Marriage Law Madness

The following afternoon, Severus strolled down Diagon Alley; finishing his last minute Christmas shopping. He’d custom ordered the pieces to Molly’s chess set, and since it wouldn’t be ready for several weeks he’d had them wrap the board to put under the tree. He’d decided to spoil her this year, as he had plenty of money and Bill had confided to him that he couldn’t remember the last time there was a present under the tree for her that wasn’t either something one of the kids had made or purchased out of their allowance. Molly had always managed something small for Arthur, even if it was just a new plug for his collection of Muggle stuff. Plus, Severus’ family had never celebrated Christmas, he wanted this fist one with his new family to be special.

Checking his list, Severus headed towards the twins’ store, newly renamed simply Weasley’s. Fred and George had expanded their store and bought out the magical toy store after the ancient old man who ran it finally passed on. After discovering from Fred that Ginny’s requested replacement Gobstones for her ancient and dilapidated set were more expensive than buying a cheap new set, he asked to see for a selection of their better quality boards and selected a beautiful rosewood board with blue glass stones, plus a set of green ones in case whoever she was playing with didn\'t have a set. He picked up a few other items, and then headed down to meet Molly at the Magical craft supply.

He saw her at the back of the store, gazing longingly at a case of sewing machines. He felt a hand on his arm, and found the saleswoman looking pityingly at Molly. “From the wedding picture she showed me, you have to be Molly’s new husband. Give her a minute, will you? She’s come in here hundreds of times over the last twenty-five years, dreaming of owning whatever the new model was, while trying to scrape together the money to buy the cheapest one so she could replace her hand-me-down machine that, when it worked, would only do straight stitch. One time, when she had almost saved enough, that dratted husband of hers went and bought himself a car with it. She always cries when she looks at the machines, and I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to see that.\"She looked at him, pleading with him just to let her be.

“Feel like playing Mrs. Claus? Go over there and start up a conversation and find out what kind she really wants. Whatever new one she’s been ogling, wait till she leaves and write up the order with every possible feature and a good table to go with it. I’ll get one of her sons to get it on his way home tomorrow. While you’re talking to her, I’d like to see the sewing baskets. Molly’s has a hole worn in it, plus it’s so full there is no way to close the lid. I am sick and tired of having to summon all the rolls of thread from all over the floor when I kick it in the dark.”

The saleslady looked at him admiringly. “I’ve never met you, but after what I just heard, I like you.”

“ I’ve never had reason to come in here, not being a crafty person. Has Molly told you our little secret?” Severus inquired. The saleswoman shook her head.

“Molly and I are expecting. Due to an ingredient in their contraceptive potion being tainted, Ginny, our daughter-in-law, and twenty-five Hogwarts girls are expecting within three weeks of one another. Molly’s already knitted something like two hundred sets of booties, capes, sweaters and hats. If her machine is as bad as you say it is, she’ll never get that amount of sewing done on it.”

“Goodness! Her machine would definitely not hold up through that. Now that you said something, I can see she is starting to show a little. Shall I show her our excellent selection of infant fabric and maternity patterns while you look for the basket? You’ll find them in aisle five.”

“Tell her Fudge is buying, and to buy the best. Don’t let her get the cheap thread anymore, either.” He turned and headed towards the baskets. He found one in soft sage green velvet that would go well with the Slytherin green carpet. On a whim he added a new tape measure, when he’d helped her measure Ginny so she could hem up her new Christmas robe he’d noticed that the numbers on hers were almost worn off. This one would do all the measuring for her – he figured that it would be easier since she’d be sewing for heavily pregnant women who would be hard to reach around, plus she wouldn’t be able to get down to measure hems and such for much longer.

He put all the other items he’d bought in the basket, took off the tag, put it on Molly\'s pile and Apparated home, stashing the basket in his closet. He then Apparated back before anyone knew he was gone. Molly was at the counter with her huge pile of fabric, patterns and yarn. She looked at him nervously, as if she thought he would protest at the amount she was spending. There were baby and maternity patterns, enough yarn for several sweaters, and the necessary thread, buttons and trim to go with the fabric.

Gathering up her huge bag, he said, “May I treat you to tea, Mrs. Snape?”

“I’d like that.” Severus quickly apparated the bag home, then returned and took her arm and guided her out the door. He led her down the alley to a small teashop called Bainbridge’s. Molly knew instantly why he liked the place – it was well-furnished; with good quality wooden tea tables and velvet covered chairs – and not a frill anywhere. The tea proved to be excellent . After they finished, they sat and talked for awhile, relishing having free time, then flooed back to the manor.

~~~

Christmas day dawned clear and cold. Instead of having a mass Christmas morning, they had decided that everyone should have Christmas with their new families, meet for dinner and exchange gifts with one another then. This let the pregnant ladies take their time getting up, and allowed Severus and Molly a little peace for their first Christmas together.

When Ginny stumbled downstairs, Severus placed a plate of French toast in front of her. Molly was already digging in – she had reached the stage where she was constantly hungry, while Ginny did not want to eat much yet, as she was still having morning sickness much worse than her mother did.

Once they had all finished breakfast, Severus took Ginny’s heavy stocking down from the kitchen mantelpiece. She had never seen one stuffed so full. Just in there was probably more stuff than she had gotten the last fourteen Christmas stockings combined! The best gifts were tucked into the top, her favorite gifts being a diary covered in Gryffindor red leather and a beautiful comb, mirror and hairbrush set in Mahogany wood, with a Celtic knot on the backs that matched the one on the diary, and with what would soon be her new intials inscribed on the inside of the handle. Obviously, when her stepfather had ordered it he’d expected her to be married by now.

There was also a manicure set that included a bottle of nail polish that, when tapped with the appropriate charm, would match whatever she was wearing; A rolled up copy of Teen Witch, with a note informing her that there was a year’s subscription; a silver pendant with a rose on it, and couple of gift certificates to various businesses in Hogsmeade for her to use on visits during the remainder of the school year. There were also several bags from Honeyduke’s containing her favorite sweets, plus a lot of other little items.

Then it was Molly’s turn. She too had a dresser set, but hers was rosewood. There was the green leather diary from her Godfather, a manicure set identical to Ginny\'s, plus subscriptions to Tranfiguration Today and Charms Chronicle and the tape measure he’d bought the other day. She gasped as she opened a small jeweler’s box and found a delicate silver pendant with a Celtic love knot on it. Severus showed her its mate, which was attached to his watch fob. He then took the box from her and fastened the chain around her neck.

“Hello Molly.” Severus’ voice sounded in her head, although his lips didn’t move. He started speaking aloud as he realized he’d just have to repeat himself for Ginny. “I had these enchanted so if you need me in an emergency we can talk. I will, however, teach you occulumency so you can filter what to send to me. Otherwise when we have a spat I’ll be able to hear you fuming at me and cursing me under your breath when you don’t say anything. Gin, I’m going to do the same to yours, but I have to get Professor Flitwick to help me. I’m going to set it up so you can reach Draco, me or your mother.”

Severus was excited to see how happy they were. This was, in actuality, his first real Christmas and he had wanted everything to be perfect. When Molly had finished emptying her sock he turned back to the mantel and took down his first ever stocking. Molly had filled it with several of his favorite brand of quill, a pot of ink and a new inkwell, hand knitted green and silver striped socks, a new shaving kit and a copy of the new book in his favorite mystery series, plus lots of other nice things.

Then Severus led them into the formal parlor, where they had put the tree several weeks before. Ginny gasped, she hadn’t seen the tree yet as she had stayed at Hogwarts until last night. Ron had elected to stay at Hogwarts until dinner so Harry wasn’t alone on Christmas morning, Hermione having gone home. This way Albus could bring Harry and Ron with him when he and Minerva came.

It was a magnificent tree, lush and green with floating candles, strings of luminescent bubbles, and lots of glass balls. A smaller tree in the living room had the Weasley family ornaments that had been allocated to Ginny, and Severus’ grandmother’s beloved Muggle bubble lights.

Both Molly and Ginny marveled at the huge pile of presents under the tree – there were more for just three of them then there had been for the entire Weasley family most years. Severus’ hiding spot was still stuffed full of presents for everyone else.

He passed Ginny the first package, which proved be a comfy lounge set. It would be perfect while she was pregnant, as it was very loose and would fit almost all the way through. When Molly opened a box containing her new potions books and supplies, she grinned so hard Severus was afraid the skin around her mouth would crack. Severus opened his gift from Ginny, which proved to be a candy jar full of his favorite chocolate raisins, and a candy dish for his office containing a subscription slip notifying him of his membership in the Muggle-Sweet Of The Month Club.

“Did Albus help you get this?” he asked her, touched by her thoughtfulness. It wasn’t as if they had ever gotten along very well. She had mostly ignored him since the wedding except for when he had initiated contact, such as asking her to dance at the ball or slipping her some extra spending money before her Christmas Hogsmeade trip.

“No, Aunt Minerva did. She got one for Uncle Albus, too. It comes with the added bonus of helping her with the new passwords, as he never remembers to tell anyone what they are and he only changes them once a month.”

“Aunt Minerva?” he questioned, surprised at the familiarity.

“That’s what she wants me to call her, since she didn’t want Min to have to share the title of granddaughter yet. She’s legally Mom’s Godmother now, since the one who was made her godmother died years ago.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Molly commented. “I’ll have to remember to get her something on Mother’s Day.” She passed a large package to Severus. It proved to be a set of Quidditch robes in Slytherin green.

“Do you like them? I thought you might need them, with Madam Hooch getting married, you’ll probably have to referee a lot more often. Especially if she gets pregnant, she could miss an entire season.”

“I love them. Thank you.” He passed her a flat, square and very heavy package. She opened it, grinned and passed him a matching package. They had bought each other chessboards. Hers was oak and rosewood, his was birchwood with the black squares made of inlaid ebony.

“I was hoping you’d agree to teach me some more so I can play with you.” Molly asked this shyly, seeming almost afraid of the answer.

“Of course. Not for a few weeks, though, unless you can convince Albus to lend you a set of pieces, as I only have one old set. Your pieces are being custom made.”

“So are yours.” She said, handing Ginny the box Severus knew to contain the Gobstone set.

“Wow, thanks!” she said happily. Pulling the next present off the pile, she checked the tag and then handed it to him.

Feeling the soft, lumpy package, he thought, ‘I hope it isn’t maroon.’ Sure enough, it was what the kids referred to as a ‘Weasley Sweater.’ This one was made of twisted strands of black and silver yarn. It would fit into his wardrobe quite nicely.

Ginny’s next package proved to be a sweater as well, except hers was a deep purple. She reached for a large box in the corner, but Severus quickly said, “let me get that, its heavy.” It was a brand new magical kitchen mixer, so she wouldn’t have to do everything with her wand all the time. They kept passing each other gifts and then, finally, there was only one present left under the tree.

Severus lifted it and set it down in front of Molly, trying to keep the look of anticipation off his face so he wouldn’t give anything away. She ripped away the paper enough to see the box, stopped opening and merely stared in disbelief. She pulled away the rest of the paper, and, confirming that the box hadn’t been opened and thus wasn’t just something else packed in a sewing machine box, whooped for joy and then threw herself into Severus’ arms.