An Unlikely Savior ~ (Edit) COMPLETED

Chapter 66 ~ Birds, Bees and Battles

Alsop waited for Eileen excitedly, standing right outside of Slytherin, all smiles. Her housemates exited for breakfast, looking at him, only a couple of the older students asking what he was doing there.

”I’m waiting to walk my girlfriend to breakfast,” he announced with a smile.

As if the word “girlfriend” had some magical ability to turn away wrath, the Slytherins shrugged and continued on to breakfast. Presently Eileen emerged.

”Eileen!” Alsop said, jumping in front of her, shocking her nearly to death so she drew her wand on him. She lowered it.

”Alsop, are you mad? What are you doing down here?”

”I’m here to walk my girlfriend to breakfast,” he said with a smile.

Eileen scowled at him.

”Alsop, I told you, you have to talk to—“

Alsop presented her with the long black feather.

”I did,” he said softly.

Eileen took the feather and caressed it slowly.

”This belongs to Raucous,” she said, staring at it.

”Your father said you would recognize it. It’s proof he came to see me, and said yes,” Alsop told her, waiting for her reaction.

Eileen was a bit stunned. He said yes on the first time out? There had to be more to this. Her father just wasn’t that easy. They began to walk up the corridor, Eileen twirling the feather in her hand.

”When did he come see you?” she asked Alsop.

”The sun wasn’t even up yet. He woke me out of my sleep,” Alsop replied.

”Do you know how long he was there?” Eileen pressed.

Alsop shrugged. He assumed the wizard woke him up as soon as he entered the bedroom.

Eileen shook her head. Something was rotten at Hogwarts. Her eyes narrowed.

”What did you dream about last night?” she asked him.

Alsop smiled.

”Most of my dreams were about you,” he replied. “About meeting you for the first time, becoming friends, everything. I think it was because I asked you out.”

Eileen shook her head.

”More than likely it’s because my father was in your head trying to find out your motives for asking me out,” she said with a sigh.

”What? You think he was in my head?”

”I know he was, Alsop. Believe me.”

Alsop paled as he thought about all the stolen kisses and the snogging he gave Eileen. Merlin.

“He came early to catch you off-guard, and he certainly did that,” she said.

Alsop looked stricken as he walked beside her, approaching the stairwell that led to the entrance hall.

Eileen pushed his shoulder.

”Well, if he said yes, then it was an informed yes. He must like you, Alsop,” she said soothingly.

Alsop’s eyes twisted toward her.

”He did say he believed I was a gentleman.”

”Then, that’s high praise,” Eileen says. “You’ve passed the Snape test. You’re in.”

She gave him a smile then, and Alsop once again felt happiness flood him.

They emerged in the entrance hall and walked into the Great Hall, Alsop accompanying Eileen to the Slytherin table and waiting for her to sit down. He wanted to at least kiss her cheek to show everyone she was his now, but Eileen wouldn’t have appreciated that. So, he did something else.

He walked over to the Gryffindor table. Albus, James and the rest of his extended family was sitting there. He looked at Albus.

”I just want to let you know, Albus, that Eileen and I are officially going out. She’s my girlfriend. I even have her father’s permission to court her. So from now on, stay away,” he hissed at his brother, who looked back at him with narrowed eyes.

”Fine. You can have her. She’s as cold as a fish anyway,” he muttered bad-naturedly.

”Yeah, and the only one’s she’s going to make shiver, is me,” Alsop said smugly, walking away.

All the pleading and threatening in the world couldn’t stop Lily from owling her mother and father immediately. This was good news after all.

News of Eileen’s and Alsop’s relationship shot through the halls of Hogwarts in record time, and for about five minutes, Eileen was one of the witches. She had a boyfriend. A committed boyfriend.

A couple of equally attached witches tried to welcome her into the fold in the girl’s lavatory.

”Hi Eileen. I hear you’re going out with Alsop Potter. He’s really cute,” one witch gushed as Eileen was washing her hands, other witches gathering around her, ready for the scoop. All witches talked about how they landed their boyfriends.

Eileen looked shocked she’d even spoken to her, but she scowled.

”Is he? I hadn’t noticed,” she replied coldly, drying her hands, pushing through the witches and leaving the bathroom quickly.

“She’s still a freak,” one witch hissed after her. “Boyfriend or no boyfriend.”

********************************

Harry fell back into the armchair, completely shocked after a smiling Ginny read Lily’s letter to them.

”Alsop is dating Eileen Snape?” he repeated in disbelief.

”With her father’s permission,” Ginny added, still smiling.

Harry shook his head. He could hardly believe a Potter finally was considered up to snuff by the snarky wizard. Still, he couldn’t help but feel his son was in imminent danger.

”This is—surreal, Ginny. Snape actually approves of Alsop?”

”It seems so, Harry. I think it’s wonderful. I was a little worried about Alsop. He didn’t show interest in witches like his brothers. He’s the first one to have a real girlfriend.”

”A girlfriend who’s his cousin,” Harry said, shaking his head.

”Only by marriage, Harry. There’s no real familial bond,” she assured her stricken husband. “And they’ve been friends throughout school, so he probably liked her before we found out she was Hermione’s daughter. We can’t penalize him for that.”

”But Snape’s only daughter? What is Alsop thinking?” Harry groaned.

”He isn’t thinking, Harry. He’s feeling. Remember what it’s like to really like someone? Remember how it was with us? How we hesitated because of Ron, because of how close you were to him?”

Harry did remember the longing he felt for Ginny. If Alsop even felt half of that, he would have faced a thousand Snapes to be with Eileen. If he got Snape’s permission, that must mean he had a man to man talk with him by himself. Alsop had bollocks to spare.

“Well, I hope he knows what he’s doing,” Harry said as Ginny continued to smile.

”They’ll both be fine, I’m sure,” Ginny replied.

**************************************

Of course, Ginny told a stunned Hermione.

”Oh my. I wonder if Eileen knows about the birds and the bees?” Hermione said to Ron that evening during supper. “Maybe I need to talk to her about—you know. Sex.”

Ron nearly chuckled as Hermione reddened. He could only imagine her trying to talk to Eileen about sex. It was the one subject she hedged on discussing freely. Her face turned an interesting plethora of colors whenever it was brought up in mixed company. Not that Hermione was a prude exactly. She just thought it was an extremely delicate topic that should be talked about privately and soberly.

”I’m sure Snape has clued her in, Hermione,” Ron told her.

”But, he’s a wizard. What would he know about what witches experience when they’re young and impressionable? How the emotions can get all swept away? He’s a man. Men want that to happen, even the young ones.”

”Hermione, you’ve know Alsop all his life. He’s the most level-headed out of Harry’s boys. I’m sure he’ll conduct himself like a gentlemen. If he doesn’t, Snape will probably geld him.”

”Still, I need to know if Eileen is prepared for this. I should contact Severus and find out if he’s covered the topic of sex with her.”

Ron groaned.

”Hermione, don’t do that,” he said to her, shaking his head.

But Hermione’s chin was thrust out, which meant she was going to do it anyway.

“Fine. You’ll probably find out he’s given her copies of the Kama Sutra,” Ron muttered.

”Ron!”

”What?”

***************************************

Of course, Hermione descended upon an unsuspecting Snape that very evening. Odessa was in the shop, and Snape was in the back brewing. She looked up as a little scream announced the witch’s entrance.

”Hello, Mrs. Weasley. How can I help you this evening?” Odessa asked politely with a smile.

Hermione looked a bit taken aback at Odessa’s professional appearance. No one would ever think she had ever walked the streets. She wore glasses and a lab coat, her hair pulled back into a bun at the back of her neck. She looked like a dentist.

“Ah, I’d like to talk to Severus, Miss Divine,” she said.

”He’s in the back. I’ll get him,” the witch said, opening a door and walking through it.

Hermione looked around the shop while she waited. Presently, Snape appeared, fastening his robes as he walked around the counter.

”Yes, Hermione?” he asked her. Odessa was back behind the counter.

”Could we walk to the front of the shop? I’d like to ask you something privately,” she said to the wizard, who cocked his head at her curiously.

”Certainly,” Snape said, gesturing that she proceed him. He followed her to the front of the shop and stood looking down at her. Hermione slowly began to turn red.

”Well, what is it?” Snape asked her.

”Um—well I found out today that Eileen and Alsop are going out,” she began.

”News travels fast,” Snape replied.

”I just wanted to know if I needed to give Eileen the—you know—the ‘Talk.’”

Snape’s lip quirked.

”The Talk?” he repeated.

Hermione moved in a little closer, so her voice wouldn’t carry.

”Yes, the Talk—you know—about—about sex,” she whispered.

Snape stared at her for a moment.

Odessa started as Snape burst into loud laughter.

”What the—“ she said, looking at the front of the shop as Snape bent over, clutching his stomach. Hermione looked furious.

Snape must have laughed a full minute before he straightened, wiping his eyes and trying to control himself as Hermione stood with her hands on her hips, her Weasley cap’s pompom flopped on one side.

”It’s not funny, Severus. This is important. We don’t want her coming up pregnant,” she hissed at him. “She needs to be educated.”

“Hermione, Eileen has been aware of the biological concept of sex and what it entails since she was seven years old. And she has been instructed in the physical and emotional connotations since she was ten. I was quite thorough, I assure you. She knows what sex is and what it means to engage in it. She also knows about contraception.”

”You taught her about contraception?” Hermione gasped.

”Of course I did. If she does engage in sex, then it is important she knows how to protect herself so she doesn’t ‘come up pregnant’ as you so succinctly put it,” Snape told her.

“But, but that’s like telling her it’s okay to have sex when she’s young,” Hermione said. “You should have taught her abstinence. You can’t get pregnant if you don’t do anything.”

”I taught her that as well, since it falls under the heading of contraception,” Snape said tightly. “I certainly hope you give your other daughter more to work with than just saying no. No isn’t always possible with randy youngsters, Hermione.”

”Don’t you tell me how to instruct my daughter!” Hermione sniped at him.

Snape swelled up.

”Well don’t storm in here telling me how to instruct my daughter,” he shot back at her.

”But she’s my daughter, too!” Hermione hissed.

”Thank goodness she had me to run interference before you filled her head with your completely antiquated views on sex!”

Odessa shook her head as the two parents argued over Eileen preparedness for life as a sexual being. She knew Eileen was a bright girl. She’d be fine. Still, it was interesting watching her father and mother interact.

Her mother was a real card.

**************************************

Hermione returned home to find Ron in bed, reading an issue of “Quidditch Today.” She angrily started undressing for bed.

”So, how did it go?” Ron asked.

”He’s completely insufferable. He claims to have prepared Eileen for every contingency concerning sex. Ron, he’s even taught her about contraception.”

Ron blinked at her.

”That’s good, isn’t it?” he asked his wife.

“When you’re old enough to engage in sex, it’s good. But, when you’re young, it’s—it’s an excuse to do it,” Hermione replied. “It’s better not to engage in sex at all until you’re old enough to make an informed decision. We waited, didn’t we?”

”And how,” Ron groaned. He was in his twenties before he got his hands and other parts on Hermione. But Hermione was very stubborn about waiting. Of course, Ron wasn’t a virgin when he married her. Still it had been quite frustrating.

Hermione pulled on her gown and angrily climbed into bed, folding her arms and still fuming. Ron blinked at her. If he had hoped to get a little nookie tonight, her visit to Snape’s shop all but ruined that. Sex was dirty right now . . . and not in a good way. He sighed and returned to his magazine.

“I just don’t like the idea that Eileen knows so much about sex. It’s overkill. Do you know he had the nerve to say my views about sex are antiquated?”

Ron made a noise in response. He wasn’t about to go there.

”He even implied that Rose wouldn’t properly be prepared to deal with her sexuality if I impose my views on her. Can you imagine that?”

Ron made another noise.

”Well, he’s wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong!” she fumed, sliding down into the bed and covering up.

Ron put down his magazine and picked up his wand off the nightstand, lowering the torches. He turned to face his stiff wife. After a couple of minutes he said, “Hermione?”

”No, Ron!”

He sighed. Being a stepfather could be a very difficult position to occupy. Even when he didn’t do anything, he suffered for it.

Damn.

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A/N: Lol. I just was playing a bit of devil's advocate here. There are those for teaching teenagers abstinence and others that believe they should have access to contraception if they do want to engage in sex. I just thought I'd bring the argument into the story without taking sides since it is a real issue. Thanks for reading.