The Magic of Old

***Past***

It was New Year's Eve of my sixth year at Hogwarts. Snape and I had only a few days left before the return of the other students. It had been a wonderful holiday for both of us so neither one of us really wanted the new term to commence. I had truly not been expecting him to profess his love for me on Christmas Eve, and there was also little doubt that he had shocked himself as well. I could tell that he trusted me but he was very guarded, as if he was expecting me to proclaim that it had all been some sort of colossal joke planned out by Potter and Black.

If only I could tell him that this was anything but a joke to me; that he was the first person I had ever loved and the only one I truly trusted. You see, Severus Snape wasn't the only one afraid of love. I was utterly terrified. Never before had I dared to feel a connection to another living being. It was just too risky. The Guardians had never shown me what love was, how to express it, or even how to recognize it. There was no denying it. I was in love with Severus Snape. No instructions necessary.

What if he stops loving me? Do things like that happen? How do I know he really loves me? Three questions simple enough at first glance, but upon further inspection these questions can drive one to madness. If I had had a real mother to ask she probably would have told me to have some faith, that these questions are not easily understood or answered, that some things in life do not have a simple yes or no or even a maybe for an answer. She may have even said that any boy who couldn't see how wonderful I was, or any boy that didn't love me would have to be mad. But I had no real mother. I had Madam.

Madam.

She was an unusually tall woman. I looked nothing like her, except maybe the shape of her eyes. Unlike my eyes of cerulean blue, her eyes were cold, gray steel, rimmed in a darker shade of lifeless platinum. Madam was older than most mothers of children my age by a decade at least, in my estimations. She had probably been a very attractive, no, handsome woman in her younger years, before I came into the world. I wouldn't call her hair black, it was more a very, very deep shade of brown, but I always thought it black. Black seemed to suit her. I remember searching her face, looking for traces of myself but was always disappointed, for I never really found any. No, I looked nothing like her.

If I had had a real father he would have told me that I was his princess. He would have said that there was no boy of this earth worthy enough of his daughter; that I was too special for anyone less than a prince; that I was the finest daughter that ever lived. But I had no father. I had Sir.

Sir.

He was as tall as Madam. He always seemed much taller than she did, though now that I recall, they were exactly the same height. Perhaps it was the way he loomed over me in the darkness of night, with his shadow encompassing all the light in the room. There was always an other-worldly glow from the kitchen at the top of the stairs when he came to me. That light outlined his tall, ominous frame making him all that much more intimidating. When properly illuminated, Sir appeared to be just an ordinary man. He was just a man with the same grey eyes and black, brown hair as Madam. I looked nothing like him.

I don't know why my thoughts turned to The Guardians on that particular night of all nights. Call it sentimental or call it pathetic but I always wanted them to love me. I wanted to be there with them when the new year was born. I wanted them to tell me they loved me, that I was the daughter they had always dreamed of having. I wanted Sir to stop coming to me in the dead of night trying to make me do what no father should ever do. If my own parents couldn't love me, how could anyone?

The Astronomy Tower was vacant that evening. Stars by the millions were just emerging from under the haze of twilight and the air was crisp and smelled of snow. I had been up there for well over three hours just thinking and praying that this year would be better than all those previous. I had the love of the boy with dark, ebony eyes. That would make all the difference; I was certain of it.

"You will catch your death of a cold out here, you know."

"Severus."

He shook his head and walked toward me with a look of disdain on his face. "Kinsington, didn't anyone ever teach you to wear the proper attire when venturing into the winter air?"

"No," I replied while cracking a grin. "Did anyone ever teach you that it isn't polite to sneak up on people?"

"Perhaps you should be more aware of your surroundings. Then it would prove more difficult to 'sneak up on you'," he snapped.

He was so close to me. I smell the faint and tantalizing aroma of sandalwood and spice wafting from his dark form. I turned away from him to gaze once again at the emerging night sky.

"What were you doing up here?" he whispered, coming up behind me and grazing my arm with the back of his hand.

"Oh, I was just thinking."

I placed my hand on his and curled my fingers around his long, graceful hands. Severus responded by drawing closer to me and wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling my form against his chest.

"You were supposed to meet me in the library over an hour ago. I was beginning to think I had been stood up."

"I lost track of the time," I replied.

"That is blatantly obvious. What were you thinking about?"

"Things."

"What sort of things?

"Life."

"As enchanting as your monosyllabic blurbs are, Kinsington, I am certain you know how to form a proper sentence."

I leaned my head back on his shoulder and giggled. "I'm sorry, Severus. I was just wondering what The Guardians were doing right now.

"Hm?"

"I wonder what they do when I'm not around."

"That I do not know. I can tell you what I do when you are not around," he replied quietly, now nuzzling his cheek against the side of my head.

"I know what boys do when they are all alone," I giggled out.

"That is repulsive!" he snapped. "Wherever do you get these notions?"

"Sorry, I was only joking! So what do you really do when I'm not around?"

"I can assure you I do not...do what you were insinuating," he hissed. "I was going to say that I think about you."

"Really?" I replied in a flirtatious, girly voice.

"Yes, really."

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I was thinking about you also."

"Sure you were," he muttered.

"I am capable of thinking about more than one topic over the course of several hours, Severus. I'll have you know that most of my thoughts are about you."

"Turn around," he whispered.

When I faced him he was looking deeply into my eyes, suspiciously deep. I felt as though he was inside my head, searching for something. I don't know how, but he really was inside my head.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Legilimency," he replied. He broke our gaze and continued to explain, "The art of entering another's mind."

"Where did you learn that? I don't think that's right, Severus! What gives you the right to poke around in my mind?"

"I just wanted to see if I could do it!"

"Well don't do that again! At least not without asking me first! If you want to know something all you have to do is ask me. I will tell you anything you want to know," I huffed.

"I apologize," he said softly.

"All right. It is too hard to stay mad at you anyways."

"So tell me, Kinsington, do you love me?"

"Yes, Severus, I love you. Why didn't you just ask me to begin with?" "I wanted to see..." he began.

"If I really meant it?" I finished. "Yes. I love you."

He lips captured mine. "I love you, Ellie. Feel free to search my mind if you want."

"That won't be necessary."

We never made it to the party that night. We watched the new year dawn from the top of the school. It was to be a very good year indeed...

The rest of the school year passed quickly. Now that Remus was gone I found myself a little depressed. I was too busy to dwell on it though. During the summer Severus and I worked covertly, with Dumbledore the only one knowing anything. Severus was gone for weeks at a time. I would meet him places to pass the secrets between us. Since I was his wife, no one would suspect a thing. Even Lucius knew how in love we were and wouldn't have a clue that we were meeting to do anything other than spend time together. It was the perfect cover, flawless. The Death Eaters showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup that summer. Severus and I feared that it was only the beginning.

A week into the school year, we had another enemy to face. Wizards' Flu was running rampant through Hogwarts. Severus and I were two of the only people who didn't seem to be affected. We worked overtime for weeks. He was assisting poor Dumbledore, who could hardly speak without vomiting, and I helped Madam Pomfrey go to all the dorms and tend to the students. There simply wasn't room in the hospital wing for anyone else. It was miserable. I had been exhausted for some time now and feared I too was catching the illness.

Finally, after a full five days of no new cases, I was still feeling ill. I was dizzy and nauseous many times throughout the day. Sometimes the very sight of food was enough to send me running to the bathroom and other times I ate like mad.

"Severus, will you pass me those sausages," I asked at breakfast one day.

"You hate sausages," he hissed.

"I know, but they look so tasty," I said as he handed them to me, looking at me as if I were crazy. I had detested sausages all my life. "Uhm, divine," I said as I ate five of them.

Minerva looked at me the same way Severus had. The just looked at each other as if to say, 'What in the blazes is she doing?'

"You know what I could really go for right now..." I said, grabbing some poached eggs, another food I hated. Stuffing them in my mouth I continued, "...some Chinese food... egg rolls, and fried rice, ooo and sweet and sour noodles."

"Are you feeling quite alright?" asked Severus looking at me suspiciously. "Ten minutes ago you had your head stuffed down the toilet in the girl's bathroom."

"I feel great!" I said with my mouth full. "Are you going to finish that?" I asked, pointing to his half eaten toast. He shook his head unable to form a verbal reply. I took it and stuffed it into my mouth.

Severus looked at me as if I were some sort of alien. "What are you doing?"

"Hum?" I asked.

"Nothing. Time for class." He pecked me on my cheek, raised his eyebrow at Minerva, and then went on to his first class of the day.

"Ellie, is there something you want to tell me?" asked Minerva.

"Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot. Thursday I'm doing Mozart in my afternoon class. I was hoping that Lupin might be allowed to visit. He really wanted to hear some Mozart," I said.

"Perhaps." She opened her mouth to say something, but apparently changed her mind.

The next day after lunch, which I hadn't eaten because I was ready to puke again, I stood up to leave. "Whoa, there, Ellie!" said Minerva as she caught me in her arms.

"What just happened?" I said.

She handed me over to Severus who looked very concerned. "You nearly passed out," he informed me. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall, for not allowing my wife to dive head first into the soup." Minerva nodded. "I think the Wizards' Flu has finally taken hold of you. I am taking you to Poppy immediately," he hissed.

"Good idea. It really hangs on, doesn't it?" I said weakly.

When we reached our destination Severus made me lie down on the bed. "You are pale and will remain still!" he ordered. Poppy came to inquire about our arrival. With an accusatory tone, Severus said, "Mrs. Snape has finally succumbed to the Wizards' Flu, Madam Pomfrey."

"Oh, poor thing." She looked at me with sympathy. "How long have you been feeling ill, Mrs. Snape?"

"On and off since the middle of the first week when I started helping you, Madam Pomfrey."

"That is unusual with Wizards' Flu, dear. Let me have a look at you."

For about thirty minutes she took my temperature, poked and prodded me, and examined my stomach with her wand. "Just a minute now, I have to let this sit." She went to the other side of the room.

"You are looking better. How are you, my love?" Severus asked sweetly.

"Fine. I wish she would hurry up so I could get out of here. Just give me the medicine and let me go home." He knew I hated hospitals.

"Ellie, just sit still!" Snapped Snape. "You should have come here weeks ago!"

Poppy swept breezily back through the curtains. "Well, Mrs. Snape, it's not Wizards Flu. You are in perfect health," she pronounced happily.

Severus and I looked at each other and then at her. "It will pass, dear, I assure you. Professor Snape knows how to make the necessary potions."

"Potions for what?" asked Severus rudely.

"Oh, sorry, of course!" she began, "Mrs. Snape, dear, you are pregnant."

Severus and I looked at each other in disbelief, as we knew this was impossible. "Madam Pomfrey, my wife can't have children, as you very well know!" he fired at her.

"Poppy, you examined me yourself and told me so," I began. "So, there is just a little misunderstanding," I said calmly.

"I am well aware of that, Ellie, but nevertheless, you are pregnant," she said. "Just under ten weeks now."

Severus and I looked at each other flabbergasted.

"TEN WEEKS!" I exclaimed, "But that's impossible!" I looked at Severus who couldn't speak. "What...how...but...no...is it...am I..." I stuttered out.

"Is Ellie okay...and the...the...baby...is it...okay?" Severus asked while looking at me, his eyes unnaturally wide.

"Oh yes! They are both perfectly healthy," she assured. "Listen..." She placed her wand to my belly and said, "Sonorous...do you hear it? That is the baby's heartbeat...not yours, dear."

We could both hear it rather clearly. "Oh my...no...Oh my!" I gasped, unable to believe my ears. I looked at my husband who was as astounded as I. I grabbed his hand.

She took her wand away and said, "Don't worry, everything is normal."

"How is this possible?" I asked.

"It is amazing what true love can heal. It is the most mysterious of all magic," she whispered.

I gazed into the horrorstricken eyes of my husband. "Severus..." I gasped.

"Now you don't have to worry about taking it too easy. Just go about as normal, after you rest a bit tonight of course. The only thing you can't do is Apparate. Professor Snape knows what supplements you need to take for the health of you and your baby. You can go home now and rest. Come back in a few weeks for a routine check up," she said. "Oh, and congratulations to both of you," she said gleefully as she left us.

We just stared at each other. We had no idea what had just happened. Still in shock, we walked home not saying a word. He helped me into bed and then sat beside me.

"Severus...did that just happen?" I asked, still unable to grasp the truth. "Am I pregnant?"

"Uh...yes, I think you are."

"Severus, we never talked about this because...well...it is impossible! We are having a baby." I was still stunned. "How do you feel about this?"

"Well, other than shocked beyond all reason...how do you think I feel? My beautiful wife, whom I am madly in love with, is...carrying my child," he said in amazement. I was crying now as we fell to the bed in each other's arms. "You are going to have my child, Ellie."

"This is too much. Oh, my gods...we are going to be parents," I sobbed. "I don't know what to do with a baby. I'm not sure I can do this."

"Yes you can. We will figure this out together," he assured me sweetly. He placed his hand on my belly and gently rubbed it. "Ten weeks? Ten weeks ago we were..."

I laughed a little through my tears. "Shagging in the rose garden...remember, we almost got caught?"

"Oh yes...the rose garden," he mumbled. "We kept getting pricked by the thorns."

"I had to rub ointment all over your..." I laughed and he kissed me.

"Gods, I love you...both of you." He kissed me and then my tummy. "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl? I can make a potion to find out, you know."

"I don't need a potion to tell that. It is definitely a boy...and a Slytherin as well," I said with certainty. "Who else could sneak up on us like that and make me feel so ill?" I joked.

"So, we are having a son are we?" he said proudly as he kissed my neck. "Are you sure?"

"When I get a feeling like this you know I am never wrong." He nodded in agreement. "You, my dear husband, are no longer the last of the Snapes."

"I want to make love to you, Mrs. Snape," he said hungrily. "Fancy a shag?"

"You had damn well better believe it! But, maybe no gymnastics for a while." I grabbed him and wrapped my legs around him.

"Hm...not even a problem," he whispered.

Things were getting hectic around the castle. The Triwizard Tournament was being held here at Hogwarts so we were all awaiting the arrival of students from two other wizarding schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Severus and I had had a few weeks to get accustomed to the fact that I was miraculously with child. We hadn't told anyone yet because we wanted our own time to celebrate and come to terms with it. He and I were very pleased about it. Luckily the nausea and headaches had subsided.

We were waiting on the lawn for the arrivals.

"Ellie, we need to talk a moment. Excuse us, won't you?" Severus said to Flitwick. "Listen, the headmaster from Durmstrang, Karkarov, was a Death Eater," he began. "Play it cool and try not to spend too much time alone with him. We will have to use our rings nearly everyday now to keep our minds safe from intrusion."

"Right, I understand. Give me a kiss, you fiend." He softened a bit and tenderly kissed me. "Where in the blazes are they? It is getting late," I complained.

"Are you cold?" he asked gently.

"No, but I could do with a very large cheeseburger."

"For heaven's sake, woman, you had a sandwich and fruit an hour ago!"

I whispered, "It's not for me, it's our baby. He wants it." I had been ravenous lately and had some very uncharacteristic cravings.

"Oh please, you are incorrigible!" he admonished, but then added, "Whenever these foreigners decide to grace us with their presence I shall see about the burger."

After Severus went to punish some Ravenclaws for having a good time, I was approached by Mad Eye Moody. "Hello, Alastor, how are you this evening?" I asked. He always made me feel creepy. I suppose it was that eye of his.

"How are you getting on, Mrs. Snape?" he grumbled. "That baby of yours is getting big in there."

For fuck's sake!

"What? You can see that? Don't tell anyone yet! Severus and I aren't ready!"

"I won't. But soon it will be obvious. Hard to hide a thing like that," he groaned.

I sighed and felt very uneasy. Moody was not what I had expected of an Auror. There was something fishy about him. He was just so very, unnatural, and I'm not talking about that eye. Moody went to talk to Harry and Severus returned to me.

"Moody is wrong, Severus. I don't like him at all and I certainly don't trust him. He knows about the baby because that wicked monstrosity of an eye can see into my belly!" I whispered furiously.

"Dumbledore trusts him. I trust you," he said firmly. "If you say he is wrong, then he is in my opinion as well." He stood behind me and put his arms around my waist. "Beauxbatons is just over there." He nodded to the distant sky. A little while later the Durmstrang crew arrived by boat.

"I will see you later in the Great Hall."

He kissed my cheek and we set off to our assigned duties. I was to see to the Beauxbatons students and he had Durmstrang duties.

At dinner we all made room for our two new guest teachers. I still hadn't met Karkarov, but I really liked Madam Maxime who was the size of Hagrid. I was standing and talking with her when I finally met the ex-Death Eater.

"Hello. Are all the teachers at Hogwarts so lovely?" Karkarov said as he kissed my hand. "My, my, you are a beauty."

Ugh! What a creep!

"Who might you be, darling?"

"She is my wife, Ellie Snape!" spat Severus territorially. Karkarov looked astonished.

"Why, Severus, I had no idea you had taken a wife. You are a lucky man indeed. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Snape," he said, eyeing me lustily.

"Likewise." I forced a smile. I stood closer to Severus and he put his arm around my back.

"Hm," hissed Snape, focusing intently on Karkarov. "Shall we join the others so the feast may begin, Igor?" he spat.

There was a very large cheeseburger waiting for me. "Did you talk to the house elves?" I asked.

"Anything to keep the two of you happy," he whispered.

I looked to my right and frowned. I really missed Remus terribly and couldn't wait to see him this weekend. "I know you miss him. Why don't you get a room in Diagon Alley this weekend and have a little sleep over?" suggested Severus.

"Are you quite serious?" He was always so jealous.

"He should know about the baby first. I imagine the two of you will gab endlessly." He sounded disgusted with the idea. I kissed his hand and we finished the feast talking to our neighbors.

In his office later on that evening I just had to ask, "Severus, why do these potions have to taste like moldy ass?" I cringed as I drank my prenatal potion.

"You are such a lady," he criticized. "Where would one find moldy ass? I think I have a need for it in my wart inducing tonic."

I rolled my eyes and began looking over the sheet music for tomorrow's lesson. "I think I will get a room for Friday night. You were serious, weren't you?" I asked.

"I already arranged a room for you and Lupin. I will send a large supply of his potion along with yours." Snape was drawing his usual red marks while grading his student's essays. "There are two beds," he added. Then he peeked up at me and grinned, knowing how I truly felt.

"Thanks, you are wonderful," I praised.

"You are an annoyance," he hissed.

I met Lupin in the Leaky Cauldron on Friday afternoon and told him about the arrangements Severus had made for us.

"I think he is starting to like me. Either that or he's trying to pawn you off on me to move on to his next fling," Lupin joked.

"The latter I think. Let's eat, I am starving!" I said as I grabbed his arm and took him to a table.

After ordering a ridiculous amount of food, he ordered himself a Firewhiskey and asked me to join him. "Wanna get sauced?" he said raising his eyebrows up and down.

"You remind me of Padfoot when you do that!" I whispered. "No, I don't want that stuff. I shall stick to butterbeer, thanks."

"Ellie, you can drink me under the table! What's going on?" he asked.

I smiled secretively. "There is a reason," I began. Remus knew that I couldn't have children and the reasons why. I knew he was going to be shocked. "I am going to have a baby!" I said happily.

"Really? But," he said as I interrupted him to explain. "That is wonderful! You will be a great mum! How far along are you?"

"Fourteen weeks yesterday. I know it's a boy, I just do. Guess what else I know?" I asked.

"Let me guess, he's a Slytherin."

"Yep. No Gryffindors here, except you and me."

"I shall love him anyway. He is your son after all. Our dog friend will die when I tell him," he replied.

"I have no doubts about that. Severus doesn't know yet, but I want to ask Harry to be his godfather. It just feels right to me, cosmically and all. Do you think Snape will kill me?" I asked.

"Yes, but I think you should do it anyway. Maybe this son of yours will turn Slytherin house around. If you and Severus can get married and you mysteriously get knocked-up, anything is possible."

I rather agreed. This could change things for the better.

Lupin and I had a magnificent time that night and the next day. "How are you getting back? You can't Apparate in your condition?" he asked as we kissed goodbye.

"Floo Powder is safe for a few more months. Pet that dog of yours for me. I love you, Mooney," I said as I stepped into the fireplace. He blew me a kiss and then off I went.

POOF!

I appeared in our office fire. "That is so messy!" I brushed soot off my clothes and found my husband waiting for me.

"Did you enjoy your little escapade? You should head straight for the bath," he said as he kissed the one part of my face that wasn't ashen.

I did exactly that and he followed me.

"It was a lot of fun. I only wish he could still teach here. I want to strangle Fudge!" I complained.

"We all would," he agreed. "Let me know when you are out and we can uhm..." He looked at his ring.

"That's not all we can do," I said seductively. Deciding to tease him a bit, I stripped my clothes off slowly.

I was really a fiend lately. The hormones were driving me to it and Severus was more than happy to oblige.

***

As the weeks passed by, I had some visitors from the other school attend my class. They were impressed and curious; even Viktor Krum seemed less sullen. Harry had been chosen by the Goblet of Fire to be a competitor in the tournament and Severus and I were very suspicious.

"I have a theory about this," I said quietly to Severus in bed one night.

"Well, my little Sorceress, show me." I did the 'ring thing' and he knew I suspected Moody. "I know you hate him, but really, Ellie?"

"Just think about it, that's all I'm saying. Now, I am going to get some water and I shall come right back."

I was wearing only my underwear and a camisole. On my way back from the bathroom I did a double take in our full length mirror. I was really starting to show! I lifted up my camisole and marveled at the pouch in my normally flat belly. "Good lord, I look like I swallowed a pumpkin whole." I turned sideways. "I am getting fat! Soon you shall have to ask me to sleep with Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts!"

He got up and came to me at the mirror. "What are you blubbering about? I have never seen you look more radiant and desirable."

"Desirable?" I said as I looked at my belly. "Are you mad?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I don't have eyes." He stood in front of me and ran his hands across my bare belly, looking very happy. "It is amazing," he said quietly. "You are only five months. This is only the beginning." He cracked a grin and said, "Beautiful. You are simply beautiful."

"You are too kind," I said sweetly. I could tell he really meant it and my heart flipped. v "We should start telling people now. This will stick out of your robes soon."

I felt it for the first time: a little kick from within. I gasped, "Did you feel that?" He looked shocked and knelt down to put his face to my stomach. It kicked again.

"Unbelievable, does it hurt?" he asked, still pressing his face to me as I played with his hair.

"No, it's like...bubbles or something. Well, I guess this is real, isn't it. It feels wonderful!"

"Yes it does." He kissed my tummy and stood to hold me. "I am without words."

"Me too, but now I can't wait to meet him!"

"Our son," he whispered and kissed me passionately.

"Don't start something you don't intend to finish, Professor."

"Remove your knickers at once," hissed Snape.

"No."

"Do not toy with me, woman," he whispered in a dangerous tone. "You are mine to do with as I please." With a wave of his wand I was completely nude. "I shall teach you a lesson for your insolence."

It was a lovely lesson, indeed!

To be continued...