry."

I worked carefully on the pink cardigan, trying to figure out what I wanted to have in her hands. Perhaps I should have something carved into her hands, but I wasn't sure how the Professors would react to that.

"It is really good." Trang complimented me warmly.

"Thanks." I said. By now, people were starting to converge and I wrapped the drawing up and said, "Let's go visit the others in the hospital wing."

We left quickly, disappointed students sitting back down at their desks.

"They know it's a big project." Trang said, almost smugly as though she was part of the drawing committee or something. "They want to know what it is."

I chuckled, "Well, they'll get to know what it is when it's ready to be signed."

We entered the hospital wing where Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were crowded around the bed along with Fred and George.

". . . not one of Ron's better birthdays?" Fred was asking and he looked up as we entered, "Hey, Eliza. Trang."

I smiled at him.

The hospital wing was quiet, curtains covering the windows to hide that it was already night outside. I'd spent the entire day drawing. I felt as though no time had passed between breakfast and now.

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present." George said, laying a large present wrapped in blue and gold paper on the beside cabinet and sitting back down next to Ginny.

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious." Fred said and I grinned unwillingly.

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him-" George started before Ginny interrupted him.

"You were in Hogsmeade?"

"We were thinking of buying Zonko's." Fred said in a gloomy voice. "A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out at weekends to buy our stuff anymore. . . but never mind that now." Fred drew his chair up closer to Ron's bed. "How did it happen, Harry?"

Trang listened as Harry told the story of the cauldron chocolate spiked with love potion, going to Slughorn's for the antidote and then drinking the poisoned mead. Ron started to foam at the mouth, Harry shoved a bezoar down his throat. Slughorn ran for McGonagall and Pomfrey and now Ron was here.

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar." George said, his voice low. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Lucky there was one in the room." Harry said, his face paling slightly.

Hermione gave a sniff so quiet that if I hadn't had exceptional hearing, I probably wouldn't have heard it.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked Ginny.

"They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago- they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon. . ." Ginny said softly.

"If it's any solace." I said quietly. "He's going to be absolutely, 100 percent fine."

Fred breathed out, reaching out and taking my hand. I squeezed back. "So the poison was in the drink?" Fred asked Harry.

"Yes, Slughorn poured it out-"

"Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?"

"Probably, but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?"

"No idea, you don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you?" Fred asked.

"No." I said simply.

"Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" Ginny asked.

"I dunno." Fred said, shrugging his shoulders and squeezing my hand a second time. "But there must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there? 'The Chosen One' and all that?"

"No." I said again, "Voldemort wants him alive, to kill him himself. He wouldn't send a Death Eater after Harry to kill him."

"He could be innocent." Ginny pointed out after they were all done overreacting to hearing Voldemort's name. "The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself."

"Who'd want to kill Slughorn?" George asked skeptically, reaching up and putting his hand over mine which I realized was still on his shoulder.

"Dumbledore reckons Voldemort wanted Slughorn on his side." Harry answered, running a hand through his hair. "Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts. And. . . and maybe Voldemort wants him out of the way, maybe he thinks he could be valuable to Dumbledore."

He must be thinking about Slughorn's hidden memory about the horcruxes. The damage that Dumbledore could and was going to do with that information.

"But you said Slughorn had been planning to give that bottle to Dumbledore for Christmas, so the poisoner could just as easily have been after Dumbledore." Ginny said gently.

"Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well." Hermione said, speaking for the first time since I'd entered the room. She sounded stuffed up and very sick. "Anyone who knew Slughorn would have known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself."

"Er-my-nee." Ron croaked suddenly and I smiled gently, exchanging a look with Trang.

"I'm going to go to bed." Trang whispered in my ear. I turned slightly, but not enough that my hands left the hands of the twins. "Let me know how he is tomorrow."

"Sure." I whispered back and Trang left.

The dormitory doors flew open, making us all jump and my hands withdrew from Fred and George's. Hagrid came striding towards us, his hair was wet from the pouring rain outside and his coat flapped behind him as though in a breeze. He still had his crossbow in his hand and as he walked towards us, he left muddy footprints the size of small dolphins behind him.

"Bin in the forest all day! Aragog's worse, I bin readin' to him- didn' get up ter dinner till jus' now an' then Professor Sprout told me abou' Ron! How is he?"

"Not bad." Harry said quickly. "They say he'll be okay."

I quickly turned into a cat, leaving my bag by Hermione's side and jumping up into Fred's lap as Madam Pomfrey came bustling over, "No more than six visitors at a time!"

"Hagrid makes six." George said, though he sounded like he might start laughing if he didn't get it under control.

"Oh. . . yes. . ." Madam Pomfrey said, looking between the six of them, not noticing that there was a random cat that had not been there before. She turned, cleaning up the muddy footprints and then went back to her office. I leapt off Fred's lap, turning back into a human and grabbed my bag.

"Sorry Fred." I said brightly. "I didn't want to get kicked out of the hospital wing quite yet."

Hagrid hadn't seemed to have noticed. He'd turned to Harry and was saying, "I don' believe this. Jus' don' believe it. . . Look at him lyin' there. . . Who'd want ter hurt him, eh?"

Fred and George were looking at me and they stood up, converging on me. "Since when did you become an Animagus?" George asked, grinning.

"That's just what we were discussing." Harry was saying to Hagrid, "We don't know."

"Fifth year." I replied.

Fred shook his head, "bloody brilliant you are."

I turned pink.

"Someone couldn' have a grudge against the Gryffindor Quidditch team, could they?" Hagrid asked, anxiety leaking into his voice, "Firs' Katie, now Ron. . ."

"I can't see anyone trying to bump off a Quidditch team." George said, turning back to the conversation at hand.

"Wood might've done the Slytherins if he could've got away with it." Fred said in what he seemed to think was a fair voice. I giggled.

"Well, I don't think it's Quidditch, but I think there's a connection between the attacks." Hermione said quietly.

"How d'you work that out?" Fred asked curiously.

"Well, for one thing, they both ought to have been fatal and weren't, although that was pure luck. And for another, neither the poison nor the necklace seems to have reached the person who was supposed to be killed. Of course, that makes the person behind this even more dangerous in a way, because they don't seem to care how many people they finish off before they actually reach their victim."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley burst through the doors next, Mrs. Weasley swooping down on Harry and proclaiming, "Dumbledore's told us how you saved him with the bezoar. Oh, Harry what can we say? You saved Ginny, you saved Arthur, now you've saved Ron. . ."

"Don't be. . . I didn't. . ." Harry muttered, looking extremely awkward.

I laughed quietly with Fred and George.

"Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it." Mr. Weasley said in a tight voice. "Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry."

"If I remember correctly," I muttered into Fred's ear and George leaned in to listen, "You helped him with his luggage and then pretty much pushed Ron into the compartment to make friends with him so it's really your doing."

"Cheers Elizabeth." Fred said cheerfully.

Madam Pomfrey came out, reminding us of the six person limit. Hagrid, Hermione, Harry, and I left. I made sure that my drawing was still in the bag before leaving, kissing both George and Fred on the cheek and followed the others out.

"It's terrible." Hagrid said in a low, growly voice as we walked down the halls, "All this new security, an' kids are still gettin' hurt. . . Dumbledore's worried sick. . . He don' say much, but I can tell.."

"Hasn't he got any ideas, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"I 'spect he's got hundreds of ideas, brain like his. But he doesn' know who sent that necklace nor put poison in that wine, or they'd've bin caught, wouldn' they? Wha' worries me," Hagrid looked over his shoulder and Harry looked up at the ceiling, "is how long Hogwarts can stay open if kids are bein' attacked. Chamber o' secrets all over again, isn' it? There'll be panic, more parents takin' their kids outta school, an' nex' thing yeh know the board o' governors. . ."

Hagrid stopped talking as a ghost floated past us and didn't started up until she was gone, "the board o' governors'll be talkin' about shuttin' us up fer good."

"Surely not?" I asked without thinking.

"Gotta see it from their point o' view." Hagrid said and I knew he had a point, "I mean, it's always bin a bit of a risk sendin' a kid ter Hogwarts, hasn' it? Yer expect accidents, don' yeh, with hundreds of underage wizards all locked up tergether, but attmpted murder, tha's diff'rent. S'no wonder Dumbledore's angry with Sn-"

Hagrid cut off, looking guilty and I sighed, closing my eyes. I should've intervened, should've said something before now but it was too late.

"What? Dumbledore's angry with Snape?" Harry asked, sounding victorious.

"I never said that', look at the time, it's gettin' on fer midnight, I need ter-" Hagrid said quickly.

"Hagrid, why is Dumbledore angry with Snape?" Harry asked loudly, as though he was trying to get someone else to hear him.

"Shhhhhhhhh!" Hagrid hissed. "Don' shout stuff like that, Harry, d'yeh wan' me ter lose me job? Mind, I don' suppose yeh'd care, would yeh, not now yeh've given up Care of Mag-"

"Don't try and make me feel guilty, it won't work!" Harry said fiercely. Hermione and I watched the conversation batter back and forth. "What's Snape done?"

"I dunno, Harry, I shouldn'ta heard it at all! I- well, I was comin' outta the forest the other evenin' an' I overheard 'em talking- well, arguin'. Didn't like ter draw attention to meself, so I sorta skulked an' tried not ter listen, but it was a- well, a heated discussion an' it wasn' easy ter block it out." Hagrid said uncomfortably, obviously wishing he hadn't said anything.

"Well?" Harry urged him. Hagrid shuffled his dolphin feet.

"Well- I jus' heard Snape sayin' Dumbledore took too much fer granted an' maybe he- Snape- didn' wan' ter do it anymore-"

"Do what?" Harry asked. Like Hagrid had all the answers.

"I dunno, Harry, it sounded like Snape was feelin' a bit overworked, tha's all- anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out he'd agreed ter do it an' that was all there was to it an'- an' something about Elizabeth I didn't understand. Pretty firm with him. An' then he said summat abou' Snape makin' investigations in his House, in Slytherin. Well, there's nothin' strange about that!" Hagrid said while Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance. I continued to stare up at the ceiling. "All the Heads o' Houses were asked ter look inter that necklace business-"

"Yeah, but Dumbledore's not having rows with the rest of them, is he?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but the other Heads know the necklace didn't come from their students." I said softly.

"Look." Hagrid said quickly as he twisted his crossbow. He'd apparently twisted to far because there was a cracking sound and the crossbow snapped in two. He gritted his teeth in obvious frustration but said kindly, "I know what yeh're like abou' Snape, Harry, an' I don' want yeh ter go readin' more inter this than there is."

"Filch." I whispered quietly as Hermione said, "Look out."

I slipped off into the shadows, hearing Filch cry out, "Oho! Out of bed so late. . ."

I hurried down to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, stepping inside without knocking and hurried up to the actual office.

Severus had put his papers away, a candle lit low. He was wearing a gray nightgown, and already fast asleep. I quickly pulled out the drawing that I'd worked on all day, doing a rough sketch of Grubby-Plank and Kettleburn before putting it away for the day and got out of my robes.

I dug in the dresser and found one of Severus' gray shirts. I put that on and it fell past my knees. I climbed into bed, snuggling into his chest though he remained sleeping. I let random thoughts help me drift off to sleep.

Hermione was right. Game of Thrones was a horrible book.

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