Daimons

Chapter 19

“Dad, it’s time to wake up.” David gently shook his father’s shoulder.

“David?” Severus slowly woke and looked at his son. He noticed that David, had he been born, would have had his black eyes but thankfully he would have inherited his father’ features including his nose. “You would have been a heartbreaker.”

“Yeah, I know. I could have had any girl… or boy I wanted,” he teased. “The truth is I would have been too busy bringing two worlds together to be involved with anyone.” He gave his father a helping hand. With a groan Severus pushed off of the hammock.

“Where are we going?” Severus asked.

“For a walk. I want to be with you as long as possible. When the time comes for you to return I won’t have the opportunity to be with you for a long time. You and Pop are going to have a remarkable life together. I think all of the children kept you both young.”

“Children? How many are we talking about?”

“A few.”

“More than five?”

“I rather not say.”

“Oh Merlin.” Severus got weak in the legs. David put his arm around his father’s waist to keep him from collapsing.

“You tried everything not to conceive but it seemed every time Pop touched you, you got pregnant.”

“I’ll never have sex with him again.”

“Yes, you will and you’ll enjoy ever moment of it. You’re quite the slut, Dad.”

“David!” Severus was outraged.

“Well, it’s true. You initiated the sexual encounters by far more than Pop did but I have to admit he never turned you down either.”

Severus straightened his shoulders as he lectured David. “I thought that one day I would have to enlighten you about… sex, but I never thought I would hear my son tell me I’m an oversexed, baby-making slut. This is more information than I need to know.”

“Fine, I’ll drop the subject.” David chuckled.

“Thank you.” Severus was relieved.

David’s demure changed drastically. Quite and thoughtful, he walked side by side with his father. Sensing there was something on David’s mind, Severus waited patiently for his son to speak.

“Is there something you wish to tell me?” Severus broke the silence between the two of them.

David sadly nodded his head. “Brian is dieing!”

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“I’m truly sorry Arm. We tried everything to save the baby. He’s was always the weakest of the two fetuses… he doesn’t have the fight in him.”

“He’s still alive?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m not going to give up on him, not yet. He’s mine and Severus’ child. He has to have some of our strength. Besides he’s a Daimon and we Daimons are a stubborn lot. He’ll make it… I know he will.” Arm sat next to his husband’s bed, taking one of his hands into his, his other hand lay gently across Severus’ rounded belly.

Del put a hand on Armstrong’s shoulder and squeezed. “It’s hard for me, right now, to believe in miracles but Poppy would have; she was such an optimist. If she was here she would be lecturing me about ‘where there is life, there is hope’. I hope, for the sake of her memory, that she was right.”

“How… how can you go on as if…?” The large Daimon swallowed his grief.

“If I don’t keep busy I would have time to kill myself.” Del quietly left the room.

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Lucius eyed the potion cautiously. He wanted nothing to do with the spawn of a lunatic. The potion would end his pregnancy and no one would be the wiser. Would it matter in the long run? Voldemort, for some unexplained reason, believed that he would be the perfect partner to bare him children. Why, the fuck, couldn’t he pick a woman out? Their body was made for baring children. He worked hard keeping his body toned and giving birth would cause havoc with it. Damn, he’d just have miscarriage after miscarriage until the Dark Lord got bored with him and moved onto someone else.

Uncorking the top of the vial, he tried to lift it to his lips. A force prevented him from raising his arm. The harder he tried, the heavier his arm became.

“Damn, damn, damn. Son-of-a-bitch, mother fucker,” Lucius ranted. His façade was crumbling. The events of the previous night and the knowledge that he was to become Voldemort’s concubine and broodmare had become too much for him to bear. Now, Voldemort had spelled him that he was incapable of harming his child. In that moment his sanity slipped. Reality and illusion merged. He would play the part of mistress while he killed his Master with kindness. Literally, he will kill him with kindness.

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Severus was led to a rock by David. His son soothingly guided him to sit down before David sat crossed legged in front of Severus.

“Dad, he’s a fighter. He wants desperately to live but he’s so small, so… weak.”

“I’ve lost you both.” Severus cried.

Taking his father into his arms he held the older wizard as he sobbed. He spoke soothing words until the sobs slowed and Severus gained some semblance of himself.

“Dad, everything will be as it should be.”

“How can it? You both are gone. I might as well die myself…”

“Dad…” David fingers dug into Severus arms and gave his a good shake. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. Pop needs you. Without you my brothers and sister won’t ever get a chance to be born. The wizarding world needs you, more now than ever.”

“One sister?”

“Yes, all boys but one and what a handful. She’ll cause you more headaches than all the boys put together.”

“And I want to go back to that why?” Severus’ hormones seemed to play havoc even on the ‘other side’.

“Because ‘I’ need to be born.”

“David, if you haven’t noticed… you’re dead.”

“My soul is to take Brian’s place. I need to be born and that couldn’t happen until we found out if Brian would live or die. The lot has been cast and I will be returning.”

“How am I supposed to take this news? I gain you but loose your brother… I’m so lost.”

“Everything will be as it should be. Always remember that. Once I take Brian’s place you’ll be very sleepy. The draw of the earth will be pulling you back. When you awake you won’t remember any of this,” he waved at the space about them, “but you’ll somehow know.” David grimaced. “Dad it’s about time for me to go. There, over there is Brain.”

Up a small path walked a young man, slight in stature, with a wild mane for hair. He was a miniature of Armstrong. David rose to meet his twin. Arms were thrown about each other as they gave each other a bear hug.

“Live a good life for me,” Brian said as he clung onto David.

“I promise. Be seeing you.” David turned and walked down the same path that Brian had come from.

Brian turned his attention to his father. “Hi Dad, we have a few moments before you go back and I go onto the next great adventure.”

“You look so much like your father.”

“But I inherited your brains and stubbornness. May I… may I hug you?”

“Oh Merlin, yes.” Brian threw himself into his father’s arms and held him as if he would never let him go. Reluctantly Brian pulled away from his father.

“Dad I have to go but there is something you must know. Lucius is pregnant with Voldemort’s child. No matter how you feel about either one of them, you must protect the baby.”

“Why?”

“I have to go. Remember to protect her with your life if you have to.” He faded from Severus’ sight. With a yawn Severus feel in to oblivion.

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“Del!!! Come quick!” Armstrong screamed as Severus started to spasm, his body twisting and turning in inhuman movements.

Edelman came running and shoved Armstrong out of the way, sending the Daimon to the floor. Other healers soon joined Del in the room. Against his nature, Arm stepped back against the wall to watch in horror.

“There’s no heartbeat. The child is dead!” one of the healers yelled.

“We must remove the body or Snape will die.”

Del took his hands and ripped Severus stomach open. His hands dipped into the uterus to pull the fetus from the body when he froze. From under the palm of his hand he felt the strong beat of a heart.

“Check the fetus,” he ordered.

“It’s dead.”

“Check the fucking fetus… NOW!”

With a putout sigh he used his wand to read the life force of the baby. “He’s… he’s alive. I don’t understand.”

“I don’t either but we better close up and give the baby a chance of life.”

Armstrong beamed at the news. They weren’t out of the woods yet but things did look hopeful.

After the longest thirty minutes of his life Del pulled him from the room, taking him to his study. He poured two very strong drinks and offered one to a very grateful Daimon.

“Thanks.” He downed it in one gulp. When he finished he looked to Del and asked him, “Will they live?”

“It seems so. The baby’s heart is strong and Severus’ vital signs couldn’t be better. They have a long way to go but I think, barring any complications, they will make it. It seems miracles do happen.” Del studied the exhausted face of his friend. “I have a sleeping draught that I want you to take. You can sleep in the room with Severus is if it makes you more comfortable.”

“Thanks.” He sipped on his second drink. “I will if you take one.”

“I just might.” He ran his hands over his weary face. “We’ve been through a lot together but I can’t remember living through the likes of the last few days.” Edelman remembered that there was still a funeral that he would be attending the next day. “A sleeping draught doesn’t sound like a bad idea after all.” He would sleep on the couch. He wasn’t ready to sleep on the bed he shared wonderful, but too few, nights with Poppy.

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“I’ll kill him.” Neville raged as he saw what Armstrong had done to Miriam.

“You will not. You will sit down next to me and hold me. There has been enough violence today. I want only to snuggle with you.”

“He’s a bastard… How dare he hurt you so bad?” Miriam did look bad: her body was covered with bruises, and her leg was immobile and would remain so for a week.

“Neville, I appreciate your concern but if you don’t calm down I will hex you. What happened to me was my fault. Severus was in my charge. If Armstrong wanted to, he could have killed me… slowly. It would have been in his right. What he did do to me was mild. Now sit down and hold me.”

“So I should be thankful you’re not dead?” Miriam swore she saw steam come from Neville’s ears.

“Neville, darling, yes you should be extremely thankful that I am alive and you have me to hold. Severus and Arm will never know how it feels to hold there first born. He was murdered by a Muggle’s bullet. Del will never be able to hold Poppy again. Next to that, don’t you think you can consider yourself lucky that I am here waiting for you to take me in your arms?”

“Shit.” Neville bounced on the bed next to Miriam. She winced slightly as Neville drew her near him. “I can’t imagine life without you. I guess that’s why I’m so mad at Armstrong. He could have killed you.”

“You’re here with me. I think that’s all that matters. Now, shut up and go to sleep.”

“Sleep?” he asked with the most delightful little pout.

“You really don’t expect sex, do you?”

“Well, I guess not since you put it that way.” He rolled off the bed and headed for the bathroom.

“Where are you going?”

“To take care of this.” He rubbed the swell in his pants.

“I guess if you promise not to go after Armstrong, I could take care of that.”

Like a five year old at Christmas, Neville beamed happily. “I promise.” He unzipped his trousers as he climbed back onto the bed. Pausing for a moment he looked into Miriam’s eyes. “He would have demolished me, wouldn’t he?”

“They wouldn’t have found anything of you by the time he was through.”

“Thanks for not letting me go after him.”

“You’re welcome. Now bring your cock over here for me to appreciate.” She smiled. Neville was happy to do what he was told.