Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery

Chapter 51 ~ Time for a Talk

Severus returned to the furniture shop and looked over the tagged items Hermione purchased.
A crib, dresser, changing table, a rocker, bassinet, bedding, two lamps, a rug, and a mobile that had the names of several basic potions ingredients on it that said the names when it spun. He raised his eyebrows at this last item and fought back a smirk. She also had several cans of paint, off-white and yellow and green pastels.

“You might want to consider some extra storage items,” the clerk suggested. Hermione shook her head.

“No, this is enough for now,” Hermione said, wincing at the thought of what all this would cost.

“Tally it up,” Severus said to the clerk, looking at Hermione.

She didn’t seem able to meet his eyes. Severus looked down at the slight bulge again, and a warm feeling washed over him. Of course, he scowled. He caught her arm and walked her up to the counter, where he paid for all the items, giving the clerk his account information. Hermione gasped when she saw the total.

“Severus, that’s too much!” she said, frowning.

The Potions Master’s nostrils flared as he looked down his nose at her.

“Hermione, I have been saving my money for years. I have next to no expenses since I live and eat at Hogwarts, and my house is paid for. Except for the occasional item of clothing, I spend next to nothing. Plus I have residuals coming in from Potions I have marketed. I am fully able to afford this, and much more than this. Neither you nor my child will want for anything…ever. If there is anything worth spending my galleons on, it is you and my baby. I never want to hear you question the cost of anything I purchase. Am I understood?” he asked her imperiously.

“Yes,” she said in a small voice.

“Good,” he said, allowing his eyes to soften a bit as he looked at her.

Hermione felt her heart catch at the tender expression on his face. Maybe everything would be all right. He still hadn’t said anything about becoming a father. It was obvious he intended to provide for her and the baby. But what about school, and her future? A child changed everything.

Severus soon scowled again as he gave the clerk the address for the goods to be shipped to, telling him he expected everything to be assembled as well. Finished, he caught her by the arm and escorted her out of the store.

“One more stop before I take you to the house,” he said to her.

“Where?” Hermione asked looking up at him.

Severus looked down at her a moment, then placed his pale hand on the small bulge, rubbing it tenderly.

“Hogwarts,” he said, disapparating with her.

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“Yes, Severus, she’s pregnant all right. Eight weeks and already showing,” Poppy said, lowering both her wand and Hermione’s shirt. She and the baby are healthy, though I think he or she will be a big one.”

“I weighed nine pounds at birth,” Severus said, looking at the petite witch worriedly. “My mother was bigger than Hermione. If my child is that large at birth, will that be a problem for her?”

Poppy looked at the Potions Master’s worried expression.

“He really cares for the witch. That’s good. Maybe he’ll do the right thing,” the medi-witch thought.

“She’ll be fine, Severus. In the magical world we can help her with her birth so it is next to painless,” Poppy reassured him as he helped Hermione sit up on the cot.

“I weighed eight pounds at birth and my mother did just fine,” Hermione said, “And she’s about the same size as I am.”

Poppy smiled at her and patted her hand.

“You’ll do just fine, my dear,” she said, giving Hermione a comforting smile.

Hermione hopped off the cot, and Severus started.

“Hermione…are you mad? Don’t jump around like that!” he said, scowling at her.

Hermione’s face darkened, but Poppy interceded.

“Severus,” she said severely, “Hermione is not made of glass. She should be encouraged to be active. The baby is well cushioned, believe me. Now, she’s going to be going through a lot of changes, emotionally as well as physically, and she doesn’t need you bullying her.”

“Bullying her? I wasn’t bullying her .I was simply…” the Potions Master started to say, but Poppy put her hands on her hips.

“I’m warning you right now, if you irritate her Severus, she’ll end up leaving or hexing you terribly. Pregnant women can’t take a lot of aggravation. You need to be on your best behavior. Your role is to support, NOT control,” Poppy said frowning at him.

Severus looked at the medi-witch blackly, but Poppy didn’t give an inch and matched him glare for glare. Finally, he sighed.

“Fine,” he said shortly, taking Hermione’s arm, “Thank you Poppy. We’ll be going now.”

“Thank you, Poppy,” Hermione called back at her as Severus walked her toward the infirmary floo. He took a bit of powder out of the box on the mantle and tossed it into the fire.

“My rooms,” he said.

The flames turned green and he escorted his pregnant lover through.

They emerged in his study. Raucous cawed a greeting to his master then squawked as he saw Hermione. He readied himself for a quick drip. Severus looked up at him and scowled blackly. The raven settled back on the rafters, miffed. His master ruined a perfect hit. Normally Severus didn’t interfere with his attacks on the witch. What was going on? Raucous peered into his master’s mind and quailed. Oh no! A chick?

Raucous shook his black head. He wouldn’t be allowed to harass the witch while she was with egg. Humans took forever to hatch their chicks too, their eggs being internal. Quite inconvenient really. But then again, human females could move around and not be stuck on a nest all day, waiting for the males to feed them. Ah, well. At least he’d get a few good caws watching the witch roll around.

“Sit down, Hermione.” Severus said, gesturing toward the chair. Hermione sat down, butterflies in her stomach. She knew it was time for them to talk.

Severus walked back to the floo, cast in some floo powder and called the kitchen. He ordered milk and a chef’s salad with cubed chicken, Swiss cheese, romaine lettuce, radishes, cherry tomatoes and fresh sweet onions. Hermione listened to him. She had asked for salads but never in such detail. In a moment an elf popped in with a large bowl of salad, a fork, napkin and a huge glass of milk. Severus took the food from the elf and set it on the table next to Hermione. He sat down as the elf winked out.

“Eat,” he said, looking at her, his eyes drifting down to her belly.

Hermione realized she was famished and picked up the bowl of salad and began to eat hungrily. Severus watched her consume every bit in silence, his black eyes washing over her. Hermione was like candy to his eyes. He hadn’t touched her in two months. He wondered if it would be safe to indulge himself before taking her to the house. He missed her badly. Then his eyes drifted down to her belly again. He didn’t know if it would hurt the baby. Poppy said the child was well cushioned. He wouldn’t have to take her the way he usually did after being starved for her.

Severus had learned to enjoy slow, easy sex as well. But he knew that he would be tempted to drive into her hard and deep…reclaiming her after the long summer. Well, first they would talk and then…he’d see if she would accommodate him.

Hermione finished her milk, and felt sated. Her amber eyes drifted over the Potions Master, and she felt a sudden stab of desire. He hadn’t touched her in so long. The Professor saw the heat that flashed in her eyes for a moment and knew in that instant she desired him just as much as he desired her. But they had to talk.

“Hermione, why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?” he asked her in a low voice.

“I was afraid how you would react. Forgetting my patch was a stupid thing to do. It’s all my fault,” she replied, her eyes starting to fill up with tears.

Severus considered her for a moment.

“The last I heard, Hermione, it isn’t possible for a woman to get pregnant alone. She requires sperm. I could have used a contraceptive as well as you. I left that responsibility on you alone, when it should have been a shared responsibility. It is not your fault, Hermione…both of us are responsible for the child you carry, and will be for the rest of our lives,” he said, “But how did you think I would react to learning you were carrying my child?”

:”Severus, you are good to me…but I know you don’t love me. I was afraid that you would think I did this on purpose, to trap you. To obligate you to me. To force a commitment out of you. But that’s not the case,” Hermione said.

“I wouldn’t have thought that, Hermione. Not from you. Another woman, I might have considered it a purposeful entrapment. But I know you never planned on becoming a mother this soon. Your education was too important. A child would interfere with your plans,” Severus said, looking at her intently.

“No, well, I’m not sure if I wanted to have children,” she said hesitating as she remembered daydreaming about black-haired boys and bushy-haired girls with Severus. But that was all it had been. Severus had seen the ghost of her daydream as well. But it hadn’t been a solid desire. More like a passing thought.

Severus leaned toward her.

“I am glad, Hermione, that you didn’t terminate the pregnancy and kill our child. If I had found out…” he didn’t continued. He didn’t want to think how horrible his reaction would have been if he found out his child had been aborted. It didn’t matter he never intended to be a father, the child would still have been his flesh.

Hermione frowned.

“I would never abort my child. But my parents had told me to think about adoption,” she said hesitatingly, “I was considering it…”

“Without telling me? Without giving me a choice in the matter?” Severus asked, fighting to keep his temper in check.

“I’ve already taken away your choice,” Hermione said, “by putting the baby up for adoption, you would still have your freedom. You wouldn’t be saddled with a child you didn’t want.”

Severus was silent for several moments as he mentally calmed himself.

“What in the world would make you think I wouldn’t want my own flesh and blood?” he asked her, “My own son or daughter?”

“Because…it would force you to deal with me until he or she reached adulthood,” she said softly, looking away from him.

Severus considered the witch, his mind drifting to how she gave herself to him so freely.

“And dealing with you is supposed to be some horrible task?” he asked her, “I deal with you now and I find it quite delightful. Why do you suppose that would change?”

“Because our relationship wouldn’t be carefree as it is now. You would have to provide monetary support for the baby, help me take care of him or her…you would have to share my time…” she said.

“Hermione, I have no problem with any of those things. You sound as if I am sacrificing instead of gaining. I assure you I do not see caring for my own child or the mother of my child as a burden. It will be a blessing that I never thought I would ever experience. I never intended on being a father, Hermione, but that doesn’t mean I never wanted to be a father. There is a huge difference,” he said taking her hand and kissing it.

“Hermione, you have moved my life into the realm of normalcy, and given me a most precious gift. It was unexpected, but believe me, it is not unwelcome. I want my child, and I want you…I can handle both…maybe more,” he smirked at her as the thought of even more children crossed his mind.

He reached into his pocket and extracted a small box. Hermione’s eyes widened.

“Severus, is that a ring?” she asked him, staring at the box as if it might bite her.

“Yes,” he said, opening it and showing her the engagement ring. It was white gold with several diamonds across the band.

“I can’t accept that, Severus. You would never have proposed to me if I wasn’t pregnant,” she said, her eyes watering again.

“And how do you know that, Hermione? Are you a seer? Perhaps I might not have done it this soon, but are you so certain that I never would have asked you to marry me?” he asked softly. “I’m not. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you these past two months. I asked you to move into my home so you would be close to me, in my domain, in my life in a more permanent way. That was before I knew you were pregnant. Can’t you see the stages of it, Hermione? The unfolding of my heart for you?” he asked her.

Hermione didn’t answer him, but there had been many wonderful changes in him over the past few months. He was more affectionate. He didn’t hide his relationship with her. He treated her more as a woman and less as an object for his pleasure…but still…what about love?

Severus looked down at the ring.

“This ring was on its way, Hermione, believe me. The fact that I put it on your finger sooner, rather than later makes no difference to me…it was going to be placed there eventually if you accepted me. I want no other woman. You are bound to me, and can have no other man while I live…and you say you love me. You do don’t you?” he asked her.

“Yes, I do Severus. You know I do,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “But what about you. Do you love me, Severus? Or are you doing the honorable thing for the sake of the child I carry?”

“I am doing this for a number of reasons, Hermione. Yes, the welfare of the child is important. I want him or her to have my name. I also want a stable family life for my child, a household with a live-in mother and father, not a few galleons sent here and there for diapers or milk, or weekend pick-ups, or scattered overnight conjugal visits with you while he or she sleeps in the next room, then I’m gone in the morning. What kind of life would that be for you? You would have to put your dreams on hold without me, Hermione. This life growing in you is a gift, not a sacrifice. Together we can work it out,” he said sincerely.

“But what about love, Severus? I want your love. I don’t want you to marry me for the sake of this child only. Or because you feel guilty that my plans have to change. You can still give our baby your name without marrying me. I don’t want to marry you if you don’t love me. Call me selfish or even crazy, because you are offering me everything else. Everything but the one thing I want the most,” she said, reaching out and closing the box gently.

“I’ll stay in your house, I’ll have your child. I’ll share your bed, Severus. I will be a good mother to our child, and continue to love you as dearly as I do now. But I won’t take your name until I know you want me to have it from your heart. Your heart, Severus, not your sense of duty,” she said softly.

Severus stared at her and wished he could tell her what she longed to hear. But he couldn’t Yet she agreed to stay with him and raise his child. Still, there would be gossip…maybe scandal. She would still be an unwed mother and many would look down on her for that. The wizarding world was not near as forgiving as the muggle world. An unmarried mother was still treated as a pariah.

“Hermione, if you remain unwed, you may be targeted for shame and ridicule,” he said gently, “let me spare you that.”

“I can handle adversity, Severus,” Hermione said firmly. “But what about you?”

“I will be thought of as a cad most likely. It will only add to the already long list of derogatory titles I’ve received over the years. I can handle ridicule. I can promise you this as well, if anyone dares to mistreat you in my presence, I will call them out,” he said darkly.

“I don’t want my child’s father in Azkaban,” Hermione said softly.

Severus looked at her, and felt a pulse in his loins.

“Hermione,” he said, a slight hoarseness in his voice that Hermione recognized at once as desire.

“It’s been a long time for us, hasn’t it?” she said to the Potions Master.

“Yes,” he agreed, his eyes falling to her belly. They probably conceived their baby the day he asked her to move into his house.

Hermione saw where his black eyes were focused.

“Don’t worry Severus. Sex won’t hurt the baby,” she said.

“Even my sex?” he breathed, looking at the witch hungrily.

“Later on you will have to tone it down, but right now I could take your best…or worst,” she said, feeling the familiar ache for him start to throb between her thighs.

He arched an eyebrow at her.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

“Yes. I’ve missed you, Severus,” she said, biting her lip against the desire that began to pulse through her.

“You’re absolutely sure?” Severus asked her again.

Hermione was burning up now, and scowled at his hesitation.

“Damn it, Severus. Don’t question me. I’ve missed you, I want you and I need you. Poppy told you not to treat me like I’m made of glass. I need to know you still want me,” she breathed at him. “I need you to take me the way you know I need to be taken.”

Severus knew what that meant. The witch didn’t want slow and easy.

The wizard’s cock went rock hard so fast Severus was almost dizzy from the sudden rush of blood from one head to the other. His body took over now. The Potions Master stood up and scooped Hermione out of the chair, then strode with her quickly to his bedroom, kicking the door closed.

Raucous looked at the closed door, squawked and shook his head in disgust. He knew the headboard would be banging against the wall in short order, and the witch would be shrieking like a banshee.

Raucous leapt off the rafter and winged his way toward the floo, which turned immediately green as he soared through.

He just wasn’t up for the noise this afternoon.

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A/N: Another chapter finished. I know the weights should be metric, but was too tired to convert them. Will append later. Please review.

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The Burning Pen

Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery
by Ruth Solomon

 

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence. Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately. You are not welcome here. The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 52

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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