If the Crime Fits the Punishment

yup, i\'m back. i\'ve got a fistful of disclaimers, and i\'m not afraid to use them. i am not the owner of anything you will see here other than kendra, illiana, kendra\'s family, and an entirely far too smug cat. the rest can be credited to j.k. rowling. a brilliant woman who has supplied me with much fantasy material.

i can\'t control these people, so if someone starts going at it like rabbits, it\'s completely their idea. not mine. i\'m just enjoying their ride. yes, voyuerism is a wonderful thing! and don\'t be surprised if a cameo just walks into a scene. like i said...... mind of their own here.

please give a shout out if you like what you see. i\'m always welcome to comments. so long as you\'re not going to start screaming about flames and the like. i do own a pet dragon, and he\'s developed a taste for ketchup and people sandwiches. you have been completely warned here, folks!

Chapter Twenty Six: Aftershocks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus awoke first, sometime in the early hours of the morning. He wasn\'t surprised. He had spent a better portion of the previous afternoon and evening working at tiring Kendra out. With the babe, it wasn\'t too terribly hard to accomplish. They had paused to eat, Dobby having personally brought down a tray mid afternoon for the two of them. Severus had been mildly put out by his appearance, until he saw the smile the Elf gave Kendra as he congratulated her and asked her about the baby. She had returned his smiles while answering his questions, obviously genuinely happy to see the little Elf. Once Dobby had departed, the two of them had eaten off and on, always finding fresh foods and drinks on the tray when they went to seek it out.

Kendra lay half on her side, her body pressed tightly against his. Her hair was spread across the pillow, as well as her face. The fiery locks partially obscured her features from him. He gently brushed them aside, staring down at her face as she slept. The normally impish look she nearly always wore was replaced by an almost angelic one. Golden red eye lashes lay against her milky cheeks, hiding the green of her eyes from his view. Not that he needed to see them to recall clearly the look that had been in them when he\'d told her he loved her. She had been rendered speechless for several moments by his admission. He had found it rather difficult himself to speak, as well.

His hand slid over her belly, covering the swelling that marked their child. The babe was moving slowly, a faint kick here and there to mark it\'s restlessness. A baby and a wife. What had he done to deserve them as blessings? He wasn\'t sure, but he knew he\'d spend the rest of his life at making them happy. No matter what it took. He was nothing if not dedicated. It was still mind boggling that Kendra had fallen in love with him. She had declared that first day in her dungeons that she hated him. Not in those exact words. But it was what she\'d meant. And now here the two of them were, married and getting ready to start a family. It made him realize that the old addage was true. There really was a thin line between love and hate.

Family. Wife. The words still sounded strange, even in the recesses of his brain, where he\'d actually dreamed of those things a time or two. He was, without a doubt, absolutely in shock over the whole damn turn of events.

Kendra shifted in her sleep, her head turning on it\'s pillow to face his. Her hip brushed his groin, sending a tingling heat shooting through his already partial erection. He was going to have to take a cold shower at this rate. Looking at her yesterday as she stood beside him had nearly been his undoing. It had been hard to control the urge to speed from the Hall and make it to some dark corner where he could properly ravish her as he wanted. And now she was stirring the feeling again. He needed to get out of bed and allow her to rest.

His brain was thinking the thought, but his body was adamantly refusing to cooperate with it. He still lay there beside her, wondering if she would be angry with him should he wake her for another round of love making. Before he could manage to sort through the pros and cons of the thought, her hand slipped over the one he had laid over her stomach. Her eyelids fluttered up, her green gaze finding his black one as if she knew precisely where his eyes would be. \'Good morning, wife,\' his voice was soft under the normal thread of staunch authority that always seemed to run through it. She didn\'t think he would ever rid himself of the trait.

\'Good morning, husband,\' she replied quietly. He could tell she was still in shock by the way she spoke. Her voice was also full of sleep. She smiled at him. His head dipped down, laying a kiss on her lips because he felt he needed to. It was short, a good morning kiss that held no particular feeling. It still felt right. She snuggled next to him, turning partially on her side. Her arm slipped over his chest, her head moving to settle it\'s self on his shoulder. \'What did you have planned for us today?\' she asked him. He wasn\'t certain if she were serious or not.

\'Well, I had thought of keeping you prisoner in my bed for the rest of the day. As well as the school holidays. But, if you can think of something better, by all means.....\' his voice trailed off as she shifted her face so she could look up at him. The smug expression on his face made her frown. She promptly found his hip with the hand that lay across him, her fingers pinching him soundly. \'Ouch, brat! I think that was uncalled for,\' he remarked, his hand grabbing hers to stop it\'s torment.

\'For that, I think I shall make you leave the dungeons today,\' she replied, then moved away from him. He watched as she slipped from the bed. The air in the dungeons was cold this time of year, so she shivered slightly as she moved toward the chair where she\'d left her gown. He watched her dress, skipping the bra he\'d taken off her the previous day. Most likely since he had ripped her panties to shreds when he\'d removed them. \' I want to go outside and enjoy the sunrise.\'

\'Do you not think you might become chilled, dressed as you are?\' he questioned, one brow raising in a show of doubt. She grinned at him, heading for the closed door that lead to the living area.

\'No, because I intend to floo over to the cottage for what I need. I shall return in only a few moments,\' she told him, then opened the door. He threw back the covers, the cold air putting a damper on his amorous mood, to chase her out into the living room. She was already in the hearth. Before he could say a word, she had called out her destination, then disappeared in a conflagration of green flames. Muttering a curse, he returned to his bed chamber to throw on clothing.

By the time he was fully dressed and completely ready to follow after her, she was stepping from the hearth. A small bag was clutched in one hand, a heavy cloak tossed over her arm. He scowled at her, crossing his arms to make sure she knew he was displeased with her. She moved over to him, leaning up on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. \'That was a touch on the stupid side, don\'t you think?\' he questioned, his tone dry.

\'Stupid, how?\' she replied, setting the bag down on the couch. He watched as she pulled several items from the bag, searching through the haphazardly gathered belongings for something particular. Eventually, she withdrew a pair of gloves and a scarf. The scarf was the obnoxious burgandy and gold of Gryffindor House. The gloves were, thankfully, plain gray. He scowled at the scarf as she tossed it over the back of the couch. He should retrieve his wand and cast Incendio to send it up in flames immediately. How dare she bring that into his chambers? It was obvious that she didn\'t notice his scowl, for she then stuffed her clothes back into the bag, uncaring if they would get wrinkled from her careless packing. He stared at her for a moment as she swirled the cloak over her shoulders.

\'You are the same Kendra MacLeod that does not like to floo, are you not?\' he queried. Her gaze found his, a faint smirk of something crossing over her face before she schooled it into a mask of dignified disdain.

\'No, I am not. I am now Kendra Snape, and I can\'t let flooing scare me. Now, will you be joining me to watch the sun come up? Or will you be staying down here?\' she moved for the door.

\'Stop right there, brat!\' he ordered. She stopped, turning to face him with a question in her eyes. His gaze raked over her, taking note that she was still garbed in her gown of the previous day. His lips tightened down in irritation. \'You intend to go outside like that?\'

She looked down at herself, then back up to him. The question was plain to see in her eyes. He could tell that she didn\'t see anything wrong with what she was wearing. \'You will not be going outside dressed as you are! You will, at the very least, put on something a touch more appropriate to the weather.\'

\'Yes, Master,\' she returned, her voice filled with the proper mixture of mocking retort and playfulness. She returned to her bag, once again pulling clothes out as if she didn\'t care how they looked. They flew about the room helter skelter, landing anywhere they chose. Finally, she held up a pair of men\'s sweat pants and matching sweat shirt. He cocked a brow, his grimace stating plainly that he would never be seen in public with her were she to dress like that. She made a face, then set about sifting through the mess she had made. She finally ended up with a heavy woolen gown and matching robes. He was kind enough to allow her to put long underwear on under her skirts. \'Am I presentable now, Master?\'

\'Yes,\' he nodded, ignoring her sarcasm in the last sentence. \'Allow me to gather my winter clothes, and I shall accompany you outside.\'

\'By the way,\' her voice was gentle as she spoke. He stopped, turning to look at her. She had a soft smile on her face, two fingers touching the green stone at her throat. He was glad to know she had noticed it. He had started to wonder when she\'d gotten up and seemingly not known it was there. \'Thank you for the lovely necklace, Severus. It\'s more than I deserve.\'

\'Yes, brat. Yes, it is,\' he agreed with a smirk on his face. The frown she gave him made up for dragging him out of bed and killing his rampant desire. Rattling her was well worth most anything she put him through.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus stood in the snow, watching his wife as she twirled in circles like a giddy child. Big fat drops of white flakes were falling to the ground almost lazily. They had most likely been doing so all night, as the ground was rather thickly carpeted with the frozen stuff. It was wet and sticky, small clumps clinging to her exposed locks. The smile on her face was worth the bitter cold that was seeping into his bones, despite the warm clothing he had piled on. She had smirked as she\'d cast her own warming charms on her hands and feet while he\'d sworn he wouldn\'t need them. It was a matter of pride that kept his wand under his robes instead of grasped in his hand, melting the cold stuff away.

He had to admit, if only to himself, that he was enjoying watching her childish antics involving the frozen precipitation. There was scant light to see by, the rim of the sun just barely touching the lip of the horizon. But her laughter was echoing around the empty yard in volume. He decided that the cold was worth the real expression of joy on her face. He could brave the harsh temperatures of the pre-dawn for this. Her happiness made it worth while. That, along with the images dancing vivdly through his head, in lurid detail, of ways they could warm each other when they once again sought the dungeons. Very worthwhile, indeed.

Until, that was, a terribly cold ball slapped him in the face. The slushy projectile began to slide slowly down his cheek. Several bits of the wet snow managed to find their way under the scarf about his neck. As well as the high collar of his robes. Damn her for this. He had just allowed himself to enjoy his surroundings, and she had to pelt him in the face with a snowball. The gods had to be laughing at him for this. One of them, some where, was rolling in hysterics at the thought of Severus Snape engaging in the juvenile act of a snow ball fight. He was only thankful that no one could actually see the idiocy of the situation

He crossed his arms over his chest, his lips thinning into his medium weight scowl. She hadn\'t done enough to earn the full scowl. The one he reserved for Gryffindors that could make him question the merits of Forbiddens and Azkaban Prison. She laughed out loud, her cheeks rosy from the cold. Her gloves were covered with clinging ice crystals, damning her if she chose to deny her actions. She didn\'t. \'You shouldn\'t day dream, mo piseag. It gives one the advantage!\' she told him merrily.

\' I was not day dreaming,\' he retorted. She laughed louder. \' I was under the impression one was supposed to respect and honor one\'s husband. Not abuse him with cold, wet snowballs that are trying to slither their way to parts best left well away from things that are capable of producing frost bite.\'

\'Och, my poor, abused Severus!\' she crooned in a sing song voice. He gave her a smug look. That was promptly wiped away as another snowball caught him in the forehead. If she kept this lunacy up, he was going to find some way of punishing her that would serve to get his point across without harming the child she carried. She would learn that she could not just treat him however she wished. Whenever she wished. Had he known she was going to use him for target practice, he would have stayed in the castle. In fact, that was precisely where he was going.

\' I\'m returning to my dungeons. I will not stand here another moment and allow you to just willfully toss those frozen missiles at me as if I had a giant bull\'s eye painted on my person,\' he informed her. She was looking up at him, her gaze full of mischief. The expression on the rest of her face was solemn. He spun, feeling he had duly chastised her. He took all of three full steps before the wet, slushy snowball slapped the back of his head. That was the very last straw.

Whirling quickly, he drew his wand from inside his robes. Kendra was doubled over with laughter, her arms crossed over her belly as she roared with merriment. A quick flick of his wrist, the incantation muttered under his breath, and a sheet of snow arced up from the ground like the wake of a fast moving boat in water. The frozen droplets washed over her, turning her peals of laughter to shrieks of indignant mortification. He allowed a small smile to play about his lips as she straightened.

Her hair was nothing but brightly glinting crystals of frozen water. The snowflakes clung to every available surface with the tenacity of a starving animal gnawing a bone. She was completely white washed. His smirk grew wider, stretching his lips into a full smile. \'That was completely uncalled for,\' she retorted, shaking the clinging stuff off as best she could.

\'Well, I\'m glad to know that you also share my opinion. Now, it\'s gettling light. Let\'s get inside and fetch ourselves some breakfast. Seeing as you\'ve dragged me from the dungeons, we may as well make an appearance in the Great Hall,\' he informed her. She glared at him as she struggled to brush the snow from her hair. It wasn\'t moving, telling them both that it would have to melt on it\'s own once they went back inside. \'Come along, brat.\'

He heard her muttering under her breath, her words sounding like unintelligable blurbs of sound until it struck him that she was speaking in a language he wasn\'t familiar with. Gaelic was supposed to be dead. Apparently, it wasn\'t. Not so long as she spoke it so passionately. The smile that suddenly lit her face lead him to believe he would be better off not knowing what she had just said. He resumed his trek back to the front doors of the castle, the steady crunch crunch behind him telling him that his cracked wife was following.

~*~*~*~*~

For the second time in a year, the Great Hall was suddenly struck with dead silence as Severus Snape walked in. He frowned, seeing as there were still some students residing at the school over the holidays. All eyes turned to him as he stalked up the main aisle toward the staff\'s table. Damn Kendra for her quick brain. Before he\'d gotten within two feet of the front doors, he realized that she\'d charmed the snow when she\'d spoken Gaelic. It was not melting. The patches that he hadn\'t bothered to brush off were still sitting in various places on his person.

Snickering started up, and a quick scowl at the table in question silenced it right up. It didn\'t stop the whispers when Kendra followed up the aisle behind him. It had been some months since she\'d been at the school, and the pregnancy was beyond obvious. He glanced at the few students at the Slytherin table and found his suspicions confirmed. They were staring at her belly, then glancing to him. He should never have allowed her to convince him to leave the dungeons this morning. They were almost to the table when he heard her mutter again. This time, he knew what was coming.

Water, ice cold water, started trickling down his back and any other spot where previously non-melting snow was now melting. He clenched his teeth, wondering what he\'d done to deserve this kind of punishment. He cast his scowl in her direction. She met it with a smile, her hair starting to curl slightly from the melted snow in it. The ruddy hue still clung to her cheeks, making him wonder for a moment if she had been out too long. He wasn\'t about to let her catch cold.

\'Ah, Severus. Kendra. So good of you to join us for the morning meal,\' Albus\' voice was far too cheerful, leading the dripping Potions Master to conclude that he was silently laughing at this little spectacle she had made of the both of them. His scowl intensified. Breakfast was going to be hell.

Kendra was pleased to find herself seated between Severus and Illiana. She smiled in greeting at the other woman, then set about piling food on her plate. By the time she was finished, nearly every eye in the Hall was on her. Including Hagrid. All of them were eyeing her as if she had lost her mind some time ago. She glanced down at her plate, then grinned sheepishly. She may have gotten a little carried away in her selections, as the pile of food was nearly as long as her forearm. The ruddy color of her cheeks intensified, signifying that she was blushing. \'Sorry,\' she said, suddenly wishing the floor would open up and swallow her.

\'Not to worry,\' Poppy spoke up from her side of the table. \'You\'ve the babe to consider. It\'s only natural you eat more than usual. Especially when you stay active.\' No one at the table missed the hidden meaning. She tipped her head forward, hiding the look of embarrassment that came to her face. Severus could be heard grumbling under his breath, which brought forth another round of snickering. It was now official. He was in the seventh level of Hell.

~*~*~*~*~

It was during the meal that Kendra realized that the students were gone for Christmas holidays. She hadn\'t yet bought anything for Severus, so she felt the need to go shop. He would most probably rather she stay and warm his bed, but she wanted to do this for him. Not only had he given her a wedding ring, he had placed a beautiful choker about her throat. She had nothing to give him as a wedding gift. She wanted to rectify that immediately.

She was reguarded with some amusement as she began to eat, practically swallowing before she\'d begun chewing. Severus was wondering what demented thoughts were now crossing her mind, as it appeared she was shovelling food into her mouth. When she had choked down a good portion of the pile of sustanence on the plate before her, she stood. \'If you\'ll excuse me, I have an errand or two I need to run,\' she told the assembled group. They all looked up at her, plainly not expecting to hear such a thing from a newly wed bride. Severus was scowling up at her, his displeasure obvious to one and all. She leaned over, planting a kiss on his cheek. \' I\'ll make it up to you later. I promise, mo piseag.\'

She then grabbed Illiana\'s hand and, dragging the other woman behind her, hurried from the Hall. The silver haired woman was staring at her in disbelief when she pulled the mad red head to a stop in the hallway. \'What is all this about?\' Illiana demanded.

\' I need to buy some gifts for Severus. A wedding gift and Christams gifts. I have nothing for him. Had I known about the wedding,\' she made her voice stern. Illiana grinned unrepentantly at her. \' I\'d have had something to give him yesterday. I want to go to Diagon Alley. As well as into Muggle London.\'

\'Muggle London?\' Illiana sounded unsure.

\'Yes, I used to live there. Help me, please. I\'ve never bought a gift for a man before,\' Kendra begged. Illiana stared at the other girl for a few moments, then sighed and gave her a nod. \'Oh, thank you!\' she threw her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly. Before Illiana could react further, Kendra was scurrying away from her, tossing instructions over her shoulder that they should meet at the cottage in the village in ten minutes\' time.

When Illiana Apparated into the living room of the small hut, she found Kendra eagerly awaiting her. The girl had put on a pair of Muggle jeans and a long sweater in lavendar. She had a cloak in one hand, and some sort of small bag in the other. Illiana had put on her own jeans, a pair that were old and worn. Her favorite pair. She had slipped on a sweatshirt, over which she wore a pea coat. \'Come on. We\'ll floo to the Leaky Cauldron.\'

\'Do we have to?\' Illiana asked uncertainly. She was eyeing the fire place with something close to panic.

\' It is the fastest way,\' Kendra returned. She took note of the way Illiana looked at the hearth. \' I hate it, as well.\'

\'You?\' Illiana was surprised.

\'Yes. I got lost as a small child. I\'ve never quite gotten over the fright of it. But, I don\'t think that Severus would ever give me a moments peace if I didn\'t attempt to conquer my fear. So I am making a concerted effort to floo whenever I have to,\' Kendra replied.

Illiana sighed. \' If you can do it, then I can do it.\' Kendra nodded and stepped into the fireplace. She called out her destination and left Illiana to follow. She only had to wait in the Leaky Cauldron for about two minutes before the other woman stepped from the hearth, dusting floo powder from her shoulders. Kendra offered her a huge grin, then the two of them sauntered out the door into Muggle London.

Illiana kept staring about her as the two of them walked down the street. When they stopped so Kendra could hail a taxi, the amethyst eyes were drawn to the moving traffic. It was obvious that she hadn\'t spent much time in the Muggle world. Kendra laughed as she dragged her into the backseat of the cab, giving the driver directions to a place called a department store.

The building they entered was huge. It had a high ceiling and floor space as far as the eye could see. Kendra lead the way through racks of clothing, a rather large shoe department, the utensils, and bed and bath before they finally reached a counter that sold jewelry. Illiana gave her host a stare, so Kendra explained. \'Severus gave me a wedding band. I would like to pick one up for him.\'

\'Will he wear it?\'

\' I\'m also purchasing a chain, so he may wear it about his neck without anyone having to know,\' she leaned over the counter, looking over the offered rings. She looked for ten minutes, ignoring the hovering sales person as she considered all her choices. Illiana was studying them as intently as Kendra, making mental notes on the styles. Some came with stones, some without. There were gold and silver bands. Some bands were plain, while others had designs carved into them. Far too many choices. All of them were expensive.

\'Och, this is it!\' Kendra\'s voice was blazing with excitement. Her finger jabbed at the glass case, pointing out the exact one. Illiana looked to see what ring had caught her eye. She had to admit, the choice was a good one. The band was platinum, with twisting lines on it that followed the band all the way around. Set in the center was a large ruby. It was a dark, bloody colored stone sunk onto the band so that the twisting lines served as a backdrop to the large gem.

\' It\'s a very nice ring, Kendra,\' Illiana agreed. \'But are you certain he\'ll wear it?\'

\'If he doesn\'t, I\'ll be certain to hex him,\' she replied. The clerk that had been standing in front of the red head the entire time the two of them had been at the counter cleared her throat. They looked up to see the woman wearing what was most assuredly her best business face. Kendra\'s finger tapped the glass case once more. \'I want that ring there,\' she said without preamble.

\'Of course, madam. It will take two to three weeks to get it sized, due to the holidays. I can have it ready for you by the first of the year,\' she told them, removing the ring from the case. She set it in Kendra\'s out stretched palm, letting her take a good look at it. \'If you can supply me with the gentleman\'s ring size, I can get this sent out with today\'s orders.\'

The woman had a pen in her hand, poised over the order pad, ready to start taking all the details. Kendra smiled at her, lifting up the little bag she\'d brought with her. \'There\'s no need. The ring will fit him, no matter what size it is. Just put it in a box and wrap it up. I\'ll also be needing a chain to hang it from. One about,\' Kendra\'s voice trailed off as she mentally calculated the length she would need. Her eyes swivelled to the necklaces on display, completely missing the look of total shock on the clerk\'s face at her announcement that the ring didn\'t need sizing.

\'This one would work, I think,\' Illiana used her finger to point out her choice. Kendra nodded, adding the selceted chain to her short list. The astonished clerk put them into a box together, then slipped the box into a bag. She rang up the purchase wordlessly, her eye\'s nearly bulging when Kendra paid for the near five hundred pound purchase in cash. The ring and chain went into her small bag, then the two of them moved away from the jewelry counter.

~*~*~*~*~

Four hours later saw Kendra and Illiana stepping back into the Leaky Cauldron, several bags in each woman\'s hands. They were laughing at some little thing the cab driver had said about this time of year being magic, having enjoyed their time in Muggle London. Kendra had purchased some small items for her family as gifts. Illiana had done the same for her friends back in Bulgaria. Now, they were heading into Diagon Alley so that Kendra could purchase a few gifts for Severus for Christmas.

She tapped against the bricks that opened the doorway into the Wizarding alley and all it\'s shops. Before Kendra could even name their first location, Illiana had taken her hand and dragged her down the sidewalk. Kendra was surpirsed when the two of them pushed into Weasley\'s Wizarding Wheezies. The twins were standing behind the counters, talking excitedly between themselves. Kendra could only image that they had just invented a new item to add to their constantly growing list of jokes. When they approached, Fred and George looked up at them.

\' Illiana! Kendra! Bloody great to see you. Perfect timing. We have this new......\'George began, holding up what looked like a small orange.

\'NO!\' Kendra shook her head, interrupting before he could even finish his sentence. \'Neither one of us will be testing anything for you today!\'

\'But why not?\' Illiana asked her, sounding genuinely puzzled.

\'My first year, the twin terrors tried to get me to test a new product of theirs. I refused. Some of the other first years didn\'t. About four ended up in the Hospital Wing, sprouting feathers and clucking like chickens. The rest that tried it couldn\'t leave the loo long enough to make it to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey had to come to them,\' Kendra explained. Fred and George grinned unabashedly at the two women.

\'Can\'t blame a bloke for trying,\' Fred returned without rancor. Illiana fell into conversation with the two of them, seeming to be perfectly at ease with the terrible miscreants. There was something simmering beneath the surface, but Kendra couldn\'t quite place what it was. She ignored the feeling for the time being, turning instead to wander about the shop. Her gaze moved from one item to the next, until she found a small bin containing what looked like crackers.

\'What are these?\' she asked loud enough for the trio up front to hear. Fred wandered over while George continued the conversation with Illiana. He looked at the one she held in her hand, a wicked grin coming over his face.

\'Those are just like normal crackers. Only better. When the person pulls them, they let off these noxious little clouds of colored gas. The brighter the color, the worse the smell. And the smell attaches itself to the person who pulled the thing. There\'s no amount of cleaning or charming that can make the odor go away until it dissipates on it\'s own,\' he explained. Kendra smiled, pulling out seven of them.

\' I\'ll take these,\' she grinned as she moved toward the counter.

\'Gonna leave them in Snape\'s robes?\' George teased.

\'No, but surely you remember my brothers?\' she asked, a red brow arching up. The twins nodded, laughing heartily at the smug look on her face. Fred rang them up for her.

They both left the Weasley\'s shop in possession of the crackers, though Illiana had purchased a few other novelties while there. The next stop was a stationery store, where Kendra picked out a batch of parchment that had pale brown serpants slithering across it\'s surface, along with a new ink well filled with red ink. She knew how he loved to scrawl red remarks across papers. The last thing was a new quill. The feather was pure black and irridescent. Kendra knew he would love it, as black was his most favorite color. She had a few ideas about charms, but she\'d do that later. Then they were off to one of the apothecaries, where she found a mortar and pestle made of black marble, veins of gray running through both pieces. Their last stop would be Flourish and Blotts, where Kendra was hoping she could find something very special to give him.

Illiana followed Kendra around the bookstore, noting that the subjects ranged from one end of the spectrum to the other. It appeared that one could find just about everything one needed in the cramped confines of the shop. As Kendra was reaching to pull a book from the shelf, she was jostled hard by someone that stepped into her. \'Oh, excuse me! I\'m so sorry,\' the voice exclaimed as Kendra turned to face her attacker.

The two stared at one another for a moment or two, while the brown eyes reguarding her did so with puzzlement. The confusion cleared momentarily. \'Merlin! I know you. Kendra MacLeod!\'

\'Hello, Hermione. Actually, it\'s Snape now,\' Kendra replied, smiling at the other girl. Kendra felt Illiana bristle behind her and had to wonder what had brought that on. She would be sure to ask her friend later. For now, Hermione Granger was staring at her as if she\'d lost her head.

\' I don\'t mean to sound rude, but you did just say Snape, didn\'t you?\' Hermione asked, her tone clearly stating that she thought she was mishearing things. \'As in Professor Snape. Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts.The greasy bastard?

\'Yes,\' Kendra nodded. \'As in Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts. I\'m surpised Harry or Ron didn\'t tell you.\'

\'Harry or Ron?\' the brunette was clearly confused by now. It was plain to see in her eyes, oozing out in her voice as she spoke.

\'Yes. Both of them attended the ceremony yesterday. Hermione, I\'d like you to meet my friend, Illiana von Haifisch. Illiana, this is Hermione Granger. The pride of Hogwarts. There wasn\'t a spell or charm this one couldn\'t figure out,\' Kendra told Illiana. The woman\'s jaw tightened. Hermione noticed it.

\' Is there something the matter?\' Hermione asked the violet eyed woman.

\'Does the name Viktor Krum mean anything to you?\' Illiana snarled with a great deal of hostility. Hermione looked rather shocked, while the silver haired woman looked ready to throw a hex or two at the brain across from her.

\'Do not make me get between you,\' Kendra warned.

\'You wouldn\'t! Not with the baby,\' Illiana said, her tone not quite certain. Kendra shot her a glance. \'Ok, so you would. Your husband would be furious.\'

\' I doubt that even Severus would step in front of my wand. He\'s already been there. I don\'t think he cares to repeat the experience,\' Kendra replied dryly. Hermione nodded at this.

\'This one here is bloody dangerous with a hex or curse. I\'ve seen some of her work. It\'s not pretty,\' Hermione agreed. \'How is Viktor? He\'s well?\'

\'As if you care,\' Illiana snapped.

\'Please calm down, or I will go for my wand. As I would like to be able to keep coming in here, I would rather I didn\'t have to start throwing curses about,\' Kendra sighed. \'Please, if for no other reason than I\'m asking, call a truce for now. You may kill her later. I merely want to pick up this last gift and go back to the dungeons. My feet and my back hurt. I want nothing more than to sink into a tub of hot water, then spend time with my husband. Alone.\'

\'Alright, Kendra. For you,\' Illiana agreed. Kendra nodded, reaching for the book again. She couldn\'t quite get her fingers on it, as her growing belly was in her way.

\'Damn!\' she cursed, hating the fact that she was starting to lose the ability to do many things. She had never spent a whole lot of time relying on others. It bothered her to have to do so now. Hermione reached up and pulled the book from the shelf, glancing at the title before settling it into Kendra\'s hands. \'Thank you, Hermione. Are you still working to get S.P.E.W. out into the public\'s eye?\'

\' I\'m trying my hardest,\' she nodded, eager to discuss something she was passionate about. \'No one seems to be interested. Including the elves. I don\'t understand why they want to remain slaves.\'

\' It\'s all they know. You can\'t expect them to change over night,\' Kendra replied, flipping through the book. It was entitled *Beginning Potions For Babies* It would be a gift to Severus for Christmas. She was most certain he wouldn\'t be able to keep himself from starting their child out on the road to potion brewing mastery as soon as the child moved a finger for the first time. She closed the book, making her way slowly through the crowd to the counter where she could pay for it.

\'S.P.E.W. ? What\'s that?\' Illiana asked, following behind Kendra. They could hear Hermione bringing up the rear.

\' It\'s an organization Hermione started our fourth year at Hogwarts. The Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare. She\'s trying to educate people about House Elves, about how unfairly they\'re treated. The Elves seem to avoid her help, though,\' Kendra explained.

\'You\'re trying to help the Elves?\' Illiana asked Hermione, obviously interested in the idea. Kendra paid for her book, tucking it away with the rest of her purchases. Hermione, surprisingly, only had one book she bought. The three of them moved for the door, Illiana still asking Hermione questions about S.P.E.W. as they went along. They had just stepped out onto the crowded sidewalk when an icy voice washed over them.

\'Well, if it isn\'t the mudblood, the bitch, and the whore! What brings the three of you to Diagon Alley?\' Lucius Malfoy\'s voice was overflowing with disdain as his cold gaze moved from one face to the other. Kendra had her wand in her hand in a moment, unaware she had gone for it. Both Illiana and Hermione weren\'t far behind her. Kendra watched as Lucius\' eyes raked the length of her, taking note of her advancing pregnancy. \'Hmmm. It looks as is Severus has been terribly busy. I cannot say that I blame him at all. Our night together was pure heaven.\'

\'Our night together was nothing more than a spell induced mistake,\' Kendra replied evenly.

\'Does he still have the collar and leash? I can just see you in them. What a delicious sight you made,\' he replied. \' I imagine he refuses to let you get out much. Were you my property, I wouldn\'t let you leave my bed for even the briefest of moments.\'

Kendra saw Illiana\'s hand tightening on her wand. Hermione was watching them closely, her wand held loosely but still at the ready. Sighing, Kendra lowered her wand and put it away. She would not hex Malfoy in front of all these people. Nor would she disabuse him of his notion that she was Severus\' slave. He had no need to know that they had married. He would be even more of a bastard to her if he did.

\'Well, then I suppose it\'s a good thing I wasn\'t in your bed. For I\'d most assuredly make a mess of it if I couldn\'t leave. At any rate, I find Severus\' company much more enjoyable. And the bed sport is fantastic. I can only say that I tolerated your presence,\' she told him, her tone lacking any emotion. Inside, she was seething mad. But she was controlling her temper, because he wanted her angry. She wasn\'t giving into his childish tactics. \'Put your wands away, ladies. It would be rather embarrassing to Malfoy to be over powered by three women.\'

\' I know that I can take him,\' Hermione said, no small amount of smugness lodged in her voice. Lucius\' gaze moved to her, his eyes narrowing on her like a hunter sighting it\'s prey. She stood her ground, not backing away from the threat that lingered there.

\'Ever the Know-It-All, aren\'t you, Miss Granger?\' he hissed at her. She lifted her chin in reply. \' I wouldn\'t be too over confident, were I you. There are still active Death Eaters. You never know when one might show up on your doorstep unexpectedly.\'

\'Threats, Malfoy?\' she asked, raising a brow. He merely gave her a faint, mocking smile. \' I doubt if you can manage to find me, let alone any of those morons who call themselves Death Eaters.\'

\' I do not need any of the Death Eaters to wipe your filthy mudblood face off the planet. I could kill you here, where we stand, in only seconds. I\'d be long gone before anyone would know what had happened. Don\'t think that the bitch or the whore standing here would be able to stop me.\'

\' I seem to recall putting you in your place once before, Malfoy. If memory serves, Draco had to carry you to the fireplace, as you couldn\'t walk. By the way, have your testicles recovered?\' Illiana remarked casually. He sneered at her for making him think of that painful memory. The smile she gave him was not very nice at all. His free hand went to the top of his cane.

\'Ah, ah, ah, Malfoy. I wouldn\'t, were I you,\' Kendra warned, her wand once more grasped in her hand. His gaze moved back to hers, his eyes locking onto her face. He stared at her hard for several moments. Then his eyes seemed to focus on something else. His fingers reached out, hooking about the silver of the choker she wore. One gentle tug saw the piece spilling from the neck of her sweater. He eyed it for a few moments before his smile returned.

\' I see that the sodding bastard has marked you as his. How so very Snape like to put serpents about that lovely throat,\' his fingers touched the green stone. Kendra felt the heat that suddenly filled the stone. She actually heard the sizzle, then Lucius was jerking his hand away from the necklace. His eyes narrowed once again. \'Oh yes, he\'s marked you, alright. This isn\'t the end of this, ladies. I will be seeing you again. Count on it!\'

They watched in silence as Malfoy stalked off, heading toward the entrance to Knockturn Alley. \' I would love to get that man in my dungeons. Just once. I\'d teach him the meaning of respect,\' Hermione growled. Both Kendra and Illiana turned to look at her. Both of them were shocked to hear such a thing.

\'Hermione?\' Kendra asked everything in that one word.

\' I work as a professional dominatrix in the Muggle world. I\'ve found that it\'s rather enjoyable to give pain to someone who thinks they deserve it,\' she explained. Kendra laughed out loud, while Illiana continued to stare as if she didn\'t believe what she was hearing.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus entered his private quarters after a day in the lab. Not exactly what he\'d had in mind for his honeymoon, but it seemed his bride had decided she had other plans. He supposed that maybe he\'d expected too much of her. He had, after all, sprung her own wedding on her. Maybe she\'d had plans. He wasn\'t certain. He only knew that he was slightly depressed by the day spent in the lab instead of the day he\'d planned to spend in his bed, teaching his wife many things he was fairly positive she\'d not had opportunity to learn in her more proper education.

The sound of running water caught his attention. He made his way to the bathroom, where he found his wife reclining in the large tub he had. Water was filling the basin, making the bubbles rise up around her naked body. He stood there and stared, feeling many things at once. His body reacted with desire, while his heart lept to see her sitting there. His brain took upper most priority, though. She\'d been angry today. The kind of anger that he knew came from feeling threatened. The spell he\'d charmed the choker with had alerted him to some sort of trouble. \'And I suppose you think you can just waltz in here and act as if nothing happened today.\'

\'Nothing did happen,\' she returned, not bothering to open her eyes. \'Other than a run in with Lucius Malfoy and his volatile temper, it was a perfectly normal day.\'

\'Malfoy accosted you?\' his voice grew softer, more menacing. She popped open one eye and looked at him.

\'As well as Illiana and Hermione. But never mind Malfoy. Uncross your arms and join me in this tub like I know you want to,\' she told him, her tone soft and suggestive. His eyebrow went up at her suggestion. Then one land lifted out of the soapy water to point at a small black box on the edge of the sink. \'That is for you.\'

He moved on silent feet to the sink, his hand curling over the box as he studied her face. She had closed her eye and was once again reclining against the back of the tub. He stared at the little velvet square in his hands, wondering what she\'d gone out and done. \'Well? Open it, you prat. You won\'t know what it is if you don\'t,\' she ordered.

The lid creaked as it opened, then clicked as it locked in place. Sitting in the black interior was a ring. Celtic knotwork circled the band, leading to a large. sunken ruby. It had a chain running through it. \'And this would be?\' he queried, staring at the stone. Bloody Gryffindor. It would figure.

\' It\'s your wedding ring. I know you won\'t wear it on your hand, but I thought that perhaps you would wear it on that chain about your neck. Then it could remain tucked safely under your clothing,\' she replied, how voice sounding as if she were half asleep.

\' It\'s a very beautiful ring, brat. Thank you for thinking of me,\' his voice was soft as he spoke, his hands slipping the chain over his head as he moved nearer the tub. Then his fingers were undoing the buttons on his clothing. He stripped down, flinging the items he wore across the room without care. When he was fully undressed, he slipped into the tub between her body and the back wall. She snuggled against him with a sigh, the hard ridge of his erection pressing against her back invitingly.

\'We shall talk about the charm on the choker at a later date. For now, I simply want you to hold me,\' she turned her head. Her eyes had gone a green so dark, they were nearly black with passion. He smirked at her, lowering his head so his lips could capture hers.

It was quite some time later that he lifted her sleeping form out of the now cold water, dried her carefully, then carried her to the large bed in the other room. As he settled them on the soft mattress, the faint candle light winked off the stone hanging around his throat. She had marked him as her own with it.

He found he didn\'t mind that idea one bit......

end chapter twenty six.
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many thanks to my fine cadre of help and support. Madam Shark, Kenly Sekuri, Lori, and Simone........just to name a few. without you, this would have never gotten to this point. loves all of yas lots. chocolate frogs all around!

to kendra, who asked why i picked that name...... when i started dreaming this up, it was in all honesty the first name i came up for her. i like it alot and hope she has done justice to such a wonderful name. thanks for reading , and for reviewing. means bunches.

as always, reviews are most welcome. they seem to be the only recognition i\'ll ever get, as i\'m finding that no one has voted for me to receive the pulitzer. i think they\'ve been listening to the psycho monkey. i tell you, the little furball is a big, fat liar! i never did any of the things he said i did. who you gonna believe? me, or some hairy little primate who eats bugs? wait, don\'t answer that question.....