If the Crime Fits the Punishment

firstly, i wanted to let you all know that none of this was my idea. loki, the norse god of mischief, made me do it. he said..... oh, you mean that disclaimer! i am responsible for nothing other than kendra and her parents, wickersham the cat, and a few other bits and pieces. j.k. rowling owns the rest. and i\'ve never once asked for money. no matter what that psycho monkey says!

second, the smut faerie will most probably be paying a visit, and as she likes it raunchy, she wanted me to warn one and all. there may or may not be smut in this chapter. you won\'t know until you read it. hell, i won\'t know until i read it!

third, there will most likely be cameos running amok from here on out. i can\'t stop them. they *refused* to stay in their own story. if you happen to like any of my original cameos, please feel free to check out \'Murky Waters\' they can be found there. as can severus and kendra.

fourth, yes, this is the last of it...... please feel free to review and let me know what you think. give me ideas about what you would like to see happen. you know, all that stuff. thanks bunches.

Chapter Twenty Two: Whole Lotta Scheming Going On
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\' Is something troubling you, Kendra?\' Madam Rosemerta asked as she watched the younger girl set her tray down with a heavy sigh. The girl had been somewhat distracted since the moment she\'d walked into the pub that morning. It disheartened Rosemerta to think that something had upset her. She felt the motherly urge to fix Kendra\'s problems for her. Green eyes looked up, and the bar keep could see a world of trouble in them. She conjured some cold pumpkin juice for her emloyee, then urged her to sit in one of the bar stools. \'Tell me all about it.\'

\'My da and Severus had a huge row last night. I\'m really afraid the two of them will never get along,\' she sighed. Rosemerta could see there was more to it than that and immediately prodded the girl into telling her every last detail. Kendra spilled the entire story, about the hopes she had of becoming the Potions Master\'s wife and how he and her father seemed to absolutely despise one another. She let out the fears she had reguarding her lack of knowledge where her relationship with Severus was at. Where it would be going. She also told that she was afraid he would want nothing to do with her after the babe was born. That he would want nothing to do with it.

Kendra admitted that her fears were silly, that he seemed to be completely happy with the idea of having a child with her. But that was at the present moment. What would happen when he saw his son or daughter for the first time? Would he love it as she already did, or would he turn his back on them and never see them again? She supposed she sounded like a total idiot for saying it, but she had to tell someone. Someone who was impartial. Maybe it was just her madly out of control hormones. But she felt comfortable spilling it all to Rosemerta.

The woman hadn\'t said anything as she spoke, and had given her full attention as she listened. Rosemerta smiled at her as she finished up her tale, ending with a sad laugh and the comment. \'I\'m sure you think I\'m completely cracked, and I\'m sorry for dumping this all on you like this. It just felt good to talk to someone.\'

\' I understand, love. And I don\'t think you\'re cracked. I think you\'re feeling normal emotions for an expecting mother. It\'s perfectly acceptable to doubt one\'s self. And I\'m sure things will work themselves out,\' Rosemerta patted her hand affectionately. \'Now, why don\'t you go to the back, get yourself some lunch, and calm yourself?\'

\'Alright,\' she nodded, slipping from the chair and heading for the kitchens. Rosemerta stood and took the tray back behind the bar. The door swung open, and she automatically glanced up at the entry way. The light receeded as the door swung shut and she saw the root of Kendra\'s problem standing there. Glancing at the door to the back rooms, she moved out from behind the bar.

\'Severus,\' she stepped in front of the tall man and blocked his way. Snape looked down at her, not hiding the question in his eyes. \' I think it would be prudent that you and I have a small talk.\'

\' I really don\'t have time, Madam Rosemerta. I came to see Kendra, to assure myself that she wasn\'t over working herself. I must be back up to the school in a moment. If you\'d kindly get her for me...\' his voice traied off when he saw the look of determination on the woman\'s face.

\'Stuff it, Severus! Sit down and listen to me!\' she ordered curtly. He was taken aback by her brusque tone, and promptly dropped into the nearest chair. He had never seen Rosemerta in anything other than a pleasant mood. She followed him down, taking a seat across from him. \'You have quite a bit of explaining to do!\' she snapped. He opened his mouth to speak, but her look silenced him. For a short time, at least.

When his brain came out of it\'s stupor at having been yelled at, he scowled at the woman across from him. \'You will kindly tell me what burr you have up your backside. And you will do so in a courteous tone. Or I will be most displeased.\'

\'Piss off, you old git! Did you know that Kendra is worrying herself to death for no good reason?\' she asked, then went on before he could reply. \'She just told me that she is afraid you\'ll be leaving her as soon as the babe is born. That you won\'t want her or the child. She\'s doubting you and herself. She feels that the row you had with her father last night is a fore shadowing of things to come. Frankly, if she keeps it up, she\'ll make herself ill. And that will not do well for the child.\'

\' I see,\' he sighed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. He glanced about the room, making sure that no one would overhear his next words. then he gave his full attention back to the woman before him. \' The row she witnessed last night was staged.\'

\'Staged? The two of you staged a row?\' she asked, complete disbelief in her tone.

\'Yes,\' he nodded. \'You will not speak of this to her, or I\'ll hex you into the next century!\' he ordered tersely. She nodded her assent, waiting for him to continue. \' All day yesterday, I was confronted with the idea of the marriage. I think the gods were trying to get my attention.\'

\'Perhaps if they had used a brick?\' she suggested lightly. He frowned at her, and she schooled her face into a polite mask again.

\'As it seemed that I was to be assaulted with the idea of marriage all the day long, I believed it to be an omen. I went to her cottage last night with the intent of asking her to marry me. When I arrived, her parents were already there. There was some shouting involved. Both with her father and again when Kendra arrived home.\'

\' I would imagine she felt better then. After that lot of Irish wizards,\' Rosemerta shook her head.

\'What lot of Irish wizards?\' he asked her. She smirked and decided it wouldn\'t hurt to let him know that men found his woman enchanting.

\'They were on their way to Spain, and stopped here for a drink and some food. Unfortunately, they had more drink than food. Several of them tried to get fresh with Kendra. The last I saw, one had put his hand on her bum,\' she stopped, allowing his mind to process everything. When she saw the scowl on his face, only seconds later, she knew he had properly grasped what she\'d been saying. \'Of course, she put him in his place in a spectacular fashion.\'

\'And that would be?\' he asked, his tone harsh. He had barely managed to keep the anger out of his voice.

\'She gave him spots. They were rather foul. They were oozing some sort of orange, pus like fluid. And the stench they let off was impressive,\' at this, the bar keep chuckled heartily. She watched his eye brow go up, and he managed a faint twist of his lips that could possibly pass as a smile.

\'She was always such a Know-It All. I\'m heartened to know that the knowledge she so actively sought came in handy,\' he murmured to himself. Rosemerta remained silent, allowing him to continue his story without being prodded. In a few moment\'s time, he went on. \'When our shouting match was done, she went to help her mother in the kitchen. Her father put up a silencing spell and immediately pounced on me, asking me when I was going to marry his daughter.\'

\' I\'m sure you were your congenial, loving self when that happened,\' she chuckled and earned another scowl for her efforts.

\' It was a most painful day,\' he commented, recalling with great clarity the way it had felt to snort both the pumpkin juice and the scotch out his nose. \' At any rate, when I confessed to him that I was considering asking her, and that I had no idea how to go about it..... the asking that is. You know how well I am at asking anyone any type of questions.\'

\'You are a master of the verbal query,\' she scoffed. He was scowling even more fiercely than before.

\'Yes, as I was saying, her father questioned me about marrying her and I told him I\'d been thinking of it seriously, but was at a loss as to how to go about it. Then he came up with the idea that he and I plan it for her. And not inform her of it. Then it was suggested that we continue to argue with each other, so that she would not become suspicious.\'

\'You and her father are planning her wedding and not telling her at all? What do you intend to do? Kidnap her to the altar?\' Rosemerta\'s eyes were wide with uncontrolled curiosity.

\'Yes, actually, I do,\' he replied. She grinned, her mouth going wide with the expression. \'It is, after all, what she deserves.\'

\'Oh, this is bloody marvelous? What can I do to help?\' she asked excitedly.

Severus stayed long enough to speak with Kendra, asking her how she felt and ordering her not to work too hard. He then informed her that he would be at the cottage that night to discuss a certain matter with her. She watched as his hand flicked his robes casually, and she managed to look properly chagrined. He allowed her to kiss his cheek, then he was out the door.

~*~*~*~*~

Kendra was dozing on the couch when she heard the noise from the hearth. Work had been hard, as it seemed the babe she carried drained her strength if she was on her feet for too long. Of course, it only being her second day, she was open to the possibility that she had grown somewhat lazy. She struggled to sit up, trying to drive the lethargy away, only to have an arm go around her back and help her up. She looked up to see Severus\' gaze locked on her face. He looked concerned, and she managed to drum up a smile for him.

\'Is there anything the matter?\' he questioned as he took a seat behind her. He leaned her body against his, his arm holding her close to him. She yawned and snuggled against him.

\'No, merely tired,\' she turned her body so that she could press her cheek into his chest. He heard her take a deep breath and sigh.

\'Are you.....smelling me?\' he questioned, worried that she was perhaps a little off.

\'Yes, I am. You have the most intoxicating scent. I\'ve always noticed it. I can\'t explain it, but it makes me feel safe. And horny,\' she mumbled against the cloth covering his flesh. Her fingers curled about his waist coat, and he could feel her falling back to sleep.

\'So this is the reason you keep stealing my robes from me?\' he asked, his voice betraying his humor. She nodded, her head barely moving. She was relaxing with sleep, her body slipping down further. He poked her hard with one finger, bringing a mumble of curses from her lips. But she sat up, blinking and yawning. \'You need to leave me my robes. If you keep taking them, I\'ll soon have none left. I cannot go stalking about the castle with no clothes on. It would not be effective in provoking the proper fear in the students.\'

\'Not to mention the women I\'d be fighting off if they got sight of just how impressive you are when you\'re fully unclothed,\' she glared at him. He gave a half hearted chuckle.

\'Somehow I think you are the only one who finds me impressive when unclothed,\' he remarked.

\' It\'s because you\'re always stalking about and scowling at people. If they got to see the less surly side of you, they\'d be staring at you with hunger. And then I\'d get in trouble for hexing and cursing too many witches.\'

\'Have you eaten yet?\' he demanded, noticing the look of exhaustion in her eyes. She shook her head.\' Right then. Up with you. We\'ll go into the kitchen and I will make something for you to eat. You will eat every bite of it. Then, it\'s into the bath and bed. You could use a good night\'s rest.\'

\'So long as you intend to sleep next to me,\' she smiled up at him, then slid off the couch.

\'We shall see,\' he rolled his eyes at her. She laughed and moved across the floor toward her kitchen. He followed.

\'And no bloody kippers!\' she snarled at him. That brought forth a laugh, and he looked just as startled as she did to hear it. He set about making her a light supper, and she was pleasantly surprised when he put down a plate loaded with a simple omlette. It held cheese and sausage, along with some mushrooms and onions. He sat at the table, watching her as she chewed one bite after another. His gaze did not leave her face until she had finished every last bite. He then ushered her into her small bathroom where he put her into the tub. She was surprised and pleased that he bathed her himself, then dried her wet skin afterwards.

Taking her to her bedroom, he helped her into her night clothes. She slipped into the bed easily enough, patting the empty space next to her. He studied her for a moment, then gave a smile and began unbuttoning all the little buttons on his coat.. When he was fully undressed, he climbed into the bed next to her, cradling her body in his arms as she drifted off to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

The days began passing in a blur. It was now early October, and the weather was turning cold. It was still mild enough that one didn\'t need to bundle up, but the winter weather was on it\'s way. The Three Broomsticks was picking up business as the time of the Expo grew nearer. More patrons came in and stayed, and Kendra was spending more time on her feet. The boredom she had complained of to Severus was replaced with exhaustion every night as she went home to her cottage. Some of the feelings she had shared with Madam Rosemerta were starting to wiggle their way to the surface. While she saw Severus every day over his lunch hour, that was the extent of it.

He seemed to always be tired, and busy. She had to wonder if he wasn\'t maybe having second thoughts about her. She was certain she was getting larger by the minute. Her Muggle jeans wouldn\'t fit anymore, and she was now forced to wear her robes all day long. The looks she got from people only helped to convince her that she was large as a house. She managed to keep the melancholy from showing in front of anyone. But once she was behind the closed doors of her little home, she couldn\'t help the tears that fell.

When the time came for it, Kendra went up to Hogwarts so that Madam Pomfrey could perform the monthly check up she had spoken of previously. It happened that this one fell on Severus\' off period. She smiled to see him there, but his face remained stoic through out the entire meeting. Even when Poppy let him hear the child\'s heart beat. She was convinced when she left, with only a few words between them, that Snape had indeed changed his mind.

For Severus, his days were filled with teaching the future of the wizarding world, and he had the thought more than once that wizards were doomed if they had to depend on this lot. The afternoons spent with Kendra at The Three Broomsticks were sheer torture for him. He could see Kendra was completely lost, trying desparately to figure out what had happened between him and her. He wanted to reassure her that nothing had changed, but he was afraid to touch her. He knew he would lose his head and spill everything to her.

And there was the fact that he was bloody worn out. He\'d been up nearly all night, every night for some time now, making plans with Aengus. His second trip to the MacLeod family castle had seen Morgaine stumble over the two of them plotting. After she had blasted their ears off with her shouting, telling Severus exactly where Kendra had gotten her temper from, Aengus had sheepishly spilled the entire story to her. She had demanded to be made part of the plan.

Rosemerta took pity on Kendra, seeing how hard she tried to keep her unhappiness masked. It was plain to see, though. Every time Severus left her after his lunch, her shoulders slumped and her smile became a little more forced. Obviously, Kendra was suffering from the feeling of insecurity she had confided in the bar keep some time ago. Rosemerta sent an owl up to the school with a scroll for Severus, asking him to meet her that evening after his classes were out. She stated that it was rather important. She only hoped he would show up.

It was after dark when Severus stormed into the pub. By the expression on his face, Rosemerta knew he was not happy to be pulled about like a puppet. She motioned him over to a table and launched into her tale before he could get his head of steam up. \'You need to go spend some time with Kendra,\' she told him point blank. \'She\'s feeling rather unwanted.\'

\' I\'ve been busy with her bloody father! The man won\'t give me a moment\'s peace. Now he\'s insisting on hosting a bachelor party for me! Like I really want one,\' Severus sighed. \'And Morgaine! The woman is making me insane. It\'s bad enough, I want to cast Avada Kedavra upon myself.\'

\'Severus, if I hadn\'t thought it important, I wouldn\'t have disturbed you at the school. But she\'s starting to believe you no longer want her. I think she\'s been crying when she gets to the cottage. She\'s under the impression that you no longer desire her,\' Rosemerta said gently.

\'You\'re certain?\' he asked, running his hands through his hair. She merely nodded and watched him for a moment. He sighed, then lifted his head and looked up at her. \'Alright. I\'ll go and visit her. The last thing I wanted was for her to be left out or for her to be unhappy.\'

\'Go to her, boy. She\'s missing you something fierce,\' Rosemerta smiled at him, ignoring the glare he gave her at her words. He stalked from the pub, dismissing the looks of the patrons.

~*~*~*~*~

The cottage was dark as Severus unlocked Kendra\'s wards and entered the front room. He relocked them and made his way silently to her bedroom, shedding the many layers of clothes he wore as he went. He left them laying where he dropped them, making it easier to dress on the way out. The only thing he took with him was his wand. There was a candle burning in the lantern near her bed, low and dim. He could just see her outline amidst the bed clothes. She was laying on her side, her back to him.

He lifted the wand, muttering the words to the incantation under his breath. A pale silver light encompassed the room, telling him the spell had ben properly cast. He set his wand down on the bed side stand, then slid into the bed next to her. He pulled her up against him, his hand automatically cupping her swollen belly. He could feel that she had gotten bigger, and he was rather surprised to feel his child move beneath his open palm.

Kendra shifted, turning into his embrace. Her head tucked down against his chest, and he felt her soft sigh. His hands found her face in the near dark and pulled it up until he could put his lips against hers. She stirred, and he felt her lips press his back. Her hands slithered up his chest, skimming over his flat nipples as they searched for his face. He rolled onto his back, pulling her partially over him. He ran his up over her shoulders, then down her back. Her skin was soft and smooth beneath his touch, and she whimpered as they slid over her bottom.

He felt her quiver as his hands slipped between her thighs. She was starting to grow moist, her nether lips swelling open even as his fingers grazed them. She pulled away, sat back on her ankles so she could stare down at him. He offered a small smile up to her, then sat so he could properly kiss her. Her eyes were wide until he feathered small, soft kisses along her jaw and over her partially opened lips.

His hands came up to cup her breasts. They had grown heavier, a little larger than they had been. He knew that it was due to her pregnancy, but it was still strange to feel it. Her hands slid up over his shoulders, locking behind his neck so that she could press herself to him. Her stomach got in the way, though. She drew back and gave a look of frustration. When she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She looked at him in question.

Severus smiled at her, the crooked smile she liked so well. He brought her face to his again, taking her lips with a burning urgency that had her whimpering again. His tongue pushed into her mouth, probing it\'s recesses while his hands stroked over her breasts, pinching lightly at her nipples. Pulling them until they peaked. She moaned into his mouth.

Her hands went searching and found his shaft. It was hard, standing at attention. She circled a hand around it, sliding her flesh up and down it\'s length in long, slow caresses that drove him mad. His hips shifted forward on their own. He took his hands off her breasts, allowing one of them to trail over her belly. He spread the hand over her stomach for a moment, letting her feel his touch there. Then the hand moved on, slipping between her thighs and pressing a finger deep into her moist center.

Kendra arched into his hand, not caring that her distended belly was rubbing against his arm. He let his fingers work in and out, his thumb centering it\'s attention on her clit. As he thrust his fingers into her, his thumb pressed against her clit. She moaned, her muscles clenching about his fingers as she rapidly reached her peak.

Her hand had long since quit moving over his erection and was now circled loosely around him. His mouth was moving across her skin, leaving a trail of wetness over her jaw, ear lobe, neck, and shoulder blade. When he lifted his head to look at her, he could see the desire simmering in her eyes. He merely lay back, holding his hand out to her. She looked apprehensive. He smiled at her again, taking her hands in his.

He guided her forward, then positioned her on her knees, so that she was centered over his throbbing cock. His hands circled her hips, directing her down until she sank over him. His erection pressed into her, stretching her muscles. Completely filling her. She placed her hands on his chest while his began moving her hips, showing her the motions. She moaned deeply in her throat, her body picking up the rhythm he had taught it quickly.

Kendra felt his hips lift under hers, sending his cock into her as far as it would go while her hips shifted back and forth. He moaned, his hands reaching out to cup her breasts. The hardened tips stabbed at his palms as he squeezed and fondled. He moved under her slowly, taking his time as he filled her, withdrew, then filled her again.

She was panting, little moans rolling up the back of her throat. Her eyes were closed, her head thrown back on her shoulders. Her hips moved against his as slowly as his own, allowing the two of them to fully enjoy the feeling of completeness they had. The feeling of filling and being filled. Her hands slipped between her thighs, her fingers finding her own clit.

He watched her as she rubbed herself, bringing on a second orgasm. Her muscles clenched around him, squeezing his cock tightly as she came. He groaned, clenching his teeth at the feel of her muscles rippling around him. His hips surged forward, shoving himself deep. She grunted, then her head rolled forward. He saw her eyes focus on him. They were wild with hunger. Raw passion simmered in them. Passion for him. It made him feel unworthy. It made him feel needed and loved.

He groaned as his tempo increased. Her hips matched his, keeping him fully buried with in her. His thrusts were harder, and her body responded accordingly. She moved with him, allowing her legs to work her body up and down his erection. His hands went back to her hips, pulling her down as he thrust up into her. She moaned loudly, feeling his cock beginning to swell in side of her. She locked her gaze with his, allowing him to see her feelings there.

One of her hands slipped back between her legs. A single finger brushed across the sensitive nub of her clit. She drew a breath as her body shuddered. He groaned, feeling the muscles around him quiver. His strokes grew shorter, coming quicker now. Her eyes stayed focused on his, and he saw it in them the second before her orgasm washed over her. Her love for him was shining in them, even with the glazed look of completion slipping into them.

Her muscled walls clamped down on his erection hard, and he lost the battle with his control. His cock jerked, his balls tightening up, then he was coming into her with the force of the pent up desire he\'d been feeling. Her body was quivering, her orgasm still flooding her system. She gave a final spasm, then he was helping her down to lay on the mattress. He was still buried with in her as he lowered her, laying her on her back while his hips gave the last few thrusts that would milk him dry.

Severus finally withdrew and pulled her up against him, settling Kendra\'s head on his chest. His mouth pressed a kiss to the top of her head. While the partial silencing charm he had cast was still in effect, his mouth moved, forming words that neither one of them could hear. She was asleep in moments.

Severus lay awake and motionless for a long time, allowing the look she\'d had in her eyes when looking at him to send him to the land of slumber with pleasant dreams swirling in his head....

end chapter twenty two.
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my thanks to madam shark and all her fabulous plotting and ideas. they have brought me much fodder to work with! and there are so many more to come..... ~muh-wah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!~ evil laughter.

to my friend kenly, who always gets an eye twitch at the mention of a new chapter. loves ya, hon!

to all my readers, you guys keep me going. i hope you like the ride!

and finally, that monkey is a bloody liar! i have never once taken money for this, and i\'m not about to start now. i only want my pulitzer..... oh hell, i\'ll take chocolate frogs! i\'m easy to please! better yet, reviews people. reviews would be nice, as well.