Furry Magic

Title: Furry Magic, chapter 110

Disc: HP is not mine.


Severus Snape was convinced that his body had been turned inside out. He hoped that Remus Lupin had remembered to stuff all the essential parts back inside before changing his gender from female for the birth, to blessedly male for the rest of his natural life. It wouldn't do to stumble over a forgotten spleen, uterus or some-such when he finally got up from this damn bed.

Severus sighed, wincing at the incredible lingering soreness that inflicted his pelvis, much like his bones had been prised apart with a dull chisel. Once again he wondered how the slender, far more delicate Draco had managed to push out two babies from his slim hips, while he felt he'd been split asunder.

Snape would never again minimize what the boy had done. Severus had sworn, cursed, snarled, and kicked like a madwoman. Lupin had dodged and cajoled, Draco alternately scolding and praising him, darting out of Snape's reach when necessary, Amrys holding his hand and not wincing a whit despite Snape's death grip.

Now Severus Snape lay panting, having delivered two unbelievably tiny babies, bundled snugly in the double wide bassinet next to his bed. He was shocked to his core to see how small they were. It had not felt so small, as they pushed out of his shocked and entirely unprepared body, and now that he could see them, they looked so fragile, helpless. His heart squeezed painfully.

Amrys was hovering over the two babies with an expression of pride and wonder. His eyes shone when he raised his head and looked at his mate. His face was beatific. It was also rather fierce, as he telegraphed his intention of protecting them from any and every possible risk. Real or imagined. Snape felt his own previously unknown maternal instincts stir.

Severus was momentarily breathless at that look from the golden beauty who, with him, had made these babes. Amrys was gazing on him as if he had performed miracles unheard of before. He smile was radiant and tremulous. Filled with uncontainable joy. Severus had not paid all that much attention to Amrys when Draco's children had been born. But he thought that Amrys was even more attentive now than he had been then. His heart thumped and turned over in his chest.

Snape raised himself up on one elbow. His first attempt at speech was little more than a croak, his throat raw and dry. Small wonder considering the shouts and roared obscenities he'd let out during his many hours of labor. The combination preventing anything near comprehensible from emerging from his mouth.

"Thirsty?" Draco asked as he spun on his chair parked to Snape's right and retrieved a glass of cool, watered fruit juice. Draco held the glass to his mouth. The tart juice filled his mouth, seeming to soak right into his parched tissues like a balm. He swallowed gratefully, his eyes drifting shut to appreciate the wonder of wetness and sweetness flowing over his tongue and down his sandpapered throat. Utter bliss.

"Are...." Still a croak, but one that it was possible to comprehend. He cleared his throat yet again. "Are the children alright?" It was the first and only thing on his mind. Were they...his two little, dark haired daughters, OK?

Amrys gazed at them, touching them with terribly gentle fingers. Handling them with reverence and fierce, joyous care. Snape felt a suspicious tickle rise in his throat, lodging in the back of his sinuses. He sniffled. Dust, again. The whole pace would have to be cleaned. All the dust that was flying about. It could make a man's eyes water.

Remus answered, with crisp efficiency, still doing something down there between Snape's legs, his wand rising and falling. His tone was absentminded, his concentration elsewhere. "They are fine, Severus, no need to worry..."

Snape favored the man with one of his patented glares, scandalized at the offhanded reply. He momentarily thought of closing his legs on the impertinent man's head and squeezing quite hard. Remus Lupin could not possibly understand the import of this moment. He could not know the intensity of the bond that Severus felt with the tiny lives inches away under Amrys' careful watch. He also couldn't know that his patient was contemplating kicking him in the head for his insensitivity.

Amrys looked up again, smiling widely, tears swimming in his eyes. "They are...perfect. As beautiful and perfect as any child could ever be, my love." His voice was deeper even than usual, filled with affection and adoration, with love. Snape swallowed the tears that threatened to choke him.

Amrys left the children's side, stepping over to the man who had borne his children, had given him two beautiful daughters to go with the radiant sons Draco had given him and the pride. A year ago, Amrys had been a free and independent man. Second only to Lucius in the pride.

Then he had met a man who was truly different than any other he had encountered before. A man who was both querulous, and noble. Who paid little attention to his physical appearance, yet had something indefinable that drew Amrys to him. A sharp tongue, a stern view on life. A man who had principles and stuck to them. A man who had more than once saved Harry from death and injury. The champion of his pride's Chosen. Of Lucius' husband in all but name. The king proclaimed his thanks. Amrys had slowly fallen in love.

The lust had been almost instantaneous. It had been so hot and fast it nearly burned him with it's intensity. He had wanted the tall, slim man. He had wanted him in his bed, and Amrys set about getting him. It had all come to this. The day when Peeves had spilled the potion into Severus' cup, and Severus had gone wild with lust...the day these miracles had been conceived. The day Severus, only partly recovered, had insisted on attending Harry and Lucius' bonding ceremony, sleeping through most of it, and snoring loudly while doing so. It had all led to now. The babies, Severus. Love.

Amrys had always been surrounded by love. Love of friends, of the body, of king and pride. Love of family. Now he had it all. He had husband, partner, children, pride....all of it. He sank to his knees at the side of his lover's child-bed. He took the long, graceful, pale fingers in his own, darker, stronger, squarer ones. He gazed lovingly on the sweating features, the lank hair stuck to the sharp featured, bignosed face. He pressed his lips to those fingers, his eyes locked on the obsidian ones of his mate.

"Severus, my beloved, my mate, will you join with me, in the way of the leopards of my pride? Will you agree to be recognized as my mate, my personal chosen and be changed? To become one with me and my pride?" His voice was heavy with emotion. Thrumming with the power of his desire for the other man, the only man he had even wanted to ask this.

Severus Snape gaped, unable to credit what he was hearing. Draco gave out a little hoot of joy. He shook his former professor's shoulder.

"For ghod's sake man! Wake up! He's asked you to marry him!" He squealed at the poleaxed man. He bounced in his chair, excited, shaking Snape repeatedly. "Aren't you going to say anything?!" The young blond squealed his demand, continuing to bounce in agitated happiness.

"Gaaahhhh?" The Headmaster of Hogwarts, supreme Potion's Master, skilled practitioner of DADA, protector of the boy who lived, swordsman, and most importantly, mate of Amrys and brand new new mother, at last, managed to utter. "Gahh-hah!" He repeated, emphatically. Not quite living up to his reputation as a man who was never at a loss for words.

Amrys kissed him, beaming. He had no trouble understanding the answer perfectly.

ne'ichan
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