If the Crime Fits the Punishment

alright, i\'m typing! attention all readers: this is not mine. I borrowed bits......as in most of it, from j.k. rowling. only kendra and her family, as well as her cat, are my own creations.

could be smutty. could be not.....i\'m leaning toward not. i don\'t think kendra is up to it at the moment, poor girl. but i can guarantee there will be smut before too long........ a chapter or two more. just hang in there.

i can\'t get illiana to go back to her story, so i believe she will be tagging along here as well.

as always, a review would be nice. nothing too gushy or anything. just a word or two. suggestions and comments. and ignore the monkey. i can\'t make him give up my chocolate frog collection for anything. little git!

Chapter Twenty Eight: Not Sex, But Close To Orgasmic
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A groan rolled up Severus\' throat as he and Kendra stepped into the Great Hall for Christmas Day breakfast. Tiny Professor Flitwick was once more dressed in his Father Christmas robes, the matching hat set at a jaunty angle on his head. A large tree had been moved to the very center of the Hall\'s floor. It was covered with flickering candles and enchanted ornaments that constantly changed colors. Gifts were piled up under the tree\'s bottom branches. Another bloody gift exchange. Just what he didn\'t want to suffer through.

The two of them made their way to the staff table, albeit a touch slowly. Kendra was moving at a snail\'s pace these days, her stomach getting in the way of nearly everything she did. Not that he was going to say anything to her. She was sensitive enough as it was. He certainly didn\'t need to add to her worries. Dumbledore and McGonagall had their heads together. Busy plotting something, no doubt. It made him decidedly nervous to know those two were scheming anything together. He made a mental note to keep an eye on them.

\'Severus. Kendra. Happy Christmas to you both!\' Professor Flitwick called as they neared the table. He nodded. She smiled, not complaining as he slipped a hand under her elbow to help her up the steps to the table. He escorted her to her chair, holding it for her as she sat. He took his chair and watched as she squirmed on the hard surface, looking for a comfortable spot.

\'Here, Kendra,\' Albus smiled, waving his wand in the air. \'Allow me.\' He conjured a pair of fluffy pillows for her, then floated them down to where she sat with Severus. He helped her slip them beneath her bottom and behind her back in an attempt to make herself a touch more comfortable. She gave him a broad smile, then sent one the Headmaster\'s way. He returned it, then looked out over the entire room. Illiana was just coming to the table, a few small bundles clasped in her hands. She hurried to her seat, taking her place next to Kendra.

\'Sorry I\'m late. I overslept,\' she told them with a blush. Kendra didn\'t think that anyone believed it.

\' It\'s perfectly alright, my dear. Kendra and Severus only just arrived themselves,\' Minerva said, the smile on her face a bit too broad for anything other than a knowing one. The violet eyes turned to Kendra, who grinned sheepishly.

\' I\'m afraid the only reason why we were late was because it took me forever to waddle up here,\' she replied. \'Severus could have been here half an hour ago and been done with breakfast, had it not been for me.\'

\' It doesn\'t matter,\' Dumbledore smiled, then clapped his hands. The trays on the table filled with food, and breakfast was begun.

Once the meal was concluded, the dishes were magically cleared away, Flitwick left his seat to move over to the large tree. Flicking his wand about, wrapped gifts flew around the room, landing before their designated recipients. Kendra was surprised that several settled before her. She was certain they were for the baby, but it was still a shock. When the presents had all been delivered, the staff began opening them.

The pile before Kendra went untouched for a while as she watched Severus open the gifts his colleagues had given him. It was amazing to see how much she still didn\'t know about him. Before him sat an old, expensive pocket watch that she suspected Dumbledore had gotten for him. There was a book on rare plants, obviously a gift from Madam Sprout. A kit for the proper care and cleaning of one\'s wand. Flitwick, of a certainty. A crystal ball that she suspected was a joke gift from Professor Trelawney. Something she\'d never before seen him use came from McGonagall. A star chart with much writing on it in a language she was unfamiliar with. The last gift was a coffee mug, bright white with a huge yellow smilie face on it. The name on the tag stated it was from Hagrid. She had to hide her face so he wouldn\'t hear her laughing. The image of him drinking anything from the mug was enough to start her into hysterics.

All eyes turned to her, looking expectantly from her face to the cluster of gifts before her. Obviously, they were all waiting for her to open them. She sighed softly, then lifted the first box. It was wrapped with bright, floral print paper that told her it was from Madam Sprout. Inside the box was a small seedling plant, just barely peeking up over the dirt in the pot. She looked to the Herbology Professor and smiled with a hint of confusion on her face. \'Um, I\'m sorry, Professor, but....\' her voice trailed off in embarrassment.

\' It\'s a Lavendar plant, my dear. It\'ll help promote sleep for the babe, when it arrives,\' she explained, her tone telling Kendra that it was something Madam Sprout thought she should already know. The next box was from Professor Flitwick. It contained a pair of rattles, brush and comb, and four pairs of baby booties. One pair was yellow with black laces, one pair green with silver laces, one pair red with gold laces, and one pair blue with bronze laces. One pair for each house. She managed a watery smile for the diminuative man before moving on to the next gift.

The wrap was midnight blue tissue, playing host to scattered gold stars. She knew without a doubt that the gift was from Professor Trelawney. A faint snort caught her attention. She brought her gaze over to Severus\' face. The scowl he wore told her that he knew who had given this gift, as well. She couldn\'t hold back the smile that his look brought to her face. She carefully pulled at the charmed paper, slipping it from the box it was wrapped around. Inside the box lay three bibs. The first bore the words \'I Predict Spit Will Happen.\' The second said \'Daddy\'s Little Girl\' in bright pink letters on a white background. The third was covered with the sun, moon, and stars in silver on a black background. Kendra glanced up at Severus, then the two of them turned their eyes to the Divinations teacher. She merely smiled at both of them, saying nothing.

Madam Hooch\'s gift was a child\'s sized broom. Kendra heard her husband muttering under his breath about the foolishness of women. Somehow, she had the feeling the broom would disappear after they got down to the dungeons. Hagrid got up and left the hall, returning about ten minutes later hauling a high chair with him. It was made of wood, hand carved by the looks of it. Figures of Faeries and Elves covered the wooden surface, flowers and trees interwoven with the frolicking immortals. Small carved birds circled over head. It was, all in all, a very nice gift. Kendra studied it wordlessly for a moment or two, trying very hard not to cry at the touching gesture Then a thought struck her and she turned a penetrating stare to the half giant where he sat on the other side of the table. \'You didn\'t get that off someone down at the pub, did you?\' she asked him in all seriousness.

\'No!\' he replied, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. His luck with getting things off strangers down at the pub was next to nill. Better to be safe than sorry. \'That came from my own home. It were mine when I was a babe. I had Professor Dumbledore enchant it so as it would fit the wee one when it comes.\'

It was Kendra\'s turn to blush. To cover her embarrassment, she tackled the next gift. The box contained several onsies that were rather plain. The name on the tag said they were from Professor McGonagall. Kendra\'s green gaze went to the spot where the Transfigurations teacher sat. Minerva smiled, then made a flicking motion with her hand. All the one piece outfits in the box suddenly began changing colors. It took Kendra a moment or two to realize that they were going from one set of House colors to the next. She grinned at the box as they went from Gryffindor red and gold to Hufflepuff yellow and black. She heard the groan next to her and decided that she wouldn\'t torture Severus with the incredible color shifting clothes. Not unless he deserved it.

Two boxes remained. One of them contained an American Indian item called a Dream Catcher. It was a circle, with string woven in the center to look like a web. It had feathers and beads hanging from it. The base color was a bright royal blue. There were thin threads of different shades of purple interwoven with the blue. The feathers were a lighter shade of blue, the beads in a lavendar color that was both striking and beautiful at the same time. She looked at the tag on the paper. The name on it was Raven. Nothing else. She looked to Severus in confusion. She had no idea who this Raven person was. \'Raven is our newest in the long line of Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. She is from the States. An actually Indian. I believe she comes from the Cherokee people,\' he told her. That was news. The entire time she\'d been at the castle, in Hogsmeade, she had never known about a new DADA teacher. It made her wonder what had become of last year\'s Professor.

\'Professor Feldmarsh was called away indefinitely,\' Severus replied to her unasked question. She nodded, thinking that the grief Harry, Hermione, and Ron had given the man in class might have had something to do with it. The three of them had been constantly correcting him after they had realized that they knew more about Defense Against the Dark Arts spells than he did. She looked to the last box and slowly opened it. It was from the Headmaster, the paper in Gryffindor colors. It was a fairly small box, and she was curious as to what Professor Dumbledore would have gotten for the baby. Inside lay a black infant\'s t-shirt. In green writing were the words \'My Daddy is Scarier Than Your Daddy.\' She had to laugh at the gift, and noticed that even Severus was wearing a faint smile over it.

\' It\'s charmed, Kendra. The shirt will grow with the baby. And if you lift it out, you will find I have included something in it for you,\' he told her, his eyes twinkling like mad behind his glasses. She lifted the shirt, laying it on the table next to her, then looked down at the remaining contents. A plain white envelope lay in the layers of tissue paper. She removed it, opening the flap. A card came out, and she frowned as she read it. A gift certificate to a book shop in London called \"The Literary Lottery.\" Now, why did the name sound familiar? She thought hard for a moment before the reason came back to her. That was where she\'d found and purchesed the spell book that had lead them to this point. She looked at the Headmaster again, noting the way his eyes were twinkling at her. Almost knowingly. How could that be? If he knew about the book shop, what else did he know about?

A flash of silver caught her eye from inside the layers of tissue paper. She searched through it with her hand, bringing out a chain that held a profusion of semi precious stones and a small faerie charm. Hanging form the fae\'s tiny hand was a circular prism. The face of the moon, of the Goddess, was etched into the center of the faceted glass. A sun catcher. She smiled at him, noting the colors were a mix of red and black. A combination of her and Severus. \'Thank you, one and all. I\'m surprised to see all these gifts here.\'

\'You\'re part of the family now,\' Minerva told her.

\' I have a few gifts to give,\' Illiana chimed in. All eyes swung to her, bringing a blush to her cheeks. She handed the gifts out quickly. One went to Kendra, one to Severus, one to Dumbledore, and one to Hagrid. \' To you, Professor, for allowing me to stay in the castle and pretend I have a family for the holidays. To you, Hagrid, for carrying all the luggage of mine. It is rather heavy. And to my friends Severus and Kendra.\' All four smiled at her, then opened their gifts. Kendra found her\'s contained a hand made booklet of coupons good for flying lessons. They would be redeemable when the baby was old enough to learn to fly. She smiled at Illiana, then looked over to see what she had given Severus. His box contained another hand made booklet. This one was good for nights of free babysitting. Dumbledore was thanking her for the certificate to Honeydukes, while Hagrid was already looking through the book on Magical Creatures she\'d given him. The newest version, which Kendra was certain he\'d be using in his classes.

\'Thank you, Illiana,\' Kendra smiled at her.

\'Yes, thank you. Now, if you will excuse us,\' Severus said, his chair scraping the floor as he pushed it back. He stood, offering his hand to Kendra. She took it, allowing him to pull her up from her seat. He took his wand from his robes, levitating the gifts they had both received, and directed the boxes ahead of the two of them as they made their way back down to the dungeons.

The living area was full of MacLeods when the two of them entered. Severus frowned, wondering how they\'d gotten past the wards on his fireplace. He\'d strengthened them when Kendra had left him. Now, it looked as if he would be forced to strengthen them again. All seven of her brothers stood in his private chambers. They were looking about them with a great deal of interest. If they weren\'t her bloody brothers, he\'d hex them on the spot. As it was, when he cleared his throat, the lot of them turned to stare at their sister and brother in law. Each one of them wore what he thought he could call remorse. Interesting. \'And to what do I owe the displeasure of this interruption?\' he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

\'We came to offer ye an apology,\' Brendan admitted grudgingly. He cocked a brow at them, wondering what had brought this on. He waited patiently for an explanation. The silence grew heavier, the looks on the brother\'s faces getting grimmer by the moment. They obviously did not want to be there. \' It seems we might have been wrong about ye. We thought, in the beginning, that ye had trapped Kendra. That mayhap, ye\'d used a spell or charm or some other such thing to make her want ye as she does. But we\'re convinced, after the way ye acted last night, that yer feelings fer her are genuine.\'

\'Aye,\' Alaric agreed with a nod. \'We half expected ye to hit those bloody fools with a Crucio fer the way they talked aboot Ken.\'

\'Just what I need. An inquiry from the Ministry. You don\'t think, perhaps, that I am already in enough trouble with them as it is? No, I don\'t need that kind of trouble,\' he told them. He paused a moment, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a faint smirk. \' I\'ve already got enough trouble on my hands with your sister as my wife. I do not need to add any more complications.\'

\'As it stands,\' Dermot chimed in. \'We couldna let those Sassenach wenches get away wi\' the way they treated Ken. Sae we took care of their punishment. After Mum went off on one o\' her tirades fer nearly an hour, the three o\' them were ready tae leave. Niall decided they could go. But....\' he trailed off. Kendra looked from one brother to the other, waiting for someone to continue. Finally, she glared hard enough and Niall finished.

\' I used one o\' yer favorite hexes from when ye were a wee lassie, Ken,\' he told her. She stared at him for a moment or two. His meaning sank in after only another minute. Her eyes went wide. Niall nodded. \'Aye. I cursed the lot o\' them with boils. Great big nasty boils. The kind that ooze. Then Da stood up and bellowed like a bear. He tauld them to get the bloody hell oot of his castle and tae never return. I think they ran all the way home.\'

\'You did that for me?\' she was stunned. The seven of them nodded wordlessly. She grinned, then set about hugging each one of them. It consisted mostly of putting an arm around them while standing at their side and squeezing their shoulders. They returned her hugs happily. When they were finished, Ian looked sheepishly to his brother in law. He gave them the barest lift of his lips in response, telling them that it was ok for the moment. With a quick round of good byes, the seven of them left the way they came. When they were alone in the dungeons once more, Severus turned to look at his wife. His gaze was arrested by the sight of a small Christmas tree standing near his hearth, visible now that the MacLeods were no longer loitering in front of it. \'Happy Christmas, mo piseag,\' she said quietly.

The little tree was covered with ornaments and garlands in red, green, silver, and gold. Small, multi colored lights were twinkling merrily from within the limbs. He smiled at her, his tender smile that she had only seen a few times, then moved to take her in his arms. She went happily, relishing the feel of his arms slipping about her. His lips touched hers in a semi chaste kiss, then he pulled back. \'You did this for us?\'

\'Aye,\' she nodded, an impish grin on her face. She lead him to the couch, forcing him to sit, then went back to the little tree. From underneath it, she brought out her five small gifts and carried them over to where he sat. He took them wordlessly, staring up at her. She was smiling, a touch uncertainly, her gaze clearly indicating he should open them now. He patted the leather cushion next to him. She sat and squirmed until she was mostly comfortable. He opened the first one on the small pile. It was the new quill she\'d gotten him. He picked it up, his long fingers playing over the soft feather. She saw his eyes widen, telling her he\'d felt the charm. \' I put a small enchantment on it. Nothing big. Merely my heart, pounding in your hand. It\'s yours now. You own it. It\'s only fair you should feel it beating for you,\' she explained quietly. A funny expression settled on his face for a moment or two, then his true smile spread his lips.

\'Thank you, brat. I can honestly say no one has ever entrusted their heart to me before. I shall cherish it always,\' he told her. A goofy grin crossed her face at his words. Then he was opening the next gift. He gave her a puzzled look at the ink well he took from the box.

\'Bloody Gryffindors,\' she replied. He laughed at that, then set it aside and went for his next gift. The parchment was well received, because she had thought to get him the one with serpents on it. At his look of confusion after unwrapping the mortal and pestel, she explained that it suited him. She hid her smile as he pulled open the last of her gifts. His hands lifted out the book, a very satisfied smirk curling his lips up.

\'Are you saying that you wish our child to be a Potions Master when he grows up?\' he asked her, still smirking at the book in his hands. *Beginnning Potions for Babies* had been a good idea, it seemed. His arm snaked about her shoulders, drawing her near him so he could plant a kiss on her lips. Then he got up, setting his gifts aside. She watched as he opened a door she\'d never paid much attention to. She had assumed it went to a closet and had never bothered looking in it.

\' I\'m saying I wish our child to be so much smarter than the rest,\' she replied, ignoring the arrogance he\'d put into his question. He came out a small box in his hands. He set it on the seat next to her, then returned to the room once more. This time, he came out carrying a medium sized box. He put it on the floor, then gestured to the box he\'d set next to her. She picked it up, pulling on the pale, silvery green ribbon that decorated the black wrap. The paper pulled away to reveal a white cardboard box. She lifted the lid and stared. Inside lay a perfectly formed rose bud. It was the color of blood, and the fragrance that came off it was intoxicating. She lifted the flower out, burying her nose in it so she could inhale the scent. Then she turned a questioning stare on him.

\' It\'s not one from your bouquet. I had meant to save one and enchant it with a preservation charm, but I couldn\'t find it. As it turns out, it seems Minerva has a private garden. She allowed me to pick one of her roses. I went through every one of them until I found the most perfect bud in the entire garden. In your hand, you hold my heart. In that simple flower. Know that it is my love and my desire for you. I intend for that rose to last until my very last breath upon this Earth. It will always be a symbol of my undying devotion to you. To our child. To us,\' he told her. His voice was plain, barely containing any of the emotion he was feeling. But she could see it reflected in his black gaze. She smiled, then stood and hugged him tightly, her lips seeking out his in a silent thank you.

Before he could allow himself to get carried away, he pulled from her embrace and gestured toward the other gift. She stepped over next to it, liking that he\'d wrapped it as simply as he had the rose. This time, it was green paper with black ribbon. She undid the wrap slowly, pulling it away from the box. The lid lifted off to reveal the contents. He helped her lift it out, allowing her to really stare at it. A miniature crib of wood was brought out. It was beautiful, another piece of hand carved wood. This one had unicorns and dragons as the main focus, entwined with Holly and Oak branches. She smiled, then had to gasp when he waved his wand over it. The crib enlarged until it was full size. She felt tears trickling down her cheeks as she stared at it. \'Severus, it\'s beautiful!\' she gasped.

\'Not half so beautiful as you, brat,\' he whispered in her ear. His arms came about her, pulling her back up against his chest. \'Happy Christams, love.\'

~*~*~*~*~

The holidays ended all too soon, and it was something of a shock to find that Kendra had decided to go back to the cottage. It was not an idea that made Severus happy, but Kendra had her mind made up. He knew arguing with her would be a moot point. The last day before the term, he helped her take all the gifts back to the little cottage. Both of them were shocked into silence to find the empty room had been decorated for the eventual arrival of the baby. A note from her parents explained that this was a gift for the both of them, congratulating them and wishing them good luck. The walls were a mix of a pale mint green, soft sky blue, and pastel pink. Little bunnies in the three colors chased each other across the walls, while others nibbled on flowers and grass in other spots. A dresser and changing table took up one wall, while a rocking chair sat in one corner. A variety of stuffed aniamls were scattered about haphazardly. The crib was brought it, having been shrunk to carry it, and enlarged back to it\'s full size. It was pushed up against the wall that was nearest Kendra\'s bedroom. All the room needed now was a baby and it\'s clothing to be complete.

\' I still do not understand why you won\'t stay up at the castle with me! We\'re married, for Merlin\'s sake!\' Severus snapped as Kendra poured him a glass of pumkpin juice. Her parents had thoughtfully stocked her fridge and cupboards for her. She smiled at him, then handed him his mug. He frowned to see it was the very same mug Hagrid had gifted him with for Christmas. The bright yellow smilie had a smug look on it\'s face, prompting Snape to go for his wand.

\'Severus, leave off. It is only a mug. It doesn\'t know you\'re a crabby git,\' she told him. He glared at her, but returned the wand to it\'s normal resting place. \' I think that it\'s for the best. Knowing the Ministry, do you honestly believe they\'d not find a way to separate us? They seem to have something against the staff having spouses. You, in particular. I am only here. It\'s not like you can\'t floo in whenever you like. I would be more of a distraction to you at the school than here, I think.\'

\' I do not like the idea of my wife not living with me!\' he spat out between clenched teeth.

\'Nor do I like the idea of not being in the dungeons with you. But I think my presence would only be a distraction to you. You do have classes to teach, and would not be able to do so if you felt the need to come check up on me. And I hate to think of how you will behave once the bairn arrives. You can still spend the evenings here with me, or I can floo to the dungeons and be with you there. I don\'t like it anymore than you,\' she told him quietly. He noticed the look on her face and relented. While she was as unhappy as she said about the two of them living apart, there was also no way to make her change her mind. At present. There would be other opportunities to bring her round to his way of thinking. He sighed, giving a curt nod.

\'Alright, brat. Have it your way for the time being. But you will eventually come back to the dungeons with me,\' he promised, his voice low and deadly. The pitch of it made her shudder with desire. She needed to have this baby soon. She wasn\'t certain how much longer she could go without feeling him inside of her.

\'Thank you, darling,\' she returned. He nearly choked on the endearment as she said it. She smiled up at him, then headed for the living room with her own pumpkin juice. He followed, wondering when his life slipped off the established path and gotten so damned complicated.

~*~*~*~*~

Kendra looked up as the door to The Three Broomsticks opened. She was expecting Severus, as she was due up at the school to see Madam Promfrey for her check up. Since they\'d married, he\'d taken a more active role in her prenatal care, asking questions and attending her appointments with her. She smiled at the way he took his role as impending fatherhood so seriously. He still came to the cottage every night, and the two of them sat and talked about the babe. They were still trying to decide on a name. As it was only January, she wasn\'t in a big rush. He kept pushing her to make a decision, so she kept stalling him. She was fairly certain she knew which names she wanted to use, but didn\'t plan on telling him until he quit hounding her on the subject.

The door closed behind the person, cutting off the bright light from the outdoors. After her eyes adjusted to the change in radiance, she smiled to see her husband\'s tall figure standing there. He nodded to her, then moved for his favorite table in the corner. They were not due up to the Hospital Wing for another ten miuntes or so, giving him time to merely study her and see how she was acting. She had gone back to work at the pub, much to his outright annoyance. He made a habit of merely observing her, to ensure that she was not overdoing it.

She appeared to be fine, idly pouring him a glass of pumpkin juice. She had a routine she followed. After the glass was filled, she brought it to him, then went into the kitchen to fetch him some simple fare. Generally a sandwich and some kind of side to tide him over until she could feed him a proper dinner. Only a moment or two after she had stepped into the back, the door opened and shut as someone else entered the busy pub to join the lunchtime rush. Severus\' lips twisted into a rather spectacular frown when he saw Lucius Malfoy step into the main room of the bar and look around. When the grey eyes landed on him, Malfoy\'s face split in one of his trademark sneers. The man made his way to Severus\' table.

\'Still slumming, Severus?\' Malfoy asked, taking a seat across from his ex-best friend without being asked. Snape frowned, his eyes flicking briefly to the spot where his wife had disappeared only moments ago.

\'As I do not happen to be at Malfoy Manor, the answer to that question would be no,\' he replied. Malfoy\'s lips tightened for a moment, then changed to a calculating smirk. The blonde prat was about to say something that Severus just knew he wasn\'t going to like.

\'You know, I had a most interesting encounter in Diagon Alley just before Christmas,\' Lucius purred. In response, Severus lifted a single black brow. He didn\'t particularly want to know what the insufferable bastard had to say, but he knew Lucius well enough to know that he would go on, whether Snape wanted him to or not. \'Yes, I ran into three young ladies. I believe two of them are a mutual acquaintance. I\'m shocked at you, Severus. Breeding on a girl like that. Did we forget to cast the Contraceptus Spell before engaging in our little sexual games? I can understand why it would slip your mind, seeing as women never did flock to your side. It was always so much easier for you to take them when the opportunity presented it\'s self than wait for some miserable charm to be cast.\'

\'You are speaking of Kendra, I presume,\' he stated flatly. His gaze caught movement out of the corner of his eye. She was standing almost directly behind Malfoy. The look on her face lead him to believe that she was feeling decidedly unhappy with the topic of conversation. She didn\'t move, didn\'t make a sound. He decided that she might have learned something after all. It hadn\'t been too long ago that she would have hexed him without a moment\'s thought. Now, she merely stood there, staring at the back of the git\'s head with something like pained disbelief.

\'But, of course,\' Malfoy nodded. \'Unless you have some other little whore running around that I know nothing about. And she is a whore. After all, look at how much she enjoyed her time spent with Draco and myself. I seem to recall that she liked my games,\' he drawled slowly.

\'Only because you and your son are too egotistical to think that there are women out there that wouldn\'t want to bed you,\' he remarked casually. He would not allow Lucius to anger him. It would only achieve that which the arrogant shite had set out to do. It most assuredly wouldn\'t do Severus any good.

\'But she never would have slept with me if the spell hadn\'t worked. I don\'t suppose the chit told you that, did she?\' he smirked.

\'Kendra informed me that Draco has the Primal Lust spell cast upon his flat. I\'m well aware of how it works. Rather chicken of you, don\'t you think? Relying on a mere spell to get a woman into bed. At least I can manage that without the aid of magic,\' he commented, crossing his arms.

\'Let me take the little whore off your hands,\' Lucius\' voice was full of suggestion. Severus kept a blank face, despite the fact that Malfoy had now referred to Kendra as a whore twice. The comparison was setting his blood to boiling. He had always known Lucius Malfoy was an arrogant, over inflated jackass. He hadn\'t thought that the living embodiment of sexual excess would call his wife a whore, then offer to take her off his hands. Severus was ready to smash that rather perfect face in. Perhaps a crooked nose would do Malfoy a world of good. \' I know how tolerant you are of children. I can\'t imagine you wanting to have a brat under foot constantly. Give me the girl as a slave. I\'ll get rid of the brat and take the conniving little bitch off your hands. Perhaps you could entice Granger to your bed. I\'m quite certain the filthy little mudblood could do with a good shagging.\'

Severus could see the anger simmering on Kendra\'s face. Malfoy had gone and insulted her one too many times. He stood, staring down at Lucius with as much antagonism as he could force into his gaze. Lucius grinned up at him, waiting for an answer. Severus happily replied, \'Miss Granger is not my type. And I think I shall keep both Kendra and my baby. I\'ve grown quite used to her being under foot.\'

\'You wouldn\'t be the one wearing that leash and collar, would you, Severus? I was under the impression that the whore was the slave. I never imagined it would be the other way around,\' Malfoy\'s voice was full of satisfied conceit.

\' I will thank you to watch your filthy mouth around me, Malfoy. You never know when I might be tempted to see just how many of those curses that I learned so long ago are still rattling about in my brain,\' Severus hissed, his temper starting to take over. Lucius smiled, a terribly smug look that said he knew he was pushing all the right buttons. Snape motioned with one hand to Kendra, bringing her over to stand beside him. Malfoy\'s gaze went from one to the other. He was about to open his mouth when Severus spoke over him. \'The next time you make any kind of disparaging remarks about my wife, I shall be forced to seriously hurt you.\'

Severus took Kendra\'s hand in his, turning the two of them for the door. He had his hand on the knob when he heard the sound of a chair scraping back. His jaw clenched, knowing that Malfoy wouldn\'t be able to leave well enough alone. The two of them were in the middle of the street when the icy voice flooded over them from behind. \'You married this slut? Are you ill, Severus? She and her family are on the same level as the Weasleys! Surely you could have found yourself a better quality whore!\'

\'You are merely saying this because she spurned you, Malfoy,\' Severus replied as he and Kendra turned, keeping a tight hold on his temper. He saw Rosemerta step out of the pub, her intent gaze locked on the trio.

\' I suppose I could be. Then again. There is the matter of who, exactly, is responsible for properly breaking the girl in. I believe the score in that arena is Malfoys 2, Snape 1. So perhaps I merely cast aside my used baggage for you to take. It seems you were always taking my seconds,\' Lucius remarked, his tone full of malicious intent. Kendra watched as her husband glared at Malfoy for a moment. The look on his face was on the verge of homicidal rage. Then, the next thing she knew, his fist flew up from out of nowhere and landed squarely on Malfoy\'s jaw.

Severus became a blur of black as he launched himself at the blonde, his fist curled for another strike. Malfoy ducked back, shifting his postion. Snape followed him, never letting the other man get far enough away to get his wand out. Kendra was bristling with anger and pain with the words that Lucius had been uttering. She was more than ready to hex the man herself. Rosemerta moved over to stand next to Kendra, watching as the two men went at each other like school boys.

Kendra went for her wand when Lucius managed to land a lucky punch. Severus staggered back, giving Malfoy the opportunity to pull his wand from his walking stick. She felt a restraining hand on her arm and looked over to find Rosemerta holding her back. She glared at the woman, wanting to be free to help her husband. But the pub owner refused to let her go. When she finally looked back up, Severus had Lucius by the front of his robes, his hand curled tightly into the material. The other hand was pulled back, doubled into a tight fist. \' I warned you about insulting my wife. You\'re lucky I don\'t let her at you. But I want to be the one who blackens that eye with my own fist,\' he snarled into the other man\'s face.

\'You should have kept your pecker tucked into your trousers. You\'d be far more civilized if you didn\'t spend your time in the company of pathetic little whores who didn\'t know when they had the very best life could offer them,\' Malfoy spat. Severus never said another word. He merely allowed the scowl he wore to deepen. Malfoy stared at him for a moment before he realized that the man was serious. He had a split second to consider his words before he felt the knuckles of the Potion Master\'s fisted hand smash into his nose. Stars errupted behind his eyes, the crunching noise of his breaking nose loud over the yell he gave. When the hand curled into his robes let go, he fell to the ground in a heap. He heard Kendra speak.

\'Keep him here. I\'ll be back. I have errands to run. I ken what we can do with this Sassenach,\' she ordered in her rolling brogue.Then she was gone.

\'Thank you for keeping her out of that, Rosemerta. I was afraid for a moment that she would have stepped between the two of us and gotten herself hurt,\' Severus remarked. His chest heaved from exhertion, his hands still balled into fists at his sides. Lucius was thankfully not moving, apparently too shocked to do anything more than stare.

\'Of course, Severus. I couldn\'t allow her to put the babe in jeopardy. And I don\'t think I would like to see what she would do to him. That Irish wizard I was telling you about came back through here about a month after the first time. He still had those spots she gave him. And that was for merely putting his hand on her,\' Rosemerta was grinning. Severus had to wonder how much of what she was saying was truth. \' Imagine what she\'d have done to someone who picked a fight with you.\'

\'Not a pretty picture,\' Severus agreed. The comments ended only a few minutes later when Kendra returned. She had something in her hands. And there was someone else with her.

\'Good afternoon, Professor. I hear congratulations are in order on your nuptuals. And on your child, as well,\' Hermione Granger said as she moved to stand next to Snape. He glanced at her for a brief moment, then found himself glancing back in shock. The Gryffindor Know-It-All was standing there in a tightly laced corset and leather hot pants. Her feet had been encased in a pair of thigh high leather boots with a six inch spiked heel on them. She held a flogger in her hand. Kendra handed her the collar and leash Malfoy had spoken of only a few moments ago. His eyes widened as he comprehended what was going on.

\'Thank you, Miss Granger,\' he accepted less than gracefully. \'Am I to understand that you\'ve come to collect Malfoy?\' He used a bloodied hand to gesture at the man still laying on the ground. Lucius\' face was set in shock and disbelief. She nodded, handing him the flogger she held. She moved over to Malfoy, slipping the collar about his throat and locking it in place tightly. She tugged on the leash, still latched to the collar, bringing Malfoy to his feet reluctacntly.

\'Come along, Lucius. I believe we have some lessons to learn,\' Hermione insisted. Severus offered her flogger back to her silently. She took it with a smile, then tugged hard on the lead. \'You will address me as Mistress at all times. Should you fail to do as I tell you, you will be properly punished. Should you do exactly as you\'re told, you shall be rewarded.\'

\'Here, Hermione,\' Kendra stopped her and pushed something blue into her hand. \'Take this with. It\'s the potion I was telling you about. It\'s bloody dangerous.\'

\'Thank you, Kendra,\' she replied, then the two of them were gone. Severus and Rosemerta were staring at her in bewilderment. She smiled, hooking her arm in her husband\'s.

\'Come along, Severus. I believe we have an appointment to get to,\' she stated. Rosemerta smiled at the two of them as they walked toward the school grounds. Severus had his hands full. That was one thing that was for certain. Kendra was a complete shock to one\'s system. And that wasn\'t entirely bad....

end chapter twenty eight.
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as usual, thanks go out to madam shark for all her help. she betas and gives great ideas. ~hugs~ honey!

to my usual group of supporters. they all know who they are. i love them bunches. thanks guys!

to simone, please know that kendra is feeling insecure partially because of the pregnancy, and partially because that\'s who she is. she can handle the malfoys because they are a known to her. she has experience with them. the three girlfriends aren\'t. and she tends to be very withdrawn with strangers. but i think it all worked out in the end. don\'t you?

as always, reviews are welcome. so are chocolate frogs. which ever you chose. ignore the monkey! the little bugger has no idea of what he\'s talking about.