I Thought It Was The Flu

I Thought It Was The Flu
Chapter 12
by goldenpaw and sherdelune

The time to start the brewing drew near and Severus sat in a chair across the room with
the recipe in front of him. His eyes never left Harry as the younger man began preparing
the ingredients. Harry constantly looked at Severus making sure he was doing everything
properly. When it was time to add the first ingredient to the boiling water in the cauldron
there was a huge explosion that rocked the building. Sirius ran out the front door and
saw a bright red light flickering in the direction of the Snape family mansion and to his
horror floating in the air above the location was the Dark Mark.


***

Soon after Sirius left the house, Remus and Albus followed him. They were all horrified
at the sight of the Dark Mark and began investigating the origin of it, leaving Harry and
Severus alone in the work room. Harry started to approach Severus, but three steps in
there was a pop and before them stood Lucius Malfoy with his wand drawn.

\"Ah, Severus, so nice to see you. And look, it\'s Dumbledore\'s errand boy, Harry Potter.\"
Lucius took a long look at both of them; his eyes widening as he saw that Severas
as
very pregnant. \"My, my, my. Dear Severus, I had no idea that you had become someone\'s
bitch since you\'d left the Dark Lord\'s service. What, trading one master for another?\"
Lucius asked in a drawling, mocking tone.

Severus wasn\'t watching Lucius so much as paying attention to Harry, who looked like he
wanted to leap across the room and throttle the intruder. \"I am no one\'s bitch, you
bastard. Were you the one who caused the explosion just now?\"

\"Of course, I had to draw the others out into the open. I chanced that you and Harry boy
here would be left alone. I\'d been canvassing the house for several months now, watching
the others\' patterns. My sources had told me that Dumbledore had been disappearing
frequently for months after the Dark Lord was vanquished, then you disappeared as well.
Something told me that things weren\'t as they appeared. And I was right,\" Lucius\' tone
was smug and condescending, as if pureblooded logic was all that he needed. Lucius
looked from Harry to Severus and back again, noticing the agitation that Potter was
exhibiting, while Severus was cool as a cucumber. Something about the situation finally
clicked.

\"So tell me Severus, is dear Potter here the father of your child?\" Not giving Severus
really time to answer, he continued on, \"Really, Severus, allowing a child to have his way
with you. I thought you had better taste than that? Well, come to think on it, you always
were kind of a mutt. I\'m still surprised to this day that the Dark Lord wanted you. Oh yes,
actually the only thing he\'d ever wanted from you was your skill in Potions, otherwise he
would have disposed of you post haste, long before you turned traitor.\"

Severus rolled his eyes at no one in particular, but Harry saw the look and a small smile
quirked at the corner of his lips. Harry knew that if Severus wasn\'t worried and was calm,
then the situation apparently wasn\'t all that desperate.

Severus\' eyes met Harry\'s and he nodded very briefly. The message was clear-- \"Follow
my lead.\" He just hoped that the younger wizard knew what to do once he plan was in
motion. He didn\'t have to worry. Harry blinked rapidly as soon as Lucius turned away a
bit and was once more facing Severus, letting Severus know he understood. Severus
turned his attention back to Lucius.

\"At least I was more than a glorified lap dog,\" Severus sneered at the blonde man
standing between him and his love.

Harry backed slowly towards the work table as Severus continued to talk with Lucius.
\"You kow-towed to the Dark Lord\'s every whim or desire, you were more like a bitch in
heat than Narcissa ever was when she wanted new jewels.\"

Severus definitely had Lucius\' full attention now, as the other man was starting to slowly
fill with rage at the slurs being cast upon his family name. \"How dare you defile my name
and that of my wife! I have more prestige and grace in my one finger than you do in your
entire body!\"

Lucius lunged towards Severus with his hands outstretched, as though he were going to
strangle the man. Suddenly, Severus clutched his stomach and doubled over as though in
pain, before he fell to his knees.

While Lucius\' attention was otherwise occupied, Harry finally reached for his wand that
had been resting on the work table. He aimed his wand precisely at Lucius, not wanting
to hit Severus by mistake and called out, \"Petrificus Totalus!\"

Severus reached for Lucius\' wand as the other wizard slowly fell backwards, his body
locked up completely. Just as the bound wizard landed with a hard thud against the stone
floor, the door to the work room burst open.

Sirius came rushing through the door, followed closely by Remus and Albus. \"We
couldn\'t find a thing out there. Must have been...\" he stopped in his tracks when he
noticed Lucius on the floor. \"How did he get in here?\"

\"He broke through the wards and apparated in. Apparently, he\'s been watching us for
months,\" said Severus as he slowly got up off his knees and took a seat once more.

\"He? Do you know if he was acting with others and if so, will they be coming to look for
him?\" asked a curious Albus.

\"He mentioned no one else. Perhaps we should dose him with Veritaserum to find out.\"
Severus appeared calm, but internally he was shaking like a leaf. He was relieved that
things had gone as planned and that neither he, the baby or Harry had been hurt. He
turned to Harry as the young man approached, now that things were calm and opened his
arms to embrace him. \"You were wonderful, Harry,\" he bent his head down to brush a
kiss over Hars fos forehead.

\"You were brilliant, as well, Severus. I think we make an excellent team.\"

\"If we make an excellent team, then you will do quite well on the potion because I will
be guiding you every step of the way. You trust me, don\'t you?\" Severus asked as he
caressed the side of Harry\'s face tenderly.

\"With my life.\" Harry did not hesitate with his answer.

\"And I trust you with mine. You\'ve already proven to be a wonderful lover, a caring and
generous father, as well as a great protector. Trust in yourself. Because all of us have
trust and faith in you.\"

Harry was humbled by Severus\' words and actions, and his self confidence began to
blossom within.

Sirius cleared his throat loudly to refocus everyone\'s attention. \"Don\'t you think we ought
to be questioning this Death Eater scum right about now?\"

The others all voiced their agreement. Harry felt that Severus, more than the others, was
looking forward to the questioning. The Potions Master went to his private stores and
withdrew a phial of Veritaserum.

\"Black, could you and Lupin sit him up outside the work room so I can dose him?\" Sirius
and Remus leapt to do Severus\' bidding, and drug Lucius out of the work room, where
they prophim him up against a wall.

Albus waved his wand and spoke, \"Solvo Mala.\" [1] As soon as Lucius\' mouth was
unbound, he began spewing all manner of obscenities and threats.

Sirius quickly cast \"Silencio\" to hush the dark wizard. \"No one wants to hear that garbage
out of your mouth at the moment. As soon as you have the Veritaserum in your system,
we will release the spell.\"

Lucius would have glared at him, had be been able to move the rest of his facial muscles.
As it was, all they could see was the other man clenching his teeth with anger.

As Severus approached with the phial, Lucius clamped his jaw firmly closed; he pressed
his lips together as an act of defiance. Severus just quirked an eyebrow at the blonde
man, wondering what he thought that would accomplish. Severus\' eyes sta to to sparkle
with a hint of malice as he pinched Lucius\' nose to cut off his air supply.

\"Naughty, naughty, my dear Lucius. Your act of defiance will cost you. Lupin, can you
take over here for me, please?\" Severus wanted both of his hands free to drop the serum
in the moment Lucius gasped for breath.

A wry grin plastered on his face, Remus first lifted the silencing charm, then pinched
Lucius nostrils tightly.

Lucius started turning red, then blue before his mouth burst open and he gasped for
desperate drags of air. And with lightening speed and accuracy, Severus placed three
drops of the serum within Lucius\' mouth. Almost immediately, Lucius\' eyes began to
glaze over as the potion took effect.

\"Are you acting on behalf of anyone else?\" was the first question Albus directed at the
Death Eater, and so began the the interrogation.

\"No, I am here for my own purposes.\"

\"Why did you come here today?\" Albus and the others desperately wanted to know the
answer to this question.

\"I have my reasons.\"

\"What are your reasons for coming here today?\" Albus clarified his question to elicit a
better answer.

\"Revenge against the one who destroyed my Lord.\"

Severus rolled his eyes while looking at Harry, who snickered. He leaned over and
whispered in Harry\'s ear, \"As if he could single-handedly take on the person who
defeated the greatest Dark Lord this century has ever seen. What could he have been
thinking?\" Harry whispered back quietly, \"That he had surprise on his side, perhaps.\"
Albus turned and shushed them both before continuing in his questioning.

\"Are there others who share your feelings in this matter?\"

\"No, no one,\" Lucius answered in a deadened tone of voice.

\"Are there pockets of Death Eaters elsewhere?\"

\"No. Cowards, all of them.\" Lucius spat with fervor, truly upset with the question and his
answer.

\"Does anyone else have anything to ask of Mr. Malfoy?\" Albus looked questioningly at
the other wizards who had gathered behind him as he had interrogated their prisoner.

Severus pushed his way forward and spoke, \"I have a few questions I think need
answering.\"

Severus looked Lucius straight in the eye and asked, \"Who was your informant about
Albus\' and my whereabouts?\"

\"Pansy Parkinson informed me of the events happening at Hogwarts.\"

\"Was she aware of your motivation in gaining the information?\"

\"No, she was clueless. She may be a pureblood, but she\'s a brainless twit. All she knew
was that I was cultivating her to be Draco\'s future bride.\"

Harry gagged at the thought of that happening. He shuddered at the possible children to
come from that union. Scores of brainless blondes being taught at Hogwarts in the
coming years. Severus could hear Harry murmur, \"Thank Merlin our child won\'t be
blonde, won\'t be brainless, and will be blessed with good looks and snarky wit.\" Severus
chuckled in agreement and said a silent prayer of thanks as well.

Severus turned back and faced the Death Eater once more to ask one final question. \"Has
Draco or any of his other housemates ever been involved with the Dark Lord\'s
movement?\"

\"No, the Dark Lord had not yet felt the need to recruit the students. He felt he had enough
wizards by his side when he started his final battle.\"

Finally satisfied with the answers they had received from their prisoner, Albus
summoned the Aurors at Ministry headquarters to take Lucius away.

After Lucius was carted off to Azkaban, Severus leaned over and murmured a response to
Harry\'s idea of what their child would be like, \"As well as being filled with boundless
optimism and foolish bravery, he will hopefully have his father\'s beautiful green eyes.\"
Harry blushed with pleasure at the love he could hear in Severus\' voice. \"Flatterer.
Although I am enjoying the conversation out here, I believe that I have a potion to finish
brewing?\"

\"Yes, and I\'ll be with you e ste step of the way. We\'re in this together.\"

Harry proceeded to make the required potion, imbuing it with his magical signature as
was necessary. And once the process was over, he gave Severus the finished product.

Severus raised the phial in the air as if he were making a toast. \"Here\'s to our future,\"
then tipped it back and drained the contents in one shot.

Severus sat for several seconds waiting for the potion to take effect. Soon he would have
the required birth canal through which the baby would be delivered. Within moments,
Severus felt something shift inside him softly, as if the other portions of his body were
making room for the new addition.

\"I do believe we have success, my dear Harry.\" Severus leaned over and kissed the
younger wizard tenderly on his lips. Harry sagged against Severus in relief.

\"Harry, I had Miffy make a special trip to the Snape vault yesterday to retrieve something
for me. Well more for you, actually.\" Severus pulled back a bit and Harry looked up at
his lover enquiringly.

Severus bent down on one knee in front of Harry as he pulled a black velvet pouch from
his robe pocket. He pulled out a beautiful gold and silver entwined ring and took Harry\'s
left hand within his.

\"Harry, will you do me the honour of becoming my husband?\"

~tbc~

[1] Solvo Latin Loosen Mala Latin Jaw