Keeping Emma

Chapter 18: Wedding Plans

Emma awoke the next morning and realized that it was New Years Eve. In two days, on Sunday, she would be returning to Hogwarts with Severus. She couldn't wait to get back to their dungeon chambers. She missed the privacy they were able to enjoy there, the long sensual soaks in the large, black marble tub in their bathroom, making love in front of the fireplace in their parlor, the double-entendre laced teasing that took place over the breakfast table. She couldn't get enough of him. In the next couple weeks, she would be entering her final trimester. She would be getting bigger and bigger, and they would have to sharply curtail their sex life. Right now, every day they had together was important. She turned onto her side and bit him on the shoulder.

"I knew it! You're a Vampire," he said.

"Don't be silly, Severus. There's no such thing as Vampires."

"I'm never silly. And I suppose that Wizards and Magic don't exist either, right?"

Emma was silent as she tried to discern if he was serious or not. "What about werewolves?" she asked.

"They exist too," said Severus. "In fact, I went to school with one. He almost killed me one night."

"Really? How did you get away from it?"

Severus closed his eyes, annoyed with himself for mentioning it. He didn't want to discuss the event, or them. "I don't want to talk about it, Emma," he said. He sat on the side of the bed, grabbed his pants from the floor and began to put them on.

Emma lay back on the bed, exasperated. God, he was such a moody piece of work. They're joking and then he suddenly gets all pissy and acts like it's her fault. "Whatever, Severus," she said. "I'm going to take a shower." She got up and began to gather clean clothes to wear that day. Before she walked into the bathroom she turned to him and said, "But, you know, I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me a list of topics that are forbidden to be brought up."

When Emma emerged from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later wearing her bathrobe, Severus handed her a piece of paper.

"Here," he said.

Confused, Emma looked down at it. My parents, my childhood, my years as a student at Hogwarts (excepting general questions about classes taken or teachers), The Dark Lord & the Death Eaters, the future, Lily, it read.

"What's this?" she asked.

"The list you wanted," he said.

"I was being sarcastic, Severus," she said.

"Oh, I know, but it did seem a rather good idea."

"And you were the one who brought up the werewolf and then you went and got mad at me for it."

"I wasn't mad at you. I was angry with myself for mentioning it," he said. He closed the gap between them and slipped his arms around her. "Come on, Emma, you smell so nice. I'm going to take a turn in the shower. While I'm in there, I want you to get back in bed." He reached down and undid the belt on her robe. "Or, you can take another shower, with me. Come on, Emma, you can't stay angry with the person who washes your back."

In answer, Emma let her robe slip to the floor and let him lead her back into the bathroom.

*****

Emma sat at the breakfast table, staring first at her mother, then her father, and then Natalie. Her parents were still pretending to be angry with each other, and they really weren't Oscar material. Natalie was silent, obviously seething over having not been allowed out on that date the previous evening. Emma's obvious smug happiness was earning her glares of hatred from her younger half-sister.

"So, Mom," she said perkily, "would you like me to help you pack today? Last night, you said you wanted to go back home as soon as possible. I called the airport and there are several flights you can catch this morning. Severus can Apparate with you to the airport if you'd like."

Viola froze. "Uhmmm...I thought about it and I will be leaving on Monday after all of you go back to the school, after all."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Mom. I think you should leave immediately. I mean, this hostility between the two of you is just so stressful. It's making me nervous."

Michael dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter. "Emma, enough. Haven't you the sense to realize when you're being rude?"

"Well, maybe I'll develop that sense when you guys come to realize that you're both terrible actors. So, are you finally going to make an honest woman out of my mother or what?"

"I...you...I...uh...what did you say?" asked Michael, shocked.

"I asked what your intentions are toward my mother," said Emma. "Am I totally off-base here? Perhaps you always walk around with a woman's bra in your pocket?"

For once, the usually arrogantly self-assured Michael was at a loss of words. His face turned red. He stared across at Viola, whose own face was registering even more embarrassment than his.

Michael finally recovered to say, "I think we've been outed, Viola." Then he cleared his throat. "Viola and I plan on being married next Saturday afternoon. I am going to have August arrange for a special license and the ceremony. Then we will all go out for a nice dinner, all of us, Mrs. Trumbell, and August."

"Wait a minute," snapped Natalie. "You mean our...er...I mean, my plot worked? And you punished me anyway?"

"You have to admit, Natalie, locking us in the pantry all that time was sneaky and underhanded. And to cover it up, you had to lie to the adults who trust you most. That's what you were punished for. By the way, who put the Anti-Disapparition spell on the pantry?"

"I have no idea," said Severus from behind the Daily Prophet.

"I figure it had to be either you or August," said Michael. "Nice touch. It was a doozy."

"It nearly killed him," said Viola.

Severus looked over the paper at her. "Really?" he asked with the faintest trace of a smile on his face.

"Viola, don't exaggerate. It merely knocked the wind out of me," said Michael. "Who came up with the idea?"

"He did," said Natalie, pointing at Severus.

"It was a joke," he said. "I never expected you to run with the idea."

Emma felt she had to come to his defense. "Well, you wanted to give my mother an aphrodisiac, Natalie. I would never allow that, Mom."

"Emma, you didn't have to worry, aphrodisiacs are illegal. Natalie wouldn't even know how to get her hands on one." Then, Michael looked at Emma. "How do you know about aphrodisiacs, Emma?" he asked.

Now it was Emma's turn to be embarrassed. Her eyes took on the aspect of a deer caught in the headlights. "I...well...I...you see...I..." She looked helplessly toward Severus.

"You know, I think I'm going to take a walk around the grounds," said Severus, standing.

"Sit down," said Michael, taking out his wand. "Did you give my daughter an aphrodisiac?"

Severus sighed and dropped back in his chair. "Not successfully. That's what I'd tried to put in her drink that night in the pub," he said, his hand inching toward his own wand.

"Stop it! Both of you! Neither of you are doing anything to the other," yelled Emma.

At that moment came the sound of August coming up to the apartment. He entered the dining room to find Severus and Michael glaring at each other.

"Good morning. I do hope you are recuperated from whatever it was that made you ill yesterday, Ambassador," he said. "I cleared your schedule yesterday and put everything off until next week, so you will have the entire holiday weekend free."

"Good morning, August. I have some happy news for you. Viola has consented to become my wife. We would like to be married next Saturday. Would you arrange for a special license and someone to perform the ceremony? Perhaps the chaplain from the military base would do. I'm thinking we could be married here, downstairs in the Conservatory, and then we could all go out to dinner afterward. Clear my schedule for all of the following week. I'm taking Viola to France for a short honeymoon."

If August was surprised, he did not show it by as much as a raised eyebrow. "This is happy news, Ambassador. Shall I also see to announcement cards? Instead of dinner out, perhaps we could have a small reception following the ceremony here at the embassy. The Saudi prince will be in England and we could use the opportunity to discuss the crude oil import situation."

"That's an excellent suggestion, August. Arrange it."

"Daddy," said Natalie, "The stores are open today until about five. I think that Viola, Emma and I need new dresses for the ceremony. Also, you have to get rings." Natalie never missed an opportunity to point out the need for a shopping trip.

"You're absolutely right, Natalie," said Michael. "August, please have the car ready by ten."

"Might I suggest that you take in the local shops on Pelling Street? Honoria's has the nicest ladies clothing in town. She is the shopkeeper who came here last week for your daughter. There's a jewelry store nearby. I will arrange for the photographer and flowers. The stores will be closing early today, so you will not want to waste the day driving to and from London."

"Oh, that's all right, Michael," said Viola, "I really don't need...."

She was cut off by Michael saying, "It's already settled, Viola. We do need to acquire rings, and you girls need dresses for the ceremony, not to mention some nice things for the honeymoon. But, try to keep the guest list for the reception down, August."

Severus got up. "I'll just stay here while you have your shopping trip, Emma," he said. "But don't overdo it. You know how easily you become exhausted."

Knowing his aversion to shopping, Emma readily agreed. Emma and Severus returned to their room so she could get ready for the shopping trip. As she got her winter coat, hat, and gloves from the closet, she noticed him staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

"All that talk about aphrodisiacs got me thinking," he said. "After the baby's born and you've recovered, would you be willing to let me give you some?"

"Are you out of your mind?" she asked. "Absolutely not."

"Come on, Emma, admit it. You're curious. Wouldn't you like to experience what it would be like to have absolutely no inhibitions, to be totally out of control?"

"While you remain completely in control, right, Severus?"

"Well, of course," he said.

"You're one twisted little cookie, Severus," she said, putting on her coat and hat and grabbing her gloves. She walked to the door and out of the room.

Severus lay back down on the bed and smiled. She could deny it all she wants, but she was intrigued by the idea, he thought. He knew that he would eventually be able to convince her to give it a go.

Soon, they were getting in the car for the drive to the shops. If Emma was surprised to see that Paul had been replaced by an elderly man in a chauffeur's uniform, it was nothing compared to Natalie's reaction.

"Where's Paul?" she asked.

"He has the New Year holiday off, Natalie," said Michael. "He has been looking forward to spending it with his fiancée for a long time."

"Fiancée? What fiancée? Since when does Paul have a fiancée? Who is she?"

She's a file clerk at the French Embassy. They met at a party last summer. We were there. You were talking to her by the pool. Her name is Amelie."

"Her? But...but...she's not even a witch."

"Natalie, might I remind you that neither is Viola or your sister? Your own mother wasn't either. Also, Paul is ten years older than you."

"But...but I love him."

"Don't be absurd, Natalie. You barely know him."

"That's not true. I know everything about him."

"Do you really? Where's he from? What's his last name?"

"I fail to see where any of that matters. That kind of information is nothing but unimportant details."

"I didn't think you knew. The only detail you need to know is that he is going to be married next month."

The car pulled up in front of Honoria's Boutique and they all piled out. The moment the door closed behind them, Natalie spied a white wedding gown with a full train and thousands of rhinestones and sequins. "Oh, Viola, isn't this perfect? Try it on."

Emma tried not to laugh at the look of horror on her mother's face. "Natalie, my mother and your father are not..."

"I'm your father too, Emma. In case you've forgotten," said Michael.

Emma flushed, uncomfortable at the look of hurt in his eyes. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I misspoke." Then she turned back to Natalie. "The point is that the two of them have a history, this is our father's second marriage, and there are two grown children involved. A traditional white wedding gown may not be the most appropriate thing."

Emma began browsing through the rack of formal cocktail dresses, finally pulling out a two-piece taupe lace one that ended just above the knees. The dress itself was a halter dress and it had a jacket that was decorated with rhinestone buttons.

"Try this on, Mommy," she said. "You can wear the jacket for the ceremony and take it off later for the dinner. It's something you can even wear again as it will be appropriate for other parties and gatherings."

Viola looked at the price tag. "Emma, what does this dress cost in American dollars?" she whispered.

Emma looked at the tag. "A bit over four hundred," she said.

Viola hurriedly shoved the dress back on the rack. "Four hundred dollars? For a dress? That's more than a month's rent. I can't afford that," she hissed.

"What are you two whispering about?" asked Natalie. "I thought you were going to try that one on." She grabbed it back off the rack. "It is pretty, and like Emma said, it's something that can be used again. It's even marked way down. What's the problem?"

"Nothing, it just isn't me," said Viola, taking the dress and shoving it back on the rack. She began looking through the others, checking the price tags.

"What are you looking at price tags for?" asked Michael. "And that dress is nice." He walked over and pulled it back off the rack.

"I can't spend four hundred dollars on a dress," Viola snapped, taking it from him and putting it back on the rack.

Michael looked taken aback. "Oh, of course not. That is way too inexpensive for my bride to wear." He turned to the hovering saleslady. "Do you have any better dresses that would be appropriate for a small wedding?"

"Too inexpensive?" asked Viola.

"That dress was part of the fall collection and has been marked down at less than half its original price," said the saleslady. "But, up front we do have some of the newer spring designs."

Viola hurriedly grabbed the dress from his hand. "Never mind. This is perfect. I'll try it on."

"The color is perfect for your skin and hair, Madam," said the saleslady, taking the dress. "Follow me. The fitting rooms are in the rear."

They all began to follow them, but Natalie pointed to a chair and said, "No, Daddy. You can't see her in the dress before the ceremony. It's bad luck. Go sit over there."

After a couple minutes, the saleslady came out and headed to the lingerie section. She grabbed a bra and began to return to the back with it. Michael stopped her.

"Excuse me," said Michael. "While you have my bride back there, could you make sure to take her measurements and then set her up with an entire trousseau? She'll need lingerie, a traveling suit for the honeymoon, some dresses for the day and evening, winter wear, the works. I'll have my driver stop by to pick everything up."

The saleslady smiled brilliantly. "Why of course, Ambassador," she said. "We are closed tomorrow for the holiday, but I can have the alterations on the dresses done by Wednesday. We're always a bit slow after the Christmas holiday."

Besides the taupe lace dress for the ceremony, Viola ended up with a dozen new outfits, complete with matching shoes, coats, and enough lingerie to fill a room all on its own. Although Viola tried protesting, Michael threatened to simply buy one of everything in her size if she did not cooperate. So, eventually, she just gave up because she didn't doubt that he would follow through on the threat.

"Now, we have to get matching bridesmaid dresses, Emma," said Natalie.

"Don't be ridiculous, Nat," said Emma. "Nothing that would look good on tall skinny you would look good on short pregnant me."

"If I might suggest," interjected the saleslady, "I do have a pretty silk taffeta A-line dress that would suit both of you. It comes in several colors. You could wear the same dress, but in different colors. The A-line would work for you even pregnant. It's not too bridesmaidy, so you could still wear it afterwards. It'll have to be shortened, of course. Perhaps a nice emerald green would do for Miss Dalton. She always prefers green. And there's a lovely peach that would be perfect for you, or perhaps the bronze."

By the time Michael and the driver had loaded the car with all the packages, there was no room for any of them to sit. This driver happened to be a Muggle, or Non-Magical, as Michael kept reminding Emma, so he refrained from doing magic in front of him.

"Why don't you just take this stuff back to the embassy, and then come back for us?" suggested Michael. "We have to stop in that jewelry store just up the street and afterward we'll stop for lunch at Porters. Pick us up right here at three o'clock."

A short time later, Viola was wearing a square cut diamond solitaire in a platinum setting and Michael had their wedding bands safely tucked away in his jacket pocket as they made their way to the restaurant.

By the time they had to meet the driver back at the ladies' dress shop, Emma was exhausted. She and Natalie stayed behind at the restaurant while Michael and Viola returned to the shop to meet the driver. They would then swing by and pick them up.

As they walked along, hand-in-hand, Michael said, "I am concerned about Emma. I don't remember Natalie's mother getting tired so quickly when she was pregnant."

"I used to get tired a lot too, but it was because I was not getting proper care or food. It's probably because she is so tiny. She told me that other than backaches, she's not in any pain. Those doctors or whatever they're called at St. Mungos said that all seems well with the baby."

"Speaking of pregnancy...," Michael said.

Viola flushed. She'd actually forgotten all about that possibility. "That would be so weird. We'd have a grandchild who would be older than our own child. It seems rather half-assed backwards to me."

"I'd love another child, Viola. If it turns out that you're not pregnant, I'd like for us to keep trying. Natalie's mother had a rather bad miscarriage when Natalie was three years old. She couldn't have any more children after that. I've always wanted at least one more, maybe a son."

Viola was silent for several seconds. "I'd always wished my life could have been different, so that I could have had more children. I'm only thirty-five, so it's not too late. Michael, why do you think Emma was born with no magical powers?"

"Who knows? The gene for magic tends to dominate, but anything could affect it. Maybe it was because she was born too early. It could have stifled the development of her powers. Do you think she will ever come to love me or even get to the point where she can call me dad without that little hesitation in her voice?"

"Emma is very shy, Michael. The only time she seems to come out of her shell is with Severus. I don't quite get him. He's about as reserved and self-contained as she is. I can't understand how she came to fall in love with him."

"I don't understand it either. When I read that letter she wrote him, I knew I'd lost. She was so unhappy being apart from him. She's been happier, has seemed stronger, since I let him come. But I still don't like him."

By now they saw the car pulling up in front of the dress shop. The driver spied them and drove up the block to pick them up and they went back to the restaurant for Emma and Natalie. When they got back to the embassy, Severus was in the lobby as they entered the mansion. He took one look at Emma and insisted that she go take some more Strengthening Potion and lay down for a nap.

Severus sat in a chair at the side of the bed and watched Emma sleep. The truth was that he was concerned about how the pregnancy was progressing. He didn't really trust all this Muggle food she was eating and the daily interaction with her family exhausted even him. He looked forward to their return to Hogwarts, where she could get back into her routine of afternoon naps and Madam Pomfrey was always nearby in case anything went wrong.

The next day Mrs. Trumbell outdid herself with a wonderful dinner, during which Michael announced that he would be transferred to Moscow in the summer.

"You're really being transferred to Moscow?" asked Emma.

"Yes, the call came through late last night. The transfer is only for six months. I have a very specific job I have to accomplish and the president wants it done before the year's end. After that, I'll be returning to the U.S.," said Michael. "But we won't leave until I see you safely settled in your house, Emma."

"Oh," said Emma, who felt sad that she would be losing her mother again so soon, as well as Natalie, who would be attending college back in America in the fall. Well, she would still have Severus and her very own baby, she supposed.

August, who had joined the family for dinner, told them that he would be Apparating to Viola's apartment to place her furniture in storage and retrieve any personal belongings she wanted. He would also need her to sign a power of attorney so he could give notice of her intent to vacate.

"The Professor and your daughters will be returning to Hogwarts tomorrow. They can return to London on the Hogwarts Express next Friday, stay for the wedding on Saturday, and then return to Hogwarts next Sunday. I have booked you and Ms. Gianni on a flight to Paris at ten in the evening on Saturday."

Severus did not want Emma to have to do that much traveling within such a short time. "No," he said. "I will return to Hogwarts alone tomorrow by Apparition. I will have the teachers send Natalie's assignments via owl. This way, Emma and Natalie can spend the entire week here. I don't want Emma having to travel all the way back to Hogwarts for a week just to turn around and come back for the wedding next weekend. It's too much for her. I will return here by Apparition in time for the wedding. Then, we can take the Hogwarts Express back to school on Sunday."

Michael was stunned. He would have Emma with him for an extra week. "That is best, Severus," he said.

Viola noticed that Emma was about to dissent. "Oh, Emma, This is wonderful," she said. "I'm really going to need you here to help me get ready for the wedding this week."

"Wait," said Emma. "What if I want to go back to Hogwarts?"

"Well, I'm not taking you," said Severus. When she opened her mouth to argue, he continued, "Don't be childish. This is not open for discussion."

"Nothing ever is with you, is it, Severus?" Emma asked angrily. She threw her napkin on the table and stormed back to her room.

Severus remained sitting at the table, reading the Daily Prophet, so Viola asked, "Aren't you going after her?"

"What for? She's not coming back to Hogwarts with me tomorrow and that's that. She'll just want to argue about it, and I have no interest in playing that game, especially when the outcome will be the same."

"But, sometimes, an argument can be good, help dispel resentment, frustration. If you go talk to her, maybe you..."

"A good argument. Right," said Severus. He picked up his paper muttering, "It must be an American thing." As he turned his attention back to the Daily Prophet, he did not catch the speculative gleam that had suddenly appeared in Michael's eyes.