If The Crime Fits The Punishment - Chapter Twenty Seven
Title: If The Crime Fits the Punishment
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: no one under 18. this is grown up business. meaning lots of dirty words and sexual escapades.
Warnings: sex, some mild violence, gratuitous use of a Scottish brogue, lots of swearing and a cat that's plotting world domination. no, really!
Disclaimer: i don't own any of the recognizable characters in here. nor do i own places and events and the whole magical realm. everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. she is the genius and i merely bask in the glow of her talent. Kendra is mine, as is Wickersham. and the plot, such as it is. please don't hurt me or sue me or make disparaging comments about me or anything like that. i'm broke, i like pain and i've got a really wicked temper, which means i'll probably be mean back. you have been warned.
Author's Note: this was the only fic i used a beta on. with exception of Gin's work on Beyond Death, i think i do pretty okay on my own. and, as i wasn't savvy with HTML when i wrote this, all thoughts were denoted by the use of tildes ~...~
If The Crime Fits The Punishment - The Index
Chapter Twenty Seven: Deck The Halls
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Kendra sat on the leather couch, her feet settled onto Severus' lap. He didn't seem to know that they were there, as he had his nose buried in a book. The two of them had spent most of their time alone merely talking and enjoying each other's company. They did join the rest of the staff in the Hall for evening meals each night. They sometimes made the morning meals, when Kendra could be dragged from the bed. She most often wanted to cuddle with Severus under the covers. They both were finding it increasingly difficult to manage physical intimacy because of the pregnancy. She felt her belly was getting too big and was more often than not in the way.
A noise brought her head up from the quilt she was stitching together in time to see a small gray owl shoot out of the fireplace. She recognized that particular bird with a groan. The little beast landed on a table next to her husband, stretching it's leg out for him to take the rolled note it carried. She had just opened her mouth to tell him not to take it when he untied the string. He unscrolled the note, read it, then turned eyes gone wide with shock to her. ' I was trying to stop you. There's no way out of it now. Pudge won't leave until you tie a reply to his leg. And, if I know my mother, he will have been charmed so that he can't leave unless the answer is yes.'
'Your mother wouldn't do such a thing......' his voice trailed off. She watched as he pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He was now thinking. 'Of course she would! Your mother is named after a Goddess known for destroying an entire kingdom. Of course she would make it impossible for me to have a simple holiday with my wife in the privacy of our chambers. Of course I'm going to have to say yes. Of course I'm going to be doomed to hell....'
'Severus,' she stopped him. He looked up at her, noting the faint smirk on her face, which brought his scowl to life with a vengence. ' I promise it'll only be for an hour or two. Mum and Da would be offended if we didn't go see them for the holiday. This year will be tame. Wait until the first major holiday hits after the wee one comes.'
'Gods, I'm being punished. I'm in hell and I'm being punished,' he growled. She put her feet to the floor, moving in so she could sit closer to him. Automatically, as he almost always did when she was near, he put his hand upon the swell of her tummy to feel his child moving inside of her.
'Darling, believe it or not, I think Mum and Da really like you. My brothers, on the other hand......' she stopped. 'No matter. I'm sure they'll eventually come around. They will want to see their niece or nephew. But I know for a certainty that I wouldn't be able to go and be around them right now with out you. Mum will fuss. Da will fuss. The seven pains in my arse will fuss. But for entirely different reasons. I need you to go with me.'
'What's this? A brave bloody Gryffindor afraid of her family? I am absolutely shocked. I believe I shall have to take points and issue detentions for that. You should be careful, lest the Sorting Hat wishes to resort you after an admission like that.'
'Careful, lest I curse you with something irreversible,' she retorted. He grinned at her, slipping his arm about her shoulders. She sighed, settling her head against his shoulder. ' It won't be so bad, mo piseag. You'll see. I will make it up to you when I am able.'
'Yes, brat. You will,' he declared with a smirk.
~*~*~*~*~
The room Kendra and Severus flooed into was large and spacious. It had, at one time, been part of the castle's Great Hall. During the latter years, toward the Victorian era, the Hall had been separated into three different rooms. The largest, the one they were in, was the family gathering room. A ten foot tall tree dominated one corner, covered with twinkling lights, bulbs of all shades, and a tartan streamer that was done in the MacLeod colors of yellow and black with a hint of red. Wisps of pale, silvery green moved in and out among the boughs. Upon closer inspection, it was found that the green wisps were small serpents made of smoke, slithering through the tree. It seemed to be that he had been accepted as a member of the family.
Brightly wrapped gifts were piled under the tree, cascading out into the main part of the room like an avalanche. There were quite a few boxes there. They both had the suspicion that those boxes were mostly for the wee babe, not yet born. 'Mum! Da! We're here!' Kendra called out as Severus helped her out of her cloak. He looked around, expecting to see a House Elf appear to whisk away their outer garments. She smiled at him, then took her cloak, along with his, and moved toward a door not too far from the stone hearth. She pulled it open to reveal a closet, where the hangers swooped down like birds to hide within the folds of material. Then they were lifted up to the rod, where the hooks of the hangers settled themselves to await the retrieval of the cloaks.
'Kendra! My baby!' Morgaine's voice called out a moment before she entered the room. She stopped to look her daughter over critically for a moment before squeezing Kendra in her embrace. She turned her attention to her son-in-law, eyeing him with the same critical gaze as she had used on her daughter. 'Severus! So good to see you!' she grinned, then dragged him against her in a hug.
'Mrs. MacLeod,' he acknowledged her, not sure of where he should put his hands. In the end, he half heartedly patted her back before she broke away.
'Call me Mum. Or Morgaine. But never Mrs. MacLeod. That makes me feel positively ancient,' she laughed. 'We're so glad you could join us for the evening. Please, come to the table. We're getting ready for the evening meal.' Taking each one of them by the hands, she lead them toward the door she had come through.
The family was already gathered around the table, marking Kendra and Severus as the last two to arrive. All eyes turned to them as Morgaine brought them into the dining room. Three of her brothers had brought girlfriends with them. Everyone seemed to stare at her belly for a moment or two, prompting her to wonder if perhaps she was bigger than she should be. It was not a happy thought. She sank gratefully into the chair her husband held out for her.
Her Mum and Da were great, speaking with Severus as if he'd always been one of the family. As if he'd never given their eight children fits when he'd been their Potions teacher. Her brothers tried to continually insult him in an underhanded sort of way that he out manuevered with the ease of an experienced Auror dodging a Forbidden. She had to chuckle at the idea that they thought they could outrude Professor Severus Snape. The girlfriends had been students at Hogwarts at one time, so they knew the Potions Master first hand. They tended to stare at Kendra as if she were some sort of mutant.
She was grateful when dinner was over. That meant they could get to the gift giving, then she and Severus could return to the dungeons. She hadn't counted on girlfriends being there, and the evening was giving her a head ache. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel her husband's arms wrap around her as the two of them settled into his bed for the night.
There were more than enough chairs to accomodate everyone, but Severus chose to stand behind the chair Kendra lowered herself into. His arms, not crossed over his chest as was his usual pose, were behind his back. His hands were cupped one in the other. She noted that he was wearing his perpetually bored look. She could understand how he felt. She was finding herself uncomfortable under the scrutiny that the three girls were giving her. She got the distinct impression that they thought she'd gone off the pier when she'd gotten involved with Severus. She grinned suddenly, wondering what kind of mistreatment they would get at the hands of the Weasley's little surprises.
Kendra had sent her gifts to her family up to the castle ahead of time, so that she and Severus wouldn't have to worry about taking them with. She'd also made arrangements with her mother to have any gifts they received sent straight to the cottage. It would make flooing home so much easier. She watched as her Da did his yearly duty by passing out the gifts. Boxes floated from the tree to their designated person. A good majority ended up on the floor in front of her. She knew that most were for the baby. She was surprised to see a few with Severus' name on them, wondering what her parents had gotten for him as gifts.
'Kendra, it's yer turn tae go first. Ye can open one, then Severus can. Then yer brothers,' Aengus told her. She nodded, picking up a small box in bright green paper. She knew the gift was from Sloane, as he always wrapped her gifts in the same shade of green as her eyes. She tugged at the paper, the magic holding it together giving way from the pressure her fingers exherted. Inside the plain white box was a small ceramic figure of a mother with her child. Paints had been lovingly applied to the figurine, making it appear life like. She smiled at Sloane, knowing the he had made it specially for her. She was constantly amazed at the quality of his work. He had found he liked working with his hands when he was young, and pottery had been his first choice.
'Thank you, Sloane. It's lovely,' she managed, tears shimmering in her eyes. He nodded wordlessly, knowing to say anything would set her to crying. She set the box aside, then lifted a medium sized box from the pile at her feet with Severus' name on it. When she handed it to him, he stared at her in shock. 'Open it, Severus. It's for you.'
All eyes in the room went to the tall man, wearing his customary head to toe black on the holiday, as he took the box from his young bride's hands awkwardly. As if he didn't receive many gifts. After a moment's hesitation, he rested the gift on the back of the chair, then set about pulling the cheery holiday wrap from it. A box was under the paper. He lifted the lid, staring at the contents for a moment before lifting it out of the bottom half of the gift box. He held a leather bound book of an odd size in his hands, so new the smell of fresh leather assaulted their noses. Slowly, he opened the black cover to look inside. The first page made his eyes pop open in surprise.
'Severus?' Kendra asked softly. He handed the book to her wordlessly. A smile lit her face as she stared at the picture there. She and Severus were facing each other, hands bound by green and gold ribbon while Dumbledore looked at them. A very special day to be preserved. She handed it back to him to allow him to continue to peruse it.
'Mrs.....Morgaine, I must thank you for the beautiful gift,' he said to her mother, his tone lacking any discernible emotion. Normal for him. Her mother smiled at him.
'Welcome to the family, Severus. I ken that we seem a bit mad at times. I'm certain ye've seen it in Kendra. I assure ye that it runs in the family. That photo album has some great pictures of Ken when she was wee. She was quite the trouble maker when she was younger. I made sure to include some of the ones ye could use to blackmail her with,' Morgaine's voice was full of mirth as she spoke the last. Kendra blushed heavily, just imagining what her mother had put in there. She felt his body shift behind her and looked up. There was a rather small, rather wicked grin playing about the corners of his mouth. She was certain she didn't want to know what he was thinking.
Each of her brother's took their turns opening their gifts. By some chance happening, the gifts she had brought for them were skipped over the first time around. Each turn found them opening one gift. Most of the ones in the pile before Kendra contained gifts for the babe she carried, a few meant for her personally. She smiled at each of them, knowing that she would need nothing for the baby by the time her family was done.
One of the boxes she gave to Severus was light, not too big. She noticed the looks on her brother's faces as he took it in his hands and wondered what kind of mischief the seven of them were up to. He tore the paper away slowly, as if he knew it was something he wouldn't care for. The gift wrap fell away to reveal seven boxes of Muggle condoms. One from each of them. She frowned as they broke out into laughter. Even the three girlfriends snickered at the contents. She looked up into his eyes, seeing the lack of expression there, and wondered if he would ever allow her to live this down.
'Thank you all so much, but I seem to be a bit confused as to why I should need so many condoms,' his voice was smooth and unruffled. His face was devoid of any expression. If she had to place a guess, she would pick bored.
'Well, we dinna need any more of ye runnin' aboot, do we?' Alaric sneered. The other six nodded in support of his statement.
'So you would deprive your sister of a large family, should she want one, because you can't stomach me as a person? Very brother like of you. It also leads me to believe that perhaps you might need these back,' he gestured to the boxes with one hand. He met with puzzled looks as responses. 'Well, it seems to me that I am not the one swimming in the shallow end of what the Muggles refer to as the gene pool. Nor am I so lacking in intelligence or common sense that I would ever think of crossing Kendra in such a way. I think it best that the lot of you try not to reproduce. The world would be a much better place, should you stay single and celibate. Perhaps you should all get yourselves neutered. I could offer my assistance in this area. I am rather skilled with all kinds of curses.'
'Now wait a bloody minute!' Brendan roared, getting to his feet with his anger. Kendra couldn't help but snicker at the looks on each of their faces. The three girlfriends all looked at her with a large amount of dislike in their eyes. She could tell they were of the opinion that she was no better than Severus now. Aengus stood up before the situation got out of hand.
'Settle down, Brendan! Ye've got no place to get angered at him. Ye're the ones that gave him the amunition. So I suggest ye sit on yer arse and ferget crossing swords with the mon,' he ordered, his tone stern. The seven of them glared at her husband, Brendan sinking back into his chair. She noted the openly bored expression Severus had on his face. They would go soon, if for no other reason than they could.
One last gift remained for Severus. She handed it to him wordlessly. It was rather heavy, making it difficult to lift without both hands. The paper used, along with the large quantity of Muggle scotch tape, told her the gift was from her father and safe to give to him. He stared at her for a moment before peeling the paper off slowly. When the wrap was gone, the lid taken off the box, he merely stared at what her father had wrapped up for him. She craned her neck and looked up to gauge his reaction. If she had to place a bet, she would be forced to go with surprise.
'Aengus,' he began, then paused as he looked for the right words. 'This is quite a surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting anything of this caliber.'
'Ye're part o' the family now, Severus. `Tis only fair,' the big man admitted. Kendra reached for the box, wondering what her father had given her husband. She was beyond shocked when she saw the yellow and black of the MacLeod tartan spilling from the inside.
'Da?' she looked at him. He smiled at her, nodding his head at the carton. She turned to her husband, who was staring into the box as if her were afraid it would jump up and bite him. 'Severus, my Da is paying you a great honor,' she told him. He nodded, then turned to look at his father in law.
'Thank you very much, Aengus. It is nice to know that you and Morgaine see me as family. I will, of course, treasure it as it's meant to be,' Severus told him with a diplomatic tone. Kendra knew it to mean he'd put it on a shelf somewhere and forget about it.
'Hell, lad! I expect tae see ye wearin' that to the family reunion!' Aengus exclaimed with a bark of laughter. She gave him a sympathetic smile. She could swear he'd tightened his jaw. He would soon have reason to smile, as Ian had leaned over to pick up his last gift. The one from Kendra. All of her brothers still had her gift to go. She smiled in anticipation of the looks that would be on their faces when they pulled on that cracker.
'You're all going to have to open those at the same time,' she told them as Ian fingered the cracker stuck in with the ribbons on top of the small box. Her brothers looked at her, uncertainty on their faces. Then Dermot shrugged, and the rest of them picked the boxes up as one. The grin spread slowly as she watched them try to tug off the paper. It wouldn't give. 'You'll need to open the crackers first,' she told them. 'On the count of three. One! Two! Three!'
The seven of them pulled in unison. The crackers gave off a loud pop, as they were supposed to. Then the clouds of colored gas poured from them. The stench that would have fouled up the entire hall clung to them and anything within one foot of the person who had set off the cracker. That meant that the three girlfriends, sitting in her brother's laps, were subject to the same fate.
The containment spell she had cast seemed to be holding. Her brothers all stared about them in surprise as the colored gas poured from each of the crackers. Kendra couldn't help but smirking to know that all three of the girlfriends were now as fully covered by the smell as her brothers were. And it was obvious from the looks on their faces that none of them were happy about it. When their eyes bulged from their sockets, Kendra burst into peals of laughter. She laughed so hard, her hands ended up clasped over her belly.
'Tell me that none of those are waiting for me at home, brat,' Severus whispered in her ear. She could only shake her head in a negative response, she was laughing so hard. ' I take it the Weasleys are selling those idiotic things. What are they called? So I know what to avoid.'
'Weasley's Enigmatic Essence Crackers,' she choked out, stopping long enough to draw a breath. Then the laughing started up again. Soon, tears were streaming down her face. She was so busy chortling with glee that she didn't even notice that Severus was struggling to hide his joy at the prank she'd played so well. By now, even her parents were fighting back their own chuckles.
'Fred and George Weasley?' Alaric sputtered. Kendra could only nod, then laughed all the harder at the new expressions on their faces. The girls all looked as if they were going to vomit. Her brothers were all thinking the same thing. She could tell. They were all thinking that no one would be getting a holiday shag now. Her laughter increased at the thought.
The three women with her brothers stood suddenly, announcing over the ringing laughter that they needed to go somewhere. No one seemed to notice them speaking or leaving. Kendra was still chuckling, trying to calm herself, as the continued laughing was making her sides hurt. Not to mention, she now had to use the ladies'. She struggled to get out of the chair a moment or two, until she felt one of Severus' hands slide under her arm to help. She gave him a smile, tears still leaking from her eyes from her marathon gigglefest.
Kendra was passing the kitchens when she heard the shrill laughter from inside. Peering around the corner, she saw her brother's dates standing near the breakfast table. They were obviously discussing something they found funny. She was about to step into the cavernous room, to offer her apologies, when one of them spoke up. 'I cannot imagine what she sees in him. Dermot told me his sister was the smartest one in the family. I now find that hard to believe. Any one with an ounce of intelligence would stay well away of Severus Snape!'
'And did you see how big she is? By Merlin, if she's not having twins, I'll be surprised,' the second said with a snicker. Kendra glanced down at her belly in uncertainty. At her last visit with Madam Pomfrey, the Medi Witch had informed her that she was no bigger than she was supposed to be. Perhaps Poppy had lied to spare her feelings. More tittering came from the room. Kendra stepped back around the corner, trying to decide what she wanted more. To hex the three of them, or to go home.
' I'm still in shock that her parents would allow her to marry that bastard. Maybe Aengus didn't give him any choice in the matter. She is, after all, as big as a hippogriff,' the third piped in. That decided it. Home, it was. She turned, moving silently back the way she came. When she entered the Family Room where everyone was awaiting her return, she noticed that the laughter had died down. Her brothers were no longer gagging from the smell. Now, they were only complaining about it.
' I'm sorry, Mum. Da. I'm suddenly not feeling weel. I think I shall be returning home now. Thank ye fer a fine evening,' Kendra managed with a faint smile, then retrieved her cloak from the closet. Severus watched her as she swirled the covering about her shoulders, then stepped toward another door on the other side of the room. Something was very definitely wrong, if her behavior was any indication. If her speech was any indication.
'Kendra? Luv, what is it?' Morgaine asked her daughter. The red head shook before she disappeared out the new door. Morgaine frowned, then went in the direction Kendra had just come from. Severus followed in his wife's foot steps, catching site of her as she wrestled with the big doors that most assuredly lead to the outside of the castle. She finally managed to pull one of the wooden panels open, stepping out into the cold night. He didn't waste a minute in following her.
Snow was drifting down lazily, settling on her bare head. She didn't seem to notice, merely walked forward. He hurried after her, catching up with her before she had gotten half way across the yard. She looked as if she were lost in her own world. She certainly didn't notice he was standing beside her. 'Kendra, let's get in out of the cold,' he urged gently. She nodded absently, then pulled her wand from within her cloak. In a moment, she had Apparated without him. 'Damn!' he spat, then turned to head back into the castle. He needed his cloak and wand if he were to follow her.
The scene in the Family Room when Severus returned was one of chaos. The three female companions stood near one wall, glaring at everyone else in the room. Morgaine was in a state of aggitation. Her wand was pointed at the three women, her chest heaving with her anger. Kendra's brothers were all confused, looking from one person to the other as if they would get their answers that way. He crossed his arms over his chest, assuming his most intimidating pose. The trio's eyes immediately came to him. All three sets widened in fear. He debated for all of two seconds before allowing his most evil grin to spread his lips. 'What the bloody hell is going on here?' he demanded.
'I dinna ken, Severus,' Morgaine's brogue was strong, telling him she was most upset. 'These three lassies willna speak.'
'Keep them here,' he instructed with no small amount of anticipation in his voice. ' I will find out the answers for myself, when I return. For now, I must go see to my wife. I believe she is terribly hurt.'
His tone was curt, the one he used with his students. The trouble makers were now visibly shaking. He sent them his patent black gaze, letting them know he was still Severus Snape, *the bastard,* then took his cloak from the closet and Apparated out of the castle.
~*~*~*~*~
After flooing from Kendra's cottage to the dungeons and seeing her into the tub for a long soak, Severus was gone again. She had moved almost woodenly, telling him that something had happened that was upsetting for her. He would find out what. And if he had to go to extreme measures.... well, so be it. Not that it would pain him in any way. All three girls had been at Hogwarts a few years back, before Kendra had even started in her first year. He'd had the three of them in Potions. Bloody Hufflepuffs, the lot. None of them had been gifted with a brain then. It looked as if nothing had changed.
Brittney Halward, Geneva Wellson, and Heather Murphy had been vain and shallow when they'd been Hogwart's students. They'd been petty and mean with any student who didn't fit into their little group. Someone like the girl Kendra had been when she'd been a student herself. And he'd bet his favorite quill that they were still petty and mean. He had, during the months of Kendra's pregnancy, seen a side of her that he doubted he'd ever noticed before.
She was as unselfconfident as they came. Everytime someone looked at her even the slightest bit funny, she started worrying that she was too fat. He hadn't been able to make her understand that she wasn't fat, and they were most likely looking at her like that because she was with him. Most people would never be able to see him in any light other than surly and nasty, the Ex Death Eater who hated everyone and everything.
Except for her. Well, and Dumbledore, of course. Most of the staff knew where is loyalties lay. She was one of the first women he'd met who saw past his exterior to the man within. A scary thought, to be sure. But he was coming to realize that he was glad she had found the good in him. He'd begun to wonder if he'd ever find it himself. And here, some wisp of a girl he'd thought he detested had shown him it was there, just under the foul temper and sarcastic wit he used with everyone to safe guard his heart. He'd be damned if he'd let anyone make her feel that unworthy again.
So it was that Severus was in one of his really good, really bad moods when he entered the Family Room, where he'd left the rest of Clan MacLeod. Morgaine still had her wand on the trio of troublemakers. When they saw him enter, they huddled together as if he intended to kill them. Not that the temptation wasn't there. He just didn't feel they were worth a good Forbidden. 'Now,' he said, with controlled anger lacing his voice. 'Would some one care to tell me just what the hell is going on here?'
' I canna get anything from these three,' Morgaine spat, her wand pointed directly at the girl in the center. The ring leader. Brittney Halward. A good idea, but he had a better place to start. Pulling his wand from inside his robes, he lifted his arm almost lazily and pointed it at Geneva Wellson. She had always been the first one to break.
'Allow me, Morgaine. I have developed some rather special interrogation skills over the years,' he told her lazily. She stepped back, her wand dropping. She did not, however, put it away. The three girls glared at him defiantly as he took a few more steps closer. There was fear in their eyes, but he also saw that they would not give in so easily. He sighed. He certainly didn't want to be there, wasting time. He needed to be with Kendra, doing......something to make her smile. He had another solution.
' I think I shall use the Plenus Veritas spell,' he told no one in particular. He heard Morgaine choke, then looked over his shoulder at her. Her expression was one of disbelief and wonder.
'Ye can manage that spell? I've heard `tis damn near impossible,' she replied. He cocked a brow at her. She grinned for a moment, then went on. 'Alright, so ye can cast it. But can ye control it? I've heard that is the real trick of the spell.'
'Madam, I assure you I can handle whatever spell you wish to send my way,' he replied with no small amount of smug satisfaction. She nodded and grinned, then stepped back further. Her wand was silently put up, her arms crossing over her chest to watch the *Master* at work. Severus pointed his wand at the three girls, speaking in a low voice. Had the three of them not been frightened out of their wits, they would have heard the silky smooth quality in his voice that Kendra said gave her chills as desire coursed the length of her body. Had they been paying attention, they'd have known to be far more frightened than they were.
Incantation complete, a pale golden light shot from the tip of his wand to bathe the trio in it's light. Once done, he slipped his wand back under his robes and approached them. They were watching him, but the fear was gone out of their eyes. Left instead was a glassy look that told him the spell was working. He walked a circle about them, then stopped in front of them and asked them to tell him what had been said or done that had upset Kendra.
'We were talking about her marriage to you,' Heather Murphy replied, her voice a dull monotone from the spell. 'We had been discussing what she would be doing with a git like you. Dermot told me that she was the smartest of the lot, but I made comment that she couldn't be all that smart if she had actually married you.'
' I do not see how what Kendra does is any of your concern,' he scowled at her for good measure. Stupid cow, thinking she knew all there was to know about him or his wife. He turned to the others. 'Well, who was next to abuse her fragile emotions?'
'I said something about how huge she is,' Brittney replied, not sounding as if she were terribly upset over her words. Nor did she sound as if she were regretting them. He glanced her up and down, then allowed a faint smirk to settle on his face. 'She is the size of a hippogriff.'
' I should hate to see how you'll swell up, should some man manage to impregnate you. With those hips, I can well imagine that Hagrid's dragon, Norbert, will look small next to you,' he told her, not an ounce of remorse in his words. A small, pained expression flitted across her face, only to be quickly driven away with the effects of the spell. She would well remember what he said to her, though. 'And you? What did you have to say about Kendra?' he demanded of the other girl.
' I was the one who said she looked as big as a hippogriff. I also said that Aengus must have forced you to marry her. They'd have never willingly allowed her to marry you, had she not been pregnant. Brittney is convinced she's big enough to have twins,' Geneva replied evenly. His gaze went from one to the other, studying each of them for several moments before he stepped back. He took his wand from his robes once again, ready to release them from the spell.
'They also made some snide remarks about the bairn, Severus. Stating that mayhap tisna yer babe at all. And, if it is, `twill be a most ugly child,' Morgaine informed him. He clenched his teeth together to keep from barking out his next words.
'I see. Well, as I am in a generous mood, I will let you decide what punishment is best suited to their foul deed. I would love nothing more than to curse them, but I have a feeling that I would not chose something that would cause them great suffering. As they caused Kendra. Although, it has been some time since I've used Avada Kedavra on anyone. I might be out of practice. Perhaps I should try on one of these young ladies,' he hissed the last. All three huddled in on each other in abject fear. A smile curled up one corner of his mouth. Just what he wanted to see.
'But, Professor,' Heather whispered, her voice barely audible in the near silence of the room. 'That's a Forbidden. You can't use it on us!'
'Can't I? Why ever not?' he raised a brow at her.
'You'd go to Azkaban,' she stammered.
'It would bloody well be worth it if it meant you could not utter one more spiteful word against my wife!' he retorted, barely controlling the urge to shout at them. He turned to face his mother in law. 'I will remove the spell, then I shall leave. I don't care what the bloody hell you do with them, so long as you make sure it's humiliating. Painful is good, but most definitely humiliating. I am going home to my wife.'
Severus uttered the counter spell, washing the room in the same pale golden light. He moved for the hearth, stopping long enough to look at Morgaine and Aengus, who'd remained strangely silent through the whole thing. Severus was of a mind to believe that Aengus would wait to blow up after he'd stepped out. Smart man. The last thing anyone in the room needed or wanted to see was Severus Snape completely and totally hacked off. 'Good evening, Morgaine. And thank you for having me. Happy Christmas to you all,' he told them, then stepped into the fire place, scooping up a handful of floo powder as he did so. The bright green flames had barely died before the three girls found themselves facing a very angry Clan MacLeod.
~*~*~*~*~
Severus stepped into the bathroom and stared at his wife. Kendra was leaning against the back of the tub, her head resting along the edge at an angle. It suggested to him that she had possibly fallen asleep in the tub. He slipped out of his robes, folding them carefully. Then he took off his long waist coat and shirt before he scooped her up out of the water. Her eyelids fluttered as she slipped an arm around his back. 'Did you use a Forbidden on them?' she questioned quietly. Her face was tucked up under his chin, her hot breath fanning over his throat as she exhaled.
'No. I was tempted, but as Miss Murphy pointed out, I would end up in Azkaban. Not the place to be when one has a wife and child,' he murmured against her hair.
'Pity,' she remarked, then let sleep take her. He slid her into the bed, pulling the blankets up over her. He slipped from his trousers, then joined her in bed. She snuggled next to him, her arm slipping over his chest. He sighed, closing his eyes.
Thank the gods that this night was over.....
end chapter twenty seven.
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wanna catch up on all my stuff? check this link out. its got everything! The Ultimate ldf Fic Index
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: no one under 18. this is grown up business. meaning lots of dirty words and sexual escapades.
Warnings: sex, some mild violence, gratuitous use of a Scottish brogue, lots of swearing and a cat that's plotting world domination. no, really!
Disclaimer: i don't own any of the recognizable characters in here. nor do i own places and events and the whole magical realm. everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. she is the genius and i merely bask in the glow of her talent. Kendra is mine, as is Wickersham. and the plot, such as it is. please don't hurt me or sue me or make disparaging comments about me or anything like that. i'm broke, i like pain and i've got a really wicked temper, which means i'll probably be mean back. you have been warned.
Author's Note: this was the only fic i used a beta on. with exception of Gin's work on Beyond Death, i think i do pretty okay on my own. and, as i wasn't savvy with HTML when i wrote this, all thoughts were denoted by the use of tildes ~...~
If The Crime Fits The Punishment - The Index
Chapter Twenty Seven: Deck The Halls
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Kendra sat on the leather couch, her feet settled onto Severus' lap. He didn't seem to know that they were there, as he had his nose buried in a book. The two of them had spent most of their time alone merely talking and enjoying each other's company. They did join the rest of the staff in the Hall for evening meals each night. They sometimes made the morning meals, when Kendra could be dragged from the bed. She most often wanted to cuddle with Severus under the covers. They both were finding it increasingly difficult to manage physical intimacy because of the pregnancy. She felt her belly was getting too big and was more often than not in the way.
A noise brought her head up from the quilt she was stitching together in time to see a small gray owl shoot out of the fireplace. She recognized that particular bird with a groan. The little beast landed on a table next to her husband, stretching it's leg out for him to take the rolled note it carried. She had just opened her mouth to tell him not to take it when he untied the string. He unscrolled the note, read it, then turned eyes gone wide with shock to her. ' I was trying to stop you. There's no way out of it now. Pudge won't leave until you tie a reply to his leg. And, if I know my mother, he will have been charmed so that he can't leave unless the answer is yes.'
'Your mother wouldn't do such a thing......' his voice trailed off. She watched as he pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He was now thinking. 'Of course she would! Your mother is named after a Goddess known for destroying an entire kingdom. Of course she would make it impossible for me to have a simple holiday with my wife in the privacy of our chambers. Of course I'm going to have to say yes. Of course I'm going to be doomed to hell....'
'Severus,' she stopped him. He looked up at her, noting the faint smirk on her face, which brought his scowl to life with a vengence. ' I promise it'll only be for an hour or two. Mum and Da would be offended if we didn't go see them for the holiday. This year will be tame. Wait until the first major holiday hits after the wee one comes.'
'Gods, I'm being punished. I'm in hell and I'm being punished,' he growled. She put her feet to the floor, moving in so she could sit closer to him. Automatically, as he almost always did when she was near, he put his hand upon the swell of her tummy to feel his child moving inside of her.
'Darling, believe it or not, I think Mum and Da really like you. My brothers, on the other hand......' she stopped. 'No matter. I'm sure they'll eventually come around. They will want to see their niece or nephew. But I know for a certainty that I wouldn't be able to go and be around them right now with out you. Mum will fuss. Da will fuss. The seven pains in my arse will fuss. But for entirely different reasons. I need you to go with me.'
'What's this? A brave bloody Gryffindor afraid of her family? I am absolutely shocked. I believe I shall have to take points and issue detentions for that. You should be careful, lest the Sorting Hat wishes to resort you after an admission like that.'
'Careful, lest I curse you with something irreversible,' she retorted. He grinned at her, slipping his arm about her shoulders. She sighed, settling her head against his shoulder. ' It won't be so bad, mo piseag. You'll see. I will make it up to you when I am able.'
'Yes, brat. You will,' he declared with a smirk.
~*~*~*~*~
The room Kendra and Severus flooed into was large and spacious. It had, at one time, been part of the castle's Great Hall. During the latter years, toward the Victorian era, the Hall had been separated into three different rooms. The largest, the one they were in, was the family gathering room. A ten foot tall tree dominated one corner, covered with twinkling lights, bulbs of all shades, and a tartan streamer that was done in the MacLeod colors of yellow and black with a hint of red. Wisps of pale, silvery green moved in and out among the boughs. Upon closer inspection, it was found that the green wisps were small serpents made of smoke, slithering through the tree. It seemed to be that he had been accepted as a member of the family.
Brightly wrapped gifts were piled under the tree, cascading out into the main part of the room like an avalanche. There were quite a few boxes there. They both had the suspicion that those boxes were mostly for the wee babe, not yet born. 'Mum! Da! We're here!' Kendra called out as Severus helped her out of her cloak. He looked around, expecting to see a House Elf appear to whisk away their outer garments. She smiled at him, then took her cloak, along with his, and moved toward a door not too far from the stone hearth. She pulled it open to reveal a closet, where the hangers swooped down like birds to hide within the folds of material. Then they were lifted up to the rod, where the hooks of the hangers settled themselves to await the retrieval of the cloaks.
'Kendra! My baby!' Morgaine's voice called out a moment before she entered the room. She stopped to look her daughter over critically for a moment before squeezing Kendra in her embrace. She turned her attention to her son-in-law, eyeing him with the same critical gaze as she had used on her daughter. 'Severus! So good to see you!' she grinned, then dragged him against her in a hug.
'Mrs. MacLeod,' he acknowledged her, not sure of where he should put his hands. In the end, he half heartedly patted her back before she broke away.
'Call me Mum. Or Morgaine. But never Mrs. MacLeod. That makes me feel positively ancient,' she laughed. 'We're so glad you could join us for the evening. Please, come to the table. We're getting ready for the evening meal.' Taking each one of them by the hands, she lead them toward the door she had come through.
The family was already gathered around the table, marking Kendra and Severus as the last two to arrive. All eyes turned to them as Morgaine brought them into the dining room. Three of her brothers had brought girlfriends with them. Everyone seemed to stare at her belly for a moment or two, prompting her to wonder if perhaps she was bigger than she should be. It was not a happy thought. She sank gratefully into the chair her husband held out for her.
Her Mum and Da were great, speaking with Severus as if he'd always been one of the family. As if he'd never given their eight children fits when he'd been their Potions teacher. Her brothers tried to continually insult him in an underhanded sort of way that he out manuevered with the ease of an experienced Auror dodging a Forbidden. She had to chuckle at the idea that they thought they could outrude Professor Severus Snape. The girlfriends had been students at Hogwarts at one time, so they knew the Potions Master first hand. They tended to stare at Kendra as if she were some sort of mutant.
She was grateful when dinner was over. That meant they could get to the gift giving, then she and Severus could return to the dungeons. She hadn't counted on girlfriends being there, and the evening was giving her a head ache. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel her husband's arms wrap around her as the two of them settled into his bed for the night.
There were more than enough chairs to accomodate everyone, but Severus chose to stand behind the chair Kendra lowered herself into. His arms, not crossed over his chest as was his usual pose, were behind his back. His hands were cupped one in the other. She noted that he was wearing his perpetually bored look. She could understand how he felt. She was finding herself uncomfortable under the scrutiny that the three girls were giving her. She got the distinct impression that they thought she'd gone off the pier when she'd gotten involved with Severus. She grinned suddenly, wondering what kind of mistreatment they would get at the hands of the Weasley's little surprises.
Kendra had sent her gifts to her family up to the castle ahead of time, so that she and Severus wouldn't have to worry about taking them with. She'd also made arrangements with her mother to have any gifts they received sent straight to the cottage. It would make flooing home so much easier. She watched as her Da did his yearly duty by passing out the gifts. Boxes floated from the tree to their designated person. A good majority ended up on the floor in front of her. She knew that most were for the baby. She was surprised to see a few with Severus' name on them, wondering what her parents had gotten for him as gifts.
'Kendra, it's yer turn tae go first. Ye can open one, then Severus can. Then yer brothers,' Aengus told her. She nodded, picking up a small box in bright green paper. She knew the gift was from Sloane, as he always wrapped her gifts in the same shade of green as her eyes. She tugged at the paper, the magic holding it together giving way from the pressure her fingers exherted. Inside the plain white box was a small ceramic figure of a mother with her child. Paints had been lovingly applied to the figurine, making it appear life like. She smiled at Sloane, knowing the he had made it specially for her. She was constantly amazed at the quality of his work. He had found he liked working with his hands when he was young, and pottery had been his first choice.
'Thank you, Sloane. It's lovely,' she managed, tears shimmering in her eyes. He nodded wordlessly, knowing to say anything would set her to crying. She set the box aside, then lifted a medium sized box from the pile at her feet with Severus' name on it. When she handed it to him, he stared at her in shock. 'Open it, Severus. It's for you.'
All eyes in the room went to the tall man, wearing his customary head to toe black on the holiday, as he took the box from his young bride's hands awkwardly. As if he didn't receive many gifts. After a moment's hesitation, he rested the gift on the back of the chair, then set about pulling the cheery holiday wrap from it. A box was under the paper. He lifted the lid, staring at the contents for a moment before lifting it out of the bottom half of the gift box. He held a leather bound book of an odd size in his hands, so new the smell of fresh leather assaulted their noses. Slowly, he opened the black cover to look inside. The first page made his eyes pop open in surprise.
'Severus?' Kendra asked softly. He handed the book to her wordlessly. A smile lit her face as she stared at the picture there. She and Severus were facing each other, hands bound by green and gold ribbon while Dumbledore looked at them. A very special day to be preserved. She handed it back to him to allow him to continue to peruse it.
'Mrs.....Morgaine, I must thank you for the beautiful gift,' he said to her mother, his tone lacking any discernible emotion. Normal for him. Her mother smiled at him.
'Welcome to the family, Severus. I ken that we seem a bit mad at times. I'm certain ye've seen it in Kendra. I assure ye that it runs in the family. That photo album has some great pictures of Ken when she was wee. She was quite the trouble maker when she was younger. I made sure to include some of the ones ye could use to blackmail her with,' Morgaine's voice was full of mirth as she spoke the last. Kendra blushed heavily, just imagining what her mother had put in there. She felt his body shift behind her and looked up. There was a rather small, rather wicked grin playing about the corners of his mouth. She was certain she didn't want to know what he was thinking.
Each of her brother's took their turns opening their gifts. By some chance happening, the gifts she had brought for them were skipped over the first time around. Each turn found them opening one gift. Most of the ones in the pile before Kendra contained gifts for the babe she carried, a few meant for her personally. She smiled at each of them, knowing that she would need nothing for the baby by the time her family was done.
One of the boxes she gave to Severus was light, not too big. She noticed the looks on her brother's faces as he took it in his hands and wondered what kind of mischief the seven of them were up to. He tore the paper away slowly, as if he knew it was something he wouldn't care for. The gift wrap fell away to reveal seven boxes of Muggle condoms. One from each of them. She frowned as they broke out into laughter. Even the three girlfriends snickered at the contents. She looked up into his eyes, seeing the lack of expression there, and wondered if he would ever allow her to live this down.
'Thank you all so much, but I seem to be a bit confused as to why I should need so many condoms,' his voice was smooth and unruffled. His face was devoid of any expression. If she had to place a guess, she would pick bored.
'Well, we dinna need any more of ye runnin' aboot, do we?' Alaric sneered. The other six nodded in support of his statement.
'So you would deprive your sister of a large family, should she want one, because you can't stomach me as a person? Very brother like of you. It also leads me to believe that perhaps you might need these back,' he gestured to the boxes with one hand. He met with puzzled looks as responses. 'Well, it seems to me that I am not the one swimming in the shallow end of what the Muggles refer to as the gene pool. Nor am I so lacking in intelligence or common sense that I would ever think of crossing Kendra in such a way. I think it best that the lot of you try not to reproduce. The world would be a much better place, should you stay single and celibate. Perhaps you should all get yourselves neutered. I could offer my assistance in this area. I am rather skilled with all kinds of curses.'
'Now wait a bloody minute!' Brendan roared, getting to his feet with his anger. Kendra couldn't help but snicker at the looks on each of their faces. The three girlfriends all looked at her with a large amount of dislike in their eyes. She could tell they were of the opinion that she was no better than Severus now. Aengus stood up before the situation got out of hand.
'Settle down, Brendan! Ye've got no place to get angered at him. Ye're the ones that gave him the amunition. So I suggest ye sit on yer arse and ferget crossing swords with the mon,' he ordered, his tone stern. The seven of them glared at her husband, Brendan sinking back into his chair. She noted the openly bored expression Severus had on his face. They would go soon, if for no other reason than they could.
One last gift remained for Severus. She handed it to him wordlessly. It was rather heavy, making it difficult to lift without both hands. The paper used, along with the large quantity of Muggle scotch tape, told her the gift was from her father and safe to give to him. He stared at her for a moment before peeling the paper off slowly. When the wrap was gone, the lid taken off the box, he merely stared at what her father had wrapped up for him. She craned her neck and looked up to gauge his reaction. If she had to place a bet, she would be forced to go with surprise.
'Aengus,' he began, then paused as he looked for the right words. 'This is quite a surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting anything of this caliber.'
'Ye're part o' the family now, Severus. `Tis only fair,' the big man admitted. Kendra reached for the box, wondering what her father had given her husband. She was beyond shocked when she saw the yellow and black of the MacLeod tartan spilling from the inside.
'Da?' she looked at him. He smiled at her, nodding his head at the carton. She turned to her husband, who was staring into the box as if her were afraid it would jump up and bite him. 'Severus, my Da is paying you a great honor,' she told him. He nodded, then turned to look at his father in law.
'Thank you very much, Aengus. It is nice to know that you and Morgaine see me as family. I will, of course, treasure it as it's meant to be,' Severus told him with a diplomatic tone. Kendra knew it to mean he'd put it on a shelf somewhere and forget about it.
'Hell, lad! I expect tae see ye wearin' that to the family reunion!' Aengus exclaimed with a bark of laughter. She gave him a sympathetic smile. She could swear he'd tightened his jaw. He would soon have reason to smile, as Ian had leaned over to pick up his last gift. The one from Kendra. All of her brothers still had her gift to go. She smiled in anticipation of the looks that would be on their faces when they pulled on that cracker.
'You're all going to have to open those at the same time,' she told them as Ian fingered the cracker stuck in with the ribbons on top of the small box. Her brothers looked at her, uncertainty on their faces. Then Dermot shrugged, and the rest of them picked the boxes up as one. The grin spread slowly as she watched them try to tug off the paper. It wouldn't give. 'You'll need to open the crackers first,' she told them. 'On the count of three. One! Two! Three!'
The seven of them pulled in unison. The crackers gave off a loud pop, as they were supposed to. Then the clouds of colored gas poured from them. The stench that would have fouled up the entire hall clung to them and anything within one foot of the person who had set off the cracker. That meant that the three girlfriends, sitting in her brother's laps, were subject to the same fate.
The containment spell she had cast seemed to be holding. Her brothers all stared about them in surprise as the colored gas poured from each of the crackers. Kendra couldn't help but smirking to know that all three of the girlfriends were now as fully covered by the smell as her brothers were. And it was obvious from the looks on their faces that none of them were happy about it. When their eyes bulged from their sockets, Kendra burst into peals of laughter. She laughed so hard, her hands ended up clasped over her belly.
'Tell me that none of those are waiting for me at home, brat,' Severus whispered in her ear. She could only shake her head in a negative response, she was laughing so hard. ' I take it the Weasleys are selling those idiotic things. What are they called? So I know what to avoid.'
'Weasley's Enigmatic Essence Crackers,' she choked out, stopping long enough to draw a breath. Then the laughing started up again. Soon, tears were streaming down her face. She was so busy chortling with glee that she didn't even notice that Severus was struggling to hide his joy at the prank she'd played so well. By now, even her parents were fighting back their own chuckles.
'Fred and George Weasley?' Alaric sputtered. Kendra could only nod, then laughed all the harder at the new expressions on their faces. The girls all looked as if they were going to vomit. Her brothers were all thinking the same thing. She could tell. They were all thinking that no one would be getting a holiday shag now. Her laughter increased at the thought.
The three women with her brothers stood suddenly, announcing over the ringing laughter that they needed to go somewhere. No one seemed to notice them speaking or leaving. Kendra was still chuckling, trying to calm herself, as the continued laughing was making her sides hurt. Not to mention, she now had to use the ladies'. She struggled to get out of the chair a moment or two, until she felt one of Severus' hands slide under her arm to help. She gave him a smile, tears still leaking from her eyes from her marathon gigglefest.
Kendra was passing the kitchens when she heard the shrill laughter from inside. Peering around the corner, she saw her brother's dates standing near the breakfast table. They were obviously discussing something they found funny. She was about to step into the cavernous room, to offer her apologies, when one of them spoke up. 'I cannot imagine what she sees in him. Dermot told me his sister was the smartest one in the family. I now find that hard to believe. Any one with an ounce of intelligence would stay well away of Severus Snape!'
'And did you see how big she is? By Merlin, if she's not having twins, I'll be surprised,' the second said with a snicker. Kendra glanced down at her belly in uncertainty. At her last visit with Madam Pomfrey, the Medi Witch had informed her that she was no bigger than she was supposed to be. Perhaps Poppy had lied to spare her feelings. More tittering came from the room. Kendra stepped back around the corner, trying to decide what she wanted more. To hex the three of them, or to go home.
' I'm still in shock that her parents would allow her to marry that bastard. Maybe Aengus didn't give him any choice in the matter. She is, after all, as big as a hippogriff,' the third piped in. That decided it. Home, it was. She turned, moving silently back the way she came. When she entered the Family Room where everyone was awaiting her return, she noticed that the laughter had died down. Her brothers were no longer gagging from the smell. Now, they were only complaining about it.
' I'm sorry, Mum. Da. I'm suddenly not feeling weel. I think I shall be returning home now. Thank ye fer a fine evening,' Kendra managed with a faint smile, then retrieved her cloak from the closet. Severus watched her as she swirled the covering about her shoulders, then stepped toward another door on the other side of the room. Something was very definitely wrong, if her behavior was any indication. If her speech was any indication.
'Kendra? Luv, what is it?' Morgaine asked her daughter. The red head shook before she disappeared out the new door. Morgaine frowned, then went in the direction Kendra had just come from. Severus followed in his wife's foot steps, catching site of her as she wrestled with the big doors that most assuredly lead to the outside of the castle. She finally managed to pull one of the wooden panels open, stepping out into the cold night. He didn't waste a minute in following her.
Snow was drifting down lazily, settling on her bare head. She didn't seem to notice, merely walked forward. He hurried after her, catching up with her before she had gotten half way across the yard. She looked as if she were lost in her own world. She certainly didn't notice he was standing beside her. 'Kendra, let's get in out of the cold,' he urged gently. She nodded absently, then pulled her wand from within her cloak. In a moment, she had Apparated without him. 'Damn!' he spat, then turned to head back into the castle. He needed his cloak and wand if he were to follow her.
The scene in the Family Room when Severus returned was one of chaos. The three female companions stood near one wall, glaring at everyone else in the room. Morgaine was in a state of aggitation. Her wand was pointed at the three women, her chest heaving with her anger. Kendra's brothers were all confused, looking from one person to the other as if they would get their answers that way. He crossed his arms over his chest, assuming his most intimidating pose. The trio's eyes immediately came to him. All three sets widened in fear. He debated for all of two seconds before allowing his most evil grin to spread his lips. 'What the bloody hell is going on here?' he demanded.
'I dinna ken, Severus,' Morgaine's brogue was strong, telling him she was most upset. 'These three lassies willna speak.'
'Keep them here,' he instructed with no small amount of anticipation in his voice. ' I will find out the answers for myself, when I return. For now, I must go see to my wife. I believe she is terribly hurt.'
His tone was curt, the one he used with his students. The trouble makers were now visibly shaking. He sent them his patent black gaze, letting them know he was still Severus Snape, *the bastard,* then took his cloak from the closet and Apparated out of the castle.
~*~*~*~*~
After flooing from Kendra's cottage to the dungeons and seeing her into the tub for a long soak, Severus was gone again. She had moved almost woodenly, telling him that something had happened that was upsetting for her. He would find out what. And if he had to go to extreme measures.... well, so be it. Not that it would pain him in any way. All three girls had been at Hogwarts a few years back, before Kendra had even started in her first year. He'd had the three of them in Potions. Bloody Hufflepuffs, the lot. None of them had been gifted with a brain then. It looked as if nothing had changed.
Brittney Halward, Geneva Wellson, and Heather Murphy had been vain and shallow when they'd been Hogwart's students. They'd been petty and mean with any student who didn't fit into their little group. Someone like the girl Kendra had been when she'd been a student herself. And he'd bet his favorite quill that they were still petty and mean. He had, during the months of Kendra's pregnancy, seen a side of her that he doubted he'd ever noticed before.
She was as unselfconfident as they came. Everytime someone looked at her even the slightest bit funny, she started worrying that she was too fat. He hadn't been able to make her understand that she wasn't fat, and they were most likely looking at her like that because she was with him. Most people would never be able to see him in any light other than surly and nasty, the Ex Death Eater who hated everyone and everything.
Except for her. Well, and Dumbledore, of course. Most of the staff knew where is loyalties lay. She was one of the first women he'd met who saw past his exterior to the man within. A scary thought, to be sure. But he was coming to realize that he was glad she had found the good in him. He'd begun to wonder if he'd ever find it himself. And here, some wisp of a girl he'd thought he detested had shown him it was there, just under the foul temper and sarcastic wit he used with everyone to safe guard his heart. He'd be damned if he'd let anyone make her feel that unworthy again.
So it was that Severus was in one of his really good, really bad moods when he entered the Family Room, where he'd left the rest of Clan MacLeod. Morgaine still had her wand on the trio of troublemakers. When they saw him enter, they huddled together as if he intended to kill them. Not that the temptation wasn't there. He just didn't feel they were worth a good Forbidden. 'Now,' he said, with controlled anger lacing his voice. 'Would some one care to tell me just what the hell is going on here?'
' I canna get anything from these three,' Morgaine spat, her wand pointed directly at the girl in the center. The ring leader. Brittney Halward. A good idea, but he had a better place to start. Pulling his wand from inside his robes, he lifted his arm almost lazily and pointed it at Geneva Wellson. She had always been the first one to break.
'Allow me, Morgaine. I have developed some rather special interrogation skills over the years,' he told her lazily. She stepped back, her wand dropping. She did not, however, put it away. The three girls glared at him defiantly as he took a few more steps closer. There was fear in their eyes, but he also saw that they would not give in so easily. He sighed. He certainly didn't want to be there, wasting time. He needed to be with Kendra, doing......something to make her smile. He had another solution.
' I think I shall use the Plenus Veritas spell,' he told no one in particular. He heard Morgaine choke, then looked over his shoulder at her. Her expression was one of disbelief and wonder.
'Ye can manage that spell? I've heard `tis damn near impossible,' she replied. He cocked a brow at her. She grinned for a moment, then went on. 'Alright, so ye can cast it. But can ye control it? I've heard that is the real trick of the spell.'
'Madam, I assure you I can handle whatever spell you wish to send my way,' he replied with no small amount of smug satisfaction. She nodded and grinned, then stepped back further. Her wand was silently put up, her arms crossing over her chest to watch the *Master* at work. Severus pointed his wand at the three girls, speaking in a low voice. Had the three of them not been frightened out of their wits, they would have heard the silky smooth quality in his voice that Kendra said gave her chills as desire coursed the length of her body. Had they been paying attention, they'd have known to be far more frightened than they were.
Incantation complete, a pale golden light shot from the tip of his wand to bathe the trio in it's light. Once done, he slipped his wand back under his robes and approached them. They were watching him, but the fear was gone out of their eyes. Left instead was a glassy look that told him the spell was working. He walked a circle about them, then stopped in front of them and asked them to tell him what had been said or done that had upset Kendra.
'We were talking about her marriage to you,' Heather Murphy replied, her voice a dull monotone from the spell. 'We had been discussing what she would be doing with a git like you. Dermot told me that she was the smartest of the lot, but I made comment that she couldn't be all that smart if she had actually married you.'
' I do not see how what Kendra does is any of your concern,' he scowled at her for good measure. Stupid cow, thinking she knew all there was to know about him or his wife. He turned to the others. 'Well, who was next to abuse her fragile emotions?'
'I said something about how huge she is,' Brittney replied, not sounding as if she were terribly upset over her words. Nor did she sound as if she were regretting them. He glanced her up and down, then allowed a faint smirk to settle on his face. 'She is the size of a hippogriff.'
' I should hate to see how you'll swell up, should some man manage to impregnate you. With those hips, I can well imagine that Hagrid's dragon, Norbert, will look small next to you,' he told her, not an ounce of remorse in his words. A small, pained expression flitted across her face, only to be quickly driven away with the effects of the spell. She would well remember what he said to her, though. 'And you? What did you have to say about Kendra?' he demanded of the other girl.
' I was the one who said she looked as big as a hippogriff. I also said that Aengus must have forced you to marry her. They'd have never willingly allowed her to marry you, had she not been pregnant. Brittney is convinced she's big enough to have twins,' Geneva replied evenly. His gaze went from one to the other, studying each of them for several moments before he stepped back. He took his wand from his robes once again, ready to release them from the spell.
'They also made some snide remarks about the bairn, Severus. Stating that mayhap tisna yer babe at all. And, if it is, `twill be a most ugly child,' Morgaine informed him. He clenched his teeth together to keep from barking out his next words.
'I see. Well, as I am in a generous mood, I will let you decide what punishment is best suited to their foul deed. I would love nothing more than to curse them, but I have a feeling that I would not chose something that would cause them great suffering. As they caused Kendra. Although, it has been some time since I've used Avada Kedavra on anyone. I might be out of practice. Perhaps I should try on one of these young ladies,' he hissed the last. All three huddled in on each other in abject fear. A smile curled up one corner of his mouth. Just what he wanted to see.
'But, Professor,' Heather whispered, her voice barely audible in the near silence of the room. 'That's a Forbidden. You can't use it on us!'
'Can't I? Why ever not?' he raised a brow at her.
'You'd go to Azkaban,' she stammered.
'It would bloody well be worth it if it meant you could not utter one more spiteful word against my wife!' he retorted, barely controlling the urge to shout at them. He turned to face his mother in law. 'I will remove the spell, then I shall leave. I don't care what the bloody hell you do with them, so long as you make sure it's humiliating. Painful is good, but most definitely humiliating. I am going home to my wife.'
Severus uttered the counter spell, washing the room in the same pale golden light. He moved for the hearth, stopping long enough to look at Morgaine and Aengus, who'd remained strangely silent through the whole thing. Severus was of a mind to believe that Aengus would wait to blow up after he'd stepped out. Smart man. The last thing anyone in the room needed or wanted to see was Severus Snape completely and totally hacked off. 'Good evening, Morgaine. And thank you for having me. Happy Christmas to you all,' he told them, then stepped into the fire place, scooping up a handful of floo powder as he did so. The bright green flames had barely died before the three girls found themselves facing a very angry Clan MacLeod.
~*~*~*~*~
Severus stepped into the bathroom and stared at his wife. Kendra was leaning against the back of the tub, her head resting along the edge at an angle. It suggested to him that she had possibly fallen asleep in the tub. He slipped out of his robes, folding them carefully. Then he took off his long waist coat and shirt before he scooped her up out of the water. Her eyelids fluttered as she slipped an arm around his back. 'Did you use a Forbidden on them?' she questioned quietly. Her face was tucked up under his chin, her hot breath fanning over his throat as she exhaled.
'No. I was tempted, but as Miss Murphy pointed out, I would end up in Azkaban. Not the place to be when one has a wife and child,' he murmured against her hair.
'Pity,' she remarked, then let sleep take her. He slid her into the bed, pulling the blankets up over her. He slipped from his trousers, then joined her in bed. She snuggled next to him, her arm slipping over his chest. He sighed, closing his eyes.
Thank the gods that this night was over.....
end chapter twenty seven.
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